Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eddie’s van flies down the road, his music blaring and his windows down to let in the cool November evening. Hellfire had been particularly gratifying this evening. He smiles as he remembers the way the party had lost their minds as he threw twist after twist at them. He laughs, picturing the point when Gareth had nearly flipped the board in his rage, needing to take a moment to shout into the void before they could continue. It’s shit like that that makes him love the game. 

He bounces his Chicago Cubs stress ball in a continuous rhythm as he sings along to “Master of Puppets” on his stereo. The stress ball had been a gift from Uncle Wayne, something to help him with his nervous fidgeting. The fact that he was very adamantly opposed to all forms of organized sports hadn’t stopped him from accepting the gesture, even though his friends love to tease him for the baseball-looking thing he fusses with in class sometimes.  

He’s nearly made it back to Forest Hills, excited for the Hamburger Helper and new episode of Misfits of Science that await him, when he spots a familiar maroon beemer on the side of the road in front of him. He frowns as he takes in the clearly airless tire and the hunched figure of Steve Harrington curled up on the ground, his back to the far side of the car. Eddie would bet a lot of money that a rich kid like Steve has no idea how to change a flat on his own. 

Normally Eddie would keep driving. In fact, he’d probably even chuckle quietly, reveling in the misfortune of one of the popular elite who relishes in making his life miserable. But today he finds himself hesitating. 

He’s never spoken to Steve. Never directly received any form of torment or abuse from him either. But despite their social separation, even Eddie has heard about Steve’s recent presentation as an omega and subsequent fall from grace. The whole thing is pretty stupid if you ask Eddie- not that anyone gives a shit what Eddie has to say about secondary genders. It’s not as if Steve asked to be an omega. It’s not as if he had any say in the matter. And it’s not as if it actually changes anything about him. Okay, so he can get pregnant. So what? That’s not gonna happen anytime soon. They’re still in high school, for fuck’s sake. 

It doesn’t make him weaker or less intelligent. It doesn’t make him incapable of throwing that big orange ball into the swooshy net. Hell, it doesn’t make him incapable of being a snarky, little shit like the rest of his upper crust peers. There really is no reason to treat him any differently than they had before. 

Eddie slowly takes his foot off the excelerator, his hands steering his van to the side of the road before his mind has actively thought to do so. He watches tensely as Steve lifts his head to look at the newcomer with unease, a clear indication of the downward spiral Steve’s social interactions have taken recently. Frankly, Eddie’s feeling just as apprehensive about the whole thing as he puts his car in park and hops out. 

“Uh, hey,” he says awkwardly, throwing up the hand that isn’t still holding his stress ball. 

Steve blinks at him, his hands curling into fists as he stands and faces the other man, clearly anticipating the need to fight Eddie off. The action breaks Eddie’s heart a bit. He knows how alphas can be. He knows the way his peers act as if they are owed anything they want and treat omegas like nothing more than objects for their enjoyment. He hates to think what may have happened to Steve to have him immediately on the defense. 

He holds his hands up in surrender, trying to convey his harmlessness. “Hey, man. I doubt you know me, but my name is Eddie. I know a few things about cars and I figured I’d see if I could lend a hand.”

Steve’s shoulders relax a little and he looks a bit sheepish, possibly embarrassed about his initial reaction, though Eddie doesn’t blame him in the slightest. 

“Um, yeah. That’d be nice,” he says with a grateful nod of his head. “I- I’m Steve.”

“Nice to meet you, Steve. Let’s see what we've got here,” Eddie says with a grin, approaching the omega and his car. He walks over to the offending tire, crouching down to inspect it. “Looks like you hit a nail or somethin'. I got tools in my van. You got a spare?”

He looks up at Steve who shakes his head, his cheeks a faint red color. 

“Alright,” he says, deep in thought. “Well… my spare’ll be too big for your car, but there’s a junkyard down the road from my neighborhood. I bet we can find something good enough to keep on until you can get to an auto shop.”

At that, Steve hesitates again, looking skeptically at Eddie’s van. Alright, the thing definitely looks like the kind of vehicle you’d see grabbing people off the streets, but he needed something big for his band equipment and this rusty ol’ thing was the only option within his budget!

“You can stay here if you want,” Eddie tells him, hoping to put him at ease. “I’ll head that way and be back in about half an hour or so.”

Steve doesn’t respond, just looking between the van and the otherwise empty street, probably contemplating the likelihood of someone not as nice as Eddie finding him alone out here.

“Or you can come with,” Eddie adds, wanting him to know he has options. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Steve is quiet for another moment, looking at Eddie consideringly before nodding. “Yeah, alright. Let’s go,” he says. 

Eddie grins at him as they make their way towards his vehicle. As soon as they are both settled into their seats, Steve sniffs the air sharply. Eddie blushes, unsure if he’s taking in the stale stench of weed that he can never quite air out or if he’s registering Eddie’s own musky alpha scent that covers his van like a heavy blanket. 

“So, yeah, this is my noble steed,” Eddie says dramatically, gesturing at the messy rust bucket they are occupying. 

Steve glances sidelong at him, as if he’s just said something incredibly weird, but there is the hint of a smile on his lips all the same. Eddie preens a little, knowing that he managed to get an almost grin out of the nervous omega. He turns his key in the ignition and suddenly they are both being jolted back by the force of the heavy metal instruments blaring through the speakers. 

“Sorry,” Eddie yells, turning down the volume to an acceptable level before pulling back out onto the road. 

They drive in silence other than the now barely audible music pouring through the speakers. Eddie keeps his eyes laser focused on the road as he tries to come up with any conversation topic that will keep Steve’s attention. And, honestly, he’s coming up blank. What the hell would he and the former king of Hawkins High possibly have in common? 

Despite keeping his gaze locked in front of him, he keeps getting distracted by movement in his periphery. Eventually, his curiosity gets the better of him and he glances to the other side of the car where Steve is twisting his hands in his lap, his leg shaking anxiously, and his face firmly fixed out his window. 

“Here,” Eddie says, catching the omega’s attention as he holds out the stress ball in his hand. 

Steve snaps his head in his direction, his eyes moving from Eddie to the proffered ball. He eyes it with furrowed brows, not making any move to pick it up. 

“It’s a stress ball,” Eddie explains. “You mess with it to keep your hands occupied. It’s supposed to help with anxiety. Seems like you need it more than I do right now.” 

Tentatively, Steve reaches out and takes it. He gives it an experimental squeeze before he seems to deem it acceptable and starts bouncing it between his two hands. 

“Thanks,” he says. 

It doesn’t take long for Steve’s omega scent to waft through the vehicle, mixing with Eddie’s own scent. Eddie can’t help but take a deep breath in when he gets a whiff of it. It’s floral. He’s got no idea exactly what flower he’s smelling, since he knows jack shit about plants, but it’s soft. Clean. And there is an underlying current of something sweet and fruity, like strawberry lemonade on a warm summer day. Goddamn, it might just be the most pleasant scent Eddie has ever smelled in his life. He kind of hopes it lingers in his space for days after this. 

Maybe he could get Steve to rub a scrap of fabric over his scent glands and Eddie can keep it as a car freshener. 

Nope. Weird. Dial it back, Munson. 

“Soo,” Eddie hums after a moment, desperate for a distraction from the scent and tension thick in the car. “Where were you heading before your tire gave out on you?”

And that seems to be the wrong thing to say, because Steve’s posture stiffens even further. He doesn’t speak for a long moment and Eddie is just about to chime in with an apology when Steve finally admits, “It’s stupid. Tommy was throwing a party tonight.” He squeezes the stress ball between his two fists. 

Eddie looks over at him between glances at the road. “Why is that stupid?”

Steve shrugs, looks out the window. “Because he didn’t invite me,” he mumbles. 

Eddie glances at him again. “So, then, why did you want to go?”

“I don’t know,” Steve huffs. “I guess I just wanted to prove to everyone that I haven’t changed.” He sighs. “I just wanted them to like me again,” he whispers so quietly that Eddie almost doesn’t hear.

Eddie frowns, his heart breaking as the smell of heartbreak and insecurity fills the small space. 

“You know what? Screw those guys,” he says. “You’re incredible and if they can’t see that, then that’s their loss not yours.”

Steve gapes at him. “You think I’m incredible?”

Two months ago, if someone had asked Eddie what he thought of Steve Harrington, ‘incredible’ wouldn’t have been one of the words he’d chosen. ‘Pretentious,’ ‘spoiled,’ ‘doucebag,’ those would have been much higher on the list. But, looking at him now, he can see that maybe he had been wrong. Or, at the very least, that the dude has changed. Because it turns out that Steve is the type of guy that’ll introduce himself even though every single person living in this town knows Steve- whether as the King of Hawkins High or as the son of the affluent Harringtons, an old money family who has the largest McMansion in Loch Nora. He’s the type to go to a party even if he’s not wanted because he refuses to let himself feel like he isn’t good enough (even when he secretly feels like it’s true). And that guy isn’t anything like the guy Eddie was expecting. 

So, he looks at Steve, gives him a soft smile, and says, “Yeah, you are.”

The melancholy scent is instantly replaced with something like joy and it’s like Eddie is pressing his nose into a garden or something. God, it’s fantastic. 

Thankfully, they’ve made it to the junkyard and Eddie happily pulls the car over and hops out to escape the over-concentrated scent. He takes a deep breath, letting the fresh air relax his inner alpha. 

He hears the slamming of the door on the other side of the car and turns to see Steve walking towards the hood, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. 

“Oh, are you cold?” Eddie finds himself asking. His arms start tugging at the jacket covering his shoulders before his mind can even register what they’re doing. “Here, take this.”

Steve’s eyes go wide as he stares at the outstretched article of clothing, as if it were a gold bar and not a ratty old thrift store find. 

“I- are you sure?” Steve asks.

“Yeah,” Eddie says easily, jostling the jacket as he shrugs. “Go ahead.”

Steve ducks his head as he takes the jacket and wraps it around himself, looking so shy and demure that Eddie has the sudden urge to take Steve in his arms and cuddle him until every bad feeling he’s ever had fades away. It is, inarguably, ridiculous, so Eddie shakes his head and starts moving forwards in search of a temporary tire. 

They walk in companionable silence, every now and then making a comment about the weather or one of their teachers at school, nothing that would inspire a deep, lasting friendship, but it fills the time, so whatever. Eddie eventually finds a fairly solid looking tire on the ground and decides this is the one. He refuses Steve’s offer to help, lifting the entire thing in his arms with a strained huff and heading back for the car. 

Ever the gentleman, he ignores the spicy scent of Steve’s arousal permeating the junkyard around them. Well, okay, he preens a little, feeling like a good, strong alpha for the omega behind him, but he makes no obvious indications that he’s caught on to the smell. 

See? Gentleman. 

“Would you mind getting the back door for me?” Eddie asks. 

Steve nods, rushing ahead and throwing open the doors on the back of the van so Eddie can toss the tire inside amongst the band equipment that takes up a majority of the room. 

“Alright, now we just gotta get the thing on your car and you’ll be good to go.”

“Thanks, Eddie,” Steve says sweetly.

“Uh, no problem,” he responds, heading back to the car. They hop back in and the residual scent of Steve hits Eddie like a truck. God damn that’s good. Maybe he can figure out a way to keep a piece of Steve’s clothing here so the scent doesn’t disappear too quickly. 

Still weird, Munson! Dial. It. Back.

“Are you in a band?” Steve asks, gesturing to the equipment in the back as Eddie backs out of the junkyard.

“Yeah,” Eddie beams, instantly excited to be talking about his favorite topic. “Corroded Coffin. We’re a metal band.”

Steve looks at him blankly. 

“You know? Like Ozzy? Black Sabbath?”

“Should I know what that is?”

Eddie only lets himself gape in shock for a moment before shaking himself. “It’s- like this,” he says, turning the music back up a bit. “This is Metallica. It’s from their Ride the Lightning album. Do you hear the prominent guitar riffs and how the guitar seems to almost be in conversation with the drums?”

Steve looks at him curiously, but seems to really be trying to understand. “Yeah, the guitar is really intense. Like, kinda overpowering… and loud.”

Eddie laughs. “Yeah, that’s one of the key traits of a metal song- loud music and screaming vocals. The whole genre was invented to explore the nitty-gritty. You know, all the dark, messy thoughts you are supposed to keep inside of you, all that rage? Metal is about letting it out rather than keeping it in. It’s an act of defiance against the system.”

“And your band sounds like this?”

Eddie tilts his head back and forth. “Sort of. I’d say we’re a lot less polished, but we’re still just starting out, you know? I’ve written a few songs for us, but a lot of our sets are just covers, so I feel like we haven’t quite discovered our sound yet.”

“You’re really smart,” Steve decides. 

Eddie laughs, looking at Steve to see if he’s messing with him, but one glance at his eyes and he can tell he’s not. 

“Yeah, well, tell that to Ms. O’Donnell. I’ll be in high school ‘til I’m fifty if she has anything to say about it.” 

Steve shrugs. “My best friend, Robin, says that being smart and being good at school aren’t mutually exclusive. She has a lot of thoughts on the American education system.” 

“Robin,” Eddie repeats the name thoughtfully. “Is she one of those cheerleaders?”

Steve laughs heartily. “God, no.”

Eddie gawks at the intensity of Steve’s denial. “Well, I don’t know, I figured everyone you knew was one of those jock types.”

Steve shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. “No, not Robin. We worked together over the summer at this place in the mall called Scoops Ahoy.”

”Oh,” Eddie says, his voice rising in pitch. “That’s the one with the little-“

“-sailor outfits, yes,” Steve doesn’t sound nearly as happy about it as Eddie is, picturing Steve in those tiny little shorts. God, he probably had a permanent scowl on his face wearing the hat. Eddie might not know Steve well, but one thing he does know is that the dude loves his hair. 

“Cool, cool,” Eddie mutters. He pauses before adding, “just… out of curiosity, do they let you keep those things after you leave the company?”

Steve looks at him curiously as if he truly, for the life of him, couldn’t guess why Eddie is asking, which… seriously? Is he trying to act as if no one was going to that crappy ice cream place just to check out those legs? 

“Yeah, they do,” he answers. “I was going to burn it, but Robin convinced me I had to keep it to commemorate our summer together. She said one day I could show my kids and tell them the story of how I met aunt Robin.”

“God bless Robin,” Eddie mutters, too quiet for Steve to hear. 

“What about you?” Steve says, snapping Eddie out of his lustful thoughts. 

“What about me?”

“Do you do anything for work?”

“Uh…” Eddie hesitates. Should he tell fancy pants Steve Harrington that he’s a drug dealer? The dude might just start clutching his pearls and run crying to the police. “I’m a salesman.”

“Oh, really? What kind of stuff do you sell?”

“...Medicinal?” he says.

“So you work for a pharmaceutical company?”

“Something like that,” Eddie mutters, nearly sighing in relief when he sees Steve’s car up ahead. “Here we are,” he turns off the road and puts the car in park. “Have you ever changed a tire before?”

Steve shakes his head, a soft blush on his cheeks. 

“Alright, well today’s the day you learn. I could do it for you, but it wouldn’t help you the next time you’re stuck on the side of the road.”

“Okay,” Steve says, easily and the two get out of the van, Eddie grabbing the new tire on the way over to Steve’s beemer. 

Once he’s got the new tire leaning against the side of the car, he goes back to get his jack and lugnut wrench from the back of his van. 

“Alright,” he says, squatting down next to Steve by the flat tire. “So the first thing we’ll need to do is take this wrench and loosen the lug nuts.”

Steve just looks blankly at the tire in front of him, clearly unsure what a ‘lug nut’ is. Eddie points at the large screws around the wheel and Steve makes a little “oh” noise that shouldn’t be as cute as it is. He takes the wrench from Eddie and starts to turn it clockwise. 

“Other way,” Eddie says, unable to stop himself from reaching around Steve and placing his hand over the omega’s on top of the wrench. He guides his movements in the opposite direction and they both feel as the lug nut begins to loosen. “The rule is righty tighty, lefty loosey, got it?” Eddie asks, patiently. 

“Got it,” Steve says.

It’s then that Eddie realizes how closely the two are pressed together and he can see a little too clearly the shade of red on Steve’s cheeks. He clears his throat and pulls away. 

“Cool. You try the next one. Remember, left loosey.”

Steve nods seriously, mouthing the words back to himself. Then, subtly, he lifts both of his hands to form an L as if having to remind himself which way is left. Eddie shouldn’t find it as endearing as he does. Steve does the rest of the lug nuts without help and when they are all loose enough, Eddie shows him how to get the jack under the car and crank it so the tire is off the ground. 

He walks him through the rest of the process, step by step, only rarely stepping in to help with anything physically. Eventually, they finish and Eddie loads the old tire in Steve’s trunk to be disposed of later. 

“Thanks for your help,” Steve says, holding out the stress ball that Eddie gave him for him to take. He’s too busy looking at the ball to notice Steve shrugging out of his jacket as well. “I’ll let you have this back.”

“Keep it,” Eddie says, with a smile. “It suits you better.” 

“Oh,” Steve says dazedly, blinking owlishly. Eddie furrows his brows at Steve’s reaction. It’s just a stress ball, after all. But Steve’s cheeks go red and he ducks his head as he brings his hand back to his side and pulls his jacket tighter around himself. 

Eddie is pretty sure that’s the end of the conversation, but Steve doesn’t leave. He just stands there looking at Eddie with a bashful, starry-eyed expression that Eddie really doesn’t know how to make sense of. 

“Alright, well, you should probably test out the tire real quick, make sure it’s gonna get you home.”

Steve nods, going over to the driver’s side door and swinging it open. He moves to get in, but then hesitates, contemplation clear on his face before he looks back at Eddie and asks, “what’s your last name?”

It’s a weird question. Certainly not what Eddie was expecting him to ask. But, then, maybe he just needs to know who to bill if the tire ends up damaging his fancy BMW or something. 

“Munson,” he tells him warily. 

What he doesn’t expect is for Steve to smile softly to himself, mouthing the last name to himself, before waving at Eddie and getting in his car. He starts it and pulls away, having no issue with his tire as he continues down the road. 

“Weird guy,” Eddie remarks to no one as the beemer fades into the distance. He shrugs, going to get back into his van to finish his journey home. 

It isn’t until later that night that he remembers that it was his own jacket that Steve had walked away wearing. 

Huh. Oh well, he can ask for it back at school on Monday. 

***

Eddie doesn’t see Steve throughout most of the school day. It’s not surprising, considering they don’t exactly run in the same circles. In fact, his day is pretty much like any other day. Pissing off Ms. O’Donnell, scribbling ideas for his next D&D campaign in his notebook, and messing about with his Hellfire buddies at lunch. It isn’t until band that things get weird.

He’s minding his business, strumming his guitar to the sheet music when he feels eyes on him. He glances around and finds some trumpet girl with short, light brown hair staring at him. She quickly looks away when he catches her, but she continues to send glances his way through all of practice. 

It wigs Eddie out. He keeps wiping his face, worried he’s got something on it, and checking his clothes for any unsavory stains, but he’s coming up empty every time. Maybe she has a crush on him? He can’t imagine why, though. Or why now at least. They’ve been in the class together since September and, considering he doesn’t even know what the fuck her name is, they haven’t exactly been on each other’s radars. 

He tries not to think too hard about it as he loads up his guitar in its case after the bell rings. But, then, he looks up and she is standing in front of him, her eyes focused and intense as they stare at him.

“Um… hi?” he starts. 

“I’m Robin,” she tells him.

Eddie blinks. “Hi, Robin. I’m Eddie.”

That causes Robin to scowl at him like he’s an idiot. “I know who you are, dingus. Steve told me everything.”

That unlocks a memory in his head. “Oh. You’re that Robin.”

“Yes, I’m that Robin.“ she huffs. “Look, I know Steve’s reputation, but the dude is the sweetest guy I know, alright? Everyone’s been treating him like crap since he presented and he doesn’t deserve it.”

“I agree,” Eddie says, though it comes out almost as a question, unsure what prompted this remark from her. All he did was fix the dude’s tire.

“So, you better not hurt him, is what I’m saying,” she says harshly. “Or else you’re gonna have to deal with me. And I may not look like much, but I have a second cousin in Russia. One call from me and he will fly all the way over here just to rip your fingernails off and shove them in your eyeballs.”

Eddie gapes at her.

She clears her throat. “So, you know. Just had to say that. As his best friend and all. Don’t hurt him and we’ll be good.”

With that, she walks away, leaving Eddie standing there wondering what the fuck just happened.

***

Everything starts to make sense at the end of the day. 

Eddie is heading to his car, ready to get the hell out of dodge and away from the suffocating teen pheromones that permeate the high school (and crazy trumpet players that threaten you with their Russian cousin) when he notices shouting and turns to see a large gathering of people across the parking lot. He’s been in high school long enough (read: five years) to know that only a fight can gather a group that big. 

Concern- or curiosity- causes Eddie to veer from his straight path to his van towards the growing hoard of people. 

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” he hears someone say.

“Can’t believe he’s actually fighting an omega,” another person grumbles.

That gets Eddie moving a bit quicker as he makes his way to the front. He gets there just in time to see Tommy throw a punch directly into Steve Harrington’s face. The omega reels back from the impact, nearly falling before he manages to catch himself. Blood immediately starts flowing out of his battered nose. 

Eddie doesn’t know why- he really barely knows the guy- but seeing Steve get hurt lights a fire in him. He suddenly bolts out of the crowd, his fist clenched and ready for violence as he storms over to Tommy. 

“Hey!” he yells, barely giving the guy the chance to turn in his direction before he’s giving him a fist full of instant karma.

But unlike Steve, Tommy doesn’t catch himself. He hits the ground. Hard.

He looks startled by the blow, possibly never having been hit by another Alpha in his life. He touches his fingers to his nose and looks down in horror as they come back red. His eyes fill with fury as he growls fiercely at Eddie. When he starts to get to his feet, though, Eddie takes the opportunity to knee him in the chin, sending him sprawling all over again. 

Eddie doesn’t give him the chance to get back up again, straddling him and landing two more blows to his face until he stops struggling. To add insult to injury, Eddie spits in the barely conscious boy’s face.

“Touch him again and you’ll start losing teeth,” he threatens, his voice nearly subvocal as he growls.

He’s not really sure why he’s so enraged, but he supposes any decent person would be after seeing an alpha beating on an omega like that.

When Tommy stays down, moving his head in a barely perceptible nod, Eddie gets off him and heads over to Steve.

“Are you alright?” he asks, putting a gentle hand on his arm and scanning his face. The bottom half is caked in blood that’s started to drip onto his polo shirt. That’s when Eddie notices that Steve is wearing the jacket he’d leant him. 

“I’m fine. Thanks to you,” Steve says, his eyes full of affection as he looks at Eddie.

And then… he kisses him on the cheek.

Eddie is so startled by the easy affection that for a moment all he can do is stand there gaping like an idiot. Then, Steve turns from him and looks down at Tommy who is still lying prone on the ground. His face twists into an arrogant smirk.

“See? I told you! You fuck with me and my alpha is going to beat your ass!”

Eddie’s jaw practically drops to the floor at Steve’s words. His what now?!

“Your- uh- wha-“ Eddie stammers. 

The crowd gets louder as everyone seems to be reacting to the news that “King” Steve Harrington has just declared Eddie “The Freak” Munson his alpha. Steve isn’t the least bit fazed, though, as he turns back to Eddie, his face going soft again.

Eddie really wants to tell him that there has been some sort of huge mistake clearly, because, um, how the hell does helping someone with a flat tire equal committing to a relationship with that person? But the slowly dwindling crowd stops the words from exiting his mouth. He doesn’t want to call Steve out in front of everyone. He may not want to date the guy, but he doesn’t want to humiliate him like that. 

Before he can ask Steve to go somewhere a little more private, though, someone else is calling the omega’s name and both of them turn to see Robin standing on the edge of the crowd, holding a first aid kit in her hands. 

“I gotta go,” Steve tells Eddie. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Alpha.”

He walks away before Eddie can say anything. Eddie watches him go, receiving a thumbs up from Robin before the two disappear into the crowd.

“What. The fuck. Just happened?” Eddie asks no one in particular.

Chapter Text

Eddie spends the rest of the afternoon in a weird fugue-like state. He doesn’t even get into his van after the fight, he just sort of… walks off. He has absolutely no idea where he is going. There are somehow no thoughts and too many thoughts in his head all at once. 

Steve Harrington kissed him on the cheek. Steve Harrington declared him his alpha in front of the entire school. Had Eddie blacked out on Saturday? Has he somehow forgotten about asking Steve to be his? That seems like the type of thing that one couldn’t get away with doing accidentally. 

And yet-

Well, if it could happen to anyone, it would be Eddie.

By the time he comes back to himself, he’s downtown, standing in front of the old movie theater. Which, by the way, is a good thirty minute walk from the school and a forty-five minute walk from his house. 

“Christ!” he huffs, frustrated. He sits down on the curb and throws his head in his hands. This is so not how he expected his night to go. 

He can’t date Steve Harrington! He’s a poor, drug-dealing freak. Steve is, like, the town’s prince. 

Okay, maybe there was a recent fall from grace, but that doesn’t change the fact that he still lives with a silver spoon in his mouth.

What the hell is he supposed to do with Steve Harrington?

“Hey, man, you good?”

He glances up at the voice coming from in front of him and finds a scrawny kid with curly hair covered by a white, red, and blue hat straddling his bike as he looks at Eddie in clear concern. He can’t be older than thirteen and his big, innocent eyes make Eddie relax.

“Nah, man. I am very much not okay,” he admits, his shoulders slumping with a sigh.

“You want a Slurpee?”

Eddie looks back up at the kid with a furrowed brow. “Huh?”

“There’s a 7-11 a few streets down. Slurpees make everything better.”

And who is Eddie to argue with that?

“Sure,” he says. He gets up and the kid steps off his bike so he can walk beside it, in step with Eddie.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

Eddie eyes him warily. “Why should I? For all I know you could be a total narc.”

”Am not!” he declares defensively. “You wouldn’t believe the kinds of things I’ve kept to myself! Like the time Mike ate too many sour patch kids before the fair and threw up rainbow! He swore me to secrecy and I haven’t told a- oh.”

He frowns as he seems to realize his mistake. Eddie throws his head back and laughs. This kid is a riot.

“Lucky for you, I have no idea who Mike is, so your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, man.” He perks up. “But now you have leverage, so you can tell me yours and if I tell anyone, you can tell Mike and he’ll kill me.”

“Mutually assured destruction. I like it.”

“So?” The kid presses.

Eddie sighs. “I think I somehow accidentally started dating someone and I don’t know what to do.”

He turns when he hears the kid start cackling. 

“How the hell do you accidentally start dating someone?!”

“I don’t know! I saw him on the side of the road so I helped him with his flat and then today at school he’s telling everyone that I’m his alpha and kissing me on the cheek and I- I don’t know!”

“He sounds kinda deranged.”

“He is not,” Eddie says, weirdly protective over Steve despite everything.

The kid throws his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. Geez. Are you sure you aren’t giving this guy the wrong impression? I mean, you’re kind of acting like you’re ready to take my head off for him. That sounds like a protective alpha defending his omega to me.”

“I- ugh, I don’t knoooow!” he whines, somewhat over-dramatically.

“Look, it’s alright! I’m sure we can figure this out. Just tell me everything.”

Eddie does. He tells him about seeing him by the road, about the stress ball and the trip to the junkyard. He tells him about the jacket and helping him change the tire. Then he tells him about the weird chick in band and the fight.

The kid goes silent when he’s done, a contemplative expression on his face. 

“Hmm, unless you skipped the part where you asked the dude to be your omega, I’m at a loss.”

“Right?!” Eddie agrees. “Like, this is beyond crazy. I just helped a dude in need. Twice. But anyone else would have done the same thing, I’m sure. And I can’t help but think if someone else had gotten there first, would Steve have-“

“Wait, Steve? As in Steve Harrington?! That’s who you’re talking about.”

“Yeah? So?”

“I know him. He used to date Mike’s older sister, Nancy.”

“Great,” Eddie grumbles. Of course the kid knows Steve. Now what’s to stop him from running to the ex and telling her all about how pathetic Eddie is. 

“He’s a really good guy, actually. He would always volunteer to drive us places when he was over. It was nice.”

“Yeah, the dude shits rainbows,” Eddie mumbles. “I’ve heard.”

“Hang on,” Dustin says at the entrance of 7-11. “Steve’s family is, like, super rich.”

“Oh, I’m very aware, but thanks for the reminder of my inferiority.”

“No, listen- his family is one of those old, traditional families. They’ve got all these old fashioned ideas about courting and dynamics. You probably accidentally declared your intentions for Steve in some antiquated act and he read too much into it because that was how he was raised.”

Eddie thinks that theory through. Honestly, it makes a lot of sense.

“Shit,” Eddie huffs. “I don’t know anything about rich people customs! How the hell am I supposed to know what I can and can’t say or do around him? I might accidentally propose marriage tomorrow without even realizing it.”

He grabs himself a cup and pours himself some cherry Slurpee, while his friend does half cherry, half blue raspberry.

“We should go to the library,” the kid decides. “Do some research. That way you can figure out what’s what.”

“Good idea, man. Thanks.”

They get to the counter and the clerk tells them their total. Eddie looks expectantly at his friend, who is just standing there without a care in the world. When he notices everyone staring, though, he blinks in confusion.

“Oh, I don’t have any money.”

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie mutters, getting out his wallet.

***

One trip to the library and an hour of research later and Eddie realizes that by (accidentally) letting Steve keep his jacket, he publicly declared him as his. Which is a seriously problematic and outdated idea, but according to his friend- who he discovers is named Dustin- it’s one that was drilled into Steve’s head his whole life. Add on the fact that apparently the stress ball can then be seen as a pre-courting gift and Eddie didn’t just declare his intentions, he doubled down. Tripled down if you count defending Steve against another alpha threat. 

In short, he is well and truly fucked.

“What the hell do I do now?” Eddie asks. “I can’t date Steve Harrington.”

“Why not?” Dustin pouts. “Steve’s great.”

“Yeah, Steve’s a pocket full of sunshine, but I live in a freaking trailer park. I play D&D and jam out to metal music for fun.” The kid's face lights up with the mention of D&D, but Eddie plows on. “If Steve actually tried spending more than one day with me it would become abundantly clear how incompatible we are.”

He sighs, smacking his head against the table theatrically. 

“So… maybe that’s the solution, then.”

Eddie pops his head up. “What is?”

“Keep courting Steve, but just, do it as you and he’ll eventually change his mind.” 

He would be insulted if he didn’t fully agree with the sentiment. 

“Yeah,” Eddie hums. “Yeah. That’s brilliant, actually.”

“Great, so swinging back to that D&D comment,” he says. “How would you feel about playing a game with me and my friends?”

Even though he fully plans on saying yes, Eddie just looks at him, hoping to make him sweat. 

“Oh, come on! You totally owe me! I’ve spent my entire afternoon helping you with this.”

“I already bought you a Slurpee. I don’t owe you shit.”

Dustin starts honest to god pouting, so Eddie relieves him. 

“I’m messing with you, man,” he says, rubbing the guy’s hair. “I’d love to run a campaign with you guys. You can join in with Hellfire Club sometime.”

Dustin absolutely beams and Eddie can’t help but smile with him. 

***

According to courting traditions, the first gift should be one of flowers. This practice will show your initial interest and solidify you as a true contender for your intended omega’s heart. Flowers represent love, beauty, and thoughtfulness. This gift will show your omega that you are appreciative of their beauty and desire the relationship to develop further than something platonic. 

***

Eddie gets up early on Tuesday morning in order to get everything ready for Steve’s first gift. 

Since he’s broke, a fact that he very much wants to make Steve aware of, he doesn’t stop by the general store for a bouquet. Instead, he picks some of the spiderwort and daisies that grow on the edges of the woods behind Forest Hills. Then, just because he really likes the smell, he sneaks to the front of the Donahues’ trailer and plucks some of the jasmine from the pots hanging from their window. With his thrown together bouquet in hand, he goes to school, heading straight for Steve’s locker as soon as he arrives.

He spots him instantly, still with Eddie’s favorite jacket wrapped proudly around his shoulders. The sight does something weird to Eddie’s insides, but he shoves the feeling aside. He’ll be getting the jacket back soon. No point getting used to Steve wearing it.

“Hey, Stevie,” he says, familiarly, as he strides up to the boy and holds up the bouquet. “I brought these for you. They aren’t much, but it’s the best I could do.”

As Steve turns to look at the proffered bouquet, Eddie prepares himself for the inevitable rejection. No way is golden child Steve Harrington going to look at this messy assortment of plants that were very clearly just ripped out of the ground and say-

“I love them!” Steve gasps, looking incredibly pleased.

Eddie’s smile fades in a blink.

“You do?” he asks.

“Of course,” Steve says, taking the flowers and placing them just below his nose so he can smell them. “You took the time out of your morning to pick these for me. And you got me jasmine, which means you’ve already learned my scent.”

Oh. Huh. So that must have been the floral smell he was getting off Steve in the car the other day. Well, point for Eddie then. 

Unfortunately.

Steve looks up from the bouquet at Eddie, a fond smile on his face. 

“These are perfect, Alpha.” He presses a quick kiss to Eddie’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Uhhhh, yeah. ‘Course.”

Before he can say anything else, the bell rings and Steve is scrambling to gather all his things. 

“I’ll see you later,” he says as he rushes away.  

“See ya,” Eddie calls after him, only taking a brief moment to sneak a glance at his admittedly cute little ass before heading off to his own class.

***

“It didn’t work, man!” Eddie huffs into the phone. “Apparently I got him the same flower that’s in his scent and he was just tickled pink that I took the time to hand-pick everything.”

“Huh,” Dustin hums on the other end. “Well, that didn’t go as expected.”

“You think?” Eddie snaps back. 

“Well, next one’s food, right? I mean, just bring him a can of Spaghetti-os to school. That’ll make him reject you for sure.”

“I am not getting my fake intended mate a can of Spaghetti-os, Henderson! Jesus, what do you take me for?”

“Someone who is trying to get rid of this guy, that’s who!”

“Yeah, by showing him what a backwoods bumpkin I am, not by treating him like he’s worthless.”

Dustin pauses for a second. “Alright, then, bake him a cake or something.”

Eddie huffs, throwing his head in his hands, the phone pressed between his ear and shoulder. “I can’t bake for shit,” he admits. “I mean, truly, I’m terrible at it.”

“Perfect. Then you can appease your conscience by putting actual effort in and still prove to him that you’re unable to provide for him.”

A part of Eddie- the prideful alpha part, probably- wants to defend himself against Dustin's accusation that he can’t provide for his mate, but he swallows it down, remembering the reason they are having this conversation in the first place. 

“Fine. Baking it is.”

***

Traditionally, the second courting gift should be the gift of food. In olden days, food was hunted, to prove to the intended that their alpha was strong and capable. It was typical to present one’s omega with a large buck which the alpha had killed themself.  

Of course, times have changed and an animal carcass is no longer seen as a polite offering. Instead, present your omega with a large assortment of chocolates or cook them their favorite meal to prove to them that you know them well and will always keep them well-fed should they accept you as their mate. 

***

The only things that Eddie’s ever baked before are the crazy brownies his mom used to make, with cookie dough on the bottom and a layer of Oreos in the middle. He used to eat those at least once a month when he was a kid, but obviously hasn’t had any since his mom died ten years ago. 

They shouldn’t be too hard to make, though, right? 

Two hours and an almost burnt down trailer later, Eddie has a tray of charred and goopy (yes, he’s fully aware that is a crazy combination) brownies in front of him. 

“Well,” Wayne grumbles as they stare down at the monstrosity before them. “I can safely say I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m sure there is a compliment in there somewhere.”

Eddie shoves him playfully, huffing at his complete fuck-up. 

Oh, well. It’ll make Eddie’s incompetence clear to Steve at least. That’ll be worth it.

***

He finds Steve (still wearing Eddie’s jacket like a badge of honor) on the basketball bleachers with Robin at lunchtime. That explains why he never comes across him in the cafeteria, he supposes. 

It’s been a week since he gave him the flowers and he hasn’t seen him at all in that time. Which seems weird for two people who are courting, but Steve hasn’t made any move to seek him out and they don’t exactly run in the same circles, so Eddie supposes it is what it is. 

Steve still smiles like a little kid when he sees Eddie approaching them. 

“Never thought I’d ever willingly enter this room outside of gym class,” he mutters as he walks up to them. 

Steve laughs. Robin watches carefully, clearly trying to suss out his intentions. Without further ado, Eddie grabs the little saran wrapped brownies from his pocket. 

“Well, I made you brownies, but they didn’t turn out great,” he explains. “These were the two that looked the best.”

He hands the brownies over to Steve. Robin looks at them with the criticism he expected, but Steve looks so soft as he stares at the little squares of sugar in his hands. 

“Thanks, Alpha,” Steve says. “I appreciate the effort. I was getting worried that you were starting to forget about me,” he admits bashfully. 

“Oh. No, um, I thought courting gifts were supposed to be spaced out.”

“The gifts are,” Robin says, pointedly. 

“Rob,” Steve scolds warningly. 

Eddie looks at her with furrowed brows, not sure what she’s getting at. 

“Ask him out, idiot,” she mouths. 

Oh. Going on dates? Is that a thing they are supposed to be doing? Wait. Duh. That’s kind of a basic requirement of dating. And now that he’s thinking about it, he’s pretty sure he did read in the books that the alpha has to ask the omega (total sexist bullshit), which is probably why Steve hasn’t approached him. 

But this is great. Eddie plays in a metal band and participates in dorky role playing games in his free time. Maybe witnessing Eddie in his natural habitat is just the thing that Steve needs to see in order to understand exactly how incompatible they are. 

“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come to see my band play at the Hideout tonight?” Eddie asks. 

“Really?” he asks, his eyes lighting up.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s a pretty dingy, little dive bar and the clientele can be kind of sketchy, but it’s the only place in town that’ll book us, so-” Steve swallows nervously at that description and Eddie is sure he’s going to back out.

“Alright,” Steve agrees. “Sounds good.”

Eddie gapes a little. “Great,” he says stiffly. “The show’s at 7, but feel free to stop by early.”

“I will,” Steve says. “See you tonight.”

“Yeah, see ya,” Eddie grumbles, walking out in a huff.

***

Eddie’s description of the Hideout was, unfortunately, accurate. The bar is off the highway on the edge of town and, therefore, typically caters to wayward truckers and the usual town drunks. It’s not exactly the type of place you would find a distinguished omega such as Steve Harrington. 

The more he thinks about it, the more Eddie is convinced that he’s made a very terrible mistake letting Steve come here. He’ll stick out like a sore thumb in his fancy polos and bright white Nike shoes. Not to mention his distinct omega scent is no doubt going to cause some of the more unsavory clientele to come on to him. And with Eddie on stage, he won’t have anyone around to keep him safe. 

By the time they are setting up and tuning their instruments for soundcheck, Eddie has worked himself into a mild panic thinking about all the worst case scenarios of Steve being out in that crowd. He’s too busy picturing some knothead trying to grope Steve by the bar that he doesn’t even notice the man walk in until Gareth says-

“Is that Steve Harrington?”

Eddie blinks out of his panic to look towards the entrance. What he sees has his jaw dropping to the floor.

Instead of his typical preppy getup, Steve is standing by the entrance wearing ripped black jeans, a cropped Rolling Stones tee, black boots, and Eddie’s jacket to round out the look. He smiles and waves when he sees Eddie gaping and the metal head is helpless but to wander over to him. 

“Hey,” Steve says with a bashful smile when Eddie is in front of him. 

“Holy shit,” Eddie responds, looking Steve up and down. “You look-“ 

He doesn’t even know how to finish that sentence without being incredibly lewd.

“Yeah, Robin helped me get ready. She wanted to come, but I didn’t really want a chaperone for our first date, so-“

He frowns. “I kind of wish you’d brought her. I’m gonna be on the stage all night and, to be honest, I was starting to freak out thinking about you being on the floor all alone.”

Steve beams at the indication of concern and, between one blink and the next, has his arms wrapped tightly around Eddie. It takes the alpha aback and at first he just stands there like a statue until Steve rubs his nose near Eddie’s scent gland and his intentions become clear. The more he smells like Eddie, the less other alphas will come near him. So Eddie hugs him back, rubbing his nose against Steve’s scent gland in return and even rubbing his wrist over the back of his neck. It’s an incredibly intimate act. One he wouldn’t do with just anyone, but he doesn’t feel as weird about it as he thought he would.

As long as it keeps Steve safe.

He finds himself getting a little lost in it- the way Steve’s scent blends with his own. Eddie doesn’t even know how to describe it, their scents are so different, they shouldn’t really mesh at all, but all his mind can think is yes, this is just right. 

Begrudgingly, he pulls away after about half a minute of thorough scenting to find Steve’s eyes glassy and dark. It causes something to stir inside of him, but he swallows it down.

“Well, I gotta get on stage. Go ahead and find a seat towards the front of the bar so that I can keep a good eye on you, alright?”

“Okay, Alpha,” Steve responds, dazedly.

He does as he’s told, sitting on the closest stool to the stage where Eddie has a nice, clear view of him. Eddie gives him one last smile and wave before turning back to join the others on the stage. When he turns, though, he finds the band frozen in shock, looking at him like he’s grown a second head.

“Ah, here we go,” Eddie grumbles on his way to the stage.

“So it’s true then?” Gareth whispers pointedly when Eddie climbs back up. “You’re actually dating ‘The Hair?!’”

Eddie crosses his arms. “Yeah, I am,” he says, defensively. “And I already kicked one guy’s ass who tried to mess with him, so watch your tone.”

Everyone looks completely taken aback by Eddie’s threat, but the point gets across- don’t fuck with Steve or you’ll have Eddie to answer to.

“How did this even happen?” Jeff asks carefully. “When have you even talked to the guy?”

How did this happen? Eddie agrees in his head.

Aloud, he tells them, “we met the other weekend. Had a good conversation.” He shrugs. “I like him,” he adds, honestly.

All his friends make a face as if to ask, “why?” but wisely keep their mouths shut. 

“So are we gonna do the sound check or not?” Eddie snaps impatiently. He’s never been shy when it comes to attention, but for some reason everyone gawking at him over Steve is putting him on edge. 

As they make their way through their usual sound check, he keeps one eye on the omega at the bar. He watches as he orders a Coke from the bartender. He watches as alphas stare and ogle, but never approach, and he’s grateful that Steve was smart enough to try the scenting thing. It puts Eddie’s mind at ease a bit, knowing that he’s being left alone. 

They take a quick break before their set, getting water and taking a piss, and then it’s showtime!

“How we doing tonight, Hideout!” Eddie shouts into the mic. 

He gets a lackluster response, though Steve cheers and claps for him. He grins at the boy and lets out a little chuckle. 

“Alright, well, one of you’s having a good time. Let’s see if we can turn some of those frowns upside down. 2! 3! 4!”

He starts playing- and if he shows off a little, it’s definitely not because Steve’s watching- the same Metallica song that he’d shown Steve in his car the other day. It wasn’t intentional, of course. It’d already been on the setlist before he’d invited Steve, but seeing the jolt of recognition in Steve’s eyes makes him grin. He goes hard, flipping his hair and thrusting his hips to the beat. He and Jeff’s guitars blend together to form an epic melody while Gareth bangs the shit out of his drum kit.

When it’s time to sing, Eddie goes up to the mic, his eyes fully on Steve as he belts the lyrics that he knows by heart. Meanwhile, Steve is sitting on his stool, gaping at Eddie like a fish. Eddie can’t help but grin and preen at the reaction, feeling immensely proud to be earning that reaction from the omega. He gets so lost in the performance that he doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until Steve is sprinting off his stool, rushing towards the bathroom. It throws Eddie off for a second, missing a note on his guitar before getting back into the groove. He looks desperately down the hallway to the bathrooms, wondering if he should chase after him, but knowing his band mates would kill him if he did. 

With few other options, Eddie finishes that song and starts in on the next one, keeping the bathroom hallway in his periphery. It isn’t until the end of the second song that Steve comes back out, his head ducked and looking a little like a kid caught stealing out of the cookie jar. It takes awhile for Eddie to make eye contact with him, as if Steve is actively avoiding it. When Steve finally does look up at him, he mouths “are you okay?” and gets a bashful little nod in return. He can see Steve’s cheeks going red all the way from here. 

The rest of the show goes off without a hitch and by the time Eddie is strumming his last note, they’ve managed to get the audience decently interested. They are met with applause and whoops as they say their goodnights and Eddie throws his guitar down and turns to the others.

“Hey, I’m gonna go get Steve,” he says. “ Please be nice to him.”

They all sigh and give each other wary glances, but agree. 

When he turns back around, he finds Steve talking animatedly to some alpha, who is leaning against the bar, his head tilted as he watches Steve with an affectionate grin. Feeling a weird possessiveness inside, Eddie hurries off the stage to get to them.

“-he’s the singer,” he hears Steve telling the man proudly, causing Eddie to halt on his warpath. “We just started courting last week. He’s good, right?”

“He is,” the alpha agrees easily.

Eddie is kind of in a daze over Steve Harrington bragging about him.

“Still can’t believe someone that cool wants anything to do with me,” he mutters.

A soft smile appears on Eddie’s face without his permission and he steps up close enough that Steve notices him for the first time. 

“Hey!” he chimes, leaning forward to kiss Eddie on the cheek. “This guy wanted to know where you got this jacket from.”

“My omega loves jean jackets,” the man explains. “Has about a million of them.”

Eddie relaxes a bit knowing this guy is taken, but still throws a possessive arm around Steve’s shoulders.

“Thrift store find,” he responds. 

“Figures,” he says. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair.” He lifts his drink in cheers. “You two make a lovely couple.”

“Thanks,” Steve beams. The guy walks away and Steve turns his full attention to Eddie. 

“Hey, what happened at the beginning of the set?” Eddie asks first. “Are you okay?”

To his surprise, Steve’s face turns bright scarlet. “I’m fine.”

Eddie scans his (still red) face. “Are you sure? You bolted off like a man on the run.”

Steve clears his throat, looking at the people loitering around. “I’ll tell you later. Can I help you guys pack up?”

“Sure,” Eddie says, allowing the distraction for now, though he’ll definitely pry again later. 

Steve gets up from his seat to follow Eddie back to the stage. “You guys were amazing, by the way.”

They are close enough to the others to be overheard at this point and Eddie watches as all of his bandmates preen at the compliment. 

“I think you may be biased,” Eddie chuckles. “Can you roll this up?” he asks, handing Steve a mic cord.

Steve shakes his head. “No, really,” he says, taking the chord and looping it around his hand. “You have an excellent stage presence, you all work well together, and that original song you did in the middle was great,” he rambles. “I mean, I know you were telling me you didn’t have your sound yet, but I think leaning into fantasy themes makes sense for you. You’re in that D&D club, right? So you guys clearly like making up stories about big adventures. That can be your whole schtick. Like ‘Ramblin’ On’ by Zepplin.”

For a moment, no one speaks, too gobsmacked that Steve Harrington apparently has common knowledge about both Dungeons and Dragons and Led Zeppelin. He doesn’t immediately notice everyone gawking at him until the silence becomes too loud to ignore. He looks up, blinking when he sees all the attention is on him.

“What?” He asks self consciously.

“You know about D&D?” Jeff asks at the same moment Todd asks, “you listen to Zeppelin?”

Steve shrugs. “My ex’s little brother and his friends play and my best friend loves Led Zeppelin.”

They continue staring for a moment until Gareth grins and says, “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your boyfriend, Eddie?”

Eddie smiles, delighted that his friends approve of his relationship, as temporary and unintentional as it may be.

“Steve, these are my bandmates. Gareth, Jeff, and Todd,” he says, pointing to each member as he says their name.

“Hey, I’m Steve. It’s nice to meet you guys.”

The rest of the take down goes well, the guys quizzing Steve on his D&D knowledge, which is actually way more than Eddie would have ever expected from Steve Harrington. Frankly, it’s pretty hot.

“Damn, who knew Steve Harrington was a secret nerd,” Gareth says, impressed, once everyone has finished loading up the van. 

“Yeah, what the hell were you doing slumming it with those jocks all these years?” Todd asks.

“I’ve seen the error of my ways,” Steve admits, teasingly. “Clearly geeky metalheads are far superior company.” He smiles bashfully at Eddie as he says it. 

Eddie smiles back, feeling elated. 

Everyone says their goodbyes, leaving Steve and Eddie truly alone for the first time that night. Eddie takes the opportunity to observe Steve, who is looking down and scuffing his boots on the ground. The light is soft from the street lamps illuminating the parking lot and it makes Steve’s skin look almost golden. 

“You wanna grab some food?” Eddie can’t stop himself from asking. “You know, this being our first date and all, I’d be a pretty shitty alpha if I just asked you to stare at me on a stage for an hour and call it a night.”

Steve chuckles. “I’d love to go to dinner with you.”

“Cool,” Eddie says airily. 

They drive separately, Eddie leading the way to his favorite diner while Steve follows in his beemer. It’s relatively empty when they get there, but Eddie still leads Steve to one of the booths near the back so they can have as much privacy as possible. 

“I’ve never been here before,” Steve mentions offhandedly as he looks at the menu.

“Seriously?” Eddie responds. This diner is where he and Wayne go whenever they feel like splurging on a night out. They’ve come here after every single big event in Eddie’s life. “Where do your parents take you when you’re celebrating something?”

“Enzo’s usually.”

And it’s not a big deal, but it reminds Eddie just how different the two are. Wayne’s been saving up all year so that he can take Eddie there when (if) Eddie graduates. It’ll be the first time Eddie’s ever gotten to go to the high priced restaurant. Meanwhile, Steve here’s probably been there so many times that it’s lost any sort of luster for him. 

He mentions that- just to make sure Steve knows exactly how different life with Eddie would be.

“I’ve never been to Enzo’s. It’s a bit out of our price range.” 

“Oh,” Steve mutters, sounding embarrassed about having money, rather than disappointed that Eddie doesn’t.

For a moment, neither of them says anything, Eddie fiddling with the peeling in the corner of his laminated menu.

Then Steve clears his throat. “So what’s good here?”

Eddie chuckles self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is it embarrassing to say I usually just get the chicken fingers?”

Steve bites his lip to stifle a laugh. “No, no, of course not.”

“Hey, cut me some slack!” Eddie declares in mock outrage. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and if the order ain’t broke I don’t see a reason to fix it.”

“Fair enough,” Steve laughs. “Is it bad if I want to try the blueberry pancakes?”

“Pancakes for dinner? Steve, I didn't take you for a rebel.”

Steve shrugs, smug. “Well, maybe you don’t know me all that well.”

Eddie gives him a soft grin. “No. Not yet anyway.”

Steve's smile grows wide as if he just can’t help it. 

“So… are you gonna tell me why you ran off earlier?”

Steve looks down at his fidgeting hands in his lap, mumbling something that Eddie can’t hear.

“Say it again, sugar?” Eddie requests, leaning closer to hear better.

“I said it’s embarrassing.”

“I won’t laugh, I promise,” Eddie vows. “Come on, if you can’t tell your alpha who can you tell?”

Steve bites his lip contemplatively. “I had a… strong reaction to seeing you on stage.”

Eddie furrows his brows in confusion, taking in Steve’s blush and the way he is refusing to meet Eddie’s eyes.

And, oh.

“Oh.”

“I was worried I was going to soak through my underwear,” Steve admits.

Eddie can’t help but gape at him. “Just from seeing me on stage?” he asks incredulously.

Steve finally looks up at him. “I don’t think you realize how sexy you are, Eddie. Especially with your guitar on you.”

Eddie thinks his jaw might actually be on the floor right now. Which probably looks decidedly unsexy. Not that Steve seems deterred, if the sultry look in his eyes is any indication. 

“Oh,” he says stupidly. “That’s- huh.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t act like you don’t know people find rock stars hot.”

“Yeah, rock stars, ” Eddie repeats. “Not lil ol’ me.”

“If you regularly get on stage in tight leather pants, gyrating against the electric guitar you are playing like a man possessed, you are a rock star.” 

Eddie blushes, feeling a little smug from Steve’s insistence.

“Okay, I’m a rockstar,” he agrees enthusiastically. “Does that make you my groupie?”

Steve shrugs coyly. “I’d happily be your groupie.”

The waitress stops by to take their order and quickly comes back with the waters they requested. 

“So, enough about me,” Eddie says. “The more I get to know you the more I discover that everything I thought I knew about King Steve was complete bullshit. So who are you really?”

“I don’t know,” Steve admits. “I guess I’m still trying to figure that out for myself.”

“Yeah?”

He nods. “I guess, until I presented as an omega, I always just did what was expected of me. And everyone expected me to be this entitled, self-absorbed douchebag, so that’s what I was.”

“So it was all an act?”

He shrugs. “Everyone thought I’d present as an alpha. My parents especially. I think I was the only person that wasn’t surprised when I presented as an omega. Well, and Robin. All that alpha posturing bullshit never came naturally to me.” He pauses, looking briefly at Eddie before training his eyes on his own lap. “And I’ve always wanted to have kids. Like, have them.”

“Really?” Eddie asks, eyes bugging out a bit at the thought of having kids. 

Steve nods. “Yeah, six. My own little basketball team.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Just when I start thinking you’re not the jock I thought you were, you hit me with a sports ball reference.”

Steve laughs. “Well, what about you? Do you want kids?” He asks it casually, but there is a nervousness in his eyes that tells Eddie that the wrong answer would destroy him.

“Uh, I’ve honestly never thought about it,” Eddie says, squirming in his seat. 

Truthfully, he isn’t sure he wants to pass on the Munson genes. His own father isn’t exactly a shining example of paternity. 

Steve shrinks a little at his response and Eddie thinks that this might be it. This might be the moment Steve realizes the two of them really aren’t compatible and finally declines his courting.

And yet, he finds himself adding, “I mean, I’m not opposed to it.”

Steve gets a little glint of hope in his eyes just as their waitress comes back with their food. They thank her and then dig in, not bothering to keep up the conversation now that there is food in front of them. Eddie happily grabs the bottle of ketchup from the edge of the table and slathers his entire plate in the tomatoey goodness. 

Steve snorts from the other side of the table. “So not only do you order chicken fingers, but you also douse them in ketchup. Are you sure you aren’t just a very tall five-year-old?”

“Hey, make fun all you want, but you are the one who decided you wanted to get all up on this, so who’s the real weirdo here?”

“Must be me,” Steve teases with an eye roll.

Eddie grins. Watching Steve as he takes a big bite out of his blueberry pancakes. When he notices Eddie watching, he blushes. 

“You want a bite?” he asks, holding a forkful over the table.

“Sure, thanks,” Eddie responds. He leans across the table and takes the bite off the fork. 

It’s really good. Honestly, he should probably expand his horizons and order something else next time he comes, but he is not going to give Steve the satisfaction of knowing that.

“Good,” Eddie says around his mouthful. He swallows. “What about you?” he asks, grabbing a now soggy chicken finger and shoving it in Steve’s face. “Want some ketchup with a side of chicken?”

Steve turns his head away, an amused grimace on his face. “That’s revolting.”

“Oh, come on, live a little.”

“I think I’ll live a lot longer if I don’t choke on that crap.”

Eddie laughs, setting his food back on his plate. The smile on his face is so wide his cheeks hurt and he finds himself looking longingly at the omega in front of him.

“I’m glad you aren’t pretending to be a douchey alpha anymore,” he blurts out.

“Yeah?” Steve says, amused.

Eddie nods. “I like you better this way. A lot better.”

And damn it, but Eddie means that. He really likes Steve Harrington…

It’s almost a shame that Steve’s going to wake up any second now and call the whole thing off.

Chapter Text

The third courting gift is jewelry. This is a steeper investment designed to show the depth of your commitment. The most traditional jewelry features diamonds, often associated with engagements, further indicating your intentions of mating. Other common jewels include pearls, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Anything less than this can be seen as a lack of devotion, signifying you are unwilling to make large financial investments for your intended. Favorably, you want to spend at least one month’s salary on a piece of jewelry for your third courting gift. 

***

“I don’t have enough money for diamonds or jewels and this is the only thing I know how to make, so- here.”

Steve turns from his locker where he is trying to stuff all his class binders in for the Christmas break. It’s the very last day of class for the year and Eddie is beyond excited to get a break from everything. 

“I love it, Alpha,” Steve says, excitedly taking the proffered guitar pick necklace that Eddie had strung together last night. 

It took him all of five minutes and cost him literally nothing. 

…And still Steve is acting like it’s the greatest thing he’s ever received! Does he not realize that the third courting gift usually consists of literal diamonds?! He must, considering one minute in Eddie’s jacket had him ready to plan their damn mating ceremony. Why is he not getting rightfully upset by Eddie’s lackluster gifts?! This is insane. 

“I mean, I know it’s not much, but-”

Steve shakes his head, throwing the string around his neck. “It matches yours. You gave me something that has meaning to you. That’s all I could ask for.”

He leans forward to press a kiss to Eddie’s cheek. As he pulls away, Eddie can’t help but look at the little piece of plastic dangling from his neck. He won’t deny he likes the look of it. Add on the jacket Steve’s sporting and he may as well be wearing a neon sign that says “Eddie Munson’s omega.”

“Right,” Eddie sighs.  

“Hey, you have my number, right? In case you want to hang out over the break.”

“Yeah, I have your number,” Eddie frowns. “But, you know, you don’t have to just sit around waiting for me to ask you out, Steve.”

Steve’s face falls. “I- I know… I mean, it’s just… traditional, you know? If you’re courting me, you are supposed to be making the plans.”

“Yeah, but, like, I’m not going to call the courting police on you if you decide that you want to see me, alright? You should have the power to call me and ask me to hang out too.”

“Yeah, I- I guess.” Steve mutters, perturbed. “I guess that’s just not the way I was raised.”

“I mean, before you presented you probably made plans when you were dating Nancy, right?”

Steve shrugs. “Not really. She definitely took charge most often in that relationship.”

“Well, you and I are a team. A partnership. Which means that you should have just as much power and say as I do.” 

He takes Steve’s hand as he says it and presses it to his chest. Steve’s face turns bright red and his mouth turns up into a wide grin that he can’t seem to hold back. Then he bites his lip and furrows his brows. 

“Maybe… maybe after the courting?” he suggests. 

“But-”

“Eddie, I just… I was raised a certain way, alright? When we’re engaged to be mated, then I’ll start pulling my weight, or whatever, but that’s not how courting works.”

Eddie lets out a frustrated huff, knowing that they’re never going to make it that far. “Yeah, alright. After the courting.”

“Thanks,” Steve says, kissing him on the cheek once again. 

They’d been officially courting for three weeks now and still they hadn’t done anything more than kiss on the cheek. Not that Eddie is pressing for more. This isn’t a real relationship, after all. If Steve is going to dump him soon, then there isn’t any reason for them to get physical. It’ll just make it more complicated. 

“Have a good break, Alpha,” Steve says, walking away. 

“You too, Stevie,” Eddie says softly. 

***

“I don’t know, man. This is not playing out like I thought it would,” Eddie whines. “I mean, I literally gave him a piece of string strung through a guitar pick and even that didn’t turn him off.”

He’s sitting on a bench in the town square, hot chocolate in hand, while Dustin messes around on a skateboard in front of him. 

It is very clear that he’s never skateboarded in his life. 

“Have you considered that maybe he just genuinely likes you?” Dustin asks, trying to do a kick flip and barely getting the board half an inch in the air.  

Had Eddie considered that silver spoon sweetheart Steve Harrington might actually be interested in spending the rest of his life with a low life drug dealer from the wrong side of the tracks? 

No. No he hadn’t.

“Look, I really don’t know what’s going through his head, but he’s clearly not thinking this through. I mean, maybe it’s some weird teen rebellion thing? Like to piss off his parents?”

“Maybe,” Dustin agrees. “And, I mean, it’s not like they’ll ever give you their blessing anyway, so it doesn’t matter if Steve changes his mind or not.”

“Yeah, that’s a good point.”

Once all five courting gifts are given, it is traditional for the alpha to meet the omega’s family and officially ask for their blessing to mate their child. (Not that it’s the parent’s place to decide who their kid is going to spend their life with, but clearly Steve is still holding on to some weird, outdated beliefs.) If Richard Harrington doesn’t approve of Eddie’s request to take Steve as his mate, then the whole thing is over. 

It’s the failsafe that Eddie is depending on in case Steve doesn’t come to his senses in time. 

Eddie watches Dustin attempting to tilt his skateboard a few times to no avail. 

“Since when do you skateboard, anyway?”

Dustin shrugs, giving up and coming to sit next to Eddie. “There’s this new girl in our class that’s into it. I think she likes Lucas, but I’m hoping if I can become a skateboarding god then she’ll change her mind.”

“Come on, man, you can’t try to force love like that,” Eddie says. “If she doesn’t like you, then she’s not the girl for you. Don’t try to change yourself for some chick.”

“Her name is Max and she’s not just some chick. And, anyway, I don’t think you are in any position to be giving anyone love advice.”

“Hey, at least I’m not trying to pretend to be something I’m not for Steve.”

“Yeah, because you don’t actually care.”

Eddie closes his mouth, suddenly very interested in his own feet. 

“You… don’t care, right?”

The truth? Eddie does care. He cares about Steve a lot, but that doesn’t mean that they have any chance together. That doesn’t mean he deserves him. Steve might not be able to see all the glaring issues with their courtship, but Eddie does and- no matter how much he might be growing more and more infatuated with Steve- he isn’t about to forget them. 

“Eddie-”

“Eds?”

The alpha gasps at the sound of a voice he’s becoming intimately familiar with calling his name. He turns to see Steve standing a few feet away on the sidewalk, his eyes squinting against the sun. 

“Steve!” Dustin shouts, getting up to run towards the omega. 

“Henderson?” Steve laughs, his face lighting up in recognition. “Hey! Henderson! How are you, man?”

The two do a weird little handshake together and Eddie is suddenly wondering if he should get out of their hair. 

“What’s up?” Dustin asks as they bear hug. 

“I was just visiting Robin at work.” They pull apart and Steve looks between the little squirt and the metalhead. “What are you guys up to?” he asks, curiously. “I didn’t even realize you two knew each other.”

Eddie and Dustin look at each other with wide eyes. “Talking about D&D,” they say in unison, twin grins lighting up their faces as they mentally high five. 

“Yeah, Dustin here was asking if he and his friends could join Hellfire for our special New Year’s campaign.”

Dustin does a little fist pump at the invitation. 

“We’re just trying to figure out where to host it because Gareth’s got family in town, so we can‘t have it at his.”

“You can come to my place,” Steve offers. 

Eddie blinks. “Would your parents be cool with that? I thought I wasn’t supposed to meet them until after the courting?”

Steve shrugs nonchalantly. “They won’t be home. They’re leaving for my dad’s business trip the day after Christmas and staying away through the rest of the break.”

“You mean you’re going to be alone for half the holidays?”

“Yeah, but I am most years, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Sweet! Thanks, Steve!” Dustin says, giving the boy another hug. “Hey, watch me try a kick flip.”

He runs back over to his forgotten skateboard and goes back to his abysmal attempts. Eddie takes the opportunity to walk over to Steve. 

“Hey, are your parents seriously leaving you alone for that long?” he asks quietly, as Steve does his best to seem interested in Dustin repeatedly falling off his skateboard and getting back up to try again. 

“I’m almost eighteen, Eddie,” Steve laughs. “I’m not exactly a helpless child.”

“Maybe not, but you kind of made it sound like this has happened a lot.”

Steve shrugs, his smile slipping a bit. “Yeah, but it’s fine. I usually used it as an excuse to throw a New Year’s rager. I mean, not that I’ll be doing that now that everyone hates me, but-”

Eddie looks at the boy, the way his face falters, though he tries to act unaffected. Suddenly, the alpha in him is desperate to make everything okay for his omega. 

“Why don’t you spend New Year’s Eve with me and Wayne?” Eddie offers. 

Steve blinks owlishly at him. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to impose on time with your uncle.”

“You’re never an imposition, Steve,” Eddie responds, earnestly. “I want you there.”

“Yeah?” Steve asks, hopefully. 

“Yes. Will you please spend New Year’s with me?”

“I- okay,” Steve says, his face turning pink. “I’d love to.”

“Good,” Eddie says, admiring the lovely shade on the omega’s cheeks. He’s never really been a fan of pink until now. 

“I did it!” Dustin calls, causing them both to turn back towards him. “Did you see that?! I totally did a kick flip! You guys saw that, right?”

Eddie and Steve look at each other guiltily. 

“For sure, buddy!” Steve calls. 

“Yeah, great job, man!” Eddie agrees. “You really nailed it!”

***

For an omega, no place feels safer than a nest. To be invited into an omega’s nest is the greatest show of trust and love an alpha can receive. In order to show you take this trust seriously, your fourth courting gift should be something special for the omega’s nest. The gift should smell strongly of you and should ideally make your omega as comfortable and cozy as possible.

While not necessarily as monetarily taxing as the third courting gift, it exhibits a level of intimacy that only an intended mate can achieve. However, if an alpha would like to further display their ability to provide, additional gifts of comfort such as bubble bath, scented candles, or even a day trip to the spa, can be included in this courting gift. 

***

Eddie quickly rushes to the bathroom to check his hair in the mirror when he hears banging on the door. Wayne lets out his usual groan as he starts to get up from the recliner he practically lives in when he isn’t at work. 

“I’ll get it!” Eddie shouts quickly. “I’ll get it! Don’t get up!”

He bolts out of the bathroom, watching as Wayne huffs and sits back down. “You need to calm down, boy. Running around here like your ass is on fire.”

Eddie glares at him. “Just be cool, alright? I want Steve to feel comfortable.”

Wayne throws his hands out lazily. “You expecting me to start walking around in my boxers or sumthin’?”

There’s another knock on the door. 

“Wayne,” Eddie scolds, pointedly. 

“Go get your man,” Wayne waves him off. “I’m not gonna embarrass you none.”

With a huff, Eddie rushes to the door and throws it open. Steve is on the other side, fidgeting nervously and looking as handsome as ever. He smiles when he sees Eddie. 

“Hey,” Eddie grins. “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year,” Steve repeats, taking Eddie’s hand as he helps him up the steps and inside the trailer. 

“So, uh, this is my place. It’s not much, but- yeah.”

“It’s nice,” Steve says and he actually sounds convincing. 

Wayne clears his throat, moving to stand. 

“Oh, yeah. Steve, this is my Uncle Wayne. Wayne, this is Steve.”

“It’s nice to meet the kid that’s got my boy so smitten,” Wayne says, offering Steve his hand to shake. 

“Wayne,” Eddie groans, rolling his eyes. 

Steve laughs bashfully, shaking Wayne’s hand and threading his free one with Eddie’s. “It’s nice to meet you, Wayne. Eddie’s told me a lot about you. Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

“Ah, you’re welcome here anytime as long as you keep Eddie smilin’ like a goof whenever your name comes up.”

“Wayne!” Eddie snaps. “What happened to not embarrassing me?” he asks through gritted teeth. 

“He’s your boyfriend, Ed. If he doesn’t already know how much you like ‘im, then you’re doin’ sumthin’ wrong.”

“You hungry?” Eddie asks Steve, effectively changing the subject. “Wayne and I usually do homemade pizzas for New Years, but I can make something else for you if you’d like.”

“Homemade pizza sounds great,” Steve says agreeably. “But I doubt I can eat a whole one by myself. Can I just have a couple slices of yours?”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Steve. Ed’s been known to make some pretty questionable pizzas in his day.”

Steve bursts out laughing. “Oh, why doesn’t that surprise me in the least?”

“Excuse me for having a creative eye,” Eddie says.

“Defunct taste buds ‘s more like it,” Wayne teases. Steve laughs, while Eddie huffs dramatically. “Steve, you are more than welcome to have a few slices of mine. I usually just throw some pepperoni on and call it a day.”

“That sounds perfect. Thanks, Wayne.”

“Fine, more culinary excellence for me, then,” Eddie snarks.

They get the dough, sauce, and cheese out. Then, Eddie starts grabbing everything out of the fridge and pantry while Steve and Wayne work together to meticulously space out the pepperonis. 

“Spaghetti-Os and baked beans?!” Steve gasps, looking at Eddie’s monstrosity. “You aren’t seriously planning on eating that, are you?”

“Hell yeah, I am!” Eddie declares, grabbing and peeling a banana to slice up and add to the mix. “And I am going to enjoy every bite.”

“God, you’re so weird,” Steve grumbles, a huge, affectionate smile on his face as he says it.

When they are all satisfied with their creations, they throw them in the oven. While they wait, Eddie takes Steve’s hand. 

“Hey, I’ve got something for you,” he says, guiding Steve into his bedroom. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Steve protests, looking curiously around Eddie’s (admittedly messy) bedroom. 

Eddie eyes him pointedly. “I’m pretty sure that’s kind of a basic requirement for courting, actually.”

Steve laughs. “Okay, fair point.”

“Besides, I didn’t actually buy it,” Eddie says, grabbing the folded up square of thick cotton from the edge of his bed to show Steve. “It’s a quilt. My mom made it for me when I was a baby and I’ve slept with it ever since. Nothin’ else I could give you for your nest that’ll be more saturated in my scent.”

“Eddie,” Steve gasps, looking gobsmacked. “I- I can’t possibly accept this. This is way too special. Are you crazy?”

Honestly, probably. Especially considering he knows exactly how this is going to end. But he told Dustin he was actually going to try with his courting gifts. That he was going to treat Steve like he deserves for the little time he has him, and he’s going to stand by that. If properly courting Steve means getting him something significant that smells strongly of him for his nest, then that’s what he’ll do. 

Besides, maybe he likes the idea of Steve having this part of him even after it’s all over. 

“It’s just an old quilt, Steve. I mean, it’s not like I’m getting you an expensive spa weekend or anything,” he mutters, self-deprecatingly. 

Steve just shakes his head, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s cheek to shut him up. 

“This is wonderful, Alpha,” he says, earnestly. “Thank you.”

Eddie sighs, a bit annoyed that Steve still doesn’t seem to see how worthless all of Eddie’s gifts have been. 

“You’re welcome,” he mumbles. 

They head back out into the main room and Wayne’s eyebrows shoot up into his (non-existent) hairline when he sees Steve gripping the blanket in his arms like a lifeline. He looks at Eddie in shock, but Eddie keeps his face carefully blank to avoid giving anything away. They watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve while they wait for their pizzas to finish and Wayne explains that he and Eddie usually light up sparklers for the actual countdown. Some of their neighbors set off fireworks, too, but usually small ones so that they don’t get in trouble with the cops. 

When the pizzas are done and cool enough to eat, Steve watches in fascinated horror as Eddie eats his unconventional creation. 

“You really have the worst taste buds in the world,” Steve comments. 

Eddie just shrugs, taking another big bite out of the slice in his hand. 

About thirty minutes to midnight, Wayne gets up and heads to the fridge.

“I know you boys are still underage in the eyes of the law,” he says, pulling out a glass of sparkling wine that Eddie must have missed earlier when he was checking the fridge for pizza toppings. “But seein’ as it’s a special occasion and all, I think I can look the other way this time. Just don’t tell Hop,” he winks.

Steve and Eddie both cheer as he pours them each a glass that they clink together and take a sip of. One glass in, it’s nearly midnight. They grab their sparklers and head into the yard, setting them ablaze at the top of the countdown. The whole neighborhood joins in as they chant “10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!!!!”

The sky suddenly lights up in brilliant reds and blues as the Donahues shoot fireworks out of their backyard. Steve laughs like a little kid at the sight and Eddie can’t help but look at him, his eyes shining brighter than the shimmering bursts of color in the sky. 

He’s gorgeous. Really, truly gorgeous, with his smile stretching from cheek to cheek and his nose the tiniest bit red from the cold. Eddie kind of can’t believe he’s been blessed with even a moment of his time, the smallest hint of his affection. He’s so unworthy of it, it feels almost like a sin to snatch it up this greedily.

Steve turns to him, his smile turning into something soft and delicate as he spots the affection that must be painfully obvious on Eddie’s face. 

God, he’s so royally fucked. 

“Happy New Year, Stevie,” Eddie says softly, just for them.

“Happy New Year, Eds.”

And maybe it’s a bad idea, maybe it’s a terrible one. Maybe he’ll blame the alcohol when he looks back on this tomorrow. But when Steve’s eyes trail down to Eddie’s lips, he’s hopeless but to lean it until his lips are pressed against Steve’s. 

There is a weird moment after their lips press together where they both gasp, breathing in each other’s air. But the moment he felt Steve’s mouth on his, it was as if a surge of… something went through him. It’s like the feeling of rightness he’d felt when he’d scented Steve at his concert only amplified times ten. Just the simplest brush of their lips has Eddie’s insides lighting up like- well, like fireworks in the night sky. 

Before he can second guess himself, he presses forward, wrapping his arm around Steve’s waist to pull him closer. Steve lets out a little whine in response. After what could be a moment or a millenium, they pull away, both of their faces stretched in insuppressible grins. 

“That was-“ Steve starts, his tone dreamy.

“Yeah,” Eddie agrees, contentedly. “It was.”

The festivities continue for about half an hour more before all the old farts in the trailer park decide that they’re tired and head off to bed, Wayne included. 

“Steve, I don’t know about you drivin’ this late. Why don’t you stay the night,” Wayne offers. 

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want-”

“You’re not imposing,” Eddie insists before Steve can even suggest it. “And you can take the couch if you aren’t comfortable sharing my bed.”

Steve contemplates for a moment. “I suppose it would be a bad idea to drive after drinking,” he decides. “And I don’t mind sharing the bed,” he says, giving Eddie a sensual look that makes Eddie’s heart skip a beat, his mind filling with images of more and more kissing. Kissing until their lips are sore. Of his hands exploring Steve’s body until they are both coming apart in ecstasy. 

He shoves the thought down as soon as he’s had it, his cheeks flaming red as he heads into the bedroom to give Steve a Hellfire t-shirt and some sweats to sleep in. Wayne digs out an unused toothbrush he’d gotten from a dentist appointment and gives it to Steve. The teens brush their teeth side by side and it’s so sweetly domestic that Eddie lets himself imagine for a moment doing this with Steve for the rest of his life. 

It’ll never happen, but at this moment he can pretend, at least. 

Steve brings the quilt back into the bed and throws it over them both. He’s tucked into the corner, Eddie taking the side closest to the door, and he looks so soft and cozy as he gazes at Eddie with weary, lidded eyes that Eddie yearns. He wants him. He wants to touch him, to caress him, to tell him with his body the words he’ll never be allowed to utter. But he doesn’t. He can’t. Because this isn’t real and it’ll be over any day now. 

And saying goodbye will be so much harder if he learns the feeling of Steve’s body wrapped around his.

He’s so busy focusing on keeping his hands to himself that he startles when he feels Steve’s fingers brush against his. He looks down as the omega threads their hands together between them, squeezing Eddie’s comfortingly. It’s gentle and sweet and it’s enough. 

It’s enough. 

***

If Eddie was embarrassed for Steve to see where he lived before, it’s only made worse by seeing Steve’s place. The two head that way the next morning, after making a quick pitstop at the grocery store for D&D snacks. Steve is still wearing Eddie’s clothes and the alpha is trying very hard to be normal about it, even though it makes some primal part of him light up with joy. 

The house is at least five times bigger than Eddie’s trailer, complete with a garage, a second story, and a goddamn in-ground, heated pool.  

“Christ, Stevie,” Eddie huffs as he spins in a circle around the entryway. “This place is insane.”

“It’s ostentatious," Steve grumbles, a bitterness in his tone that Eddie’s never heard before. 

“Oh come on, you can’t tell me that growing up in this place wasn’t nice as hell.”

Steve shrugs, his back to Eddie as he heads into the kitchen to put the food away. 

“I don’t know,” he says. “It’s always so quiet. Makes me feel like I’m living in a museum or something.”

Eddie frowns, thinking of every New Year that Steve had to ring in alone. He’d seemed so resigned to it, as if being alone was a natural state of being for him. Eddie wonders how much of Steve’s childhood was spent in solitude. Considering how big the place is, it’s entirely likely he didn’t see much of his parents even if they were home. He tries to picture a smaller, softer Steve walking carefully around these pristine halls, too worried about scuffing the floors to run like a normal kid. He pictures him calling for his mom from all the way in his room upstairs just to go unheard. 

With an aching heart, he sidles up behind Steve and wraps his arms around him.

“You know, if this place ever gets too quiet, you are more than welcome to come over to the trailer. Between Wayne yelling at the TV while football’s on and me playing my guitar, I can guarantee max loudness at all hours.”

Steve laughs. “Oh yeah?” he hums. “I might take you up on that, then.”

Eddie kisses the back of his neck. He just can’t help it. 

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

His nose fills with the sweetest scent he’s ever smelt and he presses it to Steve’s scent gland before he realizes what he’s doing and pulls away. 

“So, uh,” Eddie clears his throat. “Can I help with the snacks?”

Steve shakes his head. “I got the snacks, you get the game set up. I know there’s lots of moving parts with the miniatures and all that.”

“Goddamn, you are so sexy when you do that, omega,” he groans.  

Steve furrows his brows. “What? Talk about D&D?”

“Yes,” Eddie answers, emphatically. 

Steve laughs, nudging him off playfully. He tells Eddie how to get to the dining room where they’ll be playing and Eddie heads that way, getting the table set up for their guests. Eddie finds himself smiling at the thought.

Their guests. 

As if they were a real mated couple and not this fleeting farce that will end any day now.

He finds himself liking the thought. He fantasizes about buying Steve a house just for them, with room for all six of those kids that Steve wants. He thinks that, in this dream world, they could make it work. They could be happy. 

He’s snapped out of his thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell, the chime echoing through the house grandiosely. Heading back into the kitchen, he throws his arm around Steve’s waist and walks with him to the front door to greet their guests. 

The door opens to reveal Gareth, Jeff, and Todd all standing outside, their mouths gaping as they take in the state of the home. 

“This is some sort of duplex situation, right?” Jeff asks. “Like, multiple families live here?”

“Uh, no. Just us.”

Gareth lets out a low whistle. “Damn, can you host D&D every week?”

“I can when my parents aren’t home,” Steve says. “So, every other week.”

He says it like a joke and the others laugh as they walk inside, but Eddie is already planning an elaborate kidnapping scheme to get Steve far away from this place and living with Eddie full time. They all make small talk as Steve gives them a brief tour and Eddie is so happy to see that his friends genuinely like Steve now that they’ve given him a chance. 

Not that he’s really surprised. He thinks it might be genuinely impossible to hate Steve once you’ve gotten to know him. Well, unless you are a elitist fuck, of course, but Steve’s better off without the Tommy Hagans of the world anyway. 

They are halfway through the tour when the doorbell rings again and Eddie offers to get it, but Steve insists they go together, so they leave the others in the dining room and head to the front. The door is only halfway open before they are nearly trampled by a slew of toddlers (read: thirteen-year-olds). Clearly they aren’t impressed by Steve’s enormous home and as Eddie watches them let themselves into the kitchen, he realizes it’s because they’ve been here before. 

“Damn it, Steve!” one of the little gremlins shouted from the kitchen. “You got the wrong Doritos!”

Eddie looks at Steve with raised eyebrows. 

“That’s Mike,” Steve says with a huff. “Being an annoying little shit is how he shows affection.”

“That was affection?” Eddie asks, incredulously. 

“Oh, that was practically an ‘I love you.’”

Eddie takes his word for it, following him back into the kitchen where Steve immediately starts barking at the kids to get away from the snacks. Surprisingly, they all listen without complaint, stepping away from the food and turning towards the D&D set up in the dining room instead. 

“Sick!” Dustin says, excitedly. “Eddie, this looks awesome! Told you my new buddy was cool,” he tells his friends proudly. 

“If he’s so cool, what’s he doing dating Steve?” Mike snarks. 

Eddie smacks him on the back of the head. 

“Ow!”

“That’s what you get for insulting my omega, dipshit. Now, treat him with respect, or watch your character get eaten by a troglodyte within the first ten minutes of the campaign.”

“That’s bullshit! You wouldn’t-”

“Try me,” he says firmly. 

Mike huffs. “Sorry, Steve,” he grumbles. 

Steve is biting his lip to hold back his laughter and he gives Eddie an appreciative grin. 

“Alright, children!” Eddie shouts, clapping his hands together. “The time has come to embark on a journey. Please choose a seat at the table so we can become acquainted with our new comrades before we set out for the planet Oerth.”

The party rushes to sit immediately, Eddie taking his seat at the head of the table, giving the impression of a king on his throne despite the fact that his chair is actually no different than the others. As everyone lays out their characters, Steve comes in and out with bowls of snacks and takes drink orders from everyone. Dustin and the older kids are the only ones to say thank you, Eddie notes. The campaign starts and Steve continues to fuss over everyone like a mother hen, which Eddie can’t help but find adorable. He really would be an amazing mother, he decides. 

Eddie lets Steve run around for the first thirty minutes before he puts a stop to it. 

“Sweetheart,” he says, taking Steve’s hand after he’d come back in with a refill of Eddie’s drink that he hadn’t even asked for. “Why don’t you come sit next to me?”

“But we’re running low on the Lay’s and-”

“We’ll be fine, angel,” Eddie says, bringing up their joined hands to kiss the back of Steve’s. “I’m sure we can refill our own chips when we get to a good stopping point. Come on, you’ve been on your feet this whole time. A Queen is meant to be seated beside their King.”

The entire party groans and Eddie glares at them, noting the way Dustin is gaping at him and Steve like a fish. He ignores him, not wanting to be confronted by the fact that he has become an absolute fool for Steve despite knowing it’s all bullshit.

“Alright,” Steve relents, grabbing a seat and setting it down next to Eddie’s. “But if anyone needs a refill, just ask and I’d be happy to grab one for you.”

“And there better be thank yous next time,” Eddie adds sharply. 

The party all duck their heads, mutter a chorus of “yes, Eddie.”

They get back into their adventure, Eddie throwing twists and turns at them like an evil mastermind. The new additions are entertaining as hell, Dustin and Lucas arguing at every turn, while Will (the most innocent little nugget on the planet) sits in the middle with Mike looking completely overwhelmed by all the yelling. But everyone gets along great, apart from the occasional, unavoidable arguments, as they try to decide the best course of action for the party. 

Every now and then, Eddie will lean over to Steve and explain what’s happening so he doesn’t get lost. At one point, his hand ends up on Steve’s shoulder and it stays there, even as he goes back to leading the party. Eventually, the hand slides up into Steve’s hair and he starts absently combing through it as the campaign continues around them. He startles when he hears Steve start to purr quietly. His eyes flicking over to him in disbelief and find him with his eyes blissfully closed and leaning in to Eddie’s touch. 

It’s the most mesmerizing thing Eddie has ever seen and suddenly he’s really not focusing on the game like he should. He tries to shake himself out of it, turning away from Steve, though his hand stays tangled in his hair. 

He doesn’t notice Steve slowly inching closer until the omega’s head is fully resting on Eddie’s shoulder, his nose pressed to the alpha’s mating gland. It causes him to let out a small gasp, just as Will rolls to fireball a demogorgon. He needs a thirteen or higher, but only manages a seven. Eddie rolls with shaky hands to see if the blow lands and then again for damage. 

“Your fireball does not land,” Eddie declares, his voice a bit too high and breathless for the current situation. “The demogorgon takes its large claws and slices you open, your entrails spilling out on the cold, stone ground as the life leaves your eyes.” 

Will slumps down in his seat and Eddie notices the way Mike sweetly squeezes his hand in comfort. It’s a side of the shithead he has yet to see tonight and he wonders if anyone else gets this side of Mike other than Will. 

As the game continues, Eddie finds himself feeling split in half, the DM in him and the alpha in him wanting to be doing two very different things. He wants to see the party succeed. He’s been working on this campaign forever and he’s been so excited about it. And yet, the alpha in him just wants to wrap Steve up in a blanket and curl up with him in his nest, scenting him and kissing him and giving him all the adoration he deserves. 

God, he is pathetic. 

He forces the DM side of him to come out on top, though he keeps his nose pressed to the top of Steve’s head, breathing in his sweet omega scent. His hand never stops petting Steve’s hair even while he narrates the team’s heavy encounter with Kas the Betrayer. But the smell of content and satisfied omega gets stronger and stronger and Eddie is out here fighting for his life to stay focused. 

“Steve, I need more Coke,” Lucas declares, startling Steve and Eddie both from the little bubble that was beginning to engulf them. 

Eddie can’t help the little whine he lets out as Steve pulls away to take care of the pup. Steve responds with a knowing grin before leaning in and whispering in Eddie’s ear, “I’ll be right back, Alpha.”

He kisses him on the cheek before turning to grab the empty glass from Lucas’ side. Eddie beams, his eyes lingering on Steve as he exits the room. He doesn’t turn away until Steve is out of sight, at which point he turns to notice Dustin staring at him with wide eyes and a jaw practically on the table. Eddie clears his throat and looks away.

Steve comes back with Lucas’ drink in hand and the kid thanks him when he sets it down. When he comes back to his own seat beside Eddie, though, he scooches away a bit. Eddie wants to protest, but Steve gives him a look that tells him it’s for the best and Eddie knows he’s doing this for the alpha’s sake. That he knows it was a distraction and, even if Eddie isn’t strong enough to be thinking with his head right now, Steve knows he’ll regret it later if he doesn’t stay invested in the game. Eddie nods back, a silent confirmation that Steve’s right and a thank you for being able to think clearly enough to see it. 

The game lasts another hour and Steve stays dutifully separate from Eddie the entire time. Despite that, Eddie remains achingly aware of his presence beside him. His fingers still tingle with the phantom feeling of Steve’s warmth beneath them. His head still feels the slightest bit floaty from the prolonged exposure to Steve’s scent.

God, Steve’s scent.

By the time the party actually manages to defeat Vecna, he’s just as excited to be done so he can get Steve alone as he is with their actual win. 

It’s truly a first for him. 

“Congrats on your win, guys,” Eddie says after everyone has calmed from their excitement. “Now everyone is going to take their empty plates and cups to the sink so Steve and I don’t have to clean up after you pigs.”

Steve thanks him with a kiss on the cheek, following everyone to the kitchen with some of the serving bowls in hand. Eddie starts grabbing the other ones, dutifully ignoring Dustin, who has conveniently lingered in the dining room. 

Christ, here we go, Eddie thinks, his whole body tensing. 

“Eddie,” the kid whispers loudly, scrambling over to Eddie’s side of the table. “Listen, man, I was watching you and Steve together tonight and I really think-“

“Yeah, yeah, I know Henderson,” Eddie cuts him off, defensively. “I fooled around and fell in love. Doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how this ends, alright?”

“No, no, Eddie-“

“Clean your plate, or you’re not getting invited back for the next campaign.”

Dustin opens his mouth to speak again, but with one sharp look from Eddie he huffs and starts taking his stuff into the kitchen. Eddie takes a second to collect himself once Dustin is gone. He hates how easily the kid clocked him. He hates being faced with the truth of his own weakness. 

With a settling breath, he grabs the rest of the serving bowls and takes them into the kitchen where Steve is currently corralling the younger kids. 

“Steve, can you drop us off at the arcade?” Will asks.

“No,” he says firmly.

“What?! But you always drive us!” Lucas declares. 

“Sorry, boys, I’m busy.”

“Doing what?” Mike asks skeptically.

Steve glances quickly at Eddie before looking back at them. The alpha’s heart races knowing Steve is just as interested in having alone time between the two of them as he is. 

“None of your business. If you wanna go to the arcade, then you can take your bikes to Will’s and get Jonathan to do it.”

“Jonathan’s not home,” Will says.

“Then get Nancy to take you.”

“Nancy’s with Jonathan!” Mike says. 

Eddie looks curiously at Steve, wanting to see if hearing about his ex getting with someone new will elicit a reaction, but the guy doesn’t even blink.

“Then, I guess you guys are going to the arcade another day.”

They all start whining and protesting in unison, but Steve isn’t cowed. He just puts his hands on his hips and tells them to get out and to make sure they don’t race too quickly down dangerous streets on their bikes. 

“Next he’s going to be telling us to wear helmets,” Mike snarks.

“You should be wearing helmets!” Steve calls after them as they stroll down the driveway. “Looking funny for a few minutes is better than having brain damage forever. And don’t forget to radio each other to make sure you all got home safely!”

“Dude, how did anyone ever think Steve Harrington was going to be anything other than an omega?” Gareth asks, amused. 

“Right?” Jeff laughs.

Eddie looks at his bandmates boredly. “You guys are leaving too.”

“What?! But what about our post-game smoke sesh?”

“That is so not happening tonight,” Eddie says, his eyes locked on Steve’s ass in front of him. 

They all groan. 

“God, you are so lame.”

“I can live with that,” he says, bodily pushing them all out the still open front door. “Happy New Year and I’ll see you later.”

The sound of the door slamming shut behind them echoes in the large entryway. 

Then, silence. 

Eddie’s still got both hands on the door, very aware of Steve standing just behind him. He turns slowly, his eyes immediately finding Steve’s as he leans back against the door, the air between them thick with tension. 

“So-” Steve says, stepping a bit more into Eddie’s space. 

“So-” Eddie says back, his voice raising at the end like a question, asking Steve exactly where he’s going to take this now. 

“That’s what a D&D campaign is like, huh?”

Eddie grins. “There is usually significantly less groping, but yeah.”

Steve laughs. “I think I prefer it this way,” he says bashfully. “Although, I’m sorry if I distracted you and messed up the game.”

Eddie shakes his head emphatically. “Distract me anytime,” he pleads. “Distract me all the time.”

He feels Steve’s lips on his before he can even register he’s moved. He doesn’t reciprocate initially, just gasps and startles at the action, but as soon as his mind catches up to what’s happening he kisses back hungrily. His hands tangle themselves in Steve’s hair for the second time that night and he pulls him closer to him so that their bodies are pressed fully together. He hears Steve whine into his mouth, his own arms wrapping around Eddie’s neck as he leans impossibly closer into Eddie’s space. 

It’s so much. So good. The way the sweet lemon in Steve’s scent seems to skyrocket with his arousal. The way they are slowly hardening as their fronts rub against each other with every little movement. The soft, desperate noises Steve makes with every nip and peck from Eddie. It’s heady. It’s getting him higher than that brownie Gareth had accidentally put way too much weed in last summer. He can’t get enough.

Somehow, they find themselves backing into the kitchen, Steve’s back pressed into the island, practically lying on it from the way Eddie is continuing to lean into his space. 

“Alpha,” Steve whines. “Please. Touch me.”

The request brings Eddie back to himself. He blinks his eyes open as he pulls away enough to clear his head. 

No. Not touching, Eddie reminds himself harshly. 

Steve whines at the growing distance, tightening his grip on Eddie’s neck.

“We should stop,” Eddie insists, despite Steve’s resistance. 

“No,” Steve complains. “No, why would we stop?”

Eddie gives him a kiss on the cheek to soften the blow. “Steve, we just had our first kiss yesterday. This isn’t- we shouldn’t be moving this fast. It’s a bad idea.”

Steve frowns. “Why? It’s not like we aren’t going to get there eventually.”

No, we aren’t, Eddie thinks. 

“I just…” he sighs, trying to come up with a reason that isn’t ’you are going to dump me or your parents are going to refuse to let me keep you and I need to keep some boundaries between us.’ “I want to do this right,” he decides on. “Let me take my time with you.” 

What little time he has.

Steve hums in disappointment, but gives Eddie a quick kiss on the lips in understanding. “Can we cuddle at least?” he pouts, his eyes big and pleading. 

Eddie smiles softly at Steve’s trepidation, as if he wouldn’t give Steve the whole, entire world if he asked.

“Yeah, sweetheart. We can absolutely cuddle.”

***

The fifth and final courting gift is the gift of shelter. This is the most essential gesture to let your omega know just how serious you are about your future together. Traditionally, this gift will be the most expensive, as anything less than the purchase of a new home for the two of you to start your lives together would be seen as a lack of dedication. 

***

“That’s not how you do it!” Steve barks and suddenly Eddie’s got one hundred and fifty pounds of omega on his back. 

Eddie laughs, tucking the unfinished scarf beneath him to keep it away from Steve. 

“You have to yarn over before you pull through!”

Eddie knows. He’s asked Steve to show him how to crochet several times, but has intentionally done it wrong every time. Nothing that will be too difficult to fix, of course, but just an excuse to, well, to have Steve throw himself on his back while they bicker like an old married couple. 

“It looks better this way!”

“You are ruining Robin’s scarf!” Steve shouts from where he is draped across Eddie’s back. 

“It’s March! What does she need a scarf for?”

Steve responds by licking up Eddie’s cheek. It’s probably an attempt to throw Eddie off and loosen his grip on the crochet project, but Steve should know by now that that isn’t going to work. 

“You can’t out gross the freak, Steve!” he cackles. 

Steve straight up bites Eddie’s cheek in response. 

“Ow!” Eddie says, though he’s still laughing as he releases his hold on the scarf to press his hand to the bite. “You bit me, jackass!”

“Serves you right,” Steve whispers smugly in his ear as he takes his project back. He silently apologizes with a kiss over the affected area, though. 

He leans back against the headboard to quickly fix Eddie’s mistake and carry on with his scarf. Eddie settles next to him, flipping to where he left off in the newest Greyhawk Adventure book. 

“I think I’m starting to rub off on you a little too much,” Eddie remarks. 

Steve looks up from his project with a smirk. “Actually, I think you aren’t rubbing off on me enough.”

Eddie snorts, his cheeks heating. 

Ever since the beginning of the year, it has become more common than not for Steve to stay over at Eddie’s. At first, it was just when his parents were away, but lately he’s been coming over even when Eddie knows they are home. The omega still refuses to make plans for the two of them, but he’ll show up to Eddie’s without feeling the need to ask permission, which feels like a big step forward in Eddie’s eyes. 

They still haven’t done anything beyond kissing, despite sleeping curled up together every night. Steve probably thinks Eddie’s such a gentleman, but the truth is Eddie just can’t. He can’t have Steve like that knowing he’ll lose him in the end. After four months of bliss, he’s going to have a hard enough time letting this go as is. But Steve has yet to come to his senses, so Eddie continues to greedily take every ounce of affection Steve has offered him.

Maybe it’s wrong to keep up the ruse, but he’s too happy with Steve to let this go. And Steve seems happy, too, even if Eddie can’t understand how the reality of a life in a shitty trailer with crappy water pressure hasn’t burst Steve’s bubble yet, despite spending most of his time here. 

Whatever, Eddie thinks. Any day now. He’ll see it any day now. 

And in the meantime, Eddie is going to revel in being Steve’s. 

“Make your scarf, you fiend,” Eddie retorts. 

Steve laughs, doing just that as Eddie settles back into his fantasy adventure book. They work silently beside each other until Steve gets up out of the bed and starts rifling through the bag he’d brought for the week, looking for his tooth brush and skincare products. And that reminds Eddie- 

“Oh, hey,” he says, hopping out of the bed. “Check it out!” 

He goes to the dresser and pulls open the top drawer, which has been completely emptied out for Steve. 

“And!” Eddie says before Steve can react. He turns to the closet and slides the door open, throwing his hands out to dramatically reveal that half of the hangers are free for Steve to hang his polos on. “So you don’t have to live out of your bag anymore.”

Steve’s face lights up as if Eddie has just gifted him a treasure trove of gemstones and not half of a slightly mildewy closet. He rushes into Eddie’s arms, kissing him fiercely. It’s a stronger reaction than Eddie anticipated, but he’s not about to complain about having a happy Steve attempting to devour him. 

When Steve finally pulls away, he’s grinning so wide Eddie thinks it must hurt. “Eddie Munson, I happily accept your fifth and final courting gift.”

Eddie’s own smile falls. “Wait- Uh, I thought the fifth courting gift had to be a house.”

He knows, because he has been delighting in the knowledge that he would never be able to afford one and could theoretically just keep courting Steve until they are old and grey without even needing to meet his parents. 

Steve shakes his head. “I know you can’t afford a house, Alpha. I was never expecting one from you.”

Eddie opens his mouth to speak, but doesn’t have the words. 

“I have to call Robin,” Steve says, giddily. “Oh, and I’ll schedule the dinner with my parents. They are leaving Sunday, so it’ll have to be tomorrow. Robin can organise the party for after.”

Then he’s running out of the room before Eddie can say anything. Dread descends upon the alpha like a physical pain, his skin hot and tight, his heartbeat pounding in his ear. 

It’s over. 

He can make the best impression that he’s capable of on Steve's parents, but they’ll never say yes. They’ll have the common sense that Steve lacks to see that Eddie is a terrible option for someone as magnificent as their son. 

He hears Steve practically squealing from the living room as he tells Robin they are finally through with their courting, moving forward, but he can’t join in the revelry. Not when his entire world is crashing down around him. Not when he can see his happiness dissolving before him like smoke, impossible to hold onto. 

Because it’s all over now. 

***

“Pass the pepper, dear,” Mr. Harrington addresses his wife. His scrutinising eyes never leave Eddie, though.

Eddie gulps nervously. He’s wearing his best button up and slacks and he still feels like a total schlub with the prim and proper Harringtons surrounding them with their pearl necklaces and gold watches. By now, he’s been in this dining room a dozen times, seated at the head of the table with his game boards and multiple-sided dice scattered before him. But suddenly, with the Harrington’s here and a fancy tablecloth laid out beneath their fine china plates, he feels completely out of place. 

“So, Eddie,” Mr. Harrington calls out, Eddie’s hands are already shaking before they’ve even finished their salad. “Tell me about yourself.”

Eddie loudly clears his throat. “Well, I live with my uncle-“

“Where are you parents?” he interrupts.

“Dad,” Steve scolds. “You don’t have to answer that,” he says to Eddie. 

It’s in that moment that Eddie realizes Steve doesn’t know about his parents either. He never told him and Steve never asked. He supposes this is just another thing to add to the list of reasons why this dinner will end in the complete and total breakdown of their relationship.

“My mother died when I was younger.” He looks worriedly at Steve. “My father is in prison.”

Mr. Harrington looks at him with a “gotcha” expression, as if he’s a prosecutor and Eddie has just admitted guilt in a court of law. Steve inhales deeply and takes Eddie’s hand in his. 

“Wayne is a really good man,” he interjects, probably desperate to prove that he didn’t just bring home a total dud. “He’s done a great job raising Eddie.”

“Hmm,” his dad responds, clearly unconvinced. 

“Uh, I’m also in a band,” Eddie says, trying to detract from the previous topic. 

“What kind of music do you play?” Steve’s mom asks, seemingly more willing to give Eddie the benefit of the doubt than her husband is. 

“Rock,” Eddie says, assuming she doesn’t know what metal music is.

Mr. Harrington snorts in derision. 

“They’re really good,” Steve says, pointedly. “They get regular gigs at the Hideout.” 

“And that’s how you make your money?” Richard asks. There is a knowing look in his eyes that tells Eddie that he already knows the answer.

“Eddie works in pharmaceuticals,” Steve says proudly. The alpha cringes at his boldness, at the lie that he’d completely forgotten about telling. The lie he’d never gotten around to correcting.

“Pharmaceuticals?” Richard looks Eddie up and down pointedly and laughs. “Is that what they’re calling drug dealing these days?”

“Dad!” Steve snaps. “What the hell?!”

“Am I wrong?” Mr. Harrington asks, his voice steady and calm as he smirks at Eddie.

Steve looks at Eddie intently, clearly expecting him to refute the claim, but Eddie just ducks his head.

“Eddie?” Steve prompts.

He glances at Steve resignedly and watches as his cheeks turn pink and his eyes go wide as the truth is revealed. His face twists in anger and he looks down at his plate, no doubt feeling like a fool for not even knowing that his intended makes his money through illegal activity. If they were alone, Eddie would reach for Steve and apologize profusely. He’d do his best to explain and he’d beg for forgiveness. But with both of his parents eyeing him critically, all he can do is sit there watching his entire world crumble around him. 

“I’m talking to my friend Gareth’s cousin about getting a gig at his garage,” Eddie says, attempting to salvage an unsalvageable situation.

“From drug dealer to grease monkey. What an upgrade,” Steve’s dad comments drily.

“You know what,” Steve snaps. “At least he’s trying to improve his situation. Excuse him for not growing up with a silver spoon in his mouth like you did. Like I did.”

Eddie would really like the ground to open up and swallow him whole right about now. This is, quite possibly, the most humiliating night of his entire life. 

And it’s not even over.

“Stephen, that is the last time you will sass me tonight,” Mr. Harrington says sternly, causing Steve to wilt beside Eddie. “Don’t forget, Eddie isn’t your alpha yet. That decision still rests with me.”

Eddie watches Steve’s shoulder’s hunch as he looks down at the plate in front of him. It seems he’s realizing for the first time just how fucked this whole relationship has been. And maybe, with Eddie’s revelations coming to light, he’s finally glad for it. 

***

Dinner is a stiff and uncomfortable event after that, but luckily Mr. Harrington’s interrogations cease. 

Eddie is pretty sure it’s because his mind is already made up.

Once their plates have been cleared, Steve’s dad invites Eddie into his study to accept or reject (definitely reject) his mating proposal. Steve’s eyes are panicked as he watches Eddie follow his father into his study. The alpha in him wants to comfort his omega, but he knows there isn’t really any comfort now. 

And, well, after tonight Steve’s comfort will no longer be Eddie’s responsibility anyway.

Oh, god, he’s going to be sick. 

He hears the doorbell ring just as the study door swings closed behind him and he knows it’s their guests piling in for the announcement. See, it’s traditional for loved ones to be present when the omega’s parents make their decision, so that they can proceed to either celebrate the newly engaged couple or offer support to the separated lovers.  

Just what Eddie needs, an audience to witness his downfall. 

The study is as large and needlessly extravagant as the rest of the house and Eddie would probably gawk at it if he wasn’t so busy trying not to pass out. Mr. Harrington flops down in a large arm chair by the fireplace, reaching into a drawer in the side table next to him and pulling out a cigar that he proceeds to light. He takes a puff and then gestures for Eddie to take the smaller chair across from him. 

Eddie does so quickly, grateful to get off the legs that are shaking like a leaf. He sits with his shoulders hunched and his hands white-knuckling the arms of the chair, looking at Mr. Harrington expectantly. Mr. Harrington, in turn, just continues smoking his cigar and looking Eddie up and down in a contemplative manner. 

It feels like hours before he actually speaks. Hours of complete and total torture. Eddie almost wants to turn and see if Gareth is playing drums near his head because of how loud his heartbeat is pounding in his ears. He really wishes Richard would just put him out of his misery already, the anticipation is about to kill him. The fireplace may as well be roaring for as much as Eddie is sweating in his seat.

He wonders if it’s worth putting up a fight. If he could tell Steve’s dad all the things he loves about his son and how willing he is to give what little he has to try and make Steve happy. Something tells him it wouldn’t matter. 

“I’m assuming you aren’t considering college,” Richard chimes up finally. 

Eddie furrows his brows, flexing his hands and wiping them on his pants. 

“Uh… not really?” he responds.

Mr. Harrington nods. “Steve wasn’t able to get in anywhere, so that won’t be an issue either.”

Eddie frowns. “An issue?”

“Well, I’d rather not have to work around class schedules for the mating ceremony-” Eddie’s heart jolts and he shifts in his seat, his mind reeling as he tries to figure out if he’s somehow misheard. ”and I’m not about to wait until next summer to deal with this. I want it over and done with as soon as possible.”

Eddie gapes at him, blinking a few times as he mulls over the words he’s just heard several times. “Sorry… are you saying- are you accepting my request to be Steve’s alpha?”

Richard looks boredly at him. “Has all that rock music made you hard of hearing?”

Eddie shakes his head as if it’ll make all the thoughts fall into place in his mind. “But… I’m a drug dealer? I live in a trailer park. Why would you let me anywhere near your son?”

Richard sighs. “I don’t think I need to tell you that Steve isn’t exactly the most conventional omega. He’s too big and too hairy and he was raised to be an alpha, so the whole soft and caring schtick doesn’t really come naturally to him.”

Eddie opens his mouth to say that that’s not even a remotely accurate assessment of Steve, but Richard soldiers on. 

“Which means, frankly, I’m not expecting any better offers to come along. So, the way I see it, it’s trailer park scum or being stuck taking care of my son until I’m dead.”
 

Eddie’s jaw drops. There are so many problems with that comment that he can’t even begin to know where to start. Maybe with the fact that thinking an omega isn’t capable of living independently is the most backwards bullshit Eddie has ever heard and it’s no wonder that Steve is the way he is if this is what he grew up hearing. 

“Of course, I won’t have any son of mine living in a rust bucket like the one you call home, so I will be purchasing an apartment for the two of you.”

“Um, that’s not-”

“And you’ll be starting work with my company as soon as you’ve earned your diploma.”

“Woah, hang on,” Eddie protests. “I didn’t sign up for any of that.”

Mr. Harrington laughs as if Eddie is being ridiculous. “What are you expecting? You think playing your devil music in run down bars and dealing drugs to teenagers will keep you stable enough to provide for whatever devil spawn you stuff my son with?”

“What the fuck is your problem, man?” Eddie snaps. 

“Do you want Steve or not?” Mr. Harrington snaps back. 

Eddie forces his mouth shut. Yes. He does. He does, but not like this. 

Mr. Harrington’s face softens and he looks at Eddie with something akin to pity. “You must know you aren’t good enough for him as you are now,” he says as if it’s obvious. 

It is. 

“Surely you must know.”

Eddie swallows around the lump stuck in his throat. He turns away. It isn’t anything he didn’t already know, but it still sucks to hear. To have it confirmed. 

He feels trapped, being told that he can have the thing he wants most, but only if he’s willing to sell his soul for it. If he is willing to let go of all of his dreams and ambitions to live a boring, cookie cutter life while working in a job where happiness goes to die. But, this is the only way, isn’t it? 

Richard is right. He isn’t good enough now. He will never be good enough unless he makes these sacrifices. 

He feels like a rabbit in the forest being cornered by the wolf, knowing there is no escape and they are about to be eaten alive. It’s like being claustrophobic in his own body, desperate to run, desperate to escape, but not sure that’s possible. 

It’s lose Steve or lose himself. 

Richard has a tight grip on Eddie’s shoulder as they make their way back into the living room where they find what feels like every person Eddie has ever met looking at them expectantly. And Steve is right there in the middle, Robin at his side, holding his hand as they wait for Richard to share the news. He looks like he might pass out at any second as he looks at Eddie like he’s going off to war or some shit.

“Mr. Munson’s proposal has been accepted. The mating ceremony will be scheduled for the fall.”

The room erupts in cheers and Steve rushes into Eddie’s arms.

“Oh my god, I thought he’d never say yes,” Steve breathes into Eddie’s ear, relief clear in his words. 

Yeah, Steve, me fucking too, Eddie thinks. 

He catches Dustin’s eye across the room and he can tell that the little squirt doesn’t know how to respond to this new development. He’s clapping with everyone else, looking hopefully between the newly engaged couple, but it’s muted, as if he isn’t entirely sure if he should be celebrating yet or not. 

Someone starts playing music and then everyone is dancing and having a good time. Even Steve, who is immediately pulled into the dance circle by Robin. He tries to take Eddie with him, but the alpha claims he needs to pee and quickly escapes the situation. 

He rushes out to the backyard instead, desperate for fresh air as panic bubbles up inside of him. None of this was supposed to happen. Steve was supposed to know! His father knows. His father had one dinner with Eddie and figured out what Steve still hasn’t after four entire goddamn months- Eddie. Isn’t. Good enough. 

He hears the glass door slide open behind him, but he doesn’t turn to see who it is.

“Okay, so it seems you are freaking out right now.” 

It’s Dustin.

“You bet your ass I’m freaking out right now!” He takes a big gasp, trying to get air into his lungs. “I can’t do this, man! I can’t- I don’t know- This isn’t- I-”

“Eddie! Eddie!” Dustin comes towards him carefully, like he’s trying to calm down a skittish animal. “Calm down! Look, I think this is for the best, actually.”

“For the best?! None of this is for the best! It’s bullshit!” he shouts. “I didn’t want any of this! All I did was lend a dude my jacket and now I’m at my goddamn engagement party!”

He hears the gasp that comes from the still open doors before him and, unfortunately, he doesn’t have to look up to recognise the sound as Steve’s. He looks up at horror, looks to see the absolute disbelief and devastation on his omega’s face and his gut twists. Suddenly all his panic and insecurity is meaningless because Steve is hurt. And it’s his fault. 

“Steve-“

“Is that true?” he asks, his voice shaky and light like a shrub caught in a violent storm. “You don’t- you don’t want me?” His voice breaks and so does Eddie’s heart.

“No, it’s not like that!” Eddie insists. “This just- this wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“What was supposed to happen?” Steve asks, his voice sharper now.

“ You were supposed to dump me!”

Steve takes a step back at the words as if Eddie had just punched him in the face. There are a dozen different emotions going across his face and Eddie wants to die when he realizes he’s able to identify every single one. The little rollercoaster of emotions comes to a halt at heartbroken resignation and Steve looks Eddie in the eye as he takes off the jacket that started this entire misadventure and tosses it down at Eddie’s feet before heading back inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. 

Chapter Text

“Run me through it again.”

Eddie heaves out a sigh, his entire body exhausted after lying dormant in his bed for the better part of four days, then having to share the most horrible events of his life in the form of nonsensical rambling to his poor uncle.

“I gave Steve my jacket and he thought it meant we were courting, so Dustin and I figured if I just kept courting him he’d eventually realize how incompatible we are and call it off.”

“Uh huh,” Wayne hums. “So you made an innocent mistake, then instead of explaining the situation to Steve as soon as you realized what was happening, you took advice from a thirteen year old and continued to date him under false pretenses with the intent of being mated? You then continued the ruse for months until earning his parents’ blessing and chose that moment to admit the truth.”

Eddie groans and throws his head in his hands. When said like that it sounds like the dumbest shit in the world. 

“I didn’t tell him at the party on purpose,” Eddie responds, as if he has any defense. “He just overheard.”

“Ah, right. Because you were just never going to tell him anything and let him go the rest of his life thinking you asked him out when you didn’t.”

“I’m a moron!” he shouts. “Alright? I get it. You don’t have to spell it out for me.”

“Well, as long as you’re aware.”

Eddie glares. “I thought you dragged me out of my room to give me a pep talk,” he grumbles. 

“No, I got you out of your room to figure out what’s gotten you so down lately and now that I know, I’m doing the kindest thing I can do for you, which is pull your head out of your ass.”

Eddie lets out a shaky breath, grabbing a pillow off the couch and squeezing it tightly to his chest for some much undeserved comfort. 

“I fucked it all up, Wayne. I don’t know what to do. Steve was never supposed to be the one who got hurt in all this.”

“You were?” Wayne infers.

Eddie shrugs self-consciously. “At first I didn’t really think I would. I mean, I didn’t know the guy so what did I care if he told me he didn’t want me?” He bites his lip, flashes of late night cuddles and the most gorgeous smile he’s ever seen flashing in his mind. “But I fell for him, Wayne. For real.”

“Well, any idiot with eyes coulda told you that,” Wayne responds. “And they coulda told you that Steve liked you just the same.”

Eddie shakes his head. “No, Wayne, he didn’t like me. He couldn’t. He was just projecting ideas onto me because he wanted someone-”

Wayne smacks him across the back of the head. 

“Ow! What the hell was that for, Wayne?!”

“That was for the man who just told me how revolting Richard Harrington was for suggesting Steve couldn’t possibly be independent as an omega trying to tell me they know what that very same omega is thinking and feeling better than the man himself.”

The words settle over Eddie like a bucket of ice water. Oh god, he was just like every other shitty alpha- treating an omega like they couldn’t be trusted to know what they wanted.

“If someone tells you what they want, you take them at their word,” Wayne continues. “You don’t try to tell them that they’re wrong. Good Lord, who raised you?”

“I am an absolute piece of shit,” Eddie decides.

“And a foolish one at that,” Wayne grumbles. “I just spent three months watching that boy look at you like you hung the moon, laughing at your stupidest jokes and hanging on your every repetitive word about whatever fantasy story you’re reading this week and you want to tell me that he didn’t love you for exactly who you are?”

“Oh my god, Wayne, what the fuck did I do?!” he exclaims from behind the hands covering his face. “I just ruined the best thing that ever happened to me!”

“Now don’t go catastrophizing just yet. I’m sure this can be fixed.”

Eddie looks at him incredulously. “I just told my boyfriend of four months that I never meant to date him in the first place. At our engagement party.”

“And you’re aware of how dumb that was. Now, all you gotta do is share that information with Steve and hope to god he can find it in himself to forgive you.”

“Yeah, like that’ll happen.”

“Isn’t presuming to know how Steve will react the exact thing that got you into this mess in the first place?”

Eddie ducks his head, suddenly very interested in the scuffs on his worn out converse. Wayne sighs, gives Eddie a pat on the shoulder and then gets up. 

“Well, I gotta get to work. Don’t give up hope just yet, kiddo.”

Eddie watches his uncle grab his wallet and keys and head out the door, his final words repeating in Eddie's head like a broken record. Hope. Hope. Hope. 

Does such a thing exist in this situation? 

Is there any world where Steve can forgive him?

Maybe. Maybe not. 

Regardless, Eddie is starting to understand that, if nothing else, Steve deserves an explanation and an apology. This whole debacle was Eddie’s mistake and that means it’s his responsibility to fix it. 

With his mind made up and his heart racing in his chest, he grabs his own keys and speeds over to the Harrington house. Steve deserves the truth, no matter how terrified Eddie might be to face him again. He parks on the curb outside the large estate, looking up at the now familiar home.

It looks so… normal, so peaceful from the outside. As if this isn’t the exact spot where Eddie’s life had imploded not even a week earlier. Eddie’s stomach twists just from looking at it. He wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans as he hypes himself up to go inside. 

He knows that, at the very least, Steve’s parents won’t be home. Well, he’s not completely sure... Is your omega son getting rejected by his alpha at their own engagement party reason enough to cancel your trip to Cancun?

He sure hopes not. Not just because he thinks he might actually deck Richard if he ever sees him again, but because he doesn’t want to know what the guy has been telling his son since everything went down. Eddie can only imagine it’s a lot of bullshit about Steve not even being able to keep the trailer trash around (another thing that Eddie can feel guilty about). 

He gets to the door, shaking out his tense muscles and then rings the doorbell. 

Then he waits… 

And he waits…

And he waits…

He rings it again. 

Nothing. 

He tries knocking. 

“Steve? Are you in there?” he calls loudly, hoping to be heard through the enormous house. “It’s Eddie. Look, I just want to explain. Can you please come out?”

He waits fifteen minutes longer before deciding to give up. Either Steve isn’t home or Eddie has less of a chance than he thought. 

He still comes back the next day, just in case. 

He rings- nothing. He rings again- nothing. 

That’s when the panic sets in. 

One time with no response could easily be explained away as someone being unavailable, but two?! Eddie starts to picture every worst case scenario like movie reels in his head. What if something happened to him? What if he hurt himself? Or what if he’s suffering from rejection sickness? 

Suddenly frantic, he bangs on the door as hard as he can. 

“Steve! If you’re in there just let me know you’re okay!”

Nada. Zilch.

“Steve!” He bangs so hard he’s actually concerned the door will splinter. “Open up!”

“Hey!” 

Eddie startles at the aggressive voice shouting from behind him. He turns around with wide eyes. There is a particularly large, bald man and his rottweiler standing on the sidewalk in front of Steve’s house. He looks just about ready to sic the dog on Eddie and suddenly he realizes what he probably looks like.

“What the hell are you doing?” the man barks. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” he says, throwing his hands up to show he means no harm. “I’m just worried about my omega. He’s not responding to me and I’m afraid he’s sick.”

“Well, then call 911. Quit banging his door down. This neighborhood is full of rich fucks who clutch their pearls the second they see a stranger. You are just begging to get arrested right now.”

Shit, he’s got a point.

“Alright, I hear you,” Eddie resigns. “I’m sorry for the noise.”

The man looks him up and down and then walks away with a roll of his eyes. 

Feeling stupid and embarrassed, Eddie gives up for the second day in a row, hanging his head in defeat as he climbs back in his car. Maybe he’ll have a better shot calling Steve. That way he won’t know who it is before he’s already answered. 

As soon as he gets home, he dials the number he knows by heart and listens to the repetitive ring… ring… ring…  his breath caught in anticipation for Steve to finally answer and say in his beautiful, silky voice, “Harrington residence.”

Only he never does. 

“Damn it!” Eddie says, slamming the phone back onto the receiver when the call goes unanswered. He throws his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly enough to rip it out. 

He’s not okay. He’s not okay and it’s my fault. 

He swallows down his panic and dials again. He’ll keep trying. He needs to keep trying until he knows that Steve’s okay. He may never want anything to do with Eddie again, but Eddie will live with that as long as Steve is safe and happy. 

After another three unanswered calls, Eddie is pacing around the room hard enough to burn a hole in the carpet. What the hell is he supposed to do now? Steve won’t let him in the house and he won’t answer the phone. How else can he try and contact him? How can-

The phone rings. 

Eddie bolts towards it so fast that he trips over his own feet. He manages to grab the receiver on the way down and clutches it to his face even as he lies sprawled on the ground. 

“Stevie?! Baby? Are you okay?”

“Eddie?”

Eddie immediately deflates at the sound of Dustin’s voice. 

“Henderson,” he says flatly. “What’s going on, man?”

“I- uh, I just wanted to tell you I talked to Steve.”

“You what?!” Eddie exclaims, getting to his feet. “Is he alright?”

“He’s got mild rejection sickness, but based on how he looked the last two days when he slammed the door in my face, I’d say it’s getting better.” 

Eddie’s gut twists at the words 'rejection sickness.’ His worst fears have been realized. Steve is sick and he’s the one who caused it. He throws his head in his hands. He feels like he might be sick, but he swallows it down to keep conversing with Dustin. 

“Yeah, well, at least he opened the door for you. I spent the last two days practically banging the door down until one of his rich ass neighbors shooed me away.”

“Rich ass- oooooh, riiight,” Dustin cuts himself off. “You left before everything went down.”

“What do you mean? What happened??”

“Well, I missed the first bit, ‘cause, you know, Steve locked us out. But eventually Mike came by and let me back in and Steve and his father were yelling at each other and he had a big suitcase full of shit and he left with Robin. I don’t really know what he and his dad were arguing about, but I guess it was enough for him to leave home, so now he’s staying at the Buckley’s.”

Eddie gapes, falling hard onto the couch as his legs lose their strength. Steve moved out? Or did Richard kick him out? Is he okay? Is Robin going to let him stay long term? Are her parents alright with it? 

Oh, god- did Eddie just completely ruin Steve’s life? 

“Anyway, I explained what happened and apologized for everything.”

Eddie swallows harshly. “And what did he say? Did he forgive you?”

“Yeah, he said he forgives me because I was just trying to help, even if it was incredibly misguided. And then I asked if he could forgive you, but before he could respond, Robin came in and-” Dustin shivers audibly through the phone. “She is not as forgiving. She kicked me out and said that the next time she sees you, she’s going to kill you.”

“Great,” Eddie groans. 

“So, yeah, I’d lay low for a while if I were you.”

“But I need to talk to Steve!” he argues. 

“Not while Robin’s around you don’t and, you know, that’s pretty much constantly since they live together now.”

Eddie huffs, throwing his hand in his face. “Dustin, I really fucked this up. I love him, man.”

“Yeah, no shit, Einstein!” Dustin shouts through the phone, suddenly angry. Eddie reels back at the sudden tone change. “And if you’d let me talk the two times I tried to tell you that you guys clearly cared about each other for real, then this wouldn’t be happening!”

“Yeah,” Eddie admits, defeatedly. “I deserve that.” He lets out a world-weary sigh. “I just… I couldn’t believe that Steve felt the same way. It seemed too good to be true. It still does, to be honest.”

“I know, you really lucked out, Munson.”

That startles a laugh out of Eddie. 

“Yeah, I did,” he says, softly. “And I need to make sure he knows that.”

Dustin sighs. “Well, then you better figure out how to get past Robin.”

***

His new plan was to find Steve alone at school on Monday and talk to him somewhere discreet where Robin wouldn’t find them. Which leaves Eddie with two more days of the absolute worst spring break of his life. Just like the rest of the week, he’s got his nose in Steve’s pillow and his arms are clutching the jacket Steve returned- the one with both of their scents practically woven into the fabric at this point- like a life line. 

“You’re seriously gonna spend another day mopin’ in that bed?” Wayne criticizes from Eddie’s doorway. 

“I lost the love of my life, Wayne, and I apparently can’t do anything to get him back until Monday, so, yes, I am going to stay right here, sniffing his pillow like a pathetic creep, because that is exactly what I am.”

Wayne sighs. “Eddie, this is your last year of high school-”

“Probably.”

“It is, ” Wayne insists. “You have done a very good job of staying on top of your school work. You are going to walk across that stage in May and then you are going to be a working adult. So you should take advantage of the little time you have left to be a carefree kid.”

Eddie flips around so he’s facing Wayne. 

“Carefree?!” he repeats. “Wayne, I just imploded my relationship. I am so far from carefree.”

Wayne huffs, clearly realizing he’s not getting anywhere here. He shakes his head and walks away, mumbling something about how he can’t wait until Eddie has bills to worry about. 

Eddie ignores him, putting his nose back in Steve’s pillow and trying to figure out the best places to approach Steve at school. He has his whole schedule memorized at this point, so he knows where he’ll be at any given time during the day. Then his heart starts pounding at the thought of actually being face to face with him again. How will Steve react? Will he be as forgiving as he was with Dustin or should Eddie be expecting a swift kick to the balls? He’d take it happily, it’s not like it’ll hurt any worse than watching Steve toss his jacket on the ground. 

He takes a deep breath, a now familiar ache running through him at the reminder of that fateful day. The action causes a wave of the pillow’s scent to fill his nostrils and he freezes. Blinking down at the pillow, he breathes it in again. 

It’s fading. 

Steve’s scent? It’s getting so faint he can hardly pick it up anymore. 

He hears himself let out a choked off sob before he even realizes he’s crying. As soon as the scent fades, it’ll be undeniable that Steve is gone. 

He doesn’t know if he can survive that. 

This may have all been one ginormous misunderstanding turned into a months long lie, but Eddie doesn’t really remember life before Steve. When he looks back on it, it’s like he can only imagine the ’before’ in black and white, as if Steve was his color. It’s weird, it’s like he’s just noticing it now, how the world with Steve in it was full of reds and yellows and blues that he’d never seen before. And now that he’s gone, the colors are muted, his world slowly fading back to shades of grey. 

He needs to fix this. He needs to try. For Steve’s sake as well as his own. He needs to walk into school on Monday and make sure Steve knows that not a speck of the love he showed him was insincere. Maybe it’ll be enough.

Maybe it’ll all work out. 

Only, when Monday comes around, Eddie finds out that his plan is futile, because Steve is home sick. Which really makes Eddie feel like shit knowing it’s rejection sickness he’s dealing with. Okay, he’s got to find a solution and find it now. He can’t let Steve’s illness continue for another day. 

Oh! Maybe he could skip school and go over there while Robin is in class? Yeah, that’s a good idea. He’ll head that way before band, that way he’ll know exactly where Robin is so he can avoid her. 

That just means keeping his head low until then. He slips a note to Gareth during third and tells him they’ll be having lunch in the drama room where they sometimes have Hellfire campaigns and to pass the message along. Then, after fourth period, he hides in a stall in the men’s room until the hallways have emptied out and hustles to the drama room as covertly as he can.  

The rest of Hellfire are already in there when he bursts through the door and they all go quiet as soon as they see him, their eyes brimming with curiosity. Eddie feels a bit like he’s suddenly being thrust under a spotlight (which is fitting because, drama room).

“Dude,” Jeff says. “What the hell is going on?”

Eddie fidgets nervously. “What do you mean?”

“What does he mean?!” Gareth repeats. “We show up to your fucking engagement party and next thing we know, Steve’s crying, you’re nowhere to be seen, and Mr. Harrington is losing his shit.”

Eddie wants to vomit knowing that he made Steve cry, though he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised. What did he expect to happen after the shit he put him through?

“Guys,” Eddie says, making his way across the room and sitting in his usual seat at the head of the table. “I’ll explain everything, but I need you to tell me exactly what happened at the party after I left.”

The other three look at each other and Jeff shrugs.

“Well,” Jeff starts. “Like Gareth said, Steve came in crying and Robin pulled him aside. We all noticed, but we couldn’t really hear what they were saying over the music. Eventually, Mr. Harrington walked over to them and very loudly asked for an explanation.”

“Then he shouted, ‘are you joking?!’ and that’s when someone turned the music off,” Gareth adds. 

“Yeah, and then he said,” Todd pauses, looking nervously at Eddie. “Well, he said that Steve was such a miserable excuse for an omega that he couldn’t even manage to keep a grimy punk with no money around.”

“He what?!” Eddie snaps. He’s not surprised, but he does not take kindly to anyone speaking that way about Steve. 

Gareth nods. “Yeah, and then Steve kind of blew up. He was like ‘fuck you. Eddie’s a better alpha than you’ll ever be.’”

Eddie’s heart lurches knowing that- even after everything- Steve was still defending him. 

“And then Mr. Harrington slapped Steve in the face and said he told him not to disrespect him again,” Jeff adds. 

Eddie slams his fist down on the table, pretending it’s Richard’s head. The boys startle at the action, looking at each other nervously, but Eddie ignores them. 

“Then what?” he growls out. 

“Then Robin kicked him in the shin and called him a dipshit supreme and said that Steve was too good for him.”

“And Mr. Harrington said that Steve was a disappointment and told him it was time to cut all the dead weight that was dragging him down,” Todd says. 

“Meaning Robin,” Gareth adds. 

“And Steve said, ‘you’re right.’ And then he walked upstairs and came back down with a giant suitcase full of stuff.”

“And Mr. Harrington was all, ‘what are you doing?’ and Steve was like ‘I’m cutting the dead weight’ and left with Robin.”

“It was actually pretty epic,” Todd says. 

Eddie’s caught between being enraged at the way Richard spoke to Steve and immensely proud that Steve managed to stand up for himself. He nods, grateful to have the full story before he goes to see Steve. 

“So… are you going to tell us why you left your own engagement party?” Gareth prods.

Eddie sighs, hunching his shoulders. With no other option, he tells them everything. By the end, they are all gaping at him in shock. 

“Wait…” Gareth says. “Are you saying the whole relationship was a lie?”

Eddie winces. “I mean, kind of? But not really because I ended up actually falling for him.”

“And you told Dustin and not us?” Todd whines.

“That wasn’t, like, intentional. He just happened to be there.”

“So are you going to get him back?” Jeff asks, his voice almost desperate.

The others echo the sentiment, staring intently at Eddie for his response. Eddie gapes at their intensity. 

“You guys realize you’re on the edge of your seat asking me about Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington,” he comments, dumbfounded.

“Oh, come on, man. You know we don’t see him like that anymore,” Gareth says. 

“Yeah, we love Steve,” Todd agrees. 

“And, more than that, we love Steve for you,” Jeff adds. 

Everyone nods emphatically. 

“He brings out the best in you,” Gareth says. 

“And he always has the best snacks for D&D.”

“And he’s, like, Corroded Coffin’s biggest fan. He’s at every gig, cheering the loudest.”

“Yeah, remember that time he got Robin to invite all of her band friends to join?” 

“That was our biggest crowd ever!”

“Yeah, that Vickie chick even asked for a tape! A tape, Eddie! Like we were a real band or something!”

“He supports you,” Gareth says, his tone going a bit softer. “And he makes an effort with us, too. My hair has never looked better since he started giving me styling tips.”

“He didn’t make fun of me for my beanie baby collection,” Todd says. “He just got me a new one for my birthday.” 

Eddie just stares at all of his friends. He knew they liked Steve. I mean, the dude had won them over basically the minute he met them, but this? A year ago, if he saw all of his friends getting up to bat for Steve Harrington he would have had himself committed. Of course, a year ago he wouldn’t have believed he’d fall head over heels for the guy either. (Come to think of it, he never would have used a baseball reference either, but clearly the dude has changed him more than he’d realized.)

“I guess I just didn’t realize how much you guys cared,” he admits. 

“Well, we do,” Gareth says seriously. “And we’d be idiots to let you lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you without a fight, so get off your ass and get your man!”

Everyone blinks at Gareth in shock. Never before has he dared snap at his Dungeon Master like that. He looks a bit sheepish when he realizes what he’s said, but then the others are voicing their assent. Cheering ‘yeah’ and banging the table aggressively.

“Go get him, Eddie!” Jeff calls.

Eddie has yet to actually touch his lunch, but the encouragement from his friends has lit a fire under his ass. Steve is the best thing that ever happened to him and he needs to finally get the chance he’s been waiting for all week. So what if it’s a little ahead of schedule? It’s a big school and Robin is more than likely in the cafeteria right now anyway. 

“You’re right!” Eddie declares. 

They all cheer as he shoots out of his chair, leaving his food behind as he bolts into the hallway. There are a few people milling about, maybe coming and going from different lunch activities, but Eddie doesn’t pay them any mind. He is strolling towards the door like a man possessed, determined to tell Steve just how he really feels. It’ll leave him raw and vulnerable and Steve could very easily tear him to shreds for it, but that’s a price Eddie will happily pay if it will give Steve the smallest peace of mind. 

Nothing in the world could stop him from declaring his deep, profound love for Steve-

“Munson!” 

Eddie startles at the familiar and clearly pissed off voice calling to him from the other side of the hallway. With wide eyes and his entire body strung tight with panic, he turns to see Robin glaring at him with her hands curled into tight fists at her side. 

“You are so fucking dead!” she shouts. 

“Shit!” Eddie exclaims, bolting towards the door, completely unbothered by how cowardly it might be to run away from a beta girl who can hardly make it down the steps of the band risers without tripping over her own feet. The look in her eye really does seem murderous though, so Eddie isn’t willing to take any chances. 

As soon as he turns around, he bumps into another student, sending the stack of papers they are holding flying, but he doesn’t stop more than to call out a rushed ‘sorry’ before he’s out the front doors of the school. He pauses when he gets outside, analyzing his options. He could try to make it to his car, but he’d have to unlock it and with his hands shaking as they are, he’d probably never make it inside the safety of his driver’s seat before Robin got to him. He heads for the forest instead. He makes it about ten feet before he hears the door open behind him. 

“Get back here, shithead!” Robin screams. 

He only runs faster. The forest is just ahead, but it feels like no matter how long he runs, it’s still a distance away. When he finally breaks the treeline, he hears Robin’s footsteps falter and her mutter a curse. He turns to see her trying to correct her balance, clearly having tripped over her own two feet again. 

Ha! Klutz!

Eddie is grinning to himself when his foot snags on an exposed tree root and he goes sprawling. He hits the ground hard, but he rolls into a crouch and manages to get back on his feet before Robin can get too close. He tries to stay more aware of his surroundings after that, ducking and jumping over the nature that almost seems to be working against him in his pursuit to evade the girl slowly gaining on him. His ribs hurt with cramps and he’s out of breath. He really should cut down on his smoking. And, okay, maybe he shouldn’t cut PE so often either. 

Despite the physical pain, though, he keeps moving. It’s that or die, he reminds himself. 

Eventually he hears Robin curse again and glances back to see she’s hopping on one foot, somehow having lost a shoe. He doesn’t revel in her clumsiness this time, he just takes the opportunity to gain some distance from her. 

Only the next second he feels a really hard thump on the back of his head. 

“Ow,” he grumbles, reaching up to the affected area. He turns to see Robin’s shoe on the ground behind him. “Did you just throw your shoe at me?” Eddie calls in offense. 

“And I’d do it again, asshole!”

Eddie glares at her, but he keeps going. He tries to come up with a plan. Running through the forest until they both pass out isn’t going to work out very well for either of them. He thinks about hiding spots. Maybe he could climb a tree and wait her out. She seems like the type that wouldn’t make it very far trying to climb something. He’d probably be safe up there. He decides to go with that and starts looking for something with low and thick branches. Unfortunately, he’s so busy making his plan that he nearly steps in deer shit before he manages to swerve it. It throws him off course, though, and he turns back around only to get smacked in the head by a tree branch. 

The impact of the blow sends him on his ass. 

“Fuck,” he grumbles. 

God, who let the world’s two clumsiest people chase each other through the woods? 

He huffs as he forces himself back to his feet, his head spinning a little from the force of the blow. Robin’s footsteps are getting louder as she gains on him and he only makes it three wobbly steps forwards before he feels her slam into his side and send him back to the ground. 

“How could you do that to him?” Robin demands, gripping the back of his head and shoving his face into the ground. “All he wanted was for someone to love him and you took advantage of him! You total scumbag!”

“Get off! Get off!” Eddie mumbles, not willing to fully open his mouth in fear of inhaling a mouth full of dirt. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Sorry?! God, you made him think you loved him, you shithead!”

“I do!” Eddie yells, turning his head to the side so he can speak it with his whole chest. “I do love him!”

The pressure on the back of his head ceases, but he continues to feel the weight of Robin on his back. He starts to turn and, thankfully, she lets him, lifting up enough that she’s not weighing him down as he flips onto his back, looking up at Robin’s skeptical face and heaving in deep breaths to try and fill his aching lungs. 

“I love him, Robin. I was just on my way to tell him when you started chasing me through the woods.”

Robin scans his face, perhaps looking for a lie, but she doesn’t find one. With a sigh, she gets off him, sitting heavily on the ground beside him. 

“Then why the hell did you tell him you were hoping he’d dump you?”

Eddie huffs. “I wasn’t hoping he’d dump me,” he explains, sitting up. “I was expecting he’d dump me. I figured it was just a matter of time before he realized I’m, well, me .”

Robin processes his words and then she scowls. “You are an idiot if he thought he was ever going to dump you. That boy was crazy about you.”

Eddie tries not to freak out over her use of past tense. 

“Well, if he wasn’t going to, I figured his dad would do it for him.”

Robin deflates. “Okay, fair,” she agrees. “I didn’t expect Richard to accept your proposal, either. I think that was a surprise to everyone.”

Eddie nods. “Look, this was all a huge misunderstanding, but I never faked my feelings.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Honestly, it took me, like, less than a week to decide I liked him for real. I didn’t mean for the relationship to happen, but I don’t regret that it did.”

She sighs. “When he told me about the jacket, I told him you wouldn’t have known about those snobby courting rituals, but he said you were so obvious about it- calling him incredible and wrapping your arms around him to help switch out the tire. I thought, shit, maybe he’s right. Maybe Munson really does want to be with him.” She looks down at her still half shoeless feet. “I guess I should have pushed a little harder then.” She huffs in frustration. “His dad has just been spewing all this bullshit at him his whole life,” she complains. “I didn’t really even realize how fucked up all his ideas about love and relationships were until this week. But we’ve spent a lot of time talking and I’m trying to help him figure out what he really wants and what he was told he was supposed to want. Like, I know presenting as an omega was such a relief for him and he finally felt like he could be himself, but that doesn’t mean his father wasn’t still fucking with his head all the same.”

Eddie swallows, wrapping his arms around his knees. “So… Do you think it would be a bad idea? Me telling him how I really feel and trying to get back together with him?”

Robin doesn’t respond at first and Eddie watches as she has an internal struggle with herself. Finally, she looks at him and says, “Eddie, please understand that if I let you anywhere near him just for you to end up hurting again, I will be making a phone call to Russia. And whatever illegal torture methods my cousin may choose to use on you, I will not stop him.”

“Noted,” Eddie says, taking the threat seriously, knowing that he would never in a million years be responsible for Steve’s pain again. He’d rather the torture. 

She seems to accept his sincerity, though, because she nods. “Then, my honest answer is- that’s for Steve to decide.”

***

One long trek back through the woods, a few minutes in front of a mirror pulling leaves from his hair, and a fifteen-minute drive later and Eddie is parking his van in front of the Buckley residence. 

“Okay, Munson,” he says to himself, taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. “You can do this. Just be honest and actually listen to him for once.”

He hops out of his car and walks up the driveway to the front porch. With shaky hands, he knocks on the door. The few moments before Steve answers the door are perhaps the longest of Eddie’s life, but eventually, he sees the brass knob twist and he’s once again face to face with the man he loves. He’s paler and thinner than he was the last time Eddie saw him, with a red, irritated nose and dark circles under his eyes. The sight makes Eddie’s gut twist. 

When the omega first sees Eddie, as if by reflex, his face lights up. But then he seems to remember everything that’s happened and it falls, shifting from heartache, to confusion, to distrust, to anger, and finally something neutral and false that gives nothing away. 

Eddie hates it. 

“We need to talk,” he says, his voice soft and broken. 

For a moment, Steve doesn’t move, just observing him with that same closed off expression. Eddie has pretty much accepted to defeat, ready for Steve to slam the door in his face, when he finally nods. 

“Come in,” he says, opening the door wider for Eddie to get past. 

With a deep breath, Eddie steps inside, Steve’s calculating eyes never leaving him as he moves through the space. They walk to what must have been a guest bedroom but now, even just a week later, smells distinctly of Steve. He takes a quick glance around the space, his eyes stopping on the old quilt front and center in Steve’s nest. He gapes at it, something like hope rising in his chest when he sees a few of his other shirts placed in there as well. 

Steve seems to notice what he’s looking at, because he quickly throws another blanket over everything and sits on the edge of the bed. He gestures to an empty chair by the desk in the corner of the room. Eddie takes the hint and sits in it. With no other distractions, the alpha realizes the time has finally come for him to take his heart out and put it on his sleeve. 

…And all the words seem to die on his throat. 

“So? Talk,” Steve commands when Eddie doesn’t immediately speak. “Explain why you decided to lie to me for months. Make excuses for making me look like a fucking fool.”

“I never meant to make a fool out of you,” he ensures. “That was never my intention.”

Steve scoffs. “Excuse me if I don’t believe you after you spent four months pretending you wanted to be with me.”   

Eddie sighs, moving his chair closer to the bed and looking Steve right in the eye as he says earnestly, “Steve, believe me when I say- no matter how this started, no matter how it sounded the other day- I do want to be with you. I will always want to be with you, because I am stupidly in love with you. You are everything I didn’t know I wanted, but don’t know if I can live without.”

Steve falters, his anger shifting into hurt. “Then why did you freak out like that? You fucking had me. You’re the one who threw it all away.”

Eddie looks down. “Believe me, I know,” he grumbles self-deprecatingly. 

“So why then?” Steve persists. 

“I just- I knew I wasn’t good enough for you. And I knew your father would never say yes, but then he did and all the sudden he’s talking about buying us an apartment and getting me a job at his company and it just- I panicked.”

It’s quiet for a second and Eddie can’t bring himself to pick his eyes up off the ground in front of him. 

“You’re an idiot,” Steve says. 

That gets Eddie finally looking at him, he looks pissed. 

“You do realize that once you were my alpha, my father would have no power over either of us? We could have fucked off to Canada to live in a shack and he couldn’t have done shit about it.”

Eddie mulls that over and a thought pops into his head. “Then can I ask you something?” Steve hesitates, but nods. “Did you think one of the reasons you rushed into the courting with me was because you wanted to get out from under his thumb?”

Steve blinks, clearly not having considered that before. “I- maybe,” he admits bashfully. He swipes at his eyes and takes a shaky breath. “Robin’s talked to me a lot this week and I guess I can see now why agreeing to be courted by someone I’d just met wasn’t my smartest move.”

“So can you see where I’m coming from?” Eddie inquires. “I mean, Steve, you didn’t know me. This whole time I’ve just been thinking, ‘what if someone had shown up that day and given him their jacket? Are we just together because I’m the guy that showed up first? ”

“You didn’t show up first,” Steve says. 

“Huh?”

“Five different people passed me on the road that day. Patrick McKinney and Jason Carver laughed at me and chucked a beer can at my head about five minutes before you showed up. You weren’t the first person, you were just the one who stopped and offered to help. So I did know you. At least, I knew enough. I knew you were kind and hard working and self-sufficient and generous and funny and smart and I learned it all before you told me to keep the jacket.”

Eddie squirms a little under the barrage of compliments. “But that’s not enough to build a life on.”

“No, it’s not,” Steve admits. “I get that now. But I’ve come to know you since and not one second of our time together has made me doubt the decision to take your jacket.”

Eddie swallows hard and wishes he still had that stupid baseball he’d given Steve. He could use a stress ball right now. 

“Not even when I gave you dirty wildflowers and a guitar pick for a courting gift?” he jokes self-deprecatingly. 

Steve shakes his head in frustration, rolling his eyes. “You were the only one who couldn’t see how precious those gifts were, Eddie,” he says, scoldingly. “I told you I loved them and I meant it. I don’t get why you refuse to accept that.”

Eddie ducks his head. “Because you could find someone that could get you diamonds and a nice house to build a family in.”

“What about the time you’ve spent with me makes you think I give half a shit about any of that stuff?”

Eddie contemplates that. It’s true that Steve has never been the type to go for the most expensive option. He’s never complained about the lack of hot water in Eddie’s trailer or having to eat Hamburger Helper three days in a row because that’s all they could afford at the store. The few expensive items he owns were given to him by his father. The only thing that would make Eddie think he was some spoiled brat obsessed with money is his upbringing, but Steve has actively rejected that at every turn. 

Eddie’s just been too blind to see that. 

“I just- I wish I could give you everything you deserve,” Eddie admits heavily. 

He feels Steve’s hands on his chin, carefully guiding his face to look up at him. “Eddie, you gave me everything I wanted. You gave me your dead mother’s quilt. And I know now you did it despite believing that we’d never actually get mated. Everything you gave me was thoughtful and heartfelt,” he smiles. “Even the shitty brownies.”

Eddie lets out a little laugh. 

“I was a lot happier in your cramped trailer than I’ve ever been in my cold, empty home. I was so happy,” his face falling. “And I hate that that’s ruined because you listened to your fears instead of to me.”

Eddie nods. “I know. Wayne said the same thing. He really ripped me a new one.”

“As he should.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agrees. “I really treated you like shit, Steve. I should have listened to what you were telling me and not decided I knew better than you. I- I really can’t tell you enough how sorry I am for that.”

Steve pauses, dropping his hand back to his side. “Actually, I think it’s for the best that this happened.”

Eddie swallows nervously. “You do?”

He nods. “Talking to Robin this week made me realize that I’m too young to get mated anyway. I need to learn to be independent and figure out who I am without an alpha influencing me. So me and her are going to get an apartment together after graduation and I’m going to start working again.” He shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe take some classes at the local community college or something.”

“That’s great, Steve,” Eddie says, honestly. “I think that’ll be really good for you.”

Steve smiles softly at his encouragement. “Thanks.”

Eddie bites his lip, afraid to ask the question that is right on the tip of his tongue, begging to be let out. He needs to know if he fits into this new world Steve is creating for himself, but he doesn’t know if he has the right to even wonder. Not when Steve is clearly trying so hard to be independent.

But then Steve continues. “And I was wanting to know if you’d go on a date with me,” he says, looking at Eddie with that gentle affection that he’s never felt deserving of. “You know, without all this outdated courting bullshit.”

Eddie’s heart sores in his chest as he looks at Steve with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Really?”

Steve nods confidently. 

“I’d love that,” he says desperately. “Anytime, any place. You name it. I’m there.”

Steve smirks, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “I was thinking about a trip to the batting cages.”

Eddie groans dramatically, throwing his head back. “See the fact that I am actually willing to do that for you is all the proof you need that I do, in fact, love you.”

He’s suddenly got a laughing Steve straddling his lap, kissing him for all he’s worth. It catches him completely off guard and at first he just freezes like an idiot. Eventually, his brain catches up and he wraps his arms tightly around Steve, holding him close so he can’t fade away again. The scent of happy Steve fills the room and it’s strong and fresh and so much better than that old pillow and Eddie is never, ever going to risk losing it again. 

They kiss for what feels like hours until Steve pulls away, resting his forehead on Eddie’s.  “I love you, too.”

Eddie beams, feeling so happy he could scream. “I know we’re just starting to date for real,” he says. “And I will happily wait as long as you need, but I want you to know right now that I fully intend to mate you one day, Steve Harrington.”

Steve laughs. “So… Does this mean I can have my jacket back now?”

Eddie smiles warmly, brushing his fingers through Steve’s hair. “Yeah, it suits you better anyway.”

Chapter Text

“Winona! Don’t play in the mud! I don’t have time to change you before we go!”

A scream comes from down the hall. 

“Wren! What did I say about screaming in the house!”

“Sounds like y’all two are having a nice, quiet mornin’,” Wayne teases through the phone. 

Eddie laughs. “Yeah, just another day of tranquility in Casa De Munson,” he jokes back. 

Their eldest comes back into the room, her yellow raincoat and blue jeans covered in the very mud that Steve had just asked her not to play in. She’s looking down at something she’s got held between her two little hands. 

“Whatcha got there, Winny?” Eddie asks.

Winona looks up at him, holding up what he can now see is another insect. 

“Stinkbug,” she says, informatively. 

“Oh, Mom’s going to love that,” Eddie mutters. “Hey, Wayne. I’m gonna have to call you back later. I need to get Winona in some clean clothes.”

Wayne chuckles. “You go do your thing, Eddie. I’ll see you at your Indianapolis show, right?”

“You bet your butt you will!” Eddie says. “Already got a VIP pass sorted for you so you can watch with Steve and the kids.”

“Sounds great. I’m excited to see you.”

“You too. Bye, Wayne.” He looks down at his six-year-old. “Winona wanna say goodbye to Grandpa Wayne?”

He holds out the phone receiver for her and she leans forward so her mouth is pressed close to the microphone. 

“Goodbye, Grandpa Wayne. Gregon says goodbye, too.”

Eddie doesn’t even need to ask who Gregon is. His daughter has a habit of collecting bugs and giving them names before she can even get them into the house. 

Eddie hangs up the phone and crouches down to be face to face with his daughter. 

“Hey, Winny. Gregon looks really nice, but bugs like that don’t like being indoors.” Winona looks at him with wide eyes. “Why don’t you run and put him back where you found him and we can get you into some clean clothes.”

She hesitates, clearly not excited to be saying goodbye to her new friend, but eventually she nods and rushes back out the sliding glass door to the backyard. Eddie watches her go with a smile, moving from the kitchen into the front hallway where he is forced to an abrupt halt when a little speed demon races past him. 

“Woah,” he says, scooping up his two-year-old, who’s got his shirt halfway on and only a diaper covering his bottom half. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Wessy Bessy?”

He gives him a raspberry on his belly, which causes the kid to explode into giggles.

“I swear we should have never taught him to walk,” Steve says, coming out of Wesley’s room, looking completely overwhelmed. “I was halfway through dressing him and he just disappeared between one blink and the next.”

Eddie opens his free arm up for his beautiful omega, who happily curls up into his side. He presses his nose to the man’s soft, thick hair and breathes in his favorite scent. Eleven years with this man and he still can’t get enough of him. 

He rubs at Steve’s slightly curving belly, growing their fourth child, and the omega slowly relaxes against him. 

“Winny got in the mud,” he tells him. 

“Great,” Steve huffs. “Just another-”

Eddie shushes him. “I’ll clean her up, sweetie. Don’t worry about it.”

He presses a kiss to the top of the man’s head for some much needed comfort. It’s not usually this stressful to get the kids ready in the morning. During the school year, Steve has just about perfected the job of wrangling three hellions and getting them out the door on time. But having to add packing a Winnebago with three months worth of clothes, toiletries, and snacks to the morning checklist has definitely got Steve in a bit of a tizzy.

Steve looks up at Eddie, his face soft and adoring. “Thank you,” he leans forward for a kiss. “I’m sorry for being so stressed. Today is not a stressful day, it’s a happy day! You are touring with Metallica!” 

Eddie beams at the reminder. Yup, it’s true. After nine years of making music in Chicago and four critically and commercially successful albums, Corroded Coffin was invited to join Metallica for a leg of their Poor Touring Me Tour. They’d already played the three Chicago dates with them the last three nights as well as their Moline show a couple nights before that. Now they are setting off for North Dakota and following them through to their Pittsburgh date in a couple of months. They are even set to play at Madison Square Garden two nights in a row!

Touring had been a bit tricky for them over the years, at least ever since Winona’s birth six years ago. Don’t get him wrong, Eddie chose to stay home with his family rather than spend months on the road and the rest of the band had no protestations, but it did mean that their touring schedule was pretty much confined to the summer months when Steve got time off of work as a P.E. and home ec teacher at the local middle school. A lot of his fellow musicians have called him crazy for it- think of all the money he’s missing out on- but there is nothing in this world more precious to Eddie than his family. Just the thought of being away from them for months at a time has him feeling ill at ease. 

Besides, Corroded Coffin makes plenty of money from record sales alone. Thankfully. 

It had taken awhile to get here, Eddie moving from his mechanic job in Hawkins to one here in Chicago for several years while also working on his music full time. It wasn’t until their third album that he was able to quit the auto shop for good. 

“I know!” Eddie responds. “Seventeen-year-old me would be losing his poop if he knew.”

Steve laughs.

“Still, baby, you’re allowed to feel stressed,” Eddie continues. “There’s a lot to do and a little time to do it. But that’s why you have an amazing partner that is going to take as much of your load as he can.”

Steve smiles sweetly. “I love you,” he says with another kiss. 

“I love you, too,” he says. “Now you take Wesley. I’ll take care of Winona.”

“Where’s Wren?”

“Music room,” Eddie says. “Dressed and ready to go.”

“Thank god.”

Steve takes a still squirming Wesley back to his room while Eddie goes on the hunt for Winona. He finds her outside, saying her goodbyes to Gregon.

“Winny, baby,” Eddie says gently. “Come on, we gotta get you into some clean clothes before we leave. Don’t want to get your bago dirty on the first day.”

When they’d first told the kids how they would be spending their summer on the road, Winny had misunderstood them and thought they’d said Winny’s bago. It was so cute they didn’t bother to correct her. 

Winny stands up and waves goodbye to her friend before rushing over to take her dad’s outstretched hand in her own mudcaked one. Eddie has Winny leave her rain boots at the door, then together they walk to her room. It’s decorated just as one might expect for the room of a kid who is obsessed with bugs and other creepy things. Her book shelves are filled with kids books on etymology and stories about ghosts and cryptids. Framed butterflies and beetles decorate the walls and her now empty desk is usually filled with containers full of critters that she was forced to set free for their summer away. She wasn’t too happy about it, but a week later it seems she’s already forgotten her many legged friends. 

Oh, to be as capricious as a child again. 

Eddie takes off her messy raincoat. 

“Alright, kid. I’m gonna rinse this off while you wash your hands, kay?”

She nods and rushes into her bathroom to clean herself up. Meanwhile, Eddie heads to the laundry room, turning on the faucet in the deep sink there, washing all the mud off of the thick material until the yellow once again shines through. He dabs it with a towel to dry it off and then heads back into Winny’s room to find the girl already throwing a new dress over her head. Eddie chuckles when he sees it, a black frock with puffy tulle sleeves and a ghost decorating the front. It had been purchased from a Halloween store last October, but of course she has worn it every month since. 

“Good pick, sweetheart,” he tells her. “You need help with your tights?”

She contemplates, then nods. He grabs some from her drawer and then gets her to sit down on the edge of her bed. 

“Alright, left foot,” he says, holding one rolled up leg out for her. 

She obliges, sticking her left leg into the fabric and letting her dad pull it up for her. 

“When are Auntie Robin and Auntie Chrissy getting here?” she asks as Eddie rolls up the other leg. 

Eddie hums and looks at the clock on her wall. “I think they should be here any minute.”

Luckily, Robin and her mate, Chrissy, had agreed to come along with them for the journey so Steve would have help with the kids while Eddie was busy with the band. And, you know, maybe for some free babysitting so Steve and Eddie could have some private couple time every now and then. 

“Alright,” Eddie says when they have successfully gotten her tights on. “You look beautiful as always, sweetie!” 

She beams at him, her mother’s soft, brown eyes (the ones that make Eddie completely incapable of telling her no) and his own dimples looking back at him. That’s when Eddie notices one of her teeth is at an odd angle. 

“What’s going on here?” he asks, crouching down and poking the tooth with his finger. It wiggles under the pressure. “Oh, boy, kiddo,” he grumbles. “Looks like you’re starting to lose your baby teeth.”

Winona takes her tongue and experimentally wiggles the tooth with it. It’s still got a long way to go until it’s ready to come out, but it’s definitely on its way. 

“Can I keep it when it comes out?” she asks. 

Eddie chuckles. “You know, if you give it to the tooth fairy she’ll give you money for it.”

Winny shakes her head. “No, I wanna keep it.”

Eddie throws up his hands in surrender. “Okay, it’s all yours, kiddo.”

She smiles and runs out of the room, presumably to tell Steve about the tooth. Eddie follows her, knowing no doubt that the loss of their child’s first baby tooth will make Steve emotional (especially with the pregnancy hormones he’s currently dealing with). 

“Mama! Mama! Look!” she shouts before Steve’s even within her eyeline. 

“What’s up, baby?” Steve responds, coming out of Wesley’s room with a newly dressed toddler in his arms. 

“My tooth is wiggly.”

Steve blinks and, even though he throws on a big, fake smile, Eddie can see the pain in his eyes. 

“Oh, wow,” he says. “That’s so exciting! Your first baby tooth!”

He looks at Eddie, clearly hoping Eddie will notice his distress and give him some comfort. Dutifully, he makes his way over to him, taking Wesley out of his arms and setting him down so he can wrap his arms around Steve’s waist. The toddler immediately sprints away and Eddie places a kiss on Steve’s mating gland to settle him. 

“And Daddy said I could keep the tooth.”

“Yeah, of course you can, sweetie.”

Luckily, Robin and Chrissy choose that moment to walk through the front door.

“Woah! Stay inside, kiddo,” they hear her say, no doubt stopping Wesley from running out the door at the first opportunity. 

Winona’s face lights up at the sound of Robin’s voice. 

“Autie Robin! Auntie Chrissy! Look at my tooth!” she calls, running towards the front of the house. 

As soon as they are alone, Steve turns in Eddie’s arms, tucking his face in the alpha’s neck. 

“She’s losing her baby teeth, Eds,” he whines. “Next thing we know she’s going to be packing up and driving off to college.”

“Woah, I think you skipped a few important steps there, Stevie,” he tries not to laugh, knowing his mate is sensitive right now. 

Steve pulls away to look into Eddie’s eyes, his own shiny with tears. 

“I still remember holding her in the hospital for the first time,” he says. “Do you remember?”

Eddie’s mind flashes with his own memories of their first child’s birth. He had never in his life been more in awe of his mate than he was watching him go through labor. It was one of the happiest moments of his life holding that little girl who seemed too small to be real. 

“Of course I do,” he responds, his own eyes burning with emotion. 

“Woah, what the heck are we interrupting?” Robin asks when she and Chrissy walk in with Wesley dangling like a human hammock between them- his arms in Chrissy’s grip and his feet in Robin’s. The toddler is a giggly wreck as they swing him back and forth. 

Steve wipes his eyes and shakes himself out. Eddie can already tell he’s feeling a lot less stressed now that the adults outnumber the children. 

“Just excited that Winny’s getting bigger,” he says, smiling at the little girl at Robin’s feet. 

“Aww, Steve, you’re such a cry baby,” Robin teases. 

“Shut up,” Steve grumbles at his long-time bestie. 

As close as the two had been in high school, they’d only gotten closer after living together for four years- two in a one bedroom apartment back in Hawkins and then another two in Chicago before Steve and Eddie had made it official and mated. It had all worked out pretty perfectly. Steve did in fact start taking classes at the community college back in Indiana and had decided pretty quickly that he wanted to be a teacher. He’d done the basic requirements there and then, when the decision had been made to move to Chicago, he’d transferred to DePaul. 

It had all started when a producer had checked out a Corroded Coffin gig after hearing about them from a cousin who had happened upon them while passing through Hawkins with his biker gang. He’d liked what he’d heard and told them he’d be willing to produce their first album if they came out to Chicago. The band had been all for it, but Eddie was not going to go without Steve and they all knew it. They may not have been mated yet, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time and treated them as a unit. If Eddie was going to move somewhere, it would be with Steve by his side, or it wouldn’t happen. 

Luckily, Steve had no love for Hawkins after his awful childhood and was more than happy to pack up his things and move into an off-campus apartment with Robin, who was studying language arts. The inseparable duo even work at the same school now, Robin teaching French classes. That’s also where Robin met Chrissy, who is the school nurse and the coach for their cheer squad. Basically, everyone Eddie knows works at that middle school and, considering Steve is mated to a rock star, they are definitely considered the cool clique amongst the teachers. 

Eddie kisses his mate’s cheek and rubs his shoulders. “Honey, why don’t you go rest for a bit. Robs, Chris, would you mind getting breakfast started? I’m gonna go grab Wren.”

Robin sets down Wesley’s feet, then does a sailor salute. “Aye, aye, cap’n,” she says. 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “You never truly left behind your Scoops days, did you, Rob?”

Chrissy giggles and Robin sticks her tongue out. 

“We’d be happy to start breakfast,” Chrissy says, sweet as ever, guiding Robin with one hand and Wesley with the other. 

“Alright, come on, sweetie,” Steve hums, putting a hand on Winona’s shoulder and walking with her into the kitchen. Eddie watches them go before turning and heading into the music room where Wren is sitting in front of the piano messing around with the keys. 

“Hey,” he says. “There’s my little mini me.”

And it’s true. Not only does Wren look just like Eddie, but he also has a natural ear for music, managing to press the right keys on the piano to make a pleasant sound despite not having had lessons yet. 

The plan is for Eddie to start teaching him in the next year or so, when he’s a bit older and more likely to retain everything. Steve had talked about getting him lessons with a seasoned teacher, but Eddie had been against it. He knows from experience that a lot of music teachers are sticklers for the rules and with free thinkers like Eddie and his son, that can really discourage them from the whole process. So he’s going to teach his son himself, making sure that he has all the room to try things and be creative that he often was denied as a kid. 

“Hi, Daddy,” Wren shouts over the piano. 

“What’s that you’re playing?” 

Wren shrugs. “Made it up.”

“It’s nice. You gonna add words?” 

Wren shrugs. “Uhn-uh,” he says, non-committably. 

“Are you excited for the tour?” he asks. 

Wren grins, nodding his head so hard Eddie’s worried it’ll just fall right off. He laughs. 

“Glad to hear it,” he says. “Alright,” he says, clapping his hands together. “Robin and Chrissy are here and they're making breakfast, so let’s go say hi and get some grub so we can hit the road.”

Wren hops down happily, charging out of the room and Eddie takes the time to gently close the piano lid before following after him. 

In the kitchen, Robin and Chrissy are leading a sing along of “Prince Ali” from Disney’s Aladdin movie that had become a staple on their VCR. Wren is screaming the lyrics, absolutely no comprehension of the term ‘inside voice’ despite Steve’s many attempts to drill it into his head. 

The screaming is a relatively new phase. The first time it had happened, Steve had quieted him down and asked what that had been about. Wren had said, “I’m like Daddy.” And that’s how they figured out that Wren was trying to sound like Eddie did when he was on stage. Steve had not been amused. Eddie pretended not to be, but secretly he was proud that his kid emulated him so much. 

“Wren, angel, what did we talk about?” Eddie tells him gently. 

“Screaming voice is for stadiums only,” he responds, pouting, but switching to a more relaxed, melodic singing voice instead. 

“Good boy,” Eddie says, kissing him on the top of his curly head. “Lucky for you, we’re going to be in lots of stadiums this summer.”

That gets Wren smiling again, sitting up and bouncing on his knees in his chair. Eddie beams at him and then looks over his kids’ heads to where Steve is shaking his head across the table. Robin snorts from over by the toaster. 

“Down! Down!” Wesley, who had been sitting in Steve’s lap, demands, trying his best to escape Steve’s hold. Steve ignores him, tightening his grip to keep the kid in place. 

Eddie bites his lip, trying not to laugh. He often jokes that naming their kid after a fictional adventure book character set him up for a lifetime of never staying put in one play for too long. Well, it’s kind of a joke. He supposes that Wren ended up being their little songbird, too, so maybe there is more truth to it than they initially thought. The name had been chosen as a nod to the other little birdy in their life- Auntie Robin. Of course, Winona was named in honor of Wayne, but following a rewatch of Beetlejuice, the parents realized that they had a miniature Lydia Deetz on their hands as well. 

They’d have to be very mindful about what they chose to name their fourth. 

“Alright, Munson fam!” Robin calls, coming over with plates of Eggos, scrambled eggs, and cut up fruit. “Breakfast is served.”

She and Chrissy start bringing the plates over to the table as the family all chime out their thank yous. Eddie takes Wes from Steve so he can eat comfortably and then goes between feeding himself and helping their youngest with his. While they eat, Winona tells them about the Loch Ness Monster, which she’d just learned about from one of her cryptid books. At the same time Wren tells them about watching Metallica, even though they had all been there and witnessed it themselves. The adults do their best listening to both kids at once and eat their meals as quickly as they can so they can hit the road on time. 

When they are done, Eddie takes care of the dishes with Winona’s help and then it’s time to wrangle everyone out the door. 

“Alright! Everyone’s bags are in the van,” Steve says. “Don’t forget to grab your raincoats on the way out. Oh, and Eddie- make sure to grab the activities bag.”

“Already on it, sweetheart,” he says, grabbing the bag from the couch.

“I’ll get the snack bag,” Chrissy calls from the kitchen. 

“Your mom’s still set to house sit, right?” Eddie asks his mate.

Steve nods. “Yup, gave her the key last weekend.”

That, perhaps, was one of the most surprising developments to occur in the last decade. About three years after Steve left home, his mother filed for divorce from ol’ Dick Harrington, citing infidelity as the reason. Not surprisingly, she had years of solid evidence in her favor and was granted the divorce as well as half of Richard’s assets. She took the money and left, buying a lakefront property in Chicago so she could rekindle her relationship with her son, who had been more than willing to try and mend fences as soon as he heard about the divorce. The truth is, as absent as she may have often been when Steve was young, chasing after his dad in an (futile) effort to keep him from straying, she’d never tried to bully Steve into submission like his father had. If anything, she was as much a victim of Richard’s ego as Steve was. Which is why he didn’t hesitate to give his mother a second chance. And he’s glad he did, because the kids love having grandma so close that they can go to her place and play at the beach every now and then. And Steve and Eddie like the occasional weekend with Grandma that gives them a whole house to themselves. (It was these weekends that resulted in three of their four kids’ conceptions). 

“Awesome! Time to hit the road, Munsons!” he calls, guiding all his kids out to the large camper van parked in their front yard. They load in one at a time and Eddie takes first shift driving as Steve and the girls get the kids situated with games and coloring books to keep them busy for the long journey ahead. They drive first to the bus rental place where the rest of the band will be waiting with the tour bus that Metallica had supplied them with for the duration of their tour dates. Eddie waves at the hired driver when he sees them and the man waves back, following behind Eddie as he makes his way towards I-94. 

Once the kids are settled enough that Robin and Chrissy can handle them on their own, Steve comes up and sits in the seat beside Eddie. 

“Hey, baby,” Eddie beams, always delighted to be in the company of his mate. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m just glad I’m past the morning sickness. That would have sucked on the road.”

Eddie grins. He’s also glad that Steve is past the morning sickness phase of his pregnancy. That’s always the worst to witness as his partner, knowing he’s sick and miserable and there’s nothing Eddie can do about it. 

He reaches over to grab Steve’s hand and guides it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the back. They keep chatting as they drive, as easy as breathing and still as exciting as it was when they were just clueless teenagers. At some point, Wes starts crying because Winny won’t stop wiggling her tooth at him and it freaks him out, so Steve has to get up and calm him down. Then, Chrissy takes a turn driving so that Eddie can stretch his legs. 

Finally, they get to Fargo and park for the night. Each of the kids get a bunk as well as a cramped one that Robin and Chrissy insist on sharing even though Steve had offered the couch to one of them. Steve and Eddie help all their kids through their usual nightly routine despite the new environment and then help them into their temporary sleep arrangements. Winona and Wren get top bunk and Wesley, who has way too much energy throughout the day, but is typically the first to pass out, is asleep in his bottom bunk before his head even hits his pillow. The parents bid Robin and Chrissy good night and then take the bed in the back. 

The Fargo show goes off without a hitch, Steve, Rob, Chris, and the kids all watching Corroded Coffin from a roped off VIP area in the front. The kids have headphones on and are all being held up by one of the adults as their father sings and strums from the stage, his eyes constantly flicking over to them delightedly. Wesley, who has been to the fewest of Eddie’s shows, seems confused, pointing at Eddie and questioningly saying “Daddy?” from Chrissy’s arms. When Eddie gives him a wave though, he smiles and reaches his arms up towards Eddie as if he wants his daddy to hold him and it breaks Eddie’s heart to have to deny him. Wren, meanwhile, is screaming his little lungs out and Eddie can tell from the lack of winces on his family’s faces that Steve and the girls must be wearing ear plugs. 

After their last song, Eddie and the boys bow and wave and head backstage. He knows his family is also making their way through the backstage area to say hi to Eddie before their bedtime, so he immediately goes in search of him. When he sees them, he beams, immediately taking Wes in his arms and squeezing him to make up for ignoring him on stage. 

“Daddy, that was awesome!” Wren shouts, his voice still way too loud despite there no longer being music playing. 

“Thanks, bud!” He presses a kiss to each of his kids’ foreheads, then leans forward to kiss his mate. 

“Seriously, Ed,” Robin says. “That was amazing! I gotta start coming to your shows more.”

Eddie laughs. “Just wait, Buckley, a month from now you’ll never want to see me on stage again,” he insists. 

***

From Fargo they go to Milwaukee, then Grand Rapids, and then it’s finally time for the Indianapolis show that Wayne is attending. Eddie is especially excited for this one. Not only is he getting to see his uncle, but the man is also taking the kids back to Hawkins for a weekend with their grandpa. Robin and Chrissy are going to be heading back with them as well, so that they can see Robin’s parents, which means that Steve and Eddie were about to get two whole nights to themselves. 

It’s a rare and relished opportunity for the couple that they haven’t been granted since the weekend at Grandma’s that had resulted in Steve's current state. The anticipation was all over Steve’s face as he looked up at Eddie from his spot in the VIP area with total fuck-me eyes that had Eddie having to look away before he got in trouble for popping a boner on stage in front of thousands of people. After the show, they all meet up backstage like they usually do and Eddie gives Wayne a big hug. Really, the one and only true downside of moving out of Hawkins is not getting to see Wayne as much as he would like. They try, but it’s a four hour drive, so it’s not exactly something that can be made every weekend. 

“There’s my boy,” Wayne gruffs in Eddie’s ear. “You looked good up there.” He pulls away and pats Eddie on the back. 

“Thanks, Wayne. Good to see you.”

With that, it’s time to scrounge up everything the kids need and put it in Wayne’s truck. 

“And don’t forget to take your vitamins in the morning,” Steve says to Winny, kneeling down and fussing with her jacket. “And be nice to Wes. Don’t try to freak him out with your tooth. I know it’s fun to wiggle it, but just be mindful of it when he’s around alright?”

“Steve, sweetie,” Eddie says, placing a hand on his mate’s shoulder. “They’re gonna be fine. Wayne’s got this.”

“I know,” he says with a huff. 

He gets like this every time they leave their kids overnight. It’s just a part of the routine at this point, Steve gets fussy and takes forever to actually get them out the door, but his nerves only last until Eddie pulls him into the bedroom and manages to get his mind on other things. 

“I’ll take good care of your babies, Steve. No need to worry.”

“I don’t doubt you, Wayne,” Steve says with a smile. 

One thing that’s been really nice to see in their years together is Wayne easily accepting Steve as a second son, giving him the father figure he always lacked growing up. The two bond over sports and sometimes Eddie will even come home to find Steve chatting casually with Wayne on the phone without him. It makes him happy, knowing how much family means to Steve, seeing how seamlessly they’ve managed to integrate their two little family units into one large, happy brood.

“Okay, better get going,” Steve says, looking down at the kids. “It’s past your bedtime and there is still a long drive ahead of you.”

He throws his arms out and immediately all three of their pups are charging him, wrapping their tiny arms around him as he kisses their foreheads one by one, again and again. 

“Hey! I want hugs!” Eddie declares dramatically, throwing himself over the top of all of them, earning squeals and giggles from his kids as he rubs his cheeks over all of them aggressively to scent them before their weekend away. 

They pull away and the kids say their goodbyes and I love yous as they climb into the back of Wayne’s truck with Robin and Chrissy. Then, Wayne hops into the driver’s seat and they all drive away. Eddie throws his arm around Steve as he watches them go. 

“Well, looks like it’s just you and me, kid,” he says. 

Steve turns his gaze from the retreating car to the man beside him, the same heated expression on his face as he had during the concert. Before either of them knows what’s happening they are back in the Winnebago, clothes being tossed on the floor left and right as they stumble back to the bed in the back. When they fall on the mattress, Steve flat on his back with his alpha hovering over him, Eddie presses his nose to the crook of Steve’s neck, breathing in the scent that has been intoxicating him for over a decade now. God, he swears it gets better every time he smells it. Maybe it’s because, with every passing year, more and more it has become the smell he associated with home and happiness and love.

Eddie kisses and mouths at the prominent bite that decorates Steve’s neck and the omega lets out a little whimper at the attention. He works his way down Steve’s hairy, arched chest, pressing kisses to his belly then his hips and thighs. Eddie treats it all with reverence, smoothing his hands up and down Steve’s sides while his tongue laves over his skin, still a bit salty from the concert. 

“God, you’re so sexy, baby,” Eddie tells him, earnestly, admiring the body splayed before him. 

It’s changed a lot since high school, softer and less muscled than it had been when Steve was playing regular sports. His legs and belly are littered with stretch marks from the pups he’s carried, but Eddie loves each and every scar and wrinkle Steve has. They are evidence of the life they’ve created together and to Eddie that’s the most beautiful thing of all. 

“Alpha,” Steve whines. 

Eddie can’t help but climb back up his body to devour his mouth. Steve groans when Eddie’s lips press to his, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck and his legs around his waist. The night descends into a tangle of limbs and loving words whispered into skin. In the end, they lie sweaty and sated, Eddie’s chest pressed into Steve’s back, Eddie’s knot still locked into his mate. They rest in comfortable silence as they catch their breaths, Eddie rubbing protectively over the bump on Steve’s belly. 

“Thank you,” Steve says, seemingly out of the blue. 

Eddie looks at the back of his head. “For what? Pulling a second orgasm out of you?”

Steve laughs. “Well, yes. But I meant for giving me everything I ever wanted.”

Eddie kisses the back of Steve’s neck softly. The thing is, Eddie will always give Steve anything and everything he wants. It just so happens that all Steve ever wanted was a family and that is something Eddie is more than happy to provide. 

“You still don’t have your basketball team,” he points out. 

“We’re getting there,” he says, rubbing his belly with his hand over Eddie’s.  

Eddie smiles. “We better start thinking of names now. We don’t want to risk another explorer of the seven seas on our hands.”

Steve hums, still caressing his bump soothingly. “Willow,” he says. 

“Even if it’s a boy?”

“It’s not.”

Eddie doesn’t even bother questioning it. Steve has successfully guessed the sex of every single kid so far. He smiles at the thought of another baby girl running around their house. God, it’s starting to get crowded in there, but he can’t bring himself to care. It’s stuffed to the brim with love and Eddie knows that’s exactly what Steve needs after his empty, loveless childhood. 

“I like it. It’s pretty.”

“Steady,” Steve adds. “Grounded. Maybe we’ll have a little philosopher or a poet on our hands.”

“Or maybe she’ll end up like the nerdy girl on that new vampire show.”

Steve laughs. “I wouldn’t mind that. I like Willow.”

“She’s way too good for that Xander kid.”

“Oh, absolutely. Maybe she and Buffy will ditch the broody men and end up with each other.”

Eddie’s knot deflates and he carefully slips out. He kisses Steve’s ear before getting up and searching for a wash cloth to clean Steve with. There’s one in their half-unpacked bags, so he grabs it and he wets it in the sink. Then, he comes back and wipes Steve down with care before tossing the damp cloth onto the floor to be dealt with later. 

He slips back into bed and Steve immediately curls himself around Eddie, his head resting on his alpha’s chest. It doesn’t take them long to pass out, being parents to three young children means they aren’t used to late nights anymore. 

When they wake up, they spend another hour just curled up together in bed, enjoying the rare opportunity for a leisurely, unhurried morning. After that, Eddie makes them some breakfast and then they go out to explore the city. They walk along the river and spot a company that offers gondola rides. Steve gets that pleading look in his eye (the same one that he passed on to Winny) and Eddie is helpless but to book them a ride. It’s nice, curling up together as the city emerges before them on either side of the water. 

Once that’s done, Steve decides he’s hungry again and that he’s craving a hot dog. Eddie asks a passerby where they can get one nearby and he mentions the baseball stadium for the minor league team. 

And that’s how Eddie Munson finds himself spending his night off sitting in an uncomfortable plastic seat in the sun staring at a bunch of men running around a field in a way that makes no sense to him. But Steve is beside him with a huge smile on his face, on the edge of his seat, cheering and shouting with every little action that happens on the field, so Eddie sits back and basks in the joy radiating off his beloved. He claps when Steve does and acts like he has even the faintest idea what’s going on as the home team seems to be winning (if Eddie is reading the numbers on the giant board correctly). 

He gets up and cheers with Steve when the game ends and the home team does, in fact, come out victorious. Steve rambles passionately about the game as they leave, telling Eddie about every stupid mistake they made and all the cool catches and passes the players made. Eddie wraps an arm around his shoulders and listens happily, despite the fact that it may as well be gibberish. 

“Thank you for that,” Steve says when they are back out on the street. “I know baseball isn’t really your thing.”

Eddie grins. “No, but making my omega happy is.”

Steve beams, his cheeks turning pink. He stops them in the street and pulls Eddie in for a kiss that’s probably far too passionate for public. (Not that he’s complaining.) When he pulls away, Steve’s eyes catch on something behind Eddie and he grins. 

“Why don’t I return the favor, Alpha?” he asks cryptically. 

Before Eddie can question him, he’s being dragged down the street and pulled into a bar where there is currently a live band playing against the far wall. The scene is so reminiscent of Eddie’s time at the Hideout that he can’t help but smile. The band is pretty good, too. They’ve got that grunge rock sound that is so popular right now and the entire bar is tapping their feet or nodding their head to the beat. 

Steve drags him to an empty booth and pulls him down beside him so they can watch. Eddie throws an arm around him and Steve curls into his side, his head on the alpha’s shoulder. A waiter comes by and asks if they want anything and Steve orders almost every single one of the appetizers for them to share. Eddie would tell him his eyes are bigger than his stomach, but pregnant Steve can really put it away, so when the food comes he lets Steve eat his fill and takes whatever is left over. 

They listen to most of the set, but eventually the exhaustion hits and they take a cab back to the parking lot where their Winnebago is parked. As tired as they may be, though, they both know they’d be crazy to waste the opportunity of having the place to themselves again. They make love slowly and sedately, their peaks cresting like a gentle wave against the shore, and then they pass out before Eddie can even think about cleaning them up. 

It comes back to bite them in the morning when they have to scrub the dried cum from Steve’s body. It takes longer than Eddie would have liked considering they only have a few more hours before Wayne comes back with the kids and they are back on the road. Eventually, though, they are clean enough to leave the shower, only to end up back in bed in their pjs as soon as they’ve dried off. 

Maybe it’s boring, but lazy mornings in bed are a luxury when you’ve got kids. 

Steve gets out his crochet materials, while Eddie grabs in a book.

“Hey, can I try a row?” Eddie asks with a smirk.

Steve glares at him. “I stopped falling for that about a decade ago.”

Eddie snickers. “Falling for what? I want to learn how to crochet.”

“You are an idiot,” Steve says.

“Oh, come on, Steve. I’m older and wiser now. I’m sure I can manage one row without messing up.”

“Just read your nerd book, Munson.”

Eddie gawks dramatically. “My nerd book?! A Crown of Swords is not a nerd book. It is an epic fantasy adventure story.”

“Eddie, look at the cover. That is a nerd book.”

“You’re a nerd book,” Eddie snarks back.

Steve laughs. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

Eddie can’t help the way his lips turn up seeing Steve laugh, despite his attempt at acting upset. “Yes it does. I love nerd books, so you’re the biggest nerd book of all.”

Steve’s laughter lightens as he rolls his eyes at Eddie, the affection clear on his face. “Quit flirting with me. I’m trying to make Wren some mittens.”

“Even though it’s June.”

“It’ll be December soon and by then I’ll be too pregnant to want to deal with Christmas gifts.”

“Fair enough,” Eddie hums, letting Steve get back to it while he reads. 

Time passes quickly as they exist in each other’s space and before they know it the Winnebago doors are flying open and the room is instantly filled with running feet and chattering voices searching for their parents.

“Mommy! Daddy! Look!” Winny screams, hopping on the bed as soon as she finds them.

Steve makes quick work to hide the mittens before Wren can see them. He just manages it before their other two children are following their older sister up onto the bed. 

It takes them a second to notice the tooth that Winona is holding proudly, but when they do, Eddie risks a glance at Steve. He looks devastated.

“You lost your tooth already?” he asks, trying to hide his pain. 

Eddie puts a hand on his shoulder. “That’s awesome, Win! What are you gonna do with it?”

Winny shrugs. “Can I put it in a jar? That way I can put the other ones in there too.”

“Yeah, baby, that sounds good.”

Eddie squeezes his mate’s shoulder and watches as he shakes himself out of his initial heartache to smile at his kids.

“How was Uncle Wayne’s?”

“It was awesome!” Wren says. “We made homemade pizzas and he let us put whatever we wanted on them. I made one with M&Ms and pickles.”

Eddie throws his head back and laughs. Steve rolls his eyes, a smile on his face.

“You just got 100% of your father’s DNA, didn’t you?” Steve jokes.

Wren just shrugs.

“I drove a trator,” Wes says, excitedly.

Steve and Eddie both look at Wayne questioning from where he is leaning against the wall in front of them.

“I drove a tractor,” he clarifies. “Wes sat in my lap.”

“Sounds like a fun weekend,” Steve says.

“What did you boys get up to?” Wayne asks.

“Ugh, don’t even ask, Wayne,” Robin calls from somewhere in the Winnebago. “That topic is the one and only boundary Steve and I have.”

“For your information,” Steve chimes in response, crossing his arms grumpily. “We went to a baseball game and listened to a live band.”

“Don’t forget the romantic gondola ride,” Eddie adds.

“What did you get up to?” Steve asks as she and Chrissy come into view. 

Robin smirks, a smug, satisfied grin on her face. “You don’t want to know.”

Chrissy rolls her eyes, but still clings to her mate’s arm happily. 

“We had a very nice time. We went into the woods and made s’mores with Robin’s parents.”

As soon as the word ‘s’mores’ leaves her mouth, the children’s faces light up. 

“I want s’mores!” Wren shouts.

“Me too!” Wes rings out.

“S’mores! S’mores! S’mores!” Winny starts chanting and it doesn’t take long for the boys to follow their sister’s lead.

Eddie and Steve both glare at Chrissy who ducks her head despite the fact that she is clearly biting back a smile.

“Alright! Alright!” Eddie declares, causing an end to the shouting. “We have two nights off after the Cleveland leg. I’m sure we can find a place to park one night and roast some s’mores.”

“Yay!” They all cheer, jumping up and down on the bed until Eddie tells them to take their party elsewhere so no one accidentally jumps too close to Steve’s belly. They all rush off the bed and start sprinting around the room.

“I hope you know this is your fault, Cunningham,” Eddie huffs.

“I’d say sorry, but I’d be lying,” Chrissy responds.

Robin drags her up towards the kids, leaving Wayne, Eddie and Steve in the back.

“Alright, boys. Well, I better start heading back so I can be home before dark.”

Eddie and Steve both shuffle out of bed to walk Wayne out. The kids scream goodbyes from the window, while Eddie and Steve each give him a proper hug.

“You call me when the pup comes, ya hear?”

“‘Course, Wayne,” Eddie says.

Wayne has come up to visit for each and every one of their kid’s births. 

“Thanks for taking the kids,” Steve adds. 

Wayne shakes his head. “Never thank me for spending time with my grandkids. I only wish I could do it more.”

Steve shrugs. “Maybe when you retire you can move up to Chicago.”

Wayne gets a thoughtful expression on his face. 

“Yeah, maybe,” he grumbles, waving at the couple before hopping into his truck and driving away. 

The two look at each other, the ambient sounds of three children shouting filling the air. There is the distinct sound of something crashing and they groan. 

“Back to it, then,” Eddie grumbles, despite the small smile on his face. 

***

For the next few weeks, they travel the country, the tour bus following the Winnebago down the interstates. Of course, they have their s’mores night with the band and the tour bus driver joining in. When the Boston dates come up, Winny begs to take a day-trip to Salem and who are they to deny the girl? They get a tour of the city from a witch with purple hair and Winny very excitedly shows the woman her tooth, which she has been carrying around with her everywhere. They see where Hocus Pocus (one of Winny’s films) was filmed and take a picture with the Bewitched statue.  

Eddie has to spend some days with the band in the van just to keep them feeling like a unit and sometimes the kids (usually Wren) will opt to hang out there as well. It’s perfectly fine with Steve who cherishes the time with Robin and Chrissy without so many kids constantly demanding his attention. 

The traveling helps get the band’s creative juices flowing and they eventually come up with the idea of a concept album following a fantasy character on an epic journey. Steve had been right on the money all those years ago when he’d suggested that the band lean into their D&D roots with their music and they had done some degree of that with every one of their albums. 

The story comes together slowly, sometimes they are inspired by the places they see or events that take place between shows and every once in a while they even put on little one shot campaigns to figure out what will happen to Koner, their hero, next. Then on the drive to New York, Wren keeps humming the same melody as he colors on the tour van floor. 

Eddie listens carefully, finding himself bobbing his head to the sound. 

“What’s that you’re humming, pup?” he asks. 

Wren shrugs and keeps humming. Eddie immediately grabs his guitar and sees if he can mimic the sound by ear. When Wren realizes his dad is copying him, he lights up, excited to hear his own melody on a real instrument. 

“Hey, Gare, wanna write this down?” Eddie calls over to Gare, who immediately tosses aside his comic in favor of grabbing some blank sheet music. 

He writes down the chords that Eddie plays and soon enough Jeff is joining in on his portable keyboard.

“This sounds like Koner’s triumphant defeat over Rygard, don’t you think, boys?”

And that’s how Wren Munson landed his first writing credit on a Corroded Coffin song. 

***

Playing Madison Square Garden is a dream come true for Eddie and he almost falls to his knees when he walks out onto the stage the first night and sees the massive crowd screaming at him. He looks at his family (front in center in the VIP section as always) to steady himself. The show goes off without a hitch, though, as does the following one. On the second night in New York, they let the kids stay up late to watch the whole show, Eddie coming out into the crowd to watch with the others. Wren is, no surprise, the most excited to watch Metallica, but Wes falls asleep about two songs in and, impressively, manages to stay knocked out for the entire show. 

After the concert, they walk through the crowds to get backstage, Eddie taking up the rear so he can keep an eye on everyone. The rest of the crew have managed to make it behind the rope separating the main area from the restricted area when Eddie feels someone tap his shoulder. He turns to see a kid in a Corroded Coffin t-shirt smiling at him. 

“Mr. Munson, sir,” he says, his voice shaky with nerves. “I just wanted to say that I love your music and it would mean the world to me if you would sign my War of the Roads CD for me.”

Eddie smiles at him, taking his copy of Corroded Coffin’s first album from him. “Yeah, sure, kid.”

“Thanks,” he says, sighing as if he really thought Eddie was gonna tell him to fuck off or something. “I happened upon this in a record store a few years ago and bought it ‘cause I thought the cover art was cool. Now it’s my favorite album of all time. When I heard you were going to be here, I got a ticket immediately. Drove all the way from Hardenburgh for this.”

“Aw, thanks, man,” Eddie says, handing back the signed CD. “That’s really cool. I hope it was worth it.”

He beams. “Are you kidding?! This was like the best night of my life! And, I mean, I came for you, but obviously seeing Metallica was awesome, too. They’re legends.”

“They are,” Eddie nods. “How you feel about War of the Roads is how I feel about Ride the Lightning.”

The guy shakes his head wistfully. “God, touring with your idols? You’re, like, the luckiest guy in the world.”

Eddie smiles softly, his gaze turning to where his family is currently waiting in the wings, watching the encounter fondly. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. “I am.”

***

After New York City, it’s a night in Buffalo and then Pittsburgh, and all of a sudden they are driving the Winnebago back to Chicago. When they get there, it’s very nearly time for bed, so they get right into their nighttime routine. Wes is already asleep, though, so they just get him into some pajamas and tuck him in. Wren and Winona both brush their teeth in their shared bathroom and then move into their separate bedrooms. Winona grabs The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe from her bookshelf and hands it to her parents to read for her bedtime story. Eddie does the reading, while Steve soothingly pets Winona’s hair until she’s out like a light. 

After that, they move into Wren’s room to find the boy curled up in bed without a book in sight. 

“Wren, baby, where’s your bedtime book?” Steve asks. 

“I don’t want a book. I want one of your stories!”

Eddie and Steve both sit against the headboard on either side of the bed. 

“Alright,” Eddie agrees easily. “Which one are we thinking? The Bard and the Gelatinous Cube? The Paladin from Mars?”

Wren shakes his head. “No, I want to hear about you and Mommy falling in love.”

Steve and Eddie look at each other and smile. This story is popular with their kids, although they have opted to edit out some of the rougher bits. Particularly, they cut out any mention of courting customs. That isn’t the type of thing that they want to tell their kids about until they are old enough to understand how outdated and problematic it is. Really, they just make it sound like they had a typical high school romance, meeting and falling in love before journeying to Chicago together because anywhere one of them goes, the other will always follow. 

Which, if you cut the horrendous misunderstanding that started their relationship out of the equation, is true. 

“Sure thing, kid,” Eddie settles in, placing one hand on Wren’s head while the other moves over him to take Steve’s. “It all started with a flat tire and a jean jacket.”