Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The collar of the stiff button-down scratches at Eddie’s neck. He has the unflinching urge to reach up and scratch, but that hardly feels appropriate right now, especially given the itch is coming from somewhere close to his mating gland. Despite being in an otherwise empty room, he knows that there are people milling about somewhere beyond these walls, and he’d be embarrassed as hell if one of them came back to find him itching at his neck like some kind of diseased freak.

Okay, maybe he’s projecting. Maybe that’s a very normal thing to do, and he’s just so out of tune with being around people that he can’t get everything together in his brain. Yeah, maybe that’s it.

He’s still deliberating about the stupid tag or string, or whatever it is that itches, when the door swings open. Eddie’s not proud of the way he jumps at the sound.

A woman stands there, well-dressed and business-like, a kind smile on her face. “Mr. Munson, correct?”

Eddie stands, subtly wiping his hand on his jeans before offering it for a handshake. “Yes, that’s me.”

The woman smiles at him, a twitch of her lips like she’s amused by his gesture, but she takes his hand nonetheless. “Great. Mr. Harrington wanted me to apologize for the delay, his meeting dragged on a little bit longer than he expected. He’s ready to see you now, if you’ll just follow me.”

Eddie nods, reaching behind himself to grab the only two items he brought with him to this interview, his leather jacket and a file folder that contains one measly sheet of paper masquerading as his resume. It’s not super impressive, so he’s hoping his thoughtful presentation of it will make up the gap.

As he follows the young woman down a series of corridors, she introduces herself. “I’m Robin, Steve’s assistant.”

“Nice to meet you,” Eddie says politely. He racks his brain for an appropriate question to ask her, of the job, the potential employer, anything. The only thing he comes up with is, “So, what does Mr. Harrington do? This is a, uh…” He glances around them at the opulence, trying to find the right word for it all. “A very prestigious-looking place.”

Robin snorts. The sound, so out of place in the stark white hallways smelling of rich lavender and patchouli, startles a small giggle out of Eddie, and immediately puts him at ease. “He’s the CFO of this company. I couldn’t even begin to explain to you what all the company does, all I know is they buy a bunch of smaller ones and sell them off, and I think maybe manage the ones worth keeping?” Robin shrugs, then leans into Eddie with a voice like she’s telling a secret. “I wouldn’t bother asking him either, he’s tried explaining the logistics of it all to me for years and I still have no clue what he’s talking about half of the time.”

Eddie laughs at that. “Right.” He nods. “Thanks for the tip,” he whispers back.

His guide grins at him, coming to a stop at a large oak door at the end of a hallway. There’s a nameplate directly next to the door, and the name Steve Harrington glints at him in bold, gold-plated letters. That sign alone probably cost more than all of Eddie’s personal belongings, he thinks bitterly.

“Alright. Steve’s a little scatterbrained sometimes, so don’t be alarmed if he asks you something like, four times,” Robin says, gesturing to her head with a vague fluttering finger. She drops her voice before speaking again. “He did mention that you were like, at the top of his list of candidates, so try not to be too nervous, okay?” She smiles, like that’s supposed to be encouraging.

Eddie feels like he’s going to puke. That’s possibly the last thing he wanted to hear, and if anything, he’s even more anxious than before, knowing the man already has expectations of him. “Right,” he says, straightening his shirt out nervously, reaching up and ensuring that all his frizzy hair is still tucked neatly into the bun he’d crafted earlier. “And you’re positive he’s okay with a male omega applying to be the nanny of his kids? He knows that, right?”

Robin smiles, but something glints in her eyes like she knows something he doesn’t. “Positive. You’re gonna do great, Eddie.”

Before Eddie can even question how she could be so sure of such a thing, Robin is leaning past him and rapping her manicured fist against the wood, twice, three times. “Steven, your eleven o’clock is here,” she calls out politely.

Eddie is going to pass out, he’s so goddamn nervous.

“Send him in,” a voice calls from behind the door.

Robin reaches for Eddie’s wrist, squeezing gently. “Good luck,” she whispers quietly before stepping back, gesturing Eddie forward.

He takes a deep breath, then grabs the handle, embarrassed at how his sweaty hand sticks against the cool metal. He clears his throat, then enters the room.

The first thing he notices is the amount of natural light. It doesn’t take long to pinpoint the culprit, a massive wall of windows situated just opposite the heavy oak door, which closes gently behind him as he steps into the room. The next thing his eyes flick to is the massive desk just in front of those windows, and then to the man standing directly in front of that desk.

He’s tall, probably six-foot at least, and lean, his body one long, gorgeous line leaning back on his desk, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his charcoal gray trousers. He’s got a white, expensive-looking button down tucked into those trousers, a blazer that matches his pants hugging his arms and shoulders nicely. Eddie’s eyes travel up the length of him in a couple of seconds, but it feels like hours in the quiet stillness of the room. Then his eyes meet soft brown ones, and he knows immediately that he’s fucked.

“Hey there. I’m Steve, you must be Edward?” The man says politely, stepping forward and holding his hand out for a polite, business-like handshake.

And fuck. Either the man doesn’t believe in scent-blockers or they just aren’t fucking strong enough, because as soon as he steps forward, Eddie is engulfed in the scent of soft vanilla, the most homely, comforting scent he’s ever had the pleasure of smelling, he’s sure. There’s something underneath it, too, something a bit stronger, almost like a bourbon, and Eddie immediately knows this man has got to be pure alpha. No other designation would smell that good to him, he’s almost sure of it.

He realizes, belatedly, that Steve is still waiting for him to move. Great. Now he looks like an idiot.

“Eddie.” His own voice surprises him, and he gives himself a mental high-five for being able to speak without sounding like an absolute fool, when internally, he’s screaming. “I go by Eddie,” he elaborates when Steve quirks an eyebrow, returning the handshake and praying his hand isn’t still sweaty.

“Alright, Eddie,” Steve says with a smile. He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.” He steps back to his desk, and Eddie expects him to go behind it to his own chair, so he’s a little surprised when instead, Steve takes the seat adjacent to Eddie’s. “Do you mind if I sit here? I hate having a desk between myself and someone else when trying to have an interview. Makes me feel like a douchebag,” Steve jokes.

Eddie nods, filing away the language. So this man clearly isn’t going for an overly-elaborate farce of professionalism. Either he’s just like that, or he’s trying to trick Eddie so he’ll slip up and look like an idiot. He decides to tread carefully, just in case. “Yes, sir, that’s fine with me,” Eddie replies with a nod.

Steve’s face flickers with something vaguely displeased, but he nods. “So, let’s start with the basics. Tell me about yourself.”

God. That dreaded question.

Eddie forces a pleasant smile on his face before he begins speaking. “Well, I’m from a small town not too far from here. I wanted to move to the city for, um… personal reasons.” He hopes the lie isn’t too obvious. He didn’t want to move to the city at all, but Steve doesn’t need to know that. He just needs to be impressed with him and give him a job.

“Sure,” Steve says neutrally, more so just bridging the gap of silence that stretches out after Eddie hesitates. “Where did you work prior to applying for this job?”

Eddie is sure his face is pink. He knew the question was coming, but it still embarrasses him, just a little. He tries to cover it up by glancing down at his file folder, sliding the one sheet of paper out of it and handing it over to Steve with a nervous tremble in his hand. “Um. I’ll be honest, sir, I haven’t had much experience in… this sort of job.”

Steve skims the paper quickly, and Eddie can’t help but watch the way his eyes dart across the page. It’s not much. His education was nothing impressive, just a high school diploma, no college. The work experience wasn’t anything to write home about, either. He had included working at his uncle’s automotive shop, since Wayne had agreed to serve as a reference if he needed it, and since Mrs. Henderson had allowed him to put her down too, he added babysitting to his experience as well. Dustin, the now twenty-year-old baby-to-be-sat in question, probably wouldn’t find the humor in that, but hey, what’s a little fabrication over something that had occurred nearly seven years ago?

“Right,” Steve says, glancing up from the paper to Eddie. “So, this is the only professional experience you’ve had?” He doesn’t sound judgmental, just curious, but Eddie still shrinks in his seat, embarrassed.

“Uh, yes, sir.” He glances down at his hands, cursing himself for not wearing his rings today. He would love to have something to fiddle with right about now. “I, um… Can I speak candidly, sir?”

Steve nods, leaning forward to place the skinny resume on his desk. “Please,” he says, gesturing for Eddie to continue as he sits back, crossing his left ankle over his right knee.

Eddie doesn’t let his eyes wander to where they want to. “Right. Well, I haven’t had… a great couple of years, if I’m honest. I wanted to…” he sighs, shakes his head. Feels stupid before he continues, “I wanted to be a musician, so I’ve spent the past few years out of high school working for my uncle while doing gigs and things on the side, hoping to go somewhere with that.”

Steve perks up, looking interested. “Oh? What sort of music do you play?”

Eddie smirks, almost laughs. “Um, metal,” he says. He hates to be that guy, the one who judges someone’s music taste on their appearance - but come on. The guy had perfectly-styled gelled hair, and a suit that probably cost more than Eddie’s first car. It wasn’t a long shot to guess the guy probably listens to The Beatles or Bruce Springsteen, some shit like that.

“Ah,” Steve says, giving a vague nod. Bingo, I was right, Eddie thinks coyly. “So… what happened there? Are you giving up on that dream?”

And that… sort of stings. He’s not heard it said so bluntly yet, but Steve, this stranger, has just hit the nail on the head. “Uh, not exactly,” Eddie says, trying hard not to bristle at him. “I’m just… putting it on pause. Considering other options, I guess.”

Steve nods, like that’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Eddie can’t explain why, but that irks him a bit. “Okay. So, why this option? Other than babysitting, you didn’t mention any previous child-rearing experience, so why do you want to be a nanny?”

And isn’t that the million dollar question?

Wayne had thought Eddie insane when he told him about this job, excitedly showing him the newspaper clipping like a kid showing off a star sticker on a test. He’d actually asked Eddie if he felt okay, if he was sure this is something he thought he wanted. Eddie understood the concern, since it really wasn’t like him, but…

But the thing is, he’s getting older. He’s already twenty-six, unmated, and no prospects in sight. And after that night, the night his band sort of fell apart, he was hyper-aware of something missing from his life. The idea of a family, however vague it had been before, was plaguing him now, everywhere he went.

He’s not sure how the hell to explain that to Steve, though.

He takes a deep breath, and tries. “I know this is going to sound selfish, but… at my age, I’m not sure I’ll ever have a family of my own. It’s something I want, obviously, but things aren’t really looking good, and it hit me recently that I don’t necessarily have to have it the way everyone expects me to. I just thought…” He shrugs, figuring he’s already shown all his pathetic cards. No point in hiding this one. “I thought that this way, I could at least have that experience of raising children, and be able to enjoy it while I’m still relatively young. And also help out a family who needs the help, of course.” Eddie admittedly tacks on the last part for posterity’s sake, but judging by the look on Steve’s face, it works.

“Huh,” he hums, giving Eddie an appraising look. “Well, I have to say, that’s probably the most unique answer I’ve heard to that question.”

Eddie’s heart sinks. Shit. Did he already blow it? Goddamn it, if he could just learn to keep his mouth shut, then-

“Can you cook? Do basic house chores?” Steve is asking, still looking at Eddie expectantly.

Eddie blinks, then nods, a little confused. Surely if this wasn’t going well, he wouldn’t keep asking questions, right? “Yes sir, I can,” he answers verbally, remembering his manners at the last minute.

Steve nods. “Perfect. My children are in school, so you won’t have to worry about having them there around-the-clock, but I will expect you to do some housekeeping duties while they’re gone during the day. You’ll have your own room, and we can negotiate days off, which you will spend at your leisure, of course.”

Eddie stares at him. “Um. What?” He asks, a little more blunt that he’d intended.

His interruption seems to startle Steve. “Hm? Oh, yes. I’m offering you the job, if you’d like it.”

Again, Eddie stares. “Are you… You don’t have any more questions for me?” Suddenly he’s a little desperate, suffering from emotional whiplash after thinking he’d bombed this just minutes ago, and now he’s being offered the job? What?

Steve blinks at him, his eyebrows crawling up that beautiful, clear forehead. “None really come to mind. Why? Do you think there’s anything I missed?” He sounds vaguely worried, a little crease forming between his eyebrows, like he’s trying to figure it out.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, I just meant - sir, you don’t even know me. And you’re just going to - just offer me the job?”

Steve gives him a look like he’s the strange one. “Um. Yes?” He laughs then, and Eddie hates that he finds the sound so attractive. “That’s kind of how this goes, I think.”

“You don’t want to know anything else about me? If I know CPR, or how to change a diaper, or-” Eddie is well aware he’s rambing, and apparently his self-destructive tendencies run deeper than he could have ever imagined, because here he is, probably ruining his chances of getting this job entirely.

“My children have been out of diapers for years,” Steve interrupts, a small smirk on his lips. “And I can teach you CPR, or how to do any other things you might not know how to do. Being a parent isn’t knowing everything on day one, Eddie. People have to teach you things, and I wouldn’t expect you to know everything.”

Eddie gawks at him. That sounds baffling, coming from the man interviewing him to basically raise his children. A thought pops into his head then. “What about your mate? Would they have more questions for me?”

Steve’s face darkens then, and Eddie instinctively cringes back. Shit.

“I don’t have a mate,” he says evenly, his voice a few degrees colder. “It’s just me and the twins. And, to assuage your concerns, Eddie, I’m not worried about you not having tons of experience. You’re exactly what I’m looking for in this position.”

“And what’s that?” Eddie can’t help but ask.

Steve gives him a little smile. “Well, for starters, you’re an omega, and I want my children to be omega-reared. So that ticks that box.”

For some reason, that sort of rubs Eddie the wrong way, but he swallows it down, nodding. “Okay,” he says neutrally. “And that’s it?”

Steve shakes his head. “No. You’re also smart, polite, and your concern for how I’ve conducted this interview tells me more than any nosy questions ever could. You’re sitting there, terrified that I’m going to put some strange man in charge of my children without even getting to know him first. So I know you’ll be protective of them, and look out for their well-being. That means more to me than whether or not you’ve changed a diaper before, Eddie.”

Eddie sits there, in silent shock. Or maybe, he thinks passively as he studies the easy grin on Steve’s face, maybe it’s awe. He’s in awe of how this man conducted this interview so seamlessly that he learned things about Eddie that Eddie couldn’t have adequately conveyed in any other way. “Oh,” he says dumbly.

Steve gives him a sympathetic little tilt of the head. “And I mean, we’ve already conducted a background check. You can’t really hide anything from me, sweetheart.” He shrugs, like it’s truly as simple as that.

And maybe it is.

Still, Eddie has a few concerns. “Right. So you know all you need to know-”

“For now,” Steve interrupts. He smiles when Eddie gives him a look of astonishment. “I expect I’ll learn more things about you, working together in this capacity. And in getting you trained to take care of my children, I’ll learn what you know and what you don’t know.”

Eddie wants to roll his eyes. All of that feels like semantics, comparatively speaking.

He shrugs instead. “Okay, sure. But… earlier, you said that I’d have my own room… Will I be living with you?” He almost flushes at the idea of it: unmated omega living with an unmated alpha and raising his children? This would be scandalous back in Hawkins, he’s almost positive.

Steve looks surprised that this is Eddie’s main concern. “Well, of course. It would make it far easier on everyone, I think, if you were already living with us. That way your days won’t have to start quite as early, and when I travel - which I do quite a bit - you’ll already be prepared to stay with the children.”

It makes perfect sense when laid out so simply. Eddie nods, satisfied with that explanation for now. His brain catches on another tidbit, and he decides to go ahead and ask. “You said you have twins? Is it just the two of them, or are there others?”

Steve has a conflicted look on his face, pride and sadness all rolled into one as he reaches forward, grabbing a picture frame off his desk and handing it to Eddie. “Yeah, it’s just the two of them.” The picture is cute, the two little girls standing with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, grinning at the camera widely. They look quite a bit like Steve, but their hair is curly.

Eddie smiles at the photo, his heart melting a little. “They’re gorgeous. How old are they?” He glances up at Steve, finds him staring at the photograph with an adoring look.

“They’re six. The one on the left is Ivy, and the one on the right is Jasmine. They’re…” Steve shakes his head, a stupid smile on his face. God, Eddie’s heart hurts. “They’re my whole world.”

Smiling vaguely, Eddie gently sets the photograph back on the desk. He hadn’t actually accepted the job yet, but now he knows… This is what he’s been wanting. This semblance of family, the caring alpha… None of it is really his of course, but his-adjacent is just as good.

“I’d love to accept the job,” he says, finally making eye contact with Steve once more.

Steve grins. He looks visibly relieved, the tension melting from his shoulders almost instantly. “Perfect. Could you come Sunday to get settled in? You’ll start officially on Monday, if you can, but I want to go ahead and get you situated.”

Eddie nods. Today is Thursday, so this works out perfectly. He’s been dying to get out of his uncle’s hair anyway. Living with someone who can barely financially support themself has been difficult these last few years, and having that part of his life finally sorted out is a huge weight off his shoulders. He wonders if it’s a noticeable relief, like Steve’s was.

“That sounds good to me,” Eddie says.

Steve nods, standing up, and Eddie follows. “I’ll get Robin your information so she can send you the address and let you know what time to be there.”

“Alright,” Eddie says, holding his hand out for a final shake. Steve smiles as he takes it, and Eddie pretends he doesn’t notice the way their wrists bump together. Not nearly enough contact to scent each other, but the risk of it is a little exciting. That’ll certainly be something Eddie has to get over before Sunday. He can’t be crushing on his new boss, the father of the children he’ll be raising. That’s just a recipe for disaster.

“Well, it was lovely meeting you, Eddie. I’ll see you on Sunday, okay?” Steve gives his hand a pleasant squeeze before letting go, his hand finding its way to Eddie’s back as he gently guides him to the door.

Eddie nods, his leather jacket still clutched in his hands. “Yes sir, see you then.”

Steve’s face still does that same twitch when he hears that, but he nods, sending Eddie off with a smile and a gentle pat on the back. “Bye, Eddie. Drive safe!”

The door shuts between them, and Eddie almost slumps against it in a mixture of relief, frustration, and disbelief.

He got the job.

His life can finally, finally restart.

Chapter Text

“And you’ve got everything packed up?” Wayne’s anxious voice follows Eddie from his bedroom to the living room, and Eddie rolls his eyes, since his uncle can’t see him anyway.

“Yes, Wayne. I’ve got all six of my shirts and all two pairs of my jeans. I’ve even got my cassettes shoved somewhere in there. I’m pretty sure I’m set,” Eddie says lightly, going to look through the cabinets for a snack. He’s got a little bit before he has to leave, so he figures he might as well kill the time a little.

“You know you don’t have to leave, Eddie,” Wayne says.

Eddie sighs. They’ve had this conversation several times since he came back home with the good news on Thursday. He turns to offer Wayne a smile. “I do, though. You can’t support both of us forever, Wayne, and it’s not fair for me to expect that. I’m twenty-six, man. I need to do this.”

Wayne looks near-devastated. “I hate to see you go. I’m sorry I can’t…” He trails off, and Eddie feels awful. He knows his uncle has tried his best to be a parent to Eddie over the years, taking care of him to the best of his ability, but he knows, deep down, that it really will be a relief for him to have Eddie gone. He won’t have to work such late hours anymore, and maybe one day he can really retire.

“It’s alright, Wayne,” Eddie says gently. “This is the way it’s supposed to be, right? Gotta leave the nest at some point,” he jokes, nudging Wayne’s arm with his elbow.

Apparently that’s the wrong thing to say, Wayne’s eyes going wide like he just realized something. “Your nest! What are you going to do about heats, Ed? This strange man could take advantage of you! You don’t-”

Eddie cuts him off, feeling his face heat in embarrassment. He definitely hasn’t thought about Steve in association with his heat. Nope. Not at all. And he isn’t about to start now, either. “It’s fine. I’m on suppressants, remember? And if I were to have one, then… Well, I’ll have days off, and I’m sure he’ll give me medical leave for that, so I can check into an omega facility.”

Wayne looks disbelieving, but nods. “Fine. What’s this guy’s name, again? I need to write it down so I can have Hopper look into him,” Wayne says, glancing around for something to write with.

Eddie rolls his eyes, but humors him. “Steve Harrington. I seriously doubt Hop’s gonna find anything. He’s some big-wig in Indianapolis, he’d have to have a clean record to do what he does.”

The look Wayne gives him makes him feel sort of stupid. “That’s naivety, Edward. You never know someone until you do. And being a big-wig is exactly the excuse he’d need to do shady shit. I wouldn’t be surprised if-”

“Right,” Eddie interrupts, resisting the urge to roll his eyes a third time. “Well, I’m sure I’ll get to know him soon. Living with someone does that for you, believe it or not.”

Wayne gives him a look. “Just… be careful, okay, Eddie? He might be a good guy, and I hope for your sake he is. But don’t just assume that to be the truth, okay?”

Eddie nods. He knows Wayne’s just concerned, the closest to a worried father that Eddie has really ever had. Still, he wants to assuage that uncertainty a little bit. “I will. And I’ll check in every week, let you know if anything weird happens. I promise.” He claps Wayne on the back, then glances at the time. “I should get going,” he says, his voice tinted with an apology.

“Right,” Wayne nods. “Let me help you carry your things out.”

Eddie’s only got the one duffel bag, but he doesn’t bother correcting Wayne. It’s the least he could do, let his old man have this little send-off.

They walk out to the van, and Eddie sighs a little as he opens the passenger door, jerking the handle hard when it sticks. He lets Wayne toss his bag into the seat, then steps back, an awkward air filling the silence around them. The Munsons really aren’t much for feelings, but Wayne looks like he might cry.

Eddie pulls him into a hug. “I’ll be alright, Wayne,” he says quietly, patting his back. “I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Wayne pulls away, and Eddie pretends he doesn’t notice how he wipes at his eye. “I know you can. I just can’t help thinking… that you’re running away.”

That startles Eddie a little bit. He knows Wayne knows more than he typically lets on, but that epiphany, coming from him, sends Eddie’s head for a spin. “I… I’m not running away. I don’t… there’s just nothing here for me anymore. Without the band, I’m just… I’m just in the way.”

For once, Wayne doesn’t argue his self-deprecation. Instead, he says, “I just think you ought to be running to something, son. Not away.”

Eddie gives him a half-hearted smile, and shrugs, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Maybe I am. Maybe this will be my year.”

Wayne nods, but Eddie can’t help but think that he doesn’t look convinced. “Be safe, Eddie. Keep in touch.”

And then Eddie’s climbing behind the wheel, waving goodbye to the only home, the only family he’s ever known, turning his decrepit van toward the city.

He takes a deep breath. This is going to be good for him. He’s sure of it.

~~~

The address Robin had given him, and her precisely-written directions to said address, lead Eddie to a tall, brown-brick building full of lots of windows. It’s the kind of building he would probably never pay much attention to otherwise, the aura of expensive reeking from the spotless windows and evenly-laid bricks. Definitely not the kind of place he would have ever imagined being called his home.

He parks the van on the street across from the building, a little embarrassed to even be that close, considering all the cars he’d seen so far had been luxury ones. He tries not to look as out of place as he feels as he grabs his duffel bag from the passenger seat, crossing the road with his head ducked, leaving his van unlocked. If someone around here wants it, they can have it, as far as he’s concerned.

The gleaming double doors open to a tastefully-decorated, opulent lobby. There’s a large, expensive looking rug that he takes great care not to step on, and some vaguely boring-sounding instrumental music is coming from somewhere above his head. The ceilings are tall, taller than he thinks really makes sense, and his boots echo over the wood floor as he makes his way to the receptionist desk.

A young girl is sat behind a computer screen, clicking away at something with a bored look on her face. When Eddie clears his throat, she looks up, her expression flickering from a customer-service smile to something like suspicion.

“Hi, can I help you?” She asks, her voice generic enough to make Eddie feel on edge. He curses himself mentally, wishing he’d worn something a little more professional-looking than his leather jacket thrown over a black t-shirt. He wasn’t expecting all this, though.

“Yeah, hi. Um, I’m looking for Steve Harrington’s apartment, if you could just point me in the right direction?” Eddie says, his voice a little more meek than he’d like it to be. God, get it together, dude. If you’re going to be living here, you’ve gotta get used to the weird looks.

At the name, she perks up, but her eyes narrow suspiciously. “You’re looking for Mr. Harrington’s apartment?” She asks, as if she hadn’t heard him the first time.

Eddie grits his teeth and nods. “Yes,” he says, trying for politeness.

The girl looks down at her desk, shuffling some papers around before picking up a sticky note. “Are you a Mr. Munson, by chance?”

Eddie relaxes. Okay, he’s definitely in the right place, and Steve had even left word with the front desk that he was coming. He feels a lot less like a criminal, or imposter, now. “Yes, that’s me.”

The girl looks him up and down, and Eddie tries not to flush. God, is he seriously going to have to invest in a nicer wardrobe just to live here? “Do you have your ID?” she asks, sounding bored once again.

Eddie wants to be offended by that, but then he remembers himself. He nods, taking out his license and handing it out to her. She glances at the name, then up at him, a brief flickering of the gaze, then hands the little plastic rectangle back. Her smile seems slightly more genuine now. “Welcome, Mr. Munson. Mr. Harrington asked me to make sure we help you with any luggage you have, and get you your keys right away.”

She stands, going behind a partition Eddie hadn’t noticed before, and he hears some rattling before she returns, a set of keys in her hand, a card dangling from the same keyring. “Oh, um…” Eddie starts, a little confused.

The girl doesn’t even let him fumble through a question. “This is the gate key for the parking garage in the basement. This is the key to the mailbox, and this is the key to the apartment itself,” she explains, holding each one up as she goes through them. She hands them over, and remains standing, glancing down at Eddie’s appearance once more. “I can help with your bags, if you have anything else to bring in?” She offers.

Eddie feels his face flush, but tries to hide it. “Oh, this is all,” he says, holding up the duffel bag lamely. She nods, but looks a bit confused, so he adds, “I’m a light traveler,” as if that’ll make it any better.

“Right,” she says, giving him what he assumes is a pity-smile. “You’ll just go down this hallway, the elevator is on the right. Mr. Harrington is on the eleventh floor, unit 11D.”

“Oh… okay,” Eddie says, trying to get all of that straight in his head. “Thank you…” He tries to remember her name, then realizes she never told him.

She seems to take pity on him. “I’m Alice. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to the front desk, and someone will be happy to assist you.”

“Alright. Thank you, again.”

Alice nods, sending him right on his way.

The elevator doors open almost immediately, and Eddie feels even more out of place stepping into it, the walls made up of sparkling mirrors that seem to mock his appearance. He very purposefully does not make eye contact with himself in the mirrored doors, but swipes at his loose curls nervously. He deliberates, and when the elevator hits the eighth floor, he caves, dropping his duffel bag for a moment to pull his hair into a low bun, securing it with the loose hair tie on his wrist. There. Much better.

When the doors slide open on the eleventh floor, Eddie feels like he might pass out. It doesn’t even benefit him to still be nervous, he thinks vaguely as he starts off down the hall. He’s already gotten the job, and it’s not like Steve is scary.

Well. Okay, maybe scary isn’t the right word, but he’s definitely something.

He stops in front of the door to 11D, the dark wood beckoning him forward. He takes a deep breath, lifts his shaky fist, and knocks.

It’s probably just because he’s listening so carefully, but the sound of stampeding feet makes him jump, and he rushes to compose himself as the door flies open. He holds his hand out to shake Steve’s, only to find-

“Hi!” An excited voice calls.

Eddie drops his gaze. Two little girls stand before him, each of them with wild blonde curls and big, curious, brown eyes. They’re adorable. It takes everything in Eddie not to melt as he looks at them. He crouches down, holding his hand out.

“Hello there,” he says, grinning. “I’m Eddie, the new nanny. And you two must be Ivy and Jasmine, right?” There’s a spark of recognition on both their faces when Eddie says his name, and he relaxes a little, reassured that they’ve obviously already been informed of his arrival.

The one on the right is wearing a pink overall dress over a white t-shirt, her blonde curls piled into some sort of messy bun on top of her head. She takes his hand first, shaking it with big movements, giggling the whole time. “I’m Ivy,” she says. “I like your hair,” she adds, pointing at her own head, then his.

Eddie’s heart melts. “Thank you,” he says politely. “I like yours too. You guys have beautiful curls,” he says, glancing at the other one, offering his hand to her next.

She seems a bit shyer, taking his hand with a looser grip, shaking it in a much more normal fashion. “Thanks,” she says quietly. She lets go of his hand, both of hers going behind her back as she studies him. They’re not wearing the same outfit, he notices, which surprises him for twins. Instead of a dress to match her sister’s, Jasmine is wearing light wash jeans and a yellow sweatshirt. They both look adorable.

He glances between the two of them a couple times, trying to pick out any noticeable differences. Ivy smiles with her teeth, while Jasmine has a closed-lip, neutral sort of look on her face. Jasmine’s face is a bit longer, and her eyebrows are a bit darker. Ivy’s mouth and eyes have a bit of a different shape, but Eddie can’t quite put his finger on the specific difference. Within a couple of minutes, though, he thinks he’s got it.

“Alright,” he says, smiling. “I think I can tell you apart, but don’t hold me to that, okay?” They both nod, and he grins, leaning in and dropping his voice to a whisper. “You promise you’ll forgive me if I mess up a few times? I’m sorta new at this.”

Ivy laughs. “Daddy gets us confused all the time!” She announces, her voice proud. “Sometimes we trick him though. I tell him I’m Jasmine sometimes,” she admits, a sheepish grin pulling at her mouth.

Eddie grins. Kids with a fun sense of humor - now that he can get on board with. “Oh, that’s funny. But you guys won’t trick me right away, will you?”

Jasmine smiles, shakes her head no. “No, we won’t.”

Eddie isn’t entirely sure he can take their word, since he only just met them, but he grins nonetheless. He’s about to ask another question when the door opens wider, an exasperated voice coming from much further up.

“Girls, what have I told you about opening the door when you don’t know- oh, Eddie. Hi.” Steve’s rambling comes to a stop when he spots Eddie, and he runs a hand through his hair like he’s - what, nervous? No, it can’t be that.

Eddie stands up, his thighs screaming at him from the minor stretch, and he smiles sheepishly at Steve. “Er, sorry. They opened the door, and we got to chatting. How are you?”

Steve glances down at his daughters suspiciously, his eyes darting back up to Eddie’s quickly. “What did they tell you?” he asks, crossing his arms as he peers down at the girls. “Were we being kind, or telling stories?”

Ivy smiles up at him sweetly. “We were good, Daddy. We just told Eddie that we like to play pranks on you, sometimes. And we promised him we wouldn’t pull any pranks on him yet.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Yeah, pranks,” he says, sarcastic. He offers Eddie a tired smile. “There won’t be any pranks, I assure you. They’ll be on their very best behavior, right?” he glances between the two of them, but Eddie doesn’t miss the way his eyes linger on Ivy. Ah, she must be the troublemaker, then. Who would’ve thought?

“Eh, best behavior is overrated, I think,” Eddie says, winking when the twins look up at him. He glances back up at Steve. “But, whatever you say, Mr. Harrington.”

“You can call me Steve,” he says with a shake of his head. “Come in, come in. Girls, give him some room, he’s not gonna be living out in the hallway, you know.”

The twins obey immediately, skittering out of the way but stopping to gesture Eddie forward. “Can we give him the tour, Daddy? Please?”

Steve shakes his head. “No, I need you two to go clean up your room. It better be spotless when I get in there, capiche?”

Jasmine nods, but her lips are twitching. Eddie is smiling from behind Steve, giving the twins a little overexaggerated finger-wag. He grins when the twins giggle. “Okay, Daddy,” Jasmine says, reaching for her sister’s hand. “We’ll capiche.”

“It’s not a verb, it’s -” Steve stops himself, shaking his head. “Nevermind. Room, spotless, okay?”

Ivy waves at him, following her sister down the hall and repeating their fun new vocabulary word in various accents. Eddie can’t imagine them being any cuter.

When Steve turns to look at him, Eddie tries to force his smile into something more neutral. “They’re sweet,” he offers, gesturing off after them. “And funny, too.”

Steve shakes his head, but Eddie can tell he’s proud. “Thanks. They definitely keep me on my toes.” He glances down at the singular bag in Eddie’s hand. “Oh, did Alice not offer to bring your other things up?” He asks, his eyebrows furrowing adorably.

Eddie frowns, feeling awkward. “Oh, um… Yeah, she did. This is, uh… This is all I’ve got.”

Steve stares at him, bewildered. “Oh…” He says, glancing down at the bag with another perplexed look. “Alright, then.” He seems a little bothered, but Eddie can’t imagine why. Isn’t it easier like this? The less baggage the better, surely. “Well, um. Follow me, I’ll show you where everything is.”

Nodding, Eddie follows behind him, listening as Steve points things out to him. They pass a short corridor on the right, and Steve explains that Eddie’s room is down that way, but they’ll end the tour there. Instead, he leads him through to the kitchen first. It’s nice and spacious, leading to an open-plan lounge, huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the room. It makes the whole space feel nice and homey, and more welcoming than most places Eddie’s had the displeasure of living in.

“So, this is the kitchen,” Steve continues, gesturing around the space. “I wish it was a bit bigger, but the island takes up most of the space. On the plus side, though, it works as our kitchen table too, so that’s a bonus, I guess.” Steve shrugs, then gestures to the cabinets. “The pantry’s always stocked, and we put in an order for groceries to be delivered every Saturday, so anything you need, just add it to the list.” As he says that, he gestures to the massive blackboard hanging on the wall next to the refrigerator.

“It’s beautiful,” Eddie manages, feeling small and dirty in a room this extravagant.

Steve smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks. So, as far as cooking goes, you can do whatever you want, the girls aren’t very picky. I’ve got a recipe box of their favorite things, and that’ll probably be a task that you and I split.”

Eddie’s quick to jump in to correct him. “Oh, no, sir, I can do that. I’ve been cooking for myself and my uncle since I was probably fourteen.”

Steve actually looks impressed by that, but Eddie can’t imagine why. Is it impressive to have to do things for yourself because you know no one else will? “Oh, well, I like to cook so I promise I don’t mind. And I assure you, there will be plenty for you to do without having to stress over that every single night, too.”

Eddie nods. Something about the fact that he will be busy with work settles his nerves a little bit. There’s no better distraction than work, especially housework. “Alright,” he says, nodding.

He follows Steve as he continues through to the lounge. A sofa is positioned in front of the big windows, an armchair to one side and a tv on the opposite wall of that. A sleek, low coffee table sits in the middle of it, and it’s impeccably decorated. Of course. “The girls know this, but I’ll go ahead and say it in case they try to pull one over on you,” Steve starts, gesturing to the living room. “They can bring any of their soft toys in here, anything that doesn’t make a mess really, but they have to put them up by themselves if they do. That applies to any part of the house. Their toys can be strewn in their room, and there might be days where you need to assist them in cleaning that, but if their toys come out of their bedroom, they are responsible for putting them back.”

Eddie nods. That sounds quite sensible, to him. “Alright.” He glances at the television. “What about screen hours? Rules?”

Steve rubs his hand over the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I try to enforce a no-television-after-nine rule, but sometimes that’s sort of hard. I like a good movie myself, and I feel like such a hypocrite for sending them off to bed so I can sit here and watch it by myself.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh at that. “I know what you mean. So, no tv after nine, except for the exceptions?”

That makes Steve grin. “Yeah, exactly.” He gestures for Eddie to follow him, and goes to open the door just off of the living room. “This is my bedroom,” he says, gesturing. “I’ll take care of this space, of course, but I’ll be honest… you’re technically sharing a bathroom with the twins, but if you ever want to have a shower without having to move about a hundred bath toys, you can just come and use mine.”

It’s an innocent enough offer, but it still makes Eddie tingle a little bit. It’s quite an intimate space for an unmated alpha and omega to share, so he’s already certain that he will not be taking him up on that offer. “Alright,” Eddie still says, to be polite. He pretends he’s not studying the pristine room, with its soft-looking heather-gray bedding and natural light.

Steve clears his throat, gesturing for Eddie to follow him out of the room. He’s glad when Steve turns his back, and he can try to wipe away the blush in semi-private. “The girls have to be at school no later than seven-fifteen, so I usually get them up at about six or so to get them bathed and fed and dressed and everything.”

Eddie nods, filing that away. He’s definitely going to have to write it down somewhere. “Okay, that’s not a problem,” he agrees.

“I’ll help, of course, since I have to be up early anyway for work, but it’ll definitely be easier with the two of us,” Steve says, smiling over his shoulder.

That makes Eddie smile. “Yeah, of course,” he says. “Do they catch a bus, walk… how do they get to school?”

Steve leads them back through the kitchen, turning down the hall they’d passed by earlier. “You can walk them there, it’s not far. I usually drive them, since I’m on my way to work anyway, but I’d like it if they could walk, get the early morning air and exercise.”

Eddie personally thinks that sounds like a nightmare, but they’re not his kids. “Alright,” he says.

Steve gestures to the first door on the left. “This is the washer and dryer. Spare closet,” he says, gesturing across the hall to the first door on the right. He pushes open the second door on the right, letting Eddie peek his head around and peer into it. “Bathroom. Like I said, bath toys galore,” he says, clearly exasperated.

Eddie giggles. “Right,” he says.

“That’s the twins’ room, and this is yours,” Steve continues, opening the last door on the left, right next to the door that stands at the very end of the hallway that he indicated belonging to the girls. He steps back, gesturing for Eddie to go into his room and take a look around.

It’s just as nice as the rest of the house. The bed frame looks similar, or maybe identical, to the one in Steve’s room, but it has black bedding on it. Eddie smiles, wondering if Steve picked that out after meeting him the other day. A dresser is situated across from the foot of the bed, a small television set on top of it. There’s a bedside table on either side of the bed, identical lamps sitting on each one. The windows are just as big in this room as they’d been in all of the others, and Eddie is relieved to spot those fancy automatic-blinds tucked up close to the top.

“Is it okay?” Steve asks from behind him, sounding nervous.

Eddie’s quick to reassure him. “It’s perfect,” he says, nodding quickly. “I… Really, thank you.”

Steve smiles, a little shy, in return. “You’ve got a nice closet, too,” he says, gesturing. “I put some empty hangers in there already for you.” He glances down at Eddie’s sad little bag again. “Are you… are you sure you don’t have anything else?”

The question makes Eddie squirm, embarrassed, but he shrugs, as if he’s completely unbothered. “Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t really need much,” he says. And it’s probably true. He’s made it this long with the bare minimum. Having a fancy new place to live and work doesn’t change that much.

“Alright,” Steve finally says. He still has that look on his face, like something is bothering him, but Eddie turns away, pretends he doesn’t notice. “Well, take a little bit, get settled, and come find me when you’re ready, okay?”

Eddie nods, and listens to the soft sound of Steve’s footsteps retreating, and then the door clicks shut softly behind him. Eddie drops his bag, and himself, onto the end of the bed, gazing out the window.

He made it. Now for the hard part.

Chapter Text

It doesn’t take Eddie long to unpack his duffel bag. He hangs his shirts up with care, and folds his jeans and sticks them neatly into the top drawer of the dresser. He puts his socks and underwear in the next one over, and by then the duffel bag only holds a few cassettes, a sketchbook, and a lame gag gift a friend back home had given him. How embarrassing.

Eddie sits on the bed for a little while, trying to wrap his head around everything he’ll need to learn to be good at this job. All the ways he could fuck up taunt him somewhere in the dark corners of his mind, and he kindly tells those little voices to take a goddamn hike. He can do this. He doesn’t really have a choice.

He emerges from his room eventually, leaving his leather jacket and his boots behind. He feels a little awkward walking down the hall in such casual attire, in someone else’s house, but he forces himself into his fake-it-to-make-it persona. Technically, it’s his house too, now. He’s got every right to be here.

The little pep talk does nothing for him when he reaches the kitchen and finds Steve standing at the bar, his head bowed as he writes something. He’s got on a pair of glasses now, and Eddie’s throat closes a little bit at the sight. God, he’s gorgeous.

The twins spot him before Steve does, Ivy perking up from her spot on the floor across the room. “Eddie, can I show you my coloring page?” she asks excitedly, jumping up and waving a paper around above her head.

At the commotion, Steve glances up, smiling at Eddie. His eyes dart down, and Eddie isn’t sure if he’s imagining the subtle once-over he gives him. “Hey. Everything unpacked?” Steve asks.

Eddie nods, but turns around to answer the patient little girl first. “Sure, Ivy, let me see,” he meets her halfway, crouching down again and letting her explain why she chose this particular pink for the mermaid’s tail, but this particular pink for her hair.

When he glances up, Steve has a soft look on his face. He’s not quite smiling, but it’s close. “Alright, Ive,” he says gently. “Daddy needs to tell Eddie a few more things, so save your coloring sheet to show him later, okay?”

Ivy looks disappointed, but nods, going back to the coffee table. Eddie watches her poke at Jasmine’s paper, suggesting a color or something, and he can’t help how full his heart feels at the sight.

“They’re so excited to have someone else to show their things to,” Steve says, interrupting Eddie’s train of thought. Steve shrugs at him. “Rule one of children, they want to share everything with you.”

Eddie laughs. “Yeah, I see that.” He walks around the counter to peer down at whatever Steve was working on. “You said you had some more things to tell me?” he asks.

Steve nods, picking his pen back up. “Right. I’m jotting down some things so you’ll have like, a cheat sheet. School at seven-fifteen, pick them up at three, dance lessons on Thursdays, that sort of thing.”

Eddie nods. He leans forward, propping himself up on the counter with his arms as he watches Steve write. They’re close enough that he can smell that same, distinct Alpha smell, the bourbon-touched vanilla, and Eddie almost has to breathe through his mouth to look less like a sniffing freak.

“I’m leaving important phone numbers too- myself, Robin, their primary doctor, all that stuff.” Steve seems to think for a moment, chewing on the end of the pen absently. Eddie has to look away. “Oh, allergies. Neither of them can have strawberries, okay? They’ll break out in the worst way, and Jasmine even stopped breathing the last time she accidentally had one.”

That’s good to know, Eddie thinks. He never would’ve thought to ask about their allergies.

Steve glances at the list, seems to be pleased with it after a minute, and goes to pin it to the fridge using a magnet. “I’ll leave it here so it’s easier to refer to, okay?”

Eddie nods. He glances at the clock, sees that it’s almost time for dinner. “What time do you guys usually eat dinner?”

“Usually about six, since I like to try and get them in bed early.” Steve hesitates then. “There will probably be days where I’m not home by then, though, so you’ll have to go ahead and make their dinner. I’ll just eat later those nights, or grab something on my way home.”

Eddie isn’t sure why, but that makes him sad. The stupid omega part of his brain says that it’s not right for an alpha to not come home to a home-cooked meal to be shared with their family. He has to snap himself out of that train of thought quickly though, reminding himself firmly that he is not Steve’s omega, never will be.

“Alright,” Eddie says quietly.

“Girls? What are we feeling for dinner tonight?” Steve calls, glancing over at his daughters as he crosses his arms. He smiles when they both come bounding over, holding an arm out as Jasmine sidles up beside him, leaning against his leg.

“Can we have soup? And grilled cheese?” Ivy asks, climbing onto one of the barstools on the other side of the island. She’s not sitting on her bottom, and Eddie bites back the urge to correct her.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to. “Put your butt in that seat, missy, we don’t sit like wild animals in this house,” Steve says, pointing a finger at her.

She obeys, but grins, like she was just testing him. “Can we? Grilled cheese? Please?” She repeats, her voice getting higher and higher with each word.

Steve sighs, runs his fingers through Jasmine’s hair. “Does that sound okay with you, Jazz?”

Jasmine nods. “I guess so.”

“You have to eat the crusts if I make grilled cheese,” Steve adds, glancing between the two of them. “We’re not going to waste the bread just for you to nibble out of the middle and leave the best part.”

Ivy whines. Eddie has to bite his lip to hide his smile. “But Daddy,” she whines. “The crust is nasty!”

Eddie interjects then, shaking his head like he’d just heard something crazy. “I’m sorry, what? The crust is delicious! It’s got all the magic!”

Jasmine peeks up at him, looking intrigued. “Magic bread?” She asks.

Eddie grins. “Uh, yeah? Didn’t you know that eating the crust will make you grow big and strong?”

Ivy makes a disgusted noise. “I don’t wanna be big and strong,” she complains. “I wanna have mermaid hair.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “You’re not dyeing your hair, so let’s drop that one, okay?”

Ivy pouts. “Fine,” she said. She looks at Eddie then, squinting. “Is that your real hair?” She asks, sounding skeptical.

Eddie can’t help the snort that comes out of him. “Uh, yeah, as far as I’m aware.”

“Is it very long?” Jasmine asks, stepping away from Steve to look up at Eddie.

Shrugging, Eddie reaches up and tugs the hair tie out, his curls falling around his shoulders like they normally do. “It’s a little long,” he admits with a smirk when both of the girls look at him with dumbfounded expressions. Even Steve looks a little speechless.

“Wow,” Jasmine says. “It’s so curly,” she says, reaching her hand out like she wants to touch it.

Eddie crouches down and lets her do just that. “You wanna know why?” he asks, in a conspiratorial whisper. When the girl nods, he leans in and says, “it’s because I ate my crusts!”

Jasmine nods, like he’s already won her over, but Ivy still protests from the bar. “Daddy, is that true?” she demands.

Steve’s smiling when Eddie glances up at him. “Well, yeah. Eddie wouldn’t lie to you over something so serious, guys.” He glances down at him, and winks, the bastard. Eddie tries not to blush.

“Yup,” Eddie agrees. He stands, and feels his heart squeeze a little bit when Jasmine looks disappointed. He’s quick to come up with a compromise. “Do you guys know how to braid?” he asks the twins.

Ivy nods, but looks unsure. “Well… sorta. Daddy tried to teach us.” She gestures at her messy hair, and Eddie can’t help but laugh. “That’s how we end up with disasters like this.”

“Hey,” Steve protests weakly. His face is definitely a little pinker. “I tried my best.”

Eddie gives him a reassuring smile. “I’ll teach you guys how to braid later, and you can practice on my hair, okay?”

The twins nod excitedly, both of them chorusing their agreement. Eddie’s proud of himself for the easy bonding idea, reaching up to tie his hair back again before turning to Steve. Steve’s already looking right back at him. “So, soup?” he asks lightly, pretending having Steve’s eyes on him doesn’t make him nervous.

Steve seems to shake himself, but nods. “Yeah. Um… I’ll do soup if you’ll do the grilled cheese?” he asks.

Eddie smiles. He loves the idea of cooking together, a lot. “Sure,” he agrees. He goes over to the sink to wash his hands, pushing up the sleeves of his long-sleeve tee. He hears a gasp from across the bar, and glances up, a little startled. “What?” he asks, staring at Ivy, who is in turn, staring at Eddie’s arms.

“You have drawings!” the child squeals excitedly, practically climbing onto the counter to get a better look.

“Ivy Bryn, sit down,” Steve’s voice says from behind him. When Eddie glances back, he finds that Steve also looks slightly curious, but glances back to his daughter and gives her a look. “I mean it, get off the counter, missy.”

Ivy sighs, and sort of listens, crawling from one bar stool to another until she’s sitting in the one directly across from where Eddie is standing. “Where did you get them?” Ivy asks, studying the tattoos on Eddie’s arm.

“Oh, um…” He says, glancing down at them himself. “Just tattoo places.”

Jasmine tugs on his sleeve from beside him, so he moves his arm so she can see. “Wow,” she says softly, poking at the bats next to his elbow. “Pretty,” she observes sweetly.

Eddie smiles at her, rubs his hand over her hair. “Thanks, sweetheart,” he says. He turns his arm over so she can see the other one.

“What’s that one?” Ivy asks, leaning over the counter to look.

“Oh, it’s…” He glances at Steve, wondering if he should even bother explaining it. Steve shrugs, but nods like it’s okay. “It’s a puppet master’s hand, and his puppet is a demon.”

“Cool,” Jasmine whispers, her voice full of awe.

Eddie grins. “I know, right?” He dries his hands off on the towel beside the sink before turning to look for the bread.

“Here,” Steve says, handing it over. “Pan’s in the bottom drawer of the stove,” he says, gesturing to it as he goes to the fridge and starts pulling out butter and cheese. “Why’d you get those tattoos?” He asks, glancing at him over the fridge door.

It’s a simple enough question, but Eddie’s a little embarrassed of the answer. “Well, um… bats are my favorite animal,” he starts slowly. “And, um… I really like Metallica.”

Steve stares at him like he doesn’t understand the correlation. Dear god. “Oh,” he says, vaguely.

Eddie has to smile, shaking his head subtly as he takes the items out of Steve’s hands. “‘Master of Puppets’? Ever heard of it?” Eddie asks, thinking that it’ll for sure ring a bell.

Steve shakes his head, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, no. Not really my wheelhouse.”

Eddie feigns a dramatic sigh. “It’s okay, not everyone can be cultured,” he teases.

It has the intended effect, and Steve’s head drops back in a loud laugh. “Right, of course,” he says, very obviously pretending to agree. He goes over to a cabinet and pulls two cans of tomato soup out, and Eddie tries not to show his surprise. He would’ve thought for sure that rich people made all their stuff from scratch, so he’s a little surprised to see the familiar Campbell’s can.

“Good choice,” Eddie says, nodding at it.

Steve smiles. “Thanks. It’s their favorite kind. I’m not a huge fan, but it’s edible enough.”

Eddie nods, watching butter sizzle in the pan he’s working with. “You know milk makes it taste better,” he offers.

“No shit?” Steve says, sounding surprised. “I don’t think I’ve ever put milk in it before.”

“Oh yeah, you’ve gotta put milk,” Eddie tells him emphatically. “Or even heavy cream, that makes it even better. Otherwise you’re just drinking ketchup, right?”

Steve wrinkles his nose, but laughs. “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll try that this time, then.”

It’s mostly quiet after that, the two of them moving around the kitchen, preparing dinner while the twins chat aimlessly at the counter behind them. Every now and then, Steve steps too close, brushes his arm against Eddies, does something that makes Eddie hold his breath. He knows none of it is intentional, of course, but that doesn’t make it feel any less electric. Eddie’s just glad he remembered to spritz himself with scent blockers that morning, or else this would probably be very embarrassing indeed.

When everything is finished, Steve goes through and pours soup into four bowls while Eddie cuts each grilled cheese sandwich diagonally, which personally, he thinks is the tastiest shape. They put the food in front of the girls, and Eddie smiles when they immediately say “thank you.” They’re such good kids.

“We’ve got coke, water, or wine,” Steve informs Eddie from where he stands at the fridge. He glances at him, his glasses shoved up into his hair, and Eddie can’t help but think how soft he looks.

“Oh, um. Water is fine,” Eddie finally says after just staring at him for a moment too long.

Steve nods and goes about making drinks for the girls. Eddie watches him poor little travel-sized Kool-aid pouches into their glasses, and he smiles. Steve must catch him, because he says, “I would’ve offered you this but I didn’t want to insult you with my child-based selection,” he jokes.

Eddie laughs, shakes his head. “Right. Yeah, I think I’ll just stick to water.” He walks around the kitchen island with his own bowl, taking the seat next to Jasmine. “Is it pretty good?” He asks, glancing at each of them in turn.

Jasmine gives him a thumbs-up, slurping her soup loudly. Ivy is dunking the edge of her grilled cheese into the soup, looking at the crust like she’s not sure it can be trusted. It makes Eddie giggle. “It’s not gonna bite you, love,” he tells her.

Ivy gives him a sheepish look. “I know,” she says. She bites into it, and apparently it’s not as bad as she expects, because she continues eating, half of her grilled cheese gone just like that.

Eddie smiles, catching Steve’s eye for a moment. “Not so bad, was it?” Steve asks, setting drinks down in front of the twins and going back for his and Eddie’s. He takes the seat at the opposite end of the bar, on the seat next to Ivy.

“I guess not,” Ivy shrugs, but sounds like she doesn’t want to admit that they were right. Eddie can relate to that.

They eat in relative silence, the twins asking Eddie questions every now and then.

“Where are you from?”

“How old are you?”

“Do you like princesses?”

“Do you have kids?”

“Why not?”

By the time those types of questions roll around, Eddie is a bit frazzled.

“That’s enough,” Steve interrupts when Ivy innocently asks Eddie why he doesn’t have children of his own. “It’s not appropriate to ask someone those kinds of questions, girls.”

“But, Daddy - “ Ivy tries to interrupt.

Steve cuts her off with a sharp look. “No. Finish your dinner quietly. I don’t want to hear you two asking Eddie that question again, got it?”

“Mr. Harrington…” Eddie starts, a little hurt on the twins’ behalf. They couldn’t help being curious.

Steve glances at him. “Steve,” he corrects.

Eddie feels his face flush. He will not be calling him that. “They’re not hurting anything,” he says quietly. “I don’t mind them asking.”

“Well, I do,” Steve says, giving Eddie a deadpan look. “It’s none of our business,” he says, glancing at each of the twins pointedly.

Eddie thinks maybe he’s missing something, but he’s not sure what it is.

“Sorry,” Jasmine says quietly from beside Eddie.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ivy repeats, poking at the last bit of grilled cheese on her plate.

Steve sighs. “Are you guys finished eating?” he asks. When they nod, he gestures to the hall. “Alright. Go put your pajamas on. We’ll watch a movie before bed, yeah?”

That perks them right back up, much to Eddie’s relief. He didn’t think he could stand to see them so disappointed for long. As soon as the room is empty once more, he stands, collecting dishes and sparing glances at Steve. Steve’s got his head in his hand, and looks the picture of exhaustion.

“Everything okay?” Eddie asks, timidly.

Steve glances up at him, and looks briefly embarrassed. “Oh, yeah. Just… tired, I guess.” Eddie can feel his eyes on him as he piles their dishes into the sink, but he pretends that he doesn’t. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Steve clears his throat. “So, your days off. We need to discuss that.”

“Oh… okay,” Eddie says.

“Since I work during the week, it’d be easier if I just let you have Saturday and Sunday, if that’s alright with you,” Steve says.

Eddie nods, glancing up at him as he starts running water into the sink. Steve hasn’t tried to stop him yet, so Eddie gives himself a mental high five, since clearly he’s doing something right. “That’s fine with me,” he says. “And honestly, just one day would be enough. Not like I’ve got anything else to do, anyway.”

Steve gives him an odd look. “No, I want you to have a life outside of this, Eddie. I know you’re new to the city, but I can recommend places for you to check out, and you could meet new people, make friends.” Steve shrugs, like it’s that easy.

Eddie bites his lip, but doesn’t correct him. “Okay,” he replies softly, scrubbing the bowls under the hot dishwater.

“And one more thing,” Steve says. His voice sounds a bit different, and Eddie is confused when he looks up and finds a sort of embarrassed expression on his face. “Um, your heat.”

Ah. That explains the embarrassment.

“Oh,” Eddie says. He feels awkward talking about it so casually with the man who is going to be paying his salary, but he supposes it’s inevitable. “I’m on suppressants. I haven’t had a heat in over a year.” He hopes that’s not too much oversharing, but surely given the scope of the question, it’s alright.

Steve nods. “Alright. And you think you’ll be on suppressants for the foreseeable future?” he asks.

“Um,” Eddie starts, unsure how to answer. “Probably?” He’s not sure why Steve is asking that. Typically, omegas are on heat suppressants until their alpha decides it’s time to have pups, although in that scenario, the suppressants are probably more of a precaution so there are no pre-mating accidents. Steve already knows Eddie’s certainty that he won’t be having children, and he has no alpha, so to him, it’s a silly question.

Steve only nods again, looking satisfied enough with the answer. “Well, if that changes, please let me know so I know what days I’ll have to make other arrangements for, okay?”

That sounds like a sensible request. Heats typically take up to a few days to pass, and it would certainly put Steve in a bind if he didn’t have childcare for that long.

“Sure,” Eddie says neutrally when he does finally answer.

Luckily they’re spared any more embarrassing heat talk by the sound of the twins returning, both of them dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas. They look adorable, of course.

“Did you brush your teeth?” Steve asks, turning to look at them. They nod, and his eyes narrow. Eddie smirks down at the dishes he’s almost finished washing. “Did you brush your hair?” He asks, glancing pointedly at Ivy, whose hair very obviously hasn’t been touched.

“Um…” She says, hesitating.

“If you give me a couple minutes, I’ll brush it,” Eddie says from the sink, smiling over at the girls. He glances at Steve then, a little sheepish. “If that’s okay?”

Steve smiles and nods at him. “Yeah, that’s fine with me. Go get your brushes, girls.”

They scurry out of the room once more, and Steve turns to look at Eddie. “I know they can do it on their own,” Eddie offers, feeling a little silly. He rinses the last cup, places it in the drainboard, and grabs the hand towel next to the sink. “I just like doing that sort of thing.”

“That’s okay,” Steve says, his voice soft. “I think it’s sweet. I usually insist that they take good care of their hair, and I can buy all the good products, but actually styling their hair? Forget it. It’s long and curly, and I’ve got no idea what to do with that.”

Eddie grins. “Well, as it turns out, I know a guy, so you’re in luck.”

Steve smiles at him, that same vague, soft thing that makes Eddie’s heart race a little. “Good,” he says. “They’ll be thrilled to have someone who knows what the hell they’re doing.”

The girls come bouncing back in then, and Eddie notices that each of them now have hair ties on their wrists, too. “Can you braid it?” Ivy asks excitedly, holding out her hairbrush first.

Eddie laughs at their enthusiasm, but nods. “Sure. Come on, let’s go sit down. Jasmine, you can watch me braid Ivy’s and she can watch me braid yours, and then you guys can practice on my hair, okay?”

The twins very vocally agree with that, and Eddie gives Steve a little grin as the twins lead him into the living room. Steve follows behind, turning the tv on and searching for a movie while Eddie gets situated on one end of the plush sofa, patting the spot in front of him for Ivy to come sit. They’re on the long sofa against the window, and this way, they’re actually fully facing the tv, not just the coffee table and kitchen, which Eddie thinks works out quite nicely.

“Alright, c’mere, Jazz. You’ve gotta stand over here to see what I’m doing,” Eddie instructs.

Jasmine dutifully comes to his side, and he scooches over as far as he can so she can sit right next to his hip. He talks quietly to them as he takes Ivy’s hair out of the bun, explaining to them that curly hair should be combed while it’s wet, but never brushed while it’s dry unless it’s being braided or something. “You don’t want it to be frizzy, okay?”

They both nod, and Eddie smiles at how raptly they seem to be paying attention. He pretends he doesn’t feel Steve watching them from the armchair next to the sofa, but his presence is there, loud in the silence that radiates from where he sits. He’s turned on some film that Eddie can’t remember the name of, and he’s pretty positive none of them are paying attention to it.

He brushes Ivy’s hair softly, starting at the ends and detangling upwards slowly. At one point he brushes through a hidden tangle, and she yelps. “Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” Eddie says, immediately leaning in and kissing the spot on her head where he’d yanked her hair, petting over it like that’ll ease the sting. “I didn’t even see that tangle. I’m so sorry.”

“‘S okay,” Ivy says, shrugging like it didn’t bother her at all.

“They’re not tender-headed, are they?” Eddie asks, turning to glance at Steve.

Steve waves his hand in a noncommittal “sort-of” gesture. “Eh, not too bad. Jazz is a little more touchy about it, though.”

Eddie nods. He finishes brushing Ivy’s hair, handing her the brush to hold as he starts the braid. “Okay, this is just a regular braid, okay? I’ll show you how to French braid when we get good at the regular one, alright?”

Jasmine nods, watching Eddie section the hair before he starts twisting it. “So you start with three… and you’re just going over the middle, over the middle, over the middle…” Eddie says as he slowly demonstrates. “You just keep doing that all the way down, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasmine says. She leans against Eddie’s side as she watches, and his heart grows warm at the gentle affection. He can already tell he’s getting attached to these kids. God, and it’s only day one.

He finishes Ivy’s hair within a few minutes, letting Jasmine help with the last couple of plaits before tying it off. “Good job, honey. Now, swap places so Ivy can see how to do it.”

Jasmine agrees quickly, and Ivy slides off the sofa, pulling her braid around to look at it with a big smile. “Daddy, look at my braid!” she says excitedly, turning her back to Steve so he can admire it.

“It’s really nice, lovebug. Make sure you tell Eddie thank you, yeah?” Steve says. Eddie glances at him, and his heart skips a beat at the sight of him leaning back in his chair, his ankle crossed over his knee as he watches them. They share a smile, and Eddie pats the space in front of him for Jasmine to occupy.

“Thanks,” Ivy says as she comes to sit beside Eddie, taking Jasmine’s spot. She leans her head against Eddie’s arm, and he can’t help the smile on his face.

“You’re so welcome, sweetness. Now let me show you how you do it.” He brushes Jasmine’s hair very carefully, and luckily this time, there are no accidental tugs. He separates the hair out, just like he did with Ivy’s, and explains the process to her, slowly plaiting it as he talks.

A movement out of the corner of his eye startles him and he glances back to see Steve leaning closer, watching Eddie’s hands to see what he’s doing. When Eddie smiles at him, Steve shrugs sheepishly. “I kind of want to learn, too,” he admits.

Eddie grins. “C’mere, it’s pretty easy.”

To his surprise, Steve does move closer, coming to sit on the arm of the sofa Eddie’s back is up against. He can feel the heat of his thigh pressing against his back, and he pretends that he feels very normal about that.

“So, uh,” he says, stuttering a bit. “You just start with the three sections, and take one on either side and go over the one in the middle.”

“Does it matter which side you start on?” Steve asks.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, I usually start on the right out of habit, but it doesn’t really make a difference.”

He thinks he feels a hand touch his hair briefly, but the pressure is so fleeting that he could have very well imagined it. He imagines Steve taking the hair tie out, running his hands through Eddie’s curls, and it almost makes him squirm. God, he’d love that.

He finishes up Jasmine’s braid the same way he did Ivy’s, letting Ivy take over the last couple of plaits before tying it off.

“Alright, are we ready to practice on our real-life mannequin?” Eddie asks with a grin, shaking Jasmine’s shoulders playfully as he glances over at Ivy. They both nod, and Eddie smiles, patting Jasmine’s back so she’ll scoot down the sofa so he can resettle. “Alright, one on each side, I’ll part my hair and you guys can just freaking - go to town,” he says playfully, reaching up and pulling his hair tie out. He does a rough middle part with his fingers, and then, almost as an afterthought, he parts a small section out of the front, almost like he’s pulling his hair to cut more bangs, and holds it in his hand.

“Remember, three sections, over the middle,” Eddie reminds them as he settles. “Go for it.”

As soon as he gives the go-ahead, he feels them grab for his hair, dividing it the best they can. He peeks up at Steve, who’s still watching him from his perch on the arm of the sofa. He’s got the softest smile on his face, and all Eddie can think is cute, cute, cute.

He waves his little handful of hair at Steve. “C’mere, I saved some for you too.”

Steve looks a little surprised at that. “Oh,” he says, his voice sort of high and light. Eddie halfway expects him to decline, but instead, he moves to sit on the low coffee table, scooting forward so that they’re almost touching knees. He grins at Eddie, or at least Eddie thinks that’s what he’s doing, from what little he can see of him through the forest of hair. “You look a bit like Cousin It,” Steve teases.

Eddie snorts. “You do too, from this side,” he jokes.

Steve is definitely smiling as he reaches out, taking the hair gently out of Eddie’s hand, his fingers brushing his knuckles lightly, accidentally.

“Three sections,” Eddie says softly. His voice sounds sort of funny, and he realizes that he can sort of hear his blood rushing to his head, his heart beating incredibly too fast for the situation they’re in. This is so embarrassing, he thinks vaguely, trying to focus on the twins on either side of him rather than their father, who’s practically staring into his soul not a foot away from his face.

“Over the middle,” Steve says quietly, almost to himself. “Am I doing this right?” He asks, sounding skeptical.

Eddie nearly has to cross his eyes to see. “It looks fine to me,” he says with a little shrug. He glances at his left, then his right. “How are we doing, kiddos?”

“Mine looks funny,” Ivy announces, her voice full of glee, like the idea of making Eddie look ridiculous pleases her greatly.

Eddie rolls his eyes, and Steve has a matching look of fond exasperation. “Then you’re probably not doing something right,” Steve chastises her gently.

“I think mine is right,” Jasmine offers on Eddie’s right side. He tries to glance at the braid she’s creating, but he can’t see much of anything with his hair pulled into all these different directions.

“I’m sure it’s fine, hon. I’m sure they all are.” He smirks underneath his curtain of hair covering his face. “Well, except your dad’s. I don’t know how he’s doing,” he says in a stage whisper.

The girls giggle, but the jibe earns him a little tug from the man in question. And of course, because Eddie is some kind of degenerate heathen, it nearly makes him moan. Good god. “Hey, I’m trying, here,” Steve protests. “And they have more hair than I do, at least I’ve only got a little bit I can mess up.”

Eddie laughs, and hopes it doesn’t sound hoarse. “That just means it should be easier for you!” he taunts.

Steve just shakes his head, tsking, but when he finishes, it actually doesn’t look half bad. He lifts the little plait up so he can see Eddie’s face, grinning at him widely. “Oh, there you are,” he jokes.

“Here I am,” Eddie chirps back. He couldn’t stop smiling if he fucking tried. God this little family is the cutest. He’s so fucking screwed.

The twins finish theirs, showing them off proudly. Jasmine’s looks the best, but Ivy’s attempt definitely has… character. They have a good laugh over it all, and eventually, Steve announces it’s time for bed. The twins complain that they haven’t gotten to watch a movie, but Steve scoffs.

“Sure you did. You got to watch, and star in, Barbie Makeover: Eddie Edition. That’s more than enough entertainment for a night,” he says.

Eddie giggles at that.

“Alright, come on. Time for bed, sleepyheads. School tomorrow, so we’re not staying up late. Let’s go,” Steve says, standing up after giving his attempted braid one last friendly tug. Eddie’s glad his face is partially hidden.

“Can Eddie tuck us in too?” Jasmine asks as she follows Steve down the hall. Eddie follows a bit slower, trying to undo the braids and put his hair back in a more manageable state. Ivy is somewhere in front of him, humming and playing with her own braid.

“Sure,” Steve says. He glances back at Eddie, grinning at the madness of him still untangling that final braid. “It’s a good look, Eddie,” he says with a shit-eating grin.

Eddie tries to return it with something vaguely sarcastic. “Sure,” he mocks. He finally manages to shove all his hair out of his face and back onto his shoulders, but he knows it’s probably frizzy as hell now. Oh well.

Steve flicks the light in the twins’ room on, going over to flick on a night light and grab a book from the short bookcase next to the window. “Alright, let’s read Amelia Bedelia tonight, sound good?”

Ivy and Jasmine agree easily enough, and Eddie sort of hangs back, watching as they each climb into a bed, both of them pulling a stuffed animal close to them. It’s sweet.

“Eddie, come read too,” Ivy says, patting her bed on the other side of where Steve has just sat.

Steve glances at him with a smile, nodding his head to indicate he should do just that. So he does, going to sit down on the opposite side, but then he glances over at Jasmine, her bed close, but still looking alone. Luckily, he doesn’t have to feel bad for long, because then Steve is saying, “C’mere, sweetheart, come sit with us while we read our book.”

Jasmine smiles, sliding out from under her covers and joining them on Ivy’s bed immediately, snuggling in for a bedtime story.

Eddie listens as Steve begins reading, and his eyes flicker between the three of them, cataloging every single shift in their voices and expressions, watching as the twins grow sleepier and sleepier, Steve’s voice becoming lower and lower. It’s almost making Eddie sleepy, and he has to stop himself from leaning against Steve’s back.

Eventually, the twins are asleep, the book is put away, a sleeping Jasmine is returned to her own bed, and the door is pulled almost-shut behind them as they leave the room.

“So, first day?” Steve says quietly as they hesitate in the corridor. “Do you think you’ll be okay to be with them on your own tomorrow, when they get out of school?”

Eddie nods, an easy smile on his face. “Yeah, I think we’re going to be just fine.”

Steve smiles, and Eddie notices some tension visibly leaving his shoulders. “Great. They really like you, Eddie. You really hit it off with them.”

Eddie preens at the praise. “Good. I think they’re great, I can’t imagine having any better kids to nanny for, honestly.” He hesitates before reaching out and touching Steve’s wrist, saying softly, “I think you’re doing a great job with them.”

Steve’s smile twitches, and an emotion deeper than just joy flashes across his face for a split second. He presses his wrist into the touch for a second before pulling away. “Thank you. That… that means a lot.”

“Of course,” Eddie nods. He realizes this is where their conversation needs to end. “Um, goodnight, I guess. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Steve nods. “Yep, bright and early. Get some rest, Eddie.”

“Yeah. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Eddie sleeps easy that night, easier than he has in years, probably.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Eddie wakes up to the sound of his stupid alarm at an ungodly five-thirty a.m., which personally, he thinks is a time humans should never see. He rolls over and stops the alarm before it can wake up the whole house, but a vaguely logical part of his brain tells him that that’s exactly what needs to happen anyway.

Still, he decides that this is just a good opportunity for him to get a quick shower and start on some breakfast before he has to wake the twins up. He’s never particularly been a morning person, but the prospect of getting up early and being useful kicks his ass directly into gear. He finds a sensible shirt in his closet, a black sweater that can’t possibly be judged too harshly, paired with the jeans he wore the day before. He hums to himself as he collects his toiletries, and quietly makes his way to the bathroom, careful not to wake up the kids.

After moving approximately one-thousand bath toys, he finally manages to turn the shower tap on, glancing around the room curiously as he waits for the water to heat up. This is definitely the first room he’ll start with today while the girls are at school. It’s clear that this is primarily a child’s bathroom, but he knows there’s got to be a better way to organize all of the stuff in here.

The water pressure feels fucking fantastic on his skin when he finally ducks under it, and he sighs, wondering how long he could stay under the stream and still manage to get everyone ready for school on time. Probably not very long, he reasons. He washes his hair quickly, leaving conditioner to sit in it while he lathers up his neutralizing-scent soap, humming under his breath.

When he gets out of the shower he feels like a brand new man, spritzing himself with scent blockers and deodorant before getting dressed and brushing his teeth. His hair is a state while it’s wet, but he does the best he can with the towel, drying it enough so that it isn’t just dripping all over the place.

It’s close enough to six when he emerges that he goes to put his things away, then goes straight to the girls’ room to wake them up. He tries to be gentle about it, unlike the many rude awakenings he’d had himself as a child. He’s humming, opening the curtains and going over to their closet to see what sort of clothes they’ve got to choose from.

“Rise and shine, kiddos. Time to get ready for school!” Eddie announces brightly.

He hears some quiet groaning behind him, but ignores it in favor of pulling out a few things to make an outfit.

“Do we have to go?” Ivy whines.

Eddie turns to give her a smile. He’s obsessed with the fact that they’re already this comfortable with him. “Yeah, unfortunately you do. It’ll be great, though, don’t worry. We’ll have a good breakfast before school, and afterwards we can do whatever you guys want, okay?”

Jasmine sits up, stretching her arms up over her head as she yawns. “Are you gonna pick our clothes out? Can we help?” She asks, rubbing her eyes.

Eddie pauses. He hadn’t even thought about whether or not they might want to do that themselves. “I was going to, but you guys can pick them out. I can just help make sure it matches, yeah?”

Ivy looks excited by that, jumping off the bed almost instantly. “Are you sure? Daddy always picks out our school clothes for us.”

“Well,” Eddie says with a shrug. “I think it’ll be fine if you guys pick, just this once.”

Jasmine grins, joining them by the closet. “I like you,” she says simply. “You’re cool.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh. “Thanks,” he says, ruffling her hair, which has mostly been pulled out of her braid in her sleep.

He leans against the door frame while they go through their closet to find something to wear, and he’s smiling, content to just watch the chaos unfold, when he hears a voice behind him.

“Good morning,” Steve says.

Eddie startles a little, glancing behind him. “Oh, hey,” he says with a smile, pretending he isn’t flustered by how deep Steve’s voice is. “Morning.”

Steve steps past him, brushing his hand lightly down Eddie’s side as he does. Eddie has to concentrate hard not to shiver. “What’re we doing?” he asks, sounding a little confused when he sees the twins looking through their clothes.

Eddie shrugs. “I told them they could pick out their own outfits for school. Is that… is that okay?” he asks, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. God, he hadn’t thought about it, but it is probably a bit early to be calling the shots like this. He hopes Steve isn’t mad at the girls since-

“Of course that’s fine,” Steve says, turning and giving him an easy smile. “I’m just surprised, is all. I normally just pick out their clothes because it’s faster,” he admits. He turns to his daughters then, who don’t even seem to be mildly interested in his presence. “Uh, good morning?” he says to them, putting his hands on his hips.

“Morning, Daddy,” Jasmine says politely. She passes by him without so much as a glance, handing her little handful of clothes up for Eddie to check. “Does this match?” She asks sweetly.

Eddie takes the items from her, smiling when he finds a pair of bright yellow, wide-legged pants, and a black sweater with little white and yellow daisies on it. “Yup, looks good. Do you have some black shoes to wear with it?”

Jasmine nods, excited. “Yeah, I do.”

He nods, stepping back to let her pass. “Alright, go get dressed then.” He turns to watch Ivy, who seems to be struggling between two different options. “Ivy, you need help, sweetheart?” Eddie asks from his place against the wall. Steve is standing close to him, his arms crossed as he watches the proceedings, a little smile tugging at his lips.

Ivy sighs. “I wanna wear a dress, but I don’t wanna be cold,” she complains.

Eddie shrugs, stepping closer and flipping through the options in the closet. “Well, what about this?” he asks, tugging out what looks like a sweatshirt dress. “You could wear it with leggings and sneakers, yeah?”

Ivy crinkles her nose. “But would that match?” She asks, petulant.

Steve coughs out a laugh from behind him. Eddie ignores it. “Yeah, honey, I think so. Just some plain black leggings and maybe some white sneakers, I think it would be cute.”

“Okay,” she finally agrees, taking the dress from him and handing the hanger back. “Do I have to wait for Jazz to come out of the bathroom?”

Eddie’s about to answer when Steve interjects. “We’ll step out, Ivy, you can just get dressed in here. Make sure to brush your teeth when she comes out though, okay?”

Ivy nods, and Eddie follows Steve dutifully out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. Steve leads the way to the kitchen, and Eddie feels a little bit like a lost puppy, trailing behind him like this. “That… went okay, right?” Eddie asks, tentative.

Steve turns to smile at him. “I think so,” he agrees. “Jasmine’s usually the easy one with things like that. Ivy… not so much. She’s never met a problem that she can’t exacerbate.”

Eddie has to laugh at that. He can see that, even from what very little he knows about the girl. “Right,” he says. He remembers himself then, sitting up from where he’d been leaning briefly against the kitchen island. “So, eggs, bacon, toast? What do you guys usually do for breakfast?”

Steve shrugs. “It usually depends on how late we’re running, but I’m not gonna complain about eggs and bacon.”

Eddie smiles and nods, going to rifle through the fridge. “Oh, you buy the real nice stuff,” he notes, glancing at all the unfamiliar brand names, the ones he usually never looks twice at while at the grocery store himself.

Something about the comment must rub Steve the wrong way, because he’s looking down at the countertop when Eddie glances back at him. “Yeah,” he says flatly.

“I…” Eddie starts, but he’s got no idea where to even go with that. “How do you guys like your eggs?” He asks instead.

“Scrambled is fine,” Steve says, still looking down at the countertop.

Eddie nods, playing a game of trial and error to see which cabinets hold which supplies. Eventually, he manages to get it together, and before long, the eggs and bacon are sizzling in their pans and he’s getting the toaster up and running as coffee brews in the pot next to him.

“Daddy, have you seen my white sneakers?” Ivy’s voice calls as she comes into the kitchen.

Steve replies with a sigh. “They should be in the closet, love.”

“But they’re not!” She protests. “I’ve looked everywhere for them, and they’re not in there!”

Eddie glances over at the scene, but neither of them pay him any mind. “Okay, why don’t you wear a different pair of shoes today, and we’ll look for your other ones when we get home,” Steve says, leveling with her.

“Fine,” she says, and Eddie can hear the pout. “Can I borrow sissy’s shoes?”

“Uh, absolutely not. Not without asking her first.”

“But Daddy,” Ivy whines. “She’s gonna say no!”

Steve shrugs at her. “Well, I can’t help that. I’m not forcing her to share her stuff with you because you can’t keep up with your own things.”

Ivy huffs. Eddie glances over his shoulder at them, surprised to see Steve and his daughter in some sort of tense stare-off. Ivy looks so much like him that it’s actually sort of scary.

“Honey, why don’t you eat breakfast, and I’ll go try to find your shoes, okay?” Eddie interrupts as he begins plating up the food.

Both of them look like they’ve been startled out of their little staring contest, but Eddie couldn’t care less. He slides a plate in front of Steve first, setting a smaller one in front of the chair beside him, then turns back and grabs the mug of coffee he’d poured, as well as a glass of orange juice, setting those down in front of them as well. “Be back in a second,” he says with an easy smile, ruffling Ivy’s hair as he passes her.

“Thank you,” Steve calls sweetly towards his back as he leaves the room.

Eddie smiles, giddy.

“Jasmine, breakfast is ready in the kitchen, honey,” Eddie says as he passes the open door of the bathroom, where Jasmine is stood at the sink, brushing her teeth.

“Mkay,” she mumbles around a mouthful of foam.

Eddie surveys their bedroom for a moment when he walks in, going to check the closet first, finding the shoe caddy on both doors full, but neither of them containing a pair of white sneakers. Hmm. He turns a circle, glancing around at his other options.

He spots Ivy’s unmade bed, something peeking out from under the bed skirt. Bingo. He retrieves the sneakers, dusting them off a little on his way back to the kitchen. All three Harringtons are lined up at the kitchen island, and Eddie can hear Steve talking quietly to them. He hears a bit that sounds like, “-have to behave-“ before he promptly interrupts.

“Here, Ivy,” he says, setting the sneakers on the floor next to Ivy’s chair.

“You found them!” She cheers, grinning up at him widely. “Thank you!”

Eddie smiles, ruffling her hair as he goes to make himself a plate of breakfast too. He feels Steve’s gaze on him and glances over, offering him a generic smile.

“Where did you find them?” Steve asks, gesturing to the shoes.

Eddie shares a glance with Ivy, wagging his finger at her playfully. “Under her bed.”

Ivy grins sheepishly. “Thank you, Eddie,” she says sweetly.

He winks at her, but catches the hesitant look on Steve’s face, his lips quirking into a frown. Eddie gives him a curious look, and Steve glances between the two of them before speaking. “Next time you need to go find your shoes by yourself, Ivy,” he lectures gently. “Eddie’s not here to go looking for all your lost things, okay? You need to be responsible and keep up with them yourself.”

Eddie knows the lecture is not necessarily targeted at him, but he feels chastised nonetheless, looking down at his food in embarrassment. He really thought he was doing the right thing, he didn’t even consider this side of it.

“Eddie,” Steve says from beside him a moment later, putting his plate in the sink. “Hey,” he says gently, clearly seeing the distraught look on his face. Steve reaches out, gently pushing Eddie’s hair back over his shoulder before dropping his hand there and squeezing. “You’re not in trouble, hon, I just want them to learn to be independent and take responsibility for themselves. You didn’t know that, okay?”

It embarrasses him a little, to see how kindly Steve is handling him being a big baby about this. “Okay,” Eddie says quietly. “Sorry,” he tacks on.

Steve smiles, shaking his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re new at this, remember? You’ll learn things like that on the way, okay?”

Eddie nods, missing the contact immediately when Steve pulls away to go collect the twins’ plates. Eddie starts running water in the sink as he listens to Steve tell the girls to go get their coats and backpacks. It’s clearly a well-oiled machine at this point.

“Do you want to fix their hair this morning?” Steve asks as he adds the other dishes to the sink. “I can wash these up while you do that.”

“Shouldn’t I…” Eddie trails off, uncertain. This isn’t the first time that Steve has offered to split these sort of chores, and Eddie’s starting to wonder what he’s getting at by doing that. “Shouldn’t I be doing both?”

Steve gives him an odd look. “No, not necessarily.” He seems to realize something then, and he shakes his head. “Eddie, I’m not entirely useless. You’re here to help me, of course, but I don’t intend on just sitting back and letting you take over every single little household chore. Having you here is just… to even the load. And to have someone stable for the girls, when I work late and travel.”

Eddie nods slowly. It goes against everything he’s ever been taught about being an omega, but if this is the way Steve wants it… then he’s more than happy to do it his way. “Okay. Then yeah, I’d love to do their hair,” he grins.

Steve smiles back at him. “I’m sure they’ll be relieved that it won’t be me.”

The girls come back in then, as if on cue, and Eddie directs both of them to a barstool as he goes to grab a brush and hair ties. They don’t want their hair to match, he learns, and Ivy prefers hers to be up and out of her face as much as possible, while Jasmine doesn’t mind hers being down. He thinks, briefly, that it’s a little at odds with their personalities, Ivy being the more wild of the two, but maybe she’s figured out the sensibility of having it out of her way.

He ends up doing a french braid for Ivy and a half-up half-down sort of bun look for Jasmine. Both of them seem thrilled with it, and Eddie slyly suggests that they should ask their dad for some bows to make it even cuter. Their eyes light up at the idea, and Steve rolls his eyes fondly, winking at Eddie when they aren’t looking. Eddie’s knees are a little weak.

“Oh, Eddie? One more thing,” Steve says as the girls are getting their coats on and checking that they have everything they need in their backpacks.

“Yeah?” he asks, tying his own hair back into his usual low bun.

Steve glances at the movement, and his mouth flickers. “Your hair was curling so nicely,” he says, almost in a pout. Eddie raises an eyebrow at this, and Steve’s face flushes. “Right, erm… Here. I went ahead and ordered you a card linked to my credit account,” Steve says, holding out a black square of plastic. “If you and the girls ever want to go get a snack, or you notice we need something around the house, or if you just need something yourself, you use this, okay?”

Eddie stares at it. He’s never had a credit card before, or even access to one. His uncle had taught him early on that people like them don’t get mixed up in things like that, in case they find themselves in a situation where they can’t pay for it.

“Oh. Um. Are you sure?” Eddie asks nervously, taking the corner of the card like he’s afraid it’ll burn him.

“Of course,” Steve says, looking confused. “You won’t get your first paycheck for another two weeks, you’ll need something to use in the meantime. And plus, if it’s something for my girls, or for the house, it needs to come from my account anyway. You don’t need to spend your own money on things like that, okay?”

Eddie can’t believe the trust he’s being given right now. “Oh. Okay.”

Steve can clearly sense his anxiety. “Girls, go wait by the door, Eddie will be there in just a second, okay?” He instructs. The twins obey, and Eddie feels a twist of nerves inside, for a completely different reason. Steve studies him carefully, reaching out and gently cradling Eddie’s chin, prompting him to meet his eyes. “Eddie, I don’t know what kind of financial situation you’re used to, and it’s not my place to ask. But here? Here, you will be taken care of, got it? You don’t need to worry about money or anything. Not with me.”

Eddie feels like his face is burning, radiating from the gentle press of Steve’s fingertips to his skin, but he manages a nod. “Okay,” he breathes.

Steve nods, seemingly satisfied with his answer. He steps back, maintaining that air of professionalism once more. “Alright. Let me hug my daughters, and then you guys can be on your way. They know how to get to school, so just follow their lead, okay?”

“Alright,” Eddie nods. He follows Steve down the hall, watches with fondness as Steve crouches down and hugs and kisses both of his daughters, reminding them he loves them and saying he hopes they each have a good day at school. It’s impossibly sweet, and almost hurts to watch, knowing that he’s very much an outsider to it.

They leave after their goodbyes, Steve waving at them from the door, and Eddie takes a deep breath when he’s out of sight, hoping that he can prove himself in this part, at least.

He’s got this.

~~~

“Did you know our Daddy for a long time?” Ivy asks shortly into their walk. They’d been talking about other things at first - the weather, their school, even dinosaurs, but somehow, it had turned to this.

“Oh, uh, not very long,” Eddie answers. The question was worded a bit funny, but he still understood what she was asking. “Not as long as you guys have, of course,” he jokes. Each of them is holding one of his hands, and something about it fills his omega with pride.

“Did you move in with us to be our new mommy?” Jasmine asks, her voice sweet and curious.

Eddie trips on nothing.

“What?” He asks, his head whipping around to look at her.

She shares a confused look with her sister. “Well… You do everything a mommy does. And you let Daddy play with your hair.”

Eddie shakes his head quickly. Nope. He’s definitely gotta stop this one in its tracks. “Oh. No, honey, I didn’t move in with you guys to… do that. I just work for your dad. He needed some help taking care of you guys, you know?”

Ivy nods solemnly. “Yeah. That last lady was super mean!”

Jasmine nods in agreement. “Yeah she was.”

That piques Eddie’s curiosity. He hadn’t even thought about there being previous nannies, but surely there was. “Oh? What was so bad about her?” he asks carefully.

Ivy shrugs. “She was just mean. I don’t think she liked Daddy very much.”

“Yeah,” Jasmine agrees. “She said he was a disgrace.”

Eddie blanches. “She what?” he nearly shouts. He can’t imagine saying that about anyone, especially Steve. And especially not to Steve’s children.

Ivy nods, but looks sad. “Yeah. She told us he’s a disgrace, ‘cause he’s an unmated alpha, raising his kids by himself.”

That makes Eddie hesitate. The way she said it… made it sound like maybe there wasn’t a nanny before that. “Oh,” he says, wondering if he should ask. He lets curiosity win. “So, it was just you guys and your dad before that?”

Jasmine nods, jumping over a puddle on the sidewalk. “Mhm. Daddy used to not do work all the time,” she sounds wistful. “But then he got motored, and now he’s got lots of ‘sponsibiliries.”

Eddie can’t help but smile at the way she said that. “He got promoted and has lots of responsibilities now?” He corrects gently.

Jasmine has a sheepish grin on her face as she looks up at him, knocking her head against his hip playfully. “Yeah,” she says. “But it’s okay. He spends lots of time with us when he can.”

“That’s great,” Eddie says gently. “I know your dad loves you guys a lot, or else he wouldn’t have asked me to come help out.”

Ivy nods. “I’m just glad it’s you, not that mean old lady.” She looks genuine, shaking her head like she can’t even explain the horrors she’s seen.

Eddie squeezes her hand. “Well I’m glad I’m here, too, honey. And I’m not that mean,” he jokes with a wink.

The twins giggle. “You know,” Jasmine starts. “We thought you’d be mean and scary, when we first saw you.”

That surprises Eddie. “Did you?” He asks, glancing at the two of them. When Ivy nods, he fakes a wince, releasing their hands just long enough to place them over his chest, like they’ve stabbed him in the heart. “Oh, it hurts!” he simpers.

They giggle even harder, and he grins as he takes their hands once more. “You’re silly,” Jasmine informs him through her laughter.

Eddie wags her arm lightly. “Well, duh! Do you guys still think I look mean and scary?” He asks, looking at both of them with his best impersonation of a baby deer.

Ivy laughs, but shakes her head. “Not anymore. I think you kinda look like a princess.”

That stalls him, for a second. “Oh?” he says, almost laughing. “How so?”

The girl just shrugs, but gestures to her own hair, then his. “All your big hair,” she explains. “Princess hair!”

Eddie glances at her sister, like he’s looking for backup, and Jasmine nods solemnly. “Princess hair,” she agrees.

And Eddie can’t help but laugh at that, just a little. “Well, alright, if you say so.”

They both emphatically agree that he does in fact have princess hair, and he decides to leave it at that. What an… enlightening morning this has been so far.

They arrive at the school right on time, and Eddie crouches down to make sure their shoes are tied and say goodbye. “Alright, I’ll be right back here later this afternoon to pick you guys up, okay?” He says, glancing between the two of them. They nod, and Ivy rocks back and forth on her shoes, like she’s ready to go. Eddie smiles at them. “Alright. Have a good day, okay? Be good!”

They make it up the steps together, and his heart clenches when they both glance back, as if checking to see that he’s still there. He lifts a hand up to wave, smiling at them. He blows them a kiss, just to see them giggle, and as soon as he sees that they’re in the building, he turns to head back home, smiling to himself the whole way.

~~~

When Eddie makes it back to the apartment, he’s humming to himself, compiling a list in his head of everything he wants to accomplish during the day. First, tackle the twins’ bathroom, get that organized. Then, assess the laundry situation, clean up the kitchen, make a grocery list…

He’s still thinking when he steps into the kitchen, apparently so lost in his own thoughts that he’s blind.

“Oops!” he says as he bumps into something.

Or rather, someone.

“Oh, shit. Sorry, hon,” Steve says, a hand darting out to steady Eddie where he’d stumbled after running straight into the other man.

“Sorry,” Eddie says, his face probably more than a little flushed when he glances up at Steve. “Er, what are you still doing here?” He asks, glancing down at his watch. It’s already half-past seven, and he had assumed that Steve left for work really early.

“Oh, I don’t have any meetings until nine, so I can usually run a little late in the mornings, unless something comes up.” Steve glances at his hair in the reflection of the refrigerator, and Eddie has half a mind to tell him that he looks good.

He doesn’t. Instead, he says, “Oh, okay.” It’s a little bit awkward, for a moment, being alone with Steve without the bustle of children to keep them distracted. It’s just them and the empty space, and Eddie can’t help the way his eyes follow the muscles in Steve’s shoulders and back as he reaches into cabinets, clearly assembling some sort of lunch for himself.

“I can do that,” Eddie says, suddenly feeling a little useless just standing there watching.

Steve glances back at him, a small smile quirking at his lips. “Do you remember what I said about letting me do things?” Steve says, a little chastising.

Eddie doesn’t meet his gaze. He does, of course. “Well… okay, fine,” he says, and he knows he sounds like a petulant child.

That seems to amuse Steve, if his grin and laugh is anything to go by. “I get it, you know,” he says, softer than Eddie was expecting. When Eddie gives him a confused look, Steve shrugs, piling things onto his sandwich without any sort of rhyme or reason. “You just want to take care of someone. I get that.”

Eddie would probably bristle if it weren’t true. Instead, he just gives him a sheepish look. “I really can’t help it,” he says. “I’ll try to reign it in, though. I know it’s annoying.”

Steve glances at him like that surprises him, shaking his head. “It’s not annoying at all, actually,” he corrects. “I think it’s sweet. And it reminds me that you’re the perfect person for this job.”

That really does make Eddie blush, and he has to look away to hide it. “Right,” he says quietly, without argument. “Well, um…”

“What are you gonna get up to today?” Steve asks, effectively bridging the gap between the awkward silence.

“Oh. well, I thought I’d reorganize the twins’ bathroom, if that’s okay. Then maybe do some laundry, or go grocery shopping or something.” Eddie says, suddenly desperate for Steve’s approval, or guidance, or something.

Steve just nods, looking pleased. “Sounds good. Remember to use your credit card, okay?”

Eddie nods. He hadn’t forgotten about it, exactly, but he was definitely trying his best not to think about it so much. “Okay,” he says.

After he finishes constructing his monstrosity of a sandwich, Steve goes back to his room to finish getting dressed, and Eddie can’t help the omega instinct to go slide a couple of snacks in his lunchbox too. He plays innocent immediately after, though, looking through the fridge and making notes on the chalkboard when he notices something else they need.

By the time Steve emerges, Eddie’s got a good list going on, and is raiding the pantry to make sure he’s not forgetting anything. “Rice?” he asks, no preamble.

“Uh, should be some in the, uh…” he stumbles over his words, and Eddie glances over in time to see him fiddling helplessly with his tie. “Uh, there,” Steve says, gesturing vaguely to a cabinet.

Eddie does find some rice, marking it off the list now that he knows it’s there, but then he turns around to deal with the new problem. “Need some help?” he offers sweetly, going to sit on a barstool.

Steve looks embarrassed, but nods, stepping closer. “I normally don’t even bother with these,” he explains as he steps in between Eddie’s open legs. His scent swarms him suddenly, that deep, rich bourbon-vanilla smell almost making Eddie weak in the knees. “But my boss is coming by today, and I don’t want to look like a total idiot when he stops in.”

Eddie’s fingers are quick and efficient as they do up the knot in the tie, but he tries to slow down just slightly to prolong this closeness, the warm puff of Steve’s breath across his own face, the sweet, almost tender look in his eyes as he looks down at Eddie. It’s too much, but not nearly enough. “There,” Eddie says, unable to recognize his own voice. “All done,” he says, patting the tie neatly before pulling his hands, and himself, away.

Steve glances down, a bright smile on his face when he takes in the completed work. “Thanks,” he says sweetly, seeming to have no issues at all with how stupidly close they are. “Much better than the mess I would’ve created,” he jokes.

“Yeah, no problem,” Eddie says, trying to force himself to feel normal about this. Nothing out of the ordinary, here. Nothing at all.

He thinks for a second that Steve might say something else about the tie, but instead he glances down at his watch, swearing softly. “Right. I really need to get to work. You’re okay, right? You’ve got your keys, card, everything you need?”

Eddie nods. He feels a little embarrassed, distantly, that Steve is doting on him like this, but mostly he just feels… nice. It’s nice, he realizes, to have someone care about you. Like really, actually care about you. It’s not something he’s never felt, exactly, but it’s definitely not super familiar. He thinks… that maybe he could get used to this.

“Yeah,” he says, instead of voicing any of that nonsense. “I’m good. Er. Have a good day at work, sw-”

Eddie catches himself before he says a stupid pet name. God. He doesn’t have the luxury of calling Steve those names willy-nilly.

He clears his throat. Steve raises an eyebrow.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?” Steve says, slipping on a suit jacket that hugs his shoulders, tapering around his waist perfectly. Eddie has to force himself to look away. “I should be home around five or six, but I’ll call and let you know if something changes.”

Eddie nods. Steve lingers, like he wants to say something else, but after a few minutes he just gives Eddie a small smile, grabs his lunch, and leaves.
Now it’s time to get to work.

~~~

After a morning trip to the store for some essentials and an afternoon of reorganizing and cleaning the bathroom, Eddie makes his way to the school to pick up the twins. He watches as they follow the flood of other children out of the building, their little eyes searching the crowd to find him. He holds a hand up in a wave, knowing he’s on the shorter side, and can’t help the grin when both of the twins’ faces light up when they spot him. They rush over to him, a blur of color and blonde hair until they’re standing before him, grinning and talking fast.

He laughs at their enthusiasm. “Hi, girls,” he says, reaching out and taking Ivy’s right hand and Jasmine’s left, turning them to walk home. “How was school?” He asks, as if they aren’t already halfway through some scrambled story.

“It was great! We learned about why it rains, and got to color raindrops!” Jasmine says excitedly. Eddie nods along with her, making the appropriate “wow,” noises.

Ivy doesn’t seem as impressed with the raindrops. “That was okay. My favorite part was when we got to go outside and play!” She says, skipping over a crack in the sidewalk.

Eddie can’t help but laugh at how different their personalities are. “Ah, yeah, I bet that was fun!” He agrees with her. “Are you guys hungry?”

They both nod excitedly, and Eddie grins, glancing around like he’s about to tell them a secret. “How about we go get a snack before we go home?”

“Yes!” Ivy screeches, Jasmine cheering her agreement.

Eddie grins and they make their way to a small convenience store that Eddie had spotted on the walk over earlier. He lets them peruse the snack aisle at their leisure, standing back and watching, fond. He hears something clatter somewhere behind him and turns, startled.

“Great,” a small woman says. She’s got strawberry blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail, and when she lets out an annoyed puff of air, her bangs flutter. She is also, Eddie notices as his eyes flicker down at the candy bar she’d just dropped, heavily pregnant.

“Oh, here,” Eddie says, immediately bending down to grab it for her. He places it in her outstretched hand before stepping back with a smile. He doesn’t intend to say anything more, turning to corral the twins, but she stops him with her sweet voice.

“Oh, thank you,” she says, sounding a little surprised. “I swear I feel like I can’t do anything by myself anymore,” she complains, resting a gentle hand on her ballooned belly. She smiles down at it, and Eddie has to look away, his heart hurting.

“Right,” he says, trying to force a light laugh. He wants to leave, a weird, sickening feeling creeping up in his chest, one that he has no explanation for.

Unfortunately for him, the twins choose that moment to emerge at his side, and he already knows from the soft gasp of surprise what’s coming.

“Oh!” Ivy says, sounding delighted. She glances up at Eddie, then at the woman. “Hi!” She greets, sweetly.

The woman looks almost as delighted to see them as they are to see her. “Hello,” she replies, smiling at the both of them. She begins rubbing her belly, almost absently, and Eddie longs for something he’s never had, something he will probably never have. “Aren’t you two just adorable! I’m Chrissy. What are your names?”

“I’m Ivy,” she says, not a shy bone in her body.

Jasmine is a little more reserved. She takes hold of Eddie’s hand, hiding half of her face behind his arm. “Jasmine,” she says, softly.

The woman, Chrissy, smiles widely. “Those are beautiful names,” she tells them.

“Thank you,” Jasmine says quietly, while Ivy echoes the sentiment a bit louder. Eddie almost feels inclined to thank her as well, but he doesn’t know what for.

Ivy steps forward, gesturing to Chrissy’s tummy in a way that would probably seem rude if she wasn’t so sweet. “What’s their name gonna be?” She asks.

Chrissy smiles, then shrugs. “I’m not sure yet. My alpha and I want to wait until they are born to decide.”

Ivy nods, still looking curiously at her tummy. “Does it hurt very much?”

“Ivy,” Eddie warns, lightly. He sends Chrissy an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Not much for tact, this one.”

Chrissy laughs at it, waving it off. “She’s fine. And yeah, it hurts a little bit,” she says honestly. She looks at Eddie then, with some sort of knowing smile that he doesn’t think he’s earned. “Probably not as bad as it hurt your mom to carry you two, though. How did you do it? You’re so little!” She enthuses, gesturing at Eddie with something like awe in her voice.

Eddie flushes. Instantly, he recognizes her mistake.

“Oh, um-” he starts, shaking his head. She looks at him curiously, waiting for a response. “I’m not uh…” Jasmine squeezes his hand, looking up at him with what he thinks might be pity. There’s no way she could possibly understand what he’s going through, but he squeezes it back, and it gives him the strength to reply, “I’m not their mom, actually.”

Chrissy looks surprised by this revelation. “Oh!” She said, glancing at the twins and back to him several times, like she’s trying to figure it out. “I just- you’re an omega, right? I just assumed-”

Eddie nods, positive his face is flushed. He’s embarrassed, and wistful, and jealous - some part of him manages to recognize the lost emotion- jealous of this woman who he doesn’t know, simply because she’s expecting pups and he isn’t, doesn’t think he’ll ever have the chance to. And it’s… not fair, of course, but that doesn’t stamp down the feeling any.

“I’m an omega,” he agrees. “But I’m just their nanny.”

“Oh,” Chrissy says, looking a little embarrassed. “I am so sorry for assuming like that, I didn’t-”

Eddie cuts her off, spares them both the extra mortification. “It’s fine. I, um…” he glances down at the girls, smiling as he pets Ivy’s hair, squeezes Jasmine’s hand. “I’d be so lucky to be their mom. But I’ll take being the nanny, though.”

Chrissy smiles, something soft and motherly on her face. “Well, it looks like you’re doing a great job,” she says kindly. She waves at the girls. “I’ve gotta go give my little rugrat the weird stuff they’ve been craving, but it was nice to meet you all.”

Ivy waves at her, calling a goodbye to both her and the baby, and Jasmine silently raises her hand. As soon as the woman has disappeared, Ivy whirls around to him. “Eddie, do you think you’ll ever have pups?” she asks, bold.

Eddie nearly blanches. “Let’s pay for our snacks and go home,” he says, herding them to the register and hoping this closes this conversation once and for all.

Chapter Text

Somehow, miraculously, Eddie makes it through his first week of being the Harrington nanny.

It’s not without some minor hiccups and one minor meltdown, but if he’s doing the addition and subtraction correctly, he’s still pretty sure they’re on the positive side of the equation. The girls seem to really like him, Steve seems to really like him, though not in the way Eddie is quickly realizing he craves. But Steve is kind, patient, and helpful, and Eddie is so, so grateful that he was able to find a job where he can do what he’s always wanted to do, with a built-in support system he never thought he’d have.

On his first Friday with them, Steve comes home from work early.

Well, early for Steve. The first few days, Eddie had noticed that Steve does push that whole “home-by-five” schtick, sometimes staying till half-past, arriving home at six, and one night he didn’t trudge through the door until seven. Eddie still doesn’t quite understand what it is Steve does, but whatever it is really takes all the energy out of him.

But Fridays seem to be meaningful in the Harrington house.

Steve makes it in around half-past four, while the girls are finishing up their homework at the bar after having some sliced bananas and blueberries as a snack. The click of the door closing makes both of them perk up, their heads snapping up to face the sound. Eddie rolls his eyes, but smiles, nodding to the door.

“Daddy!” The twins call excitedly as they scramble down from the bar stools, running to meet their father at the door. This was somewhat of a routine for them by now. Eddie had noticed even on Monday that the twins craved time with their father, so much so that they couldn’t even imagine giving the man a moment to breathe before they were flocking to him.

“Hi, my sweet girls,” Steve says, his voice warm with his usual greeting. Eddie grins down at the peppers he’s chopping. The domesticity, the family of it all, filled him with a joy unlike anything else he’d ever experienced.

The twins immediately begin entertaining Steve with stories about their day, and Eddie looks up at him with a smile when he manages to make it to the kitchen, each of them practically hanging off of him. He sets his lunchbox on the counter, hangs his messenger bag on the hook by the fridge, then comes around the counter to greet Eddie.

This is what Eddie, with his sad little heart, and his pathetic desires, looks forward to every day.

Steve, coming around the counter, placing a gentle hand on Eddie’s lower back, and murmuring a warm hello before asking about his day.

He does this now, reminding the girls to put away their schoolwork if they’re finished (they’re not) before his warm, large hand settles in the spot just a couple inches above Eddie’s ass, smiling at him sweetly. “Hey, hon,” he says, as if the word doesn’t set Eddie on fire, make him want things he can’t ask for. “Did you have a good day?”

Eddie nods, just as he does every day, pretending that he’s very focused on his vegetable chopping. “It was good. I went grocery shopping while the girls were at school. I bought you more graham crackers.”

Steve grins, like this is the best news he’s heard all day, and Eddie melts. “Thank you,” he says, sincerely. “What’re you making for dinner? Do you need any help?”

As usual, Eddie wants to scoff at the offer, but he forces himself to smile instead. “Roasted pork and grilled veggies,” he says, gesturing to the peppers. “And I’ll make some macaroni and cheese for the girls.”

“I can chop?” Steve offers, noting, as always, the lack of acknowledgement his previous offer of help received.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, I’ve got it. You’ve been at work. Go change clothes, lie down, whatever you need to do.”

Steve sighs, just like he always does. “I had a shorter day today, I can help,” he insists.

“Eddie, can you help me with this problem?” Ivy asks from across the bar, frowning down at her math homework.

Eddie grins at Steve, gesturing at his daughter with the knife in his hand. “Help them finish up? And then I’ll see if I can put you to work.”

Steve grins, but there’s a dusting of pink across his cheekbones. “Alright,” he says, easy, as if he doesn’t mind Eddie’s little bossy tone in the slightest.

The twins alternate between asking Steve for help and telling him about their day at school, occasionally stopping to say, “oh, Eddie, I forgot to tell you-” which sort of warms Eddie’s whole heart.

Eddie tries not to be too nosy, but he can’t help but glance up at them frequently, smiling down at the food he’s preparing as he sees how sweet Steve is with them.
“Alright, girls. Go put your backpacks in your room and clean up in there, okay? I saw how it looked last night, and we’re not going anywhere fun tomorrow if you don’t have that room clean, got it?” Steve says, wagging a finger at them.

They giggle a bit, but agree, clamoring off their bar stools and making their way to their bedroom to do what they’re told.

Steve sighs, turns to look at Eddie, smiles. “Right. What can I do to help?” He asks, clapping his hands together expectantly.

Eddie grins. “I’ve got almost everything done, actually,” he says, taking the pot of boiling macaroni noodles off the stove, moving to the sink to drain them. “The vegetables are in the oven, but- oh! Fu-dammit!” He can’t help the swear, the outburst. Because somehow, his fucking feet trip over the nothingness beneath them, and sends him stumbling against the counter, boiling water splashing all down the front of him.

“Shit,” Steve says, his voice an octave or two higher and louder than it normally is. He swoops in with far more grace and speed than Eddie probably would, if the situations were reversed. He grabs the pot, setting it off to the side, and grabs the bottom of Eddie’s shirt, pulling it away from his stomach. There’s panic in his voice, and in his eyes, as he asks, “Eddie, are you okay?”

“I- I think so?” Eddie says, shaky. He gingerly takes the material out of Steve’s hand, tugging it up to look at the damage. His stomach is red, and probably blistered. Great.

“I’ll go get you a clean shirt,” Steve offers immediately, moving away to do just that.

Eddie flushes, this time from sheer embarrassment and not the heat of the boiling water. “Actually, uh-” he starts, Steve pausing in his tracks to look at him expectantly. “I don’t, um… I don’t have any other clean shirts.” He feels stupid when he says it.

“What?” Steve asks, furrowing his brows.

“I- I was going to do laundry tomorrow! But… I only have like four or five shirts, and I’ve worn those this week, so… it’s fine, really. It’ll dry.” He shrugs, like the idea of hanging out in this sopping wet shirt for the rest of the evening doesn’t bother him in the slightest. Going to bed won’t be a problem, as he sleeps shirtless most of the time anyway, but he knows it’ll be annoying to sit around in this shirt until then.

“Oh,” Steve says. He looks bothered, but in a pitying kind of way. Eddie looks away. “Alright, then let me go grab one of mine,” he says it so simply, like that’s a normal thing to offer.

Eddie’s eyes nearly pop out of his skull. “Uh, no, that’s okay,” he tries, trailing after Steve, like a little lost puppy.

“Nonsense,” Steve says, waving his hand. “You can’t just sit around wearing that all evening.”

Eddie wants to argue, really he does. If not for the embarrassment, then at least to maintain some semblance of professionalism, but he can’t even seem to manage that. “Okay,” he says finally, standing in the middle of Steve’s room awkwardly as the other man searches his dresser for a shirt.

“Here,” Steve says, walking over and holding out a dark green piece of fabric. Eddie eyes it suspiciously. Steve laughs. “I know it’s not your typical color scheme, but I promise it’s not gonna bite you.”

Eddie takes it, albeit distrustfully, unfolding it to see that it’s a sweatshirt for East Hawkins Community College. He snorts. “I didn’t know you were from Hawkins,” he says, lightly. He’s trying to remember, suddenly, if he knew Steve back then. He was certain he couldn’t forget a face like that.

Steve shakes his head. “I’m not. Er, well… I went to elementary school there, but then when my parents… anyway. I was in a boarding school a couple hours away from Hawkins, but I went back for college.” He looks uncomfortable now.

“Oh,” Eddie says. He’s curious now, since this is probably the most information Steve has volunteered about his background since he started working for him, but he can tell it’s not something he is keen on sharing. Eddie gestures to the bathroom, awkwardly. “I’ll go, uh-”

He steps into the bathroom, and has just pulled the ruined shirt over his head when he hears Steve’s voice behind him, far too close to still be in the other room. Eddie can’t help the way he jumps and instinctively uses the fresh shirt in an attempt to hide his body.

Steve gives him a soft look. “Let me see the burn?” he says, voice gentle. “I just want to make sure you don’t need to go to the hospital or anything.”

Eddie tries to laugh that off, but his voice shakes as Steve steps closer, gently brushing Eddie’s fabric shield away. “It’s really not that bad,” he says, faintly.

“Well,” Steve says, ducking his head and brushing his fingers lightly over the burn. Eddie can’t help the small hiss that escapes his mouth at the faint touch. Steve glances up at his eyes and tsks. “Not that bad, huh?” he says, voice sort of disbelieving, but free of the condescension that would usually follow a statement like that.

Eddie gives him a pained little smile. “Okay, it hurts a bit,” he admits.

Steve nods, then steps towards the sink, reaching for the medicine cabinet that sits above it. “I bet. It doesn’t look great, hon. Is it okay if I put some antibacterial ointment on it?” His voice is so gentle, and caring, and fuck, Eddie couldn’t tell him no even if he wanted to.

“Sure,” he says. He goes to stand closer to Steve, leaning back against the counter, the t-shirt held in his limp hand.

Eddie watches as Steve carefully uncaps the ointment, squeezes out a small dollop, then steps into his space. He’s a bit taller than Eddie, so he has to lean down a bit to get a better look at what he’s doing, and Eddie has to pretend like he’s not holding his breath. “It might be cold,” he warns, just a second before he presses the medicine gently to the burn.

Eddie hisses. “Sorry,” he says quickly. “It doesn’t really- just caught me off-guard, that’s all.”

Steve nods, but Eddie notices how he immediately gentles his movements. “This ointment is good for any kind of cuts, scrapes, burns. I keep a tube in here, and a tube in the girls’ bathroom as well, if you ever need it,” Steve explains quietly, his eyebrows furrowed in focus as he spreads the ointment around.

“Okay,” Eddie says, feeling a little lightheaded. He recognizes, vaguely, that something about this is sort of exciting. He’s not sure if it’s the closeness, the anomaly of it all, or just the fact that for once he has all of Steve’s attention, just on him, but either way - it does something to him.

Something that apparently doesn’t go unnoticed. As Steve goes to recap the bottle, his nostrils flare a little, and he stills, his eyes wide when they glance at Eddie.

Eddie flushes. God fucking damn his stupid omega scent and his stupid hormones and -

“Eddie,” Steve says, his voice breathy.

“Uh, thanks,” Eddie says, speaking too loud for the close space they’re sharing. He steps away from Steve quickly, pulling the sweatshirt over his head and making his way to the door. “I’ll, um… wash your sweatshirt tomorrow and put it back,” he says. He’s not sure why he thinks escaping this room is the solution; this is Steve’s house and they’re about to eat dinner - naturally, he’s just going to follow him.

“Hon,” Steve tries again, an odd look on his face as he steps closer to Eddie.

Eddie spins on his heel. “I need to go finish dinner and tell the girls it’s time to eat.”

He leaves Steve standing there, and breathes a sigh of relief when the girls come into the kitchen only a few seconds after he’s made it there himself, pulling the food out of the oven like he’d never left his place. “Dinner is almost ready, girls,” Eddie says, faking a cheerful tone he doesn’t actually feel. His hands shake when he places the pan down.

The twins are babbling about some movie they want to watch, and Eddie pretends he doesn’t notice it when Steve comes into the room. He also pretends he doesn’t notice the slight shift in his scent. He can’t notice that, he really can’t. Eddie cobbles together the macaroni and cheese quickly while Steve goes to fetch the plates and glasses out of the cabinet. It’s tense, and Eddie pretends like he doesn’t notice that either.

“Here,” Steve says quietly from Eddie’s side, holding a plate in one hand and a serving spoon in the other. “I’ll make one plate, you make the other?” he asks, avoiding direct eye contact.

Eddie nods, tries to hold his breath when he passes behind Steve to grab another plate, desperate to ignore the way Steve’s scent has shifted into something completely fucking irresistable. They work in tandem, preparing each of the girls’ dinners, and as Steve is setting the girls’ utensils out, Eddie numbly goes about preparing Steve’s plate, careful to pick out the onions as he scoops up vegetables. He does it on autopilot, having already committed this particular quirk of Steve’s to memory, even within the short period of time he’s been there. When he turns to hand it to Steve, there’s a soft look of surprise on the other man’s face.

“Oh. Did you-” he starts, glancing at the food.

“Yeah, I left the onions out,” Eddie says with a little shrug, trying to avoid the way Steve stares at him, grabbing his own plate.

He jumps a little when Steve reaches out and squeezes his bicep gently. “Thank you,” he says softly, rubbing the spot his hand is resting on. Eddie can’t help but glance at him then, and Steve gives him a sweet, genuine smile. “For remembering that,” he adds before stepping away.

Eddie shifts his gaze to stare down at his robotic movements as he scoops food into his own plate. “Of course,” he mumbles, mostly to himself. He still feels unsettled, raw from the weirdly intimate… interaction they’d had only a few minutes prior. He feels like it’s written all over his face, the way he’s aching for something he can never have, and wearing something so distinctly Steve’s isn’t helping matters any.

He sits at the opposite end of the bar from Steve, like they usually do, the twins sitting in between them. Ivy is closest to her father and Jasmine is closest to Eddie, and secretly, Eddie’s relieved. Jasmine may notice just as much as her sister, but she certainly doesn’t loudly ask questions like Ivy is prone to.

Or at least, Eddie thought.

“Daddy has a shirt just like that,” Jasmine says to Eddie halfway through dinner, Ivy telling Steve about a pair of shoes she wants at the other end of the bar.

Eddie hopes and prays that Steve doesn’t hear her comment, but when he sneaks a glance over at him, it’s clear that he has. And not only has he apparently heard it - the fucker smiles. It’s not a smirk; there’s no malice in it, it’s just a soft twitch of his lips as he meets Eddie’s gaze.

“Yeah?” Eddie says, his mouth dry as he forces his gaze away from Steve. He’s not even sure what to say to that, or how to recover.

Luckily, despite whatever tension Eddie feels is suffocating the two of them from all sides, Steve doesn’t leave him hanging. Instead of remarking on the shirt in any way, he asks the girls what they want for dessert, the easy distraction giving Eddie a little room to breathe. He can’t help but peek over at Steve again, offering him a weak, grateful smile when Steve catches his eye.

“How about you guys go pick a movie while Eddie and I get some cookies and milk ready, yeah?” Steve says to the girls once everyone is finished eating, Eddie already standing to collect the plates.

“Can we watch-” Jasmine starts immediately. She doesn’t get very far before Ivy is speaking over her, and Eddie can’t help but smile at them, shaking his head.

“Ah! Nope, go, go pick out a movie. You have to agree on it, okay?” Steve says, all but shooing them off into the living room as he begins to help Eddie clear the table.

The twins skip off into the living room to argue some more, and Eddie deflates a little. That lasts all of two seconds before Steve is stepping into his space to place some dishes in the sink, and then Eddie is going rigid again, desperately hoping that his scent is under control now.

“Hey,” Steve says, watching Eddie run water over the dishes. “You wash, I’ll dry?” he asks softly.

Eddie nods silently.

They stand there together for a few minutes as Eddie lets the water run hot, grabbing the dish soap and a sponge and getting to work scrubbing the plates. He rinses and hands them to Steve in silence, nothing but the sound of running water and bickering six-year-olds filling the empty space between them.

“I’m sorry,” Steve murmurs as Eddie is finishing the last plate.

Eddie doesn’t reply right away. He takes a moment, giving the forks a preliminary rinse before scrubbing them with the sponge. “You didn’t do anything,” Eddie says eventually. He is steadfastly refusing to make eye contact, staring down at the cutlery like they’ll run away if he takes his eyes off them. “I… I apologize for, um…”

Steve’s fingers brush the back of Eddie’s hand when he reaches for the forks. “It’s fine,” Steve reassures him. “I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry for crossing a line. I didn’t even think about…” He trails off, and Eddie can feel him staring at his face, willing him to look back.

And Eddie is a weak man. He looks, and finds Steve’s expression open and apologetic. “It’s okay,” he says softly.

He expects a quick agreement and an end to the conversation, so he’s surprised when instead, Steve shakes his head. “No, Eddie, I really wasn’t… wasn’t very professional. And I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, I promise it won’t happen again.”

Something in Eddie sinks at that, and he can’t even pretend that it’s not the familiar taste of disappointment. “Oh,” he says faintly. He hands Steve the last cup to dry, grabbing another towel to dry his hands off with.

When Steve’s finished with that cup, Eddie’s already pulling out the milk and searching the pantry for the Oreos. “I’ll go help them set up the movie,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie nods, worrying at his lip. He wants to say something. He’s trying to bite the words back, but-

“Steve,” he says, quiet enough that it wouldn’t surprise him if Steve hadn’t heard.

He does, turning around and raising an eyebrow expectantly. “Yeah?”

Eddie swallows hard, pulling out a packet of Oreos finally, shutting the cabinet door as he looks back at Steve. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” he says firmly. If nothing else gets said about the situation, Eddie wants him to know that. He doesn’t have to know how far from uncomfortable the situation actually did make him feel, but that’s a good first step, he thinks.

Steve’s eyes widen, just a little. Enough for Eddie to notice from where he stands a couple feet away, at least, and something about that is just a little bit satisfying. Eddie watches as Steve processes this, nods slowly, and swallows. “Right,” he says. “Okay. Thanks for… um, reassuring me about that.”

It almost makes Eddie want to laugh, but instead he just smiles and nods. He watches Steve make his way over to the girls, and maybe it’s his imagination, but Eddie swears that Steve shivers, or at least shakes himself, like he’s been caught off guard.

Something about that makes Eddie feel a lot better.

He joins them in the living room a few minutes later, three glasses of milk balanced in his hands, the pack of Oreos balanced precariously on top of them. “Careful,” he says when Ivy flops onto the couch just as he’s setting the glasses down on the coffee table. “Alright, four Oreos each?” Eddie asks, glancing around at Steve with what he hopes are very convincing pleading eyes.

Steve puts his hands on his hips, pursing his lips. “I usually only give them three each,” he says, fully aware that Eddie already knows this after they’d had this conversation two or three nights ago.

Eddie bats his eyes sweetly. He’s not even playing at it in a seductive way, simply trying to bribe more sugar for these kids he’s starting to care about like they are his own. Still, despite the innocent intent behind the action, he notices Steve’s Adam’s apple bob, his gaze shifting from Eddie like he’s… nervous? That can’t be right.

“Alright,” Steve says, glancing at the twins, who look all too happy from their spot on the other end of the couch. “Just this once,” he warns to the sound of their excited chatter. He glances back at Eddie, giving him an exasperated sort of smile. “Feels illegal, you teaming up against me with them,” he murmurs as he sits down in his armchair, which Eddie had gathered was his unofficial assigned seat.

Eddie shrugs, but can’t help the grin that creeps onto his face. The evening has made a quick turn around back into their usual banter, and Eddie is beyond grateful for the feeling of normalcy. “What can I say, I just think they’re cooler,” Eddie ribs playfully, reaching over to hand the twins their portion of Oreos. “Be careful not to get crumbs all over the couch,” he says, the warning falling easily from his mouth.

He turns to Steve next, pulling the same amount of Oreos out of the package and reaching out to hand them to him. “Here,” Eddie says, glancing up at Steve’s face when he doesn’t immediately hold his hand out for them. He has a soft look on his face, and Eddie can’t help his body’s natural instinct to flush red all over. “What?” he asks in a near whisper, aware that the girls are already well-distracted by their movie.

“Nothing,” Steve says lightly. “I just…” He shrugs, getting an almost helpless look on his face. “I just think you’ve been really great with the kids so far this week. So, thank you.”

Eddie’s definitely blushing. He glances down, feels stupid for the way he’s still holding the Oreos out and Steve isn’t taking them. It prompts him to lean forward, grabbing Steve’s hand and holding it out himself, stacking the Oreos neatly on his palm. “Well,” Eddie says, unsure how to even accept that kind of genuine gratitude. “I really enjoy being here,” he admits, feeling a little silly for saying something which he thinks is probably quite obvious.

Steve gives him an easy smile. “I can tell,” he says quietly. “I think that’s why they like you so much,” he continues, nodding at the twins.

Eddie smiles, proud. He closes the Oreo package, deciding to skip on dessert for tonight. “I’m glad,” he says, watching the twins fondly as they take apart their Oreos, licking the cream out of the middle like a pair of little heathens. He glances back at Steve and has to hide his smirk when he finds him doing the same thing, his eyes still trained on Eddie. “Like father, like daughter,” Eddie teases.

Steve blinks, cocks his head to the side like a confused, lost puppy. It’s ridiculously cute. Eddie rolls his eyes, gesturing to the twins. He watches as it clicks, Steve’s face relaxing into an easy grin. He gives a little shrug, like he’s saying “What can you do?” Eddie has to force himself to look away, tucking his left leg mostly underneath himself with his right leg propped up as he turns to stare at the television screen, not really taking in a single thing. He props his elbow up on his own knee, dropping his head into his hand. The sleeve of his borrowed sweatshirt falls just a little too far over his hand, and he hopes it isn’t ridiculously obvious, the way he’s sniffing at it, trying to inhale Steve’s scent as much as he can.

They’re probably halfway through the movie when Steve gets up to go carry the cookies and glasses back to the kitchen. Eddie glances up at him, shaking his head. “Oh, I can get that, sir-”

Steve gives him a look. “I’ve got it, hon. And you don’t… remember, you don’t have to call me that.”

Eddie flushes, but nods. “Right, sorry,” he mumbles. It still feels weird, that Steve doesn’t want that title, that one little boundary that would help make all this even more professional.

He watches Steve collect the glasses, turning back to the film a little reluctantly when the only thing left to look at is Steve’s backside as he walks to the kitchen. Eddie feels a little gross about wanting to look, so he forces himself to find entertainment on the screen instead.

He’s pulled out of it slightly when Ivy hops up from the couch, and he glances at her as she goes and plops herself into Steve’s chair, giggling when she catches Eddie’s eye. “Watch what Daddy does when I steal his chair!” she says, burrowing herself into the chair like she’s there to stay.

Sure enough, Steve returns from the kitchen just a couple minutes later, a laugh in his voice when he spots her. “What’ve we got here?” he teases, rubbing his hand over her head. “I think someone is in my chair.”

Ivy giggles loudly, tilting her head back to look up at her dad with a huge grin. “Can’t I sit here, just for tonight?” She asks, her voice sweet.

Steve hums, like he’s considering it. “Hmm… Well, I suppose you have been pretty good this week,” he tells her.

Ivy whoops excitedly, like she knows she’s already won. And she has, of course. Steve bends down and kisses the top of her head before stepping closer to the couch. Instinctively, Eddie moves towards the middle, freeing up the space next to the armrest for Steve.

“Hi,” Steve says with a little grin as he settles into the spot Eddie has just abandoned.

Eddie smiles at him, tries to pretend like he’s unbothered by the closeness. “Hi,” he parrots before turning back to the television.

The one thing he’d learned that he doesn’t particularly like about the way Steve has this apartment set up is the living room. The television sits on one wall with the armchair directly facing it, the coffee table sitting in the space in between the two. The couch, however, sits along the wall of windows, facing the kitchen area and forming perpendicular lines with the armchair and television. It’s alright when they’re not watching something, but when they are - well, the couch-sitters have to turn either their head or their whole body to be able to watch.

It’s inconvenient at best.

Especially when Steve is basically sitting behind him, and Eddie can practically feel his gaze. He tries to rationalize it, that Steve is just watching the movie, not watching him, but when he risks a look over his shoulder, Steve is already looking back at him. He startles, when Eddie makes eye contact, and Eddie feels his face flush with color.

He turns back to the television, once again burying his nose into the fabric of the sweatshirt and taking a deep, slow breath, like that’ll help calm his nerves any. It works, for just a minute.

But then, he feels a hand on his thigh.

His eyes fly open immediately, and he glances down at where Steve’s hand is resting so gently on his leg, over the soft flannel of his pajama pants, close enough to the knee that it doesn’t feel completely suggestive. Eddie glances back at Steve again, hoping his eyes betray his confusion.

Steve gives him a little smile, tilting forward so he can speak softly in Eddie’s ear. “Is the burn still hurting?” he asks. His lips barely brush the shell of Eddie’s ear, and he’s afraid he might do something stupid like faint, or moan.

“Uh…” Eddie says, fumbling like an idiot for something to say. “I… no?” He says, like it’s some kind of question. Steve is so close, his scent is so strong, and Eddie’s afraid that his scent is probably matching in intensity, and he only hopes that it’s not doing the stupid omega betrayal thing.

“Are you sure?” Steve asks. He pats Eddie’s thigh gently. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay.”

Eddie nods dumbly, glancing over his shoulder at Steve. His face is closer than Eddie expected, and he has to reel back a little so they don’t bump their noses together. “Yeah, I feel fine,” he says, somehow managing to make it sound relatively stable. He even manages a smile. “Thank you for checking on me.”

Steve smiles, then pulls his hand away, leaning back against the couch like he’s content. “Of course,” he says easily. His hand comes up and he rubs a few circles into Eddie’s shoulder blades. “That’s part of my job,” he says with a cheesy little smile.

Eddie almost wants to argue that no, it’s his job to make sure that Steve and his daughters are well looked-after, but… but for some reason he doesn’t. Because he’s starting to realize, as odd as it is… it’s nice, to be looked after. To have someone who wants to care about you.

He’s not sure he’s ever really had that before.

~~~

It’s only a little bit later that the credits of the movie roll, and Steve and Eddie have to carry two half-asleep girls to their bedroom. Jasmine is mostly limp in Eddie’s arms, her little arms around his neck as she just barely holds onto him as he carries her down the hall.

Steve carries Ivy, who is practically dead weight from the way he grimaces when he scoops her up, and Eddie can’t help but be a little proud that he got the better end of the bargain.

They’ve already managed to create somewhat of a system with their bedtime routine. They’ll each tuck in one twin, make sure she has her stuffed animal of choice, and then swap places to say goodnight to the other. It’s a simple system, one that so far this week they’ve only faltered on once. It’s a routine Eddie can easily see himself becoming used to for a long time.

Tonight they don’t falter on it either. After Eddie has given Jasmine her favorite stuffed penguin, he kisses her head, murmuring a quiet, “g’night, love bug,” before stepping back. He almost bumps into Steve and they reach out to steady each other at the same time, Steve’s hand landing on Eddie’s waist, while Eddie’s hand goes to Steve’s arm. “Sorry,” Eddie mumbles, embarrassed.

Steve squeezes his hip. “Careful, hon,” he says before swapping places with Eddie, going to say goodnight to Jasmine.

Ivy’s eyes are already closed but she holds her arms out. “Hug,” she demands simply.

Eddie grins, shaking his head. “Yes ma’am,” he says, leaning down to hug her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Need anything?” He asks, smoothing her blanket down.

Ivy shakes her head, snuggling into her pillow, her stuffed animal tucked under her arm. “No, I’m good,” she mumbles. “Night.”

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Eddie says softly, making sure she’s fully tucked in before stepping towards the door. He can feel Steve following close behind, and pauses to wait for him to close the door.

And then, it’s just the two of them.

“You headed to bed?” Steve asks softly, stuffing his hands in his back pockets, a little more awkward than Eddie is used to seeing him.

Eddie shakes his head, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind his ear, a little flushed with the scent of Steve wafting off the borrowed sweatshirt. “I need to do some laundry first, since… you know,” he shrugs, gesturing to himself pointedly.

Steve nods. “Right, right.” He rubs at the back of his neck, glancing down the hall. “Um… I’ve got a couple things to throw in the wash too, if you don’t mind sharing a load?”

Eddie wants to laugh at that, at how obviously he doesn’t mind doing just that, but he also doesn’t want to sound too pathetic. “Sure,” Eddie nods as he steps towards his bedroom. “I’ll just grab mine, if you’ll go get yours?”

“Sure,” Steve nods as well before disappearing down the hall. Eddie hums quietly to himself as he gathers up his dirty clothes, which is pretty much… everything he owns, really. He’s dumping it into the washer when Steve comes back, a small pile in his own arms. Eddie quirks a brow when he sees it.

“I didn’t realize you owned so much black clothes,” he says, taking the items from Steve and dumping them into the washer atop his own things.

Steve shrugs. “It’s mostly just underwear,” he says casually, like that doesn’t make Eddie’s whole body tingle. It’s stupid, but he just knows that now he’s going to be thinking about how all of his clothes have touched Steve’s boxers, which have touched Steve’s - nope, not going there.

“Oh,” Eddie says, mostly to fill the silence. He adds some detergent and fabric softener, feeling a little self-conscious with Steve standing right there beside him. He closes the lid and sets the cycle, and when he turns, Steve is leaning against the wall, studying him. “What?” Eddie asks, a little embarrassed.

Steve just smiles, shaking his head. “Nothing. Come on, you want a drink?”

He doesn’t give Eddie a chance to respond, instead heading straight for the kitchen. Eddie trails slowly behind him, hesitating when he sees Steve pull out two short glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

“Oh, I-“ he pauses. He doesn’t want to sound stupid, but…

“Hm?” Steve hums, glancing up at Eddie after pouring a glass. “Oh, do you not-“

“I don’t like whiskey,” Eddie says with an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, I just-“

Steve cuts him off with a dismissive wave. “Pft, that’s nothing to apologize for. It’s definitely an… acquired taste,” he says with a little laugh. He recaps the bottle and places it back in that pantry above the fridge, and Eddie watches as he roots around for something else. “So, what do you like? Scotch? Vodka? I can mix you something, if you want…”

Eddie’s stupid eyes have traveled down the long length of Steve’s muscular back, so easy to see against the strain of his stupid fucking t-shirt he’d changed into earlier. He completely misses whatever it is Steve is saying to him or asking him, and when Steve turns to look at him over his shoulder, Eddie feels like he might actually burst into flames in sheer embarrassment.

“Eds?” Steve says, his voice carrying just a slight hint of amusement. “Drink?”

Eddie shakes his head, hoping his shaking curls will hide his mortification. “Uh, no thanks,” he says, going to sit on one of the barstools, fiddling with his rings.

Steve sighs and closes the cabinet, grabbing his glass of whiskey before rounding the counter to stand almost right in front of Eddie. “Eddie, you can have a drink. The twins are in bed. You’re basically off-duty right now,” he says as he takes a sip.

If it were anyone else, Eddie would mistake it for flirting.

He knows better.

“Yeah, but you aren’t in bed,” he says, pointing a finger at Steve’s chest playfully.

Steve rolls his eyes. “Right, but I didn’t hire you to babysit me,” he says, his grin melting into a smirk. “Or is this you telling me that you think I need a babysitter?”

Eddie has to bite his lip to hide the massive grin that’s threatening to take over his face. He loves this kind of banter, and it puts him at ease in a way he hasn’t felt in ages. “No, not at all,” he says. He can’t help the way his face looks when he tacks on, “You’ve already got one, remember?”

Steve laughs at that, like a genuine laugh, the kind of laugh Eddie doesn’t think anyone could fake. “Right, right,” he says. “Honestly, I probably do need a babysitter worse than they do. I’m kind of a mess.”

Eddie is acutely aware of how close together they are right now. If he wanted to, he could move his hand and touch Steve’s thigh, easily. Instead, he tightens his hands into fists, just so he doesn’t tempt himself. “I don’t think you’re a mess,” he says, soft.

There’s a sad look on Steve’s face then, one that Eddie almost doesn’t recognize. “Yeah… not yet, maybe.” He just sounds so distraught then, so sad, that Eddie really can’t help himself.

He reaches out without thinking about it, resting his fingertips against Steve’s wrist gently. “Hey,” he says, ducking his head to look up at Steve’s face. “Maybe you are a mess,” he says, shrugging. “So what? You’re also a good dad, and…” he hesitates. What he wants to say next might be just a little inappropriate, given the nature of their relationship.

“And?” Steve prompts softly. The thin skin of his wrist is warm underneath Eddie’s fingertips.

Eddie takes a deep breath. He feels stupid, but he knows he needs to say this, to give Steve a little peace of mind. “And… probably the kindest alpha I’ve ever met. Okay? And that means a lot, even if you’re a mess.”

Steve smiles, a small, unsure thing. “Really?” he asks, peering down at Eddie, his eyelashes fanning softly over his cheekbones. He’s so gorgeous, it actually hurts a little bit.

“Yes,” Eddie says back, his voice almost a whisper. He pulls his hand away, dropping it to rest in his lap.

Steve sets his drink down on the bar, and Eddie wishes that he was about to pull him into an embrace. Instead, he leans against the counter, one hand supporting him while his other hand reaches out and brushes some of Eddie’s hair back out of his face. “I appreciate that,” he says, matching Eddie’s volume. “I think you’re flattering me a bit, but I’ll take it.”

Eddie shakes his head, which disrupts the hand that Steve still hasn’t removed from his hair. “I’m not, I promise,” Eddie disagrees. “I… I’ve seen some shit, Mr. Har- Steve,” he catches himself at the look on Steve’s face. “And… and so far, I think it’s easy to say that you’re probably one of the good ones.”

“Thank you,” Steve says quietly. His eyes are intense as they dart between Eddie’s and he’s a little relieved when Steve drops his hand and steps back, putting some much-needed space in between them. “How’s the burn feeling?” he asks, gesturing to Eddie’s stomach.

With everything else going on, Eddie had managed to forget all about it. He puts a hand over his stomach, like he’ll be able to tell anything by just hovering over it, and shrugs. “I think it’s fine,” he says. “Still hurts a bit, but that’s kind of what I expected.”

Steve nods. “I’ll put some more ointment on it in the morning,” he says. He seems to catch himself then, and his eyes widen just a bit. “Or- I mean- you can, if you don’t- I don’t have to-”

Eddie cuts him off then with a gentle smile. “That would be great, Steve, thank you,” he says.

That seems to settle Steve’s nerves, and he nods, downing the last of his whiskey. “Okay,” he says. “And, um… One more thing I wanted to ask you,” he says, sounding almost… nervous?

“Sure,” Eddie says, watching as Steve goes to rinse out the glass.

“So, the girls and I are going shopping tomorrow, and I know it’s your day off, but I thought you’d like to go with us,” Steve says, glancing up at Eddie’s face and away again quickly.

“Oh,” Eddie says, a little surprised at the offer. “I don’t have any plans, so… sure, I’d love to.”

Steve smiles, visible relief on his face. “Okay, perfect. I thought we could maybe find you a few new outfits, too, if that’s alright?” He carefully doesn’t look at Eddie as he says this, drying the glass off a little more than Eddie thinks it probably needs.

“Oh,” Eddie repeats. He’s not sure how to feel about that. Is he going to have some kind of… nanny uniform rules to follow? Because he quite likes the style he sports now, thank you, and if Steve thinks-

“You can pick out whatever you want,” Steve says hurriedly. “I’ll pay for everything, I just…” he shrugs, finally turning back to look at Eddie without any shift in his gaze. “I really don’t want you going without,” he says.

Eddie’s quick on the defense, this time. “I am not going without,” he says, trying to keep his tone even. He’s used to living with the bare minimum, it doesn’t bother him. And while the idea of some new things sounds great in theory… in practice, he’s a little worried about this. About what it would mean if Steve were the one buying him these things, and what kind of strings would be attached.

“Right,” Steve says, shaking his head, his eyebrows furrowed. He looks upset, and Eddie realizes, vaguely, that he’s not upset with him, just annoyed with himself. “I didn’t mean like… I just want you to have things, okay? I know it’s sort of materialistic, but…” He gives an awkward little laugh, rubs the back of his neck as he looks away. “Gift-giving is one of my love languages, I guess.”

Eddie’s stupid heart thrums hard at the word. “Right,” he echoes quietly.

“It’s just… how I like to take care of people. And for as long as you stay with us, it’s my responsibility to take care of you, alright?” Steve finally returns his gaze, and he looks determined. “You’ll pick out whatever you want, yeah? Please?”

And how the hell is Eddie supposed to say no to a face like that? Especially when the face is saying “please?” all sweet like that? He can’t.

Instead, he nods. “Okay,” he says softly. “Um… thank you.”

Steve just smiles and shakes his head. “No need. Just be ready to shop till you drop, okay?”

Chapter Text

When Steve Harrington shops, he shops.

The whole “be ready to shop ‘till you drop thing” turns out to not be a joke, not even a little. They’re up and out of the apartment by nine, and after a nearly half-hour drive through the Saturday morning traffic, they find themselves at what Eddie considers to be a fancy mall. It’s got more high-end stores than Eddie knows the names for, but luckily, Steve doesn’t pressure him to go into a lot of those. They go into the more reasonable ones, the ones that are familiar enough that they don’t make his palms go sweaty with nerves.

All the while, the twins are there, begging to go into their favorite stores like Claire’s and the toy store, and even Gap, which Eddie thinks is atrocious. Steve promises them that they’ll go into their stores as soon as they’re finished shopping for the adults, which at first, Eddie thinks is a little mean, but then, Steve explains, “if we let them go right now, they’ll want to go get lunch and go home right after. Holding this over their head is the only way not to lose them,” he says with a quick wink. And remarkably, his tactic works.

Eddie wishes he could forget that they were there to shop for him, because somehow the knowledge just puts more pressure on him than he thinks a simple shopping trip should probably warrant. As such, he doesn’t end up picking out anything at the first two stores they walk into, and by the third, he thinks Steve is ready to call it off. Instead, he pulls Eddie to the side while the twins are looking through some kids' displays to have a short chat.

“Hey, I know it’s awkward,” he says quietly, his arm resting on Eddie’s bicep. “So, how about I take them for a little bit, you go look on your own, see if you find anything you like. We’ll meet back up in say, half an hour?”

That makes Eddie feel a little anxious, too, because some part of him desperately wants Steve’s approval before picking anything out, but he knows that’s just the stupid horny omega part of his brain, so he tells it to shut the fuck up. He agrees, and drifts slowly through the displays available, picking up a couple of things and eventually putting them back. He just feels too damn nervous to actually commit to anything, and so by the time the half-hour is up, he returns to the front of the store empty-handed.

“You didn’t find anything?” Steve asks, sounding genuinely disappointed.

Eddie shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking away. “Mm,” he hums, noncommittally.

Steve steps closer, Jasmine holding his hand and Ivy trailing behind. “I saw you carrying something for a few minutes,” he admits, nodding over to a display of t-shirts Eddie had indeed been filtering through. “Mind if I have a look over there and see if I can pick out what you liked?” He says, his voice hopeful.

And damn it, of course Eddie can’t say no to that. He shrugs, but gestures for Steve to lead the way, absentmindedly holding a hand out to Ivy as they follow behind. She latches on instantly, humming some pop song to herself as she skips along. He has to smile at her, she’s so damn cute.

“Hm…” Steve is saying, perusing the band t-shirt selection he’s stopped in front of. Eddie smirks as he watches him studying each design carefully. “You already have that one, right?” he asks, pointing to a Metallica t-shirt that Eddie does, in fact, have.

“Right,” Eddie nods. “Don’t need two of them,” he jokes.

Steve smiles, then reaches out and picks one up. It’s a Led Zeppelin shirt, one that Eddie had been eyeing, but hadn’t picked up. Steve turns to him with a triumphant little grin. “This one?” he asks, excitedly.

Eddie smirks, but shakes his head. “I mean, it’s a good shirt, but it’s not the one I had picked out.”

“Hm…” Steve says, considering. He hands Jasmine the shirt, saying, “hold this for me, honey?”

Jasmine nods, grinning over at Eddie as she takes it.

Steve scrounges around the stacks for a few more minutes, Eddie trailing off with Ivy to look at some plaid shirts that he kind of likes, and when Steve reappears at his side a few minutes later, Jasmine’s stack is three shirts heavier, and his smirk is a gorgeous thing. “Found some,” he declares.

“Did you?” Eddie asks sardonically. “What’ve you got, then, Harrington?”

The name doesn’t make Steve cringe this time. Instead, he grins, and picks up the shirt from the top of the stack, and Eddie smiles when he sees that it is the one he had picked out himself originally. “Iron Maiden,” he starts, grabbing another. “Black Sabbath - and this one is different than the one you already have, and cooler-” he picks up the third unknown, and Eddie looks at it quizzically. “This one is actually for me,” Steve admits as he holds up the Pink Floyd t-shirt. “But if you like it-”

Eddie grins at him. “I think it suits you,” he says. “And I’m not much of a Pink Floyd fan, myself.”

Steve smiles. “I figured,” he says. “Thank you, my beautiful fashion assistant,” he says to Jasmine, taking the shirts from her with a flourish. “I’ll hold them ‘till we check out. What else did you find?” Steve asks, peering around Eddie at the shirts they’re stood in front of.

Before Eddie can say anything, Ivy says, “Eddie likes this red one.”

Eddie sends her a narrowed-eye look. Traitor.

“Ah,” Steve says, reaching for the shirt. “I like it too. How about a red one and a black one, Eds?”

Eddie flushes at the nickname. He feels a little flare of uncertainty, the same kind he gets every time Steve steps over one of the boundaries Eddie has set so carefully in his mind. He doesn’t dislike it, necessarily, but that doesn’t stop him from being incredibly wary of it, too.

“Steve,” he says, quietly. “You don’t have to… I mean, I don’t really-”

“Nonsense,” Steve says flippantly. “I definitely think you could get a lot of use out of two of these, yeah?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, piling them on top of the t-shirts and turning around. “Now what about… Aha! Jeans.”

He leads their little parade over to a table of folded jeans, and Eddie feels a bit odd when Steve looks over him, clearly trying to guesstimate a size. “C’mere, hon, I need your help with this part,” he says.

Eddie sighs, but Ivy ends up dragging him forward, much to Steve’s apparent delight. He mumbles his size to Steve, mostly feigning reluctance, when actually, a small part of him is breathing a sigh of relief. This man actually wants to take care of him. For whatever reason, he wants to do this for Eddie. And Eddie wants to let him.

“Hm… You like a skinny leg, right? Or would a bootcut work alright too?” Steve asks, glancing over their options.

Eddie feels a little overcome, suddenly, with the urge to thank him for all that he’s doing. He reaches out with the hand Ivy dropped a minute ago, and squeezes Steve’s hand, halting his movement over the jeans. “Steve,” he says quietly. Steve glances up, looking surprised and so, so sweet. “Thank you, for this. Really,” Eddie tells him.

Steve just smiles back, as if this is the easiest part of his day. “It’s not a problem, Eddie,” he says lightly. “I enjoy doing this sort of thing. And if I’m pushing too much… feel free to tell me to stop, okay?”

Eddie shakes his head. “You’re not, I just… I dunno. You’re kind of the first person who's ever offered to…”

“Buy you clothes?” Steve says, his voice soft. “Well, it’s honestly not much, but it’s the least I can do, Eddie, really. Now, about the cut…” He moves seamlessly back into that side of the conversation, asking about Eddie’s preference for tightness and length and overall fit of his jeans. He manages to find two pairs that Eddie actually likes, and he adds them to the pile without further consultation. It’s a little presumptuous, maybe, but it takes the stress of the decision off of Eddie, and for that, he’s grateful.

They wrap up at that store with a trip through the socks, and Eddie finds it easy enough to slap a pack of black ones onto the pile. Steve rolls his eyes and makes a joke about the absence of color in Eddie’s life, but Eddie just smiles, thinking back to the “borrowed” sweatshirt that has now made a home under his pillow.

Steve offers to buy him a decent winter coat, but Eddie refuses, stating that his leather jacket has been through far worse than an Indianapolis winter.

“Fine,” Steve responds easily. “I’ve got several, anyway, so when you get cold, you can borrow one of those,” he says with a smug smile as he swipes his credit card.

Eddie wants to protest that, too, but only a little bit. He actually quite enjoys the idea of sharing clothes like that, of borrowing a coat that smells like Steve while he takes the girls to school on a cold morning. He doesn’t say any of that, though. Instead, he makes a joke about Steve’s preppy-professional style meeting Eddie’s grunge look.

“I dunno,” Steve says as they walk out of the store, each of them holding one of the twins’ hands, the shopping bag clutched in Steve’s right. “I think it would probably be kind of a look.” And then he winks at Eddie, as if Eddie wasn’t having enough palpitation issues today.

“Daddy, can we please go to a kid store now?” Ivy begs her father, tugging on his hand impatiently. They’ve sort of swapped since leaving the store, Jasmine now hanging off of Eddie’s arm rather than Steve’s.

Steve sighs, but glances at Eddie with a little grin. “I suppose so. Ed, you think you got everything you needed?”

Eddie nods. “More than enough, honestly,” he says quickly. “Definitely time to spend that money on someone else, I think.”

Steve laughs, but nods, leading the way to the combo Gap, the kids Gap entrance on the left and the regular Gap on the right. “Do you mind going with them, for just a minute? I need to pop over and grab something for myself, if that’s alright,” Steve says, glancing at Eddie as they walk through the doors.

“Of course,” Eddie agrees easily. “You don’t have to ask for my permission,” he says, like it’s obvious.

Steve sort of rolls his eyes, but it’s fond rather than annoyed. “I know I don’t,” he says simply. “Alright, girls, stay with your mo- with Eddie.” Steve clears his throat, doesn’t look at Eddie when Eddie looks at him. “Stay with Eddie, and I’ll be right back, okay?”

The twins nod, not noticing his slip-up. Maybe Eddie imagined it, he thinks passively as he follows the girls over to a rack of dresses. Ivy is far more interested in this rack than Jasmine is, and Eddie nudges her gently in the direction of some other outfits. “You don’t have to look at the same thing as your sister,” he says quietly.

Jasmine looks a little disbelieving, but nods, going over to peruse the folded pants and shirts, laid out conveniently on the same table for easy mix-and-match. Eddie mainly just supervises, letting them each look through whatever they want. He gives suggestions when they ask questions about what they could wear with certain things, and isn’t shy to veto things he thinks are ugly.

By the time Steve has come back, Ivy has found a new cardigan and Jasmine a new pair of pants. “How’s it going over here?” Steve asks with a smile, coming to stand beside Eddie, two more shopping bags on his arm.

Eddie reaches out as the girls are showing him their finds, taking the shopping bags from Steve nimbly. When Steve starts to protest, Eddie waves him off. “We’ll swap them back and forth,” he says, his best idea of a compromise.

Steve just smiles and shakes his head, nodding at Ivy as she explains why she thinks she needs a new dress that she found.

They end up leaving the store with another bag, full of a couple of things the twins acquired. Steve had vetoed the idea of new shoes, citing a number of shoes the girls don’t even wear as his reasoning for why. Eddie, however, had played devil’s advocate, going along with anything sparkly or glittery that the twins managed to find in the store. He’s almost positive Steve is going to lose it by the time they leave, but instead, he just gives Eddie a fond, exasperated little smile, shaking his head as they make their way to Claire’s.

“But Daddy, you said last time that we could maybe do it this time!” Ivy whines as they look through an earring stand, despite the fact that the only one with their ears pierced is Eddie.

“And I’m telling you now that this isn’t that time,” Steve says, his voice firm. “Now, if the two of you don’t drop it, we might just go home, got it?”

The twins look disappointed, but they manage to become silent at that. Eddie understands their disappointment, but he also understands Steve’s weariness to have their ears pierced. Especially at a Claire’s.

“Eddie,” Ivy says, her voice sickly sweet.

Eddie already knows what’s coming when he looks at her. She smiles at him, and he struggles to keep a straight face. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“If you were Daddy, would you let us get our ears pierced?” She asks. Sneaky, sneaky girl, that one is.

Eddie knows she’s expecting him to take her side. That’s probably why her face falls so dramatically when he says, “actually, no.”

Steve glances over at him, as if he wasn’t obviously eavesdropping, the picture of shock on his face.

“What?” Ivy asks, sounding surprised. “But why not?” She’s pouting, and Eddie is starting to understand how she’s the “problem child.”

“Well, for one, this is a Claire’s,” he says, gesturing around. “It’s safer to get piercings done at a tattoo shop, and typically cheaper, as well.”

“Oh,” Ivy says, like she hadn’t thought of that. And she hadn’t, he knows, because she’s only six.

That’s his next point. “Second of all, you guys are still little, yeah? And it hurts pretty bad, you know. So it’s probably better to wait until you’re older.”

Even Jasmine is paying attention now, her eyes wide. “Is that all?” She asks, tentative.

Eddie shares a glance with Steve, then shrugs, crouching down to look at them face-to-face. “Well, there is a third reason, and it’s the most important one.”

“What is it?” Ivy asks, sounding almost nervous.

Eddie smiles. “Thirdly… your dad said no, kiddos. That’s the most important thing, because Dad makes the choices he thinks are best for you, okay? And that overrides anything else.”

The twins look slightly disappointed, but nod in understanding. Eddie ruffles their hair as he stands again, going to look at earrings for himself, just to see if he finds anything that he likes.

A minute later, a warm hand comes to rest on his lower back. “Thank you,” Steve says quietly. “For how you handled that.”

Eddie shrugs, picking up a pack of earrings that are shaped to look like sharks are biting the earlobe when they’re worn. He smiles at that. “No problem,” he says to Steve. “Just doing my job.”

Steve mumbles something that sounds like “… more than that,” but Eddie doesn’t get the chance to ask him to repeat it. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing? By not letting them get their ears pierced?”

At that, Eddie turns to look at him, surprised. “Well… that’s not really for me to say,” he says carefully.

Steve shakes his head. “I don’t- I want your opinion. Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

Eddie feels a little flustered, and isn’t sure he wants to answer. “I… why does it matter what I think?” He can’t help but ask, fiddling with the handle of a shopping bag that’s digging into his wrist.

Steve reaches out, takes the bags out of Eddie’s hands. “Because,” he says slowly, “I care about your opinion. Especially when it comes to the kids. What do you think?” His eyes are genuine, and his voice is just distraught enough that Eddie knows he means it.

Shrugging, feeling a bit awkward, Eddie glances around at the twins, who are now looking at necklaces. “I think you’re trying to do the right thing,” he says carefully. “And I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer to it, anyway. I think that you’re trying to let them wait until they’re old enough to make an informed decision, and that sounds reasonable to me.”

“Okay,” Steve nods. “So, what would you do?”

“What?” Eddie asks, surprised at the question.

“What would you do? If you were their mom, would you let them go ahead and have it done?” Steve asks.

Hearing it like that, even the hypothetical of being their mom and what all that would entail, makes Eddie’s heart race. “I… I don’t know,” he says quietly. “I think… I think maybe I’d give them some kind of compromise. Like… like, if you’re still asking for them when you’re eight, then you can get them pierced. That sort of thing. So it’s not just an overnight, snap decision.”

Steve nods slowly, looking thoughtful. “That’s actually… That’s really smart, Eddie.”

Eddie gives him a sheepish grin. “That’s what I’m here for,” he jokes.

“It is, actually,” Steve says confidently as he follows Eddie over to the other earring display. “I trust your opinion on things like this, a lot.”

It takes a lot for Eddie to not laugh incredulously. Instead, he just shakes his head. “I don’t know why you would. I’m new at all this, remember?” He asks quietly.

“Right,” Steve says, tilting his head to look at where the twins are standing a few feet away, perusing the bracelets. “But you’re a natural. No, I’m serious,” he says when Eddie laughs. “So far you’ve been great with them, and have shown nothing but amazing maternal instincts.”

Eddie thinks his cheeks are probably a bit flushed with the compliment. “Well,” he mumbles. “Thanks, I guess.”

Steve smiles at him, then wanders back over to his daughters with nothing more than a little, “you’re welcome.”

And even though the conversation ends there, Eddie thinks about what Steve said for hours.

~~~

When the twins have finally had enough of shopping and eating the less-than-savory mall food-court food, Steve decides it’s time to head home. They make an adorable little entourage, Eddie thinks as they head to the car, each of them with a twin hanging off one hand. Steve unlocks the beemer and gives what Eddie is starting to realize is the standard warning: “wipe your feet off, girls,” before they climb in. It’s not a particularly new car, probably about six or seven years old, if Eddie had to guess, but Steve treats it like it’s his most prized possession, aside from his daughters.

“Alright, what sort of music are we in the mood for, kiddos?” Steve says as he fiddles with the radio a few minutes later. Eddie sits back and watches him, fondness seeping into his chest as Steve changes stations and looks for something he likes. “Any requests?” Steve says quietly, and it takes him glancing his way for Eddie to realize it was directed at him.

“Oh, um,” Eddie starts, awkwardly. “Uh, no. I don’t think you guys would like my music recommendations,” he says, trying to hide a smile.

“You listen to metal, right?” Steve asks, finally settling on a station that is blasting ABBA. Eddie grins, hiding it against his hand as he turns to look out the window as they start the drive. He honestly doesn’t know why Steve doesn’t just connect his phone to the car’s radio, but it’s endearing that he genuinely enjoys radio hits all the same.

“I do,” Eddie says, remembering that Steve had asked him a question. “Or else I’d definitely be a poser, with those shirts you just bought me,” he jokes.

Steve grins. “I think that makes me the poser. If you hadn’t been there, I don’t think the shop lady would’ve believed for a second that I was buying them for myself.”

Eddie laughs at that, because he’s probably right. “Yeah. Hey,” he says softly, reaching out and nudging Steve’s arm gently. “Thank you, again.” He smiles at him, a little embarrassed still, but very, very grateful. “I really appreciate you doing that for me.”

Steve smiles, but barely glances at him. Instead he reaches out and pats Eddie’s hand where it’s fallen on the console between them. “Of course, hon. I don’t mind it at all. I like buying clothes,” he grins. His mouth twitches a little then, and he gives Eddie a fleeting look, something like embarrassment on his face. “I should probably tell you before we get home, but, um… I got you a couple other things, when I went into the Gap earlier.”

Eddie blinks. That’s not what he was expecting him to say. “Oh. You did?” He feels stupid being surprised; obviously he did, or else he wouldn’t have said so.

“I did,” Steve nods. “And if you don’t like something, I can take it back. I just… I dunno, I figured there were a few other things you might need that you didn’t ask for. Is that… is that okay?”

It’s not until then that Eddie realizes Steve’s hand is still resting atop his own. He looks down at their hands as he flips his own over, slotting his fingers into the spaces inbetween Steve’s. “More than okay,” he says, trying not to sound as emotional as he feels all of a sudden. “I… thank you. Really.”

He doesn’t think anyone has ever cared about him like this. And sure, Steve’s probably just doing it because Eddie is an investment, and he wants to make sure he keeps his nanny secured, but if that is the case… he really doesn’t make it feel like that. He makes it feel like he really cares about Eddie, like he enjoys taking care of him this way. And Eddie just… isn’t sure what to do with that. How do you thank someone who does that much for you? Eddie decides right then that he needs to think of a way.

Steve just smiles at him from the driver seat, squeezing his hand in lieu of accepting the gratitude. He glances into the rearview mirror to check on the twins, who have been chattering softly for the whole drive so far, and Eddie’s heart warms up all over again as he turns the music up and prompts them to sing along. It’s not his favorite music, but not his least favorite either, and the sight of Steve singing and dancing along to this annoying pop music with his daughters as they smile and giggle is a sight that he thinks he could really get used to.

And the part where Steve doesn’t let go of his hand for the rest of the drive isn’t bad, either.

~~~

“Pizza sound okay for tonight?”

The words out of Steve’s mouth surprise Eddie just enough that he actually pauses mid-jacket-removal. “What?” he asks, feeling a little… odd. Isn’t that his whole job? Why does Steve have to order take-out? Oh god, he doesn’t like my cooking, Eddie thinks, already halfway to a full-blown panic. What if-

“Well, it is technically your day off. And I’ve been craving pizza anyway. Is that alright?” Steve watches him, his fingers tapping an off-beat rhythm on the counter.

Eddie nearly sighs with relief. So it’s not his cooking. Thank god. “Oh, sure. But I really don’t mind cooking, if-”

Steve shakes his head before he’s even finished the sentence. “No, really, Eddie, it’s okay. What toppings do you want on your pizza?” He’s already pulling out his phone to order, and Eddie resigns himself to his pizza-flavored fate. Not like it’s really such a hardship, but still.

“I’ll eat anything that doesn’t eat me,” Eddie jokes, before backpedaling. “Well, except mushrooms. Those things kind of gross me out.”

“Good to know,” Steve says with an adorable little grin. “I don’t like them either. How about just a regular pepperoni?”

Eddie nods, going to the refrigerator to grab a drink. “Yeah, that’s fine. Will the twins be alright with that?”

“I can get them a cheese pizza,” Steve says with a wave. “Alright, all done. Should be here in a little less than an hour.”

“Nice,” Eddie says. He feels a little awkward, sipping his coke in the silence of the room. The twins were cleaning up their room, or that’s what they’re supposed to be doing at least, so it’s odd to be left alone with Steve like this, with nothing really to do to distract himself.

“Do you want to see the other things I got you?” Steve asks suddenly, turning and giving Eddie a shy little smile.

Eddie nods, returning the smile easily. “Of course,” he says, following Steve into the lounge, where they’d dropped off the shopping bags earlier.

Steve goes straight for the bags from the Gap, handing them to Eddie and sitting down on the arm of the chair, his eyes bright. “Go ahead,” he gestures. “I wanna know what you think.”

“I’m a little nervous,” Eddie admits with a laugh as he looks into the first bag. It’s a lot of black, luckily, and he has to smile at Steve, impressed that he knows him so well. “Well, you’ve definitely got the color scheme right,” he jokes.

Steve grins. “Oh, you think that now,” he teases. Eddie suddenly fears what he might find in the other bag. “Well, take them out!” Steve says, practically bouncing in his seat.

Eddie laughs at his excitement. “This feels like Christmas,” he says, taking out something soft and fuzzy from the top of the stack.

“Pft, at Christmas the presents will be wrapped,” he says. “And nicer,” he tacks on.

Eddie pretends he doesn’t feel a weird twist in his tummy at that. At the very suggestion that he’ll still be here in December, that he’ll be around to be a part of the Harrington Christmas. God, he hopes he is.

He holds up the sweater, smiling down at it as he looks it over. “Okay, this is so freaking nice. This might literally be the softest thing I’ve ever felt,” Eddie gushes, rubbing a hand over the soft fuzz. “Here, feel!” he says, holding it out to Steve.

Steve has a fond look on his face. “I have,” he laughs, even as he reaches out to feel it again. “I thought it was pretty nice. And I've heard that omegas like soft, fuzzy things. I figured… I dunno, I guess I wanted to give you a few comfort things.” He’s flushing all the way down his neck, and Eddie loves how red he looks.

“Thank you,” Eddie says, dropping his voice into something deliberately gentle.

Steve just nods, pointing to the bag. “There’s a couple more things in there,” he says.

Eddie folds the sweater and sets it to the side before digging into the bag for the next surprise. The next thing he pulls out is another soft item, but this time it’s a hoodie. It’s black, like the sweater, and plain. It’s softer than any hoodie Eddie has probably ever owned, and he glances over at Steve with a smile. “This is super nice,” he says, poking his fingers through one sleeve to feel the soft fleece of the inside.

Steve smiles right back at him. “I know it’s kind of boring-looking, but all the others said “gap” in big, bold letters, and I didn’t figure that was the style you wanted to rep,” he says with a grin.

It makes Eddie laugh; he really can’t picture himself wearing something like that, Steve’s right. “Very true,” he says before folding the hoodie and setting it aside as well. He reaches into the bag for the last thing, which he finds to be a pajama set. The pants are black plaid and fleece, and the shirt is a long-sleeved black t-shirt. He glances up at Steve, quirking an eyebrow in a semblance of a question.

Bringing a hand up to rub at his neck sheepishly, Steve shrugs. “I noticed that you typically don’t change out of your jeans in the evenings, so I figured you’re probably a little low on pajamas.”

Eddie’s touched at just how much Steve really does notice about him, and he’s a little bit too obsessed with the idea that Steve is actually, really paying attention to him. “Thank you,” he says softly, letting a little more of that genuinity seep into his voice.

Steve shrugs, gesturing to the other bag with a smile. “There’s a couple more things,” he says.

Eddie collects the re-folded items and returns them to the first bag before picking up the second one. It’s a bit bulkier, Eddie’s surprised to find, so he’s a little weary about what he’s about to find in it. As soon as he opens it, he immediately lets out a little theatrical groan. “Oh, the color! It’s blinding me!” he wails, bringing a hand to his eyes in the most dramatic, theatre-kid way possible.

Steve giggles, kicking his feet out like a carefree little kid. “I know, the horror,” he jokes.

“At least they’re not neon,” Eddie amends playfully as he reaches into the bag and pulls out the first thing. It’s a dark green t-shirt, something plain and simple, and he finds two more just like it, one a dark navy blue, and one a dark gray. The next thing he finds is a pair of black sweatpants, and when he looks at Steve, the other man shrugs, and Eddie marvels at the little patch of pink on his jaw.

“I figured you needed some lounging clothes,” he says simply. “It can’t be comfortable to just wear jeans all the time.”

Eddie smiles at him. “You’re right, but it’s called fashion, buddy, so you probably wouldn’t understand,” he simpers playfully, tossing a curl over his shoulder.

Steve outright cackles at that. “Right, of course, my apologies,” he grins.

High on the joy of the playful ribbing, Eddie reaches into the bag for the last couple of items. One of them is a black henley shirt, and Eddie decides immediately that it’s probably his favorite of all the new things. The last item in the bag is the most glaringly colorful. It’s a deep, almost blood-red, and upon further inspection, it’s actually a very nice button-down. Eddie’s brows furrow, because honestly, he’s never needed something quite this nice, and doesn’t entirely know what he’d need it for now.

“I figured maybe you needed a nice shirt,” Steve says, his voice quieter. When Eddie looks at him, he’s not returning the gaze, instead his eyes trained on the shirt itself. “When they do the parent-teacher conferences at the twins’ school, or if you and the girls accompany me to a work event, or if you go on a date or something…” The last words come out in a rush, and leave Eddie with a flush almost as vivid as the shirt clutched in his now-clammy hands.

“Er, right,” Eddie says, struggling to keep his voice even. It should be illegal, Eddie thinks, to hear Steve talk about Eddie going on a date when he’s not actually asking him on one. “Thank you,” Eddie forces himself to say again, at the risk of sounding annoyingly redundant. “I… I really can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am to you for all this.”

Steve shakes his head. “Eddie, really, it’s fine. I… you don’t have to keep thanking me, okay? You’re…” he flushes, briefly squeezing his eyes shut, but then seems to force the words out anyway. “You’re basically a part of my pack now, alright? And I’m more than happy to take care of you, however I can. Okay?”

There’s a slight… shift in his voice, one that Eddie only barely catches on the last few words. His gaze flicks up to meet Steve’s, a little disappointed to see Steve already rising from the chair, the moment of… whatever it was, suddenly shattered. “Right,” Eddie says softly. He wants to say something else, and the more depraved part of his brain wants to say something sort of unhinged, but instead he just collects his bags. “I’m going to put these away,” he says.

Steve nods. “Do you want any help?”

Eddie considers it for a minute, he really does. How sweetly domestic it would be to put clothes away together like that. But then reality kicks in and he shakes his head. “No, I’ve got it.” He needs to stop letting himself get into these fantasies in his head of what life would be like if he and Steve were more than just… well, employer and employee.

The glaring reality of it slaps him in the face as he leaves the living room, and he swallows hard at the realization. Whatever weird, school-girl-esque crush he’s suddenly harboring for Steve needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. It’s completely inappropriate to feel attracted to his employer, especially given the scope of the situation. He decides right then and there that he’s going to try and do better, have harder boundaries, draw lines that can’t be crossed, stop thinking about Steve so much. It’s foolishness, is all it is, and he’s no fool.

Resolved, Eddie settles about completing his task, filling his brain with thoughts that are entirely safe and blessedly free of Steve.

~~~

By the time he gets finished putting away his clothes, the twins have finished cleaning their room, and the pizza is waiting in the kitchen. Steve is humming and nodding along to their animated chatter as he goes about getting each of them a plate, and Eddie has to pause for just a second in the doorway to smile at the scene. But then, Ivy spots him lurking and drags him into their conversation, and he feels a slight flush when Steve glances over at him.

“Eddie, can you tell Daddy that we’ve been so good this week, so that we can get extra dessert?” Ivy asks, batting her eyelashes sweetly.

Eddie hides his grin with a cough, moving around Steve to grab drinks for everyone. “Hm… I don’t know about all that,” he says with a light, teasing voice. “Are you sure you’ve been good?”

Ivy lets out a squawk of protest, and Eddie revels in the weird sound. It’s definitely something he would do himself, and he loves just how weird and perfect these kids are. “I was so good!” she says defensively.

Jasmine gives Eddie an innocent look. “I was even better than Ivy, actually,” she says coyly, giggling when her sister swats at her in protest.

“Ivy, don’t hit-”

“Honey, keep your hands-”

Eddie startles a little, and stops to stare at Steve. They’d spoken over each other, and both of them grin sheepishly at the other. “Er, sorry,” Eddie says with a deep flush. He looks down at the juice he’s pouring, sliding the cups over to the twins and actively pretending that he’s not at all bothered by the look he can feel Steve giving him.

“No, it’s fine,” Steve says, his voice soft. “I don’t mind it at all.”

“Just instinct, now, I guess,” Eddie mumbles as he hands Steve a glass of coke.

In exchange, Steve slides a plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza over. “Good instincts,” he says with a little grin. He turns that smile to his daughters then, and Eddie watches helplessly as he leans against the counter, a mischievous look in his eyes. “You know what I think we should do tonight?” he says in a conspiratorial voice.

“Eat lots of ice cream?” Ivy tries.

Steve snorts. “No,” he says. “I think we should play some board games!”

Eddie almost expects them to be disappointed, as most kids actually enjoy doing things more exciting than board games, but as always, they surprise him.

“Yes!” They say in almost-unison.

“Can we play Monopoly?” Jasmine asks, bouncing in her seat. Eddie doesn’t think he’s ever seen her this excited.

“No, Pictionary!” Ivy says, louder as always. “Daddy, please? We’ve actually got four people now, that’s enough for teams!”

“Er…” Steve says, glancing back at Eddie with an uncertain look. “I dunno if Eddie wants to play, guys.”

The twins make matching sounds of disappointment, and although he didn’t really see himself being any good at a board game, he definitely didn’t want to disappoint anybody. “I’d love to play,” he says with a smile.

“Really?” Jasmine asks, her eyes gleaming.

Eddie shrugs. “Sure, sounds fun.”

The girls cheer and immediately start arguing the logistics about teams and who will play with who, which Eddie just shakes his head at. Beside him, Steve taps the counter to get his attention.

“Hey,” he says quietly.

“Hi.” Eddie smiles.

“You don’t have to play, if you don’t want to. I know this is supposed to be your day off and we just keep dragging you into everything, so-”

“Steve,” Eddie stops him with a gentle hand on his arm. He curses himself for allowing the touch, but he can’t help it. “I want to. I haven’t played board games in forever, so I’ll probably be terrible at it, but I’d love to play them with you guys, okay?”

Steve looks slightly relieved, and his lips twitch up into a small smile. “Okay. I think Pictionary is probably going to win, since Monopoly takes forever.”

Eddie shrugs. “That sounds good to me. I don’t really know how to play, but you guys can teach me.”

“Yeah,” Steve says with a nod. “We will.”

He looks pleased as he turns to eat his pizza and talk to his daughters, who are little balls of excitement as they tell them their masterplan. Eddie will be on a team with Jasmine at first, with Steve on Ivy’s team, and after a few rounds, they’ll swap, with Ivy and Eddie against Jasmine and Steve. Steve immediately slips into gentle trash-talking, and Eddie smiles and giggles into his pizza as he watches the whole exchange.

Normally, a situation like this would make him feel like an outsider. Right now, it just makes him feel… content.

After everyone has finished their pizza, the twins head to the lounge while Steve goes to find the materials for Pictionary. Eddie is instructed to sit with the twins and let them give him the rundown of the game, and within two minutes he realizes that that is definitely the most chaotic option. Both of them are trying to explain different parts of the game, and between the two of them all he learns is that you have to draw pictures. Which, to be fair, he could have probably already deduced that from the name.

“Alright, are you guys ready?” Steve asks as he returns, the game box in one hand and a decent sized whiteboard in the other. When Eddie gives him a curious look, he shrugs. “We like to be a little dramatic with it,” he admits sheepishly.

Eddie grins. “I can tell.” He watches as Steve goes about setting up the whiteboard on an easel that had been shoved in the corner by the entertainment center. Eddie had just assumed that maybe Steve was a hobby painter or something, but when he brings it closer, he can’t see any evidence of paint, so it must only serve this one purpose.

“Alright, girls,” Steve says once he’s finally got everything situated. “Rock, paper, scissors to decide whose team is going first,” he says before going to sit beside Eddie on the sofa. He leans closer while he watches them do a best three-out-of-five, a smile tugging at his lips. “So, whoever goes first will pick one person on their team to go up and pull a card and draw whatever is on it. You’re supposed to only have thirty seconds, but I’m a pushover, so I give them a full minute,” he explains, giving a little sheepish smile. “We do one point per correct guess, and we usually do five rounds for each team before we swap teammates. Technically, there’s a whole board thing as well, but we never do that. We just go down the list of items on one card until we’re done with it.”

Eddie nods. This explanation, no offense to the twins, makes much more sense. “Sounds simple enough,” he says. He’s quite confident in his artistic abilities, but Steve gives him a sly look that has him second-guessing himself.

“Yeah, you think that now,” he teases. “Wait until they get up there with a marker and draw some of the most incomprehensible shit you’ve ever seen in your life.”

And of course, Eddie can’t help but laugh at that. He nods, easily accepting his fate of confusion. Before he can try to come up with anything clever to respond with, the twins announce that Ivy’s team will be going first. Eddie glances at Steve with a smile. “You’re up,” he says, gesturing to the whiteboard with a sardonic little wave.

Steve rolls his eyes but stands. “Alright. You two keep time for us when it’s our go, and we’ll keep track when it’s your turn. You want me to draw first, Ive?” he asks his daughter, grabbing the dry erase marker off the coffee table.

Ivy nods, and goes to sit on the armchair directly across from the whiteboard. Jasmine joins Eddie on the couch, scooting in close beside him, and he smiles, reaching up to ruffle her hair. She grins up at him, and then they’re turning to watch as Steve selects his first card.

“Uh… okay,” he announces. He looks perplexed already, and Eddie tries to stifle his amusement. “So we’re starting with the miscellaneous category,” he starts. He nods to himself, shoves the card in his back pocket, and looks at Ivy. “Okay, it’s a person/place/animal.”

Ivy’s already on the edge of her seat, nodding. “Got it,” she says.

Jasmine grabs the minute-hourglass, waiting until Steve’s marker touches the board before she flips it over.

Steve warned Eddie about the twins drawing some incomprehensible shit… but five seconds in and Eddie’s wondering if he should’ve lumped himself in that category, too. He’s drawing some squiggly lines in the shape of what Eddie thinks might be an animal, but it’s so genuinely chaotic that he’s not actually sure until Steve gives the poor thing eyes.

Ivy is already yelling out guesses frantically. “A horse! Cow! Sheep! Llama!”

“Ah!” Steve shouts, turning and then shaking his head. “Er, no. Close!”

“Alpaca?” She asks, tilting her head as she stares at his drawing in confusion.

Steve shakes his head rather vigorously. “No, no. Go back!”

“Sheep?”

“About thirty seconds left!” Jasmine calls, sounding all-too thrilled.

Steve groans, shaking his head and turning back to the board. “Okay, hang on,” he says. He adds what Eddie is pretty sure is supposed to be a collar, exaggerates the curls around what might be long floppy ears, and-

“Poodle!” Ivy screams, just a few seconds before the sand runs out.

“Yes!” Steve shouts. He erases the board and recaps the marker before going to give her a high-five. “Well done, honey.” He grins smugly as he turns and hands the marker over to Eddie. “So, do you get the gist?” he asks.

Eddie nods and stands. “Yeah, I think so,” he says. He gives Jasmine a smile. “We’ve got this, don’t we, Jazz?”

She nods, sitting up straight and tall as she watches him pull a card. He skims it, then grimaces at the very top word.

“Okay,” he says slowly. He’s not super excited about this one. “So, it’s an object. Um… Do I just…”

Steve nods encouragingly. “Yep, we’ll start the timer whenever you start drawing.”

Eddie takes a deep breath, as if he’s about to be graded on his artistic ability or something, and begins to draw. But, the thing is, he’s never drawn a flute, so he’s almost positive he’s doing a shitty job, making something long and cylindrical with vague little circles on the top of it.

“Um,” Jasmine says from somewhere behind him. She sounds confused. “Is it… a belt?”

Eddie shakes his head. He decides to go for it and draw a person, but it’s weird since he drew the flute first.

“Uh… a popsicle? Corn dog?”

“No!” Eddie laughs. “It’s… Okay, here.” He draws some music notes coming out the end of it, but she just gives him a blank stare. It occurs to him, vaguely, that the kid probably has no idea what a flute even is.

“Time’s up!” Ivy calls gleefully.

“It’s a flute, right?” Steve asks, smiling at Eddie.

Eddie nods, hanging his head in mild embarrassment that Jasmine couldn’t guess it. Maybe his art skills really were lacking. “Yeah,” he admits.

“What’s a flute?” Jasmine asks, crinkling her nose.

Oh. Well, being right the first time definitely makes Eddie feel better.

“It’s an instrument,” he explains, handing Ivy the marker and going to sit beside Jasmine. “You play it like this.” He holds his hands up and mimics the movements of a flutist, making funny little trilling noises with his mouth as he does, which seems to delight her and Ivy both.

“Were you in band in school?” Steve asks, looking like he’s actually interested in the answer.

“Uh,” Eddie laughs awkwardly, bringing a hand up to rub at his neck. “Yeah, for a little bit.” He’s not sure why he’s embarrassed about it, exactly. There’s nothing particularly wrong with being in band, but maybe he’s become a little pretentious in recent years, going from being in band to being in a band. There’s definitely a difference in the level of coolness, he thinks.

“What did you play?” Steve asks as Ivy pulls a new card out of the box.

At least this isn’t entirely embarrassing to admit to. “I was on the drum line.”

Somehow, Steve actually looks… impressed by this. Or at least, his expression is close enough to surprise that Eddie can pretend that’s what it is. “Really? I thought you just played guitar.”

Eddie shrugs. “Well, I’m probably a little rusty on the drums now, and being on drum line is a little different than, like, a full kit, you know?”

Steve gives him a sheepish smile. “I don’t, actually, but both sound pretty cool to me.”

And Eddie can’t help the way he preens at that. Before he can say something else though, Ivy interrupts them. “Guys,” she whines. “It’s my turn to go!”

“Right, go ahead, sweetheart,” Steve says with a smile, focusing all his attention on her. “What’s the category?”

Ivy squints at the word on the card, then tucks it in her pocket. “It’s a person/place/animal,” she announces.

Steve nods, claps his hands together. “Alright, ready when you are.”

Ivy turns to the board and begins drawing, and Eddie thinks he’s probably not the only one who’s a little confused. It looks like an animal of some sort, but-

“Oh! A fish!” Steve blurts, clearly excited.

Ivy shakes her head. “No, no, it’s-”

“You can’t tell him!” Jasmine intervenes.

Eddie tilts his head, studying the drawing more, trying to see it through the lens of an aquatic creature. She goes back to add something else, a fin, and-

“Shark!” Steve shouts, nearly coming out of his seat. “Is it? It’s a shark, right?”

Ivy nods, bouncing excitedly as she recaps the marker. “Yep!”

Steve is grinning when Ivy walks by him, holding her hand out for a high-five. “Alright, way to go, bug!” he says before turning to give Eddie a smug look. “That’s two against none, guys,” he announces.

Eddie snorts. He never would’ve imagined Steve as someone this competitive, but he can’t deny how adorable it is. But, two can play at this game. “Yeah, for now,” he challenges playfully. He nudges Jasmine, giving her an encouraging smile. “Are you ready?” he asks her.

Jasmine nods, but looks a little nervous as she goes to grab a card. She skims it closely, then nods to herself. She tucks the card away before turning to look at Eddie. “It’s an object,” she says before turning resolutely to the whiteboard.

Eddie loves the conviction, but when she starts drawing, he’s immediately lost. “Uh… a hat?”

Jasmine lets out a long suffering sigh, shaking her head. She turns back to the board and adds a few more lines and-

“A hamburger!” Eddie cheers, jumping up just like Steve had done. He gets it now, the sheer thrill of guessing something as inconsequential as a terrible drawing. Jasmine cheers with him, coming over to give him a high-five for guessing it correctly. “Great job, Jazz, that’s the most beautiful hamburger I’ve ever seen,” he praises her with a grin as she goes to sit, sticking her tongue out at her father and sister as she goes.

Steve rolls his eyes good-naturedly, a matching grin on his face. “Well done, but we’re still a point ahead,” he says, puffing his chest.

Eddie shares an unimpressed look with Jasmine. “Well, not for long, Harrington. We’re catching up, so you two better watch out!”

“Oh, we’re so scared,” Steve taunts right back, nudging Ivy playfully.

The twins pitch in on the playful trash talking, and Eddie has to take a moment to marvel at how… how happy he is. He loves this little family already, and feeling included like this… it means the world to him. He doesn’t know how he’ll ever truly be able to convey that to Steve though, so instead, he levels him with a smirk. “Game on, buddy.”

~~~

It’s over an hour later, and they’ve switched teams so that Ivy is now on Eddie’s side and Jasmine is on Steve’s. Steve had announced that they would only be doing five rounds each before bedtime, and as much as Eddie is enjoying the playful competition, it’s definitely late, and the girls are definitely getting tired.

“Alright, Ivy, last go. Come on. We need this point to beat the others,” Eddie coaches, slapping his knees as he talks like that’ll do anything to encourage her. Steve snorts from somewhere to the side, which Eddie pointedly ignores. Sore winner.

She giggles, pulling a card. “Okay, okay,” she says. She scans the word, an excited look taking over her face. “Oh! This is an easy one! It’s an object.”

“Perfect. Pencils up, picasso.”

Ivy grabs the marker and starts drawing while Jasmine flips the sand timer on the table. Eddie watches closely as she draws… a bunch of lines?

“Uh. A barcode?” He asks, trying to sound more confident than he feels.

Ivy shakes her head, draws a line underneath the other lines, and then one on top. She turns to look at him like that’s it, and he’s - he’s a little lost.

“Uh… a prison cell? Like the bars? Jail?” He tries, running through all the possible ways that could be phrased on the card.

“No!” Ivy whines. She points at the board in exasperation. “It’s- hang on.” She returns to the board, erases the middle section, and draws… a face?

“What in the…” Eddie mumbles, even more confused than before. “It just looks like a prison!”

Jasmine is cackling beside him, but Eddie is genuinely distraught. Ivy smacks her hand over her face in a very dramatic, Steve-esque move, and Eddie can’t even lament over how cute that is before Jasmine is calling, “time!”

“Ugh,” Ivy groans, all but throwing the marker down in defeat.

“What was it?” Eddie asks, still staring at her… creation.

“A baby crib!” she announces, like it’s obvious. “With the little bars to keep ‘em in there? And that was the baby!”

And… that makes sense, now that she’s explained it. He gets the vision.

But of course his omega brain has to go and make himself sad.

“Oh,” he says quietly, still staring at the drawing. He feels a longing, then, a longing for a life he won’t get to have. This is close, and this is good, but he wants… he wants-

“Alright, girls, time for bed,” Steve announces, standing from his chair. “Let’s put everything up, and then it’s time to brush teeth and go to sleep.”

They whine, predictably, but do as Steve asks, each of them helping put the cards and things back in the box before handing it to Steve to go put back in the board game cabinet. Steve glances at Eddie as he walks past, a soft, sympathetic smile on his lips.

Eddie looks away.

“C’mon, let’s go brush our teeth,” he tells the girls woodenly.

If they notice something off about him, they don’t say, and just follow him into the bathroom, where they each find their own toothbrush and toothpaste and brush side-by-side, like the sweethearts they are. Eddie hangs out by the door and critiques them, reminding them to brush the backs of their teeth and their tongues before they are finished. Ivy’s rinsing her toothbrush off while Jasmine grabs her hairbrush when Eddie feels a hand on his waist.

“Do you want to go ahead and go to bed? I’ll tuck them in,” Steve offers, and dammit, Eddie wishes he wasn’t so perceptive.

Eddie shakes his head anyway. “No, I can do it,” he says, sending Steve a poor excuse of a smile.

Steve just nods, doesn’t acknowledge the undoubtedly pained look on Eddie’s face. He’s grateful for that, doesn’t know what he would do if Steve did say something else right now. “Alright, let’s go, girls.”

They corral them into their bedroom, each of them tucking in a kid and giving them a goodnight kiss before they swap. This is one of Eddie’s favorite daily routines at the Harrington home, one that he knows he’ll miss when they get older, or when he leaves - whichever happens first.

“Goodnight, girls. I love you,” Steve says before closing the bedroom door. He turns, comes face-to-face with Eddie, and offers him a small, knowing smile. “Let’s go have a drink.”

~~~

Eddie doesn’t argue with him this time. He accepts the small glass of wine that Steve pours for him, and they’re essentially splitting about a cup between the two of them. It’s not enough to do anything, but Eddie recognizes it as an excuse to talk alone, away from any listening ears.

“Are you alright?” Steve asks after a moment or so of silence. He’s standing beside the bar, while Eddie occupies the barstool at the end. They’re within touching distance, but Eddie knows neither one of them will breach it.

Eddie shrugs. “I’m fine.” He doesn’t meet Steve’s eyes, forcing himself to be as neutral as possible, lest he realize he’s lying.

“I could tell the baby crib thing bothered you earlier,” Steve says softly, no trace of judgment in his voice.

“It didn’t,” Eddie lies.

Steve frowns, but like the saint he is, he doesn’t push. “Well, either way. I’m glad you decided to play with us. The girls had the best time.” He leans against the counter so Eddie doesn’t have much of a choice but to look up at his smiling face.

Eddie returns the smile. “I did too. Even if all of you are horrible artists,” he teases lightly.

Steve rolls his eyes and finishes his wine. “We can’t all be multi-talented and creative, Eddie. Some of us are just mere mortals.”

And Eddie can’t help but blush a little at the sweetness of that compliment, even wrapped in sarcasm as it is. “Could never be me,” Eddie teases back. It feels like… well, flirting. That’s exactly what it feels like.

“Maybe you’ll rub off on us,” Steve says. If Eddie didn’t know any better, he’d call the look on his face a smirk, but before he can discern it, Steve is turning away, rinsing out their wine glasses. “We should probably go to bed,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

Eddie nods. His head is swimming, and it has nothing to do with the scant amount of alcohol he’s had. “Yeah,” he agrees quietly.

Before he can get up to move, Steve steps closer, and Eddie’s breath catches in his throat. Steve’s hand comes up to cradle the back of Eddie’s head gently, and then he ducks in and -

-and kisses Eddie’s head. It’s just a soft, barely-there press of lips, but it makes Eddie want to swoon. “I’m sorry you got upset earlier,” he murmurs against his hair. He pulls back just a bit, smiling down at Eddie, crinkles surrounding his hazel eyes. “You can talk to me about anything, you know. You’re… you’re part of our family now, okay? So don’t… you don’t have to hide everything that bothers you, not from me.”

And god. Eddie was doing so well bottling up his burgeoning feelings for the other man, and then he had to go and say some shit like this. How the fuck was Eddie supposed to act normal about that?

He tries, anyway. “Thanks,” he whispers, ducking his head bashfully. This isn’t like him, it really isn’t. A crush will do that to a person, he reckons.

Steve ruffles his hair sweetly before pulling away altogether. “Goodnight, Eddie. Sweet dreams.”

Eddie watches him leave the room, a soft, “goodnight,” slipping out after he’s already made it out of the kitchen.

He thunks his head down on the kitchen counter with a sigh.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

It’s a month into Eddie’s role as babysitter when something inevitably goes wrong.

It was only a matter of time, really. With the weather getting colder, all the kids at school seemed to have been coming down with one disease after another, whether it be a cold, the flu, or a stomach bug. Eddie had been incredibly diligent with passing out vitamins and allergy pills every morning before school, taking hand sanitizer with him to pick-up, and keeping them fed the healthiest foods possible.

And still, it wasn’t enough.

Eddie is humming to himself as he folds the last of the laundry, this time a load of the twins’ clothes, when the phone rings. He doesn’t think much of it as he answers, still in a rather pleasant mood, having done everything on his to-do list already for the day, and it’s only noon.

“Hello?” he says when he answers the phone, balancing it between his ear and shoulder.

“Eddie, honey?” Steve’s voice fills the line, and Eddie perks up immediately.

“Hi,” Eddie says around a little smile. “Uh… everything okay? You don’t normally call me during the day.”

“Well, actually, no,” Steve says with a sigh. “It’s nothing too bad. But the school just called and the twins are both sick. Ivy’s running a fever and Jazz has thrown up twice apparently.”

Eddie’s stomach sinks at the thought of his girls being sick. “Oh, god. I- I should’ve known! Jasmine didn’t finish her eggs this morning, and-”

Steve cuts him off with a gentle voice before he can spiral further. “Hon, it’s not your fault they’re sick. But I need you to go to the school and pick them up, okay? I have back-to-back meetings with investors from now until four, so I won’t be home until five at the earliest. I’m so sorry.”

It’s easy for Eddie to shrug that off. This is his responsibility, since, after all, it’s the very thing Steve pays him for. “No, of course, of course. I don’t mind at all. I’ll go grab them and take care of everything before you get home. They’ll be right as rain when you get here, okay?”

It sounds like Steve’s smiling when he replies, “thanks, Eddie. Let me know if you guys need anything, I can bring back something for dinner if you want.”

Eddie agrees to let him know before hanging up and grabbing his coat and his keys. Time to go get his kids and play mommy-nurse for an evening.

~~~

It’s worse than Eddie is expecting. Jasmine is so pale she favors Eddie more than her father, a fact Eddie ignores, lest he start thinking about how nice that would be, to have a child that looked like him. Ivy is nearly asleep in the nurse’s office, so drowsy with fever that she can barely walk. He takes Ivy out to the van first, buckling her in and checking that she’s alright before going back for Jasmine. He thanks the secretary and the school nurse profusely before heading outside, shushing Jasmine gently as he carries her to the car.

“I don’t feel good,” she cries against his shoulder.

“I know baby, I know. We’re going to get you all fixed up when we get home, though, okay?” He reassures, petting her hair as he gets her in the car, buckling her up to match her sister.

The drive back to the apartment is short but stressful, Eddie hyper-aware of any jarring movement that might make them toss their cookies, but luckily, they make it back home with no accidents. They’re both in varying stages of crying by the time they get upstairs, Eddie carrying Ivy with one arm while Jasmine trails after them, clutching desperately to Eddie’s hand. It’s a bit of a struggle, but they make it.

“Alright. Ivy, honey, we’ve gotta get you in a cool bath to get this fever down, okay? It’s not gonna feel very good at first, but I promise it’ll make you feel so much better,” Eddie explains as he carries her to Steve’s bathroom, since it has the nicer tub.

“I don’wanna,” she whines against his shoulder, her tears already soaking a sizeable patch into his shirt.

Eddie sighs. “Baby, I know. But if you’re a brave girl and take your bath, I’ll get you a treat when we’re finished, okay?”

Ivy sniffles, but nods.

Jasmine, who had followed them into the bathroom, says, “what about me?”

Eddie smiles at her as he sits on the edge of the bathtub and turns on the tap, testing the temperature before putting the plug down. “I didn’t forget about you, love. I don’t think your fever is as high as sissy’s, but as soon as I get her in the bath I’m gonna get the thermometer to check, okay? And if it is, you’ll need to take a cool bath too.”

Jasmine frowns, but nods. She sits on the closed lid of the toilet, staring down at her feet. Eddie bites his lip to hide the quiver there, because he truly hates the fact that these girls are so miserable and he can’t just wave his hand to put a stop to it. That just feels completely unfair.

“Alright, hon, let’s get you in the bath,” Eddie says, helping Ivy strip down to her underwear before helping her into the water.

She immediately lets out a cry, and Eddie’s omega cries back, so full of pain he almost feels sick himself. “Baby,” he says tearfully. “I know, I know it’s chilly.”

“It’s too cold,” Ivy cries, shaking her head. “It’s too cold, Mommy.”

Eddie doesn’t even register what she said at first, too wrapped up in trying to soothe her. When it hits him, he just feels even worse. “I know,” he says. He knows that it’s not actually that cold, he’d run the warm water far longer than he should have, if anything, but at least this way it must be working. “Can you be a very good girl and sit right here until I get back with the thermometer and some ginger ale for you guys to sip?”

Ivy doesn’t look happy about it, but she nods. “Y-yes,” she chatters.

Eddie offers her a small smile, brushing her hair back gently. “Very good. I’ll be right back, okay?”

She nods, and Jasmine does the same when Eddie checks in on her before leaving the room. He rushes to the twins’ bathroom, where he knows a thermometer lives in the medicine cabinet, and then he stops back by the kitchen to grab a can of ginger ale out of the fridge and a straw out of a drawer. It had been more of a purchase for himself than anyone else, as he got frequent nausea spells leading up to his period, but it was coming in very handy right now for sure.

When he gets back to the bathroom, the girls are talking quietly, but he can’t make out what they’re saying. He hears Jasmine mumble something that sounds like, “-wish he was, though,” before he steps through the door and they go quiet.

“Alright, Jazz, come here, honey,” Eddie says as he goes to sit back on the side of the bathtub, holding the freshly opened can of ginger ale out for Ivy to sip from while he gestures the thermometer at her sister.

Jasmine comes to stand beside him, obediently sticking her tongue out for him to place the thermometer underneath. The room is silent for a moment, except for the sipping sounds from Ivy, before the thermometer makes a quiet beeping noise. When he pulls it away, he frowns down at the tiny display screen.

“Is it very high?” Jasmine asks softly.

Eddie shakes his head. “Not too bad,” he says. “It’s at ninety-eight-point-four. If it gets above a hundred, we’ll need to take a cool bath, okay?” he tells her firmly.

She nods, then points to Ivy. “Can I have a sip of that?”

Eddie nods, checking that Ivy is finished before handing it over. He doesn’t figure it makes sense to have them stop sharing things now that they’re sick - whatever it is, they’ve both got it.

“Can I get out now?” Ivy asks quietly.

“Let me see if you still feel so warm,” Eddie says, leaning in and placing a hand on her forehead. She’s still a little warm, but not nearly as hot as she was when he picked her up. He nods, turning to gesture at the towels. “Yeah, honey. Jazz, will you hand me one of those? Thank you, love. Let’s get out, Ivy.”

Ivy stands on shaky legs, and Eddie gets her wrapped up as quickly as possible before taking both of them back to their own bedroom to find a suitable pair of pajamas for each of them. As soon as they’re dressed, Eddie directs them to get into bed.

“Can we…” Ivy starts, sounding a little timid.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow. “Can we do what?” he asks.

Ivy glances at her sister before looking up at Eddie, her eyes wide and watery with sickness. “Can we go snuggle in Daddy’s bed? He always lets us sleep in his bed when we’re sick.”

“Yeah,” Jasmine agrees. “Can we, please?”

Eddie hesitates. He hadn’t asked Steve for permission to do that, but… on the other hand… being around their father’s familiar scent would likely make them calmer, quicker to recover. He thinks that outweighs whatever weirdness he feels about it.

“Okay,” he agrees. “Come on, bring your stuffies and let’s go to his room.”

The girls cheer quietly, clearly relieved to be allowed to have this. Eddie is glad they asked, because he never would have let himself think of it personally. They gather up their favorite stuffed animals and Eddie marches them through the house to Steve’s room, and naturally, with his massive, tall bed, Eddie has to help them up.

“Alright, lay down, get comfy. I’m gonna go grab each of you a popsicle. Have you had lunch yet?”

They chorus a quiet “no,” but Eddie catches the way Jasmine wrinkles her nose. “I’m not hungry,” she admits.

Eddie nods. “Okay. Your tummies are probably too weak to handle anything much right now, anyway, but a popsicle will definitely give you enough sugar to keep you going, and the cold will help keep your fever down.”

The girls nod, and off Eddie goes, back to gather up popsicles, towels to hold them with so their little hands don’t get cold and sticky, and some crackers for them to nibble on when they get to feeling better. He has a feeling this will be a long evening.

~~~

“Eddie? Girls? I’m home!”

Steve’s voice rings through the apartment, dragging Eddie from his half-asleep state with a bleary blink of his eyes. He startles when he remembers where he is and what he’s doing, or, well- meant to be doing. The twins are passed out on either side of him, and he vaguely remembers how they got there. He brought them popsicles and as soon as she finished hers, Jasmine was passed out. Ivy took some coaxing to get to sleep, crying because she felt so bad. Eddie’s heart broke a million times over seeing how miserable she was, and he’d sort of unintentionally began to release calming pheromones, rubbing his cheek against the tops of their heads in an attempt to soothe. Try as he might, though, he could tell it wasn’t really working. After all, he’s not their mom, his omega pheromones aren’t what they’re familiar with.

Still, he tried. For nearly an hour he soothed them and hummed and tried to be what they needed until they fell asleep, and eventually, he drifted to sleep as well.

“In here,” Eddie calls back quietly, hoping not to wake the girls. He sits up slowly, brushing a hand over Ivy’s hair, checking her temperature with the back of his hand before turning to Jasmine to do the same.

“Oh,” Steve says from the door.

Eddie glances up with a sheepish smile. “Hi. I’m sorry about- all this. They wanted to sleep in here, and-“

Steve shakes his head, dropping his coat onto his dresser and toeing off his shoes before making his way to the bed. “No, it’s fine, Eddie, really. God, they really don’t feel well, do they?” He has the most devastated look on his face as he comes around to the side of the bed, stroking a hand over Jasmine’s hair like Eddie had just done. Steve glances up at him with a soft smile. “How are you feeling?”

Eddie shrugs. “I’m fine. Too soon to have caught anything from them, probably, but, um…” he debates on what he’s going to say next. “My immune system is usually sort of weak this time of month, so…” he watches Steve’s face carefully as he waits for it to click.

It takes a second, but when it does, Steve frowns. “Oh, Eds, why didn’t you tell me you were- what do you need?”

It makes him flush a little, the way Steve is immediately trying to take care of him- as if that’s even his job. “It hasn’t started yet. I’m cramping a little, but it probably won’t be bad until tomorrow. But I really don’t need anything, and I can still take care of the girls and everything.” Eddie offers him a sweet smile.

Steve’s frown only deepens when he hears that. “Well, sure, but who’s going to take care of you?”

Eddie gives him a look of surprise, unprepared to answer that. “Um…”

“Have you eaten anything today?” Steve asks, taking charge in that distinctly alpha manner that Eddie’s omega thrills at.

“I had breakfast with you guys, and then…” Eddie realizes with no small amount of surprise that he hasn’t actually eaten anything since then. “Oh. I guess that’s it. But I’m okay, though, really, I-“

Steve sighs deeply, his hands on his hips in this way that just screams disappointed parent. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. I am going to go make you some dinner. You can lay here for as long as you like, but you need to try to eat a little bit before you go back to sleep.”

Eddie is already shaking his head, trying desperately not to appear as lazy as he’s feeling right now. “Oh, there’s no need, really, I’m-“

“Going to lay right there until I get back,” Steve says firmly, his narrowed eyes leaving no room for argument. His face softens for a moment and he reaches out to brush a strand of Eddie’s hair back. “Let me take care of you, honey. You’re taking such good care of the girls, so let me take care of you.”

And how is Eddie supposed to deny that face? He can’t. “Okay,” he finally says, voice soft. “Thanks, Steve.”

Steve just smiles, forever sweet and endlessly kind. “I’ll be right back. Gonna make some soup for you and the girls. I assume they haven’t eaten either?”

Eddie shakes his head. “No, just some popsicles, that’s all. They didn’t feel well enough to eat.”

Steve nods in understanding. “Alright. Well, sit tight. I’ll be right back.” He gives Eddie one last look, like he’s checking to make sure he’s going to stay put, and then leaves the room quickly.

Eddie sighs, laying back in bed as he listens to the tell-tale sounds of Steve putting together some food. It’s a casual kind of domesticity, the kind that Eddie has been wistful for ever since he presented as an omega. He smiles as Jasmine rolls over in her sleep, curling up against his side with a sleepy noise. Normally he’d be feeling a little sorry for himself, wistful for things that don’t truly belong to him, but today he lets himself be content. He closes his eyes and pretends that these are his pups, and that his mate is in the kitchen making food for them, and even allows himself to think of Steve’s bed as his nest. It’s a dangerous daydream, one he knows will probably only hurt him more in the long run, but he lets himself have it for now.

He doesn’t realize he drifted off to sleep until a soft voice is coaxing him awake.

“Eddie, honey? Wake up, I’ve got some food and water for you.” Steve’s voice is like a familiar friend, and Eddie unintentionally curls close to the gentle hand in his hair. Steve coos, and it’s the sweet sound, more than anything else, that wakes Eddie up.

He startles away from the warmth of Steve’s hand, blinking blearily up at him. “Huh?” he mumbles, rubbing at his eyes. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to go back to sleep. It’s just so… warm,” Eddie apologizes, a little pathetically.

Steve is smiling down at him, a broad, pleased thing that just makes Eddie’s heart race. “It’s okay. Can you sit up for a few minutes? I brought you some soup and some ice water.”

Eddie nods, shifting gently to sit up against the headboard, absentmindedly reaching out to stroke through Ivy’s hair where she’s snuggled in against his side. “Want me to wake them up too?” He asks as he watches Steve stir a bowl of soup on the bedside table.

Steve shakes his head. “Eat first, and then we’ll wake them up. The soup’s still on the stove, so it’ll stay warm.” He cradles the bowl with a tea towel, handing it to Eddie carefully. “Be careful, it’s really hot,” he warns softly.

It’s silly, but for some reason, the thoughtful gesture almost makes Eddie tear up. He doesn’t think he’s had soup brought to him in bed since he was a tiny child, before his mother died. His uncle Wayne probably would’ve if Eddie had let him, but Eddie was more the “suffer in silence” type when it came to illnesses. He’s not sure why it feels so normal, so right, to let Steve baby him like this while he’s sick, but it does. It doesn’t make him cringe or feel helpless like it probably would with someone else, it just makes him feel… loved.

His face must be flushed with the absurdity of that thought, and Steve frowns at him from where he’s perched at the edge of the mattress. “Are you alright?” he asks.

Eddie nods, slurping at the hot chicken noodle soup to hide his face. “‘M fine,” he mumbles into the spoon.

Steve’s eyebrows furrow, and before Eddie can flinch away, Steve’s hand is coming up to feel his forehead. “You don’t feel like you’re running a fever, but your face is red…” he says, looking perplexed.

Eddie shrugs, goes in for another slurp of the soup because this shit is delicious. “Probably just, uh… steam from the soup?” he suggests lamely.

Apparently it’s not too lame, because Steve just nods in understanding. “Yeah, that makes sense,” he agrees, although it really doesn’t. “Here, have a sip of your water. I’ll go grab some pain medicine in just a second.”

Steve holds the glass up, nudging the straw around for Eddie to sip from, and Eddie feels like he’s blushing even harder with the way Steve is staring at his mouth as he sucks on the straw. He pulls away, clearing his throat. “You really don’t have to do all of this,” Eddie says, avoiding Steve’s gaze.

“And you really don’t have to fight me on it every time,” Steve counters lightly. When Eddie looks at him, though, he’s got a pained look in his eyes. “Sweetheart, I really don’t mind. I…” He looks down at where Jasmine has suddenly shifted in her sleep, rolling over towards Eddie, burrowing her head into his side to mirror her sister. Steve smiles at her, his gaze flicking up to Eddie’s. “I like taking care of you. Maybe it’s just some alpha, hetero-normative bullshit, but…” Steve shrugs. “I like that I can… you know, provide something for you.”

His face is probably red enough to match Eddie’s at this point, and something about the sentiment, or the dual embarrassment, makes Eddie smile. “Okay,” he concedes. If Steve wants to do this, Eddie is going to let him. He can’t think of a good reason why he shouldn’t, besides the obvious issue of his pesky little feelings, but really that’s not that important. They’re under control. Really, they are.

“I’ll be right back,” Steve says after a few moments, standing and making his way to the bathroom. A confused noise traps itself in Eddie’s throat, and he has to hide his face once again when Steve glances over his shoulder at him. “Just gonna grab some ibuprofen,” Steve reassures.

Eddie nods. “Okay.”

He eats his soup slowly, vaguely aware of the cramping in his lower stomach, a sure sign of his upcoming monthly cycle. He’s luckier than most omegas, though. His cycle has never been as miserable as he’s often heard described by his omega friends, usually just two or three days of bleeding and some cramps, nothing like the puking and migraine-filled periods he’s heard about. Eddie is grateful for this for a number of reasons, the main one being, of course, that he has no real need for cycle-management birth control, which he’s heard can make heats more erratic as a side effect. He’s incredibly thankful that’s not a problem he has to deal with.

“Here,” Steve says, returning from the bathroom with a small handful of pills. “I don’t know how many you usually take, but here’s four.”

Eddie smiles at him and holds out his bowl of soup so they can trade for a moment. “I usually only take two at a time,” he says as he plucks two of the tablets out of Steve’s hand. “Thanks,” he tacks on before he pops them in his mouth, reaching for the glass of water that Steve is already holding out for him.

Steve watches him with a small smile, handing the bowl back as soon as Eddie’s done with the medicine. “Are you feeling very bad yet?” He asks, perching himself on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb Jasmine.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, not yet. It’ll probably kick in sometime tonight or in the morning. Getting a head start on it with the medicine and stuff really helps,” he says, glancing up at Steve with a sheepish, but grateful, smile.

“I’m glad,” Steve says, reaching out and brushing a hand through Eddie’s hair. “I can’t stand the idea of you being in pain.”

And there it is, once again. Steve saying something so impossibly sweet and caring, something he can’t possibly mean. Eddie has half a mind to call him out on it, but instead he just smiles and rolls his eyes. “Well, don’t worry about that. I feel fine, really. Besides, I have this Harrington-special soup, however could I be sick if I have that?” he jokes, grinning at Steve.

Steve laughs quietly, considerate of his sleeping daughters. “Oh, of course, yeah. Should I send your compliments to the chef?” He’s got such a flirtatious look in his eye, one that Eddie really can’t help but flirt right back with.

“Oh for sure. Let the chef know that I give him a five-star review, ten out of ten, would recommend.”

“I’ll pass the message along,” Steve says, still playing along. He drops his hand to Eddie’s knee then, rubbing circles into it with his thumb. “Any other messages for the chef?” He says, his voice light, even as his eyes dart away from Eddie’s as if he’s… nervous?

Eddie pauses, not sure how to respond in the face of what seems to be actual, genuine flirting. He knows what he’d like to say, what he’s wanted to say since day one, but as for what’s appropriate…

“Can you two be quiet?” A little voice suddenly interrupts Eddie’s entire train of thought, nearly making him spill his soup in his surprise.

Steve and Eddie both glance down at Ivy, who has lifted her head to glare at them both. “‘M tryin’ to sleep over here!” she grouches.

Eddie has to bite his lip to stifle his laugh, and Steve appears to be having the same struggle beside him. “You’re right, honey, we’re sorry,” Steve appeases her gently. “Are you hungry, Ivy? Could you eat some soup?”

At that, Ivy lifts her head for real, blinking her eyes open blearily. “Soup?”

~~~

They make the twins get out of bed to eat, because they both know they’re just asking for disaster if they give two six-year-olds bowls of hot soup on a mattress. Steve insists that Eddie can just stay in bed and rest while he deals with the twins himself, but Eddie’s not having it. He finishes his soup quickly and follows them into the kitchen, making the girls a glass of ginger ale each while Steve ladles their soup into their bowls. They work together in tandem, never bumping into each other unless it’s intentional, and when they’ve got the girls everything they need, Eddie feels a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over him.

“I’m gonna go sit down for a minute,” he tells Steve, his voice a little weak.

Steve, who had just been explaining to Jasmine that yes, she would feel better if she ate some soup, looks up with concern etched into his eyebrows. “Are you okay?”

Eddie almost rolls his eyes at the outpouring of worry and concern that Steve always seems to have for him, but he refrains. “Yeah, just feel kind of light-headed all of a sudden.”

“Go lay down,” Steve suggests, his voice noticeably lacking any alpha-lilted order that would take away Eddie’s ability to choose for himself. When Eddie starts to shake his head in protest, Steve gives him a look, dropping his hands to his hips in a clear picture of disapproval. “Honey, I’ve got this. Just go lay down for a bit. We’ll be back in there as soon as we’re done.”

It takes Eddie’s brain a second to catch up. Steve wants him to- “You want me to… your room?” He stumbles through the question, staring at Steve in surprise.

Steve looks vaguely confused for a minute. “Well, yeah,” he says, like it’s obvious. “I can’t very well take care of you if you’re on the other side of the apartment,” he says with a little smile.

Eddie feels his face flush, so he nods and turns to go back to Steve’s room. He may be a little bit embarrassed and ashamed to be sleeping in an alpha’s bed when they’re not even mated, but the biggest part of him is thrilled. Steve’s scent is so strong in this room, stronger than Eddie has ever gotten it, and he doesn’t stop himself from snuggling into the sheets, shoving his face into the pillow he’s almost positive is Steve’s favorite, the scent of alpha cloying his senses. It’s perfect, and his omega is practically purring with joy.

Apparently, he’s sleepier than he’d thought, because the next thing he knows, he’s waking up to something pressing against his back. He must make a noise of some sort, because the next thing he knows, a soft voice is shushing him.

“It’s just me, babe.” Steve’s hand strokes over his hair, and Eddie presses himself into the touch helplessly.

“Where’s - girls?” Eddie mumbles, turning his head and blinking, trying to find Steve.

“They’re here,” Steve assures him.

Eddie sits up a little, his panicked heart settling a little when he lays eyes on the twins. Jasmine is pressed close to his side, her gaze focused on the television on the other side of the room, which Eddie realizes now is playing a movie on a near-silent volume. Ivy is on the other side of Jasmine, holding her stuffed animal to her chest and looking up at Eddie with a little smile.

“Did you take a nap?” She asks sweetly.

Eddie smiles at her. “Yeah, I did. Didn’t mean to, though,” he says, glancing over at Steve. “Was I asleep for very long?”

Steve shakes his head. “Not at all. The girls finished their soup, I took their temperatures again and gave them some medicine, and they wanted to come snuggle.” He smiles over at his daughters, and Eddie’s heart does that stupid clenching thing it wants to do whenever he sees the love Steve always lavishes onto his kids. He wishes, selfishly, that it was lavished onto him as well. Then he feels guilty for thinking that, when Steve is clearly already doing so much to take care of him as it is. He should just be grateful for that, rather than be selfish and wish for more.

“Daddy? Can we sleep in here tonight?” Ivy asks suddenly, interrupting Eddie’s little mental pity-party.

Eddie glances up to see Steve’s reaction. The man smiles at his daughter, nodding easily. “Of course. We’re overdue for a slumber party, I think.”

Ivy smiles, then turns that sweet little puppy dog gaze onto Eddie. “You’ll stay too, right, Eddie?” she asks, and if she wasn’t so precious, Eddie would probably be more annoyed by the coyness. Maybe he’s crazy, but he’s almost positive she has a knowing glint in her eye, like she knows what this is doing to Eddie’s heart.

“Um…” he says awkwardly, glancing up at Steve uncertainly.

Steve smiles, an eerily similar expression to the one Ivy wears. “I don’t mind,” he says softly. His hand comes up to brush through Eddie’s bangs, and Eddie can’t help it when he tilts into the touch. “How about you go get your pajamas on? Then it’ll be a proper sleepover.”

Eddie flushes, but nods. Really, how could he turn him down with a face like that? “Okay, I’ll be right back,” he says, rolling off the bed with shaky limbs. He takes a second to stretch from where he’d gone a bit stiff, and he can’t help but smirk a little when he catches Steve watching him. “Alright. Pajamas. Girls, do you need anything from your room?” he asks.

“Can you bring me my pillow?” Ivy asks.

Jasmine lights up at that, finally tuning into the conversation. “Ooh, yeah, can you bring mine too? And my fluffy blanket?”

Eddie laughs, but nods. “Sure, I’ll-”

Steve interrupts him then. “You just go get dressed, honey, I’ll grab their stuff. Any other requests, ladies?” He’s got his hands on his hips, once again in that decidedly parental pose, and Eddie tries to hide his smirk.

The twins confirm that all they want is their pillows and blankets, and Steve follows Eddie out of his bedroom. “I really opened a can of worms with that one,” Eddie says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry about that.”

Steve just laughs, shaking his head. “No, it’s fine. It’ll kind of be like making a nest,” he says thoughtfully.

And of course he has no idea what that’s going to do to Eddie’s heart. How is he supposed to predict that those words will make Eddie’s chest clench and his head swim with images of a domestic fantasy where he’s allowed to have that?

He tries not to indicate just how much those words sting. “Huh. Yeah, I guess so,” Eddie mumbles quietly. He gestures pointlessly at his bedroom. “I’m gonna… um…”

Steve nods, but there’s a fissure of concern under the carefully neutral mask on his face. “Okay. I’ll grab the girls’ things quickly.”

Eddie just nods, stepping into his room and going to rifle through his pajama drawer, almost on auto-pilot as he changes out of his jeans and into the soft flannel bottoms Steve had bought him, along with their matching shirt. He forces himself not to think about the idea of making a nest with Steve, something he doesn’t deserve and will never have anyway. He’s never even had a proper nest, not really. The one partner he’d had… well, they hadn’t wanted him to have a nest, even if it was something he technically needed. So his pipe dream of having one with Steve is stupid - Eddie doesn’t even know how to do it properly.

He tries to push that thought out of his head, but from there his mind spirals to his other omega failings thus far. He’s old for an unmated, childless omega, and even though he’s helping rear Steve’s pups, he’s not their mother. Fuck, he couldn’t even comfort them properly with his scent - something any decent omega should be able to do on some basic level for any pup, even if they’re not biologically related. And Eddie can’t even do that right! What a poor fucking excuse for an omega. What a lousy, pathetic-

“Eddie?” Steve’s panicked voice comes from the doorway, jolting Eddie out of his nervous, near-manic state. He hadn’t realized it until now, but he’s breathing hard, probably not far from hyperventilating. “Honey, what’s wrong? You smell-”

And Eddie can’t cope with the idea that Steve just knows how fucked-up he is. How pathetic. So of course he has to go and prove it by bursting into tears.

“I- I’m sorry,” Eddie chokes through quiet sobs, reaching up to cover his mouth in a poor attempt to muffle the sound. “I…”

Steve drops the handful of bedding bundled up in his arms, stepping into Eddie’s space with no hesitation. “Oh, come here, babe,” he says, wrapping Eddie up in his arms easily.

Of course Eddie, the pathetic omega he is, nearly falls into the embrace, his face immediately tucking into Steve’s neck and breathing in his scent deeply. He can’t help it, really, but he’s aware that that’s probably a shitty excuse, no matter which way he twists it in his mind. “I’m sorry,” he says, a bit more firmly after a minute of sniffling. “I… I don’t know what came over me.”

Steve strokes his back, his hand leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. “Okay. You seemed fine a minute ago, but then your scent… it got so sour all of a sudden, like… well, like an omega in distress. Are you… Like physically speaking, are you okay?”

Eddie appreciates how carefully Steve phrases that. “Yeah,” he answers, because that’s technically the truth. He should probably pull himself out of Steve’s grip now that he’s admitted that he’s fine, but when he goes to retract himself, Steve is not having it, holding him even tighter instead. “I’m fine, Steve, really, I just…” He doesn’t want to lie to Steve, so he settles for a half-truth. “I just started thinking about how earlier, when I tried to calm the girls down, I… well I couldn’t. Not like…” He sniffles again, the tears welling back up in his eyes.

“Not like what?” Steve asks softly, petting Eddie’s hair.

“Not like their mother could,” Eddie whispers after a moment of silence. “I tried- I really did! But… I don’t think my scent will ever be a good enough substitute for the real thing,” he admits. He’s ashamed to bring this up to Steve, in a way. He’s sure there’s some trauma associated with the absence of the twins’ mother, and he doesn’t want to drag Steve down with him during his breakdown, but he also doesn’t want to lie about how he’s feeling, not when it concerns the kids, at least.

“Well… You did everything you could. And honey, I’m just thrilled that you love them that much- that you would share that with them? That you would try to scent-soothe kids who aren’t biologically yours? Eddie, that means the world to me.” Steve pulls away just a bit, finally reclaiming his personal space when Eddie peels himself away from his neck. “Okay?”

And while that sounds nice, it feels like… like a gesture of placation. Eddie feels the tears swell again. “I’m sorry,” he says, his voice cracking. “I’m a bad omega.” His voice comes out a sob, and he tries to pull away from Steve fully, intending to go wallow in self-pity on his own, but Steve pulls him into a crushing embrace, tucking him back against himself with ease.

“Eddie, no,” Steve says, his voice firm in a way that almost suggests anger. “You are not a bad omega. “I can’t even believe… Don’t even say that, okay? You…” Steve’s voice cracks then, and Eddie realizes belatedly that Steve is shaking. “You’ve been so good to my pups, Eddie. You’re such a good omega. Such a good mom to them.”

And fuck if that doesn’t make Eddie’s omega sing. Still, he has to choke down his sobs to even respond to it, swiping at his eyes with a weak hand. “Really?”

Steve kisses his forehead. It’s a completely unmistakable press of lips to skin, and Eddie nearly melts against Steve at the touch. “Of course. I can’t imagine anyone else doing a better job with them, Eddie. They love you, and they can tell how much you love them. So… biology or not… you are the closest thing to a mom they’ve got. And I won’t hear any more of this “bad omega” bullshit, understand?” His voice goes hard and stern, and pathetically, Eddie feels a little turned on by it. “I’m serious, Eds. I won’t have you tearing yourself down about your abilities, okay?”

Eddie nods. He’s not promising that he’ll never feel that way again, but he certainly won’t go around voicing it in Steve’s presence anymore. “Okay,” he says quietly.

Steve gives him one last forehead kiss, a long, lingering thing that makes Eddie’s skin flush. Then, he steps back. “Alright. Grab your pillow or whatever else you need to sleep with, and let's go. We’ve got a nest to build with the kiddos, and we’re missing out on all the good snuggles.” He’s got a smile on his face, but Eddie can tell it’s somewhat strained. He curses himself in his head for making Steve’s life more difficult, for making him feel like he’s got to be some sort of emotional support for Eddie’s little meltdowns. Still, Eddie keeps that self-loathing to himself, as he’s pretty sure Steve won’t approve of it.

Eddie grabs his favorite pillow off his bed, then turns around, giving Steve a shaky smile and following him down the hall. “Sorry about all that,” Eddie murmurs as they’re walking through the kitchen. “I think it’s just, like… My emotions are scattered this time of month, you know? I’d like to think I’m not always that much of a mess.”

Steve glances at him over his shoulder, and this time his smile is more relaxed, more genuine. “Honey, I promise it doesn’t bother me. It’s normal to have emotions. Bottling them up until you have a breakdown is definitely a problem, but we can work on that.”

Before Eddie can disagree, or say anything that makes him sound less like an emotionally stunted mess, they’re stepping back into Steve’s room, where the twins loudly complain that they thought they’d died or something. Eddie smiles to himself as he climbs up onto the bed in the face of their whining.

“We didn’t die,” Steve says, rolling his eyes as he hands out their pillows and blankets, helping them get comfy.

“Were you two smoochin’ or somethin’?” Ivy asks, narrowing her eyes at Steve.

Eddie nearly chokes on his own spit. Thank god he was sitting down and wasn’t drinking anything. His eyes, undoubtedly wide and panicked at even the accusation, flit quickly to gauge Steve’s reaction.

Steve, who is looking back at him already and appearing to be hiding a smile, or maybe a smirk. “No, you nosy girl. We were not "smoochin’ or somethin’". Mind your business.”

Ivy shrugs, snuggling under her blankie and allowing it when Steve climbs onto the bed beside her and opens his arm for her. She cuddles up to him and says, “I was just asking! You guys were gone for ages!”

Steve rolls his eyes, sending a sly wink in Eddie’s direction. “Well, I can see you’re feeling much better, missy, since apparently you can interrogate me on my whereabouts.”

The conversation moves naturally to what the meaning of the word “interrogate” is (“they’re six, Steve, of course they don’t know what that means!”) and why they can’t stay up all night watching movies (“I have work in the morning, and if you guys are just so sick, you should go to sleep. Oh, you feel better? Then you’ll go to school tomorrow!”)

By the time the twins are actually asleep, Eddie is exhausted and not far behind. Steve flicks the lamp off on his side of the bed, casting the room in almost pitch-darkness, save for the soft blue light of the television.

“You want me to turn that off?” Steve asks, his voice soft.

Eddie shakes his head, then remembers that Steve probably can’t see him. “No, it’s fine. The girls need a nightlight anyway, right?”

“Right,” Steve says, and sounds like he’s smiling. “You feeling okay?”

Eddie rolls over onto his side facing Steve, and despite the fact that they’ve got the twins between them, he feels impossibly close to him. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “I don’t feel like I’ve caught whatever crud the girls have, at least.”

There’s a ruffling noise, like Steve is nodding his head against the pillow. “Your period will probably start tomorrow though, right?” He doesn’t sound embarrassed to ask about it, and the thought that he actually cares about the answer makes Eddie feel warm.

“Yeah,” Eddie says. “There was enough cramping today that it wouldn’t surprise me if it started at some point in the night, to be honest.”

Steve makes a soft, sympathetic sound. “That sucks, babe,” he says. Eddie tries not to blush at the pet name; he’s noticed Steve sprinkling that one into conversation more and more frequently, and as much as he tries to convince himself that it’s “unprofessional,” he likes it too much to say anything. “Wake me up if it does, okay? I can go get you medicine, or a drink, or whatever you need.”

Eddie grins into the pillow, is grateful that the darkness of the room gives him some cover, and prays that the television screen isn’t highlighting the stupid smile on his face. “Okay,” he says, even though he knows that he would never, in a million years, wake Steve up for something like that. Still, the sentiment that Steve would take care of him if he did? That’s enough to make Eddie’s whole body feel like it’s been dipped in molten lava.

“You need anything right now?” Steve asks after a couple minutes of silence.

“Mm. No, not that I can think of,” Eddie replies. Jasmine makes a snuffling sound in her sleep, and Eddie reaches out to feel her forehead. “Jazz’s fever seems to be gone.” He reaches out to check Ivy’s as well, and in some shitty rom-com move, his and Steve’s hands brush over her head. “Oops,” Eddie says on a quiet laugh.

“Ivy’s is gone, too,” Steve says, and Eddie can tell he’s smiling.

Eddie yawns. “Good,” he mumbles. “Hated seeing them sick. Glad they’re feeling better.” His eyes flutter close, and he knows he’s gonna be out within a few minutes.

“They had the best mommy taking care of them,” Steve says, his voice so soft and far-away that it could be a dream.

“Mm,” Eddie hums in response, just in case it was real.

“Goodnight, Eddie. Sweet dreams.”

Eddie’s out within seconds.

~~~

When Eddie wakes up, he’s immediately aware of two things.

One, it’s still very much nighttime, given the darkness behind the curtains and the sleeping bodies next to him.

Two, he’s hurting. Bad.

“Oh, fuck,” he whimpers, curling up on his side, facing away from the bed and cradling his stomach with one arm. At least he was right about what time it would probably start, he thinks to himself bitterly as he waits for this cramp to subside.

He doesn’t think he’s making all that much noise until he hears a soft voice behind him.

“Eds? Honey, you okay?”

Of course it’s Steve. Of course Eddie woke him up by accident. God dammit.

“Yeah,” Eddie grits out through his teeth. “I’m fine. You can go back to sleep.”

Eddie feels the bed shift, and he squeezes his eyes shut right as the movement sends a wave of nausea through him. The beginning is always the worst for him, and he tries to frame it like this in his head, so that it doesn’t seem so never-ending. Sometimes that sort of thing works. This is not one of those times.

“Here,” Steve’s soft voice is now directly in front of him, making Eddie jump a little. “Shh, it’s just me, babe. It’s a heating pad. Can I lift up your shirt?”

Eddie can only nod and whimper, curled up in the fetal position as his body spasms with pain. “Sorry,” he mumbles as Steve slides the heating pad under his shirt and turns it on a medium setting.

“For what?” Steve asks, looking confused. The television screen is washing him out, but Eddie can still make out his features, even in the weak light.

“Waking you up,” Eddie says, grits his teeth as his stomach clenches. “Didn’t mean to.”

“Babe, I told you to wake me up so I could help you,” Steve says, lightly chastising. “I’m gonna go grab you a ginger ale and some crackers. Do you think you could take some more ibuprofen?”

Eddie nods. “I could take some morphine to the neck if you had any,” he jokes weakly.

Steve laughs quietly, brushing his hand through Eddie’s hair. “Noted, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be right back.”

Although he hates to see him go, Eddie is relieved that Steve is going to find some things that will hopefully bring him a little bit of relief. He’s hurting badly enough that he’s not even worried about being annoying or getting on Steve’s nerves with his neediness, which is a true testament to how bad he feels. Eddie squeezes his eyes shut and tries to breathe deeply, hoping that might distract his body from the cramping pain.

“Alright, I’ve got crackers, drugs, and ginger ale,” Steve murmurs softly once he comes back into the room. “Can you sit up for just a minute?”

Eddie nods, pushing himself up and leaning heavily against the headboard. Steve passes him a cracker and watches him as he eats it. Eddie struggles to swallow around the dryness, but Steve prompts him to take a sip of ginger ale, which helps it go down. They repeat this process three or four times before Steve finally hands him some medicine. “Thanks,” Eddie murmurs before he takes it.

Steve’s holding the can of ginger ale for Eddie in one hand while his other travels up to cup Eddie’s jaw. Eddie nearly chokes on the pills at the closeness, the intimacy, of the move, but catches himself just in time.

“I’m sorry you don’t feel well,” Steve whispers.

He’s so close. Their faces are only inches apart, and if Eddie holds very still, he’s almost positive he can feel the warmth of Steve’s breath over his face. And in this liminal space in the dark, Eddie craves…

“It’s okay,” Eddie whispers back, like they’re swapping secrets. He watches the way Steve’s eyelashes flutter softly and yearns for something he can’t have, something he feels guilty for even wanting.

Steve’s thumb is swiping over the line of Eddie’s jaw so gently, back and forth, back and forth. And Eddie knows that he’s seconds away from doing something very, very stupid. “Eddie-“ Steve breathes, like he can read his mind. His eyes are intense, and even in the dark, Eddie catches the way they flicker between holding his gaze and staring at his lips.

Subconsciously, Eddie’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, Steve’s gaze tracking every movement.

It’s like time slows down for a moment.

Softly, quiet enough that Eddie could honestly be imagining it, Steve whispers, “oh, fuck.”

At the same time, his hand finally takes a firmer hold of Eddie’s face, tilting his chin up just so.

Steve leans in, and Eddie is certain his heart has stopped working altogether when he feels the barest brush of-

“Steve,” Eddie forces himself to say.

This is wrong.

“Yes?” Steve breathes, and his lips brush against Eddie’s with the word. If he just leaned in a bit more-

“We can’t,” Eddie replies. The words hurt, god they hurt. He’s just a centimeter or two away from getting everything he’s ever wanted, but of course he has to go and ruin it for himself.

Steve jerks back like he’s been burned, his face frozen in something like confusion or hurt. “Fuck, Eddie I’m sorry, I didn’t- I thought…” Steve shakes his head, and Eddie notices that his hands are shaking as well as he goes to set down the can of ginger ale. “I’m sorry,” Steve repeats.

With that, he stands and retreats to the bathroom, leaving Eddie sitting there staring at the television and hating himself for making Steve look so crestfallen.

Which lasts about five seconds before Eddie thinks, fuck that.

He’s careful as he climbs out of Steve’s massive bed, and he feels slightly unhinged as he walks quickly and quietly over to the bathroom. Steve had left the door open a crack, and through that, Eddie can see him braced against the sink, breathing deep, heaving breaths. Eddie slips in silently, gently pressing the door closed behind him.

Steve’s head snaps up, meeting Eddie’s gaze through the mirror. “Eddie, I’m really sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking, honestly, and I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I guess I thought-“

Eddie doesn’t let him finish that thought. He crosses the small space between them while Steve talks, and as soon as he’s close enough, he reaches out to touch. One of his hands finds a gentle grip on Steve’s hip, while the other goes further up, cupping Steve’s jaw in an imitation of the way he’d held Eddie only moments before.

He doesn’t overthink it. He doesn’t think at all, honestly. Eddie just closes his eyes and leans in, pressing his lips to Steve’s with a gentleness he didn’t even know himself to be capable of.

He doesn’t drag it out. He wants to- God, he wants to slide his tongue inside and bite and suck until Steve’s lips are wet and pink, but he doesn’t do that. Steve’s mouth is soft and warm and perfect, but Eddie doesn’t even give him a chance to reciprocate before he’s pulling away. He doesn’t go far, resting their foreheads together, his eyes still closed.

“We shouldn’t do this again,” Eddie murmurs.

Steve makes an affronted noise, and Eddie knows he’s about to protest. He doesn’t give him a chance to do that, either.

“I’m serious,” Eddie says quietly. “I work for you, Steve. And… and it just wouldn’t be right. But I couldn’t…” Eddie laughs once, humorless, before pulling back and looking at Steve. He knows the smile he wears is sarcastic and sad at best. “I didn’t want you thinking that I didn’t want you to. And… and I’m selfish. I just wanted to know…” he trails off, sighing.

Steve looks devastated. There’s no other word for the look on his face. His eyes are glassy and downcast, and he sucks in his bottom lip, and Eddie nearly winces at the way his teeth dig into the plush pink skin of his lips. “Yeah,” he says, despondent. The cloying, rotten scent of an alpha in distress is filling the air, and Eddie tries to hold his breath. He knows part of that scent is probably his own, their designations proving, as always, that they can never fully hide how they feel.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, and he knows both of them can hear how little he means it. “I probably shouldn’t have…”

Steve gives him a sad little smile. “I’m glad you did,” he murmurs. “I wanted… I wanted to know how you tasted, too.” He says the words Eddie couldn’t get out himself, and Eddie knows he’s going to be thinking about the way Steve looked when he said that for weeks, maybe even years.

It makes it worse, of course. Knowing that Steve wants him like that, finally having that confirmation. It’s still not exactly what Eddie wants- it’s not the pipe dream of a family and an alpha who wants to claim him and give him pups, but it’s something. And Eddie honestly isn’t sure which part hurts more- knowing that Steve wants him sexually, or knowing that they can’t have that.

“God,” Eddie groans, pulling away. “I- I’m sorry. I know I just made things… difficult.”

Steve is already shaking his head. “You didn’t. I’m the one who sort of… started all this. And you’re right, I shouldn’t have done that. I know it’s…” he sighs, sags back against the sink and runs a shaky hand through his hair. “Definitely inappropriate, given the circumstances.”

Eddie nods, chewing his lip nervously. He still kind of feels like he did something wrong, even though Steve doesn’t seem particularly mad about it. “Right,” Eddie says quietly, trying desperately to fill the silence between them. “Can we maybe… just not talk about this?”

Steve looks a little offended at first, but his face clears and he nods, looking away. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” he agrees.

And yeah, that’s not great to hear. Some part of Eddie thought that maybe Steve would argue, would fight for him. Which is ridiculous, and stupid, to expect. “Right,” Eddie repeats. “I-“

They’re interrupted by a sound in the other room, which Eddie is secretly very, very grateful for.

“Daddy?” Ivy’s confused voice calls from his bedroom.

Steve closes his eyes for a second, sighing deeply. When he opens them, Eddie offers him a weak smile. “Duty calls,” he jokes lightly.

“Yeah,” Steve says with a little smile in return. As he steps around Eddie, he reaches out and squeezes his hip. A little surprised breath, almost a gasp, sneaks past Eddie’s lips at that, and Steve gives him a sad look of repentance. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

Eddie doesn’t know what he’s apologizing for. Still, he nods, and watches him go, forcing himself to pretend that his heart isn’t in his throat, his ribs aching around the empty space in his chest.

Chapter Text

The next few days are… odd, to say the least.

That night, Ivy gets sick again, her pitiful crying out for her father a result of her stomach hurting. She spends the majority of the rest of the night in the bathroom, puking up everything she ever ate. Eddie and Steve take turns sitting with her and holding her hair. It’s almost… normal. Every time they pass each other, they share little tired smiles, and sometimes casual, caring touches. Eddie thinks those hurt just a little bit more, now.

The next morning, Eddie is just barely awake, sitting up against the headboard of Steve’s bed, Ivy cuddled up to his chest. She seems to be done puking, for now, so he’s trying to get a little sleep. He doesn’t know exactly where Steve is, but he can hear his soft voice somewhere in the room.

“-yeah, they’re all sick. Eds, too. Yeah. Tell Thomas he’ll have to run the meeting without me. Well- yeah. I could, but I’m not going to.” Steve’s words interrupt the semi-sleep Eddie is drifting in and out of, as his brain processes what it is Steve is saying.

Eddie shifts, picking his head up from where it was resting back against the headboard and blinking his tired eyes as he looks for Steve. He spots him standing over by his dresser, pilfering through the top drawer, his phone pressed to his ear. Eddie makes a soft noise of protest in his throat, and Steve jumps, glancing over at him with a guilty look. “What’re you doin’?” Eddie mumbles sleepily.

Steve speaks into the receiver of the phone quickly. “Hang on, Robin.” He steps closer to the bed as he pulls the phone away from his mouth. “I didn’t mean to wake you, honey.”

“Is something wrong?” Eddie asks, mindlessly stroking Ivy’s hair as he tries to figure out what Steve is calling Robin for.

Steve shakes his head. “No, everything’s fine. I’m just letting Robs know that I won’t be at work today.”

Eddie frowns, his hand pausing in Ivy’s hair. “What? Why not?”

Steve stares at him for a moment, a puzzled look on his face. “Uh, because you all are sick? Babe, I’m not gonna leave you here to deal with that all by yourself.” Before Eddie can protest, Steve’s quick to say, “not that you couldn’t! I just-”

From the phone, Eddie can hear Robin speaking, probably telling Steve to stop talking to him so they can finish their conversation. Whatever she’s saying makes Steve flush, and some stupid, twisted part of Eddie is instantly jealous. He hadn’t gotten a romantic vibe from the two of them when he interviewed for the job, but something could’ve changed between then and now.

“Yep, hanging up on you now, Robin. Don’t call about work unless it’s a code red emergency, ‘kay?” Steve says before briskly hanging up on her.

Eddie blinks. Well, maybe he’s wrong about the romance thing.

“Why don’t you lay down for a little while? I slept a bit while you were in the bathroom with her earlier, so I can watch for a while,” Steve tells Eddie, his hand reaching out and brushing over Ivy’s hair like Eddie had been doing moments before.

Eddie chews on his lip for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Can you help me move her? I need to go get a drink and take some more meds.”

Steve nods, then pauses. “Can I go get them for you?”

It’s… an odd request. “Uh, sure,” Eddie says. He gives Steve a small smile, watching as he hurries out of the room to fetch it. He did tell Eddie that he likes this part of being an alpha, likes providing things for him, so Eddie certainly won’t be the one to ruin that for him.

“Here,” Steve says when he returns, handing Eddie two ibuprofen, holding the glass of water for him as he sips. “Alright, hand Ivy to me and I’ll lay her down beside you once you get settled.”

Eddie nods, and they carefully maneuver her into Steve’s arms, mindful of a sleeping Jasmine on Eddie’s left. As soon as Steve has a good grip on Ivy, Eddie scoots over in the bed, making space for Ivy to lay between him and Jasmine. Steve has to lean over Eddie, his chest pressing against Eddie’s briefly, as he lays her down, but both of them seem to have a silent agreement not to mention it.

“Alright, are you comfy?” Steve asks, his voice soft as he brushes a hand through Eddie’s hair. Eddie thought that after the awkward kiss-and-regret earlier that all those little soft touches would come to an end, but he was wrong. Maybe Steve’s just like that with everyone, though.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Eddie says, yawning. Steve is still standing at the side of the bed, watching him, and Eddie makes a split-decision. “C’mere,” he says, patting the bed beside him.

Steve looks at him, his eyes wide and a little skeptical. “Are you sure?” He asks, as if Eddie is asking for more than just having him close.

“Yeah. I… it settles me a little, knowing that you’re close by.” It’s embarrassing to admit, but the look of surprise and the distinct scent of joy in the room makes it worth it.

“Okay,” Steve says softly, climbing up into the bed beside Eddie. “It’s only a little after six, so you can sleep as long as you want.”

Eddie nods into the pillow, his eyes already drifting close. “Okay. Be easy with you here,” he mumbles.

Steve laughs quietly from beside him. “Sure. Sweet dreams, honey.”

Eddie is already there.

~~~

When Eddie wakes up for real, they’re all awake. Steve is still beside Eddie, but now Jasmine is in his lap, her head turned to face the television, which Eddie notices is on, but at a very low volume. Ivy is still in her spot beside Eddie, but as soon as she realizes he’s awake, she’s shuffling close to him, snuggling into his side.

“Morning, sweet girl,” Eddie says, his voice still thick with sleep. He brings his arm down to wrap her up in a hug and feel her forehead for her temperature. “You feeling any better?”

She nods. “Yeah. But Daddy won’t let me have a popsicle for breakfast.”

Eddie has to bite his lip to hide his smile at that. “Shame on him,” he jokes, glancing over at Steve with a wink.

Steve rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “I offered them some proper breakfast but they decided they weren’t hungry if popsicles weren’t on the menu.”

Eddie pushes himself to sit up against the headboard, smiling as Ivy just adjusts with him, curling up in his lap like Jasmine is with Steve. “Well I guess they’ll be some hungry kiddos today, huh?”

The twins whine their protest, and that’s how their morning starts.

Between the two of them, Steve and Eddie manage to convince the twins to actually eat something of substance, then they spend the majority of the morning on the sofa, a twin in each lap. It’s nice, aside from the occasional coughing fit or fever spiking, or in Eddie’s case, incessant cramping. Even that isn’t enough to really ruin things, though, as Steve is in tune with every painful shift of Eddie’s body, quick to jump up and grab him a heating pad and medicine whenever he thinks he needs it.

All in all, it’s not a bad day.

Hours later, after they’ve all eaten soup yet again for dinner, Steve gives each of the twins a bath and has them change into clean pajamas. After Ivy is finished, she comes back to Eddie, trading places with her sister and climbing up into his lap while Jasmine goes to the bathroom. Ivy settles with her head on Eddie’s chest, and he sighs contently as he wraps his arms around her. With every passing day, they feel more and more like his, and even if that’s not really true, Eddie plans to enjoy it for as long as he can.

“Eddie?” Ivy says, voice quiet.

“Yeah, honey?”

Ivy plays with an errant strand of hair that had fallen out of Eddie’s bun at some point. “Do you think you and Daddy will ever scent each other? Since you’re part of our pack now?”

Eddie pauses at the question. His immediate response is an adamant refusal, but the more he thinks about it, the more sense it makes. “I… I don’t really know, honey.”

“Because I asked Daddy when he was gonna, but he said he didn’t think you wanted him to,” Ivy says, clearly entirely unbothered sharing this information, which Steve likely did not tell her with the intentions of her sharing it.

“Oh,” he says dumbly. He’s not sure how else to respond. “Well, um… he hasn’t talked to me about it, so…”

Ivy sits up, turning to look at him with scrutiny. “But you want him to, right?”

“Ivy-“ he starts, unsure how to explain to her that it isn’t appropriate to talk about something involving Steve when he’s not there to contribute to it himself, as well as how to avoid saying, “yes of course I want him to,” without lying to her.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to. Jasmine rejoins them then, going to curl up in Steve’s armchair, and her father isn’t far behind her. Ivy slumps back against Eddie’s chest in defeat, but secretly, Eddie’s relieved. His heart is beating erratically as he considers what she said about Steve. He’s not entirely sure it’s even true, but if it is… scenting in a situation like this isn’t unheard of. And sure, it would probably just make Eddie want him even more, but the benefits outweighed that, surely.

“Honey, you wanna go take a shower while I stay with the girls?” It takes Eddie a second to realize Steve is talking to him.

“Oh, um, yeah, sure. I’ll just…” Eddie gently coaxes Ivy off of his lap, much to her chagrin. He soothes her with a kiss to the top of her head and a promise that he’ll be back in a few minutes. Steve takes his spot on the sofa as he goes, a gentle hand pressed to his back as they swap places. It makes Eddie ache in a new way now, thinking about what Ivy said.

Eddie makes it a quick shower. His body is still aching with the lingering effects of his period, but he can tell it’s going to be a short one. It’ll probably be over by tomorrow evening, if he’s lucky. With that small comfort, he finishes washing his hair, using the nice conditioner he had splurged on the last time he went shopping with Steve’s credit card. It’s a nice scent, something probably geared more towards alphas than omegas, but that’s probably why he likes it so much.

After drying off and dressing in his spare pajama pants and an old Metallica t-shirt, he makes his way back to the living room, squeezing his hair with the towel as he goes. He can hear the kids talking, Steve’s low voice interrupting them every now and then.

“-he said he wanted to,” Ivy is saying, her voice adamant. Eddie hasn’t rounded the corner yet, but at that, he pauses, wondering what they’re talking about. “I asked him, and he said-”

“Ivy Bryn!” Steve chastises, sounding flustered. “You were not supposed to say anything of the sort to Eddie, can you imagine how awkward that might’ve made him feel?”

Eddie’s heart drops when he realizes they’re talking about him.

Ivy whines. “But Daddy,” she protests. “He said-”

“Enough,” Steve says, his voice firm. A short silence follows, then a sigh. “Look, I’m sorry for being harsh. But next time let me handle those sorts of conversations with him myself, okay?”

“Fine,” Ivy says. She barely waits for the tension to dissipate before Eddie hears her say, “so, you’re gonna ask Eddie if you can?”

Eddie decides that’s a good time to interrupt. “Ask me what?” he says as he comes through the kitchen, feigning obliviousness. It’s probably a little cruel, pretending he hadn’t heard the entire conversation, but he relishes in the way Steve jumps in surprise, his face guilty when he glances over his shoulder in Eddie’s direction.

“Nothing,” Steve says, too quickly for it to be natural.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow at that. Surely the man’s got a better lie than that. “Are you sure? I thought I heard my name.”

“Daddy was just gonna ask if he could practice braiding on you,” Ivy interjects before Steve can say something else. Her smile is sweet, but Eddie catches the subtle look Steve sends her.

“Oh,” Eddie says, hiding his smile. He’d laugh if that wouldn’t make it obvious that he knew it was a lie. “Sure, Steve. Let me grab a comb and a hair tie.”

“I’ll get it,” Ivy says, which is also very uncharacteristic. She jumps up and practically skips down the hall, but Eddie shushes her softly when he notices Jasmine asleep in Steve’s armchair.

“Well, she seems to be feeling better,” Eddie offers as he goes to sit on the floor in front of Steve.

“You’ve got no idea,” Steve mutters, clearly not something Eddie’s meant to hear. His hand drops to Eddie’s shoulder then, and Eddie tilts his head back to look at him. “Eddie, I wasn’t… we weren’t talking about braiding your hair, before you came in,” Steve says quietly, clearly mindful of Jasmine.

Eddie’s heart skips a beat. Surely Steve isn’t actually going to tell him what they were discussing? “Oh?” he says, breathless.

Steve shakes his head. “No. We were actually… it’s kind of hard to explain why, but we were talking about-”

“Here’s the hair tie!” Ivy says, too loud for the quiet space they’ve created in the room. They both shush her on impulse, and she just gives a little half-heartedly apologetic shrug before handing over the comb and hair tie.

“You want me to braid yours while Dad braids mine?” Eddie asks her, sitting up so that Steve can reach his hair easily. Lie or not, Eddie loved the idea of letting Steve play with his hair, and as far as Steve knows, Eddie still believes that this is what they were talking about before he interrupted.

Ivy shakes her head, but goes to curl up in Eddie’s lap instead. “Wanna snuggle,” she says, settling herself into the circle of his crossed legs with ease, like they’ve been doing this for years. Eddie loves it, though, and hates that someday there will come a time when she’s too big for this, or when he’s no longer around. He stops thinking about it the minute that thought hits.

Steve’s hands run through his hair slowly and carefully, and Eddie smiles as he thinks about how Steve is combing it out with his fingers instead of the actual comb. “Alright, I don’t think I can braid it up here,” Steve says, scratching lightly at the top of Eddie’s head. “But I can do like a regular braid in the back.”

Eddie shrugs. “Whatever you want, hon.” The nickname slips out without his permission. He’s probably so used to hearing Steve saying it, and saying it to the kids himself- he really can’t help it.

Steve’s hands pause for just a moment, probably as he processes Eddie’s mistake, but evidently he decides not to comment on it, and his hands begin separating the hair into three sections. He works quietly and slowly, and a couple times he even starts over, and Eddie smiles whenever he hears that familiar little huff of frustration from him. He gets it, this isn’t the easiest thing to do, so he sits still, lets Steve practice, even if it’s all kind of nonsense.

“Eddie, can you sing me a song?” Ivy asks quietly after a little while. She’s still tucked securely against his chest, and Eddie’s mindlessly stroking her hair.

“Sure, love. Any requests?”

“Hmm…” she thinks about it for a minute, then says, “what about one of Daddy’s favorites?” She twists her head to grin up at him, and Eddie can only roll his eyes at her.

“Okay, but I don’t know a lot of ABBA,” he teases, bumping his elbow into Steve’s shin. He’s punished with a light tug on his hair, which makes him wince a little, even as he giggles.

“Sing some Tears for Fears,” Steve suggests. Before Eddie can protest, Steve uses his knees to squeeze Eddie’s shoulders. “Don’t give me any of that “I don’t listen to them,” bullshit either, because I heard you singing along to it the other day while we were cleaning.”

Eddie sighs dramatically, as if it’s really such a chore to sing something by what is honestly a pretty decent band. “Fine. Any specific song?” He asks, tilting his head back to catch Steve’s eye.

Steve meets his gaze evenly, but hesitates for a beat. Whatever is bothering him must not last long, because after a second he smiles and says, “‘Head Over Heels’ is my favorite.”

Eddie wants to groan; of course Steve’s favorite is the one that’s disgustingly romantic. “Fine,” he mumbles. He squeezes Ivy, who giggles. “But I’m doing it for my number one fan right here.”

“That’s me!” Ivy giggles.

It’s probably also Jasmine, who lives for the nights when Eddie sings them to sleep, but as she’s currently sleeping off her fever, Eddie supposes Ivy can be the biggest fan for both of them. “I wanted to be with you alone,” Eddie starts singing quietly, stroking Ivy’s hair. “And talk about the weather.”

Steve begins humming along behind him as Eddie sings, and something about it is so sweet, so domestic, that it almost makes Eddie cry.

“… something happens, and I’m head over heels, I never find out ‘til I’m head over heels.” The words to this song, which have never bothered him before now, are suddenly striking Eddie in different places. Places that didn’t exist for him the last time he heard this stupid pop song.

“Why’d you stop?” Ivy whines after a second.

Eddie hadn’t even realized that he’d stopped singing, but as soon as she’s pointed it out, he flushes, embarrassed. “Oh, I, um… forgot the words,” he lies lamely.

“Aww,” Ivy complains. “I wanted to hear the rest of it.”

“Alright, it’s not as good as yours usually are,” Steve’s voice interrupts them, and Eddie feels him tying off the braid. “But it’s, uh… done?”

Eddie tilts his head a little to look back at him. “You don’t sound so sure about that,” he teases lightly. He’s still a little shaken with the fact that there’s at least one Tears for Fears song he’ll never be able to listen to again without relating it back to Steve.

Steve shrugs. “I think I’ll only mess it up more if I keep trying.” He lays his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, his thumb pressed close to his neck, near enough to his bonding gland that he shivers. “Are you guys ready for bed?”

Ivy squirms halfway out of Eddie’s lap to look up at her dad. “Can we sleep in your room again tonight?” Her eyes are wide and pleading, and Eddie already knows that her little trick is going to work on Steve.

He rolls his eyes, but smiles. “Sure, honey.”

“And Eddie too?” She asks, wrapping her little arms around his neck in a big hug, which Eddie sort of suspects is mostly for show.

“Uh, I shouldn’t-“ Eddie begins, gently extracting her from his body.

“No!” Ivy cries in protest. She clings harder. “Want you and daddy both to be there.“

Eddie looks at Steve, helpless. Steve stares back, looking just as confused and conflicted as Eddie feels. “Honey, we can’t make Eddie do something he doesn’t want to do, okay? So-“

“He wants to!” Ivy interrupts. She pulls away from Eddie, turning those same puppy dog eyes onto him. “Right, Eddie?”

“Uh…” and the thing is- he does want to. He’s slept better in Steve’s bed than he has since he moved in with them, and even though it’s completely selfish, he wants to stay there as long as Steve will let him. And if it takes Ivy bribing her dad to get him there, he’ll take it.

“You don’t have to,” Steve says softly, his thumb stroking over the neck of his t-shirt gently. “But if you want to… I’m perfectly fine with that.”

“Please, Eddie?” Ivy says sweetly, pouting her bottom lip out, as if that’s going to help her cause.

Eddie boops her nose with a soft noise. “You’re lucky you’re so cute, cause you’re sneaky as hell,” he tells her with a smile.

She grins widely, well aware that she’s already won. Her arms go right back around his neck in a tight hug, and he can’t help but squeeze her back, rocking her gently. She may be a menace, but at least she’s adorable and has the capacity for sweetness when she really tries.

“Alright, then. Let’s get to bed, sleepyheads.” Steve’s already up and stepping carefully around Eddie, a hand resting in his hair for balance. He gently scoops Jasmine up out of his chair, her sleeping body practically dead weight in his arms. “I’m gonna go lay her down. Ivy, go brush your teeth.”

Ivy grumbles a little as she climbs out of Eddie’s lap and makes her way to the bathroom, but Eddie knows she’s too pleased with the situation to complain much. While she and Steve are out of the room, Eddie tidies a little, refolding the throw blanket they’d used earlier and clearing the coffee table of cups and tissues. It’s nice, this winding-down time before bed, and it’s something Eddie certainly doesn’t take for granted.

Steve and Ivy come back in almost simultaneously, and Steve gestures to his bedroom. “Go ahead and get in bed, sweetheart. I’m gonna help Eddie clean up and we’ll be right there.”

Ivy pouts, but within a second her expression changes. “Can I turn on some cartoons?”

Steve sighs, but nods. “Yeah, just till you fall asleep, though, okay?”

She nods emphatically before disappearing into his room, leaving Steve and Eddie alone. It’s the first time since the- the thing- that they’ve been alone together without either of the twins. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but then again, it sort of feels like it’s been forever.

“Hey,” Steve says quietly. He follows Eddie into the kitchen, where he throws away the last of the trash and goes to fill a glass with water.

“Hi,” Eddie says with a little smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Steve’s lips twitch, but he looks sort of… nervous. “So, um… I wanted to ask you something.”

Eddie sips his water slowly. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been thinking…” Steve starts, his gaze drifting to the glass in Eddie’s hand rather than his face. That raises some alarms for Eddie, because Steve is always good about maintaining eye contact. He’s never known him to be shy or hesitant or… whatever this is. “Would you like to- or would you, um…” He clears his throat, glances up at Eddie’s face then away again. “Would you be okay with me scenting you?”

Eddie chokes on his water.

“Oh, shit, are you-”

“What?” Eddie manages to say, feeling like he’s dreaming or something. “Are you- you can’t be serious.”

Steve nods. “I am. I, uh… honestly, one of the twins brought it up to me, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes.” He’s finally meeting Eddie’s eyes, but somehow the eye contact makes it even worse.

Eddie never thought - even when Ivy was trying her best to convince her father - he never thought Steve would actually ask for that. “Do you even want to?” Eddie asks, trying to keep his voice down so the girls don’t hear.

The quick nod Steve gives him does more for his confidence than anything else could. “I do, yeah. I think it would be good. Remember when you said something about how your scent wasn’t enough to make the girls feel better the other day?”

Eddie nods. “Yeah, but-”

“But if you smelled more like me, it would’ve worked,” Steve says, his voice gentle. “It’ll help calm them, too, since they’re already so used to my scent. And,” he adds, watching Eddie put down his empty glass. “It’ll probably help me and you.”

Eddie snorts, though he doesn’t mean to. “How’s that?”

Steve shrugs. “Well, from everything I’ve read, it’ll make us both more relaxed around each other, and could make us both feel more protected.”

“Really?” Eddie says. He’s not sure why he’s even trying to argue. Everything Steve’s saying is true, Eddie’s done research about this very thing before, but always with the intention of that scenting to be with a potential mate. This is a little different, and he feels comfortable enough with Steve to press him about it a little more.

“We don’t have to,” Steve says softly after nodding, glancing down at his hands. “I just thought… I dunno, it’s a good idea, since we live together, but if you don’t want to-”

“I do,” Eddie interrupts quickly. The last thing he wants is for Steve to think he doesn’t want this. “I just wasn’t sure… Is it really a good idea, after…?” He leaves the question open-ended but a quick flick of Steve’s gaze and he knows that the other man knows exactly what he’s referring to.

“I thought we weren’t talking about that,” Steve says, almost a whisper.

Eddie holds his hands up defensively. “We’re not. But… I just don’t want us to make any mistakes we can’t undo.”

Steve nods, but looks a little hurt. “It’s not like I’m asking you to bond with me,” he says quietly, and yeah, he’s definitely hurt. “I know that’s not… something you want.”

And god, Eddie wants to correct him so badly, but he knows good and well that he can’t do that. “Okay,” he says after a moment of silence.

Steve looks up sharply. “What?”

Eddie rolls his eyes, but smiles. “You can scent me.”

“Are you sure?” Steve asks, looking worried. “You don’t have to let me if you don’t want to, Eddie, I-”

Eddie huffs out a little sigh before stepping closer to Steve, which promptly shuts him up. “I’m positive, Steve. I want you to. You’re right, it’ll be… good, for all of us.”

Steve just nods slowly, almost as if he’s numb to what’s being said. “Okay. Well, I guess I’ll… Um…” He gestures awkwardly, so Eddie takes pity on him, taking a final step into his space.

“Have you never scented someone before?” Eddie asks, mostly teasing.

“I have,” Steve snaps, his voice brittle. “It’s just… been a while.” That part is delivered so quietly that Eddie almost misses it, but when he registers what it is that Steve said, he nods.

He makes a decision then, to be kind and slightly less of a dick, at least until this is over. “Okay. Put your arms around me like you’re giving me a hug.”

Steve is quick to oblige, his arms going around Eddie’s waist, holding him gently. “Is this okay?” he asks softly.

Eddie nods. His mouth is dry suddenly, and he sincerely hopes he doesn’t embarrass himself like he thinks he’s about to. “Yeah,” he murmurs. His left hand rests on Steve’s shoulder, but his right comes up to cradle the back of Steve’s head. His hair is so fucking soft. “Okay,” Eddie says, barely a whisper. “Go ahead.”

There’s a pause where Eddie’s not sure if Steve’s going to do it or not. If he’s going to actually lean forward and press their necks together, or if he’s going to pull away and beg Eddie to forget this even happened.

Luckily, Steve doesn’t make him wait long to find out.

He leans in, and at the first brush of skin against skin, Eddie sighs, nearly melting into his touch. Because that’s another thing about omegas - as much as Eddie despises it, being scented by an alpha is downright, biologically soothing, and gives him this immediate sense of calm that didn’t exist before.

Steve makes a soft, surprised sound, and his arms tighten around Eddie’s waist as he fully tucks his chin over Eddie’s shoulder, practically necking with him at this point. He breathes in deeply, like he’s trying to ingest Eddie’s scent, and something about that sends his head spinning. Eddie can feel his breath on his shoulder, even through his t-shirt, and it should really come as no surprise what happens next.

One minute, Eddie is standing there, practically melted against Steve’s body, and the next his whole body is stiffening as he realizes the other… effects that this is having on his body. Fuck his stupid biology and his stupid hormones and stupid arousal for ruining this, and fuck the way Steve makes a sad little noise when Eddie goes to pull away.

“I think we’re good,” Eddie squeaks out, and fuck that too.

Steve gives him a confused, hurt look. “Oh. Okay. I just thought-” His words come to a halt as his face changes. He sniffs the air once, twice, and Eddie squeezes his eyes shut in embarrassment, because he fucking knows what it is that Steve is smelling. “Oh… Oh.” Steve’s voice makes Eddie tentatively open his eyes, only to find Steve staring back at him with something like understanding on his face.

“I… I’m just gonna run to the bathroom real quick,” Eddie says, in the least subtle way possible.

But Steve, ever the angel, just nods and gives Eddie a warm smile. “Okay. I’ll, um… I’m gonna go ahead and get in bed with the girls. You… you’ll still come and sleep with us, right? At least for tonight?”

Half of Eddie wants to refuse, simply on the principle that he is fucking mortified right now from slicking his fucking underwear in front of his employer. But he can’t say no to that face, probably never will. “Sure,” he says instead of whatever bullshit he should probably learn to spin instead. “I’ll be right there.”

Steve, whose hands, Eddie is noticing, are still on his waist, just smiles and squeezes the flesh under his fingertips. “Alright. See you in a minute.”

Eddie nods, laments the loss when Steve pulls away, and then walks a very short, very boring walk of shame to his bedroom, where he changes out of his wet underwear and into a fresh, clean pair of boxers.

~~~

The next day is Thursday, and luckily, the girls wake up feeling much better and are actually able to go back to school, much to Steve's (and Eddie’s) relief. Steve is still a little nervous about having missed a day of work this week, although he won’t admit that in so many words, and Eddie is just glad that he won’t have to spend the entire day practically on edge every time he and Steve are in the same space.

That doesn’t mean the morning gets off to a great start, though.

The twins are a little whiny as they get ready, and Eddie knows when he leaves Steve’s bedroom that it’s the last time he’ll be sleeping in there. The night before had been manageable since Ivy was still awake when Eddie finally made his way back in there, but he’s positive he won’t be able to do it again, not after the events that occurred before bedtime.

Which of course, try as he might, Eddie can’t escape the consequences of, even in the light of day. As soon as Steve’s sent the twins off to brush their teeth after breakfast (rather than before, like a couple of heathens), he turns to Eddie with an expectant look.

“So, I was wondering,” Steve starts, clearing the last of the dishes and bringing them over to where Eddie is already washing some at the sink. “If I should scent you every day.”

“Uh… why?” Eddie asks, a little caught off-guard by the request.

“Well, most bonded or mated pairs do it and they swear by it, so-“

“We’re not mates,” Eddie interrupts. His face flushes after he’s said it, his adamant tone probably not the best to use in this particular situation. He glances at Steve, wincing when he sees the way he’s staring down at the counter, biting his bottom lip. He looks hurt. “Sorry,” Eddie tacks on quickly. “But it’s true. So…”

Steve nods quickly. “No, yeah, you’re right. I just figured… getting into a habit… it’s kind of like a biological household management setting, right?”

It takes Eddie a second to even process that, as sometimes Steve just says things, seemingly without thought to what they might mean. “Sure,” he says after a second. “Then… yeah, if you want to. I wasn’t trying to like, object to it. I just…” Eddie sighs as he hands Steve a plate he’s just rinsed so that he can dry it. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to make you feel like you have to if you don’t want to.”

Steve gives him an odd look, setting the plate to the side and holding his hand out for the next one. “That’s not what I feel like at all. Honey, I’m the one who asked you if you’d be okay with it. So I promise it’s fine.”

Eddie nods, not sure what else to say to that. “Okay.” He glances around, noting that the girls are probably still in the process of getting ready. “Do you wanna…”

Steve nods, drying the cup in his hand before putting it to the side, drying his hands off and throwing the towel down. “Um… should we do it like we did last night?”

“We can,” Eddie says with a shrug, washing a third plate. “Or you can just… I mean you can sort of just do it while I’m doing this, if you want.”

“Okay,” Steve says, quietly. One of his hands comes to rest gently on Eddie’s hip, while the other travels up to his opposite shoulder, holding him in place while he leans in. “Is this alright?”

Eddie nods, swallowing hard. He’s screaming at his body not to react the way it had the night before. Luckily, they’re seemingly pretending that didn’t happen, which is more than okay with Eddie. “Go ahead.”

That’s all the permission Steve needs, apparently, because then he’s pressing his nose to Eddie’s throat, breathing in deeply before nuzzling him. Eddie focuses on the dishes as Steve scents him, his motions gentle and careful. It’s better like this, in a way, since Eddie isn’t faced directly with that piercing, knowing gaze. At least this way, he can keep his cool.

“Was that okay?” Steve asks as he steps away.

Eddie nods with a little sigh. “Yeah. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do feel so much better. It’s like… being on medication, but like vitamins or something, not anything addictive.” He looks away as he explains, feeling a little stupid for even saying that.

“I’m glad,” Steve says, surprising Eddie out of his slight embarrassment. “It’s supposed to help.”

“Does it make you feel any different?” Eddie asks out of sheer curiosity. He hands Steve another plate to dry, and Steve chews his lip, like he’s considering what to say.

“Kind of? Like… so you know how I said I liked being able to do things for you? The heteronormative alpha bullshit?” Steve asks, glancing over at Eddie.

Eddie smiles and nods. “I do remember that,” he says. “What about it?”

“Well,” Steve says slowly, like he’s still trying to figure out how to word it. “This kind of… alleviates that, a little? Like, the urge to do that sort of thing is still there, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get rid of that completely, but scenting you sort of makes it… I don’t know. Easier to manage, I guess.”

Eddie smiles at him. He’s a little bit thrilled that he’s able to provide something for Steve out of this little arrangement, but he’s certainly not going to tell him all that. “Good,” he says instead. “I’m glad.”

Before Steve can say more, the tell-tale sound of children approaching occurs.

“Girls, are you ready for school?” Eddie asks, drying his hands as he interrupts whatever the twins are talking about.

“Yeah,” Jasmine says, walking around the counter and holding her arms out to Steve.

He picks her up easily, and Eddie pretends he’s not watching the subtle shift of muscle in his arm as he carries her. “Ives, what about you?” Steve asks, kissing Jasmine’s forehead sweetly.

“Shoes!” She says in a panicked breath before turning and running back to her room.

Eddie laughs, turning to smile at Steve and Jasmine. “You feeling okay this morning, sweetheart?”

Jasmine nods from her place tucked into Steve’s neck. Her eyes suddenly go wide and she pulls away, staring at Steve with a scrutinizing expression. “You smell different,” she tells him solemnly.

Steve freezes, his eyes darting over to Eddie’s quickly before darting back. “Um…”

Of course Jasmine doesn’t miss the look that they’d exchanged, but luckily, Ivy chooses that moment to come skipping back in, shoes on her feet this time. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

“Great!” Eddie says, a little too enthusiastically. “Let me grab my coat and we’ll head out.” He goes to the coat rack on the wall by the front door, relieved to have escaped for a second to get a grip and think about what he should say when the twins inevitably ask him about the change in scents. He can hear Ivy and Jasmine telling their father goodbye, but luckily he doesn’t hear either of them mention it again.

“Alright, you guys have everything you need, right?” Steve asks as he helps Ivy into her coat while Eddie helps Jasmine.

“Mhm,” Ivy answers. “Bye, daddy, see you later!” She’s nearly halfway out the door already, and Eddie gives him an exasperated look.

Steve doesn’t look that bothered. He has an easy smile on his face as he waves to them. “Bye, I’ll see you all this evening. Love you guys.” He meets Eddie’s gaze when he says the last part.

Eddie looks away quickly.

“Be back in a bit,” Eddie replies before slipping out the door, Jasmine’s hand in his.

“Oh, Eddie? I’ve got a meeting this morning, so I might be gone when you get back,” Steve says right before the door shuts.

Eddie pauses to glance back at him and nod. He hates how relieved he is by that information, but the truth is, a lot has happened in the past forty-eight hours, a lot that he hasn’t yet had the chance to process. “Okay. Then I’ll see you this evening. Bye.”

“Bye, honey,” is the last thing he hears before the door shuts.

~~~

The girls don’t give him much of a grace period before they start the inquisition.

“Why do you smell different?” Jasmine asks when they’re maybe half a block away from the apartment.

Eddie sighs, looking pointedly at Ivy, who looks away, feigning obliviousness. One thing’s for sure. That kid is either going to be a great actress or a great poker player someday.

“Is it bad different?” Eddie asks, mostly joking. He knows it’s not, he knows that if anything, they’ll be more relaxed around him now that he smells like pack. But part of him just wants to see if maybe he can avoid the truth for a little longer.

“Hm… no,” Jasmine says thoughtfully. “You smell kinda like…” Her little eyes go wide and she turns to face her sister.

Well, fuck. It was nice while it lasted.

“He smells like Daddy, doesn’t he?” Ivy asks smugly.

Jasmine nods, staring up at Eddie with something like awe on her face. “Are you and Daddy together now?”

Eddie’s face is positively burning right now. “No, Jasmine. That’s- no.” He says it firmly, making eye contact with each of them in turn. “We’re not together. Your dad and I just realized that since I live with you now, it’s a good idea if we scent each other. That way you guys will be more comfortable with me and I’ll feel more like part of your pack than just some outsider,” he explains.

Jasmine nods, but sighs. Her grip on his hand tightens a little as she leans against his side. “I wish you were our mom,” she says, wistfully.

Eddie’s heart twists painfully. He has no idea what to say to that, what would even be appropriate at this point. “I’d be honored to be your mom, Jazz,” he says, squeezing her hand and Ivy’s. “But… maybe don’t say that in front of your dad, okay? I think it would hurt his feelings to hear you guys say that about someone who isn’t your birth mom.”

They nod easily, but exchange confused looks like they’re not entirely sure why Eddie is even saying something like that.

The walk to school is quiet from there.

Eddie hums under his breath and squeezes their hands in time with the song he’s got stuck in his head. By the time they get to school, the girls are talking again, which he’s grateful for. He’d hate to send them off to start their day in such a rocky mood.

“Bye, girls. I love you, I’ll see you after school,” Eddie says, waving to them after giving each of them a hug. They wave back as they make their way to the building, and Eddie’s heart tightens a little as he recalls what Jasmine said earlier. He won’t tell Steve, probably, but it breaks his heart to think that the twins want him to be their mom, Steve wants him… in some capacity, at least- and he can’t have any of it.

It’s starting to piss him off a little bit.

He makes his way home slowly, debating stopping for some coffee on the way but ultimately deciding that today doesn’t really feel like a coffee day. Instead he just drags himself down the now-familiar streets that lead him back to the apartment, alone with his thoughts.

~~~

When he gets inside the apartment, it’s quiet and empty. Steve’s shoes and coat are gone, so either he really did have a meeting this morning, or he lied about it and left early anyway to avoid Eddie.

It’s really a fifty-fifty guess as to which one it is.

He’s just taken off his own shoes and coat, debating what menial housekeeping task he wants to do to keep him busy for the day, when the phone rings. He frowns, because he knows it can’t be Steve. Or it shouldn’t be, at least, given the man probably hasn’t even been gone that long.

“Hello?” He answers, uncertainly.

“Eddie!” A familiar voice says on the other end of the line. “Hey, man, it’s Gareth.”

Eddie’s frozen in surprise for a minute. He wasn’t expecting someone he knew, and for it to be his high school best friend- he’s fucking thrilled.

“Gare!” He says excitedly, going to sit on the sofa while they talk. “How’ve you been, man? I haven’t heard from you in ages!”

“Well, same old, same old,” Gareth says. “And dude, I’ve been trying to call you. I finally got Wayne the other day and he gave me this number. He said you moved to Indy after all?” Gareth sounds curious, but confused.

Eddie’s heart sinks. They’re going to have to talk about it, he supposes. The it being the fact that back in the day, Eddie was supposed to leave Hawkins with Gareth after graduation, but, well… some shit happened and that didn’t.

But now here they are, years later, back in touch. “Um, yeah. I moved here a little over a month ago.” Eddie tugs at a thread that’s coming loose from the blanket that lives on the sofa.

“That’s great, man,” Gareth says. He’s so genuine and kind, and Eddie just knows that he’s not mad anymore.

That gives him the courage he needs to say it. “I’m sorry, Gareth.”

Gareth makes a confused sound. “For what?” He pauses, then continues, “Eddie, I don’t blame you for what happened back then.”

Eddie squirms, a little uncomfortable. “You don’t?”

“Fuck no. You just…” he cuts himself off with a sigh. “Look, I was actually just calling to check in, but since we’re both in Indy, why don’t we meet up sometime? We could get coffee and catch up.”

Eddie feels himself slump with relief. He really isn’t mad. And he wants to hang out. Eddie could cry, he’s so happy. “Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. Um, I work Monday through Friday, but would Saturday work for you?”

There’s the faint sound of paper shuffling, like Gareth is checking his calendar or something. Eddie waits patiently while Gareth hums. “Yeah, that should work. The boys and I are back on the road Sunday morning anyway, so Saturday would be best.”

Eddie’s heart sinks a little. So Gareth and the others, presuming the “boys” in question are the same friends they’d shared in high school, really did take the band seriously. Eddie tries not to let that hurt his feelings.

It does, though.

“Okay. Um, Then I guess I’ll see you Saturday morning?” He gets up as he talks, double checking the big chalkboard calendar in the kitchen. There’s only one thing written on Saturday’s spot, and Eddie frowns. “We’ve got a baby shower Saturday at two, so would nine be too early for you?”

“We?” Gareth says, his voice immediately skeptical. “Baby shower- are you- Eddie-“

Eddie flushes. He realizes how that sounds now, and completely understands why Gareth sounds so upset. “Oh god. Sorry, no, I should’ve- no, I’m not pregnant. I, uh… I’m actually a nanny now. For a set of twins, and they’re like the best kids ever, and-“

Gareth cuts him off. “Wait. But you’re not… you’re not still with him, right?”

Eddie swallows hard. He hates the reminder, but he appreciates that Gareth isn’t actually saying his name. “No. I’m not… with anyone like that.” A pesky part of his brain reminds him that he wants to be, but he’s not.

“Oh,” Gareth says. “Okay. I just… sorry, I just assumed, when you said that…” he sounds embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Eddie says, giving him grace. “I know that’s what it sounded like. But I just meant me and Steve- he’s the dad of the kids I nanny- his friend is having a baby shower and I’ll probably go with him to keep an eye on the girls.”

“Won’t their mom be there?” Gareth sounds confused.

“Um… they don’t have a mom,” Eddie says. He feels weird talking about this suddenly, so he’s quick to divert the conversation. “So, nine? Is that okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. I’ll see you then, man.” Gareth pauses for a second. “I’m really happy you answered, Ed. I missed you.”

Eddie has to tell himself very firmly that he’s not allowed to cry. “I missed you too, man. I’ll see you Saturday.”

They say their goodbyes, and after he’s hung up the phone, Eddie sits there, wondering at how lucky he is to have his friend back.

~~~

The rest of the day goes by slowly after that. There’s really not a whole lot to do when the kids aren’t there during the day, given that Eddie is already caught up with all the laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning. He could probably find something to turn into a project- reorganize the twins’ closet or clean out the hall closet where a bunch of junk is stored, but he honestly doesn’t see the point. There’s no burning need for anything to be done, so he spends most of the day lamenting this and wandering the apartment, tidying things here and there as he goes. He wanders into Steve’s room at one point, and makes his bed, taking all the extra linens that the girls had dragged in there and putting everything back where it goes.

By pick-up time, Eddie is so ready to see his girls and have something to do that he practically skips to the school, getting there a whole fifteen minutes early. He waits outside with the other early-arrival parents and nannies, exchanging polite smiles and nothing more.

When the doors finally open and the kids come pouring out, Eddie’s quick to put a grin on his face, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet while he waits for the twins to come out. When they do, he watches as they scan the crowd, searching for him. He waves, his heart melting when he sees the way their faces light up when they find him.

“Hey, sweet girls!” He greets when they race towards him. “How was school? I missed you guys.”

They immediately begin chattering away, each of them sharing what they did at school and what they did or didn’t like about their day. They start walking back home, hand in hand, and Eddie nods and hums in all the right places as they talk.

“-and then Walker wanted to play house! But I told him Jasmine would have to play too, and he didn’t like that,” Ivy explains, her brows furrowed in slight annoyance.

“Oh, yeah?” Eddie says, glancing between the two of them. “Well, what did he say to that?”

Ivy shrugs. “He said he’d just go play with someone else. I told him I wanted a deaf horse.”

Eddie blinks. Then laughs, when he realizes what she’s trying to say. “Do you mean a ‘divorce’?”

“Oh,” Ivy says, nodding. “Yeah, that one.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh, but he tries his best to hide it. “Okay, well did he know what that meant?”

Ivy shrugs. “I dunno. He ran away, so I guess it worked.”

“I guess so,” Eddie says, still amused. “What about you, Jazz? Did you have a pretty good day?”

Jasmine nods. “Mhm. We played outside for an extra long time, and got to paint today during art. That was my favorite part, I think.”

Eddie smiles at her. “Good deal,” he says. “You know, I used to be pretty good at art. Maybe I could show you some things sometime.”

Jasmine’s eyes light up at that. “Really?”

Eddie nods. “Sure. We can get some art supplies the next time we go shopping with Dad, okay?”

She nods excitedly, and Eddie listens as she and Ivy rattle about their respective art projects from today at school. It’s soothing, really, to be able to sit and chat with them like this after a long day doing practically nothing at home. He thinks vaguely about how maybe someday he could get a part-time job, just for during the day. He needs to ask Steve what he thinks about that, first.

He takes the twins to get some ice cream on the way home from school, even though that’s technically a Friday treat. Oh well, no law says someone can’t have two treats in a week.

After they get home, Eddie sits down with them at the coffee table to work on what little homework they have. It’s basically just a spelling practice sheet and a math sheet, but he takes his time with it, carefully explaining each part so that they don’t get too confused. They’re smart girls, of course they are, with a father like Steve, and he loves how eager they are to learn.

The sound of keys in the door nearly an hour later rocks the boat a little, of course. The twins sit up ramrod straight, like meerkats, while they wait for Eddie’s approval. He waits until he hears the sound of Steve’s shoes coming off, followed by a sweet, “I’m home!” Then he nods, smiling as the girls race themselves to greet their dad. He’s never seen kids so excited to see a parent, especially their father, so this behavior had confused him when he first started working for the Harringtons.

Now he gets it.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Steve says when he comes into the living room, Jasmine clinging to his neck and Ivy dragging him in by his hand. He’s smiling at Eddie, but Eddie can tell he’s tired. “How’s your day?”

Eddie shrugs, scooting back to lean against the couch when Steve flops down on it, only a few inches between them. Ivy settles in Eddie’s lap, while Jasmine makes herself comfortable in Steve’s. “It was alright. Didn’t have much to do today. How was yours?”

Steve sighs, rolling his eyes as he drops his head back. “Long,” he says, almost joking but not quite. “I had so many meetings and phone calls today it was ridiculous. I didn’t even have time to eat lunch.” He sounds sad, but Eddie’s immediate reaction is panic because fuck, he’s been so distracted with the girls’ homework that he hasn’t even considered what to do for dinner.

He’s panicking so much about it now that he doesn’t even hear what Steve says next until he hears his name being called. “What?” he asks, turning to blink at Steve, completely out of it.

Steve frowns. “Are you okay? Your…” he glances at the twins, then tilts his head knowingly. “I could tell something was… off.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. He’d forgotten about the whole scenting thing. Now Steve will be even more attuned to his emotions. Great. “Sorry, yeah. I just realized that I haven’t even started dinner yet, hon, I’m sorry.”

Steve gives him an easy smile, which Eddie doesn’t feel he’s earned. “Oh, that’s fine. I was actually going to ask if you were okay with us just ordering Chinese or something.”

Ivy pipes up from Eddie’s lap then. “Can I have an egg roll?” she asks, giving Steve her classic puppy dog eyes.

Steve rolls his eyes. “Yes, you can have an egg roll. Jazz, any requests for you honey?”

Jasmine shrugs. “Noodles?”

Eddie smiles. Simple requests.

“Sure,” Steve tells her. He glances at Eddie. “I can call it in. You want your usual?”

Eddie’s heart sings at the fact that he has a usual, and that Steve knows it. “Yes, please,” he says, gently rocking Ivy in his lap, unable to contain the bubble of energy and affection locked in his chest.

Steve nods, then stands, placing a reluctant Jasmine on the couch before going to the phone to call in their order. Eddie watches him go, helpless.

“You look at Daddy like that a lot,” Ivy says, ever the observant one.

Eddie flushes. “Like what?” he demands, immediately defensive.

Ivy doesn’t really respond to that, she just smiles sweetly, then pats his arm. “That’s okay. Daddy looks at you like that too.”

Before Eddie can ask for clarification, his heart nearly out of his chest, Steve comes back with a smile and says, “what movie should we watch with dinner?”

Chapter Text

The next twenty-four hours pass by in a little bit of a blur. It’s odd, in a way, to be going back to sleep in his own bed after sleeping with Steve for the past two nights, but with both of the twins feeling better, Eddie sees no reason to push for that. So he goes to bed alone, and they do their usual routine all over again the next day.

Eddie finds other menial tasks to do while he’s home alone, and in the afternoon he goes to pick up the girls. It’s just life as he’s gotten used to living it, but there’s a fissure of excitement thrumming under his veins as he looks forward to Saturday. He’s beyond excited to go see Gareth and talk things over, as it’s been so long since he’s even had a friend to talk to, let alone someone who knows so much about him.

Friday night, after dinner, Eddie remembers to ask Steve about the baby shower.

“Hey,” he says when Steve goes to put away the last of the leftovers from dinner. When Steve turns to look at him, Eddie gestures to the calendar on the wall behind him. “Did you want me to go with you guys to the baby shower tomorrow?”

Steve glances at the calendar before nodding. “Oh, yeah. I meant to ask if you would mind going. The kids will be fine playing, probably, but it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands if I need them.” He smiles at Eddie as he comes over to help finish up washing the dishes, and Eddie pretends he’s not staring.

“Okay,” Eddie says with a nod. “I don’t mind going at all. I’ve got a, um… I’m getting coffee with someone in the morning, but I’ll be back in time to help get the girls ready and everything.”

At that, Steve’s body language changes. His hands freeze on the plate he’s drying, the rest of him going rigid. “Oh,” he says, quietly. He glances sideways at Eddie. “I… I didn’t realize you had plans.”

Eddie frowns. “Yeah, I mean, I just made them yesterday, so… sorry, I didn’t think to tell you until now, but-“

Steve waves his hand, the gesture erratic enough to stop Eddie mid-sentence. “It’s fine. If you plan on, um…” His face goes a little pink, and Eddie is confused. “Well, anyway. If you need more time, you don’t have to come with us. I’ll manage.” He offers Eddie some sort of half-smile, but it only deepens the grimace on Eddie’s face.

“No, no,” Eddie says quickly. “I want to go with you guys.” He forces a little half-laugh to match Steve’s half-smile. “Besides, I bet you forgot to get something for the shower.”

Steve’s whole face changes at that, going ashen with stark realization. “Shit,” he whispers. “God, you’re right. I completely forgot. I had it on the calendar for a month, and I still-“

Eddie hands him the last bowl to dry, drying his own hands on the spare dish towel. “It’s fine. I thought maybe since it’s Friday, me, you, and the girls could go shop for something. Would that be okay?”

And just like that, Steve’s body sinks back into something more relaxed. “That would be perfect, actually,” he says. He gives Eddie a sheepish look. “Don’t know what I would do without you, sweetheart.”

Eddie squirms a little under one of his favorite nicknames. “Well,” he says, fumbling for a response. “You managed just fine before me.”

Steve gives him a look. “No idea how I did that, either,” he says solemnly. When Eddie goes to protest, Steve interrupts, a gentle hand coming to rest on Eddie’s wrist. “Eds, I’m serious. I know it probably sounds like I’m pandering, but having you here… has improved my life so much. In all kinds of ways.”

“Oh,” Eddie says lamely. His wrist feels like it’s boiling where their skin is touching, and he wishes Steve would never let go. He stares at their hands for a minute too long before finding something to say. “I’m happy to hear that,” he says, which to be honest, doesn’t sound much better than the pathetic oh from before.

Steve squeezes his wrist, smiling so sweetly at him that Eddie has to look away. He can’t stand it, he really can’t. “You wanna go grab the girls and tell them what we’re doing?” Steve asks.

Eddie nods. “Yeah, I’ll… I’ll go do that.”

“Alright. I’m gonna go grab my wallet and coat, then I’ll be right there, okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie nods, almost in a trance. His hand still feels warm, even after Steve pulls away and leaves him standing alone.

~~~

After explaining their plan to the twins, Eddie helps them into their coats and shoes, assuring them that it’ll be fun to go shop for baby stuff. Even if the truth is that it makes Eddie feel slightly nauseous with nerves- but they don’t need to know all that.

When they’re ready, Eddie marches them to the front door so he can slip on his own shoes.

“Everyone ready?” Steve asks, pulling his coat on and messing with the collar.

Eddie doesn’t let him struggle for long, stepping behind him to fix the stupid thing, flattening it down so it’s not sticking straight up in the air.

“Thanks,” Steve says with a smile. He glances at the girls, then at Eddie. “Where’s your jacket?”

Eddie frowns, looking down at himself. “Oh, I’ll be fine,” he says, surveying his t-shirt and plaid button-down thrown over the top of it.

Steve gives him a blank look. “I’ll go grab it- is it in your closet?”

He’s already down the hall before Eddie can argue, and Eddie groans in mostly mock-annoyance. Truth be told, he actually doesn’t mind being coddled a little bit. In fact, it’s kind of… nice. Still, he has a reputation to uphold, and a coat is not part of it.

“Hon, are you sure this will even be warm enough?” Steve asks as he comes back down the hall with Eddie’s leather jacket in hand.

Eddie rolls his eyes at that. “It’ll be fine. Thanks,” he tacks on, almost as an afterthought, as he reaches for the jacket.

Steve surprises him again, instead holding it out for Eddie to slide his arms into. Eddie feels his face grow hot, but does just that, ignoring the little giggles the twins are barely containing behind their little hands. He sticks his tongue out at them, which apparently makes it all the funnier.

“There we go,” Steve says, rubbing a little circle or two onto Eddie’s back before stepping around him. “Alright, let’s go.”

~~~

They take Steve’s car, as usual, and Eddie finds that he barely misses his van these days. He misses the dream that the van represented- a proper van, full of children, taken on long road trips and vacations.

But Steve’s flashy beemer is still nice, too.

He lets Eddie pick the music sometimes, but tonight isn’t one of those nights. He goes straight for his Tears for Fears, and Eddie can only hide his fond smile in the passenger window, lest he do something silly, like reach out to hold his hand.

The twins sing along with their father and the radio in the back seat, and Eddie even finds himself tapping along on his knees, just content to be in this moment, relaxed with his little quasi-pack.

“What do you think I should get them?” Steve asks when they’re almost to the mall.

Eddie hums. “Well, do they have a baby registry? Or a theme for the nursery?”

Steve’s eyes are wide, and he looks a little lost. “Uh… garden? No, uh, jungle? Bees?” He lists off several more things in quick succession, none of them having anything to do with the others. Finally, he shrugs. “I… have no idea.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. He’s not surprised, really. Steve is a great guy, but something like this probably doesn’t just stick around in his head for long. “Okay. That’s fine, Steve. That just means we can pick a couple different options, and you can decide what you think Robin would like.”

Steve nods, giving Eddie a grateful smile. “Okay, I think I can do that.”

~~~

Steve, as it turns out, cannot do that.

They’re making their rounds in the baby section of a department store, and Eddie is halfway to losing his mind with Steve’s indecision.

“Maybe a baby stroller?” He says, for what feels like the third time.

Ivy groans. Jasmine wanders an aisle over to look at kids' clothes. Eddie just sighs, nodding. “Sure,” he says, the same response he’s given Steve four times now. “They’d appreciate that, I’m sure.”

Steve frowns. “But it’s so…”

“Impersonal?” Eddie supplies.

Steve gives him a sheepish look. “I know I’m being annoying. It’s just… been a while since I shopped for baby stuff. I’m kind of overwhelmed here.”

All of Eddie’s annoyance (or most of it, at least) melts away when he hears that. “I get that,” he says softly, stepping closer to Steve and patting his back. “Let’s look at some baby clothes, okay? Can never have too much of that.”

Steve agrees, glancing over his shoulder for his daughters. “Ivy, Jasmine, c’mon.”

“Are we done yet?” Ivy whines, dragging her feet. She holds her hand out for Eddie to hold it, but he has to practically drag her to get her feet moving. “I wanna go get ice cream!”

Eddie glances at her with a raised eyebrow. “Who said we’re going to get ice cream after this?” He asks, mostly teasing. He’s known the Harrington family long enough to know that Steve loves a treat on Fridays.

Ivy’s face falls, and she quickly turns to her father. “Daddy, we’re going to get ice cream after this, right?”

Steve shrugs, already focused on the table of folded baby clothes in front of them. “If Eddie says no, then that means no.”

He says it so simply, so casually, like it’s not at all a big deal for him to give this amount of control over to his nanny. Not that Eddie never makes decisions on behalf of the twins, but it’s usually when Steve isn’t there to do it himself.

So this…. This is new.

Ivy pouts, but doesn’t let go of Eddie’s hand. Instead, she tilts her head, batting her eyes sweetly at him. “Can we please have ice cream after this?” She asks.

Eddie smiles at her. “Can you be patient and let dad take his time finding a good present for aunt Robin?”

Ivy nods, then mimes zipping her lips. “I won’t say another word!” She says. Then she covers her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oops.”

Of course, Eddie can’t help but laugh at that. “C’mon, you and Jasmine can help me look for a cute baby outfit.”

Jasmine, who had been hanging back a little, perks up at that. “Can we both pick out something for the baby?” She asks, excited.

Eddie shrugs, glancing at Steve. “I don’t see why not. Would that be okay?”

Steve nods. “Sure. Baby Buckley is gonna need a bunch of little outfits, so that’s perfect.” Steve glances back at Eddie then. “I think I’m gonna go back and look at strollers again, if you wanna stay here with them for a minute?”

Eddie nods, holding himself back from teasing Steve about his indecisiveness. “Sure, we’ll be right here.”

Steve gives him a little smile and a grateful hand brushes his back as Steve goes back to the other aisle. Eddie pretends the touch doesn’t make him shiver, then turns back to the girls, who are searching through a stack of onesies on the other side of the table.

“Finding anything good?” Eddie asks, coming around to join them.

Jasmine giggles and nods, holding something up in front of her and whirling around to show Eddie. “Ta-da!” She says excitedly.

It takes Eddie a second to read it. When he does, he frowns, confused. “Oh. But- does Robin have an older kid? I thought this was her first one?”

Jasmine nods, holding the onesie out to Eddie with a sly little grin that Ivy mirrors beside her. “No, this is her first one. But I think we should get this one for us. Just in case.”

Eddie blinks. Then looks back down at the onesie.

Little Sister it reads in bright, pink, sparkly letters.

Eddie is confused.

“Why would you…” he trails off, his eyebrows knitting together as he glances back in the direction of where Steve disappeared to. “Oh,” he says. He suddenly feels a little sick. Is Steve seeing someone? Or has he re-established contact with his ex? Surely it’s got to be something along those lines, or else the girls wouldn’t be thinking about this.

“Do you think Daddy will let us get it?” Ivy asks, gesturing to the little outfit.

Eddie shrugs, feeling completely out of his element now. He feels a little unbalanced, unsure. “I dunno,” Eddie mumbles. “Maybe. Might need it someday, I guess.” He’s not pouting. He isn’t.

The girls grin at each other, Jasmine tossing the onesie over her arm. Eddie is definitely going to be sick.

They keep looking through the baby clothes, eventually finding two separate outfits for baby Buckley. One of them is a little long-sleeve white and green striped onesie with a pair of green overalls (Jasmine’s pick), and the other is a pair of zippered footie pajamas with little sheep all over them. Eddie is almost recovered from the first onesie and everything that it could mean when Steve finally rejoins them.

“Hi,” he says, smiling. “I finally decided on a stroller and had someone take it up front for us. Did you guys find anything good?”

Jasmine and Ivy are all too excited to show him the outfits they picked out for Robin’s baby, Steve ooh-ing and aah-ing appropriately as they show them off.

Then comes the part Eddie was dreading.

“Very nice,” Steve says, collecting both of their finds so he can carry them to the register to pay. He glances back at Jasmine again, gesturing to the other outfit still bundled under her arm. “What’s that one, honey?”

Jasmine grins at him, and Ivy, curiously, looks over at Eddie with what is undeniably a smirk. “Oh, this one isn’t for Aunt Robin,” Jasmine says sweetly, making no move to hand it over.

Steve gives her an odd look, glancing at Eddie for help. Eddie just shrugs, still a little pouty and embarrassed over the whole thing. It’s stupid, he knows, to be jealous of something he doesn’t even have confirmation of. The twins may have just misheard or misunderstood something, he might be making a big deal out of nothing.

But he’s probably not.

“Okay,” Steve says slowly. “Would you like for me to pay for it?” He asks her, almost amused.

Jasmine nods, clearly pleased with herself. “Yes, please,” she says sweetly.

Steve smiles at her. “Well, I’d like to see what my money is going towards, if you don’t mind.”

Jasmine hesitates at that, glancing at her sister with something like uncertainty in her eyes. When Ivy just shrugs, Jasmine nods slowly. “Okay,” she says.

Eddie watches as she pulls it from under her arm, and his heart is aching. His reaction is going to depend entirely on Steve’s, but he genuinely has no prediction for how Steve might react to something like this. If there is somebody in his personal/romantic life, surely this will embarrass him a little, but he’ll probably be pleased. An alpha like him surely wants more than just two children, so he’d probably be thrilled at the notion that his pups want a younger sibling.

If there isn’t somebody, however… Eddie’s not sure what he’ll think about this.

He doesn’t have to wait long to find out. When Jasmine hands the onesie over, Steve glances down at it, his amused half-smile slipping into something like confusion. He stares at it for a second, then for some reason, glances up at Eddie. His gaze quickly flits from him to the girls, however, for which Eddie is very thankful.

“Who would we be getting this for?” Steve asks carefully, glancing between each of his daughters, who are suddenly very interested in staring anywhere but at their father. “Girls?”

Ivy sighs, nudging Jasmine with her elbow. Jasmine yelps, nudging her back, and finally, Ivy speaks. “For us,” she says, shrugging. Like it’s that simple.

Steve quirks an eyebrow at her. “Pardon?”

She smiles in that sweet, coy way that Eddie has grown so used to lately. “Just in case,” Ivy says, rocking on her feet.

Steve just blinks at her. “In case of what?”

Jasmine decides to pipe up then. Normally, this would be a good thing.

Not this time.

Because when she opens her mouth, she says, “Eddie said that we might need it.” She turns to look at Eddie, smiling. “Right?”

Eddie freezes. He can feel Steve staring at him, and he knows he needs to say… well, something.

“Um,” he says. Real great start. “I just meant…”

“Couldn’t you and Eddie get a baby? Just like Aunt Robin?” Ivy asks, clearly oblivious to the implications behind her words.

Eddie feels like he’s about to die of mortification.

“Honey…” Steve says, his face a shade pinker than normal as he looks at his daughters. “That’s not… I don’t think that’s what Eddie meant.”

“Of course not!” Eddie blurts quickly. He realizes how defensive he sounds, and is well aware how that might make him seem somewhat guilty, but he’s so embarrassed he can’t help it. “I thought they meant…” he doesn’t want to admit what he thought they meant. He blushes, avoiding Steve’s curious gaze.

“So, we can’t have a little sister?” Jasmine says, disappointed.

Steve sighs. Maybe it’s the recent addition of scenting to their daily routine, but Eddie feels like he can sense how disappointed Steve is, as well. “Not anytime soon, no,” Steve tells her with an apologetic smile. “Daddy would need to find a mate to get you a little sister.”

Jasmine and Ivy share confused looks. “Oh…” Ivy says. She turns to look at Eddie, and he already knows what she’s about to say. “Is Eddie not good enough?” She asks, nothing but childhood innocence and confusion in her words.

Still. Eddie feels it like a knife in his chest.

“That’s- I didn’t-“ Steve stumbles over his words. Eddie frowns. Steve seems… embarrassed. “That’s not what I meant, Ivy,” he says firmly.

“But why-“ she starts, clearly impatient.

“Maybe we should talk about this at home?” Eddie suggests, interrupting her mid-sentence.

Steve sends him a look of relief. “Yes, that’s a great idea,” he says, nodding. “Let’s go check out, then we can go have ice cream?” He glances at Eddie when he says the last part, and Eddie nods.

“Ice cream sounds great.”

They’ve taken a few steps away from the baby stuff when Jasmine pipes up. “Uh, daddy?”

“Yeah?” Steve replies, leading the way.

“Aren’t you going to put that one back?”

Eddie’s eyes shoot down to where Steve is still very much holding the “Little Sister” onesie.

“Oh,” he says, like he’s surprised. “Um. Yeah, I’ll just…” he goes back to the table, gently folding the tiny outfit and laying it carefully on top of the others like it. Then he hesitates, staring down at it with a pinched expression.

Eddie wishes, more than anything, that he knew what was going on in his head right now. If he could just crawl into Steve’s brain and understand what exactly it is that he’s thinking… maybe he could fix it.

He wishes he could fix it.

“Alright, let’s go,” Steve says. He gives the girls a very fake smile, taking Ivy’s hand as they make their way, again, to the front of the store.

Eddie glances back at the baby clothes, a pang striking through his heart, making him feel like he’s missing something. Or maybe that he lost something he never had.

He turns away.

~~~

Later, after ice cream and a quick stop at the grocery store so that they could grab some baby shower wrapping paper and gift bags, they head home. Steve is unusually quiet on the way there, the music turned down to nearly a whisper as they drive. The girls are sleepy in the back seat, too much excitement for a Friday evening weighing down their eyelids. They haven’t spoken in a while, and when Eddie glances back at them, he smiles when he sees the way they’re struggling to stay awake.

“They’re so sleepy,” he murmurs softly to Steve.

Steve tilts his head, glancing at the kids through the rearview mirror. He smiles fondly, shaking his head. “At least it’ll be easy to get them in bed tonight,” he says.

Eddie nods. He’s pretty exhausted himself, even though he hasn’t really done much today. Something about the nervousness about seeing Gareth tomorrow, along with the twins’ teasing and putting him in such an odd situation earlier… all of it’s making him feel like he’s about a million years old.

“Hey,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie glances at him. “Yeah?”

Steve spares a glance back at the twins before clearing his throat. His voice is noticeably lower when he speaks next. “Listen… about what the girls were saying earlier…” His face is noticeably red, even in the darkness of the car.

“Oh, that,” Eddie says lamely, immediately seeping back into embarrassment. He knows his scent has probably soured, which can’t be pleasant in the confined space of Steve’s car, but he can’t help it.

“I know they didn’t mean anything by it,” Steve says, surprising Eddie. “They don’t… they really don’t even know what they’re talking about. I haven’t had the… you know… mating talk with them.” He coughs, clearly a little embarrassed as well. “But they’ve always wanted to be older sisters. And I guess… Since you’re the only omega I’m ever around, it’s just natural…”

Eddie nods slowly, but his brain is caught on one sentence in particular: “you’re the only omega I’m ever around.”

He hates himself a little, but it’s reassuring to hear that. To have his worst fears assuaged, even if it doesn’t change anything in the grand scheme of things.

“Right,” he finally says. His voice sounds odd, even to his own ears. “Of course.”

Steve glances at him again. “I just didn’t want you to think… Well, I don’t know. I know it was awkward, is all.”

At least they can agree on that.

“It’s fine,” Eddie finally says, unsure what else to say. “Kids just say stuff sometimes. It’s not a big deal.”

Steve gives him a grateful smile at that. “You’re right.” He hesitates for a second, but Eddie’s quiet while he waits to see what else he wants to say. When he speaks, it’s not what Eddie was expecting. “It was a cute outfit though,” he says, his voice wistful.

Eddie laughs, covering his mouth to stay quiet. He glances back, and Ivy is fully asleep, but Jasmine is doing a slow-blinking thing like she’s trying not to fall asleep herself. “Yeah, it was,” he agrees.

“I kinda wish… I dunno. I hate that they want that so badly, and it’s something I can’t just… snap my fingers and give to them.” Steve frowns at the road. “I’m not used to that, I guess.”

And although Eddie can’t really relate to that (he grew up in a home where wanting for things but not getting them was normal), he understands why it bothers Steve as a parent. “That makes sense,” Eddie says softly. “I don’t like, fully understand it, but I get what you’re saying. It must be hard.”

Steve just shrugs, turning his head just enough to give Eddie a wry smile. “It is what it is, though.”

Eddie hates the resignation in his voice, but it makes sense. If there’s no omega in his life, it is kind of an equation without a solution. He hates that for Steve, but more than that, his omega side hates it for himself.

I’m right here! it screams at him, unhelpfully.

He can still practically feel the pressure of Steve’s lips on his own.

“You okay?” Steve asks a second or two after that thought flits through Eddie’s brain.

Eddie feels his whole body cringe in embarrassment, which seems to be the theme for the evening. Fuck this whole stupid omega hormone thing, honestly.

“I’m fine,” he mumbles, trying to get his scent back under control. As much as he loves to have Steve’s scent on him throughout the day, he hates the secondhand effect of scenting each other, that comes in the form of Steve being able to read him like a book.

Steve gives him a long look, but doesn’t argue. They’re pulling into the apartment parking garage anyway, thankfully, so Steve loses his opportunity to inquire further.

Then comes the fun part: getting two fully-asleep children inside and into their beds. It takes some shuffling of the shopping bags, but eventually they manage to make space to carry a twin each. Steve takes Ivy, as she was sat behind his seat in the car, while Eddie takes Jasmine.

Steve leads the way inside to the elevator, and Eddie is careful to walk slowly, so he doesn’t jostle Jasmine awake. “We’re lucky they’re still little,” Eddie murmurs to Steve as they get on the elevator. “Otherwise this would be sort of rough.”

Steve offers a tired smile, but nods. “Imagine doing this, but there’s still two of them and only one of you. That shit was difficult,” Steve says, rolling his eyes with a little snort of a laugh.

Eddie frowns. He hadn’t even considered that, really doesn’t know how long their mother has been out of the picture… but apparently longer than he thought.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie murmurs to him softly.

Steve looks at him oddly. “For what?”

Eddie shrugs one shoulder, careful not to dislodge Jasmine. “Well… you had to go through all this on your own. I can’t even imagine… I just hate that you had to go through all this by yourself.”

There’s a soft look on Steve’s face when Eddie looks back at him. “It’s not your fault,” he says, shrugging. His face changes then, his lips tugging down into a frown. “Not anyone’s fault, really. Just sort of the way things are, I guess.” He’s got such a far-off look in his eyes, like he’s thinking of something Eddie’s not privy to.

Eddie can smell the sadness, though. Steve’s scent is stronger than usual in the confined space of the elevator, and Eddie feels his insides clench in pain for the other man. He risks waking Jasmine up, bumping his arm against Steve’s lightly. “Hey. I’m sorry for bringing it up. But you’re a wonderful dad, and I’ve never known someone to love a parent the way these kids love you. And that’s gotta mean something, yeah?”

Steve smiles at him, nodding. “Yeah. It means everything.” He glances down at Jasmine, his smile turning somehow fonder. He presses a kiss to the top of Ivy’s head, his eyes meeting Eddie’s. “Thanks. For… for saying that, and helping me find something for Robin, and… everything else.”

The elevator dings, finally, and Eddie just smiles and shrugs. “It’s what I’m here for,” he says lightly. And it’s true, literally of course, but he means it deeper than that. Even if Steve didn’t pay him, this is where Eddie would want to be. Even if it hurt, even if he’d never be a real mother in the twins’ eyes… he’d choose this, over and over again.

He hopes Steve knows that.

They take the twins to their bedroom, leaving all the lights off except the hall light, given the very real risk of tripping over something in the dark. Steve pulls off Ivy’s shoes and gently wrestles her out of her coat while Eddie struggles to do the same with Jasmine. It takes him a minute, but he manages it easily enough. Ivy appears to be completely dead to the world as Steve tucks her in, but Jasmine, on the other hand, stirs a little when Eddie goes to lay her down.

“Daddy?” She mumbles, her eyelids fluttering but never opening fully.

“Shh, it’s just me, honey. Daddy’s tucking in your sister,” Eddie whispers. He pulls her sheets and comforter up, tucking it up to her chin before leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Love you.”

Jasmine snuggles into her pillow, and Eddie turns, assuming she’s already asleep.

“Goodnight, Mommy.”

Eddie freezes. Surely he didn’t hear that right. He turns around to check, but Jasmine is already asleep, breathing deeply. His heart is pounding, helpless joy and crushing heartbreak warring for dominance in his chest.

“Eddie?” Steve says behind him, his hand coming to read on the small of Eddie’s back. “Did Jazz go down okay?”

Eddie nods, feeling a little numb. She called him… he’s almost a hundred percent positive that he heard it correctly. “Yeah,” he finally says to Steve, shaking himself. “Did Ivy?” He peers around Steve’s shoulder to find her snuggled similarly to her sister, with her arm over the comforter clutching her stuffed bunny.

“Yeah, she was out like a light.” He steps past Eddie then, going to brush his hand gently through Jasmine’s hair, leaning down and pecking her forehead the same way Eddie had done a minute before.

Eddie heads to the door, glancing back to make sure their night light is on. Steve follows, pulling the door almost all the way shut behind him.

“Well,” Eddie starts, feeling awkward. He always feels a bit odd when they part like this at night. He knows it’s mostly an omega thing- the desire to get some form of physical affection as a goodnight parting, but he pushes it down every time in favor of some awkward small-talk.

This time, Steve beats him to it. “Will you help me wrap the stuff we got for Robin? I’m terrible at it, and I’d like it to look sort of nice.”

Eddie smiles, but nods. “Do you want me to go get the stroller box out of the car?”

Steve shakes his head. “I’ll go grab that, if you can check the hall closet and see if we have any little boxes for the clothes?”

Eddie nods. “Sure.”

Steve sends him a grateful smile, his hand brushing against Eddie’s back gently before he steps away, grabbing his keys. “Thanks, hon. I’ll be right back.”

Eddie can’t help but smile to himself as he goes in search of everything they’ll need- tape, scissors, and the boxes. It’s horribly domestic, he thinks, to be wrapping gifts together, and he’s giddy in a way he’s not used to being about such a mundane task. He wonders, vaguely, if he’ll get the chance to spend many birthdays with the Harringtons, or if he’ll still be here by Christmas.

He hopes so.

“Jesus Christ, this thing is heavy,” Steve pants as he comes back inside lugging the brand new baby stroller he’d just bought. “I hope this shit is easy to assemble for how freaking heavy and expensive it is.”

Eddie smiles, shaking his head a little before going over to help him carry it into the living room. “Well I just hope they haven’t already gotten one,” Eddie says as they set it down by the coffee table.

Steve looks up at that, a look of pure panic on his face. “Shit, I didn’t even think about that,” he says.

“Well… if they did, they can just take this one back. You got a gift receipt, right?” Eddie asks, settling on the floor, criss-cross applesauce style.

Steve sucks his teeth, but doesn’t meet Eddie’s eyes. “Um.”

“Steve,” Eddie says, a light admonishment.

“I didn’t think about it!” he protests, his voice almost a whine as he drops to the floor beside Eddie. He reaches for the scissors, spinning them around with his index finger while Eddie takes the plastic off the wrapping paper. “They can still take it back though, right?” He asks, sounding unsure.

Eddie nods. “Yeah, we could take it back for them, or stop back by the store and ask for a gift receipt on the way to Robin’s.”

“Perfect.” Steve makes a noise of relief, shifting the box onto its side so they can measure out the right amount of wrapping paper for it. “Thanks, by the way,” he says, holding one end of the wrapping paper while Eddie carefully unrolls it.

“For what?” Eddie asks, not taking his eyes off his current task.

Steve hums an affirmative when Eddie thinks he’s got the right amount of paper unraveled. “For helping me with all this. It’ll be nice to show up to a function with my life somewhat together for once. Usually I show up late with a half-wrapped present and whining kids.” He gives Eddie a little grin. “Robin’s gonna be so amazed.”

Eddie smiles at him as he holds the paper still for him to cut it. “Glad I could be of service,” he says, teasing a little bit. “What time should we leave tomorrow?”

Steve shrugs, holding his hand out for the tape. “Well, it’s supposed to start at two, so maybe like one? They live on the other side of town, and Saturday traffic can be bad.”

Eddie nods. “Okay. I should be back before then, and I can help get the girls ready and everything.”

They have to work together to get the box turned over to tape down the other side, but Eddie catches Steve frowning at him. “I forgot about your… thing,” he says, his voice sounding a little odd around the word. “You can take as much time as you want, and I could just pick you up on the way, if you want to do that.”

Eddie shakes his head. “No, that’s fine. We’re supposed to meet pretty early, and I seriously doubt I’ll be gone more than an hour or two.”

It seems like Steve wants to say something else on the matter, but instead he just nods. “You do one end while I do the other?” he asks instead, gesturing to the box.

They maneuver it so that each of them has an end to tape up, and Eddie hums to himself as he works. He would never admit it, but he sort of loves the repetitiveness of wrapping gifts, even if he’s not the best at it. It looks decent enough, he thinks, and it’s not like they’ll be paying much attention to the wrapping anyway.

A thought strikes him then, and he can’t help but glance up at Steve. “This may be a weird question,” he prefaces. “But I didn’t even realize Robin was pregnant when I met her.”

Steve gives him an odd look. “Oh, she wasn’t,” Steve says simply.

Eddie blinks.

“Oh. Then…”

Steve seems to realize his confusion then, and nods, taking pity on him. “She’s an alpha, but usually tries to mask at work. She thinks it’s embarrassing, being a female alpha secretary to a male alpha.” Steve rolls his eyes, sighing. “I don’t think people would make that big a deal over it, but I’m definitely not gonna say that to her.”

Eddie nods slowly. He never would’ve guessed it, having only met Robin briefly, one time over a month ago now. “So, she’s mated?”

At that, Steve’s mouth quirks into a thin line. “Yeah. It’s… a new development, to be honest with you.”

It sounds like there’s a story there. Eddie decides to risk pushing, just this once. “Oh… Is… This is going to sound insensitive, but… is the pup hers?”

Steve nods. “Yeah. I probably shouldn’t tell all of Robin’s business like this, but long story short, they were just sleeping together at first, just friends and all that. And then Chrissy came up pregnant. They’re thrilled, of course, but have only been properly together for like four months now.” Steve snorts then, shaking his head with a wry smile. “The twins haven’t even met Chris yet, it’s that new.”

“Wow,” Eddie says. He finishes taping his end, sitting back to watch Steve finish up his side. “They seem excited either way, though,” he says with a smile.

Steve grins. “Yeah. A pup is a pup, I guess. They’re just thrilled at the idea of having a little cousin, to be honest with you. I think we could tell them that the baby came from the moon, and they’d still be just as excited.”

Eddie laughs at that. He agrees wholeheartedly, they absolutely would be, without a doubt. “That’s sweet, though.”

Steve nods. “It is.” He puts one last piece of tape on his end, then sits back to survey their work. “I think it looks pretty decent. Now we just need to whack a bow on, and we’ll be done, right?”

“We’ve still got the clothes, remember?” Eddie reminds him, pointing to the little outfits carefully laid out on the coffee table.

Steve looks over at them with a wince. “Could we just… stuff them in a gift bag and call it a night?” he asks hopefully.

Eddie grins, pulling a gift bag from his stash of supplies. “Way ahead of you,” he jokes as he does just that, folding the little outfits carefully before laying them at the bottom of the sack. “You wanna pick out a bow for the box while I get some tissue paper in here?” he asks, glancing at Steve.

“Sure,” Steve says. He goes to stand, his knees clicking as he does. “God, it sucks getting old,” he laments. “Are the bows still in the closet?”

Eddie nods. “Can you put these back in there as you go?” he asks, handing him the spare boxes that they decided not to use.

“Mhm,” Steve hums. He ruffles Eddie’s hair gently as he passes, murmuring, “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie smiles to himself as he fixes up the gift bag, fluffing up the tissue paper after stuffing it inside until it looks nice and neat. It’s nice, he thinks yet again, to be able to do these little domestic things with someone else.

“I’m going with silver,” Steve announces when he comes back in. “I think it’ll make the little bits of silver on the paper really pop, you know?”

“Sure,” Eddie agrees easily, sitting back and watching as Steve carefully centers the bow, sticking it on with such intense precision that it almost makes Eddie laugh.

“There!” Steve announces, looking down at his work proudly. “All done.”

“Very nice,” Eddie says. “Help me up?” he requests, holding a hand out so Steve can help drag him from the floor.

Steve smiles, reaching for him immediately. “You’re gettin’ old too, huh?” He teases.

Eddie rolls his eyes. The jab doesn’t bother him quite as much as it would have five or six months ago. “I guess so. Twenty-six, going on sixty.”

He manages to get onto his feet without pulling Steve down onto the floor with him, which he’s certain has more to do with Steve’s strength than his own coordination. Steve is giving him an odd look when Eddie faces him. “Twenty-six?” he asks, confused.

Eddie frowns, but nods. “Uh, yeah. Last I checked.”

Steve tilts his head at him. “You’re older than me, then. Huh. I hadn’t realized that.”

Then it’s Eddie’s turn to frown. “Wait, how old are you?”

“Just turned twenty-five, actually.”

He’s not sure why, but the information surprises Eddie a little. He hadn’t realized that he was older - not that it particularly matters - and the epiphany gives him pause. “Huh,” Eddie hums.

Steve sets the gifts out of the way, likely aware of some twin-related danger that Eddie isn’t privy to. “It’s kind of weird, right?” Steve asks, turning to face Eddie, his hands on his hips.

Eddie nods. “A little, yeah.” He feels awkward then, either from the odd realization they’d just had together, or the lack of purpose now that they’ve finished wrapping the presents for tomorrow. “Well… I’m gonna head to bed. I know tomorrow’s Saturday, but I’ll probably be up kind of early to get ready, so I’ll go ahead and make breakfast around eight or so, if that’s okay with you?”

Steve’s mouth does that thing again, a flat line where Eddie would normally find him smiling. “You don’t have to. I’m sure the girls will probably sleep in a little tomorrow, so I can make them something when we get up after you leave.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. A wave of inadequacy washes over him, but he tries to just smile and nod through it. “Right, sure. Well, um… I guess I’ll see you when I get back tomorrow?”

“Okay,” Steve replies, nodding.

Eddie’s just turned away to head to his room when Steve says his name. “Yeah?” Eddie asks, glancing back at him.

Steve’s face is flushed, and he rakes a hand through his hair almost aggressively. “Um. Before you go… Maybe we should…”

Eddie blinks at him, confused. “Should…?” he prompts when Steve just stops there.

“Um.” Steve rubs the back of his neck. Eddie thinks it’s just a nervous tic thing at first, but then he catches the way Steve is staring at his neck, and it clicks.

“Oh. You want to scent me tonight?” Eddie asks, forcing himself to sound very neutral and normal about it, although secretly, his omega side is rejoicing.

Steve nods, his eyes downcast like he’s… embarrassed? That can’t be right. He hasn’t been embarrassed to ask for this a single time yet. If anything, Eddie should be blushing. “Yeah, if that’s… alright with you. I mean, if you don’t want to because of your… you know,” he gestures vaguely, and Eddie doesn’t know. “We don’t have to. But… I just figured…”

God. He’s so damn sweet and clearly nervous of Eddie’s response, although Eddie can’t imagine why he would be, and really, there’s only one response that makes any sense at all.

“Of course, honey,” Eddie says, making his voice just as soft. “C’mere,” he murmurs, stepping into Steve’s space just as he steps forward into his.

Steve’s arms are warm and sure as he wraps Eddie up in a hug, looping around his waist and dragging Eddie against his body like that’s where he belongs. In turn, Eddie loops his arms around Steve’s broad shoulders, tucking his face up against Steve’s neck and breathing deeply.

“Smell good,” he mumbles against the column of Steve’s throat.

Steve shivers. “Mm. You,” he replies nonsensically.

For a moment, they stay like that. Not fully scenting each other, just hugging and inhaling deeply, as if they’re trying to breathe each other in. Then Steve shifts, and Eddie’s whole body relaxes when he scents him, a wave of calming alpha pheromones flooding his senses. He has just enough presence of mind to tilt his own head, scenting Steve back.

He doesn’t do that every time. He doesn’t think Steve minds when he does, exactly, but he’s never specifically asked Eddie to scent him back.

Though, if it does bother him, he’s got a funny way of showing it.

Steve sighs, his arms tightening briefly around Eddie’s waist before loosening. “Mm,” he hums, clearly content. “We should definitely do this in the morning and at night. Feel like I’ve taken a shot of melatonin.”

Eddie giggles against Steve’s throat. “Hm, not sure it’s supposed to be that addicting,” he jokes lightly.

When Steve pulls back, he gives Eddie an odd little half-smile. “Yeah,” he murmurs, reaching up and tucking a lock of Eddie’s hair behind his ear. “You’re right. It shouldn’t. But it is.”

Eddie freezes. Something about his voice, that solemn, sure answer… it makes his head spin. “Oh,” is all his stupid mouth can come up with, apparently, as his brain has fully taken the night off apparently. He can feel it building between them, that tension that often seems near-unbearable, but when it breaks, it’s not in the way he’s hoping for.

Steve smiles, brushing his knuckles against Eddie’s cheek sweetly. “Goodnight, honey. I hope everything goes well tomorrow.”

Eddie just nods stupidly, barely even processing a single word out of his mouth. Steve is either oblivious to his state of stupidity, or is choosing to mercifully ignore it, because before Eddie can say something dumber, Steve is stepping away, squeezing Eddie’s hip in some sort of parting gesture as he heads to his own bedroom.

It takes Eddie a long moment to do the same.

~~~

When Eddie’s alarm goes off the next morning, he doesn’t feel like he’s actually gotten the amount of sleep that he knows he has. He’s quick to turn it off, afraid of waking up the rest of the household on their nice free Saturday morning. He picks his outfit carefully, scanning each of the items Steve bought for him with the utmost scrutiny before finally deciding on the nice red button-down and a pair of jeans. He thinks this shirt says both “hi-best-friend-I-haven’t-seen-in-years-let’s-catch-up-over-coffee” and “hi-best-friend-of-my-employer-I-hope-your-baby’s-great” without being too much for either occasion.

He’s quiet as he goes through his normal morning routine, showering and washing his hair with excited jitters tugging his every movement. He’s not sure he’s been this excited for socializing since the last time he went to a gig back in Hawkins, and that was before him and H-

Well. It was a while ago.

After towel-drying his hair to the best of his ability, he makes his way to the kitchen, pouring a cup of orange juice as he scans the chalkboard by the fridge. They don’t really need anything he can’t just pick up on the next grocery run, so he’s got nothing to worry about there. He spares a minute to marvel at the fact that this sort of casual domesticity, checking a grocery list for his pack, is something he gets to have now.

He’s rinsing out his glass and checking the time when he notices a slip of paper at the end of the bar. He frowns, but curiosity gets the better of him.

Scribbled on the scrap of what is apparently notebook paper is a short message.

Good morning! Have fun and be safe on your date. See you later :)

xoxo, Steve

Eddie stares at it for a lot longer than is probably socially acceptable, his brain hyper-focused on one word: date.

Is that what Steve thought this was? Did he think it was an honest-to-god date, with any sort of romantic intentions? God, Eddie had been so stupid not to clarify that when telling Steve about his plans. Now he feels like an idiot, and a bit like a cheater, even though-

No, that’s silly. They are not together. Even if this was a proper date (which it isn’t!), it really wouldn’t be any of Steve’s business. Because they had decided to be mature adults. Mature adults in a business relationship, who won’t sleep together or date or do any of the things Eddie is craving like a man starved, because it’s wrong.

And maybe because Eddie has been hurt one too many times by pretty alphas with kind voices and opulent lifestyles. Maybe because of that, too.

It’s already nearly twenty minutes until nine, so Eddie leaves the note there, unable to even think of a halfway decent or clever response to leave him with before he goes to tug on his shoes and coat. He’s quiet as he lets himself out of the sleeping apartment, locking the door behind him and taking a deep breath.

He can do this.

~~~

He gets to the coffee shop he and Gareth agreed to meet at with not a minute to spare, and Eddie’s very first thought is, I can’t do this.

Fitting, then, that almost immediately after the thought pops into his mind, he spots Gareth waiting by the door. The kid - well, grown man now, Jesus - still has the same round face, the same cheery grin when he spots Eddie and waves. The only thing that’s changed is his hair. It’s a little shorter than Eddie remembers it, but just as curly as it was back in high school. He’s wearing a dark green plaid flannel shirt, no coat, the weirdo, and a pair of black jeans.

He looks good.

“Eddie!” Gareth says loudly when Eddie approaches. His arms are flapping out to pull Eddie into a hug before Eddie can decide between that and a handshake, and it’s remarkable how relieving it is to feel that familiar embrace and smell his familiar scent after all this time apart.

“Gare,” Eddie mumbles, hugging him back tightly. “God. I missed you man.” He pulls away, shoves at his shoulder playfully, mainly so he doesn’t do something stupid like cry. “Look at you, dude. You’re like, old, and shit.”

Gareth grins even wider at that, but Eddie notices the way his nostrils flare a little as they part, a curious glint in his eyes. “Pft. Says you, Crypt Keeper.”

Eddie laughs so hard he thinks he bruises something. Gareth’s right, in a way. Eddie is the oldest of the two, by a whopping three years. Still, it’s odd, trying to reconcile the fifteen-year-old Gareth Eddie met in high school with the twenty-three-year-old Gareth that stands before him now. And somewhere in the middle is that twenty-year-old Gareth, the one that Eddie left behind, what seems like a lifetime ago now.

He shakes himself from the melancholy. Here-and-now Gareth looks at him with understanding, and it’s like no time has passed at all between then and now.

“Let’s go inside,” Eddie says, to save himself any further embarrassment.

Gareth follows him inside the coffee shop, and Eddie thinks it should be at least a little awkward, hanging out with someone he hasn’t seen in literal years, but it’s not. They make polite small-talk while they wait in line - the “how’s your family?” “Good, how’s yours?” of respectable adult catch-up conversations, but Eddie finds that unlike having this conversation with other people, he actually cares about Gareth’s answers.

When they reach the counter, Gareth smirks at Eddie. “I bet you still drink your coffee ‘black like my soul,’ don’t you?”

Eddie can feel the sheepishness of the grin that tugs at his lips, but shakes his head. “Actually, no. Steve has gotten me on a caramel kick lately, and I’ve got to say, that shit tastes so much better with some sugar in it. It makes those six o’clock mornings much easier,” he jokes.

Gareth studies him then, right up until it’s their turn to order. They each order their own thing, but Eddie insists on paying.

“Really, Gareth, I’ve got it. I barely spend the money that I make, so that in and of itself is basically a treat for me,” Eddie says. It wins him the argument, but Gareth still has that shrewd, considering look on his face.

By the time they sit down, Eddie can hardly stand it anymore. “Dude, what? Why the hell do you keep looking at me like that?”

Gareth smiles, but it’s all sarcasm. “Hm… I dunno, Edmund. You got something you wanna tell me?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Yeah, the first thing I want to tell you is that Edmund is no longer a funny joke.”

Gareth shrugs. “It’ll be funny until I stop laughing at it, to be honest.”

“Sure,” Eddie says, sending his eyeballs for another spin. “Seriously. What is it? Do I… Do I look that bad these days?”

That gets Gareth to crack, at least. “Pft. Please. First of all, since when do you care about your appearance?” He ticks the items off with his fingers as he speaks. “Second of all, you know you’ve always been attractive. I won’t sit here and stroke your ego, but twenty-six looks good on you, man.”

Eddie knows he’s blushing a little at that. They’ve never been the complimenting sort, his friends, but out of all of them, Gareth was definitely always the first to offer any sort of reassurance or confidence boost. On the other hand, he was also always the first to call someone out on their bullshit, without fail.

“Thanks,” Eddie finally forces out. “I… I feel better than I have in a long time.”

Gareth has a soft look of understanding on his face as he leans forward, patting Eddie’s nervously-tapping hand. “That’s good, Eddie. That’s really good.”

And suddenly, Eddie can’t stand it anymore. He knows that Gareth would probably bring it up eventually, in some capacity, but Eddie feels this violent need to clear the air, to sage away the invisible demon lurking over them.

“I broke up with Henry.”

Gareth’s face doesn’t change all that much. His shoulders drop in a noticeable sigh of relief, but that gentle acceptance never leaves his face. “I’m so fucking proud of you,” Gareth says, squeezing Eddie’s hand tightly.

Eddie lets out a deep breath, one that’s stale with the weight of nearly three years. He doesn’t really believe in the whole demon-possession, God-fearing religious thing, but he can’t imagine that being exorcized of a literal demon feels any better than this.

“It took me a while,” Eddie confesses. Really leaning into the Catholicism of it all, aren’t we, his subconscious offers unhelpfully. “Like… A lot longer than it should have. I just called it quits for real like… maybe a year ago?”

Gareth nods, but his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “That’s amazing. I really am proud of you, man. But… why didn’t you ever reach out to any of us? Like after you called it off?”

Eddie drops his gaze to his hands, watching as he twists his rings around and around, four times for each ring before moving to the next. “I… I guess I didn’t think you guys wanted to hear from me. And I figured… I probably deserved that.”

There’s a short silence, and then Gareth snorts. Loudly. “Well, that’s some bullshit,” he says. He shrugs when Eddie casts him a glare. “You’re my best friend, Eddie. And I can’t speak for the others, but… I would’ve been fucking thrilled to have heard from you. Especially after going through… all that.”

Eddie had promised himself he wouldn’t cry, but he feels the traitor salt leaking from his eye anyway. “Well,” he mumbles, trying desperately to pull himself together. “I wish I had realized that. I missed you guys constantly. And you were right, being with Henry… it wasn’t fucking worth it.”

Gareth shrugs, in a sort of “what can you do?” gesture. “It is what it is, you know,” he says calmly. “Everyone makes mistakes. Yours was just… a several-years-long mistake, with a bit of domestic violence thrown in.”

Eddie flinches at the words. He doesn’t mean to, but… it’s been a while, since he let himself think about any of that at all, or since he’s allowed himself to even engage in conversations even remotely similar to this. But it’s been a year. He needs to do this. He has to.

“Yeah,” he says lamely. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. For everything that happened that night. The whole argument, the taking his side.” Eddie huffs, embarrassed. “And for saying the band would be nothing without me. That was… that was really fucking stupid, and I see that now,” he says, getsuring to Gareth. Because Eddie is no idiot. He knows that his old bandmates aren’t on the same level of fame that they had all dreamed of, but he knows that they’ve made a name for themselves within the metal scene.

“Yeah. That was pretty fucking stupid,” Gareth says. It sounds harsh, but then he grins, significantly softening his words. “I forgive you, by the way,” he tacks on after a minute.

Eddie glances up at him sharply, surprised. “Yeah?”

Gareth nods. Nothing in his face shows any sign of deception, and Eddie realizes suddenly how foolish he’s been. All this time spent being mad, then guilty, then regretful, of everything that happened, and here Gareth is, showing him the kind of grace and forgiveness Eddie would never think himself capable of.

“There’s no point in being mad,” Gareth says, his voice gentle. “Even back then. We knew the situation. Like, as soon as you started dating him, Jeff and I knew something wasn’t quite right. And then, at that party…” Gareth shakes his head slowly, his gaze unfocused, like he’s reimagining that night. The night that the band sort of fell apart, or at least fell a lead singer short, and Eddie lost the only real friends he’d ever had.

The first night Henry ever hit him in front of another person.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie repeats.

Gareth stares at him, and Eddie recognizes that shift in his jaw, the flash of his eyes. “Eddie, you are not the one who fucked up. That fucking asshole is the one who should be sorry. He hit you, right there in front of everyone, and then made you apologize for him.” He reaches forward, taking Eddie’s hand in his and squeezing firmly. “Stop. Apologizing. For. Him.” Each word is said slowly, with a deliberate punctuation between each one as Gareth emphasizes it.

Eddie nods, blinking harshly to try and clear his suddenly blurred vision. “I’m sor- er. Okay,” he tries again, chuckling wetly at himself. “Just force of habit, I guess.” He wipes at his eyes, and offers Gareth what he knows is a shaky smile.

“I get it,” Gareth says softly. “But you finally got away from him. And you deserve to live a life where you don’t have to apologize for someone else. Okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie says, struggling to nod his assent when he’s been conditioned this way for so long. “Can we, uh… Maybe talk about something else? Please?”

Gareth nods immediately, proving once again why he deserves his status as Best Friend. “Of course,” he says, sipping his coffee and leaning over the table like he’s about to tell a secret. “Why do you smell like alpha?”

Eddie nearly chokes on his coffee.

“Maybe not that either,” he says through a choked gasp, struggling to get his breathing under control. He’s not sure which is more embarrassing: Gareth knowing he smells like alpha, or Eddie’s near-death reaction to it.

“Oh, come on,” Gareth whines. “I don’t see you for three years and you won’t even tell me all the juicy details about your life?”

Eddie shrugs, but can’t help the smirk that’s tugging insistently on his mouth. “Well… there’s not much to tell!” He’s not even lying, technically. Although he is bursting at the seams to tell someone about this situation with Steve, he doesn’t exactly have much to tell.

Gareth rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. You expect me to believe that? You didn’t even smell like alpha the majority of the time you and…” he trails off, no doubt reading the pain in Eddie’s expression. “Right. Not talking about it. My bad.”

Eddie gives him a grateful smile, and chooses to ignore the second half of that statement to respond to the first part. “Well… I’m being serious, I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m not in a relationship. I don’t have a mate.”

Gareth quirks an eyebrow. “And yet you have a scenting partner?”

“God,” Eddie whines, covering his face when he feels heat crawling up his cheeks. “You make it sound so… filthy.”

“Is it not?” Gareth argues.

“No!” Eddie sighs deeply, finally making direct eye contact with Gareth. “Look, can I level with you?”

“Always,” Gareth says, shrugging.

Eddie chews on his lip for a moment, unsure how exactly to say it. “So… um… You know how I told you I’m a nanny now, right?”

Gareth’s eyes immediately narrow. “Yes.”

Eddie swallows hard. Now or never, he supposes. “Well, the father of the kids I nanny, he’s a single dad, an alpha, and he thought it would be best-”

“Hold up,” Gareth cuts him off there, giving him a disapproving look. “Please don’t tell me you’re doing that omega thing where you seek out a savior to get over your abusive ex.”

And, ouch, that fucking stings.

“Um, no,” Eddie says with certainty. “That’s not at all what I’m doing. Steve is nothing like Henry. He’s kind, and charming, and funny, and-”

“You said all of those things about Henry at one time, too,” Gareth says, his voice soft.

Eddie sits back in his chair, putting some distance between them. “I’m not a fucking child, Gareth. I am capable of making my own decisions and having them not blow up in my face, contrary to popular belief.”

Gareth raises his hands in a sign of peace. “Sorry, sorry. I’m not trying to say you aren’t, dude, really. I just…” Gareth sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I’d just hate to see you go through the same thing again, is all. But if you really think this guy is different, I trust your judgment.”

“He is,” Eddie insists immediately. Gareth just shrugs, impartial, but Eddie continues. “No, I’m serious, Gareth. You know how Henry had, like, no friends, and we could never figure out why?”

Gareth nods slowly. “It was because he was a massive twat and most people who got close saw that within like, two seconds.”

It’s probably not meant to be a slight against Eddie, but it still stings. “Exactly,” Eddie says anyway. “Steve’s not like that. He’s got friends, and his coworkers all seem to like him, and… and his kids.”

Eddie is aware, vaguely, that he must have a stupid, dreamy look on his face. But thinking about Steve and his kids is just like that, it really is the dream Eddie always had for his own family, in a lot of ways.

“What about his kids?” Gareth asks with a smile, clearly just humoring Eddie at this point.

“They love him so much, Gare. Like,” Eddie pauses, shaking his head slowly as he collects his thoughts. “Like, I can’t remember a time I ever stayed up at night to see my dad come in from work, but these kids do. Every night that Steve comes home late, they beg me to stay up to get to see him, just for a little while. And he just loves both of them, so much. And even though he’s a single dad, he does everything he can to give them everything he can to make up for it. I just lo-”

He pauses then, his eyes darting quickly to Gareth to see if he caught his almost-mistake.

Gareth definitely did, if his poorly-hidden smirk is any indication, but he doesn’t tease Eddie for it. Instead, he just shrugs. “He sounds like a great guy,” he says, his tone completely neutral. He softens his smirk into something closer to a smile, reaching out and patting Eddie’s hand. “I just want you to be happy, okay? And I would prefer if that happiness didn’t come with the price of a relationship, but-”

Eddie is quick to correct him then. “We’re not in a relationship.”

Gareth tilts his head knowingly. “Maybe not,” he agrees. “But you want to be.”

“I…” Eddie sighs, looking down at his hands. “Yeah. I do.”

“All I’m saying is to be careful,” Gareth says. “He sounds wonderful, though. Which brings me to the most interesting part…” he leans in, definitely smirking again. “Why aren’t you dating? If he’s scenting you, and you’re already living together, raising his kids… what’s the hold-up?”

Eddie scoffs. “Well, it’s- he’s- it’s unprofessional!” he exclaims, shaking his head. “I work for him, Gareth.”

Gareth shrugs, his eyebrows raised like he’s not comprehending. “So? People date their coworkers all the time, dude.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “This isn’t like working at the fucking - convenience store or something. He’s my superior. And if it went bad, how would the kids handle it? It’s just-”

“Wait a second,” Gareth says, waving his hand. “You’re not dating based on the technicality that you work for him, right?”

It takes Eddie a second to process that, to make sure that is truly what he’s saying. “Yeah,” he says finally. He shrugs. “Other than that… I would think things would work out perfectly. When we kissed, he-”

“You’ve already kissed him?” Gareth asks, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. “Are you sure you’re not dating?”

Eddie huffs. “Yes, I’m sure. God, Gareth. I would know if we were dating.”

Gareth raises his hands in defense. “Sorry, man. It just sounds a little…” He makes a face, and weirdly enough, Eddie understands the exact emotion he’s trying to communicate to him.

“I know,” Eddie admits sheepishly. But I swear, nothing is going on. I just…” Eddie flushes, but he feels relatively safe here to admit the truth. “I just wish it was.”

Gareth gives him a sympathetic smile. “Yeah. I get it.” He pauses, then laughs, shaking his head. “Well I guess that’s not technically true. I don’t fully understand it, but… Eddie, I think you should just go for it.”

“What?” Eddie asks.

“Look,” Gareth says placatingly. “I know you think it would be some awful thing, to date him while you’re working for him. So maybe you find another job. You’re in the city now, there’s gotta be other opportunities around here. And if things go well, one day maybe you two will be mated and having pups and living happily ever after.”

Eddie hates himself for how much he actually loves the idea of that. The idea of a proper future with Steve, one where they could be together properly, sharing a life and sharing children like proper mates. It’s probably pathetic, but he’s a little bit obsessed with the idea just the same.

And finding a new job… he hadn’t even thought of that.

“Well…” Eddie says, trying desperately to think of a refute. “I dunno, man. I… I guess I can think about it.”

Gareth nods. “You do that, and let me know what you decide. I expect that you’ll keep in touch from now on, right?” he gives Eddie this look, like refusing is not an option.

Eddie nods, smiling widely. This, at least, is an easy decision. “Of course I will. But hey, enough about me. Tell me what’s new in the world of Gareth.”

Gareth gives him a little hesitant look, like he’s not sure if Eddie is serious. “Are you sure you don’t have to go?”

Eddie glances down at his watch, and finds that it’s already almost eleven, somehow. Still, he turns to smile at Gareth, carefree. “We’ve still got at least an hour. Spill your guts, man.”

And for the next hour, that’s exactly what they do.

Chapter Text

By the time Eddie and Gareth are done talking, it’s nearly one o’clock. He almost wishes he hadn’t agreed to go to the baby shower with Steve and the girls, but really, he’s excited to get home to them, excited to get back to his routine.

“Don’t forget to call me,” Gareth says as they leave the coffee shop. “I know you’ve got this busy parent schedule now, but I’ll hunt you down if you ghost me again.”

Eddie cracks a grin at that, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t,” he says, actually telling the truth for once. He pulls Gareth into a crushing hug, but the other man doesn’t complain like he would’ve just a few years ago. Instead, he hugs Eddie right back, his grip nearly bruising.

“I love you, man,” Gareth mumbles. “I’m so fucking glad that you’re doing better.”

Eddie isn’t crying. He isn’t. “Me too, man. Me too.”

They hug for what is probably an awkward amount of time, before eventually, Eddie has to let go. “I’ve gotta get home and get the kids ready for the baby shower,” he says apologetically.

Gareth grins at him, nodding. “Never thought I’d hear you say something like that,” he says, his voice light enough that Eddie knows he doesn’t mean anything by it. “Parenting looks good on you, though.”

Eddie flushes at that, but secretly, he’s thrilled at the compliment. “Thanks,” he says sheepishly. He lifts a hand in a wave, stepping back towards his van. “I’ll see you around, Gareth.”

“Bye, Edmund,” Gareth calls before he turns to leave.

Eddie shakes his head, fond.

God, he’s missed that little weirdo.

~~~

When Eddie gets home, the first thing he hears is chaos.

The twins are definitely the loudest part, but in the background Eddie can also hear Steve trying to talk over them, loudly explaining why they have to dress nicely for the baby shower. Eddie grins as he hangs up his coat by the front door, more amused than he probably should be by the conversation.

He follows the voices down the hall and to the twins’ room, where Steve is stood at the door, his back to Eddie. His hands are on his hips, and he’s got this distinct disappointed parent stance that Eddie can’t help but giggle at.

“Eddie!” Ivy cries when she spots him, practically flinging herself into his arms.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he says to her as he scoops her up, balancing her on his hip. “It sounds like you two are giving Daddy a hard time this morning,” he says, giving her and Jasmine both a disapproving look.

“They’re def-“ Steve starts as he turns to face Eddie. He cuts himself off with a quiet, choked noise. Eddie glances up at him with a frown, confused when he sees how wide Steve’s eyes are when he looks at him.

“What?” Eddie asks, feeling incredibly self-conscious. “Do I have something on my face?”

Steve shakes his head, but his expression doesn’t change. “Uh, no, you’re just… um…”

“You’re pretty today, Eddie,” Ivy tells him sweetly.

Eddie can feel himself flush, but he smiles at her anyway. “Aww, thank you, sweet girl.” He glances at Steve again. “Uh… everything okay?”

Steve nods quickly, his eyes trailing away only to dart back to Eddie several times. “Um, yeah. Everything’s… fine.”

Eddie can smell the lie, literally, because Steve’s scent is so familiar to him now, but he chooses not to mention it. “Okay. Well, you two don’t look dressed yet. Have we picked something nice out for auntie Robin’s baby shower?”

Ivy groans in his arms. “Why do we have to wear something nice?” She complains.

Steve sighs. “Ivy-“ he starts, clearly running out of patience.

Eddie interrupts. “Because your dad said so,” Eddie tells her, quirking an eyebrow. “He doesn’t have to give you an explanation about why. It’s okay to wonder, but sometimes you just have to do what Dad tells you without arguing, okay?”

Ivy looks a little annoyed, but nods. “Fine,” she mumbles, wiggling out of Eddie’s arms. “What about my blue dress?”

“It’s pretty cold, honey, do you have a dress you can wear leggings with?” he asks as she goes to flick through the hangers in her closet.

She searches for a second, then pulls out a dark blue velvet dress with long, puffy sleeves. “This one?”

Eddie nods. “That should be fine, we’ll just have to find some tights to go with that.” He glances at Steve, who is just staring at Eddie with a soft look.

Steve sort of startles when he notices Eddie looking back at him. “Oh, uh, yeah. That’s fine.” Ivy grabs her dress and shoes before heading off to the bathroom to get changed, and Steve turns to look at Jasmine, who is sitting at the foot of her bed. “Alright, Jazz. What do you want to wear?”

Jasmine shrugs at him, but her eyes flick over to Eddie. “Can you pick something out for me?”

“Sure,” Eddie says with a nod, going to look through the twins’ shared closet. “Hm… how about you wear something pink, since sissy is wearing something blue?”

“That would be cute,” Steve says, encouragingly. “How about your pink sweater dress, honey?”

Jasmine shrugs again, and Eddie gives her a strange look. It’s not unusual for her to be quiet, necessarily, but it is a bit odd for her to not have more of an opinion on something like this. “Okay,” she says.

Eddie flicks through the hangers until he finds the sundress in question, but then turns to glance at Jasmine again. “Are you sure this is what you want to wear? If you want to wear something else, you can.”

Unsurprisingly, all she does is move her shoulders. Again.

Eddie sighs. He and Steve make eye contact, and Eddie subtly nods to the door, mouthing, I’ve got this. Steve takes the hint, giving his daughter a worried look before saying, “I need to go get ready, hon, I’m gonna let Eddie help you pick something out, and I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” Jasmine mumbles, not even looking up from her shoes.

Steve gives Eddie this sort of pleading look, and Eddie just nods. He wishes that he and Steve could speak telepathically, for a weird, brief moment. It would be nice to reassure him that he’s going to try and get to the bottom of Jasmine’s weird mood without actually saying it in front of her.

As soon as Steve is out of the room, Jasmine sighs loudly, crossing her arms. She still won’t look up at Eddie, but he doesn’t give her much of a choice, stepping over to where she sits and dropping to a crouch in front of her. “Alright, what’s going on?” he asks softly.

Jasmine shakes her head. “Nothin’,” she mumbles.

Eddie sighs. “Well, I already know that’s not true, honey. So let’s try again: is something wrong?”

She laces her fingers together in her lap, shaking her head. Eddie’s about to prompt her again when she hesitates, then nods. “I guess.”

Finally, they’re getting somewhere.

“Okay,” Eddie says softly. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Jasmine shakes her head, but finally glances at him. “It’s about you,” she admits.

That throws Eddie off a little bit. How is it about him? He just got there!

“Oh,” Eddie says slowly, trying to figure out how to navigate this. “Okay. Um… Did I do something wrong?” He tries to think back to last night, since that was the last time he’d seen her. He didn’t interact with the girls this morning, as they were still in bed when he left, but Jasmine had seemed fine the night before.

Except when she said… Eddie shakes his head. It was probably just a slip of the tongue, her calling him “Mommy” like that. Surely they don’t see him as their mom, not really. That just wouldn’t be right- it would be a dishonor to Steve’s ex-wife.

Jasmine shrugs, mumbles, “I dunno.”

Eddie clears his throat, and his mind, before speaking again. “Okay… Well, Jazz, I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to say. If I don’t know what I did, then I can’t fix it.”

Finally, Jasmine does something other than sigh or shrug. She huffs, which to be honest, probably isn’t much better. What she blurts out next isn’t much better, either. “Daddy said you went on a date this morning,” she says, all of it whooshing out in one breath.

Eddie blinks. “Er. What?”

Jasmine twists her fingers nervously, blinking up at him. “Well, when me and sissy got up, we came to find you, and you weren’t here. Ivy got scared that you ran away, so we went to ask Daddy, and he said you were on a date.” She frowns, but Eddie still can’t figure out why that’s the bad part of the story.

“Oh, okay…” he says, slowly. “Well, um… do you know what that means?”

Jasmine nods, but that bothered look hasn’t left her face. “I asked Daddy, and he said it’s like what Mommies and Daddies do before they decide to be Mommies and Daddies together,” she says. She sounds miserable.

Eddie nearly chokes at her description of what she thinks a date is. “And that… that bothered you?”

She nods, sniffling. “Yeah.”

“Oh…” Eddie says, slowly. His brain is still trying to wrap around this reaction of hers, but he has a theory, at least. “Do you wanna tell me why it bothered you, honey?”

Jasmine shrugs, swiping at her nose. “Because… I don’t want you to be a Mommy with someone else.”

Eddie’s heart breaks, just a little. “Oh, honey,” he sighs, pushing himself up to sit beside her and pulling her into a hug. “Well, can I tell you a secret?” Eddie asks her quietly.

Jasmine nods. Secrets are like candy to these kids. “Yeah,” she says, speaking just as quietly as he did.

Eddie grins at her. “I wasn’t on a date.”

At that, Jasmine’s whole face changes. “You weren’t?” She says, clearly baffled by this information.

“Nope,” Eddie says, popping the “p.” He ruffles her hair, and for once, she doesn’t even complain about it. “I was just having coffee with an old friend from high school.”

“Oh,” Jasmine says, nodding. Then, her eyebrows wrinkle, and she looks up at him, confused. “Then why did Daddy lie to us?”

Eddie’s quick to correct her. “Oh, he didn’t mean to lie. Daddy just didn’t know - that was my fault, for not making it clear when I told him. But he didn’t lie on purpose, he just didn’t know what else to tell you.”

Jasmine nods in understanding. She seems happy enough with this explanation, which is made incredibly evident when she points at her closet. “Can I wear my pink overalls? Instead of my dress?”

“Of course,” Eddie nods, standing to go find it. “And how about a white sweater? Since it’s gonna be cold out?”

Jasmine nods, and after that, it’s easy enough to get her ready to go. When Ivy comes back into their room, Eddie works on her hair while Jasmine goes to get changed and brush her teeth. He ends up doing a delicate French braid, one that she miraculously sits still for the whole time.

“Alright, all done,” he says after he’s tied it off at the end and patted her head. “Go grab your shoes, honey.”

“Eddie?” She asks, her voice sort of hesitant.

“Hm?” He replies, gathering up another hair tie for when her sister comes back.

“Did you have fun on your date this morning?” She asks, staring at him instead of getting her shoes on.

Eddie sighs, but smiles at her. “Well, it wasn’t actually a date, but yes, I did.”

Her eyes widen, then narrow suspiciously. “But Daddy said-“

“I know,” Eddie interrupts her. “Because that’s what he thought it was. I just met a friend for coffee, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Ivy says, her shoulders dropping with relief. Eddie would laugh if it didn’t almost make him want to cry, how desperate they are for him to not find someone to be with. “That’s good, then.”

“Mhm,” he hums, noncommittally.

Jasmine returns then, and he thinks surely that’ll be the end of the conversation.

Apparently not.

“Would you go on a date with Daddy? If he asked you?” Ivy asks, tugging her shoes on.

“Did he?” Jasmine asks, freezing halfway to where Eddie is gesturing her forward with the hairbrush in his hand.

“Well-“ Ivy starts.

“No,” Eddie interrupts, a bit louder than he’d intended. He’s sure his face is probably pink with embarrassment, but he can’t help that. He pushes through. “No, he did not. And he wouldn’t, so that’s a silly question, Ivy.”

It’s hard to explain why his heart has suddenly decided to jog in his chest, but he knows it’s something to do with the implication that these kids see something there, something that isn’t, that can’t be.

“Well, he said-“ Ivy starts, her tone immediately giving away that she’s about to say something he won’t want to hear.

“Drop it, Ivy,” he says, more sternly than he’s probably ever spoken to her. She pauses, looking up at him with wide, shiny eyes. Fuck. He forces himself to smile at her. “I’m sorry, honey. I just… I don’t feel comfortable talking about your dad like that, okay? Remember what we’ve said about not talking about people who aren’t around to defend themselves?” He asks, trying to level with her.

Ivy nods, but frowns. “But I thought that was just when we’re saying mean things? I wouldn’t say something mean about Daddy,” she says.

Eddie nods, glad she at least remembers that much. “Right,” he says. “But even when you’re not saying bad stuff- if you’re talking about someone’s feelings, they should be there for that conversation, too, alright?”

Ivy doesn’t look thrilled with this news, but nods in understanding. “Okay,” she mumbles, a bit sourly.

“Thank you,” Eddie says softly. “Alright, Jazz, let’s get your hair done, Ivy, go ahead and get your shoes on, and go tell Daddy that we’re almost ready.”

The girls both nod, going to their places with easy obedience. Eddie thanks God, or whoever, once again, for the fact that he gets to help raise such good children. It’s certainly not something he takes for granted, and he hopes he never will.

By the time Eddie is done with Jasmine’s hair, Ivy has already dutifully left to go tell Steve that they’re almost ready to go, so Eddie waits for Jasmine to get her shoes on before making his way through the apartment to find them.

“Steve, Ivy, are you two ready?” he calls as he enters the kitchen, checking his watch. “We need to leave in like five minutes if we- oh!” Eddie lets out a little squeak of a noise when he bumps into something - or rather, someone.

“Oops, sorry, babe,” Steve says, his hand coming up to steady Eddie. “I think everyone’s ready. Where’s Jasmine?”

Eddie is about to answer, but his attention is pulled rather suddenly to Steve’s outfit. He’s wearing a shirt in a similar style to Eddie’s, except where Eddie’s is a deep, wine red, Steve’s is black. It’s almost like they’ve swapped personalities via their clothes, and for reasons Eddie can’t even begin to explain, something about it is getting to him.

“Eddie? Everything alright?” Steve asks, sounding concerned.

“What? Oh, yeah.” Eddie shakes himself, forcing his eyes to meet Steve’s instead of checking him out like some sort of weirdo. “Um, Jasmine is-”

“I’m right here!” Jasmine says from behind him.

He turns to look at her, relieved for the distraction. “Great. Everyone ready, then?”

The girls nod, so Eddie sends them to the door to grab their coats before looking back at Steve. He really does look good in that color. “What?” Steve says. His lips quirk into something like a smirk, though, so Eddie is almost positive that he knows what he’s thinking.

Eddie shrugs, and returns the smirk. Two can play at that game. “Nothing, honey. You just look very nice, is all.”

Steve blinks, the smirk dropping from his face, like he wasn’t expecting Eddie to actually comment on his appearance. “Oh,” he says, slowly. “Um. Thanks. You… uh… You look great, as well.” His eyes trail slowly over Eddie’s body, lingering on his chest, and Eddie nearly preens with the attention.

The smirk on Eddie’s face deepens. It’s odd how powerful he feels all of a sudden, with Steve looking at him like that. “Thanks,” he says, bumping his elbow against Steve’s arm playfully. “C’mon, we need to go, or we’ll be late.”

~~~

The drive to Robin’s doesn’t take as long as Eddie had suspected, but when they arrive at the house, there are already a few cars in the driveway and on the road. They live in a cute little gray two-story house in a cul-de-sac, and at first, it surprises Eddie that Robin could afford something like that. Then again, Steve probably pays her pretty well, and her partner must have a job as well.

“Nice house,” Eddie notes as Steve parks the beemer.

Steve nods. “Yeah. I was the one who told Robin about it, actually.”

“Oh.” For some reason, that surprises Eddie. “How’d you know about it? Not exactly right next door to the apartment,” he jokes.

Steve gives him a little strained smile, but nods. “Yeah… no, you’re right, it isn’t. I was actually looking for a house. You know, for me and the girls.” He looks embarrassed, for some reason.

And god, isn’t that some imagery? Eddie can’t help it, the way his brain immediately drifts to thoughts of a nice house, Steve coming home to find him cooking in a big kitchen, the girls doing their homework at a proper kitchen table. Christmases by a fireplace, summer picnics in a big backyard. The sound of little feet…

He shakes himself, rather harshly, to dislodge those pesky thoughts. Ridiculous, for him to be thinking something like that right now, when he’s literally about to go spend an afternoon with Steve’s best friend’s family. Why does he have to make everything about himself? God… he needs to get a grip.

“Alright. Let’s go, kiddos. Auntie Robin is probably waiting for us.” Steve unbuckles his seatbelt, but pauses before he opens his door. He turns to look at Eddie, giving him a little smile. “I can tell you’re nervous. You don’t have anything to worry about, though, Robin and Chrissy are cool. And the rest of our friends that’ll be here are too, okay?”

Eddie nods. He doesn’t know how to explain to Steve that the people he’s about to be mingling with are at the very bottom of his list of concerns and thoughts right now. “Okay,” he says, forcing a smile. He reaches out, squeezing Steve’s hand. “Thanks.”

Steve gives him a winning smile before climbing out of the car, ushering the girls out as well. Eddie takes a deep breath before following. He really wasn’t nervous about the people they’re going to be seeing, but now that Steve has mentioned it…

Well, at least his anxiety has something else to hyper-fixate on.

Eddie is acutely aware of how they seem, walking up the concrete driveway to Robin’s front door. Steve is toting the stroller box, while Eddie holds Ivy and Jasmine’s hands. Ivy wanted to hold the gift bag, which Jasmine didn’t seem to mind. They look… well, they look like a proper family, Eddie reckons.

Steve doesn’t knock. That seems odd, vaguely. At least it does, right up until they step through the foyer and Robin comes around the corner, crossing her arms. “You’re late, dingus.”

Steve huffs, shifting the box in his arms to check his watch. Eddie doesn’t check out the way his muscles flex as he does this. He doesn’t.

“It’s literally four minutes past two, Robs. And like, I’ve got two kids. I’m doing my best here,” Steve says, rolling his eyes.

At the mention of said kids, Robin’s gaze shifts. “Speaking of my favorite nieces! Hi, guys! Was your dad being a dingus this morning?”

Jasmine all but throws herself into Robin’s arms, but luckily, she seems prepared for this. “Hi, Aunt Robin,” she greets, snuggling into her neck.

Eddie realizes, after a moment, that she’s scenting her. It makes his stomach twist with jealousy, the fact that he doesn’t get to scent them at the forefront of his mind. But this is Steve’s actual pack, not just the nanny he picked off the street. It makes sense that he wouldn’t want Eddie to scent the kids.

“Hi, sweet girls,” Robin says, reaching out to hug Ivy to her side whilst Eddie has his crisis. “Did your dad pick out your outfits today?” She asks, glancing up and meeting Eddie’s gaze. “Or did Eddie do it?”

Jasmine nods, pointing to Eddie. “Eddie did it when he got home. Daddy was lost before that.”

“Hey,” Steve protests weakly.

Robin grins, clearly thrilled about this admission. “Oh, is that so?” She asks. “Well, Eddie did a really good job, you two are cute as buttons.”

The twins thank her politely, then Jasmine squirms out of her arms. “Are there any snacks?” She asks, her voice sweet enough to sugar-coat the slightly rude question.

Steve and Robin share a look, rolling their eyes. “Yes, you little gremlins, there’s snacks in the kitchen. Try not to make a mess, okay?”

The twins dart off with half-hearted agreements, and that leaves Eddie alone with Steve and Robin.

“Um… I’ll go… make sure they don’t make a mess,” Eddie starts, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

Robin stops him with a wave of her hand. “Oh, they’ll be fine. My mom is in there handing out snacks, anyway.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, pausing. “Okay, then.”

Robin smiles at him, then glances at Steve. Eddie thinks she might be saying something with the glance, but he doesn’t know her well enough to say for sure what that thing would be. “Well, are you guys just gonna hang out in the foyer, or would you like to join the party?” She asks, smirking.

Steve hums, tapping his chin like he’s considering. “Well, you know, we could just leave the twins here and bolt. Free babysitting!” He jokes, nudging Eddie with his elbow.

Robin’s smirk only deepens at that. “Right. I’m sure you two have plenty to get up to without them,” she says, giving Steve another look. “But I spy a present, and I’m sure my girlfriend will want to check that out.”

Eddie notices a slight shift in his ma- Steve’s scent, and glances at him curiously, only to find his face a bit pink. Steve’s eyes dart towards him and away, staring resolutely at Robin, with something almost like a glare etched onto his face. Eddie frowns, but nods slowly in Robin’s direction. “Yeah,” he says, gesturing to the box that Steve is still toting. “This one was a shot in the dark, but Steve picked it out, so you know it’ll be good.” Eddie smiles.

Robin glances at Steve, and Eddie almost swears that her eye twitches when her mouth does, like she’s trying not to laugh or something. “Of course,” she says. “C’mon, the party can’t start without us.”

Steve goes to follow her, and Eddie follows behind him. Maybe it’s the way he seems to be struggling slightly with the box, or maybe it’s because of some need to be near him, but something makes Eddie reach out, resting his hand on the small of Steve’s back as they walk through the house and into the lounge, where the socialization seems to be happening. “Looks like a good present haul,” Eddie murmurs quietly to Steve as they walk over to the area clearly sectioned off for gifts, Robin retreating to the other side of the room.

“Yeah,” Steve nods, going to add theirs to the pile. He’s eyeing the boxes skeptically, and Eddie rolls his eyes.

“I doubt someone else got them one,” he says. “And even if they did, Robin and Chrissy can just pick their favorite, and send the other back. No big deal.”

Steve is very clearly pouting when he turns to look at Eddie. “But what if mine isn’t their favorite?” he mumbles, sourly.

Eddie can’t help but smile at that. It’s adorable, Steve’s ridiculous concerns for his best friend’s baby shower. “Then you can just buy them something else that’s just as expensive.”

“Fine,” Steve sighs, but his smile gives him away. “You ready to meet everyone?”

Eddie nods, but glances around for the girls. “Are the twins okay? Where-” he stops himself when he sees Jasmine and Ivy coming through the dining room, each of them holding a little plate with various treats and snacks. The natural omegan response to finding his pseudo-kids is a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing of their tension. “Nevermind, I guess,” he says with a smile. He turns to look at Steve, startling a little when he finds him already looking back. “So, meeting people?” Eddie prompts, feeling a little awkward.

“Yeah, c’mon.” Steve nods, and reaches for Eddie, placing a hand on the small of his back, much like Eddie did to him only a few minutes before. “Most of the people here are Robin and Chrissy’s family, but a couple are shared friends of mine and Robin’s, from our school days.”

“Oh, okay,” Eddie says. He realizes something then, and glances at Steve. “Wait, so you and Robin went to school together?”

Steve shakes his head, then shrugs. “Well, yeah, technically. We went to elementary and middle school in Hawkins around the same time, but then I was at boarding school and she went to an all-girls high school… Anyway, we didn’t actually properly meet and become friends till college,” Steve explains, leading Eddie around the room, nodding and waving to people he knows, but never stopping.

“Oh,” Eddie repeats. “I had no idea. That’s cool,” he says, but his mind is reeling a little with the fact that Steve did go to Hawkins at some point. But clearly their years didn’t overlap. Eddie is positive he would’ve remembered Steve, if he knew him back then.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. “Funny, how the world works out like that sometimes, isn’t it?”

Eddie nods, giving him a little smile. “Yeah, it is.”

Steve pops his head into the kitchen, smiling at whoever he sees. “Ah, the guest of honor!” he says, his voice all fond teasing.

A soft voice laughs in response, and Eddie follows Steve’s lead, stepping into the kitchen as well. “Hi, Steve. I was wondering when you were going to come say hi to me!” A small woman with strawberry blonde hair is standing in the kitchen, a glass of water in one hand, while the other rests on her full pregnant belly. Her gaze shifts to Eddie, and she smiles even wider. “Hi! You must be Steve’s nanny!”

Something about her is so familiar, and it takes Eddie a second for it to click. “Technically his kids’ nanny, but who’s to say for sure,” he jokes. “I’m-”

Apparently the recognition clicks for her, too, because before he can say anything, her eyes widen, and she says, “wait! I remember you!”

Eddie smiles widely at her. “I was hoping you did! It took me a second, too. God, isn’t this a funny coincidence?”

Chrissy laughs, nodding. “Gosh, yes! I never put the pieces together. Robin had told me about you, and obviously today would be my first time officially meeting Steve’s kids, but-”

“Wait,” Steve interrupts. It startles Eddie a bit, having forgotten that Steve was even here. “You two… already know each other?” He blinks, clearly confused.

“Yeah,” Eddie nods. “Or, well. Sort of. Back when I first started working for you, I took the girls by a convenience store for a snack and we ran into Chrissy.”

Chrissy nods. “Yeah, we only spoke for a few minutes. I didn’t even think about the fact that Steve had twins and a new nanny. God, I feel dumb now!” She says, laughing.

Eddie smiles at her, shaking his head. “No, you shouldn’t! I didn’t realize it either. Even with Steve saying your name and everything, I didn’t make the connection.”

“Well, that’s a relief. At least we’re both a little confused.” Chrissy smiles, then gestures to the dining table behind them. “Did you guys want some snacks? We’ve got plenty of stuff, and the girls were just in here getting theirs.”

Steve looks at Eddie at the same time Eddie looks at him, and he feels his face flush a bit. “I can make you a plate,” Steve offers with a sweet smile, his hand rubbing a gentle circle against Eddie’s back.

Eddie hesitates, glancing at the table. “I’m alright,” Eddie says, shaking his head. He is a bit hungry, actually, but that newness of being around people he’s not used to being around makes him feel a little awkward. It’s stupid, that social anxiety can make him feel so out of place accepting snacks when they’re offered.

“Oh,” Steve says, frowning at him. “Okay. I’m gonna go grab some stuff for me, then.” He gives Eddie a look, quirking his eyebrow like he’s waiting for him to change his mind. When Eddie just smiles at him and nods, Steve shrugs, turning to go collect some snacks.

Chrissy is still standing there, smiling at him when Eddie turns back around. “You two are cute,” she says, a knowing look in her eyes.

Eddie’s eyes widen, and he’s positive his cheeks are tinted pink with embarrassment. “Oh, no,” he says quickly, shaking his head. “We’re not-“

Another voice joins the conversation, then, cutting Eddie off. He’s a little relieved, but he can feel that familiar panic settling in, knowing that he wasn’t able to correct Chrissy.

“There you are,” Robin says, her voice much softer than how she’d spoken to Steve. She walks over to Chrissy, pressing a kiss to her cheek as soon as she’s close enough. “Your mom said you got hot?” Robin speaks quietly, one of her hands lifting to feel Chrissy’s temperature.

Chrissy rolls her eyes, but the obvious grin on her face is a dead giveaway of how she really feels about Robin’s attention. “Yeah, your kid gave me a hot flash. You gonna deal with that?” She gives Robin this look, almost a smirk if it wasn’t so sweet.

Robin sighs, shaking her head as she tuts disappointedly. Then, she crouches, so that she’s eye-level with Chrissy’s swollen stomach. “Alright, rugrat. I know we’ve talked about this already, so I don’t know why you just keep disobeying me. But you’ve gotta go easy on your Mama, okay? It’s hard, you know, being so pregnant you waddle, and your feet swell, and you have to pee all the time, and-“

“And I think you’ve made your point, dear,” Chrissy giggles, her hand dropping to pet through Robin’s hair affectionately. Robin is staring up at her, the picture of devotion.

Eddie has to look away.

He knows he must reek with jealousy, and he tries his best to get his mind on something else, anything else.

That’s easy enough when he feels a hand on his back. He startles a little, but deflates when he glances over his shoulder to find Steve watching him. He’s got this sort of worried, sympathetic look on his face, and Eddie nearly swears. Of course Steve can smell it on him.

“How about we go mingle?” Steve asks softly, his thumb stroking a soothing pattern up and down the base of Eddie’s spine.

Eddie nods, his throat too tight to speak. Chrissy and Robin are still chatting quietly, and as they leave the kitchen, Eddie hears the unmistakable sound of a kiss. He tries not to roll his eyes or pout, or anything else that would be ridiculous and uncalled for, but that doesn’t change the fact that he wants to do those things.

As Steve leads them into the living room, his hand leaves Eddie’s back. Their hands bump, and reflexively, Eddie reaches to hold Steve’s, a little hurt when Steve pulls away. Eddie glances at him, then down at their hands, where Steve is subtly rubbing their wrists together. When Eddie glances back up, Steve just gives him a little smile.

“Since I can’t properly scent you right now. I can tell you’re nervous, so maybe…” he trails off, shrugging. “I thought this would help.”

Eddie’s throat feels tight at the small but meaningful gesture. “Thank you,” he breathes. He moves his hand, intending to just give Steve’s hand a little squeeze, but Steve apparently has other plans, intertwining their fingers.

“C’mon. I see someone I know,” Steve days, tugging him gently along after him.

~~~

After meeting a couple of Steve and Robin’s friends, Eddie and Steve find a spot on the nearest loveseat to settle in for the main events. Robin and Chrissy have rejoined the main group at this point, and are sitting together on a big armchair, one that is an absolutely atrocious shade of purple.

“Alright, guys. Time for some baby shower games!” Robin announces, the very picture of excitement as she begins to hand out little cards of some sort.

Eddie leans into Steve’s space, curious and a little cautious of the events to come. “What exactly are we doing?” Eddie whispers into Steve’s ear. They’re pressed together, shoulder to hip to knee, and Eddie pretends like it’s just to accommodate for the other people sitting on this loveseat, even though he is well aware that there’s space for them to separate a little.

Steve shrugs, popping a cheese cube into his mouth. “Not sure,” Steve murmurs back. “Robin is the one who came up with most of these games, so I have no idea what we’re up against.” He holds the plate out for Eddie. “Here, have a snack.”

“Oh, I don’t-” Eddie says, starting to refuse, even as he eyes the peanut butter cookies that are sitting there mocking him.

Steve rolls his eyes, and to Eddie’s surprise, reaches right for said peanut butter cookie, holding it out for Eddie to take. When Eddie glances at him, confused, Steve shakes his head with a little smile. “You know I don’t really like sweet stuff much. I got the cookies for you.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. He’s just a little taken aback by the sweetness of the gesture, but honestly, at this rate he shouldn’t even be surprised. “Thank you,” he mumbles, taking the cookie without any further protest.

“You’re welcome,” Steve says with a pleased smile on his face.

“Dingus. Eddie,” Robin says cordially as she comes by, handing each of them a little card. She starts off again, going to the next people, but Eddie stops her.

“Wait, Robin, what are we doing?”

Robin grins. “Alright, everyone,” she says loudly, the rest of the guests quieting down to listen to what she has to say. “For the first game, we’re starting off easy. You all will have five minutes to match the name of the baby animal on the right with the name of the adult animal on the left. Whoever gets them all correct first gets a prize!”

There’s a murmur of excitement around the room, and Eddie glances around, suddenly wondering where the twins are. “The kids would be great at this,” he mumbles to Steve.

Steve laughs at that, tilting his head to look at Eddie’s card, rather than his own. “True.”

“Where are they, anyway?” Eddie asks, glancing at Steve.

They’re closer together than Eddie thought, and he has to pull back a bit so that their noses don’t brush. If Steve feels weird about that, he doesn’t let on about it, instead just jutting his chin up like he’s nodding upstairs. “There’s a game room upstairs,” he explains. “That’s where they always go to play when they come over to Robin’s, so that’s probably where they’re at now.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, nodding. “Okay, then.” He feels a little awkward, suddenly, knowing that the kids are obviously fine unsupervised, which makes his presence at the baby shower feel sort of… pointless.

“Alright,” Robin is saying, back at her perch beside her girlfriend. “Ready… set… go!” She makes a little trumpet noise, and everyone immediately gets to work on their activity cards, some people teaming up, while others cover their card up, hiding it from any cheating eyes. Eddie can’t decide which he finds funnier.

He has no real intention of winning, or even playing, but then he hears Steve mumble something to him. “Hm?” he asks, turning his head.

Steve nods at the card, eating a cracker. “The first one is ‘kid’ I’m pretty sure.”

Eddie blinks. “You’re not gonna put that on your card, then?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Steve waves a hand dismissively. “Nah. We can just share the prize. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?” he teases with that little signature Harrington grin. Eddie likes him so much it hurts.

“Sure,” Eddie says after a few long seconds of staring at him like a lovesick puppy.

They work together after that, struggling through some of the weird-sounding animal names with a naive sense of intelligence.

“What the fuck is a nymph?” Eddie whisper-shouts at Steve, skimming the list for anything even mildly more familiar. They’d worked out all the easy ones already: kitten, cub, lamb, fawn - all the normal things that he’d actually heard of before.

Steve snickers, trying to hide it behind his hand, with little success. “I don’t know!” he says, shaking his head. “Skip that one, skip it.”

Eddie huffs, then scans the list of options again. “The rest of these aren’t much better. A fry? A poult? A cria? They’ve gotta be making this shit up.”

“A fry,” Steve giggles, clearly far more amused by this silly game than Eddie is. “Well, which one of these can you actually fry?”

Eddie stares at him. “Baby animals, Steve. Baby animals. And you want me to think about which one of them can be fried?”

Either his tone or his words send Steve over the edge again, cackling loudly enough that the couple at the other end of the loveseat send them dirty looks. Eddie sends one of his own back.

“God, fine,” Eddie mumbles. “Turkey? Chicken? Chicken can be fried,” he says consideringly.

“Oh, wait, but isn’t - yeah, no, chick is a chicken,” Steve says, gesturing to one of their options.

Eddie nods, crossing that one off. “Hm… Fish? Fish can be fried, right?”

“That’s gotta be it!” Steve says, nodding excitedly.

“If it’s not, and we lose, it’s on you,” Eddie says, even as he writes down that as his answer.

Steve just giggles again, but nods. “Sure, sure,” he says, easily enough.

Eddie scans the list again, sighing. “That still leaves us with foal, poult, infant, cria, whelp, and nymph.” He turns his head to look at Steve. “Any other nuggets of wisdom, Mr. Which-One-Can-Be-Fried?”

“Hey!” Steve says with a laugh. “It worked!”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “We don’t even know if it’s right,” he reminds him.

Steve waves him off. “Sure we do. Alright. Foal, poult, infant - infant, that’s us, right? Technically?”

“Technically, but humans aren’t on the list,” Eddie says, shaking his head. “So… something close to humans… Monkeys? That’s the only one close to humans on here.”

Steve shrugs. “Sounds good to me. What else?”

Eddie hums. “Well… pup is still on here, too. But there aren’t humans, or any kind of dog on the list…”

“Wait, isn’t a pup and a whelp the same thing?” Steve asks, confused.

Eddie shrugs. “I’ve got no clue. If there are, we still don’t have a spot for them, since there’s no dogs.”

Steve stares hard at the list, an adorable little wrinkle forming between his eyes. “Skip,” he decides eventually. We’ll come back to it. What next?”

They eventually work it out to the best of their ability, matching all the animals until they’re relatively satisfied with the answers. They have a brief spat over foal and poult, Steve swearing that a poult is a horse until Eddie realizes he’s thinking of a colt. Then, Steve concedes when Eddie argues that with chicken taken, turkey is the only type of poultry on the list, so poult has to go with that.

Overall, their combined logic makes enough sense to get them through it.

They aren’t the first ones to finish, but by the time they present it to Robin and Chrissy, no one has gotten every animal matched correctly yet, which doesn’t give Eddie a lot of confidence in them, if he’s honest.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Robin says as she scans their answers. “We’ve got the winner of our first game!” She calls excitedly.

“What?” Eddie asks, stunned.

Steve cheers, shaking Eddie’s wrist with barely-contained excitement. It’s cute.

“Steve and Eddie somehow are the first people to match every animal correctly,” Robin announces. “So, as their prize…” she digs around in a little basket beside her and Chrissy’s chair, sparing Eddie and Steve a little grin. “I swear this wasn’t rigged,” she tells them. “For this prize, we decided on tickets to the Indianapolis Zoo!”

“Oh, fun!” Eddie says, unable to contain his excitement. He hadn’t been to the zoo since he was a child, but he remembered loving it back then.

“Right?” Chrissy says, clearly pleased. “We thought it was pretty perfect for this game.”

“Here,” Robin says, handing them to Steve. “We weren’t sure who would win, but most of the friends and family we invited have a family of like two to four… so we got four tickets.”

Steve smiles at her, then turns a softer version of that smile onto Eddie. “Well, that worked out nicely, didn’t it, honey?” he says.

Eddie smiles, barely registering the surprised look Robin gives them.

Before Eddie can think to react to that, though, there’s the sound of footsteps stampeding down the stairs, and loud sniffling. Everyone in the room turns towards the noise, all the parents on high-alert to see which kid needs comforting, but Eddie already knows in his heart that it’s one of his.

Sure enough, Ivy comes around the corner, her eyes wet with tears, her face red as she holds a hand to her head. “Mommy,” she cries as soon as she lays eyes on them, rushing straight towards Eddie.

Eddie has no time to process that, immediately jumping into his omega instincts, crouching down to scoop her up into a hug, shushing her gently. “Oh, sweet girl, what is it?” he murmurs to her. He moves away from Chrissy and Robin, mumbling a quick, “sorry, we’ll be right back,” as he leaves the room. He can feel several sets of eyes following his trip out, but luckily most of the guests got back to chatting immediately after the reassurance that it wasn’t their child in need of comforting.

“Me and Jasmine were- were playin’ with Sophie, and- and then I fell and- the bump hurts really bad!” Ivy nearly wails, burying her tear-streaked face into Eddie’s shoulder as he walks into the kitchen with her.

He can sense Steve behind them, more just a mental awareness at first, until Steve’s hand comes up to rub Eddie’s back gently. “Woah, deep breaths, baby,” Steve tells her gently, his other hand coming up to rub her back as well. He and Eddie make eye contact, and where Eddie expects to see something like hurt or jealousy from Ivy calling him Mommy, all Eddie finds is fondness.

“You’re okay, darling,” Eddie says softly, brushing her hair back away from her face. “Now slow down, and tell us what happened.”

After a couple more hiccups and some pauses to breathe, they get the full story. Apparently, they were playing jungle explorers, using the sofa upstairs as their jungle gym, and apparently, that didn’t work out very well. The bump on Ivy’s head is small, barely even a bump at all really, but Steve and Eddie baby and coddle her anyway, taking turns kissing it better and reassuring her that she’ll be alright.

Eventually, she feels well enough to go back upstairs to play, but Eddie has her splash cool water on her face, as well as drink a cup of water, first. As soon as she’s finished with that, he sets her down, ruffling her hair. “Alright. You’re fine, just play more carefully, okay, sweetheart?”

Ivy nods, waving at them before she heads back for the stairs. Eddie sighs as he watches her go, acutely aware of the eyes on him.

He doesn’t really want to, but he turns to face Steve, feeling his face heat a little at the soft look he finds pointed his way. “What?” Eddie asks, a little defensively.

Steve smiles, shaking his head. “Nothing at all, baby. Just…” he looks a little helpless for a moment, shrugging. “You’re a good co-parent, that’s all. My daughters are lucky to have you.”

Eddie doesn’t consider himself a particularly emotional person usually, but he feels like he might burst into tears just thinking about that. “I- I’m not-“

Steve cuts him off immediately. “No, you are,” he says, firm but gentle. “No arguments, no protesting. You are a great parent, Eddie. The end.”

As much as Eddie still wants to argue, mainly just because he feels so awkward accepting such genuine praise, he doesn’t. Instead, he forces himself to meet Steve’s eyes when he smiles. “Thanks, Stevie.”

Steve returns the smile, then reaches for his hand, tugging him back towards the living room. “C’mon. I think we’re gonna play some more games, and I wanna win some more prizes.” His eyes are bright with excitement, his lips quirking up mischievously, and Eddie can think of nothing he’d like more than to follow Steve wherever he wants to go.

~~~

They do play more baby shower games, as it turns out. Unfortunately, though, Eddie and Steve are pretty much useless at the new games. They’re mostly of the guessing variety - guessing which of the parents-to-be will do which types of baby duties more often, some true or false baby trivia questions, and an atrocious baby-item-themed game of The Price is Right.

“God, I don’t even know,” Steve mumbles when he scans the list of items for that game. Eddie can tell he’s losing steam, having lost the previous two baby shower games in a row. “It’s been so long since I had to buy any of these things for the girls, so I don’t know how much this stuff is now.”

Eddie hums. “Well, we know about what strollers cost,” he says, jotting down the price of the stroller they’d just bought for Robin and Chrissy. “And the onesies were about two or three dollars, depending on the style…”

Between the two of them, they hazard guesses for each item, but when Steve takes the card up to check it with Chrissy and Robin, his shoulders slump, and Eddie can tell they didn’t win this one either. Chrissy gives Steve a sympathetic pat on the arm, and Robin definitely says something mildly insulting to him, and Eddie smiles when he sees his alp- er- Steve - pouting as he returns.

“She said I wasn’t even close on some of them,” he complains when he comes back, flopping down beside Eddie, pressing their knees together.

Eddie makes a sympathetic little noise, patting his knee. “Aww, it’s okay. At least we got tickets to the zoo. And the snacks have been pretty good, too.”

Steve turns his head where it’s resting on the back of the loveseat, smiling up at Eddie. “Yeah, you’re right,” he says. “And the company isn’t bad, either.”

Eddie starts to agree, then pauses, glancing back at Steve’s face again. He’s not talking about the other people here, that’s for sure. He has such a soft look on his face, his expression open and vulnerable, and Eddie wishes… he wishes-

“Alright, everyone,” Robin says. She announces the winner of that game, but Eddie is barely paying attention, his gaze flicking back to Steve’s repeatedly. Steve’s eyes don’t waver from him, he notices. “So, we’re gonna move on to opening gifts, but you guys really showed out in that department, so you might want to grab some more refreshments and settle in; we might be here a while!”

Most of the guests laugh at that, and Eddie does too, albeit a little belatedly. He twists his rings on his fingers a little, trying to avoid Steve’s pointed gaze. There’s a tension between them now, one that he’s felt since practically the first week, but he doesn’t know how to break it, or even loosen it; he just knows he can’t do it here.

Eddie startles when he feels a hand on his thigh. Steve is still studying him, but he’s not nearly as intense as he was just a few minutes ago. “I’m gonna go get us some more snacks, okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie echoes. He feels a little untethered, like none of this is real. Like he’s just acting out the motions of a normal, content baby shower-attendee, completely at ease with the feelings currently kicking up dust in the hollow part of his chest. “Can you get me some lemonade?” he asks.

Steve smiles and nods. “Sure, baby. And some more peanut butter cookies?”

Eddie feels his face flush, a little embarrassed at being called out for his obsession with peanut butter, but he nods just the same. “Yes, please.”

“Be right back,” Steve says. He gives Eddie’s thigh a gentle squeeze before making his way to the kitchen. Eddie tries to breathe normally, getting himself under control. What the hell was it about Steve taking care of him that made him feel this unhinged? He doesn’t know, and part of him doesn’t want to find out. The bigger, omega-driven part, is banging at the bars of its cage, begging to be let out, to crawl into whatever spaces Steve’s previous mate vacated, to fulfill any needs that aren’t being met.

Eddie shakes his head, probably appearing just a little insane to anyone who might be paying him any attention. He needs to get a grip.

Luckily, he’s pulled from his spiral by one of his favorite voices in the world.

“Eddie, I’m sleepy,” Jasmine says as she approaches him.

“Aww,” Eddie coos at her, holding his arms out. “C’mere, then, you can come rest for a bit.”

She allows him to pull her into his lap easily, immediately dropping her head to his shoulder and snuggling in. Eddie smiles, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to his chest in a close embrace. He begins humming softly, stroking her hair as he glances around the room, wondering what’s taking Steve so long. He notices Robin is gone, and when he notices that, he also realizes that her better half is making her way towards him now.

“Hi,” Chrissy greets with a warm smile as she comes to a stop in front of them, her hands resting gently on her swollen stomach. “Jasmine, right?” she asks, her voice softer as she leans over a bit to make eye contact with her.

Jasmine nods. “Yes,” she confirms before nuzzling back into Eddie’s shirt.

Eddie gives Chrissy an apologetic smile. “Sorry, she’s tired. Lot of excitement going on today,” he explains.

Chrissy nods, smiling. “Oh, I’m sure.” She gives Eddie a look then, one that he would almost call mischievous if he knew her better. “At least she’s got a good mama to take care of her,” she says sweetly.

Eddie’s first instinct is to correct her, of course. And he starts to, but all that he gets out is: “I’m not-“ before Jasmine is interrupting him.

“Wish you were,” she mumbles, clinging to him tighter.

Eddie feels his face flush. “Jazz,” he scolds gently.

Jasmine just shrugs. “‘S true,” she says.

Chrissy is giving him a soft look when Eddie finally feels brave enough to make eye contact again. “I, um…” he starts, but has no idea how to finish the sentence. He doesn’t know how much Chrissy knows about Steve and his daughters, and he doesn’t want to go around spreading his personal business. At the same time, though, he doesn’t want to seem like he’s trying to- to replace the twins’ real mom. The very idea makes him a little sick.

“They really love you, Eddie,” Chrissy says kindly. “I could see if that first time at the store- clearly you’re doing something right.”

Eddie can’t help but smile gratefully at that. No matter how many times he hears it, he’ll always love hearing that he’s actually doing a good job with this whole parenting thing. “Thanks,” he says softly, nuzzling Jasmine’s hair.

“Steve is really lucky to have found such a good mate,” Chrissy continues.

Eddie feels Jasmine freeze at that, or at least he thinks he does. It might just be the side effect of himself freezing up, looking up at Chrissy with what he suspects is panic in his eyes. “I- we’re not together,” he squeaks out, hyper-aware of the little ears tuning into this conversation.

The sweet smile finally drops off Chrissy’s face, replaced by confusion. “You’re not?” She asks, her eyebrows furrowing together.

Eddie shakes his head adamantly. “No, we’re just- I just work for him, that’s all.” He wonders if everyone in the room can smell that lie.

“Oh,” Chrissy says. She’s clearly baffled by this information, and Eddie catches the way she glances behind her, as if looking for someone. “That’s my mistake, really, I thought-“

“It’s okay,” Eddie rushes to say. He’s desperate for this conversation to just end already. If he thought it was awkward talking to Gareth about all of his Steve-related struggles, that was nothing compared to the way it feels to be having this conversation with Steve’s best friend’s partner, all whilst Steve’s child listens. No contest for awkwardness, that’s for sure.

“Sorry,” Chrissy says, fixing him with a sympathetic little smile that immediately sours his mood. There’s no way this virtual stranger can tell how he feels about Steve- right?

“Thumbelina,” a voice calls from across the room. Chrissy and Eddie both glance over to find Robin smiling in their direction, her eyes trained on Chrissy. Eddie’s gaze is stolen immediately when he sees Steve standing in the doorway of the kitchen, an annoyed expression on his face. Uh-oh. “The darling mother of my child, it’s time for presents!” Robin sing-songs.

Chrissy rolls her eyes, but her giggle is far more telling. “That’s me,” she says, needlessly. “I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the party. Don’t forget to stop and say goodbye on your way out, okay?”

Eddie nods, but his brain is hyper-focused on Steve as the other man makes his way towards them. “Yeah, sure,” Eddie says distractedly.

Chrissy smiles at Steve as she passes him, and though he mirrors it politely, Eddie can tell it’s fake. Steve takes his spot beside Eddie once more, giving his daughter a soft look.

“Here,” he says, holding a cup of lemonade out for Eddie.

“Oh, um,” Eddie starts, his hands a little full.

Steve takes note of his predicament and tilts his head to look at his daughter. “Honey, how about you come snuggle with Daddy for a minute? Let your…” he pauses, his eyes darting to Eddie’s briefly. “Er. Let Eddie have a chance to eat, yeah?”

Eddie can feel the way her little hand tightens its grip on his shirt. “Wanna stay here,” she mumbles, her voice thick with sleep. Part of Eddie is relieved- maybe she had been mostly asleep during that conversation with Chrissy.

“I know, but-“ Steve starts, trying to bargain with her.

“Mommy is comfier,” Jasmine whines at him. She nuzzles against Eddie’s shirt, and Eddie realizes she’s trying to scent him. “And Mommy smells good.”

Eddie looks at Steve, helpless. He’s still a little worried, vaguely, that Steve might finally get upset at hearing his kids call Eddie that name- that this will be the time he finally snaps, but instead he just sighs, a defeated smile on his face.

“I know,” Steve mumbles, almost to himself. He shrugs at Eddie. “I can take her, hon. She might not like it, but it’ll be fine.”

Jasmine tights her grip, and Eddie laughs quietly. “She’s fine, I just-“ He cuts himself off as he nudges her back, shifting her to sit up a little. “Can you sit up for me, sweetheart? And here, lean back against this arm and…” he shuffles her until she’s leaning back against his right arm, which he props up onto the arm of the loveseat. “Perfect. Now I can use my left hand, and you don’t have to go anywhere,” he says, smiling at her.

She blinks sleepily at him, nodding twice before snuggling back in, clearly not entirely impressed with his perfect solution. Eddie snorts, shaking his head a little as he turns back to Steve.

Steve is staring at him, his eyes soft and a little glassy. He startles a little when he realizes Eddie is staring back at him, clearing his throat. “Here,” Steve says, handing him the lemonade finally.

“Thanks,” Eddie says, taking a long sip. “I was about to die of thirst,” he jokes. Steve nods, and Eddie thinks he’s about to say something else when he hears their names being called.

They both snap their heads up to look at where Robin is clearly talking to them, her hands on her hips, the picture of impatience. “Thanks for joining the rest of the world,” she teases. “We’re opening up your gifts next.”

“Oh!” Eddie says, suddenly excited. “I hope you guys like them- the girls helped pick out the smaller ones.”

“And the big one was mostly me,” Steve admits, scratching the back of his neck as he watches Robin help Chrissy tear off the wrapping paper of the stroller. “I wasn’t sure if you already had one, but we’ve got the receipt if you need to take it back.”

Robin rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Did you even check the registry?” She asks, voice full of mock-disappointment.

Steve sucks on his teeth, hiding his sheepish grin. “Uh… you had a registry?”

Everyone gets a good laugh out of that, but then it’s the moment of truth. The wrapping paper is all over the ground, and Eddie watches carefully as Chrissy and Robin get a good look at what it is.

“Oh, Steve,” Robin says. From her tone alone, Eddie can tell that they’ve already got one. He presses his knee to Steve’s in an attempt at comfort, as he knows how excited Steve was about this gift. “Chrissy’s parents got us a stroller already,” Robin says, clearly trying to be gentle. “But it was really similar to this one! Like, you’ve got great taste in strollers,” she jokes.

Eddie actually laughs at that, and he can tell Steve wants to as well, but is still just a tad bit too disappointed to do so. “Yeah, I kinda figured you guys might already have one. Might have to take a look at that “registry” stuff next time.”

Robin rolls her eyes, but nods. “Yeah, it might be helpful, dingus.”

Steve shrugs. “Like I said, you guys can return it and just use the money to get whatever else you guys need. Or if you want me to take it back and just give you the money-“ he’s saying, listing off every possible solution to the stroller faux pas, when Chrissy interrupts them.

“Are you sure you guys won’t be needing it?” She asks, her voice impossibly sweet.

There’s a brief silence as everyone in the room who is still listening takes a moment to process that. It’s a short moment, because Robin is seemingly the first one to crack, snorting a very unattractive laugh into her hand.

“Sorry,” she says, not sounding it in the slightest as she turns to grin at her girlfriend, who looks incredibly proud of herself.

Eddie is steadfastly refusing to meet Steve’s gaze, despite the fact that he can feel it burning into the side of his face. He knows he’s blushing, and he can’t really justify why, past the mild embarrassment of the implication that he and Steve would be doing things that would put them in the market for a stroller. Things that Eddie normally only allows himself to think about in the comfort of the shower, alone.

“Uh, pretty sure,” Steve finally manages to say, although Eddie could swear he sounds a little choked.

“We’ll take it back and exchange it for some other necessities,” Robin says, finally showing mercy. “Thank you, both of you. It was a really thoughtful gift.” This is said with a genuinity Eddie wouldn’t think anyone could fake, and so it’s easy to smile back at her.

The rest of the baby shower goes pretty quickly, after that. Robin and Chrissy open the onesies that the twins picked out, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over them kindly, although Jasmine is only half-awake to see it, and Ivy is still somewhere upstairs. The present-unwrapping portion of the evening lasts for nearly half an hour more, but Eddie is so lost in his own thoughts that he couldn’t repeat any of the gifts they’d been given to save his life.

Eventually, when the gifts have all been opened and people are starting to leave, Steve leans in close and murmurs, “I think it’s getting time to head home, honey.”

Eddie nods. He hadn’t realized how exhausted he was until now, but he’s definitely feeling it, his shoulders slumped and his arm asleep where Jasmine is still laying against it. “Mm. That sounds good to me,” he replies quietly, bumping his head against Steve’s shoulder for a brief moment of reprieve.

Steve rests his head against Eddie’s for just a moment, then sighs. “I’ll go hunt down our other kid. You wanna go say goodbye to Chrissy and Robin and take this one out to the car?”

“Yeah,” Eddie says with a nod. It takes him a minute to stand and get his bearings, trying to be as steady as possible so that he doesn’t wake Jasmine. Steve watches him with soft eyes, but Eddie gives him a reassuring smile once he’s steady. “I’ll see you in the car,” he says.

“Don’t forget to grab my keys out of my coat pocket on your way out the door,” Steve reminds him before heading upstairs.

Eddie makes a mental note to do that before turning around, glancing around the room for Robin and Chrissy. He finds them close to the foyer, clearly taken up post there to say goodbye to people as they leave. When he gets close, Chrissy looks up, her face brightening into a smile as she comes over.

“Did you have a good time?” She asks, ever the sweetheart.

“I did.” Eddie gives her a smile. “It was lots of fun, and my compliments go to whoever put those snacks together.”

Chrissy grins. “That was mostly Robin’s mom. My mother can’t cook for shit.”

Eddie laughs at that. “Same. Did you and Robin get everything you’ll need for the baby?”

“Oh, for sure,” Chrissy nods. “Probably too much, to be honest.” She hesitates, then says, a little quieter, “I was sort of being serious about what I said earlier.”

“What?” Eddie’s heart drops a little. Surely she’s not referring to the baby stroller thing?

“I know you said you’re not together,” she explains, talking quickly. “And I believe you. But I can also tell that there’s more to it than that, and Robin thinks so too. Now, I haven’t known either of you very long, but they’ve known each other for years.”

“Chrissy…” Eddie says, almost a warning. His heart is swelling with something dangerously close to hope, and he knows better.

“I know, I know,” Chrissy says, waving a hand before bringing it down to cradle her belly. “And we may be wrong. But on the off-chance that we’re right… Let’s just say that we’ll have plenty of hand-me-downs, if you ever find yourself in need of some.” She takes a deep breath, then smiles. “Okay, there. I’m done with my lecture.”

Eddie smiles at her, even though it’s kind of half-hearted. “Thanks, Chrissy. I… I appreciate the sentiment, really.”

She nods, and then surprises Eddie when she leans in for a quick hug. He half-expects her to whisper some other mind-boggling relationship advice, but instead she just gives him a polite goodbye, saying she hopes they get to see each other again soon.

He moves on to Robin, who is already looking at him with something like fond exasperation. “I see someone’s already a little attached to you,” she teases, petting Jasmine’s hair gently.

“A little bit, yeah,” Eddie admits. “It was a beautiful baby shower, by the way. I know I wasn’t really invited, but I appreciate you guys letting me come.”

Robin rolls her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. “Of course you were invited. If Steve is invited, you’re invited, okay?”

Eddie nods, trying to hide his smile. He loves the sound of that, of just being automatically included in the friends and family events that Steve seems to cherish so much. It’s only temporary, he reminds himself, but he’ll enjoy it while it lasts. “Alright,” he says. “Still, thank you for being such good hosts. The snacks were great, and I know the girls are going to be so excited for that trip to the z-o-o.” He’s not sure why he spells it out, since if Jasmine was awake, she’d probably figure out what he was spelling, but he does it, nevertheless.

Robin smiles at him, a softer thing than he’s expecting from someone he still doesn’t know very well. “I knew you’d be perfect for this job,” she says, surprising him. “As soon as I met you, and as soon as Steve told me how the interview went, I just knew you’d be the one.”

“The one?” he asks. She gives the word a certain weight, a certain inflection, that makes him wonder what exactly she means by that.

Instead of answering him, she just shakes her head, smiling as she pulls him in for a quick hug. “Go, you two look exhausted, and I know Dingus probably wants to get home before traffic gets too bad.”

Eddie wants to argue for the sake of figuring out what the one actually means, but he lets himself be ushered towards the door, remembering to grab Steve’s keys out of his coat pocket at the last minute. He wraps Jasmine’s coat around her shoulders as best he can, throwing his own over his arm to put on once he gets her in the car.

It’s even colder outside than it was before, and Jasmine whines a little when Eddie first sets her into the backseat. “I know, sweetheart, Mommy knows it’s cold. I’m gonna turn the heat on in just a minute.”

He doesn’t catch himself until after he’s already in the passenger seat, the car cranked and heat set to full blast. It’s only then that he registers what he’d just called himself, without thinking.

Eddie doesn’t even get the chance to have a crisis about it. Before he can do anything, the back door on the opposite side is opening, and Ivy is climbing in, clearly exhausted too. “Hi, honey,” Eddie says, in a voice that doesn’t even sound like his. “Did you have fun playing?”

Ivy nods, but almost immediately leans to the side, resting her head against the door. “Uh-huh. Tired, now.”

He laughs quietly at that, understanding it as the signal it is to leave her alone. The driver’s side door opens, and Steve slides in smoothly, his hands coming up to hover in front of the vents. “Shit, it’s cold out there,” he murmurs. “Thanks for turning the heat on in here, baby.”

“Mhm,” Eddie replies, a little weak at the pet name that he still hasn’t gotten completely used to yet.

Steve looks over at him, and Eddie can’t exactly parse out the expression he wears. It’s almost familiar, his eyes kind and hyper-focused on Eddie, but there’s something else there, too, something softer, more intimate.

On a whim, Eddie reaches out, lacing his fingers between Steve’s. It’s a shot in the dark, but Eddie thinks he wants to be brave. At least with the little things. And although being brave doesn’t always work out for him, it does this time, as Steve squeezes his hand, giving him a sweet smile.

“Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

The girls sleep nearly the entire way back home from the baby shower. Eddie keeps glancing back at them, a little worried that they won’t sleep tonight if they sleep too much now, but Steve doesn’t seem to be concerned about this. He hums softly as he drives, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the center console, his fingers still intertwined with Eddie’s. If he wasn’t so tired and concerned about the girls, Eddie would probably be panicking a little at the new, yet already familiar, touch.

“Should we stop and grab dinner from somewhere on the way home?” Steve asks as they drive.

Eddie turns to glance at him, giving him a little shrug and smile. “That’s up to you. I can cook when we get back, if you want.”

Steve glances at him, but shakes his head. His lips are twitching when he turns his eyes back to the road. “No, I think I want us to just have an easy night. We could order pizza and watch a movie?”

“That sounds perfect,” Eddie says with a smile. He squeezes Steve’s hand, gently rubbing over the back of it with just the tips of his fingers. He marvels at the softness of his skin, the way his fingers flex as he turns their hands this way and that.

“This is okay, right?” Steve asks softly, gesturing at Eddie’s hands when he looks at him.

Eddie smiles. “More than okay,” he reassures easily. “I… it’s kind of stupid, but being an omega, I really crave physical touch sometimes… so this is really nice,” he mumbles, feeling a bit awkward after admitting to that.

Steve hums. “Well, anytime you need that… just tell me, okay?” He glances away from the road briefly, sending Eddie a searching look. “It’s kind of like scenting each other, yeah? That’s beneficial for both of us, but I need you to tell me when that’s not enough, okay?”

“Okay.” Eddie nods. He nods, but he wants to say, “it’s never enough. It’ll never be enough, it’ll just be scraps of you - scraps of what I really want.”

He doesn’t say any of that. Instead, he begins humming a song, realizing belatedly that it’s the same one that Steve was just humming a few moments before, something he’s fairly sure is by ABBA. Luckily, Steve doesn’t tease him for this. Instead, he just smiles to himself, joining in on the humming with ease.

When they get home, there’s a silent agreement that each of them will wake up one of the girls and help her upstairs, so between the two of them, they manage to get both of them out of the car and to the lobby.

“I’m sleepy,” Ivy whines into Steve’s neck as they wait for the elevator.

“I know, honey,” he murmurs back to her. “But we’ve got to eat dinner before we go to bed, okay?”

Ivy whines again, this time Jasmine joining her, so Eddie is quick to intervene. “Hey, how would you two like to pick out the movie we watch?”

Jasmine lifts her head from his shoulder a bit, looking at him critically. “And we can pick any kind of movie?”

Eddie hesitates, glancing at Steve as they step into the elevator. He’s a little suspicious of her tone, but Steve shrugs and nods, so Eddie replies, “I guess.”

“Even a scary movie?” Ivy asks, her voice full of glee.

“Um…” Eddie starts, glancing over at Steve, suddenly much more uncertain.

Steve shrugs again, but waves a dismissive hand. “We’ll see what sort of options we’ve got for scary movies and then decide,” he says, very diplomatic.

The girls don’t seem to love this answer, but they don’t complain, just giving a mild agreement.

Eddie’s relieved when they finally make it inside. It’s not like they had a particularly bad day or anything, but he’s definitely a little exhausted from all the excitement. There’s also a tingling under his skin, some energy that he hasn’t been able to get out. He almost wishes he was the type of person who actually enjoyed exercise, because he thinks that a good run might just be the very thing he needs to settle the buzzing in his bones.

“Alright, how about you guys go get some pajamas on while me and Eddie order some pizza and find a movie to watch, does that sound alright?” Steve suggests, placing Ivy on the ground so she can do just that.

“Will it be something really scary?” Jasmine asks, sounding just a bit nervous.

“It won’t be too scary, hon,” Steve says, sending her a wink. “And if you get really scared, we’ll change it to something else.”

Jasmine nods, turning to go to her room to change into her pajamas, while Ivy lingers behind for a moment. She waits until her sister is out of sight, then turns to her dad and shrugs. “I think we should watch something really super duper scary.”

“Oh, yeah?” Steve asks, quirking an eyebrow at that. When Ivy nods, Steve gives her a little shrug. “Well… we’ll see what I can do about that.”

Eddie knows, realistically, that neither one of them would be able to handle something really scary, and he’s pretty sure Steve also knows this, but Eddie is definitely dubious about what movie he has in mind. Purely for the sake of the twins, of course. Not because he himself is a little nervous about watching something scary. Definitely not because of that.

Well. Maybe a little because of that.

“Pizza?” Steve asks Eddie when both of the girls have left the room.

Eddie nods, smiling at him as he tugs awkwardly at his shirt sleeves. He’s not sure why he feels so out of place all of a sudden, but he does. It’s almost like being on a first date, except obviously that’s not at all what’s happening. He’s known Steve for weeks, and has lived with him basically the whole time he’s known him. There is no reason to feel this weird all of a sudden, but with Steve’s eyes on him, he feels seen in a way that he’s not sure he’ll ever be fully used to.

“I’m gonna…” Eddie says, though he has no idea where that sentence is going. Steve pauses where he was dialing the phone, glancing at him curiously. Eddie blinks. God, he’s being so fucking stupid. “Pajamas.”

And now he can’t even say a full sentence. Great.

Steve smiles at him, a sweet, knowing little thing. “Sure.”

Eddie waits for a beat, as if Steve is going to say anything else, then forces his feet into the direction of his bedroom to actually get changed. The whole way there, he lectures himself mentally for how ridiculous he’s being. It’s silly to be so shaken up by the whole baby shower fiasco- the twins’ slip-ups, the way he felt like he and Steve presented themselves as something like mates- Eddie should not be this affected by it all. He needs to be professional, and put his stupid, childish feelings aside.

Resolved, he tugs on a long-sleeved t-shirt and his red flannel pajamas pants before making his way back to the lounge. He can hear the twins already in there, giggling and talking, and when he rounds the corner, he sees Steve crouched in front of the television, messing with something. The girls are snuggled up together on one end of the sofa, a big blanket draped over their laps, and Eddie feels his heart constrict painfully at the sight. He loves them so, so much.

“Need any help?” Eddie asks as he crosses the floor, pausing beside Steve.

Steve glances up at him, shaking his head with a smile. “No, I’ve got it. Can you go grab a blanket off my bed, though?”

Eddie nods, making a silly face at the kids as he passes the couch.

The smell of Steve overwhelms him just a bit when he crosses the threshold into Steve’s bedroom. He ignores it the best he can, making his way over to the bed and grabbing the fuzzy throw blanket folded neatly at the end. It’s ridiculous, and pathetic, but he can’t help but bury his nose in the softness, just for a minute, inhaling deeply. God. Steve smells so damn good, Eddie doesn’t hardly know what to do with himself.

Well. That’s not entirely true. He knows he needs to stop being like this.

He makes his way back to the living room, pausing when he sees Steve curled up on one end of the sofa, the twins sprawled on the other.

Eddie has two clear choices.

Either he can sit in the space they left between them, which is obviously for him, or, he could sit in Steve’s recliner, avoiding the closeness entirely. It’s practically a no-brainer.

Of course, that decision could never be that easy.

“Eddie, are you going to come sit with us?” Ivy asks, being the first to notice him standing there.

Naturally, her saying that prompts Jasmine and Steve to both look over at him, with varying degrees of smiles on their faces.

“C’mere, honey, I saved you a spot,” Steve says, patting the seat beside him.

Well, so much for making the decision on his own.

“Here,” Eddie says as he sits down, handing Steve the throw he’d retrieved from his room. Part of him laments the loss; it really was a nice blanket, and not only because of lingering scent of Steve that clung to it.

“Oh, no,” Steve says, shuffling so that their legs are pressed together. “I wanted you to get it for you.” At Eddie’s perplexed expression, Steve smiles. “I know you get cold really easily, especially at night.”

Eddie feels his face flush at that. It’s true, of course, but knowing that Steve noticed it… well, it certainly doesn’t help with those pesky feelings. “Oh,” Eddie says after a minute, unsure what else he even can say. “We can share,” is what comes out of his stupid mouth.

Steve smiles, and it’s so damn soft that Eddie feels himself melting. “Well, if you insist,” he teases before pulling the blanket up over both of their laps.

“What is this movie?” Jasmine asks, and Eddie realizes with a start that there is, in fact, a movie playing on screen.

“It’s called Beetlejuice,” Steve replies. He glances at Eddie. “Have you ever seen it?”

Eddie shakes his head, ducking his head a little so that Steve doesn’t catch the embarrassment on his face. The truth is, he’d heard about the film, and while the premise sounds cute and relatively safe, he’s always been somewhat of a baby when it comes to any movie with any hint of scariness, and he definitely doesn’t want to show that card now. “No, I haven’t,” he mumbles, tugging at a loose thread hanging from the edge of the blanket across their laps.

“It’s pretty good,” Steve says. “Me and Robin went to see it in theaters when the twins were really little.” He drops his voice, and Eddie has to force himself not to lean closer than necessary to hear him. “It’s just comedy horror, most of it isn’t scary at all, so I think they’ll be okay.”

Eddie nods. “Great,” he says, his voice a bit weaker than he intends it to be.

He startles a little when he feels a hand on his knee. “You can hold my hand if you get scared, honey,” Steve whispers. He’s got a sneaky little grin on his face, and Eddie is grateful for the dimmed lighting in the room, which hopefully conceals his blushing cheeks.

“Oh- okay,” Eddie squeaks. His fingers twitch with the urge to do just that, but he knows that he shouldn’t. Instead, he laces his fingers together over his own lap, keeping his hands neatly to himself.

The pizza arrives just as the movie starts, so Steve pauses it while he jumps up to go get the food. Eddie goes to collect plates and napkins and drinks while Steve exchanges pleasantries and payment with the pizza delivery guy. They meet back at the coffee table around the same time, Steve smiling when he sees Eddie setting drinks out for everyone. “I was going to do that when I came back.”

Eddie shrugs, going back to his spot on the couch. “I got it,” he says with an easy smile back. He watches as Steve hands out pizza, half-expecting him to go back to his armchair rather than sit on the couch. He’s surprised when instead, Steve plops right back down beside him, accepting the corner of the blanket that Eddie hands out to him with a warm smile.

The movie starts out just fine, the humor aspect more than making up for any of the minor scares they utilize. Eddie finds most of his enjoyment in watching the twins watch the film at the other end of the sofa. Their faces are slack with intrigue nearly the whole time, and the few times they do get jump-scared is quickly followed by raucous giggles when the title character makes a joke of some sort. Eddie can feel his cheeks beginning to hurt from how much he’s smiling at them, but it feels nearly impossible to stop.

There aren't any particularly huge jump scares or anything over the course of the film, but as it nears the end, Eddie does wonder vaguely if the twins will struggle to sleep without thinking about all the weird distorted characters on the screen. They don’t seem particularly worried, though, and when the credits start rolling, Eddie is both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed, because he had managed to be good and spent the whole film with his hands to himself, which meant he didn’t get to touch Steve. And relieved, because even though he’s sad that the night is ending, he’s glad he won’t have to hold himself so tightly wound for much longer, finally able to escape to his room and just breathe.

They clean up their mess from dinner, sending the twins off to brush their teeth and get ready for bed while they collect the trash and leftovers from the coffee table. It’s an easy, domestic routine by now, one that Eddie feels he could repeat in his sleep. Once they’re finished, Eddie glances at Steve where he’s stood at the sink, rinsing out the cups they’d used.

“I’ll go, um… check that the twins are in bed,” he says, fiddling with one of his rings.

Steve glances at him and nods. “Okay. I’ll be there in just a minute.”

Eddie nods back before leaving the room, following the sound of the twins chattering and giggling in their bedroom. When he gets to the door, he pauses, watching as they try to sing the song from the end of the movie, although it’s immediately clear that neither of them know the words. He watches for a moment, just silently laughing at the scene in front of him, until Ivy attempts the floating scene by climbing on top of her bed.

“What’s going on in here?” Eddie asks smoothly, grinning when Ivy shrieks in surprise.

“Mommy, you scared me!” She squeals, flopping down on her bed and beaming up at him.

His heart does that same familiar squeeze when he hears her call him that name. “Sorry, honey. So, I take it you guys liked the movie?” he asks, going to sit on the end of Jasmine’s bed and smiling when she crawls into his lap.

“It was so funny!” Jasmine gushes, her hands flailing as she describes the scene where the Maitlands make their faces all long and distorted in order to prove that they can scare the humans away. Eddie nods as he listens to her talk, Ivy interrupting every few moments, as usual.

“-And then when Beetlejuice turned into a snake-” Ivy is saying when they hear a throat being cleared.

They all glance up to see Steve standing at their bedroom door, his arms crossed as his lips twitch. “Looks like a party in here,” he teases.

Eddie’s heart bursts with affection when the twins scramble off the bed to go to their father, dragging him into the room with them.

“Daddy! What was your favorite part of the movie?” Ivy asks, tugging him over to her bed.

He sits on the end of it, mirroring Eddie’s position on Jasmine’s bed. “Well, how about you two get into bed and I’ll tell you?” Steve bargains, quirking an eyebrow at both of them.

They’re quick to obey, scrambling under their covers and looking at him patiently, clearly curious about what he’ll say.

Steve smiles at them, sharing a little knowing look with Eddie. “Well, I think my favorite part… is probably either the waiting room scene… or maybe the song at the end.”

Eddie snorts at the irony. Steve gives him a curious look, but Eddie just gestures to the twins. “Do you guys wanna tell Daddy what you were doing when I came in?”

Jasmine looks mildly embarrassed, but Ivy, ever the shameless one, just lights up, sitting up in her bed quickly. “We were singin’ the song! Well… we don’t know all the words, but we’re gonna learn them!”

“Is that so?” Steve asks with a little chuckle. He reaches out, patting the bed. “Well, how about we work on that tomorrow, okay? We’ve had a busy day today, so I think we need some rest before we do all that.”

Ivy doesn’t look thrilled with that, but she nods in understanding. “Okay,” she agrees, snuggling back under her covers. She blinks her big hazel eyes up at Eddie then, her little hand reaching out. “Can I have my goodnight hug, please?”

Eddie melts. “Of course, honey,” he says, making his way over to her bed and crouching beside it. She’s quick to roll over and wrap her arms around his neck, snuggling in closely. He pets over her hair gently, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Goodnight, sweet girl. I love you,” he murmurs. He wishes, more than anything, that these were really his children. That he could scent them like their real mother would, that he could let them call him ‘Mommy’ without feeling guilty about it.

“Goodnight,” Ivy replies before pulling away, reaching for her father next.

Steve gives him a knowing smile as they sort of swap places, Eddie going over to Jasmine’s bed next to give her a hug and tuck her in. “Are you warm enough?” he asks, smoothing the blanket out and reaching a hand up to brush back an errant strand of hair.

Jasmine nods. “Mhm.” She holds her little arms out, and Eddie leans in to give her a hug, squeezing her tightly.

“Goodnight, honey. I love you. Sweet dreams,” he murmurs into her hair.

“Night, Mommy,” she whispers as she lays back down.

Steve finishes bidding each of them goodnight, and Eddie waits at the door as Steve gestures to the nightlight. “Nightlight or no nightlight?” he asks.

The girls agree that they would like the nightlight on, so Steve dutifully goes and flicks the button, blowing them kisses as he heads to the door. “Goodnight, girls. I love you, sleep tight,” Steve says.

“And don’t let the bedbugs bite,” Eddie adds from behind him, smirking when the girls giggle.

Steve rolls his eyes, but is clearly hiding a smile when he pulls the door shut behind them.

Before Eddie can panic about being left alone with him, Steve nods to the kitchen. “I think I could use a drink, what about you?”

Eddie would normally decline, but after the day he’s had, he can’t think of a reason to. “Sure,” he agrees before following Steve down the hall and into the kitchen. Eddie leans against the island counter as he watches Steve peruse the liquor options, wrinkling his nose up at the whiskey and bourbon he finds.

“You don’t really like whiskey, right?” he asks, glancing over his shoulder.

Eddie shrugs. “I don’t hate it, but yeah, it’s not my favorite.”

Steve hums, then opens the other cabinet, making a triumphant little noise at whatever he spots there. “Bingo. Red wine sound okay?” He asks, gesturing with the sleek bottle.

“Um.” Eddie swallows hard. Wine is a bit… romantic, he thinks. “Sure,” he says, despite himself. It’s fine. There’s nothing romantic about sharing a glass of wine with your boss after a long day of work.

Right?

Steve takes a sip of the wine first, smacking his lips as he considers it. “It’s a little on the sweeter side,” he says, glancing at Eddie. “Is that alright?”

Eddie nods. It would be even more alright if he was tasting it from Steve’s lips, his stupid, horny, traitorous mind posits. He ignores that thought entirely, smiling at Steve. “Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t mind a sweeter wine.”

“Great.” Steve nods and pours them each a generous glass, handing Eddie his before making his way back over to the sofa. “You wanna watch something else?” He asks, flopping back onto the same end of the sofa he’d been sitting on earlier.

Eddie hesitates. It isn’t that late, and it is a Saturday, afterall. “Would… would that be okay?” he asks, feeling like an idiot even as the words leave his mouth.

Steve gives him a look, his lips quivering like he wants to laugh but isn’t sure if he should. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t, honey.”

And that does make him feel a bit dumb, but then Steve is patting the sofa cushion beside him, and Eddie feels fine going to sit with him. He cradles his glass of wine close to his chest as Steve grabs the remote, clicking through the channels until he lands on something that apparently piques his interest.

“Oh, have you seen this?” Steve asks, turning the volume down a couple of notches and laying the remote back on the coffee table.

Eddie glances at the screen, frowning as he tries to recall if the opening scene is familiar in any way. “Um, I don’t recognize it. What is it?”

Steve laughs, for some reason, and Eddie looks over at him, confused. “It,” Steve answers.

“Yeah, what is it?” Eddie repeats, assuming that Steve had just misunderstood.

Steve rolls his eyes at that, but Eddie can tell he’s not making fun of him. “No, it’s - that’s the name,” Steve explains. “The movie is called It. You ever read any Stephen King?”

Eddie pauses. He has read some, actually, and the name does ring a bell, now that he gets what Steve was saying. The problem is that he actually avoided this one for a reason. Something about clowns… they just gave him the heebie-jeebies. “Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of it,” he says carefully, trying not to betray his sudden nervousness.

Apparently he does well, because Steve just smiles, oblivious to the way Eddie is gulping his wine, like that’ll help. “We don’t have to stay up for the whole thing, but we can watch a bit of it, if you want?” Steve asks, taking a sip of his wine and tugging the blanket over their laps.

“Sure,” Eddie says with a nod. He can do that. He can just watch a bit of it, and then, when it gets scary, he can feign a yawn and escape to bed. Piece of cake.

Except that’s not what happens.

He actually gets sort of invested in the film, and after the first jumpscare with Pennywise in the sewer, he’s lulled into a false sense of security, thinking the film isn’t really all that bad at all. And to be honest, it probably isn’t. The problem exists solely in the fact that Tim Curry’s Pennywise is freaky as hell, and even though Eddie makes it through the whole film, he knows he’ll be hearing that creepy voice, and seeing those razor-sharp teeth in his dreams.

At one point, close to the end, Steve checks in on him with a squeeze of his knee. “You okay?” he whispers, his eyes glued to the television when Eddie glances over at him.

“Um, yeah,” Eddie murmurs back, twisting his fingers nervously. He’d finished his wine half an hour ago, and now his hands are fidgety and anxious as the movie draws to a close.

“Not too scared?” Steve asks, and this time, he’s smirking when Eddie looks over at him.

“No,” Eddie whispers, his heart thrumming with a new kind of nervousness.

Steve pats his knee, then withdraws his hand. “Good,” he says before he turns his attention back to the television. It gives Eddie whiplash, the way that Steve goes so quickly from this almost-flirting to being completely oblivious. Maybe this is why he’s going insane, he thinks absently.

The film ends with little fanfare, and Eddie doesn’t even notice until Steve leans forward, shutting the television off with a click of the remote. He sighs, standing up and stretching, his arms going high up over his head. Eddie tries not to stare at the sliver of skin the move exposes, but it’s nearly impossible, his eyes drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

“Ready for bed?” Steve asks, startling Eddie into nearly falling off the edge of the couch.

“Er, yeah,” Eddie replies, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Steve is definitely smirking at him. He grabs their wine glasses and goes to the sink, rinsing them out to be fully washed tomorrow. When he’s finished, he wipes his hands off on the towel by the sink, turning to face Eddie with a hesitant look on his face. “Do you want to…”

Eddie’s throat tightens at the half-question. He knows what he wants Steve to say, but he knows, before Steve even finishes his sentence, that it’s not going to be exactly what he wants. “To…?” Eddie prompts, raising his eyebrows at him.

It might just be the dim lighting, but Eddie could almost swear that Steve is blushing. “Can I scent you? Before we go to bed?” Steve rubs his arm awkwardly, as if he’s uncertain about what Eddie’s response will be.

And god, that makes Eddie feel like mush. “Of course,” he murmurs, already moving closer. “After all, we missed our morning shot,” he jokes, referring back to when Steve said that scenting him felt sort of addicting.

Steve shrugs, looking a little bashful as he reaches out for Eddie. “Yeah, well… I didn’t want to like… scent-mark you right before your date. Wouldn’t want to give them the wrong impression, you know,” he mumbles, sounding petulant as he tries to duck his head into Eddie’s shoulder.

Oh. Right.

“Steve,” Eddie says, his voice bordering on a laugh as he gently pushes him back a bit. “You know I wasn’t actually on a date, right?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Steve blinks. “What?”

Eddie nods, feeling brave as he reaches out, running a hand through Steve’s flopping hair. “I was just meeting up with a friend from high school.”

“Oh,” Steve says. Eddie notices a distinct shift in his scent, a sweetness that wasn’t previously there tinting the air. “So you aren’t…”

“Nope,” Eddie says, shaking his head. “Gareth is my best friend, but we’ve never been anything more than that.”

“That’s…” Steve hesitates, but then finishes his thought, though he looks a little ashamed. “That’s good,” he says, and yeah, he’s definitely blushing. “I- I just mean, like-” he says, stuttering all of a sudden. Eddie feels blessed to be seeing this so up-close, and for once, he feels like he might have the upper-hand between the two of them. “Like, it’s good that you’re seeing friends! Not that it’s good that it wasn’t a date, but-”

Eddie takes pity on him then. “Steve,” he murmurs.

Steve takes a breath, meeting his eyes again with an embarrassed smile. “Yeah?”

“It’s fine,” Eddie says. He wraps his arms around Steve’s shoulders, tugging him in gently. “I would’ve told you if it was a real date,” he whispers.

He feels Steve’s arms wrap around his waist, and then that newly-familiar feeling of Steve tucking his face against his neck, breathing in deeply before scenting him. “You don’t have to,” Steve whispers back. “Your private life is none of my business.”

Eddie snorts out a laugh at that; he can’t help it. “Maybe not,” Eddie concedes. “But I wouldn’t keep something that big from you.”

Steve makes a soft noise, and Eddie could swear that he feels a brush of lips against his pulse. “Okay,” he allows, although Eddie can practically smell his desire to argue some more. “I appreciate that,” he says. “But… just know… you have a right to privacy, honey. Even though we’re… closer than most coworkers.”

Eddie definitely has to choke down another snort at that. Coworkers - it feels like the wrong word entirely for what they are, but he isn’t about to correct Steve. This thing is already so fragile, he couldn’t possibly bear to actually ruin it for real.

Instead of laughing, or speaking his mind, he tilts his head, allowing himself to be scented and held, pretending in some far corner of his mind that he’s loved by this man. This man, who never ceases to take care of him, to do everything he can to be the best father and partner a person could wish for. And even if he’ll never have that love reciprocated, Eddie will always have the comfort of knowing that Steve is the easiest person to love, and the most deserving of it.

“Can you…” Steve whispers, his breath ghosting over Eddie’s neck and making him shiver.

“What?” Eddie asks, just as softly.

Steve shifts, just a little, and Eddie realizes what he wants right before he asks. “Will you scent me, too?”

Eddie knows for a fact that he’s melting with affection as he nods, nosing against one side of Steve’s throat thoroughly before tilting his head and doing the same to the opposite side. “Good?” he asks softly when he feels that he’s done a thorough job.

“Yes,” Steve says with a sigh. “You know… you can scent me every time,” he says, pulling away slightly so he can look Eddie in the eyes. “You don’t have to wait for me to ask.”

Eddie smiles, but glances down, feeling a little embarrassed. It’s like Steve can just read his mind, sometimes. “But you might not want that every time,” he says, trying to sound reasonable and not like he’s just looking for an excuse not to get any closer than they already are.

There’s a gentle brush against his chin, and Eddie looks up when Steve’s fingers guide him to. “I’ll always want it, Eds,” he whispers. His gaze flicks down to Eddie’s lips, and Eddie feels like he might actually combust at the way his eyes flash.

“Okay,” Eddie breathes, trying to control his breathing, and his scent. “If you’re sure you’re okay with it. And that it won’t bother the girls, for you to smell like me.”

That seems to catch Steve’s attention, and Eddie feels a cocktail of confused and relieved when his gaze is dragged away from Eddie’s mouth. Steve furrows his eyebrows, looking confused himself as he says, “I don’t think they’d mind at all.”

“Are you sure?” Eddie asks, allowing himself to pull out of Steve’s grip, slowly but surely. “I know you’ve been scenting me for a while now, but I don’t want them to feel like…” He wants to say, “I don’t want them to feel like you’re trying to replace their Mom with me,” but he doesn’t know how to say it tactfully. Instead, he stops there, watching Steve carefully for any indication that he understands.

Steve just looks more confused, if anything. “Honey, they love you. I mean,” he laughs a little, shaking his head. “Eddie, I’ve heard them call you “Mommy” several times now. I don’t think you scenting me would be the end of the world,” he says.

Eddie’s stomach clenches, and he knows his scent must go sour with the sudden anxiety, because Steve’s nose crinkles. “Oh… you heard that?”

Steve nods, but doesn’t look bothered at all. “I heard both of them say it today at the baby shower. And… and I know you probably told them not to call you that, but Eddie…” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t mind it.”

Eddie balks at him. “You don’t… mind it?” he repeats, baffled. “You don’t mind that your children refer to me as their mom, even though I’m not?”

Steve rolls his eyes, his shoulders sagging a little, like the conversation is exhausting him. “Eddie, no,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t mind that they’re calling you that, and like I’ve told you before, you are the closest thing they have to a mom. If they want to call you that…” Steve shrugs. “It’s fine with me.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. He’s not sure what to make of that. It doesn’t feel normal for an alpha to want their children to call someone who isn’t their mate by such a title, but before he can question his sincerity some more, Steve is speaking again.

“In fact,” he says, standing up a little straighter, like he’s just had a great idea. “I think that you should start scenting them, too.”

Eddie blinks. “What?”

Steve shrugs. “I scent them before school, Robin scents them every time she sees them, but they’ve never really had an omega around to scent them.” He nods at Eddie. “Until now.”

“But…” Eddie trails off. He needs to stop using the twins’ clearly absent mother as an excuse to not be close to his - Steve’s - children. Clearly Steve and the twins themselves don’t have a problem with it, so Eddie maybe needs to stop feeling so guilty about it all the time. “Are you sure they’d be okay with that?” he asks anyway, twisting the rings on his fingers.

Steve smiles at him, reaching out and twisting the rings back to their proper position. “Yeah, honey, I’m pretty sure. Ivy asked me about it, like, a week after I started scenting you. I think it made her jealous,” he says with a laugh.

And oh, that makes Eddie’s heart feel so full. “Okay,” he mumbles. “I’ll… I’ll ask them if they’re okay with that in the morning.”

“Sure,” Steve says with a nod. “Oh, that reminds me, do you have plans tomorrow?”

Eddie shakes his head, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. In the months that he’s worked for Steve, he’s never had plans on a weekend, except for yesterday morning. And yet, Steve still asks, almost every time. “Nope. Figured I’d just hang out here, if that’s okay.”

Steve lights up at that, just a little. “Of course it’s okay. The twins will be so excited that they get to spend the day with you,” he says.

Eddie smiles right back at him. “Same. Maybe we could do something tomorrow?”

“Sure. We can figure something out in the morning,” Steve replies, and Eddie recognizes that for the cue it is. But then, Steve turns back to him, giving him a soft smile. “Are you okay, though? The movie didn’t scare you too badly, did it?”

Damn. Eddie had almost forgotten all about the creepy fucking clown. “Er…” Eddie says, trailing off. When he sees the concerned look on Steve’s face, he’s quick to shake his head. “I- yeah, I’m fine.” He lies. He’ll probably be sleeping with one eye open tonight, to be honest.

“Are you sure?” Steve asks, his eyebrows crinkling up in worry. “You can… you know, if you’re scared, you could…” Steve pauses, gesturing to his bedroom awkwardly.

It takes Eddie a second to get it. And when he does, his whole body flushes in embarrassment. Surely Steve isn’t actually offering- “Um, what?” Eddie asks, suddenly desperate for clarification.

Steve blushes, scratching his neck awkwardly. “You could… come sleep in my room. If you want.”

Eddie blinks at him.

“Um.”

“You don’t have to!” Steve says quickly, and Eddie notices how he scoots half a step away, putting some-much needed space in between them. It gives Eddie a little room to breathe, at least. “But just, like… the offer is there, if you need it. Okay?”

Eddie nods slowly. His brain isn’t moving quickly enough for the turns this conversation has taken, so all he can manage to say is a stuttered, “O-okay. Um… I’m gonna…” he takes a step backwards, in the direction of his own bedroom.

He pretends he doesn’t notice the slightly hurt look on Steve’s face.

“Okay,” Steve says, resigned. “Goodnight, Eds. Um… sleep tight.”

Eddie gives him a weak smile. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” he finishes the little phrase, and is rewarded with a very cute smile mirrored on Steve’s face.

He gives an awkward little wave before making his way down the hall to his bedroom, growing increasingly wary of the lack of light in the apartment as he approaches his room. Like the scaredy cat that he is, he flicks his overhead light on immediately as he walks into his room, scanning every corner and crevice for anything suspicious. Content that he is well and truly alone in his room, he flicks the light off, all but jumping into his bed as soon as the lights are out.

It’s not like he never watches scary movies.

He does.

Just… usually he only watches them when he knows someone will be around to… comfort him, if he happens to get scared. Back when he was younger, that had been Wayne’s job, and bless his uncle’s heart - the man had spent many a night sleeping in the recliner so that Eddie could have the pull-out couch, terrified of being left in his own room by himself. Things had changed when Eddie and Henry started courting, but Henry didn’t usually like to deal with him after a horror movie. Eddie remembers being called “needy” and “childish” - both of which were perfectly true, just not very helpful, in the grand scheme of things.

Eddie forces himself to close his eyes, trying desperately to relax and stay calm, despite the images that dance in his head. Sharp teeth, long crooked fingers, a smile that’s just not quite right-

Was that a noise?

If he wasn’t so petrified, he’d probably laugh at himself for how ridiculous he’s being. Instead, he lays stock-still, his eyes just barely peeking open so that he can survey the room around him once more. He realizes how absurd he probably seems, and part of him is grateful that there isn’t anyone around to see this side of him. The bigger part of him, though… that part wishes he’d taken Steve up on his offer.

It’s not like it would be weird. Well… not in a bad way, at least. It would probably just be a little awkward, but surely it wouldn’t be that bad. And it’s not like Steve hadn’t offered…

That, and the lingering feeling that something is watching him from the closet, makes Eddie’s decision for him. He throws his covers off himself, making his way out of his room as quickly and quietly as possible. He closes the door behind himself, his socked feet aiding in his attempt to sneak through the apartment.

There’s a soft light streaming underneath Steve’s bedroom door, so Eddie doesn’t feel quite as terrible when he knocks lightly before pushing it open.

“Steve?” He whispers, peeking around the door.

“Eddie? Are you okay?” Steve’s concerned voice meets him, and Eddie takes that as his invitation, slipping through the doorway quietly. Steve is sitting up in his bed, a book in his lap, the lamp on his bedside table shining dimly. He’s also wearing glasses, something Eddie has never seen him wear before, although they’re actually quite a good look. His eyebrows are furrowed in concern when Eddie meets his gaze, but something in Eddie’s face must settle some of that, because it smooths out as he speaks. “Oh, honey. C’mere.”

“I’m not bothering you, am I?” Eddie asks before he even dares move closer to the bed. “I don’t want to be annoying, I just-“

Steve interrupts him with a shake of his head. “No, no. Come here, I told you that you can sleep in here.”

Eddie shuffles over to the empty side of the bed, feeling a bit like a little kid. “I feel kind of ridiculous,” he admits through a mumble. “I’m twenty-six, you know.”

“I know,” Steve says, giving him a sweet smile as he lifts up the covers. “You can be twenty-six and still be afraid of things, you know.”

Eddie huffs as he climbs into bed beside Steve, his movements a little stiff and uncertain. “Yeah, well you certainly don’t seem scared,” he argues petulantly.

Steve grins at him, patting his knee before his hand returns to his book. “I’m not twenty-six,” Steve jokes. Eddie pouts, and something about his demeanor gets Steve’s attention. “I am scared of things, Ed.”

“Yeah?” Eddie murmurs, turning over to lay on his side, looking up at Steve with wide, curious eyes. This feels important, like sharing secrets at a sleepover. “Like what?”

Steve makes a considering noise, and Eddie watches as he puts his book away on the nightstand. Eddie doesn’t catch the title of it, but vows to check in the morning, just out of curiosity. “Well,” Steve finally says, staring seemingly at nothing as he talks. “I’m scared of spiders. They gross me out, and I despise dealing with them when they’re in my house.”

Eddie snickers at that. “Everyone’s afraid of spiders,” he argues.

“Well, there’s still enough arachnophobia to go around, evidently,” Steve replies dryly. He sits for a moment, twiddling his thumbs as he thinks. His gaze is unfocused, like he’s deep in thought. “I’m scared of something bad happening to the people I care about,” he whispers.

Eddie’s throat tightens when Steve looks down at him, blinking meaningfully. “Yeah,” Eddie manages, twiddling with a loose string on the comforter. “I get that.”

The mattress dips and creaks as Steve twists to flick off his lamp and rolls over on his side to face Eddie. There’s just enough soft moonlight filtering in through the curtains for Eddie to make out the shape of Steve’s eyes and the slant of his nose. He breathes slowly and quietly across the distance between them, and Eddie’s eyes track helplessly down to study Steve’s lips.

“Eddie,” Steve murmurs.

“Yeah?” Eddie breathes back. He’s obsessed with the way Steve’s mouth forms words in the dark, his teeth glinting beautifully every time the moonlight catches them.

Eddie feels a gentle hand rest on his waist, and he tries not to jump at the contact. “Are you still scared?” Steve murmurs, and Eddie’s not sure, but he thinks that maybe Steve has shifted closer.

“Not anymore,” Eddie whispers. He’s not sure that they’re still talking about the movie.

Steve smiles at him, or at least in the dark that’s what it appears like, and Eddie carefully nudges himself forward as well. It wouldn’t hurt anything, surely, for them to be close to each other. And if they happened to get even closer, surely that wouldn’t hurt anybody, since-

Their noses brush.

Eddie draws in a sharp breath, his hand instinctively gripping the covers in a tight fist. If he moved just a centimeter closer, they’d be kissing.

“Eddie,” Steve breathes, his voice broken and soft. Eddie stills, preparing himself for the inevitable let down and disappointment.

That’s not what happens.

Instead, Steve shifts somehow even closer, the hand on Eddie’s waist skating up to cup his jaw. “I need you to tell me no if you don’t want this,” Steve whispers.

Eddie is silent, staring at Steve through wide eyes. It’s wrong, Eddie is vaguely aware of that, but here, in the dark, it feels like it could be okay. It could be okay for them to kiss, just as long as these feelings stay tucked away in this little pocket of darkness and silence.

Even if it isn’t okay, a distant part of Eddie’s brain reminds him, he’s tired of fighting it. He’s tired of holding himself back every time he wants Steve, of pretending that he doesn’t feel something for him. And even if this is just about sex for Steve, Eddie would give him that, if it meant he got to have him in some way.

Steve is still watching him, clearly waiting for some kind of response. Eddie clears his throat and allows his hand to reach out for Steve, clutching the front of his t-shirt with ease. “I’m not going to tell you no,” Eddie says quietly. “Want this too bad,” he mumbles.

“You’re sure?” Steve whispers. “I know you said-“

“I know,” Eddie interrupts. “I… I know what I said. But…” he braces himself for what he’s about to say. He knows it’s desperate, and ridiculous, but at this point, he would do just about anything to have Steve. “It… it’ll be kind of like scenting, right? So… it’s fine.”

Even in the darkness of the room, Eddie can make out the incredulity that paints Steve’s expression. “Like scenting…” Steve trails off.

Eddie gets a horrible idea. It almost makes him sick, to think about what he’s about to say to Steve right now, the lie he’s about to let slip. But part of him knows that he won’t be able to handle it if Steve’s the one who says it first, so sparing himself that pain might be the only way he can handle this at all.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Eddie murmurs.

Steve stills.

Eddie watches him, his heart racing as he waits for any indication that Steve will argue with him, or question him, or anything that would prove that he wants it to mean something.

“Oh,” he says, eventually. Eddie holds his breath. “If you’re sure,” Steve whispers, his hand cradling Eddie’s cheek softly.

Eddie’s heart shrivels up in his chest, any hope he had left going right along with it. “I’m sure,” Eddie lies again. He can’t seem to stop lying.

Steve shifts just a bit closer, brushing their noses together. “Okay,” Steve whispers.

That’s all the warning Eddie gets before Steve is pressing his mouth to Eddie’s. It’s tentative, and somehow even more chaste than that fleeting kiss Eddie had stolen that first time. It still leaves Eddie breathless and wanting, his hand moving to clutch at the front of Steve’s shirt instead of the sheets beneath them. He can feel Steve’s heartbeat through the thin cotton, erratic and comforting underneath Eddie’s fingertips.

Steve doesn’t drag it out. It’s probably less than a minute after kissing him that he pulls away from Eddie, his expression unreadable. Eddie licks his lips without thinking, and Steve’s eyes track the movement. “Fuck,” he whispers.

Eddie’s heart, or the husk left in its place, sinks in his chest. He can’t bear the thought of disappointing Steve, but apparently, somehow he has. “What?” Eddie whispers back, afraid to raise his voice.

Steve closes his eyes, sighing deeply. “We shouldn’t have…” Eddie feels like he might cry. “I’m just going to want to do that even more now.” His voice is strained, distraught.

And, well. Eddie’s only human. And that confirmation of being desired, even if it’s just carnal, makes his heart sing. “Well…” Eddie trails off. “I wouldn’t mind it.”

Steve opens his eyes, but he looks sad when he meets Eddie’s gaze. “I know.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “But you were right… it’s really not a good idea. I won’t… I won’t corner you like this again, Eddie. I promise.”

Eddie feels like he has whiplash from all the back and forth. Every time he thinks he’s got Steve and his feelings figured out, he goes in the opposite direction again. It’s starting to make his head hurt. “Oh…” Eddie finally manages to choke out. “Okay.”

He hesitates. They’re still so close, and Eddie could probably just move back, but it no longer even feels appropriate to be in the same bed. He shifts, trying to subtly slide out from under the covers, but a gentle grip on his wrist stops him.

“Where are you going?” Steve asks, his eyes wide and hurt.

“Oh… I was just going to… I figured you’d probably want me to sleep in my own room,” Eddie explains, trying hard not to make eye contact.

Steve sits up with him, ducking his head to force him to meet his gaze. “Of course not. I don’t think we should let ourselves be so reckless anymore with…well, anyway.” He shakes his head, but his gaze comes right back to Eddie’s. ”I still want you to sleep in here.”

Eddie sighs, conflicted. As much as he wants to be close to Steve, and as much as he enjoys being wrapped up in the alpha’s scent like this, he’s just not sure his heart can take anymore. “Steve…” he starts, unsure of what he can even say.

“I promise I won’t touch you,” Steve says, his voice small. When Eddie blinks over at him, Steve is looking down at his hands, and Eddie can smell the shame rolling off of him.

That makes the decision for him.

Carefully, Eddie resettles, laying back on the pillows once again. He looks up at Steve, giving him a weak smile. “I’ll stay,” he murmurs, even as his mind is racing to a decision that he doesn’t feel he’s brave enough to make.

Steve lays beside him, keeping that promised distance between them. His hand twitches on the bed between them, as if he wants to reach out, and Eddie wishes like hell that he would. But if all this emotional motion sickness has taught him anything, it’s that he and Steve just want different things.

“Goodnight, Eddie,” Steve whispers into the dark. “Sweet dreams.”

Eddie swallows hard. God, he’s going to miss him.

“Goodnight, Steve.”

Chapter Text

When Eddie wakes up, the first thing he registers is warmth. The kind of warmth that is hard to make on one’s own, the kind that makes him wish he would never have to leave it.

He hears a soft sound from somewhere behind him, and it only takes him a moment after registering the sound as a yawn to realize that there’s a warm weight laying across his body. Slowly, without disturbing the man he knows is tucked behind him, Eddie turns over, bracing himself to wake up in Steve’s arms, his mind already reeling as the night before comes back to him in flashes.

Steve’s eyes are already open, trained on Eddie when they make eye contact.

“Good morning,” Eddie murmurs, his voice rough with sleep. “Time is it?” he says through a yawn.

Steve glances over his shoulder at the clock on his nightstand. “Little after seven,” he says. His voice isn’t nearly as rough as Eddie’s, and that makes him wonder how long Steve has been awake. Surely he hasn’t just been sitting there watching him for long - Eddie can’t imagine how boring that would be. “Did you sleep okay?” Steve asks softly.

Eddie nods, feeling a little embarrassed to still be snuggled up in Steve’s bed like this. But it smells amazing, and the sheets are just so warm, he can’t bear to get out of bed just yet. “I think I slept better last night than I have in weeks,” he confesses, realizing only a half-second too late that he probably shouldn’t admit to that. He tries to play it off with a laugh and a quick, “I should watch horror movies more often.”

Steve’s mouth barely twitches into a smile, and Eddie’s throat feels a little funny all of a sudden, as he registers how… distant Steve is being. “Yeah,” he says flatly. Before Eddie can come up with anything else to say, Steve is speaking again. “I remembered that I have some work I need to get done today. I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind watching the girls for a little while?”

And that solidifies it for Eddie. Something is definitely wrong, because Steve values his Sunday family time far too much to let something as pointless as work get in the way of it. Still, Eddie doesn’t know how to voice this concern without crossing a line, so he just nods, sitting up. “Of course, I don’t mind at all,” he says, pulling his hair up into a messy pile atop his head and securing it with the wristband that always adorns his left wrist. He studiously avoids meeting Steve’s eyes as he climbs out of his bed. “Um…” he hesitates at the door, glancing back at Steve. He’s not certain of the protocol here, but he doesn’t want to just leave like this. “Thanks. For letting me… you know. Sleep in here,” he says lamely, rubbing the back of his neck.

Steve nods. “Of course, yeah,” he says. He hasn’t moved from the bed yet, watching Eddie carefully. “My door’s always open, you know,” he says softly.

Eddie feels that sink in his chest, the kindness of the offer weighing him down after the events of the night before. He swallows hard, but forces himself to nod and smile. His mind is already made up, really, but he can’t say that hearing that doesn’t make him feel a little guilty about it. “Right,” Eddie says. “Thanks. Um… I’m gonna go get started on breakfast.”

“Okay,” Steve nods, finally moving to get out of bed. “I’ll wake the girls up. Are you planning on staying here with them all day?”

And that’s the perfect opening he needed, really. Sure, this part of his plan would be easiest if the twins weren’t with him, but there’s no reason why he couldn’t multitask. “No, actually, we’ll probably go out and do some window shopping or something. Maybe go to the park,” Eddie says with a very casual shrug.

Steve’s eyes flash with something like regret, but Eddie pretends he doesn’t see it. “Okay. I’ll have them get dressed, then.”

Eddie nods. “Alright.” He gives Steve a little nod before leaving his room, tentatively glancing around to make sure the twins aren’t already up waiting for them before he goes to start breakfast, his brain already setting up a game plan.

~~~

By the time Eddie finishes making breakfast, Steve and the twins are all dressed and ready for the day. They line up to sit at the island as usual, and Eddie tries not to watch as Steve tries to wrangle Ivy’s hair into something halfway tamed.

“I can do that, Steve,” Eddie says as he passes out cups of orange juice to the twins.

Steve has a little wrinkle between his eyebrows as he shakes his head, clearly determined to do it himself. “No, I can- Ivy Bryn, if you don’t sit still,” he says, his voice taking on a sharp tone.

Eddie pauses. He’s never heard Steve speak to his children like this. Ivy ducks her head down, mumbling a little, “sorry,” as she pushes her eggs around on her plate. Eddie can’t help the flare of anger that briefly lights up his veins, his omega deeply bothered at the tone, and he steps around the counter, moving over to stand behind Steve’s chair. “Honey,” he says, his voice quiet but firm. He rests his hand on Steve’s back, getting his attention. “Leave it. I’ll do it when she’s finished eating, okay?”

“I’ve got it, Ed, I can-” Steve starts again, struggling to figure out how to twist Ivy’s hair up into a - bun? Maybe?

Eddie can smell how frustrated he’s becoming, so he tries a new tactic. He steadfastly ignores the outcome of their closeness the night before, leaning in and nosing at the back of Steve’s neck, scenting him gently and quickly. The girls don’t seem to notice, both of them eating as this occurs. “Stevie,” he murmurs, the nickname slipping out entirely without his permission. “Why don’t you eat your breakfast, hm? Before it gets cold? You hate cold eggs,” he reminds him, rubbing the tension out of his shoulders.

Steve finally caves, slumping forward as his hands drop from Ivy’s hair. “Okay,” he mumbles. He picks up his fork, but glances back at Eddie with something like contrition in his eyes. “Sorry.”

Eddie shakes his head, nodding to Ivy. He mouths, “say that to her,” before walking around to his own seat on the other side of Jasmine.

“Ivy, honey, I’m sorry for snapping at you,” Steve says softly. “Daddy is just having a weird day, okay?”

Ivy looks up at Steve, her eyes wide and concerned. “Are you okay, Daddy?”

Eddie’s heart aches. These are the most loving, considerate children he’s ever met. How the hell is he supposed to leave them?

“I’m fine, honey,” Steve replies, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. “Just… didn’t get enough sleep, I guess.”

Picking up his glass, Eddie adamantly refuses to meet Steve’s gaze when he says that.

“Oh,” Ivy says. “Why not?”

Before Steve can respond, Jasmine pipes up from between her sister and Eddie. “Can I have some more bacon?”

Luckily, that takes the attention away from Ivy’s questioning, a fact Eddie couldn’t be more grateful for. As he refills plates and cups, he notices Steve glancing at his watch.

“Alright, girls. I’ve got to run to work for an hour or two, but Eddie said he might take you guys to the park if you can be extra good, okay?” Steve says, trying to infuse as much enthusiasm in his voice as he can.

It doesn’t work the way he’s probably expecting it to, and instead both girls immediately whine, clinging to their father.

“But why do you have to go to work on a Sunday?” Ivy asks, pouting.

“Yeah,” Jasmine agrees. “Sunday is family day. Right, Eddie?”

Eddie feels a little caught out, being dragged into this, and stumbles over his words a bit. “Oh, um… Well, sometimes… Having an important job like Daddy does means that sometimes he has to do work things at silly times.”

“But Daddy has never had to go to work on Sunday,” Jasmine protests, sending her father a heartbroken look.

Steve looks devastated, and Eddie can’t help the urge to help him out using the only tactic he knows: distraction. He turns to the twins with a pout of his own, his hands on his hips. “Are you guys saying you don’t want to spend time with me?” He makes his face long and sad, and predictably, the girls fall for it.

“No!” Ivy says, making grabby hands for him. “I wanna have a Mommy day, but… I wanted a Mommy and Daddy day,” she says, looking down at her hands sadly.

Eddie’s heart constricts so hard it actually hurts. God, he should have put a stop to them calling him that long ago. It’s just going to hurt everyone so much worse when-

Steve interrupts his self-destructive train of thought. “I’ll be back soon, girls. And we can spend the rest of the afternoon together, yeah?”

The twins agree, if a bit less enthusiastically, but they don’t cause any kind of scene when Steve puts his dishes away and goes to put on his shoes. Eddie is washing the dishes when he comes back, noticeably staying on the other side of the kitchen island. “Bye, Daddy,” Jasmine says, giving him a hug.

He kisses the top of her head before going to Ivy to do the same. “Bye, girls. I’ll see you afterwhile. Be good, okay?” They nod, and Steve barely glances at Eddie as he says, “Bye, Eddie,” before he’s out the door.

Eddie tries not to let that hurt his feelings too much. This is for the best, really.

When he’s finished washing the dishes, he turns to the girls with a big, fake smile.

“How about some shopping?”

~~~

He doesn’t necessarily have an agenda when they go out after breakfast, but after about twenty minutes walking downtown, he finds it.

Or, well. He finds something.

“Hey,” Eddie says, swinging a twin’s hand on either side as they walk. He nods to the sign of the store he’s just spotted, his feet already leading them that way. “You girls ever been to a music store?”

They shake their heads, but agree that they’d like to check it out. Eddie promises to let them hold a guitar when they go in, and that seems to do the trick as far as convincing them goes.

The little overhead bell jingles as they step into the music shop, and Eddie feels an almost orgasmic level of relief at the familiar sounds of guitars being tuned, an errant off-beat on a drum kit, and even a squabbling violin coming from somewhere towards the back of the shop. It’s fairly busy for a Sunday morning, and Eddie is a little relieved that they won’t be the only ones wandering around.

A plan is forming in his mind as he leads the twins over to the wall of guitars, his gaze darting around and subtly checking for someone who works there. This would be perfect, and even if it didn’t pay much, maybe he could find a roommate when he moves out, and-

“Mommy, can I hold that one?” Ivy asks, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt and pointing to an acoustic fender hanging on the wall closest to her.

Eddie glances at it, tilting his head as he hums. “Hmm. That one’s a bit big, baby. How about we try…” he paces the length of the wall slowly until his eyes land on a smaller concert guitar, still too big for either of the kids, but smaller than the dreadnought she’d pointed out at first. “How about this one?”

Ivy nods, clambering onto the stool when Eddie gestures at it, her hands reaching out in grabby motions. “Do you play guitar?” She asks, her eyes big and round when he sets the guitar in her lap, guiding her little hands to the fretboard and the strings over the sound hole.

“I do,” he replies, smiling down at her. “I used to be in a band, actually.”

Jasmine stares up at him, her eyes wide with wonder. “Really?” she asks.

Eddie nods, shaping out a few chords on the fretboard with his own hand while he lets Ivy strum. “Sure was. Lead guitar and vocals,” he says proudly. He’d really love to get back to music full-time, someday in the future. But for now, his future is shaping up to be a little different, even from what he thought it was going to look like just a few weeks ago.

“Hi there,” a voice says from somewhere behind Eddie. He turns, and a man with a kind face is standing there watching them. “I’m Ben. Can I help you guys find anything today?”

Bingo.

Eddie turns to face him, still holding onto the guitar in Ivy’s lap carefully. “Hey,” he greets. “I just wanted to bring them to look around.” He glances at Jasmine and raises an eyebrow. “Are there any instruments in particular that you’d like to look at, honey?”

Jasmine sidles over to him, giving the stranger a shy smile as she thinks it over. “The piano?” She asks, gesturing to the other side of the room.

“Yeah?” When she nods, Eddie turns to the man and smiles. “Could you show us the pianos? That’s not really my wheelhouse.”

“Of course,” Ben replies easily. He watches as Eddie places the guitar back onto its hook, giving him an appraising once-over. “You must be a guitarist, then?” He asks as they make their way over to the keys section.

Eddie nods. “Yeah. Little bit of bass and drums, too, but guitar’s my main thing.”

“Cool,” the man says. He gestures for the twins to sit at the bench of the baby grand piano they have in the corner of the shop, and Eddie gives them an encouraging grin when they look up at him for support. “Now this is obviously one of our more expensive options, but we do have electric keyboards for beginners, and we offer piano lessons a couple times a week, right here in house.”

“That’s great,” Eddie says. Part of him wants to go right ahead and sign them up for some kind of music class, knowing that Steve would gladly foot the bill, but his ulterior motives make him pause. While the twins are plinking at the keys, Eddie decides to be brave. “Um, hey, I’ve got a quick question,” he says quietly to Ben, who is clearly unbothered by the girls’ lackluster performance on the piano.

“Sure thing,” the guy says with a nod, his gaze very patient.

Eddie takes a deep breath. “Are you guys hiring, by any chance?” He glances at the girls right after saying it, ensuring that they didn’t hear, but their concert isn’t interrupted at all.

He gives Eddie an appraising look, then nods. “Actually, yes,” he says after a brief moment of silence. “We’ve got room for one more associate, and we’re always looking for people to pick up extra music lessons. You think you could teach someone how to play the guitar?”

Eddie nearly chirps- he can’t believe his luck!

“Yeah! I mean- yes, I think I could do that. I’ve been playing since I was nine, so, yeah, I could definitely do that,” he rambles.

Ben smiles at him. “Great. You ever run a cash register before?”

Eddie’s grin falters just a little. “Um, no… but I’m a fast learner!”

His panic seems to be unnecessary, as Ben just nods, his smile intact. “Great. I can give you an application to fill out, and we’ll call you for an interview in a few days, okay?”

“That sounds great, yeah, thank you so much,” Eddie says, getting ahead of himself once again. “I-”

“Mommy,” Jasmine says, making Eddie’s eyes dart down to her level. “Can we go to the park after this?”

“Sure, sweetheart. Do you guys mind going to quietly look at some of the instruments while I go talk to Ben for a second?” He asks, glancing between the two of them. The girls nod obediently, and Eddie is quick to warn them, “but don’t touch anything until I come back, okay?”

They nod again, with a chorus of, “yes, Mommy”s following his statement.

He follows Ben to the counter, where he’s handed a short paper application and a pen.

“Cute kids you’ve got,” Ben says into the comfortable silence while Eddie fills in all his personal details and previous work experience.

“Thanks,” Eddie says, smiling down at the paperwork. It’s a rueful thing, accepting the compliment with a smile, for children who aren’t really even his, as he knows there’s now a countdown on his time left with them. No sense in making a big deal out of correcting this stranger, though.

He’ll just enjoy the fantasy while it lasts.

~~~

By the end of the day, Eddie has taken the girls to the park, then out for lunch, and has managed to apply for a job at the music store, a bookstore, and the coffee shop just down the street from Steve’s apartment. It’s not much, but considering the time constraints, and the fact that he’d been toting two children with him all day, he’s not disappointed in the day’s work.

When they finally do make it home, Steve is already there, sitting at the counter writing something in a small notebook when they walk in the door.

“Daddy!” The girls squeal in excitement, pausing only to remove their shoes and coats before streaking across the short distance to give their father hugs.

“Oh, my sweet girls,” Steve says as he wraps them up in a tight embrace, pulling each of them up so that he’s got one kid on each leg. “How was your day with Eddie?” he asks, glancing over Ivy’s head to give Eddie a little smile.

“It was so fun!” Ivy replies, practically bouncing with excitement as she explains what all they had done during the day, sparing absolutely no details. Steve listens raptly, barely having any time to interject with even so much as a “mhm,” or an “oh, I see,” before the girls are talking again. Eddie simply smiles to himself as he goes about pulling some things out of the pantry and fridge to start dinner, planning a fettucini alfredo dinner in his head as he goes.

“Well, it sounds like you guys had a great day,” Steve finally says once the twins have exhausted all their stories. “And how was Eddie’s day?” he asks, and Eddie startles a little when he glances up, finding Steve’s eyes laser-focused on his own. Something seems… different, from this morning, the sadness and the indifference in his gaze from earlier now replaced with something else.

“It was good,” Eddie says, not meeting Steve’s gaze as he says it. “I’m just glad the girls had a good time.”

The twins immediately interject yet again about how much fun they had, and how they wish their father could have been there, and Eddie has to hide his quivering lip with a smile before he turns away, his back to the happy little family. As much as they care for Eddie, he’ll never be enough if they don’t have their father too, and Eddie just knows that’s not going to happen. Because as much as he cares for Steve, he’ll never be able to compete with the reality of their situation, and whoever had Steve’s heart first.

“Well, I’m glad to hear everyone had a good day.” Steve pauses, and Eddie listens carefully, well aware that the brief intake of breath is a sign that Steve has something more to say. “I have some news for you all.”

Eddie turns around at that, bracing himself against the counter that he now leans back against. “What?” he asks, trepidation dripping heavily into his voice.

The twins seem excited, so it takes Steve a second to calm them down enough to speak. “The company has assigned me to a business trip to New York next week.”

The girls immediately whine and boo, and part of Eddie very nearly does the same. The other part is almost a little relieved that he’ll have some time apart from Steve, some time to get his life together and figure out how he’s going to tell him he’s leaving.

Until Steve says, “I want you all to go with me.”

There is a very brief moment of silence, followed by chaos in the form of the twins cheering and rejoicing in the fact that they won’t have to be without their father for a whole week. Eddie is excited for them, of course, excited that they are getting such an amazing opportunity to travel, especially at their age, but he’s also… well, he’s dreading it for himself.

“Eddie,” Steve says, his voice closer than Eddie expects.

When Eddie glances up, Steve is standing across from him, leaning back against the kitchen island, a strange look on his face. “Yeah,” Eddie says quietly, his voice lacking his usual energy.

“Do you… Will you be okay with that? Coming with me to New York?” Steve asks softly, the excited hum of the twins serving as background noise.

Eddie nods. “Yeah, of course,” he says faintly. Truthfully, he’s not even sure he’ll be able to handle it. The only reassurance he has is in the fact that Steve said this is a business trip - so surely, how much forced proximity will there really be?

Steve studies him for a long moment, and Eddie has to force himself to hold his gaze, terrified at what he’ll find. “Okay. You and the girls will get to go exploring and sight-seeing while I work, and maybe we’ll get one day where I get to be with you guys, too,” he says, his lips quirking up into a hopeful smile.

“Sure, yeah,” Eddie says, turning back around to continue preparing dinner. His head is spinning, and one thought surfaces at the forefront of the chaos: this will be the perfect parting. One last week of being with the Harringtons, and then, once they’ve returned from the trip, Eddie will tell Steve that he’s leaving.

Easy peasy.

He hears Steve behind him, telling the girls that they’ll be leaving for the airport on Tuesday, and Eddie tunes him out as he begins fielding questions about what they are allowed to bring and what they’ll be allowed to do once they get there. Tuesday. That’s his deadline for the routine he’s gotten so comfortable with here, and then, everything will change.

But for now, he’s going to let himself soak up the ambiance of being part of this family, just for a little while longer.

~~~

The next couple of days pass by in a blur, and soon enough, it’s early Tuesday morning and Eddie is helping Steve corral two very sleepy girls downstairs and into his car. Their luggage had all been packed the night before, overseen by Steve, who, Eddie is thrilled to learn, is an anxious packer. He had checked and double-checked things an obnoxious amount of times, but Eddie would never bother to tell him how adorable, albeit a little insane, he found this.

Getting through the airport security is actually not nearly as bad as Eddie expects it to be, even with the twins (and himself) being brand-new to the whole flying business. Steve only has to raise his voice once, and Eddie is quick to soothe the bite of his tone with a hug when Jasmine’s eyes water. Overall, the chaos isn’t as bad as what Eddie had expected.

“Alright, everyone present and accounted for?” Steve asks as they take a breather just outside the final security check.

“I’m sleepy,” Jasmine says, resting her head against Eddie’s leg as she stands on wobbly feet.

“I’m hungry,” Ivy chimes in, although her drooping eyes tell a tale that matches her sister’s.

“I know,” Steve says, giving them each a sympathetic smile. “C’mon, let’s walk down to our gate, then Daddy will go find some food, okay?”

The girls mumble an agreement, Jasmine reaching for Eddie’s hand while Steve takes one of Ivy’s, and their little entourage continues down the seemingly never-ending hallway. Eventually, Steve pulls them to a stop, nodding to a small section of plastic chairs situated against a wall of windows overlooking the blacktop. Eddie is sure that normally, the twins would be excited to go look at the planes, but in their current state of exhaustion, the most they manage is a noise of surprise.

“I’m gonna go look for some muffins or something for them. Could you eat something, hon?” Steve asks, setting his carry-on in the chair beside Eddie as Jasmine crawls into his lap and Ivy settles into the seat on his other side.

“Maybe just some coffee?” Eddie asks, his own eyes fighting to stay open as well. He’s not entirely sure why they had to get here so early, as it seems that there is almost no one else waiting for this flight yet, but he’s not the experienced traveler out of them, so what does he know?

“Sure,” Steve agrees with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie nods, waving him off as he allows himself to get comfy in the uncomfortable plastic chair, one arm wrapping around Jasmine as she snuggles into his chest, while the other goes to pull Ivy in against his side. “You guys wanna take a little power nap until daddy gets back?” he asks, glancing down at them with a grin.

He doesn’t get much of an agreement, both of them practically already dozing from the second the question is out of his mouth. He smiles, resting his cheek on the top of Jasmine’s head, just resting his eyes for a moment. He nuzzles her just a bit, and it occurs to him that he never got around to asking them about the scenting thing after the conversation with their dad the other day.

A bit late now, he thinks, rather bitterly. There’s no point in starting to scent them now that he’s actively planning on leaving them within the next couple of weeks. He’s devastated at the loss of something he never even had, but that can be said for much of his experience with Steve and his family so far.

It’s not long after that Steve returns, his arms full of goodies for them all.

“You all look so precious,” he says softly as he sits beside Eddie, setting their drinks down so that he can distribute his bag of pastries. “Girls, sit up, now. I’ve got you a muffin each, and some chocolate milk.”

“That’s a lot of sugar,” Eddie observes, smiling at Steve to show that he’s actually not very bothered.

Steve shrugs. “You get to have little treats on vacation,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Here. I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I got you a ham and cheese bagel, or a croissant if you decide you’re in the mood for something sweeter.”

Eddie has never wanted to kiss someone more. Instead, he drops his head to Steve’s shoulder, just for a moment, and breathes out a quiet, “thank you.”

He feels the press of lips to his forehead and has to squeeze his eyes shut tight, knowing full well how dangerous it is to allow himself this proximity. “You’re welcome, hon,” Steve whispers back. “Here’s your coffee, too.”

The four of them eat their breakfast in comfortable silence, the twins still sleepy even after they’ve finished chugging their bottles of milk to wash down their muffins. As soon as everyone has finished and Steve has disposed of everyone’s trash, it’s like naptime all over again. Except this time, Steve is there, softly murmuring to Eddie that he can use him as a pillow until it’s time to board the plane.

So that’s how they find themselves, all snuggled up like a proper family, Eddie dozing on Steve’s shoulder as he cuddles Jasmine, Ivy having taken up residence in Steve’s lap as soon as he had finished eating. Eddie is certain that to any outsider, this probably looks like some sort of cute family vacation, and he basks in the knowledge that their scents are intermingled enough to keep any outsiders at bay.

Eventually, it’s time to board the plane, and Steve leads them up to the desk after checking and re-checking they’ve got everything they need. The flight attendant who takes their tickets is pretty, and Eddie hates the way she smiles at Steve when she says, “have a nice flight!”

His jealousy is quenched almost immediately when Steve says, “thanks. Baby? C’mon,” as he gestures for Eddie to follow him.

They board the plane with the twins easily, and Eddie grins when the flight attendant at the door compliments them on their beautiful daughters. Might as well soak it up while he’s got the chance.

“Okay, who wants to sit with me, and who wants to sit with Mommy?” Steve asks as they make their way down the aisle to their seats.

“I wanna sit with Mommy,” Ivy says, twisting around and reaching for Eddie’s hand.

“No, I wanna!” Jasmine argues, swatting at her sister’s hand petulantly.

“Hey, don’t hit your sister,” Eddie reprimands gently as he scoots them along so they’re not holding up traffic. “How about Ivy sits with me on the way there, and you sit with me on the way back, okay?” He says softly, running a gentle hand through Jasmine’s hair.

Jasmine pouts, but nods. “Okay,” she agrees.

“This is us,” Steve says, coming to a stop in the aisle. “Here, Jazz, you can have the window seat, honey.”

They get the twins situated, both of them getting the window seat in their respective rows, and then Steve and Eddie settle next to them on the aisle seat, Eddie and Ivy sat in the row in front of Steve and Jasmine.

“It’s a pretty short flight,” Steve leans over the seat to whisper to Eddie. “We should get there by ten, and I’ll be able to check us into the hotel and maybe take you guys out for lunch before I’ve got to head to some meetings.”

Eddie nods, watching Ivy as she stares out the window in awe. “Okay.”

“You’ve got your credit card, right?” Steve asks.

“Yes,” Eddie replies, rolling his eyes. He turns his head to glance back at Steve. “We’ve got everything we need, honey. You checked and double-checked everything before we left. We’re good. Okay?”

Steve lets out a breath, nodding. “Okay. I’m sorry for being annoying, I just… I’d hate for something to go wrong and me not be there to help.”

Eddie lets himself be brave, or stupid, and reaches up to gently hold Steve’s hand that’s resting over the top of Eddie’s seat. “We’re gonna be fine, Steve. I promise.”

Something settles in Steve’s gaze, and even his scent gets almost a softer edge to it as he seems to relax. “Okay,” he agrees. He tilts forward, kissing Eddie’s hand sweetly. “I’m gonna let you rest now, okay? I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

Eddie nods, although he feels the loss keenly when Steve pulls his hand away. He’s not certain he’ll be able to sleep, not since this is his first time on a plane, but for now, he’ll just enjoy watching Ivy’s eyes grow big and wide as the plane takes off, content with being part of this first time for her as well.

~~~

Steve was right on the money of his estimate about landing time. Of course, that’s to be expected with an experienced traveler such as himself. Eddie panics as they exit the airport, afraid that they may have to wait ages for a cab, but then a sleek black car is pulling right up to the curb for them, a gentleman in a suit stepping out and addressing Steve with a polite nod and a, “Mr. Harrington, pleasure to see you and your family have made it in safely.”

Steve smiles as the man opens the back door of the car, guiding his children in. “Thank you, Charles. We’ll need to stop at the hotel first, and then I’ll need you to take me to the office once we’ve had lunch.”

“Of course, sir,” Charles replies, tipping his hat as he goes around to the front of the car.

Eddie is stood stock still, shock coloring his features. He had known Steve was important, and wealthy, but not like this.

“Are you alright, honey?” Steve murmurs to him, his hand resting gently on the small of his back.

Eddie nods numbly. “Mhm. Just… tired.”

Steve gently coaxes him into the car, following behind him easily. “Oh, I know. You guys can rest this afternoon, if you’d like. I know I got you all out really early, and I won’t be offended if you wait until tomorrow to sight-see.”

Eddie shakes his head a little as he gets situated in what he’s realizing is a small limo, if one can even be deemed that. He and Steve are settled on seats across from the twins, whose eyes are glued to the windows as they take in the sights of this new city. “No, we’ll get out and do something. I feel bad enough that they’re getting out of school when it’s not even a break, so we’ll definitely find something to do.”

Steve smiles at him, something soft and amused. “Eddie, it’s not like they’re doing a whole lot at school. I mean,” he drops his voice to a whisper, “it’s first grade. I think they’ll be fine.”

And while he’s probably right, Eddie wasn’t raised on this whole belief system that it’s fine to miss school if you’ve got enough money, and as little as he cared for school himself, he wants more for his- these children. “Maybe, but we’ll make sure they seem very cultured and educated when they get back to school on Monday.”

Steve smiles, reaching over and ruffling Eddie’s hair. “Sure, honey. Whatever you say.”

~~~

As soon as they’ve checked into the hotel and gotten to their room, the first problem of the trip presents itself.

Well, maybe problem isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word Eddie’s mind lands on.

“Um,” Eddie says, pausing in the doorway when he sees the two queen sized beds in the middle of the room.

“What’s- oh,” Steve says behind him, dragging in their luggage.

The twins have already claimed their bed, jumping and giggling on top of the one closest to the window, and Eddie doesn’t even have the energy to tell them to stop.

“I guess I didn’t really think this through,” Steve says after a moment of silence.

Eddie turns to look at him, tearing his gaze from the empty bed closest to them. “What?”

Steve scratches the back of his neck but nods. “I wasn’t really thinking about… well, I guess I just wasn’t thinking at all when I booked the room.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, his mind still stuck on the fact that there is very clearly going to be a problem with their sleeping arrangements. “Uh, that’s okay. I can sleep on…” he looks around the room for a couch of some sort, but all he finds is a set of arm chairs with a small table in the middle. Dammit.

“We can…” Steve starts, glancing between the bed and Eddie like he’s thinking one of them might interrupt. “We can just share. I promise I’ll keep my distance, and I won’t touch you.” His voice is so soft, so earnest, that Eddie’s heart sinks.

“I’m not… I wouldn’t be worried about that, Steve,” he replies, just as quietly. “I know you wouldn’t… do anything that I didn’t want. I just… with the kids in here?” He spares a glance at the kids, who are now marveling at the balcony, although they haven’t moved to step out on it yet.

Steve follows his gaze, then shrugs. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. We had that big sleepover when you all were sick. It’ll be kind of like that,” he says, and either Eddie is as delusional as he is, or it’s not actually a bad point, because Eddie finds himself nodding along.

“Okay, yeah, sure,” he agrees. He knows, deep down, that he’s letting the selfishness win. He’s allowing this because he realizes it’ll be the last chance he gets to have Steve like this, even if it really isn’t having him at all.

“Great. Which side do you want?” Steve asks as he goes over to drop his suitcase at the end of the empty bed.

Eddie trails behind him and shrugs, realizing a moment later that Steve isn’t looking at him. “It doesn’t matter to me,” he replies. He glances at the twins, then, and adds, “I guess I should be closest to the girls in case they need something, right?”

Steve smiles, his gaze shortly flicking away from where he’s unpacking his suitcase. “Sure,” he replies. “Girls, we need to think about what we want for lunch, okay? I’ve got about an hour and a half until I’ve gotta go into the office, so it’ll have to be something nearby.”

The girls immediately begin brainstorming ideas, so Eddie goes to unpack his own bag, situating his things in the drawer beside Steve’s in the hotel’s dresser. It makes something in Eddie break a little more, this quiet, domestic thing they’re sharing. He makes a decision then, to stop wallowing in the grief of his own goddamned decision and just enjoy this trip for what it is. A farewell trip of sorts, even if half of the party involved doesn’t know it.

“How about New York style pizza?” Eddie suggests suddenly, interrupting whatever it is the girls were saying. He glances over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows and flicking a little smile towards Steve. “I’ve never been to New York before, but I’ve always heard good things about their pizza.”

Steve beams, and Eddie knows he’s made the right call on many things, but leaving him will never be one. “Perfect! I think you’ll really like it, Eds. Girls, pizza sound good to you?”

The twins chorus their agreement, and unpacking their things quickly becomes getting ready for a much-needed lunch. Eddie smiles down at the shirt he’s folding into a drawer. This is going to be a good trip. It has to be.

~~~

New York style pizza, as it turns out, is fantastic. The twins enjoy it almost as much as Eddie does, even though both of them claim to be full halfway through their slices. The reason for this becomes abundantly clear when Ivy looks up at Steve with the sweetest doe eyes and says, “I think I could eat some ice cream now.”

Eddie hides his snort in another bite of pizza.

Steve gives Ivy a very unimpressed look, maneuvering around Jasmine in his lap to take a long sip of his coke as he stares at Ivy. “Is that so?” He finally asks after a moment of contemplation. When she nods, he feigns a very impressive confused look. “I thought you guys were full? Can’t have ice cream if we’re full, you know.”

Ivy shakes her head immediately, patting Steve on the arm to keep his attention. “But Daddy,” she starts, her voice sickly sweet. “My regular food box is full. My dessert box is empty!”

Eddie honest-to-god giggles at that. “Your what?” He asks, thinking surely this must be some sort of joke.

“My dessert box!” Ivy says, turning her pout around on Eddie - dammit - and giving him the same pitiful look. “I’ve got boxes in my tummy, and the regular food box gets full, but my dessert box is still empty!”

“Uh-huh,” Eddie says, humoring her. “I think what I’m hearing is you’ve got some faulty boxes.”

She whines, draping herself across his leg to be even more theatrical. Somehow, it reminds Eddie of himself. “But Mommy,” she starts, clearly thinking this is her chance.

“Nope,” Eddie replies, shaking his head. “You take that up with your dad, I’m not dealing with all that, missy.”

Steve shoots him an indignant look over Jasmine’s shoulder, mouthing the word “traitor,” before Ivy turns to look at him. He sighs, and Eddie nearly rolls his eyes. He can almost feel the way he’s giving in to her, agreeing to her latest whim. “Okay,” Steve finally says. “But let me and Eddie finish eating first, okay? And then I’ll treat you guys to some ice cream before I head to the office.”

Ivy squeals, throwing her arms around her father, as much as she can with her sister in the way. “Thank you, Daddy, you’re the best in the whole world!” She gushes.

Steve has a soft smile on his face when she pulls away, and Eddie forces his eyes back to his own plate. “Well, if I knew all it would take is a little ice cream, I could’ve won that title a long time ago,” Steve jokes with her.

Both the twins giggle at that, and Eddie listens passively as they talk about what flavor of ice cream they’re going to get. By the time Steve and Eddie have finished eating, the twins have decided on chocolate vanilla swirls, which really would sound good if it weren’t early December.

“Are you sure there isn’t some non-frozen option to hype them up on sugar?” Eddie asks as he helps Jasmine bundle up in her coat and scarf before heading out of the restaurant, her gloved hand clasped in his.

Steve laughs at that, giving Eddie a sparkling smile. “I can get you some hot chocolate instead, baby, you don’t have to eat ice cream.”

Eddie pointedly ignores the flutter in his chest at the sweet nickname, as well as the look each of the twins send his way. “Okay,” Eddie mumbles, powerless to argue in the face of Steve’s ever-present kindness.

Steve takes them to a sweet shop that does a little bit of everything - candy, ice cream, and yes, even hot chocolate. He holds Ivy up on his hip as he orders, and Eddie sighs wistfully into the back of Jasmine’s knit hat. She turns where she’s sitting patiently in his lap as they wait for their treats, and gives him a curious look. “Mommy, are you okay?” she asks sweetly.

Eddie smiles at her and nods. “Yeah, honey, I’m fine.” He wonders, briefly, if there’s a way to gently reprimand her for calling him that without letting on that something is changing. His chest aches with the knowledge that he’s hurting her and her sister either way, letting them get used to having him in their life, calling him by such a special title, only for him to rip it away from them. No, now is really not the time. He’ll apologize for it when the time comes, whether it’s sooner or later.

His spiraling thoughts are interrupted by Steve and Ivy returning to the table, Ivy clutching two small cups of ice cream in her hands as Steve walks behind her with two cups of something hot. “Alright, sis, come on,” Steve says as he sets the cups down and hikes Ivy up onto the barstool across from Eddie. “Here, Jazz. Be careful not to spill it on you,” he says as he slides a cup of ice cream to Jasmine. He smiles at Eddie before handing him a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “Here you are, dear,” he says sweetly.

“Thanks,” Eddie hums, taking a long sip right away, uncaring if he scalds his tongue or not. Steve gives him an appalled look at that, but just shakes his head, speechless. “Are we making you late for your meetings?” Eddie asks, glancing down at his watch.

Steve shakes his head, although Eddie notices he doesn’t even look at his own watch, or even the clock on the wall next to the register. “Nah. I’ve probably got another half-hour or so before I’ve got to be there. So, what are you guys thinking of getting up to while I’m gone for the rest of the day?”

Eddie shrugs, glancing over at the twins. “I don’t really know… I hadn’t thought about it. Girls, what would you like to do?”

The twins give Steve almost the exact same look as Eddie had, looking just as perplexed in the face of having to make a decision about their activities of the day. Eddie feels daft - of course he should have realized that he needed to come up with something for he and the twins to do while their father is at work, but having never been to New York before, he didn’t even really know where to start.

Steve smiles, nodding his head as he reaches into his coat. “I figured you probably hadn’t had time to plan or decide where to go, since this was such short notice. So, I’ve got a couple of things lined up that you guys can do while I’m busy the next couple of days.” He hands Eddie an envelope, nodding when Eddie gives him a curious look. “Yeah, go ahead, hon. I figured you guys can do this today since we have those other tickets for the one back home.”

The confusion is only alleviated when Eddie pulls out tickets to the Bronx Zoo. “Oh,” he says, smiling as he shows them to Jasmine, who is squirming on his lap to see what he’s got. “This will be super fun. Girls, you like the zoo, right?”

Ivy nearly squeals in excitement when Eddie says that, and he can’t help but grin at her, even as Steve gently shushes her. “I love the zoo!” Jasmine whisper-shouts, slapping Eddie’s arm lightly with barely-contained excitement. She pauses then, glancing up at Eddie with a frown tugging at the corners of her eyes and lips. “But, won’t we be cold?”

Steve gives her an uncertain smile. “Well, I think with you guys walking, you’ll stay pretty warm. And some of the enclosures are in little buildings, so it’s not like you’ll have to be outside the whole time.” He glances at Eddie, and Eddie hates the embarrassed look that crosses his face. “Sorry, I didn’t even think about the weather when I bought these. I just thought it would be something nice you could do with them while I wasn’t here, and it’s a big attraction here, so-”

Eddie stops him with a gentle nudge of his foot against Steve’s ankle. “Hey,” he says softly. “I think it’s a great idea. And we’ve got coats and scarves, we’ll be fine. Maybe we’ll even race through the park a little to keep warm, yeah?” He directs that last part to the twins, who nod excitedly. Eddie winks at Steve, but doesn’t give himself a chance to regret it. “We’ll be fine, honey. Thank you for getting us the tickets.”

Steve nods, sipping his drink, which Eddie would bet the cost of the zoo tickets is a plain black coffee. “Okay. And you’re welcome. I’ve got some tickets for a couple other things, but I know you guys might just want to go shopping or even just hang out at the hotel while we’re here.”

“Sure,” Eddie agrees. He hands Jasmine a napkin to wipe her sticky fingers with, then stacks her and Ivy’s ice cream cups to throw them away. “Are you guys ready to go?”

They nod, and so they re-bundle up before heading out into the cold once more, Steve leading the way. The black car that had so far chauffeured them from the airport to the hotel, and to the restaurant around the corner, is sitting idle just down the block, and Steve leads them down to it with confident steps. He holds the door open and allows the kids to slide in first, then gestures for Eddie to go as well. When Steve joins them, he taps the driver’s seat and says, “I need to be dropped off at the office, but I’d like you to take my family to the zoo, and you can wait there for them until they’re finished.”

The driver, who must be a beta, nods. “Yes, sir,” he replies before pulling into traffic.

“Thank you for doing all of this for us,” Eddie murmurs to Steve, nudging his knee lightly with his own.

Steve smiles at him. “Of course, sweetheart. I hope you guys have the best time.” His lips twitch just slightly, his eyebrows knitting together into a semblance of a frown. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to go with you. But we’ll definitely go to the one back home when it warms up a bit, yeah?”

Eddie nods, trying desperately to smile around the lump in his throat. How awful is it for him to go along with this without telling the truth? To pretend that he’ll be around for the life he’s desperate to share with Steve, even when he knows he can’t? “Right,” Eddie eventually sputters out. He offers a pathetic half-smile, turning to stare at the scenery passing by his window as he tries to force down the sickening feeling in his stomach.

It’s a few minutes later when they pull up outside a tall building and Steve grabs the briefcase he’d left in the car when they left the hotel earlier. “Alright, bye, girls, I love you. Be good for Mommy while I’m at work today, okay?”

Ivy wriggles in her seat, leaning closer for a hug and kiss from her father. “Bye, Daddy. Love you.”

Jasmine accepts a kiss to the top of her head, mumbling a goodbye to her father, but otherwise doesn’t tear her eyes away from the sights looming outside the window.

Steve turns to Eddie last, and Eddie isn’t really expecting it when he leans in, brushing a kiss to his cheek before gently nosing at his neck. “Bye, honey. See you later.”

“Bye,” Eddie replies softly. He watches Steve climb out of the car, smiling faintly as he straightens his suit before making his way into the building they’d pulled up beside.

“Shall we head on?” The driver asks quietly.

Eddie nods, settling back into his seat with a long sigh. “Yes, please.”

~~~

The zoo is fun.

The girls only complain about being cold a few times, but usually, Eddie’s able to distract them from it before it gets too out of hand. They see every animal at least once, then go back to revisit the lions on their way out, both of the girls deciding that they like them the best. Eddie personally likes the creatures of the night exhibit the most, partially because it’s housed inside a warm, quiet building. Too bad the twins are afraid of the spiders, or else Eddie would have voted that they spent the majority of their time right there.

By the time they’ve seen everything they want to see, it’s nearing four o’clock, and Eddie is exhausted. He can tell the girls are too, despite the fact that they try to put on a brave face about it, so he gently coaxes them to the exit, looking around a bit anxiously for the car they’d been dropped off in. When he spots it, he waves, just barely able to see Charles through the front windshield.

The car pulls up in front of the curb smoothly, and Charles hops out to open the door for them.

“Oh, you really don’t have to do all of that,” Eddie says, waving his hand awkwardly as the girls climb into the open door.

Charles gives him a bemused look. “Well, I certainly won’t have Mr. Harrington’s own family treated any less,” he says simply before gesturing Eddie forward.

“Er, thanks,” Eddie says, a bit bashful as he slides in next to the twins. It’s a bit much, he realizes, to be treated like he’s important, when he’s certainly not, and he wonders vaguely if Charles is aware of the nature of he and Steve’s relationship.

“Where to, sir?” Charles asks from behind the wheel.

“Back to the hotel, please. The girls and I are just going to rest until Steve gets off work.” Eddie glances at the twins, smiling when he sees the way they’re already dozing off a little, Ivy leaned against the window, with Jasmine leaning against her arm.

“Excellent. We’ll be there shortly,” Charles replies before pulling into traffic.

~~~

The girls are easily persuaded into a nap once they get back to the hotel room. Not that Eddie had any idea that they wouldn’t be, but he’s relieved nonetheless. He takes the quiet time to finish unpacking everyone’s things, careful with Steve’s work clothes as he folds and hangs the items and puts them away. When all of that is done, he finds himself drawn to the bed he and Steve have decided to share for the trip, telling himself that he’ll only rest his eyes for a few minutes.

When Eddie wakes, it’s to the feeling of something moving in his hair.

His first instinct, unfortunately, is to flinch, his breath catching as he pulls away from the feeling.

“Shh, hon, it’s just me,” Steve is quick to say, his voice soft and close.

Eddie turns his head, blinking blearily up at the alpha. Steve gives him a tired smile, his hair mussed and his suit jacket missing. He looks beautiful, even in his exhausted state. “Sorry,” Eddie mumbles, rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t know it was you.”

“It’s okay,” Steve murmurs. He pats the space beside him that Eddie had clearly just vacated. “You can come back, though.”

It’s an offer Eddie hates to refuse, but he knows that giving in is just going to hurt worse in the long run. Instead, he sits up, glancing over to the other bed, where both of the girls are still asleep. “What time is it?” He asks, almost to himself, as he glances around the room for a clock.

“A quarter past six,” Steve replies.

Eddie’s eyes nearly bug out at that. “Shit,” he swears quietly. “God, I’m sorry, Steve. I really didn’t mean to sleep that long, we were just so tired when we got back from the zoo, and-”

Steve shushes him gently, reaching a hand out to steady his shaking hand. “Eddie, honey, it’s fine. You guys are basically here on vacation. You can sleep as much as you want, okay? I’m not mad.”

Eddie takes a long breath. “Okay,” he replies. “Still… I don’t want the girls’ sleep schedules to be all messed up.”

“We can wake them up. They probably haven’t been asleep long, and they’re usually pretty good about going to sleep when they’re told,” Steve says, shrugging.

“They’re good at going to bed when they’re told,” Eddie corrects. “Who knows when they actually go to sleep.” He’s being sarcastic, in a way, but part of him really is concerned that they won’t want to go to bed on time tonight, and this small room means that it will be very hard for Steve to get any real rest if the girls aren’t asleep when they should be.

“Hey, it’s fine,” Steve reassures him, reaching out and patting his knee. “Really. If nothing else, we can put a movie on for them when it’s time for bed. I can sleep through a movie, no problem.”

“If you say so,” Eddie says, still a little unsure.

Steve smiles, shaking his head a little as he climbs out of bed and goes to wake up his daughters. Eddie takes a moment to stretch and wake himself up a little bit, and before too long, Steve is sitting by Eddie’s feet, holding Jasmine as they talk about what they want for dinner. It’s so sweet, so domestic, that Eddie feels his heartstrings tighten.

“Does ordering room service sound good to you, Eds?” Steve asks, effectively pulling Eddie’s train of thoughts back on track.

“Sure,” he agrees with a smile and a nod.

Steve does the ordering, and less than an hour later, they’re all piled onto Steve and Eddie’s bed, eating and watching some re-runs of Full House that Eddie hasn’t seen since they aired a couple years ago. The twins have predictably gotten their second wind, but Steve has already made them promise that they’d be in their own bed and at least pretending to be asleep by nine o’clock.

“So, you guys had a pretty good day?” Steve asks Eddie softly while the twins are distracted by one of the Tanner girl’s antics on the show.

Eddie nods around a french fry. “Mhm. The girls loved it. It was a little exhausting, doing all that walking, but overall, I think we had a blast.”

Steve smiles at him, clearly pleased. “Good. I figured maybe tomorrow you guys could go do some shopping, and maybe visit a museum or something.” Eddie nods at this, and Steve continues, looking a little bashful all of a sudden. “And I, um… I took Friday off already, and I’ve got a few things planned for us all to do together… if that’s okay?”

The fact that he even feels the need to ask, when these are his children, and this trip is being paid for on his dime, makes Eddie’s heart fracture just a bit. It’s just another little sign of how much Steve respects Eddie and his boundaries, and Eddie loves him for it. “Of course,” he says softly. “What did you have in mind?”

Steve looks relieved. “Well, I thought maybe we could go see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. And um… I’ve got tickets for us to go see a show on Broadway. I figured… since you’ve never been to New York, and those are the most New York touristy things to do… Well, I wanted you to have those experiences, is all.”

The way Steve says it, like it’s not a big deal that he’s thinking about Eddie and how to make this trip memorable for him… it very nearly brings tears to Eddie’s eyes, and it does make him have to pause for a moment to collect himself.

“That all sounds great,” Eddie says with a smile. He decides to be brave, and bold, and reaches out to squeeze Steve’s knee. “I can’t wait.”

Steve grins, reaching for Eddie’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “Great,” he murmurs, squeezing his hand once before releasing it. He goes back to eating, and after a moment of quiet admiration, Eddie does the same.

~~~

By nine o’clock, the girls are tucked safely into their bed, having brushed their teeth and hair and been given a goodnight hug and kiss each. Steve, as promised, turns on a movie for them, putting it on the lowest volume possible to actually be able to sleep through it, much to Eddie’s amusement. Steve lets Eddie have the bathroom first, smiling up at him when he returns with his hair up in a messy bun.

“I like your hair like that,” Steve whispers to Eddie as he crawls onto his side of the bed.

Eddie shoots him an unimpressed look. “Don’t patronize me,” he whispers back.

Steve’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. “No, I was being serious. It looks cute.”

And… Eddie doesn’t really know what to do with that. “Oh,” he mumbles. “Thanks, then.”

Steve smiles at him before climbing out of bed, going to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

“Mommy?” One of the twins whispers when the door shuts behind Steve.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Can we have pancakes for breakfast?”

Eddie grins. “Sure, honey.”

It’s quiet for a moment, and then, “oh, Mommy?”

“Yes, honey?”

“I loved spending today with you.”

Heat prickles at Eddie’s eyes, and he’s grateful for the darkness of the room that conceals it. He’s also grateful that he knows the twins well enough to be able to pick the voice out as Jasmine. “I loved spending the day with you too, Jazz.”

He hears a yawn, and then a soft mumble.

“What was that?” He asks, straining to hear.

“I love you, Mommy.”

Eddie’s chest feels tight, and there’s the unmistakable feeling of a hot tear rolling down his cheek. “I love you too, baby.”

It’s quiet, and Eddie can’t hardly believe that the girls are both already asleep, just like that, but he’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He rolls back over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he tries to stop himself from breaking into full-on crying. A tear or two is fine, but a sobbing session just wouldn’t be appropriate right now.

The bathroom door clicks open, and Eddie holds his breath as Steve turns out the light and quietly makes his way back to the bed in the dark. “Those curtains really block out all the city lights perfectly,” he whispers as he crawls into bed.

Eddie nods, before remembering that Steve can’t see him. “I know, right?” he offers lamely.

Steve lets out a soft groan as he settles, and Eddie pretends like there is absolutely nothing sexual in the noise. “Girls still awake?” he breathes quietly.

“I don’t think so,” Eddie replies, matching his volume.

“Perfect,” Steve says with a sigh of relief. “I’m so tired. I’ll have to be up around seven or so to get ready for some morning meetings,” he talks quietly, his voice drifting to Eddie’s ears, just barely as loud as the nearly-muted television program still playing. “You guys should sleep in as long as you want. I’ll be quiet on my way out.”

Eddie nods. “Okay,” he murmurs.

They sit in silence for a few moments, the only sound being their quiet breathing and the soft drone of the television. Eventually, Steve rolls over so that he’s facing Eddie, and Eddie feels himself stiffen in response. He doesn’t mean to be so awkward, but after the last time they shared a bed…

He nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels a hand brush down his arm. “You’re not going to be able to sleep if you don’t relax, darling,” Steve says softly.

Eddie has to force himself to take in a deep breath, annoyed when it does nothing to loosen his muscles. “Sorry, I’m just… I don’t know. Keyed up, I guess.” It’s a blatant lie, but it’s the best he can do.

Steve hums, a considering, quiet little noise, before he scoots closer. “Can I… Do you want to cuddle?”

Eddie nearly chokes at the question. “Uh…”

“That seems to help you, sometimes,” Steve rushes to explain. “Like, just from what I’ve seen. So… if it’s not too weird, can I…” He reaches over, placing a gentle hand on Eddie’s waist.

And Eddie thinks, fuck it. If this is a vacation, and if he’s leaving soon, he’s going to indulge. He knows, if he were more awake, and less high on the closeness of Steve, he’d be a bit more clear-headed, but as it is, he just wants to let himself enjoy this while it lasts. He’ll deal with the consequences later.

“Yeah,” Eddie murmurs. He rolls onto his side, facing away from Steve, and scoots back a little. “I… I like being the little spoon,” he says softly.

He feels it when Steve laughs softly behind him, his arm slipping around Eddie’s waist neatly. “That works out nicely, because I quite like being the big spoon.” His mouth brushes against the shell of Eddie’s ear, and Eddie is only slightly embarrassed when he shivers. Luckily, Steve reads it wrong, tugging up the duvet immediately. “Cold?”

“Mhm,” Eddie mumbles.

Steve tucks his knees up against the back of Eddie’s, and Eddie is almost positive they’re sharing the same pillow now. “Wake me up if you can’t get warm, okay? I’ll go hunt down extra blankets if I need to.”

Eddie smiles to himself as Steve says this, his eyes drifting close easily with the warmth and the all-encompassing smell of his alpha so near. “M’kay,” he mumbles. It’s quiet for a moment, and he’s almost asleep when he has a last fleeting thought. “Steeb,” he slurs, practically sleep-talking.

“Yeah, babe?”

“Scent me ‘fore you leave?”

There’s a soft chuckle, and then the feeling of Steve rubbing his nose against the column of Eddie’s throat, sending a soft, fresh wave of alpha pheromones and comfort over him. “There you go,” he murmurs.

“Thanks,” Eddie breathes.

The last thing he thinks he’s aware of is another laugh, and possibly the press of lips to his shoulder.

Chapter Text

“Eddie.” A voice is whispering somewhere near Eddie’s ear, but in his mostly-asleep state, he can’t decipher who it is. So, his rational thought is to swat it away. “Ow,” the voice mumbles when Eddie apparently makes contact. “Baby, where did you put my pants?”

“Mm?” Eddie makes some kind of noise, only sort-of trying to be helpful.

The voice laughs softly at him. “Come on, honey. You can go right back to sleep.” The voice apparently has an arm, and that arm has a hand, and that hand nudges Eddie until his eyelids flutter open.

“Stee-eve,” Eddie whines softly. “Time is it?” He mumbles, burrowing back into the covers petulantly.

“Early. I’ve gotta go to work, but I need you to tell me where you put my pants.”

“Mm,” Eddie hums. “Closet.”

Steve makes a noise like that should’ve been obvious, and Eddie feels a kiss pressed to his cheek. “Thanks, honey. Dunno why I didn’t think of that.”

Eddie is left blissfully alone once again, and he dozes a little to the quiet sounds of Steve getting dressed for the day. Eventually, he feels a weight return to the bed. “Hm?”

“I’m leaving for work,” Steve says softly, running a hand through Eddie’s hair. “I left you guys some money on the dresser in case you need it. Make sure you and the girls wear something extra warm, it might snow today.”

“Mm-kay,” Eddie mumbles sleepily. He’s barely aware of himself as he smacks his lips, puckering them just slightly. If he was more awake, he’d probably be fucking mortified, but as it is, he’s only semi-aware of what he’s doing.

“Oh,” Steve says with the softest sigh ever. Eddie’s still somewhat convinced he’s sleeping, even when he feels a soft brush of lips against his own, followed by a nose nudging at his neck. “Bye, sweet boy. I lo- I’ll see you later.”

“Mm. Bye, Stevie,” Eddie slurs as sleep takes him under once again.

~~~

When he wakes up for real, it's a very different experience.

For one, there’s no Steve there to softly bid him good morning or goodbye, or whatever Eddie can vaguely remember him saying on his way out earlier. Instead, it’s Ivy and Jasmine, both of them snuggled up to him in his bed, talking louder than they probably think they are.

“Mommy said we can have pancakes for breakfast,” Jasmine is explaining to Ivy, who huffs.

“I didn’t hear him say that,” Ivy says, a little petulant.

“He did,” Jasmine reiterates, clearly losing patience.

“I did,” he mumbles in agreement before it can spiral into some kind of argument.

The sound of his voice seems to startle them, and he can’t help but laugh to himself when they both jump. “Mommy!” Ivy says, draping herself over him in a hug. “Sorry for wakin’ you up. We got hungry.”

Eddie smiles at her, pressing a kiss to her messy hair. “That’s okay, honey. I didn’t mean to sleep so late.” He reaches out for Jasmine, who for some reason, seems to be keeping her distance. “Good morning, sweetheart. Are you okay?”

Jasmine nods, scooting in closer and allowing herself to be pulled into the morning cuddle. “Yeah. Can we have pancakes?”

Eddie laughs, but nods. “Of course, baby. Do you guys want to get room service pancakes, or go out for breakfast?” They hesitate, clearly considering it, and Eddie is quick to offer a suggestion. “See, I think room service pancakes would be best. That way we can take our time and if there’s any spills or messes, we won’t have to come back here to change.”

“Oh, yeah! Let’s do that!” Ivy agrees quickly before crawling over Eddie and grabbing the hotel phone. “Here you go!”

“Thanks, baby. Do you know where the room service menu went? I know it was around here somewhere…”

Jasmine reaches over to the opposite side of the bed and snatches the little booklet off the bedside table. “Here, Mommy.”

Eddie smiles at her as he sits up and takes the book. “Thank you. Alright… pancakes…” he skims the list of breakfast items, making a happy little noise when he spots the pancakes and waffles section. “Here we go. Now, do we want pancakes, waffles, or French toast?”

Ivy and Jasmine exchange a look. Eddie already has an inkling of an idea about what they’re going to say before they say it, so he’s not surprised when Ivy climbs into his lap and says sweetly, “can we have one of each?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Well, I suppose,” he starts, dramatically. “I could order one of each and we could all share.”

“Yes!” Jasmine whisper-shouts, pumping her first in the air, victorious.

“Can we have bacon, too?” Ivy asks, tugging the book out of Eddie’s hand and looking over the options herself.

Eddie shrugs. “Sure, I don’t care. Daddy said we’re on vacation and we can have treats on vacation, so…” Normally, he wouldn’t be this careless with money- regardless of who it belonged to. But right now, when he’s just decided to enjoy these last few days with the Harringtons before saying goodbye? There’s not much he wouldn’t do for them if they asked, honestly.

Eventually, the girls decide on sides and drinks, and Eddie calls the order into the kitchen. The woman who takes his order says it should be up in half an hour, and he thanks her before hanging up. He turns his attention to the twins, smiling widely. “Who wants to watch some cartoons?”

~~~

Breakfast on vacation is, as expected, quite the affair. The spread brought to them from room service is one worthy of royalty, but the twins aren’t deterred in the slightest. Eddie tries to keep the order as best he can, neatly cutting pancakes, waffles, and French toast into individual servings to lessen the mess, but apparently that doesn’t account for their skills with a syrup container.

By the end of it, Eddie is positive he’ll have to ask the front desk to come in and at least change the sheets on his bed. He’s not so sure Steve would love the idea of sleeping in sticky patches, even if they were purely accidental.

“Alright, girls. Go wash your faces and brush your teeth. If we wanna get to all the activities Daddy planned for us, we’re gonna have to hustle.” Eddie looks through the girls’ drawer in the hotel dresser as he speaks, picking out the warmest and coziest things he comes across.

He hears mumbled agreements, and then giggles from the bathroom, barely muffled by running water. Shaking his head with a soft smile, he lays their outfits on the end of the clean bed before going back to dig for his own. Black jeans, a staple of his of course, and then… Eddie glances towards the closet, where he’d hung Steve’s things when they got in yesterday. If this is his last week with them… Surely it wouldn’t hurt to borrow something of his, just for the day. Right?

While the girls are still getting ready, Eddie quietly slides open the closet door and pulls out the least offensive garment he can spot. Which, in this case, happens to be a yellow sweater. Oh well. Better than any of Steve’s stupid silk dress shirts.

He tugs it over his head quickly, changing before the girls get out. He’s doing up the belt of his jeans when he tilts his head, calling out, “alright, girls. Come on, we’re already getting a late start to the day!”

“Ivy’s still brushin’ her teeth,” Jasmine says as she skips out of the bathroom. She pauses when she spots Eddie, her head tilting. “Mommy, is that Daddy’s shirt?”

Shit.

“Er…” Off the top of his head, Eddie can’t come up with a convincing enough lie. So instead, he swallows hard and nods, just once. “Yeah, um… it’s warmer than the sweaters I packed, so I’m just going to borrow it for a bit.”

“Oh, okay,” Jasmine says with an easy nod. She finds the clothes at the foot of her and her sister’s bed and points to one of the outfits. “Is this one mine?”

“Yeah, baby, that one’s yours,” Eddie says, his face a little flushed when he turns around to use the mirror above the dresser to do something with his hair. He should’ve thought about the girls recognizing the sweater before he put it on, but he wasn’t thinking beyond Steve, scent, warmth.

God, he is so screwed.

He throws his hair up in some semblance of a bun, just getting it off his neck for now while he goes to peek into the bathroom. “Ivy, what-“

Ivy is stood in front of the mirror, swiping some kind of cream over her face. She startles when he says her name, her eyes as wide as saucers as they stare at each other. “Please don’t tell Daddy!” Is the first thing out of her mouth.

Eddie has to bite his lip hard to keep from laughing. “Uh, did Daddy say you could borrow his face cream, honey?” He asks, stepping into the room with her.

Ivy glances down at her hands, which have more of the stuff than she’d ever need. “No… but I see him use it sometimes, so I thought…” She lifts up her hands so he can see the mess in them. “But I got too much!” She’s nearly wailing at this point, her eyes welling up with tears, and Eddie knows he has to act fast if he wants to prevent a meltdown.

“Hey, hey,” he murmurs, crouching down and gently wiping away the first sign of tears. “It’s okay, honey. How about we let sissy use some of it too, so that it doesn’t go to waste? And I’ll tell Daddy that I borrowed it, okay?”

Ivy sniffles, blinking up at him with soft eyes. “You’d- you’d do that?”

Eddie smiles at her and leans in to kiss the top of her head. “Of course, baby. Now hang on, we can fix this.”

He calls Jasmine in, and after briefly explaining to her what happened versus what they’re going to say happened, Eddie helps Ivy apply some of the excess face cream to Jasmine’s face. There’s still so much of it left, especially in spots on Ivy’s face where she didn’t fully rub it in.

“Mommy, can’t you use the rest of it?” Jasmine asks, gesturing to her own face, then to his.

“Oh, um… yeah, I guess so.” He’s not thinking about how he’s going to smell like Steve all day. He’s not.

Ivy helps him get the rest of the excess of her hands and face, and then both of the twins watch, enraptured, as he applies it to his own face.

“There. Do I look all pretty now?” He asks, turning around and striking a ridiculous pose to make the kids giggle.

“You’re the prettiest, Mommy,” Jasmine says, hugging his leg, her head resting against his hip.

“Yeah,” Ivy nods in agreement. “Like a princess!”

Eddie can’t help but smile, even as mildly embarrassed as he is by that comment. “Aww, thank you, girls. Now let’s finish getting ready, shall we?”

They agree, their excitement suddenly renewed when reminded of where they are and what they’re meant to be doing.

Eddie takes one last look in the mirror, eyeing the yellow sweater and the glow on his face.

He sighs, and follows the twins out of the bathroom.

~~~

New York is a lot of things, Eddie is finding out.

And about ninety-percent of those things is shopping.

Before they left the hotel room, Eddie had found some money Steve left while searching for the room key. With the money was a short note.

Ed,
I’m leaving you some cash in case you and the girls go someplace that doesn’t take a check or credit. I’m also leaving you some tickets to the Met, as I think that should count for the educational portion of this trip. I’ve got some things planned for us to do together on Friday, but you and the girls could go shopping today. I know they’ll enjoy that. Get anything you want, I’ll pay for it.
Love you guys,
Steve 🖤

Eddie’s heart had jumped somewhere up near his throat when he saw the L-word pop up, but he tried to keep his face and scent as neutral as possible so the girls didn’t think anything of it. He’d tucked it away into his pocket for safe keeping, along with the money and museum tickets, and now they were off.

Sears seems to be the biggest hit of the day. The twins love the escalators, and seem enthralled by the very idea of a store having so many floors to it.

“It’s like we’re in a castle,” Jasmine marvels at one point as they’re walking near a window.

“More like Santa’s workshop. Mommy, can we please go look at the toys?” Ivy interrupts, tugging on Eddie’s hand while she begs.

Eddie sighs, mostly put-upon, but nods. “I suppose we could do that. We do need to get our lists together for Santa, after all,” he says, winking at them both.

He hasn’t discussed Christmas with Steve yet, and he supposes now it’s all a rather moot point anyway, but he had been sort of looking forward to spending it with a bigger family for once. Nothing at all against spending it with Wayne, of course, but… he knows there’s something special about spending Christmas with children around.

He tries to shake off the melancholia. He doesn’t want to ruin their trip just because he’s being sappy and sad.

“I already know what I’m asking Santa for,” Ivy announces proudly as she leads the way to the toy department.

“Oh yeah?” Eddie says, tilting his head at her with an amused smile. “What’s that?”

“A baby brother,” Ivy responds confidently.

Eddie nearly trips over nothing. “Oh,” he says, stumbling over his words. “Um… right. Well… I’m not sure if Santa can do that for you, sweetheart.” He tries for levity, unsure how to handle a conversation like this without Steve.

“Oh, that’s okay. If Santa can’t bring it, I’ll ask the Easter Bunny.” She makes it sound so simple, as if all it takes is just putting in a request.

Eddie wishes it were that easy.

“Ah, well…” he mumbles. “Good luck, honey. I hope he brings you everything you want.” He turns to Jasmine then, desperate for something to steer the topic away from that. “What do you suppose you’ll ask Santa for, Jazz?”

Jasmine is studying her shoes as she walks, swinging her and Eddie’s hands as she tries to step deliberately into the middle of the square tiles on the floor. “Well, I was gonna ask for a Mommy,” she says, sounding completely serious, while still maintaining that childlike obliviousness. “But, we’ve already got one of those.” She grins up at him. “So maybe a puppy.”

Ivy immediately agrees with her, and both of them are off cooing about puppies before Eddie has to come up with a response to that little confession.

He feels sick.

~~~

They don’t buy much, probably due to Eddie’s penny-pinching mentality that’s been instilled in him since childhood, but he does allow each of the twins to pick out a toy. Then, he suggests they go ahead and pick out something for their father for Christmas. He figures it’s the least he can do, since he’s planning on abandoning them so soon.

“What about a nice sweater?” Eddie asks, gesturing to the clothes nearby. “Daddy likes sweaters.”

Ivy brushes him off almost immediately. “You like Daddy’s sweaters,” she teases. “Daddy likes fun stuff.”

Eddie bristles a little. He thinks that she’s seriously discounting how fun a sweater is, actually, especially for Steve.

“Okay,” he says, drawing out the word. “So, what do you two suggest?”

They seem to consider this while they wander the store. At this point, Eddie feels more like a glorified shopping assistant, carrying their bags as he follows them around.

“Maybe some snacks?” Ivy suggests after a few quiet moments of pondering.

Eddie snorts. “Are you sure you’re thinking of your dad and not just hungry?”

Ivy shrugs. “Both?” She says with a sheepish grin. “Can we go get a snack after this?”

“Sure,” Eddie says, grinning. “But let's pick out a present for Daddy first, okay?”

The girls nod, and Jasmine tugs on his hand impatiently. “Mommy, what do you think we should get him?”

Eddie hums, glancing around the store. They’re still wandering the men’s section, and he can think of a few things Steve would probably like, none of them as exciting as what the girls are probably thinking. “Well… I do think your dad would like some clothes. He loves clothes, you know. Or maybe we could buy him some more face cream, to replace what we borrowed?”

Ivy giggles, ducking her head as if the reminder embarrasses her. “Maybe.”

Jasmine sighs next to Eddie. “I wish we could get him somethin’ fun,” she complains, scuffing her shoes on the floor. “Clothes are so boring.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh at that. “Well, baby, adults don’t really play with toys, and your dad doesn’t have a lot of time for board games and stuff. But, we know he likes clothes, he likes pampering stuff-“

“What’s pampering?” Ivy interrupts, wrinkling her nose.

“Oh, it’s like… like the face cream, and lotion, and stuff for his hair. Stuff to clean yourself up with and make you feel good about yourself,” he explains. He gestures to the cosmetics counter as they pass it. “This stuff.”

“Ohh,” Jasmine says as understanding finally dawns on her face. “Does daddy like perfume?”

Eddie’s nose wrinkles distastefully at the very idea of that. It’s probably wrong, but he immediately decides to lie to them, “I don’t think so. Daddy likes having his Alpha scent, so that everyone knows he belongs to a pack. Perfume would just cover that up.”

The girls make twin noises of comprehension, and Eddie nudges them over to the face care section. “Let’s see if we can find the stuff we borrowed earlier, yeah?”

They eventually do find the right container, with the help of a sales associate, and then Eddie gestures to the clothes section. “How about we find him some nice pajamas? You guys can pick out some with a fun pattern, yeah?”

This is apparently fun enough that they’re interested, and Eddie watches with a smile as the twins peruse their options. Eventually, Jasmine points to a section that has fuzzy robes. “Daddy doesn’t have one of those anymore, could we get him one?”

Eddie nods. “Sure, honey. What do you guys think? Blue, green, or red?”

Ivy is tapping her chin contemplatively, the action so cute that it nearly makes Eddie giggle. “I think… red! Daddy loves red.”

Eddie nods, then looks to Jasmine for confirmation. “That sounds good to me. Jazz?”

She nods, then shuffles around to look at the table with folded sets of pajamas. “Can we get him some pajamas that match?”

“Sure. How about those gray-and-red checkered ones?”

The girls agree, and then it seems that they’re finished shopping for Steve. They go to the nearest register, but on the way, something catches Eddie’s eye. It seems vaguely out of place, but he supposes maybe having it close to the register is some sort of marketing scheme. He vaguely remembers Steve mentioning that he used to enjoy going for runs in the morning, before he had kids. Eddie had teased him for it, and then that had been the end of the conversation, really, but now Eddie is stood there, staring at a Walkman and wondering if Steve would get back into running if he had easy access to his tunes while he did it.

Screw it. It’s worth a shot, and if nothing else, Steve can give it to the girls when they get a little older. Eddie tucks the box under his arm, guiding the twins straight to the register to pay.

“Is that for Daddy?” Ivy asks as Eddie places the box on the counter.

Eddie nods. “It is.”

“From you?” Jasmine says, glancing between the Walkman and Eddie like she’s trying to figure something out.

“Er, yeah,” he says, a little hesitant at her tone. “I thought it would be nice to get him something.” He avoids their pointed gazes, smiling at the woman behind the counter as he digs through his personal money to pay for their items. If these are gifts for Steve, he’s not about to let the other man pay for them. At least not directly.

“Alright, girls. Time for a snack?”

~~~

Their trip to the Met Museum is mostly uneventful.

Mainly because it is incredibly boring to two six-year-olds.

“Mommy, can we go now?” Ivy asks, for probably the fourth time in as many minutes.

Steve really should have seen this coming, Eddie thinks.

“Let’s at least take a look at- I think someone mentioned a Christmas tree, doesn’t that sound interesting?” Eddie tries, leading them slowly but steadily back towards the entrance. They’d been there for a little over an hour, and Eddie felt a little guilty about how little they’d seen.

“Fine,” Ivy huffs. “But can we please leave after that?”

Eddie nods. “Sure, baby. Jazz, is that okay with you?”

Jasmine nods and shrugs, seemingly having zero opinion one way or the other. She really was the chill one out of the two of them, something that Eddie would always appreciate. He leads them along the route the map suggests to get to the Annual Christmas Tree exhibit. There’s some other words written next to it that Eddie can barely read, let alone pronounce, but he knows they’re going the right way when he hears soft Christmas instrumental music playing.

“Here we are,” he says, trying to pump as much enthusiasm into his voice as he possibly can. “The, uh… Neapolitan… Broke Crutch Tree.”

Nailed it, he thinks to himself.

The twins are staring up at the tree in silence, so Eddie takes a moment to glance as well, letting up on the hypervigilance of keeping his eyes on them at all times to take in the exhibit.

“Oh,” he says, his nose scrunching a little. It’s… kind of creepy, with all the little angels covering the entire tree and the platform it stands on. “That’s…”

“I don’t like this one,” Jasmine announces, the first opinion Eddie’s heard from her since they entered the museum.

Ivy nods in agreement. “There’s too many fairies on it,” she complains.

Eddie has to choke back a laugh at their obliviousness. “Uh, babes, those are angels, actually.”

“Oh,” Ivy says, looking surprised. “I thought they looked different.”

She shrugs before turning away, leaving Eddie staring after her in confusion.

Alright, then.

They don’t linger after deciding the exhibit is boring. Jasmine tells him on the way out that they do a much better job decorating their own Christmas tree, which Eddie finds very easy to believe. They walk out after barely two hours, but Eddie is going to leave that part out of the story that they tell Steve later.

“Do you guys want to do some more shopping before Daddy gets off work, or would you like to head back to the hotel?” Eddie asks as they head towards the black car that has been ferrying them around all day. They’d had a late lunch after Sears, and it’s still too early to eat even if they did decide to eat without Steve, and if Eddie’s completely honest with himself, he’s ready for a nap.

“My feet are tired,” Ivy says as she climbs into the back of the car.

“Mine too,” Jasmine agrees. “I’m tired of walking.”

Eddie lets himself cheer a little bit in his head. That’s exactly what he was hoping they’d say. He climbs into the car beside them and taps the seat in front of him. “Alright. I think we’re headed back to the hotel, sir,” he says to the driver.

Charles nods. “Of course, sir.” He pulls into traffic smoothly before glancing back at Eddie in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Harrington called while you were in the museum. He would like for you to call him back when you get to the hotel so that you all can make dinner arrangements.”

“Oh, okay,” Eddie says. “Thank you.” He leans back in his seat with a sigh, gazing out the window as they drive. He sort of hopes Steve doesn’t have any big ideas for dinner. He really would like to just stay in tonight, if it’s possible. He glances over to the twins, his mouth opened to ask them what they’d prefer, only to find them already asleep.

His heart squeezes at the sight of his darling girls.

Fuck, he’s going to miss them.

~~~

When they get back to the hotel, Eddie has to wake the girls up, as he has no hopes of carrying them both upstairs by himself. They’re groggy, and a little whiny, but a promise of warm blankets and a nap softens their attitudes. As soon as they’re back in their room and Eddie has tucked them in, he makes his way to the other side of the room where the phone sits. He dials the number Steve had left for him, and as he waits for the call to connect, he notices that housekeeping did in fact replace the sheets on his bed. One less thing to worry about, at least.

“H&H New York office, how can I direct your call?” A bored voice answers the phone.

Eddie startles a little. “Oh, um. Steve. Uh, Steve Harrington?” He curses himself for sounding so fucking stupid, like he’s never used a phone before, God-

“And may I ask who’s calling?” The woman sounds just this side of judgemental, and Eddie’s blood boils in embarrassment.

“Eddie- I’m his nanny.” He doesn’t mean to sound so bitter, but that’s exactly how it comes out.

“Oh, of course. He told me he was expecting a call from his- wait, you said you’re his nanny?” The woman, whose tone had briefly warmed, turns suspicious.

Good god.

“Yes. May I speak with him?” Eddie grits out, impatiently.

“Sure. Just a moment.”

The line clicks, and for a moment, Eddie fears that she’d hung up on him, but a moment or so later, the line clicks again, and Steve’s voice is flooding the phone. “-ish Inquisition next time, okay? You hear his name and you immediately transfer him to me, do you understand?” He’s saying, clearly not having realized that he’s on the phone with Eddie right now.

“Um- hi,” Eddie says quietly, a bit timid in the face of Steve’s mild rage.

“Oh, hi honey.” The iciness in Steve’s voice melts immediately, and so does the tension around Eddie’s shoulders. It nearly makes him blush, how sweet he sounds all of a sudden. “Sorry about that, I was- er… Not important. Anyway, how was your day? Did the twins have a good time?”

Eddie briefly recounts their adventures, being very sparse with the details of what they bought and how long they spent at each place, but he figures what Steve doesn’t know can’t hurt him. “But it was good,” Eddie concludes. “The twins are taking a quick nap. Poor things did a lot more walking than they’re used to, I think.”

“Oh,” Steve says, cooing. “Well, that pretty much answers my next question. I was going to see if the three of you would like to join me for dinner after I get off work in an hour but I think instead I’ll have Charles swing me by somewhere to pick up something. Does that sound okay?”

As usual, Steve knows exactly what Eddie wants before he’s ever gotten the chance to voice it himself, and he absolutely loves him for it. “Sure. I think a night in would be nice.”

“Perfect,” Steve says, and Eddie can hear the distant sound of a door opening and voices greeting Steve. He must pull the phone away from his mouth or cover the receiver, because when he replies to them, it’s a quiet, “I’ll be right with you all, I’m just checking on my family.”

Eddie’s heart twists at the words.

“I guess you have to go,” he says somberly. Which is ridiculous, he’ll see him in just a little while anyway. But living on this borrowed time they have just makes Eddie clingier, greedier.

“Yeah,” Steve replies softly. “I’ve got one last meeting and then I’m heading straight there, okay?”

Eddie nods, even though Steve can’t see him. “Okay.”

“Alright. Love you guys. Get some rest, and I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay,” Eddie repeats, and then the line clicks, going dead.

Eddie stands there for a few minutes, just listening to the buzzing in his ear, before he finally puts the phone down.

~~~

He doesn’t even mean to fall asleep. But he goes to check on the girls, and even with the blankets, Jasmine is shivering, so he does what his omega motherly instincts are screaming at him to do and crawls into bed with them, snuggling and proximity-scenting his babies to soothe them to a restful sleep. He doesn’t realize the action is going to do the same for him.

When he wakes up, there’s a quiet voice somewhere above his head, and someone is stroking his hair.

“Thank you, Annette. I appreciate your help in setting everything out,” Steve is saying quietly.

Eddie has no idea who Annette is, but in his half-asleep state, he just barely has the presence of mind to stay still and silent to try and find out.

“Of course, sir,” a voice answers, and Eddie instinctually relaxes when he registers that she sounds like a much older woman. “Is your mate okay? He looks rather flushed.”

“He’s fine,” Steve answers. “He just runs hot, that’s all.” Eddie nearly chokes on his own breath when he realizes they’re talking about him.

“Alright. Well, if you happen to need anything, medicine, extra blankets, or anything like that, don’t hesitate to call the front desk.”

“Thank you,” Steve replies, ever so polite.

There’s a moment of quiet shuffling, and then the door closes. Another moment passes, and then Steve murmurs, close to Eddie’s ear, “I know you’re awake, sweetheart.”

Eddie jolts. This is met with a short laugh from Steve, so Eddie does the sensible thing and rolls over to face him. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he says immediately, before Steve even gets the chance to speak.

Steve gives him a soft smile. “It’s okay. You guys had a long day, I get that.” He scratches lightly at Eddie’s scalp in that gentle way he loves so much. “I picked up dinner on my way here,” Steve says, nodding to the other side of the room. “How about you go ahead and start eating while I wake up the girls?”

“Oh, I can-” Eddie starts, sitting up to do that himself.

He’s stopped with a gentle hand down his arm. “Babe, you’ve been with them all day. You deserve a break, too. I’ve got this, okay?”

Eddie nods slowly, allowing the brief feeling of inadequacy to slip away. “Okay,” he replies. He notices another problem then, and feels his face flush as he looks down at where Steve’s reclined body is keeping him trapped on the bed. “Um…”

It seems to take Steve a moment to catch his confusion, and when he does, he laughs quietly with a little, “oops,” before scooting out of the way. “I picked up pasta with garlic bread and some salad,” he says as Eddie climbs out of the bed and makes his way over to the little table where Annette had apparently set everything up for them.

“That sounds good,” Eddie says, even as he quietly wrinkles his nose up at the very notion of eating a salad.

Steve is quiet and soft as he wakes the twins up, the very image of a perfect father, if Eddie does say so himself. He averts his eyes when Jasmine wakes up, smiling brightly at her dad and throwing her arms around his neck. Eddie picks up a piece of garlic bread, nibbling at the crust as he listens to Jasmine tell Steve all about the day they had. Ivy is grumpy when she wakes up a few minutes later, but seeing her dad brightens her mood immediately.

“Mommy?” Ivy says.

Eddie turns around, caught like a deer in the headlights with a mouthful of garlic bread. “Mhm?” he mumbles around the food.

“Can we tell Daddy what we got at the big store?” She asks, her eyes wide and excited.

Eddie nearly chokes on his bread, trying to ignore the curious and amused look on Steve’s face. “Um,” Eddie hesitates. “That was actually supposed to be a secret, honey.”

“I like secrets,” Steve says, glancing between Eddie and the kids, looking almost giddy. “What did you guys buy?”

“We got your Christmas present!” Jasmine announces, looking rather proud of herself.

Eddie stares at her, betrayed. You ask a kid to keep a secret, he thinks, blandly. “Jazz,” he sighs. “You guys weren’t supposed to tell him.”

Jasmine shrugs, only mildly apologetic. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Steve says. “It can still be a surprise. But you guys have to promise not to tell me what it is, okay?”

Ivy looks at him, confused. “Don’t you wanna know now?” She asks.

Steve shrugs, but catches Eddie’s eye as he smiles. “Of course, but I know Mommy probably wants it to stay a surprise, just like my presents to all of you will be a surprise.”

The girls are mollified by that, and it sets them off on another conversation entirely, this time about what their gifts are going to be. Eddie tries not to think about their earlier conversation, when the twins each confessed what they wanted most for Christmas. He frowns down at the bowl of pasta he’s scooped for himself, suddenly feeling a little ill.

“I’ll be right back,” he mumbles, setting the bowl down and disappearing into the bathroom.

He takes a deep breath, as if that will do absolutely anything to lessen the heartache he feels about the situation. He wishes he could kick himself for doing the very damn thing he swore he wouldn’t. Getting attached to this family wasn’t part of the plan. He just needed a job, something stable enough until he could maybe start working his way back to his dream of being a musician. He didn’t plan on falling in love with being a part of a family - a real, loving pack - maybe ever. But here he is, head over heels for Steve, and so fond of his children that he could cry.

There’s a knock at the door as he splashes some water on his face.

“Honey? Can I come in?”

Eddie sighs, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. “Yes,” he replies, faintly.

The door opens without a sound, the hotel being as nice as it is means everything seems to be quiet and flawless here. Steve is sort of the same when he steps into the bathroom, giving Eddie a small smile. “Everything okay?” He asks, stepping closer but allowing Eddie to keep his personal space.

Eddie nods as he grabs a towel, patting his face. “Yeah. I just… felt kind of sick, for a minute.”

Steve is immediately frowning and stepping closer, bringing a hand up to give Eddie’s forehead a temperature check. “Oh… You are feeling a little warm, actually. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Great, Eddie thinks to himself. Now I’m blushing so hard I’ve practically got a fever. Eddie nods, trying to wave away Steve’s concern. “I’m fine. Just had a long day. Are the girls eating?”

Steve nods. “Yeah. They’re going to town on that garlic bread, to be honest.” He smiles as he says it, but concern is still written all over his face. “What are you guys planning on doing tomorrow?” He asks, leaning against the sink.

Eddie shrugs. “I hadn’t really thought about it yet. We shopped today and went to the Met, so maybe we’ll do a little bit more of that tomorrow? I know you said you had some plans for us for Friday.”

“Right,” Steve nods. “Maybe you guys can rest up tomorrow, instead? Friday will be a pretty busy day, so maybe you guys could just take it easy.” He sounds like he’s unsure even as he says it, looking at Eddie like he’s waiting for an argument.

“Okay,” Eddie says, easily enough. “Although, I was sort of thinking about taking them to the library. I heard they have an exhibit with the real Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, and I think the girls would actually really enjoy seeing those.”

Steve smiles softly at that, his eyes flickering down as he nods. “That was my favorite when I was their age,” he admits. “You’re right, I think they’d like that. But after that, I really think you guys should just rest, okay? Especially you, if you’re coming down with something.” He reaches out and brushes a strand of Eddie’s hair back, so sweet and tender that it nearly makes Eddie tear up.

“Okay,” he agrees, swallowing hard.

Steve almost seems like he’s about to say something else before apparently thinking better of it, shaking his head minutely before stepping away from Eddie and gesturing to the bathroom door. “C’mon, honey, let’s go eat. The girls want to watch a movie with us.”

Eddie follows him back into the main room, wishing more than anything that he could just reach out and touch.

~~~

Dinner is fantastic, as expected, and the twins are more than ready to lay down and go to sleep when Eddie tells them it’s bedtime. He and Steve take turns tucking them in and kissing them goodnight before turning the light off and climbing into their own shared bed.

Steve groans softly as he lays down fully, and Eddie has to pretend that the noise isn’t at all doing something to him. “It’s so good to finally be in bed,” Steve murmurs, stretching until some of his joints pop.

Eddie rolls over to face him, tucking one hand under his cheek while the other plays with the edge of the pillowcase under his head. “Bad day at work?” he asks softly.

Steve glances over at him, hesitating before shaking his head. “Not exactly. It was just… I don’t know. Sometimes I just…” he trails off, his gaze sliding over the ceiling like he’s going to find some sort of answer there. “I don’t know. Sometimes I’m just tired of this job, I guess. It’s not like it’s hard, or even that draining, but I…”

“You’re still drained,” Eddie concludes.

“Yeah,” Steve says quietly, his eyes finding Eddie’s once again in the darkness of the room. “I guess it’s just draining because it’s boring. Hard to feel fulfilled at a job I don’t like, you know?”

Eddie nods slowly. He does know that, sort of. He hadn’t felt fulfilled at all when he worked at Wayne’s shop, but then again, neither had Wayne. Eddie wasn’t raised on the idea that a job had to be personally fulfilling; it just had to bring in some money to be worthwhile. “Yeah,” Eddie says anyway. “I sort of get what you mean.”

“Do you feel fulfilled?” Steve asks, his voice very soft.

That makes Eddie pause. The answer, he discovers after giving it only a moment or so of thought, is easy.

“Yes, actually,” he replies. “I didn’t really think I would… being a nanny wasn’t really my life goal or anything, but… in a lot of ways, I feel fulfilled by the role I play in the kids’ lives.” It feels good to admit, in some capacity, how much he enjoys being… well, a mother.

Steve is quiet for a while. Eddie almost thinks that will be the end of the conversation, but then he asks, “what do you think you would be doing, if you weren’t doing this? If you could do anything else?”

Eddie takes in a sharp breath at that. It hits far too close to home, the applications he filled out just last week sitting heavy on his conscience as he tries to think of an acceptable response. “Well… I’ve always wanted to be a musician, I think we’ve talked about that. So I think I’d still kind of like to do that, someday.” He doesn’t dare say that the day may be coming closer than Steve thinks.

“Do you think you’d be more fulfilled being a musician than you are being a mother?” Steve asks.

It almost hurts, for Steve to say it like that. For him to verbally acknowledge that Eddie’s relationship with the children has gotten to that point, the point where they feel like he fills that role. It definitely doesn’t ease Eddie’s guilt.

“I don’t know,” Eddie admits. “Probably not? But I feel like they both fulfill different sides of me. Music is so much of who I am in terms of like… being creative, and expressing myself, but being a… a…” He can’t make himself say the word, stuttering over it helplessly.

“A mom,” Steve finishes for him softly. “You can say it, Eddie. You are a mom to them, in every way that matters.”

Eddie’s glad the room is dark, and he hopes the light shining from the idle TV doesn’t reflect his tears. “Well, anyway. I feel like both of them are just different sides of me. Neither one is better than the other… they’re just different.”

Steve nods, his hair scratching against his pillow quietly. “I think I kind of get that.”

Eddie can feel the pressure on his chest compounding, and he knows he might start sobbing for real if they don’t steer this conversation in another direction. He’s not ready to admit to certain truths, and he’s certainly not willing to cry about them in front of Steve with no explanation. Instead, he turns the question back around. “What would you do? If you didn’t have to run this business, what do you think you’d like to do instead?”

The light gives just enough visibility to see the soft shift of Steve’s smile. He rolls over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “I’d like to be a teacher.”

That comes as a bit of a shock to Eddie. “Really?”

Steve nods. “I actually have a degree in education, believe it or not.”

Eddie feels guilty in a whole new way, because he actually really can’t. “I didn’t know that,” he says softly.

Steve shrugs. “It’s not usually very relevant. I mean, I obviously don’t use it. But yeah… Got my bachelor’s in education, but then my Dad made me get my master’s in business administration. That was a hell of a leap, let me tell you.”

“I bet,” Eddie snorts. “What would you teach?”

It seems to surprise Steve, and maybe even make him uncomfortable, because he waves the question off. “It’s - that’s silly. I’ll never do it, so… so it’s silly to even entertain the thought.” He sounds almost upset, and Eddie knows he needs to salvage what he can, while he can.

He reaches out, placing a soothing hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Humor me,” he says softly. “What would you teach?”

Steve sighs. “Either elementary school or like… middle school history. I think I’d enjoy that a lot.”

Eddie smiles. “I can’t hardly picture you teaching,” he admits. “With your serious suits and everything, it’s hard for me to picture you in a classroom.”

“I know, it’s stupid, but-”

“Hey,” Eddie chastises, gently tipping Steve’s face to study his expression. “I never said that. I’m just teasing your fashion choices, honestly,” he says. He pauses, waiting until the sour look on Steve’s face has softened. “I know you’re wonderful with kids. I see it every day, and I know that any child in your classroom would be lucky to have you.”

Steve’s gaze looks a little misty, and before Eddie can fully process it, he’s rolling over and wrapping Eddie in a hug, tucking his chin over the top of Eddie’s head. “Sorry,” Steve mumbles, sounding choked up. “That just… it means a lot to me, that you think I could do it.”

Eddie knows it’s stupid, knows how much he’s going to hate himself later for basking in it, but this time, he decides he doesn’t care. He wraps his arms around Steve’s waist and holds on as tightly as Steve is holding onto him, allowing himself to try and give back even a fraction of the affection that Steve is giving to him. “I know you could do it,” he mumbles into Steve’s collarbone. “I think you’d make a fantastic teacher. And I know the girls would be so proud that their Daddy’s a teacher.”

Steve kisses the top of Eddie’s head. “Thank you,” he mumbles. “I don’t think I could ever do it for real… that would be such a drop in income that I just don’t know if I could handle it, but it… it really means the world to me, Eddie, that you believe in me like that.”

“Of course,” Eddie replies softly, pressing a kiss of his own to Steve’s chest. He tries not to linger on what Steve just said about the income. He tries not to imagine a life where Steve could teach and Eddie could work at the music store, maybe managing, or maybe even doing music full-time, both of them doing what they love and sharing the load when it comes to supporting their children.

Steve’s children, Eddie’s brain reminds him. In less than a week, you won’t have any claim on them at all.

Eddie flinches a little at the thought, and it just makes Steve hold him even tighter.

“Is this okay?” Steve asks quietly a moment later, Eddie’s brain still spinning with every guilt-ridden thought it can conjure. “Can you sleep like this?”

Eddie nods. It’s selfish, but if all of this is going to end soon, he’s going to enjoy every minute of it while he has it. “Yeah, this is okay,” he says.

“Okay,” Steve replies. He presses another kiss to the crown of Eddie’s head once more, and Eddie closes his eyes. “Goodnight, baby,” Steve murmurs.

Eddie doesn’t reply. He just hopes that his tears don’t soak through Steve’s shirt.

~~~

Steve is already gone in the morning when Eddie wakes. The twins are still miraculously asleep, so Eddie quietly makes his way to the bathroom, yawning as he goes. He does his business quickly, washing his hands and brushing his teeth since he’s already there. He’s just about to crawl back into bed when he notices a note on the nightstand. He settles in under the covers to read it.

Eddie,
I’m sorry I didn’t wake you up to say goodbye before work. You looked so peaceful, and I know you needed the rest.
I’m sorry if I kept you up too late last night, but I’m really glad we had that talk. You have no idea how much you mean to me and the girls. Thank you for everything you do.
Please get some rest today. You felt a little feverish this morning, so make sure you drink lots of water and eat something today. If you and the girls go somewhere, please be careful and stay warm.
I love you all.
Steve

Eddie carefully re-folds the note and places it back on the nightstand, closing his eyes as he resettles in bed. He can’t explain the rather sharp pain that shoots through his stomach then, but he tries to ignore the discomfort in favor of getting a couple more hours of sleep.

~~~

The day passes slowly, but isn’t boring. They have a late breakfast, watching cartoons for as long as the twins like before Eddie finally makes them each go take a bath. After getting them both dressed, they make their way downstairs to the car, the only destination for the day being the library.

As Eddie predicted, the twins are enamored by the exhibit where the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffies are displayed. Jasmine is a little sad that Roo isn’t part of it, but is otherwise delighted by them. They both coo over how tiny the original Piglet plushie is, and Eddie lets them stand ohh-ing and ahh-ing over them until he notices some other parents and children subtly waiting for them to leave.

They wander through the children’s section of the library, eventually finding a couple of books to read before they head back to the hotel. Ivy picks a book that is on the “Newly Published” display close to the entrance of the children’s section, something called The Rainbow Fish. Jasmine, on the other hand, finds a book called Thunder Cake in the “Books about Weather” display. It has a rather odd art style on the front cover, so Eddie is already a little obsessed with it himself. They find some empty bean bag chairs by the windows and settle in to read, the twins refusing to sit on their own bean bags, instead crowding into Eddie’s lap as they argue over whose book he should read first.

“Girls, I’m not going to read either one if you can’t agree on something,” Eddie threatens lightly, waiting for them to decide. He’s feeling a little more tired than usual, and to be honest, would really like to go back to the hotel and take a nap.

“Fine,” Ivy says, gesturing at Jasmine petulantly while she holds her fish book close to her chest. “Yours first.”

Jasmine beams as she hands Eddie her book, wiggling to get comfortable in his lap as he cracks it open. “Alright. Let’s see what Thunder Cake is all about.” Eddie clears his throat and begins to read in his best narrator voice, “On sultry summer days at my grandma’s farm in Michigan, the air gets damp and heavy…”

The book is actually not bad, Eddie discovers, much to his surprise. It follows a little girl as she stays with her grandmother during a storm. Her grandmother, in an attempt to soothe her fear of said thunderstorm, teaches her how to count how far away the storm is, and as they count seconds between thunder and lightning, they gather ingredients to make a well-named “thunder cake.” It’s cute, and makes Eddie miss his own grandmother, who had passed away a few years prior. She was quite similar to the grandmother in this story, and it makes Eddie immediately fond of the little book.

As soon as he’s finished reading, Jasmine says, quietly, “I wish our grandma was like that.”

Eddie blinks. It’s probably sort of dumb, but he’d never thought to ask about their grandparents, never even realized they had any.

“Oh?” he asks, curious but cautious. Jasmine sounds sad, and he doesn’t want either of them to have a meltdown in this very nice, very public library.

Jasmine nods, but shrugs. “Our grandma is kind of mean,” she replies, sounding sort of nonchalant.

Ivy nods too. “Daddy doesn’t like us to say that, but it’s true.”

“Oh, well…” Eddie tries to think of a way to ask more, out of sheer curiosity more than anything else, but before he can, Ivy is sliding her own book into his hands.

“My turn!” she says, clearly excited for whatever adventure the beautiful rainbow fish on the cover of the book is going to have.

Eddie sighs as he opens it, smiling faintly at the twins as they take in the beautiful, eye-catching artwork of this book. “A long way out in the deep blue sea, there lived a fish…” Eddie began.

~~~

By the time they finish that book, the girls are getting sleepy themselves (thank you years of bedtime-story conditioning!) and Eddie decides it’s time to head back to the hotel. Charles is already waiting downstairs when they come through the front door, and Eddie is once again quietly curious about how he’s always lurking about at the exact right time.

“Back to the hotel, please,” Eddie says as Charles slides into the front seat after holding the back door open for them.

Charles glances back at them, making eye contact with Eddie. “Mr. Harrington has instructed me to pick up soup for you all for lunch. Any special requests?”

Eddie nearly rolls his eyes at the idea of Steve, the over-protective alpha that he is, making that special request to his driver. “He thinks I’m getting sick, but I can assure you, I’m not. You don’t have to make any special trips on my behalf, Charles.”

The man smiles wanly at him through the rear view mirror. “No trouble at all, sir. Would you prefer chicken noodle soup, or tomato?”

Defeated, but secretly a little bit pleased, Eddie asks the girls what they’d prefer. They both settle on tomato, and he nods at Charles in agreement. “Perfect. There’s a lovely place near the hotel that does a very nice homemade tomato bisque.”

“Thank you,” Eddie replies as the car takes off, resting his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. “You can tell Steve not to be so worried about me, though. I’m fine.”

Charles makes a noise like a chuckle, and murmurs, “you can tell him yourself.”

It’s not rude, necessarily, but it does confuse Eddie just a bit. That is, until they pull up outside the supposedly “lovely” soup restaurant, and instead of getting out, someone gets in.

“Hi, guys,” Steve greets, a brown bag with the restaurant’s logo clutched in his hand, his cheeks bitten pink from the cold.

“Daddy!” The girls cheer excitedly, moving to hug him as he sets the bag of food carefully into the floorboard and pulls his daughters into his lap.

“There’s my favorite girls. How was your trip to the library?” He asks, brushing Jasmine’s hair back out of her face and straightening the scarf around Ivy’s neck.

They tell him all about the Winnie-the-Pooh plushies and the books they had picked out, each of them sharing the job of explaining the plots to him as he nods along, sneaking little smiles at Eddie as they talk.

“Wow! Well, I think maybe I’ll have to get you two these books, they sound incredible!” He says, grinning at them.

“Mommy made them even better when he did the voices!” Ivy explains, reaching over and tugging Eddie’s hand. “Mommy, do one of the voices!”

Eddie laughs, a little embarrassed. “I don’t have the books, though!”

Jasmine pouts. “You could just make something up in the voice,” she says, her voice bordering on a whine.

“I’ll tell you what, when Daddy buys you guys the books, we’ll read them all together and I’ll do all the voices, deal?” Eddie bargains.

The twins agree, pacified for now.

Steve gently slides each of them off his lap, looking over the tops of their heads to study Eddie. “Are you okay?” He asks, his arm coming to rest along the back seat as his fingertips lightly brush Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie nods. “I’m fine. Just a little tired, and a little surprised to see you right now. I thought you were working all day today?” He’s not upset about more time with Steve, of course, just a little concerned.

Steve shrugs, but when he glances away, Eddie could swear he sees a patch of pink on his cheekbones. “I moved all my afternoon meetings up to this morning so I could finish early,” he says casually, like it’s nothing.

Eddie frowns. He knows that’s got to be a bigger deal than Steve is letting on, but he won’t meet Eddie’s eyes now. Before Eddie can ask further, they’re pulling up outside of the hotel, and Charles is opening the car door for them. Steve exits first with the food, the twins following. Eddie is a bit slower, exhaustion and something else settling into his bones as he follows.

He hears Steve speaking to Charles, but all he catches is, “-and you can have the rest of the day off. I’ll call you in the morning if plans change, but as long as everyone’s feeling alright, I’m still planning on us having a touristy day together.”

“Yes, sir,” Charles replies easily. He glances at Eddie then, and his face twists into a frown. “Are you certain you’re feeling alright, Mr. Ha- Munson?”

Eddie barely notices the slip, but nods anyway through the sudden feeling of nausea. “I’m fine,” he insists. “Just probably need to lay down.”

Steve places a warm hand on the small of Eddie’s back, gently pushing to guide him to the doors of the hotel, where the twins are already headed. “Let’s get you inside. Thank you again, Charles.”

The driver replies, but Eddie is so out of it that he doesn’t even pick up exactly what he says.

What the hell is wrong with me?

~~~

When they finally make it to their room, Steve immediately orders Eddie to lay down. The twins are sent over to the little dining table in the corner with their soup, the television turned on to a very soft volume while they eat. Steve bustles around the room while Eddie lies in bed, his eyes closed even though he isn’t asleep.

“Here, babe, sit up for me,” Steve says before pressing a cold, wet towel to his forehead. “Not sick my ass,” he mumbles softly.

Eddie whines weakly in protest. “‘M not,” he argues. “Was fine this morning.”

Steve leans closer, inhaling deeply in the juncture of his throat. “You smell like…” he pauses, and Eddie can nearly taste the uncertainty. “Shit. Eddie, you smell like you’re about to go into heat.”

Eddie snorts. He knows it’s not that. This isn’t at all how he feels when he’s about to go into heat, even though he is probably due for one in a month or so. “Not that,” he argues. He takes a deep breath, seeking out Steve’s own scent, and that actually… that actually eases the nausea, a bit. “Mm. Smell good.”

Steve sighs. “If it’s not that, then why…” he seems to freeze then, like he’s realized something. “I’ll be right back,” he says, an urgency to his voice that wasn’t there before.

Eddie nearly cries when Steve walks away, taking his comforting scent with him. He has no idea what the fuck is wrong with him right now, but what he does know is that he only feels better when Steve is nearby.

He can hear Steve, vaguely, talking quickly and quietly to someone - probably on the phone. He can only pick out pieces here and there, but he concludes that Steve is talking about him, and it just makes him feel worse.

“No, he’s like- he said it’s not his heat. But he smells sweeter than usual, but also sort of… I don’t know, Rob, it’s hard to explain. Like sour? Like a soured-sweetness. And…” he pauses, clearly listening, and then Eddie hears a quiet sigh of relief. “Okay. So you don’t think it’s a full heat?” Whoever he’s talking to must answer with an affirmative, because Steve’s scent dulls to something less sharp, more neutral, and it seems to have a similar effect on Eddie’s current state. “Okay. I almost thought it was like… yeah, but if it wasn’t that, I thought it might be, uh… rejection sickness.” He says those words on a whisper, but Eddie still hears it.

That’s crazy, Eddie isn’t bonded to anyone, how could he possibly have rejection sickness?

“Yeah,” Steve is saying. “I know. But I just thought… yeah, no, you’re right. Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Robin. I’m sorry for freaking you out. Yeah. Alright, talk later. Bye.”

As soon as Eddie hears the click of the phone being returned to its cradle, he’s keening for Steve, holding his arm out uselessly. “Can you come here?” He asks weakly.

Steve is at his side in an instant, taking Eddie’s hand and brushing his hair back out of his face. “I’m right here,” he says softly. “I called Robin, and she and I think maybe this is just some pre-heat symptoms. You should be fine in the morning, as long as you eat something and take some painkillers, okay?”

Eddie frowns. That doesn’t sound right either. He can’t remember ever having symptoms like this a whole month before his heat. Usually he felt like shit a day or two before, sure, but not weeks.

“Where- girls?” He asks, blinking rapidly, even though the light stings at his eyes a little.

“They’re still in here, baby, they’re finishing their soup. Do you want them to come cuddle you when they’re done?” Steve asks.

Eddie nods, feeling his chest relax in relief. “Yes, please,” he mumbles. He tugs Steve’s hand then, in an attempt to pull him closer. “You, too,” he sighs.

Steve chuckles quietly. “Okay, hang on. I’ll be right there.” Steve pulls away, again, goddammit, and Eddie listens to the sounds of him tugging his shoes off, and then his quiet voice. “Girls, Mommy doesn’t feel well right now. When you guys get done, if you want, I think he would appreciate it a lot if you guys would come snuggle him, okay?”

The twins agree easily, and Eddie listens as Jasmine says, “Daddy, is Mommy going to be okay?”

“Oh, of course. Sometimes omegas get sick when their hormones are changing, which happens every few months.” Eddie’s not entirely sure that’s a scientifically-sound explanation, but he guesses that for kids, it’s the best Steve can give them.

“Oh,” Jasmine replies. “Okay.”

Steve must ruffle their hair or something, because they giggle, and then the bed is dipping as he joins Eddie for real. “I’m back,” he murmurs, tugging Eddie in to scent his throat as he does the same.

It’s like an immediate rush of medication, the way it stills the dizziness in his head and the roiling nausea in his stomach. Eddie sighs deeply, gripping the back of Steve’s shirt as his mind clears. “Oh,” he mumbles. “That’s…”

Steve pulls back a little to meet his gaze. He frowns at whatever he sees there. “Are you… you look…”

Eddie is frowning too, confused. Surely if this was just pre-heat symptoms, he wouldn’t feel so instantly better just by being engulfed in Steve’s scent. That wouldn’t make any sense. Unless…

“Oh, fuck,” he whispers, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

“What?” Steve asks, his voice quiet but urgent. “Is everything okay?”

Eddie grinds his teeth. Fantastic. If the whole leaving Steve and the girls with very little warning thing couldn’t get any worse- Eddie had to go and get accidentally scent-bonded to the guy.

“That really depends on your definition of ‘okay’,” Eddie grits out.

Steve blinks at him. “Okay,” he says slowly. “So… what’s wrong?”

Eddie sighs, giving Steve what he hopes is an apologetic look. “I think we may have… accidentally scent-bonded,” he murmurs, quiet so the twins don’t hear them. They probably wouldn’t know what any of this meant anyway, but just to be safe.

“Um,” Steve says, rather eloquently. “What?”

Great, Eddie thinks. Even worse than doing it, now he has to explain it. “So, it’s not usually common unless you’ve been like… intimate with the person, but scent bonding can be a pretty strong little bond between, um… well, typically mates, but clearly not always, since-“

“Okay,” Steve says, seemingly accepting that they’d made this mistake with ease. His follow-up question is the real kicker, though. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re- or why you were, I guess, so sick.”

Eddie cringes at that. He’s going to have to get creative here, because now that he’s a little more clear-headed… well, he has a pretty good guess as to what caused the sickness part.

“Well, you were sort of spot on, what you told Robin. It’s probably just mild rejection sickness.” He shrugs, nonchalant.

Steve’s eyes nearly fall out of their sockets, though. Eddie would laugh if the situation was even slightly funny. “But you haven’t- I didn’t-“

Eddie cuts him off before he can go connecting dots that don’t need to be connected. “Like I said, mild. It’s probably just from being in a strange city and being around all the other scents during the day, then coming back here and it doesn’t really smell like… well, like us.” His face is red, he knows it, but he refuses to let this be the moment he confesses to the far more unsavory truths.

“Yeah, I didn’t scent anything in here- it’s rude to do that at a hotel and stuff,” Steve explains, sounding guilt-ridden and sad, and that’s the very opposite of what Eddie intended.

“It’s fine, Steve, really. I’m fine now, and scent-bonds aren’t permanent, anyway. So, eventually, it’ll fade, and even if I was away from you for longer periods of time, I wouldn’t get sick,” he explains, trying to sound as upbeat and casual about it as he can. The truth is, the very idea of being far away from Steve, for any reason, makes Eddie feel a fresh new wave of nausea. Lovely.

Steve frowns, like he feels sick too. “So, even if I keep scenting you, it’ll-“ he starts.

Eddie is relieved when the twins choose that moment to interrupt them. “We can talk about it later,” Eddie murmurs, with absolutely zero intentions of doing that. He turns over to face the girls, holding his arms out for the snuggles they readily provide. They each pick a side, cuddling him closely as they watch a movie and express their condolences that he isn’t feeling well. It’s sweet, and Eddie pets their heads and allows them to smother him a little.

And if he lets them be a buffer for the rest of the night so that they don’t have to have that talk, that’s his business.

Chapter Text

By the next morning, Eddie is feeling perfectly fine once again. Maybe there was some slight truth to the lie he told Steve the night before, about the new city and unfamiliar scents, or maybe he’s just feeling well because Steve is there.

And he really is right there when Eddie wakes up. The twins never went to their own bed the previous night, apparently, but they had both moved to the other side of Eddie, snuggled in as tightly as they can get. Steve is at Eddie’s other side, wrapped around him like a koala. It makes Eddie’s face flush, but at the same time, he’s incredibly pleased at having them all cuddled up like this. His omega preens at the warmth and smells, and he knows it’s going to hurt like hell when the scent bond fades.

Because that part was definitely a lie.

See, Eddie’s been scent-bonded before. He knows that it doesn’t just “fade with time,” unless the contact with the other person ends entirely. It took a few weeks, the last time he went through it, and he had to take a leave of absence from work when it finally began to fade.

So yeah. It’s going to fucking suck.

It doesn’t take long for Steve and the girls to wake up after Eddie, but while they’re asleep he basks in the quiet, gently tracing the lines of Steve’s palm while he nuzzles Jasmine’s hair. If he could stay like this forever, he really, really would.

“Morning, baby,” Steve’s deep, gravely morning voice greets from behind him. “How are you feeling?” He uses the hand that Eddie is still playing with to check his temperature.

“Much better,” Eddie replies quietly. “I’m ready for whatever you’ve got planned for the day, for sure.”

Steve laughs softly, and Eddie feels the unmistakable press of lips against his shoulder. “That’s good to know. Because we’re definitely going to have a busy day.” He squeezes Eddie’s hand before pulling away, standing up and stretching until his back pops. Eddie glances back at him, his face immediately going red when he realizes that Steve is shirtless. “Sorry,” he says, not sounding it a bit. “You were running real warm last night, so I took my shirt off. Hope that’s okay.”

Eddie nods, because he doesn’t trust himself to speak just yet. “Mhm,” he hums.

Steve smiles at him, the gesture eaten up with fondness. “Gonna go take a shower. Do you mind getting the girls up and ready? I want to make sure we have plenty of time to do everything on my list today.”

“Sure,” Eddie nods, sitting up. He watches, mournfully, as Steve makes his way to the bathroom, taking his gorgeous body with him. Then he sighs, and goes about waking up the kids.

~~~

Well, Steve is right about one thing.

They do have a lot on the agenda for the day. Despite the chill in the air, Steve insists that there are a few things one must do when in New York. One of those things, rather predictably, is to visit the Statue of Liberty.

“I don’t even like America that much, Steve,” Eddie says during the ferry ride, the twins a couple feet away. It’s definitely too late to turn back, but also, Steve really didn’t have to try so hard to be the perfect tour guide. Just saying he’s been to New York would be enough for Eddie, honestly.

Instead of the laughter he’d expected, Steve’s face twists into a small frown. “Oh, did you not- I didn’t even think about this not being something you’d want to see, I-“

Eddie interrupts him with a hand on his arm. “I’m kidding. And honestly, it’s a little cold, so I’m really just being whiny because of that. You really didn’t have to do all this for us, but… it’s really sweet that you did, Steve. I know the twins are going to be talking about this trip for a while.”

Steve smiles and relaxes, clearly soothed. “Yeah… sorry about the cold thing. I probably could have waited to do this part the next time we came back.”

He says it so casually, like it’s just a given that some day he plans on bringing Eddie and the kids back. It makes Eddie’s chest ache, and he has to look away. “Well…”

“Maybe we’ll go somewhere else next time, though. Anywhere special you’ve ever wanted to travel to?” Steve asks, reaching out to intertwine their fingers as he speaks.

Eddie glances down at their hands, but doesn’t pull away. He tries to tell himself it’s because he’s trying to keep warm, but he knows that’s not the truth. “I dunno… I’ve never really given it much thought, past getting out of Hawkins.” He thinks about it for a second, then tentatively, “I think Colorado would be cool. Oregon, Washington. The whole rainy vibe seems like it would be sort of neat.”

Steve smiles. “Maybe we could plan a trip for spring break?”

Eddie forces a smile back, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he glances over at the girls, who are finally wandering back over to them.

“Mommy, I’m cold,” Ivy announces.

“Me too,” Jasmine seconds.

Eddie gives them a real smile, holding his arms open. “Well, we can’t have that. Come here, loves.”

He wraps them up in a hug, and they all watch as Lady Liberty gets closer.

~~~

The Statue of Liberty is alright, but Eddie’s happy to leave when it’s time. He’s glad he can cross it off the bucket list, but it really is just a big hunk of metal in his opinion, and it really is rather cold outside.

The Empire State Building is next, and that one actually is pretty cool, and blessedly warm. The only bad thing is the height, which Eddie realizes he is certainly not built for about two seconds after stepping onto the observation deck.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Steve asks when he notices the way Eddie stumbles and shuts his eyes.

“Mhm,” he says, nodding quickly. “Just a little- uh…” he takes a quick peek, and nope. Definitely doesn’t like that.

“Shit,” Steve mumbles under his breath. “Baby, are you scared of heights?”

Eddie shrugs. “I didn’t think so, but, um…” He laughs nervously. “Can you take the girls around? I think I’d rather wait by the elevator.”

Steve looks like he’s about to argue, his scent tinged with guilt. “Are you-“

“I’m positive,” Eddie replies before Steve can even ask. “Besides, it’s warm in here, so I don’t mind staying as long as you want.”

“Mommy, come on!” Ivy calls from where she and Jasmine are standing, gazing out the window.

Eddie nearly whimpers at the sight of them so close to it, feeling faint. “Please go with them, they’re making me nervous,” Eddie pleads, squeezing Steve’s hand once before pushing him away.

“We won’t stay long,” Steve promises as he backs away to be with the girls. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie waves him off, content to watch from the sidelines. He is grateful, once again, at the company he has on this trip. Not that he’s ever really imagined himself traveling anywhere, especially not to New York, but he’s glad he’s with someone who understands that he has limits and doesn’t get mad at him for them.

True to Steve’s word, they don’t stay long, just long enough to take in the views and point out that it’s already lunchtime.

Steve has Charles drive them to a nice little deli for lunch, and they spend the time while they eat discussing their favorite parts of the trip so far.

“I liked the zoo!” Ivy announces when Steve tells her she can go first. “Even though it was freezing. I liked seeing all the animals.”

Eddie smiles at that. “Yeah, that was a pretty nice day for sure. Jazz, what about you?”

Jasmine hums, like she’s really thinking about it. “I liked the green lady,” she says solemnly. “And the library.”

Steve and Eddie share a look over the “green lady” comment, both of them struggling to hide their grins. “Yeah? Did either of you have a least favorite part?” Steve asks.

The twins glance at each other before saying, in creepy unison, “the museum.”

Eddie stifles a giggle.

Steve rolls his eyes, but his lips quirk up into a smile. “Alright, alright. Yeah, I should’ve known they wouldn’t enjoy that. I’ll admit when I’m wrong,” he says, directing the last part to Eddie.

“Hey, for what it’s worth, I really liked it. I think you would’ve enjoyed it, too.”

Steve smiles at that. “Maybe next time you and I can go do that and we can find something else for the twins to do,” he offers.

Again with the planning things in advance. Eddie doesn’t have the heart to correct him or disagree, so instead he just nods. “Sure.”

“Mommy, what was your favorite thing?” Ivy asks from beside him, her eyes wide and curious.

Eddie only has to take a moment to think about it. “I liked reading to you guys in the library,” he admits, smiling at them. “And after that, when you two helped Daddy take care of me when I wasn’t feeling well.”

Ivy leans against him for a hug, and Eddie presses a kiss to the top of her head, smiling across the table at Jasmine.

“I liked snuggling with you guys last night,” Jasmine says, glancing between Eddie and her dad. “It felt like a big sleepover.” She grins.

Steve has a fond look on his face as he looks at her. “Yeah? I liked that too. It’s nice to cuddle sometimes, yeah?”

The twins nod and go back to eating their sandwiches as they chatter about what else they’ve enjoyed about their trip. Steve meets Eddie’s eye over the table, giving him a soft smile. “Are you feeling okay?” He mouths, trying hard not to disturb the kids.

Eddie nods, smiling back. And it’s true - ever since he woke up this morning wrapped up in Steve’s arms, he’s felt perfectly fine (minus the brief acrophobia-related nausea). It’s just been a really, really good day.

“So, girls,” Steve starts, interrupting the conversation they’d just been having about some pigeons they’d seen on the balcony earlier. “If you guys are up for it, I’ve got a couple more things planned for the evening.”

The twins turn to him, excited. “What is it?” Ivy asks, nearly bouncing in her seat.

“Please don’t be another museum,” Jasmine murmurs in the direction of her plate.

Eddie giggles at the way that makes Steve roll his eyes. “It’s not another museum, Jazz, I promise.” He glances between the three of them, a mischievous grin on his face as he lets the suspense rise. “I bought us tickets to see a show on Broadway,” he announces.

Eddie lights up at that. He never would have asked for it specifically, of course, but seeing a show on Broadway had always been a big dream of his. Once a theatre kid, always a theatre kid, and all that. “What show?” He asks, suddenly very eager.

Steve grins at him, like he’s thrilled that this is Eddie’s response. “The Phantom of the Opera,” he replies.

If they weren’t in public, Eddie would kiss him.

“Really?” He asks, channeling his inner Ivy as he bounces in his seat, tapping his hands excitedly on the edge of the table. “You’re serious?”

Steve smells so happy it’s probably sickening to everyone else in the room, but for Eddie, who’s evidently scent-bonded to the guy, it’s exquisite. “One hundred percent, yeah.” His lips twitch then, and he gives Eddie an apologetic little look. “I had to get tickets for the matinee show, since we have to fly home so early tomorrow, but… I still think we’ll have fun.”

Eddie could literally jump across the table and shove his tongue down Steve’s throat right now. This gorgeous, generous man, giving Eddie one of his very oldest dreams, and he only thinks they’ll have fun at a matinee show? Eddie’s vibrating with excitement and the urge to squeeze him.

“Oh, we will absolutely have fun,” Eddie gushes, trying to be mindful of the still very busy restaurant around them. He leans down to talk to the girls specifically, grinning ear-to-ear. “Girls, have you ever heard of The Phantom of the Opera?”

The twins shake their heads, and Ivy adds, “I know what an opera is, though. Auntie Robin likes them!”

Eddie places a dramatic hand over his heart, fluttering his eyelashes at Steve. “A woman after my own heart,” he jokes.

Steve’s nose crinkles, but he’s still smiling. “Uh, not sure what Chrissy would have to say about that,” Steve replies. “But it’s going to be a no from me.” He’s smirking now, clearly pleased with himself.

And Eddie doesn’t really know what to say to that.

“What time do we have to go to see the manatees, Daddy?” Jasmine asks, her head resting against the back of her chair as she looks up at him.

His eyebrows wrinkle in confusion before something seems to click, and then Steve is giggling, the cutest little wrinkle to his nose as he does. “No, baby, it’s a matinee,” he says, pronouncing the word carefully. He waits for her to repeat it before he explains, “it just means that it’s a show that takes place during the day, instead of at night.”

“Oh,” Jasmine says, looking mildly disappointed. “So… no manatees?”

Steve coughs, probably to choke down a laugh, and glances at Eddie with mirth in his eyes. “Afraid not, kiddo. But to answer your question, the show starts at two…” He glances down at his watch, then glances back at Eddie. “So we’d better get going.”

Eddie frowns down at his own watch, seeing that it’s only a little after noon, and by his recollection, the theater isn’t too far away. “Why do we need to go so early?” He asks, even as he helps Steve clear their trash away.

“Well, I figure since we’re going to see a show on Broadway, we need to dress appropriately,” Steve says with a wink.

“We get to dress up?” Ivy asks, clearly very thrilled with the news.

“Mhm,” Steve replies. “And luckily, Mommy picked you guys out some beautiful outfits before we left home just for this.”

Eddie’s not entirely sure the credit can go solely to him on that one, he just packed the types of outfits Steve said they may need. He feels a brief flash of panic, knowing almost for a fact that he didn’t pack anything nice for himself. “I didn’t-” he begins quietly as he and Steve lead the girls out of the restaurant.

Steve shakes his head, immediately reassuring. “I packed you something. Er… I hope that’s okay?” He looks a little embarrassed, his hazel eyes shifting away briefly as if he’s waiting for Eddie to be upset.

That’s not at all how the news makes Eddie feel. If anything, he’s relieved to not have to make the choice himself, and far too excited to even care that he may end up in something a little less his style. He reaches out and touches Steve’s arm gently until he meets his gaze. “That’s perfect,” he murmurs. “Thank you.”

Steve smiles, gesturing for Eddie to follow the girls into the car, quietly thanking Charles for picking them up and asking that he take them back to the hotel room before they head to the theater.

Eddie can’t wait.

~~~

The next hour or so is a bit of a blur. Eddie gets the girls ready, dressed in their adorable matching red and green velvet dresses with tights, and he spends as little time as possible making their hair look nice and presentable. Steve finally has to practically shove Eddie into the bathroom to get dressed himself, Steve having already laid out the clothes he’d picked out for him.

It’s not as bad as Eddie had anticipated.

Actually, it’s not bad at all.

It’s a dark outfit, which Eddie appreciates, of course, and best of all, it seems warm. He’s laid out a pair of nice black jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a dark gray, chunky, cable-knit sweater that Eddie thinks he’s seen Steve wear once or twice. He has no problem wearing any of it, especially when he pulls the sweater over his head and finds that it still smells like Steve, almost as if he’s scented it recently.

God, Eddie is so fucked.

Steve has a little smile on his face when Eddie comes out of the bathroom. “You look nice,” he says softly, reaching out and rubbing the sleeve of the sweater over Eddie’s wrist. “Do you think you’ll be warm enough?”

Eddie nods. “Yeah, should be. I’ll still take my coat, just in case…” He trails off, slowly, when he takes in Steve’s outfit.

They match.

Well. Sort of.

Steve is wearing nice black jeans, and it’s the first time Eddie has ever seen him wear jeans that aren’t the standard blue. He’s also got a sweater on, but where Eddie’s is dark gray, Steve’s is a lighter gray, with a mock turtleneck. Eddie’s just a tiny bit obsessed with him, actually.

“Do… Does it look okay?” Steve asks, timidly. “I don’t normally wear jeans this dark, and the sweater is-”

“You look really good,” Eddie says, bluntly. “Like…” He drags his eyes slowly from Steve’s shoes, back up to his face, and unintentionally licks his lips. He feels rather parched, suddenly. “Yeah,” he offers, lamely.

Steve’s face is red. The air is tinged with a very thick scent, one Eddie refuses to put a name to, especially with children around.

Speaking of -

“Mommy, stop flirting with Daddy!” Ivy groans, stomping her little foot. “We’re ready to go!”

Jasmine giggles, and smiles sweetly up at Eddie when he cuts his eyes to her. “Yeah, Mommy,” she tacks on.

Eddie rolls his eyes, but very pointedly doesn’t look back in Steve’s direction as he waves them all forward out the door. “Well, come on then. The show must go on!”

~~~

The show, as Eddie predicted, is incredible.

He’s only ever seen small shows - high school drama club performances, local community theater productions. This… This is something altogether different.

The lighting, the live orchestra, the props, the atmosphere of the theater… It’s incredible. Eddie cries at least three times, and not even necessarily because of the plot.

The twins are even more invested than Eddie thought they’d be, eyes wide and enraptured with the events taking place on the stage. The only time they come close to bothering anyone is when the chandelier falls early in the show. This, predictably, terrifies them, but after Eddie quietly explains that it’s a part of the show and no one is actually hurt, they seem to calm quickly.

In short, it’s fantastic.

The absolute only downside is that they’ve placed the twins between them, and there are several times during the show that Eddie would love to lean over and say something to Steve about the history behind it (“Did you know that the chandelier in the real Paris Opera House really did fall once?”) or an observation about the actors (“With an ass like that, no wonder Christine liked Raoul so much!”). Other than a mild irritation that he can’t share these little tidbits during the show, Eddie is obsessed.

By the end of the show, he feels like he’s in some sort of trance, or like he’s been dreaming and is suddenly being yanked from a wonderful nap. Of course, Steve is much more gentle than that.

“Eddie? Honey, are you okay?” Steve is standing up with the twins, people exiting the building, the audience a soft roar as everyone gushes over the show.

Dammit, Eddie missed the bows in his stupor. “Hm? Oh, I’m fine,” Eddie replies, blinking a few times to bring himself back to the real world. He stands slowly, finally making eye contact with Steve. He offers a small, dazed smile. “That was… beyond incredible.”

Steve grins. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Girls, what did you think?”

The twins immediately launch into their thoughts about the show, and Eddie is content to take Jasmine’s hand and follow Steve and Ivy out the doors, listening passively to their chattering as they walk. It’s not that he doesn’t care what they thought, he’s just… processing. He feels like he’s just seen something magical, and his brain can’t quite wrap around the fact that Steve so readily gave him this experience. It’s… a lot.

“I think maybe the Phantom was just misunderstood,” Steve is saying as they step out on the street and begin to look for the car. “But Christine showed compassion for him in the end, that’s why he let them go. Not because he thought she’d choose him, but because he loved her enough that he wanted her to have the choice in the first place.”

The twins nod, like they get it, even though Eddie is about ninety-nine percent sure that they don’t. Still, it’s sweet for Steve to try to explain it, and honestly, Eddie couldn’t have done a better job himself.

Charles pulls the car up shortly after that, and Eddie smiles and nods at him as they climb in. The girls are talking about being hungry, and Eddie snorts at the predictability of it all. “Of course you guys are hungry,” Eddie teases. “You’ll just have to wait, Daddy is the one who made the itinerary for today.”

“I actually made reservations for us at a nice little Italian place,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie glances at him, an eyebrow quirked up in surprise. “Really?” It’s not that he’s surprised Steve would want to go to a nice restaurant, he’s just… a little surprised that Steve would want to take him and the twins with him.

Steve nods. “I thought it would be nice. They’re more family-oriented, so I figured it would be a perfect place to take the kids.”

“Sure,” Eddie says. He rests his head back on the headrest, closing his eyes. “Thank you, for real,” he murmurs in Steve’s direction, since the twins are still chatting quietly. Steve hums, and Eddie opens his eyes to smile at him. “This was already the trip of a lifetime, just getting to come and see things I’d probably never see otherwise… but Phantom has been a dream of mine for years.”

Steve smiles, reaching a hand out to rest gently on Eddie’s leg, just above his knee. He squeezes softly, leaning in and kissing his temple. “I didn’t know that,” he murmurs. “But I am really glad you enjoyed it. I was sort of starting to panic earlier, when the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building things kind of flopped… I really didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

Eddie turns in his seat a little, just enough to reach up and cup Steve’s jaw gently. “Stevie,” he whispers. “I could never be disappointed by you. And I’m not just saying that. You’ve done so much for me, and I…” Something dangerous comes very close to slipping out then, so Eddie decides to say less. He smiles, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Steve’s cheek. “Thank you,” he murmurs before pulling away.

Steve looks a little… dazed when Eddie pulls away, which is odd to say the least. Before Eddie really has much time to comment on it, Charles is asking if he should head towards the restaurant now or if they’ll be making any other stops.

“Oh, um… Yes, we’ll head there now. With traffic, we should get there right on time.” He glances out the window, then seems to remember something. “Oh, and we do have that last stop after dinner, Charles.”

Charles nods, glancing back at them in the rearview mirror with a secretive little smile. “Of course, sir.”

The girls, who never miss anything, immediately pick up on that of course, and a new line of questioning begins about that.

Eddie is content to relax into his seat and zone out, already reminiscing about this trip and the memories they’ve made.

~~~

The Italian restaurant Steve chose is absolutely lovely.

Eddie really didn’t expect anything less from him, considering everything he’s learned about the man in the months they’ve lived together, but it still seems to baffle him, how Steve can find these places, how he can afford them.

What surprises Eddie even more, however, is when Steve orders in Italian.

Eddie’s eyes nearly bug out of his head.

The twins don’t even blink.

“Um,” Eddie stutters, glancing around the table as he waits for someone to say, “gotcha!” It doesn’t happen. “What the hell?” he whispers to Steve, as if the twins can’t hear.

Steve looks up at him, his eyes wide. “What?” he asks, as if he really has no clue.

Eddie stares at him. “Since when do you speak Italian?”

Steve blinks. “Oh. Since, uh… I dunno? Since I could talk?” He really does sound perplexed, and Eddie can’t decide if he wants to be pissed or if he wants to be nosy.

He falters to the latter. “I didn’t know you were Italian,” he says, vaguely aware of how petulant he sounds.

“Yeah, on my mom’s side. I never mentioned it?” Steve asks, surveying the room with a hint of a smirk on his lips. Smug bastard.

“Uh, nope. Pretty sure I would’ve remembered that,” Eddie says. Or more like squeaks, because yeah, he definitely would have remembered it, because it’s possibly the hottest thing ever. He reminds himself they’re out to dinner, with their children, no less.

“Oh,” Steve says flippantly. “My bad.”

Eddie is almost pouting at this rate, but vows to keep his mouth shut about it, lest he say something truly ridiculous.

That is, until Ivy pipes up and says, in her sweet little voice, “Papa, possiamo avere il dolci?”

Eddie groans, and nearly falls out of his seat. “They speak it too?” He demands.

Steve sends him a smile, but turns back to Ivy with his eyebrows raised. “Can you say please?”

Ivy slumps, then glances at her sister. “What’s please again?”

Jasmine turns to Steve, giving him her best puppy eyes. “Dolci, per favore?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Si, dopo cena.”

Eddie is still staring, his mouth gaped open wide like a fish.

Steve laughs when he notices that, and he shakes his head, the picture of fondness. “Don’t worry, they don’t actually know Italian. Or, at least they don’t know much,” he says, glancing at the twins. “That’s like the only sentence they know. Sometimes when we go out to eat back home, especially if we’re having Italian, I make them practice at the table. That’s the only sentence that’s ever stuck, though.”

“What did she ask?” Eddie inquires, glancing at Ivy suspiciously.

“Take a wild guess,” Steve sighs.

It doesn’t take long for it to click. “You asked if you could have dessert before dinner,” he states, giving Ivy an unimpressed look.

“Not before dinner!” She argues. “I just asked… if we could have some. Like, at all.”

Eddie has to laugh at that. These perfect, hilarious children… Fuck, he’s really going to miss them.

The waitress shows up with their meals while the twins are showing off their Italian skills, which consists of numbers one through ten (minus five, which neither of them can say correctly), a few colors, and a couple of meals. Overall, it actually is quite impressive.

After setting their plates down, the waitress asks something in Italian, directing it at Steve, who replies with a beautiful smile. Eddie’s stomach boils with jealousy, which he tries very hard to tamp down. “Possiamo avere del vino rosso, per favore?” Steve asks the waitress before she leaves the table.

“Si, si,” she replies before bustling away.

If Eddie didn’t find it so hot to hear Steve speak in another language, he’d probably be pissed at not understanding what anyone’s saying.

“I asked her if we could try their red wine,” Steve tells Eddie. He’s got a tinge of pink on his cheekbones. “I thought since neither of us are driving… it might be nice to have some with our meal.”

Eddie smiles. It’s sweet, and thoughtful, and yes he finds it a little romantic, but he’s not going to be weird about it. He’s not. “That sounds nice,” he says, despite how little he actually cares for wine at all. They’re at a fancy restaurant, so he’s going to be fancy, dammit.

The waitress brings the wine back over, pouring some out for Steve with a flourish. She waits for him to try a sip first, and with his nod of approval, she pours more, filling his cup. “Grazie,” Steve murmurs.

She smiles at him before moving over to pour Eddie’s. He repeats the word, quieter, and she gives him the same smile before nodding and leaving. So, not worth being jealous over, Eddie thinks to himself.

“How’s the food, girls?” Steve asks, glancing at each of their plates to ensure everything came out correctly.

“Good,” the twins answer in near-perfect synchronism.

“Eds?” Steve says, catching his eye. “How’s yours?”

Eddie nods around the bite he’d just taken, raising his hand up and doing his best interpretation of an Italian chef’s little hand thing. “Really good,” he says after swallowing. “Thank you.”

Steve smiles down at his plate. “You’re welcome.”

They eat in a comfortable silence, the twins commenting every now and then about the food, or something they’ve remembered about the show they’d just seen, or maybe just the whole trip itself, and it’s so nice that Eddie can almost pretend that it doesn’t have to end. Like there’s not a swiftly approaching deadline to this dinner, this trip, this life that he’s become so comfortable in.

They do get dessert, much to the joy of the kids, and Eddie is fascinated once more as Steve orders them each a portion of tiramisu in perfect, fluent Italian. It’s just as good as the rest of dinner was, and Eddie knows he’ll be sleeping easy with a full belly.

Charles is outside already by the time they leave, after Steve has paid the check and they’ve all made a stop by the restrooms. Their last excursion, according to Steve, will be outside, and he wants to make sure they have all the time they want to enjoy it. Eddie is once again made a little suspicious, considering it’s already dark outside and this is their last night in New York. Surely Steve hasn’t planned much, but at this point, Eddie has no idea what to expect.

Charles drives them back in the direction of the hotel, Eddie thinks, but traffic is horrible and it seems like it takes forever just to get through one traffic light. Eventually, they turn down a street and Charles clears his throat.

“Sir, this may be as close as I can get, would you all be okay to walk the rest of the way?”

“Yes, Charles, that will be fine,” Steve is saying. Eddie is barely hearing him, staring through the windshield at what is probably the largest Christmas tree in the world. “Eddie, baby, come on,” Steve says, rattling Eddie back to the present.

Eddie slides out of the car to follow him and the girls, feeling like he’s literally walking in a dream. “Are we going to see that?” Eddie asks, his voice faint with wonder.

“Yes,” Steve replies. His hand comes up to brush Eddie’s back, and Eddie barely even notices when he kisses his cheek. “C’mon, the girls are so excited they’re about to crawl out of their skin.”

Eddie holds Ivy’s hand and Steve holds Jasmine’s as they walk the short distance from where Charles dropped them off to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. It’s incredible, and that’s the only way Eddie can even begin to describe it. The lights are beautiful, and while the people bustling around it would usually make Eddie nervous, right now it just fills him with awe.

The twins chatter excitedly the whole way down the street, but when they finally stand at the base of it, staring up, up, up, they grow silent. Eddie realizes, once again, how important these memories are going to be for these kids. He feels blessed to even be a part of these moments with them, to have a starring role in these memories that he hopes they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Steve whispers into Eddie’s ear, making him shiver a little at the unexpected touch.

“It’s beautiful,” Eddie says, his voice hushed.

“It really is.” Something about Steve’s voice has changed, and maybe even his scent too. Eddie turns to look at him, a little concerned, only to find Steve already looking back, his gaze soft.

Eddie’s not sure what happens.

He doesn’t know if maybe it’s the magical atmosphere of the tree, the wonder of anonymity in a city that isn’t their own, or maybe just the incredible trip as a whole.

Whatever it is, he feels safe leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Steve’s mouth. It’s not much, it’s not some deep, luxurious thing like Eddie would like, but it’s definitely something.

Eddie feels a brief flash of panic when he pulls away, suddenly remembering with startling clarity that the children are there. Steve, however, doesn’t seem to have the same qualms, reaching out and cupping Eddie’s cheek, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone sweetly. “Eddie, I-“

“Mommy, can we get closer to the tree?” Jasmine asks, tugging on his hand.

Eddie jumps, a little startled at the interruption, but he smiles down at her. “I… I don’t know,” he says, glancing around and realizing he’s actually not sure how close they can get to it. “Probably? Let’s walk around and see.”

He takes each of their hands, turning to lead the expedition when Steve makes a noise, touching his shoulder. “Eddie-” he begins, sounding pained.

“Later,” Eddie says quietly, giving him what he hopes is a meaningful look. And he means it, this time. He’s not running from the conversation, he’s not avoiding what’s happening here any longer. If this is going to be the last week he has with them, then fuck it, he’s going to tell Steve how he feels. He’s so beyond tired of how it feels to ignore it, or to pretend it’s not happening.

He’s not running away this time.

Steve nods, following behind them with a gentle hand on Eddie’s back. They make their way through the crowd until Eddie finds the barrier between them and the tree.

“Alright, it looks like this is as close as we’re going to get,” he says, turning to the kids. He holds his hands out for Jasmine to be picked up. “Here, me and Daddy will hold you so you can get a better view.”

Steve jumps into action immediately, leaning down and picking Ivy up obediently. “Maybe we could find someone to take our picture?” Steve says, glancing around the crowd.

Eddie nods, although secretly, he’s cursing himself for not buying a disposable camera earlier on this trip. All the memories they made, and he won’t have any proof of any of them. “Yeah. Too bad we don’t have a camera, though.”

He feels a nudge to his side, and when he glances at Steve, he nods to something, or someone behind him. “Look over there,” Steve murmurs. “That guy is selling the disposable ones.”

Eddie wrinkles his nose. “Probably pretty expensive, though. Looks sort of touristy-trap to me.”

Steve smiles, but rolls his eyes as he hikes Ivy further up on his hip. “It’ll be worth it,” he says. “Be right back.” He makes his way over to the peddler, pulling his wallet out with one hand while the other keeps a sturdy grip on his daughter.

Jasmine, who had been staring up at the tree in awe this whole time, taps Eddie’s shoulder. She has the sweetest smile on her face when he turns to look at her. “Yeah?” he asks with a smile.

“I’m happy you wanted to be my Mommy,” she says before laying her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck.

When he looks back on things years from now, Eddie just knows that this moment, that comment from this sweet child, will be what he credits his decision to. That’s what makes him decide to stay, even if he’s wrong and Steve doesn’t want him beyond being the nanny to his children, the fact that these kids love him, that they want him to stay, will always be enough.

“I love you,” he murmurs to Jasmine, kissing her hair as he blinks rapidly. He doesn’t want to cry in front of her, or any of these strangers, if he can help it at all. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Jasmine nods, but doesn’t move her head. “I like secrets,” she replies, and he can hear the smile rather than see it.

Eddie smiles too, can’t help it. “I’ve always wanted to be a Mommy,” he tells her quietly, glancing over at where Steve seems to be haggling with the camera salesman still. “But I had no idea I’d get so lucky and have such good kids to be a Mommy to.”

“You think we’re good kids?” She asks, lifting her head just a little so that she can see his face.

“Oh, yes,” Eddie nods. “I’ve seen a lot of kids in my day, and you and your sister are definitely the best,” he says, keeping his tone very serious.

She giggles. “Do you think Auntie Robin will have a good baby?”

Eddie sucks his teeth, giving her a little shrug. “I dunno… Maybe, but they won’t be nearly as good as my girls are.” He tickles her side lightly at that, sending her squealing and giggling loudly.

“What’s going on over here?” Steve’s voice greets them a moment later, and Eddie nearly purrs as he feels the familiar heat of the alpha against his side. “Looks like someone met the tickle monster,” he jokes, grinning at Eddie.

Jasmine giggles soften, and she tightens her arms around Eddie’s neck, sighing. “Mommy is silly,” she announces. Before Eddie can even think about defending himself, Jasmine says, “that’s why he’s my favorite.”

“Jasmine!” Eddie says, lightly chastising her, a little embarrassed.

Steve puts a hand over his heart, clearly feigning offense. “Daddy isn’t your favorite anymore?” He asks, winking at Eddie as if to let him know that it’s okay.

Jasmine shrugs. “Maybe tomorrow,” she says, very diplomatically.

Eddie can’t help but snort at that, and he watches as Steve struggles to maintain a serious expression. “Ah, okay, sure,” he says, nodding. He cuts his eyes to Eddie then, holding up a disposable camera. “Look what I got,” he sing-songs.

“How much did he ask for it?” Eddie asks, peeking over Steve’s shoulder at the man who is currently trying to attract an older couple to his little stand of wares.

Steve shrugs, but looks a little embarrassed when he admits, “I ended up giving him like ten bucks for it.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “I knew you’d get ripped off,” he says, mainly just teasing him.

Steve shakes the camera, giving him a smug little smile. “Memories, honey, we’re documenting the memories.”

Shaking his head with a little smile, Eddie doesn’t even respond, just rests his head against Jasmine’s, lightly rocking them from side to side. Steve glances around the crowd that’s steadily moving around the tree, looking for someone to take their photo. He must spot someone, and Eddie lets him handle the conversation, gazing up at the tree as he hums.

“Excuse me,” Steve says to whichever person he’s picked out of the crowd. “Could you do me a really huge favor and take a photo of my family and I in front of the tree?”

“Sure,” comes a man’s voice, and Eddie turns around when he feels Steve’s hand on his back. “Scooch in a little closer,” the stranger directs. He peers through the viewfinder, then takes a couple steps back. “Alright. Everyone look at me! Say Big Apple!”

The twins say the words around a grin, and Eddie is just so happy to be there that he finds himself smiling too, leaning into Steve’s side more than he’d normally allow himself to do.

“Perfect, thank you so much,” Steve says gratefully as he reaches out for the camera.

The man smiles as he hands it over, gesturing to Eddie and the girls. “You two have adorable children. Are they twins?”

Eddie nods as Steve smiles proudly. “Yes, they are. This is Ivy, and that’s Jasmine,” Steve introduces them, sounding every bit the proud father that he is.

“Well it’s wonderful to meet you all,” the stranger says, smiling at both of the girls in turn before lifting his gaze to Eddie and offering him a softer smile. “They’re very beautiful.”

Eddie is aware that it’s the kind of compliment reserved for mothers - specifically mothers who carried their children and can take credit for their looks, but that doesn’t stop Eddie from accepting it. “Thank you,” he says softly, brushing Jasmine’s hair back away from her face.

The stranger smiles and nods, before disappearing into the crowd once more. Eddie feels Steve’s hand against his back, prompting him to glance over at him. “How about we get some hot cocoa, walk around a little while?”

“Sure,” Eddie says, nuzzling Jasmine’s hair. He smiles when he sees Ivy yawn against Steve’s shoulder. “I think we’ve got some sleepy girls on our hands,” he says, keeping his voice soft.

Steve has to contort his neck a little to look down at Ivy, but when he sees her lashes fluttering, he grins. “Yeah. We’ll make it a quick walk, yeah?”

Eddie agrees, would probably agree to anything this man suggested right now as long as it meant they got to be together. He trails after him as Steve buys one large hot chocolate for them to share, which is really a great idea, since each of them already have their hands full. They walk a wide circle around the tree, stopping every now and again to nudge the twins awake to catch a different, better view of it. Eventually, Eddie decides they’ve probably had enough.

“Let’s go home,” he murmurs softly, rubbing Jasmine’s back.

“Okay,” Steve agrees easily. He offers Eddie the cup of hot chocolate, watching him as he finishes it off before taking it back and heading for a nearby garbage can. “Let’s go, I think Charles should be in the same place we left him earlier.”

Eddie hums along to the soft Christmas music that’s drifting from speakers hung along storefronts, and something in his chest settles at the cozy vibes of the evening. “Thank you,” he says softly, nudging Steve’s arm as they walk.

“Hm?” Steve hums inquisitively, tilting his head. His eyebrows furrow. “For the hot chocolate?” He asks, sounding confused.

“Well, that too,” Eddie says, shaking his head carefully so he doesn’t disturb Jasmine. “But… I meant thank you for the whole evening. It was… This was probably the best day of my life, honestly.” His eyes dart away as he confesses to that particular nugget of truth, a little embarrassed at his own lack of filter, even though he’s already decided that it’s time to be honest.

“Really?” Steve asks, a pleased lilt to his voice. When Eddie glances at him, he’s beaming. “This was the best day of your life?”

Eddie nods, and knows without a shadow of a doubt that he’s blushing. “I really think so, yeah. I mean, I love spending time with the kids, and you picked all these wonderful things for us to do, and the food,” he nearly moans as he says the last part, his mouth watering a little as he recalls the god-like tiramisu they had for dessert earlier.

“And me?” Steve murmurs, nearly a whisper. His tone, shy and uncertain, makes Eddie’s gaze dart to him. “Was it… did you enjoy it because of me?”

They’re only a couple of paces away from the car, Eddie can see it from where he’s standing. Still, he turns to face Steve, ignoring the fact that Charles is probably watching them through the windshield as he leans in close, shifting his weight so that Jasmine doesn’t bump into her sister. “Of course,” he murmurs, pressing the words to Steve’s cheek, followed by a chaste kiss. He tilts his head a bit more, nuzzling at Steve’s throat to scent him. “You were probably the best part of all,” he admits quietly, only able to summon the courage when he isn’t staring straight into Steve’s eyes.

When he pulls away, a new wave of content washing over him after scenting, Steve’s eyes are a little dazed, and he’s slow to speak. “Um… we should…” he gestures in the vague direction of where the car is parked, and Eddie smiles at the ground as he turns to walk that way, more than a little pleased that he was able to reduce Steve to this.

He knows they still need to have a real, proper chat about things, but he doesn’t harbor any of the fear that he did even just a few days ago. Something, he’s not sure what or when, exactly, has shifted. And with it comes some sort of bravery that Eddie never thought he’d have in a situation like this, or in any romantic situation ever again, especially after Henry.

He feels… good. Content. Certain.

“Back to the hotel, please, Charles,” Steve says when he slides into the seat beside Eddie, carefully holding Ivy to his chest as she remains asleep.

“Of course, sir,” Charles says, immediately pulling away from the curb. He glances back in the rearview mirror, and Eddie catches his eye. He’s not sure if he’s imagining the smile that the driver sends his way, but it feels like something like approval, either way.

Eddie feels a warm weight come to rest on his knee, and he smiles when he looks down to find Steve’s hand resting there, squeezing gently. When he looks over, Steve is already staring back at him, a smile tugging at his lips already. No words are exchanged the whole way back, but Eddie thinks they both know what’s coming.

~~~

The girls stay blissfully, wonderfully asleep the whole trek out of the car, into the hotel, and the elevator ride up to their room. The hard part comes when it’s time to put them in pajamas.

“Couldn’t we just…” Steve starts, glancing at where they’ve temporarily lain the girls down on top of the comforter on their bed.

Eddie gives him a look, which must work, seeing how Steve raises his hands in defeat. “They’ll burn up sleeping in those dresses, for one,” he starts, digging out the twins’ pajamas from their drawer. “And two, they’ll ruin the material.”

Steve nods, acquiescing to that knowledge easily enough. He takes one set of pajamas out of Eddie’s hands and goes over to the bed, carefully taking off Jasmine’s shoes first. They work in companionable quiet as they go about getting the kids ready for bed, and all the while, Eddie is trying not to panic about too many things at once. Talking with Steve, packing for the early flight tomorrow, and the question of if the girls need to brush their teeth are all thoughts and concerns that swirl through his mind as he finishes getting Ivy’s pajamas on and goes to tuck her into bed.

“We need to pack,” Eddie murmurs to Steve as he pulls the blankets up to Ivy’s chin, Steve mirroring him on the other side with Jasmine. Eddie leans down, kissing Ivy’s forehead and murmuring a soft, “I love you,” into her hair before going around to the other side to do the same with Jasmine.

As Steve and him swap places, Steve squeezes his hip. “I know,” he mumbles. “We can do that now, if you want?” He asks, leaning down and kissing his daughter’s forehead gently.

Eddie smooths his hand over Jasmine’s hair, telling her he loves her before stepping away from the bed. “Okay,” he replies to Steve, going to start removing their things from the dresser. “I’ll set out some clothes for everyone to wear in the morning while you put things in suitcases?”

Steve nods, heading for the closet. “Can you set out my yellow sweater when you find it, please? I think I’ll wear it to bed tonight.”

Eddie nods, flushing a little when he remembers that he already wore said yellow sweater this week, and it hasn’t been washed yet. He tries not to think about it, separating the twins’ clothes out and putting together their outfits for the next day. He pats himself on the back for thinking to pack them all some comfy sweatpants and hoodies, the perfect travel clothes, in his opinion.

“Here,” Steve murmurs a few minutes later, pressing close to Eddie’s side as he hands him some pajamas. “Let me put this stuff in the bags while you change?”

“Okay,” Eddie murmurs, trying not to burst the little bubble of softness that they’ve found themselves in. He opens the next drawer, the one he and Steve had been using for their pajamas, tugging Steve’s yellow sweater out and handing it to him. He hopes Steve doesn’t remember that the sweater had previously hung in the closet for this particular trip.

Steve smiles, tipping his head to nose at Eddie’s shoulder in thanks. Eddie heads for the bathroom, toeing his shoes off gently by the dresser as he goes. He changes clothes quickly when he gets into the bathroom, tugging on the same pair of flannel pajama bottoms he’s been wearing all week, followed by a t-shirt that smells suspiciously a lot like Steve.

When he leaves the bathroom, Steve is zipping up the twins’ shared suitcase, finished packing. He must not realize that Eddie is in the room now, as he tugs his sweater over his head, folding it neatly to go into his own suitcase. His undershirt is the next to go, placed in the stack of clothes for tomorrow, leaving him bare from the waist up for Eddie’s greedy eyes. And maybe he shouldn’t look, maybe he should have this one boundary until they talk, but instead, he lets himself stare openly.

“Wanna come sit on the balcony with me?” Steve asks quietly as he tugs the yellow sweater over his head, glancing back at Eddie.

It startles him, to say the least.

So apparently Steve did know that Eddie was in the room. Huh.

“Um, yeah, sure,” Eddie stutters out, trying his best to get a hold of himself. He glances around the room, going to grab the blanket at the end of their bed before heading out into the cold. Steve follows, nothing but his socks separating his feet from the cold floor of the balcony. Eddie tuts at him, gesturing for him to sit at the little table that the hotel provides.

“Have you had a good trip?” Steve asks, tugging his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them loosely.

Eddie nods, wrapping the blanket around himself tightly to keep warm. “Yeah, it’s been wonderful,” he replies, offering a little smile. “What about you?”

Steve sighs, his eyes wandering over the city before them as he shrugs. “It’s been… fine. I really enjoyed today the most, though.”

Eddie hides his pleased grin in the corner of the blanket, but he knows Steve must smell it on him. “Yeah. Me too.”

It’s quiet for just a moment, save for the sounds of cars and the usual bustle of the city below. Eddie, curious, stands and moves to the edge of the balcony, glancing down at all the little tiny strangers going about their evenings. He imagines many of them are tourists, but some of them must be native New Yorkers, maybe out on the town for a Friday night date, or a night out with friends. Either way, it’s sort of nice to imagine that all of these people have their own problems, their own lives, that in comparison, might make Eddie’s problems feel insignificant.

“Eddie,” Steve says, his voice closer than it was before.

Eddie turns, only a little surprised to find Steve right behind him, his eyes bright and focused. “Hi,” Eddie says, softly.

Steve backs him up carefully to the ledge, reaching up to stroke Eddie’s cheek gently. “You said we could talk later,” he murmurs.

“I did,” Eddie speaks into the narrowing of space in between their mouths.

“It’s later,” Steve informs him, tilting his head like a puppy, as if he’s waiting for Eddie to say something.

“I…” Eddie falters, doesn’t know exactly how to say just what it is that he wants.

“Can I go first?” Steve asks quietly, his hand still gently stroking Eddie’s cheek. Eddie nods, mute. Steve takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself, and then he speaks. “I can’t do what I promised.”

Eddie blinks. “What?”

Steve runs a careful hand through his hair, but Eddie doesn’t miss the way it tremors. “I promised that I wouldn’t touch you anymore,” he starts, one of his hands creeping down to squeeze Eddie’s waist. “And I- I promised not to get you alone like this. And, fuck,” he swears softly, giving a very sarcastic little huff of laughter. “I even promised, in my head, at least, that I’d stop fucking wanting you so bad. But…” he leans in, scenting Eddie gently. “I can’t.”

Eddie’s blood is pumping too fast, making him feel dizzy and off-kilter. He lifts a hand to Steve’s head, carding his fingers gently through his soft hair. He swallows hard when Steve’s nose accidentally brushes his bonding gland through his shirt. “I… I lied to you,” he murmurs. They’re trading one confession for another, which Eddie thinks sounds fair enough to him.

Steve pulls away, his eyebrows furrowed in adorable confusion. “About what?”

This is it. This is Eddie’s chance, maybe his only one, to tell Steve how he actually feels. His hands shake as he places them on Steve’s cheeks, holding him steady. He has the irresistible urge to squish his cheeks together, so he does, just for a second. It makes Steve laugh, and something thaws in Eddie’s chest at the sound.

“When I said that it didn’t have to mean anything.”

The words are out there now. No going back, no redoing things that can’t be undone.

Steve’s breathing noticeably falters.

“What?”

His tone makes Eddie a little hesitant, but he’s already made it this far. He swallows back the lump in his throat and nods. “Yeah… I was lying when I said that.” Steve just blinks at him, so Eddie continues, staring down at Steve’s yellow sweater so he doesn’t have to make eye contact. “I wanted you to kiss me so bad that night, and I just thought… Maybe if I say this, he’ll kiss me. Maybe if there’s no strings attached, he’ll want me, at least for a little while. I didn’t really think about…” Eddie waves an awkward hand. “Well, about how it would make you feel.”

Steve lets out a long breath, and Eddie feels the warmth of it against his chin. It’s quiet for several minutes, and Eddie doesn’t look up, despite the fact that he can feel Steve staring at him. “You know that’s why I pulled away, right?” Steve asks, softly. “I didn’t like… I did want it to mean something, Eddie.”

Eddie’s head snaps up at that. He knows he probably looks ridiculous, gaping at Steve, speechless, but he can’t fathom a real response to that. It’s surreal, Steve saying the very thing Eddie wanted to hear, his face serious and unchanging. Subtly, Eddie drops a hand to his own thigh, pinching himself. Ouch. Nope, this is real.

“You did?” he finally breathes out, recognizing that it’s his turn to speak.

Steve laughs, but it isn’t mean. It’s a soft thing, something incredulous and relieved. “God,” he mumbles, shaking his head as his hands settle on Eddie’s hips. “Yes, Eddie. From the very first time, I…” His voice trails off as he looks away, his face flushing a little. “I’ve got something kind of embarrassing to admit.”

Eddie wraps both of his arms around Steve’s neck, playing gently with the hair at the base of his skull. He loves that he can just do that now. “I love embarrassing things,” he says, encouragingly.

Steve rolls his eyes a little at that, tilting his head and pressing a soft kiss to Eddie’s arm. “I’ve kind of been… referring to you as my mate lately, to other people. Or sometimes my boyfriend. I do that a lot, especially in my head.”

Eddie thinks he might faint.

This is probably some of the best news he’s ever received, and yet he’s too stunned to even know what to do with it.

Then his brain catches on part of that confession.

“Wait, who have you been saying that to?”

Steve blushes.

“Um.”

Eddie quirks an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.

“Well… I told my New York office assistant that my mate, Eddie, would be calling… And, um… Annette, the lead housekeeper here at the hotel…” He hesitates, looking anywhere but at Eddie’s face.

“Well, that’s not so bad,” Eddie says. “I don’t really know those people, so I don’t mind.” Steve cringes at that, and Eddie frowns. “Is there… did you tell someone else?”

Steve coughs, speaking quickly. “I mayhavetoldCharles.”

Eddie blinks. “Come again?” It sounded like he said…

“I… I may have said something to Charles. Along those lines.” Steve’s gaze flickers to Eddie’s face once or twice before flickering away again.

“Charles,” Eddie repeats.

“Mm. Yes.”

“Our driver,” he says, in a weird state of disbelief. It feels a little different with it being someone he sort of knows, or at least has spoken to on more than one occasion.

Steve sighs, glancing down at where he’s currently fiddling with the edge of Eddie’s blanket-cape. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just… I dunno. It felt good to say it, you know? And I… okay, maybe I was hoping that this week, well, today specifically, would go really well, and I could sweep you off your feet, and then maybe it wouldn’t be lying, and-”

As much as Eddie would love to listen to Steve ramble, he’s heard enough. Tightening the grip he has on Steve’s hair, Eddie steps onto his tiptoes and leans in, pressing his mouth to Steve’s still-moving lips.

And that seems to shut him up just fine.

Steve’s grip on his hips tightens and relaxes a couple times in quick succession, and then Eddie is jostled as Steve lifts him up, his tailbone coming to rest on the edge of the balustrade. If it wasn’t made out of such thick concrete, Eddie would probably be freaking out a little more. As it is, he just relaxes into Steve’s hold, his legs parting for Steve to step in between them, and his hands traveling from Steve’s hair, down his chest, and coming to rest in his own lap as he allows himself to be kissed. Steve’s hands migrate too, leaving their spot on his waist to travel upwards to cradle Eddie’s face in such a gentle hold that Eddie thinks he might cry.

It’s cold, and a bit windy, and Eddie can’t feel his fingers.

But it’s perfect.

There’s something to be said about wanting, of course. The desire to have something, the greed and selfishness that can eat someone up when they’ve set their mind to possessing a thing or person. It can make a person feel alive, lighting them up from the inside and giving them a purpose in life, something to work towards.

But to be wanted in return. There’s nothing like it. No amount of longing and wishing can compare to the feeling of coveting someone, to have those feelings, that rapacity and craving be returned. It transcends regular old like and lust, but the word Eddie feels he could best attribute it to still sticks to the back of his throat, souring his wisdom teeth as it tries to crawl its way forward.

Steve kisses like he does everything else.

Gently, with intention, and perfect.

He’s a gentleman, of course, but his tongue still swipes Eddie’s bottom lip every now and again, granted entry only to allow his teeth into the mix, nipping gently and playfully at Eddie’s lips every time he gives him the chance. His thumbs gently trace Eddie’s cheeks, sweeping over his cheekbones and briefly pressing against his dimple before returning to its pattern. It’s soft, sweet, loving.

Eddie pulls away, panting for breath. He immediately misses the taste of red wine on Steve’s lips.

“I- sorry, was that-” Steve immediately begins to ramble once again, but this time, Eddie can’t quite manage the same distraction.

“Baby,” he murmurs, hoping the pet name, foreign to Eddie’s tongue in relation to Steve, will shock him into silence.

He’s right.

Steve blinks at him, his eyes half-lidded and dark.

Eddie smiles, reaching up and patting Steve’s hip. “I just need to breathe for a second. You kiss like you’re trying to have a breath-holding competition, and I, quite frankly, am going to lose that challenge every time.”

To his credit, Steve at least has the wherewithal to look slightly embarrassed. “Sorry,” he mumbles, resting his forehead against Eddie’s. “I just got excited. I didn’t think… I really thought it was just me.”

Eddie snorts at that. He can’t imagine, in any wildly creative corner of his brain, a single universe where he didn’t have feelings for Steve. It seems wildly improbable, in his opinion. “Really?” he asks, not hiding the hint of judgment. “I felt like any day now you were going to catch on to how clingy I was and… and kick me out.” He says the last part quietly, a little ashamed to admit that such a thought had ever crossed his mind.

Steve reaches up, tilting his chin so that Eddie has no choice but to look at him. “Hey,” he murmurs. “This may be hard to believe, honey, but I would never kick you out. My kids love you too much, for starters. And I…” he pauses, but the look on his face says it all.

Eddie’s heart skips several beats at that, enough that he has to take in a shuddering breath, as if he’s resetting his heart rate. “Yeah,” he agrees, acknowledging the words unspoken. “And I know that. I just… I dunno, at the time I guess I was just scared because I thought you’d only want something casual or short-term so I didn’t want to be too overbearing…”

Something occurs to him then, a missing piece of this conversation.

“Well… not that you’ve actually said… that you want something different. But, uh…”

Steve makes a noise then, something incredulous and surprised. “You think… Eddie.” His name falls from Steve’s lips like honey, something sort of chastising laying underneath the syllables. There’s no preamble to it when he leans in and gives Eddie another kiss, pressing soft and sure against him. When he pulls away, he stays close, Eddie’s eyes going a little crossed to maintain the heated eye contact. “I don’t really do casual, or short term,” he says. “I’m sort of an all-in kinda guy. So if that’s not something you want…”

Eddie’s positive that his eyes are hysterically wide as he shakes his head adamantly. “No, no. I mean, um… I do want… that.” Steve quirks a brow, and Eddie can feel himself blush, his scent going a little sour in mild embarrassment. God, words are hard. “The, uh, second one.”

Steve’s lips are twitching like he’s just dying to smile, and Eddie huffs, frustrated with how stupid he sounds. “Good,” Steve says, pressing another kiss, this time to Eddie’s nose. “Because I’m actually quite attached to you now. Not sure how kindly I’d take to you leaving.”

Eddie feels a sharp sting of guilt then, remembering all the places he’s applied to in the past week. That’s still a conversation he thinks they need to have, about Eddie’s role in the Harrington household and how it might change if they’re…

“Are we, like…” Eddie fiddles with the hem of Steve’s shirt, a little embarrassed about asking the question he desperately craves an answer to. Steve hums, and Eddie knows he’s not going to make it any easier; he’s not a mind reader. “Does this mean we’re, like, dating now?”

Steve noses at Eddie’s cheek sweetly. “Yes. If that’s what you want.”

Eddie’s heart feels like it’s seeping through the spaces in between his ribs, trying to escape. How different things are now, compared to just this morning. “Yes,” he agrees quietly. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Good,” Steve says with a smile before he kisses him again. This one lingers more than the others, neither of them seeming to be willing to be the first one to pull away. Eddie can practically feel his blood buzzing underneath his skin, the closeness and Steve’s scent enough to make him ache. He’s half a second away from asking Steve to touch him already when he feels something land on his cheek.

He pulls away, peeking up at the sky only to find, much to his delight, that it’s-

“Snow,” Steve murmurs, his voice filled with quiet awe.

Eddie tilts his head back to watch the flakes drift down, and Steve places a steadying, protective hand on the small of his back. “It’s beautiful,” Eddie whispers.

Steve leans in, mouthing at Eddie’s Adam's apple. “Kind of a perfect end to the day, don’t you think?”

Eddie hums his agreement, his eyes drifting shut as one hand comes up to hold Steve’s hair to keep him in place. “I think we should go to bed, honey.”

Steve makes a sad noise, and Eddie blinks at him, a little bleary. “But…” Steve pouts. “If we go to sleep… I can’t give you anymore kisses.”

That’s possibly the cheesiest, cringiest thing Eddie’s ever heard, and yet… he’s pretty sure he’s in love with the guy. “You can give me a goodnight kiss, and then in the morning we can work on making up for lost time,” he says, running his fingers through Steve’s hair.

“Fine,” Steve says, with a little pitiful sigh. “C’mere, then, let’s go to bed. You must be freezing out here.”

Eddie allows himself to be bundled up and escorted back inside, sighing contently when the warmth of the room hits his face. He immediately swerves off course to make sure that the twins are okay, but as soon as he’s satisfied that they’re actually asleep, he joins Steve in their bed.

“Goodnight,” Steve mumbles as they both get situated under the covers. “Are you warm enough?”

“Mhm,” Eddie replies. He starts to roll towards Steve, stops himself, then realizes that’s actually something I can do now, and presses himself against Steve’s side. “Kiss?” He murmurs, blinking at Steve sweetly.

Steve grins, leaning in and giving him a short but sweet kiss. “I’m so glad we can do that now,” he whispers, reaching out and wrapping his arm around Eddie’s waist.

“Me-“ Eddie cuts himself off to yawn. “Me too. Sleep.” The quiet rumble of Steve’s answering laughter is the last thing Eddie hears.

Chapter Text

Traveling back to Indy is much the same affair as traveling from there to New York. The twins are sleepy, but luckily, with all the bags packed the night before, it’s easy to get them up and dressed and ready to go with plenty of time to spare. They’re such good kids, Eddie doesn’t take for granted how lucky he is that they’re so agreeable and obedient. They get dressed and brush their hair and teeth with very little fussing, and Eddie is relieved that this part of his morning, at least, won’t be as stressful as it could be.

His favorite part of the morning, though, was before the twins ever woke up. Steve’s quiet alarm had gone off, and he quickly turned it off before sighing, rolling back over in bed.

“I know you’re awake,” he had murmured to Eddie, quiet in the small space between them.

“Nuh-uh,” Eddie had mumbled back, fighting a smile.

And then the wildest thing had happened. Steve had reached out, tugging Eddie closer to him, and in the quiet early morning, he had kissed him full on the lips.

Hours later, Eddie was still thinking about it, fighting a goofy grin every time the thought came into his mind. The fact that this was something he was allowed now still shocked him, still made him a little insane. It didn’t feel real.

“Mommy,” Jasmine says, snapping Eddie back into the present, where they are sitting at their terminal, waiting for their flight home to board. “Can you make spaghetti when we get home?” She asks, her head resting on his chest.

Eddie smiles, brushing her hair back. ”Sure, baby. I’ll-“

“Jasmine, no,” Steve interjects softly. “By the time we get home, everyone will be tired from traveling all day. Mommy isn’t going to cook tonight, we’ll get pizza or something.”

Ivy pouts. “But we had pizza the other day!” She complains.

“Steve, it’s really no problem, spaghetti is easy enough to cook,” Eddie says, trying to reign this in before either of the girls decide to make it a full fledged tantrum.

Steve sighs, looking conflicted as he glances between the three of them. “Alright, fine. But you’ll let me help, yeah?”

Eddie almost rolls his eyes. Spaghetti really is one of the easiest things to make, so Steve’s concern seems silly. At the same time, though, Eddie is preening just a little at the idea that someone wants to be worried about him, and wants to make sure he’s taken care of.

He decides not to be a brat.

“Yeah, of course, honey,” he murmurs, leaning to the side to rest his head on Steve’s shoulder.

“Can we have garlic bread too?” Ivy asks, staring up at Eddie expectantly.

Eddie nods. “I think it’s illegal to have spaghetti without garlic bread. Right, Stevie?”

Steve laughs, and the sound makes Eddie grin. “Is this like, phone a friend but for Italians?”

That sends Eddie and the twins all giggling, and they spend the rest of their waiting time joking about Steve’s heritage and different Italian dishes until it’s time to board the plane.

The flight back is easy enough, the girls quiet and well-behaved the whole time. There’s a little old lady across the aisle from Eddie and Jasmine who talks Eddie’s ear off nearly the whole flight, telling stories about raising her own pups and giving him advice on how to raise his. He’s very tolerant of it all, but at one point Steve gets up to use the bathroom and Eddie mouths, “help me” before he can stop himself. Steve gives him a secretive nod, holding his hand up to gesture that it’ll be a minute.

“Baby, are you alright?” Steve asks on his way back from the bathroom, stopping in the aisle by Eddie’s seat. He crouches down, lifting his hand up to feel Eddie’s forehead like he’s got a fever. “Oh, are you getting travel sick?”

“Mhm,” Eddie mumbles, nodding and playing up the whole poor, pitiful omega shtick. “Don’t feel well, Alpha.”

Steve’s mouth twitches, and his eyes darken. Eddie makes a mental note of that. “Oh, poor baby. Why don’t you try to sleep the rest of the way home? Let me get one of the stewardesses to fetch you a blanket, and you can take a little nap, hm?”

“Okay,” Eddie replies, as if he’s just so helpless to the orders of his alpha.

Steve goes to hunt down a blanket, and Eddie leans his head back, closing his eyes. This whole thing must be doing the trick, because the old woman goes quiet, no longer pestering him with all of her life story.

“Mommy, are you okay?” Jasmine asks, petting his arm.

“Mm, mommy’s fine, baby, just feel a little nauseous,” he says, loudly enough that the lady across the way can hear him. He leans closer to Jasmine, dropping his voice to a whisper. “I’m fine, honey, I’m just tired of talking to this lady.”

Jasmine giggles, but traps it with her hand when Eddie gives her a look. “Oh, okay,” she says. “I hope you feel better mommy. Can I cuddle you?”

Eddie’s heart nearly bursts with affection. “Of course, sweet girl. Come here.”

Jasmine eagerly climbs into his lap, snuggling up to his chest happily. She’s quiet for a moment, but then pulls away enough to look up at him. “Can you scent me?” She asks, all wide eyed and precious.

Eddie can feel himself getting emotional at the request, his eyes stinging a little. Despite Steve telling him that he was fine with it, encouraging it even, Eddie hasn’t yet scented either of the twins. “Sure, honey,” he murmurs. He scents the top of her head, rubbing his nose gently in the curls there. “Here,” he says, holding his wrist up for her. She can’t actually scent him back, pups can’t do that until they’ve presented, but it’s generally considered good practice to teach them how early on.

“Like this?” She asks, rubbing her nose against his wrist.

Eddie nods. “Yup. But if you want it to last, typically you should try to scent bare skin, instead of someone’s clothes.”

Jasmine nods, snuggling back into his chest. “I hope I’m an omega when I’m big,” she murmurs. “Just like you, Mommy.”

Steve chooses that moment to interrupt, which is probably a good thing, considering Eddie’s stinging eyes. “Alright, one blanket for Mama,” he says, draping it over Jasmine and tucking it up over Eddie’s shoulders. He smiles down at them, a sweet tinge to his scent that Eddie has never really noticed before. “You two look so precious. Jazz, are you going to watch after Mommy until we get home?”

Jasmine nods, giving Steve her best trustworthy smile. “Yes, Daddy,” she says.

Steve smiles, ruffling her hair. “Good girl. You need anything else, hon?” He shifts his gaze to Eddie, giving him a wink to go along with his stellar performance.

“No, I think I’m okay now. But I think I’ll take a nap until we land.” Eddie hopes his talkative neighbor hears him.

“Alright. I’ll wake you up when we do.” He leans down, kissing Eddie’s forehead, then Jasmine’s, before he returns to his own seat.

“Can we really take a nap?” Jasmine asks. “I actually am kind of tired.”

Eddie laughs quietly, kissing the top of her head. “Of course, sweetheart. Just close your eyes.” He begins humming softly, and in no time at all, they’re both drifting off to sleep.

~~~

He doesn’t expect to actually sleep the whole way back but when he wakes, it’s to Steve gently jostling his shoulder as people are grabbing their carry-ons from the compartments above.

“C’mon, baby, we’re home,” Steve says softly.

Eddie stretches, panicking for just a moment when he finds his arms empty, until he sees Jasmine sitting in her own seat.

“Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to actually sleep the whole time,” Eddie says, his voice laden with guilt and sleep.

“It’s okay,” Steve says with a little shrug. “The twins were fine. Come on, let’s get our bags. I think they’re about to let us off.”

It takes a while, but eventually it’s their row’s turn to disembark, and Eddie follows Steve and a couple of very sleepy girls off the plane. Steve leads them to the luggage carousel, and Eddie shamelessly rests his head on Steve’s shoulder while they wait, nearly purring when Steve reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair.

After gathering their luggage, they all follow Steve out to the parking garage where they had left Steve’s car. Steve seems to relax a little when they climb in, and Eddie knows that this car is the thing Steve loves most in the world, second only to his children.

“Alright, how about we go home and take a little nap for a little while?” Steve asks as he’s pulling out of the parking garage, turning up the heat. “Later we’ll need to unpack and clean the apartment, but how would you guys like to have a little sleepover with me and Mommy?”

The twins, predictably, love this idea, and Steve sends Eddie a little smile. Eddie can’t help but return it, feeling happier and more content than he has in weeks. Without letting himself think about it too much, he reaches out, taking Steve’s hand that was resting on the gearshift. He intertwines their fingers without looking at Steve, biting his lip as he waits for his response.

Steve squeezes his hand three times, and when Eddie looks at him, he’s sporting a huge grin, his gaze focused on the road ahead.

Eddie fights a grin himself, gently stroking Steve’s hand with his thumb the whole way home.

~~~

When they get into the apartment, it’s like everyone is overcome with relief. That relief quickly becomes exhaustion, and they all kick off their shoes and shed their coats before making their way to Steve’s room. The twins pile into the middle of the bed, and Eddie can’t help but snort at the sight. He’s actually not even that tired anymore, not after that power nap on the plane, but he’ll never miss a chance to cuddle with his babies.

“Hey babe, I’m gonna go shower the plane off of me real quick,” Steve says quietly, grabbing himself some pajamas from his drawer. He pauses, glancing at the twins, who are already deeply snuggled into his covers. “Do you want to…” he holds his pile of clothes aloft, nodding to the bathroom.

Eddie’s eyes nearly fall right out of his skull. Surely Steve isn’t asking… but he’s still standing there, holding his little bundle of clothes and watching Eddie like he’s waiting for a response.

“With you?” Eddie asks, nearly mouthing the words in his attempt to not inform the kids of the conversation. His eyes dart pointedly to said kids after he speaks, and he watches as Steve’s face grows a little rosy with embarrassment.

“Er… I guess not,” he says sheepishly. “I’ll be quick.” He quickly ducks into the bathroom, taking the mild scent of embarrassment with him as he goes.

Eddie shakes his head, somewhat disbelieving of the whole situation as he climbs into bed with the kids. Ivy has already drifted off, but Jasmine seems to be fighting sleep a little better, blinking slowly at Eddie when he settles next to her. “Are you not sleepy?” He asks, settling into the pillow and trying to subtly inhale Steve’s soft scent that drifts off the sheets.

Jasmine shakes her head, then shrugs. “Not really. But I would like to cuddle,” she says, scooting closer and allowing Eddie to wrap her up in his arms.

“My sweet, snuggly girl,” Eddie sighs happily. He’s more content than he has been in a long while, especially now that they’re back home in a familiar environment.

Jasmine giggles and nuzzles into Eddie’s chest, the picture of comfort. “Can I help you make spaghetti later?”

“Of course,” Eddie replies, brushing her hair with his fingers gently. “What do you think we should have for dessert?”

“Hmm,” she says, tapping her chin theatrically as she thinks. After barely a few seconds, she lights up, an “aha” noise falling from her lips. “I know!”

Eddie struggles to stifle his grin. “Yeah? What are we thinking?”

“Chocolate chip cookies!” She announces proudly.

“Oh my. You’re definitely onto something there,” he tells her, nodding. “But baking is definitely Daddy’s thing. Let’s ask him about it when he gets done with his shower.”

“Ask me about what?” Comes Steve’s voice, the unexpected suddenness of it nearly making Eddie jump out of his skin. Eddie shoots him a look over his shoulder, and Steve grins apologetically. “Sorry, honey. Didn’t mean to scare you. What did you guys want to ask me?”

Jasmine sits up, making grabby hands for her father. “Daddy, can you make us some chocolate chip cookies after dinner?”

Steve scoops her up, and Eddie pretends he doesn’t stare as his arms flex, even though he totally does. “Hmm… I mean, I guess that could be arranged. But I’ll need a very good assistant to help me,” he hints, jostling her lightly.

Her face falls, and she gestures to Eddie helplessly. “But Daddy, I’m already helping Mommy make spaghetti! That’s so much work!”

Eddie giggles, covering his mouth to stifle it just a little, as Jasmine seems to be deadly serious about her dilemma. Steve is clearly fighting a grin of his own, but puts on an impressive mask of solemnity. “Right, of course, what am I thinking?” He says, catching Eddie’s eye and winking. “How about you help Mommy make dinner, and then Ivy can help me make cookies?”

Jasmine lights up, nodding. “Okay!” She wiggles, and Steve lets her go, watching fondly as she crawls over Eddie and settles back into her spot. “I’m glad I have a sister to do stuff that I don’t wanna do,” she muses, glancing at Ivy thoughtfully. She rolls back over, her eyes wide and deceptively innocent. “If I had a brother, I’d probably never have to do anything,” she says, clearly in awe of the idea.

Eddie nearly chokes at the boldness of the statement, furtively sneaking a glance at Steve, who looks caught between amusement and mortification. “Well…” Steve says, trailing off as he catches Eddie’s eye. Eddie might be imagining it, but for a second, he could swear that Steve smirks at him. “Be thankful you and sissy were born together, and remember how lucky you are the next time you’re fighting.”

Jasmine nods thoughtfully, reaching out for Eddie’s arm and pulling it around her. “Yeah, I guess. Mommy, I’m ready to take a nap now.”

Eddie melts. “Okay, sweetheart.” He cuddles her close to his chest, kissing the top of her head before turning and looking back at Steve. “Are you going to lay down with us?” He asks softly.

Steve stares at them for a moment, his mouth quirked in a soft smile, his eyes unfocused. He seems to shake himself out of it when he realizes Eddie just asked him a question. “Oh, yeah.” He pulls back the covers and slides in behind Eddie, pressing the warmth of his body along the length of Eddie’s. His arm sneaks around Eddie’s waist, and Eddie all but melts back against him. “Sleep for a couple hours, make dinner when we wake up?” Steve murmurs.

Eddie nods. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Good.” Steve stretches his neck then, tilting forward and pressing a kiss to Eddie’s cheek. “Sweet dreams, angel,” he whispers.

Unable to help himself, Eddie turns his head, catching Steve’s lips with his own in a brief brush that can barely even be classified as a kiss. He still can’t believe this is something he gets to have now, but he wants to take advantage while he’s got it. Even though he trusts Steve with his life, there’s still some part of him that feels like this may have an expiration date on it, and he doesn’t want to miss a second of it.

“Sleep tight,” Eddie mumbles as he finally settles into the pillow.

The last thing he’s aware of is Steve gently stroking his hip, his nose nuzzled into Eddie’s neck as a flood of calming alpha pheromones washes over him.

~~~

“Mommy,” an incessant voice whispers. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

From behind him, there’s a quiet rumble, followed by, “hi, Hungry, I’m Dad.”

Eddie blinks the sleep out of his eyes blearily, Ivy and Jasmine coming into view as soon as his vision has cleared. “Huh?” He yawns, stretching until his back pops. “Time is it?”

He hears a hum from behind him, and then Steve is murmuring, “a quarter to five.” There’s the distinct press of lips to the back of his head then, and Eddie feels like he could doze back off with a purr, if he was allowed. “C’mon, mama, let’s go make dinner.”

And well… that’s definitely a convincing request, and the pet name doesn’t hurt either. Eddie stretches again after Steve has climbed out of bed, allowing himself to be pulled up by his hands. The girls have already climbed out on the other side, and Eddie waits very patiently for them to disappear from the room before he turns back to Steve. Steve, who is currently staring at him with that same soft grin, as if he can read Eddie’s mind.

“Hi,” Eddie whispers. He allows his hands to wander away from Steve’s, finding their grip on his hips easily. Steve tangles his hands into the mess of Eddie’s hair, and it’s like a magnet is drawing them together, both of them tilting their heads to accommodate the other in a soft kiss. It’s not fireworks and wildfires; it’s the quiet calm of coming home at the end of a long day and being doused in cold water after being left to wither away in the desert. Every bone in Eddie’s body seems to breathe a sigh of relief at the contact, and he wishes he could just melt back into the bed, taking Steve right along with him.

Steve pulls away first when they hear the clacking of utensils and pots and pans being shifted around. He’s got an almost wild look in his eyes, his gaze never wavering from Eddie’s lips. “We should go… before they get suspicious.”

Eddie is sure he’s probably pouting at that. “Fine,” he sighs. He allows himself another act of selfishness, though, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist and squeezing, nuzzling his chest gently. “Mm. Okay, now I’m ready to go cook.”

Steve is grinning when they finally separate, and Eddie tries to contain his own ridiculously pleased expression, although he’s sure that he fails. He follows Steve into the kitchen, where the twins are trying to dig for the right sized pasta pot, with little success.

“Need some help?” Eddie asks when he steps into the kitchen, his hands resting on his hips.

The twins jerk up like they’ve been caught doing something naughty, so Eddie just offers them a reassuring smile. “You’re okay. Can I help, though?”

“I didn’t know which pot to use, so Ivy said she’d find it, but then-“ Jasmine is rushing to explain, rambling.

Eddie cuts her off with as much grace as he can. “That’s okay, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong. But let me and Daddy get the stuff we need first, okay?”

Jasmine nods, and she and Ivy retire themselves to the barstools on the other side of the island while Steve and Eddie flit about the kitchen, gathering the necessary pots and pans and ingredients. “Ivy, did your sister tell you what job you’re going to have tonight?” Steve asks as he pokes his head around the refrigerator door.

Ivy nods, grinning brightly. “Cookie assistant!” She announces. “I get to help you while she helps Mommy.”

Steve smiles at her, mirroring the excitement on her face. “Very good! I’m going to need a good assistant to get these cookies done, do you think you’re up for the job?” He quirks a brow at her, and Eddie smiles down at the sink as he fills the pot with water.

“Mhm!” Ivy says brightly. “I’ll do my best, Daddy.”

Eddie has to blink the dampness from his eyes for just a moment at the sincerity of that statement. He gestures Jasmine over as soon as the pot is full, scooping her up into his arms. “Alright, honey, we’ve got to wait for this water to boil, and when it does, we’ll pour the noodles in. But right now we’re going to put in a little dash of salt…” he lets her do the honors, watching as she carefully shakes a little bit out.

“Like that?” She asks, giving it a stir when Eddie hands her a spoon.

“Yup, just like that, very good.”

“What’s it for?” She asks curiously, peering into the water.

Eddie shrugs. “I think it makes the spaghetti taste better, and keeps the noodles from sticking. I dunno, though. It’s just how my Uncle Wayne taught me.”

Jasmine nods, but her eyebrows are pinched together in a clear sign of curiosity. “How come your mommy didn’t teach you?” She asks, blinking up at him innocently.

He feels a vague pang in his chest, a reminder of grief that he doesn’t usually allow himself to feel or even acknowledge. He tries to give her a smile, but knows that being dishonest isn’t an option. “Well… my mother passed away when I was very young,” Eddie says slowly, turning around to take Jasmine over to one of the barstools while they wait for the pasta to boil. He nearly startles at the audience he finds, Steve and Ivy watching and listening as he speaks. “And, um… my uncle was kind enough to take me in, and he raised me all by himself.”

Jasmine frowns, and an instant pang of guilt strikes Eddie directly in the chest. He didn’t mean to make her sad, and he realizes belatedly that his story may make the absence of her own mother hurt that much more. Before he can apologize, Jasmine leans in for a hug. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

Eddie blinks hard, clearing his throat a couple times until he can talk around the lump in his throat. “Thank you, honey. But it’s okay. I had a wonderful parent, and that’s all that matters.”

Jasmine pulls away with a look of understanding on her face, something that makes her immediately appear wise beyond her years. “Oh,” she says, nodding. “Just like me and Ivy! Our other Mommy is gone too, but we have you and Daddy instead.”

Somehow, this is the first time Eddie has had an inkling of what happened to the twins’ birth mom. Steve was not particularly forthcoming about the situation, not that he had to be, of course, but Eddie had been curious. He knows it’s probably a much bigger deal, and he definitely would like to know more of the details, but one glance at Steve’s sober face and he knows he’s going to let it go for now.

“Yeah,” Eddie says kindly, stroking Jasmine’s hair. “Kind of like that. And I love you guys bunches and bunches, okay?”

Jasmine cuddles close to his chest with a giggle at that. “I know that,” she says, in a duh sort of tone.

“And me too?” Ivy asks, pouting up at Eddie with those adorable puppy eyes.

Eddie smiles and nods, reaching out to brush his hand over her hair, leaning in and kissing the top of her head. “Yes, you too, of course, my sweet angel.”

He meets Steve’s gaze over Ivy’s head, and Steve just smiles at him, his chin resting in the palm of his hand as he watches it all unfold. He doesn’t look upset with Eddie for bringing up what is undoubtedly a touchy subject, nor does he look particularly sad, so Eddie smiles back, wishing more than anything he could reach out and touch him too, just for a moment.

Jasmine averts his attention back to the spaghetti, and the real cooking begins. There’s not much to it, he uses a pre-made sauce since it’s easier and cheaper, but they want meatballs, so he teaches her how to season them and roll them out into the correct shape before putting them in a separate skillet to cook. Ivy chimes in at some point, reminding them to make garlic bread, a job that Eddie takes very seriously, considering it’s actually the best part.

It’s probably a half hour later that everything is fully done, and Jasmine helps set the dishes at the bar for everyone to dig in. It’s endearing, how much she wants to help, and Eddie makes a mental note to let each of the girls help him cook more often. He carries the actual food over, setting everything out on the pretty cast iron trivets that rarely get used. As he’s heading around the bar to his own seat, Steve squeezes his hip, giving him a little wink and a cheeky smile. “It looks great, sweetheart. Thank you.”

Eddie tries to contain the blush that very nearly creeps up his cheeks, but it’s a close thing. “You’re welcome,” he mumbles, allowing his hand to drift down Steve’s spine as he walks behind him. He’s not sure if he imagines the way it makes Steve shiver or not.

Steve and Eddie help make the girls’ plates as they chatter about the trip and going back to school. It’s a content evening, and Eddie compliments Jasmine several times for how well everything turned out, which has her absolutely beaming with pride. Ivy loudly proclaims that her cookies are going to knock everyone out of the park, to which Eddie can only laugh and nod, especially when Steve just rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

Steve insists on clearing the plates away, tutting at Eddie when he stands to help. “Nope, you just sit there and look pretty, honey, I’ve got this.”

He’d normally argue, of course, but for now all Eddie can manage is a content little sigh, dropping his head into the palm of his hand as he gazes at Steve. He’s probably being a little too obvious, but the twins don’t seem to be paying him any mind. Ivy is bouncing on the balls of her feet next to Steve, while Jasmine sits on her knees on the barstool next to Eddie, looking like she might crawl up onto the island at any minute.

“Honey, sit down before you fall,” Eddie chastises her, smiling approvingly when she listens.

“Daddy, can we eat a little bit of the cookie dough before we cook it?” Ivy asks, standing on her tiptoes to prop her chin up on the counter.

Steve gives her a look, shaking his head. “You know you can’t. You could get very sick from doing that, there’s raw eggs in it.”

Ivy predictably begins to pout, and Eddie almost can’t stand to see it. Call him a sucker, but when either of the girls bring out the puppy dog eyes, he becomes a very weak man.

“Mommy,” Ivy starts, turning that sad expression on him. “Would you-“

“Daddy said no,” Eddie says quickly. He raises his hands as if to show his innocence, giving her his best attempt at an apologetic look.

“But Mommy,” she whines.

Eddie looks to Steve, helpless. Steve shrugs at him. “You can hear her out, but I’d rather they didn’t eat raw cookie dough. I’ve always heard you can get salmonella like that,” he says, glancing at the twins when he says that last part, clearly issuing a warning.

“No, no. You said no, and they’re your kids, and-“ Eddie is saying, shaking his head at Ivy when she gives him those kicked puppy dog eyes again.

“Our kids,” Steve says softly. Eddie glances up, a little surprised to see him closer, almost leaning over the island to speak. Steve gives him a meaningful look, almost imploring him to agree. “You get to make decisions, too.”

Eddie feels - he feels overwhelmed. It’s not a bad thing, per say, but he’s never really had someone trust him like this before, to give him authority in an area that he really has no right to it.

It feels… nice.

“Okay,” he says softly, looking down at his hands. Eddie glances back at the twins, and shrugs. “I agree with your dad. Sorry girls.”

There’s the predictable chorus of aww’s that follow this statement, and Eddie has to remind himself that just because Steve has given him the power to make decisions, he still needs to do what’s best for the kids. Which, he supposes, is how they’ve been operating this thing since the beginning, although never in as many words.

“Thank you,” Steve mouths over Ivy’s head as he scoops her up and takes her over to help him with the cookies.

Eddie just returns his gratitude with a soft smile. He sighs as he rests his arms on the counter in front of him, propping his head up with his right hand and using his left to reach out and play with Jasmine’s hair.

“We should probably have their hair trimmed soon,” he says to Steve in the relative quiet of the kitchen, Ivy hyper-focused on sectioning out cookie dough.

“Yeah, we should,” Steve agrees. “I probably need to have mine trimmed at the same time, I’ll make us an appointment together.”

Eddie makes a quiet, displeased noise, but one that he has absolutely zero intention of making. Steve glances at him curiously, and Eddie can feel heat flood his cheeks. “I- okay.” He’s secretly going to lament the loss of Steve’s beautiful waves, waves that have started to gently curl at the end now that his hair has gotten longer. Eddie doesn’t think Steve’s trimmed it the whole time he’s been there, so he’s probably right that he needs one, but…

“What is it?” Steve asks, turning to face him fully, leaving Ivy briefly to her own devices.

Eddie shrugs. He really doesn’t want to admit the truth - that he imagines running his fingers through Steve’s hair just as it is now, maybe tugging it gently to bring him in for a kiss - he doesn’t even know how he’d say that without sounding like a clingy freak.

Something in his scent must change, because Steve’s nose wrinkles delicately and his gaze shifts to something genuinely concerned. He props his hand on his hip, giving Eddie a very deadpan stare until he’s squirming in his seat. “It’ll grow back quickly, right?” Eddie asks quietly, fiddling with the ring on his right hand. He’s saying it without actually saying it, and that’s probably as good as it’s going to get.

Steve’s gaze softens, and his lips twitch into a little grin. “Yeah, hon, it’ll probably grow back really quickly.” He’s not exactly teasing him, but he’s definitely not not teasing him.

Eddie just nods, glancing away. “Okay.”

Jasmine, who has still been sat beside him this whole time, cocks her head and gives Eddie an appraising sort of look. “Mommy, are you ever going to cut your hair?”

Steve mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like God I hope not, but Eddie can’t swear that’s what he actually said. Eddie gives Jasmine a reassuring smile, finding it a little incredibly precious that she seems so concerned about what happens to his hair. “No, baby, probably not. I like having long hair. Besides, my ears stick out and look funny when I have short hair.” He briefly pushes his hair back, making a silly face as he makes his ears look like they’re sticking out more prominently than what they actually are.

Jasmine giggles, reaching out with grabby hands to tug on his ears playfully. “Mommy, you’re funny.”

Eddie grins at her, scooping her up into his lap and tickling her sides just to giggle along as she squeals. “Funny looking,” he jokes, pausing to give her a moment to catch her breath. He feels eyes on him, and isn’t surprised when his gaze flickers over to meet Steve’s. He’s watching them with an easy little grin, and Eddie could just melt at the domesticity.

“Alright, let’s get these bad boys in the oven,” Steve tells Ivy when she finishes rolling them into little balls. “And it’ll only take like ten minutes or so for them to cook.”

The girls cheer, and Steve helps Ivy down from the step stool before glancing back over at Eddie. “Honey, how about you and the girls go pick out a movie for us to watch together while I clean up in here?”

The twins are already scrambling to do just that, but Eddie hesitates. “Are you sure?” He glances at all the dinner dishes that are crowding the sink. “I don’t mind washing the dishes really quickly, Steve.”

Steve smiles, shrugging. “How about you dry, I’ll wash?”

Eddie smiles right back at him. “Deal.”

The twins argue quietly over what to watch while the sink fills with hot water, and Eddie watches the way Steve rolls up his sleeves to dip them under the faucet. His forearms are strong and unblemished, his wrists thin and bare, even of the nice watch Steve normally wears. Eddie pretends that he wasn’t staring when Steve actually starts washing dishes, but there’s a little quirk to the corner of his mouth that makes Eddie think maybe he already knows.

“I’ll unpack all of our bags tomorrow and do the laundry from the trip,” Eddie says, making quiet conversation. “And I’ll probably go grocery shopping too, so let me know if you have any special requests for this week.”

Steve hums to acknowledge he’s heard him, handing him a plate after rinsing it. “Alright. I’m thinking of making a roast sometime this week, if you wouldn’t mind picking up the stuff for that.”

“Sure,” Eddie nods. “You’ll just have to tell me how you like it to be cooked.”

Steve shakes his head, giving Eddie an almost exasperated grin, along with another plate to dry. “I’ll cook it, honey. I think we can share more of the chores around here, yeah?” Steve shrugs as he looks back down at the sink. “I mean, I was doing all of this on my own before you, so it’s not fair to just dump every single house chore on you, just because you’re here.”

It occurs to Eddie, vaguely, that Steve is trying to be kind, and fair. But what it really accomplishes is to remind Eddie that he’s being paid to be there to work, not to be fooling around with Steve. He knows that they desperately need to have a deeper conversation about that, and maybe about Eddie’s desire to work outside of what he does here at the apartment. But the oven dings, and the twins are excited, and there are dishes to be washed, and Eddie knows that the problem will still be there tomorrow.

He nudges Steve playfully as he goes to get the cookies out of the oven, and resigns himself to having that conversation with him tomorrow.

No point in ruining tonight.

~~~

After the cookies have been eaten, a movie has been watched, and lots of snuggles have been had, it’s time to put the girls to bed. They’d both been yawning halfway through the movie, and Eddie had to get creative about keeping them awake until it was over. He doesn’t remember when he learned that, but most days he lives by the rule that the twins should be awake right up until they absolutely have to go to sleep, that way they sleep through the whole night.

“You carry one, I carry the other?” Steve whispers as the credits roll.

Eddie smiles tiredly and nods, standing up and stretching before reaching down and scooping Ivy up. “It’s a good thing there’s two of us. I can’t imagine being outnumbered here,” Eddie says quietly as he and Steve carry the girls down the hall.

Steve snorts. “Oh, I can.” There’s a pause, and Eddie is almost positive that he’s smiling shyly when he continues with, “it’s not the worst thing, being outnumbered.”

Surely he’s not implying… Eddie glances back briefly, shocked to see the imploring look on Steve’s face.

“Oh,” Eddie says lamely.

He leaves it at that, having approximately no idea how to handle the information that’s just been laid so neatly before him. Because it definitely sounds like Steve was implying that he wanted more children… but surely he wasn’t.

Right?

“Mommy, can you sing us a goodnight song?” Ivy asks, her head lolling off his shoulder as he gently places her under the covers.

“Sure, baby. Let’s wait for daddy to tuck sissy in, okay?” He brushes Ivy’s hair out of her face, leaning down and kissing her forehead softly. She nods faintly, but is very obviously already drifting.

Steve gets Jasmine situated in her bed, giving her a kiss before standing and doing the same with Ivy. “I’m gonna go turn the television off and clean up a bit while you sing to them,” he murmurs, brushing his fingertips across Eddie’s shoulder as he stands.

“M’kay,” Eddie hums in response. He turns back to the girls, who are half-asleep at best, and softly begins to sing a Tears for Fears song that’s been stuck in his head since Steve played it in the car earlier.

He pushes through the first verse and chorus, but when Ivy lets out the first snore, he trails off. Gingerly, he rises from the edge of the bed, making sure that the movement doesn’t wake Ivy. He steps over to Jasmine’s bed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Goodnight, darling. Sleep tight.”

“Mommy,” Jasmine mumbles as Eddie is about to step away. He pauses, looking down at her to see if she’s sleep-talking or not. One of her eyes cracks open and her hand flops like she’s reaching for him. “Love you,” she mumbles, nearly incoherent at this point.

Eddie’s heart swells, and he reaches out to squeeze her hand. “I love you too, my sweet girl. Be good and go to sleep now, okay?”

Jasmine doesn’t respond, her breath evening out in a clear sign of rest.

Eddie stands, leaving for real this time, double checking that their night light is on before he pulls the door almost fully closed. He hesitates outside his own bedroom door, debating if he should just go ahead and retreat to his own bed or not. He hears voices from the living room, and that draws him away, curiosity leading the way.

He steps into the kitchen and sees Steve over by the phone and answering machine. Steve smiles at him in acknowledgment, glancing back down as he listens. Eddie hears what he thinks is Robin’s voice, and almost interrupts to say hello when he realizes it’s just a voicemail Steve is listening to. Eddie busies himself with checking the fridge, making a note on the grocery list to get more milk and eggs, when an unfamiliar voice saying his own name catches his attention.

“- calling to reach Eddie Munson about the application he filled out with us at Arthur’s Music Store. We’d like to schedule an interview as early as possible. If you could, give us a call back at-“

Eddie is reeling over the news, his hand frozen on the handle of the refrigerator as he tries to process his emotions. Is he excited? Nervous? Some combination of the two is most likely, but either way, he’s got-

“Uh, what the fuck?”

Steve’s voice shatters whatever moment Eddie is having in his head, and he glances over to find Steve staring at him, an expression of hurt all over his face.

Oh fuck.

“I…” Eddie begins, unsure where to even start. This isn’t how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to be able to tell him first, instead of the news coming out of left field. He searches for the words, but he gets choked up with the way that Steve smells, hurt and betrayal stinking up the whole room. “Steve, I-“

“You’re leaving us?” Steve says, his voice breaking. “You’re leaving me?”

Eddie feels his heart fall through his stomach, settling like a rotten stone among the food they’d had earlier, which is suddenly not sitting right with him. “Steve, no, I can explain all of this,” Eddie tries, his voice weak.

“Were you even going to tell me?” Steve asks, small. Eddie can smell his tears better than he can see them, salty and disappointed.

“Yes,” Eddie manages to say, this time very clear and firm. “Steve, please-“

“Wait,” Steve interrupts, again, holding a hand out as the other comes up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Before you say anything… did you know about this before you knew about the trip?”

Eddie doesn’t know whether the truth is better or worse, but he decides he owes that much to Steve, either way. “Yes,” he says quietly.

Steve nods, his jaw working as he clearly tries to process the information. “Okay,” he says eventually. He nods once, almost to himself, before turning and going towards the front door.

Eddie’s throat closes, his eyes burning. “Steve,” he pleads, reaching out for him limply.

“I just- I need a breather,” Steve says, stumbling over his words a little as he tries to get his shoes on. “I- I’m not mad at you.” He makes dead eye contact with Eddie as he says this. “I just… I need a second to think about all of this. Okay?”

Eddie sniffles. “Okay.” He nods.

Steve nods too, his hand doing an awkward dance in the air as he clearly stops himself from reaching out and touching Eddie in some way. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I promise.”

“Okay,” Eddie nods, crossing his arms over his chest in some half-wit attempt to protect himself from any of this hurt that he’s caused Steve.

Steve gives him one last look before the door closes behind him, and as soon as it does, Eddie crumples.

~~~

True to his word, Steve isn’t gone very long.

Unfortunately for him, and maybe a little for Steve, it’s just enough time for him to cry, his face a complete and utter mess when he hears the front door finally unlock. He sniffles pathetically, rubbing his eyes as if that’s actually going to help matters any. He listens closely from his bedroom, waiting to see if Steve will come in slamming the door in anger, or if he’ll tread quietly in disappointment. There’s no slamming door, and Eddie can make out the distinct sound of it clicking shut, followed by what is probably Steve’s discarded shoes hitting the floor. Eddie chews on his thumbnail anxiously as he waits to see if Steve will come looking for him.

Several minutes pass, and he hears Steve’s footsteps as he walks through the apartment, the sound never drawing any nearer to his bedroom. He breaks a little more, curling back up atop the covers on his bed, turning his back to his door. He tells himself that this is it; he will allow himself tonight to cry and wallow in regret of what could have been, and in the morning he will pack his things and leave, his tail between his legs. The twins will be upset, of course, but maybe-

His door creaks open. “Eddie?” Comes a quiet voice.

Eddie sits up, swiping at the stupid tears on his face as he meets Steve’s gaze. He hiccups, offering him a watery smile, one that he hopes shows how horrible he feels about all of this.

“Oh, honey,” Steve sighs, stepping into the room and pushing the door closed behind himself. He approaches the bed, reaching out cautiously, as if Eddie is some kind of injured animal. “I’m sorry, Eddie. I’m not mad, I promise. Can I… can I sit with you?” He asks, glancing at the rumpled covers.

Eddie nods, scooting over to give him plenty of room. “I should be the one saying sorry,” he says, his voice a little croaky from all the crying. “I swear I was going to tell you. I… fuck, I probably should’ve just told you about it to begin with, I guess.”

Steve presses closer to Eddie, until his thigh presses into Eddie’s knee. “Why didn’t you?” He asks, no judgment in his tone.

Eddie shrugs one shoulder. “I was going to tell you the night you told us about the trip. But then… I don’t know, we were all so excited about that, and I didn’t want to ruin it for everyone, so I decided I’d just tell you when we came back.” He snorts humorlessly. “Guess they beat me to it.”

Steve nods, and Eddie watches how he fiddles with his hands, almost nervously. “Can I ask something else?” When Eddie nods, he takes a breath, his eyes flicking across Eddie’s face with uncertainty. “Why did you do it? I sort of get why you didn’t tell me, but… I just can’t figure out why you’d want to.” He looks truly lost, like he genuinely doesn’t get it. “Am I not… providing enough? Is it money? Because I can give you more money!” His voice picks up speed, and the wild look in his eyes tells Eddie that he needs to stop this, and stop it fast.

“Steve, no,” Eddie says firmly, reaching out and squeezing his hand. He sniffles a little, trying desperately to dry up the tears, as discreetly as he can. “That’s not it at all. You’re… you’re a perfect employer, a perfect alpha,” he says. He knows, based on his prior experience with alphas, that being able to provide is a big part of their self-worth and confidence, and he wants to make sure that if Steve doesn’t believe anything else, that he knows that those are areas he excels in.

“Then…” Steve looks at him helplessly. “Why would you want to leave?”

Eddie sighs. “Stevie, it’s not that I want to leave. Fuck, even before the trip, and the kiss, and figuring out what we want, I knew I wanted to stay here as long as you’d let me. It’s never been about leaving.”

That seems to assuage some of Steve’s anxiety about the situation. “Okay. But if it’s not about the money… and it’s not about leaving…” Steve raises his eyebrows pointedly, and Eddie sees his confusion.

“It’s about… about feeling like I have a purpose.” It’s as close to the truth as he can articulate, but he doesn’t expect the way Steve’s face falls upon hearing it.

“You don’t… you don’t think you have a purpose here?” He asks, sadly.

Eddie shakes his head, getting a little frustrated with his lack of proper words to communicate how he feels. He wishes Steve could just crack his skull open like a coconut and see his thoughts for himself. “I… that’s probably not quite the right way to phrase it,” he admits. “I just mean… of course I love being a parent to the girls, and I don’t even mind doing the housework and stuff, since you won’t ever let me do all of it anyway.”

“It’s still my house, Eddie, it’s absurd to make you do all the housework,” Steve interrupts him to say.

Eddie rolls his eyes, but continues. “But honestly? When you and the twins aren’t here and I’ve run out of things to do… I get bored. And… and Steve, I had a life planned out, at one time.” He doesn’t long for that life anymore like he used to, but he misses aspects of it that he will forever and always consider integral to his personality.

“Oh,” Steve says, clearly processing.

“I miss music. I miss doing something productive, and honestly, Steve? If we’re going to be serious about all of this… if you and I are going to give us a proper chance… I can’t be an employee of yours.”

He’s finally put it out there, the crux of the issue, and he waits with bated breath to see what Steve is going to say.

Steve looks vaguely surprised. “Oh,” he says, as if the thought had never even occurred to him. “I guess… I guess that makes sense.” He scratches his chin, glancing at Eddie with a sheepish grin. “I never really thought about it like that. And I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was… using you, or pressuring you or something. That really wasn’t my intention.”

“Oh, I know that,” Eddie says, quick to reassure him. “And I never felt pressured, I promise. I just… I don’t want to be a stay at home omega, either. So… if that’s what you want from me… I’m sorry, but I just-“

“Hey,” Steve interrupts gently, reaching out and squeezing his knee. “That’s not at all what I want from you, babe. I want you, obviously, as a partner, a mother to my kids… and maybe someday my mate,” he suggests quietly. “But I want you to be a person, too. I know you’ve got interests and hobbies and dreams, and I want to be the one who supports you through all of that, okay?”

Eddie ducks his head, a little bashful in the face of such blatant sincerity. “I’d like that,” he says softly.

“And I’m sorry,” Steve adds. “That I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me about this, and for running out like a douchebag earlier. That was definitely not the right move, and I’m sorry.” His fingertips gently press beneath Eddie’s chin, tilting his head up enough that they can make eye contact. “I really am sorry, Eds. I won’t do that again. I promise.”

Eddie just nods. He knows Steve means it, means that he is going to try not to do something like that again. And though he does appreciate that sentiment greatly, Eddie knows better than to think that it won’t happen again. Call him a cynic, but he just doesn’t trust anyone enough to believe in things like promises, not even Steve.

Still, he smiles at him and says, “alright.”

Steve taps out a nervous little rhythm on his thigh, glancing around the room as he wets his lips. “Do you, um… did you wanna sleep in here tonight?”

Eddie can hear the subtext, even though Steve’s voice has dropped a notch or two in volume. He tries to hide his smile as he shrugs, shifting on the bed like he’s getting comfy. “Well, this is my bedroom,” he says, his tone bordering on teasing. “Why? Did you have another idea of where I should be sleeping?”

Steve actually blushes at that, something that Eddie covets a little more than he should. “Oh, um… I just thought that maybe… Well, since the girls are in their own bedroom tonight, we could… er- if you wanted-”

It’s a little ridiculous how incredibly adorable Eddie finds his little (admittedly, sort of pathetic) rambling. He decides to spare him any further humiliation, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on his bouncing knee. “Can I come sleep in your room?” he asks, rubbing his kneecap gently with his thumb.

Steve lets out a breath and a soft laugh escapes him. He runs a hand through his already-messy hair as he nods. “Yes,” he replies, sounding relieved. “I’d love it if you did.”

Eddie smiles, sliding off the bed with ease. “I just need to get some pajamas on, one second.”

“Oh, do you want me to step out?” Steve asks, the picture of a perfect gentleman. Still, something about his tone and the way he looks at Eddie makes him think that he’d rather not step out of the room.

Even though it’s admittedly been a while for Eddie, and he’s a little bit nervous, he decides that for tonight, he wants to be brave. He shakes his head, but decidedly doesn’t look at him as he scrounges around in his dresser for some pajamas. “No, you don’t have to.”

“Okay,” comes Steve’s soft reply. Silence envelopes them, but it’s far more comfortable than Eddie expected it to be. It helps it to not feel nearly as awkward when Eddie tugs his shirt off, going to replace it with a threadbare Metallica tee that he’s had since high school. There’s a sharp intake of breath from behind him, and he can’t help but glance over his shoulder to assess the reaction, pausing his movements before the shirt goes over his head.

Steve is staring at him, his eyes wide and his jaw slack as he sits on the side of the bed, leaning back on his hands. Eddie meeting his gaze seems to snap him out of it a little, but just barely.

“What?” Eddie asks with a sliver of sheepish embarrassment.

Steve shakes his head, licking his lips thoroughly, as if he’s parched. Eddie doesn’t bother pretending he’s not staring at his mouth. “I… I didn’t know you had that many tattoos.”

Eddie’s heart drops a little, as does his smile. “Oh,” he says, and he knows his voice has dropped down to something disappointed, so he can only imagine how his scent has changed. “Sorry. I probably should’ve said something sooner, but-”

He’s about to say something about how he didn’t think it would ever matter in this situation, when he hears the mattress springs squeak, and then feels the unmistakable brush of fingers across his shoulder blade. “It’s so fucking hot,” Steve murmurs, his breath fanning like a licking flame across Eddie’s neck.

Eddie shivers, but doesn’t dare move to put the other shirt on. He can feel a familiar twist in his stomach, and he knows it’s far too soon for anything very serious to happen between the two of them but at the moment he just wants, more than anything, to be close to Steve. “Yeah?” It comes out like a whisper, but his need for reassurance and confirmation that this isn’t a turnoff for Steve is louder than the word itself.

“Yeah, baby,” Steve says in a quiet laugh. “God, I mean, you were gorgeous to begin with, of course, but… but this really does it for me.” He sounds mesmerized, and every now and again, Eddie feels the faintest tease of a fingertip on his back, but never with any real pressure, almost as if Steve is afraid to touch him. “Can I…”

Eddie waits, but when he never finishes the sentence, he swallows hard, glancing over his shoulder and giving Steve a reassuring smile. “You can touch them, if you want.”

Steve lets out what is unequivocally a sound of relief, and Eddie very nearly moans at the first genuine press of his fingertips to the ink on his back. “My god,” Steve mumbles, and Eddie doesn’t know if it’s because of his admittedly not very subtle reaction, or the way his scent has gone thick and heady with the eroticism of it all.

“Tell me what you like about them,” Eddie practically begs. He’s thankful that Steve had closed the door behind him when he came in, but he knows that if this is going in the direction it feels like it is, they’re going to need to relocate to Steve’s bedroom, and preferably soon.

“I love how intricate they are,” Steve says softly as he traces along the wings Eddie knows stretch across most of his upper back. “This one is so… it’s gorgeous, Eddie.”

For some reason, that really makes Eddie blush. “Thank you,” he says, nonsensically. He’s not the one who did the damn tattoo, it’s not like he can take credit for how good it looks.

“Someday I wanna hear the meaning behind each and every one,” Steve mumbles, his fingertip trailing further down Eddie’s spine, close to where he knows the wings end.

“M’kay,” Eddie says, a little stupid from how much blood has suddenly rushed away from his head. He remembers something, then, that Steve may not have noticed already, and he reaches up to pull his hair to the side. “Did you see…”

A gasp interrupts him and answers his question at the same time, and he waits with bated breath to see how Steve is going to respond to this one. It was honestly one of the only tattoos he’s begun to regret as he gets older, but luckily he’d agreed to the faintest lines possible, in the lightest ink possible, so that it could almost go entirely unnoticed unless he was laid bare like this.

“Is that…” Steve starts, and Eddie feels the heat of his breath tickle the spot before the faintest brush of a fingertip. “A bite mark?”

Eddie nods, shivering a little with the way Steve is still unintentionally breathing on it. “Yeah. I was… I was pretty fucked up after my last relationship ended. And… and to sort of, I dunno, get back at him I guess, I went and got this tattoo.”

Steve is quiet for a long moment, but his fingers have gone exploring, searching until they land on the tender, warm patch of skin where Eddie’s scent gland lies. “You didn’t…” he sounds confused, which Eddie supposes is fair.

“No, I didn’t want to get it where a real bond mark would go, since, well… I guess I hoped, even then, that someday I would be bonded, even if it wasn’t to him.” He laughs once, humorlessly. “But I still wanted something that would make me feel better, and one of my buddies at the tattoo place suggested this.”

“Did it hurt?” Steve asks, and Eddie wonders if he is consciously rubbing his thumb into Eddie’s scent gland or if it’s an accident.

Eddie snorts. “Not as bad as the wings.”

Steve makes a considering sound, and his hand finally travels away from his neck entirely, both of his hands coming to rest on Eddie’s hips. “It’s cold, you should put your pajamas on,” he murmurs.

Eddie’s stomach drops a little, and he curses himself a little for ruining the mood, just like he always does. “I’m sorry, if that one is too weird, or like, ugly, or-”

“Eddie.”

“It’s slowly fading, though, and someday I might even just get it removed, or covered up, but I-”

“Eds.”

“It’s not, like, a substitute for the real thing, because obviously I want-”

“Baby,” Steve sighs, finally shutting him up. Eddie slowly turns in his grasp, peeking at him like a little boy in time out. Steve smiles at him, amused. “I don’t think it’s ugly at all. It just… made me feel like I wanted to do some things that neither of us are ready for just yet, that’s all.” He says it so casually that Eddie almost doesn’t process the words themselves; when he does, he flushes all over, and Steve’s mouth quirks up in a smirk that Eddie immediately wants to wipe clean off his face.

“Shouldn’t even be legal for you to say shit like that,” Eddie mumbles petulantly as he begins tugging off the sweatpants he’d worn on the flight earlier, swapping them for an even looser pair of flannel pajama bottoms. Steve steps away enough to give him space, but Eddie catches him practically gawking at his legs, which is almost enough to make him feel self-conscious.

Almost.

“All ready for bed?” Steve asks, reaching down to pick up Eddie’s discarded clothes and tossing them into his laundry basket for him.

“I think so,” Eddie replies, glancing around to make sure he isn’t forgetting anything.

Steve leads the way, poking his head out and checking that the kids haven’t gotten up before gesturing for Eddie to come along, which is such a ridiculously adorable-goofy thing that Eddie has to cover his mouth to stifle a giggle. Steve just grins back at him, and they tiptoe down the hall to Steve’s bedroom like a couple of teenagers, and Eddie’s heart beats just a little faster when they close the door behind themselves.

“Do you need the bathroom or anything?” Steve asks as he goes to click on his bedside table lamp.

“No,” Eddie replies, shifting on his feet nervously.

Steve goes to turn the bathroom light off, gesturing for Eddie to climb into the bed. He does, but it feels much different than the last time he slept in this room. Probably because it is different, his mind reminds him helpfully. Steve climbs into his own side of the bed, settling under the covers with a sigh that speaks to Eddie’s own exhaustion.

“We’re not gonna have sex tonight, right?” Eddie suddenly blurts out.

Why the fuck did I say that?

Steve seems a little startled by the question, turning to look at Eddie in surprise. “Erm… No… sorry?” He laughs, clearly also a little nervous. “I mean, I wasn’t planning on that happening tonight.”

Eddie sags in relief. “Okay. Good.”

Steve blinks at him.

Eddie wants to be sedated.

“I just meant- this is so new, and- well, we really haven’t even discussed-” Eddie scrambles to explain himself, but it’s clear that the more he talks, the more amused Steve is becoming, and he finally just shuts his mouth with an audible click, out of sheer refusal to give him any more ammunition for his inevitable Eddie is a basket case argument.

“You’re so cute,” Steve says. Normally, that would probably feel super condescending, and Eddie is halfway to thinking that it is anyway, until Steve adds, with more sincerity than any man has any right to brandish, “I like you so much.”

Eddie is certain his face is almost tomato-red by now, but he can’t do anything other than shuffle around on the cozy mattress, crossing his arms petulantly. “Well… Thank you,” he says, like a brat.

Steve laughs, but it’s not out of spite or anything like that. He sounds positively delighted, and Eddie supposes he can handle being the cause of that. “I want to, you know,” Steve says softly, once the humor of it all has died down enough to remind them where this all started. “I want to love you like that. See you spread bare, take you apart for hours, if you’ll let me.”

Eddie is about a million percent sure his body is on fire. Maybe that’s why his mouth is so dry. “I’d let you,” he murmurs.

Steve smiles, a glint in his eye that Eddie has never really seen. “I know,” he says, his voice soft and sweet as sugar. He reaches out, tucking a stray curl back behind Eddie’s ear with a gentleness that he doesn’t feel he’s even deserved. “And we’ll get there. But… but I want to take you on a proper date first.”

That throws Eddie for a loop. “Me?” he asks, stupidly.

Steve’s smile doesn’t waver; if anything, it deepens. “You,” he confirms, reaching out and lacing their fingers together. “Would you like that? We could do whatever you like, a movie, dinner, arcade, picnic… Er, well, maybe not a picnic, considering it’s cold as shit right now, but… but we could do something?” He seems to lose some of that confidence towards the end, and Eddie is still sat there in shock that Steve would want to go through any sort of effort for… well, him.

“You don’t have to do all that for me,” Eddie says softly. “I’m happy to just spend time with you around here.” He’s being serious, but there is also that irritating little voice at the back of his head that’s telling him that if he lets Steve do this, he’ll get used to it, and then he’ll come to expect it, and then he’ll just be in trouble for expecting things he hasn’t earned, and being a burden and-

“I know I don’t have to,” Steve says, his lips tipping into something resembling a frown. “But… baby, I want to do those things. I want to get all dressed up and go out with you, treat you to nice dinners, hold your hand in a theater. I know we’re already doing the parenting thing together, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do all the proper dating stuff, too.”

Eddie hadn’t really thought about that aspect of this, the fact that they are very much raising children together, while attempting to navigate a brand new relationship together. It’s a little bit insane, if Eddie lets himself think about it too long, so he decides not to, and instead, lingers on the possibility that Steve actually wants to do those things, not just do them to say that he’s done them.

“And you… You want to do that? With me? You’re sure?” Eddie hates it, the way his voice has gone all soft and insecure, but he can’t help it. Henry did a real fucking number on him, and it’s hard to pretend like he’s not still fucked up about it.

Steve doesn’t seem to be bothered by his insecurities. He scooches closer in bed, wrapping an arm around Eddie’s waist and bringing him in for a snuggle. “Yes, Eddie. With you. I want to do all the things with you. New York was just a little bit of a taste test, but I want every day to be like that.” He pauses, then amends, “but I would like some days that are just me and you. One-on-one time is very important for a relationship, especially as parents.”

That feels like wisdom Steve learned the hard way, and Eddie’s heart suddenly aches for the person he knows filled these shoes before he ever even knew they existed. They’d obviously left a big impact on Steve, besides the obvious impact of bearing his children, but now doesn’t feel like the right time to ask about it.

Instead, Eddie just nods. “Okay. I think… I think I’d like to go on a date with you.”

Steve nuzzles the top of his head, scenting him thoroughly, almost as if he’s scenting a pup. “Yeah?” He asks, his voice pitched up in excitement.

Eddie grins against his chest as he nods. “Yeah.”

Steve leans back suddenly, glancing down at Eddie with a serious look on his face. “I want you to know that I take dates very seriously. I take romance in general very seriously, but if I’m going to court you, I want to do it properly.”

“Courting?” Eddie squeaks. And sure, it’s not totally different from the concept of dating, but the implications…

Steve just smiles sweetly at him. “Yes, honey. If this goes the way I think it will, I see you being my mate in the future, in every way that matters.”

Eddie could probably faint, if he wasn’t lying in bed already; as it is, he just blushes, avoiding eye contact like that will soothe anything.

“Oh,” he says, eventually.

“Oh,” Steve repeats, clearly teasing. He runs a soothing hand over Eddie’s curls, and Eddie finds himself relaxing into his grip entirely. They’re quiet for a while, Eddie’s brain swirling with thoughts of the near future, of going on dates with Steve, and being a parent to his daughters, and starting a new job. He can’t pretend the word mate isn’t bouncing around in his brain, though, because it certainly is.

“Hey, Eddie,” Steve murmurs after a while.

“Hm?”

Steve kisses his forehead, and Eddie smiles, his eyes drifting close. “I just wanted you to know… I know you said you don’t want to leave, and that you want to give us a proper try.”

Eddie hums an affirmative, his brain still relaxed and almost sleepy, even as he tunes in a little more closely to Steve’s words. “Yeah?”

Steve scratches gently at his scalp, and it nearly makes Eddie purr. “Well… If you change your mind, about, you know… me, or this life… I get it. I won’t be upset with you.”

Eddie stills, and his eyes flicker open as he looks at Steve with a frown. “What?”

Steve smiles down at him kindly. “I know that we’re coming from two very different places in our lives. And I want you, Eddie, so much. And… and I know it’s probably a little soon to say something like this, but…” Steve takes a deep breath. “I love you enough that I want you to be free to choose, and to know that it’s okay if you don’t choose me.”

And that… is not at all what Eddie was expecting him to say.

“Oh,” he says, lamely, in the face of all that. Then, “do you… do you not want me to choose you?”

“No!” Steve balks at the question, then blushes. “I mean… Okay, well, obviously I want you to choose me. But… I also want you to know that I’d never hold it against you if you changed your mind.” Eddie is quiet, processing, but apparently Steve takes his silence for something else. “I’m sorry. I know that was a heavy thing to bring up right now, and I didn’t mean for it to… well, anyway. I just wanted you to know that, is all.”

Eddie gives himself another minute or so to really ruminate on it, to process what Steve has said and why.

Then, calmly, he pulls himself out of his grip, just a little. Steve’s face falls, but it’s obvious he’s trying not to show it as he smiles tightly at him.

“You’re sweet,” Eddie says. “But you’re also out of your damn mind if you think I’m going to choose to leave you know that I know what it’s like to have you.”

And then he kisses him.

It’s probably nothing to write home about for Steve, just another sloppy, over-eager kiss from someone who has all but thrown themselves at his feet. But to hear him when they briefly part, only for Steve to surge back in for more?

Oh, that’s enough to convince Eddie that he must be doing something right.

The whimpered sigh that leaves Steve’s mouth as he grips Eddie’s hip tightly, and the way he swallows down Eddie’s moan when he tangles a hand in his curls, sets Eddie alight from the inside out. He doesn’t think before he rolls impossibly closer, lifting a leg up to hitch it over Steve’s hip, climbing him like a damn tree. Steve makes that noise again, a whine that doesn’t sound even remotely made up, and Eddie swallows it greedily.

It’s too much, too fast, all at once, and then, as if they’ve both realized it at the same time, it’s over. Steve pulls back just enough to press his forehead to Eddie’s, the pressure harder than he probably realizes as they both pant for breath.

“Fuck,” Eddie whimpers, his voice weak. “Sorry. Dunno what came over me there.”

Steve shivers, his eyes hazy as he stares at Eddie. He’s silent for long enough that it’s actually starting to worry Eddie a bit, but when he talks, he simply says, “I can’t wait to do that again.”

Eddie laughs, loud enough that they both tense and attempt to cover it up, as if they can undo the sound itself. They freeze, staring at each other with wide eyes as they listen for any sign that their rambunctiousness has woken up their daughters. Nothing happens, obviously, and they burst into a twin fit of giggles as they wait for their heart rates to decrease.

“I think I’ve had more fun with you in the past hour than I ever did with my ex,” Eddie says, sort of accidentally. He briefly panics, berating himself mentally for saying some stupid depressing shit like that, but Steve just smiles at him.

“Me too,” he says, stroking Eddie’s side in a way that doesn’t suggest anything but a desire to be close. “I always have the most fun with you, though.”

Eddie doesn’t bother hiding that those words make him blush, but it seems to please Steve greatly to see it. “I reckon we ought to go to sleep at some point,” Eddie finally says.

Steve sighs, but nods, turning to glance back at the clock on his bedside table. “Yeah, reckon so. It’s already after ten.”

“Jesus,” Eddie mumbles, getting comfy as Steve reaches out to turn off the lamp. “I didn’t realize it was that late.”

“Me either,” Steve admits. “At least tomorrow is just Sunday,” he says, pulling Eddie back into an easy snuggle.

“Mm, true.” He yawns, laughing when Steve follows suit almost immediately.

“What’re we doing tomorrow?” Steve asks.

“Well,” Eddie starts, struggling to remember in the onslaught of exhaustion. “I’ve… gotta call the music store, schedule that interview.” Steve makes a humming noise to acknowledge that. “And… and we need to get groceries… do some laundry.”

“M’kay,” Steve sighs, and Eddie can tell they’re both almost asleep. “We’ll have a chore day together, then.”

Eddie smiles at the thought. “Mm. Sounds good.” He is almost asleep when he hears a little surprised noise, and then he feels something sort of moist on his eyebrow. “Wha’ doin’?” he slurs, half-asleep.

“Night kiss,” Steve mumbles in response, mouthing his way down Eddie’s nose until he finally reaches his destination. He makes it a sweet little peck, but Eddie honestly doesn’t have the brain cells to reciprocate at the moment. He vows to get him back in the morning, and then hears a giggle, as if he’d said it aloud. “You did. So cute. Night, baby boy.”

Eddie hums, and that’s all he’s got before sleep takes him.

Chapter Text

There’s a phenomenon where a person can feel someone watching them; a prickle to the back of the neck, a crawling of skin - there are any number of indicators.

For Eddie, on this particular Sunday morning, it’s a combination of the two, in addition to the feeling of hot breath on his face.

He blinks blearily, momentarily confused as he tries to clear his vision.

“Stop starin’ at me,” he mumbles when he catches the perpetrator.

Steve laughs, low and sleep-rough. “But you’re so pretty,” he teases, his hand coming up to rub at Eddie’s hip.

“Mm,” Eddie hums, noncommittally. “I drooled on your pillow a little bit,” he offers.

Steve snorts. “That’s okay. I don’t mind.” Eddie peeks at him, quirking an eyebrow like seriously? Steve shrugs. “At least you don’t snore.”

Eddie smiles slyly, tucking his hand under his head as he blinks up at Steve. “Oh, you snore enough for the both of us, I think.”

It has the intended response, Steve’s jaw dropping instantly. He stammers, eventually landing on, “I- you- I do not!”

It’s hard not to grin, but Eddie tries to bite his lip enough to hide it. “Okay, bub,” he says, placatingly.

Steve stares at him, looking like he’s very suddenly rethinking his entire existence. Eddie can’t help but giggle at that, just a little. “I never knew I snored. Not that there’s really been anyone to tell me that in the past few years…” he shakes his head slowly. “But wow… I’m a person who snores. That’s crazy.”

Eddie can’t help but laugh out loud at that, a body-shaking thing that he can’t seem to contain. “Can I tell you something else?” He asks, trying desperately to contain himself.

“Sure,” Steve says warily. “It can’t get much worse than that.”

Eddie waits a beat, letting the silence settle around them. “I’m just messing with you,” he says after a moment, finally letting the grin split across his face.

Steve huffs, narrowing his eyes at him. “Oh, you little sneak,” he teases, tickling his fingers up Eddie’s side and making him squeal. “You really had me going for a minute there - I’ve never been told that I snore in my life.”

“I think I’d probably smother you in your sleep if you did, honestly. I can’t stand loud noises like that when I’m sleeping,” Eddie says after he’s caught his breath from the tickle attack.

“Aww, so snoring would be a dealbreaker for you?” Steve asks, pouting.

“Oh yeah,” Eddie says, playing along. “Huge dealbreaker. You snore and I’m out.”

Steve snorts at his bluntness. “Fair.” He glances over his shoulder, clearly peeking at the clock, then smiles when he looks at Eddie. “Still early, the girls probably won’t be up for a little while.”

He’s got this tone that suggests something that Eddie knows neither of them are ready for yet, but he decides to play along. “Oh, yeah?” he says, rolling closer to Steve and placing a hand on his chest. “What do you suppose we do with our time between now and then?”

Steve smirks at him. “I can think of a couple things,” he says before leaning in for a kiss. His lips briefly brush Eddie’s before he’s turning his head, dodging it.

“Need to brush my teeth first,” Eddie mumbles, embarrassed. Had he known Steve was going to go for it like that, he probably would’ve already gotten up to do just that, since he knows how gross guys find morning breath.

“I don’t mind,” Steve murmurs, mouthing over Eddie’s jaw pointedly. “Unless it just bothers you.”

Eddie pauses, unsure how to proceed here. The only person he’d ever been in this position with before was Henry, and he’d learned the hard way that morning kisses are earned by a thorough brushing. Now he’s confused, and a little nervous - what if Steve’s testing him? What if he does the wrong thing, and this is how he starts to see Steve’s true colors being revealed? What if-

“How about we go brush our teeth together?” Steve says gently.

Eddie nods, relaxing a little at the suggestion. “Okay,” he agrees. They untangle themselves from each other and the sheets, brushing shoulders as they make their way to the bathroom together.

“Here,” Steve says, handing Eddie a brand new toothbrush. “I know you’ve probably got one in the other bathroom, but you can keep this one in here.”

“Thanks,” Eddie says quietly, squeezing a dollop of toothpaste onto the bristles. Brushing sounds fill the air, a little duet with bumping elbows and spitting sounds interspersed. Steve has some fancy mouthwash that Eddie helps himself to when he’s done, and then he’s sucking his teeth as he looks around for some floss. “Have you got any-“

Steve opens the drawer and fishes it out before Eddie can even finish his question. He winks in response to Eddie’s quiet thanks, and Eddie flosses while Steve begins washing his face with some of his fancy products.

“So, we need to go grocery shopping today. You need to call the music store about your interview. We need to do laundry and unpack, and… that’s it, right?” Steve asks after splashing his face.

“I think so. The girls also need to finish their makeup work tonight so that they’re ready for school tomorrow,” Eddie adds, balling up the floss he just used and tossing it in the trash. He turns to Steve expectantly, waiting for him to finally turn around.

“Okay, we should be able to get all of that done today.” He rubs his hand across his jaw, clearly testing the stubble there. “Shave, or no shave?” He asks, turning to glance back at Eddie.

Eddie shrugs, but steps further into Steve’s space, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his jaw. The bristles sting his lips just right, so he leans back and shakes his head with a smile. “Definitely no shave,” he announces.

Steve gives him a look, like he can’t quite believe him. “You’re sure? It’s feeling a little rough.”

“So?” Eddie asks, smirking.

“And… that doesn’t bother you?” Steve inquires, quirking his eyebrow.

“Hm,” Eddie hums noncommittally. “Not really. I wouldn’t mind seeing you with a full beard growing, actually.”

Steve’s face shifts into something like surprise, and he glances at himself in the mirror like he’s viewing his reflection through totally new eyes. “Hmm. Maybe. I’ve never really let it get that long, honestly.”

“Just a thought,” Eddie says, shrugging again to show his true neutrality on the matter. “I’m just saying… I wouldn’t mind.”

Another glint replaces the thoughtful one in Steve’s eyes, and the tilt of his lips has Eddie blushing preemptively. “Yeah? Because I can think of a couple places where you would mind,” Steve teases, his voice dropping down into something lower, sexier. He’s no longer even doing anything at the sink, just staring at Eddie’s reflection as he talks, as if that’s any less intense than facing him head on.

Eddie forces himself to smile and fake nonchalance. “What makes you think that’s not the exact sort of thing that gets me going?” he asks innocently. “You don’t know me like that, Harrington.”

Steve turns around at that, the smirk shifting into a much more genuine smile. “Maybe not… But I’d like to, if you’ll let me.” His eyes are soft, hopeful, and he reaches out to brush a hand down Eddie’s side sweetly.

Eddie’s chest flutters with a million little moths, angrily trying to force their way out and towards the light that is Steve Harrington. He nods, a little lost for words. “I… I’d like that,” he says eventually. He pauses, then follows it up with, “I just don’t think I’m ready for it, like, right now.”

Steve nods, smiling kindly, his other hand coming up to rest on Eddie’s hip. “Of course. I’m not either, even as much as I want to. But I think we should wait until after that date, yeah?” He seals it with a wink, and if Eddie found him just a little less charming, he’d probably tease him. As it is, he knows he’s just blushing like some kind of virgin.

“Yeah, alright,” he mumbles, slightly embarrassed. He leans into Steve’s space, trying not to be too much, but wanting a kiss so badly it makes his teeth hurt. “Can I have that morning kiss now?” he asks sweetly, fluttering his eyelashes for added effect.

Steve grins. “Of course,” he murmurs before leaning in, sealing their lips together in a gentle kiss. Eddie practically melts against his chest, and it’s a great thing that Steve is holding him up, or else he worries he might actually collapse. “You wanna go cuddle for a little while, until our girls wake up?” Steve whispers, mock conspiracy in his voice.

Eddie can’t help but smile and follow along, matching that energy with enthusiasm. “Maybe we can pretend to be asleep when they come looking for us. They’ll get a kick out of that, I think.” He follows Steve back into the bedroom, flicking the bathroom light off as he goes.

“Oh God, yeah, they’d love that,” Steve snorts as he climbs back into bed. He snuggles in while Eddie gets situated, and when they’re face-to-face, Steve smiles. “I can’t wait for Christmas with you this year. The girls love Christmas, and that wake up call is really… something.” He’s got this softness to him when he talks about his daughters, a love that Eddie almost can’t comprehend. He’s hit with a sudden wave of longing, for a father who loved him as much as Steve loves his kids. It’s gone as quick as it came, the future he’d yearned for for so long stretching out beautifully in front of him, tousled bed hair and sweet hazel eyes.

“I can’t wait,” Eddie murmurs before leaning in for another kiss. Every kiss feels like the best he’s ever had until the very next one Steve gives him, and he already knows how spoiled he’s going to become.

Eventually, Steve pulls away, tucking his face against Eddie’s throat instead, where his warm breath makes Eddie shiver gently. “Smell so good,” he mumbles against his skin. “Perfect omega.”

Eddie nearly purrs at that, running a hand through Steve’s hair as he nuzzles him. “That’s funny, because you’re a perfect alpha,” he murmurs softly.

Steve laughs at that, and Eddie is almost offended. “Not sure about that, but I want to be that, for you. And for our kids.” His hand slips down from where it’s resting comfortably on Eddie’s hip to press gently against his flat stomach. Obviously there’s no chance there’s anything there, but just the implication of it makes Eddie feel about a million ways all at once. It’s not the first time Steve has mentioned their children, an undercurrent of suggestion running through each syllable, but this feels different. This feels real.

“You are,” Eddie says, beyond proud of himself for being able to follow the thread of the conversation with the blaring Baby Fever alarm bells going off in his head. He needs to change the topic, and he needs to do it now. “Do we need any milk?”

Nice job, dumbass, Eddie thinks to himself.

Steve rears back enough to make eye contact with Eddie, an incredulous look on his face. “Um,” he says, clearly baffled by the question. “I’m not sure?”

Eddie nods, wiggling out of his grip. “I should probably go check, just to be sure. And those kids sure are sleeping in late, might need to go ahead and wake them up while I’m at it. We’re going to be so busy today, after all, and-” He’s babbling at this point, stumbling off the bed and into a pair of socks so the floors won’t freeze his feet. Meanwhile, Steve is staring at him from the bed, wide-eyed and confused.

Pathetically, Eddie gives him a little wave before leaving his bedroom, pulling the door closed gently behind himself as he goes. He closes his eyes on the other side, taking a deep breath as he processes what a fucking basket case he just made himself out to be. God, how is Steve ever going to want him if he can’t have a normal reaction to things, instead of this flipping-out, running-away tactic that he’s currently employing?

He paces to his own bedroom, which feels empty and cold, and finds himself getting dressed on autopilot, jeans and a flannel shirt open over a band tee that he’s fairly certain Steve picked out. He ties his hair up using a stray hair tie he finds in the girls’ bathroom, then makes his way to the kitchen to start their grocery list and try to cobble together some breakfast.

He’s alone for probably fifteen minutes when he hears the soft padding of feet coming his way. He keeps his head down, studiously ignoring it as he jots down a couple more items they need. The ignorance works for all of three seconds, and then warm arms are wrapping around his waist, startling him and comforting him all at once.

“Eddie,” Steve murmurs, kissing his shoulder. “Honey, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier. That wasn’t my intention.”

Eddie sighs, relaxing into his hold. “You didn’t,” he reassures him, his hands coming up to hold Steve’s arms in place. “I just… I want that, you know?” He knows he’s blushing, the embarrassment of the truth evident on his face. “To have children with you. I’m just… I guess I’m nervous.”

Steve hums understandingly, stroking Eddie’s side gently. “I don’t blame you, babe. It’s a nerve-wracking thing to think about. But we’re not getting started on that right away anyway, okay? And if you think on it some more and decide… well, if you decide that isn’t something you want, that’s- that’s okay, too.” He sounds resigned, like he’s already accepted that Eddie might change his mind, and well, Eddie certainly can’t have that.

He turns around in Steve’s grip, wrapping his arms around his neck as he smiles at him. “Stevie,” he says softly. “I know I want pups. Your pups. I’m just… a little nervous about being a mom, is all. But I’m not going to be changing my mind about what I want, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Something like relief floods Steve’s expression, as well as the air between them, and Eddie breathes in the scent deeply. “Oh,” Steve says, with a little laugh. “Honey, you’re already a mom, and you’re already doing a fantastic job. I don’t think you have anything to worry about there.” Steve leans in for a kiss, and Eddie allows it, though part of him wants to argue.

It’s not that he hasn’t accepted his role as mother to the twins, because he certainly has. But there are other parts to motherhood, specifically pregnancy and sharing genes and creating a child to bring into this world that make Eddie nervous. But he isn’t sure how to explain this to Steve in any way that makes sense, so instead, he smiles at him when they break the kiss, and he tousles his hair playfully.

“Alright, how about you go wake up our girls while I get breakfast started? We have a busy day ahead of us, don’t need to sleep it all away,” Eddie instructs, gently extracting himself from Steve’s grip so he can get some eggs out of the fridge.

“Yes sir,” Steve says with a sardonic smile and a lazy salute. Eddie rolls his eyes, snaps a dish towel at him to send him away.

The quiet he’s left with in the kitchen looms loud in the absence of Steve, and Eddie forces himself to hum some unfamiliar song to keep from going mad. He scrambles the eggs, knowing that’s how both of the girls prefer them, and sprinkles a little cheese over them, as an extra little treat. He’s popping some bread in the toaster when he hears voices drifting into the kitchen.

“-and mommy said you guys need to finish your makeup work before school tomorrow,” Steve is saying as he follows the twins into the room.

Jasmine comes straight to Eddie, holding her arms up in a wordless request to be held.

“Oh, good morning, love bug,” he coos at her as he scoops her up, kissing her forehead. “Sleep well?”

She sighs, laying her head on his shoulder. “Wanted to sleep more,” she says wistfully. “And don’t wanna do my homework.”

Eddie tuts at her. “Well, honey, that’s not really an option. School is important, okay?” He’s not sure he one hundred percent agrees with that statement, even as he says it, but he doesn’t want their daughters to grow up to be illiterate or socially inept, either.

Jasmine starts to whine, and Ivy almost joins her, before Steve cuts them off. “Nope. Mom’s right, it’s important. And you two won’t be coming on trips like that with me anymore if you can’t do your makeup work, got it?” Steve asks, giving each of them a stern look in turn.

“Fine,” Jasmine mumbles against Eddie’s collar.

“Okay,” Ivy sighs, resting her head on her folded arms. “Mommy?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“Can we get some chocolate milk at the store today? Daddy said we’re going grocery shopping with you,” Ivy says.

Eddie glances back at her, his gaze briefly flickering to Steve, who nods. “Sure, hon. Do you want that to be your special treat this time?”

She nods, resting her head again.

Eddie gently jostles Jasmine in his arms, peering down at her. “What about you, huh? What would you like your special treat to be this time?”

Jasmine hums, and Eddie feels her little hand tugging his hair while she thinks. “Hmm… maybe… mangoes?” She looks up at him with a grin, which he easily returns.

“Sure, honey. But are you sure you want that to be your special treat? Remember, we’re not going to buy a bunch of extra junk food,” Eddie reminds her. They’d been handling the weekly grocery restock like this for probably a month now, and luckily, it had gone over quite well with the girls.

“I’m sure,” Jasmine says with a nod.

Eddie shares a skeptical look with Steve, but otherwise, doesn’t argue. “Alright, then. Breakfast is ready.”

~~~

“Mommy, can we have Rice Krispies cereal?” Ivy whines. She’s standing up at the end of the shopping cart as Eddie carefully maneuvers it around the store, terrified of her falling off and him running over her.

Eddie frowns at the options in front of them. “I thought you guys were on a Cinnamon Toast Crunch kick?” He asks, eyeballing the difference in price. Steve would probably strangle him if he knew what he was doing, but he’d disappeared about ten minutes ago, saying something vague about having some toiletry things to pick up on the opposite side of the store.

“I want Rice Krispies this week,” Ivy says with a shrug.

Jasmine, who is perched on the cart directly in front of Eddie, clinging to the handlebar he’s pushing with, pipes up then. “I don’t want those,” she says, leaning her head back to press against Eddie’s tummy, pouting at him upside-down.

“Well, what would you like, instead?” He asks. “Cinnamon Toast Crunch?”

Jasmine wrinkles her nose at that. “No… can we try that one?” She points to a box labeled “KIX” and Eddie frowns.

“Hm… I dunno. This one says it’s berry flavored. I’m not sure you guys would like it.”

“I would!” Jasmine protests. She may be right, Eddie considers, but the echoes of a poor upbringing where food was never meant to be wasted make him pause.

“I dunno… why don’t we try the Rice Krispies this week, and if you still want to try it next week, we’ll get it then?” Eddie says, going for levity.

He realizes his mistake when Jasmine slumps, clearly pouting. “Fine,” she mumbles. Then, under her breath, “Ivy always gets what she wants.”

Eddie stops entirely at that, staring down at her with a sinking feeling in his chest. “Honey-“ he starts, reaching out for her.

“Whew, I’m back. Sorry that took so long,” Steve’s voice interrupts, coming around the corner. He pauses when he realizes something has happened, reading the tension on their faces and in the air like a bloodhound. “Hey, is everything okay?”

“I-“ Eddie tries to explain, but gets cut off, again, this time by Jasmine.

“Yes,” she says, harshly. “Ivy’s just gettin’ her stupid cereal.” She glares at her sister, and Eddie’s heart hurts even worse when he sees Ivy’s face fall.

“Sissy, we can get yours instead,” Ivy offers quietly. “I don’t-“

“Hey,” Steve says, staring at Jasmine, his mouth a very thin line. “I don’t appreciate you talking like that. There’s a kinder way to say that you don’t like what your sister picked out.”

Jasmine makes a frustrated noise, slipping off the shopping cart and stomping over to the abandoned cereal shelves and grabbing the box Ivy had wanted. “Fine,” she mumbles. That would be bad enough, the mumbling and avoiding eye contact, but then she throws the box into the shopping cart, and Eddie winces, knowing that she’s done it now.

He’s so sure of it in fact, knowing enough about Steve as a person and of his own experiences as a child with testy parents, that his jaw nearly drops to the floor when Steve finally reacts.

“Jasmine, come take a walk with me,” Steve says, very calmly. He reaches out for her hand, waiting patiently for her to take it. When she does, he glances back at Eddie. “We’ll meet you in the dairy section,” he says softly. “You guys keep shopping, I’ve got this.”

Eddie nods helplessly, feeling completely and utterly useless at this point, with Steve toting Jasmine off to possibly be lectured, when really, Eddie was the one who should’ve handled it better.

“I’m sorry, Mommy,” comes a small voice.

Eddie’s gaze snaps to Ivy, who looks tiny and guilty, and he immediately shushes her, gesturing her over to him. “Hey, no,” he murmurs as he scoops her up and deposits her on the handlebars. She weasels her way into a cuddle, and he hums to her as he pushes the cart further down the aisle, trying to skim for more things on their list as he talks to her. “That wasn’t your fault, baby. Something else is probably bothering your sister, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to put big emotions down at, especially when they get too big for your body.”

Ivy sniffles, rubbing her runny nose on Eddie’s shirt as she points at a box of pancake mix. “So, she’s not mad at me?” She asks softly.

“God, no, honey. I can’t see why she would be. But I’m sure we’ll hear about it when she and daddy come back, yeah? Until then…” he hands her their list, smiling at her. “You’re our captain. Lead the way to our groceries, young padawan.”

Ivy giggles at that, but does her sworn duty, reading the list to the best of her ability and helping him remember where everything is inside the store.

They’ve finished up the bulk of the shopping by the time they spot Steve and Jasmine. Steve is carrying her, running a hand over her back as he speaks to her. She’s got her little arms looped around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder, and Eddie melts a little at the sight. His omega preens at the fact that this alpha, his alpha, is so great with children. It’s what he’s always wanted, and if he let himself dwell on it very long, he’d probably do something stupid like cry, or kiss him in the middle of this busy grocery store.

As it is, he just guides the shopping cart over to them, reaching out and touching Steve’s back gently. “Hey,” he murmurs when Steve turns to smile at him. His voice makes Jasmine’s head turn as well, and he melts a second time when she wriggles in Steve’s grip, holding her arms out for Eddie to take her. “Hi sweet girl,” he greets softly as Steve hands her over. “Feeling better?”

She nods, sniffling. She turns her head, searching until she spots Ivy sitting in the cart. “I’m sorry for being mean to you,” she says. “We can get your cereal.”

“Actually…” Eddie says, glancing into the cart. “I think your sister changed her mind.”

Jasmine tilts over to peer into the cart as well, and Ivy sheepishly holds up the box of KIX that she’d swapped out. “Ta-da!” She announces proudly.

Jasmine lights up at the reveal, and Eddie can’t help but smile when she reaches out to hug her sister. She mumbles a “thank you,” before pulling away, resting her head once more on Eddie’s shoulder.

“Well,” Steve says, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he looks at them. “This has been an eventful shopping trip. But if we’re done, we need to get going, because we’ve still got lots to do at home.”

The girls murmur their agreement, and Eddie allows Steve to take over pushing the shopping cart as they find their way to the checkout line. Eddie talks quietly with Jasmine, letting her know that they did in fact get her the mangoes that she requested, as well as some Oreos. He drifts over to the end of the check out line to help put the bagged items back in the shopping cart, listening as Jasmine talks about what she might want for her special treat the following week.

“Alright, sir, that total is fifty-four dollars and eighty-six cents,” the cashier says, smiling at Ivy, who is standing on her tiptoes to peer up at her.

“Daddy, can I give her the money?” Ivy asks, tugging at Steve’s pocket as he pulls out his wallet. He and Eddie share a fond look, but he nods at her.

“Sure, hon. Here.” He hands her three twenty-dollar bills, smiling at the awe on her face as she hands them over.

“Thank you, ma’am,” the cashier says kindly to her. She counts out their change quickly, then leans over to hand it to Ivy. “Here you go, sweetheart. Five dollars and fourteen cents.”

“Thank you!” Ivy immediately shoves the change in Steve’s pocket, grinning at the cashier proudly. The cashier waves at her, then Jasmine, and before they can even move the cart, Ivy looks up at Steve and asks, very sweetly, “Daddy, can I have some money for the bubblegum machine?”

Eddie cackles at that, not even bothering to hide it as Steve begins pushing the cart away, clearly baffled. The cashier catches Eddie’s eye, and he smiles at her, waving politely.

“Your kids are so adorable,” she says. “And funny, too.”

Eddie preens, like he always does when someone compliments these kids. “Thank you,” he says, taking credit, once again, for something he did not even contribute to.

The cashier nods, waving at Jasmine a final time before another customer takes their place, and they move to catch up with Steve and Ivy, who is naturally getting some bubblegum.

“You get something for your sister?” Eddie asks as they approach.

Ivy holds up another quarter right before sticking it into the machine, and Jasmine wiggles her way out of Eddie’s arms, rushing over to watch the way the gumball slides down the chute and retrieve it from the place where it lands.

Steve looks exasperated, but not angry, and Eddie can’t help the way he stares at him, just for a moment. “Alright, girls, let’s go. We really do have things to do, believe it or not.”

The girls, predictably, interrogate them on what these “things” are all the way to the car, barely even taking a breath until they’re loaded and buckled in. Eddie meets Steve at the back of the car to help unload groceries, which Steve protests. “Hey, I’ve got this. Go get in the car where it’s warm, baby.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, grabbing the bag he knows contains the eggs and bread, making sure to keep it protected away from anything that might crush it. “But the car is also where the twins are at, asking eight million and one questions,” he whines playfully.

Steve snorts, putting the last bag in the trunk and grabbing the cart to take it back inside. “I think you’ll survive. Tell them one of your stories, they love those.”

Before Eddie can protest again, Steve is walking away, and Eddie sighs as he slides into the passenger seat, where he is greeted immediately by the sounds of an argument. He heaves a deep breath, then turns around with a smile. “Who wants to hear a story?”

~~~

“Just call them.”

“But… what if they’ve changed their minds?”

“They haven’t.”

“But what if-“

“Eddie,” Steve says sternly, his arms crossed over his chest. “If you don’t call them, I’m going to, and if I do it, I’ll be asking them to make you manager of the whole store.”

Eddie swats his hand away from the phone at that. “No, no, absolutely not.” He sighs, shaking his hands out nervously. He half-expects some sweat to come flying off his hands, he’s that nervous, but luckily that doesn’t happen. Regardless, he wipes them on his jeans roughly before turning to pick up the phone.

“Do you want me to stay, or let you have some privacy?” Steve asks softly, rubbing a hand up and down Eddie’s back.

“Stay?” He asks, reaching out and gripping Steve’s hand in his own as he dials the number with his other.

As the phone rings, Steve leans in and kisses Eddie’s forehead. “You’re gonna do great,” he murmurs sweetly.

Eddie sends him a small smile, and is about to thank him for the encouragement when the line connects.

“Arthur’s Music Store, this is Ben,” comes the greeting.

Eddie takes a deep breath as he squeezes Steve’s hand. “Hi,” he squeaks. “This is Eddie Munson, I’m just returning the call I got from you guys about my application.”

“Oh, hey, Eddie! Great to hear from you man. Let me grab AJ, he’s the manager. Hold tight,” Ben instructs before the line clicks, like he’s on hold.

Steve is watching Eddie carefully when he spares a glance up at him, and he noses in against his chest while he waits. There’s the unmistakable press of a kiss to the top of his head, and Eddie smiles into the receiver.

“AJ Marlar speaking,” a voice suddenly comes through the phone, the same voice that he had heard on the voicemail.

“Hi, this is Eddie Munson,” Eddie repeats. “I left an application with you guys last week?” He’s not sure why he phrases it like a question, regrets that decision directly after making it, but it doesn’t seem to bother the man on the other end of the phone.

“Yes, I’m glad to hear from you! I was actually calling to see if you could come in anytime this week?” AJ asks.

“Oh, um…” Eddie glances at Steve, who shrugs, clearly not able to hear what’s being said. “Yes, I can do that. Is there a specific day that would work best?”

“How about tomorrow?” AJ asks. “Ben will be here, and he can get you started.”

Eddie nods, brimming with excitement, until his brain really catches up with what he just said. “Wait, I’ll be having the interview with him?”

AJ laughs. “Well, not exactly. We don’t do interviews in the traditional sense. You’ll come in for a half-shift so we can see what you know and how you do. That’ll determine whether or not I can give you a job.”

It sounds a little intimidating, but really, he’d jumped into nannying with both feet and no shoes, and he knows significantly more about music than he could ever hope to know about children.

“Oh, okay, that sounds cool. Yeah, I can be there tomorrow,” Eddie says. Steve all but jumps for joy when he hears this, smiling ear to ear in a way that distracts Eddie.

“Great, we’ll see you at ten, son,” AJ says, and Eddie responds with a vague agreement before hanging up the phone.

“You did it!” Steve cheers, scooping Eddie into a tight hug and nudging his face for a kiss. “I’m so excited for you, baby. You start tomorrow?”

Eddie nods, a little numb with relief and excitement. “Yeah. He said I’ll basically be working half a shift so they can see if I know what I’m doing well enough to actually work there.” He nervously twists his hands up in Steve’s shirt. “It’s been a while since I’ve played an instrument besides the guitar… so I guess we’ll see.”

Steve makes a dismissive noise. “Please. Honey, with your personality, you could sell ice to an Eskimo.”

Eddie feels his face grow warm with the compliment, and he tries to casually brush it off. “I dunno about that, but hopefully I can re-learn the things I’ve forgotten.”

“I’m sure you will,” Steve says fairly, brushing a hand through Eddie’s wild curls. “But I really think you’re going to do amazing. I know it’ll be good for you to have something that’s just yours, apart from us.” He smiles, kissing Eddie’s cheek.

It’s a sweet sentiment, and Eddie will probably love to hear it again… after he’s survived his first day. “Thank you, honey,” he murmurs, instead, appreciating the gesture nonetheless.

Steve glances at his watch, then tuts. “Oh, we’d better go get dressed if we’re going to leave on time. Don’t wanna be late,” he says as he gently extracts himself from Eddie’s embrace.

Eddie frowns. As far as he knew, they had done all their errands for the day, and besides that, they were already dressed.

“What? Late for what?” Eddie asks, staying in his seat, though he does twist around to follow Steve’s movements through the apartment.

Steve smiles at him, a soft, sweet thing. “Our date, silly goose.”

Eddie nearly falls off his chair at that. “Our what?” He asks, his voice sounding shrill to his own ears.

“I told you I wanted to be serious about this thing, right?” Steve says, his eyes trained on Eddie. When Eddie nods, he continues. “Well, I wasn’t kidding. I want to take you on dates, just the two of us, and introduce you to people as my boyfriend and…” he hesitates, his face flushing in the first sign of nervousness. “And someday, I want you to be my mate. Properly.”

Eddie blinks at him. They’d discussed this, of course, back in New York. He knew Steve wanted to court him, in the most traditional sense of the word, but he didn’t think it would happen… well, so soon.

“Okay,” he says after a long pause, in which he has a mild breakdown about the idea of going on a proper date for the first time in years, with the man he’d been developing feelings for during the past couple of months.

Steve grins, his shoulders relaxing in relief. “You want to?” He asks, double-checking like the gentleman Eddie knows him to be.

Eddie nods, excitement creeping up on him now that he has wrapped his head around everything. “Yeah, I do.”

“Okay,” Steve says, clearly just barely able to contain his own excitement. “I need to go get changed, and you might want to do the same,” he says, glancing down at Eddie’s “errands day” clothes with an easy grin.

Eddie feigns offense, cocking a hip and pouting. “You mean to tell me the establishment we’re going to won’t approve of my Iron Maiden fit?”

Steve bites his lip on a smile and shakes his head. “Hm, well let’s just say that it’s, ah, a bit nicer than the places I normally take you and the girls to.”

Eddie quirks an eyebrow. “How much nicer?”

Steve scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “Um. Well. Usually you have to call in a reservation several months in advance?” He phrases it like a question, and Eddie clicks his tongue as he processes the information.

“Wait- when did you make the reservation?”

“Thursday?” Another question-not-a-question.

Eddie blinks at him. “Then how…” He wasn’t raised around any sort of fancy restaurants, but he is pretty sure that’s not how this works.

Steve gives him a tight smile. “Sometimes it pays off, being a Harrington.” He leaves it at that, but the shuttering of his expression lets Eddie know that this is not a topic open for further discussion.

“Okay,” Eddie says, easily. He leans in, kisses Steve’s cheek. “I appreciate that you wanted to do something special for me, honey.”

This makes Steve smile, and Eddie knows he’s succeeded in lightening the mood, at least a little.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” Steve murmurs, his hand slipping down Eddie’s side and landing in his back pocket. He presses a soft kiss to the corner of Eddie’s mouth, and Eddie can’t help but turn his face into the kiss.

They can’t do much of that for long, though. Steve pulls away after a moment, patting Eddie’s ass over his pants before stepping away.

“Wait,” Eddie says, suddenly filled with a little flare of panic. “What am I supposed to wear? Is it like… how fancy is it?” He’s never really been on many dates before; Henry thought gracing him with his presence was enough of a date, and when they moved in together, even that went by the wayside.

Steve gives him a soft, almost shy smile. “Do you want me to help you pick something out?” He asks gently.

Eddie heaves a sigh of relief, nodding gratefully. “God, yeah, please. That would be great, actually.”

“I’ve actually got a couple of things that might suit you, if you don’t mind wearing something of mine,” Steve offers, gesturing to his bedroom.

That feels like some sort of trick question. Obviously Eddie would love to wear something of Steve’s. What omega doesn’t want to wear their alpha’s things? “I’d like that,” Eddie says, as calmly as he can manage.

Steve smiles again, then turns to lead the way to his bedroom. A few steps are taken before Eddie pauses, glancing back towards the other end of the apartment. “What is it?” Steve asks, having noticed Eddie’s pause.

“Are the girls okay? They’ve been in their room for like half an hour now.” It hadn’t seemed odd to him, at first. Steve had asked them to go play so Eddie could call the music store, but this long with no interruptions? That’s suspicious, to say the very least.

Steve at least has the good grace to look slightly sheepish when he admits, “about that… they’re kind of getting ready to go stay with Robin tonight.”

And obviously, that’s a sweet gesture. Eddie knows, even with as emotionally illiterate as he can be sometimes, that it is meant to be seen as a gesture made out of the desire to spend time together. Eddie can appreciate that, and what Steve was trying to do, but at the same time…

“Baby,” he says, sweet and kind in an effort to soften the blow he’s about to deliver. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Tomorrow is Monday. They need to be in their normal routine for school and everything. Besides, Chrissy is like, a bajillion months pregnant, are you sure she’s going to feel like watching them?”

Steve’s lips twitch away from the frown that had been forming at the last part, which was Eddie’s intent. “She’s not due for another month,” Steve informs him. Then he sighs, offering a weak smile. “I guess you’re right. I’m just… I really want to do this, Eddie. I want to see you get all dressed up, and take you on a date, and have first date kisses.” He’s almost smirking, and Eddie knows that they both want more than just kisses.

“I know, and I want that too,” Eddie says. He sighs, thinks for a second, then says, “honey, how about we do this. The girls go stay with auntie Robin - just for the evening. We go out, come back here…” he trails off, his eyes flickering nervously from Steve’s gaze and away. “And um… spend some time together. And then Robin can bring them back later, before bedtime?”

Steve clicks his tongue, but Eddie can see the smile hiding there. “Alright, then. You drive a hard bargain, but I think that can be arranged.” They finally head into Steve’s bedroom, and Steve glances back at him with a shy little grin as he begins rifling through the closet. “That time you want us to spend together,” he starts, quietly. “Is that open for suggestions?”

Eddie sits on the edge of the bed as Steve finds a couple shirts for him to choose from. “I suppose,” he says, playing along, even as his fingers twitch nervously. “What’d you have in mind?”

“Try these,” Steve says, handing him a pair of black slacks, a gray and black marbled-looking shirt coming out of the closet with it. “And I was just thinking… that I wanted to have a little taste of you. Is that okay?”

He says it so casually, so unaffected, that Eddie almost can’t imagine that he means it. But then he glances over his shoulder, imploring, and Eddie knows he’s serious. “Okay,” Eddie says carefully. “But you’ll have to make it quick, okay? Like I said, the girls need to be back no later than nine.”

Steve rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling, so Eddie thinks maybe he’s not really that annoyed with him. “Gotcha. Dinner and dessert will be over by nine,” he says with a smirk.

It’s Eddie’s turn to roll his eyes as he tugs the pants on. “You’re gross,” he says with no heat whatsoever in his voice.

Steve giggles as he begins getting himself dressed. “You like it,” he teases.

Eddie can’t argue that. He gestures to the black and gray shirt Steve laid out, and when he nods he begins tugging it on. “I’m sorry, by the way,” he says quietly.

“For what?” Steve asks, sounding confused.

“Well… for being so… I dunno, overbearing about it all. I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you. I do, I swear, but…” Eddie shrugs, glancing up at Steve as he finishes buttoning his shirt. “I just want our daughters to come first.”

Steve has paused his movements, staring at Eddie as he talks, and Eddie hopes he hasn’t said the wrong thing. Steve finishes buttoning his shirt the rest of the way, then crowds Eddie’s space, cradling his face gently. “You make me want to say things - do things, even - that we’re nowhere near ready for,” he murmurs, stroking his cheeks. “You love my daughters like they’re your own, and every time I see it, I just…” His words fail him, but his scent is heavy and thick and gets the point across just the same. As does his lips, which he is carefully, firmly pressing to Eddie’s. “Fuck. I’m going to love you so much, you know that, right?”

Eddie’s eyes are probably wide as saucers, and all he can manage is a, “hm?”

Steve kisses him again. “I don’t want to scare you off too bad right out the gate,” he says softly. “But baby… I want to keep you forever. And I know that’s a lot to say before our first date, but I’ve never met someone who treats my family like they’re their own, and honestly-“ Steve pauses to laugh, something deep and surprised. “Honestly, I didn’t even know this was something I could want, let alone something I could have.” His voice shudders, and Eddie’s heart breaks for him, just a little.

“Stevie,” he murmurs, stroking his cheek softly.

And Steve, this beautiful, strong man, just smiles at him, shaking his head slowly. “It’s okay,” he assures him. “I’m not trying to be depressing. I’m just… honestly, I’m just so happy that I met you, it makes me a little crazy sometimes.”

Eddie knows he’s crying, can feel it in the way his eyes feel like they’re on fire, and his nose is quivering. He’s never had anyone talk to him this gently, say such sweet things and mean it. It’s a little… overwhelming, to say the least.

“Me too,” Eddie murmurs after a few minutes have passed, in which he tries his best to get himself together. “I’m… I’ve never had this either, you know.”

Steve smiles at him and tilts his head for another kiss. “Then we’ll have it together, yeah? You and me?” He asks softly, guiding Eddie into a hug, his head resting on Steve’s shoulder.

Eddie nods, feels a little bad that his tears are making Steve’s neck damp, and the collar of his shirt, too. He doesn’t feel too bad, though, especially not when Steve begins petting his hair gently. A purr rumbles in Eddie’s chest, and when he tries to push it down, Steve tuts at him.

“I like it when you do that,” he mumbles. “Don’t hide it from me, please?”

Eddie finds himself nodding again, a little uncertainly, even as he lets his chest rumble with a content noise. He’s not used to letting himself have this- Henry didn’t like it for some reason- but this feels… good. Safe, even.

“Guess we should finish getting ready,” Eddie says after a moment. He’s excited for the date, really he is, but nothing compares to being held by someone who loves you.

He goes to pull away, only to be dragged back in gently by Steve. “Just a few more minutes,” he says in explanation, kissing Eddie’s forehead. “Give me just a few more minutes.”

Eddie can’t argue with that.

~~~

The date, as it happens, is at a cute little Italian restaurant, not unlike the one they’d eaten at in New York.

Eddie is sure that he’s moon-eyed as he sits across the table, his chin in his hand, gazing at Steve as he orders food for both of them in fluent Italian. It’s so attractive, for no apparent reason, and Eddie almost wants to say fuck the dinner and go straight home, but they’ve already gone through all the effort of getting dressed, dropping the girls off at Robin’s, and driving to a different part of the city. So, Eddie tells himself he can be good and wait.

“You look good in my clothes,” Steve murmurs as soon as the waiter has disappeared to put their orders in. They’ve already got their wine, but Eddie is a little nervous to touch it; he’s jittery enough as it is, and if he starts drinking, he’s a little afraid that he might not stop, and then who knows what will happen.

“Thank you,” Eddie says, his gaze flickering away from Steve almost instantly, his face hot. He doesn’t even know why he’s embarrassed; he knows Steve, they have dinner together every night. This should be no different from every other night.

But of course it is. It’s a date. Steve wanted to take him out, show him off, do things properly. And as much as Eddie loves the idea of it, of being fawned over like this, he’s a little… well, uncomfortable.

“Are you okay?” Steve asks after a moment, his voice sounding a little worried.

Eddie nods, forcing himself to smile at him. “I’m fine, just - nervous.”

Steve frowns, reaching across the table and holding his hand out. Eddie takes it immediately, a rush of calming pheromones rushing over him almost instantly at the gentle contact. “There’s no need to be nervous, honey,” Steve says softly. “We don’t… We really don’t have to do anything when we go home, you know. That is completely up to you.”

Eddie nearly laughs, because honestly, Steve is worried about the wrong thing. He tries to tell him as much. “That’s not really what I’m worried about. I want… that,” he mumbles, his gaze flickering to the nearby tables, as if any of these people will have any clue what they’re talking about. “I’m just… I don’t know, I’ve never really been on many dates, especially not to a place like this, so I’m kind of… out of my element, I guess,” he finishes, shrugging with one shoulder. “Sorry, I’m making this weird, aren’t I?”

“Not at all,” Steve reassures him immediately. “I think that’s a perfectly normal thing to be concerned about.” He pauses for a moment, tilting his head to hold Eddie’s gaze, his hazel-brown eyes intense in the soft lighting of the room. “I just wish you would have told me. I could have taken you somewhere less…” He gestures wordlessly, an embarrassed flush gracing his cheeks. They match, Eddie thinks, a little pleased at the inane thought.

“It’s okay,” Eddie says quickly. “I don’t mind doing something out of my comfort zone, I’m just going to like, need a second to adapt, maybe?”

Steve nods. “Yeah, yeah, of course.” He grins, tilting his head again so that one strand of hair falls gently out of place. “Next time, you can pick the place, okay?”

Eddie grins in response. He likes the sound of that. “I’ll hold you to that,” he says, just as the waiter returns with two steaming plates of pasta. He and Steve have a brief conversation, again in Italian, and the waiter nods before leaving again.

“I asked for some Parmesan,” Steve says in response to Eddie’s curious look. He gets an odd look on his face then, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I know it’s probably annoying.”

Eddie frowns. “What is?”

Steve copies him, his lips tugging down. “The Italian thing? Is it not aggravating, hearing me talk but not knowing what the hell I’m saying?”

Eddie nearly blushes. If only he knew how attractive I found it… “Not annoying,” he says, covering up how embarrassed he is with a large gulp of water. “If anything, I think it’s really fascinating,” he continues in an attempt to reassure Steve of anything he might be feeling self-conscious about.

“Yeah?” he asks as the waiter returns with a fancy-looking Parmesan grater. He does his thing, Steve murmurs a soft, “Basta, grazie,” over his own plate before gesturing to Eddie’s. Eddie repeats the phrase very quietly with a nod when he’s got plenty on his own plate, and the waiter asks a question before leaving once again.

Eddie scoops up his fork, twirling it in the pasta on his plate. It’s some kind of garlic pasta that Steve said he’d like, and it smells incredible. He can’t help the noise he makes when he tries it, honestly he can’t, but he does try to mask it with a cough afterwards.

“Uh, yeah,” he says, finally remembering the conversation they had been having before. “This is fantastic, by the way. But yeah, I didn’t really grow up hearing any other languages, so to hear someone speak another language so fluently… it’s pretty impressive, honestly.”

Steve peers up at him through his lashes, a shy smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah?” When Eddie nods enthusiastically, Steve shrugs, twirling his own pasta onto his fork. “I could teach you sometime,” he offers softly.

Eddie smiles at that, feels warm at the thought of that being something that Steve wants to share with him. “I’d like that,” he says quietly. They eat in silence for a moment, but a thought occurs to Eddie. “Do you have family in Italy?”

Steve nods, chewing slowly. Eddie notices that Steve does that often, as if he’s savoring it down to the very last bite. “Yeah, actually. My nonna and some of my aunts and cousins still live there.” He sounds wistful when he says it, and Eddie frowns.

“You don’t see them often, do you?” He asks quietly, trying to be sensitive.

Steve shakes his head, one shoulder shrugging as he offers a sad smile. “No, not really. Nonna has only ever met the twins once, actually, when they were about a year old. She doesn’t like to travel, and it’s been so hard to travel with two kids…” he smiles, his smile lines crinkling as he gazes at Eddie. “Until now.”

Eddie can feel himself flush with the insinuation that he’s making some aspect of Steve’s life as a parent easier, something he doesn’t take for granted. “You know… if you wanted to take them for a visit, I can help with the whole travel part,” he offers. He realizes, belatedly, how that may sound, and is quick to rephrase it. “I- I know how that sounds, but you can introduce me as the nanny, you don’t have to tell them…” he flaps his hand awkwardly, unsure how to phrase it. He knows Steve has said boyfriends and partners but they’re raising children together and it’s all starting to feel a lot like mates.

“Baby,” Steve says softly, lifting a hand and gently brushing his cheek. “I want them to know that we’re together. I mean, after all,” he laughs, shaking his head. “My children call you Mommy. I think that alone would be hard to explain away, hon.”

Eddie’s face feels hot, and he tries not to smile too hard as he glances down at his food. “Well…” he says, with literally nothing else planned to follow it. “I… okay,” he finally says. “We could tell them whatever you want. But I think it would be good for the girls to get to spend some time with that part of their family.”

Steve nods, taking a sip of his wine. “You’re right. And… honestly I should already be making that a priority, but it’s always felt so impossible with work, and there’s two of them and I’m always terrified of something happening if I’m the only one around, and-“ he cuts himself off, taking a deep breath. “I think we could do it, though. With you.” The smile he sends Eddie feels almost like a secret, a sweet, coy thing that lights him up from inside.

“Well,” Eddie says. “We’ll start planning it, as soon as we can.”

Steve reaches out again, resting his hand over Eddie’s and squeezing. “I’d like that a lot.”

The conversation varies from there, from their different high school experiences to their biggest fears. Eddie learns all about Steve’s popular days, and Steve listens attentively as Eddie describes his particular dynamic with the cops back home and their proclivity for picking Eddie up for anything. Steve talks about presenting as an alpha, and how proud his father was, Eddie quietly admits that presenting as an omega is what got him sent away to live with his uncle. Steve’s stories about his youth grow sadder the closer to adulthood he gets, while Eddie’s seem to do the reverse.

“I dated the girls’ mother in high school, actually,” Steve says eventually. They are splitting a dessert, a tasty tiramisu that feels like lead in Eddie’s stomach at the mention of this mysterious woman.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, curiously. He tries to reel it in a little, doesn’t want to pressure Steve into talking about something he’s not ready for.

Steve nods, his gaze unfocused on the plate in front of them. “Yeah. She was… the first woman I ever loved, actually.”

Eddie waits a beat, trying to ensure that the misplaced jealousy isn’t evident in his body language or scent when he speaks. “She must have been very special,” Eddie murmurs.

He's got a pretty good idea of what he thinks may have happened to her, but until Steve offers that information up himself, Eddie won’t be asking for it.

Steve nods. “She was.” He seems to come back to himself, smiling at Eddie once more, although this time it’s certainly not as bright as he’s come to expect. “I’ll tell you all about her someday, if you want. But, for tonight…” he cringes, like he’s afraid that what he’s about to say is embarrassing or something. “I just want tonight to be about you and I, okay?”

Eddie almost wants to push the issue, get Steve to open up to him for real, but at Steve’s words, he just melts. “Alright,” he murmurs. He sneakily scoops up the last bite of tiramisu, covering his giggle with the spoon as Steve blinks down at the empty plate, a very over-exaggerated pout on his lips when he realizes he’s missed out.

“You little sneak,” he says, shaking his head.

Eddie smiles, can’t help it. He can’t remember ever being this happy before. “You snooze, you lose,” he sing-songs, taking a sip of his wine. They’ve almost finished off an entire bottle, and he’s starting to feel it.

Steve sighs. “Guess I’ll just have to get lots of kisses from you so I can savor the taste a little longer,” he says nonchalantly, his lips tugging around a smirk.

Eddie flounders at that, positive his face must be tomato-red. “Oh, um-“ he starts, trying his best to come up with some kind of clever retort.

Luckily, or maybe not, an unfamiliar voice joins the conversation and saves him from having to reply. “Steven, good to see you, man.” A man about their age stands beside the table, his hand resting on the back of a shrewd-looking woman as they both survey Steve.

Steve’s face is carefully neutral. “Thomas. Carolyn.” He barely glances away from Eddie as he speaks, and there’s definitely a new tension in the room and in the set of Steve’s jaw.

Thomas, apparently, snorts. Eddie takes a cautious, subtle sniff, relieved at the absence of scent. So, beta. That’s good to know. Not that Steve seems particularly friendly with these people, but of course some wretched part of him is quick to assume the worst about Steve’s possible past with them. “Haven’t seen you at the Abbey in a while,” Thomas says. Eddie almost feels sorry for him, trying to hold a conversation with someone that is clearly ignoring him.

Steve sighs, his eyes drifting up to look at the ceiling like he’s praying for patience. “Well, I don’t smoke, so my attendance at a cigar lounge doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” he replies dryly. Eddie appreciates how Steve subtly clues him in on the conversation, since it’s obvious that this Thomas character has no intentions of doing the same.

“Wow, man. You know, you used to be fun,” Thomas says snidely. Carolyn, who Eddie thinks might be Thomas’ mate, looks uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, some of us have to grow up, you know.” Steve’s gaze is hard as he stares Thomas down, but it softens when he flickers to Carolyn. “How have you been, Carolyn?”

“Oh, I’m-“

“She’s fine,” Thomas interrupts. “Who’s this?” His attention has turned to Eddie, and it takes everything in him not to cower under the uncomfortably intense gaze.

Steve blinks, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t think I was asking how you were,” he says coldly. “Carolyn?”

Carolyn barely glances at Thomas before nodding, looking down. “I’m fine,” she says softly.

Thomas looks smug. Steve looks like he could smack him.

“This is my partner, Eddie,” Steve says, his mouth set in a thin line. “Eddie, this is Thomas, an old coworker of mine.”

Thomas gives Eddie a look akin to a sneer. “Hm. So what is it that you do for the company?” He asks.

Eddie frowns, glancing at Steve for help. It seems to hit Steve the same time it does Eddie - Thomas must have thought that he meant -

“Sorry, you misunderstood,” Steve says with a smirk as he reaches over to hold Eddie’s hand. “He’s my partner. As in, my significant other.”

It’s incredible, how those two little words immediately wipe the smugness right off of Thomas’ face. “Oh. I see.” There’s a flash of something that Eddie thinks might be hurt on his face before he quickly plasters on a fake smile. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ethan.”

Eddie’s mouth quirks and he tries to bite down the smirk. “It’s Eddie,” he corrects him.

Thomas waves a hand arrogantly. “Whatever.” He turns back to Steve, a cruel tilt to his lips as he asks, “how are the pups?”

Something about the way he says it makes Eddie’s stomach churn a little. He’s not sure what their relationship outside of work was like, but it’s clear that at least on one side, it was romantic. And from the set of Steve’s jaw, it’s obvious that the twins, as a subject of this conversation, are off the table.

Eddie decides to play at Thomas’ own game. “Oh, they are doing great,” he replies, squeezing Steve’s hand. He’s relieved when Steve squeezes back.

Thomas’ eyes flick between the two of them for a moment, and then that cruel smile is back. “Oh, you have children, too?” Before Eddie can respond, Thomas continues, “well, I was really just asking about Steve’s.”

“And he answered for me,” Steve responds. “Our pups are fine. We just got back from a trip to New York, and the twins loved it.”

Thomas looks like he might actually burst a blood vessel, so it’s a surprise when Carolyn is the one to speak next. “That’s wonderful,” she says, smiling at both of them. “Thomas and I don’t have pups of our own, yet, but the twins were always such little angels. Always made me look forward to having my own.” She looks wistful, while the look on Thomas’ face has shifted into uncomfortable.

Eddie smiles back at her, a genuine one. He feels for her, being stuck in a relationship with someone like Thomas, especially since she seems kind. It reminds him of himself, sadly enough. “They’re the best pups anyone could ask for,” he says, sharing a smile with Steve. He spares a glance at Thomas before leaning closer to Carolyn. “And sometimes waiting for pups is a blessing, you know. You want to be the best version of yourself before you become a parent, even if the waiting feels like an eternity.”

Carolyn looks surprised, her eyes darting to Thomas and then away quickly, a flash of understanding on her face before her expression smooths out into neutrality again. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

Eddie smiles at her, hopes that this might be the push she needs to find someone else. Eddie doesn’t know these people, but in the five minutes he’s been forced to listen to Thomas’ bullshit, he knows he doesn’t like him, and that any decent person deserves better.

“We should be going,” Thomas interrupts then, which is more or less what Eddie expected. “It was nice to see you, Steven,” he says, nearly spitting the word out.

Steve barely acknowledges him past a half-hearted wave. “Take care of yourself, Carolyn.”

She nods, ducking her head with a smile to both of them before Thomas is herding her towards the door. Eddie’s heart aches, just a little, for someone stuck in a situation that he himself was in not that long ago. He doesn’t believe in god, but he sends up a little prayer anyway, that Carolyn can find strength somewhere to leave the douchebag and find companionship elsewhere.

“Well, that was fun,” Steve says after they’ve watched them disappear.

“It was… something,” Eddie says, carefully. He’s not entirely sure how this will affect Steve’s mood, if it’ll even change it at all, but he wants to be prepared.

“Tommy and I worked closely for a while,” Steve explains, his eyes drifting over the other diners instead of meeting Eddie’s gaze. “He had a, um… well, I guess a crush on me, as elementary as that sounds.” His cheeks are tinged with pink, and it would be adorable if the news didn’t light something righteous in Eddie’s heart.

“Yeah, I kind of figured as much,” he says, trying to keep his voice perfectly neutral. “I take it you guys…” he trails off, not even sure how to end that assumption.

Steve shrugs. “I didn’t like him as a coworker or romantically. He was… is, actually, kind of a dick. And… and didn’t like the fact that I was raising my daughters alone. Always tried to insert himself, saying he’d be a good parent, but the only time he was ever around them, he screamed at Ivy for getting syrup on his pants.” Steve rolls his eyes, and Eddie has to stifle a giggle.

“It sounds like Ivy was trying to spare you,” he jokes.

Steve cackles, the tension finally splitting. “Oh, for sure. Kids can smell that shit a mile away, you know? If they don’t like someone, that person is pretty much immediately dead to me.”

Eddie is thankful, once again, that the twins had taken to him so quickly. “Well,” he says softly. “I don’t think they’ve led you astray yet.”

Steve has a soft look on his face, his eyes warm and glistening. “No, I don’t think they have.” He squeezes Eddie’s hand again before releasing him altogether, gesturing for the waiter. They have a brief conversation in Italian, Steve glances at the ticket, then pulls out his wallet. Eddie’s gut sinks a little at the fact that Steve is paying for him, yet again.

“I’ve got the next one,” Eddie says, after the waiter has left with the money.

“Hm?” Steve asks, taking one last sip of wine before standing and grabbing his coat.

“The next date,” Eddie explains. He tries to breeze past the presumptuous nature of the statement, taking Steve’s lead and standing. “I want to pay for the next date we go on.”

Steve gets Eddie’s coat, and like a gentleman, helps him into it sweetly before taking his hand and leading the way out of the restaurant. “Okay, that’s fine,” he says easily enough. “You can pick the place, too, yeah?”

Eddie nods, a little thrilled at the idea of being allowed to choose. Henry never let him pick what they did on the rare dates they actually went on. “Okay. Give me a little while to come up with some ideas, though.”

Steve kisses his shoulder. “Of course, baby.” He leads him to the car, holding the door open for him to climb in. Chivalry was definitely not dead.

The drive home is filled with quiet music, as they talk about various things: their favorite films and TV shows, their least favorite music, Steve’s hatred of school because his own experience with learning itself was bad, Eddie’s hatred of school because of his horrible social situation. Eddie feels like he knows several other facets of Steve’s personality by the time they reach the apartment, something he wasn’t expecting from what was technically their first real date.

The realization that they are alone, after a date, doesn’t fully sink in for Eddie until the door shuts behind them, the silence of the apartment greeting them. Eddie turns to look at Steve as he takes off his shoes, a cute little wrinkle between his brows as he tries to tug one off without pulling the sock off with it.

“It’s weird, without the kids here,” Eddie observes, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he watches Steve struggle.

“Yeah, definitely quieter,” Steve agrees. He finally wins the battle of the shoes, sighing contently after stacking them up. He stands straight, giving Eddie a soft, sweet smile. “We, um… don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to. You know that, right?”

And for maybe the first time in his adult life, Eddie does know that, and feels confident in the trust he has that Steve won’t change his mind. “I know,” he nods. He shoves off the wall, nerves making his hands shake as he steps closer to Steve, tucking his fingers in Steve’s front pockets to hide it. “I’m a little scared…” he murmurs before leaning in, kissing Steve’s cheek. “But I wanna be brave.”

Steve tilts his head, catching Eddie’s mouth in a proper kiss. It feels different than the ones they’ve shared so far, somehow more intense while maintaining a softness that sounds wet and feels like love. “What do you want?” Steve asks, his lips still brushing against Eddie’s with every word.

And isn’t that a question?

In theory, Eddie wants it all. He wants Steve inside him, filling him to the brim, preferably face-to-face so they can kiss, but honestly, he’s not too picky about the semantics of it. He wants Steve’s hands, his fingers long and thick and pressing into parts of him Eddie hopes he won’t have to share with anyone else ever again. His mouth… God, Eddie feels himself clench up at the thought of Steve’s mouth on the most sensitive part of him, kissing, sucking, biting.

He makes a small, choked noise. There’s our answer.

“Mouth,” Eddie breathes, kissing at Steve’s mouth as he talks, nearly incoherent. “Want your mouth on me, Stevie.”

Steve groans, something low and distinctly alpha, and it sends shivers down Eddie’s spine. “Fuck. Yes, yeah. Come on, can’t-“ he’s struggling to talk with Eddie’s tongue in his mouth, but he manages. “Can’t do it here, gotta-“ he sucks on Eddie’s tongue, and fireworks explode behind his eyelids. “Gotta lay you down babe, come on.”

They part just enough for Steve to get a grip on Eddie’s hips, and Eddie stumbles along as Steve guides him backwards through the apartment. He suspects they’re headed to Steve’s bedroom, which has become more of a shared space recently, so he’s surprised when instead, he feels the soft cushion of the sofa hit the back of his legs.

“Here?” Eddie squeaks, landing with a soft oof. “Baby-“

Steve drops to his knees in front of him, gently parting his legs. Eddie goes silent. “Yeah, baby. Wanna have you right here.” Like a man possessed, Steve leans in, pressing his face to Eddie’s belly, kissing over his shirt gently before dragging his face down, down, until he’s breathing in heavily, pressed right against his core. Eddie is shaking already, just at the sheer wrongness of it all; spread out here, on the sofa where their family spends time together - it’s almost too much.

“Steve,” Eddie whines, dragging out the vowels. “Honey, please don’t tease me.”

“Not,” Steve lies. He’s a liar, because instead of giving Eddie what he wants, he fucking- he nuzzles Eddie’s crotch, humming contently. “You smell… so fucking good,” he says quietly, almost to himself.

Eddie’s so frustrated he could cry. “Probably taste even better,” he offers lamely, hoping beyond hope that it works.

Apparently, luck is on his side for once. Steve’s eyes darken, and he reaches up to undo Eddie’s pants, glancing up at him once for permission. When Eddie nods, Steve moves quickly, unzipping and tugging the pants down in one fluid motion. The boxers don’t quite go with the pants, but Eddie wiggles until he can shove them down to join his pants at his knees. And then Steve just… stares.

“Is something… I… you know we only have a little while before the girls come back,” Eddie tries, stumbling over his words like a fool. He feels awkward, laid bare like this with Steve inspecting him, not saying so much as a single word.

“It’s only fifteen after eight,” Steve says, startling Eddie a little. He furrows his brows, confused, but before he can ask why the hell that matters, Steve smirks up at him. “You said you wanted the girls back by nine. Chrissy and Robin won’t be here for a half-hour, at least.”

Eddie blinks at him. “Oh,” he breathes. That gives them way more time than he thought they might have, but doesn’t make the anticipation lessen any. “We’ll still need time to clean up, though.”

Steve smiles at him, bringing his hands up to caress Eddie’s thighs gently. On each upstroke, he gets closer and closer to where Eddie is hot and leaking, and his breath catches when Steve’s fingertip finally brushes his cunt. “Do you want fingers too? Or just my mouth?” Steve asks softly as he leans down, pressing soft, sweet kisses to his left thigh, then his right.

Eddie swallows hard. “Uh, just- just your mouth. For now, if that’s- is that okay?”

“Of course, baby,” Steve breathes, and then he’s leaning in, kissing Eddie’s mound softly before dragging his lips down.

It’s been a while for Eddie, is the thing. So when Steve first opens his mouth against him and latches onto his clit, Eddie can’t help it that his first reaction is to squeak loudly, his chest erupting with a purr almost immediately after. Embarrassed, he slaps his hand over his mouth quickly to muffle the noise, tossing his head back as he tries to stop his hips from grinding against Steve’s face.

Steve’s mouth is talented, but apparently he’s multi-talented, because before Eddie can do much more than grip the sofa cushion beneath him for support, Steve is reaching up and pulling his hand away from his mouth. He pulls away from his work briefly, and Eddie feels a swell of arousal sluice through his stomach like a knife at the way his mouth is fucking glistening with Eddie’s slick. “Don’t,” Steve mumbles, his thumb of his free hand rubbing circles around Eddie’s clit. “I want to hear you, baby. Let me hear you, please?”

Eddie gasps when Steve immediately dips back down, laving his tongue over Eddie’s hole before dipping into it, prodding gently. “O-okay,” he stutters, his hand shaking as he instead pushes it into his own hair to tug and ground himself from the sensations.

Steve winks at him from his spot, and then it’s like he gets a boost, going faster and somehow deeper, and Eddie is practically flailing all over the couch with the sensations. At this rate, he’s certain he won’t last very long, especially when Steve returns to sucking at his little dick, his thumb rubbing just so under his hole.

“Fuck,” Eddie cries, his thighs twitching around Steve’s head. Steve brings a hand up to push them apart, then seems to have a different idea, his hand traveling over Eddie’s body until he finds his left hand, which he guides to his hair. Eddie hesitates, petting over Steve’s ruffled locks gently. He’s never really pulled anyone’s hair during sex, although it’s something he always thought about when Henry had a fistful of his own. Still, he doesn’t want to just assume, and Steve’s mouth is just a little preoccupied, so-

“Eddie,” Steve gasps, pulling back just an inch. He’s breathing heavily, and his face is practically soaked. “Baby, pull my hair, it’s okay. I want you to.”

Eddie could cry. Between all the sensations and the quickly approaching orgasm, he’s glad that he doesn’t have to ask for something else, that this is something Steve wants to give him. “You’re sure?” Eddie asks, just in case.

Steve leans in, kisses at Eddie’s core like they’re sharing a kiss on the mouth. It’s hotter than it has any right to be. “Yeah, baby, I’m sure,” he mumbles before he dives in again.

It takes him a minute even then to work up the courage to get a tighter grip, to tug at Steve’s hair when he sucks him down, like he’s trying to swallow him whole. The tug seems to spur Steve on even more, and Eddie whines when he feels a finger rub at his hole, never slipping inside, just adding pressure there where he’s so sensitive. Eddie can’t stand it. “Put it in me,” he says on a moan, his hips twitching like that’ll make the finger slide right in. “Please, Steve, just- please, please, pl-” He’s cut off when Steve does just that, a finger sliding in through the slick, going all the way down to the knuckle without preamble.

“Good?” Steve says against him, his voice muffled. The vibration of his voice does something to Eddie, and he lets out a cry as he nods.

“Yes, yes, fuck yes,” he pants, tugging Steve’s hair in earnest now as he tries to make him go faster. “Please, fuck Steve, almost there.”

Steve fucking laughs against him, and Eddie would probably be offended if that didn’t feel so good, and then a second finger is sliding in neatly by the first, and both of them are crooking up, searching, searching-

“Fuck!” Eddie cries as he tenses up. It’s like he’s on a hot wire, for just a moment, and then all the tension leaves his body at once as Steve works him over the edge. He lets him do what he wants, for a moment, but then his body is twitching and even though his fingers are shallow at best, it’s too much. “Too much,” he murmurs, petting over Steve’s hair as he twitches away. “Too much, baby.”

Steve releases him gently, and Eddie has the privilege of looking down at him as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, a wild grin on his face. “Tasted even better than I thought,” he says, licking his lips like he’s savoring the taste.

Eddie isn’t sure how much of the heat in his face is from the strenuous activity and how much of it is from blushing, but he knows he’s red, either way. “Shut up,” he mumbles, covering his face shyly. “And come here, it’s your turn,” he says, scooting so that he’s situated better on the sofa as he reaches for Steve.

Instead, Steve shakes his head. “Don’t have time, sweet boy,” he says, shaking his head.

Eddie blinks, turning to glance at the clock. “We do too,” he says, a little petulant. “It’s only eight-thirty.”

Steve nods. “Yeah, but the girls will be back sometime before nine. If we want to shower and be decent by the time they get here, we don’t have time.” He must see the sour look on Eddie’s face, because he leans in and kisses him on the cheek. “It’s okay, baby, really. You can do me some other time, okay?”

Eddie crosses his arms with a pout. “‘S not fair,” he mumbles. Steve shakes his head, a little grin quirking at his lips as he helps Eddie off the sofa, grabbing their discarded clothes and guiding him to the bathroom. As they walk through the bedroom, Eddie gets an idea.

He doesn’t enact said idea until they’re already in the shower, the water warm and the pressure consistent as Steve steps in behind Eddie and reaches for the shampoo. Before he has a chance to do anything, Eddie is on his knees, blinking around the stray water droplets that catch his face.

“Eddie!” Steve says, a note of panic in his voice as he twists to shield him from the spray. Eddie reaches for his hips, holding him in place as he tries to ignore, momentarily, the cock bobbing two inches from his face. “Eds…” Steve says, quieter, when he realizes what Eddie wants.

“Please?” Eddie mumbles, looking up at him with what he hopes are the perfect doe eyes. “I’ll be so good for you, Alpha, be so quick.”

“Fuck,” Steve groans, placing a gentle hand in Eddie’s hair, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. “Are you sure? You really wanna do this for the first time in the shower?” he asks over the sound of the spray, sounding torn between desire and incredulity.

Eddie shrugs. “Less to clean up?” he offers lamely, grinning impishly.

Steve chokes out a laugh, and crouches down enough to give Eddie a wet kiss. “You’re something else,” he whispers before standing again, reaching down to grip himself. “Go for it, baby. You’ve got, like, five minutes, though.”

“I can work with that,” Eddie says with a wink before getting to work.

~~~

It only takes about four minutes, as it turns out. The other minute is spent trying to help Eddie to his feet without slipping, a factor that it seems neither of them thought through. By the end of it, there’s one near-fall, semen in one eye, and a sore place where Eddie’s hip caught the handle on the wall, and Steve declares no more shower sex. Eddie can’t help but whine, which Steve silences with a kiss, and the reminder that the bed is way more comfortable, anyway.

Eddie can’t really argue that.

Warm, clean, and sated, they stumble out of the shower and dry off together, getting ready for bed like they normally do, now with a new closeness that Eddie hadn’t even realized was absent before. It’s not like a physical closeness, remarkably, because they’d been practically living in one another’s pockets since before they’d even realized what they wanted. No, this is more of an emotional intimacy; despite knowing how he felt about Steve prior to touching him, spending this time with him in the domestic after of it all just cements how strong Eddie’s feelings are, and the trust he has for Steve. It’s enough to nearly make him choked up.

“I’ll take the girls to school tomorrow,” Steve says, interrupting Eddie’s train of thought.

“What?” He glances over at Steve, finding him doing his nightly face wash routine while Eddie stands there, his toothbrush in one hand, toothpaste in the other. “Sorry, I kinda- zoned out. What- why?” He stumbles over his words like an idiot, but Steve just smiles at him.

“Sorry, I know you’re probably tired after… all that,” he says, his cheeks a little rosy. Eddie nods in agreement. “I just figured since you have your first day of work tomorrow… Maybe you need the time to process and get ready?”

Eddie considers that for a moment, but honestly, he knows himself, and he knows that the extra gap of time will just give him more time to panic. He says as much to Steve. “I really don’t mind taking them, hon. And honestly…” he shakes his head as he gets his toothbrush in his mouth. “If I don’t, I’ll just be here worrying about everything instead,” he says, his voice muffled.

“Are you sure? You could sleep in, have time to wake up and get ready on your own. I can cook breakfast and get the girls ready and everything,” Steve offers.

And honestly… that actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea. If he can actually sleep in, that would be sort of nice, because otherwise, he’ll be left pacing and panicking from the time he drops the girls off at seven-fifteen until nearly ten when he heads over to the music store.

“Okay,” Eddie murmurs, rinsing his toothbrush once he’s finished. He cleans his face before turning to smile at Steve. “I think that would help, actually. Thank you.”

Steve smiles back at him, putting his towel back on the hook before turning to tug Eddie into an embrace. “Of course,” he says softly. “I want to make sure I take care of you, baby. Whatever I can do for you, I want to do it, okay?” He leans in for a kiss, and Eddie sighs into it, sagging against him weakly.

“You’re gonna have me so spoiled,” Eddie warns when he pulls away, winding his arms around Steve’s neck. “I hope you’re prepared to deal with that.”

Steve shrugs, but his lips are twitching around a grin like he just can’t help it. “I don’t mind. Gotta keep the mother of my children happy, you know,” he says, almost cheekily.

Eddie smiles, but it falters a little as he remembers this morning, the nervousness and uncertainty he felt when Steve said something along those lines about their children. “You want more children someday, right?” Eddie asks quietly, nuzzling Steve’s cheek with his nose.

“I do,” Steve admits softly. “I’ve always wanted a big family. Five, maybe six kids.”

Eddie nods, even though the thought makes him a little nervous. “That’s a lot,” he says, smiling faintly.

“Um, yeah,” Steve says, and Eddie feels the laugh he chokes out. “But we don’t- er, if that’s not what you want… we don’t have to have that many.”

Eddie sniffles. He didn’t even realize he was crying, but now it’s an unavoidable fact, wetness collecting at the corners of his eyes as he imagines a world where he gets to carry Steve’s pups, love each and every one of them. The fact that Steve says words like our and we, as if it’s just a given that he wants Eddie there with him in that part of his life… It makes Eddie emotional.

“Shit,” Steve swears, and Eddie realizes that the wetness at his eyes is collecting on Steve’s face as he nuzzles him. “Honey, I swear we don’t have to have any if you don’t want to. I would love to have a couple more, but I’m perfectly happy with the family we already have and-“

He’s rambling, and Eddie can’t have that. “I do,” he says, promptly interrupting Steve and silencing him all at once.

Steve blinks at him. “You do?”

Eddie laughs wetly, can’t help it with the way Steve is clearly so eager. “Yes, of course. I’d have ten kids with you, if you’d give them to me.”

Steve’s face splits into the biggest smile Eddie thinks he’s ever seen, and he’s fully expecting the kiss that he presses to his lips. “I’d give you as many as I can,” Steve murmurs against his mouth. “But I think six is a good number.”

“Mm,” Eddie agrees in between kissing him back, his fingers carding through his damp hair. “So… four?”

Steve tilts his head back just enough that Eddie can’t easily recapture his lips. He pouts, just a little, but Steve’s answering smile is infectious. “You really love my girls like they’re your own,” he murmurs, sounding amazed at the very idea.

Eddie is almost embarrassed at the truth of it, but he nods. “I hope that’s okay. But… as soon as they started calling me mommy… that was it for me. Those are my kids, too,” he admits, hoping it isn’t too much, too presumptuous.

“They are,” Steve agrees gently. “You mean so much to them, Eddie. They love you so much. I honestly… I can’t believe how lucky they are, that I found someone so willing to love them as their own.”

Eddie rocks up to his tiptoes to kiss Steve again, desperate to put all this love somewhere else. “I love them more than anything,” he murmurs against Steve’s mouth. “I’m the lucky one, getting to be their mom.”

Steve makes a soft noise, his hand sliding into Eddie’s hair as he kisses him deeper, and it feels a lot like a promise. “I think we’re all just very lucky,” he says once he pulls away. “And I think…” he twists to find the clock by the door. “That they should be home any minute, and if we keep talking about having children, I might drag you back to bed, and I think we both know we wouldn’t be leaving for quite a while.”

Eddie flushes, and he can tell by the smirk on Steve’s face that his scent has probably changed. Pull it together, Munson, Eddie thinks as he begrudgingly pulls out of Steve’s warm embrace. Steve makes a sad noise, but Eddie knows that the close contact is only going to make it harder to resist each other.

“Come on, pretty boy, let’s go wait for our kids,” Eddie says, tugging Steve by the hand, dragging him back through the bedroom and into the living room.

They’ve barely settled onto the sofa when the buzzer sounds, letting them know that someone is downstairs waiting to be let in. “That was remarkable timing,” Steve says, rolling his eyes. He mutters something playful about Robin blue-balling him as he makes his way over to the intercom, and Eddie giggles from his spot on the couch. He loves this, being playful and domestic and partners. He didn’t think his life with the Harringtons could get much better past being the caretaker, but this is really proving him wrong.

“Harrington residence,” Steve says into the speaker, grinning over his shoulder at Eddie as he mouths ‘watch this’.

“Hi, dingus, I have your children,” Robin’s voice responds.

“Hmm,” Steve hums, like he’s considering it. “Children… hm, I’m not sure if I want those. Are they good children?”

They can hear the girls giggling, and then one of them, Jasmine, Eddie thinks, takes over. “Daddy,” she chastises. “It’s us! Of course we’re good children!”

Steve makes a disbelieving noise. “Well, are you kind? Do you help around the house?” He asks, as if he’s conducting some kind of child-interview. It’s sweet.

“Yes, Daddy!” Ivy says, giggling. “Please let us in? We made something for Mommy!”

At that, Steve lights up, glancing over at Eddie as he clicks the button to let them in. “Oh, well in that case, of course, come right up!”

The girls are still giggling when the speaker cuts off, and Eddie can’t help but share in their laughter. “I wonder what they made me?” He asks, a little perplexed at the thought.

Steve shrugs, going to unlock the front door and wait for them. “There’s honestly no telling. They love a good arts-and-craft activity, though, so there’s no telling what Robin had them doing.”

Eddie smiles. “I just hope they did their makeup work first. I’d hate for their teacher to call and say that they are falling behind or something.” The thought makes him worry at his lip, and he can’t help but think that maybe they should’ve stayed home this evening. If he’s going to be a good mother, his children should come first, and sending them off with someone else when they have work to do, on a school night no less, and letting someone else be there for them when that’s his job, and-

“Mommy!”

The squeal jerks him out of his spiral, and he can’t help the grin that takes over his face as he stands, his arms outstretched for the hug that Jasmine flings herself into.

“Oh, hi sweet girl,” he says over her head, smoothing a hand over her hair. “Goodness, I missed you honey. Did you and sissy have a good time with Auntie Robin?” he asks, glancing over at where Steve has scooped up Ivy, Robin standing at the door with their backpacks, a smile on her face.

“We did! Auntie Chrissy made us snacks, and Auntie Robin helped us do our makeup work,” Jasmine rambles, clearly excited. She pauses for breath, then tilts her head. “Mommy, did you know that makeup work isn’t really makeup?” She implores, and Eddie can’t help but laugh at the betrayal in her tone.

“Ah, yeah, honey, I did know that. I’m sorry, I should have explained what it was. But you and your sister finished all of it, right? Your math? Your spelling words practice sheet?” Jasmine nods at both of them, and Eddie’s shoulders finally relax.

“And the reading worksheet about the origins of Christmas,” Robin adds, coming over to where Eddie is standing in the living room, where she drops the girls’ backpacks into a chair. “I promise I made sure they did everything,” she says with a smile before going in for a hug.

Eddie smiles, balancing Jasmine on his hip as he returns the gesture, squeezing Robin tightly. “God, thank you so much. I was trying not to be worried, but I didn’t want them to fall behind, or overwhelm you and Chrissy, and-”

Robin interrupts him with a laugh. “Steve was right, you spiral just as fast as I do,” she says, with no malice behind her words.

“Well,” Eddie mumbles with a shrug, embarrassed. “Sorry, I just… I dunno, get nervous when I can’t…” he struggles for the right word, but Robin beats him to it.

“Control everything?” she suggests. When he nods, she smiles warmly at him, the picture of understanding. “Yeah, same. But that’s kind of what having a partner and a support system is for, you know?”

He smiles, nodding, but before he can thank her again, Ivy is rushing over to them, holding a clearly home-made card in her hands. “Mommy! Look what we made for you!”

Eddie drops down to a crouch, still holding Jasmine, and holds his hand out to accept their gift. “Wow!” he says, impressed by the sheer volume of glitter they’ve managed to stick to the card, in the shape of what looks to be a heart, with the letter “I” above it, and the letter “U” underneath. “Look at this! Did you two make this all by yourself?”

Ivy smiles shyly, bumping her head against Robin’s thigh. “No… Auntie Robin helped us!”

“Oh my,” he says, winking up at Robin as he opens it up. Inside on the left is a (very glittery) drawing of what appears to be a Christmas tree, and on the right is four stick figures. They’re labeled Ivy, Daddy, Mommy, and Jasmine, and the two in the middle appear to be holding hands. It’s ridiculous, but Eddie feels a little choked up just the same.

“It’s the tree from New York,” Jasmine tells him quietly, pointing at the picture.

“Wow,” Eddie repeats again, softly. “Girls, this is just so - so perfect. Thank you so much.” He pulls Ivy into a hug, kissing her temple, before doing the same to Jasmine. “Mommy is going to hang this up on the fridge so that I can see it every single day, okay?”

The twins nod, both of them looking very pleased with themselves.

“Girls? It’s time to get ready for bed. Tell Auntie Robin goodnight and go put your pajamas on,” Steve announces from a couple feet away. Eddie hadn’t even noticed him join them in the living room, but he’s stood behind the armchair, looking pleased.

The girls whine, predictably upset at having to put an end to their fun night, but Eddie agrees with their father when they turn those puppy eyes over to him. “Nope, Daddy’s right, we’ve gotta go to bed so we can get up in time for school tomorrow, okay?”

The girls mumble an agreement before hugging Robin goodbye, and Eddie can’t help but smile fondly at how sweet she is with them. He knows that realistically, she’s been more of a mother-figure to them since their birth than he has in the time he’s been there, but instead of jealousy, he’s only filled with contentment at the idea that even before he was there, someone else was loving and caring for them just the same.

“I’ll go tuck them in,” Eddie says after the twins make their way down the hall. He grabs their backpacks to hang up on their respective hooks, but stops and squeezes Robin’s arm. “Thank you again. We had, um…” He glances at Steve, blushing when he sees the smirk on his face. “We had a really wonderful evening, and I’m really grateful that you and Chrissy were able to do this for us.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem at all,” Robin says, waving him off. “I love having the girls come stay with us, and Chris enjoys the practice.” She rolls her eyes like she thinks that’s just silly, and honestly, Eddie can see why; Chrissy seems so naturally maternal, he has no doubt at all that she will be more than capable of taking care of their baby, with or without the practice. “Just promise me that when our baby comes and we need the break, we can count on the same in return,” Robin says with a grin.

Eddie nods enthusiastically. “Oh my god, yes, of course. We’d be happy to keep them whenever, just call anytime, and-”

Steve’s arm slipping around his waist makes him pause in his excitement. “Careful, Robin. You let us borrow that baby for a minute, and we might not let you have them back,” Steve jokes, kissing Eddie’s cheek to soften it.

Eddie flushes, but shrugs. His omega maternal instincts have only gotten stronger the longer he’s been with Steve and the girls, so sue him if he’s excited at the prospect of a newborn. “I’d give them back,” Eddie says. He wiggles his way out of Steve’s hold, knowing the girls are probably waiting on him to tuck them in. “Eventually,” he says, after a pause.

Robin laughs, and Steve rolls his eyes with a smile as Eddie departs, waving at Robin in case she’s gone by the time he gets back.

Shockingly, the girls are already snuggled in their beds by the time Eddie walks into their room. “Oh my god,” Eddie says, hand over his heart in pantomimed shock. “Are my girls already tucked in?” They giggle, and he puts his hands on his hips, cocking his head. “Hang on here. Do we have our teeth brushed? Our hair brushed? Pajamas on? The mouse fed?”

The giggles get even more unhinged, and Ivy sits up to say, “Mommy, we don’t have a mouse!”

Eddie grins as he goes to sit beside her, tucking her in properly. “Well how would you know, little human? Do you think the mouse would tell you that he was living here?”

Ivy shrugs, then shakes her head. “I guess not.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to assume we don’t have a mouse,” he says, kissing her forehead before moving to her sister’s bed to tuck her in as well.

“You know what assuming does,” Ivy says, conversationally.

Eddie kisses Jasmine’s forehead, brushing her hair behind her ear, before turning back to her sister, a little wary of what he thinks is coming. “What’s that?” he says, eyebrow quirked.

Ivy giggles. “Makes an ass out of u and me!” she cackles, and Eddie rolls his eyes as he stands.

“Ha ha,” he says, deadpan. “I’m gonna let that slide tonight, but make sure your dad doesn’t hear you say it.”

Jasmine makes a little choked-laugh noise, and he peers at her expectantly. “Where do you think we learned it?” she asks, almost innocently.

Eddie sighs, but can’t control the smile that tugs at his lips. “Your dad is so lucky that you guys have never asked for a swear jar. He’d be poor within days.”

The girls giggle even harder, and Eddie flicks the overhead light on to send the room into silence. “Goodnight, girls. I love you, sweet dreams.”

A chorus of “goodnight, I love yous” is returned to him as he steps out into the hall, leaving their door cracked just in case. He’s smiling to himself, already thinking about telling Steve what just happened, when he realizes he can hear quiet voices down the hall. He pauses, because of course he does, and listens.

“I’m just saying,” Robin’s voice reaches him first, quiet but playful. “At this rate, he’ll probably be expecting before spring even comes around.”

Steve makes some kind of strangled noise at that. “I- he is not- we didn’t even-”

“Relax,” Robin replies. “I’m only teasing, Steve. But… would it be the end of the world if he was?”

There’s a pause, and then Steve’s quiet voice. “No. We actually… We were actually talking about it earlier. And he wants kids, too.”

Oh. Eddie feels a little stupid that it took him until then to realize that they’re talking about him.

“More kids, you mean,” Robin corrects. Eddie mentally high-fives her.

Steve sighs. “You know what I mean. It’s just… this would be his first pregnancy,” Steve says, clearly stressed. “And I don’t know if we’ve even been together long enough to consider that, I mean, it’s so soon... I just… I just want to be careful, for a little while.”

It’s quiet for a moment, and then Robin says, “you don’t want to end up like me and Chrissy.”

Steve makes a hurt noise, and Eddie suddenly feels icky, listening to this conversation, that is quickly spiraling away from having anything to do with him. “Robin, no. That’s not what I meant. I just mean… God, I don’t know. Nancy’s been gone for, what, nearly seven years? And I never thought I’d even have the chance to have any more children. So finding out that I’ve got the chance… I dunno, I just don’t want to screw this up.”

Eddie doesn’t catch what Robin says in response. His heart aches for Steve, at him thinking that he could possibly screw any of this up between the two of them. They didn’t make it through all of that confusion and pining for nothing, and Eddie definitely isn’t going to let a stupid little thing like doubt screw things up for them now. 

He’s going to prove to Steve that he can do this. That he can be a mom, the best damn mother on earth, and hold down a job, and keep the house clean, and be the perfect omega . 

After all, that’s what Steve deserves. 

Chapter Text

Eddie is up shortly after the crack of dawn the next morning. He feels guilty, vaguely, that he agreed to let Steve get up with the girls, but what kind of omega would he be if he just laid around all day, waiting for his alpha to do everything? No, it just simply wouldn’t work. If he was going to prove to Steve that he was worth it, he needed to be the perfect omega, in all the ways. Steve deserved nothing less.

So he wakes up early, tiptoes into the kitchen, and spends about an hour making breakfast: French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, the works. With his luck, though, the twins will wake up wanting nothing but cereal.

With a glance at the clock, he realizes it’s time to go wake them up, but as soon as the thought occurs, he hears steps from behind him.

“Eddie?” Steve’s sleepy voice mumbles. When Eddie turns to look at him, he finds him stood there with an adorable little pout, glancing around at the food. “What are you doing up? I thought you were gonna sleep in?”

“Oh, um…” Eddie hadn’t prepared an excuse for this. “I… couldn’t sleep.” Steve quirks an eyebrow at him, and Eddie tries to power through. “Yeah, too excited, I guess.”

Steve’s gaze, still a little suspicious, softens at that. “Yeah? Not nervous, are you?” He asks, stepping into Eddie’s space and wrapping his arms around him.

It’s a total lie, but Eddie shakes his head anyway. “Nah. Just excited, I think.” He peeks at the clock again, gently extracting himself from Steve’s arms. “I’m gonna go wake up the girls, if you wanna go ahead and eat.”

The frown is back, and Steve keeps step with Eddie as he moves backwards. “Oh, I can wake them up, since you made breakfast and everything,” he suggests with an easy smile.

Eddie shakes his head, scrambling to think of something for Steve to do so he will let Eddie have this. “I’ve got it, really. Why don’t you, uh… go get dressed?”

Steve blinks at him. “Uh, okay. Sure.” His eyebrows furrow into something worse than confusion, then: concern. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay, honey?”

“Yeah, of course,” Eddie says, turning away so he doesn’t have to lie straight to Steve’s face. He’s not sure he can handle that, and he’s positive Steve will notice, his poker face is shit at best. He crosses his fingers and hopes with everything he has that Steve actually goes to get dressed and doesn’t think anything of his strange behavior. He’ll just have to be faster from now on, that’s all. If he can just get into the habit of waking up just a little bit earlier, he can get everything done just a little faster, then Steve will never even notice that he’s doing it all.

Perfect.

The girls are whiny when he manages to wake them up, but he lets them know very quickly that he won’t be hearing any of that. “C’mon, I’ve made a nice breakfast for everyone, and your dad will not be happy if he has to wait on you guys for very long.” He’s pretty sure that’s not even true, can’t imagine that Steve would complain if the girls were a little fussy or took very long to get up, but it gives him a threat to inspire them to move faster.

“What kind of breakfast?” Ivy asks, peeking one eye over the covers.

Eddie grins. “I guess you’ll just have to come find out,” he teases, clapping his hands twice before walking out of the room.

The girls scramble to follow him, predictably, and he smiles to himself as they find their spots at the breakfast bar. “Mommy, can I have something to drink?” Ivy asks as soon as she’s taken her seat, sitting up on her knees in that way that makes him anxious.

“Of course, sweet girl, but what have I told you about sitting like that?” He gives her a stern look as he makes her and her sister a plate, smiling when she shifts to sit properly.

“Sorry, Mommy,” she says sheepishly. “I forgot.”

“That’s okay, but just remember that it’s because it’s not safe. If the chair were to tip over like that, you could seriously get hurt. Okay?” He slides their plates in front of them before going to the fridge, pulling out the only orange juice they’ll ever drink, which in this family, is naturally the expensive kind.

“Okay,” Ivy says, her mouth already full.

Eddie rolls his eyes as he pours their drinks. “Jasmine, orange juice okay with you?”

She nods. “Unless we have chocolate milk?”

Eddie hums, reaching into the fridge to grab it. “Mhm, got some yesterday.”

“I want chocolate milk too!” Ivy protests. “It was my special treat this week.” It’s almost a pout, but Eddie is quick to ease it when he realizes how quickly it could spiral out of control.

“You’re right honey, I’m sorry for not asking first,” Eddie says, taking back the orange juice easily.

Ivy makes a noise, giving him a conflicted look when he glances back at her. “But I- I don’t wanna waste the juice, either.”

Bless her, for being so thoughtful. Taking after her perfect dad in every way that counts. “It’s okay, baby, I’ll drink it.” He pours her a glass of chocolate milk, and she takes it with a sweet thank you.

“When we get big, can we have two special treats each week?” Ivy asks a minute later.

Eddie cocks his head, considering it. “I dunno. Maybe we can ask Daddy about that sometime, yeah?”

“Ask me about what?” Steve says, perfect timing, as always. He makes a trip behind the girls first, kissing the tops of their heads and saying good morning to each of them before he makes his way around the bar to where Eddie is. “Forgot to do this earlier,” he murmurs before pressing a kiss to his cheek and grabbing a plate. “Breakfast looks amazing, by the way,” he says, helping himself to some French toast.

“Oh, um-“ Eddie says, a little off-kilter now, from the suddenness of his interruption and the kiss, as unassuming as it was. “Uh, the girls were wondering-“

Ivy interrupts him before he can get very fair in explaining it. “Daddy, when we get bigger, can we get two special treats each when we go grocery shopping?” She asks, blinking her big, innocent eyes up at him with a sweet smile.

Steve chews his bacon slowly, his eyebrow cocked. “Hm,” he hums as he chews. He swallows, and shrugs. “I dunno, guys. Maybe when you two hit double digits we’ll consider that, yeah?”

The girls both whine, and Eddie busies himself with the coffee maker so he doesn’t have to be the bad guy this time. His avoidance tactic works until he hears-

“-if you and Mommy have a new baby?”

“What?” Eddie squeaks, nearly dropping the mug he’d just pulled down from the cabinet. His panicked gaze flits from the twins, particularly Ivy’s little instigator self, and Steve, who looks much calmer than Eddie feels.

“I was just asking if we would get to pick the baby’s special treat,” Ivy explains, like he’s simple. “Until they could talk, I mean.”

Eddie stutters over some vague denial, but a glance at Steve shuts him up. He seems wholly unbothered by the question, actually maybe even a little amused, honestly, and it just serves to piss Eddie off a little, more than anything else.

“We aren’t- no,” Eddie finally settles on. “There is no baby, Ivy, and even if there was, you wouldn’t be cashing in on an extra special treat.”

“Dang it,” she mutters, sighing sadly as she stabs at her eggs.

Steve giggles, and Eddie shoots him a glare. Steve has the audacity to hold his hands up, as if he’s innocent in all of this. Eddie fixes his coffee anyway, despite the annoyance, or rather embarrassment he feels at the whole conversation.

“Sorry,” Steve murmurs when Eddie presses the mug into his hand. “I know it wasn’t funny. They’re just… I dunno, they’re funny.”

Eddie sighs, deflating a little at that, because as much as it pains him to admit it… Steve is right. The twins are funny, and clever, and Eddie hopes that if he and Steve do have babies, they’ll be just like them.

“It’s fine,” he mumbles. “Just…” he glances at the twins, who are distracted with the comics Steve had left on the bar yesterday, and decides it’s safe to continue. “Are we going to tell them? About… you know.” He knows he’s blushing as he whispers, can feel his face heating up and would honestly just assume he be set on fire than continue like this.

Steve hesitates. “I… I want to. Do you… would you rather we didn’t?” He asks, clearly worried. “I just- I don’t think I’m comfortable keeping a secret like this, and-“

Eddie silences him with a gentle squeeze of his wrist, guiding him to set his coffee down before lacing their fingers together, carefully out of sight of the girls, who are giggling loudly over Garfield’s antics. They really are his daughters, he thinks.

“I want to tell them too,” he murmurs. “Just… definitely not right now.”

“Oh yeah, no, of course not,” Steve agrees, sounding relieved. “We should do it after school, maybe on a weekend?”

Eddie nods. “Yeah. Just to give them time to adjust to the idea before going back to school.”

Steve nods too, glancing back at them furtively. “You know,” he starts. “Christmas break is soon. We could wait until then.”

It may be the best idea Steve’s ever had, actually, and Eddie says as much through his grin and nodding. “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, actually.” He silently hopes that the announcement won’t ruin their Christmas, but he thinks he knows Steve well enough not to say something so self-deprecating out loud.

“Perfect,” Steve says. He glances at his watch then, grimacing. “I should get them ready for school. I really want you to get some rest before your first day at the music store, hon.”

A small flare of panic rises in Eddie’s chest, and he sincerely hopes that Steve can’t smell it on him. “Oh, I’ve got it,” he says, setting down the coffee he’d just poured for himself. “Girls, come on, finish up so we can get dressed.”

“Ed, really, I can do it,” Steve says, his eyebrows furrowing cutely. “You haven’t even eaten breakfast, babe, let me do this.”

Great, now Eddie’s an omega who makes his alpha worry about if he’s eating enough, too. Without thinking, he grabs a piece of bacon, snarfing it down quickly.

“There,” he garbles around the food. He swallows as well as he can, wincing, and washes it down with a swig of coffee. “Girls, let’s go.”

Steve stares at him, clearly a little baffled. “Eddie-“

Eddie doesn’t let him get further than that, slipping out of the kitchen with a reassurance that it’ll only take a few minutes to get the kids ready. He doesn’t wait for another protest, instead heading straight to the girls’ room. He passes his own on the way and wonders, vaguely, if he should move his stuff over to Steve’s room.

Too soon, probably, he thinks. Even though he hasn’t really spent a full night in his room since before the trip to New York.

The twins help pick their own outfits, each of them getting to choose between two different options for their shirt and pants. He lets them go nuts with the shoes, and smiles when he sees that they’ve chosen to wear matching sneakers.

“Alright, let’s brush our teeth and then let me fix your hair.” Eddie follows them into the bathroom, gathering little hair ties and bows as they brush their teeth side by side. He hums as he moves around the bathroom, finally coming to a stop behind Jasmine, who is far more tender-headed than her sister. “What’re we thinking today? Pigtails? Half-up, half-down?”

Jasmine shrugs, spitting the toothpaste foam out and rinsing her toothbrush. “Can I just have a ponytail today?” She asks.

Eddie nods, but frowns as he begins brushing her hair out. “You sure? It gave you a headache last time.”

“Oh yeah. Maybe a braid?” She lights up a little at that, and he knows why. He remembers a very different day, not terribly long ago, when he tried to teach Steve and the girls how to braid hair. It was one of his fondest memories of bonding with the family.

“Sure, hon. Hold still, okay?” Eddie sets to work quickly and quietly, grateful that Ivy is being quiet so he can focus. “Ivy, honey, why don’t you pick out a bow for when I get to you? And go ahead and decide what hair style you want, okay?”

Ivy nods, and Eddie watches from the corner of his eye as she picks out a pink bow that, to her credit, doesn’t clash horribly with her clothes. “Here, Mommy,” she says, setting it close to him.

“Thank you, sweet girl. Give me just a second, I’m almost done with sissy’s hair.” Eddie plaits the last inch or so of her hair before reaching out for a plain rubber band to tie it off with. “There we go. Beautiful,” he says with a smile, kissing the top of Jasmine’s head as soon as he’s finished. “Go grab your coat, okay? We’ll be in there in just a second.”

Jasmine nods, hugging Eddie’s arm to her chest for just a second before slipping out the door. Ivy dutifully takes her spot, holding her hair bow gently in her hands as he begins brushing her hair. “So what kind of style are we doing today?” He asks, meeting her gaze in the mirror.

“Can you do like-“ Ivy reaches around to the back of her head and gathers some of it up, but leaving most of it hanging down.

“Like…” Eddie takes her place, raking his fingers through her hair to part it just above her ears to pull half of it up. “This?”

Ivy nods, which jostles him enough that he sort of has to restart, but it’s fine. “Yeah, like that!” She agrees before going still once again.

“Perfect,” Eddie says as he gets to work. “Easy enough.”

Ivy is very patient as he brushes out the rest of her hair and fixes it up, and it isn’t until he’s clipping the hair bow itself that she speaks. “Mommy?”

“Yeah honey?”

“Auntie Robin said that Aunt Chrissy will have her baby soon.” It’s a little out of nowhere, but Eddie is trying his best to get used to the way a child’s brain works.

“Right,” he agrees. “She will. Are you excited?”

Ivy nods. “Yes. She said we can see the baby, once it’s been here long enough.” Eddie nods, but doesn’t comment. “Mommy? Are you ever going to have a baby?”

Eddie is glad he’s already finished with her hair once she asks that. “Oh, um,” he stumbles over his words, but ultimately, lands on the truth. “I hope so. Is… is that okay?”

Ivy seems to think about it for a moment, but then she nods. “Yes. Will we get to see the baby?”

“I’m sure you would,” he says, trying not to laugh at the irony of this conversation, coming so soon after the one he’d overheard last night, and the one they’d just had in the kitchen. It seems the whole house has been struck with some kind of baby fever. “But we’ll worry about that if and when it happens, okay?”

Ivy nods. “Okay Mommy. Thank you for my hair.” She skips out of the bathroom without another word, and Eddie takes a moment just to process it all.

Never a dull moment, someone once said, probably about parenting twins.

When Eddie joins them, the girls are putting their backpacks on while Steve shrugs on his coat. Eddie glances at the clock above the stove and panics, realizing he’s still in his pajamas and only has a few minutes to get dressed if he wants the girls to make it to school on time.

“Oh, shi- give me, like, two minutes to get dressed, girls, I’ll be-“ he stumbles over his words as he makes his way around them, only to be caught by the elbow.

“Honey,” Steve says, his voice low. “Stay, rest. I’ve got this. I’ll take the girls to school today, okay?”

“But-“

Steve shakes his head with a little laugh, stroking the crook of Eddie’s elbow softly, like he doesn’t realize he’s doing it. “But nothing,” he scolds gently. “You’ve done everything else this morning. The least you can let me do is take my own children to school, okay?”

And that… does the trick, if the goal was to make Eddie feel guilty so that he’d back off. “Oh…” he says quietly. He tries not to let it show, how hurt he is, but he is hurt. “Okay.”

Steve fixes him with a strange look, like he can sense how upset Eddie is, and Eddie quickly shrugs out of his grip. He’s not about to make it easier for him to be angry with him. “Girls, come hug Mommy goodbye. We need to get going so we aren’t late.”

The twins crowd Eddie immediately, hugging him and letting him dote on them in return. It fills his heart with joy, and soothes the sting of Steve’s words just enough.

“Bye, Mommy!” Ivy says, slipping away to go to the door once she’s gotten her fill of affection.

“Love you, bye Mommy,” Jasmine says quietly, squeezing Eddie one more time before going to join her sister.

“Bye girls, I love you. Have a great day, okay?” Eddie, ridiculously, feels like he might cry. It’s gotta be something to do with his hormones, or maybe just some leftover feeling of hurt over feeling like he’s not being the best omega. Either way, it’s ridiculous.

The girls wave as Steve ushers them out the door. “Bye, sweetheart, I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?” He says, smiling and doing a cute little wave of his own before heading out the door.

Eddie barely listens to him, allowing himself to sink into self-pity as he goes to clean up their mess from breakfast. He tries not to think about it, but the only other alternative is to worry about the day ahead, and that makes him queasy in a whole different way. So instead he thinks about Wayne, back home, probably wondering what’s going on with him these days. A glance at the clock says that Wayne should be getting home from a night shift at the plant any time now, so as soon as he finishes with the dishes he slides into the barstool closest to the phone and gets comfy.

The line rings four times before Wayne picks up.

“Hello,” Wayne says, gruff and matter-of-fact.

“Hey,” Eddie greets, feeling a little sheepish. He’s called Wayne, of course, since he’s been away. Just… not nearly enough. “It’s Eddie.”

“Well, damn, son,” Wayne says with a sigh. “I was startin’ to think you’d forgotten my number.” He doesn’t sound truly offended, which Eddie is grateful for, but he still feels a little bad anyway.

“I’m sorry,” he says, and means it. “I’ve been meaning to call, really. It’s just… things have been sort of… hectic, I guess.”

Wayne hums. “Is that right?” He asks, bland enough that Eddie knows he could drop it and not be questioned, or talk about it and be listened to.

He realizes, with a start, that he wants to talk about it.

“Yeah. I…” he decides to just rip the bandaid off. “I’ve started seeing someone.”

Wayne is quiet for a second. Then: “well, you gonna leave me in suspense? What’s his name, son?”

Ah. And there’s the tricky part.

See, while he has called Wayne a couple of times, he never deigned to tell him about his horrible, debilitating crush on his boss. Or, well… former boss, technically? The details are still a little murky, Eddie thinks.

“Um,” Eddie hesitates. “It’s…”

“Son, spit it out. If it’s Steve, just say so. But it better not be fuckin’ Henry again, or so help me god,” Wayne rants, and Eddie isn’t sure which part he’s more shocked about.

“Wayne!” He whines. “It’s not Henry. Jesus. Never again.” He shudders at the very thought.

“Good,” Wayne says, clearly soothed by the reassurance. He gives Eddie half a second to recover before steamrolling right past that. “So, it’s Steve?”

“What- How did you-“ Eddie stutters.

“Relax, boy,” Wayne grumbles. “I’m not mad at you, or nothin’. I figured, with the way you was talking about him, well, it was only a matter of time.”

Eddie sighs. He hates that he’s so predictable, but if anyone would know his tendencies to fall hard and fast, it would be Wayne. “Yes, it’s Steve,” he admits quietly.

“Well alright then,” he says, sounding pleased. “He treatin’ you right?”

Eddie’s mind absolutely does not fly to their date the previous night. It doesn’t. “Yes,” he admits quietly. “He’s… he’s really good to me, Wayne. And the girls-“

“Ivy and Jasmine, right?” Wayne interrupts.

Eddie grins to himself. He’s talked about them every time he’s called Wayne, so it’s no surprise that he already knows their names. “Yes. They… they’ve started calling me Mommy, and Steve doesn’t mind, and… and…” he sighs happily just thinking about his little family. “It’s everything I’ve been wanting, Wayne,” he finishes quietly.

Wayne sounds pleased when he responds. “Well, I’m happy for you, son. As long as he’s treatin’ you right, and you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

“I am,” Eddie admits. He realizes how true it is, for the first time in a really, really long time.

“Good,” Wayne says. “Now let’s talk about these girls. It sounds like I’ve got grandbabies, and I’ll be damned if I don’t get to see ‘em.”

Eddie laughs, and launches into a story about their trip to New York, his heart filled with so much love for the family he was raised by and the family he’s found. He tells story after story about the girls and their antics, and every teachable moment Eddie’s had since the last time they’d spoken.

That's how Steve finds him, nearly an hour later, still curled up with the phone and regaling Wayne with the story about their trip to the library.

“And I showed them the original Winnie the Pooh plushies, you wouldn’t believe it, they’re so cool in person. And we read-“ Eddie cuts himself off when Steve comes into the room, a curious look on his face. “Oh, hi, honey,” he says, pulling the phone away from his mouth for a second.

“Hey,” Steve whispers. “Who’s that?” He asks as he hangs up his coat.

“Uncle Wayne,” Eddie replies. He holds up a finger to Steve. “Give me, like, a couple minutes, I’m almost finished with this story.”

Steve just smiles and nods, but comes over to him anyway, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in his neck to scent him. It’s distracting, but he manages to get back on track.

“Sorry,” he tells Wayne. “Where was I? Oh, the library! So, we picked books, and-“

“Was that Steve?” Wayne interrupts.

Eddie blinks, and he knows Steve heard the question by the way he stills. “Uh, yes.”

“Hm. Let me talk to him.”

Eddie pales. “Wayne, I don’t think-“

“I’m not gonna embarrass you or nothin’ Ed, just wanna let him know a few things,” Wayne says, as if that is reassuring in the slightest.

“You can’t give him a shovel talk,” Eddie protests. “That’s embarrassing!”

“Does he wanna talk to me?” Steve asks, nosy.

“No, go away,” Eddie says, at the same time that Wayne loudly says, “yes!”

Steve clearly hears him and grins as he holds his hand out for the phone. “Please?” He murmurs sweetly.

Eddie rolls his eyes, glaring as he hands it over. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” He demands, only half-kidding.

Steve shrugs. “Took the morning off so I could see you off to your first day.” He places the phone between his ear and shoulder, switching into shmoozing mode. “Hello, Mr. Munson, this is Steve Harrington.”

Of course, Eddie can’t fully hear both sides of the conversation now, only Steve’s responses to what must be a very hilarious conversation.

“Yes, we did. Oh god, yeah, it was beautiful. Cold as hell, though.” Steve pauses, laughs at whatever Wayne says, and nods. “Right, right. No, He actually did a better job of keeping himself and the kids bundled than I did. Yeah!”

“Are you talking about me?” Eddie demands, not even pretending to whisper.

“Yes, honey,” Steve says to him with a smile. “Wayne, did Eddie tell you about his new job?”

Eddie realizes right then that no, he didn’t, actually, and his face floods with heat. Steve seems to realize the mistake with whatever Wayne says in response, and he gives Eddie an apologetic smile, rubbing his hip sweetly.

“Ah. Yeah, I figured he told you about that. Yes, sir. And I hope you’ll forgive me for doing this backwards, but it would mean a lot if I knew I had your blessing to court him,” Steve says, listening intently for Wayne’s response.

Eddie would be offended, normally. He hates the idea of asking a parent for permission to court, hates the archaic dating practices that it represents. But… seeing that Steve knows him well enough to know that Wayne’s approval really does mean something to Eddie fills his heart with joy instead of disgust.

“Thank you,” Steve says, clearly relieved at whatever Wayne had to say. “Yes, sir. I’ll do my best. Yes. And we’ll start planning that trip to come visit real soon, yeah? Maybe for Christmas?”

Wayne must like that idea, because Steve grins widely. “Suck up,” Eddie teases under his breath.

Steve sticks his tongue out at him. “Okay, I guess I should give the phone back to your son now, he’s making faces at me. Yes sir. Mhm. Good talking to you, too. Yep. Bye.” Steve hands the phone back over with a smug look. “I think I’m the favorite now.”

Eddie snorts. “Yeah, right,” he laughs. “Hey Wayne, me again.”

“Ed, I like this one a whole lot. Don’t go fuckin’ it up or nothin’ if you can help it. I think he’s my new favorite.”

Eddie’s jaw drops, and Steve openly cackles.

“I’m just kiddin’ son,” Wayne says after a second, clearly tickled with his little joke. “But I do think he sounds like a nice enough feller. So don’t let him scare you off, you hear me?”

“Okay,” Eddie sighs, begrudgingly.

“Good. Now what’s this about a new job? I thought you were working for Steve?”

Eddie gives him the short version, explaining that it didn’t make sense to keep working for Steve if they were going to be dating, but Eddie didn’t want to just sit at home either. Wayne sounds agreeable enough, and even sounds excited when Eddie tells him about the music store.

“Well, it sounds like everything’s coming together for you, Ed,” Wayne says, pleased.

“Yeah,” Eddie says, glancing over at where Steve is tidying up the living room. “I think you’re right.” They chit chat for a couple more minutes, but Eddie knows that Wayne needs to get some rest soon, having just come in from a full shift. “Well, I guess I’ll get off here, I just wanted to get you caught up with all the news,” Eddie says.

“I appreciate it,” Wayne replies. “Don’t be afraid to call more often, son. I miss having you around, you know. It’s not the same, coming home to this empty trailer all the time.”

Eddie knows his intention is not to make him feel guilty, but it does make him pause anyway. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll call more often, I swear. And we really will plan a trip down there, just as soon as we can.”

Wayne agrees, and they say their goodbyes. They’ve never been much for I love you’s, but since Eddie moved away, they end every call with just that.

As soon as he hangs up, he feels like he might collapse. Something about the relief of getting so much off his chest, tied with the guilt of not being a better kid, and how badly he misses his family - it’s not a great combination.

Steve must smell it on him from across the room, because he comes straight over, holding his arms out immediately. “What’s wrong, babe?” He murmurs.

“I just- I was feeling bad earlier already, but then I called him, and now I just feel worse because I’m a terrible son, and I moved away and left him alone and- and-“ he chokes on his words and starts to cry, as humiliating as that is.

Of course, Steve is good at this part, too. He pulls Eddie against him, guiding his head to rest in the crook of his neck, where he can cry and really get it all out, with the added benefit of Steve’s scent permeating his senses. “Shh,” Steve soothes him gently, rubbing his back and rocking him back and forth. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve got a lot going on today, and I know that must have made everything even more overwhelming.”

And how shitty is he, that his alpha is apologizing to him, when he’s the problem? It makes a fresh wave of tears well up in his eyes, and he couldn’t stop them if he tried.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie practically whimpers, trying to be careful not to wipe his eyes or nose on the nice shirt Steve is wearing. “I know I shouldn’t even be crying. I don’t wanna be a bad omega, I just-“

“Hey,” Steve interrupts, pulling back to look at him. His mouth is set in a stern line, his gaze intense, and Eddie, pathetically, shivers at the sight. “Crying isn’t bad. It doesn’t make you weak, or a bad omega.” He sounds a little worked up, like he’s getting upset, and Eddie feels another wave of disappointment. Great, he’s making it worse.

“Sorry-“ he tries again, only to be cut off.

“Stop it,” Steve mumbles, tugging him into a hug Eddie doesn’t feel he deserves. “You have nothing to apologize for. Now, don’t let me hear you call my omega bad again, okay? I’m not going to let you talk about yourself like that.”

Eddie sniffles, but doesn’t argue. Especially not when Steve kisses his forehead. “Okay,” he mumbles against the collar of his shirt. “Sorry ‘bout your shirt,” he says, still muffled.

Steve snorts, and Eddie can feel his grin against his temple. “It’s an ugly shirt anyway,” he says, shrugging. “Now, come on, let’s get you ready for your first day of your new job.” Steve smiles, and Eddie is helpless but to follow him, his cheek carving out a dimple.

~~~

Half an hour later and Eddie is as ready as he can be to start his day. Steve had operated as his fashion consultant (he had picked three shirts and let Eddie decide between them) and also acted as hairdresser (he helped Eddie control his wild curls into something a little more professional looking). If nothing else, Eddie would be relaxed because of the scent of his alpha that would surely linger on him throughout the day.

“Alright. Now, do you want me to drop you off, or are you okay to drive yourself?” Steve asks as Eddie slips his boots on. “Because I don’t mind either way, I just want to do whatever I can to help you honey.”

Eddie can’t help but glance up and smile at him. This man, who does so much for him, who might just be changing everything Eddie thought he knew about alphas. He finishes lacing his boots up before sitting up, leaning into Steve’s space for a quick kiss. “I can drive myself,” Eddie responds. “And I’ll pick up the girls today.”

Steve frowns. “But-“

“I don’t think they’ll have me on a full shift today,” Eddie explains. “And plus, I only applied for a part-time position. So they can’t let me work too much, you know.”

Steve blinks, like that thought hadn’t even occurred to him. “Oh. Well, okay then.” He slaps his thighs and stands up, stepping in between Eddie’s parted legs and draping his arms over his shoulders. “If you need anything today, anything at all, call my office, okay? My secretary knows to connect you to me immediately if you call, so I’m only a phone call away.”

Eddie nods, squeezing around Steve’s waist. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “I’m glad you aren’t upset with me for doing this.”

“Baby,” Steve says with a sigh. “I’m just happy you’re doing something that makes you happy.”

He knows it’s not a jab at him not being the official nanny anymore, but Eddie still feels the need to defend himself. “I was happy just taking care of the girls,” he says softly. “You know that, right?”

Steve kisses his temple, and Eddie tilts his head for a proper one. Steve obliges, his lips soft and warm against Eddie’s. “I know,” he murmurs into Eddie’s mouth. “But being a parent is a different kind of fulfillment to your career. Music means so much to you, and I would never want to take that away.”

Eddie sniffles, stupidly, at the softness of his words. He feels, once again, that he doesn’t deserve this, doesn’t deserve this man that treats him so sweetly, so gently.

But he’ll try every day to learn how to deserve him.

“I should get going,” Eddie murmurs once he sees the time blinking back at him from Steve’s bedside alarm clock. “Another kiss for the road?” He requests, batting his eyelashes coquettishly.

Steve rolls his eyes, but obliges. He cradles Eddie’s face gently as he leans into the kiss, a soft smack of lips that leaves Eddie longing for more. “I was thinking,” Steve murmurs against his mouth. “Maybe tonight… As a reward for getting through your first day…” He trails off, leaving Eddie hanging in the suspense.

Eddie pulls away to stare at him, his eyes wide with curiosity. “Yes?” He’s not sure if he means it as a question or an agreement.

Steve’s lips drag against his again, and Eddie’s breath hitches at that same almost-close-never-enough feeling. “I was thinking we could… practice our, uh…” he seems to struggle for words, and when Eddie allows his eyes to flutter open, he’s met with Steve’s blush. “Our… bedroom activities,” Steve finishes lamely.

It’s probably not all that funny to Steve, but Eddie can’t help the laugh that falls from his mouth. “Sorry, I’m not- yes, baby, I’d like that a lot, actually.”

“Really?” Steve asks, clearly excited, his eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store.

Eddie nuzzles his nose against Steve’s, a playful, pup-like thing that makes Steve’s scent burst over his tongue. “Yeah.” He hesitates before leaning into his ear and adding, “Wanna practice fucking you as much as you’ll let me.”

If Steve’s face had been warm before, it’s on fire now, a red seeping over his cheeks like a painted-on rouge. “Fuck, Eddie,” Steve groans. He rubs a hand over his face, clearly a little flustered at his own reaction to Eddie’s, admittedly, filthy words. “Okay, you need to go. Before I do something to mess up your nice outfit and everything.”

Eddie pouts, but it’s mostly put-upon. “Aww,” he whines, grinning a little. “Sorry for teasing. I just…” He shrugs. He can’t quite put into words how it feels to be able to be like this with a partner: playful, joking, sweet. Eddie’s never really had this, and something about it makes him feel a little high, like the endorphins are sending his brain cells to sleep.

Steve nods, like he gets it, although he couldn’t possibly. “Yeah,” he agrees, senselessly. “C’mon, I’ll walk you down to the garage.”

True to his word, he escorts Eddie all the way downstairs, and even goes so far as to open the driver’s door of Eddie’s van, gesturing widely like he’s some kind of royalty. “Thank you, my liege,” Eddie jokes, although he supposes in this case, maybe he’s the liege.

Weird.

Steve leans in for a kiss before closing Eddie’s car door, and it’s a short, sweet thing. “Good luck today, baby. I can’t wait to hear all about it afterwards, okay?”

Eddie smiles, nods, and tugs his seatbelt on, something he rarely does unless he’s in a car with witnesses. He waves at Steve as he steps back, giving Eddie a cheerful thumbs-up as he carefully maneuvers out of the garage.

Pulling into the street, Eddie takes a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm his nerves.

First day of his new job.

Here it goes.

~~~

“And this is the cash register. I’ll train you on this later, but I’ll be honest, it’s not as intimidating as it looks.” Ben concludes his brief tour of the front counter of the music store, smiling at Eddie with nothing but patience in his gaze as he waits to see how well he’s taking everything in.

Eddie nods, and offers a smile in return. “Okay. I think I can get the hang of it,” he offers.

Ben waves a hand flippantly. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll do fine. It’s really not difficult at all. So, AJ wants you to focus on sales this morning. I’ll hang out with you a bit, coach you through it if you’re not sure how to approach a customer or if there’s something you don’t know much about. You said that you played guitar, right?”

“I do,” Eddie nods, following Ben as he guides him over to the guitar wall once again. They’re beautiful, in all their shining glory, and he’s sure that each one has a pretty price tag to match.

“Any other instruments?” Ben asks, grabbing a binder from a shelf between the guitars and music books.

“Bass, a little experience on a drum kit.” He scratches the back of his neck, a little embarrassed to admit the next one. “I also did, um… I played the trumpet for a while, back in middle school band.”

Ben smiles, and doesn’t even have a glimpse of mockery on his face when he says, “nice. Gotta love middle school band. The earlier these music teachers can get to the kids, the better off they are, you know?”

Eddie can’t help but agree with him on that one. “True.”

“This is the binder with information about all the models we sell. If there’s anything you’re not sure about - amps, strings, any of it - this is where you can get an answer. That is, if I’m not around to help, of course.” Ben puts the binder away after letting Eddie flip through it for a minute. It’s impressive, but Eddie silently thinks he probably won’t need it, at least not for the strings section. “So… back to the kid thing… you thinking about enrolling your kids in some music lessons?”

And honestly, Eddie hadn’t considered it again, not since he was here last time with the twins, but now that he’s been given the reminder, he does think it would be a good idea. “I don’t know,” he says, honestly. “I’d love to, but I’ll have to talk to their dad about it first.”

Something like surprise flickers across Ben’s face, and he waves Eddie over to the piano and keyboard section like that will distract from it, but Eddie’s already intrigued.

“What?” Eddie asks, feeling a little self-conscious.

Ben glances at him, and his eyes flicker down his face before moving away entirely. “It’s - nothing.”

Eddie reaches for the binder with the piano information before Ben can even get to it. He pretends he’s paying attention to it, but Ben’s behavior is nagging at him. It’s not every day that someone he just met strikes him as so suspicious for just one encounter, but that’s how he’s coming off right now. “Didn’t peg me as an omega?” he asks, softly, without looking up at Ben.

“No! I mean, that’s not-” Ben splutters.

Eddie scoffs, not unkindly, and offers him a weak smile. “It’s fine. I get that a lot. I guess I just assume the scent outs me most of the time.”

“I figured you were an omega,” Ben interrupts. He shakes his head, and runs a hand through his hair like something he’s said or done is wrong. “Sorry. That didn’t… anyway.” He takes a breath, nodding at the binder. “Any questions about that?”

Shaking his head, Eddie slides the binder back into place. “Nope.” He waits a beat, taking a couple steps over to where a single drum kit is set up near the pianos. “But… I am curious about the other thing.”

Ben sighs. “Look, man, I just don’t want it to sound rude. It was just a stupid assumption, and I feel bad even thinking it, let alone saying it to you.”

“That bad, huh?” Eddie asks with a grin.

Snorting, Ben finally cracks. “I just… You said you had to ask their dad.”

Eddie nods, confused.

Ben gestures at his own neck, then to Eddie’s. At the reminder, Eddie’s heart plummets. “I know, it’s stupid, and old-fashioned. I don’t even know why I would notice something like that. But, no mark, so I guess I just assumed…” He must see the look on Eddie’s face, but misinterprets it for something else. “Hey, man, I’m sorry. I told you I didn’t want to say it! I-”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Eddie offers a weak smile. “I promise. I’m not offended or anything, it’s… it’s a valid assumption, or concern, or whatever.” He swallows hard, trying hard to hide how upset he is at the reminder that he’s unmated. Which is silly, really; he and Steve are together, and they’re happy, and the girls are happy, but…

But Eddie has always dreamed of being someone’s mate. That isn’t going away just because he got the other things he wanted.

“I take it this is a sore subject?” Ben suggests, looking a little embarrassed, as if it’s his fault that Eddie’s emotions are screwed.

Eddie shrugs. He doesn’t want to admit that it is, and he definitely doesn’t want to trauma-dump even more on this virtual stranger.

Ben lets the silence marinate, and then nods. “Okay. I won’t bring it up again. But… if you want to talk about it…” he offers Eddie a little smile. “I’d be happy to listen.”

Eddie nods, and manages to return it with a weak smile of his own. “Thanks,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He’s definitely a little short in the friends department at the moment, but he’s not so sure that bonding with his brand-new coworker is a solution, either. Especially not like this. “So… drums?”

~~~

As it turns out, Eddie not only likes this job - he’s good at it.

It doesn’t take him very long to get the hang of things, especially as far as the instruments themselves are concerned. The register itself is still a little bit tricky, but Ben assures him that he’s catching on quickly. Speaking with customers comes fairly easy as well, but then again, it all feels like some kind of performance, and Eddie’s nothing if not a good performer.

All in all, it’s a good day. Still, about a quarter to three, Eddie starts glancing at his watch. Ben had never said exactly when his shift would be over, and he doesn’t want to start off his first day on the wrong foot, but he can’t exactly stay for a full shift either.

Ben must notice his anxiety, and he claps him once on the back after the customer, one Eddie had just successfully sold a flute to, has walked out. “What time do your daughters get out of school?” he asks.

Eddie feels sheepish when he responds, “Three. Sorry, I know I should’ve said that I would have to leave early, but-”

Ben shakes his head with a laugh. “Hey, no. It’s fine, man. You were hired on part-time, I let AJ know ahead of time that your shifts would have to work around your kids’ schedule.”

And it’s such a simple gesture, but it’s touching nonetheless, that this guy would do this, make sure that he got out on time. He’s not sure any employer, other than Steve, of course, had ever been this cordial to him. “Thank you,” Eddie says. “I really - I appreciate it, you guys working around that.”

“It’s no problem,” Ben says, brushing it off easily. “So, you’ll be on the schedule Monday through Friday from ten to two. Does that sound good?”

Eddie nods quickly. “Yeah, yeah, absolutely.”

“If you decide later that you want more hours, you’ll have to talk to AJ about it, but I’m sure he won’t mind. And he’s always looking for people to teach music lessons, so if that’s something you might be interested in, let me know. We’ve only got one guitar teacher now, so we could always use another.” Ben smiles at him, and Eddie doesn’t think he even realizes how wonderful a gift he’s giving him with this opportunity.

“I’d really love that,” he says, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Great. I’ll let AJ know that you’re interested. And hey, man, great job today. You picked up on everything even faster than I thought you would.” Ben grabs a little sheet from the shelf underneath the cash register, and Eddie watches as he fills out the top part. “This is your clock-in card. Today was technically a trial run, so I’ll have to log your hours from today manually.” He hands the card over with a smile, then gestures for Eddie to follow him to the back. “This is where you’ll punch in every day, and you’ll just leave your card here. Any questions?”

Eddie shakes his head, smiling down at the card for a moment. It’s not like he’ll be making great money here, but it’s not about that anyway. He’s so excited he can hardly stand it, and seeing the proof of this opportunity on the card in front of him just makes him feel giddy, in a way he hasn't in a long time. “I don’t think so.” He glances at his watch again and grimaces. “I should probably get going. I’ve never been late to pick up the girls, and they’ll probably freak out if I am.”

Ben nods understandingly. “I get it.” He pauses, then grins sheepishly. “Well, not really. I don’t have pups of my own, but… I think I would’ve been pissed too, if my mom was late picking me up.”

“Right,” Eddie agrees with a laugh. He heads back up to the front with Ben, stepping behind the counter briefly to grab his coat from where he left it earlier. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Yep, I’ll be here. AJ will be here tomorrow too, he takes Mondays off, so you’ll be able to meet him in person.”

Eddie tries not to let that make him nervous, but admittedly, it does. He’s never been great with bosses (well, aside from Steve, of course) but he has a good feeling about this, in more ways than one. “Great,” he says, hoping it doesn’t come off as strained. “Alright, well. See you tomorrow.”

Ben waves him off, wishing him a great rest of the day, and Eddie returns the sentiment before heading out.

It feels good to leave the shop knowing that he’s given a great first impression. A pesky little voice at the back of his head reminds him that it also feels nice to have some semblance of financial security, in case things with Steve don’t work out. He tries to tell that voice to take a hike, but instead it just takes a back seat, clearly settling in to stay, promising to only come out when he’s vulnerable and insecure.

He makes it to the twins’ school with only a couple minutes to spare, pulling into the parking lot as neatly as he can before getting out. Normally, he’d walk to pick them up, so he’s expecting the shock he finds on their faces when the children all swarm out of the front of the building, looking for their parents excitedly at the end of a long day.

“Mommy!” Ivy calls, the first to spot him. She grabs Jasmine’s hand and takes a running start towards Eddie, and he kneels to catch the hug she throws at him.

“Hi babies,” he coos at both of them, peppering kisses across both their heads. “God, I missed you guys today. Did you have a good time at school?” He stands back up, and takes their hands, leading them to the van as they start to ramble about their day. Ivy barely lets Jasmine get a word in, telling him all about their time in art class, and a scuffle that happened at recess, and about a million other things in the span of only a couple minutes.

Eddie gives Jasmine a patient smile as he helps her into the van, buckling her seatbelt. “Wow, sweetheart,” he says, interrupting Ivy. “It sounds like you guys had a really busy day. Did you by chance get any more makeup work from when you were out last week?”

They both confirm that they did not get any extra work, but reassure him that they turned in the work they completed, which fills him with a little relief. “Mommy, can we go get a snack? I’m starving,” Jasmine says, patting her tummy with a pout.

Eddie rolls his eyes fondly. They do this several times a week, but Eddie is trying to learn how to turn them down; this is incredibly difficult, especially with their cute little faces. “Okay, but we’re only getting a treat once this week,” he says, coming up with the rule out of nowhere. He slides into the driver’s seat and risks a glance back at them. Guilt immediately wracks him as he sees the disappointment on their faces.

He’s about to go back on his word before Jasmine lights up. “That’s okay, Mommy,” she says sweetly. Ivy shoots her a vicious look, but she just sends Eddie a very pleasant look through the rearview mirror. He’s victorious, but only until she continues, “we’ll ask Daddy for a treat instead. He always breaks with the puppy dog eyes.”

Eddie nearly chokes on a laugh at that, but he can’t even find it in himself to argue with her, because dammit, she’s right. He’s only slightly better at telling them no and sticking to it, but they really have their dad wrapped around their tiny little fingers.

“Okay,” he agrees, because he can’t possibly find it in himself to dissuade her. It’ll be funny, at least, to watch them beg their dad for their after-school treats. “So, what kind of treat are we thinking?”

~~~

They arrive home with sour gummy worms, Eddie’s teeth sore from just the one that he tried. It sucks, he thinks passively, getting old and having stupid things like sour candy put you down for the count. The girls are depositing their backpacks and coats on their hooks by the door as Eddie takes his shoes off and heads into the kitchen, and it only takes a couple steps in that direction to notice an odd, unfamiliar scent.

His hackles are immediately raised, and he can’t help the protective nature that comes out when he tells the girls to go to their room.

“Mommy?” Ivy asks, confused.

“Just… go put your shoes away, okay?” He says, keeping his voice level. He glances at them, shooing them down the hall towards their bedroom, before finally stepping into the kitchen.

It’s… not what he expects.

He’d been expecting a person, honestly, the floral scent so strong in their otherwise unscented home, so he’s surprised to find the culprit is just that… flowers.

A big, beautiful bouquet of flowers, sitting on the bar, emitting a lovely, if a little overwhelming aroma. He’s not sure what all of the flowers are, but he spots pink daisies, white roses, and some pale yellow somethings that stand out in the vibrancy of the pinks.

He’s speechless.

A few minutes must pass, at least, before the twins are joining him, both of them yelping in surprise and awe when they see the flowers.

“Mommy!” Ivy cries, clambering up onto a barstool to sniff at them. “Pretty flowers!”

Jasmine nods from where she’s come to stand by Steve, and her eyes are full of wonder as she glances up at them. “Did Daddy get you these?” She asks curiously.

And… of course. It hadn’t even occurred to Eddie to wonder, so really he hadn’t needed that answer until she suggested it, but… Steve must be the culprit. Surely…

A cold chill runs down his spine.

Surely Henry didn’t find him.

“Mommy, there’s a card here!” Ivy says, plucking it from the edge of the bouquet and holding it out.

Eddie moves forward, his steps hesitant until he feels the soft paper between his fingers. It’s quality material, with swooping letters on the front that spell out his name.

He heaves a sigh of relief. It’s not Henry’s handwriting.

Henry never sent flowers, a small part of his brain reminds him, mocking.

Shaking that thought away, Eddie opens the card, a smile already dancing on his lips as he reads it.

Eddie,
I know today was probably scary, but I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you for doing this. You’re going to do great, and I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Love,
Steve

The twins are pawing at him, pleading to hear the contents of the note, but he decides that this one can be kept between him and Steve. “It’s not a big deal,” he tells them, trying and failing to hide his grin. He’s sure his scent has spiked, a cloying happiness probably filling the room, taking over any scent the flowers might have had.

“But they are from Daddy?” Ivy confirms.

Eddie rolls his eyes, but nods. “Yes. Your father sent me flowers.” His brain is still screaming it at him, as if saying it once wasn’t enough. He bought you flowers!

Ivy gives her sister a look before turning to smile smugly at Eddie. “How come?” she asks, relentless.

As excited as Eddie is about this new development, he’s not about to tell the girls anything Steve hasn’t given them explicit permission to know. Instead, he diverts attention. “What kind of homework do you two have tonight?”

The girls groan, but Eddie tuts, running a gentle fingertip over the curve of a rose before he heads to scrounge through the pantry for something to cook. “Mommy,” Ivy whines.

“Nope,” he says immediately. “Backpacks, come on. We’re going to have all our homework done before Daddy gets home, okay?”

The girls are grumbling, going to retrieve their backpacks, when the phone rings. Eddie shakes his head at their dramatics as he goes to answer it. “Harrington residence,” he greets, his standard opener when answering the phone these days.

“Hi, baby,” Steve’s soft voice responds.

Eddie grins, twirling the phone cord like a blushing schoolgirl. “Hi,” he says, shyly.

“Did you get my surprise?” Steve asks, a smile in his voice.

Eddie’s gaze slides over to the flowers on the counter, as if they would’ve disappeared in the short time he’s looked away, and he laughs softly, disbelief clear in the sound. “Yeah. They’re… honey, they’re gorgeous. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Steve says softly. “Did the girls like them too?”

It’s such a sweet question, so thoughtful and Steve. “They did. They’re curious about them, though.” He hesitates, glancing around to make sure they’re not back yet. “I didn’t tell them why you got them for me, since we haven’t said anything to them about…” He trails off, but trusts Steve to fill in the blanks.

“That’s okay,” Steve replies. “I figured we can just tell them it’s for your new job, or something.”

Eddie hadn’t even thought about telling the girls about that, but he supposes it does make sense. “Oh,” he says, accidentally conveying his shock. “I didn’t think about that.”

Steve seems to hesitate. “Did you… did you not want them to know? I know we’re not going to tell them about us just yet, but I figured that would be safe enough… right?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Eddie says, even though he wonders vaguely at how they might react. If they’ll think this means he’s leaving them, or alternatively, if they’ll think it means he’s staying forever.

He hopes it’s the latter.

“Mommy, who are you talkin’ to?” Jasmine asks, watching him as she taps her pencil.

“It’s totally up to you, though,” Steve says over the phone. Eddie gestures for Jasmine to give him a minute, listening as Steve keeps talking. “Well, I actually called to ask you if you were okay with me bringing something home for dinner tonight.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, surprised. He hadn’t thought about this call having any other purpose than to ask about the flowers or the girls, so he’s kind of surprised at the question. “Sure, that’s fine. Anything particular in mind?”

Steve hums. “I was thinking maybe Chinese? I know we can’t exactly go out tonight, just you and me, but I still want to celebrate your first day, you know.”

Eddie grins down at the counter, feeling stupid with how much he likes Steve, and how much he appreciates all his little gestures. “That sounds nice,” he says.

“Mommy,” Jasmine whines from the counter again.

He rolls his eyes, but pulls the phone away to answer her. “I’m speaking to your father. Calm down, child.”

Both of the twins light up at that, and Eddie can hear Steve laugh into the receiver. “Time’s up, I take it?” Steve asks, his voice light and playful.

“Unfortunately. I’ve gotta help the girls with their homework. What time will you be home?” Eddie asks, shushing the girls with a look when they start asking questions and begging to speak with their dad.

“Around six. The girls can have a snack or something if they can’t wait that long, there should be plenty stocked up in the pantry.”

Eddie does not tell him that the snack has already been covered, but he does send the bag of sour gummy worms a guilty look. “Okay. See you then. Girls, say bye to your dad.”

The girls shout into the phone when he holds it out, saying that they love and miss him before Eddie laughs and says another goodbye, hanging up the phone when he’s done.

Ivy is already scribbling on a sheet of paper, but Jasmine is studying Eddie curiously. “Do daddies always buy flowers for mommies?” She asks.

The question catches Eddie off guard, and he hesitates. “Uh, well…” he trails off, going to sit with them at the bar. “I guess so?”

Jasmine tilts her head. “I thought flowers were for mates.”

Eddie gulps, and tries to keep a neutral expression. “I dunno, love bug. I reckon you can buy flowers for whoever you want.”

Ivy pipes up then, glancing up from her paper, which looks more like a coloring sheet than homework. “Daddy never buys flowers for anyone,” she says.

It’s stupid, how much it pleases Eddie to hear that. He’s had Steve’s literal cock down his throat, and yet hearing that he doesn’t purchase flowers for anyone else feels like an intimacy even louder than that.

“Well,” Eddie says, reaching for Ivy’s folder to look for her actual homework. “Maybe I’m just special,” he says, trying to joke.

Jasmine nods sagely, nary a smile to be seen. “You’re special to me, Mommy.”

“Me too!” Ivy chimes in, never one to be left out.

It’s touching, and if he allowed it to, it would probably make Eddie incredibly emotional. As it is, he ducks his head to hide whatever watery smile that currently graces his face, and gets into his best authority mode.

“Alright, math homework first,” he says, met with groans of despair. He pushes through, determined to get this over with quickly. “Addition. Four plus four, let’s try to do this in our heads first…”

~~~

“And then Miss Davis said that we would get extra recess if we were good!”

“Wow,” Eddie replies, tidying up the kitchen as Jasmine and Ivy fill him in on the gossip of the day that they hadn’t covered earlier. They had finally finished their homework, and he was ready to wind down for the evening. It’s odd, the difference in his energy levels now that he had spent a day actually doing more than just basic house work. He feels comforted, oddly enough, knowing that his days will be spent a little differently from now on.

“Mommy, did you guys have recess back when you were in school?” Ivy asks, her little chin propped in her hands.

He snorts. They must think he’s truly ancient, but he supposes to a kid their age, it makes sense. “Yeah, honey, we had recess. We had swing sets and monkey bars and seesaws, same as you guys.”

“Did you play games at recess? Sometimes we play Red Rover, or hopscotch, or me and sissy make up games to play.” Ivy begins rattling off all the games they make up at recess, and Eddie listens passively as he takes stock of the state of the house so far, pleased to find that the kitchen and living room look perfectly clean.

Ivy is mid-ramble when they hear keys in the door, and it’s like sleeper agents activated with a code word, both girls standing at the ready. If they could, he’s certain their ears would be standing straight up, straining to hear the next sound.

“Go, open the door for Daddy and help him carry everything in,” Eddie says, gesturing to the door with a fond smile.

They're off like shots then, careening around the corner to ambush their dad like they hadn’t seen him in months. It’ll never get old, Eddie thinks, seeing how much they truly love to see their dad at the end of a long day.

And if he’s honest, Eddie feels the same.

He, however, has to wait patiently, taking up residence on a bar stool as he waits for his daughters to come back with Steve. There’s commotion, and he can hear Steve greeting them happily, and then, finally, there they are.

“Thank you for helping me, girls,” Steve is saying as he helps them set the takeout bags on the counter. He winks at Eddie as he does so, and Eddie feels like kicking his feet and twirling his hair. “Such good helpers. Are you all finished with homework?”

The girls eagerly consent that yes, they are in fact finished with their homework, and Eddie can’t help but preen a little, proud that he already took care of that. “Mommy helped us,” Ivy tells him, clambering up onto her seat beside Eddie. “We finished math first, and then Mommy made us study for our spelling test.”

“Very nice,” Steve says, finally rounding the counter to greet Eddie. He thinks, for a fleeting second, that he might kiss him for real, but instead he just brushes a hand down Eddie’s back, pressing his mouth to the top of his head briefly. “Hi, sweetheart,” he murmurs. “Good day?” His eyes gleam with excitement, and Eddie knows he can’t really talk about it yet, not in front of the girls, but the eagerness is contagious.

He nods quickly. “Very,” he says with a grin. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

Steve nods, turning back to the girls, though his hand still lingers on Eddie’s back. “Who’s ready for some dinner?”

Evidently, the Chinese place Steve ordered from this time is more mom-and-pop, and he got several different dishes for everyone to share. Rice and noodles both, since they all like something a little different, and he got Eddie’s teriyaki chicken, even though the rest of them eat General tso’s. He also got a couple of egg rolls for the girls, and even splurged on some crab rangoon (although with more money than God, Eddie supposes it’s not much of a splurge). It’s divine, and even though Steve had obviously wanted to celebrate Eddie’s first day at work with a date, he can’t imagine it being any better than this - spending time with his favorite people, eating good food in the comfort of their home.

After dinner, and after cleanup, they decide to let the girls watch a movie. The Land Before Time, one of the twins’ favorites, is playing, and they agree to let them stay up to watch it, at least until they inevitably fall asleep.

Normally, Steve would sit in his recliner, while everyone else took the couch. This time, as soon as he flicks the lights off, Steve joins them on the couch, patting Eddie’s leg and prompting him to make room. There’s not an inch of space between them when Steve settles in, throwing his arm casually over the back of the couch, his fingertips able to brush gently under the sleeve of Eddie’s t-shirt. It makes him shiver, naturally, so Steve tugs the resident Couch Blanket over their laps.

“Cold?” Steve asks in a whisper, rubbing Eddie’s arm more firmly.

Eddie shakes his head, feeling a little incapable of words at the moment. “Uh, n-no,” he stutters, totally destroying the validity of the response.

“Mommy, can we cuddle too?” Jasmine asks, interrupting whatever Steve was about to say. She and Ivy are giving them the sweetest puppy eyes, barely visible in the dark of the room, but Eddie can feel it just the same.

“Of course,” he replies easily, smiling as he lifts the blanket and gestures for them to join them. He glances at Steve, who shrugs but nods, allowing it. Ivy climbs over him and into Steve’s lap, while Jasmine happily comes to settle on Eddie’s. Eddie makes sure everyone is bundled up plenty before he relaxes back into the sofa, and Steve’s embrace.

“Love this,” Steve whispers in his ear, the girls so entranced by the film that they probably don’t even hear him. “Love that our little family is so close.”

Eddie can’t help the purr that rumbles through him at that, and it startles the others almost as much as it does him.

“Mommy, what’s that?” Jasmine asks, sitting up and twisting enough to look at him.

“Oh, uh…” he stumbles over his words, unsure how to answer her.

“That was a purr, Jazz,” Steve explains for him. “Sometimes omegas do that to calm their pack, or if they’re really happy.”

Jasmine’s eyes widen. Eddie braces for the worst, but is pleasantly surprised when instead, she snuggles back in with a quiet, “that’s so cool.”

Steve grins at him over Ivy’s head. Eddie still feels a little hesitant - purring is such an intimate thing, truly reserved for pack, like Steve said. But this… this is his pack now. Bonded or not, mates or not, he was the omega of this pack, no way around it.

“It’s okay,” Steve says gently, clearly sensing Eddie’s reluctance. His fingers lightly stroke up Eddie’s arm, mindlessly tracing a tattoo that he probably doesn’t even know exists there. It’s enough to comfort Eddie, allowing him to settle in, closing his eyes as he allows himself to purr for real.

It doesn’t seem to startle anyone this time; if anything, Jasmine snuggles even closer, reaching for his hand to hold up close to her face. Ivy notices this, and probably feeling left out, does the same, both of his hands taken prisoner by these tiny pups.

He’s amused, but doesn’t think anything of it until Steve leans in, his lips brushing against Eddie’s ear. “They want you to scent them,” he explains softly.

Eddie glances at Steve, surprised. Sure, he’s scented them a few times before, but they’ve never been this bold about requesting it, even silently. Steve nods encouragingly, and it gives Eddie the courage to turn his hands so that his wrists graze the girls’ cheeks. He looks to Steve again for reassurance that he’s doing it right, and Steve smiles, nodding again.

“That’s good. Nuzzling the top of their head has a similar effect, too, so keep that in mind,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie is quick to obey, and Jasmine giggles at the ticklish sensation. Ivy doesn’t react beyond turning his hand over to rest her cheek against his palm, and he’s overcome with so much affection all at once that it takes his breath away.

He doesn’t realize he’s started to cry until he feels a gentle touch to his cheek, blinking harshly to catch Steve swiping the tears away with a soft smile. Eddie sniffles, offering him a weak one in return, and Steve, the sweetest man in the world, just tugs Eddie a little closer, offering up his shoulder for him to quite literally cry on. Eddie couldn’t stop purring now if he tried, honestly, or even the crying, for that matter. At least the movie is sadder than Eddie remembers, so luckily when the girls notice his tears, he has a convenient excuse.

It doesn’t take long for the twins to start yawning, and once that starts, Steve is quick to suggest that it’s bedtime. They whine and moan about it, as usual, but once Eddie gently scoops Jasmine off his lap, it gives them pause. “I actually think I’m gonna go ahead and go lay down, if that’s alright,” he says, swiping at his eyes. He can feel a headache coming on, and he needs a moment to recover before he and Steve are left alone together for the night.

Steve has concern written all over his face at that. “Are you okay?” He asks, shifting Ivy in his lap.

Eddie nods, then shrugs. “I don’t feel well, is all.” He rubs at his arm sheepishly, and wishes that they could speak a little more candidly right now, even though they’d both agreed that telling the twins this soon wouldn’t be a good idea. “Is that okay? Or do you need me to help put them to bed?”

“I’ve got it, sweetheart, don’t worry about it. Girls, tell Mommy goodnight, and in a minute you guys are going too.” Steve nudges them toward him, and Eddie accepts their hugs with a smile that still wobbles.

“I love you guys,” he mumbles as he bends to kiss the tops of their heads. “Goodnight, sweet girls.”

They chorus their goodnights back to him, and he gives Steve a sheepish little wave as he leaves. He just barely catches himself from walking into Steve’s room instead of his own, but luckily, the girls seem too busy bargaining Steve for extra awake time that they don’t seem to notice.

When he gets to his bedroom, Eddie grabs some pajamas from his dresser, but instead of putting them on, he sits weakly at the end of the bed. He knows it’s just the after-effects of a long day, combined with the high emotions of the girls’ earlier actions, but that doesn’t make the throbbing in his head, and his chest, any better.

He listens passively to the sounds of Steve getting the girls ready for bed, the water running in the bathroom as they brush their teeth, and Steve instructing them to pick out some pajamas. He pulls on his own pajamas at the same time, before curling up in bed, listening through his cracked door as Steve reads the girls a bedtime story. Closing his eyes, his plan is to just rest for a second, but something about Steve’s voice is just too soothing, too comforting in the quiet of the night, and the next thing Eddie knows, his bed is dipping softly at his hip, time unaccounted for.

“Baby?” Steve’s voice cuts through his fuzzy dreams, bringing Eddie back to the real world.

“Mm,” Eddie manages, smacking his lips as his eyelids flutter open. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he mumbles.

Steve smiles at him, leaning down and giving him a sweet kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Sweet boy,” he whispers. “You want me to just let you sleep?”

Eddie nods, for a second, but then he realizes Steve means to leave him there and go back to his own room. “Stay?” he mumbles, rolling onto his side to get even closer to Steve, draping his arm over Steve’s waist to entice him.

“Mm,” Steve hums, pushing a hand through Eddie’s messy curls as he considers it. “The girls might see,” he says neutrally.

It’s stupid, but Eddie pouts at that. “Don’t wanna sleep alone, though.”

Steve makes a noise at that, like it hurts him to hear it, but Eddie knows he’s won when Steve curls up beside him, pressing against his shoulder so that Eddie turns the other way, effectively becoming the little spoon. “Fine. But we’ll have to get up early to make sure the girls don’t see us, okay?”

Eddie hums, smiling to himself as he pulls Steve’s arm around him and snuggles back against his chest. “M’kay.”

It’s quiet for a moment, but then Steve is nudging his nose against Eddie’s ear softly. “You have a good first day?”

And oh, Eddie had nearly forgotten about that, or at least the part where they hadn’t gotten to talk about it yet.

“It was the best,” he says, his voice full of awe. He yawns, but tries to ramble through the highlights: he’s good at talking to customers, the cash register seems easy, he might get to teach some classes, and he’ll meet the owner tomorrow.

“That’s great, honey,” Steve says, kissing his cheek. “I’m so glad it went well. I was worried about you.”

Eddie smiles against his pillow. “Mm. Oh, and I thought maybe we could sign the girls up for lessons there.”

Steve makes a soft noise. “I think that’s a great idea. We’ll talk to them this week, see what they might be interested in learning how to play.”

“Mhm,” Eddie replies, mostly asleep already.

Steve kisses his cheek again, nuzzling into him. “Goodnight, baby. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

Eddie’s already asleep.

Chapter Text

The next few days pass quickly with Eddie learning a new routine and getting into the swing of having a job outside of the home again. He thought there’d be some sort of catch-22 moment, a point of time where he realized he was better off staying at home, even if it meant being bored out of his damn mind, but that never comes.

He meets AJ, the owner of the music store, on Tuesday. The guy is just as pleasant in person as he had been over the phone, and he excitedly offers Eddie a Tuesday/Thursday time slot to teach guitar lessons. At first, Eddie hesitates, stumbling through the excuse that he would have to find child care for his daughters during that time, as it would take place right after school.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, they can come with you!” AJ had said, smiling.

“Oh,” Eddie had echoed. “Are- are you sure? They’re almost seven, so it’s not like they’re babies, but-”

“Son, I was the child of a working mother myself. I know it can be rough. If they ever need to come here with you for a couple hours, or hell, even the whole day, that’s fine by me.” AJ had shrugged then, before suggesting, “‘sides, I heard you might be interested in having them sign up for some lessons too? We can arrange for them to have theirs during the same time slot you’re teaching, so that they’re staying busy.”

And that was that. Eddie had gone home, and he and Steve had asked the girls what instrument they’d like to learn. Jasmine picked piano, and Ivy, little firecracker she is, picked the drums. Eddie could sense a little piece of Steve’s sanity die in that instant, but he’s easy to convince, and the next day Eddie paid up front for their first five lessons each.

Another piece of their routine settled, and even more seem to fall into place. Now that he’s not just sitting at home twiddling his thumbs and waiting for life to happen, Eddie finds that when he is home, he doesn’t have nearly as much time as he used to for the tasks he was taking his time with before. Steve, just as he had promised, steps in to balance it out, taking over anything he can to help after work, or on weekends - except Friday nights, which is possibly Eddie’s favorite addition to their new routine.

“Now girls, you two will have a babysitter tonight while Mommy and I go run some errands,” Steve says from the stove, where he’s making eggs.

“Again?” Ivy whines from her spot at the bar. It’s the last Friday before Christmas break, and they’ve only done their weekly date night a couple times now, but the girls have definitely started to notice the trend.

“Yes, again,” Steve says, shooting her a look.

“Why can’t we go with you?” Jasmine asks, pouting up at Eddie.

Eddie slides his gaze over to Steve, feels a little panic swell up in his chest at the prodding. They hadn’t told the girls yet about the reality of their situation, but Eddie knows they can’t keep up the lies forever. “Well…” he tries to come up with something plausible, but it’s a struggle to think beyond the truth with those patient little faces looking up at him.

“Sometimes me and Mommy just need to spend time by ourselves,” Steve interjects, although his voice wavers with uncertainty.

Ivy frowns, and Jasmine’s lip begins to quiver. “You mean without us?” Ivy asks, sounding heartbroken.

Steve shoots Eddie a look then, clearly panicked. Eddie does his best to save it, pulling Ivy into a hug and shushing her softly. “Oh, no, baby, that’s not what he meant. You know how sometimes you and sissy like to play in your room, but you don’t want me and daddy around? It’s not cause you guys don’t love us, you just want to spend time together, right?”

Ivy sniffles, but nods. “I guess so.”

“Well this is just like that. Daddy and I just like to have a couple hours when it’s just us, okay?” He levels a smile at her, which she returns, although it’s a bit delayed.

“Okay,” she says after a minute. Then squints at him, like she’s perplexed about something. When she speaks, it’s not what he’s expecting to hear. “Are you Daddy’s nanny, too?”

Eddie can’t contain the snort that comes out at that, hiding his smile against his palm when Steve shoots him a very unimpressed look. “No, baby, Eddie is not-“ Steve falters then, probably realizing that unless they’re ready to tell them the truth, that sentence can’t go very far. He sighs, long-suffering and adorable. “Yeah, Eddie is kind of like my nanny, too.”

Eddie grins, the look Steve shoots him doing nothing to deter the sheer joy and amusement he feels.

“That makes sense,” Ivy says with a serious nod. “Mommy makes you behave better, just like us!”

Of course Eddie can’t contain the snort of a laugh that falls from his lips then, and Steve only looks at Ivy with a hint of betrayal in his face. “What? I have always behaved!” He protests. Eddie can tell he’s doing it in jest, but Jasmine pats her father’s hand like he’s being simple.

“It’s okay, daddy,” she offers kindly. “We’re better with mommy around, too.”

She goes right back to her breakfast after that, and Eddie can only shrug innocently when Steve gives him an incredulous look.

Steve grumbles to himself while he serves the eggs, and Eddie hides his grin behind his coffee. “Don’t know why I’m being ganged up on,” he grouches to no one in particular. “In my own home! By my own children!”

Eddie wants to kiss him about it.

His vision flashes with a daydream of what could be, if the girls knew about them, if they were able to be affectionate like that right out there in the open. He wonders how they’d react, if they would giggle and encourage it, or if they would be disgusted by the swapping of cooties in front of their breakfast.

He’s so lost in his own head that he jumps at the touch of a hand to his waist. “Whoa, sorry hon,” Steve says apologetically, a flicker of concern wrinkling his eyebrows, even as his lips twitch into a smile. His hand still lingers, although the touch is even softer than it was before. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Everything okay?” He speaks quietly, clearly trying to keep their conversation private from the little ears that are surely listening.

Eddie nods, certain that his face must be flushed now. “Yeah b-“ he stumbles over the beginnings of a pet name, landing somewhere between “baby” and “Steve,” an awkward “beeve” the end result.

Steve gives him a strange look, tilting his head and quirking a perfect eyebrow. Eddie knows him well enough now to know that it’s his are you sure about that face. To which Eddie can only smile and nod. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he says softly. It’s been weighing on his mind recently, telling the girls. They had agreed to tell them at the beginning of Christmas break, and all that stands between them and that conversation is a half-day of school. Eddie will admit he’s just a little anxious about it.

“Okay,” Steve replies quietly, pulling Eddie out of his quiet contemplation. “We should finish getting ready for the day, don’t wanna be late.”

They split the morning tasks, Steve getting the girls ready while Eddie packs lunches and checks that the girls have everything they need in their backpacks. As soon as they’re ready, Eddie is ushering the twins out the door with hugs from their dad, a sneaky wink sent Eddie’s way before the door closes between them.

It’s too cold to walk now, so Eddie dutifully packs the girls into Steve’s car as it heats up, making sure they’re buckled into their boosters well before he slides behind the wheel. He doesn’t drive Steve’s car often, just on the mornings when it’s too cold and Steve doesn’t drive the girls himself, but he does have a few of his cassettes in the glovebox for when he does.

“Mommy, can we listen to the puppet song?” Ivy asks from the backseat, playing with one of the dolls that stays in the car.

Eddie grins and slides his favorite Metallica cassette into the car’s fancy stereo. “Of course, sweet girl.” He’s more than a little proud of the musical education these girls are getting from him, bonding with them over music like he’s always dreamed about doing with children of his own.

“Will you and Daddy be back late tonight?” Jasmine asks as the song starts. Eddie turns it down a notch, glancing at her in the rear view mirror as he carefully navigates the streets to their school.

“I’m really not sure, honey,” he says honestly. Their dates usually feel never-ending, as even when they go home, they share a bed, and their bodies, with one another until the wee hours of the morning. “Why do you ask?”

His daughter shrugs, looking out the window. “Dunno. Just wondering,” she says softly. After a beat, she looks up at him with a sheepish look. “I don’t like it when no one tucks me in at night.”

Eddie’s heart clenches immediately and he knows he can’t bear to have his children thinking he forgot about them. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry. I’ll tell Daddy that we need to be back before bedtime, okay?”

Jasmine nods, seemingly pleased with this resolution.

Ivy, who had been quietly headbanging during this exchange, suddenly cocks her head at Eddie in the rearview mirror. “Mommy, what do you and Daddy do when you leave together anyway?”

Eddie has to duck his head when his face flushes in embarrassment at the question. He’s not thinking about the long, romantic dinners, the sneaking kisses in the back of a theatre, the tension-filled car ride home, the things they get up to in bed afterwards. He’s not.

“Um,” Eddie says, stalling. “We uh, we go to dinner,” he says, unsure where to go from there.

Ivy nods. “You must go to those fancy places that don’t like kids,” she says, rather reasonably, even though her voice is tinged with a little sadness.

Eddie can’t really argue that. So far, Steve has treated him to several fancy restaurants, giving Eddie time to plan a date with his still rather limited knowledge of all the best spots in town. Tonight, actually, was his choice, and he was trying not to think about how anxious he was.

“You know, girls,” Eddie says as he pulls into the car rider lane at their school. “I bet I could talk your dad into doing a family game night once a week, just the four of us.” It was the one thing his own parents had gotten right, back before his mom got sick and his dad got arrested. “We could make a whole evening of it, order pizza, play a board game together, maybe make cookies and watch a movie afterwards?” It’s not totally different from their normal routine, minus the board game and the takeout, but he thinks it would be nice to make a point of doing it on a schedule.

The girls light up at this, both agreeing hastily. “Can we take turns picking the game? And the movie?” Ivy asks, leaning up out of her seat as they get closer to the drop off zone.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Eddie agrees with a smile. He puts the car in park, waving at the teacher who comes to open the door for the twins. “I’ll talk to your dad about it when I get home,” he says as they begin climbing out of the car. “Bye, girls, I love you. Have a great day!”

The girls both wave and chorus their goodbyes, and Eddie waves until they’re walked through the front doors. He sighs, missing them already, before he turns the car around to head home.

~~~

When Eddie walks inside the apartment, the first thing he notices is laughter. He smiles to himself as he shrugs off his coat and toes his shoes off, following the sound of Steve’s happiness to the kitchen. He’s sitting at the counter, flipping through a magazine with the phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, tell me about it. We’ve had that snow-sludge nonsense here in the city for a couple weeks now, so I’m actually looking forward to coming down there where it’s a little drier.” He pauses, listening to the person on the other end of the call, nodding at whatever he hears. “Yeah, today is their last day of school. I’m gonna see if Eds wants to leave tomorrow and head-”

Eddie chooses that moment to interrupt him, sidling up behind Steve and resting his chin on his shoulder. Steve startles a little bit, breathing out a laugh when he realizes there’s no danger. “Speak of the devil,” he says into the receiver.

“Who, me?” Eddie demurs, placing a shocked hand on his chest dramatically.

Steve rolls his eyes, but pulls the phone away from his mouth, pursing his lips for a kiss, which Eddie gladly gives him. “I’m talking to Wayne,” he explains, before Eddie even gets the chance to ask.

He tilts the phone a little, so that Eddie can hear Wayne’s low voice. “Mornin’, son.”

“Hi, Wayne,” Eddie replies with a smile. “What’re y’all talking about? Are you talking about me?” He knows he sounds excited when he asks, can’t help it when it makes Steve giggle.

“Not everything is about you,” Steve teases. Wayne snorts into the phone, and Eddie wrinkles his nose, displeased that this newfound alliance seems to mean that they’re allowed to gang up on him. “But if you must know, we were discussing our plans for Christmas.”

Eddie grows warm at the thought; Steve and Wayne talking like old friends, arranging their upcoming visit, knowing Eddie will just be happy to follow along. Something occurs to him then, and he glances away, nervously fiddling with the collar of Steve’s shirt as he asks, “what about visiting your family?”

Steve’s face does something sort of complicated then, before a closed-off mask takes the place of the grin he was sporting before. “Here, why don’t you talk to Wayne. I’ve got to finish getting ready for work.” He pushes the receiver into Eddie’s hand and pushes away from the counter without waiting for a response.

Eddie feels his heart sink as he watches him leave the room. Wayne, ever patient, calls his name gently on the other end of the line. “Everything alright?” he asks mildly, not prying.

“I’m not sure,” Eddie admits in a mutter. “Think I just pissed him off somehow.”

Wayne makes a noncommittal noise. “Well, give him a minute to get himself together. He seemed fine when he called me, maybe he just needs a minute.”

Eddie nods to himself, before his brain catches on part of that sentence. “Wait a second, he called you?”

“Yup,” Wayne says, unbothered.

“Why- how did he even get your number?” Eddie asks, sounding accusatory despite himself. None of his previous partners (namely Henry) ever attempted to get close to Wayne, and although that type of relationship is always something he hoped for in his child-like fantasies of his future, he can’t imagine why it would be coming true now.

“I gave it to him, that last time when he interrupted our phone call,” Wayne says matter-of-factly. He slurps his coffee, and Eddie can almost see the smug look on his face that follows when he says, “why, that a problem?”

Eddie huffs. “No,” he says, again, pouting. “I’m just… confused. Why does he wanna talk to you all of a sudden?”

Wayne splutters, offended. “I’ll have you know I’m good company, you little brat.”

Eddie can’t help but smile at that. “Right, of course. Just a little weird, is all.”

“Hm,” Wayne hums around what is undoubtedly another sip of coffee. “Maybe you just ain’t used to someone caring about you and your family, son.”

Well. He’s got a point there. And Eddie would probably be more offended by that if he didn’t.

“I guess,” Eddie mumbles. He’s listening, subconsciously, for any sounds that may indicate that Steve is getting ready in their- his- bedroom, but nothing but silence greets his ears. “So, we’re coming down tomorrow, I hear?”

“I reckon that’s the plan,” Wayne agrees. He sounds sheepish when he adds, “I think your boy’s gonna get the lot of you a hotel, seeing as there’s only the one bedroom here.”

“Oh, right,” Eddie says. It feels odd, the thought of going back home to visit but staying in a hotel. He’s never done that, as long as he’s been an adult who goes back home to visit. “I guess we’ve got to, with the girls.”

“Yeah. This old place has done us just fine, but not fit for grandkids, I don’t reckon,” Wayne says. “Course, I didn’t think I’d be gettin’ any of those so soon,” he teases.

Eddie flushes. Even though they aren’t biologically his, Wayne’s been claiming the girls since Eddie told him the truth about him and Steve. Honestly, grandfathering seems to suit him already. “Right,” Eddie agrees. “Maybe next time you can come stay with us. We’ve got a guest room.” He realizes how he sounds as soon as the words are out of his mouth, but it’s too late to take it back.

“You finally move into Steve’s room proper?” Wayne asks, nosy bastard.

“Uh,” Eddie says, unwilling to confirm or deny. “Kind of.”

“Uh-huh,” Wayne tuts. “But sure, maybe next time I’ll come up for a visit. Hey, do you reckon the twins’ll wanna decorate the tree, or should I do it before y’all get here?”

They spend another ten minutes or so discussing logistics, and by then Eddie is so nervous to go see what’s the matter with Steve that he feels like he might be sick. He and Wayne say their goodbyes, and he dawdles for another minute or so before deciding it’s time to pay the piper.

He raps his knuckles against the door frame as he enters the room, glancing around to find Steve standing in front of the window, staring down at the street contemplatively.

“Stevie?” Eddie calls softly, rubbing his arm uncertainly when Steve doesn’t turn around. “Baby, I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have earlier. I didn’t mean to overstep.” It’s uncanny, the tense silence when usually one or both of them is talking or laughing together. He tries not to panic, but can feel his scent changing as his nerves get the best of him.

“You didn’t,” Steve says after a second. He shakes his head, turning around with a devastating look on his face. He’s not crying, but his face is drawn, his eyes haunted with something Eddie doesn’t have words for.

“Well I definitely did something,” Eddie says gently. “Can I…” he gestures between them, wanting to hold or be held but not sure how to ask for it.

Steve closes the space between them in a couple strides, gathering Eddie into his arms with ease. “You really didn’t, it’s just… me being sensitive, I guess.” Steve sighs after he says that, guiding Eddie’s head to rest on his shoulder gently.

“Can we talk about it?” Eddie asks carefully. He knows from experience that this may not be the right avenue, so he tenses up just in case.

Steve, hyper-aware of Eddie’s every move, scents him immediately. He strokes a hand down his back, gentle but firm, humming in thought. “I usually don’t talk about it,” he admits. Before Eddie can agree to let it go (and maybe beg for forgiveness for bringing it up), Steve sighs again. “But I don’t want to keep anything from you.”

This surprises Eddie, who had always been under the assumption that it was normal to hide things in a relationship. He knew, hypothetically, that this information was fed to him by a man who wanted to use his gullibility against him, but he’s nevertheless shocked at Steve’s honesty.

“Okay,” Eddie replies quietly. He squeezes Steve’s waist in a hug before releasing him, tugging him to sit at the end of the bed in anticipation of a long talk. “Tell me about it.”

Steve is quiet for a few minutes, playing with the rings on Eddie’s fingers for a long while before speaking. “I don’t get along with my parents very well,” he starts. “Ever since Nancy, the twins’ mother… when she passed, my parents pretty much lost all interest in me and the girls.”

Eddie can’t help the wounded noise that leaves him at that. “Sorry,” he says softly when Steve glances at him. “I just… I can’t imagine seeing those sweet girls and not wanting to be part of their lives.”

Steve smiles, a bit miserably. “Right? Neither can I. But my mom… she’s really big into the whole traditional family. She expected me to remarry right away, regardless of how I felt about the situation, and regardless of the fact that my wife had barely been in the ground for a few weeks.” He pauses, swallows hard against whatever emotion is building in him at the memories. Eddie squeezes his hand. “She basically came to me, when I was exhausted with grief and caring for two babies on my own, and told me I needed to get remarried or else she and dad were cutting me off forever.”

Eddie is silent, his eyes wide as he processes this information. He can’t even speak, swallowing grief that isn’t his and rubbing his thumb against Steve’s wrist, hoping that the pup-like scenting method will soothe him.

His eyes soften for a second, studying Eddie’s face before his gaze drops to their hands. “Obviously, that didn’t happen. I told her I wouldn’t be remarrying, and if I did, it would be for love, not out of some stupid traditionalist obligation she and my father wanted me to subscribe to in order to earn their approval.” He brings Eddie’s hand up to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. “I wasn’t expecting… well, you.”

“Steve,” Eddie breathes softly.

Steve smiles at him, his scent slowly ebbing back to normal, the sharp scent of anger fading away. “No, really. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love again, harder than I did even the first time. Nance and I… we were high school sweethearts, and I was in love with her, but I won’t pretend she loved me the same way.” His voice is sad, but resigned, like he knows there’s nothing to be done about it now.

Eddie, however, is shocked to hear this news. He can’t imagine how anyone could look at Steve, let alone be with him, and not love him.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think she loved me in her own way,” Steve says, catching the look on Eddie’s face. “But… settling down, a family… that was never what she really wanted. It was sort of a fluke that we even ended up pregnant right out of high school, since she was a beta and we didn’t think she could carry. We got married when she was about four months along, before we even found out we were having twins.” Steve shakes his head, a bitter shadow crossing his face. “That was my parents’ doing, really. How shameful of a Harrington to knock up some random girl, a beta no less, when they weren’t even married- or engaged.”

Eddie immediately thinks about how their current situation mirrors this one, minus the pregnancy of course, but living and sleeping together in sin, unmated and unmarried. Then he feels guilty for even trying to compare the two.

“They weren’t too pleased when I refused to make her my mate,” Steve continues, oblivious to Eddie’s thought process. “Which, as a beta, it would’ve been a weak mating bond anyway, but those traditionalists, you know how they are.” He speaks bitterly, and Eddie does what he can to pump out soothing pheromones as he listens. “Anyway. When it was all said and done, Nancy passed right after the girls were born, complications of the pregnancy and too much bleeding or what have you,” Steve says, as casually as he can through the shine of his eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Eddie says, leaning in and scenting his neck at some attempt at comfort. “I literally can’t even imagine.”

Steve strokes a hand through Eddie’s hair, keeping him tucked neatly into his neck, and hums. “Yeah. I… I can’t even describe how devastated I was. And how guilty.”

Eddie leans away, stares at him blankly. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Steve shrugs, smiling ruefully. “Might as well have been. I’m the one who got her pregnant, the one who insisted we keep them, even when I knew Nancy wanted to wait, wanted to think about having kids before doing it.”

Eddie can tell from the breath he takes that he’s probably got more to say, that this could probably turn into quite the self-deprecating rant, and he has already decided that he won’t allow it. “You didn’t force her to have them. I know you, Steve, and I know you would’ve given her a choice. And for whatever reason, whether she was ready for it or not, she chose to give you two beautiful daughters. I can’t imagine how difficult it was and how hard it is to not feel responsible, but please don’t say those things.” He’s almost crying when he takes Steve’s face into his hands. “It hurts me to know that you’re hurting over this, but it hurts me even more to hear you say those awful things about yourself. Promise me you won’t do that anymore.”

It’s a long pause before Steve finally answers, pressing his promise, and a kiss, into Eddie’s wrist. “I promise,” he murmurs sweetly.

Eddie kisses him softly in return, brushing the dampness from his own cheekbones before he can transfer it to Steve’s. “I’m sorry for bringing up your parents earlier,” he whispers, hiding his face in the crook of Steve’s neck once more. “I didn’t realize it would bring all this trauma back up, I’m so sorry.”

Steve shakes his head, humming soothingly as he pulls Eddie fully into his lap. “No, baby, you don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry I reacted so strongly. You didn’t have any way of knowing.”

Eddie privately disagrees. “Well, I knew you didn’t talk about them much… that should’ve been enough.”

“Well, I never told you why. It was fair for you to think I’d take the girls to visit their grandparents for Christmas. So again, I’m sorry for how I reacted.” Steve nuzzles his cheek, and presses a kiss there.

Eddie can see the circles this could easily start spinning into, and he doesn’t want to argue. He calls a truce in his mind, kissing Steve’s neck softly in silent forgiveness and thanks. “So, we’ll go see Wayne for Christmas then?” He asks, changing the subject to something slightly less volatile.

Steve smiles for real this time, the one that brings out his crows feet. “I think we should. As long as he doesn’t mind, of course.” His eyebrows furrow a little, like it hasn’t occurred to him to ask that question until now.

This is an easy fear to assuage. “Babe, I think Wayne is more excited to see you and the twins than he is to see me. Safe to say he doesn’t mind at all,” Eddie assures him, rubbing his back gently. He snorts then, shaking his head wryly. “Actually, Wayne is so excited to have grandkids, I think he’ll probably forget I’m even there.”

“Surely not,” Steve says, a teasing glint in his eye. “I don’t know how anyone could forget you, sweet boy.” His tone, and the way his scent has sweetened, makes it nearly impossible to not lean in for a kiss. Their lips brush gently, barely even a kiss at all, and Eddie sighs contently into his mouth. “Your uncle mentioned us getting a hotel room while we were there,” Steve says when he pulls away, wrapping his arms around Eddie and gently swaying him.

Eddie tries to hide the embarrassed flush that he’s certain is all over his face. “Um, yeah. He lives in a pretty small trailer, so there’s not enough room for the four of us to stay there overnight, unless we all sleep on the floor.” It normally doesn’t bother him to speak about his life back home or how he was raised, but being thrust into this luxury and then being faced with confronting his past… it does make him a little uncomfortable.

“Okay,” Steve says kindly. “I can check it out when I get to work later, go ahead and see about booking us a room somewhere.” Eddie nods, avoiding eye contact. “Or…”

Eddie glances at him curiously. “Or?” He asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Well, even though my parents pretty much disowned me, they left me with one thing. Their lake house about an hour outside of Hawkins.”

“Oh,” Eddie says. He’s not sure what that has to do with anything, but he nods encouragingly.

Steve fiddles with a strand of Eddie’s hair, twirling it around his finger while he speaks. “So… if you wanted to, and if Wayne is okay with it… why don’t we all stay there together?”

Eddie twists to look at him. Steve’s eyes flit to his and away quickly, like he’s nervous, and Eddie can smell the hope wafting off of him. “All together? At the lake house?” Eddie asks, trying to make sure he heard him correctly.

Steve nods. “Yeah. I figured… I mean, this is kind of your first Christmas not living with him, right?” Eddie nods, doesn’t mention the couple of years he spent Christmas with his mom and dad before Wayne got custody. “So, I thought it might be sort of strange for you to not be with him on Christmas Eve, and this way we can all be together and sleep comfortably and not have to worry about driving anywhere.”

It’s so thoughtful that Eddie could kiss him.

Then, he realizes he can kiss him, and does just that, leaning in for a soft peck before laying his head on Steve’s shoulder. “I would like that a lot,” Eddie tells him.

Steve’s smile presses against Eddie’s temple, his arms squeezing around him tightly. “Perfect. We can call Wayne later and make sure he’s okay with that.”

Eddie nods, even though he’s pretty sure Wayne will be fine with it, without even asking. The location never really makes a home anyway, in Eddie’s opinion.

“I guess we need to pack pretty soon then?” Eddie asks, mentally running through a list of everything they’ll need to take with them. A harrowing thought occurs to him then, and he sits up, eyes wide and panicked. “Presents!”

Steve blinks at him, his lip tugging into a grin like he’s reluctant about it. “Yes?”

Eddie smacks his own forehead, sighing in terrible parent. “We forgot about presents! The girls can’t have a Christmas without presents!” He knows this isn’t technically the truth; his own Christmasses have always been rather scarce in that department, though no less wonderful for it. Still, being thrust into parenthood like this has made him privy to the reason why so many people subscribe to this ridiculous consumerism propaganda: making children happy.

“Honey,” Steve says, clearly biting down on a laugh. “Relax. I buy presents throughout the year. The girls are set, besides their stockings. I thought we could do a little shopping this evening since we’ll have the sitter anyway.”

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes against Steve once more. “Okay. Whew. Had me worried for a second there.”

Steve presses a kiss to his forehead, nuzzling him gently. “You’re so sweet. Such a good mama.” His lips trail down to Eddie’s cheek, and he sighs, his face flushing.

“Well…” Eddie says slowly, trying desperately to form a coherent thought with the way Steve is lavishing gentle attention upon him. “I wanna be,” he says, nonsensical.

“Mm?” Steve hums, dragging his lips down Eddie’s throat, stopping to suck gently. “Yeah? You wanna be a mama?” The hand that isn’t cradling the back of Eddie’s head slips down to press softly against Eddie’s flat tummy.

Heat pools in Eddie’s stomach, and he whines, high-pitched and needy. “Please,” he begs. He has no idea what he’s begging for- pups, touch, for the teasing to stop, all of it.

Steve pulls away long enough to look back over his shoulder at the clock. “We’ve got an hour before either of us have to leave,” he announces, his eyes bright and pupils blown wide with lust. “Do you wanna-“

“Please touch me,” Eddie nearly cries, all but climbing into Steve’s lap in an effort to be closer.

“Okay, okay,” Steve chants, mostly to himself. “Here, lay down, baby.”

Eddie is quick to obey. They’ve only fooled around a couple more times since that first time after their date, and each time it’s only gotten better. He’s pretty sure no sex is perfect, but theirs is just about as close as someone could get to that. Every touch sends sparks ricocheting off Eddie’s skin, every whispered praise makes his insides quake with pleasure, reducing him to a puddle from the beginning.

“Want you inside me,” Eddie murmurs, reaching out and stroking his arm. He blushes as soon as he’s spoken- they haven’t made it that far yet, and he doesn’t want to be too pushy.

Steve shivers at the words, and his scent spikes into something sharp, spicy. “Are you sure?” He asks, rubbing his hands up Eddie’s sides, squeezing just below his ribs. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Eddie loves this sweet man, his thoughtfulness, his chivalry; he’s tired of waiting, though. “I’m sure,” he murmurs back. He draws Steve in for a kiss, settling himself in the gentle touch just as much as he hopes to settle Steve. “Do we have the stuff?”

A panicked look crosses Steve’s face, and he barely manages to mask it with an awkward smile. “Uh, let me check,” he says, patting Eddie’s hip before rolling away to dig through his bedside table drawers. He pilfers for a minute before coming back with a small tube of lube, and a condom with a faded wrapper. He looks sheepish as he presents them. “So, uh…” he waves the condom helplessly. “I wasn’t really anticipating us getting to this step so soon, so I haven’t gone out to restock, but… this probably hasn’t been in here that long.”

They exchange looks, uncertain and wary. “Um,” Eddie offers. “Maybe… maybe we see how it looks, and go from there?” He suggests. “Do condoms expire? I feel like they definitely should.”

Steve nods slowly, considering the foil some more. “Yeah… I think you’re right.” He shrugs, then proceeds to tear it open with his teeth. Eddie pretends he doesn’t find that hot. They both lean in close to inspect the contents of the wrapper, and in a lackluster turn of events, the condom appears totally normal. “Oh,” Steve says, sounding pleasantly surprised. “It looks normal to me.” He holds it out for Eddie to inspect, and when he gives a nod of confirmation, Steve-

“Ew! Don’t sniff it!” Eddie cries, reaching out and slapping the condom away. “They put chemicals in there, you know.”

“Oh, right,” Steve says sheepishly. He sets it down gently beside his pillow before turning to face Eddie. “Sorry. That was probably the least sexy way to set the mood.”

Eddie snorts, climbing into Steve’s lap properly now that he’s not going anywhere. “I disagree. I think that safe sex practices are very sexy indeed. You’re exceeding all my expectations right now for sure.”

Steve grins, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s waist and squeezing him sweetly. “Well that’s great news,” he says, playing along. “I expect a gold star when we’re finished.”

Eddie can’t help but smirk at that. “Yeah? You just need to know you’ve been a good boy, right?” It’s bold, bolder than he usually is in situations like this, but if Steve’s scent and the darkening of his eyes is any indication, he’s landed on the right thing.

“God, you’re perfect,” Steve practically moans before tugging Eddie in for a proper kiss. They kiss languidly for what could be hours, days, before Steve gently pulls his mouth away, pressing his forehead to Eddie’s. “Um. Just checking, since I- the thing about you being…” his sentence takes a couple more tries to get off the ground, before finally landing on, “you want the condom, right?”

Eddie blinks, and their closeness means his eyelashes brush softly across Steve’s eyebrow. He knows what Steve’s really asking. And he really wants to be a mom, properly, wants to carry pups for his perfect ma- partner. But he’s not sure they should start on that just yet.

“Will you be upset with me if I say yes?” He whispers, tucking his face against Steve’s neck, breathing his scent in deeply, like that will make this less terrifying.

“Babe,” Steve murmurs. He kisses the crown of Eddie’s head, stroking his hair like he’s spreading his affection through it. “Of course not. This is still very new, I’m not going to hold it against you if you aren’t ready to try for pups yet.”

Eddie sniffles, stupidly, at the reassurance. “Okay. Then, yes. For now I’d like to use the condom, just in case.” He knows it’s unlikely to get pregnant outside of his heat, but not impossible. And until he has more proof that this thing between them is permanent (a bite, preferably, though he’d settle for a ring) he wants to err on the side of caution.

Steve kisses him gently. “Of course,” he whispers. “Let me know if I hurt you, or if it’s too much.” He kisses a trail down Eddie’s neck, landing a soft bite on his collarbone and stopping to tug at the collar of his shirt. “Can I take this off?”

Eddie nods, holding his arms up like a child so Steve can pull the shirt over his head. When his face emerges again, bangs askew, Steve is there, smiling dopily at him. “There’s my beautiful boy.”

Eddie knows he’s blushing down to his toes. “Steve,” he murmurs, reaching for him.

“I’ve got you,” Steve promises.

From there, he proves just that.

It’s all soft kisses, gentle wandering hands that shed their clothes slowly, like they’ve got all the time in the world. Eddie doesn’t think it would really matter if he was late, and his shift doesn’t even start until ten, but he does have a fleeting worry for Steve’s job, which he assumes comes with some higher stakes.

If Steve is concerned about that, he doesn’t show it. As soon as he’s got Eddie naked, he gently presses his weight onto him, kissing his cheek chastly. “Is this okay?” he murmurs.

The only thing that’s not okay with the scenario is the fact that Steve isn’t inside him yet, but to think it makes Eddie blush, let alone say it. What he lands on instead is: “mhm. Ready for you.”

Steve tuts gently. “Wanna open you up first, sweet thing. Can I?”

And how is Eddie supposed to deny such a nice request?

“Okay, but be quick, please, baby, want you now,” Eddie babbles at him, stroking Steve’s sides gently as he shifts, pushing Eddie’s legs open so he can perch between them.

“So beautiful,” he murmurs, petting over Eddie’s cocklette as he licks his lips. “Gonna eat you out first, get you relaxed for me, okay?”

Eddie nods, tipping his head back as he awaits the pleasure he’s sure will follow. Sure enough, not a minute later he feels Steve’s talented mouth, kissing and sucking at him like he’s savoring his last meal, the wet sound echoing in the room. It’s hard to be quiet, with Steve thrusting his tongue inside like that, and Eddie puts a shaky hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle the noises that are desperate to fall out.

“Don’t do that,” Steve commands when he notices. His voice lacks the alpha lilt it would need to really stop him, but it does give him pause. “We’re all alone today, baby. I want you to be as loud as you like.” He reaches up and takes Eddie’s hand, lacing their fingers together and settling their joined hands across his stomach. “There. Now let me hear how good I make you feel.”

There’s something hot, and almost wicked, in Steve’s eyes as he goes back to his task with renewed vigor, and Eddie lets him know it through the involuntary whines and sobs that begin dripping from his lips.

“Steve,” he cries when he’s about to come. “S’too much. Need you, need your knot.”

“Shh,” Steve shushes him gently. “Let me take care of you.” It sounds like a promise, but his mouth swallows him down again, sucking harshly as his fingers prod at his entrance, and Eddie almost screams in frustration.

“No,” Eddie says petulantly. “Want you now, alpha. Knot me, please.”

Steve slips two fingers inside at once, the slide smooth with how soaked Eddie is. He pulls away briefly, giving his mouth a break as he looks up at Eddie. He’s beautiful, even with half his face soaked in Eddie’s slick.

“Someone’s being a bit bossy,” he teases with a little smile. “Don’t you trust your alpha to give you what you need?”

Eddie whines helplessly at that. He does, but his mind is hazy with lust and he’s afraid he’ll come before Steve ever gets inside him at this rate, and then what good will he be to Steve? He says as much, in a lust-broken voice, and Steve frowns. “And I don’t wanna be bad. Only wanna be good for you,” he says, sniffling.

“Baby,” Steve says softly. “Listen to me. I want you to feel good, first and foremost. And if that means you come before we get there, then that’s great.” He grins crookedly then. “I’ll just make you come again on my cock, how about that?”

Eddie knows he’s blushing, both from the kindness and the blunt way of phrasing. “But… I don’t wanna make it feel like work for you,” he murmurs.

Steve tsks, shaking his head. “Oh, sweetheart. I hope I never see the poor bastard who made you feel this way about sex.” Steve kisses his glistening thigh sweetly before resting his cheek on the same place. “Eddie. Darling. Pleasing you could never feel like work. It’s exciting and fun every time, and I only ever feel like the luckiest man alive when you let me have you like this. Okay?”

Shyly, Eddie nods. “Okay,” he whispers. He’s still inexplicably horny, even after the sentimentality of Steve’s little speech, and judging by the look on Steve’s face, he knows it.

“Gonna make you come now, yeah?” He asks, but it must be a rhetorical question because before Eddie can answer, he dives back in, eating Eddie like a man starved.

Eddie barely has time to think about what Steve said before his first orgasm is cresting over him, sweetened with the way Steve’s mouth softens, even as his fingers continue to bully into him. He laps at him like a mutt, and if Eddie tunes out the roaring of his own blood, he can hear the soft growls coming from Steve. It embarrasses and thrills him, this obsession Steve seems to have with eating him out, but more than anything it makes him feel worshipped.

“You still with me, baby?” Steve asks, crawling up his body and placing kisses as he goes.

“Mmhm,” Eddie hums, reaching for Steve’s face. He tugs him in for a kiss, disregarding the taste he’ll find entirely. Steve tries to be demure about it, keeping his lips closed, but Eddie is having none of it, using his tongue to prise Steve’s mouth open and get the deep kiss he was craving.

“So good,” Steve mumbles against his mouth. He’s rocking his hips, and Eddie can’t ignore the hardness that presses into his hip with each movement.

“Alpha,” He murmurs, kissing the corner of Steve’s mouth. “It’s time. Want you inside me, please don’t make me wait.”

Like a spell has been casted, Steve pulls away from him, gulping and nodding. He finds the condom in the sheets and slips it on with shaking hands.

“Steve,” Eddie says when he notices that. The last thing he wants is to pressure Steve into something that he’s not ready for. “Do you want this?”

Steve freezes. “What?” His shoulders slump and he reaches out to rest his hand on Eddie’s hip. “Of course I do, honey. Do you- are you having second thoughts?”

Eddie smiles and shakes his head, reaching out to squeeze Steve’s wrist. “No, I know I want this. And I know I’m ready for it. But I don’t want to pressure you into doing something you’re not ready for just because it’s something I want.”

This makes Steve’s frown even deeper, and he shifts to lay beside Eddie. “I know. And I want to give you everything you want.”

It’s a super sweet sentiment, granted, but it entirely misses Eddie’s point.

“Exactly. You want to give me everything I want. But are you making sure it’s what you want too?” He asks softly.

Steve glances away, and Eddie watches the way he swallows as he thinks. When he looks back, it’s with resolve. “I want this too. I’m not just giving into you because you want it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Eddie smiles and leans in for a kiss. “I was only asking because your hands were shaking. I didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t tell me if you weren’t ready.”

At this admission, the tension finally breaks a little with a soft laugh from Steve. “That’s sweet of you, baby, but my hands were shaking because you make me nervous.”

Eddie rears back to stare at him, his nose wrinkled. “Me?”

“You,” Steve confirms, giving him a sweet kiss. “You’re the first person I’ve really… well, the first person who’s meant something to me since Nancy. And sex means a lot to me, so of course I’m nervous.”

It makes sense, objectively, but Eddie still can’t see past the him part of it.

“Fair enough,” he agrees. “But I’m just… it’s just me, honey.” He smiles, and means it to be reassuring.

Steve smiles back, but it has something a little sad in it. “Just you,” he says with a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “I wish you could see yourself how I see you.”

Eddie wraps his arms around Steve’s shoulders, pulling him in close to his body and rolling them over so Steve is on top of him. “So… show me.” He kisses down the column of Steve’s throat, opening his legs and guiding Steve’s hips back into place. “Show me how much I mean to you.”

It does the trick, Steve’s eyes darkening as his scent grows spicier and he wraps his arms around Eddie’s waist. What Eddie doesn’t expect is the way Steve hauls him up into his lap. Eddie squeaks at the change of position, tightening his grip on Steve’s shoulders for balance.

“What-“ he starts, confused and admittedly about ten percent hornier from this display of brute strength.

Steve grins at him. “I guess I should have warned you first. Wanna do it like this so you can control the pace.”

And that… is entirely unexpected. Henry never even offered to do it this way, always wanted Eddie on his hands and knees or up against a wall. So to have this, to have Steve so close, sharing breaths between them as they touch each other- it’s a lot.

“Are you sure?” Eddie asks, quiet and nervous. “What if… what if I’m not very good at it?”

Steve laughs softly at that, but Eddie is decidedly not kidding. It takes a moment for Steve to realize this, and when he does, he frowns. “Baby, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be amazing at it. And if you need help setting the pace - well that’s what I’m here for, darling. Just trust me on this, okay?”

Eddie nods, shifting up onto his knees uncertainly. “Like this?”

“Just like that baby boy, there you go,” Steve coaches him gently. He reaches between them, and Eddie bows his head to watch as Steve takes his cock in hand and angles it for Eddie’s hole. “Now you’re just going to ease down, alright? Nice and gentle, baby.”

Taking a deep breath, Eddie does just that. He balances himself using Steve’s broad shoulders, digging his nails in just a little as he allows himself to be filled. Steve rations him at first, and Eddie whines when he’s met with the circle of Steve’s fingers holding the rest of his cock hostage. “Shh, shh. Need to do a little at a time, sweet thing. Don’t wanna hurt you.”

“Won’t,” Eddie whines, like a brat. “Want it, want it all.”

Steve’s voice shakes when he laughs, and Eddie can smell the way he’s holding onto his self-control by a thread, his arousal heavy in the air around them. “Okay, just a little more-“ he gasps when he gives himself some leeway, a little more slipping into Eddie, stretching him deeper than Steve’s fingers had. “Fuck,” Steve mutters. “Feel so good, oh my god.”

Eddie nods, the praise scratching just right at the omegan center of his brain. “Feel even better when you’re all the way in,” he teases, or begs. “C’mon, please, please.”

“Fuck,” Steve repeats. Eddie feels his resolve crumble, and the next thing he knows, Steve is moving both hands to his hips and pushing him the rest of the way onto his cock with a punched-out groan.

“Yes,” Eddie nearly screams. It’s the perfect pressure and fullness, and sitting like this has Steve pressing against his sweet spot without even trying. Eddie rocks his hips back and forth, hoping beyond hope that it prompts Steve to do something, like move.

“Jesus, fuck, Eddie,” Steve whimpers, clutching at his hips desperately. “Give me a second, god, I’m gonna-“

His voice is thin and reedy, and Eddie pulls back to stare down at this beautiful, lovely man in sheer amazement. “Are you close?”

Steve is flushed from the tops of his cheeks, all the way down his chest, and Eddie can’t help the pride that swells in his chest at the sight. He did that. “Yeah,” Steve admits, smiling sheepishly. “God, Ed, it’s been so long, and you feel… baby, you feel like you were just made for me.”

Eddie smiles. He reaches out and strokes both hands through Steve’s hair before pulling him in for a kiss. “Maybe I was,” he murmurs softly. “Can we prove it?”

Steve swallows hard before nodding. “Just… go slow, okay?”

“Okay baby,” Eddie murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

He grants Steve’s request, but at the cost of both their sanities. Rocking slow and sure in his lap feels like the right choice, but even then, they’re both gasping for breath and clinging to each other desperately, and Eddie understands and appreciates now why Steve wanted him to come before they got started. He feels a twinge of sympathy for Steve, who must surely be on the verge of losing it already, if the punched out noises he’s making are any indication.

“Is this good?” Eddie murmurs to him, sneaking a little lick to Steve’s temple, catching a bead of sweat that has gathered there.

“Baby, it’s so good,” Steve groans immediately. “Gonna think about this all day. Gonna- fuck- never going to stop wanting this, Eddie.”

Eddie preens at the praise, wrapping his arms around Steve’s neck to pull him into a messy kiss. “Promise?” He whispers against his mouth, hoping that Steve can scent his desperation on the air. “Promise you’re never going to stop wanting me?”

His world is flipped on its axis in a second, and it takes him a few blinks to process the change of scenery. Steve hovers above him, a wild, serious look in his eyes. “Baby, I’m going to marry you one day. How’s that for a promise?” He punctuates his words with a couple deep thrusts, and Eddie mewls in pleasure.

“Bite?” Eddie asks nonsensically. He arches his back and tilts his head, exposing his neck. He’s so far gone he feels delirious with it, and he can tell Steve knows it by the look on his face. “Alpha, bite,” Eddie repeats, more firmly.

Steve ducks his head, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck. Eddie braces himself, but instead of the searing pain he’s expecting, he receives a soft kiss, placed delicately over his mating gland. He can’t help the pitiful whine that tears its way out of his throat, but Steve is there, shushing him gently.

“Someday, baby,” he reassures, stroking Eddie’s sweaty bangs off his forehead and peppering kisses there. “Not yet.”

“No bite?” Eddie sniffles, his eyes welling up with tears. He feels a pressure in his chest that feels disproportionate to the pleasure he can feel radiating throughout every other pore of his body. Why doesn’t his alpha want to bond with him? Aren’t they going to be mates? Didn’t Steve himself say so?

“Fuck, babe,” Steve says, oblivious to Eddie’s plight. He kisses down his temple all the way to his lips, which does wonders to calm Eddie down. “Don’t think I’m gonna last much longer, baby,” he whimpers against Eddie’s mouth. “I’m so sorry, I-”

His hips stutter against Eddie’s, but Eddie knows that if he stops now, there will only be distance between them, and the very idea of it makes him feel sick to his stomach. “Don’t,” he begs. “Please don’t stop.”

“Ed,” Steve groans.

“Knot me,” Eddie pleads, wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist and holding him tight to his body.

Steve stills, pulling away slowly to lock eyes with Eddie. “Honey, we haven’t-” he starts.

Eddie can taste the rejection in the air, and he keens sadly. “Want you, though,” he murmurs, softly. “Don’t you want me?” He knows it’s mean, and a little manipulative, but his brain feels foggy and needy, and he can’t help himself.

“Baby,” Steve says, like he’s at a loss for any other words. “Of course I do, why would you ask me that?”

“If you really wanted me, you would knot me,” Eddie sniffles petulantly.

Steve snorts. So, clearly Eddie’s patheticness is not as marketable as he thought. “We’ve never gone this far before, honey. And besides, you’re not in heat, so I could seriously hurt you.”

“So… no knot?” Eddie says sadly.

Steve kisses his cheek gently, his hips slowing to a smooth rocking. “I’m not saying no… just not now.”

Eddie sighs, but the tightness has released from his chest with the closeness and the overwhelm of Steve’s scent. “I guess I can live with that,” Eddie murmurs. “Can you make me come again?” He asks, biting his lip to hide his smirk.

Steve’s gaze darkens immediately, and the scent of lust spikes in the air. “Oh, baby,” he whispers. “You really don’t know what you’re in for.”

~~~

“I can’t believe you made us both late for work,” Eddie complains loudly from the shower. He can hear Steve grunt in protest around his toothbrush, and he smiles to himself at the banter he knows is coming.

“Me?” Steve grumbles. “I’m not the one who insisted on a round two,” he complains, without any real heat in his voice.

“Didn’t hear you telling me no, though,” Eddie says smugly. He yelps when the door to the shower is suddenly yanked open, Steve giving him an unamused look. Eddie blinks, smiling innocently.

“Yes, because obviously I’m not capable of that,” Steve says, rolling his eyes. “Now, come on, you’re stalling, you seriously will be late if you don’t hurry it up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie mutters as he shuts the water off, stepping into the towel Steve holds out for him. “Mm, thank you,” he murmurs, nuzzling into the warmth of the fabric. He purses his lips for a kiss, which Steve gives willingly, lingering only a second. Steve’s eyes are soft when Eddie pulls away, affection all over his face.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says, watching as Eddie goes over to the sink to brush his teeth and run a comb through his hair.

Eddie smiles at his reflection. “I know you are, but what am I?” He teases.

Steve’s lips quirk up in a smile, and he shakes his head as he goes back to their- his- bedroom. They really need to have a conversation about that, maybe move the rest of Eddie’s things from his bedroom if this is going to be official.

When Eddie leaves the bathroom, he finds Steve has picked out some clothes for him. Namely, he’s picked out some of his own clothes for him, one of Steve’s beige sweaters folded neatly with a dark pair of jeans. “Oh,” Eddie says, trying not to let on about how surprised he actually is. “Is someone trying to scent-mark me?” He asks, side eyeing Steve as he drops the towel and goes to dig for a pair of underwear.

Steve splutters, and his face is a delightful shade of pink when Eddie glances back at him. “I- it’s-“

Eddie smirks. “It’s a custom, right?”

Steve’s shoulders relax and he sighs gratefully. “Yes,” he replies. “I know it’s a little traditional, and kind of obnoxious, but-“

“I like it,” Eddie responds softly. “Wish you could wear something of mine, too, though,” he says mournfully. Eddie doesn’t really own anything that would be appropriate for Steve’s work, at least nothing that carries his scent like his own t-shirts and tight jeans do.

A sly look slowly creeps over Steve’s face then. “Who says I’m not?” He says, almost leering at Eddie.

Eddie scans his outfit, boring navy slacks and a cream colored button-down. Neither of which have ever touched Eddie’s body. “Uh… I am saying you’re not,” Eddie says, though it comes out more like a question.

Steve smirks, tucking his thumb into the waistband of his pants and tugging it down an inch. When he does, a very familiar brand of solid black underwear stares back at him.

Eddie feels his face heat up immediately, but he can’t quite tear his eyes away from the sight. It’s too good, thinking about Steve wearing something of his, something so intimate. He stares, his brain buffering for several minutes as he tries to form a response.

“I thought you didn’t want me to be late,” he says weakly, reaching out and touching his own underwear pressed tight to Steve’s skin.

Steve smiles at him, swatting his hand away and pulling his pants back up. “You won’t be late. Go ahead, get dressed. I’ll be in the kitchen.” Then the fucker has the audacity to wink at him, which just feels cruel and unusual.

Eddie sighs, the sound full of love and longing, and gets dressed, ready for a day of sheer mental torment.

~~~

“Mommy, who’s gonna babysit us tonight?” Ivy asks later that day, when Eddie is picking the girls up from school after their half-day.

Luckily, since the music store is a family business and since every school in the nearby proximity closed early for the impending holidays, AJ had no issues letting Eddie leave early too. He’s grateful for it, because all he’s been able to focus on all day (besides the knowledge that Steve is wearing his undergarments) is the fact that they are planning on telling the girls the truth about them this afternoon. Eddie wasn’t sure about telling them and then leaving them with the sitter, so he had convinced Steve that they should both take a half day and then tell them together. That way, they’ll have a few hours to answer questions or comfort them before abandoning them.

“Um, I think daddy said it was one of his and Robin’s friends, Max?” He says, unsure. He knows Steve told him, but a lot has transpired in the time between then and now.

Evidently, it is correct, as the girls erupt into excited chatter in the back seat. Apparently Max is a familiar face, and they can’t wait to see her and beg her to take them skating. The snowflakes drifting lazily past the windshield tell him that’s unlikely at best.

“Girls, your dad and I have some things we want to talk to you about when we get inside,” Eddie says when they pull into the parking garage. “So, go put your things up, and we’ll talk in the living room.”

Jasmine and Ivy exchange glances in the backseat, and the movement is so in sync, so practiced, that it makes them look older than they really are. Older, and wiser.

“Are we in trouble?” Jasmine asks softly, clearly concerned.

“No, honey, of course not. We just have some news, is all.” Eddie kills the engine and climbs out of the front seat, the girls beating him to opening the back door and sliding out. He has to remind them to get their backpacks, rolling his eyes, before following them inside.

“Wait, daddy is home already?” Ivy asks as they ride the elevator to their floor. “On a Friday?” She sounds perplexed, and honestly, Eddie is just impressed at her memory.

“Yeah, well, it’s almost Christmas, so that means daddy gets to leave whenever he wants,” Eddie makes up on the spot.

Jasmine and Ivy both squint at him before turning to each other. “Daddy never does that,” Jasmine says, glancing between Eddie and her sister. “Right?”

Ivy shakes her head solemnly. “Nope.”

Eddie can believe it, with how much of a workaholic his ma- boyfriend- can be. It still makes him ache with pity, though. “Well, this year mommy is here, and I decided we should all start Christmas early,” he declares. The girls giggle, but seem to have no problems with this.

They race to the door of the apartment, and Eddie has to shush them loudly, cringing when he thinks about how the neighbors will react to all this racket. At least they’re about to leave for a few days.

“Go put your things away,” Eddie reminds them after he’s shut the front door behind them. He smiles when he spots Steve’s shoes already by the door.

The twins disappear to their room, and Eddie toes his own shoes off, hanging his coat up by the door before heading to the living room. Steve is already there, pacing in front of the couch. When he catches sight of Eddie, his shoulders relax, and he smiles sheepishly. “Hi, baby,” he murmurs, coming in for a quick kiss.

“Hi. Nervous?” Eddie replies.

Steve shakes his head, then shrugs. “Not about telling them, really. Just nervous about what they’ll say.”

Eddie hadn’t really thought much about it, but he’d been hoping that maybe he could at least expect them to be relatively okay with it. After all, they are pretty close now, and the kids call him mommy, for fuck’s sake. But hearing his own fears spoken back to him like that makes his stomach churn.

“Do you think they’ll be very upset?” Eddie asks quietly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they’re not back yet.

Steve gives him a strange look. “What? No, I’m worried they’ll-“

Eddie doesn’t get the chance to hear what he’s worried about, as the twins choose that minute to skip into the living room, still loudly chattering to themselves about what the news could be.

A look and a gesture from Steve settles them almost immediately. “Hi, sweet girls,” he says as he hugs each of them, steering them to sit on the couch right after. “Mommy and I want to talk to you two about a couple things,” he announces, sitting on the coffee table and patting the space beside him, inviting Eddie to join.

“Mommy told us in the car,” Ivy says, bouncing excitedly, barely able to contain her excitement.

Steve glances sideways at Eddie. “What did he tell you?”

Ivy shrugs. “That you guys had news!” She says proudly.

“Ah,” Steve says, his mouth twitching as he shares another look with Eddie. “We do. So, basically-“

“Are you having a baby?” Ivy interrupts before Steve can get very far.

Eddie’s eyes bug out of his head, and he knows his jaw is practically dragging the floor in shock. “I- we- Ivy,” he stutters. “That’s not-“

Steve swoops in to recover then. “No, Ivy. We’re not having a baby.” He says it very calmly, which Eddie would probably admire more if he wasn’t so embarrassed. Especially given this morning’s conversation and activities.

“Aww man,” Ivy grumbles softly under her breath.

A shocked laugh escapes Eddie, but it’s just the thing he needed to relax a little. If they’re sad that the news isn’t a baby, then they might actually be okay with the news that Steve and Eddie are dating. Maybe.

“Sorry,” Steve says, nonsensically. “That’s not our news, but it is about Eddie and I.”

Jasmine and Ivy share a look, which is never a good sign. He’s halfway expecting it when Jasmine pipes up with, “are you getting married?”

Before Steve can negate that too, Eddie chimes in. “Would that bother you guys? If we did get married?”

A flash of excitement flickers over their faces, and he grunts as Jasmine flings herself into his arms with a squeal. “So you are getting married?”

Beside him, Steve lets out a little breathless giggle. “No.” There’s the beginnings of a protest from the twins, and he hurries to add, “not yet, anyway.”

Ivy leaps up, pumping her little fists in the air triumphantly. “I knew it!” She cheers.

Steve levels her with an amused look. “You thought we were having a baby.”

Ivy shrugs, unswayed. “Same thing,” she says, which- definitely a talk for another time. “Wait… if you’re not getting married now… what’s the news?”

Jasmine calmly extracts herself from where she had been snuggled into Eddie’s chest. “Are we getting a puppy?”

“A puppy!” Ivy echoes loudly.

Eddie cringes at the volume. “Uh, no,” he says. He glances at Steve for confirmation, as he never did get around to asking what their Christmas gifts were.

“No,” Steve agrees. “But that was part of the news- sort of. Not the getting married part, obviously. Er- or the puppy, sorry,” he says with a wince. “But we just wanted to tell you two that we’re dating.”

The girls each give them a blank stare. “Yeah, but we knew that,” Ivy says.

Eddie blinks at her. “No you didn’t,” he says. He glances at Steve, who looks just as stunned. “We never told you guys that.”

Jasmine twists in Eddie’s grip to look up at him. “But we saw you guys smooching in New York! And auntie Robin told us that you’d tell us eventually, so we had to keep it a secret!”

Steve makes a strangled noise. “I’m never leaving my children with her again,” he mutters.

Eddie is still caught on one part of that story. “Wait, you saw us- when?”

The twins suddenly get very quiet, which Eddie knows spells trouble.

“Um,” Jasmine says.

Ivy gives her a look. Jasmine looks a little sheepish, which Ivy rolls her eyes at with a very dramatic huff. Eddie feels that he is getting a great vision for how their teenage years are going to look. “Well, we were ‘sposed to be asleep, but we heard you guys go out on the ledge thingy.”

“The balcony?” Steve asks. He exchanges a weary look with Eddie. “And you two just- what, pretended to be asleep when we came back inside?”

The twins at least have the decency to look chastised by that. “Sorry,” Jasmine says, twisting her fingers in her lap. “We didn’t mean to lie.”

Eddie’s heart melts a little at the sincerity in her voice. He knows that they didn’t mean to lie, and honestly this might be the best outcome. They already knew, and they weren’t upset. Well, maybe they were a little upset about something, but not the thing he expected them to be upset about.

“It’s okay,” Eddie tells them. “I don’t blame you guys for being curious- or nosy, either. But in the future, maybe ask us those questions instead of spying.”

The girls nod, and Ivy gets a sly look on her face. “We can ask any question?” She asks.

Eddie is already regretting it a little when he turns to Steve to double check before saying, “yeah, of course.”

“When are you going to get married?” Ivy says almost immediately.

“Can we be flower girls at the wedding?” Jasmine adds.

“When you do have a baby, can I name it?”

“Oh my god,” Steve mutters under his breath. “I think that’s enough questions for now-“

“But-“ the girls begin to protest.

“Nope,” Steve cuts them off. “We have more news, anyway.” He glances at Eddie, nudging him gently. “About Christmas,” he prompts when Eddie doesn't immediately get the hint.

“Oh, right!” Eddie says, perking up immediately. “So, you guys remember my uncle Wayne? The one we talk to on the phone sometimes?”

“I like uncle Wayne. He tells good jokes,” Jasmine says, nodding sagely.

Eddie can’t help but smile at that. “Yeah, that one. Well, I was planning on going home to see him for Christmas…” At the girls’ disappointed faces, he rushes to continue, “but your dad and I thought maybe we should all go together.”

That makes them light up. “We can go too?” Ivy asks, bouncing excitedly.

Eddie nods. “Yep, you, Jazz, me, and daddy.”

“Do you guys remember the cabin we went to last summer? The one on the lake?” Steve asks.

Ivy tilts her head thoughtfully. “The one that took forever to get to?”

Steve laughs, nodding. “Yes, that one. I was thinking we could all stay there, with Eddie and Wayne. Does that sound okay to you guys?”

The girls squeal their agreement, and immediately set off talking about their travel plans and how excited they are to see uncle Wayne in person. Eddie’s heart melts at how sweet it all is, and how well everything went. Then of course, they ask the big question:

“How will Santa find us if we’re somewhere else for Christmas?”

~~~

A few hours later, after writing a last-minute letter to Santa to let him know of their change in location, packing bags for everyone, and calling Wayne to confirm that they’ll meet him at the cabin tomorrow, it’s finally time for their usual Friday night date.

Max arrives promptly at five, just like Steve asked. She is vaguely suspicious of Eddie for all of two minutes, until she sees the way the girls interact with him. It takes almost nothing, just the girls doing their usual routine of puppy dog eyes and guilt-tripping as they beg Eddie to bring them back some dessert from dinner, and Eddie’s usual response of, “yes but it’s a secret, we can’t tell anyone.” Steve is very obviously standing right behind him, and the whole thing seems to endear Max to him without him having to do much.

“The girls told me they liked him, but I didn’t think it was like this,” Eddie hears Max say to Steve as they are tugging on their coats and telling the girls goodbye.

“I told you they loved him,” Steve says, and Eddie can hear the pride in his voice.

“Yeah, but you’re a little biased, aren’t you?” Max teases back. “Can’t exactly trust your judgment.”

“Ouch, Mayfield. That’s hurtful.”

“Alright,” Eddie announces, giving the girls one last hug. “Be good while we’re gone, okay? This time we’ll be back to tuck you in, but you have to obey Max while we’re gone, understand?”

The girls nod obediently, little sweethearts they are. Eddie smiles, pleased, before turning back to Steve and Max, who are watching with mixed expressions of fondness and amusement. “I can put them to bed,” Max says, shrugging. “I don’t mind, really.”

“I know,” Eddie says. He glances at Steve. “They told me that they prefer it when we’re here to say goodnight to them, that’s all.”

Steve frowns, glancing behind Eddie, but the twins have already disappeared into the living room, a movie playing quietly in the background. “I didn’t know that,” he says, sounding hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Max looks between the two of them with renewed interest, and Eddie clears his throat awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you,” Eddie says quickly. “I honestly just forgot until now.”

Steve nods, but Eddie can tell it bothers him just the same. Great, he thinks passively. Now I’ve gone and fucked the whole thing up. Steve must notice the change in his scent because he immediately changes his own to something comforting, reaching out for Eddie’s hand. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Ugh,” Max says. Eddie blinks at her. He’d honestly forgotten she was there, just for a second. “That was so boring. You aren’t even going to fight a little bit about it?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “No, we’re not. Sorry we can’t amuse her majesty right now, but these court jesters are needed elsewhere.” He squeezes Eddie’s hand, sending him a quick wink. “Do you need anything else before we leave? I left money on the counter so you guys can order in, and you can keep whatever is left over.”

It’s Max’s turn to roll her eyes, and she looks so similar to Steve when she does it that it’s uncanny. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think this was another long-lost daughter. “No, dingus, I think I’ve got everything covered here. You guys kick rocks, I’ve gotta go hang out with the cool kids.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve says, tugging Eddie to the door. “We’re going. Don’t burn my house down before we get back!”

“No promises!” Max calls back as the door shuts behind them.

On the elevator, Eddie giggles. When Steve gives him a confused smile, Eddie grins. “She reminds me of you. It’s kind of funny.”

Steve smiles warily, shaking his head in disbelief. “Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing. I just don’t know if I agree with it, honestly. She’s kind of a brat.”

“Oh, and you’re the poster boy for the cub scouts of America?” Eddie quips back. Steve pinches his hip lightly as he guides him through the parking garage to his car.

“So,” Steve says after they’ve settled into the car. “Where are we headed?”

Eddie smiles to himself. This part of the date was what he was most excited for. “Well, you’ve gotten your chance to show me all these fine dining places that raised you, so I figured it’s time I return the favor.”

Steve smiles, shaking his head in resigned amusement as he drives out of the garage. “Sounds ominous. You know where we’re going?” Eddie nods. “Alright, lead the way, captain.”

~~~

Only a couple minor mishaps along the road later (namely Eddie confusing his left and right, leading them down the wrong road for a couple miles), they finally make it to the first stop of the night. It’s a rustic little diner, something that looks like it’s time travelled through the decades to be here, on the outskirts of Indianapolis.

“A diner?” Steve says. Eddie barely has a second to worry about his reaction before Steve is giggling with delight and tugging his seatbelt off. “I haven’t been to one of these in ages, oh my god, come on!”

Eddie, pleased at the positive start, climbs out of the car to follow him. Steve, ever the gentleman, holds open the door to the establishment, gesturing Eddie ahead with a flourish. “After you,” he simpers, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

“You’re already having too much fun,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes. He nods to the waitress when she greets them, gesturing for a table for two. Steve slides his hand into his as she leads them to their table, and Eddie squeezes it softly, enjoying the soft connection.

“No such thing as too much fun,” Steve says as they walk to a booth with a window view. “Thanks,” he says to the waitress when she hands them each a menu. “Any specials this evening?”

She lists the specials in a monotonous tone, none of which interest either of them. Steve hums politely before picking up the menu, scanning it intensely in the silence. “You two need a minute to decide?” She asks after taking their drink order.

“Yes, if you don’t mind,” Eddie says with a smile. As soon as she’s gone, he leans across the table to whisper to Steve. “Is it just me or does she sound like she wants to burn this place down with us in it?”

Steve grins. “If you ask me, that hamburger steak meal offends her on a moral level. Shame, too, it sounded delightful.” He skims the menu, biting his lip.

Eddie snorts. “You don’t even like hamburger steak,” he retorts.

“Who would?” Steve replies. “A cheeseburger sounds amazing right now, what are you thinking of getting?”

Eddie has to agree with him there. “Probably the same. Wanna split some onion rings?” He already knows the answer, but still grins when Steve’s nose crinkles up.

“I wouldn’t touch an onion ring with a ten foot pole and you know it.” He flips over and lights up when he sees the dessert menu. “Oh, we’ve gotta get a milkshake, though.” He seems to hesitate then. “I know you said you wanted to pay-“

“And I’m going to,” Eddie says brightly. “I saved up for this and everything, Steve. Get whatever you want.”

Steve smiles a little at that, reaching across the table to hold Eddie’s hand. “I love that you want to take care of me too. Like, my instinct is always to take care of you instead, but I get all warm and fuzzy when you show that you want to do the same.”

Eddie kisses Steve’s hand in a rare show of vulnerability. “Of course,” he says softly. “I always want us to be equals. And this is part of that.”

“I get that. But don’t for a second think that I don’t consider everything else you do as just as valuable, if not more. You’re a wonderful mother and partner, you know. I don’t need you to treat me special like this to know that, okay?” Steve says.

Eddie nods. He’s about to reply, even though they’re basically going in circles at this point, when the waitress comes back. “Are you boys ready to order?”

“I think so,” Steve says. When Eddie nods, Steve rattles off their orders, waiting patiently as the waitress jots everything down. “Oh, and two chocolate shakes, please.”

“With your meal or after?” She asks, bored.

Eddie shrugs sheepishly when Steve glances at him. “You know I like to dip my fries in mine,” he says.

“With our meal, thanks,” Steve says decisively.

“I’ll get that put in for you,” the waitress says, taking their menus.

They thank her, and then it’s silent at the table. For some reason, Eddie feels awkward, the whole situation giving off a vibe so opposite from their other dates that it almost feels like a first date all over again. “So what are the girls getting for Christmas?” Eddie asks. When in doubt, their daughters are always a safe topic of conversation.

Steve begins counting things off on his fingers. “Well, I got them a dollhouse to share, then each of them have a new Barbie. I got Ivy a skateboard, Max’s idea, by the way. Jasmine wanted a hula hoop a few months ago, so I’ve got one of those strategically hidden in my closet.” He hums, thinking. “I always buy them a book each, usually the same one. This year I went a little wild and got them each the whole Narnia series.”

Eddie lights up at that. “I loved those as a kid,” he admits. He doesn’t admit that he still does.

Steve grins. “I figured. They love it when we read their new book on Christmas night. They’ll be extra excited that you’re here now, you do all the best voices.” His voice is dripping with fondness, and there’s a sweetness in his gaze that Eddie blushes under.

“Yeah?” Eddie asks. He can picture it now, all of them snuggled up around a fireplace at the cabin, Uncle Wayne there too, maybe reading Aslan’s lines for them. He can’t wait.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. “This will be the first Christmas where we’ve really been… I don’t know, I know we were a family before, but something about knowing you’ll be there, and Wayne too, makes me feel like this is the first time we’ll be whole.”

If they weren’t in public, that would probably make Eddie cry. Honestly, the only thing that saves him from doing so is the reappearance of their waitress, this time laden down with plates of food. “Two cheeseburgers, fries, and two chocolate shakes. Anything else I can get for you boys?” She’s still completely deadpan, and if she wasn’t so efficient, Eddie would think she was terrible at her job.

“No, I think we’re alright,” Steve answers for them both. “Thanks again.”

She nods and leaves them to dig in, which Eddie does before she’s even fully turned around. A handful of fries go straight into his shake, and Steve watches with a shade of amusement on his face. “You know the twins do that now too, right?”

Eddie can’t even pretend to be anything other than pleased about that. “I hadn’t noticed,” he says, although it might be a little bit of a lie. He didn’t notice it specifically, no, but he’s not surprised. The last time he had taken them out for McDonald’s after school, they had begged to try his ice cream-French fry concoction.

Steve rolls his eyes. “So what else is on the agenda tonight, baby?”

Eddie has to pause to wash his food down with a sip of his Coke, clearing his throat afterwards. “Well, originally I planned for us to go commit some kind of petty crime,” he begins, hiding his smirk when Steve splutters out a laugh. “But I figured we could just do some shopping, maybe pick out something for Wayne if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Steve says. “And we can get the stuff for the girls’ stockings too.”

“Exactly. I just figured since we’ve still got to get home and finish packing, we could make it a short evening.”

“That sounds good.” Steve points at the pickle spear Eddie hasn’t touched next to his burger. “You gonna eat that?”

~~~

True to their word, they spend the rest of the evening meandering the streets of downtown Indy, holding hands as they duck in and out of any shops that catch their eye. A candy store where they collect candy canes and chocolate for the girls’ stockings; an outdoor sports store where Eddie finds Wayne a new tacklebox and a thick coat; a used bookstore where they track down a copy of The Hobbit. It’s a nice time, but by the time they make it to a small outlet store, Eddie is ready to call it a night.

“I just want to find a couple more things for the girls,” Steve says, skimming the Christmas displays stationed at the front.

“I can help, what are we looking for?” Eddie asks, finding nothing of note at a first glance.

“Maybe some little toys for their stockings? Or some hair clips, or something. You wanna go look in the toy section while I go look in the beauty one?” Steve suggests.

“Sure,” Eddie shrugs. “Divide and conquer, right?”

Steve smiles and nods. “See you back here when we’re done,” he says, brushing his lips against Eddie’s jaw before wandering away.

Eddie picks up a few things in the toy section, a couple of small stuffed animals and something called a Tamagotchi for each of the twins. There’s not a huge selection of stocking-sized toys, so he meanders away from that section, somehow ending up in the home department. He’s analyzing the sheets and pillows, wondering if they need to upgrade any of the ones in the apartment, when he sees a flash of blonde hair down the aisle.

It’s instinct to panic, but the quickening of his breath and the freezing of his limbs are brand-new. The last time he ran into Henry, it was just a turn-around-and-run-without-being-noticed situation, but for some reason, his bones are not getting the same message now. He can only stand in place, blonde hair and a lean figure caught in his periphery as he pretends to see the merchandise in front of his face.

He probably only stands there like that for a minute or so, but he startles hard when he hears his name called. “Oops, sorry, baby, didn’t mean to scare you- hey, what’s wrong?”

Steve.

Eddie’s body instantly relaxes at the familiar scent and voice, and it’s like someone presses play on his world again, allowing him to turn around and duck into Steve’s side. “Sorry,” Eddie mumbles, nonsensically. “Are you done? Can we leave?”

“Yeah, honey, of course. Are you okay?” Steve begins guiding him away, and Eddie takes a chance, glancing back to confirm his worst fear.

Except, it’s not even Henry. It’s a blonde guy, sure, but the face is wrong, and Henry wouldn’t be caught dead in sweatpants that dingy, especially in public. He’s paying them no mind, perusing the pillowcases mindlessly, and Eddie feels his body relax fully, taking a much needed deep breath.

He realizes Steve is waiting for an answer, a curious and worried look on his face when Eddie makes eye contact with him. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine. Just ready to get home and see the girls, that’s all.”

It’s very obviously a lie, and Steve frowns as soon as it’s in the air between them. “Okay,” he says, agreeable to a fault. It’s clear that he knows something is not right though, but Eddie admires his commitment to not causing a scene in public. They set their purchases onto the counter, and Steve makes light conversation with the cashier as she rings everything up. Steve found some hair scrunchies and some cute butterfly clips, but Eddie is still so out of it that he can’t even come up with an appropriately excited comment about them.

Steve pays, thanks the checkout girl, and takes Eddie’s hand and their bag before leading the way out to the car. Steve patiently waits until they’re both buckled in with the heat blasting before turning to look at him, his lips tipped down in concern. “Do you wanna talk about it?” Steve asks carefully.

“No,” Eddie says, staring down at his hands, twisting them in his lap. “I’m fine, really. I’m sorry for freaking you out.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that, baby. I just want to know that you’re okay, and I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. Okay?” Steve reaches out and tucks his hair back behind his ear in a gesture so sweet it makes Eddie’s gums hurt.

“I know,” Eddie murmurs. He turns his head, kissing Steve’s wrist. “Can we go home?”

Steve nods, but doesn’t move the car before leaning in for a kiss. “Yeah, let’s go home.”

~~~

The girls are pleased to see them when they arrive home, and Eddie thanks Max for letting them stay up to wait on them as soon as he gets back to the kitchen after tucking them in.

“You guys actually made it back earlier than I expected,” Max says, glancing at the clock. It’s only a little past nine, and Eddie pointedly doesn’t look at the expression on Steve’s face when she says it.

“Well, we still have to pack for our trip,” Steve tells her. “Are you and Lucas going down to see his parents for Christmas?”

Max nods. “Yeah. We’ll probably get together with El and Will at some point, I know Joyce is doing a big Christmas at hers this year if you guys want to drop by.” She glances at Eddie, but doesn’t fill him in on who any of these people are.

“Yeah, maybe. I’ll give Joyce a call when we get to the cabin tomorrow.” Steve catches sight of the money on the counter, obviously the change from the pizza they’d ordered, and he immediately scoops it up and tucks it into the pocket of Max’s bag. At the start of her protest, he clicks his tongue. “Nah, I wanted you to keep it. Consider it your fee for watching the girls.”

“You know I’ve never asked you to pay me for that,” Max says, cocking her hip and crossing her arms.

“Fine, a Christmas gift, then,” Steve says with a smile, rolling his eyes. He pulls her into a hug, and Eddie feels awkward standing there audience to it all, so he takes a step back, grabbing the notepad they keep next to the fridge and jotting down some things they need to pack.

“It was nice to finally meet you, Eddie,” Max says after Steve releases her from the embrace. She’s smiling at him sweetly, and he can’t help but return the sentiment. “The rest of the family is going to love you, I promise.”

Eddie gives Steve a confused look, knowing what he knows about the elder Harringtons. Steve smiles sheepishly. “She’s talking about her and the other little twerps I used to babysit, and by extension, their families.”

“Uh, still your family, dipshit,” Max says. “We basically adopted him. He was a helicopter dad even back then, imagine our surprise when he became a real dad.”

Something about the imagery of a younger Steve who was still protective and father-like makes Eddie smile. “So he was pretty much born to be a dad, huh?”

Max nods vigorously. “Oh yeah, big time. Surprised he hasn’t already pupped you up, to be honest, poor guy has got the worst baby fever of any alpha I’ve ever met.”

Steve’s face is red as he claps his hands decisively. “Aright! Enough of that. Thanks for watching the girls, Max, you and Lucas have a safe trip and a very merry Christmas,” Steve says as he leads her down the hall, very clearly getting rid of her before she can embarrass him further. Eddie snickers despite himself as he hears Steve lecture her quietly on being inappropriate.

There’s a quiet goodbye, and then the sound of the door clicking shut and locking before Steve’s sock-feet pad back into the kitchen. “Sorry about that,” Steve says, not quite able to make eye contact. “She has absolutely no tact whatsoever.”

Eddie shrugs, trying to hide his grin. “I liked her,” he murmurs.

Steve smiles for real at that, coming around and wrapping Eddie up in a soft hug. “I hoped you would. She’s like a little sister to me.”

“I can see it,” Eddie smiles. He taps the notepad in front of him. “We need to get to packing if we’re ever going to be ready to leave tomorrow.”

Steve groans, something put-upon and dramatic, and Eddie bites his lip to hide a laugh. “Fine, if we have to. I’ll pack the girls’ stuff if you wanna pack stuff for me and you?”

Eddie nods, leaning up for a kiss. “Sounds good to me. And don’t forget, we need to sneak the presents downstairs and into the car so the girls don’t see it.”

“I’m so glad you’re here to keep me on track,” Steve murmurs around another kiss, this one deeper than the last. “What did we ever do without you?”

Eddie shrugs demurely, unwilling to think about the reality of what Steve’s life was like with the twins before he came into the picture. “I guess I’ll never know, seeing as you have to keep me now.”

Steve grins, something mischievous twinkling in his eyes at that. “Lucky me,” he whispers. He kisses down Eddie’s throat, and Eddie knows this could get out of hand if he allowed it. Luckily, he’s stronger than that. Well, at least in the face of a more pressing task.

“Come on, loverboy. We’ve got work to do, before any of that.” Eddie pushes him away with a peck to his cheek, making his way to the hall closet where they keep the suitcases.

“So we can do some of that when we’re done?” Steve teases quietly, taking the two little pink suitcases when Eddie hands them to him.

“We’ll see,” Eddie says diplomatically. He’s sure they both know exactly how the night will end, but there’s no harm in teasing him, in pretending that it might be different.

“Deal,” Steve says, pecking his cheek sweetly before tiptoeing down the hall to the twins’ room.

Eddie sighs, content in the life he’s stumbled into, and excited for their first proper holiday together as a family.