I Don’t Know What Those Stains Are…

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Axel Wayne Munson was the center of Eddie’s world. The missing piece that he never knew he needed. When he found out that you were having a boy, he was terrified. The Munson curse was very real and very much prevalent and he didn’t want to bring a child into that. His dad was a dirtbag that gave him a shitty childhood with no love, affection, or even a hint of care. Not until Wayne, at least.

But even with help from his uncle, Eddie was still very much damaged and he had a hard time loving. He didn’t want to pass that on to his son. But once he found out that it was definitely a boy, Eddie realized that he had no choice. That’s when everything shifted.

Eddie changed. Once he knew it was coming, it all began to make sense. He began to see things differently. He may have had an absentee father and not much of a childhood but he knew one thing for certain; his boy was not gonna end up like him. Eddie was going to be the father to his son that he himself should have had. He would be everything that Axel needed- and more.

The day that Axel was born, he was already taking the world by storm. He came out crying and wouldn’t stop. They chalked it up to colic because nothing would soothe him. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t get him to stop. Not until he was in Eddie’s arms.

Axel’s eyes fluttered open, squinting harshly as they tried to adjust to the harsh bright light outside of the womb. But, for a moment, they opened fully. It was a fleeting moment but Eddie felt it like an electrical current. Axel looked at him with big brown eyes that looked just like his and Eddie knew. This little boy was his life now and he vowed right then and there that he would stop at nothing to make sure that he felt loved and that nothing would ever hurt him.

As Axel grew, you got to witness Eddie begin to watch Axel’s childhood unfold. Sometimes you wondered if Eddie sometimes lived out his missed childhood through your son. Sharing experiences with him that Eddie never got to have. It wasn’t until the toddler stage that you really got to see it all play out.

In the morning, you would usually wake up to find Eddie’s side of the bed empty- padding your way down the hallway to find him somewhere in the house with your boy. There were times where you’d find him on the floor with your now almost two-year-old son as they drove Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars on the racetrack rug in Axel’s room.

“Car go!” Axel would say, rolling the car on the floor as Eddie watches.

“What sound does a car make, Ax?” Eddie would implore, looking at his son as Axel looks up at him- throwing his tiny arms up in excitement as he shouts “Broom!”

It never ceases to amaze Eddie just how smart his son was. It seemed like every day he learned something new. A new word, how to do something all by himself, and finding new ways to get into trouble. Like the one morning that you both awoke to the sound of pots can pans clattering, jolting you from your sleep.

“What was that?” You ask, staring at Eddie with wide eyes before you both leap out of bed, hurrying into the kitchen to find Axel wide awake. His curls wild with bed hair as he toddles around the kitchen in his dino footy pajamas, digging through the cupboard where you kept your cookware. Axel grabs onto a wooden cooking spoon as he begins to wack it into the floor.

“Oh-Kay!” Eddie says, rushing over to scoop up Axel into his arms “I think it’s a little too early for that, kid.”

When Axel sees that his dad is finally awake, he beams.

“Dadadada..” He babbles, burying his tiny face in Eddie’s curls before resting it in his father’s shoulder.

“Good morning to you too, gremlin.” Eddie laughs softly, kissing Axel’s head of brown curls that looked just like his “How long have you been up, hm? You scared the shit out of me and mommy.”

Your son lifts his head from Eddie’s shoulder to look at him.

“Oh’s.” He states, pointing his tiny finger towards the pantry. Eddie knew just what he was asking for; breakfast.

“Yeah? You hungry?” Eddie coos “You want some Cheerios?”

Eddie walks over to the pantry, his son in his arms as he looks for Axel’s favorite cereal. That’s when Eddie remembered that they had finished the box yesterday morning while they were cuddled on the couch watching He-Man.

“Shoot.” Eddie shakes his head “We’re out of Oh’s. Sorry, kiddo.”

“No Oh’s?” Axel asks, his little face scrunching up in confusion.

“Yup. No more Oh’s.” Eddie responded “They’re all gone?”

“Gone?” Axel repeats “Where go?”

“Well…” Eddie starts “I’m pretty sure that a chunky little gremlin ate ‘em all!”

Eddie begins to tickle your son’s side as Axel giggles, causing you to smile as you watch. There was nothing that made you happier than seeing your boys happy.

“There should be Cocoa Puffs in here.” You offer “I can go to the store later if-“

“No.” Axel huffs “Mo’ Oh’s.”

“You sure you don’t want-“

“Oh’s!” Axel grumbles, scrunching up his little face to show you that he meant business. He wanted his Cheerios and nothing else would suffice.

“You heard the man.” Eddie jokes “Looks like we’re gonna have to go get more Oh’s.”

“Okay.” You relent “I’ll go get dressed all I’ll go.”

“No, babe, don’t worry about it.” Eddie shakes his head, walking over to you to gently kiss your forehead “I’ve got it. Why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll bring Ax with me. Right, gremlin? How does that sound? Wanna go bye-bye with daddy?”

And Axel can hardly contain his excitement, bouncing his little body up and down in Eddie’s arms as he squeals excitedly.

“Alright, alright.” Eddie laughs “You act like I never take you anywhere.”

Eddie takes him back to his bedroom, stepping around a landmine of toys to get to his dresser.

“Alright, kid. What do you wanna wear today?” He asks “What are we feeling? We’ve got….cars?”

Eddie holds up a tiny 2T shirt with a car pattern, waiting for a reaction. Axel just blinks.

“Okay.” Eddie replies “What about…..this?”

He holds up a blue and white striped polo shirt.

“No!” Axel grumbles, grabbing the shirt in his tiny fist as he yanks it out of Eddie’s hand before dropping it to the floor.

“You know what?” Eddie says, looking down at the discarded shirt “I don’t even blame you. A polo shirt? What was I thinking?”

Axel had a hatred for polo shirts. Eddie knew this. His chubby hand always pulled at the collar as he fussed relentlessly until you took it off of him.

“You know, we would really burn that shirt. Like, the stripes? Totally out. Not a fan of the ‘my daddy has money and I own a yacht’ look.”

Axel begins to babble, waving his arm around dramatically and Eddie listens intently even though he didn’t understand gibberish. When Axel was finally done airing out his grievances, he lets out a grunt.

“….Yeah, you can say that again, dude.” Eddie nods “Might have to let daddy do the clothes shopping for a bit. Mommy means well. You know she thinks you’re handsome in anything you wear. Can’t blame her. You’re pretty damn cute.”

“Ya.” Axel lets out, nodding once for emphasis.

“Alright.” Eddie laughs “You don’t have to be cocky about it. Jeez….”

Eddie then turns back towards the dresser drawer as he rifles through more clothing options.

“Ooh! Hey bub, look what mommy washed.”

Eddie pulls out Axel’s favorite shirt. His tiny Hellfire Club t-shirt. As soon as Axel lays eyes on it, he goes feral in Eddie’s arms- bouncing up and down wildly as he fusses. He holds out his arms as he tries to grab for it, snatching it out of Eddie’s hands as he pulls it close to his chest- rubbing his cheek against the fabric.

“Alright, that’s settled then. Tiny Hellfire shirt, it is.”

Axel then pops his head back up to look up at his dad, grabbing as Eddie’s Judas Priest shirt that he had slept in.

“Da!” Axel lets out, still tugging. Eddie had learned not that long ago what this means when Axel tugs on his shirt. He wanted to match.

“You wanna pick what I wear today too?” Eddie grins “Okay. I’m not complaining. It can be a Hellfire shirt kind of day.”

A half an hour later, Eddie and Axel were dressed for the day. Ready for an errand run.

As Eddie grabs his keys from the hook on the wall, Axel begins to point at his eyes.

“Dada, bight.”

“Shoot! Almost forgot.” Eddie grabs Axel’s favorite accessory; his tiny black sunglasses as he slides them into his face.

“Here we go!” Eddie announces “Can’t leave without those, can we?”

As Eddie looks down at his son and smiles. This tiny little thing that he helped create. This tiny little person that was just like him. A smaller version of the boy Eddie once was. A boy that was forgotten by the world or cast aside from everyone else. Until he found you. Until you showed him the love that he always deserved to have. The love that Eddie would die trying to make sure that his son was showered in.

Axel Wayne Munson was perfect in every way. That no matter what he would do, no matter what he would become, no matter what choices he would make with his life, Eddie would always love him.

Always.

“I love you.” Eddie breathes out, pressing a kiss to Axel’s forehead as the toddler smiled. A smile that Eddie would go through hell for. A smile he would sacrifice everything to see. This boy? He was special. He was everything. It was that moment that Eddie had to shake the thought out of his mind, it was far too early to be crying and emotional.

“Alright, kid.” Eddie says, spinning his keys around on his finger “Lets rock ‘n roll.”