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It takes about a week for Steve to make up his mind about the hearing thing.

And in that week, Eddie feels tortured, or maybe blessed, with Steve wearing his glasses. He shows up to class Monday without them, but when Eddie catches him squinting at the board, he walks by and murmurs a soft, “forgetting something?”

Steve seems flustered by it, but digs them out with a huff. He glares at Eddie for a few minutes, or tries to at least, before he breaks, sliding them onto his face and giving him a soft little smile. Eddie grins, waggling his eyebrows and mouthing the word “hot” at him, which only makes Steve blush.

They’re so obvious with it that Barbera fake-gags, which embarrasses Eddie just enough to stop flirting until the end of class. He means to catch Steve before he leaves, just to check in with him and make sure they’re still on for their tutoring session the next day, but Steve is out the door before Eddie even finishes packing his bag. He tries not to take it personally, and when Tuesday rolls around and Steve does show up for their tutoring session, Eddie knows it isn’t really about him. Still, he’s not oblivious to the fact that Steve keeps things strictly business, all school-related talk and nothing else, and this trend continues for the rest of the week.

It’s Friday evening when something finally changes.

They’re at the library for their usual tutoring session, and Eddie is watching Steve as he writes the answer to one of the workbook’s questions, his hand moving slowly and carefully as he writes. It’s quiet in their little pocket of space in the corner, so Eddie notices immediately when someone approaches them on Steve’s bad side.

Not that Steve has a bad side, exactly. It’s just, like… the side he can’t hear from.

The person, who Eddie vaguely recognizes from the history lecture, says, “hey, Steve, do you happen to have the notes from Wednesday?”

Steve doesn’t reply. Doesn’t even look up.

Eddie gives the girl - Delilah? Dina? Something like that - a small smile before reaching out and touching Steve’s wrist.

“Hm?” Steve says, still not looking up.

“Honey, you’ve got a visitor,” Eddie says, voice quiet but close enough to Steve’s good ear that his gaze snaps up, then over, flushing when he sees the girl standing there.

“Oh, hey Nicole,” he says, clearly embarrassed.

Nicole? Close enough.

“Hey, Steve,” she says, clearly confused. “Um, I was just asking if you happened to have the notes from Wednesday. I had a doctor’s appointment and you’re the first person I’ve seen from that class since then.”

There’s a panic-stricken look on Steve’s face as he processes her words. “Oh, um…” he says, shuffling his papers around. Eddie knows his notebook is in his bag still, and he knows that Steve does have the notes, and yet he says, “I don’t have them with me, actually.”

“Oh,” Nicole says, her face falling. “Okay, then. Well, um. Thanks anyway.” She starts to walk away, but Eddie stops her.

“Hey, Nicole? I’ve got the notes, so I can email them to you when I get home,” Eddie tells her. His hand is still resting on Steve’s wrist, so he notices it when Steve turns his hand over, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. Eddie thinks it might be a little thank you.

“Oh, perfect! Thanks so much, Mr. Munson,” she says. “I’ll see you guys Monday!”

Eddie smiles and waves at her with his free hand, while Steve just nods at her before turning back to his work. When his pencil doesn’t move, however, Eddie frowns. “What’s the matter, baby?” he asks, speaking softly.

Steve shrugs, then sniffles, covering his face with his free hand and shaking his head.

Oh.

“Oh, babe,” Eddie sighs sympathetically, scooting his chair closer and bringing his hand up to gently rub Steve’s back. “I… I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through with this. But, can you talk to me? Tell me what part is bothering you?”

Steve shakes his head again, then seems to change his mind and nods instead. “I just…” He trembles, and Eddie waits, patiently rubbing circles onto his back and squeezing his hand again. “Now that I’m like, aware of it, I’m starting to hyperfixate on it.”

“On what?” Eddie asks, although he’s pretty sure he already knows.

“The hearing thing. Like… How many fucking times have I just sat and ignored someone because I just couldn’t fucking hear them?” He’s getting a little louder than is probably acceptable at a library, so Eddie gently shushes him. He looks sheepish for a moment, lowering his head to rest on their intertwined hands. “I just… I don’t know. I feel broken.”

Eddie’s heart fucking shatters when he hears that. He hates to imagine that Steve has been dealing with these feelings by himself for so long before now, but he knows that he probably has. The only thing he can do now is be there for him, but thinking about a younger Steve, struggling with this alone, almost makes him sick.

“I know, Stevie. I mean… I haven’t been through this, but I get the whole… feeling broken thing. But you’re not broken.” A heavy silence falls upon them, and he hopes Steve can read the subtext, because he’s just not sure if he can spell it out for him just yet.

Apparently, he doesn’t need to. Steve tilts his head, looking up at Eddie and giving him a frown. “You’re not broken, either.” Before Eddie can protest, Steve sits up straight, leaning into Eddie’s space a bit more than he normally would, his hand coming up to cup Eddie’s jaw. “No. If I’m not broken, then neither are you. We’re… we’re okay.”

Eddie gives him a little smile, and an easy agreement. “We’re okay,” he says softly. He tilts his head, catching Steve’s hand and pressing a little kiss to his palm. He just can’t help himself.

Steve’s got a soft look on his face when Eddie meets his gaze. “I think I’m ready to go to the doctor for my hearing problems,” he whispers.

Eddie grins, and knows that he probably looks ridiculous, but he literally can’t help it. Steve is being brave - braver than Eddie would ever be, probably, and doing the things that scared him, and Eddie can only hope that someday he’ll be able to do that too.

He kisses Steve’s hand again, holding it in both of his and smiling at him. “I’m so proud of you,” he murmurs. “I’m serious, Steve. I know you don’t want to go, and it’s scary, but I’m so fucking proud of you for deciding that it’s worth it to try.”

Steve has a sort of bashful look on his face, but Eddie’s not backing down. He wants Steve to know, without a doubt, how supportive he is of this decision. “Well, it’s not really that big of a deal,” he mumbles.

Eddie shakes his head. “Okay, maybe not. But that doesn’t mean it’s not scary. That doesn’t mean it’s not brave to do it. And that doesn’t make me any less proud of you.” He uses Steve’s hand that he’s got trapped in his to boop him on the nose.

Steve looks sort of embarrassed, but smiles, ducking his head. “Will you go with me again?” He asks, studying their hands. He brings his other hand down to tangle their fingers together, and Eddie lets him, helpless to intervene when he’s being so sweet and touchy after so many days without it.

“Of course,” Eddie replies immediately. “Always. Anytime you need me, darlin’, I’m there.”

He watches as Steve’s face flushes, and he has to bite back a grin. He’s so easy to rile up, even when Eddie isn’t particularly trying to. “Okay,” Steve mumbles. “We should… finish this?” He sounds uncertain.

Eddie nods, though honestly he could give a fuck less about the stupid worksheet that Murray assigned. “Sure, Stevie. And I can drive you home when we’re done, if you want.”

Steve pulls his right hand away from Eddie’s to grab his pencil, but taps it on the book a few times before speaking. “I was actually thinking… Maybe I could go back to yours? And we could, um… watch a movie or something?” He sounds so hopeful, and has an air of forced nonchalance that Eddie can’t help but smirk at.

Then what he’s asking sets in. “Uh…” Eddie hesitates. Not because he doesn’t want to spend more time with Steve, or course not. But because… he’s not sure he’ll be able to maintain this quasi-friendly distance between them if they’re all alone in his apartment.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Steve mumbles after a minute of silence. “I just-“

Apparently Eddie has even less self control than he thought, because he just nods and smiles. “No, yeah. Let’s do that. You said you’ve never seen Lord of the Rings, right?” He’s mostly joking, but the wide-eyed, panicked look that fills Steve’s face then just solidifies it. “It’s a long one, so you’ll have to hurry up if you wanna be able to finish it tonight.”

Steve sighs like he regrets ever asking, but gives Eddie a little smile when he looks back down at his work. “Alright.”

~~~

Eddie doesn’t actually make Steve rush through the assignment, but he hints at the correct answers more frequently than he normally would. If Steve notices the difference, he doesn’t say anything, and when he finishes, he lets Eddie help him pack up his things without argument.

If Eddie didn’t know any better, he’d think Steve was… excited.

But surely that can’t be the case. Steve had never shown any interest in any of Eddie’s nerd shit before now, so surely there’s something else. Then again, if Steve’s excited/nervous for the same reason that Eddie himself is… that might be a problem in and of itself.

“How long did you say this movie was again?” Steve asks as Eddie is driving them away from campus, towards his apartment.

“Well,” Eddie says, hesitating. “Um… I don’t think I did.”

“What?” Steve glances at him, clearly confused.

Eddie scratches his chin awkwardly. “I didn’t say how long it was,” he admits, biting his lip a little and avoiding meeting Steve’s gaze.

“Oh,” Steve says. A few seconds later, he shrugs. “Okay.”

Eddie balks at him. Surely he’s not just giving in that easily? Without any sort of estimate about when he can expect to go home?

“Do you… not want to know how long it is?” Eddie asks. The fun has run its course if Steve’s not playing along, but Eddie had expected the joke to last a bit longer, if he’s honest.

Steve just shrugs again. “It doesn’t really matter to me,” he says casually. When Eddie glances at him, Steve is already turned to face him fully. Eddie feels a little bad for avoiding eye contact so far on the drive, realizing acutely that Steve relies on lip-reading significantly. “Are you gonna make me go home if I fall asleep during it?”

Eddie blinks at him. He can feel his face flushing a little, at even the suggestion of the alternative. That he should just let Steve sleep over, like they’re friends, when they are most certainly not.

“Um,” Eddie says, stupidly. “Probably not. For starters, that would be really shitty of you, to fall asleep during the best cinematic masterpiece of our time, and secondly,” he pauses to glance the opposite way before turning right at a stop sign. He normally wouldn’t bother, but… precious cargo. “I could never be that cruel. It’s a long one. And since it’s your first time, I’ll let it slide if you fall asleep.”

Steve makes a noise that’s a bit like a laugh or a snort, and when Eddie glances at him, he’s got a smirk on his face. “That sounded a bit dirty,” he teases.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “No, you’re just dirty-minded. Get your thoughts out of the gutter, Harrington.”

“What if I want them in the gutter?” Steve says, sly and coy.

Eddie clears his throat. “Um.”

Luckily, Steve takes pity on him. “Can we order Chinese?”

~~~

They do order Chinese, and while they wait for it to arrive, Eddie frets about setting up the movie.

“Now this is god-tier shit, alright? And there’s all these layers to the lore, so if you have a question I’ll have to pause the whole thing and-“ Eddie is explaining all this as he’s turned away, but he pauses when he turns around and finds Steve staring at him. He’s got this little smile on his lips, and it takes Eddie a second to get it. “You couldn’t hear any of that, could you?”

Steve breaks out into a full grin at that. “Not really. It sounded sort of muffled, but I got bits and pieces of it.”

Eddie shakes his head, embarrassed. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I-“

Steve steps towards him, shaking his head. “Don’t… please don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Eddie says quietly, hyper-aware of the lack of space between them.

“Don’t treat me like I’m broken. Just… treat me the way you always do.” Steve’s voice breaks, and so does Eddie’s heart.

“Oh, baby,” Eddie sighs. He reaches out for Steve, pulling him into a tight hug. Luckily, Steve goes willingly. “I’m sorry. I’m not… I’m really not trying to treat you differently, like, in a bad way. I’m just trying to be more accommodating, now that I sort of know how.”

Steve nods. “I know. I just… I really hate being like this, Eddie.”

Eddie’s heart feels like lead in his chest, his ribs too tight around the organ. “I know,” he mumbles against Steve’s hair, rubbing his back in long, smooth motions. “Well… not completely, but… I understand why you’re frustrated.”

Steve sniffles. Eddie kisses the top of his head, not even caring if Steve feels the affectionate touch. “Yeah,” he says, tiredly. “Can we just watch the movie? And… and not talk about all my problems?”

Eddie nods, but pulls back to look at him. “Okay, but let me say one last thing?” Steve shrugs, so Eddie takes that as an agreement. “You’re allowed to talk about these things with me. I know you feel weird about it, but just know that I’ll always listen if you need to talk. Okay?”

“Okay,” Steve agrees quietly. “Thanks, Eddie.”

Helpless to his own stupid urges, Eddie leans in again to kiss Steve’s forehead. “Alright. Movie time.”

~~~

The food comes as they’re gathering up pillows and blankets and all the snuggly things that Eddie can find in his apartment. They build a fort of sorts on his sofa, and between the two of them, they’re laughing and giggling at the absurdity of it all, the child-like glee from playing like kids again.

“You know, I’ve never been able to use chopsticks,” Eddie notes vaguely as they settle in to start eating.

“Really?” Steve asks, all curious and amused. “I could teach you, if you want.”

Eddie looks over at him, surprised. “Would you really?”

Steve shrugs. “Sure, why not. C’mere.”

So that’s how Eddie finds himself, sitting in front of Steve, his ass barely hanging onto the edge of the couch, Steve’s thighs bracketing his hips. Eddie’s not sure this is an entirely foolproof method, but he doesn’t argue when Steve tells him where to sit.

“Alright, so, you just hold the bottom one steady like this,” Steve explains, demonstrating on his own hand. “And then the top one is used like a pincer. You just use it to pinch your food.”

Eddie nods, turning his head so that Steve will be able to hear him. “Sounds simple enough.”

Steve smiles, reaching for his hand. “Alright, let me show you how to hold it.” He goes through the whole routine again, this time positioning the chopsticks between Eddie’s fingers instead of his own. “Okay, now try to get a piece of chicken.”

Eddie reaches forward, but nearly slides off the couch in the process. “Man, I don’t think this is the best seating arrangement you’ve ever come up with.”

“Hm?” Steve hums against his shoulder, his arm slipping around Eddie’s waist to hold him. Eddie’s not sure this will prevent him from tumbling off the couch, but he’s not about to turn down the almost-cuddle.

“I said I don’t think this is the best seating arrangement,” Eddie repeats, turning his head to the side to glance back at Steve. “Even though you make one hell of a seatbelt,” he says with a smirk.

Steve blushes, pinching Eddie’s stomach lightly. “Behave,” Steve says when Eddie squeals. “And pick up the chicken! We’re losing precious daylight hours here.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, even as he leans forward once more to try and use the chopsticks. “Fine,” he mumbles. It takes him a few tries, but eventually he does manage to pinch a piece of chicken between the ends of the chopsticks. “Look! I did it!” He cheers, turning quickly in his excitement to show Steve.

Of course, that’s exactly when the chicken slips out from between the chopsticks, landing on the floor.

Eddie sighs. “Fuck this,” he says solemnly, going to put the chopsticks down in exchange for a fork.

“Hey,” Steve protests, reaching around him to scoop the chopsticks back up. “Just because you’re trash at it now doesn’t mean you can’t learn. Here, watch what I do.” Steve carefully leans forward, his arm tightening around Eddie’s chest to hold him still. Eddie feels like he can barely breathe as he watches Steve easily scoop up a piece of chicken with the chopsticks, expertly bringing it out of the bowl without dropping it.

Eddie expects Steve to eat the morsel himself, so he’s surprised when instead, the chopsticks halt in front of his mouth. “Here,” Steve says softly.

He almost wants to tease him, but the fear of breaking the moment altogether forces Eddie to just accept it, opening his mouth and letting Steve feed him. “Mm.”

“Is it good?” Steve asks, his hand beginning to trace meaningless shapes on Eddie’s stomach.

“Yeah,” Eddie finds himself whispering, his throat feeling a little tight, and not because of the food.

What use are their stupid boundaries about kissing if they’re going to do shit like this? He wonders.

“Want to try again?” Steve asks.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, maybe next time.”

“Okay,” Steve says easily enough. Eddie expects him to push him away now, grab a fork and both of them eat like normal people.

That’s not what happens.

Instead, Steve shuffles in his seat, lifting up his legs and carefully draping them over Eddie’s. “Is this okay?” He whispers.

Eddie swallows hard, but nods. His idea of “okay” is so skewed as of now, he really doesn’t know what qualifies anymore. “Yeah, it’s okay,” he mumbles.

Steve crosses his legs over Eddie’s lap, and if Eddie didn’t feel so choked up, he’d probably laugh at the way he’s basically got a human backpack.

“Can you hold my food for me? So I don’t have to lean so far?” Steve asks, his arm tightening around Eddie’s chest.

Eddie nods, but glances back at Steve before he grabs the take-out container for him. “Are you sure it wouldn’t just be easier to sit beside me?”

Steve blushes. “I mean… yeah, it would.” He doesn’t say anything else, staring at Eddie with wide, hopeful eyes.

“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Eddie laughs, reaching for the take-out container with a hand on one of Steve’s ankles. “Here you go, baby.”

He holds the carton close to Steve’s right hand to make it easier on him, then frowns at his own plate. He’s not sure exactly how they’re going to manage it like this, to be honest. He’s pulled from his thoughts when Steve hums in his ear.

“Bite?” Steve says softly, holding out a piece of chicken at the end of his chopsticks.

“Oh,” Eddie replies, surprised. “Are you sure? I can just eat mine.”

Steve shrugs, and for a split second, Eddie thinks he feels the briefest press of lips to his shoulder blade. “We can share,” Steve suggests.

Eddie turns his head just a bit, and their noses brush with the movement. Neither of them move away. “You just want to steal some of my orange chicken,” Eddie accuses teasingly.

Steve blinks, his eyes wide and innocent. “Who, me?”

And really, what happens next is all Steve’s fault.

He licks his lips, just a quick dart of tongue against chapped pink, and Eddie’s eyes drop to follow the movement, helpless.

When his eyes flick back up to meet Steve’s, the innocent look is gone, replaced by something darker, something more intense. Steve carefully sticks his chopsticks back into the carton of chicken and rice, his thumb coming to rub the back of Eddie’s hand, pushing it towards the table.

“Put it back,” Steve says quietly, no need for volume when his breath is already caressing Eddie’s ear.

Eddie obeys immediately, leaning forward and placing the carton back on the table before attempting to twist in Steve’s grip, desperate to face him, to see what will happen next. “Steve,” Eddie murmurs, a little annoyed at the lack of movement he’s being allowed.

Steve doesn’t let him struggle for long. He wiggles to the side of Eddie, pulling his left leg with him as he goes. Eddie hears himself whine sadly, but before he can lament the loss of Steve’s warmth properly, he’s shifting again, and suddenly Eddie has a lapful of Steve Harrington.

“Um,” Eddie says, very eloquently. Thank you, English degree.

Steve is staring down at him from his new perch, his eyes a little wild. His hands are shaking a bit as he brings them up to rest on Eddie’s shoulders, but his voice is calm when he speaks. “I know we decided this was a bad idea,” he says, his voice strong and even. “But, I also think that if I don’t kiss you within the next five minutes, I might die.”

Eddie cracks a grin at that. “You think so?”

Steve nods solemnly. “You can tell me to fuck off if you really don’t want to,” he whispers, leaning in close and brushing his lips against Eddie’s cheek, right where it dimples. “But I… I’ve been thinking about it all day, and…” he pauses, pulling back just a fraction. “I happened to be looking at the student handbook for the university.”

Eddie quirks an eyebrow at that. “Oh? You just happened to be looking at that?”

Steve’s face is definitely a little pink, but he nods, apparently committed to that version of the story. “Yes. And it says that student/professor relationships are frowned upon, but not technically illegal.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie’s heart is racing. He’s certain he’s got this deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, one that Steve must be able to read as clear as day, even with the reading difficulties he definitely possesses.

“Yeah,” Steve nods. “And since you’re not technically my professor…” His lips drag down Eddie’s jaw, nipping gently when he gets close to Eddie’s ear. “And if this is just sex, not a relationship…”

Eddie’s stomach drops a little at that, and not in a sexy way. “Oh,” he says, struggling to keep the disappointment out of his voice. But of course it wouldn’t be anything past sex - Steve is young, attractive, a star member of the university’s basketball team. He could get anyone he wants to be in a relationship with him, of course he wouldn’t want Eddie. And as pathetic as it makes him, and as much as it hurts… he knows he’s going to let Steve have this. He’s going to give him what he wants, and when he’s through with him, Eddie will allow himself to be tossed aside like trash, even though he’s already halfway in love with the guy.

But it’s that love, that endless well of adoration and desire, that makes Eddie say, “okay.”

Even though it hurts.

“Yeah?” Steve mumbles against his jaw.

Even though it fucking stings.

“Yeah,” Eddie whispers back.

He lets that be the end of their exchanging of words, reaching a hand up into Steve’s hair to gently tilt his head, guiding their lips together in a deep, wet kiss. Steve makes a soft noise into the touch, and Eddie’s other hand falls down to rest on his hip, squeezing gently. His mouth moves softly against Steve’s at first, craving the tenderness of a kiss that he knows is living on borrowed time.

“Fuck,” Steve whispers against his mouth, pulling back just a little. “Do you think we could- would you-“ He stumbles over his words, making a frustrated noise before rutting his hips down into Eddie’s, making him groan loudly.

“Steve,” Eddie says through gritted teeth. “Fuck. Don’t- you shouldn’t do that.”

Steve whines, looking down at him with wide, pitiful eyes. “Why not?” He asks. He’s definitely pouting.

Eddie drops his head back against the couch, overwhelmed with the feeling of Steve in his lap and all his blood rushing south. “God. I don’t know,” Eddie whines back, clutching at Steve’s hips desperately. He scrambles to think of something, anything, to postpone this, even for a few minutes. “Our food,” he finally says, blinking up at Steve.

Steve raises his eyebrows. “Our food?” He asks.

“It’ll… get cold,” Eddie finishes lamely.

Steve snorts, and his lips work into a grin. “Fuck the food, you’ve got a microwave.”

He dives back in for a kiss again, and really, Eddie can’t argue with that logic. His hands map a path from Steve’s hips to the back pockets of his jeans, and he’s not shy about sticking his hands in there to squeeze a good handful. “Fuck, babe,” he groans, Steve nipping at his lips. “Such a nice ass,” he mumbles, tilting his head to catch Steve’s lips again.

Steve pulls back, making Eddie whine loudly. He’d be embarrassed if he had any blood left in his brain to encourage any sort of thought process. Steve grins above him. “You should see it without the jeans. I’ve been told it’s even better that way.” He’s so fucking smug about it that Eddie has to pull his stupid face in for another bruising kiss, more than a little jealous at the mere suggestion that anyone else is seeing Steve’s ass enough to have an opinion.

And that’s stupid, not to mention possessive, of Eddie to even think that, but here they are. He squeezes Steve’s ass again before pulling his hands out of his pockets, bringing his hands around to undo his button and zipper. “Are you sure?” Eddie asks, pausing there, giving Steve every chance to back out. “You can always change your mind, Stevie.”

Eddie isn’t sure what he’s expecting Steve to say to that, but it definitely isn’t a huffy, “I know what I want, Eddie.”

“Okay,” Eddie says softly, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Tell me, then. What do you want?”

At that, Steve’s cheeks go a little red, though Eddie can’t for the life of him fathom why. It’s not like Steve has been shy up until this point. “I…” Steve trails off, but begins moving his hips in short little bursts of movement. “I want you to touch me.”

Eddie grins, and decides that if this is the only time he gets to have this, he can be a little mean. “Touch you where, baby?”

Steve whines, high in his throat. “Eddie,” he says softly. “Don’t be mean.”

And Eddie can’t help but kiss him for that. “Sorry,” he lies against his mouth. “Should we maybe go to my room? Or do you wanna do this on the couch?”

Steve freezes in his lap, which makes Eddie pull away instantly, looking up into his face for any sign of regret. “Um…” Steve starts, avoiding Eddie’s eyes.

“Honey, what is it?” Eddie asks as he rubs a soothing hand up and down Steve’s thigh. “Talk to me.”

“I’m not ready to fuck for real,” Steve says suddenly, the words bursting out of him in a rush of panic.

Eddie gives him a reassuring smile. “Okay,” he says immediately, bringing a hand up to pet Steve’s hair back. “That’s perfectly fine, baby. Thank you for telling me.”

Steve wiggles in his lap, twin hisses leaving their mouths at the sensation. “I still want to… do something, though.”

“Okay,” Eddie says. He pauses, thinking for a minute, before he smiles at Steve. “You ever jerked off with another guy before, Stevie?”

~~~

Predictably, Steve hasn’t done that, so that’s how they find themselves ten minutes later, both of their jeans and underwear pulled down to their thighs as Eddie strokes them off together with one hand. It’s incredibly hot, his gaze torn between watching the way his cock almost dwarfs Steve’s in his grip, and admiring the way Steve stares down at their dicks, his mouth wide open in shock.

“Does it feel pretty good, baby?” Eddie asks, smirking.

Steve nods dumbly, not a single word escaping his mouth. He’s blinking sort of rapidly, and Eddie wonders if his contacts are drying out. Normally, he’d stop to ask, but they’re both too damn close to worry about something like that right now.

Eddie tightens his grip a little, their dicks slippery enough with precome and spit that they slide together, making a disgusting, perfect sound. Eddie groans, flicking his wrist as he brings the both of them closer to the edge, his mind still not entirely wrapped around the fact that this is happening. They’re having sex. Literal, cocks touching, sharing breath and spit, sweaty sex.

And Eddie loves it.

He doesn’t know how the hell he’s supposed to give it up now that he’s had it, but he knows he’ll do whatever Steve wants, always. If he tells him ten minutes from now that he never wants to see Eddie again, Eddie would probably pack his bags. If Steve proposed, Eddie would say yes in a heartbeat.

Basically, there’s nothing Eddie wouldn’t do for him at this point.

“Close, close, close,” Steve chants, dropping his head back, presenting his neck to Eddie as he loses himself in the pleasure.

Eddie takes that as an opportunity to tilt forward, kissing and biting at the exposed column of Steve’s neck like his life depends on it. “Gonna come?” He mouths against Steve’s Adam’s apple.

“Yes, yes, Eddie, fuck, please,” Steve whines, his hips undulating as he tries to fuck himself against Eddie’s cock and the palm of his hand.

“Hm, if you’re good, I’ll let you come,” Eddie teases, slowing his stroking. He kisses his way up Steve’s throat, nibbling a little at his ear. “Are you gonna be good?”

“Yes, ‘m good, I’ll be s’good,” Steve pants. “Please!”

Eddie rewards him with picking up the pace and sucking a little mark under his ear, which makes him shudder. “Mm, so good using your manners, baby,” Eddie says, his voice breathy as he tries to stave off his own climax long enough for Steve to get his. “Come for me, babe. Make a mess.”

Apparently, that’s all it takes, and Steve is shooting off against their chests, the head of his dick nestled against the edge of Eddie’s. Something about it, the look on his face, the pulsing of Steve’s dick against his, or maybe the feeling of Steve’s come dripping down his cock, makes Eddie reach his. He comes so hard he almost thinks he’s going to black out, and he knows that’s all Steve.

“Fuck,” Steve whimpers, collapsing forward against Eddie’s chest, his head resting on Eddie’s shoulder. “That was so fucking hot,” he says with a light sigh, his body totally relaxed now.

Eddie laughs, his bones feeling like jello as he slumps against the couch, running his clean hand through Steve’s hair. “Did you like it?” He asks, a little nervous for the answer, despite the physical reaction he’d gotten out of Steve.

Steve snorts. “Did I like it?” He mocks, his eyes crinkling when he smiles at Eddie. “Of course I did. That was possibly the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

And that makes Eddie nearly preen with pride. “Good,” he says. He’s still holding his right hand at an awkward angle, trying not to touch Steve with the same hand he used to jerk them both off. He glances down at Steve, who appears to be perfectly content staying there, with no sign that he intends to move anytime soon. “Hey, babe,” Eddie murmurs softly.

Steve makes a humming noise. “Yeah?”

Eddie kisses the top of his head. “How about we go get cleaned up? Would that be okay?”

“But I’m so comfy,” Steve protests weakly. He snuggles further into Eddie then, as if he’s proving his point. Instead, all this does is squish their soft cocks together and smears the come on their shirts.

“I know, but we’re kind of disgusting right now. And you can’t go home with your shirt looking like that,” Eddie explains.

Steve leans back a little, chewing his lip as he studies Eddie, a nervous tic. “Can I sleep here?”

Eddie blinks at him. “Uh… here as in… like on my couch?”

Steve’s face flickers with disappointment, but he shrugs. “Er, yeah, if that’s what you, um… yeah, that’s okay.” He stutters through what sounds like a couple different half-sentences, and Eddie can’t help but smile at him.

“Okay. Yeah, you can stay,” he says. He’d love it if Steve would just sleep in his bed, but he’s not sure that he would be comfortable with that idea. He puts the thought out of his mind, patting Steve’s back. “Okay, let’s go get cleaned, bud. And then I’ll make up the couch for you, and we can actually eat our dinner.”

Steve sighs quietly, and Eddie thinks for a terrible moment that he might change his mind, but then he says, “okay,” and shoves himself up to his feet. He looks down at his shirt, stained with both of their releases, and grimaces. “Uh, have you got a shirt I can borrow?” Steve asks.

Eddie has a very brief vision of Steve, wandering around wearing his clothes. Not even in a sexy way; no, he’s imagining Steve going to class, Eddie’s favorite Metallica tee hugging his broad shoulders. He wonders if everyone in the class would realize it wasn’t Steve’s shirt.

“Yeah,” he croaks out when he realizes Steve is staring at him, waiting. “Yeah, um. We can- there’s clothes in my room,” he says, feeling dumb for even saying that. Obviously that’s where his clothes are. God, he’s stupid.

Steve gives him a little smirk. “Lead the way,” he says easily, stepping back and waving his hand with a flourish.

Eddie shoves himself off the sofa, tucking himself back into his underwear but leaving his jeans unbuttoned. It feels like a lot to make the trip to his room like this, fucked out and filthy, with Steve Harrington trailing behind him, humming fucking - “Steve, is that ABBA?” Eddie asks, tilting his head back enough to look at him, allowing every bit of judgment to seep into his expression.

“Uh,” Steve stalls, and Eddie feels him step on his heel, probably on purpose. “Maybe.”

Eddie shakes his head as he tugs off his shirt, chucking it at the laundry basket in the corner of his bedroom as he steps inside. “Can’t believe you’re singing ABBA in this household. That’s basically sacrilege, you know.” He pilfers through his drawer of all his best band t-shirts, plucking out his very favorite and tossing it to Steve. “Don’t lose this, it’s my favorite,” he warns loudly without looking at him, going back to find himself something.

“Oh, I don’t- you don’t have to give me your favorite shirt, Eddie,” Steve says, despite the fact that he’s putting it on when Eddie turns around. “I’d wear whatever, really.”

And damn, Eddie was right. It really is a sight to see, Steve stood there in his t-shirt, looking at Eddie with those big beautiful eyes. If Eddie wasn’t so spent, his cock would probably be twitching in his pants.

“It’s fine,” he says, shucking off his jeans and grabbing a pair of sweatpants for each of them. “I wanted to see King Steve in a peasant’s clothing, at least once,” he jokes. He’s not sure Steve even remembers that, the whole “King Steve” joke from their high school days, but he doesn’t see the harm in it.

That is, until he catches a look at Steve’s devastated face.

“Stevie?” he asks softly, stepping closer to him. “Did I- what did I say?”

Steve shakes his head, dragging in a deep, shuddering breath. “N-nothing. Just… don’t call me that.” His voice is low, but serious, even as he adds a softer, “please.”

Eddie reaches out, relieved when Steve doesn’t flinch away from the contact. He grips his elbow, rubbing his thumb along the inside crease, and waits for Steve to meet his gaze. “Okay,” he says quietly, watching Steve as he watches his mouth. “I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t think about it.”

Steve nods, and Eddie can’t help but coo when he steps closer for a hug. “Sorry,” Steve mumbles against his shoulder. “Hate bein’ sensitive about shit like that, but-”

“Hey, no,” Eddie says, pulling away just enough to get a good look at his face. “I want you to tell me when I cross a line, okay? Because sometimes I don’t realize it. Always tell me, alright?” He kisses Steve’s hair, subtle enough that hopefully he doesn’t even notice it.

“Okay,” Steve says quietly before tugging out of his embrace. It’s sooner than what Eddie prefers, and he aches to have him back in his arms the moment Steve is missing from them. He realizes he’s still just standing there in nothing but his ruined t-shirt and boxers, and the distinct embarrassment of being half-naked while Steve is fully dressed is enough to kick him into gear.

“Here,” Eddie says, holding out the extra pair of sweatpants after he’s tugged his own up his legs. “Unless you want to just sleep in your underwear,” he says, trying not to meet Steve’s eyes.

“These are fine, thanks,” Steve replies, and Eddie forces himself to look away when Steve begins tugging his jeans off.

A few minutes later, they’re both dressed in far more comfortable attire, and Eddie is starving. He leads the way back down the hall to the living room, scooping up their boxes of food and taking it straight to the kitchen to be reheated.

“We’ll have to start the movie over,” Steve says from behind him. When Eddie glances over his shoulder, he finds Steve standing there with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

Eddie grins as he sets the timer on the microwave. “You’re a man after my own heart, Stevie. I figured you’d try to pull the wool over my eyes and pretend you’d been paying attention the whole time.”

Steve rolls his eyes, but it’s playful. “Hard to pay attention when I’ve got you coming all over my cock, hotshot,” he says, smirking.

Eddie gulps, almost choking on his own spit as he turns to stare at the food rotating in the microwave. He’s not sure how to come back from that one, his brain moving too slowly in the wake of a good orgasm to even come up with a smooth retort. “Well,” Eddie says after an awkward moment of silence. “This time we have to pay attention to the movie. No distractions.”

The microwave beeps, and he carefully takes out the boxes, turning to find the smirk on Steve’s face hasn’t lessened. “No distractions. Scout’s honor.”

~~~

Scout’s honor, my ass, Eddie thinks nearly an hour later.

They’ve long since finished their food, and although Steve had managed to follow along the first part of the movie with minimal questions, Eddie can tell he’s losing patience, wiggling in his seat and casting glances at Eddie repeatedly. Eddie was serious though, he doesn’t stand for menial interruptions during Lord of the Rings time, and won’t pause it for anything less than an emergency.

“Eddie,” Steve whispers after another ten or so minutes of fidgeting.

Of course, hearing his soft voice, all of Eddie’s concerns fly straight out the window. He turns to him with a little smile, raising his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

Steve picks at a loose string at the seam of his borrowed sweatpants. “Can you pause it for just a second? I need to brush my teeth and stuff, in case I fall asleep.”

Eddie gives him a playful glare. “You can’t fall asleep during the movie, it’s against the rules!”

Steve rolls his eyes, but drops his head back and whines, playing along perfectly. “But I’m so sleepy,” he argues, batting those pretty little eyes at Eddie.

And of course Eddie can’t argue with that. “Okay, fine. I’ve probably got a spare toothbrush somewhere.” He starts to shove himself off the sofa, but Steve’s voice stops him.

“Oh, that’s okay, I’ve got one.”

Eddie pauses, turning slowly to look at Steve. He’s trying so, so hard not to grin. “You just happened to bring one with you?” He drawls, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Steve’s cheekbones flush with color, and Eddie can’t help but poke at them playfully. “Yes, I did,” Steve says petulantly, slapping Eddie’s pestering hands away.

“But you didn’t know you were staying the night,” Eddie says, feigning confusion.

Steve groans, finally breaking. He covers his face, but Eddie doesn’t let that last long, reaching forward and uncovering those beautiful hazel eyes immediately. “I didn’t, but I… I knew I was going to ask.”

Eddie coos at that, can’t help it really. “Aww, Stevie. How long had you been planning that?”

Apparently that’s a line he’s hesitant to cross, because Steve just looks away, back to plucking at the errant strings hanging off his borrowed pants. He shrugs, mumbling something that Eddie doesn’t quite catch.

“What was that, honey?” Eddie asks, reaching out and tugging at the loose thread Steve just released.

Steve sighs, a loud, almost put-upon sort of thing. “I said… I’ve had the toothbrush in my bag for like a week.” His face is decidedly pink now, and Eddie is so damn fond.

He knows he should laugh this off and move on, or try to at least, but one look at Steve’s embarrassed but hopeful face makes him bold. “All you had to do was ask, baby,” he says softly, patting Steve’s knee.

Steve fidgets again, turning so that his knees are pressed to Eddie’s thigh. “But last time, you acted like…” he trails off, somehow looking even more embarrassed than he did before. “Well, anyway,” he says, waving his hand dismissively.

Eddie doesn’t let it go that easily. “Like what?” He asks quietly, saving space for disappointment or regret, but understanding that this is about Steve’s feelings, not his own.

It takes a few long, awkwardly silent moments for Steve to actually make eye contact and respond. When he does finally look at him, Eddie tries to give him a reassuring smile. “It’s stupid,” Steve says, his gaze flickering between his hands and Eddie’s eyes.

“I seriously doubt that,” Eddie says, trying to be reassuring without being patronizing. “And even if it is, I still want to hear it.”

Steve studies his hands very carefully, picking at a hangnail with the utmost precision. He doesn’t meet Eddie’s eyes when he finally speaks. “I just feel like… like you maybe don’t want me around, sometimes.”

Eddie frowns, ducking his head so that he can say his next words with the full certainty that Steve can actually hear them. “Stevie, no,” he says firmly. He reaches for Steve’s hands, gently clasping each one in an attempt to get rid of Steve’s distraction. “I’m sorry that I ever made you feel like that.” He hesitates then, uncertain if he should say anything more vulnerable than that. And of course, what he should do very rarely matches up with what he’s going to do, and he finds himself opening his big stupid mouth again. “Really, Steve. I… If anything, I want you around more than I probably should.”

Steve sniffles, blinking those sweet hazel eyes up at Eddie with nothing short of doubt lurking in them. “Really?” he asks.

Eddie can’t help himself, leaning in and pressing a little kiss to Steve’s forehead. “Always. I want you around always.”

He’s not sure what to expect from the confession, but what he gets is Steve sniffling louder, his hand coming up to clutch at the back of Eddie’s neck. For a moment, Eddie panics, thinking Steve is about to pull him into a kiss, a kiss that he knows he won’t be able to put a stop to even if he tries, but instead, he just presses their foreheads together, taking a deep, settling breath. “Okay,” Steve murmurs.

It takes him a moment to collect himself, and even when he does pull away, he doesn’t remove his hand immediately. “You okay now?” Eddie asks.

Steve nods. “Yeah. I’m really sorry, I don’t know why I got so… I get sort of sappy after sex sometimes.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Eddie says immediately, shaking his head. “Not for that, and not to me. This is a safe space, remember? You can say anything to me, always.”

A complicated look passes over Steve’s face then, and Eddie has never felt so scrutinized. He can almost imagine Steve walking through the caverns of his brain, inspecting every nook and cranny as he decides what’s worth keeping and what must be discarded. Eddie shivers, unsettled by the intensity of Steve’s expression, and that seems to be what snaps him out of whatever trance he’s in.

“I need to go brush my teeth,” Steve finally says, effectively breaking the tension.

Eddie feels a twin sense of relief and disappointment at that. It had almost felt like… for a moment there, he thought Steve was going to say something else. But surely if he had wanted to say something, he would have. Right?

“Okay,” Eddie replies, scooting away from him on the couch to give him space to go and do what he needs to do. He has a wild, purely self-indulgent thought as Steve is going to grab his bag, and common sense apparently isn’t enough to stop him from saying it. “Hey, if you want to, you can just leave your toothbrush here. That way you’ll have it for next time,” he says, glancing over at Steve and studying him carefully to see his reaction.

Luckily, Steve’s turned mostly towards Eddie, so he doesn’t have to repeat himself. Steve glances up at him, and his lips quirk into a shy smile. “Okay,” he says quietly. “I’ll put it with yours?” he asks.

Eddie nods, feeling a little giddy himself at the prospect. Which is completely ridiculous - something as stupid and simple as their toothbrushes being placed in the same cup is hardly worth freaking out over. And yet… “Perfect,” Eddie says, clearing his throat when his voice cracks.

Steve shuffles off to the bathroom, leaving Eddie alone with his thoughts. He’s not gone for very long, and Eddie has barely made it through one panic-driven cycle of “god, this is wrong, he’s my student, and he was uncomfortable with this at first - wait, what changed?” when Steve returns. He yawns widely as he walks in the room, and Eddie’s nose crinkles at the audible sound of his jaw popping.

“Ew,” he teases. “You’re like a snake, unhinging its jaw to eat a baby.”

Steve gives him a very unimpressed look as he settles back into his place on the couch. “Snakes do not eat babies,” he says with an air of such certainty that Eddie almost doesn’t want to tease him about it.

“Oh but that’s just what they want you to think!” Eddie says, trying to hide his massive grin.

“Sure,” Steve says, rolling his head to the side to give Eddie this little half-amused look. He yawns again, tilting to the side to rest his head on the arm of the sofa, and Eddie realizes how inconsiderate he’s being.

“Shit, I forgot, you’re like, actually tired, aren’t you?” he asks, moving to get up.

Steve’s eyes widen at that, and he tries to disagree, but Eddie can tell from his weak eyes and his posture that he’s exhausted. “No, really, we can finish the movie!” Steve tries, gesturing to the television with one hand.

Eddie shakes his head, standing up and clearing the coffee table of their mess. “Nah, we can finish it another time, bub. You need some sleep.” He takes the trash to the kitchen, washes his hands, and makes his way back to the living room, where Steve is still half-laying down on the couch. “C’mon, gotta take your contacts out,” he reminds him.

Steve grimaces at that, but sits up. “Will you help me? It still kind of grosses me out to do it on my own.”

“Of course,” Eddie replies. “Are your glasses in your bag?”

“Yeah, should be in the case at the top. Contact case is in there, too.”

Eddie dutifully digs it out of the bag, coming to settle on the edge of the coffee table directly in front of Steve once he’s got it. “Alright, hold still,” he murmurs softly before reaching out. He’s gotten the hang of this in the several times Steve has asked for his help, and he’s definitely better at removing the contacts than he is at putting them in for him, so he’s glad that Steve’s mostly got that part down pat. Now that his brain is on that wave length, a nagging thought from earlier returns to his mind. “So… when you go to the ear doctor…” he starts slowly, then pauses when Steve tenses.

“Yeah?” Steve asks when Eddie is quiet for a beat too long.

“If you don’t want to talk about this, we don’t have to,” Eddie says softly.

Steve blinks at him, squinting without the assistance of his contacts, and Eddie can’t help but find it incredibly adorable. “It’s fine,” Steve says with a shrug. “No point in beating around the bush. Like… It’s happening.”

Eddie nods. “Right.” He clears his throat and hands Steve his glasses. “But when it does… Are you prepared for them to tell you that you might need something for that? Like…” He doesn’t want to come right out and say it, a little weary of scaring Steve, or just hurting his feelings.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to have that concern for long, as Steve fills in the blanks for him. “Like a hearing aid?” he guesses.

Letting out the breath he’d definitely been holding, Eddie says, “yeah. Like that. I know it’s just partial hearing loss… Or, well, I think that’s what it is, but… if they say that’s the best option, are you comfortable with that?”

Steve is quiet for a long time. If he wasn’t sitting up, his gaze flickering around the room as he thinks, Eddie would think that he’d fallen asleep. He looks sort of lost, and Eddie can’t even begin to imagine what sort of thoughts are racing through his mind. Eventually, his shoulders slump in what Eddie can only describe as resignation, and he sighs. “I… I guess I’ll have to be,” he says quietly.

Eddie is quick to do what he does best, jumping in to reassure him. “Hey, no. If you don’t want to, I’ll press them for another solution. But… if it’s that or surgery…” he gives Steve a sympathetic look.

Steve knocks his ankles against Eddie’s, staring down at their feet. “I don’t want people looking at me,” he whispers.

Eddie almost responds with a joke, but he knows better now. He knows how sensitive Steve is about these things (rightfully so) and so he knows that would just make it worse. “Why do you think they would be looking at you?” Eddie says, trying to choose his words very carefully. “I’m pretty certain they make relatively discreet aids, so people probably wouldn’t even notice.”

“Maybe,” Steve says noncommittally with a shrug. “But… I don’t want people to look at me… and all they see is the glasses and a hearing aid. Especially…” he rolls his eyes, mostly at himself, and gives Eddie a sardonic smile. “This is stupid, but like… I really don’t want people coming to our basketball games and saying, like… ‘Oh, there goes that deaf kid, who can’t see the ball coming at his face! And did you know he can’t fucking read?’ Like…” he shakes his head. “I don’t want that to be my legacy.”

And Eddie doesn’t really get it, not really. He’s not a member of any sport or club, and even being in a band, he doesn’t think he’s ever particularly given a shit what people thought of him, even though he is a little different, but he supposes that’s just the difference in their personalities. He tries to level with him, and see it through his eyes. “Yeah…” Eddie says slowly. “But baby,” he leans in, putting his hands on Steve’s knees and squeezing. “That’s not going to be your legacy. People are going to remember you because you were an amazing player, yeah, but you know what I’ll remember about you?”

Steve almost seems shy when he asks, “what?”

Eddie smiles at him, reaching up and tucking his hair over his ear. “I’ll remember that you were kind. And hardworking.” He begins counting things off using Steve’s fingers. “Honest, caring, funny, smart.”

Steve’s eyes are wet. “Eddie,” he says softly, like he’s denying it.

Eddie shakes his head, bringing his hand up to his mouth to kiss his palm. “I’m going to remember that you were brave,” he says gently, holding Steve’s gaze. “That you came to me and Murray for extra help, even though you were embarrassed. That you came back to me, even when I had fucked up and said everything wrong, because you chose to be brave enough to let someone help you.” He brushes his lips across Steve’s knuckles. “I’m not going to remember you for your glasses, or for having something in your ear, if that’s what they decide to do. I’m going to remember you, Steve.”

He means it to be reassuring, a pep talk of sorts, but Steve is fully crying by the end of it.

Great. Scratch “motivational speaker” off any potential future career plans.

At first he can’t tell if they’re sad tears or not, but then Steve is lurching forward, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck and muffling his tears against his shoulder. It takes him a few minutes of sniffling to get it under control, but Eddie gives him that time, holding him in a loose embrace and stroking his back gently. “Sorry,” Steve mumbles, not so subtly wiping his nose against Eddie’s shirt. “That was just - really fucking sweet, Eddie. I…” He pulls out of his grip for just a moment, giving him a shaky smile. “Thank you. I really needed that.”

Eddie kisses his cheek. “No problem. I’m always here when you need a pep talk. And maybe next time I won’t make you cry,” he jokes softly, thumbing at a stray tear on Steve’s cheek.

Steve just laughs, naturally good-natured about that. “Yeah, we’ll see,” he teases.

Eddie gives him another warm smile before sighing and standing up. “Let me go get you a couple of blankets, yeah?”

Something like disappointment flashes across Steve’s face for a second, but then he’s nodding, watching Eddie disappear down the hall. When he returns with a stack of blankets and a pillow, Steve offers a little half-smile. “Thanks,” he says, watching Eddie as he spreads a sheet across the couch, fluffing a pillow up at one end.

“You want me to tuck you in, baby?” Eddie asks, mostly joking.

Steve gives him that sweet smile, his eyelashes batting softly against his cheekbones as he nods. “Yeah, that would be nice, actually.”

It’s decidedly innocent, and means nothing more than Steve just being silly and seeking some form of comfort, but for some reason, Eddie’s face heats up. “Okay,” he says after an awkward pause. “Um… Lay down?”

Steve does just that, scooting around until he’s resting his head against the pillow, his glasses going a bit wonky on his face. “Can you-” he starts, turning his head a bit.

Eddie nods, reaching out and sliding the frames off Steve’s nose and setting them on the coffee table. “Better?”

“Yeah,” Steve says softly. He’s looking up at Eddie with those big doe eyes, and Eddie has to force himself to look away.

He drapes the fuzzy blanket over Steve first, followed by a quilt his grandmother had made before he was ever born. It’s old and is made up entirely of mis-matched patches of plaid and denim, but it’s probably the most sentimental item he owns. “Warm enough?”

Steve nods. “Mhm.” He looks awful cozy in his spot, and Eddie allows himself to be selfish one more time for the night as he leans in and presses a kiss to his forehead.

“Alright. Goodnight, bub. If you need anything, I’m just down the hall,” Eddie says, giving Steve one last look-over to make sure he’s as snug as he can be. He waits for Steve’s quiet hum of agreement, and then he’s retreating to his bedroom, giving Steve one last look over his shoulder before he disappears from his view for the night.

Behind the almost-closed door, Eddie sighs. God, he wishes he’d just have the guts to ask Steve to sleep in here, with him. Not in a sexual way or anything - no, Eddie just wanted to know what it would be like to cuddle with him for a night, to wake up wrapped in each other’s arms. He huffs and puffs to himself as he crawls into his lonely, empty bed, glaring up at the ceiling as soon as his head hits the pillow. It’s not fair, really. Steve being so close, yet so far away. Perfectly within reach, but also very much inaccessible.

He sighs again, louder this time, as if anyone will hear his passive-aggressive moping.

It occurs to him, vaguely, that he could just go right back down the hall and ask Steve if he’d like to sleep in a real bed rather than the couch. And honestly, even if he says no, what does Eddie have to lose? It’s not like Steve’s going to leave in the middle of the night. Then again, Eddie would hate to even make him uncomfortable enough to even think about that… He goes back and forth several times before ultimately deciding - fuck it. Nothing to lose, might as well give it a shot.

He crosses the space between his bed and the door quickly and quietly, a singular thought in his mind as he reaches for the doorknob.

Eddie has just barely pulled the door open when he bumps into something - or rather, someone.

“Oh, shit, I-” he starts to apologize immediately, then pauses when he registers that of course it’s Steve standing in front of his door. His face is drawn comically around an expression of panic, and Eddie tilts his head at him curiously. “Oh. What were you…” he trails off. It would be a little hypocritical of him to start asking questions about motives now, considering what he was just on his way to do himself.

“Um,” Steve says, his eyes wide. Eddie probably nearly gave him a heart attack, swinging the door open like that before the poor guy could even get the chance to knock. “I got… scared?” he tries, the words coming out more like a question than any real statement of fact.

Eddie can’t help his instinct to tease. Crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame, he says, “oh, did you?”

Steve blushes. “Um… yeah. It’s like… really dark in there, and… and your fridge makes weird noises, and…”

“Hm,” Eddie says, sucking at his teeth like he’s considering the issue. “Well, that’s no good. I can’t possibly leave you out there all alone to fend for yourself against the… fridge noises.” He can’t help but grin as he says it, and can’t bother regretting it when Steve just blushes harder.

He half-expects Steve to give it up then, out of embarrassment if nothing else, but if there’s one thing about him, it’s that he’ll always see something through. Instead, he just nods, casting a weary glance back down the hall. In doing that, Eddie finally notices that Steve’s got the quilt wrapped around his shoulders. Cute.

“Yeah, it would be really… really irresponsible for you to leave me out there all alone. I think I’d be way safer if I…” he seems to lose confidence then, but the longing glance he sends to Eddie’s bed over his shoulder makes his intentions crystal clear.

“I think you’ll just have to sleep in here with me tonight,” Eddie says, feigning disappointment. “Well, come on, then. I hear the fridge likes to claim its victims this time of night,” he says with a grin, gesturing for Steve to come into his bedroom.

Steve makes it a few steps towards his bed before he turns around, giving Eddie an almost desperate look. “You don’t mind me being in here, do you? Because, like, I can sleep by myself! I just-”

Eddie reaches for him, pulling him in via a tug on the quilt. “Honey. I promise I don’t mind. Actually…” He laughs at himself, shaking his head. “That’s why I was already at my door. I was actually about to come in there and ask if you wanted to sleep in here with me. I felt so guilty leaving you in there with just some blankets and a pillow.”

Steve’s face, which had brightened a little at the confession, falls again by the time Eddie finishes speaking. “Oh,” he says, glancing down. “Well, I mean, I don’t mind. I can sleep on the couch, I really don’t have to-”

“Stevie,” Eddie says, his voice full of exasperation. “Baby, I want you to sleep in here with me. I…” he hesitates, feeling that familiar uncertainty that comes with the prospect of being vulnerable to Steve in some way. “I think it would be nice, to not be alone, and… and it would be even better if it was you I was being not-alone with.”

“Oh,” Steve repeats, his voice even softer now. “Okay, then. Should we, um…” He glances at the bed, but his gaze doesn’t linger. Instead it darts all over the room, taking everything in as if he believes it’ll be the last time he sees it. Eddie hopes, selfishly, that it’s not.

“Let’s go to bed,” Eddie says, nodding. He uses his grip on Steve’s quilt-cape to guide him to the bed, walking backwards himself until the back of his knees hit the mattress. He releases Steve just long enough to crawl up onto the bed, patting the empty space beside him as he wiggles under the covers. “C’mon, I don’t bite,” he says, grinning at Steve. “Well, much.”

Steve rolls his eyes, but crawls onto the bed, keeping the quilt wrapped around his shoulders like he’s some kind of little caterpillar. Eddie helps him under the actual sheets and comforter, but Steve seems to have no intentions of letting go of the quilt anytime soon.

Once they’re settled, both of them on their sides facing each other, Eddie yawns. His jaw pops, and they share a grin at the sound. “Like a snake,” Steve murmurs.

It’s silly, but Eddie’s heart swells at the reference to his joke from earlier. “Like a snake,” he echoes.

Steve’s eyes are drooping with exhaustion, and Eddie knows it’s just a matter of time before he loses him to the clutches of sleep. His throat sticks with words he shouldn’t even feel the urge to say, and he clears his throat a few times in an attempt to speak.

“Goodnight, Eddie,” Steve whispers, beating him to the punch.

Eddie nods, feeling ridiculous at the swell of emotion that rises in his throat. Oh, god. He’s really got it bad for him, there’s no way around it.

“Goodnight, Stevie. Sweet dreams.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

“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.

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 Harry Styles or The Script, 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.