āDonāt you ācome on!ā me!ā
Steve immediately snorts a laugh.
Rob gets all flustered, āI didnāt- I mean- oh fuck you very much Harrington.ā
āDonāt worry Rob,ā Steve chokes out around his laughter, āIāll try not to come- try not to get it- oh my god,ā Steve dissolves into breathless laughter.
Rob slaps the manila file into Steveās hands, āI donāt have time for your bullshit,ā and she marches off down the corridor, kitten heals clacking on the linoleum.
Steve jogs to catch up, āwhat would Vicki say?ā Steve asks, mock scandalized.
She cuts her eyes at him, scowling from behind her too long bangs, ādonāt even joke.ā
Steve opens the file while Robin pulls out her key card and straightens her jacket. What she wears is far more stylish than what she did when they were teenagers, but sheās never quite grown out of being a little gangly. Where Steve filled out even further, what with the morning runs and evening swims, weekends spent at the local gym and basketball court, Robin has always remained very slim. She looks good today though, sheās definitely grown up, but thank god she never grew out of being Robin ā for some reason today sheās paired an emerald green jacket with navy pinstripe pants and shiny, cherry red shoes and somehow, it kind of, sort of, works.
Itās probably the colorful scarf pulling it together, or something.
āThe files a little light,ā Steve comments as she activates the security lock and holds the door open for him to pass through.
āYeap. First fourteen years are...pretty vague. Iāve tracked the parents; the motherās been dead a few years,ā Steve makes a face, āand the dad is a guest of the state,ā Steve can feel his face crumple even further. āYeah. Heād been in and out for a while, assault, aggravated assault, theft, possession, possession with intent, honestly itās a laundry list, the one that stuck was manslaughter.ā
āOh man, not the mom,ā Robin makes a face in answer, āfucking hell.ā
Robin holds up her badge for security to see, and they get buzzed through. Steveās nose tickles with all the Omega scents.
āLuckily he wasnāt around at the end, I donāt know if he even knows about his parents. They kicked him out when he presented,ā Steve tuts, āyeah, I know, but it was actually the best thing they ever did for him. He was picked up by his uncle, dadās brother. The guy had regular, full time employment, suddenly the kidās got medical records, thereās regular prescriptions for blockers and birth control, his school attendance goes from fifty five percent to ninety seven.ā
āSo the uncle is a good guy?ā
Robin sighs, nods, āhopefully he pulls through.ā
Steve continues to scan the file as Robin stops them at the final doorway, leaning against the closed door, āsays here heās non verbal?ā
āMost of the time, itās behavioral, he can speak, does, occasionally. We picked him up from the hospital; heād gone in with his uncle, cardiac arrest that led to some complications, he's had a couple of surgeries already, but he might be in for a while. He's waiting for a pacemaker now, I think.ā
āYeah. Steve, listen a second. This kid...it could be anything. He was clearly malnourished growing up, this could be a trauma response. He might suffer with PTSD, might get separation anxiety-ā
āYeah, Rob, I get it.ā
āI just,ā she deflates a little, hopeless, āthis isnāt the place for him. The other Omega, they mean well, they try and include him, and you know what theyāre like, curious about new people, but that just drives him away. He doesnāt come out of his room much. Stopped coming into the dining hall for meals; I tried to wait it out, thought if he got hungry enough heād cave,ā she spreads her hands, ānada. I had to cave; he just eats in his room. And heās terrible with food. Basically unless itās been shaped into a nugget or came out of a can, he doesnāt get it. Like heās never even seen real food before...this just...itās not the place for him here Steve. All the others, itās like...like a camp out for them, you know? Not him though, he needs some stability. He needs a home.ā
āI get it Rob, itās not my first rodeo.ā
āI know, I know, thatās why I called you first, obviously...itās just. I know itās a lot. And I know itās hard on you, after.ā
Steve thinks of Dustin, who still calls him the first Sunday of every month without fail; how heās expecting his first pup with his mate Suzie. Thinks of Max, how fierce she is, how close they got even in the short time they were together. Her mom made it through rehab though, and got custody back. She still drops by sometimes, and Steve loves to see her. The last time she brought her new boyfriend, Lucas, with her, looking for approval from the only father figure sheās ever really had. The Byers boys who came into his care when their mother had some sort of psychotic episode. How the Beta Jonathan had been so stand offish, where Will, too young to have presented yet, had sort Steve out to cuddle into every night. It was bittersweet, the day Joyce got custody back; Steve was glad it worked out for them, but he was still devastated to see them go.
Heās helped out with a lot of kids over the last six years; he can do this.
āIt is...but itās worth it.ā
āSteve,ā Robin touches his arm, briefly, āthis one will be worse. Fostering kids is one thing, being a temporary pack Alpha for them...Eddie is two months off being eighteen years old, legally able to take a mate, potentially sexually active-ā
āRob, Iāll cross that bridge if we come to it. And if he needs me,ā Steve shrugs, āit is what it is.ā
āSteve,ā she tries again, voice gentle, āI just need you to be sure.ā
Steveās only had one other Omega in his care who was old enough to need Steve in a sexual manner, as well as all the other needs that the people in his temporary pack often have; when she left it was...bad. Neither of them ever say Nancyās name out loud, havenāt for a couple of years. But Steve knows now, what it is heās getting into.
He knows this has the potential to be painful, heās broken enough bonds now. Pack scent bonds; itās unavoidable. Itās the support of an Alpha, itās exactly what Steve is there to provide. What happens after will not be Eddieās problem; itāll be Steveās.
And he wonāt make the mistake he made with Nancy. This time heāll remember that Eddieās going to leave, wonāt let himself fall into the illusion that itās real. He knows now, that it hurts.
Just like it has every other time, when his new pack leaves.
āItāll be fine Rob. Iāll be fine.ā
She bites her lip, not looking sure at all, but she nods and leans more against the door, pushing it open with her shoulder as Steve follows her though. Thereās laughter along the hall, two young Omega playing chase rush past them, ātake it outside please!ā Robin yells after them.
Steve tags along, knows all the doorways are bedrooms; young Omega on this wing, all in need of a safe haven. Steve can hear the bustle and chatter of the dining room, the clatter and scrape of cutlery loud as they pass the doorway. At the very end of the hall, the last door stands propped open by a plastic chair, thereās a red plastic tray with a plate sitting on it. Thereās evidence of crumbs and sauce from what had been eaten, but the peas havenāt been touched. The window is open too, letting in a fresh breeze. The Omega is curled up, wedged in the corner of the room on his single bed, a book held open in his hand as he stares at them in the doorway.
āYou know you wonāt die if you eat a green thing, right?ā Robin asks him.
He tilts his head, his curly hair shifting, and purses his lips, kind of frowning with one eyebrow quirked up, to Steve is sort of says, āwhy take the risk?ā. Steve has to school his features so he doesnāt laugh.
āOkay Eddie, this is Steve, and heās been kind enough to offer to put a roof over your head for the next little while, how does that sound?ā
āGood enough for me,ā Robin replies like Eddieās spoken, āokay, pack your things.ā
Itās not a scowl, not really, but the way Eddie side eyes the radio means...well, Steveās not even sure what it means, āyou can change it, if you like.ā
Eddie huffs and shrugs, crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in the car seat, looking out of the window. The next song comes on; Steve pretty sure itās Taylor Swift, and Eddie suddenly lunges for the radio. He presses the seek button until he hits something that, to Steve, sounds like two angry guitars hate fucking in a bear infested mine, but he lets it go since Eddie doesnāt turn it up any louder.
Steve carries Eddieās unfortunately light bag of belongings into the house, āwe can go shopping, maybe tomorrow or the day after. I donāt know if you know how this works or not, but you have a state budget, or rather, I do, for you. So donāt worry, if you need anything, just ask.ā
He leaves Eddieās bag at the foot of the stairs, Eddie cautiously following him as Steve points out the blindingly obvious, ālounge, kitchen, through there is the garage, thatās out to the yard.ā Eddie eyes are huge in his head, darting around like he doesnāt know what to do with them. āUtility through there, bring me your basket when you need, Iāll show you how to use the machines. Thatās my office, I work from home two days a week, but I have to go into the office for three,ā thereās a distinct spike of anxiety in the air, ābut that isnāt for a couple of weeks, or until your Alpha is better, so donāt worry yet. One of the perks; you get me PTO.ā
Eddie frowns at him, āPaid Time Off.ā
Eddie frowns again like Steveās presented him with an alien. Never mind.
āOkay, upstairs, this is my room,ā Steve opens the door, watches as Eddie scans the room with poorly disguised interest. The bed is neatly made, the thick comforter and pillows all fluffed up. The carpet a deep gray and the rest of the room dark rich wood with some splashes of forest green, ānow, Iāll show you your room, but itās entirely up to you where you sleep. I under stand that your uncle was your familial Alpha and you lived in close quarters so...where you sleep is up to you. If you need that.ā
Eddieās gone so red Steve worries his head might explode; Steve, somehow, manages not to laugh at him. He shows Eddie to the next door down, āthis is your room, I will never come in here unless you explicitly invite me or I think thereās a genuine cause for concern, okay? Thereās a lock on the door, but I do have a master. So if you donāt want me barging in, you need to let me know youāre okay when I ask, okay?ā
āGood, I need to be clear about that from the start,ā Steve puts Eddieās bag down in the threshold, āthereās extra nesting materials in the top of the wardrobe, the bathroom is through there, help yourself to all the toiletries, theyāre for you. Feel free to chill out for a bit, get cleaned up, Iāll do food for about six ish.ā
And Steve leaves him to it.
Steveās chicken parm is, even if he says so himself, pretty damn good. His sauce is ninety percent blended vegetables; carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers; a trick he learned when trying to hide more vegetables in the kids food. Heās got a similar recipe for mac and cheese that no one has ever complained about, even though the sauce is at least fifty percent carrot.
Also, he figures the breaded chicken is just, like, a giant chicken nugget, right?
So that has to look sort of familiar. And you can get spaghetti out of a can so, surely, this isn't so different.
If Eddie doesnāt like cheese...well, thatās just unnatural. Steveāll just have to take him back to Robin.
Steveās got everything on plates and is about to call for Eddie, but the kid appears in the doorway, exactly six oclock. Heās got his arms wrapped around himself, uncertainty coloring the air, but heās here, thatās the important thing.
They eat together in the breakfast nook, Eddie picks at his food rather than just eating. Steve tries to match his pace, suspicious that as soon as Steve stops eating, Eddie will stop too. Heās right.
Steve makes a mental note to do a grocery shop and go heavy on the snacks. Steve can see the evidence of Eddie growing up malnourished. Heās too pale, his eyes far too large in his face, his joints protrude and his clothes hang off his frame.
Thereās no conversation, but Steve doesnāt push it. Itās not time yet.
They watch TV for a while before bed, Eddie curled up tight at the opposite end of the couch, as far from Steve as he can get. Steve adopts a relaxed posture, lets himself sink down. Pulls a blankets off the back of the couch to go across his knees and leaves another in the middle, an obvious hint to Eddie if he wants it. He doesnāt touch it.
Eddie slips away after an hour, heads upstairs. Steve watches the kid go but doesnāt say anything. Itās a pretty solid start; heās had much, much worse. Eddie doesnāt appear to be any kind of flight risk, which is a huge plus in Steveās book.
He messages Rob with an update before pulling out his laptop and responding to some emails. He might legitimately have a couple of weeks off work, but that doesnāt mean he wants to return to a landslide of unanswered messages when he does go back.
He heads to bed a little after. Showers and goes through his night time routine; itās only nine but itās been a bit of a day, and Steve intends to read for a while. Itās thirty minutes before he hears Eddieās door open and close. The creak of the stairs. Steve sneaks to his own door, opens it a little and stands there, ears straining.
Listens as the front door rattles but doesnāt open. The key is right there, Eddieās not trying to escape; heās checking the house is secure. Steve hears the fridge door a few moments later, then the TV, turned down low.
Steve goes back to bed, happy that Eddie is already making himself at home. Heās asleep thirty minutes after that. And he sleeps well, until something disturbs him, the bed covers shifting. Eddie freezes when he realizes heās woken Steve. Steveās still half asleep, and itās easy to just not make a big deal of it, he yawns, lifting the covers. Eddie slips in, rolling over and wriggling back, allowing himself to be the little spoon. Steve throws a leg, an arm, and the covers over Eddieās slim frame, and easily goes back to sleep.
When Steve wakes up, Eddieās gone again.
Steve finds Eddie on the couch. Itās a scene heās used to, the TV displaying the little, āare you still watching?ā box. Heās had a lot of kids who canāt sleep without company, or background noise, or something, and finding them on the couch is pretty normal.
Whatās not normal is the position Eddie is sleeping in, his head hanging off the edge, one arm flopped awkwardly above his head and the other bent underneath him, one leg hooked over the back of the couch. Heās snoring. Itās...kind of loud.
And also kind of adorable. Steve pushes those feelings down reminds himself; he cannot get attached to this one.
He knows how much it hurts.