Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Steve had always been a morning person. It started in highschool, when he woke up early to go for a run or swim a few laps in the pool before school. Then it was waking up early to make it to his community college classes on time, and to see his girlfriend on his days off for breakfast and coffee.

Now he wakes up early to have time to make his daughter breakfast and get to work at a decent hour.

Breakfast is an incredibly important part of Steve and Sophia's schedule. Steve will get up at 5 in the morning on the dot, giving himself time to shower and get dressed. He makes the two of them breakfast, and then he gently wakes Sophia up from her toddler bed. On days Steve oversleeps and breakfast is granola bars or pop tarts in the car, Sophia spends the rest of the day cranky. That one-on-one time together is important to the both of them. The days aren't as hard if Steve gets his Sophie time.

It's a Wednesday, meaning Steve has a double shift at the diner. He makes sure to pack extra coloring pages, a few books, and a ziplock bag of goldfish in Sophia's pack back. He needs to keep her as busy as possible, not that she ever misbehaved. She loved coming to work with him, and she was probably the easiest kid on planet earth.

He couldn't think about it too much or he'd get teary eyed over how lucky he was.

Steve gets everything packed and ready to go, getting out two bowls, two spoons, milk, and captain crunch cereal. Then he peeked into Sophia's room to wake her up.

Sophia's room is currently decked out in Disney Princess decor; Steve's worked countless hours of extra shifts to make sure she can have everything she possibly wants. He can barely see her underneath the mass of blankets and stuffed animals on her bed, and he gently nudges what resembles a shoulder.

"Sophie, it's time to wake up Bug."

The toddler rolls over and groans a little, but after a minute or so she sits up and rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

"What would you like to wear today, love? It's a little chilly out today." Steve had given up on picking out her outfits for her months ago; Sophia was much too independent, and he didn't have the patience for a temper tantrum so early in the morning.

She had better style than he did anyway.

Sophie makes her way out of bed, carrying a stuffed giraffe with her to her dresser. She starts digging through drawers, pulling out a pair of pink leggings and a sunshine yellow shirt with a daisy on the front.

"These!" The toddler drops them in Steve's lap, ready to be dressed.

"Good choice bug. Love the colors." Steve helps her get dressed and puts her light up sneakers on before migrating to the bathroom with her to do her hair and help her brush her teeth. She was getting better at the whole brushing thing, but sometimes her tiny hands made holding a toothbrush a little difficult.

The two of them enjoyed their cereal and finally made their way out the door, Sophie carrying her backpack and a stuffed teddy bear Steve had found at the thrift store a few weeks back. Then they were off to the diner.

Byers Place was a local diner spot just 15 minutes away from Steve and Soph's tiny apartment, and it was Steve's saving grace when he had been looking for something with a regular schedule. He couldn't rely on odd jobs anymore, not with a newborn at the time. Joyce had taken one look at his stressed figure during his short interview and not only hired him, but helped him figure out how to parent by himself too.

God he loved that woman.

Steve and Soph made their way into Byers Place, Soph sitting at her favorite table by the window and happily getting out her coloring books and crayons. Steve wasn't sure where she got the love of art from; he barely understood the color wheel and her mother had been mostly the same, but Steve was thankful for it. It was an interest that was easy to fund, and he loved seeing the pictures she colored at the end of the day. Their fridge back at the apartment was covered in them.

"Mornin Steve! Do you mind getting the coffee running for me babe? Jon's in the back prepping for the morning rush." Joyce walked by him, carrying a tub of napkin wrapped silverware. She was wearing her usual jeans, Byers place t-shirt, and a black apron. Steve immediately made his way behind the counter to the coffee machines.

"Sure thing. Anything else you need prep wise?" Filling up coffee filters with the right amount of coffee grounds is second nature now, and Steve's got enough coffee to get them through a good portion of rush in just a few minutes.

"Refill the jelly packets for me?"

"No problem."

People start coming in when Steve's almost done dropping little packets of strawberry and grace flavored jelly into the containers on all the tables, and before Steve knows what hit him it's almost lunch time. He finds a minute to stop by Sophia's table, bending down to reach her height.

"Hi bug. How's it going?"

"Good. Finished the bunny, now I'm working on this bird!" She flips back in her coloring book to show him the now bubblegum pink bunny rabbit she's colored, and then goes back to her new project.

"Good job Soph!" He gives her a quick kiss on the head. "It's almost lunch time though. Daddy's gonna get you a grilled cheese and some lemonade alright?"

The toddler nods, fishing through her plastic container of crayons for a specific color. Steve puts in an order for a grilled cheese and drops a small glass of lemonade with a plastic lid and straw at Sophia's table, leaving a napkin underneath so the condensation doesn't make its way from the glass to the table to her coloring book.

Bringing Sophie to work hadn't been in the original plan, but Joyce had pulled him aside a few months into him working to ask him about why he was coming late into work all the time. She had looked concerned when he had expected anger, and he remembers shedding a few tears as he explained he was having a hard time keeping a consistent childcare schedule. He couldn't always find someone he trusted to watch his little girl, and the stress was also overall just affecting his sleep schedule.

Joyce pulled him into a hug, telling him to just bring her into the diner so he could watch her while he was working. For a while the staff room in the back of the diner was Sophie's area, fit with a pack and play with a changing table attachment, and she spent most of that time napping her little heart out. But eventually she got old enough to want to be closer to the noise, and she picked her table by the window and had been an angel about it ever since.

It secretly made Steve feel a lot better, having her around. He was terrified of losing her, of something bad happening and him not being there to protect her. Sometimes he wondered if it was sheltering her though. If he had the money he could've sent her to day care and she would be playing with other kids her age, maybe figuring out her ABC's faster than she was with just Steve and other times diner staff's guidance.

He wasn't always sure if the diner was the best place for her to be, but she was happy and right now that's what mattered most to him.

Steve gets Soph her grilled cheese, Jonathon adding a bowl of grapes without even needing to make sure it's for her. He even cuts them, much to Steve's relief. Steve compliments her coloring again, convinces her to take a break to eat, and gets back to work.

He makes his way to one of the diver's single booths diagonal from Sophie's table to take an order for someone he's never seen before. The man is tall and lean, a mass of dark curls tied up above his neck. He's wearing worn out jeans and a mechanics shirt that says "Eddie" on the pocket, and it's covered in what Steve can only assume is car oil and grease. Probably someone on his lunch break.

"Hello! I'm Steve, I'll be your server today. What can I get you to drink?" Steve flips open his notebook, taking out a pencil from his pocket.

"I'll go with a chocolate milkshake for today, I think. Is it alright if I order now, too?"

"Sure thing." Steve smiles at Eddie's choice in drink, even though he's more of a strawberry kinda guy.

"Just a burger and fries, no tomato if that's not too much of a hassle." Eddie moves a bit of stray hair out of his face and Steve sees what he thinks is a tattoo by his ear.

"Burger and fries, no tomato. I'll be back with that milkshake in just a minute or two." Steve grabs the laminated menu from the mechanic (at least he assumes he's a mechanic, based on the grease and the uniform) and makes his way to the kitchen.

He gets the chocolate milkshake together and puts the burger order in, but he almost drops the glass when he makes his way out of the kitchen.

Eddie's crouched down next to a teary eyed Sophia, and the glass of lemonade is spilt all over the floor; the plastic lid and straw have fallen off away from the glass, and Eddie's got a few paper napkins in his hand.

Steve barely sets the milkshake down before he's speed walking over and getting down to Sophia's level with Eddie.

"Hey, bug, it's okay. What happened honey?"

His Sophie girl explains through the most heartbreaking tears that while searching for a yellow crayon, her elbows knocked the glass off the table and made a mess. She says she's sorry, that she didn't mean to make a mess for her daddy to clean up, and then she's crying even harder and Steve brings her into a hug.

"Sweetheart, it's just some spilt lemonade, no big deal. You were just trying to color, and you aren't hurt anywhere are you?" She shakes her head no and Steve smiles. "That's all I care about bug."

"Brought you some napkins to help clean this up, hope that's okay." Eddie's standing there awkwardly now, still holding the wad of paper napkins from earlier. Steve takes them.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do any of that."

"Dude, no way was I gonna not do anything. She seemed distraught, and frozen, and I just-" Eddie makes this heartbroken face at Sophia and Steve immediately understands the feeling. "She looked lost, figured I'd try to help her navigate the accident until someone else showed up."

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate the kindness." Steve looks back at Sophie, who's now rubbing at her tear stained face with her shirt sleeve. "You wanna help Daddy clean this up, love?"

Steve, Soph, and Eddie clean up the lemonade, and Steve gets her a new glass and Eddie finally gets his milkshake and his burger (without the tomatoes, obviously).

Steve doesn't miss how Eddie makes sure to wave goodbye to Sophie through the window when he leaves. The toddler talks about it all the way home after Steve gets off work.

Chapter Text

Eddie starts going to Byer's Place for lunch every day, mostly because he's too lazy to pack himself a lunch for work. And it's an excuse to feed his intense milkshake addiction, but that's not important.

He expected to just get some cheap, deliciously greasy diner food and keep moving about his life. He did not expect to get attached to a toddler he has spoken too one time over tragically spilt lemonade.

He doesn't even really know her name. Her dad had called her adorably sweet nicknames instead, and just thinking about the duo made Eddie's weak little heart grow at least 4 sizes. Every day he sees her at the same little table, furiously coloring with her crayons. Sometimes he gets to see her dad stop by her table and talk to her for a moment, admiring her hard work and rewarding her with lunch. Other times the waiter doesn't get a chance due to the lunch rush, running around the diner to tend to customers.

Eddie always makes sure to tip him well, and waves at the little girl through the window when he leaves. He remembers Wayne bringing him to the shop when he was small like her, and he guesses he just wants to do his part in the whole "it takes a village" thing.

Eddie comes in for lunch on a Thursday when he notices the little one isn't at her table, and neither is her dad. Joyce takes his order instead; everyone knows Joyce. Knows her kindness, her love. Wayne says she's got a son Eddie's age and another a little younger than that.

Eddie convinces himself asking her about the missing duo won't end in embarrassment.

"Here's that milkshake for you love, food'll be out in just a minute or so."

"Thank you- uhm, can I ask a question?"

"Sure thing, what's up?" Joyce smiles at him.

"I noticed one of your waiters and his daughter aren't here today. I know it's none of my business, but are they alright?"

Joyce's eyes fall a little and she sighs. "It's sweet of you to ask. Unfortunately Steve just…cannot catch a break. His car's having some issues and he wasn't able to make it to work today."

Eddie frowns. "What car's he got?"

"1983 BMW. I can tell she used to be real pretty but now I think it's costing Steve more than she's worth." Joyce glances down at Eddie's work shirt. "You Wayne Munson's boy?"

"Yes Ma'am." Eddie pulls out his wallet, yanking out a Munson Mechanics business card and handing it to Joyce. "Give him a call and tell him to call that number and ask for Eds. I'll take a look at it."

She takes the card and slips it into her apron pocket. "I'll let him know. I'll have that burger out for you in just a sec- Tell Wayne I said hi, will you?"

"Sure thing."

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Eddie's just getting settled at the shop after lunch when the phone rings.

"Munson Mechanics, how can I help you?"

"Uhm, hi, my boss told me to call this number and ask for Eds?" The voice on the other line sounds stressed, but Eddie hears giggling in the background and smiles.

"This is him. You're Steve right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me."

"Great. Joyce mentioned to me you weren't able to make it to work today cause of your car, I wanted to offer to take a look at it for you."

"Oh- thank you, that's really sweet of you but I uhm.." Steve pauses on the other line. "I'm not sure I can afford that, right now."

"I didn't say nothin about payment."

"Wh- that's ridiculous. I can't just not pay you-"

Eddie sighs. "Listen, just let me take a look at it. I've got the time, and I wanna do something nice. Feels weird not waving through the window at your kid when I get off my lunch break."

Steve chuckles a little and sighs, defeated. "Alright. Let me get you the address; towing isn't really uhm..in the budget right now either."

"Don't worry about that, I'll fix it where it's at if I can. Worst thing that happens is I tow it myself. Let me get a pen."

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Eddie parks his truck in the parking lot of the apartment complex, seeing Steve standing next to his car with his daughter on his hip.

"Thanks for looking at it, seriously."

"Of course. Let's see what the problem is." Eddie takes Steve's keys and pops the hood, opening it up and whistling. "Honestly the best form of payment is getting to work on this beauty. Don't get cars like this in the shop very often."

Steve laughs a little. "Dad got it for my 16th birthday. Honestly a little surprised I haven't had more issues lately with how long I've had it."

Eddie nods, humming a little as he looks around. "What seemed to be the problem this morning when you tried to drive it?"

"My engine was overheating when I started her up this morning. Didn't want to risk even leaving the parking lot with Sophia."

Eddie nods. "That's probably gonna be a cooling system issue. Either you've got a faulty water pump, which I doubt cause you've had it for so long, or, your coolants leaking, which I can definitely fix. Just give me a few and you'll be able to get to work easy peasy tomorrow mornin."

Steve sighed in relief. "Thank God. Are you sure you don't want any payment? Feels wrong not giving you anything."

Eddie looks over at Sophia (he finally knows her name!) and smiles. "You know what? I've been looking for something pretty to put on my corkboard back at the shop. Don't suppose you can recommend an artist around here?"

Steve looks at the little girl pressed close to his chest and smiles. "I think I do."

______________________________________________________

Eddie spends the next hour or so working on Steve's car in the parking lot, and Steve takes Soph back into their apartment so she can color. He fixes the coolant reservoir, gives Steve a much needed oil change because he feels like it, and he's rubbing the grease off his hands and onto his work shirt when Steve and Sophia return to the parking lot. Sophia's got a piece of paper on her hand, and she's running up to Eddie instead of being held in her dad's arms. She holds up the paper to him like an offering.

"Thank you for fixing my Daddy's car! I colored this for you!" It's a parrot colored in a mix of reds and oranges and blues, and it's going right on the corkboard when Eddie gets back to the shop later.

"Thank you! You did a great job on it. It's gonna go right on my wall where I work, that alright with you?"

The toddler nods Steve scoops her up into his arms. "Thank you, again. Seriously I- I really wasn't sure when I was going to be able to afford to get it looked at. Thank you."

"No problem." Eddie pulls out another business card out of his wallet, just like the one he gave Joyce. "If you ever need anything else, just call the shop and ask for me."

Steve takes the card and smiles. "Will do."

Eddie goes home feeling lighter than he has in ages, and the coloring page hangs right above a picture of him and Wayne when he was no smaller than Sophia herself.

Chapter Text

Eddie becomes a regular part of Steve and Sophia's day, after he fixes the car. Sophia begs him to sit at her table during his lunch breaks, and much to Steve's surprise he gladly sits with her every day after the car debacle. He even starts asking for a smaller glass with his milkshake, pouring a little bit into the smaller glass and sharing with the toddler. He even gives her the cherry.

Everyone knows the cherry is the best part.

Eddie's kindness catches Steve by surprise. While he's gotten incredibly lucky with the people he's met while raising Sophia, he is well aware they're hard to come by. And he's never met anyone who so gracefully accepted Sophia's existence, except maybe Joyce- but she was a single parent too, so that doesn't really feel like it counts. Eddie was just a random guy. A random guy who immediately comforts his little girl when she cries, praises her art, and gives her the best part of a milkshake.

Not only does Eddie spend time with Sophia, he makes a point to talk to Steve, too. He asks him how his day was, what music he likes, at some point he even starts asking Steve if he's made sure to eat something that day, which NOBODY has ever done for Steve before while he's at work. And when Steve flushes a little and admits he hasn't even sat down since he got to the diner, Eddie gives him this odd look.

When Eddie leaves, Joyce tells him someone ordered Steve food from the diner, forcing him to take the break he rarely takes.

It's pancakes, which is one of his favorites. He wonders if Sophia slipped him the information.

Steve doesn't really understand why Eddie is so…so NICE. He's the kindest person Steve's ever met (again, besides Joyce. She has mom powers, she doesn't count), and he isn't quite sure how to navigate that. He feels like he should be repaying Eddie for his kindness somehow, but he doesn't know how he should be doing that.

Until Eddie doesn't come for lunch.

Steve goes to ask Sophia what she wants for lunch, expecting for Eddie to ask for his usual, but the toddler is alone. She looks just as concerned as Steve feels.

"Where's Ed's bug?"

"I donno. He didn't come today…" Sophia sniffles a little, her crayons and coloring book abandoned on the table. Steve's heart breaks a little at how sad she looks.

"I'll go call him and see if he's okay, alright? Don't worry." He kisses her forehead and heads back behind the counter to borrow the phone. He pulls out the business card Eddie had given him, punching in the numbers and anxiously holding the phone to his ear. An older sounding man answers the phone.

"Munson Mechanics, this is Wayne."

"Uhm, hi, this is a bit of an odd call but I'm a server at Byers Place and I'm calling just to see if Eddie is alright? He comes here every day, and I just wanted to make sure nothing bad happened on his way over or something." Steve adjusts his weight where he stands, wondering if he should be embarrassed for making the call. The man on the other line chuckles a little and sighs.

"Are you Steve?"

"Uhm…yes?"

"Eddie's been mumbling about making you worry for 20 minutes. Car came at the last minute and it's been giving both of us a run for our money. He said he'll make sure to be there tomorrow, but he's missing lunch to get this done on time unfortunately."

Steve frowns. Skipping his lunch? The sound of Eddie telling him to take a break and eat just a few days ago rings in his head. "Hm, okay. Well tell him Sophia misses his company and we'll see him tomorrow."

"Of course. Thanks for checkin on em."

Steve hangs up the phone, and immediately tells Joyce he's taking his own lunch break and bringing Eddie lunch. She gives him a soft smile and nods.

"He seems like a good friend to have, Steve. Soph loves him."

Steve puts in Eddie's usual order, and tells Sophie they're going on an adventure.

"Where are we going?"

Steve picks her up, holding her on his hip. "Eddie is stuck at work, so we're going to be extra nice and surprise him with lunch, okay?"

Sophia immediately squeals, her sadness from Eddie's absence disappearing entirely. Steve grabs the bag of Eddie's food, and he lets Sophie carry the milkshake to the car.

Munson Mechanics is the most well known mechanic shop in town, mostly because it's been run by the Munson family for forever, and it's the one place that focuses on actually fixing your car rather than ripping you off to keep you coming back. Wayne Munson has been the owner for as long as Steve's been around, but he's heard a few whispers about Eddie being the next person to take over, even though he's the youngest person working there.

It's a small shop, and Steve sees Soph scrunch her nose at the unfamiliar smell of oil when they get inside. An older man that he assumes is Wayne is at the front counter, a pencil behind his ear as he finishes up a phone call from the sounds of it. He smiles when he sees the two of them.

"How may I hope you two today?"

"We brought Eddie lunch!" Sophia grins, giggling as Steve picks her up so she can look Wayne in the eye. Wayne laughs and gives Steve a look similar to the one Joyce gave him.

"I'm assuming you're Steve and Soph. Eds has been talkin about you two all afternoon. I'll bring him out." Wayne exits the counter, opening a door to what Steve assumes is the garage and yelling into the open space. "Eds! You've got some visitors and a delivery!"

Steve hears some grumbling and the sounds of metal being put down, and then Eddie's standing there in the doorway. His hair is put up, and he's covered in grease and oil and God knows what.

"What's going- Steve? What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I'm on my lunch break right now. We um…Soph was kind of devastated you weren't there today, and Wayne told me you were skipping lunch to work, so we decided to go on a little adventure and bring lunch to you instead."

Eddie's eyes soften as Steve holds up the bag of food. "You brought me lunch? Seriously? Steve-"

"And a milkshake!" Sophia hands Eddie the to-go cup and he grins.

"Well aren't you two just my knights in shining armor. This camero is putting me through the ringer right now- thank you." Eddie opens the lid of the milkshake, taking the cherry by the stem and handing it to Soph. "Gotta make sure you get this part though, ma'lady."

Sophie takes it, popping it into her mouth and giggling. Steve feels like he might explode from watching the interaction, until he checks his watch and sees his lunch break is almost over. "Hey, we gotta head back before my break ends. Enjoy your lunch, Eds. We'll see you tomorrow."

Sophie makes sure to hug Eddie, even though he's absolutely filthy from working all day, and he makes sure to give her a little fist bump too.

"I'll see you two tomorrow. Stay safe gettin back."

Steve and Sophie head back to Byers Place, and Soph tells half the staff about their adventure for the rest of the day.

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"I didn't know you two were on lunch delivery terms." Wayne grins as he takes a sip of coffee, and Eddie glares at him between fries.

"Shut up, neither did I. Did you hear what he said? She was DEVASTATED I wasn't there today." Eddie sulks as he eats. "Fuck that Camero."

"She was a cute little thing too. She was very excited to tell me she brought you lunch…although her dad seemed pretty happy about it too." Wayne gave him a wink and Eddie immediately groaned.

"Stop- stop. Don't even imply it. I can't."

"Why not? He seems sweet, not to mention he's pretty. I don't even swing that way and I know he's pretty." Wayne reached for a cigarette off his desk and lights it.

"He has a kid, Wayne. I highly doubt he's looking for a romantic partner. PLUS, he probably doesn't swing that way either."

"He brought you lunch."

"Okay? And?"

Wayne shrugs. "People only do that for people they care about, Ed. You're allowed to feel sweet about him."

And maybe he was. Maybe he was allowed to think Steve was the prettiest man he'd ever seen. But he wasn't about to disrupt the life Steve had worked hard to give Sophie. That wasn't right.

He couldn't do that to him.

Chapter Text

Steve doesn't get calls from his parents very often, and when he does, it's never a pleasant phone call.

When he first discovered he was going to be a dad, David and Laura Harrington made it very clear that they were not happy about it. They cut him off, depriving him of the trust fund they had created for him. It forced Steve to drop out of college to work more hours, and his parents loved being mad at him for it. They had really hoped cutting him off would convince him to give up Sophie, but that wasn't going to happen. Steve would suffer and struggle for an eternity before he ever gave Sophie up.

So no, the Harrington's don't call Steve very often, especially not while he's at work during the day. That's why Steve's chest feels extra tight when Joyce tells him someone claiming to be his mother is on the phone for him.

"Hello?"

"Steven, it's your mother." He hears his mother's voice on the other line and frowns. What could she possibly want?

"Hi, mom. What's up?"

"Your father and I wanted to invite you to Thanksgiving, up at the estate. We're eating at 3."

"Oh! I…I could probably make that work. I'm sure Sophia would love a road trip-"

"Just you, Steven. Not the kid."

Steve furrows his eyebrows together. "What do you mean just me? You don't want her there?" He hears his mother sigh on the phone, and he pictures her pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Steven, me and your father don't have the patience to deal with a toddler running around on Thanksgiving. She could break the fine China, or make a mess, or-"

"Then I'm not going. If you cared to see her at all you would know she's the most well-behaved child there is." Steve slammed the phone down, not wanting to entertain his mother's excuses any longer.

He couldn't believe they had the audacity to act like Sophia didn't exist, let alone imply she wouldn't behave. They didn't know a single thing about her.

He decides to go chat with her, to try and calm himself down. When he exists the back, he notices Eddie sitting with her, looking over her coloring book and praising her artistic talent. It makes Steve smile, relaxing his shoulders as his frustration starts to dissipate.

"What masterpiece have you created today, Bug?" Steve slides into the booth next to Soph.

"I colored a fish!"

"A rainbow fish, to be exact. Very rare species." Eddie adds, smiling. "We need to get you a pack of sparkly crayons, Soph."

Sophia stared at Eddie like he had 3 heads. "Sparkly crayons?!"

"Yeah, they make crayons with glitter in them so your art can be sparkly. It would make the fish look really cool."

Soph stared up at Steve with massive eyes. "Daddy, can we get me sparkly crayons? Pretty please?"

Steve ruffles her hair. "We can look for some when Daddy gets paid, Baby."

The toddler nods and goes back to her coloring, and Eddie turns to Steve then.

"Hey, are you okay? You looked a little upset coming out from the back."

Steve sinks into the booth and frowns, reminded of why he came over here in the first place. "My…my mom called."

He hears a soft "ew" whispered from Sophie, which makes him snort. "Yes, bug. Ew."

"Why is a call from mom "ew", Stevie?"

"She invited me to Thanksgiving, which sounds very normal and whatever, until she has to clarify she just wants me there. Sophie isn't included in the invite. Why they think I would go and not bring her beats me." Steve sighs. "This happens every holiday. I don't know why I'm surprised anymore."

Eddie's eyebrows are furrowed, and he looks angry. "Why don't they want Sophie there? She's great."

"Thank you." Is whispered while the toddler continues to color and they both laugh this time.

"They didn't want me to keep her. They wanted me to put her up for adoption after she was born, cut me off from the trust fund in retaliation, I guess. Then they got mad that I couldn't afford to stay in college and dropped out to raise her."

Eddie doesn't say anything for a moment, eating a few fries before piping up again. "So..you guys are celebrating Thanksgiving alone?"

Steve nods. "Yeah, pretty much. Every other year we get to go to my friend Robin's place, but this year she's having to go to her parents house out of state, so, we're on our own this year. Just the two of us." He leans over, kissing the top of Sophie's head, making her squeal and giggle.

"You could spend it with me, if you want."

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that. I don't want to intrude-"

"Steve, it's just me and Wayne every year. We're on our own, you two are on your own. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'm inviting you anyway." Eddie takes a sip of his milkshake. "Besides, Wayne wants to see Sophie again."

Steve laughs. "Starting you think you keep me around just for my kid."

"Maybe I am! She's cool."

"Yeah!! I'm cool, Daddy!" Sophie giggles up at the two of them.

"Yes, you're very cool, bug. And…and maybe I'll take you up on that invite."

"Perfect."

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Steve never would've imagined showing up to Eddie and Wayne's place, Sophie on his hip and a cobbler in his other hand. It's gotten significantly colder in the last week and a half, so Sophie's wearing her much warmer coat today. It's bright pink and sparkly, matching her sneakers. Steve's worried he might need to get himself a new coat soon; he isn't sure his current one will last much longer, with how long he's had it.

Before Steve even gets to the door of the Munson trailer, Eddie is coming outside, making his way to the car. He isn't wearing his work clothes- instead wearing ripped black jeans and a black shirt with Metallica across the front. Steve thinks that's a band- he isn't 100% sure.

"Eddie!!" Sophie squeals from Steve's arms, happy to see her friend.

"Sophie!!" He replies with the same energy, giving her a high five from Steve's arms. "Hey, Stevie. Need help carrying anything?"

"Honestly, if you don't mind carrying her that would be great. I don't wanna drop this cobbler, and I still need to get her bag out of the car."

"Sure thing. C'mere Ma'lady, let's get you inside." Eddie takes the toddler into his arms, holding her on his hip like he does it every day. "Now, do you like hot chocolate by chance?"

Steve smiles as he watches the two of them go inside, following after them with the cobbler and Sophia's backpack. Eddie's taken her into the kitchen, getting her a mug of hot chocolate, mumbling to her about how she obviously needs whipped cream. Steve sets down the backpack by the door, bringing the dessert pan into the kitchen.

"Is there a specific spot I should put this, Eds?"

"You can just put it on the counter over there. You said it was a cobbler?"

"Mhm. Had some frozen blueberries I needed to get rid of and Sophie loves it."

"Well you've got good taste then. Here's your hot chocolate, ma'lady." Eddie sets Sophie on the counter, handing her a small mug. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Yeah, be careful bug. Don't wanna burn your tongue."

Eddie leans into Steve, whispering in his ear "It's not too hot, just warm enough to warm her up. Don't want her to think I'm babying her." Steve can't believe a man this sweet is a part of his life.

"Eds, you didn't tell me our guests were here." Wayne enters the kitchen, also not wearing his work clothes. Instead he's in jeans and a maroon, long sleeved shirt. "Y'all get here okay?"

Steve nods. "Yep, took me a second to find the right one, but other than that we were alright. I was actually looking at this place when Sophie was on the way, but they didn't have any open trailers at the time and I didn't have the option of waiting a few months."

Wayne nods. "You know, parks got a few open trailers nearby for rent, if you were ever interested."

Eddie lightly smacks his Uncle on the arm. "They already live somewhere, dumbass- sorry, Soph. Don't say that word." The toddler does nothing but nod and continue to drink her hot chocolate. Steve laughed and ruffled her hair before turning to Wayne again.

"Honestly, I've been thinking about finding somewhere else. The apartment is fine, it's just…sometimes the area freaks me out a little. But moving also makes me a little bit nervous.."

Wayne nodded in understanding. "Moving around with a little one is definitely a lot easier said than done. I remember when Eds first got here and I had to figure out all the logistics. Trying to search for a place with a toddler needing your constant attention is no easy task." He takes a long sip of his coffee. "But, the park is nice. People here are friendly, there's some kids Sophia's age and some a little older. Close to the elementary school, too."

"Wayne, you're meddling again."Eddie warned, and the older man glared at him.

"I'm not! I'm just sayin, if he's lookin, here is a good place to start. I'm not meddlin in you boys' business, honest. Maybe, I just want to be friendly to Steve here, is that so bad? Speaking of you, Steve, you want a smoke or anything? Dinner should be ready in about an hour or so."

"Oh, no thank you. I quit cold turkey when Sophia was born. This hot chocolate is nice though. It's getting way colder than I'm comfortable with at this time of year."

Eddie huffed. "Tell me about it. Garage is freezing when we get there in the morning, it's driving me nuts."

"You still get a milkshake every day though." Steve reminded, nudging his side with his elbow.

"Yeah, well, me and the little lady over here have a system. Can't break tradition, Stevie."

______________________________________________________

The four of them eat dinner together later that night, spending their time watching a few movies and chatting up a storm. Wayne and Sophia hit it off great, Soph showing him loads of her drawings in her coloring books. Eddie and Steve sit on the couch together, and at one point during the night Eddie leans over and talks softly to him to avoid Wayne or Sophie hearing.

"I'm sorry about Wayne and the whole moving into the neighborhood. I don't want you to feel like we're latching on like barnacles or something." He looks soft; like he genuinely means what he says. It makes Steve's heart ache.

"Honestly? Maybe we need someone to latch in right now." Steve looks over at Sophie and Wayne and sighs. "I haven't seen her this happy in ages. No one's ever involved themselves so much in her life besides me, and maybe she needs that. More adults that care about her as much as I do."

"I care about her a lot. At this point I think I'd take a bullet for her, really." Eddie leans into the couch. "If you do move into the park, I won't complain."

"With the way Wayne was talking, I'm starting to think it wouldn't be a bad idea. The apartment complex really…it really freaks me out sometimes. I don't want Soph to be somewhere that I don't even feel safe in, you know?"

"Well, she'd be safe here. I'll make sure of it."

Chapter Text

Trailer hunting ends up being much more fruitful than Steve had originally expected.

He didn't pull up the website for Eddie and Wayne's trailer park for a few weeks after Thanksgiving, not having much time with the extra shifts he was picking up. Christmas was an expensive holiday, especially if he wanted to spoil Sophia the way she deserved. Steve knew she would be happy with just a brand new box of crayons, and maybe a few new coloring books, but that just wouldn't do it for him. So, extra shifts it was.

It's not until mid December that Steve gets a day off to check out some of the available trailers, taking Sophie with him.

The park office is in the front of the park, and Steve and Soph make their way inside, hand in hand. An older looking woman is at the front desk, wearing a green blouse and reading glasses as she fumbles through a few file folders.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment to view a few of your available plots today."

"Of course. What's your name, hun?"

"Steve Harrington, two R's."

The woman swivels in her chair to get another folder, this time allowing Steve to see her name tag- Diane written in blue on the white plastic. She opens the folder, looking it over.

"Looking for a two bedroom, is that correct?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Alright, I've got a few in mind. You can follow me in your car and I'll show you around, yeah?"

The first one Diane shows them is nice enough, but Steve can't help but notice it has carpet.

Carpets with a toddler are never a good idea.

The second one Steve heavily considers. It's in his price range, the bedrooms are a decent size, and the false hardwood floors are much better than carpet, but he tells Diane to show them the last option she has in mind, just in case.

And thank goodness for that, because the third one is perfect.

First, it's on the same street as Eddie and Wayne, which gives the place extra brownie points right off the bat. Then, not only does it have two bedrooms, but two bathrooms as well. While Sophia is still little right now, Steve knows as she gets older she'll want to have a place to keep all her makeup and God knows what else a girl likes to keep in her bathroom, so he's grateful for the extra space. The kitchen and living room are bigger than the apartment too; Steve hadn't fully realized just how spacious a trailer could be until then, really, even after visiting the Munson residence. He supposed he had to live it to understand.

The best part though? This specific trailer had enough space behind it to count as a backyard, and a back yard meant swing sets, and kiddie pools, and maybe even a BBQ grill when summertime rolled around. A place for Sophia to enjoy the sunshine and play to her heart's content, without even having to leave her place of residence.

It was perfect.

______________________________________________________

It takes less than 24 hours for Sophia to spill Eddie the beans about being his new neighbor.

He comes in for lunch as usual, Steve already having his food and milkshake ready to go. He just barely overhears the conversation between his toddler and friend.

"So, how's Sophie doing on this fine day?"

"Good!! Me and Daddy have to pack when we get home though." She isn't even looking at Eddie, focused on her grilled cheese and halved grapes.

"Pack? Pack for what?"

"We're moving soon. I'm gonna have a backyard now!"

Steve looks over and sees Eddie looking a little distraught. "Moving? Where are you moving too, Princess?"

"Across the street!"

"...across the street? From where? The apartment?"

"No, silly! From you."

At that point in the conversation, Steve has made his way over to the two of them. "She's right. By Christmas we'll be your neighbors."

"Shit, Wayne's gonna get an ego. That's awesome! You two need help moving? I can bring my truck from work and help you out. I'm sure Wayne would be willing to do the same."

"That would be great, actually. I was looking at U-Haul prices and cringing earlier."

"Fuck U-Haul when you've got mechanic friends. Just give me a time and I'll be there."

And they are friends now, aren't they? Steve's had a difficult time grasping that concept recently. Having someone who regularly makes time to talk to him, to ask him if he's eaten and if he's doing okay. He can barely wrap his head around Eddie letting Sophia wrap him around her little finger, let alone Eddie wanting to be there for HIM too.

He wonders what he ever did to deserve the mechanic's presence.
______________________________________________________

Steve hates moving.

He knows that once they're moved into the trailer and out of the apartment, it will be worth it, but he absolutely despises the process. The packing, the loading, the unloading, the unpacking. All of it is absolutely terrible and he hates every bit of it.

The apartment is covered in boxes; courtesy of the diners regularly scheduled shipments of supplies, as well as Munson Mechanic's own donation of boxes from various car parts. Steve had finally finished packing up the last it Sophia's things that morning, and was currently working on labeling the last few boxes before his movers: aka Wayne, Eddie, and Robin, got there.

Robin gets there first, and she brings McDonald's with her.

"Alright, I've got 4 breakfast sandwiches, some orange juice, and a happy meal for the kiddo. I know darn well you haven't eaten anything."

"Robs, I love you." Steve gratefully takes the food, handing the happy meal to Sophia who proceeds to have a little picnic with herself on the living room floor of the apartment. "Eddie and Wayne should be here soon with trucks to load everything up."

"See, you have neglected to tell me youre on speaking terms with the Munsons until very recently. Not sure how I feel about that." Robin's voice is slurred from her munching on her sandwich. Steve rolls his eyes.

"He comes to the diner on his lunch break. Weaseled his way into being my friend, although I think he mostly stays for that one." He motions to his toddler. "They're like, best friends. He gives her the cherry off of his milkshake every single day."

"...seriously?"

"I'm so serious Rob." She gives him a look and Steve furrows his eyebrows "What?"

"Mm…nothing. Nothing at all. How many boxes still need to be labeled?" Robin picks up a sharpie off the floor and uncaps it with her teeth.

"Just those few over there, they're all Sophie-girls stuff." Robin gets to labeling, and Steve takes care of the breakfast trash just as he hears the sound of people at the front door of the apartment, followed by knocking. "It's open!!"

"We have arrived to assist Steve and the little lady with the migration of living spaces." Eddie opens the door, immediately making his way to Sophia to scoop her up into a hug. "Good morning! How are you today M'lady?"

"Tired, Daddy woke me up early to finish packing." Sophie rests her head on Eddie's shoulder, and Steve sees Robin awe-ing behind the two of them. Eddie hugs the toddler close for a moment.

"Aw, I know it's early bugs, but tonight you'll be in your new room, and in a brand new house!!"

"Across from you!"

"Yes! Across from me!! Now let's get this show on the road." Eddie gently sets the toddler back down on the floor to finish her breakfast, and looks around the box filled living room. "Where shall we start?"

Wayne and Eddie work on the big, heavier pieces of furniture first, and Robin and Steve tackle putting some of the lighter and smaller boxes into Steve's car. Sophia takes on packing trash duty, picking up all the stray pieces of tape and gathering up all the sharpies into a pile when she isn't coloring on the floor. Wayne and Eddie make several trips to the trailer park and back, loading and unloading until every last box is in the new Harrington residence.

Steve assumes the Munsons would leave after that, but no. The two men stay with him and Robin to help unpack everything too. Eddie makes sure all the furniture is put back together and exactly where Steve (or Sophia) wants it. Robin hangs up countless photos on the walls, and Wayne
anchors Sophia's bookshelf and dresser to the wall.

"Dresser almost fell on Eddie once when he was a kid, and I think I spent 3 hours anchoring every piece of furniture to the wall I could think of. Although, Soph doesn't seem like the kind of toddler to try to climb on her dresser drawers."

Thank God she wasn't. Steve wouldn't know what to do with himself.

It's extremely late at night by the time they're done, but the trailer feels like a home. Sophie ended up passed out on the couch by 6pm, and Steve carried her to her brand new bedroom soon after. Robin ordered everyone pizza, offering to put a movie on. Crashing on the living room couch after a hard day's work was pure bliss.

Steve almost doesn't realize he's falling asleep on Eddie until the man wraps an arm around him and whispers "I'll wake you up when the movie's over and I leave, get some rest."

He doesn't remember how he makes it back into his own bed.

Chapter Text

Sophia wakes up on Christmas Eve with a low grade fever, a cough, and a case of the sniffles.

She had padded into Steve's room way early in the morning- maybe around 5AM although Steve wasn't paying much attention to the time-, gently nudging Steve awake with her tiny, shaking hands.

"Daddy..?"

Steve, barely awake, rubbed at his eyes and sat up in bed. "What's wrong, bug?"

"I don't feel good.."

That got Steve wide awake.

He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and frowned. "You're a little warm, darling. Let's get you back to bed and Daddy'll get some stuff together to make you feel better."

He carried her back to bed, then proceeded to get a cold wash rag for the back of her neck, some children's cold medicine (orange flavored. Sophia hates the cherry and the grape), tissues, and a sippy cup filled with ice water. He knew it probably wasn't anything more than a cold, but he still had that sickening worry in his chest that only a parent could understand. Not to mention it was Christmas Eve; the idea of his little girl being sick on Christmas day broke his heart, especially since the Munsons were supposed to join them.

The thought of the Munsons reminded Steve that he should probably call Eddie and let him know, just in case Sophia did stay sick through Christmas. Him and Wayne probably wouldn't want to come over when there was a sick toddler in the house.

Once he gets Soph to drink some water, take her medicine, and get back to sleep, Steve migrates to the living room phone to give Eddie a call. He's pretty sure he'll be awake; Eddie had expressed to him before that he was a natural early bird, even when he didn't want to be.

He punches in the number (that he now has memorized) and waits, leaning into the corner of the couch.

"Ello, Munson residence. This is Eddie speaking."

"You sound very formal over the phone, Eds."

"Stevie!! Good morning! What are you doing up? It's like, 6AM on a holiday man."

"Sophie woke me up about an hour ago. She's got a nasty cold and a low fever. Wanted to call you and give you a heads up in case she isn't feeling better tomorrow and we have to cancel our Christmas Day plans."

"Cancel? Stevie, why would we cancel?"

"Eds…a sick toddler isn't exactly the greatest way to spend Christmas day."

"I told you both I'd be there tomorrow, and I'm gonna be there tomorrow no matter what." Steve hears a bit of shuffling on the other line. "Does she need anything?"

"Uhm..I..I don't think so. I think the only thing I need to pick up is popsicles. That cough is gonna make her throat hurt and she definitely won't be wanting to eat actual food-"

"What flavor?"

"..what?"

"What flavor does she like? Of popsicles?"

"Eds.."

"What flavor, Stevie?"

"...Orange. Her favorite flavor of anything is orange."

"Perfect. I'll see you later. Try to get some sleep before the little lady wakes up again." And with that Eddie hung up the phone.

Steve only had one thought before he drifted off to sleep on the couch; what had Eddie meant by "See you later"?
______________________________________________________

Eddie was an angel among men. At this point, Steve wasn't even sure the mechanic was real.

At around 9AM, Eddie came by the Harrington trailer with a few plastic grocery bags and two bouquets of flowers. How he found flowers that looked even halfway decent in the middle of December was beyond him.

"Alright, I got two boxes of orange popsicles. One of them is dream-sickle but then I thought that maybe the dairy might make her throat feel worse, so I also grabbed some regular orange ice pops just in case. I also grabbed a Lisa Frank coloring book; I got her one already for Christmas but like, she's sick, so clearly the universe wants her to have more. Flowers to make her smile, and some for you just because I know you're probably tired and stressed and I figured a smile was needed for you too." Eddie was out of breath by the end of his explanation of the things he bought, before jumping into another ramble. "Oh!! I also grabbed a few Disney movies from Family Video down the road, and some hot tea from my house in case she gets sick of popsicles or the fever starts giving her chills. It's lemon so it should help her throat a bit too."

Steve isn't even sure how to respond, at first. He's stuck standing in his living room, awestruck and damn near speechless at Eddie once again performing selfless acts for the sake of him and his sweet little girl. It takes what feels like ages for him to verbalize a response.

"Eddie…you didn't have to-"

"Shh!" The metalhead presses a calloused finger to Steve's lips. "It's called taking care of the people who are important to you. Can't have Sophie-girl being sad and miserable on Christmas, can we?"

"I…I suppose not. You didn't have to get me anything though.." Steve feels himself flush a bit at the flowers. No one's ever given him flowers before…

"I wanted to do something nice, okay? I remember Wayne always being really worried when I was sick, even if it was minor, so I figured you were probably feeling the same. Flowers are a good remedy for stuff like that." And with that, Eddie made his way into the kitchen. He puts the popsicles away first, taking everything else out of the bags before getting to work trimming the flowers and getting them into two separate vases. "Has she woken up yet?"

"Thankfully, no. Think the medicine helped knock her out." Steve sighs. "Sometimes she has a hard time telling me she doesn't feel good right away, so who knows how long she was awake before she woke me up." He kind of slumped in on himself. That was one of the things Steve kept trying to work on with her, but hadn't had much improvement with yet. Eddie nodded a little as he arranged the flowers in their respective vases.

"She's a very empathetic little human. She probably didn't want to wake you up because she knows you need sleep." Eddie grabs a popsicle from the freezer. "She's very observant, as I'm sure you're even more aware than me. Her sweet, sweet self probably just didn't want to disturb you. She waits for as long as she can, hoping it'll go away on its own. Trust me, I did the same thing as a kid." Eddie sets one of the flower vases to the side on the counter, picking up the other along with the popsicle. " You aren't doing anything wrong, Steve"

Steve nods a little, wiping away at his eyes before following Eddie down the hall to Sophia's room. The mechanic very gently opens the toddlers bedroom door, setting the flowers on her nightstand and brushing a bit of her hair out of her face. Eddie frowns when he touches her forehead.

"Jeez, she is warm. I always felt like the low grade fevers felt even more miserable than the higher ones."

"Agreed. She looked so sad and uncomfortable this morning…" Steve picks up the now empty sippy cup that had water earlier that morning. "This was full earlier. She's probably woken up a few times for a minute or so." He kneels down, gently nudging the toddler. "Soph? Got you something to help you cool down a little baby."

Sophie whines a little, sitting up with a heart breaking whimper before opening her eyes at the sound of Eddie opening the popsicle. "Mmph…Eddie?"

"Hi, little lady. Heard you weren't feeling too good, so your trusty guard brought you some popsicles" He hands the now unwrapped orange ice pop to her. "If you're feeling a little better later, I got you some other stuff, but for now just eat this and try to get some more sleep, okay?"

The toddler does nothing but nod, taking the popsicle and eating it with her eyes barely open. Steve makes sure to grab the empty sippy cup to get her some more water, and he just barely sees Eddie kissing the toddlers head before following him back to the kitchen. He thinks extra hard about that as he makes more ice water, Eddie leaning against the counter.

"I've never met anyone who cared about her as much as you do." He says it softly, avoiding Eddie's gaze by making sure the sippy cup lid is on tight.

"I care about both of you."

Steve laughs. "I've never had that happen either. I mean, Robin is my best friend, I suppose she counts. But…she's in college, and trying to spread her little wings, so she isn't able to be around as often as…as you, I guess."

"You were in college at one point too, right? Before Soph?"

"Yeah. Just a business degree though. I wasn't really doing it for me and more for my parents. I'd love to go back someday, maybe when Soph is a little older."

"I'm assuming it wouldn't be for business though?"

"Oh, god's no. I'd like to go into education, I think. Maybe children's psychology." Steve shakes the sippy cup a little bit so the ice cools down the tap water. "It's amazing what having a kid can make you realize about yourself."

"I think that suits you way better than business, Stevie." Eddie motions to the sippy cup. "Want me to bring that to her?"

"Oh! Um, sure. Are you…are you hungry at all? It's around lunch time, so.."

"Lunch sounds nice. I'll take this to her and then I can help you in here." Eddie takes the sippy cup and exits the kitchen, leaving Steve to figure out lunch.
______________________________________________________

Eddie spends the night on Christmas Eve.

It was mostly by accident. After lunch, and a few check-ins with Sophia throughout the day, Steve and him spent most of the day lounging in the living room watching movies. The two of them woke up on Christmas Day entangled together on the couch, Steve rushing up to make them both a cup of coffee (and to avoid the embarrassment of waking up together, of course).

Eddie woke up Sophia, who was thankfully feeling a little bit better, enough to be carried out of her room and actually open some presents.

"Wayne is gonna come by later, he had to do a few things at the shop this morning." Eddie tells him as he takes his mug full of coffee. Sophie is giggling over the small mound of presents for her under the tiny Harrington tree. Steve nods at his statement before sitting next to Soph.

"Alright, bug. All the ones in Princess wrapping are yours. Have at it."

Watching her open everything is always incredibly entertaining for Steve. Her excitement over every single thing, no matter how small, makes him feel like the luckiest parent in the world.

He gets her several new coloring books, and a massive package of brand new Crayola crayons. A Cinderella princess dress that she had eyed in the store a few months ago, and a doll to match. He also gets her a fuzzy blanket and a pink stuffed bear.

He wishes he could get her so much more, but at least she's happy.

"Hey, little lady. You're not finished! You think I didn't get you anything too?" Eddie pulled out a couple of wrapped presents, and the coloring books he bought the day before. "These are because you're sick, but the wrapped ones are for Christmas."

Sophie squeals a little, thanking him as she opens them. She gets a MASSIVE coloring book, a Cinderella barbie that is thankfully not the same one Steve got her,

And a package of sparkly crayons.

"They're sparkly!!! Daddy, look!" She practically shoves the box into his face and he laughs.

"Make sure you tell Eddie thank you, baby."

Soph gives the metalhead a massive hug instead, giggling before running off to color to her heart's content. Eddie looks relieved.

"I'm glad she liked them. They were way harder to find then I remembered."

"That's why I didn't get her any; I couldn't find a single box." Steve nudges Eddie a little. "Thank you for getting her presents. You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did, I love her. But she isn't the only person I got something for."

"Eddie.."

Eddie pulls out another gift. It's a bit larger than Steve expected, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"You didn't have to get me anything.."

"Shut up and open it, Stevie."

Steve laughs and rolls his eyes before tearing away the paper and opening the box. He almost cries when he sees it.

"Eddie.."

"Look, I..I noticed you made sure Soph was nice and warm before you were at Thanksgiving, and I just…I care about you. So don't try to give it back or anything else dumb. It's not a hand out, or charity, it's a gift because you're important to me."

It's a coat. A damn nice one too, with fancy buttons and soft lining and black fabric. Steve doesn't even know what to say.

He hopes the bone-crushing hug he gives him is enough.

Chapter Text

Eddie can’t stop thinking about Steve.

Specifically, the nagging feeling in the back of his head that wants to kiss him. He wants to kiss and hug him and take him out so, so bad.

He argues with Wayne that he can’t, that he could never disrupt the life Steve and Sophia have more than he already has. Wayne argues that Steve doesn’t seem anything but happy when Eddie is around him with that weird, knowing look parents have when they think they know everything about a situation in their child’s life.

Eddie just keeps doing what he's doing. Sometimes he feels like hanging out with Steve is just torturing himself, but he can't help it. He loves how he feels when he's around him; wants to fill the single parent's space and make him smile.

If loving Steve in silence is how Eddie has to love him, then fine. He will. And he'll love Sophie just as much.

That's kind of how the aquarium day started, really.

One of Eddie's regulars came in on a Tuesday; the last car he would be working on until his lunch break. They make small talk long enough for the man to mention his job at the aquarium in the next city over.

Eddie thinks about that the entire time he's doing the guys oil change.

While he rings up the guy back at the front, he decides to bite the bullet, as he usually decides to do.

"Hey, you don't happen to have some tickets to that aquarium on you by chance?" He's already reaching for his wallet from his back pocket.

"I do, actually! I've got three here, if you're wanting to take them off my hands."

Eddie gives him $45 for the three of them, and slips them into his wallet for safe keeping.

When he leaves Munson Mechanics and gets to Byer's Place, he smiles when he sees Sophie through the window. Crayons are scattered across the table, and she's eating her usual grilled cheese and halved grapes, a glass of lemonade on the side. Eddie sits in front of her when he walks in, glad to see it's a slow day at the diner (for Steve's sake, of course. He wishes he could force that man to take a break).

"Grilled cheese, no tomato, side of fries and a chocolate shake, as usual." Eddie hadn't noticed Steve came out from the back, and he smiles at the fact he didn't even need to order food by now.

"Thanks, Stevie. How's it going?"

The waiter shrugs. "Alright, I guess. Bit slow today so I actually ate lunch earlier."

Eddie perks up at that. “Good! I’m glad you got to have a nice break; lord knows you deserve one.”

Steve laughs, looking around at the basically empty diner before sliding in next to Sophia to chat. “Tell me about it. Just wish I had the ability to do something on the days I have a break, you know?”

“Mm…I’ll say I do, but you should elaborate anyway.” The mechanic pops a fry in his mouth, not really caring about how filthy his hands are.

“I’d like to be able to take Sophie-girl out to do some fun stuff, but I feel like I’m always playing catch-up on some bill or other and I can’t. The park on a Saturday afternoon can only do so much for her, and I just..feel bad, sometimes.” Steve seems to kind of sink in on himself the same way he did when he mentioned Soph not coming to him right away when she’s sick or hurting. It makes Eddie feel incredibly sad, but also, very proud of himself for buying the aquarium tickets earlier.

“You’re off this Saturday, right?”

“Yeah, I’m always off on Saturdays. Why?” Steve steals a grape from Sophia’s plate. She doesn’t seem to care one bit.

“A regular of mine gave me a couple of tickets to the aquarium earlier; said he needed to get rid of them cause they expire after this weekend and I mentioned I might know some people who might like to go with me.” Eddie takes the tickets out of his wallet and waves them around a little.

“Wait, really? You don’t have to use them on us you know.”

“Stevie, sweetheart, who ELSE am I supposed to use them on? Besides, Soph will love it. Soph! You wanna see some cool fish this weekend?”

“Fish?”

“Yeah bug. Fish, sharks, jellyfish. Basically the entire ocean!”

“Yeah!! Daddy, I wanna go!! Can we?”

Steve looks at her for a moment and smiles, sighing. “Yeah, Baby. We can go. Make sure you tell Eds thank you.”

“Thank you Eddie!! Are you gonna see fishies with us?”

Eddie slips the tickets back into his wallet. “Of course I am! I can even pick you guy up, if your Dad wants.” He looks back at Steve “Same you some gas, if you’d like.”

“Sure, man! Just come a few minutes early so I can switch her car seat to your car.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Steve was a pro at putting in the car seat.

At first, when Eddie first got out of his truck to greet them, he tried to help put it in, but he quickly made a fool of himself. He didn’t know how to work any of the straps, or how to anchor it to the car properly. Steve had nudged him aside with a laugh, taking the reins.

“You’re very sweet for trying, but I got this.” He finished the task in no time at all, buckling Sophia in and hopping into Eddie’s passenger seat. Eddie gets in, starting the engine before turning to him.

“You mind if I play some tunes?”

“Of course not. It’s your car, Eds.”

The mechanic grins before popping in a tape and turning the volume up. He had made sure to grab one of his more tame tapes, since Sophia was going to be in the car and he didn’t want to upset Steve by playing anything…not kid friendly.

American Pie comes on, and Eddie rolls down Sophia’s window, making her giggle and squeal as he drives. Steve’s whispering the words and smiling, putting his own window down to let the wind ruffle his hair a bit. Eddie feels so at home like this. If he had just a few minutes of this every day, he could die a happy man.

It’s about a 45 minute drive to the aquarium, and Sophia spends most of it giggling from the wind coming through the window, or asking Eddie and Steve questions about their upcoming adventure.

“Daddy, am I gonna see any dolphins?”

“I’m not sure Bug, but you might!!”

“Eddie, is the aquarium gonna have sea turtles?”

“I think so, Sophie girl. We can see those first, if you’d like.”

“Do they have mermaids?”

Eddie and Steve both chuckle at that one. Steve looks at her through the rear view mirror.

“I don’t think they have mermaids there Honey.”

Sophie frowns a little, and Eddie jumps to cheer her up.

“It’s just because it’s vacation season for mermaids, Princess! Maybe we can come another time after today and see some.”

“Oh! Okay!”

Steve gives Eddie a knowing look and rolls his eyes. “You’re too sweet for your own good, Eds.”

“Nah, just don’t want her to be disappointed. Who knows; maybe they do have mermaids.” The metal head winks at Steve, who only rolls his eyes again and chuckles.

Eddie parks the truck as close as he can to the entrance of the aquarium before turning off the car and getting out. Steve helps Soph out of her car seat, and she holds both his and Eddie’s hand as they walk inside. Eddie gives the woman at the front desk their tickets, and she gives him back the ripped stubs. He keeps them in his wallet for safekeeping.

The aquarium is much larger on the inside than Eddie imagined, and Sophia is already dragging him and Steve to the closest tank of fish. It’s mostly coral and a few small salt-water fish, but the toddler is fascinated all the same.

“Daddy!! It’s moving!! What is that?” She points a tiny finger at a sea anemone that’s wiggling around a little and Steve crouches down to her height.

“It’s called a sea anemone. Clown fish use them to hide from bigger fish that want to eat them.”

“So…it’s a house?”

“Kinda!”

Sophia oos and ahhs at the various other fish, eventually letting go of Eddie and Steve’s hands to walk a few feet in front of them. Eventually the three of them make their way to a touch-pool, and Eddie kneels down to help Sophia gain the courage to touch the stingrays and various starfish and things.

“I don’t wanna! What if something bites me?”

“Sweetheart, nothings going to bite you. Besides, I’m right here to protect you. I wouldn’t let you do something if I thought you could get hurt.”

She stares down at the pool, watching a few stingray swim by. “…You promise?”

“I promise. Here, I’ll do it first, okay?” He rolls up his sleeves before sticking his hand in the water. He brushes his fingertips over a passing shark of some sort. “See? It’s fun!! Now you try.” He barely notices Steve watching from a few feet away as Sophia sticks her hand in the cool water to pet a starfish. She bursts into giggles, turning to pet a stingray, and then a shark, and then a turtle. She spends 20 minutes there before Eddie encourages her to explore the rest of the aquarium.

A few times while walking around Steve and Eddie’s hands brush; enough to where Eddie resorts to shoving his hands in his pockets. He doesn’t want to give Steve the wrong idea, even though the “wrong idea” is actually what he really wants. He just can’t have it. This has to be enough. He can love them both without being romantic to Steve, for sure.

He pays for Sophia to get fish painted on her cheeks at a face painting station, gets all three of them lunch and doesn’t let Steve pay for that either. Makes sure to get Sophia a stuffed sea turtle in the gift shop, and sneaks the toddler away to help him pick a gift for Steve, too. She urges him to get the bigger version of the stuffed animal she got.

“I have the baby one, and he can have the daddy one! Cause he’s my daddy!”

She’s a genius, obviously. Steve looks like he could cry when Eddie gives it to him.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Eds. You’ve done more than enough today.”

“Take the damn turtle, Stevie. Sophia helped pick it out just for you.”

Steve and Soph carry their respective plushies around through the rest of the aquarium, until they finally reach the jellyfish fish area and Sophia sits down to rest and admire the colorful floating blobs. The jellyfish area is a closed off space of pure tank, with colorful LED lights to make the room an array of different colors as they bounce off the jellyfish. Steve pulls Eddie aside, away from Sophia enough to where she can’t hear them talk, but they can still see her.

“I need you to be honest with me when I ask you this.”

“Of course. What’s up?”

Steve hugs the plushie close to his chest. “Did you…lie about getting the tickets for free?”

Eddie doesn’t need to respond verbally; his face gives him away. He goes a little red, all the way up to his ears and he avoids Steve’s eyes at first, shifting his weight where he hands. “Uh…”

“Eds.”

“Okay, you caught me. I um, I have a regular that works here, and he had a few tickets on hand, so I bought them. I’m…I’m sorry I lied. I just didn’t want you to feel like I was being too much, or something.”

“Why did you buy them in the first place? You didn’t have to do that. You didn’t have to do any of this. I don’t…I don’t understand.”

Eddie doesn’t respond at first. He has a million thoughts running through his head; mostly to try and figure out a way to wiggle his way out of this one to avoid telling Steve the one thing he’s been promising himself he wouldn’t tell him for weeks now.

He can’t think of any excuses.

“To tell you the truth, I love to be around the both of you. I love spending time with Sophia every day, and coloring with her, and making her laugh. I love watching you interact with her. I love talking to you and asking you how your day was. I guess I just…wanted you guys to have a good time.”

“Eds…you still didn’t have to-“

“I know I didn’t, Steve. That’s what you don’t understand. I wanted to. I always want to. I want to come to the diner and see you every day. I want to take you places, Sophia or no Sophia. I want to spend time with you, and make you laugh, and spend time with Sophia even when she’s sick and won’t eat anything but orange ice pops. I want to-“ He pauses, contemplating if he should even say it. “I want to love you, alright? If I’m being honest, I think I already do.” Eddie grabs the hand Steve isn’t using to clutch the stuffed turtle and squeezes. “You don’t have to let me. I would never want to get in the way of the life you and Sophia have like that. I just…I guess I just can’t keep it to myself anymore.”

Steve is silent for an agonizing few minutes. He shoves his face into the stuffed turtle for a moment, taking a deep breath before mumbling, barely audible to anyone but Eddie.

“What if I wanted to let you?”

“…What?”

“What if I wanted to let you love me? Now, don’t get me wrong, Sophia will always be my main priority. You will have to accept the fact she is my number one concern at all times, and I will always put her first no matter what. And we are a package deal, alright? You can’t have me without loving her just as much if not more. She is and always will be my favorite person, so-“

“Steve, she’s just as important to me. I’d take a bullet for her. I don’t care if she ever gets sick and we have to cancel a date night, I don’t care about temper tantrums, or having to learn how to sneak vegetables into god knows what because toddlers won’t eat the things they need to stay alive. I don’t care if she only likes her sandwiches cut a certain way, or if I never get to eat the cherry off my milkshake ever again. I want to love both of you for as long as you’ll let me.”

Steve stares at him, almost like he’s analyzing him for a moment before he drops the stuffed turtle he had been holding and kisses Eddie right there among the colored jellyfish.

It’s the best kiss he’s ever had. It feels like home.

Chapter Text

They move slowly when it comes to their relationship, after the aquarium.

Steve expresses to Eddie that he's nervous for…a number of reasons. He's never been with a man before, for one, and the last relationship he ever had ended with an enemy, a daughter, and a broken heart.

"I just…don't want to mess this up, and I'm scared, a little bit." The young man whispers it while they chat on the couch, Sophia asleep for a nap in her room just a little bit aways. Eddie runs a few fingers through Steve's hair.

"We're gonna go as slowly as you need, Stevie. I'm not in any rush."

So that's what they do. Almost nothing changes right away, except maybe a few shy smiles at the diner and a snuck kiss when Sophia isn't looking. They've decided to keep the whole thing from Sophia, for a while. They don't want to disrupt the normalcy for her just yet, or confuse her about what Eddie is to her either. He isn't any sort of second parent to her; although he certainly acts like one sometimes, and he doesn't plan on showing her any less love.

Eddie isn't really sure how someone could not want to give her every bit of love they have.

Sometimes he wonders about Sophia's mother. He knows she didn't want to keep her (he tries his best not to be judgemental, but knowing Sophia makes it a lot harder), and that Steve and her were together in college. He contemplates asking Steve about it, sometimes, but he doesn't want to pry and make his boyfriend upset.

He notices how hurt Steve is though, from the experience. Or maybe it's from other things; a combination of events Steve never really deserved but dealt with anyway, giving him wounds that have yet to heal over completely.

The flowers Eddie got him on Christmas are dead and dry on Steve's nightstand, as if he doesn't want to throw them away. He flinches if Eddie comes up behind him without warning (it happens once, at dinner, but never again).

He gets migraines. Chronically.

The first time Eddie witnesses it, they're eating dinner at the Harrington trailer. Sophia is happily eating her dinner, chatting about whatever scenario she's playing out with her barbies and her stuffed animals, and Steve is…

Not as attentive to her as he usually is.

He's doing his best, Eddie can tell. He nods and hums along to what the toddler is saying, but every once in a while she raises her voice and he winces, as if the sound causes him physical pain.

Eddie cleans up dinner afterwards, ignoring Steve's protests. He gets Soph into pajamas and makes sure she brushes her teeth, taking her to bed. Once she's taken care of, he switches to caring for his boyfriend.

"You didn't have to do any of that, Ed." Steve's rubbing at his eyes with his palms until Eddie takes them away, holding them.

"You don't feel good, I can tell. What can I do?"

"Nothing, I'm fine, really, I-"

"Stevie." The mechanic raises an eyebrow "You can't lie to me, I'll figure it out eventually."

Steve's shoulders slump a little, defeated. "I…I get migraines, sometimes. I got a lot of concussions back in highschool, and apparently you can only get so many before you start having a few issues up here." He taps on his temple with his pointer finger.

"Well, then let's get you some pain meds and into bed."

"I can do that myself, Eddie, seriously."

"Too bad. I'm helping." He leads Steve to his room. "Where do you keep your pajamas, lovely?"

Steve flushes at the nickname. "Uhm, bottom drawer."

Eddie rummaged around for awhile, pulling out a soft, yellow sweatshirt and some pajama pants. "Alright, you get changed, and I'll go get you some water and some pain meds for that pretty little head of yours." He disappears from the bedroom without listening for Steve's response.

The water is easy to get, Eddie grabbing a plastic cup from the cabinet and filling it with water from the tap. It's the pain meds that take him a second to find, all of them in a basket on top of the fridge. He assumes it's to keep them out of Sophia's reach, just in case.

Steve is dressed in the pajamas Eddie picked out when he gets back, the stuffed turtle from the aquarium sitting in his lap. He's fidgeting with its fins with the tips of his fingers, rubbing them between the fabric.

"Hi, Darling." He sits next to him on the bed, carefully handing Steve the water and the medication. His boyfriend takes them immediately, staying silent for a while before giggling a little. "What? What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I just thought of this one time, when Sophie was younger, maybe 3? 2 and a half? Super little. Anyway, I had to take her shoe shopping, which, if you don't know, toddlers fucking hate shoes, so she was already in a shit mood about it, but she started getting these growing pains while we were out. I'm not sure why, but whenever she gets them they're HORRIBLE. She cries and cries, and it's just all around heart breaking, because you can't really prevent those from happening. And at the time I hadn't started doing the whole 'bring an entire first aid kit with you at all times' parent thing, so I didn't have anything for her to take besides these low grade ibuprofen pills."

Eddie hissed a little as he imagined the situation in his head. "That sounds like a nightmare. I didn't know how to take pills till I was like, 12."

"Yeah, me neither. And I only had two of them, so I sat her down on the hood of my car and told her 'alright, this is all I have. You have two chances', and I had to teach her how to take them."

"Did she actually do it?"

"Well, she failed the first time, naturally. Poor thing almost threw up trying to do it, and I'm sure the crying wasn't helping. But she did it the second time, and she's never had an issue taking pills since."

"...your kid is so badass, dude."

"Right? I guess the only problem now is they don't really make children's medication in pill form, so she hates liquid medicine even more than a normal child, I think." Steve laughs a little again and leans into Eddie's side. "Sorry, the pills just reminded me of that, I guess."

"No, it was a good story. Thank you for sharing that with me." Eddie kisses his forehead. "Hopefully your medication kicks in soon so you can get your beauty sleep."

Steve doesn't say anything else, too tired to talk anymore. Eventually Eddie moves off the bed, encouraging him to climb into bed and tucking him in. Steve is already asleep, snuggling with the turtle stuffed animal when Eddie shuts off the lights and goes home.

______________________________________________________

The second time Eddie is around when Steve has a migraine, it warps into the first time Eddie watches Sophia by himself.

Steve makes sure to go grocery shopping once a week. Having a toddler means having a tiny little monster who is constantly asking for snacks and meals and, in Steve's case, some orange slices every 30 minutes.

But it's Saturday, the day he usually goes grocery shopping, and he can't seem to make the effort to get out of bed and stay out long enough to get dressed and get Sophia ready and actually, well,

Leave.

As soon as Sophia is content with a plate of orange slices and her coloring books in the living room, Steve is on the couch, staring into space with nothing but the ache behind his eyes. He doesn't even really notice Eddie coming in until the mechanic is putting a few fingers against his forehead.

"You don't look so good, Stevie."

"Mmph…migraine.." He closes his eyes so he can focus a bit better on his boyfriend's voice and touch.

"Let's get you to bed. I'll watch bugs."

"Can't. Need to..go grocery shopping in a bit.."

"I'll do the grocery shopping, sweetheart. You aren't driving when you feel like this anyway. C'mon, to bed you go." Eddie leads him to bed, getting him pajamas and pain meds, just like he had done a few weeks before. "Grocery list is on the fridge right?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Wallets on the counter, too. Soph knows all the brands and stuff."

"Perfect. I'll figure it out. Call me if you need me, okay?"

Steve doesn't do anything but hum as Eddie gets him into bed, and he almost immediately falls asleep.

______________________________________________________

Who the hell made car seats so complicated?

After he was sure Steve was asleep, Eddie gets Sophia together to go grocery shopping. He's feeling very confident with the grocery list and Steve's wallet in hand, until he remembers.

The dreaded car seat.

Why does it have so many straps? So many things to click in place? So much effort just to keep his tiny friend safe, it's truly ridiculous.

Eventually he does figure it out and is able to haul Sophia up into his truck. She's giggling a little, talking about going on an 'adventure', just her and Eddie, and it makes the mechanic smile. He gladly rolls her window down and blasts some music on the way to the local grocery store, just to get a few giggles out of her.

It's not a long drive, and pretty soon Eddie and Soph are walking into the grocery store, the toddler keeping a firm grip on a few of Eddie's fingers so he doesn't lose her.

"Alright, let's start with the produce first. How many oranges are we getting, Bugs?'

The toddler analyzes the stand of oranges. "6!"

"Good call. You get the bag, I'll pack em."

They work like that for the rest of the shopping, Sophia helping Eddie out with specific brands and amounts of certain things. Apparently, their weekly groceries are meticulously the same every single week, for the most part.

He supposes you have to be meticulous about it, when you're in a situation like Steve's. He remembers a few months ago, when his now boyfriend had mentioned not being able to afford to get his car fixed, or even towed. He imagines Steve planning out his groceries in a similar fashion that Wayne did when he was younger, scanning over coupons in the weekly paper like his life depended on it, a pen in his mouth.

Sophia doesn't seem to notice it though, which is something Eddie is grateful for on an entirely different level. He didn't have that luxury as a kid, too traumatized to not notice the sacrifices Wayne had to make to keep him in his care. He can tell Steve's worked incredibly hard to make sure Sophia never feels the way Eddie ever did when he was a kid.

She helps load the groceries into the truck (not really, but she thinks she did, and that's what matters), and makes sure Eddie puts the cart back. He checks his watch when they get in the car and frowns.
Steve is probably still at home, sleeping. Grocery shopping didn't take as long as he had anticipated, but he doesn't really like the idea of dropping Sophia off when Steve really needs the rest.

"Hey Bug?"

"Hm?"

"How would you feel about coming over to my house after we put groceries away? Your dad is tired, and doesn't feel very well, so I was thinking you could come over so we don't disturb his sleeping."

"Okay!! Can I bring my coloring books?"

Eddie scoffs "Duh, of course you can. That's like a written requirement."

The two of them (very quietly) put groceries away. Eddie's thankful Sophia is an observant kid, because she knows where pretty much everything goes. While she runs off to pack a few things to take to the Munson trailer, the mechanic goes to check on Steve.

He's still sleeping, cacooned in a mound of blankets and pillows. Eddie brushes a bit of his hair back, kissing his temple before writing him a note informing him where Sophia is and how grocery shopping went. He makes sure to shut the door and turn off all the lights before Sophia and him make the walk over to his place.

"Eddie?" Sophia happily walks into his home, used to visiting with her dad by now.

"Yeah Bugs?"

"Why did you kiss Daddy's forehead before we left?"

That stops Eddie in tracks, almost dropping his keys on the floor.

"You were there? I didn't even hear you-"

"I left my giraffe in the hallway."

Eddie slumps a little and sighs, picking Sophia up and bringing her to the kitchen, setting her on the counter so their eye level. "How do you feel about that? Me kissing your dad on his forehead, I mean."

She kicks her feet a little, looking down at her lap and shrugging. "I donno."

Eddie tucks a bit of her hair behind her ears. "That's okay." He sighs a little, but keeps talking. "I care about your dad very very much, okay? And I care about you very very much, and I care about your feelings and opinions too."

"...You're not gonna steal him away, are you?" She whispers it, like she's afraid of Eddie's answer, and it breaks his heart.

"Sweetheart, of course not." He brings her into a hug. "When I told your Dad I cared about him as much as I do, he told me you were always going to be first, no matter what. And I care about BOTH of you, okay? If I'm stealing him, I'm stealing you, too. I'm sorry you saw me before we told you, I know that was probably confusing and a little scary. Thank you for coming to me and asking me about it." He squeezes her a little before pulling away. "Now, how about a snack?"

The rest of the afternoon is perfect after that. Eddie gets her a few orange slices and some crackers, and she happily colors at the kitchen counter for awhile. He has a bit of trouble convincing her to take a nap, and in the process accidently gets Sophia hooked on The Hobbit.

In his defense, she asked for a story, and it's the only kid-friendly book in his possession. There are worst things to get her into.

The two of them are eating dinner when the phone rings. It's Steve.

"Munson residence, this is Eddie."

"Hey, Eds."

"Stevie! I see you've awoken from your slumber; you feeling any better?"

"Way better. Migraines basically gone. How's Sophia girl?"

"Great! Eating dinner right now. Although…she uhm.."

"Eddie? What's wrong?"

"She knows, about us. She caught me giving you a kiss on the forehead before we got to my house."

"And? Is she okay?"

"She doesn't seem to mind, once I assured her I didn't plan on stealing you away in the dead of night."

Steve awes over the phone. "Poor baby. I'll talk to her some more when she gets home. I'll be over in a second, gonna eat something first. Thanks for getting groceries, by the way."

"Thank your kid, man. She knew all the amounts, brands, where they were at. She's observant."

"Probably should've known better than try and keep us from her, huh?"

"Yeah, probably." Eddie sighs. "See you in a bit, Love."

Chapter Text

"How would you feel about going out this weekend? Just us?" Eddie says as he dries the dishes Steve has been washing in the sink after dinner. Steve smiles a little.

"That sounds nice, but we'd have to find someone to watch Sophia, and I'm-"

"Careful with who watches her, I know." Eddie stacks a few dried plates and puts them away. "Would you be willing to have Wayne watch her? He's got experience with me, and I was an animal compared to her. And she knows him already, which helps."

Steve thinks on it for a minute as he washes a few cups and forks. "I think I'd be okay with that. We'd have to ask Sophia first, though. Maybe she could sleep over and you and I can sleep without being woken up at 6AM for orange slices."

Eddie laughs, leaning over to kiss Steve's cheek. "You talk to Sophie, I'll ask Wayne tomorrow at the shop."

Obviously, both parties happily agree to the arrangement. Wayne walks over to take Sophia to the Munson trailer, holding her hand as they cross the street with one hand and her backpack in the other. Eddie can hear her talking to the older man all the way from the front porch.

"Are you gonna tell me where you're taking me?" Steve's dressed in casual clothes; a pair of jeans and a shirt he stole from Eddie a few weeks ago. The mechanic had joked about needing it back in '3-5 business days', but never actually asked for it back.

Steve looks better in it anyway.

"It's a surprise! I promise you'll like it. Just get in the car and look pretty like you always do and let me handle it."

Steve rolls his eyes, taking his spot in the passenger seat of Eddie's truck. He immediately pops a tape in after Eddie starts the car and rolls the windows down. It's gotten significantly warmer recently, and Steve seems much happier with the sun out after a long winter season.

They drive for a while, Steve asking where they're going a few more times without Eddie spilling the details.

He takes him to a park just outside of town. It's rather large, but no one seems to be here today even though the weather is perfect for it. The only living creatures there are an adorable pair of ducks swimming in the pond near a trail.

"So…what are we doing here?"

"We," Eddie starts getting out of the car, rushing over to escourt Steve out of the truck. "Are going to have a picnic, and feed some ducks, and maybe stargaze if they come out fast enough."

"Really? You planned a whole picnic for me?"

"Of course I did. You deserve something relaxing after a long work week. Besides, I enjoyed planning everything for you. C'mon." Eddie leads him to the back of his truck, lifting the lid of the bed to reveal a nest of pillows and blankets, along with a picnic basket and a bouquet of flowers. He helps Steve climb in, following after him. "Soph spilled the details on all your favorite foods when we went grocery shopping awhile ago, so you should like everything I packed. The flowers are because you still have the ones I gave you for Christmas and clearly you needed an upgrade."

Steve holds the bouquet close to his chest for a moment, admiring the petals. Eddie doesn't know what they are- he grabbed them because they're yellow.

Steve looks wonderful in yellow. At least to him, anyway.

"I should press these instead of letting them dry out like last time…thank you, Eds. This is- no one's ever done any of this kind of stuff for me before. It's always-"

"It's always been you, I know." Eddie tugs Steve closer to his side. "Not anymore. You deserve to be treated well too, Darling. A relationship should be an equal exchange as much as possible."

Steve sniffles a little, but quickly wipes his eyes and lunges for the picnic basket. "Let's see if you get an A in the food category."

The two of them binge on fruit and crackers and the blueberry muffins Sophia said were Steve's favorite, giggling and talking and kissing in the nest of Eddie's truck bed. Eventually they climb out to feed the ducks a few spare pieces of fruit, watching the birds swim and splash around in the water.

"Oh, hey, the stars are starting to come out." Eddie points to the gradually darkening sky.

Steve looks up and smiles, noticing a few tiny stars starting to show up.

"When I was trying to name Sophia, I almost named her Stella, which means star."

"Really? Why didn't you?"

Steve shrugs. "Donno. I had a whole list of names, and Stella was a top contender, but when she got here she just…looked like a Sophia? I guess? I can't really explain it."

"I get it, I think. I can't imagine her having any other name."

"I think it helped that her mom hated it."

"Yeah? What happened with that? Her mom, I mean?"

Steve shrugs again. "She thought having a baby would ruin her life. I guess it would've, for her. She loved school, and she wanted to be some kind of fancy doctor or whatever. I never really felt like school was for me, though, and I didn't want to give her up like her mom did. She didn't even hold her when she was born. She left as soon as possible and signed her rights away."

Eddie tugs Steve a little closer. "I'm sorry that happened to you. That sounds stressful."

"It was but, I just kept thinking about her, you know? Kept telling myself everything would be worth it when Sophia was born, and that's probably one of the only things I've gotten right. I feel like she's taught me how to be a person. Someone who I actually like."

"Well, I certainly like who you are. I'd say she did a pretty good job."

Steve laughs. "Thanks. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I have to sign her up for kindergarten at the end of the summer."

Eddie frowns. "She needs to stop growing."

"I know! It's ridiculous, really. I keep telling her that but she says she can't control it. Can't have anything anymore." The sarcasm is laced thick in Steve's voice, and they stare at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles.

______________________________________________________

When the two of them get home, they change into pajamas and climb into Steve's bed early, wrapping around each other. Eddie smells the faint scent of Steve's shampoo and sighs, shoving his face into Steve's neck. They're nearly asleep when the phone rings and Steve is immediately up, frantically reaching for the phone.

"Hello?" Steve answers, rubbing at his eyes. Eddie listens for the voice on the other line.

It's Wayne. "Hey, little lady wanted to call and say goodnight to you two before bed. Is that alright?"

Steve and Eddie give each other the "awe" look, and Steve laughs. "Of course. Put her on the phone."

"Hi daddy!"

"Hi bugs! Are you having fun at Waynes?"

"Yeah! We colored, and watched Cinderella, and we made pizzas!"

"Wow! Sounds like you're having a party over there. Are you going to bed soon?"

"Yeah, Wayne's gonna read me a bedtime story first, though."

"Ah, an essential part of bedtime, of course. You wanna say goodnight to Eds?"

"Yeah!"

Steve hands Eddie the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Eddie!"

"Hi princess! Are you having a nice time?"

"Uh-huh! Did Daddy like all the stuff I told you about?"

"He did! We had a very good time, thank you Bugs. I'll take you to see the ducks sometime, okay?"

"Okay!" Eddie hears her yawn on the other line, and Wayne tells her it's time for bed. "Goodnight! I love you!"

She hangs up the phone before he can respond, and Eddie stares at it like it threatened to eat him.

"She just…she just told me she loved me?"

"Of course she does, Ed." Steve takes the phone and sets it back on the receiver. "You're a big part of her life right now, and we both hope you stay that way." He pulls Eddie back down to bed, snuggling with him before softly whispering, "I love you too."

Chapter Text

They’ve been together for 3 months when Steve learns Eddie is in a band.

“Hey, we’re having grilled cheese for dinner on Saturday; what cheese do you like the best?” Steve asks him one Wednesday afternoon at the diner, dropping Eddie’s plate and milkshake on the table. Eddie frowns.

“Colby jack, but I won’t be able to make it lovely. I’ve got a gig at the bar downtown Saturday night.”

“…A gig? Gig for what?”

“For my band…? What I go to rehearsals for…every Thursday…”

Steve gapes at his boyfriend for a moment before putting his hands on his hips. “You said you were with your friends! Not that you were rehearsing for something! You never told me you were in a band!”

Eddie thinks it over for a minute and his eyes widen. “Shit-" He immediately corrects himself on his language "Sorry Soph- Have I really not told you? I’ve been playing guitar in a band since middle school! Like, my guitars are basically my babies! We don’t perform as often as we used to since we all work and stuff, but we practice every week.”

Steve laughs in disbelief. “I’ve been dating a rockstar this whole time? What time is your gig, Babe?”

Eddie leans over the table to give Sophia his milkshake cherry, which she gladly takes, popping it into her mouth. “It’s at like, 7pm. Why?”

“So me and Soph can go see you, duh.”

Eddie’s lips morph into a line. “Uhm…I don’t know if it’s a great spot to bring a 4 year old, Darling…”

Steve raises an eyebrow. “It’s not like I’m gonna buy her a beer or something. I think the worst part about it is it’s past her bedtime, but it's only one night. Unless you don’t want us there?”

“I just…I worry about corrupting her or something.”

“I hate to break this to you, but my toddler adores metal music thanks to you already. You’ve already corrupted her.”

—————————————————————————————————————

Steve knew he had made a good financial decision when he picked up the pink studded leather jacket for Sophia a few months ago.

She looks fucking adorable. Steve’s put her hair into space buns that start out as braids near her forehead, little bits of sparkly hair tinsel tied into her hair. She’s got black jeans and a black t-shirt with a skull on it under the jacket, and her twinkle toes on her feet, of course. Steve’s wearing jeans like he usually does, but he’s stolen one of Eddie’s band hoodies. Sophia is the real star between the two of them.

Steve cannot WAIT for Eddie to see her. She’s so cute in the outfit, and she cannot stop talking about getting to see his boyfriend throughout the entire car ride.

“Daddy, do you think Eddie would let me see his guitar after?”

“Maybe, bugs, but you gotta ask nicely. Guitars are really expensive, you know.”

“What does it look like?”

Steve shrugs as he pulls into the parking lot of the bar & grill Eddie’s performing at. “I’m not sure, but you’ll see it tonight. You ready?”

She squeals in excitement, nearly jumping out of her car seat once Steve unbuckles her. When Steve brings her inside and finds a table close to the front, he ignores any of the weird looks he gets for bringing her there. The two of them are here to see Eddie, and they’re going to see him, regardless of anyone’s feelings about Sophia being there.

Steve gets a water, pouring some of it into a sippy cup from Sophia’s bag. She’s happily kicking her legs in her chair, staring at the empty stage.

“When’s Eddie gonna come out?”

“Soon, Hun. His show doesn’t start for a few more minutes; Daddy wanted to get here a little early so we could get a table close up.”

It’s an agonizing 10 minutes for the toddler, and Steve thinks he’s going to explode if she doesn’t see Eddie in -.5 seconds. She’s getting grumpy from the wait, a sour look on her face and her tiny little hands balled into fists. Steve should’ve brought a coloring book or something, but he hadn’t realized they’d get here this early.

But Eddie always seems to come at the right time.

Steve almost doesn’t notice him until he’s already at their table, panting softly. He’s dressed in black jeans and a cropped t-shirt with Corroded Coffin across the front. Steve notices a bit of eyeliner smudged around his eyes.

“I’m NOT supposed to be out here but I saw you guys while getting a water and I couldn’t wait any longer-“ Eddie gives Steve a quick kiss before turning his full attention to Sophie. “Oh, my god, you look AWESOME bugs!! You look cooler than I do!”

The metal head picks up the toddler, setting her on his hip and talking to her for the few minutes he has before he has to run off to prep in those last few minutes before the show. Steve notices he isn’t getting any weird looks from anyone anymore, and Sophia is back to giggling and waiting patiently.

When the show does finally start, Steve can hardly breathe. He’s never seen Eddie in this environment before; his boyfriend looks confident and powerful up on stage, a dark red electric guitar slung over his shoulder.

“Alright, welcome everyone! We are Corroded Coffin, if you’re new here. We’re here every couple of weeks on a Saturday, and our main goal is to just have a hell of a good time. Now,” Eddie smiles over at Steve and winks. “I’ve got two very special guests tonight, so maybe hype me and the boys up a little extra, make me look cool for my favorite little Lady and the best man I know, alright?”

The show is wonderful, even if the genre isn’t his usual cup of tea. Steve is 99% sure Sophia and him are the loudest people in the room, and Eddie has such a wonderful stage presence, time flies by quicker than Steve ever anticipated. Sophia especially loves it, giggling and squealing and waving at Eddie like he’s her favorite person in the whole world.

In that moment, any worries about Eddie not being perfect for both Steve and Sophia he's had the last few months melts away. The care that Eddie puts into his relationship with the both of them makes Steve feel fuzzy inside, and he can't imagine having anyone else to love.

After the show, Eddie comes back to their table, this time with his guitar strapped to his back.

"Eddie!!" Sophia immediately jumps up from her seat, and Eddie scoops her up like he had before the show.

"Hi, bug. You enjoy the show?"

"Mhm!!" She's interested by a yawn, and Eddie coos a little, holding her close to his chest as he leans over to give Steve a few kisses.

"Past her bedtime, huh?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Was worth it though; you were amazing, Ed."

"Thank you! You guys will have to start seeing us more often. The boys said Soph is their new favorite fan." Eddie smiles, cradling the now half asleep toddler in his arms.

Steve thinks she looks perfectly at peace with him.

Chapter Text

When Steve and Sophia had been touring the different trailers in the neighborhood, the one they decided to move in to had gotten extra brownie points for having a decent backyard/patio area. It was big enough for Steve to treat himself to a BBQ pit at the beginning of the summer, and he had invited everyone over to a potluck/BBQ situation, including Eddie and Wayne, obviously.

Which is why he’s currently giving Eddie a pep talk in the kitchen while he preps burgers to go on the grill.

“Eds, they’re gonna love you. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

”Okay, I hear you, but what if they DON’T like me? What if I say the wrong thing?”

Steve feels his eyes roll back so far, he thinks he sees his brain back there. “You’re not going to say the wrong thing. Besides, Soph already loves you, so it’ll be hard for them to deny her opinion,”

Speak of the devil, Sophia came bounding down the hallway, stuffed rabbit in hand. She’d just woken up from her midday nap, so her pigtails are a disaster and she sleepily wraps her arms around Eddie’s legs before he bends down to scoop her up. “You have a good sleep, sweet pea?”

Sophia nods, resting on his shoulder. She’s always been a slow riser- she probably won't be fully awake for another ten minutes or so. Steve hums as he seasons the ground beef in a bowl, mixing it with his hands. “Do you mind getting her dressed? I left her outfit on a hanger in the bathroom.”

”Course. Let’s get you out of those jammies.” Eddie takes her down the hallway to the bathroom, and Steve finishes up on his food prep and scrubs his hands from the sticky raw meat residue.

It isn’t long after he’s finished that there’s a knock on the door, and he opens it to reveal Robin on his porch, a Tupperware container in hand filled with chocolate chip cookies. Steve raises an eyebrow “You actually baked something without burning the house down? I’m impressed.”

Robin sighs “It took me three tries. With the premade dough. But I did it!”

Steve snorts, taking the container and hugging her before leading her inside“I love you. Anyone else tell you they're on their way yet?”

”I passed Nancy on the highway, but I’m assuming everyone else will be here soon regardless.”

She was 100% correct. Nancy arrived next, but pretty soon the entire trailer was full of Steve’s favorite people. Eddie came out with a freshly dressed Sophia, her hair combed again and put into fresh pigtails. Sophia squealed at all the people, doing her rounds of hugs while Eddie stood around awkwardly, not sure what to do until Steve came over, grinning.

“Guys, this is Eddie! My..boyfriend.”

Steve’s been pretty…quiet, about his relationship with Eddie. Not because he’s ashamed of him or anything!! He just wanted to keep him to himself for a little bit. Make sure nothing bad was going to happen before he announced their relationship to the world

Joyce is the first to say anything, giving Eddie a hug “Welcome to the family, Eddie! I’m sure were all delighted to meet you.”

Eddie’s shoulders relax “Nice to finally meet everyone. Steve’s told me all about you guys.”

”Good things, we hope?” Nancy snorts, and Eddie laughs,nodding.

“All good things, of course.”

———————————————————————————

The party goes swimmingly after introductions are over. Dustin manages to get Eddie caught up in an in-depth conversation about DND with the rest of the boys, while Max and El entertain Sophia with her dolls and stuffed animals. Steve works hard on the food, moving back and forth between prepping food in the kitchen and manning the grill outside. It’s about an hour or so after everyone arrived when the food is done, Robin hollering through the house to come fix your plate while Steve finishes bringing the burgers and hot dogs inside.

Eddie immediately gets up, grabbing Sophia’s hand to lead her into the kitchen. He grabs one of the plastic princess plates from the cabinet, carefully fixing her a plate before he even thinks about making himself one. He gets her a hot dog, cutting it up in smaller portions, along with some Mac and cheese, beans, and some fruit before placing it in front of her at the table. Then, while Steve isn’t looking, he fixes Steve a plate, ushering him to sit down, even when Steve tries to fight it.

“Hun, you’ve spent hours cooking all of this for everyone. Sit down and eat, before it gets cold.” He gives Steve a kiss on the forehead, and then finally works on his own plate. Nancy sits next to Steve, nudging his elbow.

”He sure does take good care of you and Soph.”

Steve feels his face get warm. “Yeah, I know…I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

”You deserve it, Steve. Eddie seems really sweet.”

”Oh, he is. And he loves Soph so much, Nance. It blows my mind.”

Nancy smiles, popping a grape into her mouth “She’s pretty easy to love, Steve.”

And isn’t that the truth- Steve thinks back on his few other dating attempts before Eddie, and wonders why everyone seemed to run away once they found out about his sweet little girl. Eddie’s never ran away- never hesitates when it comes to taking care of Sophia. He’s cared for her when she was sick, when Steve has been sick, gotten her Christmas presents that actually represent what she likes, listens to her talk about cartoons and her toys…Eddie loves Sophia just as much as he proves to love Steve. And Steve has never been so grateful for someone before in his life.

Eddie finishes making his own plate, sitting on the other side of Steve and right next to Sophia. “Bug, you gotta eat some of your hot dog. Protein is good for you.”

Sophia furrows her eyebrows “What’s protein?”

Eddie snorts “It’s a magic substance in food that helps you have energy to run around and play on the swings, silly goose.”

Using the word ‘magic’ seems to do the trick, convincing Sophia to eat at least some of it and not just her fruit. The amount of fruit Sophia eats in a day baffles Steve all the time. Seriously, how much fruit does a toddler even need?

At the end of the day, when everyone goes home and Steve and Eddie are cleaning up the kitchen after Sophia goes to bed, Steve leans into Eddie’s space.

“Thank you.”

Eddie pauses his wiping down of the counters, eyebrows furrowed “For what, love? I haven’t done anything.”

”But you have. You take such good care of me and Soph…I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Steve doesn’t even realize he’s crying until Eddie is coming over to wipe away his tears and pull him against his chest.

”You don’t have to thank me for that, Steve. You and Sophia mean the world to me. I LOVE taking care of you. It brings me so much joy- I couldn’t imagine my life without you both. I’m not sure how I made it this far without the two of you.”