Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter one

White brick house.

Wraparound porch.

Field mouse.

Smashed glass.

Candlelight.

Feathers.

Yellow daisies.

Muddy converse.

Flash of green.

Eddie likes his coffee strong.

He got into coffee in his sophomore year. Takes it black because nothing wakes him up like this dark liquid that tripwires his brain.

It’s the one luxury he allows himself.

This ten-dollar-a-pack of ground Colombian coffee beans that he buys from the indie coffee shop three blocks away. This one is sweet and peachy. Toffee notes with a killer rhubarb acidity.

It’s the only thing he can start his day with.

And it truly is the only fancy thing he can afford. The contents on his shelf in the shared cupboard is budget, own-brand. His half of the top freezer drawer is full of frozen, chopped veggies. Packed into plastic zip-seal bags. 

His Uncle Wayne taught him that. How to make things last. 

How to sew together the holes in his socks.

How to make a meal from two dollars worth of ingredients.

How to have fun and occupy his brain with just a piece of paper and a pencil.

It’s how he got into art.

He’s only ever known how to draw.

And eventually, when he earned a few dollars a week on a paper round as a kid, he bought himself all the essentials to paint.

Eddie struggled with such a vivid mind as a child that he often wouldn’t be able to sleep. At all. Sometimes he would go days without sleeping. Teachers at school would notice the paleness of his skin and the deep purple rings under his eyes.

It got Uncle Wayne into trouble a few times.

Eddie felt awful.

But painting helped him.  

So Wayne encouraged it. 

On only the briefest of occasions, Wayne would come home from a long shift with a new watercolor set.

Looking back, Eddie knows they were hand-me-downs from the kids of the receptionist at Wayne’s work. 

But it was the thought that counted. It still does.

Still to this day, Wayne sends Eddie paints. Little tubes of acrylic paint, usually sets of four in crazy colors. And Eddie is always incredibly grateful because paint supplies don’t come cheap.

Eddie’s college schedule doesn’t allow him for time to get a part time job on the side. But he usually works in the summer. Wherever he can.

Last summer he didn’t go back home, but stayed in Chicago working at an art and crafts store because the staff discount was gonna be essential if he was gonna get through his junior year.

And that’s where he is now. 

Two months into his junior year at the University of Illinois Chicago, studying to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in…well, Art.

Freshman year Eddie lived in a complete shit hole. Because he couldn’t afford any better. He didn’t make any friends. Kept himself to himself because that’s what he was used to. It’s how he got through high school. It’s how he got into college in the first place, he’s sure.

Sophomore year was better. He at least lived with other art students except they were rich and, to be totally honest, pompous. Luckily that was the year he met Jeff and Paige in the studio. 

In his second year of his art degree, he had every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon off from classes for free study.

Most students use that to party. Or socialize. Or go back to bed.

But Eddie actually loves his degree and wants to do well. 

So twice a week he would spend hours in the college studio and Jeff and Paige were of the same mind. 

They clicked instantly. Paige is from a smalltown and a low income family too. So she gets it. And they’re both into the same music as Eddie. They’re all partial to smoking joints now and again. Jeff even plays a little guitar, so they would sometimes take in their instruments and jam in between painting. 

And this year…well. There was some kind of mistake with his housing application. He was supposed to be moving in with Jeff and Paige, who live together near campus and luckily had a room going free this year.

But the digital application got lost in the ethers of the internet. And Eddie has somehow ended up in a building on the other side of campus, in the city, with a load of Sports Ed students.

Which Paige thinks is fucking hilarious and Jeff just thinks is bad luck.

The good thing, at least, is that he gets his own room. Because this building is one of the nicer student accommodations. And because of the fuckup he doesn’t have to pay any extra. 

And it’s okay.

Like, he has nothing in common with most of the people in his apartment. There’s six of them living here. They have their own bathrooms, thank god . Tiny, plastic-walled ensuite, but still. He doesn’t have to share and it makes Eddie feel affluent.

Which he isn’t.

He thinks most of his roommates are, though.

Whenever some of them are in the kitchen chatting away, it’s usually a conversation Eddie simply cannot relate to.

And they’re not not nice. 

Jason is a typical jock figure. He’s kinda known around campus as this Sports Ed superstar.  Loves the attention from the girls in the apartment. Heather, Carol and Chrissy are all cheerleaders. And they’re sweet enough. They will start polite conversation with Eddie but don’t make any real effort to get into anything too deep. Which honestly, Eddie is grateful for.

He sometimes wonders if they know about him.

Like…unless they’re wearing blockers all of the time, he’s pretty sure they’re all betas. Not that he likes to assume.

And, as far as Eddie knows from his own experience and knowledge of what goes on in society, beta girls are not too fond of the idea of getting close to alphas. Even in a friendly way.

Alphas are rare nowadays. Or so everyone thinks. Because most alphas try hard to hide the fact they are .

Eddie wouldn’t say that he tries too hard. Like, it’s not his number one priority but he also will not bring it up to anyone and keeps quiet whenever the discussion comes up for debate. He wears blockers, like most do, but they’re only the drugstore kind that he can afford. A roll-on for his glands that he applies before he leaves his room.

Eddie does not care in the slightest that the girls in the apartment aren’t interested in him in that way.

He’s not interested in girls. Beta or not.

Yeah. Because… that.

Being gay and an alpha makes things difficult in the romance department.

It made things difficult in every department when he was 16 and started to present. Uncle Wayne knew something was going on and quizzed him to an inch of his life until he had to tell him the excruciatingly embarrassing ways in which his body was changing.

It explained some things.

Like, why his sense of smell was insanely good. And how he could predict things were going to happen before they did. And how he would go in these colossal moods completely charged with hormones and would be in so much pain he would miss days of school.

And the biting.

Oh god, the biting.

He’d bite into his pillows and his room would be filled with shredded sheets when he was done.

But he learned to control it. To an extent.

Unless he’s in a rut.

And he’s heard that sex can be good for ruts. That it’s healthy to try and have a normal sex life to keep your hormones in check.

He’s sure alphas can have a normal romantic life.

But he’s not one of those alphas.

Because he likes guys.

And if being a gay virgin at the age of 21 wasn’t hard enough to navigate, he’s also an alpha.

So, yeah. It’s complicated. It’s not like he hasn’t tried in the past. He’s been on a few dates. Gave a few hand jobs. But he’s never felt that connection. 

Now, Eddie seamlessly flows through his daily routine. Not thinking about the future. He makes his special coffee. He goes to classes. He paints. He hangs out with Jeff and Paige. He calls Uncle Wayne. 

He doesn’t think about what will happen after college when his two friends move on. Start families of their own that he knows he will never have. Eddie accepts his life for what it is inevitably going to be, when all of this is over.

Lonely.

Eddie is making his morning coffee when his fifth roommate comes back from his early morning run.

Eddie knows he’s there before he hears him.

“Morning,” he says to Eddie. The volume of his voice is slightly too loud because he still has one of his headphones in.

Eddie can hear the music from the one earbud that’s dangling down against his chest.

Fucking Duran Duran.

“Morning,” Eddie responds. He twists to get a look at him over his shoulder. 

God.

He always does look really good.

Eddie is sure he would look like a sweaty little monster after a run.

But not Steve.

“Want a coffee?” Eddie asks. Rather than voicing any of the inappropriate thoughts in his head.

“Please.”

Eddie makes Steve a coffee the way that he has learned, over the last two months, that he likes.

Steve is the only roommate Eddie is willing to share his coffee with.

Eddie won’t go into why.

“Mmm. Love your special beans,” Steve says lightly as he takes the mug from Eddie. He’s not even trying to make a joke which is what makes him so fucking endearing.

Steve is all sweaty and smells nice.

He has these fucking gorgeous sparkling hazel eyes with green flecks in them. 

And he really does smell good.

Eddie won’t get into that either.

“Good run?”

“Really good. Love running in the cold.”

Eddie should have known it was chilly today because Steve is wearing a big hoodie and short shorts and thick sports socks that go halfway up his shins. He always wears that when it’s colder out. 

Steve is studying Sports Ed, too, just like his other roommates.

So, 90% of the time he’s in activewear.

Eddie never realized he had a thing for activewear until now.

Steve wore leggings once and that was…

That was interesting.

Eddie is a detailed oriented person. He notices things. He sees patterns.

He knows that Steve always wears this oversized gray-marl hoodie when it’s below 46 degrees fahrenheit. He’ll always wear his shorts to run in, even when it’s freezing. Chicago has seen some really cold weather this fall.

Eddie can sense a big storm looming.

“Still can’t persuade you to come on a run with me, Munson?” Steve asks, absent-mindedly stretching right there in front of Eddie while sipping on the coffee he made him.

“Do I look like a runner?”

Steve shrugs. “Do I?”

Yes . Eddie thinks. Steve is a runner and you can tell .

His ass is defined and his legs are lean but thick at the top.

Kinda powerful looking.

But whatever.

Eddie shrugs back. “You prance about the kitchen in your running shoes every single morning, so yeah, I’d say you do.”

Steve mock-gasps. Hand on his chest.

“I do not prance.”

He says. While lunging across the kitchen.

Eddie laughs, finishes his coffee.

He’s funny , he thinks.

“Catch you later.”

Steve waves at him. Puts in his other earbud.

And when Eddie leaves the apartment, just before he closes the door he hears Steve singing along to his music, slightly off-key.

“ I howl and I whine, I’m after you! Mouth is alive! All running inside! And I’m hungry like the woooolf!”

Eddie closes the door.

Shakes himself.

The irony is fucking ridiculous.

Most mornings go like this.

In fact, every weekday morning goes like this and it has since the start of Eddie’s third college year.

He’s had roughly 45 coffee mornings with Steve.

But who’s counting?

And most weekday evenings go the same way too.

Eddie leaves the studio at about 5pm. 

He comes back to his room. Paints for about an hour or so and patiently waits for his roommates to finish making their dinner before he grabs his headphones and goes to the kitchen to make his own.

He does so alone. Just…prefers it that way.

He rarely bumps into Steve on an evening. But it’s nice when he does. 

It’s on the weekends that he usually sees Steve outside of their coffee mornings. And his friend Robin, too.

She’s a friend from home, Steve explained, and he has no shame in hiding the fact that he chose this college because she was coming here. She even lives in this building on the third floor.

They’re like siblings. They said that. But they didn’t need to. Eddie can tell they have a special bond. Which is cute.

Eddie enjoys their company. Sometimes Eddie will be getting a drink or making lunch and before he knows it he’s spent three hours sitting with Robin and Steve on the sofa, talking about music and politics and the fucking meaning of life. 

So he’s learned a lot about Steve and Robin and some details from their life before college and their hometown.

And Eddie gives away little details of his too but not everything.

Definitely not everything.

As the weeks go on and winter looms, Eddie’s dreams are getting more intense. 

They’re expressive and lucid. Flashes of images. Like they’re from a secret past he doesn’t know about.

It’s always the same dreams. There’s three of them. Sometimes fragmented and in different orders. 

This dream was the house dream.

White brick house. A porch that wraps all the way around it.

Nothing really happens in the dream. He’s just there. Looking right at it from a distance. He’s been having this dream for around five years.

He wakes up in a sweat like it was a nightmare.

Palms, clammy. Bedsheets, damp.

And he hopes to god it really was a nightmare and he just can’t remember the scary stuff. But he is in denial and he knows what is coming.

It’s a pattern.

Feeling weirdly nauseous and a banging headache pounding behind his eyes, he heads to the kitchen like usual.

Just makes it to his coffee machine before letting out a pained exhale. He does not feel good. 

It’s fucking coming. For fuck’s sake.

Eddie makes the coffee.

And Eddie smells him before he hears him.

“Morning!” Steve chimes. 

Eddie swallows. Mouth dry. Feels desperately dehydrated even though he definitely woke up in the night and downed a liter bottle of water.

Eddie can only smell Steve after his run. 

He doesn’t smell bad. Like how someone might after running.

He always smells fucking gorgeous.

God. Eddie wants to carry him to his shower and wash him and then sleep all fucking day with him.

“You alright?” Steve asks when Eddie doesn’t respond.

“Fine,” Eddie says. Even though his voice is the epitome of not fine.

“Okay. Want me to make the coffee?” Steve asks.

Eddie turns. 

He’s already made Steve’s.

He passes it to him quickly. Almost spills it as he pretty much launches himself forward towards him. “Here you go. Catch you later.”

Eddie basically sprints to his room.

God. Maybe he is a runner.

Why does his room have to be the one all the way at the end of the corridor?

And why does one of his roommates have to be probably the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his life? 

Okay. This is just his imminent rut making him dramatic.

He slams his door.

Runs to his bathroom.

Blasts the shower cold. Strips naked and stands in it.

It’s an instant shock to his system.

And he should know it’s not going to help.

He should probably get out of here and message Paige and Jeff. Let them know he’s not very well.

But he’ll stand in the ice cold shower instead. Let the water hit him like mini daggers. Until his teeth are chattering and his skin looks pale blue.

But he tries to enjoy it, in a sick kind of way. He knows this is the last time he’s gonna feel cold, for days. 

Ruts fucking suck.

Due to the fucking shitty education system and society’s lack of acceptance of alphas and omegas, Eddie has never really known what the fuck to do in a rut.

He’s read shit. Tried shit.

But ultimately, he just waits it out every time.

He’s not sure what triggers them. He has a bad one every few months. Some weird signs in between.

Whatever.

What matters is that he’s having one right fucking now.

Turned on to fuck.

He could come just thinking about anything remotely hot. And he does.

He rolls around in his sheets. Jacking himself off and he feels mild relief the second he comes and not a moment before or after.

It’s grim. Real fucking grim.

And that’s not including the sweats. The constant fever-like symptoms.

He can’t eat. He can’t even drink. It hurts his throat.

His vision is way more intense than usual. Whenever he closes his eyes it’s just a swirl of colors. Sometimes goes fuzzy like the onset of a migraine that never actually comes.

He’s lying face down in bed in just a pair of jogging bottoms when he hears a light tap on his door that gets increasingly louder until it vibrates through Eddie’s sore head and he can’t take it any longer.

He opens the door. Eyesight blurry and headrush making him feel all off-centered, he doesn’t register for a moment who it is standing in his doorway.

It’s not an angel.

It’s Steve.

“Hey,” he says. In his running gear. 

Must be morning.

Eddie has completely lost track of time. Another shitty side effect.

“You weren’t…you weren’t in the kitchen for our coffee morning.”

God. Steve looks good. Smells good too.

Oh no. 

Eddie adjusts himself. Hanging onto the door frame. He half hides behind the door.

“I missed you,” Steve says, tongue between his teeth and surely to fuck Eddie is hallucinating. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“Uh. Right. Yeah. I’m sick. Flu, I think.”

Steve eyes Eddie. And if Eddie wasn’t already profusely sweating right now that swipe of Steve’s eyes scanning his body would make him evaporate .

“Oh. Sorry, that sucks. Is it like what you had when you first moved in?” Steve asks and Eddie wants the ground to just swallow him up whole.

Because the illness he had when he first moved in was in fact the world’s worst rut .

“Er…yeah. Reckon it’s the same thing.”

Eddie can’t even look at Steve properly. As if he remembered that. Oh god.

“Okay, well…get better soon.”

“Thanks,” Eddie mutters. Can’t even find it in himself to be kind to the guy who he is pretty sure, if he let him , would solve his rut.

But Eddie’s gross.

Even if Steve was into guys, he wouldn’t like an alpha. 

Alphas are known for being possessive and controlling. 

That isn’t necessarily true.

Even so, Steve wouldn’t want to get with an alpha like Eddie.

A loner, loser virgin.

And Steve is a normal fucking guy. Who is sweet and hot and kind. Who has the world at his fingertips and the means to do anything he wants.

He’s nothing like Eddie. 

Eddie’s door slams because Eddie is heavy handed when his alpha is more present.

And he collapses onto his bed so he can yell a frustrated scream into his pillow.

Eddie doesn’t know how many hours have passed. It could be a new day at this point.

This is a bad one.

But Eddie can still sense when Steve is standing behind his door again.

He’s standing up, heaving himself off his stained, damp mattress towards the door before Steve even knocks.

“Oh,” Steve says as soon as Eddie half opens the door. “Shit, you don’t look good, Eddie.”

Eddie manages to make some kind of noise in response. Squinting at Steve and rubbing his hand aggressively onto his forehead. His hand comes away wet with sweat.

Fuck. 

“You’re worse than yesterday,” Steve notes. “Which I didn’t think was possible but look at you.”

Steve cocks his head. Gives a cute smile and his hazel eyes bore into him. Eddie usually craves this kind of attention from Steve, so it would be nice if Eddie didn’t feel like he could die at any given moment.

“Thanks,” Eddie mumbles. He leans against the door frame out of necessity, crosses his arms and kinda folds in on himself.

His core aches. Convulsions kicking in strong. He’s gonna have to go back in his room soon.

Seeing Steve has brought the next hit on much quicker than usual.

“It’s, uh, it’s just flu,” Eddie mutters when the silence that Steve is allowing to stretch on and on just doesn’t stop.

“Mhm. You said yesterday, remember?” Steve says softly. 

Eddie wants Steve to touch him.

He knows, deep down, that would help. Just the simple touch of someone else.

Although it could go wrong. Could make him go wild and maybe it’s a good thing that Steve’s hands are occupied right now, holding a small cardboard box.

Steve lifts said box up towards Eddie. He caught him looking.

“This is for you. To help. With the flu.”

Oh. That’s nice.

That’s really sweet, actually.

“Oh, thank you,” Eddie says, just about managing to reach out towards him and take the box out of his hands. 

“If you need anything just text me, okay?” 

God. If only Steve knew what Eddie really did need.

“Yeah. I will. Thanks, Steve.”

Steve smiles softly. Taps the door with his knuckles then backs away.

Eddie watches him as he turns down the corridor towards his door.

Eddie won’t text him. Definitely not. Eddie’s not sure he can even use his cell right now. The colors on the screen turn luminescent when he’s in a rut and it makes his headaches even worse.

But even if he could use it, he wouldn’t bother Steve with something like this.

Eddie goes back inside his room. 

The air feels warm and clammy. Literally smells like he’s been fucking himself and spinning around his bed for days which he has .

He sits on the edge of the mattress and opens the box from Steve.

It’s a health pack.

All the usual stuff to help when you’re sick. Gatorade. Paracetamol. Cold and flu pills. Olbas oil. 

Even though Eddie is suffering a cold-sweat right now, and he’s definitely about to descend into some sick little rampage, he smiles.

He fingers through the contents.

There’s some herbal teas in here too. He picks up a sachet, turns it to read the ingredients, when something else catches his eye.

“Hmm,” Eddie hums to himself, as he pushes the rest of the tea sachets to the side.

That’s when his heart drops. He’s suddenly seeing very clearly despite the blurry vision. Tunneled in on the rest of the items in the box that were hidden underneath.

There’s a fleshlight.

A bottle of lube.

A fucking…

Oh my god.

A fucking butt plug. With a little corner-torn note that says in Steve’s handwriting ‘trust me!’

“Oh christ,” Eddie mutters to himself, turning the buttplug over in his hands.

Does…does Steve know about him?

He must do.

Unless apparently having the best ever masturbation session is a well-known cure to the flu that Eddie doesn’t know about?

There’s one last thing in the box.

Eddie isn’t sure what it is at first.

It almost looks and feels like a stress ball. But it’s slightly curved and oblong in shape, a little more elastic on the outside. 

It takes a few seconds for Eddie to realize what it is, and his thoughts are hurried along by a second note in the box that says, ‘... and bite me!’

Eddie’s mouth drops open.

In shock. In desire. 

His mouth feels sticky. He hasn’t eaten properly in days and even drinking water has been repulsive. 

Curious, Eddie sticks out his dry tongue, and swipes the stress ball along it.

Oh. He shivers.

It feels like skin.

Skin that isn’t his own.

And it tastes like nothing but that’s fine.

Quickly, his little fangs protrude and he bites.

His eyes roll. Holding it against his mouth like a fucking apple, he pierces down into it. He’s never bitten into anybody before but fuck he imagines this is a close feeling. 

It’s much better than biting down into his pillow, anyway.

He’s shuffling himself out of his pajamas absentmindedly. 

The faux-flesh in his mouth. He breathes heavily out of his nose, little wolfish grumbles in his throat.

The hit is coming fast. 

His dick is leaking precome. 

He scrambles in the box, grabs the lube.

Squeezes it into his hand, rubs it together quickly and jacks himself.

He moans with relief, like he always does during rut, but this is more. 

He leans back, head hitting the wall. His knees bent and legs wide he fists at himself with a wet, sticky hand that, fuck, feels so good.

This is actually starting to satisfy the alpha inside.

It’s definitely satisfying human Eddie.

“Mmm,” he moans from the back of his throat, unable to form anything else when his mouth is stuffed full. Like he’s wearing a gag. Or a bit.

Oh fuck.

His free hand fumbles in the box again. Grabs the fleshlight.

It’s soft, kinda squishy. Made of a transparent silicone and he’s never used one, never thought of making his ruts more pleasurable. Always thought they were something to endure.

But Steve knows how to make this feel good, clearly.

That must mean Steve really does know.

And maybe…oh god.

Steve must be an alpha too.

Eddie groans. Drops the faux-flesh out of his mouth. Gasps for air as he squeezes the lube directly into the fleshlight.

He’s impatient. He doesn’t bother fingering the fleshlight first to test it out.

He immediately lines himself up.

Pushes inside.

“Oh. Oh . Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

He slides the fleshlight up and down. Gripping unforgivingly onto his hard, leaking dick as he fucks himself into it.

It’s warm and slick. 

Wonders if this is anything like the real thing. Oh god. Eddie thinks he’d simply fucking die if he ever got the chance to.

Wonders if Steve uses this when he’s in a rut himself.

Oh. That’s a thought, isn’t it?

“ Fuck,” Eddie pants, digging his heels into the mattress and lifting his hips up, bucking them, rutting into the fleshlight.

His core is hot. Vision bright, flashes of white crossing it as his orgasm pools.

It’s gonna be a good one.

But maybe still not enough.

Until he remembers.

He’s squirming. Wriggling his hips, twisting his body, due to the sensation of the fleshlight still tight around his dick, while he grabs the buttplug.

Covers that in lube too.

He’s already nearly used a full bottle. Jesus Christ.

He’s never used a plug before but like…he’s watched porn. 

He lays flat, lifts his legs in the air, spreads them wide, tilts his hips up.

Breathless, turned on, disastrously fucking gone at the thought of Steve doing this to himself, Eddie pulls at a cheek and slowly pushes the plug inside.

“Ah! Ah, fuck !” he hisses. There’s a strike of pain that his alpha fucking loves quickly followed by this beautiful press of pleasure.

Precome spurts up through the fleshlight.

His eyes roll.

His vision swims again. Bright, jagged. 

His head feels far too heavy for his neck as it rolls back, the crown of it pushed hard into the duvet as he lifts his hips into the air and wraps his hand around the fleshlight.

He pumps at it wildly. Out of control. Complete lack of rhythm.

It takes him a few seconds to realize that he is growling.

Eddie’s growls are always quiet and low; they could be mistaken for a human rumble in the throat. But he’s growling, alright, as he imagines fucking into…

Fuck.

Into Steve.

Hazel eyes looking down at him.

This could be an illusion. A mirage .

It all looks so real.

The pool in his core is back. Orgasm impending. Mouth wet and drooling. His little fangs are back, pressing against the underside of his lips. The plug firmly pressed against his prostate.

He’s gonna come.

And this is gonna be a good one.

One to end it all.

He reaches his free hand for the faux-flesh.

Spit-covered. Punctured.

He laughs a little, before hovering it over his mouth.

He wants this to be perfect.

His teeth ache for it.

The pop and sink into skin.

And just as he can feel the orgasm come. Just as the sensation shoots up his limbs and through his core.

He bites into the faux-flesh.

Bites so hard he hears the pop.

He moans. He almost screams into it, as his fangs dig deep.

And he comes. He’s coming so much, knot swelling already, so quickly, because it feels so fucking good .

With his eyes squeezed shut and mouth wide and gagged , he comes over and over and over again through the fleshlight. Covering himself, once again, in sticky white.

He fucks upwards. The sensation overwhelming. Better than anything he’s ever felt before. This could be addictive.

He hopes Steve doesn’t ask for this back.

And with one last thought of Steve’s muscular arms and defined thighs and pretty face, Eddie knots into the fleshlight.

He spits out the faux-flesh. Needs to so he can breathe. It lands on the sheets and he turns on his side.

The fleshlight feels warm, comfortable and, his alpha thinks, well and truly seeded .

His fever begins to dissolve. 

First from his fingertips and toes, slowly dissipating from his whole body. Every sore muscle suddenly feels like goo.

He feels pliable, as he relaxes into the mattress. His head sinks into the pillow, dick still hard and knotting, but no longer painfully aroused.

He sinks deep into sleep. 

The deepest slumber he’s ever been in. Long and wide and submerged into his colorful dreamworld.

Except this time, he has new dreams.

Dreams of things that seem real. Like they’re really going to happen.

God.

Even in his dreams, Eddie wishes.

Chapter Text

Chapter two

When Eddie wakes, he feels immensely satisfied. 

He’s still inside the fleshlight. 

It’s all warm and Eddie feels warm but in a really, really nice way. Not like the insufferable clamminess he’s been feeling the last few days in his rut.

The rut is over, Eddie is pretty sure.

He stretches long in the sheets. Rolls over with a happy sigh.

This could be the end of all of his unfulfilled ruts that leave him feeling lonely and gross.

Although, of course, he still feels a little bit gross. As he pulls off Steve’s fleshlight, with a little jolt of his hips and tension in his abs and hiss through his teeth.

He peels himself out of bed, walks naked to the bathroom.

He washes the fleshlight with hand soap, apprehensively. Does so with a puzzled look on his face that makes him laugh at himself when he catches it in the mirror. 

Then he gets his shit together.

Because jesus, he knew his room was a mess but this is so much worse than he thought. His alpha must have blocked it out.

Two of his easels have fallen over and there’s paint tins everywhere. There’s stuff everywhere. Clothes, bits of tissue, damp towels, bottles of water that have only had a sip out of each one.

So he cleans up. Changes his sheets. Puts all his clothes away.

Then showers. Daydreams about his final rampage and, yeah, that’s the first time he’s ever longingly reminisced about a rut.

And he can’t stop thinking about Steve. The health package. That’s now tucked safely under his bed. The little torn off notes in his bedside table drawer.

Just in case he ever wants to read them at night.

He's already memorized the curve of his handwriting. 

Eddie wonders in the shower if all that stuff is Steve’s or if he uses it during his rut.

He grows hard but he doesn’t touch himself.

Doesn’t need to.

Weirdly feels pleasured enough just thinking about Steve. Eddie wonders how it would work with two alphas. He would want to top Steve…like definitely yeah, his instincts want that but…the thought of Steve being the one with the control. It’s kinda hot.

Okay, who is he kidding? It’s very hot. It’s probably the hottest thing he’s ever imagined. And he’s an imaginative guy. 

He knows the rut is 100% over when his appetite comes swinging back around in full. The first few days after a rut he could eat fucking everything.

He pulls on his tracksuit bottoms, a hoody, takes his headphones. Just in case. 

Luckily no-one else is up yet but sadly that includes Steve.

Eddie should be feeling nervous, or maybe even embarrassed.

But he’s reasonably calm at the thought of talking to Steve.

Maybe it’s because he’s genuinely excited. 

For the first time in his life, he can finally speak to another alpha about…

Well, he doesn’t even know what about.

It’s just kinda thrilling to know he’s not alone.

In the shitty, basic, shared kitchen, he makes breakfast. A fucking huge one.

Scrambled eggs on toast, with mushrooms and tomatoes and shallots, all fried in shit loads of butter. He eats it so fast. Then makes it again.

But he eats it as he cooks it this time, literally over the pan spooning out the veggies as they sizzle away.

“Someone’s feeling better.”

Eddie whips around, mouth full. He’s half bent over the stove.

“My gift helped then,” Steve adds, laughing a little as he makes his way to the kitchen counter.

God. Eddie must look like a sewer rat scavenging for food. 

He swallows hard. Licks his lips. 

“I’m literally so hungry.”

“Ruts do that to you,” Steve says quietly as he pours ground coffee into the filter.

Okay. Eddie didn’t think he was nervous but Steve mentioning the rut gives him butterflies.

Steve’s wearing the big hoodie and short shorts again. For fucks sake.

“They do,” Eddie finally responds.

Steve glances at him, smiles. Then reaches up into the cupboard for a mug.

“Want some?” Steve asks but Eddie is miles away, staring at Steve’s ass.

“Want what, sorry?”

“Coffee.”

Fucking hell. Eddie feels like a creepy little perv.

He is a creepy perv.

“Yeah, please. Thanks.”

Eddie washes up his pots just to stop himself from staring before Steve notices. Then searches his side of the cupboards again for any snacks. He scrapes the last of some peanut butter out of the jar and onto a slice of bread that has seen better days.

“That’s my big craving food, you know?”

Cravings. Eddie doesn’t really get them. But all alphas are different, he guesses.

“What is?” Eddie asks, genuinely intrigued. This is so exciting.

“Peanut butter. Love it so much.”

Eddie immediately pictures Steve sitting on the countertop eating peanut butter out of the jar. His hyperphantasia brain makes it seem so real, like he’s literally next to him doing that right now.

“You get cravings a lot? I don’t really get them.”

Eddie steps closer to Steve. So they can talk more quietly, since Eddie doesn’t know if the rest of the flatmates know about Steve and well…Eddie kinda likes that Steve is the only one who knows about him.

“Mmmm, a little,” Steve says. Not looking at Eddie.

“I was beginning to think that I was the only one.”

Eddie watches Steve side-on. Steve continues making the coffee. It’s not the way Eddie would do it. He’s kinda itching to help him.

But, god, he loves that he just helped himself to Eddie's coffee. Like it's theirs that they share.

Steve bites his lip, just a little. Fucking hell, he’s irresistable. Eddie wishes it was his lip he was biting. Wonders if he gets little fangs when he’s turned on like Eddie does.

Eddie clears his throat to disguise the impending growl.

He’s pretty sure Steve heard it, anyway.

“Well, you’re not,” Steve says with a smile, passes him his coffee.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Steve walks over to the sofa and Eddie just blindly follows him without really thinking about it. He like…wants to talk about it. He’s never even met another alpha. That he knows of. 

He’s maybe passed people in the street who have a certain scent that maybe indicates they’re alpha. But most people wear intense, expensive blockers so no one would know otherwise.

Steve must too.

“Do you wear blockers?” Eddie asks.

Kinda blurts it out and Steve gives him a look like ooookay, we’re going right there, are we? And Eddie shakes his head. 

“Sorry. Sorry. It’s just…” Eddie says as he gathers his thoughts, then sits on the sofa next to him. “I’ve never met…somebody else like me. Properly.”

“You’ve never met another alpha?”

“Well, I mean…I’ve maybe sensed other alphas around me before. In passing. But, like, I’ve never been friends with an alpha.”

The word friend maybe came out a little too easily but Steve doesn't seem shocked by it. Doesn't correct him, either.

He just nods like everything is starting to make sense. At least it is for someone.

“I understand. Okay. Well…yes, I wear blockers.”

“They must be good ones. Normally I can scent these things.”

Steve lets out a small chuckle into his coffee mug.

“What?” Eddie breathes. 

“Nothing. Nothing. You’re just…you’re cute, did you know that?”

“ What?” Eddie breathes out again. It’s embarrassing how flushed he instantly feels. Even though Steve definitely isn’t flirting.

“You’re cute,” Steve says again, simply. “And yes. They’re good ones. My parents would fucking die before they let me walk around smelling like anything other than beta. And I’ve been wearing the strong stuff for so long, I get withdrawals when I don’t so…kinda stuck with them. For now anyway.”

This is the first time Steve has ever mentioned his family. 

“That sucks,” Eddie says, genuinely. “Only my Uncle Wayne knows I’m alpha and honestly, he was always great about it. So I’m lucky, in that aspect, anyway.”

“You are lucky. Honestly, I didn’t even really wanna come to college. But I had to get the fuck away from them.”

“I wish…I wish society accepted us more, you know? I always wished I was beta.”

Eddie is surprised to see Steve’s face kinda crease together. Like he disagrees. He sips his coffee then says, “oh, I don’t wish I was anything other than what I am. And some people accept it. I think in like ten, twenty years, we’ll be able to walk freely and not wear blockers and all that shit. But…I don’t really care about society .”

This shocks Eddie, a little.

A jock guy like Steve, who seems to care about his looks and his physique and…obviously gets shit loads of attention. Eddie thought he would care about society’s opinion.

“But, I know where you’re coming from. I’m lucky my friends know about me and they’re all super cool. Like…we wouldn’t be friends if they were dicks about it.”

“Oh? Robin knows?”

“Yeah, Robin and all my friends from home.”

“None of them are…”

Steve smiles. Shakes his head. “They’re a bunch of betas.”

“Maybe we’re the only ones.”

It feels like that.

Steve does that chuckle again. More like a little scoff into his coffee.

“I’ve met a few here. There’s more than you think.”

Steve is staring at Eddie now over the mug in his hand. This cheeky little smile on his face.

He’s actually so gorgeous, isn’t he?

“Damn, Harrington. Just when I thought we were special?” Eddie jokes lightly. Because if he doesn’t he might do something idiotic like kiss him.

Steve leans towards him. Elbows on his knees, head cocked up towards him. 

Eddie has this urge to swipe his hand through his hair. Move it out of his face.

His mind must be playing tricks because he thinks he smells something sweet radiating off of him. 

It’s only for a second.

And then it’s gone.

“Oh, I think we’re special, Munson.”

You’re special , Eddie thinks. He knows there’s something about Steve that just makes him tick. 

He can’t put his finger on it.

But in the days that follow, he’s gonna find out.

Life continues almost exactly the same as life pre best-rut-ever , except now Steve and Eddie are alone, together, a lot more.

Whenever Eddie is in the kitchen, Steve soon follows.

They have coffee together in the morning before they go their separate ways to classes like always.

Except now these coffee mornings last longer and they’re charged with alpha-led conversation and these little looks .

Hazel eyes under hooded lids.

Eddie struggles to turn away. Literally.

He has started setting an alarm to remind him to leave the apartment on time. 

In the evenings, Eddie still spends most of his time in his room, painting and drawing.

Except his paintings and drawings have become much more colorful and intricate. His style still remains the same but there’s a definite change when he compares his old art with new.

But sometimes when Eddie goes to make his usual late dinners, Steve joins him. 

And they talk while they cook together and Steve lets some of his personality traits naturally seep into conversation and Eddie is just...he is so interested in this guy.

And now, his general daily routine is interrupted by texting threads with Steve. Back and forth about nothing, really. But Eddie is always grinning his face off every time his cell pings.

He can’t believe he gets to text Steve like this. Always wanted to ever since they exchanged numbers when they first moved into this place. It all started with a text from Steve one night, saying he wanted to run earlier in the morning, so could Eddie get up and make him a coffee earlier than usual...

Eddie is pretty sure Steve didn't even run that day.

And tonight, Eddie is in the middle of mixing paints to get the perfect shade of green that he keeps imagining but can never get quite right in the real world, when he hears tapping at his door.

Eddie pulls it open and immediately shoves his headphones off, leaving them to hang around his neck.

“Hey,” Eddie says, knows he sounds way too happy through his smile, but fuck it.

Because Steve is standing outside his door, looking sleepy. Hair all fucked up and sticking up at the ends, a patchwork blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

“Can you open this for me, please?” he asks softly.

Eddie looks down.

Steve is clutching onto a jar of peanut butter. One of those expensive ones with a swirly font on the label. And he’s holding it out to Eddie.

“Sure.”

Eddie takes the jar out of Steve’s hand and he flinches , almost jumps back into his room, when their fingertips touch.

Steve is burning hot.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asks, genuinely concerned and really looking at Steve now.

It could…it could be a rut.

But he doesn’t look like he’s rutting. And he probably wouldn’t be standing outside Eddie’s door if he was.

“Flu?”

He asks tentatively. Because that’s not what he means of course. 

“Mmm, no,” Steve says, all soft and dazed. His eyes are so bright . It could just be the unforgiving, luminescent lights of the student halls corridor.

But they’re like so fucking radiant. Sparkling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, erm…I’m just not feeling too good. Could you open the jar for me?” he asks, more urgently now. Like it’s really fucking important that Steve eats peanut butter right now.

Eddie pops open the jar with ease.

It really wasn't that tight.

“Are you…are you hungry? Can I make you something to eat?”

Eddie doesn’t even know why he’s asking that. 

Steve takes the peanut butter back. It’s almost like he’s looking through him, like he’s been stunned, or something.

“Fuck,” Steve mutters, pushing a hand through his hair. Then he looks up and smiles weakly. “Do you make a mean peanut butter jelly sandwich?”

Eddie’s heart flips in his chest.

He doesn’t mean to flash his teeth at him but he grins wildly.

“The meanest.”

Steve winces when Eddie turns on the bright kitchen lights. 

He immediately turns them off, and instead switches on the small light above the stove. It’s less harsh, more ambient. And if it makes it harder to see what he’s doing while he makes this very important sandwich, then that’s just a problem he’s gonna have to face head on.

“Is it a migraine?” Eddie asks. Not really thinking about the ill logic of how a pb&j sandwich would help that.

“Mmmm. No.”

But Steve is rubbing his head anyway.

He wraps the blanket tighter around himself. Reaches up into his side of the cupboards and pulls out a small packet of brandless pills.

“I need to eat, when I take these,” Steve says while pouring himself a glass of water.

Eddie uses his own bread. Hopes it’s okay. It’s just the cheap white stuff that’s good for making grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Steve opens the fridge. Eddie watches. The light cascades down on him. Eyes glinting as he searches for…jam. He places a jar of it next to Eddie.

Then he hops up onto the side. 

Eddie has never been in the dark with Steve before.

They’re in the kitchen alone a lot these days, but never at night without the lights on.

The soft glow from the stove light provides Eddie with just enough light to see as he starts to spread the jam onto one slice.

When he’s done, Steve says, “please?”

It makes Eddie look.

God.

He’s surprised his heart isn’t beating out of his chest when he realizes what Steve is asking.

His mouth is open, tongue stretched out.

He wants to lick the knife.

Steve leans towards Eddie.

He does this sometimes. Gets up in his space.

And sometimes Eddie can smell him.

This is one of those times.

It’s stronger this time and lasts more than a second.

Maybe two or three heartbeats worth.

Eddie wonders if Steve knows at all what he’s doing to him.

He’s pretty sure Steve knows he’s into guys but…maybe Steve could be too?

God. Eddie would love to lean in and lick his tongue.

Is that even a thing normal people do?

Eddie is going to need some help here, isn’t he?

This is a really bad time to want to act on his ever-so-slight crush on his roommate.

Who is clearly ill.

And wanting to be looked after.

Gathering himself, Eddie lifts the knife. It’s a blunt butter knife, so he’s not afraid of Steve hurting himself. Something he’s suddenly realizing he would be beside himself if he did.

Steve doesn’t take the knife off him.

Just licks his tongue long against it.

And it’s dark in here, but, like, Eddie can see . He can see it all. As he holds the knife while Steve licks the excess jam off of it.

“Mmm. Yum.”

Fucking yum . Jesus christ. 

Eddie clears his throat.

“What, erm…what kind of jam is it?”

Oh my god. What is he even asking? It came out all like, high pitched.

Kill me, kill me, kill me.

“It’s strawberry and elderflower,” Steve answers simply. Like it wasn’t a stupid question, which it was. “Always had this when I was a kid. No other jam satisfies me.”

Eddie swipes the peanut butter onto the other slice. Makes sure he doesn’t miss a corner before constructing the sandwich together. 

“Sounds fancy,” Eddie says. “You want it in rectangles or triangles?”

“Triangles,” Steve says quickly. “Obviously.”

Eddie laughs to himself. Slices the sandwich from corner to corner. 

“Don’t tell me you’re a rectangle person.”

Steve says it with such sorrow in his voice it makes Eddie laugh again.

“Afraid I am,” he says as he passes Steve the plate. Two perfect triangle pb&j sandwiches.

Steve takes it.

“Thank you,” he says quietly. Starts to eat it instantly. And quickly.

“No problem. I can leave now, if you’d-”

“No. No, stay with me.”

“Okay.”

Eddie stays. Decides to wash the knife, put the jam back on Steve’s shelf in the refrigerator. He cleans the surfaces, as best he can in the dim light. Wipes around Steve without asking him to move. And Steve doesn’t offer to move, either. Just giggles with his mouth full.

“What was your favorite sandwich? As a kid?” Steve asks when he finishes the first half of his sandwich. His voice sounds noticeably chirpier now he’s had some food.

“Ermmm…” Eddie says to stall. Because his childhood is a bit of a messy subject and honestly, he doesn’t really have a favorite anything. He folds and unfolds and refolds the dish towel he’s holding.

“This isn’t a trick question.” 

Eddie looks up at Steve. He’s higher than him, kinda looking down at him, while he’s sat there on the counter.

Eddie quite likes that.

“Well now I guess my favorite sandwich is probably like…a grilled cheese.”

“And you’d cut it in half and not corner to corner.”

“Yep. Like a maniac .”

“You are a maniac, Munson,” Steve teases lightly. Then takes a huge bite out of the second half of the sandwich.

Eddie is taking great pleasure out of watching Steve eat this sandwich he made him. 

“Did you not eat sandwiches when you were a kid?”

“It was more…just eat whatever I could to not go hungry. Sometimes sandwiches. Sometimes not.”

Steve stops chewing. Which panics Eddie. 

He’s saying too much, isn’t he?

“Sorry.”

“No…no. Don’t apologize.”

Eddie wants to apologize again. But he holds his tongue. Just smiles at Steve instead.

Steve holds his half eaten sandwich towards him.

“Oh, no, it’s okay-”

“Try it. You wanna taste my childhood? Here it is.”

Jesus. Eddie would love to taste many things of Steve’s but his childhood isn’t one of them.

This sandwich does look good though.

Eddie leans forward and takes a small bite. 

It really is delicious. The peanut butter is extra crunchy. The jam is super sweet and a little bit floral . 

Eddie tries not to think too much about the fact Steve's own teeth had sunk into this sandwich just moments before.

“God. Little Eddie’s mind would be blown if he tried this,” Eddie says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Steve looks very satisfied.

“Well, now you know. You can make them for your kids one day.”

Eddie just about dies a little bit inside. Clears his throat.

“Er…yeah. I guess.”

Steve looks puzzled. Reads between the gazillion lines that Eddie is no doubt drawing up with just one look.

“Sorry. I was just…being lighthearted. You don’t want babies?”

“I don’t want babies,” he says, instead of the truth which is, I don’t think I’ll ever get to have babies .

He could say that. He definitely trusts Steve with that information. 

But it's an automatic reaction whenever this conversation comes up because deep down he does want to have kids of his own one day, but knows he’ll never get it.

He’s gay and an alpha. Duh.

But god, he’d love it.

Steve just nods. Doesn’t ask why .

He carries on eating his sandwich, instead. Polishes it off, then, after licking excess jam off his fingers he says, “I’d love to have kids in the future. Just little cubs everywhere. That’s my dream.”

Cubs. Jesus. Eddie for a brief moment wishes he was an omega. So Steve could fill him up and he could give him all the babies in the world. 

That’s the first time he’s ever had that thought before.

“I think you’d be a great dad,” Eddie finds himself saying.

Imagines Steve running around chasing a honey-haired toddler. Throwing them around with strong arms. Walking under trees with them on his shoulders.

Steve looks grateful for this comment. A little close-mouthed, half-smile creeps up on him.

“I think you would be too, for what it’s worth.”

It’s worth a lot . Little does Steve know.

“Based on my sandwich making skills?” 

Steve laughs. This gorgeous, weak laugh. He rests his head against the cupboard next to him.

“Yes. You were right. The meanest pb&j I’ve ever had.”

Eddie’s stomach is aching and it isn’t because he’s hungry.

The butterflies are starting to hurt, they’re that excessive.

“Told ya,” Eddie says. Wants to reach out and touch Steve’s face for some reason. 

He looks sleepy. Gives a little yawn.

Eddie would quite like to carry him to bed.

“You feel better? Need anything else?”

“No, no. I’m gonna go to bed now,” he says through another yawn before jumping down off the counter with a little umph .

Steve wraps the blanket around himself and they walk together out of the kitchen. Steve’s bedroom door is the first one on the left. 

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Cool. Thanks, again, for the sandwich.”

“That. That’s okay. Sleep well. Yeah?”

“Yeah. Will try.”

“Just text me or something if you need anything.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“Night, Eddie.”

“Night, Steve.”

There’s this beat of silence and a smile before Steve closes his bedroom door.

Eddie exhales hard. Slumps back against the wall with his eyes squeezed shut.

Picturing nothing but Steve and babies that look just like him.

Life is so fucking unfair.

Eddie can’t give Steve the things he wants. 

But it seems all Steve does want for now is friendship.

So at least, in the meantime, until they leave this dorm and inevitably never speak to each other again, he can give him that.

Eddie drags himself off the wall. Saunters down the corridor to his bedroom. The last door on the left. 

He gets ready for bed with some effort. Slides into his sheets and tosses and turns to try and get the vivid imagery out of his head.

But he can’t.

And even in his dreams, he’s thinking about fucking Steve and making him the dad he deserves to be.

Existential crisis aside, Eddie is keeping it relatively together. Okay, he’s crushing hard on Steve. But what can he do?

He sticks to his routine. Goes to all his classes. Studies in the library. Then goes to the studio with Jeff and Paige and they paint for hours. This goes on for a few days and, despite the almost constant texting and staring at the little ‘trust me, bite me’ notes every night before he falls asleep, he hasn’t thought too much about their night time kitchen conversation.

It’s a Friday night when Steve knocks on Eddie’s door.

They do this a lot.

Just stand in each other’s doorways talking. Eddie should really invite him in one time but he’s genuinely worried what the fuck he would do if he did.

“So, I’ve decided to throw a party tonight, if that’s okay?” Steve asks. He’s leaning against Eddie’s door frame. Fresh from a basketball game, Eddie can still feel the cold air from outside exuding off of him.

“I mean, yeah, sure. Of course that’s okay with me,” Eddie says. 

Their roommate Heather appears from the kitchen.

“Did I hear party?” 

“Yeah. That cool?”

“Can I invite a few people?” she asks, pasta dish in her hand and backing into her room.

“Yeah of course.”

Steve turns back to Eddie.

“That includes you.”

Eddie just smiles at him. Eddie’s not sure how aware Steve is of his lack of friends here but whatever. He guesses he could invite Jeff and Paige.

“Yeah. Thanks. Maybe. What kind of party we talking?”

That he needs to figure out before he asks if his very particular friends want to come.

“Just chill. Music. Maybe some drinking games. Nothing too heavy.”

“Sure. Sounds cool,” Eddie says, and he means it.

“I er…I actually have a bit of a favor to ask of you.”

A bit of a favor. Okay. Eddie should’ve known there would be a catch. Maybe wants him to get him some weed or something and, like, yeah, of course he’ll do that. He’ll do literally anything for Steve, but it would have been nice to just-

“I have a few friends coming from out of the city. They’re staying for the weekend, and I wondered if I could maybe bunk with you for a couple of nights?”

“Huh?”

Seriously. Huh?

“Well, I said they could have my room. A few of them, actually, gonna try to fit in my bed. Couple of the others are already staying in Robin’s room so…”

Eddie is completely a fucking blank.

Steve wants to bunk with Eddie. For a couple of nights.

He’s his second choice. After Robin.

Okay. That’s cool. Yeah.

Wait.

“Forget it,” Steve says quickly. “I can sleep on the sofa, maybe, in the kitchen. It’s fine-”

“No. No. It’s cool. Of course it is. You can stay in my room. Sure we could both fit in the bed. Could top and tail.”

Eddie is saying words and that’s impressive.

“You sure?” Steve asks quietly.

“Yeah, of course. Not having you sleeping on that thing in the kitchen. It’s lumpy as fuck.”

“It is.”

“And I’m also not sure if it’s ever been cleaned.”

“Yeah. What the fuck is that weird green stain?”

“Exactly.”

They’re both just smiling at each other, in the end. Thank god. Eddie nearly fucked that one up.

“Cool, okay, well…see you later on then?”

“Yeah. See you.”

Steve twists away with a smile. Eddie closes his door slowly and carefully.

Eyes wide and staring in front of him as he leans back against it.

“What…the… fuck!” Eddie scream-whispers to himself. 

His Friday night plans have changed dramatically.

Eddie can’t decide if he’s happy or excited or nervous or just plain fucking scared.

But it’s happening.

He frantically tidies up his bedroom. Still kinda looks a mess though, no matter how much he tries.

He sprays his sheets to freshen them up. 

Then freshens himself up.

Showers, shaves, which he hasn’t done in months. Just to…tidy himself up a bit.

God.

What does he think is going to happen? Really?

Who the fuck is he kidding?

He messages Jeff and Paige. They’re both up for the party. Which relaxes Eddie a little, knowing he will have someone in his corner.

Eddie is sitting on his painting stool when he hears the ruckus of guests arriving.

And he continues to just sit there for about an hour. 

Idly scrolling through Instagram and distracting himself instead of building up the courage to just go out there.

It’s not until the music has been on for a good thirty minutes, when Eddie finally decides to just go in there, for fuck sake.

With a deep inhale through his nose and smack to his knees, Eddie stands, walks to his door with confidence and pulls it open.

To see Robin and Steve standing outside of it giggling.

“Oh. Oh! Hi!” Robin pretty much screams at him.

“Hey…you okay?”

“Yes. Yeah. We’re great. Just…standing in the corridor. We do that sometimes.”

Steve hits her playfully. Then drags his hand down his face.

Steve is wearing jeans and a white tee.

Simple enough yet the outfit makes Eddie’s pulse rate triple. 

The jeans are like…vintage Levis. Kinda baggy and low on his hips. 

He can see a soft, dark trail of hair up to his naval when he lifts his arms.

It’s so hot it’s making Eddie’s teeth ache.

“We were just about to knock on your door. See if you were coming to join us,” Steve says, with glassy eyes and a voice like silk. He’s been drinking.

It’s Robin’s turn to hit Steve this time. 

“Steve! We were cool.”

“We were literally never, ever cool,” Steve laughs. 

Eddie kind of agrees with him. But what does he know about being cool?

“You wanna come meet our friends?” Robin asks. She’s been drinking too.

Eddie follows them down the corridor to the kitchen.

The scene that emerges as he walks through the door, is one from a sitcom, he fears.

There’s six fresh faced teens sitting around the dining table, cards strewn out in front of them. One of them is holding the deck, leaning over the table and pointing ferociously at the card in front of his friend, shouting at him excitedly.

They must only be freshmen, maybe younger. Which Eddie didn’t expect.

There’s an older couple standing at the end of the table, maybe Eddie's age, giggling into each other and watching the chaos, of whatever card game this is, unfold in front of them.

“Guys, this is my roommate Eddie.”

They all turn and say hi, a couple of them make their way over and introduce themselves, others wave and shout their names. 

It’s all a wild mess and Eddie will have to ask them all again later.

“Or maybe you can like, wear name tags,” Eddie jokes.

The one with the curly hair and big smile guffaws. “That’s what I said we should do! These guys said that was painfully uncool.”

“Well, I think that would be helpful in this case.”

“ Thank you,” Dustin, he learns, says as he slams himself back down into his chair.

Steve pulls a chair up for Eddie. Explains that they’re playing this game called Exploding Kittens and Eddie is both intrigued and terrified. 

Steve suggests they pair up together for the first round. So he can get the gist.

“Trust me. You’ll get it. I had no clue the first time.”

“It’s true. He was so bad.”

“I’m still not sure that Steve actually knows what he’s doing.”

“I do, Sinclair, thank you very much.”

Eddie looks up, the girl with red hair, Max, is smiling at him then shakes her head and mouths ‘ he doesn’t.’

She’s totally right.

Steve has no idea what he’s doing and it’s so fucking cute and funny, as he tries to explain the meaning of these bizarre cards like the hairy potato cat and nope card.

“I’m pretty sure that means we get to defuse the exploding kitten,” Eddie whispers to Steve. 

Steve looks genuinely confused, then he’s laughing. 

“Shit. I really don’t know what I’m doing. I’m the worst teacher ever.”

Steve and Eddie kinda stop playing after that. They make half-assed decisions about which card to throw down and eventually they’re out of the game before anyone else.

But Eddie doesn’t care.

And even though Eddie knows Steve can have a little competitive streak, it seems like he doesn’t care either.

They sit squished together around the table, giggling as they watch the game continue without them.

Dustin is declared the winner after what seems like an eternity and then Steve gets up to make everyone drinks. 

Eddie follows him. 

Steve pulls out a crate of alcopops from the refrigerator.

They’re those super low percentage things, which Eddie actually loves.

“For the kids,” Steve says quietly. 

“That’s cute.” He’s cute.

“I secretly love these too. But don’t tell anyone,” Steve jokes as he takes one for himself.

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Really? Go ahead. Have one.”

Eddie takes one and then grabs three more around the bottleneck. He places them in the middle of the table, Steve behind him with a bottle opener and more drinks.

“So, what’s the occasion?” Eddie asks openly to the table.

“We threatened to get drunk on our own without supervision,” Lucas says.

“And Steve wouldn’t allow that,” Max adds. 

Eddie looks across the table at Steve who looks a little bit bashful. He runs a hand through that beautiful head of hair. He’s working at the alcopops with a bottle opener.

God. He really would be a great dad.

“Is that right?” Eddie asks.

“Yes,” El says, reaching across the table for the bottle Steve just opened for her.

“And we’re along for the ride,” Jon adds. Then he leans towards Eddie, and whispers, “like, literally, I’m the only one still at home with a car.”

“Oh, acting like that’s the only reason you’re here,” Nancy teases. “He loves these kids more than me, I swear.”

Eddie watches Steve’s home friends with fondness. They clearly have a strong bond. Like a family.

Eddie ends up very much enjoying himself. Movie nights and painting sessions with Paige and Jeff aside, this is probably the most fun he has had since his college experience began.

He talks with Jon and Will about art and photography and music. Turns out Steve’s friends don’t all have the same taste in music as him. He dances with Dustin and Lucas and Max to Black Sabbath , which was not on his list of expectations for tonight.

By the time Jeff and Paige arrive, Eddie has a nice little alcopop buzz, nothing major. And Eddie introduces them to everyone and they immediately merge into the group.

Not before Paige nudges Eddie and whispers, “oh, he is hot in real life.”

Referencing a conversation they’d had three nights before, when Eddie was showing Paige Steve’s instagram account and she somehow thought he didn’t picture well.

It’s the first time Eddie has ever questioned Paige’s judgment.

She likes girls anyway. She knows nothing.

Later on, more people arrive.

Heather brings some of her cheerleader friends. Steve and Eddie can’t stop laughing at Dustin and Mike and Lucas, wide-eyed and speechless as the pretty girls enter the room and immerse themselves into the group.

Some of Steve’s course friends, who he’s definitely bumped into in the kitchen before, arrive, loud and already a little bit drunk. But much to Eddie’s surprise, they’re not all complete assholes. 

There’s this one guy called Tommy. Face full of freckles and, Eddie can’t deny, beautiful plush lips and chocolate brown eyes. He is actually kind of gorgeous.

He’s heard Steve talk about him before. So, they’re definitely friends. And when Tommy sees Steve, he makes a beeline for him and doesn’t leave his side for the rest of the evening.

Eddie feels jealous. 

He isn’t a jealous person. Usually.

But he feels like his alpha is prowling on the inside. Determined to gain Steve’s attention even though Eddie needs to remind himself that Steve is in fact an alpha too and probably doesn’t have the slightest bit of romantic, or sexual, interest in Eddie.

Eddie has this sudden rush of relief every time Steve catches Eddie’s eye, and smiles.

Sees his glassy eyes kind of sparkle when the cheap little disco light that Robin brought with her bounces multi-coloured rays off of him.

God, they’re catching glances like flies.

Eddie is standing in a group with Mike, Lucas and Dustin and they’re all talking about some movie they watched last night and Eddie is supposed to be involved in this conversation but he’s just staring at Steve across the room.

He can’t help it.

And yeah, he’s the tiniest bit tipsy, just enough to blur the edges.

But his tongue feels wet and his fingers twitch.

Dying to touch him.

And then Steve is staring too. Tommy and some of the other Sports Ed guys semi-circled around Steve. And they’re all looking at him. But Steve is looking at Eddie.

‘Hi’ Steve mouths at him.

‘Hi’ Eddie mouths back.

The jealousy washes away.

It instantly drains off of him.

Because no matter how much the others try to steal Steve’s attention.

It always comes back to Eddie.

Chapter Text

Chapter three

Robin’s disco light is still spinning.

Rotating in a circle, beams of red and blue and green spotlighting around the kitchen.

Eddie can hear the whirr of it. 

Because the music is quiet.

Most of the party guests have left and half of Steve’s friends have gone to bed. In his room.

Eddie is sitting on the sofa with Robin. She’s chatting his ear off. She’s hammered. Because they got the harder stuff out once the younger ones went to bed.

“...and it’s not that we treat them like kids. Well, okay, we do call them the kids quite a lot. But like…Max is 19. I was doing much worse when I was 19. But ever since all the stuff with Will happened, we just came together, you know? And I love them. They’re my best friends. Don’t care if they’re younger than me. We’ve been through stuff…”

And Eddie is listening. He’s definitely taking in this loose information that Robin is freely giving up. Like, stuff with Will and we’ve been through stuff.

It’s nice that Robin is trusting him with these details but he’s also very aware she’s drunk. She might regret this later.

So, he’s listening. Soda can loosely in his grip, leaning sideways against the sofa arm. Nodding along. Not pushing or asking any follow-up questions. 

But Robin doesn’t have his full attention.

In his peripheral vision, he can sense that Steve and Tommy are in the corner of the room.

He can just see Tommy’s expression. He looks annoyed. Eyebrows creased, lips pursed.

Steve is talking calmly. 

And Tommy eventually leaves, much to Eddie’s relief.

Steve makes his way over.

Takes the empty space next to Robin with a solaced exhale.

Robin rolls towards him, leaning her head on his chest, looking up at him.

“He take it okay?” Robin asks quietly but not quiet enough for Eddie not to hear.

“Yeah. Well, no. Kind of. He’ll be okay.”

Robin pats Steve’s leg dramatically. Then she sits up suddenly.

Eddie doesn’t even want to know what the fuck that’s about.

Well, he does. But he can’t think about it for too long because Robin is suddenly looking very green.

“Oh. Don’t feel too good, actually,” she slurs, rubbing her forehead.

Steve waves at Nancy and Jon across the room. They come over, talk patiently with Robin as they try to heave her off the sofa.

“See you in the morning, gang,” Nancy says through a groan as she throws Robin’s arm around her shoulders.

“This means I’ve got the floor, doesn’t it?” Eddie hears Jon say to Nancy as they hobble out of the kitchen.

“...I think Robin’s gonna be spending the night with her head in the toilet so, you can probably have the bed…”

Steve and Eddie look at each other. He lets out a little breathy laugh. Runs his hand through his hair again.

“She gets excited,” Steve explains. “She loves it when we’re all together.”

“I can tell,” Eddie says, recalling all the moments tonight he heard Robin squeal ‘I just love you guys’ every time she started a new conversation.

“You enjoy yourself tonight?”

“I really did. Thanks for inviting me.”

“You live here. It was your party, too, technically.”

“I invited two people.”

“So? Jeff and Paige are great. Oh, and I think the kids fucking love you.”

“Really?” Eddie doesn’t hide how happy that makes him. And he probably should. He just met them. 

But Steve seems happy about that too.

His smile is bright and his cheeks are stained pink.

They’re alone now.

And quiet. Just the music playing at a low volume. Enough to fill the silence but quiet enough that it feels intimate. Like it’s just for the two of them.

There’s space between them that Robin left behind.

Eddie wants it gone.

Hopes he’s not an idiot because he can feel something between them.

Maybe it’s just the drink.

But Eddie’s not even really drunk. He swapped for soda after his third alcopop. And he’s pretty sure Steve did the same.

“I’m kinda tired,” Steve says quietly. Resting his head back on the sofa.

His neck is all on show.

He thinks he can feel his pulse beating out of it.

Eddie clears his throat.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is late, I guess.”

Shall we go to bed? He wants to ask. God, he wants to ask it so badly.

Hasn’t stopped thinking about the fact they’re gonna sleep next to each other tonight.

Steve stands. Eddie copies.

“I’ll just get changed then…”

Steve is staring into Eddie. Tilts his head to the side.

For the love of god, he’s so pretty.

“Then. Erm. Yeah. Just come by whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait up for you.”

There’s a sentence he never thought he’d say.

To Steve.

Eddie does wait up. But he doesn’t have to for long.

By the time he’s washed his face and brushed his teeth and got changed into his pajamas, there’s Steve’s signature knock at Eddie’s door.

Eddie nearly trips up over himself.

He opens the door. Then he’s almost immediately knocked back by the wave of fresh scent coming off Steve.

He’s showered. 

Clearly hasn’t topped up his blockers.

His natural scent is on full display. 

No amount of alcopops could make Eddie feel as intoxicated as he feels right now.

In this perfect moment. 

Steve is like his very own alcopop.

Sweet, cherry flavored.

Eddie blinks at him. And Steve smiles.

He must fucking know.

Steve has the most unique scent. Eddie has never experienced anything like it.

Without saying anything, Steve brushes by Eddie. Enters his dorm room for the first time like it’s such a simple thing while Eddie is suffering a mild heart attack.

Eddie closes the door with a click. Everything seems so loud in the silence that is stretching on between them.

But Steve doesn’t seem uncomfortable.

He’s walking around the room with quiet wonderment. Picking up random objects and putting them back down. 

“So. This is your room.”

“Uh. Yeah. This is my room.”

“You tidied up for me?”

Huh.

“How did you know?”

Steve looks over his shoulder. Tilts his head.

“I know you’re a messy person, Eds.”

Eds .

“Well. I know you’re not.”

It’s taken all of this time for Eddie to notice that Steve is wearing an oversized tee and tiny boxer shorts.

Like tight, cotton ones that are slightly too short.

His lean legs are on full show. The boxers cutting into the meat of his thighs.

Eddie knows he’s staring but there’s literally nothing he can do. He’s completely lost to it.

Steve is walking around barefoot. Padding across the rug, making his way to the easels at the end of his bed.

He stares at the paintings for some time.

Probably trying to work out what they are. Most people don’t get it.

“They’re beautiful,” Steve utters. He sits on the edge of the bed, hands in his lap. Staring at them. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“Thanks,” Eddie says, making his way over. 

“What…sorry, I’m no good with contemporary art, but what is it?”

Eddie smiles at him. God, he’s so fucking cute. “Basically what’s inside my brain.”

“ This is what is inside your brain?”

“Er…yeah. I guess so. Not all the time. It always changes.”

They both stare at the painting. Paint thickly brushed onto the canvas and left to dry.

This one is particularly bright and jarring. Aqua blue and dark green and baby pink. Colors that should never go but they swirl and mix and it all makes sense in Eddie’s head.

“Nothing like this goes on inside my brain.”

“Really?” Eddie asks genuinely. “I always wondered if it was an alpha thing and just nobody said anything.”

“ This is not an alpha thing. This is an Eddie thing. Definitely.”

Eddie laughs lightly. “I have this thing called hyperphantasia.”

Steve looks up at Eddie with a puzzled look.

“It’s a condition like…I basically have very, very vivid mental imagery.”

“Like how?”

“Like I can imagine things without even closing my eyes, and whatever I imagine seems so real. Like I could literally reach out and touch it.”

Eddie has never told anyone this in this much detail before. No-one usually gives a fuck.

Steve seems to give a fuck though. As his mouth drops open a little, jaw all lax, eyes glossy. Looking at Eddie like he’s one of the seven wonders of the world.

God. Eddie hopes he’s reading this right.

And fuck. He smells lovely. Eddie wants to lick his skin. Right along his traps, up his neck. That’s where he imagines he’ll taste strongest.

“That’s…Eddie, that’s so cool.”

Eddie shrugs. “Sometimes. Sometimes it’s a fucking pain in my ass. Like, if I don’t want to imagine anything, this is what I see.” He nods towards the canvas.

“Your mind is never dark?”

Steve has a dark mind ?

“What do you mean?”

“Like…there’s always color, and light?”

“Yeah. I know it’s not normal. I thought everyone had a mind like mine until high school, and we learned about the brain in biology.”

“I don’t think I have an imaginative brain.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Like…I think in words.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, I picture the words I’m thinking in my brain. White letters. All on black. Maybe there’s a condition for that.”

“Maybe. Like a written inner monologue?”

Steve's mouth turns into a smile. “Exactly.” Then his smile slowly transforms to a little yawn.

Eddie takes the initiative. He turns off the big lamp on his desk, switches on the little diffuser light on his bedside table then climbs onto the bed, pulls back the sheets. 

“I can sleep with my head at that end,” Eddie says, on his knees and picking up his pillow.

“Okay,” Steve says. Then he twists, turning to face Eddie. “But I don’t mind if you wanna sleep like…normally. It’s probably easier in these small beds.”

“I…I don’t mind. At all,” is the biggest understatement of the year.

This bed is not made for two people. Especially two growing men.

But Eddie lays on his side, presses his back against the wall, stretches his legs out long and just fucking prays that he can sleep like this. 

Steve climbs in next to him. He makes less effort to be long. Lying on his side, too, but with one knee hitched up towards his chest, taking up more of the room.

Eddie had a feeling Steve would sleep like this.

Quiet engulfs them.

It’s like they’re holding their breath.

Eddie can’t stop staring at Steve. Can only just make out the outline of him in the dim light.

He’s never shared a bed with…with anyone before.

As the seconds tick on Eddie can’t help but feel each silent little moment is sending them deeper. Falling.

“Tell me more about your brain,” Steve eventually whispers.

He’s walking his fingertips slowly up and down the small space on the mattress between them.

“What do you wanna know?” Eddie asks quietly. Staring at the half of Steve’s face that he can see. He gave him the bigger, fluffier pillow. His head is sinking down into it.

“What do you think about at night?” 

God. How honest should Eddie be? He’s thought about Steve most nights recently.

“Oh. Erm. All sorts, really. Think about my day. My art. My friends.”

“Do you ever think about the future?”

That he can answer.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t control that.”

“You like to be in control?”

Hmm. Eddie doesn’t think so.

“No, I mean…it’s more like my brain is heavy enough thinking about what’s happening right now, never mind what’s going to happen. Don’t think my mind could deal with that.”

“What color do you think the future is?”

Eddie can’t control the little gasp that escapes him.

Because the second he thinks about the future his brain flashes green. That beautiful green color he sees in his dreams sometimes. Only ever sees quick bursts of it.

“To me, I think it’s er…it’s green.”

“Green?”

“Mmm. Well I’m saying green, because that’s the closest color to it. But it’s…it’s a beautiful color. I can’t describe it with words.”

“Why don’t you paint it?”

“I’ve tried.”

“You’ve seen this color before?”

“Yeah, I have.”

“Thought you didn’t think about the future?”

“I don’t. But, I see that exact color in dreams sometimes.”

Steve looks up at the ceiling. Biting his lip. More silence.

Eddie swallows hard.

He has this overwhelming, dizzying desire to close the gap between them.

“Wish I could see inside your head,” Steve mutters.

Steve looks very, very pretty. The soft glow of the little lamp behind him catching his features.

Eddie sees the outline of Steve’s Adam’s apple. It’s small, for a guy. But it’s there, protruding out of his throat and it bobs a couple of times. As he swallows.

Eddie wishes Steve would drink him down. His saliva or…

Steve turns back on his side. Shuffling ever so lightly in the sheets. Eddie can feel him slowly edging closer. 

God. 

His sheets are gonna smell like Steve now, aren’t they? Eddie silently swears to never do the laundry ever again.

Eddie rests his hand between them. 

Fingers wide and stretching.

Steve slides his hand closer.

And Eddie watches as Steve slips his fingertips that final inch closer across the cotton.

Until they’re touching.

Their fingertips are touching. 

Eddie exhales hard.

Mind fizzing with colors and energy that make him want to cry.

This is the first time they’ve touched skin on skin.

Steve gently drags his fingertips up and down Eddie’s fingers. 

Eddie has shivers all over. 

Shooting up and down his spine, right up to the base of his skull.

And with a little whine of sudden urgency, Steve pushes his hand up Eddie’s bare arm. 

“Steve,” Eddie almost whimpers.

“Eddie.”

God. This…this isn’t normal.

All Eddie can hear is Steve’s breathing through his nose.

Deep. Fast. 

Steve squeezes Eddie’s arm.

Clenches onto him.

Eddie turns inwards towards him. Their bodies are achingly close.

Just one more inch and they will be touching.

Eddie feels dizzy. This stunning feeling. Like all his nerve-endings have shifted. And they’re heavy. Radiating. Pulsing. Towards Steve.

Eddie feels Steve’s knee move.

“This okay?” Steve asks quietly. Voice like strained silk. Being stretched and pulled beyond its capacity.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Eddie breathes, as his leg stretches towards him. 

Steve wraps a leg over Eddie.

“Fuck,” Eddie whispers.

They slowly become entangled.

Both breathing hard now. Nose to nose.

Eddie cannot feel his own body. 

Only Steve’s pressed against him.

He feels out of it.

He hears how wet Steve’s mouth is. When he opens and closes it, licks between his teeth.

Eddie wants to spit in it. He wants to put his fingers in his mouth. Wants to press his index on his tongue. Wants Steve to suck on the digits.

Wants him to suck on his ridiculously hard and needy cock. 

Steve nudges his other leg underneath Eddie. Legs wide.

Eddie’s eyes roll.

“Steve. Fuck. ”

Steve has dragged Eddie on top of him. Knees fallen apart, Eddie between them.

And suddenly, Eddie can smell…

Steve’s scent.

It’s heightened. It’s strong and delightful and it makes Eddie staggeringly numb and for some bizarre fucking reason, his alpha is telling him Steve is wet.

Steve is wet and ready for him.

Eddie has no experience. None at fucking all and they certainly missed this part in sex ed.

Do alphas get wet?

Eddie must be confused. Steve is turned on. That’s all.

Wait. That’s all? Jesus. Fuck.

“Touch me,” Steve says. Two words uttered like quiet little demands and Eddie’s dizzy head spirals. That…that’s nice.

“Come on. Put your hands on me,” Steve utters through a tight breath.

Eddie does as he’s told. Blindly does it. Props himself up on his left elbow and carefully lifts a shaking hand.

Steve's mouth is open. Eddie can feel his breath. He’s panting softly. Chest rising and falling and Eddie has no idea what’s going to happen. No fucking clue , when he lightly fingers at the hem of Steve’s boxer shorts on his left thigh. 

God. He smells amazing. He’s wet. He’s wet, Eddie is sure but-

Eddie slowly pushes his hand on top of Steve’s boxers.

Swallowing thickly as he goes to cup his balls and-

“Oh my god . Eddie. I’m-”

Steve is warm. He can feel through the cotton and he’s-

What? Wait…

“Yeah-uh, I’m…erm,” Steve stutters breathlessly. 

Oh christ. Oh fucking Jesus christ. 

Steve is an omega.

The alpha in Eddie is suddenly in tune.

High frequency. It happens as quick as a snap of his fingers.

It’s like, before, all he was hearing was static and now it’s…

Oh god. It’s crystal clear. 

And he should be shocked. Maybe he is but nothing else matters other than this omega underneath him right now and all the ways he can pleasure him.

Eddie can almost feel his own pupils dilate. His mouth is dripping wet with saliva, he has to keep swallowing to stop it from leaking and dripping onto Steve below him.

“Is that…is that okay?” Steve murmurs, hands trailing up Eddie’s back, and then back down, hands resting at the arch. Like he wants to push him closer.

Push him in.

Fuck.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Eddie breathes. On the verge of passing out he’s sure. 

It really is okay. It’s more than okay. It’s…

“I want you,” Steve says through a moan . Like the three words have been slowly rising up his throat forever.

“How long have you known? About me?” Eddie asks with a strained voice because he has to know. Thinks through everything. All the hints. His mind racing with every single scenario they’ve been in together. Eddie tries to refrain from rubbing against Steve’s mound.

Gorgeous little mound that he just touched. And jesus fucking christ he wants to see it.

“I’ve always known,” Steve whispers.

It makes Eddie look.

Right into Steve’s eyes.

It’s dark, only the lamp light highlights the side of Steve’s face but he looks…

“So beautiful,” Eddie can’t help but say. It’s a mix between a purr and a growl . It makes Steve trill.

A tiny vibration, from the back of his throat. 

Steve’s eyes are black. Almost completely. God, Eddie would love to turn on the lights and just stare at him forever. Memorize every tiny detail of his face.

“Am I?” Steve asks.

“Yes,” Eddie responds so quickly. So needy. He’s still kinda hovering over him. Arms and legs almost shaking with the restraint, but his alpha is so very wise to where they are touching.

Steve’s hands on his back. His left thigh grazing against Steve’s. 

“Mmmm,” Steve hums, wriggling under him, trying to pull him down towards him.

Eddie can literally feel the heat exuding off of him.

“You smell so good,” Eddie all but moans into Steve’s neck as he gives in and gently lowers himself down. Too aware of the thin cotton fabric that’s stopping the thing that Eddie is craving most right now. 

“So do you. Your scent is so strong at night,” Steve whispers, while slowly letting his knees drop back down and open onto the mattress. 

His legs are spreading wide at an achingly slow pace, it makes Eddie want to cry.

“Could you always smell me?”

“Always. From the first moment we met. Always knew. Always wanted you.”

“ Jesus. Okay. Okay. Fuck, fuck-”

Steve has dropped his hands from Eddie’s back and is now using them to slowly push his own boxers down and off .

Eddie is dizzy. Mind awash with bright colors and pulsing hues.

And he can't process this. Can't even begin to let the shock of Steve being an omega soak in.

Because Steve’s scent is literally shooting off of him in shockwaves. Hitting Eddie slap bang in his chest each time there’s a strong, rhythmic surge.

Eddie would panic if Steve didn’t look so blissed out. And if he couldn’t feel Steve’s wet heat now pressed up against his clothed dick. 

“C’mon,” Steve urges softly. “Want it.”

God. Eddie should really be panicking. He hasn’t done this before. He doesn’t even have condoms and he only has lube because Steve gave him it to get through his last rut.

But he isn’t panicking. Sure his heart is beating out of his chest and he is vibrating with anticipation but he is not panicking. It's like a blanket of chaotic calm is wrapping around them both.

“I want it too. But I…I don’t have condoms.”

“I’m on contraception. And I…I’m clean. I’m clean. So, if you are, we could…”

A surge of energy hits Eddie so hard he has to drop his head to the pillow next to Steve’s. He’s panting now, too. Breathing hard into Steve’s neck. 

“We could what?”

“We could do it without.”

“Oh, jesus. Fuck. Okay.”

“Only if you want to.”

“I want to.”

They’re rambling. Repeating themselves back and forth, little want you , need yous , as they slip out of their clothes. Eddie trails his hands up Steve’s toned stomach until he pulls his baggy tee up and off. Then Steve pushes down at Eddie’s pajama bottoms, even pulls down at his socks with his toes. Until they’re both naked and Eddie repositions himself between Steve’s wide and wanting legs.

“Feel how wet I am,” Steve is half demanding, half laughing. His bare, beautiful chuckle that Eddie loves. And now he’s doing it while asking Eddie to touch him.

Eddie is curious. He’s wildly curious and completely turned on when he reaches his hand down, blindly led to the heat down there.

The exact moment he touches Steve bare, his core ignites.

It’s white and blinding and he almost cries out, loud . Steve clamps his hand over Eddie’s mouth.

And he laughs. They both do even though Eddie’s alpha wants to bite him. Wants to lick his palm and taste his skin and just sink his teeth into his soft flesh.

But he stops himself.

He focuses. Tries to relax. Gets his human all intact. And goes again.

He feels for Steve.

Rubs his index gently from the top of his soft, protruding clit and down, down, into the wetness below.

Steve groans lightly. Eddie feels him open up his legs impossibly wider, stretching them out along the mattress and tilting his hips up towards Eddie’s hand.

Eddie’s heart is beating so fast. It’s not human, the rate at which it’s pulsing. 

And Steve feels…

God. He feels hot. So warm and wet and soft.

Eddie’s curiosity hasn’t yet peaked. 

He slowly pushes one finger inside Steve.

“Oh my god. Oh my god,” Steve chants quietly over the sounds of Eddie’s breathing and the wetness down below. 

Because, god, Eddie is breathing so loud, huge relieved exhales as he feels Steve.

“More?” Eddie asks, repeatedly glancing down under the sheets and back up at Steve’s face. Which is all scrunched up, eyes closed and lip bitten into his mouth.

Eddie wants to kiss him.

Only just realized that he hasn’t yet.

Steve nods, and whispers in a tight, yet demanding voice, “go on. Want more.”

Eddie shivers. God, he needs more of Steve telling him what to do. He wants to pleasure him exactly how he wants, how he needs. That would be the catalyst of Eddie’s pleasure.

Steve’s pussy feels hot and tight around his finger, even more so when he pushes a second inside.

And he’s never fucked someone before, but he’s pretty sure even an omega needs to be prepared.

Steve’s back arches. 

Eddie slips one arm underneath him, holding him under the arch so he’s more comfortable and Steve moans, probably a little too loud, as Eddie starts to slowly fuck him with his fingers.

Eddie is rock hard. The hardest he’s ever, ever been. He feels bigger somehow. Harder and bigger, and…fuck, the end of it already dripping with precome he knows they aren’t going to need any lube.

“Fuck!” Eddie exhales through gritted teeth when Steve grinds down on his fingers and his thigh rubs beautifully against his dick.

He isn’t gonna last at all if he replaces his fingers with it.

But he knows that is what Steve wants.

It’s what he wants. What his alpha needs as he feels a low growl tremble up his throat when he just thinks about it.

“C’mon. Make me feel good. Want you inside me,” Steve whispers, back still arched but his hands now grabbing at Eddie to pull him into position.

Eddie swallows hard. Even his own hand around his dick makes him shudder and his alpha internally cries.

He positions himself to Steve’s opening.

Rubs the end of his dick against the wetness. 

Fuck.

His mouth falls open and he’s shaking. Sensitive and wet and fuck, fuck, fuck this is unreal.

“Stop teasing. Need it,” Steve whines through a smile. He’s enjoying this, clearly.

But Eddie cannot resist Steve’s words.

He drops down onto his elbow, gets as close to Steve as he can as he pushes himself inside.

His eyes roll. His vision blurs.

It’s…

“Eddie,” Steve whimpers.

…heaven.

Steve’s pussy is so tight. 

And their foreheads are pressed together. Breathing hard as the sensation sets in.

Eddie can’t even fit halfway, right now. But he slowly fucks into him, anyway.

He has shivers from his toes right up to the crown of his head. His skin textured with goosebumps despite feeling warm and clammy under the sheets.

He moves his hips, and Steve grabs onto his ass. Which Eddie loves. He lets Steve set the rhythm, moving with the pressure of his hands.

Like he’s guiding him. Showing him the right way to move.

And Steve is…bless, this omega is really trying to be quiet.

His moans are low and soft. Lightly trembling with his lips pressed against Eddie’s skin.

Eventually, Eddie is all the way in and he settles there. Panting wildly, shaking his head because he just can’t get over it.

He could do this forever.

He could stay like this forever.

Steve is squirming. “So big. Oh my god. Such a big…”

“Mmmm?” Eddie urges.

“Such a big alpha.”

The surge hits again. 

Steve’s scent is so sweet and strong, Eddie can taste on his tongue how turned on he is right now. His core aches and so do his teeth.

Dying to dig into something, he lowers and bites down onto the pillows instead as he begins to rut into Steve.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Steve moans, wrapping his legs and arms around Eddie, clinging onto him with his hands in his hair. “Fuck me. Fuck me. Oh my god. Gonna come. You’re gonna make me come.”

Eddie is not experienced.

But he somehow knows what he’s doing.

Rutting against Steve with his hips slightly tilted so he rubs against his clit that, god, he wants to taste. Wants to lick and make him come on his tongue.

But he fucks him hard and fast instead.

“Gonna come inside me? You can. I want you to,” Steve whines. Taking deep breaths between each second word and Eddie thinks he himself has forgotten how to breathe at all.

Eddie’s alpha wishes Steve wasn’t on contraception.

It’s dumb and primal but it turns Eddie on so much he just goes for it.

Pumping his hips wildly, making sure to hit Steve’s clit each time, wants him to get there just as he does.

He can feel Steve tighten. His beautiful, soft, warm pussy clenching around him ready to…

“Oh god. Making me come. Good alpha, fuck, fuck!”

Eddie sees white.

He clamps his teeth down into the pillow until it punctures and he can taste cotton.

Cotton and Steve’s pink, blooming arousal as he simply gushes around him.

Eddie comes.

Before he can think about anything fucking crazy like pulling out he comes inside Steve.

“Ah, fuck!” Eddie exhales, moving his hips with each burst. Knows if he doesn’t stop he might… “Shit. Steve. Gonna knot, I think. I can knot you?”

Eddie leans up on his elbow to look at Steve. He’s panting, cheeks tinted red and hair stuck to his face from the sweat.

“Knot me,” he says desperately. His pussy still throbbing around him, still coming, Eddie thinks.

With a guttural moan, Eddie sinks into Steve. Pushes harder and deeper than before until his knot widens. And the feeling widens too. His chaotic, tense alpha relaxes.

He thought he saw white before but this is lightning.

His core bursts. And Steve is almost sobbing into the crook of his neck as he wraps his legs back around Eddie’s middle, maneuvering himself slightly so he can take the knot at its fullest.

Steve is gasping. Not forming sentences or a single word, anymore.

Just pure breath and little hisses as the knot grows.

And then just when Eddie thinks he might pass out from this wild sensation of pure pleasure, it settles.

And so do Eddie and Steve. As Eddie scoops his arms around him and very carefully turns them over. So that Steve can lay comfortably on Eddie’s chest, with his knot deep-rooted inside him.

Steve trills. Wraps his arms around Eddie’s neck, a hand in his hair.

Eddie is still breathing fast. Overcome with sensitivity he wants to cry.

He’s inside Steve and he never wants to leave.

And he can’t help but think, Steve is deep-rooted inside him too.

As he feels Steve’s full body weight collapse and relax onto him, softly whispering Eddie’s name like he’s checking he’s still there until he falls asleep.

It is fair to say that Eddie couldn’t sleep, after that.

Steve was asleep before Eddie’s knot even started to deflate. 

Which was…which was interesting. For no better word.

Steve looked like a very satisfied omega. With his head resting on Eddie’s chest, drooling a little onto his bare skin. 

Eddie carefully pulled out of him when he felt it was okay to do so, but Steve didn’t even stir.

Eddie has never been in love.

He’s only ever read about it. Only ever tried to depict it in his paintings.

And he doesn’t think he’s in love, right now.

But he thinks this is maybe how it all starts. As he watches Steve, who is now on his side, facing Eddie, his leg draped over him and keeping him close with a firm grip. 

Eddie can’t believe his luck.

The shock he was numb to earlier is slowly creeping in.

Steve is an omega. A perfect omega who asked him to fuck him.

And Eddie is hard again. He has been for a few hours.

He’s not sure what’s doing it. The beautiful boy who is naked in his bed. The faint, butterfly pulse beating from the underside of his wrist that is pressed against Eddie’s neck. His hand that is still possessively clutched into Eddie’s hair.

Or maybe it’s his scent.

That has only grown stronger since he fell asleep.

There’s these gentle waves of it, rather than the surges like before. That were like electricity or lightning. Now it’s like water. Softly lapping, the scent makes Eddie feel so relaxed like he could float in it. Go swimming and discover what treasures are lying deep on the seabed.

Eddie has never experienced anything like it.

It’s so new and exciting he doesn’t want to fall asleep.

The digital alarm clock on his bedside table blinks 4am. If he goes to sleep now, he could get a nice three or four hours.

But he can’t.

He doesn’t.

And it’s around 8:30am when Steve finally rises from his heavy slumber. Blinking his soft, tired eyes awake, they flash hazel in comparison to the jet black from last night.

When he catches Eddie’s gaze, he cocks his head like a puppy. Furrows his eyebrows and wrinkles his nose.

“Alpha needs to sleep,” Steve says with a lazy tongue. He’s tired, Eddie can sense, maybe still half asleep. “Your turn,” he adds, as he pushes his hand through Eddie’s hair and then rubs the back of his hand gently across Eddie’s forehead and down his face.

It’s like magic. 

Steve’s fingertips stroking his skin soothingly make Eddie’s eyelids drop and blink heavily like they’re being pulled by puppet strings.

“Good alpha,” Steve teases lightly as Eddie’s vision goes dark and his eyelids eventually drop shut.

And he sleeps for a little while in the morning winter sun shining through the gap in the curtains. Curled up with Steve.

And this time, he dreams of things that have already happened.

Chapter Text

Chapter four

Eddie wakes abruptly. Harshly. 

With a huge inhale like he’s just fallen backwards off the top of a skyscraper.

“Woah, woah. It’s okay,” he hears Steve whisper.

And when his eyes adjust he sees Steve, half crawling out of the bed.

“Oh. Hi,” Eddie says. His voice is soft despite the sudden awakening. 

“Hi. I wasn’t leaving. Well, I am, I’m going to the bathroom. But I’ll be back.”

Eddie realizes he gasped awake like that because Steve was simply…getting out of bed.

This is not good.

Or it is good.

Maybe it’s very, very good, actually. As Steve walks bare to the bathroom.

Eddie makes absolutely no effort to tear his gaze away. 

Steve really does have an amazing ass.

Jesus christ.

Eddie sinks back into the pillows.

Hides his face in the crease of his elbow.

The heightened mix of emotions he’s feeling right now have the ability to send him over the edge.

So he had sex last night.

With Steve.

Who is an omega.

Okay.

Okay. Okay.

He bites his arm.

Oh, fuck, that really hurt.

He’s not dreaming.

Rerunning every moment in his brain makes him equally faint as he is hard.

Eddie’s brain is sharp. 

And his memory is perfect.

So he knows he isn’t being dramatic when he pictures it all. 

Steve wrapping his arms tightly around him.

Hand in his hair.

Opening his legs.

Wet and warm and soft.

Oh, fuck.

He made Steve come.

His alpha ego trills inside. 

Fucking hell, he didn’t know what the hell he was doing except that he did.

Maybe he’s kinda…made for this.

The shock of it all makes him almost forget that he didn’t tell Steve he was a virgin.

He probably should have.

He probably still should.

When Eddie drops his arm back down to his side and opens his eyes, Steve is coming out of his ensuite.

He’s naked.

But he bends to pick up a pair of boxers on the floor. Steps into them. Runs a hand through his hair. Adjusts the boxers at the elastic waistband. 

He smiles at Eddie from across the room.

“What?” Steve asks. Like he really needs to.

Steve’s torso is so gorgeous. So masculine, broad shoulders and tight lines across his middle. Like something straight out of a magazine.

Eddie’s eyes track from his naval up to his neck.

Then he realizes what he’s doing.

“Nothing,” Eddie answers. Steve cocks his brow at him. Starts to pad barefoot slowly towards him on the bed.

“Really?”

“Okay…okay. I should probably tell you something.”

“I’m all ears, Munson,” Steve says. Looks like he’s prowling Eddie right now.

Eddie takes a deep breath.

He’s about to say it when he notices that the boxers Steve picked up from the floor are his.

Oh god.

With a frustrated exhale, Eddie closes his eyes again. Bites down every single little feeling of shame and fucking arousal. 

“So last night. That was my…that was my first time.”

“With an omega.”

Steve says it with such final surety. 

Eddie tries to ignore the soul crushing embarrassment eating away at his insides.

“No,” he says through gritted teeth. Hand over his eyes. “…with anyone.”

He’s willing to accept that Steve may never, ever talk to him ever again. Eddie will move out.

That’s fine. He should be the one to go.

So he isn’t surprised when there is this heavy lull in the air.

Unable to wait any longer, Eddie peaks from between his fingers.

Steve is standing in the middle of his room.

Wearing Eddie’s boxers.

And he just blinks at him. 

Oh god.

Eddie can feel the word vomit surging up from within.

“Is that okay?” Eddie asks then shakes his head. Puts it back in his hands. “I know it’s like really fucking uncool of me and maybe I should’ve said something-”

“I’m gonna kiss you now.”

“ What?”

He looks up.

Steve has made his way to the bed.

He’s climbing back onto it, as he says, “I’m gonna kiss you now. That okay?”

Steve straddles Eddie.

“Oh. Yeah, of-”

Steve grabs his face and kisses him.

Steve’s knees are either side of Eddie’s hips.

His hands on Eddie’s face.

His lips on Eddie’s lips.

Steve kisses Eddie like he’s savoring him. 

Close-mouthed at first. Two gorgeous kisses and then with a little, impatient moan he slides in his tongue.

Eddie helplessly responds. 

Heart bursting, pulse racing, as Steve licks into his mouth. 

Steve tastes how he smells.

Sweet like cherry. 

And god, Eddie doesn’t know how he’s ever gonna be able to stop.

He cautiously places his hands on Steve’s thighs.

Gorgeous, thick thighs.

Golden and soft.

“You smell so good when you’re turned on,” Steve whispers. Licks up Eddie’s neck and Eddie makes a noise he’s gonna try so hard not to be ashamed of.

“Mmm. Alpha. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s really fucking hot.”

Eddie moves his head so he can look at Steve.

Like really look at him.

“You can smell that?”

“Mhmm. You wear your emotions all in your scent it’s so fucking…”

Steve kisses him again. Lips slide and their mouths are wet and Eddie could cry it’s so, so fucking good.

“And you don’t care, that I…”

“That you were a virgin before last night? No.”

“That’s not…that’s not a major turn off for you?”

“It’s a turn on, Munson.”

Eddie can’t even begin to understand how that can be true.

But it must be.

Because Steve’s hips are gently rolling and Eddie can feel that Steve is wet through his boxers.

Eddie’s boxers.

“Really?” Eddie asks, with Steve’s lips on his.

“ Yes ,” he emphasizes. Kissing Eddie hard on the mouth then leaning up. 

“I mean…I’m surprised. But not turned off.”

“Surprised?”

Steve looks down at Eddie. Arms wrapped around his neck loosely.

“Yeah. Have you seen you?”

“Er…yeah?”

What is Steve trying to say?

“Jesus, Eddie. This is like…” 

Eddie can feel himself blush as Steve looks him up and down with this soft and wandering gaze. He brushes his hand up Eddie’s chest. Granting him in full blown shivers. 

Steve exhales.

“This is like a dream scenario for me.”

The word ‘dream’ coming out of Steve’s mouth in relation to Eddie is fucking baffling to him.

But he’ll take it.

Eddie will take it, as he stretches up and kisses Steve again.

“Taste good,” Eddie mutters. Unable to keep his thoughts inside when everything feels and tastes and smells this unreal.

He can hear Steve swallow.

Mouth wet and needy, Steve kisses him greedily.

Eddie would let Steve eat him alive if he wanted, he’s sure of it.

And Steve is trying to shuffle out of his boxers and Eddie is already naked. So hard. Has been every aching moment he’s been awake.

And Eddie is dying to see Steve.

Like really see him. All of him.

He’s about to ask. He’s about to switch their positions. Get Steve on his back like he was last night. Shuffle down his body…

“Oh my god, Eddie, whatever you’re thinking…you smell so good. What do you want?” Steve mumbles into Eddie’s neck.

“Wanna…taste you,” Eddie whispers. And Steve grinds down on him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’ve never tasted an omega before?”

Eddie’s eyes roll. His alpha is so excited. He is so, very excited.

“No.”

Steve laughs breathlessly. Looks down at Eddie. Hands pinned either side of his head.

His hair flops in front of his eyes.

He’s so fucking beautiful.

“Oh. Poor alpha,” Steve says, tongue running along his bottom lip. There’s this little condescending tone to it and Eddie…god. He kinda loves it.

“Poor me,” Eddie says through gritted teeth. Can’t help it when Steve has grabbed his hands, and pushed his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers.

Making him slowly pull them down.

And it takes effort because his boxers are clearly too tight around Steve’s rounded ass.

Steve smells so turned on it’s making Eddie feel shaky.

“Want me to show you how?” Steve asks. Whispers with his lips right against Eddie’s open mouth. 

Frenzied and trembling with anticipation, Eddie nods. Like a clueless, dumb dog begging for treats.

“How to…how to taste you?”

“How to eat me out, baby.”

Baby . Oh…

“God. Yes. Yes, yes, please.”

“Mmm. Love when you beg.”

And Eddie thinks he loves to beg. Would get on his knees if he had to. 

Eddie’s boxers that Steve is fucking wearing (he’s never getting over it), are now stretched under his ass. 

Eddie’s teeth are sharp. 

Steve leans in and presses his tongue against the sharp point of one. 

“Ugh,” Eddie groans, dick throbbing, pressing up against the cotton of the boxers.

“Alpha can’t control himself, huh? All animal on me?”

Steve is clearly enjoying every single second of this. Eddie can smell it in his scent, can see it all over his gorgeous fucking face in the morning light.

They’re kissing again.

It really is animal.

Feels primal and natural but also fucking insane . As Steve grips his hands into Eddie’s hair and pushes his tongue into his mouth.

Eddie can feel that Steve is gonna flip them over. Kinda braces himself, clenches his legs around him and then-

“Steve!”

“Which room is Eddie’s?”

“Wait. He stayed in his room?”

“Yes but can’t remember which one he said it was.”

“I don’t think he did.”

Eddie and Steve are wide-eyed and still. 

Like if for some reason they don’t move, his friends won’t come knocking on Eddie’s door in literally ten seconds.

Their voices are far down the corridor. They might even be in the kitchen.

Steve sighs dramatically. Kisses Eddie once.

Then rolls onto his side, pulls up the boxers and stands in a swift movement.

He’s pulling on the rest of his clothes when he says, “I’ll just wear these today, if that’s okay?”

He means the boxers. For fucks sake. 

“Er…yeah. Yeah. That’s fine.” Another huge understatement.

“I’d put some clothes on, if I were you. Quickly. They will come in here without asking,” Steve says through a laugh, looking in the mirror to flatten his hair down.

“Oh-kay,” Eddie mutters. Jumping off the bed with the duvet wrapped around him, pulling it close to cover himself.

Steve was right.

He should have put some clothes on quickly.

And his friends did just come in here without asking.

“ Told you,” Dustin says, looking down the corridor, one hand on the door that he has just pushed wide open. “It’s the last door…no, Lucas, that’s not-”

“ Hey! ” Steve says loudly, walking to the door and immediately pushing Dustin back out of it. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

Steve ushers Dustin out, who gives a wave over Steve’s shoulder, and shouts “morning, Eddie!” with a huge grin on his face.

He’s already dressed. Eddie can’t shake the feeling like they’ve all already been up for hours. Like they really are kids on Christmas morning. 

It’s kinda cute.

Before the door slams shut, Steve looks back. 

“See you later.”

It isn’t a question.

“Yeah. Bye.”

And then the door closes and Eddie stands in the middle of his room. Bare-ass naked and still rock hard underneath the duvet pulled tight around him.

Completely fucking stunned.

Eddie meets Paige and Jeff for coffee, like he does most Saturdays. 

He is actually in shock that he’s able to function like a normal human being after the last twelve hours he’s had. 

Although he can’t be hiding it that well because Paige immediately bugs him for information.

And because he’s weak and fucking desperate to talk about it, he tells her willingly.

“You fucked?”

Eddie nods. Sipping his coffee. His heart is still running a mile a minute. She’s right so like yeah, he’s nodding, but he has this weird feeling inside like he wants to correct her. Like it was more than just that.

But they don’t know Eddie was a full on virgin before last night. So…

“Fuck. Fair play,” Jeff says. 

They both look at him.

“What? I’m straight but Steve is hot, I can admit that.”

Paige and Eddie then look at each other. Yeah, okay, Jeff.

“Might wanna explore that, babe,” Paige teases. Then she leans forward on her elbows. “So like…you gonna do it again or was it just a one-time, drunken thing?” 

“We weren’t even drunk, really.”

“Really? God, I was fucked.”

“She was.”

Paige hits Jeff playfully.

“So were you. I’m surprised we made it home.”

“You could’ve just stayed at ours.”

“What? So we could hear you guys through the walls? No thank you.”

“We weren’t loud.”

“Oh my god. Shut up,” Paige says with disgust but her expression is all elevated in a way like she really doesn’t want him to shut up at all.

They go to Gallery 400 after their coffee. This cool art space that students from the arts colleges inhabit with their works. There’s a freshman exhibition on at the moment, their end of first semester show. 

They saunter through with interest. 

Eddie loves art galleries. He learned from a young age that most galleries are free. But it’s not just that. He loves the quiet hum in the room. No sensory overload despite the eccentric artworks and colorful paintings. 

And it’s here, standing in front of a clay sculpture in the middle of the room, when Eddie hears Paige say a little too loudly, “oh, hey! ”

He turns.

And of course, Steve is standing there. With Will. 

He’s wearing a navy puffer jacket and a red beanie. All his colors are bright against the white gallery walls.

His nose is a little pink at the end.

Two things are true. 

It is cold today. And Steve Harrington is fucking gorgeous.

Eddie can’t believe they did what they did last night. And this morning. Mere hours ago they were still in bed together.

Steve pulls a hand out of his pocket and waves at Eddie. Grinning.

Eddie walks over.

Heart still racing he doesn’t think it has slowed down since this morning and he wonders if it ever will again. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Eddie can feel Paige and Jeff pretty much vibrating next to him. Looking between them.

At least Will is being normal. But then, Steve probably hasn’t blabbed to him.

“Nice to bump into you,” Steve says lightly. Hands back in his pockets. He elbows him playfully.

“Yeah. You too. Didn’t know you knew about this place.”

“ I didn’t. I told you, I know nothing about art but this guy wanted to come.” He nods towards Will.

And Will smiles, and is talking. He’s definitely talking. Saying words.

But Eddie can’t help but glance at Steve.

Very, suddenly aware that this is the first time he’s seen Steve properly outside of the apartment building. 

Apart from the one time in the first week of junior year when his whole apartment went out for drinks but Eddie was still recovering from the world’s worst rut so hardly spoke to anyone and went home early.

Whatever.

At least Steve is looking at him too. Smiling.

When Eddie finally pulls himself together, Will is explaining how he wants to go to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago next year. And Eddie is impressed. Even though Eddie was the top of his art class in highschool, he was no way ambitious enough to try to get into that college.

They walk around the exhibition together. Even though Eddie has already done so, he doesn’t mind doing it again.

Especially when Steve is walking next to him. 

Brushing the back of his hand against Eddie’s so lightly as they walk it could be accidental but it’s setting off fireworks in Eddie’s soul.

Steve asks questions about the art. Eddie and Will take turns talking about them. Interpreting them in different ways.

They do this until Steve’s phone rings. And it’s Dustin asking where they are.

“They’ve been shopping, I think. God knows. Anyway, said we’d meet them back at the apartment and I’m gonna cook some dinner. You guys wanna join?”

Paige is answering yes for all three of them before Eddie can do so.

And Steve smiles at Eddie. A twinkle in his eye, nose still pink from the cold.

He must be wearing his blockers, Eddie can’t smell his scent. But Steve has a look on his face like he can smell Eddie. He probably can. Eddie only wears the cheap stuff.

The tips of their little fingers touch as they walk out of the gallery.

Eddie indulges in every single second of this moment. Being out in the wild with Steve Harrington.

A guy he slept with last night.

Looking at art together.

Going home to their apartment for a dinner that he’s gonna cook for him.

Sure, he’s letting himself have this daydream that it all means more than what it is.

Just because they fucked doesn’t mean it’s anything more than that.

But on paper, that’s what is happening.

And on paper, it’s the best fucking moment of his life.

It’s not the romantic meal with Steve that Eddie so badly craves.

But he imagines it’s just as fun. In a different way.

Everyone is already in their apartment, which is funny. Robin must have a key. Eddie can hear them all in the kitchen as soon as they open the front door.

It’s nice. Walking into the apartment with Steve next to him. Jeff, Paige and Will behind.

It’s chaos when they enter the kitchen. Dustin and Max are doing what looks like a fashion show, walking around the room and posing while the others respond with interest. Little oohs and aahs from Nancy while Lucas wolf whistles and Mike throws them more items to try on from…

“Ragstock,” Eddie says, reading the print on the plastic bag. “Which one did you guys go to?”.

“There’s more than one?!” Max asks like she would’ve done a Ragstock tour if she’d have known.

“I don’t know. But the one we went to was huge ,” Dustin says, standing there in an oversized cable-knit jumper and cargo pants. 

Eddie grins, takes a seat on the sofa. He points down to the bag, “can I take a look?”

Eddie likes thrifting. He’s done it his whole life out of necessity. And it is still a necessity, because his student loan isn’t great and he doesn’t have a job right now. But even if he doesn’t buy anything he likes hunting through the racks and finding the good stuff. He kinda prides himself in his vintage band tee collection.

Paige has made a beeline for Robin, who is sitting at the dining table with shades on. A sparkling effervescent drink in front of her. Steve, over by the countertop already getting his ingredients together for dinner, catches Eddie looking over at her, grins and rolls his eyes dramatically.

‘ Hungover ’ he mouths at him.

‘ Not surprised ’ Eddie mouths back.

Eddie gets back to the bags. He spends some time here chatting with Jeff, El and Will, who all join him on the sofa, talking about his favorite thrift stores in Chicago.

Conversation flows naturally with Steve’s friends from home. They’re, like, really fucking cool. And time passes easily. Steve is telling everyone dinner's nearly ready when Eddie realizes he’s been sitting here for forty minutes.

If Eddie thought last night’s party was like something out of a sitcom then he’s not sure what would even describe the scene that emerges once they sit down for dinner.

Jonathan and Nancy have set the table, around Paige and Robin who haven’t moved an inch since earlier. Robin is even still wearing her shades.

It’s all chaos and little funny arguments about who sits where and who’s gonna get the desk chair from Steve’s bedroom or the armchair that they’ve pulled up to the table that is way too low.

Jonathan ends up in the armchair, Nancy on his knee. Five of them sit on a bench made for three. Eddie is increasingly aware of the fact that he wants to sit next to Steve.

Like, he’s making a conscious effort to linger around before sitting down, waiting to see where Steve will go.

It would be embarrassing if anyone else would notice. So he’s trying not to make it so.

Eddie stands by Steve at the counter. They’ve been here before. They’re here a lot.

But there’s something about Steve right now that makes Eddie’s heart ache.

Wearing a pasta sauce-stained apron.

Hair kinda fucked up.

And his blockers are there but they’re wearing off just a little.

Eddie can smell him. All content. 

And he’s smiling to himself, as he spoons the pasta into the sauce that he’s clearly made from scratch.

“Where’d you learn to cook?” Eddie asks quietly as he watches.

“Taught myself. And I can’t really cook. I make simple things. But promise it’ll taste nice,” Steve says as he grinds salt and pepper on top of the pasta. 

“Can you take these to the table?” Steve asks before Eddie can respond, nodding towards a plate of sliced french bread and some utensils on the side. 

“Sure,” Eddie says while quickly moving to do as he asked. Glad for the distraction because he was just this close to kissing him in front of everyone.

When he reaches the table, only Steve’s desk chair is free. He puts the bread and serving spoon on the table, and from behind him, Steve swiftly follows with oven-mitted hands and a huge casserole dish filled to the brim with steaming hot pasta.

There’s a chorus of oh my god Steve’s pasta yes and thanks mom which does things to Eddie’s insides he can’t explain. And then Steve and Eddie are just kinda looking at each other then looking at the only free chair.

Steve shrugs. Smiles. Signals with his head for Eddie to sit in it.

So Eddie does. 

And Steve follows, kinda perched on the edge and sitting in between Eddie’s legs.

And they literally had sex yesterday but Eddie thinks that just makes it all the worse. More intense. He’s clueless as to whether it really was a drunken one time thing or whether Steve would want Eddie again.

Eddie wants Steve again.

He wants him again and again and even more so when Steve serves Eddie his dinner. Eddie leans to one side so he can eat it. Steve firmly between his thighs.

Maybe Steve is like this with other people, not just Eddie. Because no one says anything or even really seems to notice. 

Okay, apart from Jeff, who raises his eyebrows and smiles at Eddie from across the table. But even Paige is too engrossed in her conversation with Robin to make a sarcastic comment.

After what was probably the most wholesome dinner Eddie has ever had, the boys suggest watching a movie. Robin, who has perked up after eating Steve’s beautiful, rich and salty pasta dish, says they should all bring their pillows and duvets in front of the tv. 

So they do just that.

Eddie grabs his duvet. He can smell Steve all over it.

It makes his throat clench and his vision blurry.

And he concentrates hard to not let it affect him, as he enters the room and the lights are off and they’re already scrolling through Netflix arguing over what to put on. 

Everyone looks cozy. The kids in their sleeping bags on the floor. Jon and Nance next them under a blanket. Robin, Paige and Jeff on the sofa under Robin’s duvet. 

And Steve didn’t get his duvet. He’s on the floor next to the sofa, patting the space next to him, looking up at Eddie with those big hazel eyes.

And who is Eddie to say no to that? 

He sits next to him, pulls the duvet over them both. And they’re not touching, at first.

They’re only at the scene where Donnie Darko arrives home to a fucking plane engine in his bedroom when Steve sinks. Leaning his head against the sofa, he turns against Eddie. His ass, if Eddie is not mistaken, is pushing against Eddie’s thigh. 

Eddie loses track of the movie after that.

He simply cannot concentrate on anything but Steve’s fucking glorious ass against him. Wriggling every now and then to get into a comfier position.

Steve doesn’t look at Eddie once. He’s watching the film the whole time.

It takes Eddie whole minutes to lift his hand out of his own lap and hover it over Steve under the duvet. Dying to let his hand drop and rest on his ass.

And this is silly.

Steve just practically sat in Eddie’s lap to eat dinner and Steve kissed him this morning in bed.

But he’s still nervous to touch him. His fingers shaking as they slowly lower, and eventually, with courage that he had no idea he even had, his hand rests on Steve’s ass.

Eddie watches Steve for his reaction. His face lit up from the TV screen. And he just smiles. Doesn’t even look at Eddie. And they stay this way until the end credits roll and they’re searching for another movie and Eddie doesn’t know how the fuck he’s gonna survive sitting here through another one touching Steve this way. 

Steve sighs, looks at Eddie finally after a torturous 113 minutes.

Eddie’s pulse is thrumming, beating in his wrist and neck. His hand is still on Steve’s ass. He wants to stroke it. Wants to stretch his fingers wide and feel the roundness of it. God. He wants him to sit on his face with that thing.

“Let’s just go to bed,” Steve says aloud to the room, in a way that it was for everyone. But he’s staring into Eddie as he says it. Like he can see into Eddie’s mind. 

Eddie would deserve the restraining order that Steve would inevitably put him in under if he could.

They’re walking up the corridor at an achingly slow pace. Almost like they don’t want to show everyone else how eager they are to get to Eddie’s bed. Jeff and Paige have already left and the younger ones are piling into Steve’s room, shouting their goodnights. 

Steve’s blockers have all but completely worn off. None of the others, being betas, would have noticed any change but god, Eddie can.

And Steve smells excited.

“Night guys,” Steve calls down the corridor one last time before stepping through into Eddie’s room, holding the duvet over his arm. Eddie is holding the door for him. Feeling sick with anticipation, his room feels so silent compared to the noise of the last few hours.

But it’s kinda nice. 

Steve looks like he’s thinking the same, as he throws the duvet onto the bed and drops himself down backwards on top of it with a relaxed sigh. Eddie laughs. He’s sure making himself at home considering this is only the second time he’s been here.

“Thanks for tonight,” Eddie finds himself saying. Leaning back against the door.

There’s far too much space between them.

“For what?”

“For dinner. For just…it was a good night.” Another huge understatement from Eddie. It was probably one the best nights of Eddie’s life so far. 

Other than last night. 

Steve is perched on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his elbows. 

He cocks his head.

“What are you doing all the way over there?”

Eddie shrugs. He feels ridiculously nervous suddenly.

Doesn’t want to assume or be completely reading this wrong…

“We have some things to finish off, don’t we?” Steve asks. Voice dripping in confidence while his knees slowly widen.

Eddie’s jaw relaxes. Mouth dropped open at what he’s seeing right now.

“And…I’m still wearing your boxers. Don’t you want them back?”

Eddie’s hand is in his hair. Then he drags it to the back of his neck. “Jesus, Steve.”

“What?” Steve asks innocently. Biting his bottom lip, looking over at Eddie like he just hung the fucking moon and stars. 

“You’re killing me,” Eddie says, walking over towards the bed.

“Am I? Sorry about that. Maybe I want you to fucking devour me, though.”

“What do you want?” Eddie asks, voice shattering with every syllable. Dying to touch Steve but feels like he needs to wait for the demand.

“How explicit do you want me to be?”

Eddie laughs. He’s standing between Steve’s thighs. Looking down at him.

His alpha is fucking growling. Eddie is doing everything he can to keep it in control. Has this need to bite him. And they definitely need to talk about that .

They should probably talk about a lot of things.

As Steve lifts his hips and says, “take my clothes off.”

Eddie takes no time in following the command.

Fumbles with the button on Steve’s trousers, pulls down at the zipper. Slides his fingers in the waistband and pulls them down until they drop to the floor. 

Steve is still just lying there. Back on his elbows like this is a normal Saturday night.

God. Maybe it can be one day. Their normal.

But this is fucking extraordinary. 

Out of Eddie’s world, as he stares down at Steve in his boxers.

“Go on,” Steve urges softly.

Eddie does it. Pulls them down and off and then just stands there staring down at him.

Steve half naked lying on his bed.

Nothing but a t-shirt.

Eddie has to cover his mouth for a sec.

He’s in actual shock.

And Steve is still biting his lip. 

Eyebrows furrowed.

Looking up with those fucking emerald-bronze eyes under hooded lids.

“Eddie?” Steve asks lightly. His breath is hitched.

And so is Eddie’s. Breathing hard before they’ve even done anything.

“You can look at me. All of me. If you want to.”

Eddie swallows hard. 

He looks down. 

“Oh, fuck. Steve.”

He slowly gets on his knees. 

Hands on Steve’s thighs. 

Steve’s pussy is fucking gorgeous.

Perfectly groomed, mousy brown hair, cut and shaved short on his mound that leads up to a thick trail up his toned stomach.

God. Eddie can’t believe he didn’t see all of this last night.

His mouth is watering.

He’s hungry for it.

Knows his pupils will have doubled in size. Drinking all of this up with his sight.

He stares at his clit that he touched last night. 

Soft and small but protruding. So perfect.

“Want me to teach you how to go down on me?”

Eddie’s eyes roll back into his head. Shivers running down his spine. 

“Fucking yes .”

A dream. Oh, Steve is a dream boy.

“Yes, what?”

Oh, jesus fucking christ.

“Yes, please.”

Steve is grinning down at Eddie. 

Sharp little fangs that Eddie didn’t even see last night ever-so-slightly showing. The change is so miniscule maybe nobody else would notice.

But Eddie notices. 

His two canines are slightly more pointed.

God. Eddie wants them in his skin.

But not as much as he wants to be eating Steve out right now.

“Okay. So,” Steve starts, propping himself up higher. He moves his right hand.

Touches himself.

Oh god.

“I like being licked like…right here.”

The pad of his finger is on his clit. 

Eddie could watch this forever.

“Okay?”

“Okay. Yeah.”

“Go on.”

They look at each other for a second. 

They fucked yesterday but Eddie feels like a virgin all over again.

He guesses he is a virgin at this.

God. How many firsts will Steve breakdown for him?

With a deep inhale, Eddie shuffles closer.

Steve’s scent is so strong. Lapping of him, those exquisite waves of it again. He smells so wet already.

He leans in.

Knows he’s supposed to lick but he just wants to-

“ Oh my god. Eddie.”

He kisses instead. Kisses slowly, lightly, right over his clit.

Eddie groans into him. He wants to be both rough and gentle. He wants to savor and taste and yet, he wants to savage and devour. 

He’s so, so fucking gone to this.

Steve is soft. Soft and warm, he’s everything.

Eddie leans up. Stares down at him.

God, he wants to make him come. So badly.

“Now, lick. Don’t be scared, just…oh fuck. Fuck. Yes, Eddie. That’s- god. That’s it.”

Eddie has the flat of his tongue against Steve’s clit. Rubbing, licking, pressing against him. 

And his slick tastes fucking divine. He feels drunk from it.

That’s probably not normal.

But Eddie thinks he could taste this every day and survive on it. Forget any other kind of sustenance, Steve is all he needs to live.

Eddie slides his hands up from Steve’s thighs to his hips.

Holds him hard. Wants to drag him down and onto his face.

“Keep…oh, fuck. Keep going. Now, maybe…yeah.”

Eddie is curious. He licks down from his clit, to where he’s wet. Fucks him gently with his tongue. Licking back up to his clit, flicking when he gets into a rhythm and Steve reels at that. Pushes his hips up and hard.

“Oh my god . Are you- fuck! Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

Eddie laughs against his pussy. 

His alpha is fucking glowing inside. Prowling excitedly. Dying to pounce. 

And it makes Eddie feel confident. He never, ever has that. 

“Fuck! Eddie. That’s it. Keep going.”

Eddie does keep going. He’d do this forever if his jaw allowed.

He licks long and hard on Steve’s clit, breathing hard with his nose pressed up against the mound of his pubic bone.

Steve moans are muffled suddenly. When Eddie looks up, he sees Steve with a pillow half over his face. Biting down onto it.

“I’m close,” he groans into the pillow. “Now get your hand…yeah. Finger me. Just- fuck. Just one. Okay?”

Eddie nods, mumbles a garbled response.

“Just real slow, with your finger, okay?”

Eddie nods again.

“Fuck. So good. You look so, so good down there.”

Eddie glances up, not moving his mouth away from Steve.

He’s staring down at him now. And Eddie doesn’t take his eyes off him as he pushes a finger inside him.

So fucking wet.

God. Eddie hopes Steve will let him fuck him again.

He slowly moves his finger in and out. Continuously licking his clit.

And Steve’s face is all screwed up. His mouth wide open. Panting as he watches.

“Fuck. Yes. Eddie,” Steve moans, clearly struggling to try and be quiet. And so is Eddie. Trying so hard to stop himself moaning and growling as he eats Steve.

And he can feel Steve tensing.

His hips rolling. Grinding against Eddie’s mouth.

And Eddie can’t take his eyes off of him.

Steve reaches towards Eddie. Pushes his hair back with both hands, fingers sliding through his curls then cradles his face.

Holding him in place.

Mouth open and panting. Steve breathes out again and again. “Keep going. Add one more. One more. Oh my god. Keep going. Gonna come.”

God. The words almost make Eddie come himself. 

He can feel the end of his dick wet and leaking against the cotton of his boxers. So unbelievably aroused before he’s even been touched.

“Fuck, Eddie. Eddie ,” Steve moans.

Eddie can taste it on his tongue. 

The exact moment that Steve comes.

Eddie dips his tongue down, tastes the slick greedily that’s now leaking out of Steve.

He adds a second finger on Steve’s demands. Pushes in hard but leaves his fingers there.

And his eyes roll as he leans back to watch as Steve comes on his fingers.

White and glossy.  

Eddie heard about how wet omegas get.

Tales about male omegas too. 

God.

No wonder they used to be fucking worshipped.

Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to get off his knees. Steve was made to be worshiped. And he’d worship him like this forever.

Steve’s grip tightens in his hair.

His face is creased beautifully in tell-tale signs of pleasure.

And he stares down at Eddie with a gaze that makes Eddie shiver .

He’s still pulsing around Eddie’s fingers when he grabs Eddie’s wrist and slowly pulls them out.

“Come up here and fuck me,” Steve says breathlessly, wiping his hair out of his face and then turning onto his front.

Eddie gapes at him. Mouth wide open and wordless.

“C’mon,” Steve urges, looking back over his shoulder. “Fuck me like this.”

Eddie fumbles with his trousers and drops them to the floor. His alpha almost completely in control as he steps forward, one knee on the bed, pushing Steve’s leg wider, and then he sinks.

Almost seamlessly. Almost all the way.

Steve’s back arches. Sticks his ass up and Eddie grabs it. God, he squeezes it. Wants to bite it.

But he won’t. 

And Steve whines down into the mattress. Grabs at the sheets with fistfuls. 

Steve is deliciously wet. Eddie can still taste him on his tongue.

It makes him wild.

He fucks him so fast and hard into the mattress. Grabbing his ass and hips, the hem of his t-shirt scrunched into his hand, literally pulling Steve back and forth onto his dick as he pounds into him. 

And god, Eddie should really try and make this last. This could be the final time they get to do this. Steve said two nights.

Two nights of bunking with Eddie and it’s already nearly over.

Eddie watches with an open, panting mouth as Steve wriggles under him. Back arched, muscles tense, hands clenched.

He’s so hot. He’s way too fucking hot. And Eddie’s alpha is whining, he’s pining for his omega. Wants to fill him up, wants to-

“Yes, Eddie. Right there. Gonna make me come again. Such a good alpha, huh?”

“ Aaah, fuck!” 

Eddie’s orgasm hits hard and fast after being inside Steve for all of one minute. 

He fucks the come into him. Looks down and watches in frenzied awe as it drips out of him.

“Don’t knot me,” Steve says, looking back over his shoulder. Eddie exhales hard, bites his lip in concentration as he instantly wills himself to calm the fuck down. “I wanna go again before bed.”

Eddie can’t be blamed for coming again. 

The words and reassurance of Steve wanting him to do this again is all he needs to fuck more into him.

But he eventually does what Steve says. He slowly, painfully, pulls himself out of Steve’s wet and punishing grip. And instantly falls back onto his knees and then the floor.

“Fuck,” Eddie gasps, hand on his chest, heart drumming against his rib cage, dick still rock hard and weeping against his hip bone.

“Fuck, indeed,” Steve says with a breathless laugh as he stands and steps over Eddie to get to the bathroom.

Eddie turns his head and watches him walk away from the floor. This upward view is doing things to Eddie that will actually make him pass out if he isn’t careful.

Eddie watches Steve in nothing but a t-shirt right up until the moment he closes the bathroom door behind him.

Then Eddie stares up at the ceiling.

And quietly despairs at how painful this is gonna be when it all ends.

Chapter Text

Chapter five

Steve dragged Eddie up off the floor and pushed him back into bed when he finished in the bathroom.

Looking all fresh and sexy, like he’d splashed his face with cold water and redone his hair.

And he asked Eddie, wanna fuck me again? And Eddie didn’t even respond with words. Just grabbed onto Steve’s body and maneuvered him around the bed, which had Steve almost squealing with delight.

And now they’re lying in bed. Fresh in the afterglow of fucking senselessly for a second time this evening.

Steve is biting his lip, like he’s just dying to say something, when he eventually whispers, “I can’t believe you didn’t realize I’m an omega.” 

Eddie laughs down the desire to run his hands through Steve’s hair as he talks to him.

“Can you blame me? With your… gift. When I was last rutting.”

“Oh my god. Is that why you thought I was alpha?”

“Well…yeah.”

Steve is grinning. Eyes wet. So fucking beautiful. And Eddie just takes it all in.

“I guess that makes sense. I do have good rut knowledge.”

Oh, Eddie wants to ask why and how. He’s almost morbidly curious. Like…c’mon Eddie, man. There’s surely only certain reasons why an omega like Steve would know about ruts and the knowledge of all these reasons might kill him.

Steve is watching Eddie. His eyes are intense, like he’s got a front row seat to Eddie’s brain figuring all of this out.

Eddie smiles. “What?”

“You’re curious.”

Shit.

“You sure you can’t see inside my head?” Eddie asks quietly. 

“Do you really wanna know?”

Even though Eddie is already quietly regretting this, he nods.

“Okay,” Steve says lightly. Then he shuffles a little closer to Eddie on the bed. Holds onto Eddie’s wrist and rubs his thumb over his pulse point. “I guess…I have a good sense of alphas around me. And I like sex. Like…it’s just a part of who I am. I’m not addicted , but it’s essential for me to be…healthy, I guess, is the right word.”

Eddie swallows hard. Doesn’t like where this is going but he has no right at all to feel this way.

Steve smiles. Like he can fucking smell all of this.

“So, over the years, I’ve helped some alphas out during ruts. Nothing serious. Just casual agreements to get them through it while I get mine too.”

Eddie gives himself an essential second to let this sink in.

Nothing serious.

Is Eddie nothing serious?

“Oh. Right, yeah. Makes sense.”

“It’s quite a common thing for omegas and alphas. Like, if you looked in the right places you could find omegas who would do that for you,” Steve says simply. Still stroking Eddie’s wrist with his thumb.

The tone of his voice and the base note of his scent is steady. Unchanged. Like this isn’t some huge fucking revelation he’s announcing to Eddie right now.

“I’m…not sure I would want that,” Eddie says. Trying to choose his words carefully but realizes he probably hasn’t when he notices a change in Steve. “I don’t mean sex with an omega. I just mean…” 

An omega that isn’t you.

Anyone who isn’t you.

“I just mean,” Eddie repeats, gathering himself. “An omega I didn’t know. Plus…I’m…”

Oh fucking hell.

“I like guys. So…”

“You’d need a little male omega. I get it. We’re a little harder to come by,” Steve whispers. 

There’s silence between them and Eddie hates it. It’s not as comfortable as usual.

“Or, a male alpha. Would you prefer that? Much easier to find one,” Steve adds quickly. He’s staring at his hand that’s attached to Eddie. Feels like he’s gripping harder, rubbing his thumb faster.

God. How could Eddie even begin to explain?

“Were you disappointed? When you realized I was an omega?” Steve utters. He’s not looking at him.

“Why would I be disappointed?” Eddie responds instantly. The immediate thoughts pouring out into real words. 

“I dunno. Like…you wouldn’t have to worry about kids and birth control with an alpha. And omega heats. And maybe the dynamics would be better for you?”

Kids and birth control. Omega heats.

God, Eddie is just seeing colors at this point.

Steve is in a filter of green hues. He hopes he’s not gonna spew.

Oh, fuck Eddie’s life. 

“I like our dynamic just fine,” Eddie says lightly. Trying so hard to keep his tone gentle because his alpha is sensing Steve’s sudden change in mood. And it’s all brand new territory that he’s treading so very carefully. “I…I really like it, actually.”

Possibly a new contender for understatement of the year. Of the decade, perhaps.

“But it’s…no offense…but it’s all you know.”

Eddie doesn’t take offense but he definitely isn’t enjoying this conversation or this version of Steve that thinks Eddie would prefer anyone else other than him.

“Um…well I have like…done stuff with beta guys before. If that’s what you’re getting at.”

Steve’s eyes flick up at him. Then he gives a little pout. Sticking out his bottom lip. “But you’ve only ever fucked me, right?”

“ Right. And yeah, I’ve very much enjoyed myself so far. Just saying.”

So far. Like they have a long and winding journey to go on.

Eddie fucking wishes.

“Hmm. You don’t smell like you’re enjoying yourself,” Steve says. A little coy.

He bites his lip. Stares up under hooded lids.

Fucking sexy little thing.

“No?” Eddie asks. His mood immediately lifted now Steve is smiling and his hand is stroking up his arm.

“Nope,” he says. Popping the p. “Want me to change that?”

Steve is many things.

He is funny. 

He is beautiful.

He is kind and sweet.

But most of all, he is fucking irresistable. 

Eddie doesn’t want to get out of bed. He hardly slept and he doesn’t want this to end.

It’s funny, he doesn’t think he’s gonna be able to sleep at all in his bed without Steve but he hardly sleeps when he’s in it anyway.

Because he can’t stop staring and his alpha kinda refuses to go to sleep, he’s realized. He wants to keep guard. Keep omega safe.

Steve isn’t asleep right now, either, though.

They’re both just kinda staring at each other. Smiling into their pillows and wriggling softly in the sheets. Stretching lethargically and yawning in the gorgeous, light wake up call of not needing to be anywhere but here.

Eventually, Steve reluctantly rolls out of bed with a groan. “Should probably see what the monsters are up to. Think Jon wanted to leave this morning,” he says with this beautiful, cracked morning voice. 

“Hmmm,” Eddie responds. There’s a twinge in his core and a stabbing pain in his heart. 

Steve is pulling on a pair of Eddie’s joggers that are folded on the bottom shelf of his clothes rail. Just helps himself and pulls them on, bare underneath. It’s Sunday so Steve will want to be extra comfy today, Eddie knows from past Sundays seeing him walking around the apartment.

“Don’t have my boxers so…” Steve says, like he needs to explain which he definitely doesn’t.

“It’s fine. You can keep them.”

It’s warm in Eddie’s room so Steve doesn’t bother wearing anything up top. God. Steve smells amazing first thing in the morning. Fresh with no blockers. All soft and sweet. Eddie would get tangled in the sheets with him all day if he let him.

“Thanks. And thanks for letting me stay here. It’s been…fun.”

Fun.

Maybe it all was just a bit of fun, for Steve.

“No problem. Any time.” Like, literally, please, any time.

Steve stretches out his hand towards Eddie. Eddie reaches for it and Steve squeezes his hand. It feels equally intimate as it does lacking. Completely lacking the kind of touch Eddie needs right now, to say goodbye to this.

Steve said two nights. He drops Eddie’s hand from this tender handshake and now he’s grabbing his clothes up from the floor. With a bundle of last night in his arms, Steve smiles at Eddie and runs his free hand through his hair.

Eddie wishes he was better at reading scent. But he hasn’t had much practice in his 21 years.

“Thanks, again.”

“It’s okay.”

Steve pushes on the door. “Bye.”

Eddie watches as the door swings behind him, and slams shut.

“Bye,” he whispers to himself. Then sinks back down in the sheets, and buries his face in the pillow where Steve’s head had been resting.

It takes a long time for Eddie to get out of bed.

He showers but doesn’t go to the kitchen to eat. Then he puts his music on loud in his headphones and paints. He starts fresh on a primed canvas. Closes his eyes for thirty seconds like he always does before he begins. Waits for the colors to assimilate.

He isn’t shocked to find that the colors are dark and cloudy. He sighs. He can’t afford to go into a rooted bout of depression, and definitely cannot let himself fall deep enough to cause a rut. Now would be the worst possible timing.

He listens to heavy music full blast. Throws his everything into the painting. He’s pretty sure he’s  listened to three full records before he even moves off of his painting stool. 

And he only moves, because in the pause of the music, he hears a little bit of chaos outside his room.

With his headphones around his neck and paint splattered all over him, he opens the door and finds all of Steve’s monsters huddled by the front door. 

“Eddie!” Dustin calls and they all turn. 

“We’re leaving now, man,” Jon says as he catches Eddie’s eye and fights his way through the crowd in their tiny hallway to grab his hand and pat his back in a bros hug.

“Oh, yeah, of course. See you soon, maybe,” Eddie says.

“Are you painting?” Max asks.

“Er, yeah. I’m painting.”

“You’re stupidly cool, Eddie,” she says in a low tone with a roll of her eyes. Like she just can’t fathom it, which is funny to Eddie.

He hugs them all goodbye. Leaves Will til last because he’s kind of his favorite but he’d never say that to anyone. He probably shouldn’t have a favorite. He shouldn’t get attached.

Steve appears behind them all in the doorway. Nose pink at the end and cheeks flushed. “Guys. I don’t know how you’re all gonna fit in the car. You bought too much stuff yesterday.”

“One can never buy too much stuff, Steve,” Dustin says.

They’re all babbling and arguing as they leave through the front door, Steve holding it open for all of them. Eddie can hear them pushing each other into the elevator, when Steve gives Eddie a little smile. 

It’s painfully small.

Eddie gives one back. Then Steve leaves, says nothing. 

And Eddie’s heart breaks in two.

Despite the quiet understanding that it was just the two nights they would have together, Eddie cannot sleep. He spent the rest of his day painting alone, speaking to no-one and thinking only of Steve. And now he’s tossing and turning in bed, tears in his eyes and a pain in his stomach every time he scents that wonderful sweet cherry.

God. Eddie needs it again.

Just…needs to be close to Steve. They don’t even need to have sex again. He just. He just needs-

He reaches for his phone. Heart racing, he types and erases and retypes various beginnings to a message. 

Hey

Hi Steve

Sorry it’s late

But he can never get past the first three words. 

He doesn’t wanna come across like one of those typical, obsessive alphas. Pushing their weight and getting into trouble and forcing their way. It’s the main reason why society is the way that it is now.

But Eddie is sure this is different. 

Eddie needs it again.

Needs it more than he needs air.

Steve has ruined him for everything. He’s never gonna be able to sleep again. He’s never gonna be able to do anything again.

With a sad little growl and random rush of energy, he jumps out of bed and stalks across his room.

Opens the door with every intention of running down the corridor to Steve’s room.

But he doesn’t need to.

Because Steve is already standing outside his door.

Big, tired eyes. Messy hair. Oversized tee.

Eddie swallows. Steve is standing opposite him looking breathtaking with his scent on full show. Cheeks stained pink, chest rising.

Eddie takes a deep shaking breath, tries to get himself in control.

They silently stare at each other for two long beats.

And then, they crash.

Hands on bodies. Lips on lips.

Steve growls against Eddie’s neck and forcefully pushes him backwards into his room.

It’s all a blur as Steve pulls off Eddie’s tee and then his own in record speed.

Then he kicks the door with his foot so it slams closed.

Steve drags Eddie to the bed and throws him down onto it. 

Eddie is beyond hard and spiraling as his fangs jut out and his heart races. 

Steve pulls down Eddie’s trousers without a word. Scent blooming. Breathing heavily. And before either of them can say or do anything, Steve is sinking down on Eddie’s dick with a relieved moan and a creased up face. 

And Steve fucks Eddie like this. Rolling his hips and fucking himself on top, almost like he’s using Eddie for his own pleasure and just the simple thought of it makes Eddie come so fucking fast inside of him.

But Steve doesn’t stop. He grinds and moans and pants into the air. Head tilted, neck on show. Eddie wants to bite him.

Wants to claim him.

His teeth ache for it.

His alpha begs for it.

His second orgasm in less than a minute is almost painful. Eddie cries out as Steve clenches his tight, wet piece of a fucking heaven around him. God, he’s coming like a fucking virgin and he would still be one if it wasn’t for Steve.

Eddie sees stars, nothing but stars and bright, colorful hues as this gorgeous omega fucks himself. Grinds so his clit rubs against Eddie.

It’s not until Steve comes does he fall forward and land his lips on Eddie’s.

Kisses him breathlessly like he’s the last alpha on earth.

Eddie wishes he was. Then maybe he’d get to keep him.

It goes like this. For weeks.

It’s nearing a month.

Eddie doesn’t want to call it fuck buddies but on paper, that’s kind of what they are.

They all hang out as friends. Jeff and Paige come over a lot more, too. They’ve kinda formed this new group with Robin and Steve.

And no matter where they’ve been, what they’ve been doing, Steve and Eddie always end up in each other’s beds without having a conversation about it beforehand. Eddie, for the first time in his life, finds himself being the one to make plans with everyone so that Steve is in his bed by the end of the night.

Not that he needs an excuse. But he sometimes kinda does feel like he needs one. And they talk a lot about what they are but they don’t ever talk about what they are.

Like Eddie has learned a lot about Steve.

Knows that Steve always knew he was different. That he was special. But so did his parents and they hated that. They wanted a proper, in their eyes, homegrown, suburban boy. Who would get married to a nice girl and take over the family business one day. 

And Steve tried to be that way, for a while. Got in with the wrong crowd at high school and was, in his own words, a fucking asshole. But he was acting out. He was going home at night and crying into his pillow, spitting at the mirror. Hated who he had become and what he was having to work hard to hide every single day.

Then something happened in their town that forced him to review his choices and his friends.

What that something was, Steve hasn’t told Eddie yet and Eddie doesn’t ever push. But he thinks back to the first party they had together. When Robin was drunk on the sofa and said stuff with Will and we’ve been through stuff. Eddie’s imaginative brain can draw conclusions but he hopes Steve might trust him enough to tell him one day. Or maybe even Will himself.

So, Eddie and Steve talk a lot about their lives as alpha and omega in a world where no-one else in their life can truly understand.

But they haven’t, not once, discussed what the fuck they are doing.

Eddie silently hopes and prays Steve isn’t still not-seriously fucking other alphas. Helping them through ruts. He’s pretty sure he would be able to smell it on him and he doesn’t know when he would even have time to fit it in considering they’re pretty much always together. It’s a worry that Eddie has deep down, but when he’s with Steve, it doesn’t even cross his mind.

Nothing does but Steve Steve Steve.

The monsters haven’t visited again, but he has them all on instagram now and they talk like they’re actually friends. Maybe they are.

And some things are still the same as before.

Steve still plays sports and Eddie still draws and paints in his room. They still have their coffee mornings, too. Steve goes for a run every weekday morning but climbs back into bed with Eddie straight after, before heading to the kitchen together.

It’s a silly little routine in Eddie’s silly little life. And he can’t believe he got so lucky. He savors every moment. He’s gonna really enjoy it while he can.

It starts as a usual Monday morning. Steve and Eddie are sitting together at the dining table. Drinking their coffee that Eddie made them before they go to class.

But Eddie doesn’t want to go to class today.

It’s not like him to want to miss it. 

He’s already ahead on his studies, so it wouldn’t hurt.

It wouldn’t hurt to stay home and go back to bed with Steve for the day.

It doesn’t help that Steve didn’t bother putting his blockers back on after his post-run shower. Doesn’t help that Steve mentioned he might have a heat coming on. And it certainly doesn’t help that Steve is resting his bare foot on Eddie’s thigh under the table, and is talking about their antics in the bedroom.

“Did you think about fucking me when you thought I was alpha?” Steve asks, completely brazen, dipping a torn-off piece of croissant into his coffee. 

“Steve,” Eddie says through a laugh, peering down the corridor to see if anyone else is around.

Steve pulls a face at Eddie. “Don’t be such a prude. And you know none of them wake up before 9am.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. He started doing this. Some of Steve’s bratty energy rubbing off on him. But he holds Steve’s foot, squeezes it and circles the pad of his thumb into the tight little muscles so he knows he’s only joking.

“Okay, honestly, yeah I thought about fucking you when I thought you were alpha.”

“Did you think about me fucking you? I could get a strap-on, if you wanted.”

Eddie nearly spits his coffee out across the table. He didn’t think that at the time but god, he probably wouldn’t mind giving that a go. His alpha might not be too keen though.

“No I didn’t. I knew I wanted to top you but…I liked the idea of you being in control.”

“Well, that’s worked out well, hasn’t it?” Steve says with a mouthful of croissant. Little flakes of pastry falling down onto the table that he sweeps up with his hand and drops onto his plate. “I like being in control. Makes me feel good. And you’re so responsive, did you know that?”

“Uhm-”

“Never been with anyone like you.”

Eddie watches Steve’s expression intently, pays attention to his scent, trying to gather whether that is in fact a good thing. But he remains unchanged, takes a sip of his coffee then adds, “you know, you’re an alpha. You could make me do anything you wanted.”

“What do you mean?”

“You genetically could have the power to make me do anything. If you dig deep enough.”

Eddie thinks he knows what he means. He’s heard tales of it and sometimes…he can feel that his alpha could do that. A certain tone of his voice and grip on Steve’s neck. “Would you want that?” Eddie asks.

Steve wrinkles his nose, looks up at the ceiling. His cute, little concentration face.

“Not sure. Don’t think so.”

“Then I don’t either, honestly.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have literally no interest in doing anything you don’t wanna do. Don’t wanna scruff you or like…make you do things even though I know I could.”

“Promise me you won’t? Not unless I ask.”

Eddie tries hard not to think about whether any other alphas have done that to Steve without his permission. He leans across the table towards him. Would love to nudge Steve’s nose with his own if he could reach.

“Promise,” Eddie whispers. 

Steve leans forward too. Just close enough for their lips to graze. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Promise.” It feels so good whispering promises between lips. Eddie never thought he would get close enough to anyone to be able to do this.

“Not unless you ask,” Eddie reiterates. Eyes closed. Breathing deep to take in Steve’s scent that is blooming all around him.

Then suddenly, Steve pulls his foot away from Eddie’s grip and stands. His hazel eyes flash golden as he blinks at him. A little smile before he drinks the final dregs of his coffee.

Eddie watches him from the table as he walks down the long corridor.

He doesn’t look away as Steve passes by his own room, and moves onto the room at the end. Eddie’s.

He looks back at Eddie before pushing the door and disappearing inside.

Eddie has never moved so quickly in his whole life.

He doesn’t go to class that day.

Eddie isn’t sure how it happened.

How their weeks of casual fucking started to feel more emotional. More intense.

Eddie thinks it all began when he experienced Steve’s heat. The first one since they started…whatever the fuck this is.

It’s like the Steve that turned up at his door that time, with the peanut butter jar in his hand, landed in his bed. And he was dazed and lethargic, sometimes a little bit in pain too that only lessened when Eddie fucked him slowly in his nest.

Because he built a nest, did Steve.

And sure, Eddie had heard of this. His alpha fucking died for a second when he saw what Steve had done in his bedroom. 

Brought in his own duvet and blankets and pillows from his room and piled them up on Eddie’s bed. Neatly arranged to form cozy walls and a blanket draped over like a make-shift tent.

It was beautiful and pretty and Steve oozed both of those things inside it. Even though he was hurting and a little bit out of his mind sometimes.

Eddie took the week off college.

Paige had questions but she trusted him all the same. And if she suspects anything, she didn’t say a word.

Eddie looked after Steve in a way that he has never looked after anyone before. Not even himself. He made him food and popped his pills onto his tongue and poured the water into his gorgeous open mouth.

He did absolutely everything he wanted him to. And Steve sometimes didn’t even need to ask. Eddie’s alpha is now finally in tune with Steve. Like, it suddenly all clicked and now Eddie can notice the scent changes and the little facial expressions that tell Eddie everything he needs to know.

One night, Eddie fucked Steve so much that his normally flat and toned belly looked soft and round and his pussy was pink and swollen. Steve loved it. He trilled the whole time, begged for more until Eddie physically couldn’t. And it wasn’t like Steve to beg. But even when he did he was still in control. Still his usual soft dom self but even softer around the edges.

It was a magical time, for Eddie. He felt like he was made for this. 

He feels right now. As he lays in his bed, nest now dismantled but Steve’s things still here. Steve asleep in his arms, legs wrapped around him. They just fucked so slowly. Steve on top, this time, chest to chest, mouths attached, sweat dripping off their bodies and teeth grazing against the special place on their necks. The place they’re supposed to forget about.

Eddie touches Steve’s neck lightly. Rubs his fingertips over the mating patch. His alpha despairs. He desires it so much. He wants to claim Steve. And Eddie sighs. Watches Steve as he sleeps. Thinks about the heat. Thinks about what Steve’s belly looked like that one time when he maybe came inside him too much . Eddie despairs too. At how much he wants it all and how much he feels like he is made for Steve.

How much he feels like Steve is made for him, too.

As the weeks go on, the emotion and intensity escapes out from the bedroom.

They can’t help it.

They’ve stopped wearing blockers around each other. Steve was shocked to learn that he didn’t get bad withdrawal symptoms as long as he was near Eddie when he wasn’t wearing them. Eddie thinks Steve wasn’t born to wear blockers. His scent is far too fucking indulgent.

And they’ve started touching each other in front of the others. They used to refrain but they just can’t anymore. Eddie knows that Paige and Jeff and Robin watch them then look at each other with wide eyes. He can sense it.

Eddie can’t help but bite Steve’s jaw when he cradles him from behind while he cooks and Steve sometimes licks up his neck whenever he comes close.

It’s normal to them.

And betas would maybe think it was gross. Maybe Eddie pre-Steve would’ve wondered what the fuck he’s doing now.  

But it’s been weeks. It’s Christmas break soon. And Eddie can feel the tension between them. The unspoken anxiety of how they’re gonna get through the break without sex even though they’ve all agreed to only go home for a few days.

The sex gets more intense and the touching is near constant by the time the Christmas break comes.

They all agreed no gifts, not even secret Santa, because they’re all poor students and it’s getting bleak. But Steve cooks them one last family dinner together before they head home. It’s wholesome as always and he looks very fucking sexy in a Santa hat. Eddie asks him to keep it on when they get to bed. Steve says that that’s Eddie’s present. And god, Steve really is the gift that keeps on giving.

They fuck in Eddie’s bed. Steve bent over the edge of it while Eddie slams into him. Then again in the shower with Steve clinging onto the curtain rail. Then again under the sheets, soft and slow and Steve tells Eddie he’s a good alpha, the best alpha.

Eddie used to wish he was beta. He doesn’t anymore.

Chapter Text

chapter six

Eddie loves Christmas with Wayne. 

Wayne decorates their modest trailer that sits in a small town west of Minneapolis. He has had the same fake Christmas tree for the 16 years that Eddie has lived with Wayne. He ordanes it with the same baubles, the same fairy lights, and the same god-awful bright red, shiny tinsel that hurts Eddie’s brain but has never had the heart to tell him. 

The snow is thick when they arrive. 

Paige, like last year, is spending Christmas with them. Her family doesn't celebrate Christmas. And they don’t invite her to come home for the break, anyway. 

Wayne liked the addition last year. Said the more the merrier which made Eddie a little sad, knowing it had been just the two of them for so long. So Paige is coming along again.

The six hour car journey in Paige’s shitty car was made all the worth it when Wayne welcomes them with open arms at the front door. Immediately ushers them inside, brushing snow off their shoulders and taking their jackets off them before they’ve even closed the door behind them.

“Son,” Wayne says, pulling Eddie into a loving hug. He smells like bonfire and coffee. He’s warm and solid, wearing the same plaid boiled-wool jacket he’s had Eddie’s whole life. “You smell different,” he adds, pushing Eddie back with his hands on his shoulders, outstretched in front of him.

“I do?” 

“Yeah. And you look different.”

“ Wayne,” Eddie protests, cheeks reddening as Wayne puts his hands on Eddie’s face trying to get a better look at him.

Eddie escapes the loving attention and Wayne moves directly onto Paige. Giving her a hug and asking all the usual questions. How’s college? Are you eating enough? Is Eddie looking after you? Which is hilarious to Eddie, since it’s Paige who would probably be the one to look after Eddie if it came to it.

Eddie feels so content at home.

The anxiety of being apart from Steve is softly cushioned by the presence of Wayne and the comfort of home. Even though his bedroom is probably smaller than his dorm room and he has to share a bathroom here. But it’s cozy and warm and Wayne, despite being his uncle, is the comforting father figure that is his steady constant.

It’s Christmas Eve, and they have the usual traditions. They get into their pajamas early, watch movies, Wayne makes them hot chocolate and hot water bottles. The snow hammers down outside, which Eddie usually loves. But this time he internally hopes the weather eases in the next few days so he can drive back to Chicago on time. 

Paige sleeps on a pullout in the living room, Eddie on the sofa, Wayne in Eddie’s room that Eddie begged Wayne to take when he moved out to college. The pullout used to be his.

“You heard from Steve?” Paige whispers across to Eddie. Only the Christmas tree fairy lights and the backlight from her phone provide light in the room. 

“No, not yet,” Eddie says, trying not to sound too sad about that. 

“I haven’t heard from Robin either. Maybe they don’t have signal or something.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Eddie responds. Hopeful that this is the case.

“Oh, it’s midnight. Merry Christmas, Eddie.”

She stretches her hand out towards him, so he reaches for her. Fingertips touching. He smiles at her, unsure if she can even see him.

“Merry Christmas, Paige.”

It takes a while to fall asleep, but with the scent of home and the comfort of the worn-in sofa and the blanket he’s had since he was a kid, he eventually does. And he dreams of spending Christmas with Steve. And Wayne. And the others, with the monsters. And…kids of their own.

The more the merrier, after all.

Opening gifts is a short-lived affair in the Munson household. Eddie bought Wayne a Chicago souvenir mug to add to his collection, which he loves entirely and has several mugs of coffee out of it on Christmas morning alone.

Wayne gifted both Paige and Eddie with what he always does - something useful, something necessary, but equally thoughtful. 

Paints and canvas.

“You’re easy to buy gifts for, my boy,” Wayne says gleefully as he watches them tear open the gift wrap.

“Thank you, Wayne. You didn’t have to,” Paige says, a little teary eyed. Eddie squeezes her knee.

“Of course, I did. Now, the girl in the craft store said this is the good stuff. I think I’ve bought you this before, Eddie…”

“Yeah. You have. It’s great. Perfect, actually. Thank you, Wayne.”

He walks on his knees over to Wayne on the sofa and pulls him into another hug.

Which he lets go of quickly when he feels his phone vibrate in the pocket of his hoody.

Scrambling to look at it, it’s a reply from Steve.

He can’t help but grin down at it. On his knees in front of Wayne.

Merry Christmas to you too ❤️🎄

It’s simple. An essential reply to a bare minimum message that Eddie sent him first. But he didn’t wanna double text him without a response, he’s never had to do that before.

But Eddie knows Steve will be busy. Spending Christmas with his family that he hates and then, after, his family that he loves.

Eddie wishes they were together.

Eddie wishes Steve was here.

Eddie responds with a heart and a hugging emoji. Wants more than ever to hug him in real life.

When he looks up Wayne is looking down at him from the sofa. A smug smile on his face that makes Eddie blush.

Eddie slaps his knees, stands up quickly. “Anyone want another coffee?”

He makes more coffee then they all help prep the Christmas dinner in the small kitchen, each with a little caffeine buzz and Christmas tunes playing on the radio.

And Eddie tries to enjoy the moment of family fun and tradition. But he can think of nothing but Steve and how much he yearns for them to make their own holiday traditions together.

“So, who’s this Steve then, Paige?” 

Eddie flicks his eyes up from his plate. Darting between Paige and Wayne.

Eddie imagines if there wasn’t music playing and the sound of cutlery scraping along their dinner plates there would be an undeniable tension they could cut with their knives. Paige is smiling with cheeks full of mashed potato. She’s chewing, finger over her mouth to excuse herself as she chomps away before speaking.

Wayne smiles, then continues cutting up the nut roast. “Because Eddie speaks about him non stop on our phone calls.”

“Oh. He’s Eddie's roommate.”

“Well, I know that.”

“He’s our friend,” Paige corrects herself, but she can’t hide the giggling fit that’s coming. Eddie can see the tears in her eyes and her cheeks flushing red.

His mild panic is only made worse when Wayne arches his brow at him.

Paige isn’t lying, as such. Eddie hasn’t even told Paige the half of it. He’s never even told Paige about…about himself. But he’s wondering as he sits here watching two people he loves more than anything in the world swap knowing glances, that maybe there’s one other person that he loves too. And maybe Eddie’s the last to know it.

After a humble day of Christmas dinner and way too much chocolate, Wayne and Paige fall asleep on the sofa watching Home Alone. Eddie takes this as his chance to call Steve, moving into his bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He shouldn’t feel nervous but he does. Especially when it takes a few rings, but Steve eventually answers. 

“Hey.”

Oh god, Steve’s voice.

“Hey.”

“Everything okay?”

Eddie swallows. He suddenly feels strangely awkward not seeing Steve’s face. His voice sounds short and quiet. This is the first time he’s called him, ever, Eddie realizes. Oh god. What if Steve didn’t want him to call? They never talked about it.

“Oh. Er…yeah. Everything is fine. Just-”

I miss you. He wants to say.

“Just wanted to check you’ve had a nice Christmas day.” 

Steve laughs lightly. “It’s been okay, yeah. Just the usual Harrington family fun to be had,” he says with quiet sarcasm. “I’m going to Robin’s later. Will probably stay there until we go back to Chicago. How about you? Paige behaving herself?”

Eddie laughs this time. “She is, actually. Wayne asked her about you. She was particularly well behaved then.”

“Oh, really? What did they say?”

“Wayne asked who you were, and Paige said we were friends.”

There’s a little silence and Eddie wants it gone. Eddie wants to reach through the phone and stroke Steve’s hair and kiss his neck.

“Ah. Good girl,” Steve says, giving nothing away. Eddie kinda wishes he had a different response. Because they’re not friends. Are they?

“Yeah. Well, anyway…just…yeah. Just wanted to say hi.”

“Okay. Well…enjoy the rest of break. See you in…two days.”

“Yeah. See you in two days.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Eddie doesn't move from his bedroom for a while. Just sits there, staring forward, biting the insides of his cheeks.

Maybe he’s thinking too much into it. Maybe Steve is just having a terrible time at home.

At the risk of coming across way too needy, Eddie sends Steve a heart emoji. He just has to. Then he turns off his phone to avoid any more unnecessary anxiety if Steve doesn’t reply, and joins Paige and Wayne back on the sofa, until he himself falls asleep to the sounds of Home Alone.

The next two days, thank god, pass quickly.

As much as Eddie has enjoyed quality time with Wayne, he is trembling with excitement at the thought of going back to Chicago. At the thought of seeing Steve.

Who has ramped up the texting back to their usual amount and Eddie feels far more at ease.

He even sent him a little naughty picture yesterday. But he instructed Eddie that he wasn’t allowed to come over it. Had to wait until he saw him which, just…god. He thinks it all the time, but Steve is a dream boy.

When they leave, Wayne calls after them both, shouting, “tell Steve I said hi!”

And Paige laughs her pretty little head off and doesn’t stop for most of the journey home. 

Steve is home before Eddie.

Eddie can sense it when he enters the apartment.

He skips his own room and only needs to knock once on Steve’s bedroom door before Steve is opening it and dragging Eddie inside.

Steve's room is warm and inviting. But not as warm and inviting as Steve’s gaze that is sparkling golden in the usual hazel tones that make Eddie’s heart spin in his chest.

“Hi,” Steve says simply.

“Hi.”

Eddie’s spinning heart is now racing wildly. It’s been four days but it could have been months, the way his alpha is already growling inside.

Steve smiles, gives that beautiful, bare chuckle before pulling Eddie into his arms. Eddie buries his head in Steve’s neck. Scents him and-

“Oh. You smell different,” Eddie mumbles. His nose pressed against Steve’s skin, inhaling deeply like a crazy dog but he can’t help it.

He smells fucking delicious as always but that usual sweetness has this fresh layer that he can’t put his finger on.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. A little bit. Like, your top note has changed.”

“My top note?” Steve asks through a giggle. “Well, is it good?”

Eddie leans back so he can look at Steve directly. His golden skin is kinda glowing. 

“Beautiful.”

“You just missed me,” Steve says, cocking his head, biting his bottom lip.

“I did.” 

“Did you like my photo?”

“I did.”

“Did you touch yourself?”

“I didn’t.”

“Good boy. Do you wanna see the real thing?”

“I do.”

“Get on your knees then, baby.”

Eddie does in fact get on his knees. 

He gets on his knees and stares up at this gorgeous omega and watches as he drops his joggers to the floor. Wearing nothing but tiny, black boxer shorts..

God. Eddie wants to bite his thick thighs.

But he refrains.

Until Steve tells him to.

Sex with Steve after a few days without him is blissful. Eddie comes fast, like, admittedly, he usually does, but so does Steve this time and he lets him knot him straight away. They’re together like that for hours, but don’t fall asleep. And Steve feels so tight. Way tighter than ever before. And wetter too. Like so fucking slick, it’s almost too much.

But they stay this way, in Steve’s bed, whispering little stories to each other while knotted together, Steve in his lap. And then eventually, Steve whispers, “I missed you too, by the way.”

Despite Steve reassuring Eddie that his Christmas break was fine and that he is also fine, Eddie can’t put his finger on what’s wrong.

Because there is something wrong.

His scent is still gorgeous and irresistible, but it’s different. Something has changed. And he seems quieter, too. They’re still sleeping together and there’s still the touching, even in front of the others. But it’s like Steve is taking Eddie on a rollercoaster of emotions with loops and death drops. One second they’re having their flirtatious coffee morning, next second Steve shuts himself in his bedroom for hours. Eddie mentions it in passing to Paige and she suggests that Eddie should take Steve out to try and lighten his spirits. She didn’t say a date but she may as well have.

So, Eddie is waiting in a bar for Steve. It’s a Friday night. It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow.

“I’ll have a paloma, and he’ll have a vodka tonic,” Eddie says to the bartender, ordering for Steve before he even arrives. Because knowing his drink order is something that just comes naturally to him now.

Eddie chose the California Clipper. Because from the outside it could just be an ordinary bar that you would take your friend to but inside the only lights are red, the tables are dark mahogany and it’s cozy and intimate, the kinda place you would want to take a romantic partner.

Eddie guesses he and Steve are somewhere between the two, constantly blurred between friendship and relationship and situationship, so it seemed like the ideal place to go.

Eddie nervously taps the bar top. Catches his reflection in the mirror behind the spirit bottles. Runs his hand through his hair and hopes he looks nice enough for what would technically be their first date. 

He’s wearing a vintage band tee, with an oversized black v-neck sweater over the top, loose pinstriped trousers with a chain. Because he knows Steve is always kinda down for it whenever he wears the stupid thing.

“Oh, sorry, this seat is taken,” Eddie has to awkwardly say to someone at the bar who tries to sit next to him. Hopes to fucking god Steve hasn’t stood him up.

He’s this close to downing Steve’s vodka tonic when he sees him at the doorway.

He looks a little stressed. Probably because it’s just started to rain. Steve hates being wet.

With a crease between his eyebrows, he briefly smiles when he spots Eddie. He walks over, looking hot as hell, Eddie might add. Wearing Eddie’s favorite Levi jeans and a soft navy sweater over a white tee.

He’s shrugging off his jacket as he sits. 

“You look nice,” Eddie says. Because it’s true.

“Hey. Thanks, so do you. Is this for me?” he asks, pointing at the vodka tonic.

“It is.”

“Thank you.” 

He downs it in one. Oh, it’s gonna be that kind of night, is it? Eddie had better hurry up with his own. Steve orders himself another.

Steve smells like the cold outside and his aura is all off. But then Eddie knew that would be the case. He’s been like it all week.

“How’s your day been?”

Steve looks at him. “You already asked me that earlier. I told you.”

Which is true. They’ve been texting already today. Trying not to take it too personally, Eddie shrugs it off, laughs into his drink and decides not to make a comment about Steve being in a bit of a bad mood.

“What?” Steve kinda snaps. Face all furrowed in a frown. Oh-kay.

“Are you alright?” Eddie asks, genuinely.

“I’m fine. I’ve told you. I’m fine,” he whispers but Eddie gets the feeling if they weren’t in a public place he would maybe be yelling at him. Eddie can sense his alpha inside panicking. Like there’s danger ahead but the danger is the omega that he wants to soothe.

“Okay. Well, let’s have a nice night then? I’m not sure what I’ve done-”

“You haven’t done anything,” Steve mumbles. Then he sighs. “Okay. Sorry. You’re right.”

Steve picks up his glass and knocks it against Eddie’s. “Cheers.”

Eddie knocks his glass back against Steve’s and says cheers back. Although he can’t help but feel there’s nothing to really cheer about.

They talk about their new year’s plans and Eddie asks about the monsters and they talk like everything is almost normal, for a bit. Eddie thinks it’s going well although it could be better.

This is the first time Steve and Eddie have been alone outside together. They’re normally with the others.

Steve comes back from the bathroom, looking a little drunk in his eyes but refreshed. Like he’s splashed his face with cold water and combed his hair. And Eddie feels relieved suddenly, like everything is gonna be great from now on.

Until some fucking guy slides in between them at the bar.

And it takes Eddie a couple of seconds to realize that it’s fucking Tommy. His back is to him but he can hear his voice as clear as day.

“Where’ve you been, Steve? Avoiding me?”

“It’s the holidays, Tommy. I’ve been at home.”

“Before then though. Missed a few classes, didn’t you?”

“I was sick. And actually I’ve swapped two of my gym sessions. Better for my schedule.”

“Better for avoiding me, you mean?”

Eddie doesn’t understand what’s happening, at first.

He watches in a quiet rage through the reflection in the mirror. Sees that Steve isn’t even looking at Tommy. Awkwardly playing with his drink, his angry little face from before back in an instant.

Eddie wants to tap on Tommy’s shoulder and remind him of his presence. 

His alpha wants to rip his fucking throat out.

Even more so when Tommy says slowly, “c’mon, omega , let me buy you a drink.”

It makes Eddie stand.

“No, thank you.”

“C’mon. What do I have to do to make you-”

“He said no, Tommy.”

Eddie said it maybe a little too loud. A little too low. 

But Eddie takes a deep breath and tries to simmer the anger that is bubbling inside. Hot like a furnace. He can feel a growl pending.

“Oh. Oh, no fucking way, Harrington,” Tommy says, his mouth forming into this gross, wicked smile. 

“Leave it, Tommy. Go home,” Steve says, looking up from his drink.

Tommy is laughing when he turns to Eddie.

Who has never felt anger like it when he sees Tommy put his hand on top of Steve’s that is resting on the bar.

Steve flinches away. Quickly pulling his hand from under it.

“Don’t touch him,” Eddie says without any thought behind the implication of that.

“I think Steve can take care of himself, Eddie,” Tommy says through a snarl.

“He can. But he told you to leave so fucking leave.”

Eddie is almost panting and before he can get himself in control, it’s too late.

Tommy cocks his head. Then smiles.

“Oh. You’re his plaything now?”

“Excuse me?”

“He’s using you. He did the same thing to me.”

Steve sits there wordless. Mouth agape and staring between them both. And Eddie should stop this. Eddie should just signal for them both to leave.

But then Tommy flashes his teeth. For no-one else to see but Eddie.

Two pointed fangs.

And Eddie’s alpha pounces.

Eddie makes a sound he’s never, ever made before. His fangs out on full show and before he can even land the punch that he’s about to, Tommy turns out of reach and shouts to the barman, “there’s a fucking dog in here, man!”

Any attention they didn’t already have is now solely focused on them. 

Eddie hadn’t realized how quiet the place had become.

Everything else happens in a hurried, blurred sequence. 

A doorman has Eddie’s hands behind his back, pushing him out. Tommy is screeching with laughter, which can be heard above the mumbles of everyone else in the bar. 

Eddie is looking around desperately for Steve, who is no longer sitting there. 

When Eddie is firmly outside, the doorman drops his arms.

The rain is heavy. Pelting down thick raindrops that sting his face as they land. 

“Look, man. I have nothing against alphas. My brother’s one. But you can’t go showing your teeth in here. Or anywhere. You got that?”

“Yeah, I know. I know. I just lost…hey. Where’s my…where’s my friend?” Eddie says. Frantic energy rushes through him. The rain isn’t helping. 

The doorman nods to the left.

Steve is halfway up the street.

Eddie runs after him without a second thought.

“Hey!”

God, maybe Eddie really is a runner. He’s never moved his legs so fast before.

“You’re getting soaked. Let’s call a cab,” Eddie says when he catches up to Steve.

“No, thank you.”

“You’ll get sick.”

“Oh my god ! Eddie! Stop!”

Wait.

“Are you… are you mad at me?” Eddie asks. Genuine shock now coursing through his veins.

Steve stops in his tracks.

He turns to Eddie.

His hair is soaking wet. Plastered to his face. He can hardly keep his eyes open for more than a second, the rain is that heavy.

“What the fuck was that?!”

“I was…Steve. I was trying to help.”

“How?! How do you think doing that would help ? Huh?”

Eddie tries to touch Steve. Wants to rest his hand on his arm and pull him in. But Steve shrugs him off.

“No. Don’t…don’t touch me.”

Oh no. No, no, no.

“ This is why people don’t like alphas, Eddie. This is exactly fucking why we live the way we do. Why…why my parents fucking hate who I am. They know I’ll get stuck with a fucking alpha who can’t keep themselves in check.”

He’s breathing hard between the words. Panting heavily. Maybe he’s crying but his face is so wet with rain it would be hard to tell.

“Steve. Steve!”

Steve has turned and is walking back up the street again. 

Eddie follows him. Calling after him. He’ll do it the whole way home if he has to and he does .

They enter the lobby of their apartment building.

Eddie follows him into the elevator.

Steve presses number three.

Eddie looks at him. Confused.

“I’m staying at Robin’s.”

Oh, this hurts. This really, really fucking hurts.

“Steve. No, let’s talk abo-”

“No.”

Eddie leans back against the mirrored wall. Squeezes his eyes shut and prays this is all a fucking dream. 

“Steve. I’m sorry. I just lost it. I wanted to protect you.”

The elevator dings and the doors slide open on Robin’s floor.

Steve takes a deep breath. Steps out. Then turns and says, “I’m not yours to protect.”

The doors slide shut before Eddie can step out and chase him. Which is probably for the best.

Eddie is dizzy but he somehow makes it to the seventh floor. Fumbles with the lock and gets inside his bedroom.

What the fuck has just happened?

He pulls his clinging clothes off and throws them to the floor with a wet slap . Gets in the shower because fuck getting a cold when he’s already feeling this fucking low.

He wants to scream in there.

Steve isn’t his.

He’s a fucking idiot to ever think he was.

Steve told him he sleeps with alphas for fun. Has arrangements with them that aren’t serious. And Tommy was clearly one of those who wanted more.

Just like Eddie is now.

But surely not.

Surely, everything they’ve shared the last couple of months, means more than whatever Steve had going on before. And god, Eddie knows he’s in the wrong for the way he acted in the bar but he would never, ever let Steve come to harm. 

Not even now after Steve asked him not to. It’s the one thing he won’t ever be able to do.

He dries his hair roughly with a towel. 

Throws his phone down on the bed when he sees a text from Paige saying how’s it going 😝

And he can’t be bothered when there’s a knock at his door. Probably Heather who needs help with the dodgy lock on her door or Chrissy who can’t reach the top cupboard. 

He’s been here before and maybe he should’ve known. But he still gasps and drops the towel to the floor when he sees Steve standing outside his door.

There’s a heavy pause before Steve says, “I’m sorry.”

Eddie’s breath is caught in his throat. 

Steve is standing in the shadows of their hallway.

Hair still wet from the rain. Eddie can smell it on him. And his forehead is resting against the doorframe, his eyes angled up towards him.

“Hey,” Eddie says softly. God, he wants to wrap his omega up in his arms and never let go. 

And it’s dangerous to think like that. 

Steve told him he isn’t really his.

But Steve feels like his, he can’t deny it.

“I don’t know what came over me,” Steve says quietly. 

Eddie’s heart is aching. Steve looks cut up.

Eyes all big and sad, little lines between his eyebrows.

“You? I’m sorry. I know it’s dumb to get all alpha out in public. It was stupid of me.”

Steve’s frown deepens. Shakes his head, turns more inwards towards the wall.

“You’re not stupid. I didn’t mean any of the things I said. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, lately.”

“Nothing is wrong with you.”

Eddie’s not totally sure if that’s even true. And like he knows it, he sees Steve swallow.

“I just…I overreacted. I’m sorry”

Steve flicks his gaze up to Eddie’s. Eyes red from crying. 

“God. Steve. Can I touch you?” he asks. He should ask that more. Steve lets out a little whine. Pouts his lip and not in a bratty way.

“Please do.”

Eddie reaches for Steve and pulls him into his bare chest.

Steve is wearing one of Robin’s sweaters but Eddie can still smell Steve through it. His new varied smell that he’s still not quite used to but it still smells like Steve anyhow.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie whispers against Steve’s hair. He kisses his head.

Steve wraps his arms around him. Then kisses the side of Eddie’s face, close to his ear. Eddie groans. Tears behind his eyelids. 

And it quickly becomes charged with need. Steve can’t stop kissing Eddie’s freshly-showered skin. Groaning into his body.

“I can’t control myself around you,” Eddie whispers as Steve pushes their entwined bodies back towards the bed and feels his human energy get lost in the primal.

“I don’t want you to,” Steve responds, kissing and scenting Eddie’s neck.

“No?”

“No. Lose control. I like it when you do. I want you to.”

God, Eddie really does feel like he’s losing it as he lands on the bed and Steve straddles him. He’s back on that fucking emotional rollercoaster he’s been riding all week. 

They pull and tear at their clothes until they’re both naked and Eddie can feel nothing but the soft, perfect texture of Steve’s skin against his own.

He nuzzles in Steve’s neck.

Mouths over his throat. Chases his little moans and trills. Scrapes his now pointed teeth along Steve’s mating patch.

He’d never, ever bite him unless he asked. Never. But it feels so good to tease. To test . And Eddie can feel Steve’s heartbeat thrashing against his ribcage, beating faster and faster every time his teeth run along his traps. Like the risk of it is pumping adrenaline through his body.

Because that’s what it does to Eddie.

Makes his mouth so wet and his alpha feels dangerous. Feels intensely close to getting everything he wants and all it would take is a bite right there and for Steve to return to the favor.

Eddie’s thighs are damp where Steve is simply leaking onto them. Until he shifts himself into position and Eddie cannot ever understand how Steve fucking Harrington is the guy who is opening his legs for him.

“Ready, alpha?” Steve says. Already breathless before Eddie is even inside him.

“Mhm. Ready,” omega he wants to add. Has never called him that out loud before because he wants to wait for his permission. He wants to call him it. Wants to tattoo it into his skin. Steve looks down at Eddie like he knows .

“Say it. Go on. Call me omega.”

They’re sitting in the middle of the bed. Steve’s arms are around Eddie’s neck, sat up right with Steve completely wrapped around him, in his lap.

Steve lifts himself, holds Eddie’s dick and pushes just the tip inside him.

God. They’ve fucked a lot. And Eddie hopes he never goes a day in his life without it. But every time it feels like the first time. 

Shockingly satisfying. Alarmingly wet.

“ Omega.”

Steve throbs around him and Eddie wants to come. He wants to come already, it’s insane.

This beautiful, destructive chaos. 

“Beg for it.”

God. Eddie will never be the same. This is so fucked up, crazy how unhinged Steve makes him feel.

“Please. Please. Want you, omega.”

He doesn’t have to beg for long before Steve sinks. Takes him fully.

And Eddie’s eyes roll and his mind bursts with color. He fucks up into Steve slowly as Steve rolls his hips. Matching in a stunning rhythm that has them both gasping with each thrust.

Each of them pauses right before they’re about to come. Both just do it without talking about it. They wordlessly agreed to make this one last because it feels far too good.

Eddie strokes Steve’s back, that’s glistening with light sweat, his body working hard to keep up their steady rhythm. Eddie rests one hand on Steve’s ass, revels in the roundness of it, the way the meaty part is even too much for his big hands. And Eddie’s other hand…he pushes it down his back, damp with sweat, letting his middle finger trail further into the crease of Steve’s ass.

And Steve gasps. Caught by surprise. He trills, says Eddie is naughty but with a smile that urges Eddie on. He does go on. Glides his hand down, finger slipping inside, slowly. Achingly slow, Eddie reckons this must feel so good. 

And Steve arches, pushes himself down and onto Eddie’s finger that’s inside his ass. He feels so tight, Eddie’s sure he can feel his own dick fucking into his pussy from the inside and it’s all too much. 

Eddie needs to bite.

Steve looks at him desperately.

God. Eddie would. He fucking could. But he isn’t drunk enough to forget and isn’t selfish enough to do it. He reaches down and under his bed with the hand that isn’t occupied pleasuring Steve’s body. Fumbles for the box and pulls out the faux-flesh.

“Oh. Oh my god. Eddie. Put it…put it here,” he taps in the crook of his neck. Right above his mating patch.

It’s hard to hold it still when Steve is now bouncing almost uncontrollably, losing himself to pleasure. Eddie waits for it. Waits for the command and he’s just about ready to burst when Steve utters into his ear, “ bite me.”

Eddie clamps his teeth into the toy. Hasn’t done it since that first ever time. And the mixture of emotions thinking about that …the clear memory of Steve at his door. Everything from then until now pulsing in his mind as he comes inside Steve and bites into the faux flesh, and pretends that it’s Steve he’s biting into.

Pretends that Steve was really asking him to bite him. The implications of what that would mean. Bonded. Mated. 

And Eddie thinks of it all. Of a family. A pack. All things he had been too ashamed to dream of, things that he never thought he would ever, ever have.

And it’s silly. It’s immature. It’s naive. This is just pleasure. This is just desire.

The real world is what really happened tonight in the bar. And maybe Steve really is sorry and maybe Eddie really is too.

But even after that. Even after the most mindblowing, dangerously close , experience he and Steve have ever shared, Eddie watches Steve sleep in his arms unable to fully forget what happened earlier tonight. And he’s still unable to figure out the little shift in Steve’s scent that sticks to the roof of Eddie’s mouth and he worries endlessly, sleepless and anxious, if what they just did is enough to fix things. 

Things that Eddie blames himself for breaking when he can’t even see the cracks he made.

It’s New Year’s Eve and Eddie promised Paige he would go thrifting with her for a new outfit. They’re partying at Robin’s tonight. 

Steve left Eddie’s early this morning. Promised he’d help Robin set up for later.

Eddie is usually an excellent thrifting partner. But Eddie can’t stop thinking about last night.

It’s on repeat. He thinks about every single little detail. The good. The bad.

Something is still off. For sure.

But Eddie woke up today and convinced himself that Steve is just recovering from a shitty Christmas break with his family. Hopefully he will open up to him soon.

“What about this?” Paige asks. “Too slutty?”

“Yes,” Eddie says, staring at the leather and chains that make up the tiny corset Paige is holding out to him. “Way too slutty. So, naturally, you should buy it right now.”

“Are you just saying that so we can end this shopping trip and you can go home to Steve?”

Eddie is a little ashamed that that sentence is mostly true.

“No,” he lies. 

Paige raises her eyebrows at him.

“Okay. Not really, though. Steve isn’t even home, he’s busy with Robin organizing for tonight.”

Paige seems satisfied enough. And she does in fact buy the corset.

“Only ten dollars. What a steal. Okay. Now where can I buy a tiny little skirt to wear with it?”

“Who are you trying to bed, Paige?” Eddie jokes. 

Paige gasps, although it’s far too dramatic to be genuine. “I can be a little slut and want no-one. I’m not actually a slut like you.”

It’s Eddie’s turn to dramatically gasp. Of course this isn’t true. Paige doesn’t know that he’s only ever slept with Steve and she should know he was never exactly a sex maniac before.

But he dares to think that maybe he is a bit of a slut, when it comes to Steve.

Eddie gets ready at Paige and Jeff’s place. He wears a black sweater vest over a white tee, with his thick silver chains and rings. He looks at himself in the mirror, willing himself to feel confident and look good enough for Steve tonight. He ties his hair into a low bun at the back of his head, curls framing his face.

Paige looks like a fucking goddess and Jeff looks like Jeff. Cool, effortless. And Eddie wonders as they step out of the cab that arrives at Eddie’s apartment building, when the fuck the three of them actually became cool. 

“Hey,” Robin says, holding the door open for them as they pile into her apartment. They walk down the corridor and into the kitchen that is…

Well, considering Steve and Robin have spent the full day together preparing for the party, there aren’t many decorations up. But hey, what does Eddie know about party decor? 

“We’re a little early,” Eddie says, putting the huge crate of alcopops he brought, as a little gift for Steve, down on the table.

“Good because I need your height to help me put these up,” she says, pointing down to some party banners in a box.

“Oh? Steve wasn’t much help today?” Eddie says with a little loving undertone. But Robin doesn’t laugh, and says, “we got a little sidetracked,” as she rummages through the party box.

Okay, maybe she’s stressed about hosting this party. But nobody forced her to. Anyway, Eddie helps. Gets up on a stepladder at the opposite end of the kitchen to Robin and tacks the gold streamers and banners to the wall.

Jeff and Paige help too. The dining table swiftly transforms into a beer pong table, a makeshift bar area by the refrigerator and a snacks station on the kitchen countertop. Eddie is still emptying packets of ice into buckets when some of the first guests arrive, and he hasn’t even seen Steve yet.

He feels a little anxious, but mostly excited to see him. He missed him today despite being busy. He feels like after the night they had last night they should’ve just…stayed in bed all day and maybe talked. 

Before Eddie can think about it too much, Eddie, Paige and Jeff find themselves being the ones welcoming party guests, who they don’t even know, so Robin can go and get ready, and the three of them look between each other hysterically like how the fuck has this become our job?

Last new year, they locked themselves in at Paige and Jeff’s place and watched Rocky Horror PictureShow and had a shot every time Susan Sarandon appeared on the screen. And now they’re here pretty much hosting a party that isn’t technically even theirs. 

Eventually, Robin appears, with Steve behind her, both fresh in their party outfits. They both look stunningly cool. But the room is now suddenly so full of bodies that Steve doesn’t see Eddie, who is in the corner of the room, talking to one of Robin’s coursemates about fucking neuro-pyschology and the effects of art on the brain.

And it’s an interesting conversation and one that Eddie trapped himself into, but he would much rather be over there with his arm around Steve, making him drinks and doting on him.

But they just keep missing each other. Like every time Steve seems like he’s making his way over, somebody steals his attention and they end up in a deep conversation. And whenever Eddie is close to him, Steve is pulled away by Robin who asks him to help her with the music or he has to go tell Robin’s friend Argyle to at least open the window if he’s gonna smoke in here.

It’s frustrating and kinda ruining Eddie’s night. He can’t smell Steve out like usual, because they’re both wearing blockers since they’re in a social situation with people they don’t know. 

Paige can sense it though, because she can read Eddie like one of her favorite crime novels. She passes him shot after shot and forces him to dance with her in an attempt to cheer him up.

And before he knows it, he is drunk. Shouting in ears and getting too close to people and being way too good at beer pong for someone who has crappy coordination. 

Without really meaning to, it gets Steve’s attention, who stands at the opposite end of the table with the white plastic ball in his hand. He throws and catches it again and again into his palm, with a little pout and narrowed eyes like he is so down for beating Eddie’s ass right now. Paige teams up with him (the betrayal!) while Jeff teams with Eddie. And of course, Steve is distracting Eddie with his gorgeous face and toned arms that are flexing as he aims and throws the ball straight into the cup in front of Eddie. There’s so much banter, mainly between Paige and Jeff shouting expletives at each other, that it garners more attention and they have a small crowd of people laughing and cheering around them.

Eddie downs the drink. Each and every time Steve gets the ball into his cup. 

And Eddie and Jeff are losing big time. Until Eddie psyches himself up and suddenly, with only one cup left in front of him, Steve and Paige themselves only have one cup left, too.

It’s neck and neck.

And Eddie has butterflies staring at Steve who is standing behind the final cup. He looks at him seriously, like do it if you do dare . Paige is swaying next to him, already so hammered because it’s been her who has had to drink all of the cups of beer so far.

And it isn’t silent around them but Eddie feels like it should be as the ball that leaves his fingertips flies through the air in slow motion, circles around the rim of the plastic cup in front of Steve and then lands in it with a little plonk and an eruption of cheers and laughter.

Hands are on Eddie. People hugging him and patting him on the back. And when he fights through them he looks over the table at Steve. 

‘ Hi’ Eddie mouths at him.

‘ Hi’ Steve mouths back.

Then he smiles, shrugs and passes the cup to Paige before walking away into the crowd in Robin’s kitchen.

Eddie finally manages to squeeze next to Steve in the kitchen at an undetermined time. Leans over his shoulder and whispers, “hey, stranger.”

“Huh?” Steve shouts, leaning closer. They’re right next to the speaker. 

“I said, hey, stranger,” he says louder, almost shouting.

“Stranger?”

“I noticed you didn’t have-”

“What?”

“I said, I noticed you didn’t have a drink. I brought you one.”

Eddie hands him an alcopop. 

A cute little inside anecdote that he hopes Steve will like. It’s so strange not being able to smell Steve at his fullest but he can still detect a little undertone when he’s this close. 

He sees a small smile on Steve’s face and god, Eddie just-

“Wanna go somewhere, just you and me?” Eddie asks. God, he can hear the words a good few seconds after he says them, he’s so drunk. And strangely confident.

“Just me and you?”

“Uh-huh. That’s all I want. Just me and you. Nobody else, ever.” 

It’s not even really true because Eddie likes his life with other people in it. It’s not the blanket of loneliness he’s used to and he enjoys it . Steve has uplifted his quality of life in so many ways than just sex.

He loves Robin and this party and the monsters . Oh, the monsters!

“Where are they?” Eddie asks, not waiting for Steve to respond to what he just said before.

“Who?” Steve says through a laugh, his eyes so bright and hazel and his skin all dewy. He looks pretty.

“The little monsters. The kids.”

“Oh…the kids , right. I didn’t let them come. Thought it would be too crazy here.”

“Like drugs and shit?”

“Yeah. Like drugs and shit.”

“Shall we go do some drugs?” Eddie asks, half joking. He probably would if Steve wanted him to. But Steve pulls a face, says, “no. Think I’d better not. Don’t think you should either, you’re a bit drunk, no?”

“Yeah. I’m drunk. And you’re…you’re not. Are you even drinking?”

Steve laughs. The gorgeous low giggle. Eddie wants to kiss his neck.

But then Paige is by his side, screaming that their song is playing, pulling him off to the area they cornered off as a dancefloor, where Eddie loses track of time.

The countdown is approaching and Eddie is searching desperately for Steve. He ends up finding him near the small pantry in Robin’s kitchen. Eddie quickly and desperately pulls him aside. 

“Can I kiss you?” Eddie slurs. He’s never asked Steve this before. But he weirdly feels like he has to since it’ll be the first time they’ve kissed all night which just doesn’t feel right.

Eddie can hear the others screaming the countdown. If Steve won’t kiss Eddie, it may as well be the countdown to the end of his life.

But after a quiet pause, he reaches for Eddie’s face. 

And the time that he has been losing all night suddenly stands still.

With his big eyes and soft gaze, Steve stares at Eddie’s lips. He strokes his thumb over Eddie’s cheekbone. It’s light, incredibly gentle, almost too soft when everything else around them feels heavy and chaotic. The thrum of the music, the screaming party goers, the bright, moving lights of Robin’s disco light cutting through the dark.

And Steve leans in and presses his lips softly against Eddie’s, before the countdown even ends. And Eddie never wants this to end. The sweetness of Steve’s lips, the weight and feel of his body pressed against him, the saltiness of his…of his tears.

Steve is softly crying. And Eddie doesn’t know why.

Everyone cheers and screams and fireworks crackle and fizz outside. It’s completely paradoxical to how Steve looks and how Eddie feels right now. This strange drunken dread heavy in his stomach as Steve pulls away and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand.

He straightens up, takes a deep breath and a little step back. Feeling desperate and perplexed, Eddie immediately steps back into Steve’s space. Puts his hand on his face, cups his chin so his head tips ever-so-slightly. 

“I love you,” Eddie says. And as soon as his mouth and tongue form the words he knows this is careless and bold. It’s not how he imagined he would say these words to Steve. Eddie is blind drunk and Steve knows it but it doesn’t dilute the overwhelming desperation Eddie feels as he says again, “I love you, Steve.”

Steve cocks his head. His eyes roaming all over Eddie’s face. Like he’s searching for something new or real. And then with furrowed brows and closed eyes, he kisses Eddie again. Softly, just once. It’s almost chaste.

Eddie is about to lean in for another. Wants to bundle Steve up in his arms and take him home. To their home. Or maybe find a new home together. God, Eddie would do that. He wants that. But then Steve is being led away, by Robin. Her hand slinks into his, her fingertips long and slender, and she pulls him into a hug, says something in his ear and he buries his head into her neck.

Eddie wants to join them. Wants to wrap his arms around them, tell them both he loves them. But then Paige slams into him. Blowing a stupid party horn in his face, it sharply bursts his bubble. Almost bursts his eardrums, too, actually.

“Happy new year, Eddie. Love you. Love you loads. Have I ever told you that?” 

God. She’s miles drunker than Eddie. The way she’s clinging to his arms is sobering. He smiles down at her. Wraps his arms around her to help her keep steady. 

He looks over her shoulder for Steve and Robin but they’re nowhere to be seen. And before he can think about trying to find either of them, Paige is making an odd sound. He holds her out at arms length.

And she pukes. On his shoes.

Eddie stares down at it. Looks blue and acidic from whatever concoctions she’s been drinking tonight. Eddie’s senses kick in. 

He gets her a drink of water, feeds her it like a baby bird. Then finds her coat, finds Jeff. Grabs him by the shoulder and drags him out with them. Then he rides in the front of the cab, Jeff in the back with Paige to keep her head up straight with the windows wound all the way down.

Eddie tries to reassure the driver there will be no accidents in his cab tonight. No, Paige will not vomit in the footwell. No, her acidic puke will not stain the leather seats.

But, contrary to his promises, the first thing that Eddie has to pay for in this brand new year is a fifty dollar cleaning fine to the driver. 

And Eddie lays on top of the sheets next to Paige in her bed, thinking which of his stupid actions at the party he’ll be paying for when he wakes up.

Chapter Text

Blinking hurts.

His throat is sore.

“Probably from screaming at everyone all night,” Paige says as she holds out a glass of water and some pills towards him.

“How are you not hungover?” Eddie asks, voice barely there. “And I was not screaming.”

“You do talk a lot when you’re drunk.”

“Quite the party animal,” Jeff adds, peering his head around the door then quickly making himself comfortable in the bed next to him.

Eddie rolls his eyes at him, sits up in the bed and ouch, that hurts.

“Everyone loved you last night,” Paige says, perched on the edge of the bed. She still has makeup smudged all over her face.

“Really?” Eddie asks, necking the pills and willing them to magically work in an instant. He needs to get home and talk to the one person he actually wants to love him.

They stay in bed for a little while, laughing about last night’s antics but Eddie has all of this internal dread thinking about what he said to Steve and the lack of anything in return.

The lack of interaction with Steve last night at all.

He should have been paying him his full attention instead of galavanting around Robin’s apartment, making friends with people he will probably never see again and dancing the night away.

But it was fun. It is fun. Partying and making friends and learning about other people. Maybe Eddie is a people person, after all.

He peels himself out of bed and Jeff and Paige pine after him. “Don’t leave us!”

“Oh, the hangover is catching up with you now?” Eddie laughs as he rummages around Paige’s room for his sweater vest.

“I never said I wasn’t hungover. And I need you to look after us.”

“Please, Eddie. Coffee and omelets,” Jeff adds.

“You’re both babies,” Eddie teases, pretending he isn’t gonna stay and make them both breakfast, pretending that it’s a huge inconvenience when really he quite likes looking after his friends. “Fine. But then I gotta go.”

“To see Steve?”

They’re both staring up at him from Paige’s bed with raised eyebrows and it would be comical if he didn’t have a headache.

He’s not even ashamed of it as he says, “yep. Gotta get him his morning coffee.”

Eddie can’t smell Steve in the apartment when he arrives but he has a strong feeling he’s in his bedroom.

Eddie should probably shower, get changed. Looks a little bit too much like he’s done the walk of shame, but he knows Steve will know that isn’t the case. And Eddie doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.

Before even going to his room, he heads to the kitchen, makes Steve his coffee the way he likes. One shot with whole milk and extra foam. He’ll take it to his bedroom if he doesn’t come out into the kitchen, which he normally does.

As if on cue, Steve does appear in the kitchen. He heads straight to the refrigerator. Hungry little thing. Maybe Eddie can make him breakfast.

“Morning. Made you your coffee. Was about to bring it to you in bed-”

“I need to talk to you about something.”

Steve turns from the refrigerator, with nothing in his hands, and looks serious and that scares Eddie. 

Huh.

Immediately terrified, Eddie just nods. Says something that represents, “uh-yeah-ok.”

Steve walks past Eddie without looking at him. Heads straight towards his own bedroom, and Eddie slowly follows, and then closes the door behind him. 

He leaves the coffee behind.

There’s this tension between them.

This weird, unidentifiable strain that Eddie has no idea where or when or why it was birthed and allowed to grow this huge.

“Is everything okay?” Eddie asks. He hears his own voice trembling. Because he knows that everything is not okay. 

Steve’s hand is over his mouth. Staring at the floor.

Then with an exhale and a tip of his head up to the ceiling he says, “I’m leaving.”

Shock is a strange thing.

It drops, like a heavy stone in the pit of Eddie’s stomach. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I need a break. From here.”

Eddie can’t help but feel like he means from us.

“So you’re dropping out?”

Steve laughs a little. A small giggle which he immediately tries to swallow down. Eddie is so confused.

He takes a deep breath and says, “I guess, yeah. I’m dropping out.”

Eddie’s heart is racing. That he was not expecting. 

It’s early in the morning the day after drinking heavily and his brain is sore and his throat fucking hurts. This would be hard to process on a normal day.

Eddie had no idea Steve was so unhappy at college. He doesn’t speak about his classes much or the people in them. He wants Steve to be happy and he knows he only really came to college to get away from his parents and live close to Robin.

“A break might be good for you. Christmas break maybe wasn't long enough. You could ask your tutor for a deferral,” Eddie offers, wanting to be supportive despite internally panicking.

But Steve is shaking his head.

“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying.”

Eddie stands there wordless, motionless despite his heart pumping like he’s running a marathon.

Steve clears his throat. Takes a deep breath that would otherwise show Eddie he’s nervous if he wasn’t being so calm and level-headed.

“I’m leaving Chicago. I’m going back home.”

Right.

Okay.

“You’re going back?”

“That’s what I said.”

Nothing more.

There is a clear lack of invitation to join him.

Eddie feels like he’s dying, suddenly. Dizzy and not in the nice way he loves. He looks at Steve desperately. 

Who looks kind of unrecognizable.

His facial features are solid and sure. Not wandering and soft like they usually always are when he looks at Eddie. Even when he’s in control.

Eddie cannot shake the feeling like he’s done something wrong. There’s probably a million and one things he did or said last night that he maybe can’t even remember.

But he remembers one thing clearly that he did do. What he did say. That he maybe shouldn’t have.

“When did you decide this?”

“Does it matter?”

Not really, Eddie thinks. But it would help explain all the strange shit that’s been happening since Christmas. Feeling panicked and confused, Eddie says, “what if I drop out too?”

Steve has the audacity to roll his eyes a little. 

“You love college. You’re not leaving because of me.”

“I love college because of you.”

“That isn’t true.”

“It is.”

The crazy thing is that if Steve wanted him to go with him he thinks that he would. Maybe he’d transfer or defer for a year or see if his tutor will let him do classes online. And maybe, to betas, it would seem crazy. But as Eddie stands here on the edge of losing Steve he realizes just how much he means to him.

Steve gives out this frustrated little huff. “Friends don’t drop out of college for each other, Eddie.”

Friends. Fucking friends. God. This is awful.

Friends don’t sleep together, either, Eddie thinks. Friends don’t fuck each other senseless. Don’t lick each other's necks in the company of others. Don’t kiss when the ball drops on New Year’s. 

“If we’re friends , then why haven’t you spoken to me about the way you’ve been feeling?” 

“That’s kinda rich, coming from you? No?”

Well. The guy has a fucking point. Eddie feels fucking exasperated and full of regret for something he is unaware of even doing.

“Did I do something last night to upset you? Because please forget everything. I was drunk.”

“Don’t worry. It’s all forgotten.”

“Is it because I said that I-”

“Stop,” Steve says shortly. Hand in the air, palm towards Eddie.

“Oh-kay…”

“This isn’t about you. This is about me.”

Eddie’s fingers twitch.

Heart sinking. Anger swelling. Steve clearly remembers what he told him and he clearly doesn’t feel the same way.

“Oh, it’s not you, it’s me. Don’t give me this bullshit.”

Eddie steps towards him. Steve steps back. 

Eddie breathes out a frustrated, pained exhale and then steps back himself when he suddenly realizes that Steve is wearing intense blockers. 

For the first time in a long time Steve is wearing blockers in their apartment.

He can’t smell him at all. 

Not even the tiniest bit.

His sunken heart implodes.

His senses kicking in, like his alpha is hungry, desperately searching for Steve.

“That isn’t what I said,” Steve says calmly.

“Well that’s what you meant.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Steve’s calmness splits for a second as he quietly yells with a frustrated, tight strain to his voice that Eddie has never heard before. There’s this sudden change in escalation. Like they were standing at a crossroads and they’ve picked the wrong turn.

Eddie groans then says, “I understand if you want a break. I feel like it sometimes, too. Life is hard. And I’d…I would come with you.” God. It hurts to admit it when he knows it’s not reciprocated.

“I don’t…Eddie. Just please trust me. I’m not what you want.”

“What?”

“Me. Like this. I’m not what you want.”

“Steve. I feel like it’s you that doesn’t want me.”

Steve groans. His collective calmness breaking, tears in his eyes. 

Eddie is trying so hard not to cry, when he says, “you’re leaving and seem pretty damn sure you don’t want me to come with you. So, tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me what I’ve done. To deserve this.”

“To deserve what?”

“You leaving me.”

“We were never together!”

Eddie can feel every muscle in his face move. Scrunched in this confused expression, eyebrows furrowed, lips curled. 

“What did you say?” Eddie asks quietly. Eyes closed now because he cannot bring himself to witness this moment.

“You heard what I said,” Steve whispers.

“Say it again.”

“No.”

“Don’t make me make you.” Oh. Eddie doesn't even know where that came from. His alpha is so angry. So confused. He needs to get himself in fucking control.

But Steve scoffs. And when Eddie opens his eyes, he regrets those vicious words that he obviously does not mean. Steve is shaking his head, mouth open, tongue running along his teeth then pushing into his cheek.

“Stop, Eddie. Before you do something you regret.”

“What about you? You won’t regret this?”

“I won’t. I’ve already decided. It’s happening.”

Steve nods to the side and Eddie follows it. Sees boxes packed. His room is noticeably more empty .

He should have noticed sooner.

He’s normally so good at seeing these things. Predictions and clues and patterns.

But there’s nothing that could have prepared him for this.

“When?” Eddie asks, staring off to the side. This must have been what sidetracked Robin and Steve yesterday. Eddie feels pretty fucking sidetracked himself. Like he’s literally been thrown aside.

“Tonight.”

Eddie nods.

Of course.

Deep down, he knew it would always end. He just didn’t think it would be so soon. So abruptly. And like this. He thought he had more time.

Eddie should never have been clingy over Christmas. He should have never done what he did in the bar. He should have never told him he loved him. He pushes the heel of his hand into his eye until his vision blotches red and purple and it hurts. But he has to. To try and stop the tears from falling.

It doesn’t work.

“ Fuck,” Eddie whispers. Swipes his eyes with the back of his hand. “This is so fucking stupid.”

Steve says nothing.

Does nothing.

Doesn’t reach out to touch him or soothe him. 

Nothing.

“I’d ask if you were breaking up with me. But turns out we were never together,” Eddie says. Unable to lift his gaze to meet Steve’s. He stares at his feet.

Barefoot like always.

God . He’ll miss Steve padding around the place barefoot. He'll miss massaging his feet under the table, even when other people were sitting around them. So carefree. So keen to provide Steve with any soft pleasure he could give him.

“Eddie.”

Eddie still can’t look at him.

“Eddie. I’m sorry,” he says. He says it like there’s more to that sentence. Probably something like I’m sorry but this was a mistake . I’m sorry that you thought this was more than it was.

But Steve saves him the grief. He doesn’t add anything.

“I’m sorry too,” Eddie eventually says. Finally mustering the courage to look at Steve who is staring . “Sorry that I ever thought you were mine.”

He fucking wishes his voice didn’t break as he said it.

Steve still says nothing. 

Blinks. 

Swallows.

No scent.

Eddie gets one last look. Treasures it. Clings to it.

Steve Harrington is the most beautiful thing in the world. That will never change.

But Eddie is seeing differently.

He can tell the brightness is fading.

His alpha is wounded.

His vision dulling down to a mild, monochrome filter.

It makes no sense and he knows he has to leave this room. Even though Steve is doing this he knows he won’t throw him out.

Or would he?

Either way, Eddie isn’t sticking around to find out. 

“Well. I’ll see you around. Or not, actually. Ha. Whatever.”

Eddie turns on his heels and gets out of there as quickly as he can. Pushes open the door with such force it slams against the wall.

Then he runs down the corridor and to his room.

He hopes Steve will follow.

He hopes he will chase.

But he hears nothing. 

The corridor is silent.

And so his bedroom.

Other than the sound of his own sobbing as he sinks to the floor. And doesn’t move. For hours.

Eddie eventually does move.

It's dark now, in his room. Maybe he passed out.

His alpha feels...empty. Eddie feels hollow because of it. 

Eddie scrolls through his phone. Calls Jeff, who doesn’t answer. And then Paige, who does.

Jeff is in the studio but Paige is home.

She senses every single little piece of desperation in Eddie’s voice. She picks him up in her battered old car. Not before she comes up into the apartment.

She storms down the corridor before Eddie can stop her. Banging on Steve’s door, red in the face from anger.

She’s a great friend. But Eddie needs her to stop . He knows what’s going to happen and it’s worse than if Steve was there to answer.

Because he’s already gone.

He’s already gone.

“Well,” Paige says with a frustrated huff at the end of it when there’s no answer. She turns, looks at Eddie, arms folded. She’s cross. 

Her eyes roam him all over. And he just stands there with his hand on the back of his neck. Doesn’t know how to be in this apartment anymore if Steve isn’t here.

“You were too good for him anyway.”

It’s so dumb and ridiculously underselling how much all of this hurts it makes Eddie laugh. He looks up at Paige, eyes wet and he can’t stop laughing. So much, it makes her laugh too. 

“C’mon,” she says with empathy delicately wrapped in her voice. She throws her arm around him and walks them back to his bedroom. “Let’s pack some things, you can stay with us for a while. We’ll figure this out.”

Despite everything, it feels good to be back at Jeff and Paige’s place.

When they arrived, Paige set Eddie up on her bed, where he woke this morning. Made him a camomile tea then left him alone to sleep because that’s what he asked for.

Or what he begged for.

Even though of course he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned. Got up multiple times to puke into the trash can under Paige’s desk but couldn’t. Dry heaved and then cried some more. Fought every single urge to call or text Steve. 

After what was probably hours of crying, he left Paige’s room, entered the living room to find her, and Jeff, sitting on the floor, eating takeout. And now he’s just standing here in their apartment. Feeling hungover and helpless.

It’s a tiny place that’s essentially one floor of a townhouse. It’s an old building. You can hear everything. Every footstep from the upstairs neighbor. Every argument the couple downstairs have.

Eddie wishes he and Steve would’ve just argued.

It would be so much nicer than being apart.

But at least he has Jeff and Paige. Their apartment is full of canvases and paint. The sofa

permanently has a huge paint-stained white sheet half thrown over it, to protect it, but it’s still splattered in colors anyway.

“Oh, dude,” Jeff says sympathetically. He stands quickly and pulls him into a hug.

It makes Eddie want to cry again.

But he has surely ran out of tears by now.

It’s gut wrenching. Astonishingly agonizing.

Eddie knows heartbreak but never in adult form.

It’s different from the kind from his childhood.

Jeff drags Eddie to the sofa and sits next to him. Offers him noodles and he declines. The thought of eating anything makes him want to die.

So Eddie sits there cross-legged, picking at his cuticles, while Paige paces in front of him. Up and down, over and over, socked feet on the hardwood floor. There’s one particular floorboard that creaks whenever she stands on it.

“So he said he needs a break.”

“Yeah.”

“And he’s never expressed any interest in going back home?”

“No.”

“And he’s at college because he hates his parents?”

“Essentially.”

“And he’s moving back in with them?”

“Yeah. Well…actually. I don’t know. He just said he was leaving to go back home. He has a lot of friends back home.”

That are like family. Eddie thinks.

And then he has that little lightbulb moment that he sees in movies, reads about in books.

All three of them look between each other.

And then they all say, “ Robin.”

Paige calls her.

Because Paige is head-strong, confident and will do anything for Eddie. And Eddie is a coward and he is quite frankly feeling like an idiot for not thinking of this sooner. Eddie pulls his knees up to his chest. Rests his head in his hands. He feels Jeff lean forward on his elbows. Getting closer to Paige as she stands in front of them with her cell to her ear.

“Robin. Yeah, hi, it’s me. I’m calling about Steve.”

Eddie sinks when he hears his name.

“What do you mean you can’t talk about it? Why?”

Eddie looks up. Eyes wide. This is not good.

“So he’s really moving home? Is he going to his parents?”

Paige stares out of the window as she talks. Full face in a deep frown.

“ Robin. It’s me,” she almost whispers. Frustration etched in every word. Eddie looks at Jeff. What does that mean?

Jeff sees the meaning behind the expression. Gives him a look like we’ll talk about it later. Fucking hell. Eddie has really been out of tune.

Or so in tune to Steve he’s not noticed anything else.

“Of course I’ll tell Eddie. It’s why I’m calling. He’s here right now. Yes, of course he’s staying with us. You think he can live there without Steve? He said they were never together , Robin! We all know they were . It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Should Eddie call him? That’s all I want to know, if you won’t tell me anything else.”

She turns to them. Gives a desperate look all in her eyes and a shrug. 

Eddie clearly isn’t the only one who feels helpless.

“Alright. I’ll tell him,” she says with a sigh. There’s a pause and then, “maybe. I don’t know. I’ll…I’ll text you.”

Then she hangs up.

“I just don’t get it,” she says quietly, staring at her phone in her hand.

“Get what?”

“Seems strange. That’s all.”

She drops to her knees in front of Eddie. Puts her hands around his wrists. Squeezes them.

“Something has been off since Christmas break. I tried asking what was wrong. He kept saying he was fine, that everything was fine,” Eddie utters.

“Look. Maybe something did happen at Christmas. Maybe his parents cut him off or something and he’s had to leave college? Maybe he’s gonna stay with one of his friends. You could message one of them.”

God. Eddie hadn’t even thought about the monsters. Oh no. There’s no way he can talk to them. He wouldn’t be able to get through it. He should never have gotten so attached. He knew it.

“Jeff, that doesn’t explain why he’d be so adamant to leave without Eddie. And why wouldn’t he just…just fucking say it or talk about it? And Robin was weird just then.”

Eddie looks back and forth between them as his two best friends argue with each other about why Steve said what he said and did what he did.

But ultimately he knows that this was always going to end and he scared him off sooner than anticipated. It’s the only logical explanation. Paige turns to him.

“I know you loved him. I’m sorry. People are weird.”

“I’m weird,” Eddie whispers. Means it with every morsel of his soul. Voice breaking. “Should I call him?”

He doesn’t know why he’s asking. He knows the answer.

Paige shakes her head and offers a little smile.

“God. I came on too strong,” Eddie says.

“We all saw it,” Jeff says softly. “We all saw the connection you both had. You aren’t weird and you weren’t wrong.”

“Connection?” Eddie asks weakly. Can’t believe others could see it so well. This hurts.

“Yeah…” Jeff starts. Eddie watches as Paige and Jeff look between each other. Knowingly.

Eddie’s broken little heart is galloping in his chest. Beating hard and wild.

“Yeah. A connection,” Paige reiterates. 

“Like…a spiritual connection. Almost like…primal. Kinda…” Jeff says, stalling.

“Animal,” Paige finishes.

Eddie swallows. Then takes this deep, shaking inhale that makes his chest feel cold.

He knows what they’re saying.

They know.

They continue, carefully. Saying everything without saying much at all.

“And it was special. To see. And…”

“We like that you’re…”

“That you’re…like…”

“And it’s okay. You know? It’s totally okay and we love you.”

“Yeah, Eddie, we love you.”

Eddie falls back into his hands. 

Leans over and sobs between his knees.

They know he’s alpha. They know he’s different and they’re his friends anyway.

He feels weirdly relieved that they know and he never had to tell them. They probably know this about Eddie. It’s probably why they mentioned it like this .

God.

He doesn’t deserve them. Simultaneously wonders what he did to deserve Steve leaving the way he did.

Life is too much.

This is all too much.

Jeff soothingly rubs his back and Paige rests a hand on the back of his head. The touch is nice . It’s not the touch he needs, but it’s nice. 

“Thank you,” he breathes through the tears.

“We’re here for you, man.”

“Thank you.”

“Just breathe, it’s okay.”

“ Thank you.”

Eddie stays at Paige and Jeff’s place for two weeks.

He shared a bed with Paige for a few days. But then Jeff and Paige’s roommate left Eddie her room. She’s going traveling for a month or so. Said it’s fine. But she’ll be back, they all know that. Eddie tries not to think about that deadline.

He throws himself into his studies. 

Tries to forget.

But he can’t.

It’s a fucking nightmare.

He paints portraits of Steve like a creepy stalker.

But only Eddie would know that’s what they are. They’re his colors and shapes. The way his scent looks. From what he can remember.

Two weeks is far too long.

His dreams are so intense, he fucking prays a rut isn’t coming on.

He would have to go back to his apartment then.

It’s those dreams he’s had for years. They’ve come bounding back into his brain now he’s not sleeping next to Steve. And these dreams are normally like this when a rut is pending.

White brick house.

Wraparound porch.

Field mouse.

Smashed glass.

Candlelight.

Feathers.

Yellow daisies.

Muddy converse.

Flash of green.

They’re so animated and real. They last longer and longer every night.

But the rut never comes. It’s like his alpha has died.

Eddie mourns it all. Mourns the loss of Steve’s presence. Misses his beautiful face. Misses his final touch before he falls asleep.

He loves him, disastrously.

But Eddie hasn’t messaged him. Or tried to call.

Robin told Paige that he definitely shouldn’t and Eddie is petrified of making things worse.

Eddie has, however, tried to call Robin. He’s messaged her a lot too. Just plain begging for answers to his questions like…

Please, Robs, how is he? Just tell me he’s okay.

Where is he? Are his parents being kind? 

Is he sleeping okay?

She ignores them all.

And like, ok, it makes sense to an extent. They were only friends because of Steve, Eddie understands this now.

But Paige is so angry.

She’s confused. Kinda heartbroken too because as it turns out the last two months those two have been seeing each other casually ever since Eddie introduced them. Which he should’ve seen coming, really.

So they sulk together, sometimes. Jeff joins in because he’s also emotionally invested.

They watch horror movies and laugh.

They watch romcoms and boo.

And it’s all front-facing-dealing-with-it. Fake and brittle. Because behind it all Eddie is not dealing with it.

He cries every day.

Can’t come even though he still gets hard whenever he thinks about Steve in that way.

Sometimes he has these heart-shatteringly realistic dreams. Of going down on Steve. Making him come on his tongue. Fucking him in the shower. Sleepy, morning sex. 

Eddie wakes up from them with his dick aching . Leaking precome. And he tries to solve it. Tries to get there, pumping his fist with only completion in mind. 

But he can’t.

Maybe it’s because he’s sleeping in a bed that isn’t his. Maybe it could be a lot of things. But he knows why, really. He wonders if he’ll ever have an orgasm ever again.

Steve taught him everything he knows.

Sex is Steve to him.

Everything mildly enjoyable, anything that he loves, reminds him of Steve.

Sometimes at night, he aches everywhere like he has the flu. When he thinks of having a family with Steve. Sometimes allows himself for a second to think of how they maybe could’ve made it.

But then he remembers Steve’s words.

Never together.

Which is the most fucking ironic thing anyone has ever said.

Because they were always together.

Side by side.

Touching. 

Every day.

Together always.

It’s been four more weeks, six in total, when Paige and Jeff’s roommate comes back from her travels.

And as much as Paige says it’s okay to share her bed again, he knows he needs to go back to the apartment. He communicated a little with the others still living there. Chrissy messages once every couple of weeks to ask if he and Steve are coming back, ever. Because she thinks they’ve gone away together. Which would make sense but that obviously is not what has happened.

He doesn’t explain.

And this time when she texts, he finally says he’s coming back. Alone. Doesn’t know how long for. Doesn’t know what the fuck to do. Paige and Jeff drop him off outside the apartment building. They ask him if he wants them to come upstairs with him but he says no.

He should do this alone and do it quickly. Like pulling off a band-aid.

He doesn’t have much stuff. Just the bag he packed six weeks ago when he was out of his mind. He’s been borrowing a lot of Paige and Jeff’s things, and bought some new clothes from the thrift store to get him by when he was desperate. But other than that, it’s just him and his backpack.

Can’t help but feel like a child as he gets in the elevator, vibrating with nerves as it reaches his floor. 

It all comes swimming back. His mind awash with memories and scents and sounds. His eyes burn with tears as he approaches their apartment.

Wants to just fall to the floor and cry. Expressive memories flooding behind his eyelids as he closes his eyes. Every precious moment he and Steve walked through this door together.

He turns the key. Thankful that the door to his room is right here, he quickly fumbles with the lock and enters his bedroom. Breathing fast. Panicking.

But he had nothing to panic about.

Everything is the same.

He looks around. The place is still a bit of a mess, he didn’t tidy up before he left. It’s cold in here too. It feels like nobody has been here for nearly two months. 

With a sigh he falls backwards onto his bed. It’s so much comfier than Paige and Jeff’s roommate's bed. At least there’s that.

But he knows he’s gonna get just as much sleep. Maybe less. Because he can’t lay here without picturing Steve here too.

Every corner of this room has a little remnant of Steve’s scent. His alpha senses are prickling awake. He knows if he touched where the scent was coming from his memory would spike. He’d envisage the moments, the sounds, everything that happened when Steve was standing there.

He stares at his bedside table. He opens the drawer.

Trust me. Bite me.

He slams it shut.

This is…this is too much.

This was a mistake.

He unpacks his bag.

Starts to repack more methodically. Enough that will last him a long time.

Maybe he’ll go back to Paige and Jeff’s place. Maybe he’ll try find a room somewhere else.

Maybe he’ll…maybe he’ll leave Chicago. 

Drop out.

That’s how bad this has become.

Whatever.

It doesn’t matter.

He can’t be here, when Steve isn’t.

It took him all of half an hour to pack again.

He’s trying to stay calm, but he can’t.

He hears Heather and Chrissy and Carol in the kitchen. They’re laughing. Music playing.

Just like before.

Like nothing has happened.

So he leaves his room quietly. Tip-toeing and moving slowly so he can sneak out of here. He’s good at it. Used to do it a lot so that those guys wouldn’t talk to him. Before he and Steve…whatever.

Muscle memory serves him well. He leaves unscathed.

And he’s desperate to get out of here, he never wants to set foot in this building again, so of course, the elevator is taking fucking forever. He determinedly presses the button. Sighs and huffs .

Turning in the corridor, he heads for the stairwell instead. He runs down the stairs. Stepping fast and frantically, bag bouncing on his back.

This stairwell stops on the third floor.

He pushes open the door and stalks down the corridor. The muffled sounds of college parties behind the doors. Laughter and music and all this other shit Eddie doesn’t wanna hear. 

And Eddie is thinking about whether he should put his room up on the college bulletin board. Whether he should seriously see if anyone wants to sublet it off him while he finds another place to live, when he crashes into someone.

“ Fucking hell. Jeez. Watch where you’re-”

“Hey! Watch it! You nearly…”

The girl he just collided with has mousy brown hair cut into a bob and electric blue eyes. She’s tall, almost as tall as Eddie and she looks like his friend.

“Eddie.”

Oh, she sounds like his friend too.

“Eddie. Oh, fuck.”

She runs her free hand through her hair. Eddie tracks it. He looks this girl fully up and down. Slender fingers, pale skin, freckles. Clutching a tote bag that’s full of…peanut butter? 

“Robin,” Eddie eventually says when his brain decides to fucking work.

“Hi,” she says quietly. She won’t look him in the eyes. But Eddie is staring at her anyway.

“You’re still here.”

“Erm. Yeah, I am.”

“I thought you might have left, with him.”

“Eddie. You look…god. Are you okay?”

It’s silent for one little second before Eddie’s emotions just split.

“What kind of question is that? How do you think I’ve been?” Eddie says, kinda angrily. Because yeah, he is allowed to be a little bit angry, actually. Being ghosted is fucking cruel.

“Yeah. Erm…I bet it’s been hard.”

“Oh, yeah, you bet,” Eddie says shakily. He’s dying to ask about Steve. Seeing Robin is making it all seem real again. Everything they did and everything they went through. Six weeks feels like one day.

“Eddie. I promise I’ll call you. I’m so sorry that I haven’t replied to you. I am. It’s just. Please don’t follow me.”

“Why?” Eddie asks. Wants to do what she says, definitely does not want to follow a person when they’ve explicitly asked him not to but… “Why not?”

Robin’s apartment is just three doors down. He knows that. He remembers that.

“Tell me why, Robs,” he pleads. He thinks he knows why. He hopes he knows why.

With his heart in his throat and his whole fucking life teetering on the edge of this fucking moment, he stares at Robin, looks at the fucking bag of peanut butter, and asks. He just asks her.

“Is he here?”

It comes out small and strained and his whole body is shaking. Adrenaline and heartbreak at its peak.

Robin sighs. Hand on her forehead. Her leg is shaking. Tapping impatiently. She still won’t look at him.

“Don’t do this to me,” Eddie breaks . “If he’s here, you…you have to tell me. Robin. I know you’re his sister . I know you are family but Robin, I am standing in front of you right now asking you. Is he here?”

He watches with wide open eyes. His alpha is growling inside. Pacing. Prowling.

She stares off to the side. Then with a huge, trembling exhale, she says, “he’s here.”

Eddie feels gutpunched. 

“Where?”

She looks at Eddie. Then turns with a nod. She walks down the corridor. He follows her.

It only takes a few long strides. Ten seconds and they’re at her door.

“Just…be calm. Okay?” Robin says as she opens the door and Eddie looks at her like she’s just told him to jump off a bridge. How the fuck can he be calm ?

Especially when…

Oh god.

He can smell him.

Eddie starts to cry silently. Tears falling down his cheeks as he follows Robin. Right behind her, matching her exact stride and pattern like a loyal dog.

“Wait here.”

Eddie’s alpha recoils. Wants to kinda kill her, a little bit. But Eddie waits. Robin pushes at her bedroom door. Steve’s scent grows stronger. Flowing out of the room like a beautiful, summer breeze.

It’s… god. It’s just like he remembers from the last time.

But so much stronger. So beautiful.

He stands in the corridor.

Closes his eyes as Robin pushes the door just enough for her to sneak through. And then she closes it behind her.

He takes a deep breath.

Knows his life is going to change after this.

He can feel it in his strange bones that everything has been leading to this moment.

It’s do or die.

He takes his bag off. Straightens his jacket. Runs a hand through his hair like any of this will help him look slightly more presentable.

In seconds, Robin opens her door. Peaks through the gap.

“You can come in. But keep it together. Okay?”

“Okay,” Eddie says blindly. Would say and do anything if it meant getting to see Steve.

Maybe he’s pushing boundaries.

Maybe he’ll finally learn what it is that he did wrong back then.

He can sense that Robin is being fiercely protective. He thinks Paige would do the same if this was the other way around. But it’s still frustrating. She’s acting like Eddie would hurt Steve in some way. Maybe he already did and just doesn’t know it . 

With quivering hands and tears in his eyes, he steps through the gap in the door. Robin’s room is dimly lit. Candles and a small lamp with a red silk scarf draped over it providing the only light.

But Eddie sees him anyway.

Sees him clearly.

Even through the tears gathering in his eyes, he can see him.

Eddie could see Steve with his eyes closed.

Steve is sitting on the edge of Robin’s bed. Blanket wrapped around him like he used to when he was sick. Like that time sitting on the countertop. Making pb&j sandwiches.

Eddie’s whole body goes into shock.

He drops his bag to the floor.

Then he just…he just stands there.

Staring at him.

Robin says, “you’re gonna be okay?”

And Steve says, “yeah. You can leave us.”

And Eddie has shivers running frantically up and down his spine at just the sound of his voice.

His omega’s voice.

Eddie’s alpha is pining.

Eddie himself, feels like pining. He wants to lay at Steve’s feet. Curl up around them and beg and plead. Never leave again.

Eddie doesn’t look at Robin as she leaves.

The door clicks shut.

Silence engulfs them but it’s different to the usual, comfortable quiet that they share.

It’s tight and stretched.

It feels like there’s no oxygen in the room.

Steve blinks at Eddie.

His eyes shine bright hazel. Emerald flecks.

His whole face is shining. Like he’s glowing.

Eddie wonders if either of them are ever going to say anything.

And always the one to take the initiative, Eddie somehow manages to say, “you’re back.”

It’s all breath. 

Steve swallows so hard that Eddie thinks he can hear it from across the room.

“I never left.”

“What?”

“I never left.”

“You did.”

Steve smiles weakly. Tears in his eyes.

“I left our apartment. But I just…I just moved in here.”

“That’s not true.”

Eddie is in shock.

“ Alpha.”

Eddie recoils. Stumbles back into the wall like Steve has just slapped him.

Then he looks around the room.

All Steve’s things. Everywhere.

“I don’t… I don’t understand,” Eddie says. One hand on his forehead, the other against the wall to quite literally hold him up.

“I was going to move back home. I was. But then…they wouldn’t have me. Like this.”

“Like what? I thought you needed a break? From Chicago.”

“Kinda.”

“So, you lied.”

Steve’s scent laps off of him. And he whines a little.

“I can smell when you’re upset,” Steve says through a small voice.

Eddie’s jaw drops open.

“Upset?”

Steve looks up at him. Still sitting on the bed. Eyes glassy and red-rimmed. Like he’s been crying.

“You think I’m upset ?” Eddie asks. Trying to stay calm. Really, really trying.

And he loves this man.

He loves him so much but how could he be so fucking passive . 

“Upset does not even begin to describe how I’m feeling, Steve. How I have been feeling the last…what? Six weeks?”

Steve nods. Bites his lip.

“I’ve been dying, I think. I think…I think my alpha fucking died.”

Steve shakes his head. “You’re still alpha. You’re still you. You’re okay.”

Eddie steps towards him. Steve does not move a muscle.

“Don’t tell me I’m okay. You have no idea. No idea how it felt,” Eddie says through a sob. Oh god. The tears are coming and they’re coming fast.

He sniffs. Wipes the back of his hand across his face.

“And I still don’t even know why. I still don’t know if… god , if we ever have a chance of being together.”

“Do you want that?”

“Of course I fucking do. What kind of question is that?”

“Even though I…I left you?”

Eddie’s insides hurt. It’s the first little indicator that this friends bullshit really was bullshit.

“Yes but you need to tell me,” Eddie urges quietly. “I’m sick of this secrecy. Im sick of us not talking. I never wanted to push, but I knew something was wrong. I was scared to scare you off. But I did anyway. I’m so…I’m so fucking confused.”

Steve closes his eyes. 

Takes a deep breath.

He’s crying too.

Tears fall down his cheeks in two perfect streams that glow in the lamplight.

“What happened? Did I…did I scare you? Come on too strong?”

“No. I…Eddie…”

“What?” Eddie urges. He’s this close to getting on his knees and begging.

“Eddie. I love you.”

“ What? ”

“I love you. That’s why I left. I didn’t want to...want to trap you.”

“ Trap? When did I ever give you that impression? I’ve never felt freer than with you. You know that. You know me.”

“I do. I know what you want. What you don’t want. You don’t want this.”

“What are you talking about?” Eddie all but guffaws. This is…this is fucking crazy. “I want you. Nothing else. No one else. Just you.”

“Uh-huh,” Steve says, all nasally from the crying. His mouth open, tongue on his teeth.

Eddie shakes his head. This has all been one huge fuck-up. One big tangled mess of miscommunication. They’ve crossed wires somewhere. 

Eddie feels this weird relief. But it’s still pained. There’s still all the sorrow and heartache of the last six weeks deep in his skin, in his blood.

“But it’s not just me, is it?” Steve says so quietly that Eddie almost doesn't hear it. Steve is staring down into his lap and his scent is so strong Eddie can taste it on his tongue, down his throat, inside him. Like it’s his oxygen. Like he can finally fucking breathe now he’s close to him.

“Let me show you,” Steve whispers.

“Show me what?” Eddie responds softly, slowly stepping closer.

“How much I love you.”

Eddie stops in his tracks. He looks down at Steve. Soft and sweet on the bed. His alpha trills.

Steve lets the blanket drop from his shoulders. Eddie watches as Steve takes off his hoodie. Wearing just a white crew neck t-shirt underneath.

Eddie hates himself for feeling painfully aroused at just the simplicity of this.

God. Eddie loves him in a plain white tee.

Then Steve fingers at the hem of it.

Lifts it slightly.

Eddie smiles.

Tears in his eyes.

He loves Steve’s stomach so much. Would kiss his smooth golden skin every time Steve let his head rest there.

But then Steve stands.

And he’s still holding the bottom of the tee up to his chest.

And Eddie doesn’t register for a second what’s happening.

What he can see.

Steve’s abs are slightly less defined.

He’s soft and…

A little, tiny bit rounded.

It hits him like a freight train.

Eddie drops to his knees.

His alpha keels over.

“Steve,” Eddie gasps. 

He’s never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

And the scent. The final Steve-scent before he left …it was different because…

“I’m having a baby,” Steve says. 

Like it’s so simple.

Eddie stares in front of him.

Eye level with Steve’s gorgeous stomach.

Maybe any other person wouldn’t be able to tell.

But Eddie can.

He can see it.

The first tiny signs of showing. Slightly softer in his hips and this protruding cuteness. 

Eddie is on his knees and he cannot tear his gaze away.

Heart racing, body trembling.

His whole world has flipped sideways.

His whole life, everything in it. 

Nothing else matters.

Nothing matters but Steve and this bump.

Eddie can’t find words.

He can feel every inch of his expression torn up and confused.

On the cusp of crying or singing or screaming. 

His alpha inside is preening.

Aching to touch. 

Eddie is vibrating with it. Fingertips burning.

“Oh and er, she’s yours. By the way,” Steve says gently with a little laugh. “In case you-”

“She?” 

Eddie looks up at Steve.

So fucking gorgeous. 

Steve shrugs. Bites his lip again.

“Just a feeling. Too early to know, really.”

Eddie peels his eyes away from Steve’s. Looks back at the bump.

“Can I?” he asks quietly and Steve says, “yes,” through a breath. Knows what he wants without him having to explain.

Eddie walks closer on his knees.

Steve turns face-on towards him.

Eddie reaches.

Every signal from his alpha senses are telling him to be gentle. Warning signs all over letting him know this is the most precious thing in the world.

His hands are soft and shaking.

They rest on Steve’s hips.

It’s like the first time they’ve ever touched.

Bare skin on bare skin, it makes Eddie gasp. Steve laughs a little through a sob. 

Then Eddie leans in.

Presses his lips to the bump.

Steve really laughs, this time.

That bare, beautiful chuckle that Eddie loves so much. And Eddie laughs too. 

It’s unbelievable.

It’s beautifully shocking.

With his eyes clamped shut, his vision is brighter than ever. Eyesight swarmed with tones he’s never seen before.

Tears stream from behind his eyelids. 

He smiles against the bump. Nudges it with his nose. 

Nothing else matters.

Steve threads his fingers through Eddie’s hair and Eddie’s neck loosens.

He immediately softens into his hand, all while nuzzling gently over the bump.

“My baby,” Eddie finds himself saying. Unsure if he means bump or Steve or both. Probably both.

Definitely both, he thinks, as Steve bends and slides his other hand into his hair. He cups Eddie’s head. Leans in close.

And he whispers.

“Your baby.”

Chapter Text

Six weeks before

Steve gazes at the pregnancy test in his hand.

Sitting on the toilet seat with the lid down. Elbows on his knees.

Just…staring down at it.

Two pink lines.

“Steve. Steve. Steve! What’s it showing?”

“There’s two lines.”

“Two lines. Okay.”

Robin is sitting on the floor opposite him. Leaning back against the radiator in her bathroom. She’s unfolding the unnecessarily huge pamphlet. Turning it around and around in her hands.

“For fucks sake. The font is so tiny I can hardly read it,” she’s mumbling.

Steve doesn’t need her to read it. He knows what two lines mean. But he waits for her to find it. Listening as the paper moves through her fingertips and she mumbles quietly to herself in dismay. It gives him some precious seconds inside his own head.

Figuring it all out.

How the fuck is he pregnant?

Well, it explains a lot. His mood swings and feelings and being snappy with Eddie when all he’s wanted is for him to nest with him in his bedroom but just couldn’t find the words to ask.

He’s on birth control. He’s been on birth control for three years and never even had a scare. Never mind this. But it doesn’t matter, really. 

Nothing else matters anymore.

His eyes fill with tears and his heart is so fucking full and heavy in his chest. But his omega senses feel strange. They feel off. All skewed sideways like they’re trying to walk up walls.  He’s pregnant but not mated. He thinks that’s why. Omega is excited for the cub but scared and on the defense. Confused why an alpha would get them pregnant without the bond. Steve wills it to one side. Tries to push it to the back of his brain.

But it’s hard to.

Steve thinks back to when he first met Eddie. 

Eddie was mysteriously cool. Down to earth and always looked relaxed. He walked around their apartment mindfully, slowly, carried himself tall. And Steve liked that. Like he had nowhere to go but the present moment. He was always up early in the kitchen making coffee and Steve loved that, a lot, too. It would get him through his morning runs knowing Eddie would be waiting for him at the finish line. On a weekend, Eddie always had paint all over his hands and clothes and his hair pinned up in a bun with a paint brush. Which was not only fucking sexy but intriguing, too. 

Whenever Eddie talked to Steve he felt like the center of the universe. Doe-eyes focused only on him, intense and beautiful. But then, Eddie looked at everyone that way. He’s the kinda guy that makes you feel like you’re his favorite person in the whole world after one conversation.

Eddie reminded Steve of a free spirit. Cultured and intelligent. The kinda person you would imagine to explore the world and then recite every single detail perfectly on returning. 

And his scent. God. So soft for an alpha, so special. Like lavender soap and fresh morning grass. It’s so attractive, so addictive. 

Eddie wore drugstore blockers and wore them half-heartedly. Like he wasn’t really that bothered if anyone could scent him. Like he really thought no one else in the apartment wasn’t beta.

Steve’s omega knew instantly. Pined day after day for alpha alpha alpha. And no matter who else Steve would sleep with, it was never satisfying enough and his omega would sulk like a little brat.

So, Steve stopped sleeping with other alphas. Tommy didn’t like that. What a mistake that was.

But Steve didn’t care. He didn’t want anyone else. Only Eddie.

And it’s not that he planned to bed him like some crazy stalker. Quite naturally, he became his friend. 

Friends. That’s where it all started and that’s where they still are . Eddie sees Steve as a friend. Other than last night, Eddie has never arranged plans with Steve on their own. Always in their group of friends doing friends things. 

And yes, Steve is aware he could ask Eddie on a date himself but he’d rather die than do that, thank you very much. 

God. Dating. Even that now seems so out of touch, so far from reality when his reality is right here in his hands.

Two lines. 

Steve has his friend Eddie’s baby inside of him.

He’s so full of love and yet feels completely fucking bereft.

Of fucking course just as his life is borderline perfect , he gets knocked up.

By Eddie.

Eddie who…oh god.

Eddie who he has been in love with from the moment he met him. 

Eddie who is thoughtful and kind. Eddie who has a magical brain that Steve can never understand. Eddie who is no comparison to other alphas. 

Eddie who is always the life and soul of the party, who can dance incredibly well, even if it is to 80s rock music that Steve pretends to hate. 

Eddie who doesn’t even want kids of his own. Eddie who, before Steve came bounding into his life, didn’t miss college classes and worked really hard and would spend his free time painting and…

God. 

And sometimes he thinks Eddie might love him, too. But Eddie doesn’t know what he’s getting into , really. He doesn’t know the Steve before college, Steve’s family, Steve’s whole life back in Indiana, and, even though he told him a little, his history with other alphas. 

And…no-one can love him.

No-one can truly love the real Steve. Steve wasn’t born to be loved. Eddie’s sexual desires for Steve are driven by alpha hormones. That’s all it is.

“Oh my god.”

Steve weakly smiles down at the test. Still staring at the lines.

“Steve. Steve. Okay. Don’t panic.”

Steve actually isn’t panicking. Maybe he should be. But he knows what he needs to do.

“Okay. So…it seems that…you’re pregnant.”

Two lines. Two lines, Steve and baby. 

“Did you hear me?” Robin urges.

He looks up. Oh shit, she’s crying. She scrambles towards him on her knees, drags him into a hug. “You’re pregnant. Are you okay?”

He wants to say yes but suddenly he’s crying instead. Just sobbing into the crook of Robin’s neck. 

It feels good to cry. He’s gonna need this to be able to muster the courage for tonight. 

“Whatever you wanna do, I’ll support you no matter what, you know that?”

“I know.”

They stay here for a while. Holding onto each other and crying and then laughing and crying some more.

“How far along do you think you are? When do you think it happened?” 

He doesn’t even cringe at himself as he says, “it would be hard to pinpoint one time.”

“Gross, Harrington,” Robin teases. But she squeezes his knee. “When was your last heat?”

Steve’s insides hurt when he thinks about it. It’s all kind of a blur but…it was the best heat of his life.

“Almost six weeks ago.”

“Did you have sex?”

Steve gives Robin a look like duh.

“Oh jesus. When do you guys have time to eat ? Or like…do anything else other than do it?”

It makes Steve laugh. That’s really funny.

“Okay. Well you’re on birth control, right? We can assume your heat was probably the time it like…happened.” She makes a crude gesture with her hands that makes Steve laugh some more.

“And Dustin’s mom…she’s a nurse right? She’s helped omegas before. Maybe we should go home for a few days, see her, see the kids. Just get some answers and then…”

Steve takes a deep breath. “And then.”

There’s a pause as they stare at each other. Steve knows what’s coming.

“When are you gonna tell him?” Robin whispers. She wipes Steve’s face with the back of her hand. She’s not gonna like this.

“I’m not.”

“Sorry?”

“Robs.”

“That sounded like you said you’re not gonna tell Eddie.”

“What happened to supporting me no matter what?”

“Steve,” she sighs, sinking back down onto the floor. “I don’t think that’s wise. Or fair.”

“Please, Robin.”

“What? He will be there for you, I know it. What are you scared of?”

How long does Robin have? 

Steve is scared of a lot of things. 

He’s scared of turning into his parents. His mom who wanted kids and his dad who didn’t and ended up with Steve, anyway. And look how that turned out. That’s not good for anybody.

He’s scared of forcing Eddie into an alpha-omega partnership when Eddie said himself that he always wished he was beta . He’s scared of the fact that…they never spoke about their feelings seriously and now he’s bearing his fucking child. He’s scared of actually confronting his feelings face on. Scared of rejection.

He’s scared, and confused, about Eddie’s feelings. Sometimes he smells like he loves him and other times he seems unsure. He’s pretty much confirmed that they’re friends. 

But ultimately what he’s scared of most, is how much he loves Eddie. 

And how much he doesn’t want to ruin his life.

Steve doesn’t tell Robin any of this.

“Let’s do what you said,” he says instead. “Let’s go home. But I think…I think I might stay there.”

“What?”

“I think I’m gonna leave.”

“ Steve.”

“I can’t be pregnant in student accommodation. That’s just…that won’t feel safe.”

“You can stay with me. In here. I’ll make it really nice for you.”

“I know you would.”

“Would your…Steve, I don’t want to make you feel bad, but would your parents let you stay with them?”

Steve shrugs. “I’ll try. I think mom will come around. Or maybe I can live with Dustin. With his mom, probably the safest place for me to be.”

“I don’t think they even have a spare room, Steve.”

“Well. I’ll figure something out.”

Robin sighs. It’s a big one. She looks up at him like he’s crazy and maybe he is.

He knows he is.

But he feels weirdly numb. 

It feels set in stone. A future with a baby. But one without Eddie. 

Steve closes his eyes and sees the words in front of him. The words he wishes he could say to him.

But he erases them from his mind.

Eddie once said he doesn’t like to think of the future. Only wants to think in the present because he can’t deal with what’s to come.

Having a baby would change all of that. 

And it would be all Steve’s fault. He told Eddie he was on protection. Said do it without because he just can’t control himself. Just can’t deny himself pleasure because he’s selfish.

Maybe he’s being selfish right now, as he thinks of how he can safely carry this baby, without ruining Eddie’s future. Without making Eddie do anything he doesn’t want to. Without influencing the whole course of his life.

And his heart is utterly breaking.

Because when you love someone, Steve knows, sometimes you have to let them go.

*

“My baby is inside of you.”

“Yeah.”

“She smells so good. You smell so good.”

“Missed you,” Steve whispers.

Eddie has to force himself to look up and away from bump. Steve’s hands are still in his hair. And then Steve gets on his knees too.

And he kisses Eddie.

Tears on his lips, love in his scent. 

“I’m so sorry,” Steve sobs as they kiss. And Eddie cradles his face, runs his hands through his hair, kisses him so hard. There’s love in his scent, Eddie can smell it so clearly. 

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Eddie says, repeatedly. Oh god. Nothing else matters. Eddie can’t stop kissing him. 

“Eddie. We should-”

“Kiss?” Eddie asks. Interrupting him. Steve is giggling against him, as he wraps Steve up in his arms, stands up and places him carefully, carefully, back onto the bed.

And Steve looks up at Eddie with sparkling, hazel eyes. Brightest they’ve ever been. More emerald flecks than ever before.

Eddie stares at him like he always does. Can’t help it.

But for the first time, Eddie feels certain about Steve’s feelings. He is 100% sure now.

Steve loves him too. There’s no denying the scent that is radiating off of him and the look in his eyes and the baby inside of him.

“I was gonna say talk,” Steve says, giggling some more as Eddie kisses along his cheekbones. Right under his eyes, licking at the tears. 

“Later.”

Like, please, Steve. Very much later.

“I thought you wouldn’t want this.”

Eddie simply despairs.

“How could I not? Look at you.”

“You said,” Steve starts, then almost cries as Eddie wraps his arms around him and pulls him close, laying him down on the bed. “You said you didn’t want babies. You said you can’t- oh, god - can’t think of the future.”

“I do. Oh my god. I do. I want you and a family. Want it all, Steve. Always have. Was just waiting for you, I think.”

Eddie hears Steve swallow. Eddie kisses his tiny Adam's apple.

“Thank you for waiting.”

Thank you for waiting.

Four words that are so simple. So simple and yet they sink in so deep Eddie wants them branded into his skin. Eddie kisses Steve’s face all over. Mumbling between the kisses, telling Steve how perfect he is, how loved he is. Because Eddie thinks he gets it now. 

And Steve is crying. Sobbing as he does so.

God, Eddie can’t help but be incredibly aroused. Even though Steve is crying underneath him, he can feel his wet heat against him. Fully clothed but he can scent it, sense it in every single way. Eddie pushes against him. Propped up on an elbow with his hand cradling Steve’s head, his other hand holding him at the waist.

“Oh my god. Eddie,” Steve moans. Lips bitten, tears falling, as Eddie rolls his hips gently against him. His clothed dick rubbing friction against Steve’s clit.

And it shouldn’t feel this good. It shouldn’t feel better than sex. And they probably should be talking right now.

But Eddie doesn’t care. He needs it, Steve needs it.

Steve’s hands land on Eddie’s ass, rubbing over the soft cotton of his trousers, pushing him into a rhythm that is undeniably provoked by desire.

“Oh. Oh. Fuck. Alpha. Missed you. Missed my alpha.”

“Missed my omega,” Eddie mumbles, low and guttural. Steve whines in response, tilting his hips up so that Eddie rubs against him perfectly. And it’s all slow and lustful. It’s dark in the room other than the candlelight and the warm glow from the lamp covered with the red scarf. 

Eddie could cry, it’s all too perfect. The perfect shape of Steve under him, the feel of his hair in his fist and his warm skin under his palm. And he can’t stop growling. Low, quiet, rumbling free as his body shakes with desire.

It’s the absolute baseline of pleasure. Rutting slowly against Steve. But his clothes feel wonderfully restrictive, and Steve’s little moans tell him he’s close.

“Put it in me,” Steve whines. Almost like he’s begging. “C’mon. Put it…”

He’s trying to get out of his clothes and Eddie wants to let him. But then Steve kisses his throat, licks along his neck, he tightens his grip in his hair and all he does is touch Eddie’s mating patch. It makes them both moan and cry out, and they’re coming against each other. Fully clothed.

It’s a big one. Eddie feels it like a surge, from both of them. Steve moans, rolls his hips, his arms moving uncontrollably like he doesn’t know what to do with them. His hand knocks a glass of water off the side and it crashes, smashes on the floor. And god, Eddie wants to bite but he…he really shouldn’t. He bites down into the pillow underneath Steve instead. Sharp teeth clamped in and ripping the cotton. Which Steve seems to love. Makes him giggle through the euphoria, his hand reaches back for a handful of feathers that spill out of the pillowcase.

“Love you,” Steve pants. Little aftershocks jolting his hips.

Eddie can hardly breathe, as he says, “love you, too.”

Then he shuffles down, lifts Steve’s tee and kisses there just to hear Steve giggle some more.

They eventually recover together. Kissing lethargically. Then they gaze around the room in the comedown.

“Oh. Robin’s gonna kill us,” Steve says through a laugh. It rocks Eddie’s head that is laying on his chest, Steve’s arms wrapped up around him. He looks around the room from this sideways angle. 

And then he bolts up right. 

Steve’s arms drop to the mattress. “What’s wrong?”

But Eddie can barely respond. Because he’s experiencing a severe case of deja vu. Even though they’ve definitely never done that before.

And then it clicks, as his eyes roam around the room. 

Smashed glass.

Candlelight.

Feathers.

Eddie has been here before. But in his dreams. Dreams that he thought were maybe things from the past or a strange alternate universe. Dreams he’s been having since he was 16 years old.

He never, ever could have predicted these dreams were his…his future.

“Eddie. Baby?” Steve sounds far away.

Then his hands are on his face and the touch brings him back.

God.

“Did I…Did I ever tell you about a recurring dream that I have?”

Eddie turns to look at Steve. Who shuffles closer until their faces are almost touching.

“Dream?”

Eddie’s heart is racing. He touches Steve’s face. His world in his palm.

“God. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Eddie cleans up the room a little. Gathers as many of the feathers as he can and throws them in the trash can. Scoops up the smashed glass and does not let Steve even step a toe on the floor until he’s sure it’s all clear. 

Then Steve throws Eddie a pair of joggers to change into, because, yeah, his boxers are ruined. Steve gets changed too and Eddie just watches him in the lamplight. And Steve knows it. The little fucker.

He gets Steve a glass of water, makes him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the empty kitchen, no Robin or roommates. Might have scared them off with the noises from earlier.  It feels weirdly normal. Doing this despite not seeing each other for over a month. It’s like those weeks have been condensed down into one day. 

Eddie backs into Robin’s room, hands occupied with the goods he’s brought in for Steve.

“Okay, so. Water, hydrate please. And your favorite.”

He presents Steve with the plate, pb&j cut into two perfect triangles. Steve blushes. Golden skin turning pink in his cheeks and down his neck. 

“Thank you,” he says quietly, reaching for the plate. 

“Just how you like ‘em.”

Steve stares down at the triangles. Then back up at Eddie. Looking a little sheepish.

“What?” Eddie smiles. 

And then he thinks he gets it.

“Oh my god. Have you been eating pb&js in rectangles?”

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“Oh my god. My baby. I’m not! I’m not laughing. That is so fucking cute.”

Steve puts the plate down and buries his head in one of the only remaining pillows. Peering out over the top of it. “Robin doesn’t make them right either! She doesn’t put the jam all the way to the edges like you do. And I just…I missed you!” Steve despairs, then throws the pillow at Eddie. 

And Eddie just starts to cry.

Eddie ended up hand feeding the sandwich to Steve. Tearing off chunks and popping them in his mouth. Following each bite with a kiss.

After all that, Eddie tells Steve about the smashed glass, candlelight, feathers dream, but he keeps quiet about the others. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but if they are his future…he feels like it wouldn’t be fair to tell Steve. He wants life to be full of surprises for him and what if they don’t come true if Eddie lets slip.  And anyway, Eddie doesn’t know how or when these things are gonna happen or if any of the other dreams even involve Steve in any way.

“You’re magical,” Steve whispers. They’re sitting cross legged on the bed, facing each other, tracing fingertips over skin and kissing lightly and Eddie feels like he’s on drugs, right now.

“M’not.”

“You are. Magical brain. My special alpha.”

“Special omega.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. Have a baby inside you. So special.”

“Baby is special. Not me.”

“How…how did it happen?” Eddie asks. Wishes he knew the exact moment that it did. He could probably guess.

“Mmm. Not totally sure. I’ve been looking into it a little. Speaking to Dustin’s mom. She knows a bit about omega pregnancies. Said that…she said that if an omega is with their…soulmate. During heat. Even if they’re on birth control, it doesn’t seem to matter.”

Eddie stares down in the direction of Steve’s stomach, where Bump lives.

He lets the words sink in.

His alpha senses barely react.

Like they knew it all along.

Soulmate.

His heart is thrumming wildly.

“Makes sense,” Eddie says gently. Voice cracking. “I should’ve known.”

He literally feels like if he had physical wounds right now he would be licking them. His alpha is so sad he didn’t add it all up before Steve left. 

“I wish I was there. When you found out,” Eddie whispers honestly. Squeezing his eyes shut, imagining Steve in the moment he discovered. He must have been so scared. 

“I’m so sorry,” Steve whispers. Eddie can smell and feel every inch of pure sorrow. He can’t be having that. So, he leans in, kisses Steve on the lips, pushes back until they’re laid back on the bed again. Then he shuffles down his body, sticks his head up his t-shirt and just kisses everywhere. Kissing bump. Kissing all over her.

“She’s tiny,” Eddie mumbles when he eventually comes up for air.

“She is. 12 weeks. She’s the size of a plum now. Has all her organs and everything.”

Eddie stares down, spreads his hand wide. Wishes he could feel a heartbeat or movement or anything. Alpha is impatient. 

It’s crazy. It’s fucking magical. There’s a baby in there.

“Wow. She’s so clever. So smart, aren’t you, bump? Growing all your organs and only the size of a plum.” 

Steve groans and throws his arm over his eyes. 

“What?”

“I’m gonna cry again.”

“Baby. Why?”

Eddie pulls down on Steve’s arm, so he can look at him. Doesn’t want another second to go by where he can’t see his eyes.

“Because- oh god. Because you’re just…you’re so cute. And you love her so much already and she’s not even here and I can’t believe I nearly took that away from you.”

It hurts Eddie, he can’t deny it. But nothing hurts more than seeing Steve cut up like this as he hiccoughs and wipes the tears from his face until his skin is red raw.

“Steve. Steve. Look at me, okay? You haven’t taken anything away from me.”

“I nearly did.”

“But you didn’t and that matters. You haven’t taken anything. You’ve given me so much. So much, okay? You’re going to give me…the best thing in my life. You know that?”

Steve smiles weakly but still won’t properly meet Eddie’s eyeline until Eddie grabs his face, pushes his hair back off of his forehead. 

“Sorry. Just…emotional. Hormones,” Steve jokes lightly. 

“No, you have every right to be upset. Don’t be sorry. I love you.”

Steve takes a deep breath. He looks tired. Eyes red-rimmed and little dark circles under his eyes. Eddie lifts the duvet and they both get under together, wrapped up in each other's limbs. 

“I love you too,” Steve breathes. 

And Eddie has to fight against his eyelids that are dropping, determined to watch Steve as he almost instantly falls asleep in his arms.

Eddie is woken with a knock at the door. A knock that isn’t familiar and it filters in through this strange haze of wondering where the fuck he is.

And he worries that he’s dreaming. With Steve still asleep in his arms. In the exact same position that they fell in. Steve feels warm, solid, alive. Chest moving with the soft rhythm of deep sleep.

“Sorry! Sorry, guys,” Robin’s voice echoes from the doorway. Eddie smiles at the sound of it. Lips touching Steve’s hair.

“Please don’t be having sex. I really don’t want to have that image burned into my brain. So…just a few seconds' warning. I’m coming in because I have to go to college and get my things…okay?”

Steve is still asleep . He’s in so deep, but Eddie makes an effort not to wake him when he says, “you can come in, Robs. We’re not…we haven’t been doing it.”

The door creaks open. Robin is still hiding her eyes behind her hand when she peers around it. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Eddie laughs quietly. Steve wriggles a little into him in his sleep.

“Oh god. You two are a bit cute, aren’t you?” Robin teases as she steps into the room. Steve’s back is to her, but she can obviously see the state that they’re in. Completely entwined, not an inch of space between them.

“Did you…have a good night?” Robin asks, standing in the middle of her room. She has this strange aura about her like Eddie doesn’t know if she is about to cry or laugh.

“We did,” Eddie says, shuffling up the bed so he can see her properly. But Steve kinda protests sleepily against him, clutching onto him harder.

“Good. And, erm…did he…did he tell you anything? Significant?” 

“Um…” Eddie gazes down at Steve in his arms. Pushes his hair back. And he still doesn’t wake. “Some things of significance, you could say.”

“Like?” 

Her voice cracks.

And Eddie wants to cry because he wants to hug Robin, too. And everything from last night is swinging back in full force.

“Like, uh. That he loves me. And that he’s…”

Eddie flicks his eyes back to Robin and he can see tears in her eyes.

“That he’s pregnant.”

Oh. Saying the words aloud is something else. And Robin clearly hears those words and is still standing in the middle of her room but she’s vibrating now. A little ‘ eee ’ noise comes out of her and she looks up at the ceiling.

“Thank god for that.”

God. Eddie is so happy. He squeezes onto Steve. Kisses his forehead.

“Well,” Robin says on the back of a shaking sigh. “Guess I should say congratulations, dad.”

His whole body erupts in shivers. The best kind. Butterflies in his stomach and pure happiness aching in his chest. Steve smiles into his chest. He smells awake .

“Your scent woke me,” Steve grumbles in his morning voice.

“Sorry,” Eddie whispers. Steve blinks up at him and Eddie can feel his pupils dilate trying to soak him all up.

“Robs.”

“Yes, Steve?’

“We kinda owe you a new glass.”

“Oh, you broke it?”

“And new pillows.”

“Oh.”

Eddie buries his head in Steve’s neck. And Steve is giggling.

“Oh. Oh. Eddie! You said you didn’t have sex.”

“We didn’t. Technically.”

“Oh. I hate you both. You owe me a new bedroom. Never mind the pillows.”

Then Robin is shuffling about her room, rushing around putting books into her tote bag and then saying she has to run but she’ll be back later and they can talk and she loves them both very much. And Eddie can’t take his eyes off Steve the whole time. He’s obsessed with him.

“Morning,” Steve eventually says when Robin shuts the door behind her.

“Hey. You sleep okay?”

“Mhmm. The best sleep I’ve had in….”

“Six weeks?”

“In six weeks. God, I missed you.”

“Missed you too. Did Bump sleep okay?”

“Is that her name now?”

“Mhmm,” Eddie hums as he shuffles down the bed to kiss Steve’s stomach.

“I think she’s just kinda always asleep.”

“That’s fucking adorable. I’m jealous, actually.”

“You don’t love sleep that much.”

Eddie climbs back up the sheets, pulls Steve close so they’re face to face.

“I do when I’m next to you.”

Eddie has barely finished the sentence before Steve is kissing him. Soft and slow, listless and yet there’s so much affection behind it it makes Eddie’s eyelids burn and his heart loll over.

“Did I hear Robin call you dad or did I dream that?” Steve whispers between the kisses. Lips barely apart.

“She did.”

“Did you like it?”

“Loved it.”

“Do you really wanna do this? Seriously, Eddie?”

Steve does look serious.

“Yes.”

“It will be hard.”

“I know.”

“And we have no money.”

“That’s okay. I like being poor.”

“And I will be crabby, probably.”

“I know.”

“Like a real pain in the ass.”

“No different to usual then.”

Steve doesn’t even respond to that. They’re just grinning at each other, in the end.

And Eddie thinks, as he lets his head sink into the pillow, swiftly followed by Steve climbing on top of him, that it’s not the end, is it? It’s really only the beginning.

The days that follow are a whirlwind. Eddie isn’t sure if he’s ever, ever going to be able to come down from this brutally high intensity of emotions.

Steve and Eddie talk. Like…really talk. 

They promise to always be honest. They explain their feelings, as best as they can. They can’t get through a single sentence without breaking it to kiss, and, sometimes, fuck a little. They really do owe Robin a new bedroom.

Steve explains that he’s been trying to nest . Kinda hiding himself away and not just because he was scared of running into Eddie but because his omega just wants to be inside. 

And it’s incredibly cute but also kinda sad. He hasn’t felt like going on his morning runs, and Eddie is determined to make him feel better so he at least feels like himself again.

Steve wanted to go home. But after two days there he realized that wasn’t where home was for him. Home is Chicago, home is where Eddie is, even though he was too anxious, too scared to contact Eddie when he returned. Even so, he wasn’t welcome at his parents’ house once Steve told them he was pregnant. Although, he’s almost certain his mom would act differently if his dad wasn’t around.

He hasn’t told the monsters yet either. Dustin’s mom is the only other person who knows apart from Robin and his parents. And now Eddie. 

He wants to tell them, but he says it’s too early and he knew deep down it wasn’t right to do it without Eddie. Which makes Eddie cry.

Eddie is crying a lot.

He cries when he tells Wayne.

Eddie feels strangely calm before he calls him. He feels like Wayne knows before he even picks up. And immediately after Wayne says his usual hey, my boy, good to hear your voice, Eddie just breaks down into tears. Wayne says, “is it Steve?” Like he knows. Just like that. And when Eddie says yes, Wayne says, “he’s your omega, isn’t he?”

“He’s my omega, Wayne.”

“And what’s making you cry, boy? Because these don’t sound like unhappy tears.” Then there’s nothing but crying and laughter between them, when Eddie asks Wayne how he’d feel about being a grandpops.

And the crying and laughing comes like breathing, after that. When Robin calls Paige and Jeff and tells them to come over for dinner. Paige is cold towards Steve for all of five minutes until Eddie tells them that he has his baby inside him.

And he can tell on their faces for a moment that their beta instinct is probably to ask if they’re keeping it. They’re 21. They’re in college. But then Jeff’s shocked, open mouth widens out into a shit-eating grin and he pulls them both into a hug that tells Eddie he gets it.

“Fuck,” Paige breathes into Eddie’s chest when she joins the embrace. “Congratulations. I guess?”

“Yep,” Eddie says, wiping the tears from his face, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline. Paige clearly cannot believe this is happening. But she straightens up. Glances between the two of them and says, “we’ll figure this out.”

Eddie looks down at his best friend and knows that this it’s gonna be her life mission to make sure Steve gets through this pregnancy with ease and that Eddie has her support no matter what.

“We always do,” Eddie responds. Then he pulls Steve into his body, kisses his hair, kisses his face all over right in front of their three best friends. The future aunties and uncle to their fucking kid.

“Jeez. Quit it. You might be all in love and high from the dads-to-be energy but stop being gross,” Paige whines, taking off her beanie and throwing it at them.

Eddie throws it right back at her.

Then Steve leaves them to it so he can make them that dinner they promised them.

Steve is five months pregnant when they move into Jeff and Paige’s apartment. Their roommate has gone travelling again, a year in Indonesia, she says.

They outgrew Robin’s room in just a few weeks, even when Robin started bunking with Paige to give them more space.

And they talked about maybe moving to Steve’s hometown, now he’s past the halfway stage. The monsters kinda begged them to, and they continue to beg every day. They completely lost their shit when they finally facetimed them, breaking the news. Dustin says it’s simply unfair not being able to study Steve’s bump every day.  Eddie would go. He really, really would. He’d drop out of college in a second. But Steve is adamant he isn’t doing that. He is not, under any circumstances, leaving Chicago. Not before Eddie graduates and maybe not even after then. The only thing keeping him to his hometown is the monsters and they’re all leaving for college soon anyway.

So they do what any sane pair of parents-to-be would do. They move into their friend’s tiny apartment. Five of them in the three-bed. Because Robin has moved in too.

And honestly, it’s a pretty fucking great deal. The rent is dirt cheap. There’s always someone home so Eddie (his alpha side, mainly) isn’t constantly worried about Steve while he’s in classes.

Steve is getting a little bored, though. He’s starting to show now. If he isn’t wearing a big oversized hoodie, it’s quite obvious that he is one cute, knocked-up omega. Eddie is curious as to how even betas can’t smell him. Eddie knows for sure now when another alpha is close. They stare, they pry, they have this scent about them that really rubs Eddie up the wrong way.

So, they don’t go out all that much. And when they do, they are careful. At first, if anyone so much as looked at Steve a little funny Eddie would just flash his teeth at them. He didn’t give a fuck.

But then he thought about what Wayne said on a phone call a few weeks back. Not everyone is as accepting as your friends, Eddie. You need to keep Steve and your baby safe. Like his alpha needed reminding. But he starts to think about what could seriously happen if an alpha, maybe a little stronger than him, decided to bite back.

Instead, they spend their time amusing themselves in the apartment. They have movie nights, painting sessions and play board games. Steve cooks for them.

Oh, Steve cooks for them every single night and Eddie can’t get enough of it. He wears his apron over little Bump and it’s so exquisitely domestic and beautiful that Eddie sees it all like a watercolor painting. 

Eddie didn’t know he could feel like this. What it’s like to love this hard and be so fucking attracted to someone. 

He cannot keep his hands off Steve. It’s physically difficult to tear himself away when he needs to. And god, it’s hard to stop himself doing all the things he wants to do to Steve. He’s very aware of how old this building is and how you can hear the neighbors through the walls, never mind your roommates . 

But Steve is so fucking sexy. So, so, hot. His alpha pines for him when he’s not in arms reach. And the others try not to laugh or react or make any comments when they’re both being particularly needy, but Eddie loves it when the three of them decide to go out for the evening and leave Steve and Eddie alone without even asking if they want to join. They would say no, if they did.

Tonight is one of those nights. 

Paige, Robin and Jeff have gone to the movies and it took all of ten seconds after they closed the door behind them before Steve is grabbing Eddie’s hand and leading them to the bedroom.

He’s particularly bossy at the moment. Which Eddie fucking loves.

But they’ve been doing this for a little while now. Long enough that Eddie’s confidence is at an all time high and he knows exactly what to say and do and his alpha drives Steve wild.

Steve is most comfortable when he fucks Eddie on top. He sits up on his knees and rides Eddie. Tells him to knock him up and god, it makes Eddie comes so fucking hard every time despite the fact that he already did.

“Does daddy alpha like it when I ride him?” Steve asks, pouting and a little bit sweaty. Long hair tousled from Eddie’s hands.

“Mhmm. Like it,” Eddie responds. An understatement when he’s pretty sure he just came a little bit at Steve calling him that. He rubs his hands up and down Steve’s thighs possessively. So devoted to his body. Until Steve bats his hands away, then holds his wrists above his head.

And it’s always unreal. Always so fucking sexy the way that Steve takes control. And despite his rounded belly and swollen nipples, he’s so stunningly masculine, so hot that Eddie is sure he could be a Playgirl model. 

Steve leans in, hovers his face over Eddie’s. He teases him with feather kisses and a painfully slow rhythm. Gasping breaths and little groans fill the room. Still very aware that they don’t wanna be murdered by the neighbors, they try to be quiet . But it makes everything sexier. 

Even more so when Steve’s perfect mouth slots against the crook of Eddie’s neck. Rubbing his lips over the mating patch and fuck, fuck, fuck.

That gets Eddie. Gets him every single time.

“Fuck. Baby. Steve. Gonna come.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fuck. Feels so good.”

“I know. God, I know,” Steve agrees, licking up Eddie’s neck just as he comes inside him.

And Eddie writhes. Tries to wriggle free from the tight grasp that Steve has on his wrists above his head but his omega is strong. It intensifies everything. He sees white.

He wishes that Steve would bite him.

He wishes he would bite Steve too.

And they both know that it’s coming. It’s like an unspoken proposal between normal people. Like, it’s going to happen. It’s just a case of when and how.

And for whatever reason it isn’t now. And that’s okay despite his alpha literally growling at him right now.

Steve purrs into Eddie’s neck, fucking himself back and forth until he’s coming too. And Steve eventually lets go of Eddie’s wrists and Eddie immediately wraps his arms around him. Holding him close as Steve whispers, “don’t let me go.”

“Promise. Never,” Eddie whispers back. Fucking slowly into him as Steve pulses around him. So slick and wet, Eddie wants to drown in him. 

It becomes gentle, sleepy, utterly dreamy after Steve comes. Every little piece of tension Eddie could sense in his body before melts away, arms loose and supple, legs feeble as Eddie shifts positions so they’re on their sides.

And they stay like this, kissing softly like they’ll die if they ever stop. And they don’t, not even when they both hear their roommates come home. And Eddie is just conscious enough to hope that he properly shut their bedroom door, before he falls asleep.

They’re six months in when money starts to get a little too tight.

Steve is sitting on the edge of their bed, staring at Eddie’s canvases. He’s in just a white cotton tee and plaid bottoms that Eddie is sure were maybe his at one point. Bump sticking out proudly over the waistline. Eddie leans against the doorway, brushing his teeth and watching. He can’t believe this is his life, sometimes.

“What are you thinking, baby?” Eddie asks with his toothbrush in his mouth.

Steve sighs, leans back on his hands. Eddie can’t help but feel like he’s been here before. That night in Eddie’s dorm room.

“Your art is so good.”

“I love you. But I thought you said you know nothing about art?” Eddie teases, before leaving the room to go to the bathroom and spit in the sink. He rinses his mouth out quickly. Bumping into Paige as she takes off her makeup in front of the bathroom mirror.

“I do now because of all of you fuckers,” Steve calls from the bedroom. Eddie runs back, Paige shouting after him, “who are you calling fuckers, Harrington?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. Calls, “g’night, everyone!” before shutting the door. Eddie joins Steve on the bed. Sits behind him so he’s in between his legs. Eddie rubs Steve’s tight shoulders. He’s been complaining that he aches everywhere lately.

“So…we both know money is…”

“Yeah, I know,” Eddie whispers and kisses Steve’s shoulder lightly. He tries not to feel like a shitty dad-to-be but he’s kinda sucking at the providing-for-his-family part.

“Stop with the guilt. You know I wouldn’t let you drop out of college. It would be silly to get a job.”

Eddie smiles against Steve’s skin. Steve could smell his emotions if he was in outer space.

“I know. Can’t help it though. I want you and Bump to have everything you need.”

“ You’re all we need,” Steve says, kinda angrily . He shifts his head so he can glare at Eddie side-on and Eddie just wants to kiss that gorgeous, pouty face.

“You were saying.”

“I was saying…I think you should sell some of your art.”

“Steve. No-one will buy this shit. Only my professor really gets it.”

“Eddie. I’m telling you. I think you’re forgetting I am cut from a very rich, expensive, satin cloth. Rich people like art.”

Eddie hooks his chin over Steve’s shoulder. Stares forward at the canvases in front of them. There must be around ten just in this room, stacked one in front of the other, squeezed into the space between the wall and the foot of the bed.

“Maybe…maybe the big ones I could sell. For like $200 or something.”

Steve huffs. Kisses Eddie’s cheek.

“My poor, sweet, naive alpha.”

“ What? ” Eddie laughs, rubbing his nose against Steve’s.

“You really are poor, aren’t you?”

The passive tone makes Eddie laugh hard. 

“Yeah. Well, I did tell you,” Eddie says, nuzzling into Steve’s neck. He wraps his arms around Steve’s middle, hands settling on Bump. She’s getting big now. Solid. Steve’s baby app says she’s the size of a coconut. “Sorry if you hate that. Your baby is gonna be half-trailer-trash.”

“Scuse me. Our baby. And I’m poor now too.”

“You're just an ex-rich boy, college dropout, baby. There’s a difference.”

“Oh, you’re dead, Munson.”

They tussle and Eddie always lets Steve win. Even though Eddie’s alpha is slowly growing more confident around how rough he could be with Steve if he wanted to.

“You should try adding a zero to that 200. Minimum.”

“Per painting?!” 

“Yeah. For sure. I’m telling you.”

Steve is sitting on top of Eddie. He’s getting heavier with the extra weight of Bump inside of him. Eddie feels it every week, every day, the way in which Steve’s body changes to accommodate their baby. 

“I don’t want you to think that…I, like, need money to be happy. I really do only need you. But…baby things are expensive and it could work.”

Eddie strokes Steve’s face. He’s clearly been thinking about this a lot. Eddie has been so busy the last few weeks with college it’s been hard to get a lot of alone time together to really talk about this kinda thing.

“I know. I’m sorry that you’ve been thinking about this. I should’ve been thinking about it more. And I will. Promise.”

Steve turns his face so he can kiss Eddie’s palm.

“I could be your sales person. I could dress up in a suit and tie.”

Eddie groans. Throws his arm over his eyes like that will help at all in erasing the vivid imagery of Steve in a fucking suit.

“God. Are you that easily turned on?” Steve laughs. It’s a rhetorical question. He knows what he’s doing.

Eddie just groans in response, biting his lips into his mouth as he peaks at Steve who is now grinding on him.

“Oh, because you definitely shouldn’t be imagining me in nothing but a shirt. Using my tie to wrap around your wrists and-”

Steve is many things.

He is smart.

He is thoughtful.

He is pregnant with Eddie’s baby.

But most of all, he is fucking irresistable.

Eddie trusts Steve, always. And Eddie trusted Steve when he said add another zero. 

He did what he was told to do and within a week Eddie has sold two paintings and has 4k in his pocket.

Eddie has never seen four thousand dollars in his life.

Everyone helped, of course.

Steve called an old family friend with art connections and Robin built Eddie a website and Paige designed business cards and Jeff took awesome photographs of his work.

Paige and Jeff have even put some of their artwork on there too.

It’s becoming quite the family business.

And they’ll be able to focus on their family business more soon. Because it’s finally time for their end-of-year exhibition. Steve is almost seven months pregnant. And even though he is so obviously with child now, he comes to the exhibition. Wearing a big hoodie and baggy jeans that his ass has absolutely no business looking that great in. 

And they probably shouldn’t be so showy about it.

Eddie wishes that the general public would accept alpha-omega relationships just so that he could show Steve off to the world without having to worry that some raging hormonal alpha might steal him. But in a room filled with art students and friends of Eddie’s classmates that he’s known for years, it’s probably the only public space they’ve felt safe enough to show it in a long time.

So, Eddie can’t keep his eyes or hands off Steve, as he walks around the exhibition, asking people about their artwork and taking it all in with big, wide eyes.

“Is that your partner, Eddie?” his professor asks, standing next to Eddie and nodding towards Steve.

“Yeah, it is. Steve. He’s called Steve,” Eddie says, not bothering to remove his gaze away from Steve as he talks to one of his classmates across the room, a hand resting on Bump. God. Eddie’s heart is so fucking full.

“Looks like you’re gonna have your hands full, after summer, huh?”

“Uh-huh.”

Eddie turns to look at his professor. Smiles. And he smiles back, pats Eddie on the back like he’s saying congratulations without saying anything at all.

“My hands are gonna be very, very full.”

It’s summer break. Chicago is having a weirdly hot June and Steve is cursing the sun, cursing their apartment that overheats and has no air conditioning, cursing every single item of clothing he owns that’s either too clingy, too thick, too weird of a material that makes his skin crawl.

“You know where there isn't a heatwave, Steve?” Robin says, sucking on an ice pop.

They’re sitting on the steps that lead up to their front door. Eddie is holding a little battery-powered fan towards Steve, moving it up and down his body. His poor omega is so hot all of the time, which means he’s sweaty all of the time and his scent is so fucking strong and glorious. The fan isn’t exactly helping, either. But Eddie keeps it together.

“Where, Robin?”

“A little place called home.”

“This is my home.”

“The other home. The one where the kids live.”

“Yeah, and as much as I love that you call this place home, Harrington, there’s mold in the bathroom and our living room has turned into an art shop,” Paige adds. Eddie sees her in the corner of his eye lick Robin’s ice pop.

Steve looks at Eddie.

‘I’m not leaving’ he mouths at him.

Eddie smiles. He loves his defiant boyfriend. But he knows that they’re gonna have to go soon. Steve’s due date is fast approaching and the only person he feels comfortable enough to deliver their baby is Dustin’s mom.

‘We’ll come back. Promise.’ Eddie mouths back. Steve rolls his eyes. Then stands and heads back inside with a little huff, as dramatically as a person who is almost eight months pregnant could. Eddie watches after him. Watches him walk all the way down the corridor until he’s out of sight. He’s so round at the front but from behind he doesn’t even look pregnant.

Robin whistles.

“Jeez. Don’t wanna be on the other end of that argument tonight.”

It makes Eddie laugh. 

Okay, so, they’ve been arguing a lot the last couple of weeks but it’s not really been arguing. It’s been Steve arguing with Eddie and then getting even more mad when he won’t argue back. Sometimes Steve calls Wayne to complain about Eddie. It's hilarious. Even when Wayne takes his side.

“He’ll be okay. He knows we need to go.”

“I think we need to go soon,” Paige says, leaning back to rest her head on Eddie’s knee. “Like soon soon. He looks like he’s gonna pop.”

“He’s in denial,” Robin says, then laughs. “God. I actually can’t believe you two are having a baby.”

Paige smacks her on the leg lightly. 

“ What? I mean…I can. I can believe it. The way you were…you know.”

“Oh god. Don’t. I’ll barf,” Paige jokes.

Eddie looks down at them on the step below him. 

Robin looks at him. “But it’s crazy, right? There’ll be a little baby here in…in weeks.”

And Paige responds with something and Jeff, who is down on the bottom step in the sun, says something else back but Eddie can’t really hear any of it.

Because he’s thinking about Bump and the fact she is a real little human and she’ll be here so, so soon. Steve has to…oh god . His omega has to birth her and Eddie is gonna be so fucking useless. What if he’s in pain? What if something goes wrong? What if he just blacks out like how he feels right now?

And suddenly there’s hands on him and voices around him and he pretty much can’t register a single, little thing, until the scent of his omega is right back next to him.

It’s chaos.

It’s absolute chaos at Dustin’s place.

They’re in Hawkins. This strange little town in Indiana that Eddie had never even heard of before Steve. It’s kinda like going back in time and Eddie can see why Steve was avoiding his return.

But it was essential. And as soon as they arrived, Eddie had no regrets.

They drove here in Paige’s car, who’s gonna stay at Robin’s place with Jeff until the baby’s here. Dustin has given up his room for Eddie and Steve, and is sleeping on the couch. Which is so sweet and Eddie is so thankful for Steve’s monsters. These glorious little misfits. He can’t wait to let them babysit, he hopes Bump gets traits from all of them.

Eddie is in awe of Steve these last few weeks. He’s clearly uncomfortable but he’s taken pregnancy like a duck to water. He’s much less argumentative than last month, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t crabby.

Steve did warn him.

He is crabby.

Oh, he is a real pain in the ass but Eddie loves him this way. He loves him every single way.

The only downside to being in Hawkins is that they rarely get any time alone together. Other than when they’re going to sleep and Steve is such a tired thing lately they say two sentences to each other and then he’s falling asleep. But Eddie doesn’t mind. His alpha is actually most content when Steve is asleep in his arms.

Steve’s scent is so strong, too. Lapping off him in soft waves, a beautiful dreamy current that pulls Eddie under. It’s so different from the scent Steve had back when they would swap glances in the kitchen during their coffee mornings. But it’s just as beautiful, and Eddie has a feeling that scent might come back once Bump is born.

He wonders what Bump looks like.

Of course, he’s seen her in the sonogram that Claudia printed for them in the hospital. He keeps a copy of it in his wallet, alongside Steve’s trust me bite me notes. But she’s all white lines and blue-black. Eddie wants to see her colors. He bets she has the most beautiful colors of anything he’s ever seen.

Claudia knows the gender of the baby. They ask her not to tell them. Because they don't care about gender but simultaneously Steve has assured Eddie he knows this baby inside of him is their daughter. But Steve told Claudia she can tell anyone else who begs. 

That’s how Wayne knows. Eddie could just tell that he knew, because he started referring to Bump as she on their phone calls. It’s because Claudia speaks to Wayne on the phone a lot. Eddie is sure she speaks to him more than he does these days. 

It’s hard for Eddie to call Wayne as much as he would like. He’d like to call him every hour with a baby question if he could. But he’s so busy preparing.

Steve is sleeping so much that Eddie is kinda taking care of all the last minute baby stuff without him. He is jumping on that baby train and throwing off the driver, simply becoming the conductor himself. Fuck it, at this point, he built the train.

And Paige, Robin and Jeff and the monsters try to help as best they can.

They go shopping together. 

They stand in a line and stare at the breast pump machine.

“Let me call Claudia,” Paige is saying slowly as they all contemplate the exact same thought.

At one point, Eddie finds Robin crying in Baby Gap. Just standing there, holding a pair of little, white slipper boots. “They’re…so…tiny,” she says between giant sobs that would make Eddie laugh if he wasn’t so perplexed that he is the one holding it together right now.

They lose Jeff, too. They find him in the music store, buying the tiniest pair of noise canceling headphones.

“Where the fuck do you think we’ll be taking her?!” Eddie guffaws, dragging Jeff out of the store. “I said essentials.”

“I want to take her to her first gig.”

“Oh my- jesus christ. I am scared for my child.”

And Eddie shouldn’t be shocked. It happens every time they go to the mall. At least the family business is doing well, so money isn’t as much of an issue as it used to be.

They’re picking up Steve’s favorite strawberry and elderflower jam when they get the call.

It’s actually Robin who sees it first.

“Hey, Maxine. What’s up? Need me to pick up something?”

Eddie’s alpha senses are so heightened lately. Which includes his impeccable hearing. And he nearly drops the jars of jam he’s holding in the middle of the Whole Foods aisle when hears Max’s voice all squeaky, high-pitched and running fast. Like it’s an emergency.

Robin is pale and staring forward. Everyone is staring at her.

And Eddie doesn’t know why it’s taking them so long to move. Everything feels like it’s happening in slow motion.

“Right. Okay. Like, right now?”

Eddie can tell she’s trying to stay calm.

“Cool. Okay. Cool. We’ll be right there.”

“Has Steve gone into labour?” Paige asks, thank god, because Eddie can’t speak.

“And did you just say that that was cool?” Jeff asks, laughing and Eddie looks at him like is this really the time to laugh.

“Yes. To both of those questions.”

Now everyone is staring at Eddie.

And Eddie just blinks at them all. His gaze moving between each of them and their faces are so fucking expressive they look like cartoon characters. 

“Eddie, did you hear that?” Paige asks.

“Yeah.”

“Steve is in labor,” she adds.

“Yeah. And Robin did say that was cool.”

“That’s right. That’s right, Eddie. It’s so cool. You’re gonna be a dad. So is Steve. He’s in labor.”

“Steve’s in labor.”

“Yep.”

Oh.

Oh fucking jesus christ.

“Steve’s in labor,” Eddie says again, except this time it’s all breath and he’s running out of Whole Foods like he’s being chased by an angry mob.

Rest assured Steve is gonna get his special jam. They just don’t take the time to pay for it.

Eddie wasn’t sure what to expect when he arrived at the hospital but it certainly wasn’t this.

Steve is absolutely fine.

He’s sitting in the waiting room, eating a fucking sandwich.

Eddie stands and stares at him from the entrance. Out of breath and panting. The other three crash into him from behind.

Steve waves at them.

Fucking waves.

“Oh. Hey!” he shouts with his mouth full.

Eddie lets out a relieved sigh. During the drive over here he was panicking that he would miss the most important moment of his life. Of Steve’s life. 

He clearly had nothing to worry about.

“Hi baby,” he says as he approaches. He gets down on his knees in front of him, kisses him full on the mouth. Peanut butter. He’s eating a peanut butter sandwich. God. He loves him so much. “Everything okay?” 

Eddie runs his hands all over him. Stares at Bump who is still very much there. Steve’s scent is so, so strong. It’s the strongest it’s ever been.

“I’m fine. Baby is fine. Just waiting for my room. Claudia has hooked us up with a private one. Great, right?”

Steve is being surprisingly calm and his scent doesn’t give off any indicators to tell Eddie otherwise. 

“You’re in labor, right now?”

“Yeah. Waters broke like the second I woke up from my nap. Started having these contractions too. Feels so fucking weird.”

“Why didn’t you call me or message me?” Eddie asks desperately. He can feel this unhinged energy building, likely from all his alpha senses mixing together in this horrible, panicked cocktail.

“Hey. Hey, it’s okay. I’m okay. Alpha,” Steve says softly, a little surprised tone in his voice now, like maybe he expected Eddie to be the calm one right now. He pushes his hand through Eddie’s hair. It immediately relaxes him. “Sorry I didn’t call you. I was going to, but Max said she would and Jon drove us straight here.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s fine. It’s okay, we’re all here now.”

As if on cue, the monsters all come pouring out of what Eddie assumes is the breakroom, heaps of snacks in their arms. Jon and Nancy are rounding them up from behind, looking a little stressed. They hug Eddie excitedly. They cannot wait to meet their niece. Or nephew! Dustin shouts, pointing out that Steve’s senses might not be 100% accurate.

They’re only waiting for ten minutes before Claudia appears and takes them to Steve’s private room. It’s a secluded section of the hospital that people normally pay thousands for. And Eddie said that they would but Claudia insists they don’t need to. 

“So technically, male omega births aren’t allowed here. So Steve, your name is Stevie on the records. We can change it all afterwards, okay?”

“Stevie is fine. Call me whatever you want. Honestly, I couldn’t care less as long as Bump is safe.”

“God. Will Bump be on the records?” Robin laughs but is suddenly straight faced when Eddie and Steve smile at each other. “Please don’t call your baby Bump.”

“No, we’re not. Of course we’re not.”

“Not officially, anyway.”

Robin rolls her eyes, somewhat affectionately. And Max, who caught the end of that conversation, cries, “noooo! I was warming to Bump!”

It’s all chaos for a little longer until Steve starts to fall asleep in the middle of his sentences. Everyone apart from Eddie leaves, and he promises to call as soon as anything happens.

As it turns out, labor is long and, quite honestly, boring.

They’ve been here for fifteen hours and Steve’s contractions are more regular, becoming more painful, but he’s handling it all like a fucking pro.

“Your pain threshold is amazing,” Claudia says when she comes to check on Steve for the fifth time tonight. 

“Yeah. Well. I think I’ve had worse,” he mumbles quietly, quiet enough that Claudia doesn’t even hear him. But Eddie does. He watches Steve. Mindfully tracks every single movement of every feature on his face. Like he’s trying to read his mind.

When Claudia leaves, Eddie asks, “what did you mean by that?”

“By what?” 

Steve is moving on the bed, shifting on the cotton sheets until he’s sat up right.

“You have had worse than these contractions?”

Steve takes a deep breath.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that without you knowing everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s so much to tell you. I don’t know where to start.”

“Claudia said we have a while, baby. But if you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay.”

Steve shuffles sideways then pats the space next to him, inviting Eddie to sit with him. Eddie rushes up there, squeezing in together, half-laying down sideways. Steve is so pretty up close.

“Okay. I’ve wanted to tell you about this since…since we first met, really. But never found the time and with everything,” he looks down at Bump, “other things took priority.”

Eddie strokes Steve’s gorgeous, perfectly round middle. “Of course.”

“But I’ll try now, if that’s okay.”

Steve starts by telling Eddie it’s the stuff with Will. He says it’s horrible stuff. But it’s things that he can’t even begin to regret happening because he would never have found Robin the way he did, would never have become friends with Dustin and the others, would never have accepted himself for who he is and allowed him to want the things he wants.

When Steve was in junior year of high school Will went missing. And in the process of trying to find him, the whole group started to uncover these insane government secrets. Like, shit that Steve technically shouldn’t even be telling Eddie right now. 

Steve tells Eddie that he and Robin were fucking kidnapped at one point. He was beat up to an inch of his life as they tried to get information from them. And it was in those moments, that Steve decided to embrace his omega. Decided to give in and let himself want kids, want his own family, want an alpha.

Eddie sits silently the whole time and listens so intently. Focused on each and every word that comes out of Steve’s mouth, rubbing his hands absent-mindedly over Steve’s whole body as he talks.

“And that was more painful than this. And you know, I never told my parents what happened. They could see I was in pain for weeks afterwards and they never even asked what was wrong. That’s when I decided. Those guys out there in the hall. They’re my family.”

“They are. They’re my family now, too.”

“They sure are. And Wayne is my family.”

Eddie smiles. Leans in to kiss Steve like that would be enough to ease all of Steve’s pain. “He is. I’m your family, you’re my family.”

He rests his hand back on Bump.

“We’re family.”

“I know.”

“So sorry you went through that.”

“It’s okay.”

“If we met in high school or something, I would’ve protected you.”

“Oh, I know, alpha.”

“Omega.”

“Alpha. Big, strong, alpha.”

Steve kisses Eddie. Kisses him gently right on his lips. And they don’t stop until Steve’s next wave of contractions come, and Steve leans forward while Eddie strokes his back and utters encouragement right into his ear, ending it all with, “I love you, Stevie.”

Another five hours go by and Steve is in real pain now. Although he insists that it’s still not the worst he’s ever felt and Eddie is on the cusp of running out of here and killing whoever caused him more pain than this. Because Eddie can feel it. He can sense it in the air around them and smell it in Steve’s scent that this is in no way enjoyable for him.

When Claudia arrives, this time she says, “looks like we’re ready, Steve.”

“What do you mean? Ready?” he asks, breathing hard between each word like it’s even painful to talk.

“As in, let’s have your baby.”

Steve looks at Eddie with the first true signs of panic written all over his face. And Eddie breathes deeply and wills himself to be the calm, steady constant that he needs.

‘You’ve got this,’ Eddie mouths at him.

He reaches for him, squeezes his hand.

‘We’ve got this,” Steve mouths right back. 

“Do you want anybody else here, Steve? I can go get one more person.”

“Robin,” he adds without even a thought. Eddie smiles. God. He can’t wait to experience this with her. He doesn’t need to will himself into calmness anymore. He feels suddenly overwhelmed with confidence, his alpha feels strong, prepared, qualified to protect Steve and help his omega through this as best he can.

Claudia leaves and returns with Robin and another midwife so quickly that Steve and Eddie don’t even have a chance to speak to each other. They just kiss. Caress. Squeeze onto each other’s hands.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“Robin. Be calmer, please,” Claudia says as she moves calmly around the room. Preparing.

Eddie doesn’t know what she’s doing, he doesn’t care, to be honest, as long as whatever she is doing is gonna hurry this thing along and get Bump out safely.

“I love you,” Eddie mutters into Steve’s ear. He leans in, resting his elbow on Steve’s pillow, his arm up and over his head, stroking his hair.

“I love you,” Steve says, breathing hard. He’s nervous, Eddie can tell. 

Then it’s all kind of a blur. As Claudia props up Steve’s legs and tells him to breathe. Instructs him when to push. Asks him how he feels. 

Robin stands opposite Eddie, she’s holding Steve’s hand too. And they keep catching each other’s gaze, smiling, wide eyed, shaking their heads like what the fuck is happening.

“Steve. You’re so tense, my darling. You’re gonna need to relax. Okay? Your baby is close to being here,” Claudia urges.

Steve’s scent is intense. It’s almost blinding Eddie, it’s that strong.

“Try to relax, Steve,” Robin says, kissing his hand.

“You fucking try to relax. When there is a baby coming out of you!” he quietly yells in frustration and god, this is more like what Eddie imagined.

“That’s not gonna happen,” Robin says, trying not to laugh. “Eddie?” She’s looking at Eddie with pleading eyes.

Eddie’s insides ache, panic prickling at his senses, everything is still a fucking blur. But he gathers himself, says, “you wanna get Bump here soon, right?”

“Yeah,” Steve says, pouting. Closing his eyes and tipping his head to the ceiling. He’s in so much pain now, Eddie can see.

“Then relax, then push, and she’ll be here. Right, Claudia?”

“That’s right. Just a few more pushes, Steve, I promise.”

And Steve tries. He’s really trying, Eddie can feel it, he can see it and he wants to cry so badly for his omega. Wishes he could be more help.

“C’mon. Steve. Again, you gotta do better,” Claudia is saying and Eddie wants to shout at her. Wants to tell her to go away and scream that he’s doing his best.

But Steve is saying, sobbing, “I know, I know,” and he tries again and again.

Claudia is whispering something to the other midwife and Eddie panics.

“What? What’s happening?” he asks.

“Just…this needs to be done. Otherwise we’ll need to intervene with other measures, okay?”

Eddie looks at Robin desperately then at Steve.

Who looks at him like he knows.

“Scruff me,” he says.

“What?”

“Eddie. Please. Scruff me. Make me relax. I know you’ll be able to do it,” he urges.

Eddie has never done this before.

He swore he never would.

Unless Steve asked.

And Steve is asking him right now. More like begging. And their beautiful little baby is nearly here.

He has to do it.

And even though this isn’t something he ever imagined doing, he reaches for the back of Steve’s neck. Brushes his hair out of the way to do so.

He wraps his other arm around his chest, holding him tight. He feels strangely calm and confident as he brushes his lips against his ear and whispers in a tone he has never, ever used before, “relax, omega.” And he grips him, hard.

“Yes. Steve! Well done. Relax, good. Now, push, okay?”

He can feel Steve relax, the pain defeated enough for just a moment that he’s able to push. 

“Push, Steve. You can do it. I love you, so, so much,” Eddie urges, whispering right into his ear, kissing his earlobe between every other word.

And Eddie almost whites out. His vision burning his eyelids, it hurts his throat. And the scents and sounds all combine. Eddie doesn’t know which way is up when he hears a little cry.

This tiny, scrawny, earth-shattering cry.

Like a starving baby bird.

“She’s here. She’s here. Steve, Eddie.”

Eddie watches as Claudia moves around the room with this small bundle of blankets in her arms. 

“Be careful. Claudia, be…oh my god. Be careful with her, please?” Steve begs. Eddie turns to him, grabs his face and kisses him all over it. Steve is crying. His face wet and salty from all the tears and sweat.

He’s never looked so beautiful, Eddie is sure.

Robin silently moves out of the way so Claudia can pass their baby to Steve.

And Eddie is in shock, he thinks.

Steve moves the blanket. Wipes her little forehead.

He traces the shape of her face with his fingertips.

“Congratulations,” Claudia says. And Robin says it too. 

But neither of them respond.

They just stare down at her and Eddie wraps his arms around both of them. This little pink thing with soft strands of dark hair between them.

Steve kisses their baby and then Eddie. And Eddie does the same. Continuously swapping kisses and pressing lips against each other.

She smells so soft. This beautiful, soft scent. Like lavender soap and fresh morning grass.

There’s three of them now. A little mix of them both in Steve’s arms.

“She smells like you,” Steve whispers.

“She does?” Eddie says, fighting back the guttural sob that is moments away.

“I love you,” Steve whispers through his tears.

“I love you too. So much. Love Bump too. Our baby.”

“Our cub.”

They’re left alone after some time. Claudia checks on Steve, gives him everything he needs, gives them the formula for babies birthed by male omegas, says they can feed her whenever she cries. Steve has no tears that need stitching, thank the lord but Claudia says that’s because of how Eddie stepped in to help. Which was all Steve’s idea, Steve is the genius, not him.

They lay together on the bed made for one. All three of them. 

Baby Bump in Eddie’s arms, Steve spooning them sideways.

She’s so light in his arms but she feels so real. It feels like just yesterday he was kissing Steve’s stomach in Robin’s bedroom.

“She’s so pretty.”

“She’s so good, too.”

“Mmmm. She’s perfect, isn’t she?”

Baby Bump has kinda dark, blue eyes which Eddie wasn’t expecting, since he and Steve both have brown eyes in various shades. But Steve says all babies are born with blue eyes and they’ll probably change as she grows.

As she grows.

God. Eddie is simultaneously anxious and excited to watch his baby grow.

She has dark hair already. Steve says that she gets it from her daddy and Eddie just cannot deal with Steve calling him that. It hurts his heart in a really, really fucking good way. It’s all daddy this, daddy that. Steve hasn’t called Eddie by his name once in the short few hours of their baby’s existence.

“So, what’s her name?” Eddie asks. They’ve talked a lot about names. They have a few shortlisted and Eddie loves them all.

“I still love Luna the best.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. So pretty. She looks like Luna to me, no?”

“Like the moon.”

“She’s our moon, right?”

“Right, baby. Little Luna Harrington-Munson.”

“Luna Munson.”

It’s a good job Eddie is lying down because he would probably sink to his knees and cry if he was standing.

“Why?”

“Don’t want Harrington.”

Huh. Kinda sounds like Steve doesn’t want Harrington either. Eddie should get working on that.

“Okay, baby. Luna Munson, it is.”

“Luna Bump Munson.”

“Oh, we can’t do that to her. Can we?”

“We can do anything we want, you made her, I birthed her.”

It makes Eddie laugh so hard. He’s having a proper giggling fit as he snuggles into Steve who doesn’t even wince even though Eddie knows he’s still in pain. 

“Luna Munson is our baby.”

“Luna Munson is our moon.”

Before they let the others in, they call Wayne. Who answers before it even rings. The wifi connection is shitty in the trailer but Eddie can still see on his slightly pixelated face that he has been crying.

“How’s my boy?”

“I’m okay!”

“I meant Steve.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. Affectionately. Eddie tilts the phone so that Steve is in view. He’s still holding their baby.

“Here they are, Wayne.”

“You look great, son. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay, Wayne. Really. Wanna meet your granddaughter?”

“Oh. Steve, now. Don’t make me cry.”

“She’s right here,” Steve laughs. “Wanna see?”

Eddie is just beaming at them, out of Wayne’s sight, as he moves the phone so the front camera is focused on Luna.

“Wayne, meet Luna Munson.”

“Oh. Boys. Eddie. She’s beautiful. She looks just like you when you were a baby.”

“Does she, Wayne? I wondered that, you know? Show me baby pictures next time we’re home.”

Home.

How many homes do they have now?

“We’ll come soon, Wayne.”

“Yeah, before we go back to Chicago, we’ll come visit, if you’ll have us.”

“If I’ll have you? I hope you’re yanking my chain, boy. You know you can come here and stay as long as you need to. Live here, if you want.”

Eddie and Steve grin at each other.

“Thanks, Wayne.”

“No problem. I’ll let you rest. Put Eddie on.”

“Oh, interested in me now, are you?”

“You look after them like your life depends on it, Eddie. You hear me?”

“I hear you. Just. Stop crying,” Eddie says, on the verge of crying himself.

“Miss you, son.”

“You, too. We’ll come by so soon.”

“Before Luna gets too big.”

“Oh, she’s so tiny, Wayne. You wouldn’t believe it.”

Eddie could stay on the phone to Wayne forever but they’re interrupted by a knock at the door and a creak when Steve tells them to come in.

“I’ll call you later. Love you, Wayne.”

“Love you, son. All three of you.”

Eddie puts his phone in his pocket, takes one look at Steve, and then the monsters bound in. Jon and Jeff are hugging Eddie from behind, Dustin climbing onto the bed, Lucas, Mike and Will standing at the end of it, Max and El stare from the doorway. Nancy, Paige and Robin gather by Steve’s head, Robin stroking his hair.

They’re all weirdly quiet. Hushing and cooing and Steve starts to cry. He looks at Eddie for help, after he tries to introduce Luna to them all.

“Everyone, say hi to Luna Munson,” Eddie says.

And he leans back in his chair with an exhale. As everyone says hi Luna in their own ways.

Eddie watches Steve, like always. Like he always has, since they first met. As Steve presents their newborn to each family member. Each member of his pack.

And Eddie is just grateful to be here. 

In the quiet chaos, Eddie looks around and knows he’ll never be lonely again.

Claudia discharges Steve the next day. 

And time passes too quickly, as the first week flies by. It’s all hands on deck at Dustin’s place. It really does take a village.

But then Steve wants to go home. Chicago home.

They visit Wayne first, as promised. Paige, Jeff and Robin join too. Which Wayne loves. They all somehow fit in the trailer and Wayne holds Luna the whole time, nobody else gets a look in.

It’s actually the first time Steve and Wayne have met in person and yet they talk like they’ve known each other a lifetime. They make arrangements for Wayne to come to Chicago soon, says he’ll stay in a motel nearby and help out wherever he can.

Steve mentions Christmas. Which seems so far away but with the way time is passing, Eddie knows deep down it will be here in a minute.

Luna will be nearly six months old then.

God.

But Wayne says yes please. He’ll have anyone round for Christmas who wants to join.

The more the merrier, after all.

The first night back in their apartment that they share with Paige, Robin and Jeff is almost a cathartic experience. 

The place looks exactly the same as how they left it, except everything has changed. 

Eddie has Luna in a little carrier. She’s wearing a white beanie that Robin knitted for her.

“Welcome home, Luna,” Paige says.

“You’re so lucky, Luna. You know how many babies wish they lived in a tiny rented apartment in Chicago?” Robin teases.

“Hey. She’s a cool, city baby,” Jeff adds.

Steve has been managing amazingly well the last couple of weeks, but Eddie can tell he wants to rest, just the three of them. 

They say their goodnights and head to their bedroom. That’s been baby proofed from the floor to the ceiling, the whole place has.

Eddie has mixed feelings about being back in Chicago. He kinda wishes they had a big house in the middle of nowhere so that they could hide away from the world. But he also loves the idea of Luna being a city baby and being around life and people.

Eddie unpacks their bags while Steve feeds Luna the bottle, sitting on the edge of their bed.

“You okay, baby?”

“Just tired,” Steve says, yawning as he does so.

“Let's get us ready for bed, yeah?” Eddie says, holding his hands out for Luna and taking her to the changing station they built together from a flatpack.

Steve kisses Eddie then leaves to go to the bathroom with his things.

Luna makes a quiet squeaking noise. She does it whenever Steve isn’t in the room.

“Sorry, baby. I know how it feels. Hate it when he’s not close, too.”

Eddie is sure she can understand him. She squirms, but doesn’t make any more noise. She smells happier.

He changes her diaper and sleepsuit like he was made to do this. She’s all stiff in her limbs until Steve returns and she immediately relaxes before he’s even touched her.

“God. She loves you so much.”

“Mmm. I love her so much. She loves you too, you know?”

“Oh, I know,” Eddie says with confidence. He feels the connection as soon as he touches her. He loves to hold her, he thinks he does so in a way that nobody else does.

“You look so good holding her like that,” Steve says, sinking into the bed and watching as Eddie walks over to the basket they prepared for her before they left for Hawkins.

Steve has hooded, glazed eyes. He smells a little off. Like he’s tired but it’s deeper than that. Eddie climbs onto the bed once he’s sure Luna is in the position Claudia instructed him to leave her in.

He kneels in front of Steve. Staring at his soulmate.

“I’m so proud of you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. So proud of you. I can’t…I can’t thank you enough. For Luna. For everyone. For everything.”

“Thank you for giving her to me. And for being there for me. Always.”

Steve reaches for Eddie and Eddie pulls him gently into his lap.

“So good to be home,” Steve mumbles into Eddie’s neck.

“So good to be with you,” Eddie says, burying his face into the crook of Steve’s neck. Kissing at the…

At the matching patch.

His teeth are pointed before he even realizes where his lips are. And Steve trills. This quiet, soft rumble.

“That’s what I mean,” Steve whispers. “You’re home to me.” 

He licks up Eddie’s neck. Kisses where Eddie wants him to bite.

And they do this a lot. But this is the first time they’ve done it since Luna was born. It’s so intense. It’s not even sexual, it’s more than that. More than desire. Greedier than desire.

Eddie knows.

And Eddie knows that Steve knows.

And maybe they should think this through. Read up on it. But their baby is sleeping next to them. And it feels so perfect.

“Do you trust me?” Steve asks.

“Yes. Always.”

“Will you bite me?” 

Trust me. Bite me.

“Yes. Will you bite me?”

“Yes.”

“ God. Steve. I love you.”

“I love you. This will bond us, you know?”

“I know. Want you, omega.”

Steve groans. Kisses Eddie’s neck again.

“Want you, alpha.”

“Same time?” Eddie manages to ask even though his tongue is wet and heavy and his teeth are sharp and pointed.

“ Yes.”

Eddie licks against the spot and Steve follows. Copying each others’ exact movements. 

“If it hurts, you tell me.”

“I will. You tell me, too.”

“Okay.”

Eddie’s alpha is floating. In a dream-state. And Eddie lets the feeling take control. Primal. 

He sucks onto Steve’s skin like he’s gonna give him a love bite. He guesses that it kinda is a love bite. The most magical kind.

With a quiet growl, he slots his mouth over the patch that will bond them.

And he lets his teeth sink.

They sink until the skin pops and breaks.

And Eddie can feel nothing but light. Colors swarm in his mind, his taste buds vibrating with the zing of Steve’s blood. 

And just as quickly as it all started, it ends and leaves behind this blinding, lightning connection between the two of them. Like a metal, unbreakable string.

Eddie is panting against Steve’s skin. Blood on his fangs. His body mindlessly aroused and his heart utterly bursting.

The bond is strong. It’s final. It’s unexpectedly freeing. The surety of being with Steve for life. For mating. For starting their pack. Eddie wonders if it will ever be finished. They haven’t talked about more babies and Luna is only a few weeks old but Eddie would give Steve all the babies in the world if that’s what he wanted.

“Eddie,” Steve whispers. 

Eddie looks at him.

Blood on his tiny fangs too. Pupils dilated to the point where his eyes look completely black. 

“So beautiful. My baby.”

“She’s over there, actually,” Steve jokes and then laughs breathlessly as he falls backwards onto the bed, legs still wrapped around Eddie’s middle.

He looks like he’s just had the best orgasm of his life and Eddie knows the feeling. His scent is back to normal . And by normal, Eddie means completely, utterly, mindblowingly gorgeous.

“My omega was losing its fucking mind,” Steve admits quietly. “Just this feeling of like… we’ve had his baby but he won’t bond with us!”

“I’m sorry it hasn’t been sooner,” Eddie says, lifting Steve’s leg off of him and lying down next to him on the mattress. “But I just knew I would know when the right time was. And that felt like it, didn’t it?”

“Yes. Oh god. Eddie. It was perfect. So perfect. With little Lunes over there.”

Eddie kisses where he bit lightly. No blood there, already healing, like magic.

“I never, ever thought I would bond with someone. And definitely not somebody like you,” Eddie admits. 

“Me too. But I knew it was you, from the moment we met.”

They kiss. They get tangled in the sheets. They stare at their tiny human that’s a little bit of each of them. And Eddie has had this feeling before. Like it’s so new and exciting he doesn’t want to fall asleep. He watches Steve as his eyelashes flutter close, his pretty mouth and plump lips barely parted. Eddie is already thinking about coffee mornings and pb&js for breakfast, except this time around, he'll have to do it all one-handed, with Luna in his arms.

Three weeks later

“How can she swallow so much sleep?” Steve mutters, his thumb stroking Luna’s tiny hand. "She just...guzzles it down, doesn't she?"

“Gets it off you,” Eddie whispers, reaching over Steve to put his hand in the basket, too.

Luna is over a month old already and Eddie can't believe how much she has changed in that short time. Still a small, cute thing. But her hair is a little thicker and her eyes are changing every single day. Her colors are like nature to Eddie. Innocent, beautiful nature. So pure and green. He paints portraits of her in his spare time. Nobody would know that's what they are but he won't ever sell those ones. They're too special.

“I miss her. She’s asleep and I miss her. That’s crazy, right?”

God. Eddie realizes that is how he’s felt this whole time when Steve sleeps. One of the many reasons he’s never been able to fall before Steve and watches him for hours until his eyes force themselves shut.

“No. And if it is, I’m crazy, too.”

Eddie can feel Steve smile. His cute, round cheeks pop in his face like they always do when he smiles. Like two tiny rosy apples. Eddie sometimes bites them. Kisses them. Wishes they were real apples so he could crunch into them and get the flavor on his tongue.

Eddie wouldn’t need to feel them right now, pressing against his own face, to know Steve is happy, though.

He can feel Steve’s happiness through their bond. He can smell it in his scent. The scent that is back to how it was when they first met. It’s nostalgic. It’s heavenly. It makes Eddie's tongue wet and his heart beat faster whenever he gets a strong surge of it.

“We’re crazy. She’s gonna be so embarrassed of us when she’s older, isn’t she?”

“No. She’s gonna think we’re so cool.”

“She’s gonna think you’re cool. Because you are cool.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. I think Auntie Robs and Auntie Paige have us pipped on that one.”

“You’re right. We’re screwed.”

Steve turns to face Eddie.

Nudges his nose with his own. 

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“So, so much.”

“I know. So much, baby.”

Steve tucks his head into the crook of Eddie’s neck and kisses where he bit him mere weeks before. Shivers erupt all over his skin and the bond fucking soars. It’s bright, shining, all sunshine yellow and warm. 

Eddie could relive it forever.

He can feel Steve falling already. His content omega, so fond of sleep like their baby. Eddie wraps his leg over him and squeezes him tightly with all four of his limbs. He knows Steve likes to be held close. Safe. And just like that, he’s asleep. Dreamy little purrs that anyone else could mistake for snores.

Eddie maneuvers himself up the bed slightly so he can get a proper view of Luna. 

Alpha is on watch. 

Eddie would be happy to never sleep again.

It’s a good job he likes his coffee black.

Chapter Text

The Epilogue

Six months later

“Baby. Did you pack Luna’s Christmas outfit?”

“Are you serious? Are you being serious right now?”

Steve is locking their front door, shouting down at Eddie who is waiting in the car on the street.

Eddie laughs, flicks his eyes up to the rear view mirror, spots Luna’s reflection in the mirror attached to her carseat in the back.

Like some freaky little mirror inception. 

She’s so fucking cute. Eyes wide and kinda browny-green now. Steve was right, they have changed as she’s grown.

Steve runs down the steps and jumps into the passenger seat.

“Of course I packed her Christmas outfit. It’s the first thing I packed. Who do you think I am? Do you have that little faith in me?”

Eddie looks at Steve.

Who is all flustered. 

Pink cheeks from the cold outside. Hair sticking out all messy from underneath the red beanie.

“What?” Steve asks. Cheeks flushing an extra dark shade of rose now Eddie’s attention is on him.

Eddie reaches for Steve’s face. Strokes against his cheek. Steve takes a deep inhale. 

Eddie feels him relax through their bond and he smiles.

“I love you,” Eddie says, voice coming out all soft with the sentiment of it.

Steve hums, nuzzles against Eddie’s hand, turns his face to kiss his palm. “Love you too. Sorry, I’ve been stressy.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“It’s Bump’s first Christmas. I want it to be perfect,” Steve says, all quiet and cute . 

Eddie’s cute perfectionist.

“I know. And it will be. You’ve seen the pictures, right? Wayne has gone all out and I mean…I didn’t think it was possible for him to fall even deeper into the Christmas spirit.”

“I know.”

“You not sitting in the back with Lunes?” Eddie asks, because that is usually where Steve would sit if Eddie is driving.

“I wanna sit up front with you.”

“Okay. But we can stop at any point if you wanna get in the back with her.”

“Thank you,” Steve says, grabbing Eddie’s hand, kissing it and dropping it into his lap.

It’s the 23rd of December. The apartment is already empty, because Jeff is at home with his family and Paige is spending some time with Robin’s family first before they come to Wayne’s for Christmas day. Then they’re all heading to Hawkins for New Years. 

Eddie can’t believe he is having a Christmas like this. One where he has to split his time between all these new people in his life who he loves very much.

They strap in and Eddie drives away from their Chicago apartment. It’s just over a two hour journey to Wayne’s. But they’ve come prepared for the mini road trip.

Steve has all their favorite snacks, even baked some fresh pastries this morning. They’re all wearing their comfiest, traveling clothes. Even Luna, who is in a soft, lilac two-piece. Little joggers and a sweater. Checkerboard vans on her feet even though she can’t walk yet (although she definitely tries.)

There’s absolutely no doubt in Eddie’s mind that Luna is now the best dressed out of all them. Even though Eddie could afford to buy fancier clothes now he still mainly thrifts. He’s gathered that that is his style and he’s gonna own it. 

Steve likes to dress Luna in shades of purple and lilac because her scent so strongly exudes lavender to him it messes with his senses if she’s wearing other colors. Eddie likes her in any color because really her colors to him are green. Like trees and plants and nature. Her eyes are getting greener, too. 

They’re only staying at Wayne’s for less than a week but the car is still somehow full. Mainly with Luna’s presents and just the one for Wayne. They promised no gifts. But Eddie made a painting for Wayne, of Luna, that he knows Wayne will gush over.

Family Business, the now official name of their art sales company, is doing really well. It’s mainly Eddie’s art that sells but he splits the profits with the others anyway. Eddie’s professor has bought six pieces and displays them proudly in the art department at college.

Eddie is somewhat of a celebrity at college now. People ask him to sign prints of his work and fuss over him in classes. It’s a strange feeling, one he never thought he would have, but he enjoys getting to know each person who likes his art.

It’s kinda obvious too, that he’s an alpha. He’s never announced publicly that he is, even when the independent magazines that he interviews for try to pry it out of him, he keeps it on the hush. He knows his healed mating patch is kinda obvious and well…his baby and his partner are so astonishingly beautiful it would be strange if they weren’t a little bit not human.

After Christmas and new year, Eddie has just five months left of college before he graduates in the summer with Jeff and Paige. Eddie asks Steve all of the time if he’d like to go back to college and he pulls a face, pretends to vomit everywhere at just the thought of it. It was never college he liked but being away from home and living with his friends that he did. And that certainly hasn’t changed.

Steve sings to Duran Duran in the passenger seat. They take it in turns with the music, a single request after single request. Eddie rests his hand on Steve’s thighs. The car is warm. Their baby is in the back holding an alphabet baby book, flicking through the pages like she’s really reading it, babbling to herself.

She’s a happy cub. Eddie’s a happy alpha. But what means most to him of all is that his omega is happy, as he sinks comfortably in the seat, eats his snacks and sings the whole way to Wayne’s.

-

They arrive to thick snow, as is usually the case where Wayne lives at Christmas. The feeling is so familiar, so nostalgic that it takes Eddie’s breath away.

“We’re here, Luna!” Steve chimes excitedly, twisting in his seat to get a good view of her. She looks out the window with sleepy eyes. She’s definitely due another nap.

Steve jumps out of the car, gets Luna out of her seat and immediately carries her over to Wayne, who is standing on the porch, waving at them.

It’s almost time for dinner and Steve immediately gets started with the cooking. Something he’s gotten very good at with all the practising when he was pregnant with Luna. He makes this huge lasagne, then they watch Christmas movies until they all fall asleep together bundled up on the sofa together.

The next day is Christmas Eve. Which in the Munson household involves more eating, more Christmas movies. Eddie is so content.

In the afternoon, Wayne takes Luna out for a walk just the two of them. He absolutely insists on it.

And it doesn’t take long before Steve and Eddie are in the bedroom. 

Until Steve is wrapping himself around Eddie and making little demands like ‘ kiss me here ’ and ‘ eat me out’ and ‘fuck me til I’m screaming.’

And Eddie does do all of those things. Can’t help but do every single little thing that Steve tells him too.

At point he has Steve flat on his front on the bed, grinding down into him with his fingers lubed up and in his ass as he fucks him. And it’s an awkward position for Eddie but he doesn’t care, even when his arm goes numb. Because Steve comes three times in ten minutes and Eddie is sure that Steve would ask for more if he could string a sentence together.

They manage to get one more round in the shower before Wayne returns home.

God, Eddie loves fucking Steve in the shower. It’s such a typical, stereotypical, thing for Eddie to love but Steve’s wet, hot body and his damp hair make him wanna just watch him wash himself and jerk off to it. Steve’s scent fills the room, floating around with all the steam from the hot water it makes Eddie dizzy.

Steve drives Eddie crazy.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

-

When it comes to the sleeping arrangements, Wayne insisted on the pullout bed in the living and tonight he insists, no, more like begs, on having Luna out there with him in the travel cot.

“You two can get some sleep and Luna and I can wait up for Santa, can’t we Luna bear?”

Eddie swears that she knows what he’s saying. Smiling at him, grabbing at the skin on his cheeks. 

“She doesn’t keep us up, she sleeps really well, we don’t mind,” Steve says, finishing up the cleaning in the kitchen.

“Let me do it, kids, cmon. I’ve not slept in the living room on Christmas Eve since Eddie was little. He used to insist on sleeping in here with me. So we could catch Santa.”

Wayne is pinching Eddie’s cheeks as he says it. 

“That’s very cute, Eds. You never told me that,” Steve teases.

Eddie can’t remember much of the good stuff from his childhood. But he pretends that he can. 

“Okay, Luna can stay in here tonight with you.”

Wayne grins and so does Luna, like she knows.

They both look like trouble.

They go to bed early because it almost seems like Wayne is urging them to. So they play along.

They brush their teeth together, Steve’s head on Eddie’s shoulder. They share toothpaste kisses and makeout in there for much longer than necessary. 

Eddie is so turned on, his insides aching and his alpha growling until he can Steve in the bedroom.

When they land on the bed, Steve kisses Eddie softly. He strokes his hands all over Eddie’s chest, pulls down his boxers until he’s naked under the sheets.

And then Steve says, “I have something for you.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, thinking it’s probably something sexy.

He’s breathless and horny and his hair is everywhere and stuck to his face, he knows.

But then Steve is getting out of the bed, in just his boxers.

And he returns. With a gift.

“Steve!”

Steve giggles mischievously, then climbs back into the bed.

“I know we said no gifts but I couldn’t resist.”

Steve bounces on his knees on the springy mattress. A small, perfectly wrapped box nestled in cupped hands. Eddie stares at the candy-cane striped gift wrap, the sweet green bow tied around it.

Then he looks up at Steve.

“We said -”

“I know. Eddie. I know, I know ,” he says, smiling so beautifully Eddie can’t feel anything but pure admiration for his sweet boy. But he pretends to be a little bit cross because he knows Steve likes this game.

He passes it to Eddie. It’s light in weight, and even more beautiful up close.

“Open it. I can’t take it anymore,” Steve says after precisely two seconds. Steve is an impatient thing.

And even though Eddie shouldn’t be nervous right now he can’t help the way his heart is thumping against his chest or the way his throat swells as he unpicks the ribbon.

Quite quickly, Eddie realizes it’s a jewelry box. 

He glances up at Steve. He’s biting his lip, hands held together in his lap. No longer bouncing excitedly but watching Eddie. Still and present.

The box creaks as the hinge opens. And reveals inside-

“It’s a locket. Open it,” Steve whispers. 

It’s gold and dainty. In the shape of a heart, a floral engraving etched into the casing.

“Steve.”

“Open it,” Steve whispers again. The best part is clearly inside.

Eddie gently prizes it open.

“Oh. Steve. It’s perfect.”

“Yeah?” Steve asks.

Eddie stares down at the open locket. A picture of Steve in one side, Luna in the other.

“I love it.”

“You do?”

“Yes. More than love it,” Eddie says as he takes off his chain and proceeds to thread it through the loop on the locket. Eddie looks at it open for a second with a pounding heart that is so overwhelmed and over flowing with love.

“I wasn’t sure if it was like…cool enough. I dunno. It’s cheesy,” Steve says quietly.

Eddie clicks it shut, kisses it, offers it to Steve who kisses it too, and then he takes the chain from Eddie’s hands to clasp it back around his neck for him.

Steve has shuffled forward a little to get close to him on the bed. In this position, with Steve’s hands at the back of Eddie’s neck, Eddie can smell Steve so wonderfully it’s making his chest hurt .

“Thank you. It’s perfect. I love it…although…” Eddie starts, pulling Steve into his lap once he hears the click of the clasp. “What do I do if we have more babies?”

Steve blushes, maneuvers himself on Eddie so his legs are wrapped around his waist. Eddie squeezes his thighs. If there’s one thing in this world he cannot resist it is Steve’s heavenly thighs.

“More babies?” Steve repeats. His scent is blooming. The sweet cherry scent is on the back of Eddie’s tongue. The bond vibrates between them, it makes Eddie bite onto his lip and squeeze harder onto Steve. Who is now wriggling on top of Eddie, grinding against him.

“Mmm. It only has space for two photographs.”

“Might just have to replace me with the next one.”

“Oh, never.”

“Or…we just get another locket.”

“I’m not sure how many lockets this chain will hold. How many do you think?”

“Hmmm,” Steve hums, pulling this gorgeous thinking face, lips pulled into a pout. “Not sure. Seems pretty strong.”

He yanks at the chain a little.

Oh jesus.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Strong.”

“How many lockets do you want ?” Eddie asks, with so much more behind the question than shiny, metal pendants.

“How ever many you’d let me give you,” Steve whispers, leaning in to brush his lips against Eddie’s.

God.

Eddie would let Steve give him as many lockets, as many babies, as he wanted. 

The more the merrier, afterall.

-

Eddie is naked and spooning Steve from behind. They sleep this way a lot, usually facing Luna in her cot, their hands in her little bed with her. She’s not here right now, but they fell this way, anyway, out of habit, Eddie presumes.

Steve is flat out asleep. He sleeps so hard after they fuck like they just did. Slow and quiet, as not to wake anyone. It’s so lustful, so full of love and intense, deep passion that it knocks Eddie right out too.

He sleepily stretches over to the bedside table, taps his cell to check for any messages from Wayne. There’s nothing and Eddie smiles. Luna is such a good sleeper. She always sleeps right through. Eddie wonders if the next one will sleep as well as Lunes but surely they couldn’t be that lucky twice.

Eddie snuggles back into Steve. The blue light from his phone providing the only light in the room, so he can’t see all that well but he can sense and feel the solid, warm shape of Steve’s body. He kisses the back of his head, scents his hair. The bond is mellow. It is always peaceful and still when Steve is asleep.

He rests his hand on Steve’s stomach.

Wonders if they just made a baby.

Another cub for their pack.

They never use contraception but Steve doesn’t track his ovulation either. It’s all if it happens, it happens right now. Eddie wonders if Steve will start tracking soon. If he will ask Eddie to fuck him at certain times on certain days so they have a higher chance of getting pregnant.

Just the thought of it gives Eddie shivers all over. 

He bites onto his bottom lip, wills the pure desire to settle otherwise he knows his scent will wake Steve up. And he doesn’t want that.

So, Eddie peels himself out of bed. If Steve did that while Eddie was sleeping, he would wake up instantaneously. But Steve’s sleep is so strong nothing but Eddie’s scent can properly disturb him.

He quietly moves over to their bags in the corner of the room.

Checks on Steve over his shoulder before unzipping, as quietly as he can, the inside pocket of his carry bag.

Steve’s Christmas gift is in here.

Because of course, he got him one too.

He just hasn’t told him yet. 

He just hasn’t found the exact right moment to give him it.

Eddie can hardly see, but he knows the shape of this box very well. He bought it around five months ago. And he looks at it every day. 

So he doesn’t really need clear lighting to be able to flip open the jewelry box.

The jewelry box for a very different piece of jewelry.

He’s about to open it and feel for what’s inside, when Steve shuffles in the sheets.

Eddie reverses all of his last movements at speed. Puts Steve’s gift back in the zip pocket, quickly strides back to the bed, slides back in behind Steve. Who immediately turns over and wraps his arms around Eddie.

“Hey,” Eddie whispers, then kisses his forehead. 

“I can smell you,” Steve mumbles sleepily. “Why are you all excited? Your heart is racing,” he adds, resting his palm against Eddie’s chest. 

“Just excited for Christmas in the morning.”

“You’re so cute.”

“Bump's first Christmas.”

“Don’t. I’ll cry,” Steve croaks. Eddie can tell he is already falling back asleep.

“Don’t cry,” Eddie whispers, kissing Steve and squeezing his arms around him to urge him back to sleep. And he does so quickly.

Eddie wasn’t lying when he said he was just excited for Christmas in the morning. That is what he’s excited about. If he was lying Steve would probably know since he wears his emotions all in his scent, as Steve so often says.

And he doesn’t like to keep anything from Steve. But he knows this will be worth it.

-

Christmas morning feels special this year.

More so because, when Eddie creeps out of bed to go make Steve his coffee, he’s also creeping out of there to go say hi to his baby.

When Eddie enters the living room, he expects to see Wayne and Luna still asleep. But the sofa is empty, and so is Luna’s travel cot.

Eddie can smell them near, so he isn’t concerned. 

His eyes scan the room. It looks pretty undisturbed, like they have had a peaceful night. The front door is ajar, letting in a crisp, cold breeze and that particular early morning light.

Eddie follows it. He peers his head through the door.

It’s blanket white outside. It’s so bright, so vivid, Eddie feels like he needs shades on. The sun is low and this perfect shade of yellow. 

“Hey,” Eddie says, greeting Wayne who is sitting on the porch in his decades-old flannel jacket and a beanie that Robin knitted for him as a Thanksgiving gift.

He turns, pulls his usual smile. It’s so quiet out here, Eddie notices. He hears the creak of the wooden rocking chair, the rustle of Wayne’s jacket, the small movement of Luna in his arms.

“Merry Christmas, son.”

“Merry Christmas, Wayne. Are you gonna hand me my daughter or do I have to fight you for her?” Eddie can see his own breath as he makes his way over to them.

“Eddie, go get a jacket or somethin’.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

Wayne laughs. Eddie takes the empty rocking chair next to him. Wayne reaches over to his side and throws Eddie a spare blanket.

It is cold out here. Bitterly. So he’s grateful for the soft layer even though he runs hot. Eddie wraps it around his shoulders, then leans over towards Wayne, his head almost resting on his shoulder as he stares at his baby.

Luna is still sleeping, of course. Wayne has swaddled her in multiple blankets. She’s so beautiful. She’s almost glowing but maybe it’s just the light. Eddie touches her cheek lightly. 

“She’s warm, don’t worry,” Wayne says.

“Oh, I know. I know. Just like to touch her.”

“I think she likes it out here in the cold. In the quiet.”

“She likes anywhere as long as she’s in someone’s arms.”

“Mmmm, I don’t know. I think you guys might be ready to leave the city.”

“To where? The trailer park?”

“No. You guys are too good for this place.”

“Hey,” Eddie says, digging his fist into Wayne’s arm playfully. “I love the trailer park.”

“I know. I mean. Luna deserves a proper yard. Don’tcha think?”

Eddie does think that. He knows they will leave Chicago as soon as he’s graduated this summer. Steve still refuses to let him drop out of college even though he doesn’t really need the degree anymore. Eddie is still there for Steve more so than for himself.

“I know,” Eddie says, looking back down at Luna. She has such long, thick eyelashes. Her skin is starting to look a little more golden, Eddie thinks. That’s all Steve. But everything else…

“She’s your double,” Wayne says quietly, rubbing her face gently with his fingertips. Her eyelids flutter, like she’s dreaming. “Apart from the sleeping part. Not like you at all on that front. You were always awake, you were.”

Eddie smiles up at Wayne, then rests his head on his shoulder.

Wayne drops his head down, his cheek resting on the crown of Eddie’s head. Interlocked together like a jigsaw puzzle.

“I love you, Wayne,” Eddie whispers. Suddenly overcome with emotion because…because he’s about to tell Wayne something that he never thought he would.

“Love you, son. Look at this snow. Beautiful, huh?” Wayne says, staring out over the trailer park. Eddie stares forward too. It really is kinda beautiful. The soft glow from the windows, the silver metal of the other trailers shining so clean and bright from the snowfall.

“Yeah,” Eddie says. “Really beautiful. Perfect, really.”

“It is.”

“I think it’s the perfect day to ask Steve to marry me.”

Eddie’s heart is in his throat. It feels so thick, so swollen, Eddie is worried he’ll choke on whatever words he says next. But the words that mattered have already come out. He’s never said them outloud before.

Wayne nudges Eddie’s head with his shoulder, looks down at him with his big brown eyes. Watery and glazed and so full of wisdom.

They stare at each other for a beat of silence. One strong moment where Eddie thinks they don’t need to say anything at all.

Then Wayne looks down at Luna. 

“What did I tell you last night, baby girl? What did I tell you? Gramps is always right.”

“You didn’t,” Eddie says through a laugh.

“I did,” Wayne’s voice is all triumphant. “I said to her. I said your daddy is gonna propose this holiday I can feel it.”

“God,” Eddie sighs, feeling exasperated. He stretches his arms and legs out long. “I wanted to surprise you!”

“This surprise ain’t for me.”

“No. But I knew you would love it. Because of how much you love Steve.”

“I love him already like he’s my son.”

“I know.”

Then Wayne passes Luna to Eddie. She feels heavier than usual with all the layers Wayne has wrapped her in, but she’s still somehow so tiny . Eddie will never get over it.

“Merry Christmas, Luna Munson,” Eddie whispers, taking in every single detail of this moment. The way Luna’s nose wriggles once she realizes who’s arms she’s in. The bright, rising sun making it’s way higher into the sky. The familiar homely scent of Wayne, and this trailer, and this blanket wrapped around him. All the blankets wrapped around his baby.

Luna blinks her eyes open.

She never cries when she wakes up. Only ever when she’s bored. But she doesn’t become bored so easily, not now she can crawl and properly pick things up and play. She’s so inquisitive, so detail-oriented. Eddie guesses that’s a lot like him, too.

“Congratulations, Eddie. I’ll say it again after you’ve done it…but really. I love Steve like he’s my son.”

“Thanks, Wayne.”

They sit for a little while, talking to Luna now that she’s awake and sitting upright on Eddie’s lap. Chewing on her little chubby fingers, pointing at the morning birds, pointing at Wayne, pointing at Eddie, pointing at every single living thing she can see, even if it’s really far away.

Eventually Eddie says, thinking of Steve who might wake up soon, “I’m gonna make some coffee. You want one?”

“I do. Thanks, son.”

Eddie stands, carries Luna the same way he did even when she was much smaller. The full front of her body rests against his chest, her arms now long and strong enough to wrap around his neck, her legs squeezing onto his waist. 

“Hold on, baby,” he says to her as he uses one arm to start making the coffee. He bounces her around the kitchen, kinda dancing in this way that they do in the mornings.

Eddie makes his and Steve’s morning coffee the same way he always has. And he’s lost count of how many coffee mornings they have had together, but it doesn’t matter because he’s not counting up or counting down to anything. Their coffee mornings are never-ending.

To the point where Eddie brings his special coffee with him to Wayne’s trailer and even gifted Wayne a new coffee machine…not for selfish reasons, not at all.

Eddie takes the coffee to Wayne, then heads to the bedroom, grasping onto Luna with one hand and Steve’s coffee in the other.

Steve is half awake, Eddie can see. And even though he’s under the covers, Eddie knows Steve is now on his front and stretched across the small double, one knee hitched up to his chest, the other leg stretched out long.

“Good morning, sleepy,” Eddie says,as he places the coffee on the side table.

“I was gonna get up. Promise. But I was too cold and got back in bed.”

“It’s cold because Wayne was sitting outside with the door open. With our daughter.”

“Is he crazy? Luna, I think your gramps is crazy.”

Steve shuffles up the bed until he’s sitting upright, then stretches his arms out long towards Eddie, and makes grabby hands.

Those grabby hands aren’t for him.

They’re for their daughter.

She simply squeals in delight as Eddie passes her over.

Steve gathers her up in his arms. Kisses her all over, props her up on his knees and tickles at her podgy little stomach until she’s giggling hard. 

Eddie can’t help but feel incredibly fond as he watches them. He climbs back into bed with them  both.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Eddie whispers in Steve’s ear, kisses his lobe and his neck because Steve in a morning is his favorite thing in the whole world and he can’t resist him. He smells so fucking good.

“Merry Christmas to my boyfriend,” he says, kissing Eddie once on the lips then turning back to Luna, “and merry Christmas to you, too, my little Looney. It’s Christmas! Your first Christmas, baby…”

Eddie nuzzles into Steve’s neck as he speaks with Luna. He swears they have their own language. She makes these special noises and facial expressions and only does them for Steve when he speaks to her this way.

God. It’s so heavenly Eddie could actually fall back asleep like this. Half cuddling Steve, his face pressed into his neck, their baby grumbling and squeaking in her nearly-there language.

Eventually, it’s Steve who makes the first move to get up and properly ready for the day. He drinks his coffee as he gets ready, pulling on some jogging bottoms and a hoodie that make Eddie wanna bite onto his own fist and he would if he wasn’t entertaining Luna right now. Playing peekaboo on the bed.

“I’m gonna start making breakfast,” Steve says. And Eddie is about to reply and get up and out of bed too but then they stop in their tracks when they hear the unmistakable sound of Paige’s shitty car pulling up out the front and Wayne calling out to greet them.

“Let the chaos commence,” Eddie says.

“You hear that, Luna?” Steve asks and she looks around wide-eyed. 

Her head tilts when she hears Robin’s voice on the porch. 

“Theeeere it is,” Eddie says, grinning so hard his face is hurting, as Luna produces these little noises of glee when she identifies her second favorite people in the world. 

-

Eddie loves Christmas with Wayne. 

He loves Christmas with all of his favorite people. Minus Jeff, but he still facetimes them after Christmas dinner.

They all promised no gifts mainly on the premise that Steve and Eddie knew they would spoil Luna rotten. And they were correct.

Luna is tearing open gifts for nearly four hours. It takes her so long because she’s so fascinated by each and every gift that she opens she has to take apart the box and then play with the gift wrap and then she has to show the gift to everyone. At one point Robin is holding a doll and Paige is holding a teddy bear and Wayne is surrounded with fake wooden fruit and Luna will not let them move, for whatever reason she has in her tiny head.

Steve sits on his knees opposite Luna the whole time. Just staring at her. There’s this vibrating pull between them. Eddie feels it surging through all his senses, the healed bond mark on his neck tingling. He swears he’s seeing things before they happen, too. Like holographic versions of them moving around the room.

It’s giving Eddie a headache. And Steve can tell something isn’t right, immediately getting Eddie some ibuprofen and a glass of water, tells him to drink more because all he’s had all morning is a coffee which is true . 

But he’s too distracted by Luna and how beautiful she is and how happy she looks in the middle of the trailer living room floor, with all her favorite people around her.

The day passes too quickly. They nearly forget to put Luna in her Christmas outfit.

Which is a Christmas pudding. It has a hat and everything.

So Eddie sneaks her off when nobody is looking and puts her in it to surprise them.

And when he appears from the bedroom, everyone instantly coos and Steve runs over to them. Kisses them both so hard.

“Oh my god. She is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Robin squeals from the sofa, mouth full of post-dinner chocolates. 

“I think I’m going to die,” Paige adds, her hands on her face.

They’re both a little bit drunk, since Wayne got the brandy out. 

Eddie isn’t drinking because he’s very aware that he has something to do today. He just knows that it’s today.

Even more so when Steve pulls Eddie aside to the kitchen just so they can be alone for a few minutes. Just to kiss and hold each other and whisper how much they love each other.

And then Steve does something that Eddie doesn’t expect. Something he didn’t see coming.

Steve pulls out his phone from his pocket, turns it to show Eddie…

“So. I found this house.”

Eddie and Steve haven’t discussed in detail what they would want a house to look like or where they would want it to be. They’ve talked about having a garden for Luna and a studio for Eddie and a gym for Steve. 

But when Eddie looks at the house listing, he knows exactly which house it is.

It’s a white brick house. With a wrap-around porch.

“What do you think?”

Eddie’s heart is beating so unbelievably fast. He wants to get down on his knee right this fucking second and maybe he would if he had the ring in his pocket.

“You can scent my emotions. How do you think I’m feeling?” Eddie whispers, reaching out with one hand to take the phone, the other hand pulling Steve in closer.

Steve leans in, scents at their healed bonding mark. It’s unnecessary for him to do so, Eddie knows, but it makes Eddie relax and sigh hard. 

“Lots of emotions going on in there. But I think you like it.”

Eddie rests his forehead against Steve’s. This dream boy who is showing him the house he’s dreamed of for years. More dreams that Steve is turning into reality. His reality. 

“I love it,” Eddie says, not wanting to give anything away. Only when they have the house, when they’re living there, will Eddie tell Steve it’s from his dreams.

“Shall we go for a little walk in the snow?”

“With Luna?”

“We could. She looks very comfy though.”

Steve looks over his shoulder in the direction of Robin, Paige, Wayne and Luna all squeezed onto the sofa together watching a movie. Luna is still in her Christmas pudding outfit, holding her new teddy bear from Wayne in her arms.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Eddie says he’s getting a different hoody when he runs back into the bedroom. Fumbles in his bag, in that zip pocket, for Steve's gift .

“You didn’t change your hoody,” Steve points out as he pulls on his puffer jacket and slides on his beanie. He’s pushing his hands into gloves, too, which might be an issue. Eddie will have to remember to take them off before he gives him…

“Oh. Couldn’t find it,” he mumbles, even the whitest of lies coming to him with difficulty. He shrugs on his jacket, pulls on his boots, then nods at Wayne who winks at him.

The sun is setting now. Eddie was worried it would be too dark but this is perfect. It’s so pretty out here. A thick layer of snow over the park, untouched and glowing a little pink.

“Shit, it’s freezing,” Steve says through gritted teeth. 

“C’mon, just a little walk. You’ve not been outside all day.”

“It’s Christmas. I’m allowed.”

“Oh, the old Steve would have been out here on a morning run first thing-”

Steve bats Eddie with a gloved hand. “How dare you. I still run.”

Eddie grabs both of his hands, spins him in a circle. “I’m teasing you,” he says through a laugh, pulling him in towards him to kiss in the snow.

“I know,” Steve mumbles with occupied lips. “And anyway, I only used to run every day because I needed an excuse to be up early with you in a morning.”

“Is that right?”

“Mmhmm.”

They kiss for a little while, standing in the middle of the front yard until Eddie drags Steve around the back of the trailer towards the woodlands. It’s more secluded back here.

“This is pretty.”

“It is.”

“That house, babe. The whole backyard is like this. Huge trees all at that back. It’s so pretty. And, I mean, it’s a bit of a project but if Family Business carries on the way that it's going then we could afford to buy it and renovate it. And if we start the process in new year, it’ll be ready by the time you graduate.”

Steve is speaking quickly and he does this when he’s excited. Eddie doesn’t even need to ask anything more about the house. Doesn’t need to know where it is or how much it is because he knows that’s where they’re moving.

Their feet crunch in the snow as they walk further towards the edge of the woodland. It really is pretty out here. And Eddie is suddenly very calm, very sure of himself. Steve is mid sentence when Eddie pulls on Steve’s hand to stop him in his tracks.

“Steve.”

“Yeah, ba- oh. Oh my god, Eddie.”

Eddie’s knee is cold because it’s sunken down into the snow.

With the box nestled in his cupped hands, he lifts it so Steve can see.

“Steve. I know we said no gifts. But I couldn’t resist.”

“ Eddie .”

“I love you. I love you, so much. I will never be able to express to you just how much. You’ve given me everything I was too scared to dream about. And I know that we’re bonded. I know our souls are entwined forever and a lack of ring or certificate would never have changed that. But I…”

Eddie stands. Has to be closer to Steve. Has to hold his hands. Kiss his face.

“I want our most human sides to get their happily ever after, you know? I want every single version of us to be together, forever.”

Steve’s nose is pink from the cold. Red beanie. Navy puffer jacket. He looks just like he did that day in the art gallery in Chicago back then. Before everything.

“Steve,” Eddie says, completely breathless now. He rests his forehead against his. Kisses him once softly on the lips, then asks, “will you marry me?”

There’s a breeze cutting through the trees. It’s all Eddie can hear over Steve’s breathing. His mouth agape.

He leans back a little, looks down at the ring with huge wide eyes that remind Eddie so much of their baby.

“I’ll marry you, Eddie,” Steve chokes.

Then he looks up at Eddie. “Of course I’ll marry you. What kind of question is that?” he laughs through tears and he launches himself at Eddie, who almost drops the box, with the ring still inside it, in the snow.

The bond, that’s been so still and quiet since they left the chaos of the trailer, suddenly soars again. It gives Eddie shivers, tingling up his spine and down his arms as he embraces Steve. 

When they let go, Steve pulls off his gloves with his teeth, stuffs them in his jacket pocket. Then he presents his left hand to Eddie.

“It’s so beautiful,” Steve whispers as Eddie takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto his ring finger with still, sure hands. 

“Like you,” Eddie says and he doesn’t care if it’s cheesy. Steve doesn’t either, who grins all teary-eyed.

“No, Eddie, it’s…it’s perfect.”

It’s a gold band, with a singular rounded diamond in the middle. Two tiny lilac amethyst stones either side because-

“The lilac, for lavender. Both your scents.”

“Mhmm. I knew you’d get that. I wanted a bit of me and Lunes in there for you. Was gonna do our birth stones but…”

“No, this is perfect. So pretty. I’m. Eddie.”

Steve slides his hands onto Eddie’s face, holds him, stares at him until they’re both laughing again. 

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“Wanna walk a bit longer or shall we go back and tell them?”

“Oh, let’s go tell them. I really am freezing.”

It takes twice as long to walk the exact same route because they keep stopping to hug and kiss and have mini snowball fights. Eddie’s alpha is scolding Eddie for not making Steve put his gloves on again but Steve doesn’t want to hide the ring.

They walk up to the porch hand in hand, silence between them as Steve kinda vibrates with anticipation. Eddie lets Steve go first, who doesn’t bother taking his jacket or shoes off as he walks straight over to the others. He tells them he has an announcement to make.

Eddie leans in the doorway. Watches from afar as the others gather around his future husband. He presents his hand in the air, the diamond glinting when it catches the fairy lights on the Christmas tree. 

Everyone cheers, utterly screams in delight. 

Eddie immediately wants to cry. His eyes filling with tears as he feels Steve through the bond. So happy. The happiest he has ever felt, Eddie thinks. 

Then Robin is running at Eddie with Luna in her grasp. Her chubby little arms wrapped around Robin’s neck.

His baby smiles so wide when she sees Eddie. Unwraps herself from Robin and transfers seamlessly over to Eddie, as Robin hugs him so hard he thinks he forgets how to breathe.

Eddie embraces them, then Robin is quickly replaced with Paige and then Wayne, all taking it in turns to congratulate each of them.

Eventually Eddie is left holding Luna. He closes the front door, walks over to Steve who is still standing in the middle of the room, staring down at the ring.

Eddie holds Luna close. His hand cupping the back of her head, nuzzling into her dark brown curls. He inhales her strong lavender scent.

His little lavender lunes who smells so lovely he can’t believe this is what he smells like to Steve. 

Steve hugs them both, kisses Eddie so softly.

“Merry Christmas, Eddie.”

“Merry Christmas, Steve.”

And then Eddie feels Wayne’s hand on his back, who takes Luna from him so Eddie and Steve can embrace. They’re slowly dancing to music Eddie didn’t even realise was playing until just now. Robin and Paige are popping champagne. Champagne that Wayne had bought just in case .

The man really knew.

But Eddie always knew too. He’s had this ring so long because he knew he was in love.

He’d read about it in books. Seen it in movies. 

But none of those things prepared him for what this really feels like.

A life with his soulmate and their pack. 

Five years later

It’s a beautiful spring day.

The sun is orange, huge and bright in the blue sky.

The fields around their house grow long wild grass this time of year. Steve doesn’t like to mow it, likes to keep it long and wild because Luna loves running through it so much.

That’s what Eddie is doing right now. Playing with Luna in the long grass. 

“Coming, ready or not!” Eddie calls, walking slowly through the grass, which is waist-height on him now. He spreads his palms out wide, brushes them along the flowering tops of the grass.

Eddie’s paintings over the last few years have become more realistic. Less lucid and wild and inspired by his hyperphantasia that is in overload most days. Because his real life is so beautiful, so unreal that he has to paint it sometimes, to believe it.

Fans of Family Business seem to like them, anyway.

He continues to walk and pretends to search. Luna always hides in the same spot. There’s a small, empty patch near the edge of the grass. Eddie heads that way, taking his time so he can hear her try to stifle her giggles.

This time when he reaches, he hears a matching set of giggles.

“Luna. Did you bring Gracie out to hide with you?”

“No, daddy!”

Eddie stands on his tiptoes, peers over the tall grass to spot his two babies holding onto each other, wide-eyed and drunk on mischief.

God. It’s so cute he almost doesn’t want to spoil their fun.

“Boo!” 

“Aaaaah! Daddy!”

Eddie jumps through the grass and lands in front of them, gets straight onto his knees to get eye-level with his eldest.

“Found you. And you, Gracie, what a surprise.”

He picks up Gracie, cupping his hands under her armpits. She squeals with glee just like Luna used to when she was tiny. They could be twins other than for Gracie’s lighter locks. A little bit more of Steve coming out in her genes. 

“What are you two doing down here?”

Eddie can see Luna is trying hard not to jump in and answer. She’s bouncing on her knees, looking at Gracie as if to urge her on.

“Show daddy, Gracie.”

Eddie is genuinely curious. He looks around them. The empty patch they’re sitting in is a little muddy. It rained hard a couple of days ago, those typical spring showers intermittently bursting through the blue skies. The wild grass drinks it up, grows huge until the summer. But here the ground is still damp.

Then Gracie holds up a chubby, closed fist. And clamped inside is a yellow daisy.

Eddie swallows.

He’d been wondering when this would happen.

He sets Gracie back down on the ground, two strangely steady feet for a one year old who has only just learned to stand without holding on.

Luna stands too, revealing a small heap of yellow daisies that they’ve picked up on their travels through the grass.

“They’re pretty, daddy, aren’t they?”

“Very pretty,” Eddie barely says, choked up on emotion as the familiar Deja vu creeps in. 

He stares down at their feet. Gracie wearing a pair of green wellington boots. Luna in her trusty, battered black converse.

Covered in mud.

The muddy converse in the dream weren’t his. They were Luna’s all along.

Luna rests her hand on Eddie’s face. He looks up at her. Then at Gracie.

Their eyes are sparkling green. Dark hazel with these almost luminous flecks of green that Eddie can never get right in his paintings.

It comes like a flash across his eyesight. This beautiful, stunning green that he only ever had in dreams, that he only ever had when Steve asked about their future.

“Daddy?”

“Sorry. What was that?”

“We’re making beds for the field mice.”

“Are you now?”

“Mhmm.”

She gestures with her hand and he follows it, sees these little heaps of daisies all over.

It’s so adorable he wants to cry. He pulls himself together like parents just have to do sometimes. Blinks hard, kisses both of his baby girls on the cheek. 

“Look, daddy!” Luna suddenly squeals excitedly. She puts her arm around him, points with her other towards the little ashy brown mouse in the close distance. Eddie can just see its whiskers through the grass.

“Oh, that’s so cute, isn’t it?”

“So cute, daddy. His name is Wayne. After gramps.”

They always see field mice out here. Over the last five years they’ve seen many but it’s only been in recent ones where Luna has been able to talk and name them.

“Wayne the mouse?” Eddie almost doesn’t hold back his laughter. Luna pulls her thinking-face. It’s just like Steve’s, her plush lips pulled into a pout.

“Uncle Jeff the mouse?”

God. It just gets better.

“I don’t know, baby, this mouse looks more like Auntie Robin to me.”

“Robin Mouse?”

“Yeah, sweetie. I think Robin Mouse.” 

Luna claps and then Gracie copies. She copies everything that Luna does, it’s achingly cute.

“Eddie! Girls!”

Steve is calling them from the porch. 

“Okay. Say bye bye to the mice. You’ve made them a really nice home, but we have to go now.”

“Come back tomorrow?”

“Yes, sweetie. Back tomorrow.”

Eddie stands and Steve laughs. It must look funny when Eddie pops up from the grass like this.

Steve is running his hands through a tea towel, then throws it over his shoulder. He looks beautiful. Eddie thinks he hasn’t aged a day which Steve always denies, pointing at his smile lines in the creases of his eyes. Steve looks pretty. So pretty and glowing. 

What he doesn’t look is pregnant .

Which he is.

His scent has already changed, a really new one this time, very different to the scent he had when he was carrying Luna and Gracie.

Steve thinks it’s because they’re having a boy this time. 

Imagine that.

Eddie scoops his daughters up, one in each arm and strides over towards his husband. Who smiles, leans against the frame at the top of the stairs.

“You three look like trouble.”

“Oh, we are trouble,” Eddie says breathlessly as he drops the kids down onto the floor and they immediately run inside, Luna chasing after Gracie on unsteady, bouncing legs.

“You most of all,” Steve whispers, all sultry and gorgeous, wrapping his arms around Eddie, smacking his ass lightly with his palm. Eddie returns the favor but the issue here is that once Eddie starts feeling Steve up he can’t stop. 

“I can be really naughty for you, if you want,” Eddie whispers, nibbling on Steve’s earlobe and then down his neck. Eddie’s alpha would quite like to bite properly, sink his teeth in then lick it all better. His primal senses go crazy when Steve is pregnant.

“Oh you’d be really naughty?”

“So bad. Anything for you.”

“You’d do anything for me?”

“Anything, baby.”

“Okay,” Steve whispers, then kisses Eddie so fucking passionately Eddie wonders if they can distract the girls for long enough that they can have a quickie in the bathroom. Until Steve adds, “then be a doll and go and check the mailbox? Please?”

Eddie laughs against his lips. Smacks his ass again because Steve is a cheeky, sultry thing. “Of course. I’ll be right back. Get started without me.”

“Only if you’re sure. You know Luna is so greedy she might eat your portion.”

“I’d let her.”

“I know.”

Eddie kisses Steve once more before bouncing down the stairs of the porch and back up the dusty lane that leads to their entrance gate, where the mailbox lives.

Eddie flicks it open. There’s a couple of envelopes and a small package inside.

Eddie stands there and flicks through them. 

The small package has Wayne’s messy scroll across the top of it.

Eddie can’t resist opening it there and then. 

The lid pops open as he tears off the outer layer.

And inside lies a set of four acrylics paints.

“Wayne,” Eddie whispers, shaking his head. He’s told him so many times he doesn’t need to send him anything anymore. But he says that old habits die hard and if there’s one thing that Wayne has taught Eddie is that you can’t change a man and his ways.

But there’s not just one thing, Eddie thinks, as he rolls the tubes of acrylic paints over in his hand. 

Wayne taught him how to make things last. And he thinks now that maybe one of those things is relationships.

How to nurture them, how to let them grow, how to strengthen them.

Eddie’s feeling sentimental and emotional. His hormones are all over the place anyway because his husband is pregnant, again. A third baby to add to their pack. 

He has new dreams now, ones of their future together. One with their girls and their new little brother.

Eddie inhales deeply, fumbles on his chest for his locket. He opens it. Stares at the picture of Steve with Luna in one side, Gracie in the other. He’s already thinking about ways to fit their next baby in there, maybe Luna could hold him in her arms for the photo, she’s probably big enough to do that now.

On that thought, Eddie snaps the locket shut. Kisses it.

Then he sees Steve peering out the door in the distance, the bond curious and pulling. His omega is wondering where he got to. Impatient little thing.

Eddie waves, prepares to run back up the lane to Steve and his daughters and their unborn son in their beautiful big house in the country.

Eddie slams the mailbox shut behind him. 

The one that reads on the door - the Munsons.

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