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"This doesn't feel right."
Eddie looks away from the shelf of dolls Lily is deciding between. She’s spent the past ten minutes silently debating whether to get a redhead or brunette one and her face has been scrunched adorably the entire time.
He has half a mind to just put both in the cart and alleviate her conundrum, but seeing Steve’s equally scrunched expression says that maybe that would be a mistake on his part.
"What doesn't? Me spoiling the both of you? That feels plenty right to me, dear," Eddie jokes lightly, hoping to put a real smile back on the beautiful omega’s face.
It’s been a rough few days since he convinced the tiny family to uproot their already chaotic life and move in with him in order to protect them. Ever since then, Eddie has started to realize how little they really have to their name.
A couple suitcases of ill fitting clothing and some threadbare bedding wasn’t enough to make him feel better about trying to keep Steve’s pride intact. So here they are, out shopping for the first time, despite the elephant in the room being so very obvious.
Steve doesn’t want to rely on Eddie’s money.
"Eddie, you know why I don't-" Steve cuts himself off, taking a deep breath and attempting to smooth out the wrinkles that don’t belong on his pretty face. “I’ve done this before and I know exactly how badly things can go. Forgive me if I’ve already learned this lesson the hard way and I want to protect my kid. It’s not you, it’s all of this.”
Eddie ruffles Lily’s hair affectionately, letting her know to take her time making such an important decision. He then walks closer to Steve, the same hand cupping the back of the omega’s neck and rubbing along the soft skin there.
The temptation to just stroke his bonding gland to comfort and scent him thoroughly is strong, but this is too new between them. The last thing Eddie wants to do is pressure Steve into anything he’s not ready for.
He’s too perfect to be hurt by another alpha like that, even if Eddie’s ready to drop down onto one knee already. Earning his trust and affections will take time, but he knows it will be worth the effort.
"I do know and this isn't me trying to buy you or something, sweetheart. I swear to you. But your daughter doesn't even have shoes that fit properly and she has no toys and her clothes are torn to shit. You’ve kept her safe and you’re an amazing mother, but you and Lily deserve more than the bare minimum. If you don't want anything fancy, I understand that. I just want to take care of you both."
Honesty flows from him in a way that scares Eddie. Of course he knows how to be honest, it’s just that most of his life involves him knowing the truth and then expertly avoiding it at all costs.
He won’t do that to Steve, though. He’s been lied to enough.
"Eddie…” Steve looks up at him with watery eyes, his bottom lip already trembling. Clear signs of someone who’s about to break down into tears in public.
His heart aches for the omega who’s doing everything he can to keep it together.
"You are worth all of that and so much more, darling. I hope you can see that and believe it too.”
Eddie’s other hand raises to brush away the tears before they can fall. The last thing he wants to do is cause Steve any more pain, but it seems that even kindness is enough to send him over the edge.
"And- and if this stops? If you… if you change your mind like he did, what then? What do I even tell Lily? She still doesn't understand why her dad doesn't love her and why he sent us away. I can't do it again, Eddie," Steve chokes out, his gaze locked on the alpha’s and searching for answers.
He’s not sure he has all of them, so again, he opts for telling the truth in the hopes that it might be enough to ease this pretty omega’s mind.
"Baby, I promise you that there won't be a time that I don't want you and Lily to be mine, but if god forbid, you ever decide that you want to leave, I would never treat you the way he did. I wouldn’t throw you out with nothing to your name. Hell, we can set up a bank account right now if it would make you feel safer," Eddie offers sincerely.
The last thing he wants is to push Steve into leaving, especially when his life could be in danger already just from associating with Eddie. However, he would do just about anything to make Steve smile, to make him and Lily feel protected and loved.
What’s the point in having more money than you could ever spend if you can’t even use it to prove to someone that you won’t ruin their life like their ex did?
Steve smiles, something soft and beautiful. Still, he shakes his head slowly, not breaking their eye contact even as he says, "That's silly, Eddie. It would just be your money in there anyway. I haven’t got a penny to my name."
He frowns, trying not to force Steve to take the money, but still very much wanting him to have it.
"No, it would be yours. I don't want anything to do with it. If it makes you feel safer to be with me, then I want you to have it. As an escape plan if you ever need it or as something you never have to touch again, whatever you choose. Nobody deserves to be trapped in this life, but I will protect you whether or not you stay. However, if you do, I vow to love you and Lily with all the heart I have left."
The omega’s eyes go wide with surprise and his smile wavers just slightly as he seems to process those words. Eddie wants so badly to just kiss him right then and there, something they’ve yet to do.
They’ve been carefully skirting around their obvious mutual attraction since they left the diner, sticking to petnames and flirting since Lily has been around at all times. Eddie isn’t sure he has much self control left before he finally snaps and decides to sweep the omega off his feet and practically carry him away to somewhere private.
“Isn’t it a bit early for all of that?” Steve whispers, glancing off to the side to where his pup is still analyzing the dolls on the shelf like it’s a full-time job for her.
Eddie is the one grinning this time, shaking his head easily. He drops his voice lower, making sure that Lily won’t hear their conversation.
“Not at all, darling. I’ve been in this business for far too long to pretend I don’t know what I want and how to get it. I’m not a good man, Steve. I kill and I steal and I do plenty of illegal and immoral things that make me a bad person. But I’ve never found anything that made me want to give it all up before I met you and Lily. You and your pup are already tainted by this business, but I won’t let it hurt you anymore,” he promises, leaning just a bit closer as he says it.
It takes less than a second for Steve to finish closing the gap between them, burying his head in Eddie’s shoulder and finally losing his battle with the impending tears. The sweet omega shakes in his embrace and all he can do is hold him gently, shushing him softly and hoping it’s enough to begin mending Steve’s broken heart.
“I’m so tired of running,” Steve confesses with a rasp.
It breaks Eddie’s heart too to hear the sheer pain in his small voice.
“I know, baby, I know. You can stay put right here now. Let me run after you; I can take the challenge. For you? I’d do a hell of a lot more than you can ever imagine,” the alpha murmurs against the side of Steve’s head, pressing a barely there kiss to punctuate his promise.
Before the omega can respond, they’re interrupted by a sweet little voice.
“I decided! I want this one, Eddie. She looks like my mom and I think she’s beautiful,” Lily explains, holding up a brunette doll so he can see.
Eddie tucks Steve into his side, not letting go of him completely, but making room for a smaller body to join the hug.
He crouches down slightly, holding his free arm out so Lily takes the hint and snuggles against his other side.
“I love it, Lils. Great choice. You’re so right too. She’s stunning, just like your mama is and just like you are, pup.”
He gives them both a squeeze.
That sends the pup into a roar of giggles that make Eddie smile wider and laugh harder than he has in a very long time.
Just loud enough to be heard over the noises of joy, Steve says, “I want to stay with you, Eddie. I want… I want to be yours. I want us to have a real family.”
Eddie’s pretty sure that he’s never heard such lovely words in his entire life. He vows to make sure Steve doesn’t regret this decision
In fact, he’s already mentally picking out a wedding ring by the time they leave the store.