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They spend the first year or so of Amy’s life living with Wayne, but by the time she turns one, they’re ready to be on their own. Joyce and Hopper, along with the kids’ help when they could wrangle them, fixed up the old cabin, and Steve, Eddie and Amy move in a few short months before Christmas, when the only leaves left on the trees are red and orange and brown, when you need a jacket if you’re going to go anywhere.
Joyce commandeers Thanksgiving plans. Steve brings what he can, but Joyce fought him until he agreed to only bring one side and one dessert.
A few days later, Eddie comes up behind Steve where he’s in the kitchen, washing breakfast dishes. “Hey, you.”
“Hey.” Steve grins. “Amy go down okay?”
“Fine. She was halfway asleep already, just needed her tummy full.” He tucks his nose into Steve’s neck and inhales, humming as he breathes out. “Y’always smell so good.”
Steve snickers. “You mean I smell like a recently pupped omega.”
“Mm-mm.” Eddie buries his nose in Steve’s neck again, teases his teeth across Steve’s bondmark. “Y’smell like mine.”
“Well that’s convenient,” Steve says, shutting the water off and tilting his head to the side so Eddie has more room. “I am yours.”
Eddie hums in agreement. “And I’m yours.” He kisses Steve’s bondmark before pulling back. “I gotta question for you.”
“Okay.”
“What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?”
Steve turns in Eddie’s grasp to face him. “What do you mean?”
“What’s your favorite thing that you do at Christmas every year?”
“Um,” Steve says, “I mean, I decorate the tree? And the house? And I’ll make cookies sometimes?”
Eddie frowns. “Baby… baby, do you not have traditions?”
Steve shrugs, plays with the hem of Eddie’s shirt. “I was alone a lot. My parents just didn’t think about me and Christmas in the same sentence very often. They’d send some things in the mail, sometimes, but they’d never come home.”
“Okay,” Eddie says, nodding. “So I’ll get mad about that later, but for now, is there anything you want to do for your first Christmas in our house with our baby?”
“I… don’t know,” Steve admits. “What do you normally do?”
“Wayne normally works Christmas Day, he gets a bonus, so we usually celebrate the day before or after. We’ll wake up, share a pot of oatmeal, and open presents. Then we do a big dinner that usually takes most of the day to prepare. When I was younger Wayne would do all the work, but I help him now. Sometimes, if he gets a night off leading up to Christmas, we’ll make hot chocolate and go look at lights.” He starts to sway with Steve around the kitchen. “As far as putting up the tree goes, we untangle the lights together, decorate, and then Wayne puts the star on top. Then we have a bonfire outside and roast marshmallows and make s’mores.”
“All of that sounds like a lot of fun,” Steve says wistfully.
“That’s why I’m asking what you want to do. It’s time to make our own traditions now, baby.”
“I don’t know,” Steve answers honestly. “I don’t know what traditions there are.”
“There’s not necessarily something that just is a tradition. What you do becomes tradition. It can be anything.”
“So… if we baked cookies, and had hot chocolate, and decorated the tree-”
“That could be a tradition,” Eddie agrees.
“And go look at lights?”
“You wanna do all that in the same day? We can, we’d just have to start early.”
Steve shakes his head. “Different days, I think.” He tucks into Eddie’s chest with a sigh. “There’s a lot you can do.”
“Mhm. We don’t have to do all of it, baby. We can pick what works best for us. Or we could make our own. That’s a bonus, when you’re starting a family.” He nuzzles into Steve’s hair. Steve just scents even sadder. Eddie holds him all the tighter for it.
“Why don’t they love me?” Steve asks in a whisper.
Eddie’s heart breaks all over again for his omega. “I don’t know, baby. I wish I had something that could make it better.”
“I don’t think anything can.”
“I know.” He closes his eyes on a sigh, sways Steve gently in place. “Why don’t we finish dishes later? Let’s go cuddle on the couch.”
Steve looks up at him. His eyes are shiny. “With the Blanket?”
“With the Blanket,” Eddie confirms.
The moving-in gift they both cherish the most is a blanket made out of fabric scraps from everyone, assembled by Claudia. It’s always draped across the back of the couch, and everybody walking by it brushes their wrist across it, so it always has some scent to it. They have warmer blankets, but this one is special to them.
Eddie lays down with Steve on top of him, then pulls the Blanket on top of both of them. He tucks it in around Steve’s chin, then brings his hand up to cup Steve’s cheek. “Y’wanna stay in your feelings? Or y’want a distraction?”
Steve hums, lets his eyes close. “Wanna nap.”
Eddie chuckles. “We can do a nap,” he agrees. “Here or in bed?”
“Here,” Steve mumbles, “don’t wanna move.”
“I’ll carry you if you want me to.”
Steve shakes his head, yawns into Eddie’s chest. “Here’s good.”
“Alright, baby.” He strokes over Steve’s hair. “Need me to do anything?”
“Stop talking?” Steve asks, laugh evident in his voice.
Eddie snorts. “Can do, baby. G’night. I love you.”
Steve presses a kiss to Eddie’s chest, settles in, and quickly falls asleep.
Eddie doesn’t mean to, but it seems he’s hardwired to do whatever his omega wants, which means he’s awakened a few hours later by the sound of Amy fussing. He quickly slides out from underneath Steve, ensuring he stays asleep, then hurries to the nursery, humming a low, calming sound. “Baby girl,” he murmurs. “Amy-Amy-Amy, what’s going on?” He picks her up and rocks her for a second, trying to shush her.
Her cries peter off after a second, and she stares up at her dad, who smiles at her. “Hi, Peanut. There’s those pretty eyes. What’re you crying for? Hm? You shouldn’t be hungry yet.” He shifts, and very quickly realizes why she’s cranky. “Ah,” he says, moving over to the changing table, “I’d be cranky too, if I woke up like that. Let’s get that changed, huh? And maybe we could play with some of your toys after, or try and find a snack, hm? We wanna let Mama sleep while she can.” He grins goofily at Amy, strapping the new diaper on and wrangling her pants back up. “There, all clean! Whaddya wanna do, huh?” He spins her around, showing her the toy bin tucked in the corner of the room. “We’ve got your blocks, or your train, or your- oh, okay, that’s not- I don’t want that in my mouth, thank you.” He tickles Amy’s stomach until she giggles and gives up trying to stuff a toy car into Eddie’s mouth. He plucks the car from her grasp and runs it all over her stomach, arms, and legs, causing her to giggle even more. He grins, but it falls as Amy twists away from the toy car, giggles sounding more like a frustrated noise.
He puts it down and picks her up, rubbing their noses together. “What is it, huh? Are you hungry? Is that it? You gonna get all big and strong soon?” He taps her nose with his finger as he situates her on his hip, heading out to the kitchen. “Let’s see, we’ve got some applesauce, you like that. Or some cereal, some crackers… oh, you want the cereal, huh? Sure that’s not just the fun colors drawing you in?” He nods seriously at her. “I know, they get me, too.” He grabs her a plastic bowl and pours some cereal in, setting her in her high chair and putting her bowl on the tray. “There you go, sweetheart. Eat up.”
He watches her for a moment, then looks toward the living room, attention grabbed by the sound of movement. “Dee?” Steve calls blearily.
He heads out to the living room and scoops Steve up in a hug. “Sorry, baby. Amy woke up. Wanna come to the kitchen with us?”
Steve yawns and nods, and they walk into the kitchen. Steve smiles and scent marks Amy, who’s too young still to understand what’s happening. She grabs at his hand with her pudgy fingers and babbles as she pushes it into her bowl. “Oh, you want me to feed you?” He asks her, laughing. “I think you can do it yourself, Amy-girl.” He extricates his hand and grins first at her, then Eddie before he moves to wash his hands.
“Baby?” Eddie asks. Steve hums in response. “How’re you feeling?”
Steve tilts his head in thought, toweling off his hands. “Better, I think. There’s so much we could do, and I’m excited, but I’m also still sad. They could’ve been around and just… chose not to be.” He leans into Eddie, watches their daughter eat. “Tell me?” He requests softly.
“I love you,” Eddie murmurs back, kissing the top of his head. “I love you so much.”
“I love you,” Steve whispers. They’re silent for a minute before he asks, “When’s your next shift?”
“Wednesday. It’s another all-day shift, seven to seven. I gotta half-hour lunch break at one.”
Steve sighs. “At least it’s money, huh?”
Eddie snorts. “I’d stay home all day, every day with you two if I could.”
“I know.” Steve tilts his head up to kiss Eddie’s cheek. “But don’t lie, I know you like the garage, too.”
Eddie laughs, wraps his arms around Steve’s waist. “I do, but not nearly as much as I love you and Amy. You win by a landslide, every time.”
Steve hums. “If we were both in danger, and you could only save one of us, who would you save?”
“What the fuck?” Eddie laughs.
Steve giggles back. “I dunno, I’m curious.”
Eddie hums. “This is assuming you can’t save yourself and her, because I know you would.”
“Obviously.”
“Okay. You.”
Steve blinks. “Really?”
“I love Amy more than almost anything in the world, baby.” He nuzzles at Steve’s mating bite. “And you’re the almost. ‘Sides, at the risk of sounding calloused, we could always just… make more.”
Steve barks out a laugh, hiding his face in Eddie’s chest as he tries to calm himself. “Make more!” He squeaks out, and Eddie laughs too.
Amy yells, banging her hands on her tray, and Eddie nods. “You get it.” He wraps an arm more comfortably around Steve. “Any other traditions you wanna have?”
“A big dinner,” Steve decides. “Probably Christmas Eve, right?”
“That is usually when they’re done,” Eddie agrees. “But we could host it Christmas Day if you want.”
Steve shakes his head. “We don’t even have to host it, necessarily. I’m sure Joyce has got it locked down already, anyways. But maybe we could host it some years?”
“Definitely,” Eddie agrees. “Would you want to host this year?”
“Do you want to host at all?”
Eddie chuckles, nuzzles behind Steve’s ear. “They’re family,” he says by way of answer. “And family’s always welcome. But thank you for worrying about me.”
“Then there’s just one question.” Steve pulls back to look at Eddie, lips quirked up. “Don’t be mad.”
Eddie sighs. “Right. I think that’s up to you, baby. I told you what happened in the hospital. If you want to invite her, I’ll be on my best behavior. I’m not gonna leave either of you alone with her, but I’ll play nice. But I also don’t think I’m the one you need to worry about.”
“I know,” Steve sighs. “I don’t know what happened. She was never like this, before.”
“I don’t know, baby. She behaved at Thanksgiving, at the Hopper-Byers’ place, but that might’ve had more to do with it being Hop’s place than anything else. So if we don’t host this year, it should be fine. If we do host, we need to figure it out. So what d’you wanna do? Host? Or not host?”
“I want to host,” Steve admits. “Could we call her, maybe? Ask for… for a truce of some kind?”
“An olive branch,” Eddie agrees. “A truce implies we’re both fighting, and we’re not. This is completely one-sided. Yeah, we can call her. Let’s maybe talk to Joyce first, though, make sure she hasn’t gotten too far into planning yet. You know how she gets.”
Steve snickers. “I do. Okay, do you mind calling Joyce while I change this one?” He picks Amy up from her chair, revealing the mess that is the front of her shirt.
Eddie shakes his head. “I gave you cheerios,” he tells her. “And you did that. I think you might be magic.”
Steve chuckles as he takes her back to the nursery. Eddie calls Joyce, confirms she hasn’t gotten too far in her planning, and tells her yes, they’d like to host Christmas Eve dinner this year. He gets off the phone just as Steve gets back from changing Amy, and he calls Nancy, putting her on speakerphone.
Mike answers, and Steve asks him to get Nancy. He hesitates. “Are you sure? I know I don’t know everything, because you haven’t told me anything, but I’m also not stupid, so I know something happened.”
Steve’s heart thumps oddly. Mike’s a little shit, but he’s pack, and Christ does Steve love him. “I’m sure,” he says quietly. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I am an adult.” He smiles, teasing Mike. “I can handle myself, and Eddie’s right here, anyways.”
“Hey, kid,” Eddie interjects.
“Hi, Eddie. Okay, if you’re sure.” He leans away from the receiver and shouts, “Nancy, phone!”
A few seconds later, she picks up. “I got it,” she tells Mike. He hangs up. “Hello?”
“Nancy,” Steve says. He hears her sharp inhale, but she doesn’t say anything. “Eddie and I are hosting Christmas Eve this year, but the three of us need to talk before we do.”
“Okay,” Nancy says. “Then talk.”
“If we invite you, are you going to be saying more about how we aren’t compatible, how we shouldn’t have a pup yet, how it’s not going to work? Or are you going to support us like a friend should?”
She sighs. “I am supporting you, Steve. I’m trying to tell you how bad of an idea all of this is. It’s not my fault you can’t see it.”
Steve shakes his head, hands the phone to Eddie and walks off with Amy.
Eddie sighs. “I guess that’s our answer, then. I really hoped you’d say something different. If you show up on Christmas Eve, or ever, and your intent isn’t to apologize, I will treat it—and you—as a threat.”
“Eddie, come on. Surely you can see-”
“Goodbye, Nancy.” He hangs up without waiting for her to respond. He grabs the walkie-talkie and speaks into it. “This is Eddie calling Shithead, come in Shithead.”
Mike answers almost immediately. “I hate that name. And you forgot to say over. Over.”
“It’s because you’re a shithead,” Eddie says, purposely not saying over.
“Eddie, seriously, it’s not that hard to remember. One word. Over.”
“Switch to channel two.” He switches, then waits for Mike to switch.
“Is everything okay? Over.”
“Everything is… okay enough. Just wanted to let you know Nancy won’t be coming to Christmas Eve dinner. Steve and I are hosting.”
Mike groans. “What is she saying? Over.”
“That’s not something you need to know. I just wanted to tell you, so you aren’t confused day of.”
Mike groans again. “Fine. Thanks for letting me know, I guess. Is that it? Over.”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Over and out.”
Eddie tosses the walkie-talkie back onto the shelf, then continues on into the nursery, where he finds Steve bouncing Amy and showing her things out the window. “The trees are pretty, aren’t they? Yeah, you see the bird? That’s a pretty red, huh?”
“Baby?” Eddie asks quietly.
“Hi,” Steve says, still with an upbeat voice, completely at odds with the hurt deep in his half of the bond. “I can’t look at you right now or I’ll start crying, but I’d like you to take Amy so I can.”
“I’ll get her set up with a toy,” Eddie murmurs, stepping up beside Steve and taking her. “Go on. I’ll come find you after.”
“Okay,” Steve agrees happily. He walks out, and a minute later the front door shuts.
Eddie can tell he’s not far, just on the porch, so he gives Amy a toy, puts her in her crib, and grabs the baby monitor from their room, plugging it into the outlet by the front door. It’s just long enough to reach outside. Eddie turns the volume up and carefully shuts the front door.
He turns to see Steve sitting on the steps, arms around his legs. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey,” Steve mutters back, tears evident in his voice. He sniffles. “Why is she-”
“I wish I knew,” Eddie murmurs. “She’s not coming to Christmas unless she apologizes, though.”
“I figured.” Another sniff. Eddie sits down on the stair next to him, and Steve leans over, resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder.
Eddie pulls him in with a hand hooked around Steve’s waist. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“I just…” Steve shrugs miserably. “I thought I could finally have a picture-perfect life. Stupid wish, I guess. But I thought she and I could be okay. I just wish I knew why she’s saying what she is.”
Eddie sighs. “I wish I knew. We can have a good Christmas without her, though.”
“I know. I just wish she wanted to be a part of it.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.” They sit in silence for a few minutes while Steve composes himself, looking out over the woods. Eventually Amy whines loud enough the monitor picks it up, and they head inside, Steve to wash his face in the bathroom and Eddie to save Amy from her boredom. They meet in the living room, and Steve takes Amy, scent marking her and inhaling her scent, letting it calm him.
Eddie circles around behind him, drapes the Blanket over his shoulders, and wraps him in a hug. “How about a movie? A nice relaxing day?”
“I would, but today’s laundry day.”
“Then I’ll do the laundry and you can sit and watch a movie. ‘Sides, it’s not like there’s much to do while it’s washing.”
Steve chuckles. “Guess so. Thank you.”
Eddie dips down, nuzzles behind Steve’s ear. “Y’don’t gotta thank me for lovin’ you, baby.”
Steve grins, pushes Eddie back so he can press a kiss to his lips. “I love you too.”
Eddie smiles, nods to the couch. “Get comfy, baby. Pick a movie. I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.”
“Okay,” Steve agrees, but whines when Eddie takes a step away.
Eddie instantly freezes. “Baby?”
Steve’s face burns. “I dunno. Just… wanna be close to you.”
“Then I can do laundry tomorrow,” Eddie decides, herding Steve onto the couch and burrowing under the blanket with him.
“Eddie!” Steve slaps at his hand for what must be the fifth time in the last minute. He brandishes the wooden spoon, complete with cookie dough on the end. “I told you no raw dough!”
He’s smiling. He knows he is. Eddie’s in a defensive half-crouch, ready to dart in or away, and he’s grinning, too.
“Just a taste!” Eddie begs. “A little one!”
“You’ll get a taste when they’re cooked,” Steve laughs, waving the spoon at him like it’s a sword. “Out! Out of the kitchen!”
“You can’t banish me from a room in my house!”
“The hell I can’t, it’s my house, too!” He pushes Eddie out the door and shuts it firmly, heading back to the bowl, shaking his head when he hears Eddie creep back in.
He doesn’t pay any attention to his mate. He really should know better by now. Eddie scoops him up around his waist, causing him to yelp as he’s spun around. “Eddie!” He laughs, gently beating at Eddie’s arms around him. “Put me down!”
“Can I have a bite of cookie dough?”
“No!”
Eddie sets him down but doesn’t let go, just buries his face in Steve’s neck instead, mouthing at his mating gland. “Can I have a bite of you instead?”
Steve releases a shaky breath. “I’ve gotta—hah!—get these in the- the, um. Oh, god,” he groans. “Eddie.”
“Oven,” Eddie pulls away to mutter. “You’ve gotta get them in the oven.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But then you’ve gotta take ‘em out again in ten minutes.”
“Uh-huh.”
Eddie hums. “Plenty of time. Put ‘em in, baby.” He steps back, and Steve immediately whines, wants to stay close. Eddie steps back in, slots his arms around Steve’s waist. Steve leans back into him, then stands on his own, grabbing Eddie’s hand as he drags him over to the oven.
He gets the cookies in, sets the timer, and looks at Eddie expectantly. “Ten minutes?” Eddie confirms, and Steve nods. “Alright. Good.” He whisks Steve away to their room, crawls into their nest, leaning over Steve. “Plenty we can do in ten minutes.”
A whine crawls up Steve’s throat. “Please?”
They burn the cookies.
The tree is next on their list, with cookies—the second batch turned out perfectly—and hot chocolate.
“D’you think,” Steve asks, looking at their sparse tree, “we could get some more ornaments in the new year, when everything’s on sale?”
Eddie chuckles. “I was thinking the exact same thing,” he says. “For now, how about we ask for an ornament from everyone in the pack?”
“Like the Blanket?” Steve asks.
“Yeah, kinda. It won’t hold their scent for long but it’s more ornaments and it’s something from pack.”
“That’s a great idea,” Steve agrees. They decorate with what they have, and before long, they’re waiting for it to get darker, so they can go look at lights.
“Oh, look at that one,” Steve says breathily, taking a sip of his hot chocolate and nodding out the window before glancing down at Amy, safe and cozy and asleep in his arms. His omega purrs in satisfaction, and he lets it reverberate out, lets Eddie hear it.
His Alpha responds with a low rumble, something that means safe to Steve, something that makes him want to snuggle up to Eddie. He would, if they weren’t in the van. His scent sours with disappointment for a second, but Eddie notices. “What’s wrong?” He glances out the window at the house. It’s got a lot of lights up, and some decorations in the front yard, too. “Is it- do you want something like that? I know we couldn’t this year, but lights should go on sale in the new year, and we can try and get more then, and do something like this next year?”
Steve shakes his head. “That’s not it. That sounds amazing, and let’s definitely do that, but that’s not it.” He colors. “The actual reason is stupid.”
“It’s not stupid if it’s making you feel upset, baby.”
Steve chuckles. “I was just a little upset that we’re in the van. I wanted to touch you, to snuggle into you, but I couldn’t.”
“Well here,” Eddie says, plopping his hand into Steve’s. “Touch.”
Steve laughs. “So you’re holding my hand and your mug. How’re you gonna drive?”
Eddie winks. “God gave me knees for a reason, darlin’.”
“Christ,” Steve mutters. “You are not driving with your knee with our daughter in the van, Eddie.” He pushes Eddie’s hand back into his side of the van. “There. Hand. Drive.”
Eddie raises a brow. “Sir yes sir,” he sasses, smoothly releasing the brake and continuing on to the next few houses that have lights up.
Steve sighs contentedly. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “I don’t think I said that yet.”
“You don’t need to,” Eddie says, smiling at him. “I know you mean it.”
“Still,” Steve says. “I appreciate it. You made us hot chocolate and are driving us around just because I said it sounded like fun.”
“You said you wanted it to be our tradition,” Eddie corrects him. “Cookies and hot chocolate and tree decorating and Christmas light looking. Our tradition, for our family.”
Steve looks at him, eyes wide. “Can you stop the car? I wanna kiss you.”
Eddie chuckles, but does, in fact, stop the car.
Robin comes over the day she leaves to visit family for the holidays. She thrusts a gift bag at him. “Here. You’re not allowed to open it until Christmas Eve.”
Steve stares, dismayed. “Robin-”
“Nope,” she says, shaking her head. “Whatever you’re about to say. This is for you, open it on Christmas Eve, my parents are in the car, I’ve got to go.”
“I love you.”
“You know I love you,” she responds, leaning in for a hug, scent marking him and letting him do the same for her.
“Have fun!” He calls as she runs off.
She waves over her shoulder. “I will! You too!”
“Alpha,” Steve calls, checking the ham. “Do you love me?”
Eddie materializes behind him, kissing his cheek. “You know I do,” he agrees.
“How much?”
He chuckles. “Enough to do whatever it is you want me to do.”
“Peel and cut the potatoes?” He asks. “I need them to be boiling about five minutes ago.”
Eddie rumbles, pressing a deep kiss to Steve’s mating bite. Steve’s knees go weak. “Y’smell too stressed,” he mutters, gently biting at his skin.
Steve leans back onto Eddie with a breathy sigh. “Ask Hopper if Joyce always scents like sunshine and rainbows when she’s hosting dinner,” he mutters, aiming for bitchy and probably completely failing. “Eddie,” he mutters, “Alpha, you don’t stop soon and we’re gonna have a problem.”
“Already have a problem,” Eddie mutters back.
Steve pushes the arousal away as best he can, forces himself to turn around and frown at Eddie, put a hand on his forehead. “Are you going into rut?”
Eddie blinks, frowns. “I- no? I don’t- I shouldn’t be,” he answers, taking stock. Just as suddenly, he laughs. “Baby,” he says, “what’s your horny scent?”
“Yeast,” Steve answers. “Or bread. Do I-”
“No,” Eddie shakes his head, “but the kitchen does.” They both look over at the rolls rising on the counter.
“Well shit,” Steve says, laughing, pushing Eddie back. “Think you can control yourself until after dinner, when everyone’s gone?”
Eddie laughs, grabs a knife and the bag of potatoes. “I can, promise.” He doubles back for a cutting board and the vegetable peeler, and Steve gets started on the cornbread casserole.
Sooner than Steve would like, six o’clock rolls around, and their doorbell is ringing nonstop. “Dustin,” he and Eddie agree, grinning as he goes to open the door and welcome the Hendersons, who brought Mike. Right behind them are the Hopper-Byers, with Wayne bringing up the rear.
The Sinclairs were visiting family in Ohio, so Steve does a head count as soon as everyone’s inside and nods to himself. All present and accounted for.
“Oh, Steve,” Joyce gushes. “It smells absolutely amazing! Here, we’ve got the green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole, where do you want them? Oh, and we also brought a few sodas, just in case.”
“Thank you, Joyce,” he says warmly. “They can go up on the counter for now.” He makes a face at the small dining table. “I think a lot of us are gonna be standing and eating.”
Hop laughs, clapping a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Welcome to parenthood, kid.”
“Thanks,” Steve laughs back.
Claudia is next to embrace him. “Steve,” she says warmly, pulling him into a hug and scent marking him. He returns the gesture, and they pull back to smile at each other. “Okay, now where- Dusty, where’d you put the pies?”
“Kitchen!” Dustin yells back. Claudia rolls her eyes but smiles, and Steve grins back.
“Okay, so kitchen, then.” She shakes her head. “Pumpkin, apple, and blueberry.”
Steve stares at her, boggled. “Did you make-”
“Oh, heavens, no,” she laughs. “No, you can thank Melvald’s for those.”
Steve laughs back. “Well I’m sure they’re going to be delicious.”
Dinner is the affair it always is with everyone together. The kids are talking over each other and trying to involve Eddie in their discussion. Joyce and Claudia are bickering over who gets to feed Amy, Hopper and Wayne talk about fishing, and Steve revels in the feeling of pack being together. Jonathan catches his eye and sends him a small smile, which Steve immediately returns.
Eddie takes over clean up and Steve loves him. The adults help, meaning Steve is left to take Amy and follow the kids to the living room, where presents spill out from under the tree. He blinks at the sight. “I didn’t put all those there.”
“No,” El agrees, “we did.” She drags him over to the couch and grabs a present along the way. “This is from me.”
“Thank you,” he tells her. “I’ll open it first, but Eddie and I also have presents for all of you. Let’s wait until everyone’s ready, okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll go tell them.”
“You don’t have to,” he says, but she’s already gone.
Max takes the seat on the couch next to him. “It’s no use,” she tells him. “She’s obsessed with Christmas.”
Steve chuckles, tracks how Max is watching Amy. Shifts her to Max’s arms. “I am too,” he tells her. “What’s not to love? There’s snow to play in, lights to see, presents to give and get. It’s a time for family, for pack.”
She shifts. “I don’t have much in the way of family.”
“I didn’t until last year,” he reminds her. “You’ll find your mate eventually. Whether or not it’s Lucas remains to be seen, but you will find your mate. Hopefully it doesn’t happen like Eddie and I did it, that was an emergency, but it all worked out in the end. Now I’ve got a mate and a pup, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier, especially now with pack here.”
“You can have pack that isn’t family?”
“Who told you you couldn’t?”
“Oh,” Max says. “Neil.”
“I think,” Steve says carefully, “he can probably go in the same category as my parents.”
Max hums. “There’s more about your parents that you haven’t told us, isn’t there?”
Steve sighs. “There is. It’s not a happy story.”
“Pack isn’t just for happy stories.”
Steve chuckles, pulls her in. She lets him. “No it’s not.” He sighs. “Long story short, my parents—I don’t think they actually are my parents anymore, if I’m being honest—had a daughter before me. She was born five years before me, and died a year before I was born.” He swallows. “They named her Stephanie.”
Max is smart, so it’s only a second before she says, “That’s fucked.”
Steve snorts. “It is. Really fucked.” He runs a hand down Max’s arm. “Y’think we can put Neil in the same category as my parents?”
“The Harringtons,” Max says. “You’re a Munson anyways now, aren’t you?”
“I guess I am,” he chuckles. “So the Harringtons and Neil in the same category. And you know what we say to the people in that category?”
She looks up at him. “What?”
“Fuck ‘em.”
Max grins. “Yeah. That works.”
Suddenly a shadow falls over them, and they look up to see Eddie grinning at Max. “Hi,” he says. “You’re sitting in my spot.”
“I don’t see your name on the seat,” she retorts. Steve snickers.
“I bought the couch, Red, I think that counts. And you’re holding my pup, cuddled up to my omega. Is nothing sacred anymore?”
Steve grins at Max, leans in, murmurs, “Drama queen.”
Eddie drops to the floor, crosses his arms on Steve’s lap and drops his head onto his arms. “You were puttin’ out some serious emotions in the bond, baby. Everything alright?”
Steve hums. “Was telling her about Stephanie.”
“Fuck the Harringtons,” Max adds.
“Hell yeah,” Eddie says, shifting and holding out a fist for Max to bump. “What’s the plan for the rest of the night?”
“Apparently the kids have gifts for us.” He holds up the one El gave him, shakes it a little. “So I’m thinking presents.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Eddie agrees. “And you’ve got that one from Birdie too.”
“Mhm. I told El I’d open hers first, though.”
“Will you open mine second?”
“‘Course, Max. Hand Amy over and go grab yours for me?”
She does, running the short distance to the tree and dropping to her knees, searching for her present.
She finds it eventually. Just as she slots back in at Steve’s side again, everyone else walks into the living room. “Perfect,” Steve says. “Everyone grab a seat! We’re doing presents.”
“Presents!” Mike yells, making a beeline for the tree and beginning to separate them into piles. Dustin quickly joins in, and before long everyone has their presents.
All the kids are staring expectantly at Steve, who chuckles. “Why do I get the feeling we’re going first?”
“Cause you are,” Dustin says.
Steve grins, holds up El’s and winks at her.
He opens it to reveal a waffle ornament. “I don’t know if this counts,” she tells him. “It’s Dad’s money, but I found it and I scented it for you. And I had waffles every day when Dad first found me.”
“She really did,” Hopper confirms.
Her bubblegum scent drifts off the plastic, and he thinks maybe Eddie was wrong; these ornaments will hold everyone’s scent for longer than just a season. “I love it,” he tells her. “Can you find a place for it on the tree for me?”
She grins, nods, and jumps up, looking around the tree for the perfect spot. She finds one just higher than she can reach. Just as Steve’s nudging Eddie to go help her, she floats it up to the branch and hooks it on, wiping her nose before she turns back around with a grin.
Steve jostles Max, who very carefully slaps at him, since she’s holding Amy again.
He opens hers. It’s a fingerboard. It looks like it was originally a keychain, but she took off the chain and replaced it with wire. “That’s so cool,” he tells her. It smells like her, too; roasted spices. Black pepper tickles his throat and paprika lines his nose.
“I rubbed it on my glands,” she murmurs. “Then wrapped it in shirts I’d worn. I want it to smell like me for a long time.”
He realizes, suddenly, Eddie had asked the kids to get ornaments. He’s filled with so much love suddenly that he nearly chokes on it. Eddie squeezes his ankle. “It will,”
He promises her in a whisper. “Thank you. Do you want me to take Amy so you can go put it on the tree?”
She shakes her head. “Later. Keep opening.”
He chuckles but does. Dustin somehow found him a hairspray ornament, and Steve nearly sics Eddie on him, settles for a half-hearted glare that doesn’t hide his grin. Mike got him a pacifier ornament. “Cause this is her first real Christmas,” he says, and points at it. “I even wrote the year on it.”
He opens Will’s second to last. It’s a little wonky, very clearly handmade, and it’s immediately his favorite. Sorry, everyone. He had modeled Steve’s nailbat and Eddie’s warlock out of clay, fused them together in an X shape, and painted it. “Holy shit,” Steve mutters, eyes wide as he hands it to Eddie.
“Holy shit,” Eddie agrees, looking up at Will. “Could you draw it for me? I wanna get it tattooed.”
Will blushes, but nods. “Sure. I know it’s not very good-”
“It’s perfect,” Steve interrupts, waving him over to scent mark him and let him put it on the tree. He leans down and flicks Eddie’s shoulder. “Asshole,” he mutters, “trying to make me cry on Christmas Eve.”
Eddie grins, leans his head back on Steve’s lap so he’s looking at him upside-down. “Is it working?”
“Asshole,” Steve repeats, but his hand is tender as he brushes Eddie’s bangs out.
He opens Robin’s present next and laughs when he sees a robin. It smells like her, too, and he knows she spent as much time as possible holding it and rubbing it over her glands. He loves her like crazy. He hands it to Eddie, who puts it on the tree. “Okay,” he says, “everyone else’s turn now.”
“Actually,” Wayne says, “you’ve got gifts from all us adults too.”
“I’m going to cry,” Steve announces, “and it’s going to be all your faults.”
Max cuddles in closer, sets Amy more securely in her lap. Lets Amy play with her hand. “Ba!” Amy yells. “Ba, ba, ba!”
“You think Mama should open the rest of his presents?” Eddie asks her, offering her his hand. She immediately drops Max’s hand in favor of Eddie’s shiny rings. He grins up at Steve. “I think that’s a yes.”
Steve grins, rolls his eyes. Accepts the present from Joyce. The tag says it’s from her and Hopper, but based on the way he cranes his neck to see what it is, he knows it’s just from Joyce.
He can tell immediately it’s too big to be an ornament, and opens it to reveal a bundle of baby clothes. “She’s going to keep growing like a weed,” Joyce tells him. “It’ll feel like she skips some sizes completely. It’ll feel like you’re paying more for clothes than electricity sometimes, so hopefully this helps some.”
He’s listening as he’s picking through them. “These are great, Joyce, really. Thank you so much.” He pulls out a Christmas onesie, white with cartoon reindeer faces. He shows it to Eddie, grinning. “She’s wearing this to bed tonight.”
“Absolutely,” Eddie agrees, nodding.
Claudia’s is next. She got them diapers, all different sizes. “Everything Joyce said, but it applies double to diapers. You try to stock up and wham, she’s grown out of that size!” She shakes her head with a grin. “Sorry that half your presents aren’t actually for you.”
He waves her off. “I don’t need anything. These are actually super helpful. Thank you.”
“I dunno nothin’ ‘bout babies,” Wayne admits, “so this one is actually for you two.”
Steve exchanges an intrigued glance with Eddie, then lets him open it.
He pulls out two matching mugs, one that says I am weird and one that says I 🩵 weird. Steve laughs, plucks the one with the heart out of Eddie’s grasp. “This is mine.”
Eddie giggles at his uncle. “Is this your way of telling us we need our own mug collection, Pops?”
“‘S my way of telling’ you I got too many damn mugs and you’d better take some back home with you next time you come visit.”
Steve snickers. “Thanks, Pops. These are great.”
“You’re welcome, Steve,” Wayne says pointedly at Eddie, who rolls his eyes.
“Oh, come on, you already know I love it. Seriously, thank you.”
Wayne grins at him.
Before anyone else can say anything, there’s a knock at the door.
Steve blinks at Eddie. “Is this another surprise?”
Eddie frowns, shakes his head. “Everyone’s here.”
He taps Eddie’s shoulder, a silent request for him to move. He does, and Steve stands. “Might be Nancy,” he murmurs, and walks to the door.
He opens it to reveal a woman. “Hello, Steven.”
He sets his jaw. “Mother.”
The chatter, starting up again behind him, dies off abruptly.
She waits for a second, then huffs. “Honestly, did we teach you nothing? Are you not going to invite me in?”
“No.”
She blinks, clearly unused to being spoken back to in such a manner. “Well! And here I am with a nice offer for you, too.”
Steve sighs. “What’s your offer?”
“Your father and I found just the perfect Alpha girl for you. Very pretty, very smart. She comes from a good family, is well-educated, and has a stable job.”
“I have a mate.”
She waves a hand. “Mating bonds can be dissolved, Steven.”
Anger skitters through his side of the bond, and he feels Eddie’s hesitant curiosity on the other side. A few seconds later, Eddie wraps an arm around his waist. “Who is it, baby?”
Steve leans back into Eddie the slightest bit. “My mother. Apparently with an offer of an Alpha for me.”
Eddie’s jaw tightens. “Maybe you weren’t aware,” he tells her. “But we are mated and married. Any attempt to separate us will be treated as an attack by the law.”
“Steven, please try to see reason here. You’re in the middle of nowhere with a dead-end job and an Alpha who was accused of murder.”
“He’s been acquitted. That wasn’t even him in the first place.”
“We are offering you a new start, Steven.”
“I don’t want a new start. I like my life. I’m happy here.” In the living room, Amy begins to fuss. “Max,” he calls, “bring her here please.”
A few seconds later, Max rounds the corner, a squirming, fussing Amy in her arms. Eddie takes her, thanks Max. She sticks around for a second, sending a scathing look in Mrs. Harrington’s direction.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she says, staring at Amy. “Tell me she’s not yours?”
“She is.” Steve sighs again. “There’s nothing you could do that would make me want to come with you. I found Stephanie’s drawer. I know, okay? I know you never wanted me. I know I could never be enough for you. I know. So just leave me alone. Let me be happy for once.”
Her face twists into a sneer. “If even one paper is so much as missing-”
“It’s not. Why would I want a reminder that I could never be enough for you?”
“I tried, you know. I tried to have her again. But Richard couldn’t ever recreate it, so I went to someone who could. You’re a bastard of a son, and I’m glad that pig of a cop died in the mall fire.”
Steve’s ears ring. The only cop in the mall that night was- “Hopper?” He asks her.
He hadn’t meant to summon the man, but a second later he’s standing beside Eddie. “Is there a problem here?”
Mrs. Harrington looks like she’s seen a ghost. “You’re supposed to be dead!”
Hopper looks at her, unimpressed. “Clearly I’m not.”
“Hop,” Steve says, small but steady. “She is no longer welcome here.”
Hopper moves to stand in front of him. “You heard him,” he tells her. “You’d best be going, Cynthia.”
“James,” she snarls, and stalks off.
He shuts the door, then turns to face Steve. “Did she do or say anything?”
“She had an offer for Steve,” Eddie answers. “An Alpha.”
“Shut up,” Steve whispers, squeezing his eyes shut. “Please. Just- Hop, take- take Amy, please, I need-”
She disappears from his arms, and he turns into Eddie’s chest, letting out a broken whine. Eddie immediately starts a soothing purr, rubbing a firm hand up and down his back. “I gotcha, baby,” Eddie whispers. “Wanna go somewhere private? We can go to our room. You know no one will bother us if we ask Hopper for privacy.”
Steve shakes his head, moves a numb hand up Eddie’s chest to cover his mouth. He kisses the palm of Steve’s hand and falls silent besides the rumbling.
Steve takes a couple of extra-deep breaths, shifting so he’s not muffled by Eddie’s chest when he speaks. “I did good? With her?”
“You did amazing,” Eddie promises. “You stood your ground and didn’t let her tell you otherwise. You inspire me, baby.”
“Hop’s my dad?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Eddie admits. “Wanna call him in here? Ask him about it?”
Steve tilts his face into Eddie’s neck, breathes in his scent. “Yeah.”
Eddie calls the former cop in, and in a few seconds he’s at their side. “What’s going on?”
Eddie taps Steve’s waist. He shakes his head, taps Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie sighs. “There’s not really an easy or delicate way to ask this… but about twenty years ago, did you spend a night with Cynthia Harrington?”
Hopper’s smoke-and-whiskey scent turns sour. “You don’t mean-”
“That’s what she was implying,” Eddie nods.
“Steve?”
Steve moves, glances at Hopper. His face twists with fresh tears when he sees Hopper’s arms out, offering a hug, he burrows into his arms, crying softly. “‘M sorry.”
“What in the hell for?” Hopper demands.
“You didn’t want me.”
“I didn’t know about you,” he corrects. “Kid, you’ve been mine since before Starcourt.”
Steve sniffles. “Really?”
“Course you are, kid.” He holds Steve tighter for a second as his sniffles grow. “Now, way I see it, you’ve got two options here.”
“W-what?”
“Either I kick everyone out and you take the rest of the night to try to come to terms with it, or you let your pack help you.”
Steve sniffles, pulls back. Leans into Eddie when he steps up behind him. “Pack,” he murmurs.
Hopper nods, claps him on the shoulder, and leads the way back into the living room.
Whatever conversation had been happening stops completely when they walk in. Claudia lets out a small, wordless coo; an omega sound meant to calm. It helps some, and Steve takes a deep breath as he sits on the couch with Eddie.
Max immediately leans into his side again. She’s not holding Amy, and a quick glance around shows that Joyce is distracting her with one of her new shirts.
“So,” Steve says, voice rough. He shuts his eyes on a sigh. “That was my mother.”
“What did she say?” Claudia asks.
“She had an- an offer for me. An Alpha she found.” He sniffles again, shakes his head. “That’s- if that’s all she’d said, I could handle that. But she- I-” he looks at Hopper with wide eyes.
Hopper sighs, looks down. “About twenty years ago, Cynthia Harrington came onto me, and I didn’t turn her away.”
Joyce and Claudia gasp. “You mean,” Claudia starts, then trails off. “Goodness.”
Hopper nods. “Looks like it.”
Joyce studies Steve. “Y’know, he looks like you did, thirty years ago.” She grins at Hopper, who scoffs.
Claudia moves over to where Steve’s sitting on the couch, held up by Eddie and Max. She drops to her knees and takes his hand. “What can we do, Steve?” She asks quietly.
He shrugs. “I wanted you to know. I don’t- I don’t think I want to talk about it, really. Can we just ignore it for now?”
“Of course we can,” she says warmly. “How about a slice of pie?”
“Yes, please,” he says, “but I can get it myself-”
She waves him off. “You made most of dinner and hosted. The least I can do is bring you a slice of pie that I didn’t even make.” She grins and winks at him, and he giggles, nodding.
“Thank you, Claudia.”
El creeps up to him next. “Dad… is your dad?”
Steve nods. “It looks like he is.”
“So you’re my brother?”
Steve falters. “If- if you want me to be, I guess?”
She flies into his arms. “Best Christmas ever!” She yells, cuddling in his lap as everyone else laughs.
Even Steve chuckles some. He wipes his eyes one last time and holds El close. “Y’know something?”
“What?”
“Since we’re siblings, that means you’re my pup’s aunt.”
El looks horrified. “But I’m not old enough!”
Eddie snickers. “There’s no such thing,” he tells her kindly. “You’ve just gotta promise to love her.”
“I can do that,” she tells him seriously.
Steve grins, rubs his wrist with El’s. Exchanging scents. “I think you’re gonna be the best aunt ever,” he tells her.
Claudia returns with his slice of pie, apple with whipped cream piled high, and sits back down in her seat. “Alright,” she calls, “we’re still not done with presents!”
“That’s right,” Joyce agrees. “Kids next! Everybody open one at the same time.”
El cuddles aggressively into Steve before jumping up and skipping to her pile. Steve relaxes into Eddie’s side with a sigh, and Eddie’s hand comes up to play with his hair.
“Tell me?” Steve murmurs.
“I love you,” Eddie murmurs back. “So much. And everyone else does, too.”
The kids all open their presents. A new pad of paper and set of paints for Will, new wheels for Max’s skateboard, a D&D Dungeon Master manual for Mike, new minis and dice—and some paint for the minis—for Dustin, and a barrage of hair clips and spray color for El. Max is the only one to ooh and ah appropriately over El’s gift, and they both clamber up onto the couch by Steve, who smiles at them.
Just then Amy starts crying. Joyce tries to calm her down and get her interested in the shirt again, but she just twists away.
Steve stands and takes her, smiling at Joyce in thanks, and walks out into the kitchen, where he can get a glass of water and hopefully calm Amy down at the same time. She watches him drink with fascination, reaching for the glass and babbling even as it’s lifted to his mouth.
He gets her a sippy cup and she takes it happily. He also grabs a bag of snacks and stops in the doorway, looking into the living room at his pack, together and happy and safe.
Eddie must notice eyes on him, because he’s the first to turn around, soft smile lighting up his face when he sees Steve.
Dustin is second, and his face scrunches up when he asks, “What are you supposed to do?”
Steve blinks at him. “What?”
Dustin gestures above his head. “You’re under the mistletoe. It would be weird to kiss her.”
Steve laughs and pecks Amy’s cheek even as Eddie springs up from his seat. “I volunteer!” He proclaims, quickly moving to Steve and spinning him around.
Steve laughs for a second, but soon quiets at the look in his mate’s eyes. “Hi,” he whispers.
“Hi,” Eddie whispers back, hands resting softly on Steve’s hips. “I love you.”
“I love you,” Steve returns. “Kiss me?”
“Always,” Eddie agrees, and does.
Gifts are opened and packaging is torn through and pie is devoured. Eddie makes a pot of coffee for the adults and it’s not long after the coffee’s gone that everyone heads home.
They all say goodbye, lingering in the doorway for long enough that Steve has to shift his weight so his feet don’t get tired.
Soon it’s just him, Eddie, and Amy, and the mess in the living room.
Amy fell asleep a while ago, drooling onto Steve’s shoulder, so he puts her in bed while Eddie tackles the living room. Steve begins on the dishes as soon as Amy’s down, and soon enough the house is clean enough and Steve’s eyes are closing of their own accord.
He yawns into Eddie’s shoulder, tucks his face into Eddie’s neck, and breathes in the scent of home. “Wanna bring the Blanket to bed,” he mumbles. He resolutely keeps his eyes shut, so Eddie guides him a couple of fumbling steps to the side before he feels the comforting weight of the Blanket on his shoulders. He hums happily, wraps his arms around Eddie’s neck when he picks Steve up. “Love you,” he breathes.
“Love you more,” Eddie whispers, carrying him to their bedroom.
He wakes up Christmas morning with the taste of death in his mouth and the sound of Eddie talking to Amy coming over the monitor. He smacks his lips a few times and grimaces. That’s what he gets for not brushing his teeth last night, he guesses. He trods to the bathroom and brushes immediately before moving to poke his head into Amy’s room. They’re not there, so Steve continues on into the kitchen, where Eddie’s cooking oatmeal with Amy on his hip, nodding as she babbles. “I see,” he says, “that’s so interesting, tell me more.”
“Is our pup a genius?” Steve asks.
Eddie turns around with a grin. “What, you didn’t know that already?” He leans in for a kiss. “Hi, baby. Merry Christmas. Wanted to let you sleep.”
“Merry Christmas. ‘S alright, I slept enough.” He takes Amy, puts her on his hip and takes her spot against Eddie’s side while he stirs the oatmeal. “Smells good.”
Eddie snorts. “It’s oats and water right now, baby, the good stuff is what goes in here. Y’want raisins?”
“Yes, please. And honey.”
“Coming right up,” Eddie promises, ladling some oatmeal into a bowl and pressing a kiss to Steve’s temple before moving away, grabbing the raisins and honey and doctoring Steve’s oatmeal for him.
He trades with Steve, the oatmeal for the pup, and Steve takes his bowl to the table, setting up Amy’s high chair while Eddie serves himself and their pup.
They eat, then sit in the living room and watch White Christmas with the tree lit in the corner, as per Steve’s request.
“But we don’t have to, I don’t even know if you like the movie-”
“Baby.” Eddie presses a kiss to Steve’s forehead. “Even if I didn’t like the movie, I’d be spending time with you. There’s no greater gift I could get. But as it so happens, I do like the movie.” He pulls back with a smile, runs a hand through Steve’s hair. “Now. Why don’t you get the Blanket off our bed so we can cuddle under it while I get a fire going?”
“M’kay,” Steve agrees, and does, and soon they’re lost in the magic of the movie.
Sooner than they’d like, it’s over. Eddie glances out the window and nudges Steve. “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,” he begins to sing, standing and pulling the curtain aside so Steve can see the fat white flakes floating to the ground.
“Snow,” Steve breathes, grinning at Eddie. “Amy’s first!”
“I think it’s a law,” Eddie says seriously. “We have to take her out in it.”
“Obviously,” Steve giggles. “What kind of parents would we be otherwise?”
They get bundled up and soon enough they’re out in the snow. Eddie forgoes a hat, which means his hair soon looks white. He drops his head back and sticks his tongue out, trying to catch as many snowflakes as he can.
Steve giggles and stoops down with Amy. He loosely packs a ball and throws it at Eddie, then holds Amy in front of his face, peeking around her with a grin.
Eddie splutters then laughs, chasing Steve down to gently grab Amy from him and shove a handful of snow in his face. Steve yelps and laughs, wiping it off before moving in for a kiss. “Truce?” He asks. “Let’s put Amy down, see how she likes it.”
They do, and she plays with it, enthralled by the white powder. She brings some to her mouth then makes a face and tries again.
Steve laughs and crouches in front of her. “This is snow, Amy,” he says, holding up a handful. “Snow.”
“Snow, snow, snow, snow,” Eddie sings, referencing the movie they’d just finished.
“Aba,” Amy babbles. “Aah! Pfh.”
“You got it,” Eddie nods seriously, standing and brushing off his knees. “Alright, Amy and Mama time, I’m getting the camera.”
“Mama!” Amy cheers, and Steve whips around to stare at Eddie.
“Did she-”
“She just-”
They both turn to look at Amy, who’s happily playing with the snow again. “Amy,” Steve asks, “say Mama?”
“Ma-ma-ma-ma!” She yells, grinning at Steve and reaching for him.
“Oh my god,” Steve mutters. “Eddie, she said my name. She knows I’m Mama.”
“She did,” Eddie agrees, crowding into a hug. “She does.” He begins to laugh. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
“Merry Christmas is right,” he chuckles. Holding his daughter, leaning into his mate, and watching the world turn white around them, Steve privately thinks that El was right last night.
Best Christmas ever.