Work Text:
Check Surviving A Bear High As Fuck On Cocaine Trying To Kill You off the list.
Eddie and Daveed were driving back to Eddie's place - or to his dad's place - wherever Gabe was - to get him and maybe get the fuck out of dodge in case the drug dealers come after them.
Daveed was holding Rosette while Eddie was driving.
“I can’t believe we survived a bear. High as fuck - On cocaine.” Eddie commented, keeping his eyes on the road. A tone of ‘What The Fuck Was That Entire Situation’.
“Fuckin’ bear high on fuckin’ cocaine.” Daveed agreed. Also with a tone of ‘What The Fuck Was That Entire Situation’.
"Can't believe my dad left Gabe in St. Louis." Eddie muttered.
"Would you rather he have brought your son with to a forest filled with a bear high as shit on cocaine murdering people." Daveed commented, a tone of obvious sarcasm.
Eddie briefly glanced at Daveed. "Well when you put it that way."
Daveed smiled, knowing he was right.
They drove for a while longer when Eddie spoke up. "Hey, man." He started. "I'm not really great... At being a dad. And I was wondering if you'd..." He paused. "Nevermind."
Daveed glanced at Eddie. "What?" Wanting him to continue. "And you're not the worst dad out there. Believe me."
"Thanks." Eddie smiled a little. "I was wondering..." He started again. "If you would - y'know - if you want to - help out... With Gabe."
"You mean like be his second dad?" Daveed asked.
"I was thinking more like an uncle. But sure - Whatever you want to be called." Eddie said, keeping his eyes on the road.
Daveed blinked.
He really did just say that out loud.
But he was thinking Eddie was going to say that. But Eddie wasn't going to say that. Fuck. Okay. "I just thought you were gonna say somethin' like that." Daveed tried to backtrack. "But it's cool. I'm down with bein' his uncle or whatever Gabe wants to call me. I'm gonna be out of the game for a bit with my fingers and the hospital and all that anyways."
"Yeah?" Eddie smiled, glancing at Daveed.
"Yeah." Daveed smiled back at Eddie.
-
They get to Eddie's house and find Gabe sitting on the couch in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal.
"Gabe!" Eddie says, walking through the front door - Daveed behind him, Rosette in his arms - who then immediately jumps down and makes herself at home.
"Dad!" Gabe gets up from the couch and runs to his dad, hugging him - Eddie hugs his son back.
"Are you okay?" Eddie asks, concern in his voice. He pulls back from Gabe and looks him over.
"I'm fine. Where's grampa?" Gabe asks. But then he sees Daveed's hand. "What happened to your fingers?"
"A bear ate them." Daveed drawls.
"Really?" Gabe asks, eyes wide.
"It was a gun.” Eddie tells his son.
Still wondering how the fuck that happened.
“Somehow.”
Still not knowing how.
”There was a bear and it did cocaine!” Eddie exclaims. Then says, "We've gotta go to the hospital to get Daveed's hand looked at."
”Fuckin’’ bear.” Daveed mutters. Then says to Eddie, "You don't have to come with." But Eddie glances back briefly with an empathetic look that says he’s going with him. "Thanks." Daveed says.
"I wanna stay here!" Gabe says, indignantly.
And - well. He's been alone for whatever length of time now - what's another few hours. "Fine, but have something more than cereal. We'll get dinner when we get back. Keep the door locked." Eddie tells Gabe - who nods and goes back to the couch to eat the rest of his cereal and watch TV.
Eddie turns around. "Let's go."
"Are you seriously leaving your kid alone. Again!" Daveed says.
"He doesn't want to come with." Eddie tells him. Like that's a good enough reason. Daveed stares at Eddie. "We'll take him with next time!" Eddie says. Instead of telling his son he has to come with them.
"Next time." Daveed mutters. "I have so much to teach you." He sighs as he and Eddie leave the house and close the door behind them.
-
They manage to save Daveed's fingers. They get back home later on, only to find that punk kid watching TV with Gabe.
"What the fuck!" Eddie exclaims when he opens the door. And sees the Kid in his living room sitting on the couch next to his son.
"How did you get in my house?" Eddie exclaimed again. He looked at his son. Gabe turned around to face his dad. “Gabe, don’t you know not to answer the door to strangers!”
Gabe shrugged and went back to watching TV.
The Kid stands up from the couch and walks over to Eddie and Daveed. "Your door was unlocked." The Kid - Stache - says.
Eddie glances at Daveed - who's standing next to him. "I thought you locked the door."
"I thought you locked the door! I wasn't the last one out of the house!" Daveed tells him.
Eddie thinks back. Oh right. He was the last to leave the house. "Shit." Eddie mutters.
Look - to be fair, it was a long day.
"How did you find out where I live?" Eddie asks The Kid.
"Saw your car on the way out of the park. Heard you say your dad left your son in St. Louis. Walked around here until I saw your car - then I saw you guys leavin’ when I found it." The Kid says.
"So you've just been hanging out with my son the entire time we were at the hospital?" Eddie comments.
"Yep." The Kid says, grinning.
Daveed sighs.
Because what is his life now.
Cocaine Bears and Kids and Somehow Two Fingers Got Shot Off That Weren't Even Next To Each Other.
"Can I stay here?" The Kid asks.
"No! You can't stay here!" Daveed admonishes.
"Please!" The Kid says.
Eddie glances at Daveed. "I mean - " He starts.
"No!" Daveed says.
"Come on. Didn't we learn - like - friendship and the meaning of life and stuff like that." The Kid says. "You're like - the only two guys who know what I'm going through. We survived a freakin’ bear that did cocaine! I need a place to lay low. I'll give you some of the cocaine."
And then - Eddie and Daveed notice the red bag with a rainbow strap sitting on the kitchen counter.
"Well now the cartel will definitely be after us." Eddie comments.
"Shit." Daveed complains about the situation.
"Maybe they don't know that we have it. We can just tell them it's still in the woods." The Kid tells them.
"Like they'll believe that." Daveed scoffs.
"Wait - no - That might be a good idea." Eddie stops him. He glances at Daveed. "We can sell it - The Kid can do the dealing - We'll split the money - They won't know."
Okay. It's a fair point. Daveed sighs. "Fine - But if it doesn't work out I'm dragging you back to that park and feeding you to that bear."
"Okay." Eddie says.
-
They call up some trusted people they know and make a few deals - not giving it all to only one person. Eddie and Daveed watch The Kid from the distance in a car as he does the deals. It goes smoothly. They do this until there's no more cocaine left. They split the money and go back to Eddie's house.
They wait a week and order pizza to celebrate when no drug cartel guys show up at their door. The Kid has basically moved in. Daveed's helping with Gabe and teaching him a few things. And Eddie too.
"Are you my second dad now?" Gabe asks Daveed one day - Walking from the living room to the adjacent kitchen - While Eddie and Daveed are making breakfast. Eddie glances at Daveed - wondering how he'll answer, but continues scrambling the eggs in the pan and pretending not to listen in on their conversation.
"Uhh. I was thinking more like your uncle." Daveed tells him - Just as he finished putting the toast in the toaster.
"I like you being my second dad more." Gabe says, smiling. Daveed know's the kid's a little shit sometimes. But this doesn't seem to be one of them.
"Okay." Daveed relents. "I can be your second dad."
Daveed sees Eddie smile as Gabe grins and goes back to the living room - watching TV with The Kid. Who also heard the entire conversation and briefly looks back at Daveed and Eddie and grins at them.
Daveed looks on towards the living room as Eddie walks over to him. "So - Does this mean we have two kids now?" Eddie comments to Daveed.
Daveed glances at Eddie. "Looks like." Then stops. "Wait, what do you mean 'we'?" Even though he doesn't mean it - He knows what he signed up for staying at Eddie's for who knows how long.
"Not a kid!" The Kid shouts back.
Eddie and Daveed ignore him.
Eddie sighs. Ignoring Daveed's 'we' comment. "Raising one is hard enough."
"I got you." Daveed tells him.
"Thanks, man." Eddie smiles. "I've got you too."
Daveed smiles back.
They stand in silence for a few seconds.
"You think people are gonna talk." Eddie muses.
Daveed looks at him. "About what?"
Eddie looks at Daveed. "Just - You know - The neighbours. About us..."
"About us - What?" Daveed asks.
"Living here - Together." Eddie says.
"Unless they see us holdin’ hands or somethin’.” Daveed briefly glances nervously at Eddie. “We're good." Daveed tells him.
Eddie blinks. "We've never held hands." He tells Daveed. Not commenting on Daveed ‘or something’. Or his nervous look towards him.
"Right." Daveed says slowly.
"Did you -" Eddie starts. "Want to hold my hand?"
"What? No. I don't want to hold your hand." Daveed says.
They stand there in silence for a few seconds before Eddie slowly moves his hand and slips it into Daveed’s - who lets him, and holds Eddie’s hand back. Eddie smiles at Daveed - And Daveed smiles at Eddie - before remembering they're making breakfast when the toaster goes off.