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“Look, Eddie,” Gareth had started, with that worried look on his face he got when he though Eddie was about to do something stupid, “I like Steve. I do. He’s great in the campaigns, smart and funny, but none of us have ever seen his face. We don’t know who he is. And I don’t want to see you get hurt. All I’m saying is, be careful.”
Eddie had been happy with their relationship, he really had, even if part of him had longed for them to meet in person. But Gareth’s words had taken root in Eddie’s head and hadn’t let go. And for the last month, every phone call, every text, every sweet word, Eddie had wondered… why hadn’t Steve revealed himself?
Turns out he had a hell of a reason.
And all of that anguish was worth it to wake up to Steve now.
Eddie blinked, clearing his eyes of sleep before smiling over at a wide-eyed Steve’s laying opposite him.
“Hey you,” he murmured.
“Hi,” Steve whispered back.
Eddie ran his eyes over Steve, he looked tense, and he was buried into his pillow as much as possible to hide the left side of his face, to hide his scars…
Eddie squinted at him, “You okay?”
Steve nodded, staying mute, and Eddie felt a stab of worry, “You sure? …If I’m in your space, just-“
Steve cut him off, “It’s not that. It’s just… it’s been a really long time since I woke up with someone in my bed…unless you count Robin…”
Eddie snorted, “Oh, I know better than to put myself up there with Buckley.”
The corner of Steve’s mouth quirked up a little and Eddie cheered internally, anything to take that worried look off Steve’s face. He reached out to rest his hand over Steve’s, “It’s been a while for me too, but this is a lovely way to wake up.”
Steve smiled back at him and twisted his hand around to squeeze his fingers, “How would you feel about breakfast at the diner?”
Eddie grinned, “I’d love it.”
They took separate showers, Steve showing him the linen closet with fresh towels and opening the door to the guest bathroom. He hadn’t put his prosthetic back on this morning and was leaning on his crutch. He disappeared across the hallway back into the master bedroom after handing Eddie a clean t-shirt and boxers. Eddie watched him leave, and wasn’t complaining about the view. Now that he had seen Steve with his own eyes he couldn’t resist. His boyfriend was hot.
Eddie grinned as he went into the bathroom, he couldn’t wait for their breakfast date!
Eddie didn’t underestimate how big of a deal this was. Steve was taking him out publicly and he would probably be meeting several members of Steve’s family, seeing as half of the people he loved worked for him.
As they walked across the parking lot towards the diner doors he felt Steve’s fingers brush the back of his own and he slipped their hands together, their fingers slotting against each other like they had done it a thousand times before.
He glanced over at Steve with a smile and gave his hand a squeeze. Steve had a small blush on his cheeks as he smiled back.
They pushed their way through the front doors of the diner.
Robin was at the podium, her eyes wide before they zeroed in on their joined hands and a grin started to spread across her face. She looked over at Steve, “Does this mean what I think it means?”
Steve smiled and nodded back, “Yeah.”
Robin squealed and ran from around the podium to launch herself at Steve, their hands breaking apart as Steve steadied himself and wrapped his arms back around Robin.
She pulled back from Steve before turning to him and Eddie blinked, wondering what she was going to do, before she launched herself at him too, her arms pinning his to his sides as she squeezed him.
“Thank you,” she murmured into his ear, far too quietly for anyone else to hear, before she drew back with a smile, and slightly damp eyes. Eddie saw her surreptitiously wipe away a tear as she turned to grab a couple of menus, “C’mon, let’s get you two lovebirds seated!”
She took them over to a booth and they slid in opposite each other. She glanced at Steve, “I assume you want your usual?”
“Yes. But give Eddie a chance to look at the menu.”
“It’s okay. I’ll have the same as you.”
Steve blinked at him, “You sure?”
Eddie shrugged, “Yeah. I trust you. And I’ve been told from a very reliable source that everything is good on the menu here,” he finished with a wink, making Steve smile back at him with an amused huff.
“Okay. Two usuals coming right up.” Robin took the menus back and turned, catching Eddie’s eye as she did so and he saw the warm look she sent his way before she left.
It was as they were digging into their (frankly delicious) banana waffles, and sharing cute smiles and blushes, that Eddie noticed an middle aged woman with a bob cut waving from the counter.
Steve brightened as he waved back, a beaming smile on his face, “Joyce!”
“Hi Steve sweetheart,” She replied as she stepped closer, stroking a hand through his hair and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. She caught sight of Eddie and smiled over at him, “Oh! Hello, I’m Joyce.”
She held out her hand and Eddie shook it. Joyce was Will and El’s mom he remembered Steve mentioning months ago, but she had taken Steve in when he needed it as a teenager. And Eddie was sure that she probably took care of him after his injury’s too.
“Hi, I’m Eddie.”
Joyce blinked, before her eyes lit up and she smiled at Steve, “Oh Steve! Is this your young man I’ve been hearing all about?”
Eddie grinned so hard it hurt when he saw the pink blush bloom across Steve’s cheeks.
“Joyce!!”
She ignored Steve’s strangled voice to smile over at him, “It’s lovely to meet you Eddie. I’ve been asking Steve to invite you to a family dinner for ages, we have it every- oh! unless you’re free this evening?”
“Oh, err…”
But Joyce shook her head, “Actually, I’m being silly, I’m sure you boys have something much more exciting planned than meatloaf!” Her voice was warm and didn’t hold an ounce of sarcasm or bitterness. Eddie liked her.
“No, Joyce-“ Steve started to protest, before Eddie jumped in.
“I’m free tonight!”
That stopped Steve in his tracks and he turned to Eddie with wide eyes, “You… you really want to come to a family dinner night?”
“Well, yeah! I mean… as long as I’m not imposing, or if you’re uncomfortable with me being there?”
Steve still staring at him, the corner of his mouth twitching up, “I’d like you to come.”
Eddie grinned, “Yeah?”
Steve smiled, a small blush appearing as he ducked his head and broke eye contact, “Yeah.”
They both jumped as they heard a throat clearing and they looked up at Joyce, who was clearly biting the inside of her lips as she grinned at them both, “Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you boys later then.”
“Is there anything I can bring ma’am?”
Joyce giggled and glanced at Steve, “You’ve got a polite one there honey!”
Steve blushed even harder and slouched down in his seat, looking more and more like an embarrassed teenager. Eddie was loving it.
“Just yourself Eddie,” Joyce replied as she turned and headed towards the door, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you!”
“You too Joyce!” He called after her. He turned to Steve, “She seems nice.”
Steve was still blushing, even as he sat up more in his seat, “She’s one of the nicest people I know, unless someone threatens her kids and then she turns into a grizzly bear!”
“I don’t doubt it!”
Eddie gulped as they pulled into the driveway of the innocuous bungalow and clutched the bottle of red wine and store bought pie in his hands.
Steve looked over at him from behind the wheel, “You okay?”
“Yep. Never been better.”
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
Eddie looked back at Steve, to see his boyfriend giving him a sympathetic look back. No, he could do this for Steve.
Steve who had been long abandoned by his biological family before he was barely an adult, and had been taken in by the people Eddie was going to meet tonight. Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers who already had a mixture of biological, adopted and step-children between them had taken Steve in with barely a thought. He was their family. And it had been by stepping in and protecting that family that Steve ended up with the injuries he did. The injuries Eddie knew Steve would take time and time again if it meant his people were safe.
Steve had told him how these people had nursed him back to health, and who had given him a reason to get out of bed when he had had some dark days. These people meant the world to him. And he wanted Eddie to meet them.
He smiled back at Steve, “I do want to. I just hope they like me.”
“They will. I promise.”
“Is that because they’ve heard all about me?” He teased and giggled as Steve blushed and groaned, banging his forehead on the steering wheel.
It took a couple more minutes of light teasing before they got out of the car and made their way onto the porch and through the front door.
Joyce was the first to greet them with smiles and hugs, taking the wine and pie from Eddie with a smile, “You didn’t have too.”
Jim Hopper was next, eyeing Eddie up and down before raising an eyebrow and extending his hand, “Hopper.”
“Um, Eddie,” he replied as he shook the older man’s hand.
“Just so you know, I’m Chief of Police.”
“Okay.”
“So I know how to take a body over state lines without getting caught.”
“Hopper!” Steve exclaimed, staring up at his father figure incredulously.
But Hopper just grinned with a chuckle and pulled Steve into a big bear hug, “I’m joking! If I’m committing a federal crime it will be because of Mike, not this one!”
Even Steve snorted as they separated and Eddie wondered who this poor ‘Mike’ person was who Hopper had a vendetta against.
Hopper stepped away with a grin, “I’ll get you boys a drink!”
Eddie felt Steve’s hand slip into his and he let himself be pulled further into the living room where two teens were stood. The girl was the same one he had seen yesterday with the scary redhead, but the boy he didn’t recognise.
“Guys, this is Eddie. My boyfriend.”
Eddie grinned over at Steve. Even though they had been calling each other boyfriends for months, it felt different now that they were together in person. And saying it in front of his family.
Steve smiled over at him, “Eddie, this is Will and El.”
Will smiled and gave him a wave, “Hi Eddie, nice to meet you.”
“You too. I hear that you are one of the people responsible for getting Steve into D&D a few years ago, so thank you for that, otherwise we might not be here!”
Will blushed and looked down bashfully, “He used to call it the Dorks and Dragons game.”
Eddie gasped and clutched at his non-existent pearls, turning to his boyfriend, “Stevie! Say it ain’t so!”
Steve rolled his eyes, “What can I say, I saw the error of my ways. But thanks for snitching on me Will!” He reached out and tousled Will’s hair, the kid ducking away with a chuckle.
El was holding onto Steve’s other arm after hugging him and not letting go. She looked up at Eddie with big earnest eyes the same as yesterday, “I’m glad Max doesn’t have to hurt you.”
Steve frowned and looked at her, “What?”
They both ignored him and Eddie chuckled, “Me too. She’s scary.”
El beamed back at him, “She will be happy to know that. And don’t worry Eddie. Dad likes to make jokes that he will hurt our boyfriends. But he hasn’t done anything too bad yet.”
Will frown and side eye his sister, “Didn’t he once tell Mike his grandma died?”
“…yes.”
No one had anything to say after that, but El seemed unperturbed as she squeezed Steve’s arm with a smile before releasing him and heading off in the direction of the kitchen. Will following her with a shrug.
Eddie looked at Steve, “They’re sweet… and funny?”
“They are. Even when they’re not trying to be. They both had… sort of weird childhoods, El especially. So honestly? I kinda love it when they’re being normal teenagers. I love them like siblings.”
Eddie smiled and reached out for Steve’s hand again. He was glad he had them.
Dinner was a lively affair, with Joyce taking an interest in his life and asking all about his family and job. The kids eyes lit up when he talked about his website, and it turned out all the teenagers at the diner were on there as members (he checked they were on the under 18 membership which was heavily monitored and safe guarded, they were. He didn’t want Hopper after him).
And all four members of Steve’s family took great joy in embarrassing Steve when it came to Eddie. teasing him about how he would blush at his phone and tell them all about how amazing Eddie was.
Eddie finally took pity on Steve and confessed to him that Wayne had also been teasing him about his crush too, which was true. His uncle never missed an opportunity to tell him he had a twitterpated look on his face when texting with Steve.
Eddie had insisted on taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen after dinner. Brushing off both Steve and Joyce when they tried to help. He wanted to make a good impression, but he also wanted Steve to have a minute alone with his parents too.
He quickly rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. As he turned away from the sink he jumped when he saw Hopper stood just inside the doorway.
Hopper. Jim Hopper. The man who took Steve in and treated him like a son when he was still a teenager. Also the man who literally held his hands as he relearnt how to walk. Steve’s father, for all intents and purposes. Also the Police Chief of their hometown, which had not been at all alarming to learn as a former weed supplier. Eddie gulped as he was stared down by the older man.
“Steve didn’t tell you about his scars, did he?”
Eddie’s eyes widened in shock as he stared back at him, “I… how..?”
“I’m a cop,” Hopper shrugged, “I notice things. And I know Steve. And I know how he acts around new people, and how he acted on the phone when talking to you. He’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop, because unfortunately there are a lot of shallow people out there who only see the surface and not how amazing he is, and every time it’s happened I have to watch a little bit more of him shrink. Except not this time.”
“I… well I think all those others are idiots who don’t deserve him.”
Hopper gave him a long searching look before he nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting into the semblance of a smile, “I think you might be right.”
Eddie pulled a lock of hair in front of his face as a nervous gesture as the both of them stood there. He didn’t really know what to say after that. He had the feeling he might be getting some sort of shovel talk in a minute though. It wouldn’t be his first. Although, he sort of hoped it would be his last… and maybe that was a scary thought to have after only meeting Steve in person yesterday, but really they had known each other for so much longer, and the more he knew the more he wanted to be with Steve for forever.
Hopper shifted a little and cleared his throat, “When did you find out?”
“Yesterday.”
Hopper blinked and raised an eyebrow. Eddie dropped his hair and shrugged, “It’s… sort of a long story? Because I hadn’t seen him in person my friends got in my head and made me wonder if I was being catfished, which I hoped wasn’t true because of how much he meant to me… so I turned up at the diner yesterday. And, well… we’ve had a long talk.”
“Okay.” Hopper sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before meeting Eddie’s gaze again, “Look, I’m gonna say this once because I have too, because he’s been hurt too many times in the past, and not just physically. So if this is too much, just walk away now. I don’t necessarily agree with what he did, but don’t punish him for it. If you’re done, end it. Don’t string him along, don’t keep him on the hook, because I don’t know what it would do to him. And I don’t want to find out.”
Eddie stared back into Hopper’s eyes, he looked like a desperate father who was scared for his kid, and Eddie got it. He wasn’t stupid and could read between the lines, and even Steve admitted that he had gone to a ‘dark place’ after his injuries. Of course getting your hopes up just to have them crushed for something that wasn’t even his fault was bound to have an effect on him.
This was a shovel talk, just not in the way he expected. But if Hopper wanted to make a point he had, because threats against himself Eddie could take, but Steve hurting would never be an option.
“I wouldn’t do that. It’s not too much. He’s not too much. I drove here yesterday expecting the man I love to not exist, for our entire relationship to be something made up. Instead, I find out that it’s real. That Steve is real, and our relationship and feelings are real. And that’s the important bit, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Then I’m here to stay. If Steve’ll have me.”
Hopper gave him a smile and held out his hand, “I’m pretty sure he will. Welcome to the family. We’re a bit mismatch, but we’ll always have your back.”
Eddie smiled back and shook his hand, “Thanks.”
Eddie lingered on Steve’s doorstep the next morning. He really did have to go home, considering he hadn’t brought anything with him, and he had already stayed for two nights. And as much as he could work from anywhere, he really did need his laptop with him to do that.
Steve was gazing back at him stood in his doorway, both of them reluctant to let go where they were holding onto each other’s fingers.
Eddie leaned in for another kiss, “Steve… I love you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered as they parted.
“I’ll call you when I’m home.”
A strange look passed over Steve’s face for a fraction of a second, and eddie would have missed it if he hadn’t been trying to memorise his face before he left. But then he blinked and Steve was giving him a small smile again, “Please do.”
His voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, and Eddie wondered… he hoped Steve wasn’t bracing himself for disappointment, that he thought Eddie would leave and that would be the end, that Eddie would disappear from his life like so many others had done.
Eddie squeezed his hand, he had no intention of ever letting Steve down, “I will. And maybe, if you’re not sick of me, I could come back over next weekend? This time I could bring a change of clothes too!”
Steve brightened at that, his smile widening over his face, “Yeah? You wanna come back?”
“Course I do! I get to kiss you for real now!” And with that he planted yet another kiss onto Steve’s lips, feeling his boyfriend’s giggles, “And that’s worth driving any distance!”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Steve muttered with a blush, even as he grinned and looked away bashfully.
Eddie grinned back, “Maybe. But is it a crime if I want to see my boyfriend every chance I get?”
Steve ducked his head with a smile, clearly pleased. And Eddie got it. He liked being called Steve’s boyfriend too, he felt the same way last night when Steve introduced him to his family. He couldn’t wait for his family to meet Stev-
“Oh, um, Steve? I… it’s totally okay if you don’t want me too, but, how would you feel if I told Wayne and my friends about you?”
Steve’s face went carefully blank as he stared back at him, “About my scars?”
“Well… yes. But not just that.” He gave Steve a sheepish smile, “It’s just, I didn’t tell them I was coming to see you, and the last few weeks they had been worried I was being catfished or something. And obviously that’s not the case, but I know they’ll be all over me when I get home and asking me where I’ve been… but I don’t have to tell them!”
“Who are your friends that you want to tell?”
“Gareth mostly, and Jeff and Frank, the guys from our private D&D group. It’s fine if not, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, but they are your friends too! They know you from the group! And I just-“
“Eddie.” Steve cut him off with a gentle word, “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. They’re your family. Like Robin and the kids are mine. I get it, and you can tell them.”
Eddie blinked, “Are you sure?”
Steve gave him a soft smile, “Yes. I mean, thank you for asking, but I would never ask you to keep secrets from them. It’s bad enough I kept it from you.”
“Hey, no. We’ve talked about it. It’s okay.”
“It’s not, but thank you for forgiving me.” He let out a soft breath, “I… maybe one day I could meet them… face to face..?”
Eddie gazed back at Steve and felt a swell of emotion in his chest at how much Steve meant to him. He was clearly still scared, but here he was, willing to do this for Eddie. He reached out to grasp his hands, “I would absolutely love for you to meet Wayne and the boys. And we can sort something out, but I’m telling you now, if you get Gareth in your diner you’re not going to be able to get rid of him!”
Steve snorted in amusement and Eddie chuckled before continuing, “But I don’t wanna push you until you’re ready, okay? I want to tell them so that they understand why, and so that they’ll stop being mother hens and worrying about me!”
Steve nodded, “Okay. But it’s not the worst thing having people worry about you. I’m glad you have them.”
“I think we both lucked out in the family department.”
“True.” Steve dropped his gaze to look at their hands and Eddie felt him squeeze his fingers, “Eddie? Thank you for being brave and coming here. And thank you for this weekend. I can’t tell you how much it has all meant to me.”
Eddie smiled and reached up to cup Steve’s cheek, “Thank you for being you.” He leaned in for one final kiss, both of them knowing it was a goodbye, but hopefully not a long one. He pulled away slightly, their foreheads still pressed together, “I’ll see you soon okay?”
“Okay.”
Eddie took a step back, letting go of Steve, and then another, “I’ll call you as soon as I’m back!”
“I know you will. But look where you’re going! You’re gonna fall!”
“I’ve already fallen for you! I can’t fall again!”
Steve burst out laughing at his ridiculous statement and he laughed too. If it meant making Steve happy, he would gladly play the fool everyday.