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Never Say Never

Chapter 20

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

Summary: You are a 32 year old single mother, raising your seven year old son on your own. After being widowed at 30 and going out on awful dates with disgusting men for the past month, you have decided that you're giving up. You already had your great love. One person can't possibly get lucky enough to have two in their lifetime. But then your son starts playing baseball and the coach might just change your mind about that.

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 3.5K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Two Years Later

Indianapolis in the summer was hot and humid. You tugged at the cotton of your shirt, pulling the material away from your wet, sticky body. All you wanted right now was to lie on your couch, your feet propped up, enjoying the air conditioning and an iced coffee. But coffee was limited to you these days and decaf just didn’t bring the same joy. What was the point? And no matter what anyone said, it did not taste the same.

The bookstore was packed with people, the air conditioner not doing much amidst the radiating body heat of the crowd, books cradled in their arms, waiting to meet the author. Mike sat at a table in the center, smiling up at a customer as he signed the copy of his latest book, Paladin of the Dead Kingdom, a sequel to his debut novel which had raced up the charts to number one on the New York Times bestseller list, shocking everyone but probably him mostly.

Releasing a long slow breath, you pressed your hand against the base of your back in an attempt to soothe the ache that had settled low in your spine. Rolling your shoulders, you moved forward, continuing to browse the selection of books on the shelf in front of you. With as much time as you'd been spending with your feet up every night, you'd been getting a lot of reading done. A few new additions to your quickly dwindling pile would be good.

Your fingers trailed over the spines as you read, waiting for something to catch your eye, the sun shining in the window hitting the diamond on your left hand with a shimmering sparkle. A soft smile crossed your lips as you flashed back to last year, you and Steve under a trellis of flowers that the girls had put together in your backyard.

It had been a small ceremony, held on the anniversary of the day you had met each other the previous year. Your closest family and friends had gathered around as you vowed to love each other until death parted you. A slight twinge of panic had raced up your spine at those words but you had pushed it down, refusing to believe that life could be that cruel twice. No. You had been lucky enough to find him and you would be allowed to keep him. You had to believe that.

Everything with the two of you had moved pretty fast. You'd bought your house, with the wraparound porch you’d always dreamed of and the pool in the backyard that you couldn’t get the boys out of during the summer, only a few months after meeting. Steve had proposed two months after that. Seven months later you were married. From first sighting to wedding rings in the span of a year but you wouldn’t change a single thing. It didn’t matter how quickly it moved when you were certain you’d found the one that was meant for you.

“Mike is eating all this attention up,” El groaned, approaching with little Max on her hip. He’d just turned one last week and you could not get enough of his full little cheeks, dimples appearing as he grinned widely at you, drool slipping out of his mouth as he chewed at the teether El was trying to soothe him with. “But I’m so proud of him. He never thought his book would go anywhere, let alone be an instant bestseller.”

“Yeah. Well, there’s a lot of nerds in the world,” Dustin said, stepping up and holding out his arms. Baby Max leapt right into them. “The nerds far outnumber the non-nerds and he wrote something that appealed to every single one of them. Didn’t he, Max?” He grinned, bouncing his hip, Max giggling. “That’s right. Daddy did good. Huh, Max?”

“While I appreciate you naming your child after me,” Max interrupted, leaning against the side of the bookcase. “It is highly creepy to hear Dustin say my name in that baby voice.”

“Oh, Auntie Max is such a downer, isn’t she? She’s as grouchy as Oscar. We just need to find her a trash can,” Dustin cooed. “Come on little Max. I saw some cookies on the table in the back. Let’s get you one.”

“Dustin, not too much sugar, please,” El called but he was already gone and she sighed, tossing her hands in the air. “He’s going to let him have way too many cookies, isn’t he?”

“Oh yeah,” you grinned. “Not to mention punch. There’s fruit punch back there and cupcakes. Max will be all sugared up.”

“Great. At least the hotel has a pool. He can swim it out before bed.”

Robin and June walked up, hand in hand, and you smiled. Sometime within the last year, Robin has stopped being so self conscious about being affectionate with her girlfriend in public. She’d stopped worrying about what other people thought or what their reaction would be. She just let herself be happy. Even better, the two hadn’t encountered too much ignorance, choosing to ignore the side eyes or wrinkled noses. If anyone had anything to say, you would be more than happy to put them in their place.

Robin had moved out of her apartment when the lease was up last August and moved in with June. The two were now running the coffee shop together. Business was booming with all of Robin’s ideas. They had things going on every single night and the town was eager to come in, not only for the coffee and sandwiches anymore, but for all the extras. People waited anxiously to hear what the next read was for book club or to see the sign advertising what new musician would be playing. Local artists and poets signed up on a waiting list that was six months long to be able to come in and feature their work.

“This is one hell of a turnout,” June commented, eyes wide as she took in the crowd packed into the bookstore.

“Isn’t it amazing? It really means a lot to Mike that you all came to support him,” El told them with a smile.

“Of course we did,” Jonathan said, him and Nancy walking up. “Plus, it gave us a nice little getaway. We’re all going to take the boys to the Indianapolis Zoo tomorrow and to a baseball game on Sunday. They can’t wait. Jere is so excited to see his first professional game.”

Nancy laughed, “Well, the guys are going to take the boys to the baseball game. Y/N and I have appointments at the spa.”

You smiled, inhaling and exhaling deeply, “You have no idea how much I am looking forward to that. My feet could use some serious pampering right now.”

“Everything could use some pampering right about now,” Nancy said, waving her hand up and down to indicate your whole body. “Why do you think Steve booked it?”

Every time you thought Steve couldn’t get anymore perfect, he managed to prove you wrong, to do something to surprise you. When talk of this trip to support Mike’s book release came up, he’d instantly suggested you should turn it into a little vacation for all of you. You were all for the idea, excited to show him the Indianapolis Zoo that you’d enjoyed so much five years ago when Justin had brought you. You fully intended on replacing your broken coffee mug on this trip.

Then last week, he dropped a brochure on your lap. It was for a spa in the city. He’d booked you the Ultimate Package. It included a massage, a facial, manicure, pedicure, a hair wash, and style. You’d argued with him, telling him it was too much, but he’d insisted. Then he’d tempted you even more by telling you that Nancy was going with you.

You and Nancy had grown exceptionally close over the last couple of years. The woman you’d been so terrified of had turned out to be one of the most exceptional people you’d ever met. She’d welcomed you into their little family from the moment she’d met you and she had supported you and Steve every step of the way. Janice had been your maid of honor but Nancy had stood right next to her, a beautiful bridesmaid, her eyes shining with tears of joy as you and Steve had promised to love one another forever.

The bell above the door rang lightly, barely heard over the chatter of conversation within the four walls. Eli and Jeremiah came racing in, darting straight for their moms, red faced, shiny with sweat, and beaming from ear to ear.

“We pet a dog!” Eli yelled. “He was so big, mommy, like way bigger than me. Even bigger than Miles!”

Steve trailed behind them, clearly out of breath from trying to keep up with the boys. He stopped in front of you, hands on his hips, chest rising and falling deeply.

“Great Dane,” he muttered.

He’d offered to take the boys for a walk to get them out of everybody’s hair for a minute. They had been bursting with energy and sitting or standing nicely in the bookshop was not cutting it at the moment. You had been nervous they were going to cause a commotion if they didn’t get out of there for a bit.

“And we went to a playground!” Jeremiah added. “You should have seen it! It had everything and the monkey bars were so high but I did them anyway! I wasn’t even scared!”

“Yeah! And they had this swing that two people could sit on! It was like a circle and we sat on it and Daddy pushed us and we went so high!” Eli yelled.

“Wow, that’s incredible,” Jonathan replied, leaning down, hands on his knees. “How about we go get you both a cookie and some punch and you can pick out a book and sit and rest for a bit. I bet you could use some rest after all that excitement.”

“I sure could,” grumbled Steve, but his smile didn’t match his tone. The man might grumble and moan but he loved those boys with everything he had. And nothing made him happier than spending time with them.

“Aww,” you cooed, running your fingers through his hair, damp at the base of his neck from the heat and exertion, “did the boys wear you out, baby?”

“A bit,” he nodded. “They never stop, those two. They just have endless energy. I wish I could bottle up a fraction of it. It’s hard keeping up with them.”

“Well, you better get to training then,” Nancy teased, her eyes dropping to your stomach and then back up to Steve. “You’ve only got a couple months to get ready for an all new one. You think they’re exhausting now, do you remember Jeremiah at one and two and three?”

Yes, Eli was getting the sibling that you had always hoped for him to have but hadn’t expected to happen. After you were married, you had stopped birth control, the two of you deciding that if it happened, it happened. You weren’t stressing it. You would be content either way but when you realized in February that your period was a month late and that stick had shown two pink lines, you'd both been elated.

The idea of a little person that was a mixture of the two of you, a living, breathing testament to the love you shared, filled you both with more joy than you'd expected. It felt like a symbol of not only your relationship, but the blending of your two families into one. Beautiful splashes of color that collided to create the most beautiful piece of art. Because there was no doubt in your mind that this baby would be beautiful, especially if she got her dad’s lashes and that head of full, thick hair.

“Have you guys finally picked out a name?” questioned Robin for what had to be the twentieth time. “You know, I keep telling you that Robin is a pretty great name.”

“I would offer up Max but that’s already taken,” the red head shrugged. “Not that you couldn’t also name your child after me. I mean, I am obviously the coolest one here.”

El laughed, “While I agree, it would be very challenging to have two little ones running around with the same name. It’s already hard with you and my son.”

“Besides, Robin is the obvious choice,” Robin cut in.

“Why is Robin the obvious choice? Why not June?” her girlfriend asked. “I think it’s a very pretty name.”

“It’s a beautiful name for the most beautiful girl,” Robin said, “but I have been friends with Steve for fourteen years.”

“Well, if we’re going by the longest time knowing someone, then I should win,” Nancy argued. “I’ve known Steve for sixteen years and I am the mother of his other child. I think that gives me bonus points. Maybe the baby should be called Nancy.”

“I don’t know that Jere would want his little sister to be named the same thing as his mom,” Steve mused.

“Why not? Guys name their kids after themselves all the time.”

“While that is true,” you began, cutting off the conversation, “we have already settled on a name. She will be Peyton Robin Harrington.”

“Ohh!” El’s eyes went wide, her hands clasped to her chest. “I love Peyton. That’s such a cute name.”

“Yeah, and it doesn’t lend itself to any weird nicknames,” Steve said, his arms coming around you, hands covering your round belly. “That was one of my biggest concerns. I didn’t want to pick anything that could be turned into something awful.”

“Like Pey?” offered Lucas, earning a glare from Steve.

“Oh! Peyday!” Max grinned.

“Or PeyPey,” teased Robin.

Nancy snorted, “How about Ton? Come here little Ton!”

“You all suck,” Steve snapped, rolling his eyes. “None of you will be calling my beautiful little girl any of those awful names.”

“I don’t know,” you joked. “Peyday has a certain ring to it.”

“Don’t you start, too,” groaned Steve.

“Oh! Or Peycheck!”

“Honey, seriously…”

“Peyroll! No! I got it. Peypaya.”

Steve’s hands rested on his hips, his face so unamused that you couldn’t help but laugh.

“You guys are so funny. Leave my daughter alone.”

“Hey,” you protested, winding your arms around his waist, feeling him melt against you, his hands leaving his hips to come around you. “She’s my daughter too.”

“So stop trying to start off her life by traumatizing her. She’ll never live down a name like Peypaya.”

“While I think Robin should have been her first name, I guess I am willing to accept the middle name,” the blond huffed, folding her arms and rolling her eyes. “I guess it’s still a little recognition of how neither of you could function without me.”

“We really couldn’t,” you agreed. “I mean, who would keep this one in line for me?” You nodded your head toward Steve and he snorted, shaking his head.

“Seriously. This dingus thought doing the whole baby room without you as a surprise while you were visiting your parents would be a good idea.”

“Hey! I thought it would be nice for her to come home to a finished nursery. I was just trying to save my wife from extra work.”

“Yeah and then she wouldn’t have had a say in any of it. She would have smiled and thanked you and secretly hated it every single time she walked into the room and it wasn’t what she’d envisioned,” Max told him. “Robin was right. You cannot do home renovations without your wife’s opinion.”

“I asked Janice for input. She knows her better than anyone.”

It was true. Janice knew exactly what you would want. The sage green nursery, photos of zoo animals that your friend had taken for you adorning the walls, soft pastel orange bedding and pillows, cuddly stuffed animals propped throughout. It was perfect and Janice would have guided Steve to do exactly that.

The two of you had been ecstatic when you'd found out that you were having a girl. Janice’s daughter, Olive, was only eighteen months so the girls would be close in age. Both of you hoped your girls would be just as inseparable as their moms were, a built in life-long friend.

Max relented, “Okay. I mean, asking her best friend was a solid plan. If anyone would know what she wanted, it was her.”

“Exactly and what she told me is exactly what my wife wanted anyway. I could have done it and then she wouldn’t have had to stress.”

“Either way, the nursery is perfect. The boys had the best time helping us get everything ready. They even each picked out an animal for the room. Eli wanted an elephant because it starts with ‘e’ and Jeremiah went with giraffe because it has the same sound as his name, even if the letters are different. His words, not mine.” You laughed, remembering how excited the boys had been running through the baby store, helping you pick out things for the room.

“They were a little bummed that we didn’t go with a superhero theme,” Steve added.

“Well, of course,” chuckled Lucas. “What little girl wouldn’t want Batman and Superman?”

Max shrugged, “I mean, you could have gone with Catwoman and Wonder Woman. That would have been pretty kickass.”

Mike stumbled over into their aisle, looking exhausted but happy, a wide smile stretching his face. He leaned down to kiss El and then dropped down to the floor dramatically in front of the bookshelf.

“My hand is going to wither and fall off,” he groaned, shaking his fingers. “I don’t even know how many books I signed.”

“Oh please. You love it,” Lucas told him.

Mike grinned, “I do. I never thought this would actually be me. I mean, nothing Mike Wheeler, kid who was picked on by the assholes all through school, now a bestselling author. People actually line up just to meet me and get me to slap my signature on something I wrote. It’s insane, man, but so damn cool.”

“Dada!”

Little Max came racing over, Dustin rushing behind him, clearly having lost control of the situation. The little guy flung himself into Mike’s open arms and the guy who’d looked terrified at the thought of being a father, scooped him up, kissing the top of his hair that was the shade of midnight, just like his dad’s.

“Hey buddy.”

Max held up the cookie he currently had in his hand, the whole thing a mushy wet mess from where he’d been gnawing at it. He tried to put it in Mike’s mouth and he grimaced, shaking his head.

“No thank you. That’s Max’s cookie. You eat it, buddy.”

“And how many cookies is that, Dustin?” inquired El, the girl already having the mom look down, currently giving it to Dustin.

The boy shrugged, curls spilling out from under his ballcap, “I don’t know. Not too many…I mean…” He ran his hand over his mouth, mumbling, “Four.”

“Four! Did you say four?” El groaned, her head dropping back. “Dustin, seriously. I am going to make you deal with him when he’s running up and down the hallways of the hotel and refusing to go to sleep.”

“Okay. I don’t mind hanging out with the little dude.”

El’s eyes rolled up into her head as the adult Max patted her shoulder gently.

“Well, while he’s had four cookies, I’ve had nothing for the last three hours and I am starving,” Mike announced, one arm around his son as he rose up to his feet. “What do you all say we head out and get some dinner?”

“You buying?” asked Nancy.

“Yeah, with that big advance, you can afford it, right?” Lucas agreed.

Robin placed an arm on his shoulder, grinning, “Mr. Big Bucks over here these days.”

“Oh! If Mike’s buying, I am getting all the drinks,” June said.

“And dessert,” Max added. “Maybe we should order every dessert on the menu. You know, so we can taste everything.”

“Don’t forget appetizers,” Will stated.

Nolan nodded, “Yeah. I love to taste test things at other restaurants. Give me ideas for new recipes. I bet we could manage to order one of everything on the menu, for research, you know?”

“You guys are jerks,” Mike huffed.

“What, with that fancy Range Rover you drive now, I assumed you must have lots of expendable cash,” Jonathan said as he and the boys joined them.

“I mean, I’m doing okay,” Mike shrugged, his ears turning bright red. “I wouldn’t say I’m rolling in cash but I can buy dinner.”

They all whooped and cheered, heading out of the bookshop and onto the streets of Indy.

“But not one of everything on the menu!” he yelled after them.

“What?” Robin bellowed. “Sorry. Can’t hear you!”

“Yeah!” Lucas yelled. “Too busy imagining all the food I’m going to eat!”

Steve rolled his eyes at the group, his arm coming around your shoulder as you trailed behind everybody. His mouth dropped to your ear, lips brushing over the tender skin as he whispered, “Regretting getting mixed up with this crew? Rethinking your choices?”

“Never,” you said, and you meant it, because this guy right here and everyone that came along with him were the best choice you’d ever made. Two years ago you’d said you would never find something this amazing again. But never say never.

Taglist: @katethetank@roxiehorrorshow@sapphire4082@bakugouswh0r3@frostandflamesfanfic @mix-matchsocks @mushy-mushroom04 @palmtreesx3 @littlebookworm86 @eddies-trailer-babe @cheesewritings @emilyj444 @daisyhollyxox @angelbabyivy @the-fairy-anon @loritate7311 @k-k0129 @antiquecultist

And this brings this story to an end. Endings are always bittersweet for me. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. I love to hear what you think! ❤️❤️❤️

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 6 days

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 19

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 7.4K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

The peak of summer had hit. Humid days meant lots of time at the local pool and lake. You and Steve were enjoying every moment of the boys' break from school with them. Picnics in the woods, cookouts with friends, mini-golf, and trips to the zoo filled up your weekends. Evening bike rides had become part of your routine, often ending with ice cream cones or slushies from Scoops Ahoy. Nights spent chasing fireflies and roasting marshmallows over a fire. You and Steve had taken to enjoying evenings on the deck after the boys were in bed, glasses of wine in your hands.

Mid-July found everyone once again sitting around a large table at Sage and Salt, minus your parents, as you were all there for an entirely different reason this time.

“To Mike!” everyone cheered loudly, glasses clinking in celebration all around the table.

Mike’s cheeks blazed bright red, his lips disappearing in embarrassment at everyone making a fuss over him. He’d told you last week that he finally got an offer for his book. The book he’d been working on for years was finally going to be published, he was getting a decent advance for a new author, had signed the contract just that afternoon, and everyone had insisted on going out to celebrate.

“Thank you but this all feels a little…premature, doesn’t it?” he asked. “I mean, yeah, I got an offer and signed a contract but we have no idea how the book is going to do. Getting published doesn’t mean anything. Lots of people get published and their book just sits on a shelf collecting dust. It could still horribly flop.”

“It will not,” insisted El, looping her arm through his, a proud smile on her face. “You are going to do incredible. Michael Wheeler is going to be a household name.”

“Yeah, man. You could be the next Stephen King,” Lucas said.

Dustin snorted, “Nobody’s the next Stephen King. Stephen King is the only Stephen King there is or ever will be. Besides, his books are in a totally different genre. You can’t even compare the two.”

Max rolled her eyes, “Jesus Christ, Dustin. Can you just say yeah and be happy for your friend?”

“I am happy for my friend but it would be more appropriate to compare him to Eddings or Brookes as his book would be of the fantasy genre and they are fantasy authors. Of course, those are big shoes to fill. If his books do even half as well as theirs I will be impressed.”

“Okay, we get it,” Steve sighed, shaking his head. “Anyway, this is a huge deal and I am sure your book is going to be great. Congratulations Mike.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, we’re so proud of you,” Karen beamed, teary, reaching over the table to pinch his cheek as he grimaced and pulled back from his mom.

“It’s about time,” Tedd grumbled, taking a long drink of his beer. “Only been working on the damn thing for five years, letting his wife pick up the slack.” Karen elbowed him and he looked over at her, completely unaware of how rude he was being.

“Well,” Joyce added, “I think it’s great. I can’t wait to read it. I will be first in line to buy it the day it comes out.”

Mike smiled at her, “Thanks.” He glanced around the table at all of his friends. “And thanks to all of you. If you wouldn’t have pushed me so hard, I’d probably still be editing it over and over again, too scared to ever actually put it out into the world.”

Nancy ruffled his hair, “No problem, kid. We all knew you had it in you even if you didn’t.”

“It’s an amazing story,” Will told them. “Mike really did his research. It’s well planned out, the plot is gripping, the characters are amazing, and the world building is on point.”

Dustin’s mouth dropped open, his fork hitting the plate with a clang, his eyebrows furrowing, “Wait. You’ve read it?”

Will shrugged, “I mean, yeah. Mike wanted me to look it over to see what I thought. I actually helped him with some of the editing.”

“How come he got to read it?” demanded Dustin, offended. “You said we couldn’t read it until it was published and perfect?”

“It’s Will,” Mike stated as if that should be enough explanation. “I trust Will to be honest with me.”

“We’re honest,” Lucas scoffed.

Max’s eyes rolled into her head, “Boys, boys…calm down. You all will have a chance to read it in a few months when it comes out. No need to bicker over who got to read it first. You’re all very important to Mike.”

“Speaking of people who are about to be famous, you will never guess who I saw at the record store today,” Robin said, turning to Steve as the boys continued to banter back and forth, her hand reaching across the table to grab a roll from the basket sitting in front of Steve.

“Who?” he asked.

“Eddie Munson.”

Steve’s eyes went wide, “For real?”

Robin nodded with a grin like she’d just spilled the juiciest news ever but being that you had no idea who she was talking about, you just munched on your bread. It didn’t appear that June had any idea who it was either as her and you shared a look of confusion. Based on the look on Steve’s face, this was very big news indeed.

“But I thought he took off,” Steve continued. “After senior year…well, his third try at senior year, anyway. He said he was getting out of this hellhole and never looking back.”

“He did get out. Hasn’t lived here for years but he came back to help Wayne pack up the trailer. Apparently, his band just got a record deal with this big label in L.A. He said they’ve been playing in clubs for years and were just thinking of packing it in and giving it up when this big record executive came to one of their shows. Anyway, they gave him this huge advance and he bought a house out there and Wayne is going to move in with him.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Steve remarked, his hand on your shoulder, thumb stroking the bare skin along the strap of your tank top. You had learned over the last few months that he was a very physical guy. Some part of him was almost always touching you and you weren’t complaining about it. “Good for him. You know, the way this town treated him, I always hoped he’d do well and show them all.”

“Who’s Eddie Munson?” June questioned just as you were about to ask it yourself.

“He’s this guy we went to school with. He’s Steve’s age but he had some struggles in school so he wound up graduating with my class. Honestly, I think he might have had ADD but of course they didn’t really talk about that back then. They’ve only really started talking about it in the last couple years. If you couldn’t keep your ass in the chair and learn like everyone else then you were just out of luck. Most of the teachers wrote him off as a lost cause so he lived up to it. He was sent out of the classroom so many times for being obnoxious or causing a disruption. But he was crazy talented at the guitar and he always had a book he was reading. People called him dumb but I never thought he was. Annoying, absolutely, but not dumb. I think he just couldn’t get it the way they were teaching it and no one took the time to figure out how to teach him.”

Steve shrugged, “He had it hard here. The town treated him like trash because his dad was trash. His old man went to prison for selling hot car parts and his mom took off when he was just a toddler. He wound up living with his Uncle Wayne when he was in middle school. Wayne had a trailer in Forest Hills. So on top of being a felon’s kid, on top of having trouble at school, he also lived in a trailer. It was the trifecta of judgement for the people in this town. Everyone always said he was up to no good and he was going to turn out just like his father.”

“You know,” Robin mused, tearing off little bits of her roll and stuffing them in her mouth, “one time some of the cheerleaders were being mean to me. Not that it wasn’t something that happened all the time.” She snorted, rolling her eyes. “I was a band geek so the jocks and the popular kids loved to give us shit. Anyway, they took my trumpet and were playing keepaway. Eddie stepped right in and swiped it from them, depositing it in my hands with a flourish and a bow before strolling off down the hallway. I always kind of admired him. He never let those asshats get him down. He just was who he was and he didn’t care what anyone thought of him.”

“I don’t know,” countered Steve. “I think everyone cares what other people think of them. I just think some of us are better at pretending like we don’t. I think that obnoxious, boisterous exterior was a shield he put up to protect himself once he realized he was never going to be accepted by this place. It was easier to pretend it didn’t matter than to allow himself to be vulnerable to the mockery. Dustin sure loved the guy though.”

“Loved who?” asked Dustin, catching the sound of his name.

“Eddie Munson,” Steve answered.

“Hell yeah I did. All of us did.” He gestured down the table to the other boys. “He was a Dungeons and Dragons Master. He was the head of our D&D club, Hellfire, and we all joined our freshman year of high school. Me, Lucas, Mike, and Will were never what you’d call…popular. Lucas was a bit once he started playing basketball and helped them win the championship game. But Eddie, man, he just accepted us from the first day. He gave us a place to belong. We were happy to be one of his sheep.”

Steve snorted, “It was like a damn cult. He referred to them as his sheep like he was a shepherd leading the flock. All four boys loved him but Dustin freaking worshiped the ground he walked on.”

“He passed the reins onto Dustin when he finally graduated, appointing him Dungeon Master,” Robin said, pausing to thank the waitress as she brought their food. “But he was heartbroken when he found out Eddie was going to completely skip town.”

“He was my friend. Hell, he was more like a brother, and he was a hell of a Dungeon master. I tried to fill his shoes but nobody really could,” Dustin stated. “I’ve been out there to visit him a few times, actually. He’s in town right now. Did you know that?”

“That’s what I was just telling him, doofus,” Robin said. Dustin stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.

“And were you close to Eddie?” you asked Steve.

“Me? No. Not so much. Eddie and I…we didn’t have a lot in common. He was a metalhead who loved to play nerd games. I was an athlete who would rather do just about anything than Dungeons and Dragons. But I never had an issue with him like some people. I always thought he was a pretty good guy. Henderson’s a good judge of character. If he says you’re solid, you probably are. My few interactions with him were alright.”

One of Robin’s eyebrows lifted, her elbow dropping to the table as she leaned forward, “Oh please! You hated that Dustin and him were so close.”

“Yeah he did! He didn’t like that I had another older male friend. He wanted to be the only one.”

Steve’s lips came together, making a noise of disbelief, “Okay, one, gross. And please. Like I cared who you spent your time with. I was just relieved you weren’t constantly following me around anymore.”

Robin turned to you, “Don’t let him fool you. He was so jealous that Dustin was spending more time with Eddie. He got used to being the only one that the kid hero worshipped.”

“Aww,” you teased, poking him in the side, giggling when he jumped. “You didn’t like having to share your little brother?”

His eyes narrowed, “Please. Like I cared who Dustin Henderson hung out with.”

“Oh, he did,” Dustin shot back. “He can act like he didn’t want me around but he’d be lying. Steve loves me.”

“Okay, anyway, onto another topic please,” Steve begged, popping a fry into his mouth as the other guys caught wind of the conversation and started asking Dustin about Eddie.

“Alright, how about we talk about how my amazing girlfriend had some brilliant ideas about how to get more business into the coffee shop?” June offered, her hand covering Robin’s. “I was telling her how weekday evenings can be pretty dead and I wasn’t sure if I should start closing early and she had some amazing suggestions.”

“Oh yeah?” You leaned forward, arms folded on top of the table. You smiled at how red Robin’s cheeks flared at June’s compliment. “What amazing suggestions did you have?”

Robin shook her head, fingers tearing little pieces of her napkin nervously. “It wasn’t really anything spectacular…”

“Yes it was!” June huffed, rolling her eyes. “She’s just being modest. She mentioned starting a book club night. We could have specials to lure them in. I mean, what goes better with a conversation about a good book than a cup of coffee and yummy sweets?”

“Oh, I think that’s a fantastic idea!” you exclaimed, bringing your straw to your lips for a sip of Coke. “We don’t really have anywhere in town that does book clubs. I think you’d get a lot of people interested. You could even make a special dessert to go with the book they’re reading.”

June’s eyes lit up. “I love that idea! Like I could make something with orange marmalade for Bridget Jones's Diary. We think that might be the first pick. I could even come up with some fun drinks to go with it. Maybe instead of coffee, have a fun tea beverage.”

“Yes! I’m totally in for the book club.”

“Oh, did I hear you say you’re starting a book club at the cafe?” asked Nancy, making her way down the table to join them. “I’m in.”

“Really?” Robin asked. “I mean, you really think it’s a good idea?”

“I told you babe,” June sighed, “it’s an amazing idea. We’re thinking about Tuesday nights. We’ll feature one book a month. I’m partnering with Terry, who owns the bookstore. He said he’ll make sure to order extra of whatever we pick so people can buy it directly from him instead of having to drive into the city to find it.” She shrugged. “I mean, it’s a win-win for both of us, you know?”

“I also mentioned a live music night and maybe a poetry night where people could come in and perform,” Robin added, posture straightening as her confidence built seeing that everyone thought it was a good idea. “That’s why I was in the record store today. I was talking to Tom about the local bands he knew of. We want to get the word out but we need to know where to find the people to give the word.”

“Yeah. But we’re thinking of waiting on the live music for a couple months. I want to make sure we have the book club thing down before I try adding in anything else. If that all goes well, then maybe in a couple more months we can phase in poetry night.”

“The Hideout would probably be the best place to find bands,” Jonathan offered as he headed down to join them as well, his arm slipping around Nancy’s waist. “I mean, that’s where Corroded Coffin always played.”

Robin nodded, “I know but we want to host a variety of music. I think The Hideout is pretty heavy stuff. Not that we don’t want that too but it would be nice to do a variety to get more people in.”

Steve snorted, “Yeah. Not everyone wants to listen to a bunch of screaming. Makes my ears want to bleed.”

“You know, Matt works with a guy who’s in a band. They play more acoustic stuff. I could talk to him and see if his friend would want to play at your shop,” you told them.

“That would be great. Like I said, it wouldn't be for a couple months. Probably not until the end of summer but I wouldn’t mind lining up some talent so we have a schedule and are ready to go when it’s time. Plus that would give us some time to figure out logistics.”

“If you’re looking for something Monday through Friday, you could always eventually add a local artisan night too. People who make things could have small displays in your shop and in front of it. From my experience, people love that kind of stuff,” Nancy said. “There’s just something so gratifying about finding that unique something special that you can’t find anywhere else because it’s not mass marketed. You know?”

“That’s not a bad idea, either,” June agreed. “And I love getting to support artists and small business owners. Especially given that I am one.”

“Oh, I wanted to ask, would it be okay if Eli stayed over tonight?” asked Nancy, turning to you. “Jere has been bugging me all day since we were all going to be here together. We rented Space Jam and he refuses to watch it without Eli.”

Steve glanced over at you, eyebrows wiggling suggestively at the thought of the two of you having a night alone. You weren’t used to having Eli gone as much as he was these days. He usually wound up hanging out with one of the gang or having a sleepover at least once a week but you’d learned to appreciate any time you could have alone with Steve.

“Yeah. Absolutely. I’m sure he’d love that.” A soft smile lifted the corners of your mouth as you glanced down the table, watching as the boys took turns shooting straw wrappers at Dustin and Lucas, a skill that Hopper was apparently teaching them. The man was like an over-sized child sometimes.

“Thanks. We’ll bring them both back around lunchtime tomorrow if that’s good for you,” Jonathan said, him and Nancy sharing a smile. “Give you some morning time too, you know, if you need a little extra.”

A couple hours later found you strolling next to June as Steve and Robin argued ahead of you. Everyone had headed home and the four of you decided to walk off some of your food first. You were only able to catch a word here or there of Steve and Robin’s conversation and had no idea what they were arguing about. But considering it sounded playful, you weren't worried. If there was such a thing as platonic soulmates, those two were it. They bickered like siblings but their love for each other knew no bounds. That was obvious to anyone who witnessed their interactions for even a few minutes.

“So, it seems pretty serious with you and Robin,” you observed, hooking your arm through June’s as you walked along the main street.

A smile like a crescent moon curved the raven-haired beauty’s lips, “It is, I think. I’ve been crushing on her for months. I didn’t think she’d ever get the nerve to say anything. I mean, honestly, I wasn’t even sure if she liked me for a while. The girl never made eye contact with me. I knew she was into girls but I just figured maybe I wasn’t her type and she didn't want me to get the wrong impression or something.”

“Oh, she liked you,” you laughed, pausing to look in the window of the general store. Eli had been begging you for the Batcave playset that had come out a couple weeks ago. With his birthday coming up next month, you were going to need to stop in and get it. If you waited too long, it might not be there and you’d never hear the end of it. “She liked you a lot. I just think she was scared to say anything.”

“Obviously. But she’s…I mean, she’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She’s so kind and thoughtful. I love the way she rambles when she’s nervous. It’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. And those little freckles…I just want to kiss each one.” She giggled. “I often do, actually. It’s only been a few weeks but somehow I just know. I know this is going to be something amazing. I know it’s going to last, you know?”

You curved your lower lip in, nodding as your eyes instantly moved to Steve, “I do know.”

“You sure seem to. You and Steve are the freaking cutest. Anyone watching you two can see it’s something special.”

It was special. It was everything. It was more than you could have ever imagined you’d get in life. After losing it all, you’d never expected to find something this magical again, someone this amazing. You knew exactly what June meant because you just knew. You knew that Steve was it for her. You knew six months from now, six years from now, sixty years from now, the universe willing, that he would still be by your side and you would still be just as deliriously happy.

Robin shoved Steve, his hand coming to her face and shoving her back, both of them laughing. You watched the exchange with amusement. You already loved both of them so much. They had seamlessly been sewn into the fabric that was your life. What girl not only got to have the perfect guy but also the amazing people who came along with him? Sometimes it felt like too much, like you couldn’t possibly deserve this much.

“Are you two talking about us back there?” Robin questioned, walking backwards ahead of them.

“Only good things,” June promised.

“My girl's not complaining about how I don’t hang up my towel after a shower?” Steve asked, spinning around to face them. “Or how I leave little hairs in her sink when I shave? Or how she trips over my shoes because I don’t put them by the door where they belong?”

“I can accept all of those things if you can accept how I hog all the blankets at night,” you replied. “Or how I take showers so hot you feel like your skin is melting off. Or how I always take the last of the coffee and don’t make another pot.”

Steve stopped walking, waiting until you were right in front of him. His arms wrapped around you, hand locking at the small of your back, a gentle kiss pressed against your lips. Those lips, so damn soft. The man always had a ChapStick in his pocket. You knew because you’d run it through the washing machine more than once.

“I can accept every single one of those as long as it means I get to have you,” he whispered, his lips pressing softly against your nose.

“Did we just watch them exchange vows?” teased June. “Because those sure sounded like vows.”

“Seriously, when are you two just going to bite the bullet and move in together?” asked Robin.

Steve’s eyes went wide, zeroing in on you, examining you and you knew why. He was waiting. Waiting for you to sink into the dark abyss of an attack the way you had the last time moving in together had been brought up. You hated the way his body tensed, readying himself to try to pull you out of it. You hated that he assumed you would fall apart at the mention of the future with him.

Because you weren't. You weren't panicking. The two of you spent more nights together than not these days. You had toothbrushes at each other’s places. You had a drawer with a spare change of clothes for those last minute decisions to stay over. He had a thermos in your cupboard for his coffee for work when he woke up at your place.

“Robin, we’ve only been dating for a few months,” Steve urged, darting a warning glance at his friend. “We’re taking things slow.”

Robin guffawed, her head thrown back with loud laughter, “Moving slowly? You sleep at each other’s houses every single night.”

“Not every night,” Steve argued.

“Practically,” she stated. “You already act like a married couple. Aly packs your lunches for work for crying out loud.”

You shrugged, “I mean, I’m already packing Eli’s and mine so I just…”

“I don’t care that you pack his lunch. But if you’re packing lunches, taking turns picking up the kids from school, and sleeping next to each other every single night, what’s the difference if you just go from two houses to one?”

“She’s not wrong,” June agreed. “You’re basically living together in two different spaces. Just sell one. It’s definitely more economically logical. You’d only have one house payment.”

“And if you sell one, you’d have a decent chunk of change. You could use it for…oh, I don’t know…a wedding?” Robin’s eyebrows wiggled tauntingly.

“We haven’t…I mean…we’ve talked but not…” you stammered.

Steve’s hands found yours in an attempt to ground you. Oddly, you didn’t need it. This talk about weddings and living together, talk that used to make your heart run a marathon, that used to suck the air right out of your lungs, wasn’t doing anything. You just didn’t know how to respond. After the hospital incident, you hadn’t really discussed it anymore.

It wasn’t like it wasn’t there, a thought that kept jabbing at your brain every now and then. But you’d been happily just going along the way you were. If he had Jere, you would stay at his place so Jere could have his things. If he didn’t, they stayed at your place. Miles had even gotten comfortable at both houses. The dog was at home at your place, leaving dark hairs everywhere that you could never seem to fully vacuum away. Somehow you always went to work covered in him but you didn’t mind.

But did Steve want to take that step? He’d told you that he hadn’t meant it when he said he liked his space. But the man had been living on his own for a while. He didn’t have to be attached to a child seven days a week. If you moved in together, he would have Eli around all the time. Maybe he wanted to be able to head back to his own place, his sanctuary of peace and solitude.

“Okay Robin. Your suggestions and opinions are duly noted,” Steve said, putting an end to the discussion. “Thanks for the input.”

Robin shrugged, grinning, “Just wanted to get my two cents out there. Voice the idea into the world. Because we both know you two will never do it if left to your own devices.”

____________________________________________________________

Steve stroked your hair as you lay with your head on his chest, the two of you relaxed back on a blanket. A cool breeze tickled his skin, crickets creating a soundtrack for your evening as you enjoyed a moment of quiet together in his backyard. Stars twinkled like diamonds in the night sky, the half moon providing what little bit of light you had.

He felt completely at ease with you right here where you belonged, cocooned in his arms, your hearts beating rhythmically against one another, sharing each other’s warmth to ward off the chill of the early summer evening.

He’d been expecting you to go into a full blown anxiety attack earlier when Robin started talking about moving in together. He’d expected another call to 911 when you'd mentioned marriage. But he’d never been so glad to be wrong. You had taken it in stride. You'd stammered a bit, looked a little nervous, but you hadn’t lost control. It was a small step in the right direction.

Steve hadn’t broached the subject of living together since that night when he almost ruined everything. You were spending most nights and mornings together as it was. It wasn’t enough. He didn’t think it would ever be enough but you seemed to be okay with it and so it was what he would make himself okay with for now. He’d made a silent vow not to push you anymore and he’d stuck to it, waiting for you to let him know when you were ready for the next step.

Had he wondered if you never would be? Of course he had. With your past, your struggles with anxiety, it concerned him that this could be what your relationship looked like forever. You frozen in place, terrified to move even an inch in a forward direction. Him never saying anything for fear of pushing you away. The two of you at a standstill, your relationship never evolving, never changing past two people who dated and stayed over at each other’s places.

Steve had thought you'd fallen asleep until you said softly, “Maybe Robin has a point.”

“Hmm?” he questioned, pulling himself from his thoughts.

You lifted your head, placing both hands over his heart before resting your chin on the backs of them. You took his breath away. Every time you looked at him it was like he had forgotten just how beautiful you were and he was stunned all over again. Every damn time. His fingers slid a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I said maybe Robin has a point,” you repeated, turning your face into his touch, your lips pressing a kiss to the center of his palm.

Steve snorted, “Robin’s never right about anything.” At the look you gave him, he relented. “Okay. Fine. Yeah, she has some great ideas about June’s cafe. I think those things will really help bring in the business. We’ve yet to see but maybe she does have a point.”

“Steve, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. You couldn’t be saying what he thought you were saying, right? No. That was just him getting his hopes up far too high. It had only been a little over a month since that night in the hospital. There was no way you were going from barely able to breathe at the idea to suddenly saying you should move in together.

He swallowed, trying to rein in the desire that was raging in him for you to open your mouth and say those words. Because if you didn’t, the disappointment would come crashing down on him like an avalanche, his heart crushed under the weight of hundreds of tons of rock and rejection.

“So, what are you talking about?” he asked, attempting to keep the hope he was feeling out of his voice.

Your head tilted, your mouth curving into a gentle smile, “I mean, we are practically living together as it is. We’re just doing it in two different spaces. It does seem kind of silly, doesn’t it?”

Steve swallowed hard, nodding, barely trusting himself to reply with more than that. He wanted to grab onto you, pull you into him, kiss you breathless, and beg you to move in together. To choose a place. He didn’t care which. If you wanted to keep your place, that was fine with him. He just wanted you to be in his life, all of it, every day for forever.

“I understand if you’re not ready. I know you’ve probably gotten used to having your own space. I’m sure it’s nice to come home to a quiet house on the days when Jeremiah is with Nancy and Jonathan. So, I’m not pressuring you or anything. I’m just saying maybe it’s something to think about?”

He nodded. Emotion was clogging his throat. He knew he needed to say something. He needed to respond to you but he couldn’t seem to get sound past the lump in his esophagus.

You blinked quickly, burying your head against his chest again as you muttered softly, “Anyway, just a thought. No big deal. I wasn’t saying we have to do it now.”

Jesus Christ, he chastised himself. Open your mouth. Say something. His arms wound around you tighter. Those beautiful eyes, eyes he hoped he was lucky enough to look into for the rest of his life, opened wide. He traced the back of his hand over the soft skin of your cheek.

“Move in with me,” he urged. “Or I’ll move in with you. I don’t care. But let’s move in together.”

Those perfectly pink lips arced up on both sides, “Really?”

“Yes, really. Invade all of my space. I told you, I don’t want space. I don’t want quiet. I don’t want alone. I just want you. You and Eli and Jeremiah. I want you to fill up all the space until there’s none left.”

“Are you sure? You’re not just saying that?”

“Honey, I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am of you,” he said. “I know I want you forever. I know you’re it for me. I don’t need to wait and see. I don’t need time to figure anything out. I’ve known from the moment I saw your face that you were going to be something special in my life. And you are. I want you and everything that comes with you.” He cradled your face in his palms. “I want this face to be the first thing and the last thing I see every day.”

Tears sparkled in your eyes under the light of the moon. “Me too. Maybe it’s quick but I don’t care. I thought I needed to move slowly. I thought I would need time to know if this was right but I don’t. I feel it, so deeply in my bones. You’re right. This is right. I was worried about Eli but I don’t have to be because I am certain. I love you and so does he. It won’t matter if we decide today or six months from now. I will be completely certain it’s you.”

“So, your place or mine?” he asked.

“I…” You paused, inhaling sharply.

“It’s okay if you want to keep your house, honey. My house is just a house. Your house holds a lot of memories for you. I know that. I truly don’t care where I live as long as you and the boys are there.”

“No. I mean…I don’t think I want to keep the house. That house is full of memories but they’re memories from a different life. I want to start fresh. I want to build new memories with you. I don’t need the house to remember. Those memories will always be with me but I’m tired of living with a ghost and that’s what it feels like there. I mean, I should probably talk to Eli about it and see how he feels. But what would you think about buying a new house? Something we choose together? Something where we can create our own history and stories?”

“I think that sounds perfect.��

And it did. A whole new space where you could choose things together. You could slowly make it your own. A house that you would turn into a home by filling it with love and a shared history. A place where you could raise your boys together and then a space for just the two of you when the boys were grown and out creating their own futures. Four walls that would contain all the memories of your years, the happy and the sad, that you would look back on years down the road.

“I love you,” you whispered, beaming from ear to ear.

“I love you, too. God, I love you so much.”

You pushed yourself up, resting both knees on either side of his hips, straddling him under the stars in his backyard. Miles lifted his head from where he lay observing on the deck and Steve raised his hand, his command for stay. The dog released a heavy sigh but dropped his big head back down on his paws.

“You are everything I never thought I could have.” Whispered words as your mouth, hot and sweet, covered his, your tongue teasing, flicking and brushing over his lips, teeth, and tongue. “You are a damn dream, Steve Harrington and I hope I never wake up.”

Your words, transmitted on your breath from your mouth to his, traveled throughout, spreading, inhabiting every single space. His hands ran over your body, grabbing and squeezing, as he made a vow to himself to keep you feeling like that. To ensure you never woke up, never looked around and doubted your choice right here on this blanket, never was disappointed to find the dream wasn’t your reality.

You ground your hips over him and hissed at the feel of rock hard denim pressing over your clit. One hand slid up your shirt, taking your breast in his palm, while the other slid underneath your skirt, grabbing a handful of your ass. You rocked harder against him, whimpering when he sucked your bottom lip into his mouth between kisses.

Steve sunk into your mouth, taking the kiss even deeper, his tongue exploring, gliding and dancing over yours. His hand on your ass grabbed onto the lacy fabric covering your hip, his fingers wrapping around it, wanting to tear it off of you and bury himself to the hilt right now.

“Should we…?” you tried but gasped when he pinched your nipple, rolling the pert little bud between his thumb and forefinger. “Should we go inside?”

“No, honey…can’t wait…wanna fuck you right here…under the stars…” he mumbled against your skin, sucking and nibbling a path up your neck to your chin. “Wanna have you under me…take you in the moonlight…”

A squeak escaped you when his arms came around your waist, flipping you to your back beneath him. His fists came down on either side of your head, taking in the sight of your wide eyes, parted lips, flushed skin.

“Fuck, you’re so damn beautiful,” he growled, his lips crashing down over yours again as your fingers dove into his hair, your legs locking around his waist as your heat sought out the friction of him again.

“But neighbors,” you protested weakly when his fingers wrapped around the edge of your panties, yanking them down and away, tossing them carelessly somewhere in the yard. “What if someone sees?”

“No one’s gonna see,” he assured you, his lips traveling down your body, lifting your shirt to press open mouthed kisses over the soft skin of your stomach. “Maybe Miles, but he won’t tell anybody. He’s good at keeping secrets.”

You giggled at that, the sound filling his ears, delighting his senses. It was one of his favorite sounds in the world, maybe his most favorite. It was a sound he wanted to cause you to make every single day but it’s not the sound he wanted right now.

Sliding down the blanket, he slipped his head under your skirt, taking your pussy in his mouth, and that’s when he got the sound he wanted. You choked out his name when he sucked on your clit like a throat lozenge. You writhed, whimpered, when he licked you from top to bottom, swirling his tongue over you teasingly.

The taste of you made him feel drunk, his head fuzzy in that delicious way when the world just goes soft. He wrapped his arms around each of your thighs, holding you in place, as he feasted on you. Your back arched, fingers tangling in his hair, as he flicked his tongue over your clit.

“Jesus, Steve,” you groaned, your hips rocking against his face, seeking sweet release.

Fuck, he would never get enough of you. Your taste. Your scent. Your sounds. The way you felt. He could spend the rest of his life buried between your thighs happily and it still wouldn’t be enough.

You were panting softly above him, your chest rising and falling rapidly. Your thighs trembled around his head and he knew you were close to coming undone. Steve wrapped his mouth around your clit and your entire body froze as you cried out his name loudly. He gently lapped at your sweet center, not stopping until he felt you relax beneath him.

“Steve…” Your voice was raspy with lust, your fingers threading through his hair, leading him up your body. He stared down at you, the way your skin glistened under the faint light of the moon, your eyes heavy, your lips curled in a satisfied smile. “I think the neighbors might have heard me.”

He grinned, pressing his forehead to yours, “Let them. Then they all know you’re mine.”

“I am, you know? Yours. Just yours,” you whispered, bringing his mouth to yours again, kissing him deeply.

Those words did something to him, scratching an itch in his brain he hadn’t even known was there before this woman came into his life. Steve worked at his belt, undoing his jeans and kicking them down his legs, needing to be inside of you.

Nestling himself between your legs, he took his cock in his hand, sliding the tip over your clit and through your folds, teasing. You moaned, low and deep, your eyes fluttering as he slipped just the tip in before bringing it back out to run through your slick tauntingly. Your feet slid over his calves, your hands slipping under his shirt, nails running over the skin of his back.

“Steve…stop teasing…” you pleaded.

“Lift up your shirt for me, honey,” Steve told her. “I want to see all of you while I fuck you.”

You obeyed, tugging your shirt up and over your head, leaving you lying beneath him in nothing but your little black skirt and a scrap of lacy pink fabric that was so sheer he could see your nipples, dark pink and hard. He couldn’t take it anymore, his hand grabbing onto your hip as he thrust inside of you, burying himself in your heat.

“Oh fuck, yes…Steve…” you groaned, your nails digging into his flesh.

Jesus, you felt so damn good. He thrust again, sinking even deeper into you if that was possible, both of you moaning. Your legs locked around him, your bodies melding together until he could barely pull out. His hips rocked into you, small movements that kept him sheathed the whole time, his cock dragging over your walls.

“I love you…Jesus Christ, honey…I love you…so fucking good…you feel so fucking good,” he grunted, rutting against you, chasing his own high as he felt you already starting to tremble beneath him again.

“Love…you…” you panted, fingers gripping his shoulders, your mouth catching his for a moment before you broke off, head dropping back. “Don’t stop…please don’t stop…oh god…Steve…right there…I’m gonna…”

His head fell back, riding it out as your pussy clenched down around him, clinging to him as you rode out the wave. He was almost hyperventilating as he thrust into you hard, fingertips digging into the flesh of your hips, his eyes squeezing shut as his own orgasm crashed down over him with force, spilling into you.

His cock throbbed within you as your pussy pulsed around him. He dropped down, his elbows on either side of your head, his hands cupping your cheeks. You looked like a fucking vision glowing and flushed in the subtle light of the moon above them. Your hand came to his cheek, smiling up at him, looking as satisfied as he does after he’s power washed every damn thing outside of his house.

“You’re mine, huh? Just mine?” he teased with a smirk, thumb coasting over the curve of your cheekbone.

You turned into his touch, pulling the tip of his thumb between your lips, “For as long as you want me to be.”

“Careful what you wish for, honey because that’s a long time. I’m thinking forever.”

“Works for me,” you beamed, grabbing a fistful of his shirt, pulling his lips down to yours.

Chapter 20

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. I love to hear what you think! ❤️❤️❤️ Only one more chapter to go and then this story will come to an end.

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 14 days

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 18

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 7K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Steve stood frozen as he took in the tears running down your cheeks, your knees sunk into the grass, your hand pressed next to the name carved into the stone.

Justin Keith Randall

Beloved Son, Husband, and Father

1963-1994

What in the hell was he doing? He’d intruded on your conversation with your dead husband. He’d cut right into what was obviously an emotional moment for you. He’d shattered this very private heartbreak for you, coming in like a baseball bat colliding with a window. Had he really thought that following you to the cemetery was a good idea?

“Steve? What…what are you doing here?” you asked, your brows meeting in the middle in confusion.

Good question. What was he doing here? After his chat with Nancy, he’d been so desperate to talk to you, to make things right, to apologize for being the jerk who’d walked away from you at the hospital and then hadn’t even bothered to check on you. When you weren't home and Lucas told him where you'd gone, he hadn’t even stopped to think through what he was about to do. Hadn’t even considered why following you there was a bad idea. He hadn’t even contemplated why you might be in a cemetery, whose grave you might be visiting. He’d just gotten in his car.

“I wanted to talk to you. I mean…” He gritted his teeth, hands coming to his hips, wincing at his own stupidity. Now he had to backpedal, get himself out of this, not appear to be the heartless jerk who hadn’t considered your feelings again. “I showed up at your house first but you weren’t there. Max was out with Eli practicing the skateboard and Lucas told me they were watching him because you’d gone to the cemetery. And so I came here…to talk to you…but now I’m thinking that was a really stupid idea. Obviously, this is not the place or the time. Clearly you wouldn’t want me to be here. I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry. Jesus, I’ll just…”

He turned to go but your voice, quavering and soft, saying his name, stopped him. You rose to your feet as he turned back to you, brushing your knees off of the dirt and grass that was clinging to your jeans.

Pushing your hair back off your shoulders, you faced him, and even in this state, broken and grieving, you were beautiful. The red, swollen eyes, the grass stained knees, the sadness etched into every facet of your face did not take away from how absolutely stunning this woman was. It took every ounce of self control he had not to pull you into his arms, to hold you until he could take all of that hurt away.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I should have known…when Lucas said you were at the cemetery…obviously you were here to see your husband. I feel like such a dick right now. I shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry.”

“No. No. It’s okay,” you insisted, shaking your head.

Your arms wrapped around your stomach, that familiar gesture he’d seen both you and Eli use, as if you could hold all your broken parts in, as if you could keep them from spilling out into a messy pile on the floor. It gutted him to know you'd both known such devastation that you'd had to learn to compartmentalize it. You looked so fragile, as if the smallest pressure would shatter you, and he couldn’t stop himself this time. Steve stepped into you, not touching, terrified you would rebuff him, but feeling the ache in his chest ease a bit at just being close enough to do so if you wanted that.

“Are you alright?” he asked, worried that he was the cause of your tears and sadness. Had he ruined any shot he had with you? What kind of guy just disappeared on the girl he loved for four days after she’d been in the hospital? What kind of guy disappeared on the girl he loved for four days, period? What kind of guy didn’t even call to check in on you, knowing the struggles you dealt with on a daily basis?

Those pretty pink lips pressed together as you nodded, “Yeah. I’m alright. I was actually going to try to come talk to you when I was done here so I guess you saved me the ride.”

“Oh. You were?” Did that mean you'd been planning to come to fix things or end things? He wasn’t sure he wanted the answer but it was too late now. He would find out where he stood one way or the other.

“Yeah. Steve, I’m so sorry,” you cried, the tears falling from your eyes once again and all he wanted to do was stop them. He couldn’t bear to watch you shed another tear because of him.

“No, no…I’m the one who should be sorry.” His hands wrapped around your arms, giving in to the gnawing need to feel you, leaning down to catch your gaze. “I was such a jerk, honey, and I am so sorry. I just…I got scared. I got scared because I thought you didn’t want me. I thought you didn’t see a future with me.”

That little furrow appeared between your eyebrows again. “But I told you I did. I said forever. I used those exact words.”

“I know you did but when you had an attack after I talked about moving in together…well, I thought maybe you were rethinking everything. Maybe you weren’t seeing a future with me. Maybe being slapped in the face with the reality of what that meant, you didn’t want it anymore. I thought maybe you were going to end things and I…I was a coward. I didn’t want to give you the chance to do it so I didn’t give it to you. And I felt like I was the reason you wound up in the hospital in the first place. I swore I wouldn’t push you to do anything you weren’t ready for but there I was, pushing, just like I always do, and I didn’t want to cause you to have another attack. I don’t know. My brain was in a million places at once and I just took the coward’s way out and avoided you. Hell, I even sent Nancy to pick up Jeremiah so I wouldn’t run into you at the school.”

“Yeah, I noticed that.”

Steve’s arms pulled back, fingers running through his hair in agitation. This conversation was not going at all the way he’d planned. He’d thought it all out in the car, all the things he wanted to say to you, how to get you to understand. But now, standing in front of you, none of it was going the way he’d planned. His words were coming out a jumbled mess as his nerves took over, his fear that this wouldn’t work and you would simply walk away from him.

“Look…I have never felt like this before, okay? I’m thirty-two years old. I’ve dated a lot of women in my life.”

“Thanks for that reminder,” you muttered, crossing your arms, kicking the grass with the toe of your shoe, your eyes downward.

“No. That’s not…my point is, I’ve never had a woman make me feel the way I do when I’m with you. I wish I could explain it but I don’t even have words for it. You make me crazy, but like, in the best way possible. You make me want to be the best version of myself. It’s something I’ve been working on for a long time but I’ve never wanted to work harder than I do for you. You’re everything and when you…when the thought of us living together caused you to have anxiety, I was afraid that I was about to lose everything I’ve wanted my whole life. And I was afraid because I thought I had caused it. King Steve royally fucking everything up again because I got too attached too fast. And I know I do that. I know I do but this isn’t like that. I’m not too attached or pushing or wanting to be close to you because of my fucked up childhood. It’s because with you I see everything I want. With you I see the future I want and I just want to start it as soon as possible. I don’t want to miss out on any time with you because I love you. I am completely in love with you and it scares the shit out of me because I don’t really think I’ve ever really been in love before you.”

Your eyes were wide, soaking him in, your mouth parted as if the words were there but just not coming out. You looked back at the headstone behind you and then at him, a subtle reminder that you had been in love before. You had your great love and his hands trembled at the thought that you might not have any more room for another one.

“Steve, you didn’t cause anything. None of it was your fault. I wasn’t…my anxiety sometimes has no rhyme or reason. I hate it. I hate that even a serious conversation could mean me having a complete meltdown. I don’t want you to be scared to talk to me about stuff. I hate that when you mentioned us moving in together it sent me to the hospital. I hate that it caused you to avoid me. It’s so damn frustrating and I wish I could handle things like other people do.”

“No. It’s okay. You just said that you hadn’t had attacks that bad for a long time. Well, until you met me. And I assumed that maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe I was causing you stress.”

“You do but not like you think you do,” you groaned, your hands flying through the air before covering your face. “I wish I could give you one solid reason for why it happens but I can’t. The oddest things can bring it on. And it’s not everything. Sometimes I’m fine but sometimes I’m not and I don’t know. You asked about staying over and all your reasons made sense but it’s something that worries me because of Eli…”

“Hey, hey.” Steve stepped into you, his hands cradling your face. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. I won’t bring any of it up again. I won’t push. You tell me when you’re ready. You can make all of the decisions going forward.”

“No Steve,” you sighed, your hands wrapping around his forearms and his heart sunk. Here it came. This was the moment where you told him no, you didn’t want this, didn’t want him. This was the moment you told him it was over, leaving him broken like the box of old toys in the garage. “I don’t want to make all of the decisions. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t share how you feel or ask me questions.” You gently pulled his hands away from your face, stepping to the side, pressing your fingers against your forehead.

“I just want to do what you need, honey. I don’t want to ever cause you anxiety.”

“But that’s just it. You will. You will cause me anxiety, Steve,” you huffed, tossing your hands in the air in frustration. “There’s no way of avoiding that in a relationship.”

“I can try. I mean, I know you probably came here to talk to Justin because I made you feel awful. You probably needed to feel close to the guy who didn’t do that to you and I get it. I just disappeared and I’m a shit for it. I should have talked to you, checked on you. I’m a shit for pushing you into something you’re not ready for. I’m a…”

“Steve! Stop,” you pleaded, your hands held in front of you before covering your eyes. Dropping them to your sides, you looked skyward and inhaled, releasing it slowly before looking at him. “Please. Just stop and listen. I didn’t come here to talk to Justin because you were a shit. I didn’t come here because he never made me awful. Christ, Steve, of course he did and I did it to him. We’re human. Humans tend to do that to each other from time to time. I didn’t come for any of those reasons. I came to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye?” he asked, wondering how you could say goodbye to someone who’d already been gone for two years. Hadn’t you already done that? But he didn’t voice it, not wanting to be insensitive to whatever reason had brought you to your husband’s grave.

“Yes. I had a long talk with Janice at the hospital while you were downstairs, before you even came up. She helped me realize some things, to see things that I was doing without even knowing I was doing them. And then I called my therapist on Monday and she squeezed me in because of the severity of my attack.”

“That’s…I mean, that’s good, right?”

“Yeah. It was. We talked about a lot of stuff, stuff I didn’t realize I was doing. Losing Justin was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It completely destroyed me. It felt like the floor had been ripped out beneath me and I was just swallowed into this dark pit of anger and despair. I never thought I would claw my way out of it. The attacks started soon after that. They would come on for no reason…or at least that’s what it seemed like. My therapist helped me see that they came on when anything reminding me of Justin popped up. It would be the smallest things. The neighbors would have pizza delivered, his favorite food, and I would be curled into a ball on the floor. I would catch a whiff of the cologne he used and I would be hyperventilating in the middle of the store. Our song would play on the radio and I would have to pull over because I thought I was having a heart attack. Once we realized why it was happening, she started to give me tools to help in the moments when it did. She started me on meds. After a year, I thought I was doing okay. I thought I was letting it all go and moving forward with my life.”

“You are doing okay,” Steve assured you. “You’re doing amazing. I am in constant awe of your strength and perseverance. You went through something devastating, something that would have shattered someone else, and you’re still standing.”

“I am. And I am not going to dismiss that fact. I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. Eli is the one thing that really kept me upright because I knew I had to be his mom. I had to be there for him even when I couldn’t be there for myself. But what I didn’t realize was that I hadn’t really let go. I was still holding onto Justin because…because I was scared that if I didn’t, that I was saying that what we had meant nothing. And it meant something. It meant everything. I didn’t want to just forget him. I didn’t want to just move on. I felt like he deserved so much more than that but in doing that, I wasn’t allowing myself to live.”

You lifted your left hand, turning it to face him, a pale line where your wedding ring used to be. Steve had noticed that you still wore it. Of course he had. How wouldn’t he notice that the woman he was falling for was wearing another guy’s ring? But the circumstances were complicated. You weren't wearing some guy’s ring that you'd left, that was still out there on the fringes, a threat looming that he could just swoop back in and you'd be gone. You were wearing a ring of a man you'd loved and had taken from you, a man who wouldn’t have left, wouldn’t have walked away. How could he say anything? So he hadn’t. He’d never shared that it bothered him a bit every time that glint of gold and gems caught his eye.

“I was still wearing my ring. It never even occurred to me to take it off, not even after we started dating and I knew it was something serious. I think because I still felt like I was married. I didn’t choose this. He didn’t choose this. We didn’t sign papers and hire lawyers and decide to part ways. It was forced upon us. I think the anxiety attack came on because next week is going to be the two year anniversary of when we lost him. And I…I don’t know if forgot is the right word but it wasn’t in the forefront of my mind like it was last year. My therapist…well, and Janice,” you snorted, rolling your eyes, “think my subconscious, that guilt I’ve never really let go of, took over in that moment because you make me so happy. And you making me happy makes me feel guilty because I feel like I am somehow betraying him. And I know that’s silly. He’s not here. I’m not cheating. I’m not doing anything wrong. But there’s also Eli and I am so scared for him to get his little heart broken again. He already loves you so much and he wants you to be his dad so much and I don’t think he could handle losing another one.”

Steve’s synapses were firing with your confession of everything that had been tormenting you since all of this began. It was a lot to take in and he was struggling to focus on more than just the part where you said you were happy, the part where you were considering him to be a potential father figure to your son. Because that part let him know that you weren't walking away, that you were as deeply entrenched in this as he was. He searched for the right words, feeling like it had never been more important to get this right, to say the right thing.

“Honey, I understand all of that. But I have to believe that your husband, knowing you and how amazing you are, and knowing the little bit that you’ve told me about him, would want you to be happy. And as for Eli, I have no intentions of going anywhere. I want this. I’ve told you. I am completely in.”

“I know that. I know you are. And so am I. I wanted to stay the night with you, Steve. I want to spend every night with you. I wasn’t even looking for anything when you came along. I’d gone on a few bad dates with guys from a dating site only because Janice pushed me to, and I wanted to get her off my back, but I wasn’t really looking. I’d resigned myself to being alone because I never thought I would find something like I had with Justin again. But then here you came and you made me question everything. You made me question if I was ready. You made me question my belief that no person can get lucky enough to find happily ever after twice. You made my son so happy. You made me so happy. You made me smile again. You made me laugh again. You made me feel alive again and I mean…how is that not worth the risk? I want to be with you, Steve. I want it all with you. I want to spend my nights and my mornings with you. I want to move in together someday. I want to be a family with our boys together. And yeah, you’re right. It is soon but we’re not fifteen year old kids who are blinded by our hormones. I know it’s you that I want in my life. In such a short time, it just feels right. It just feels like it’s the way it’s supposed to be. You make so much sense. You just fit in my life. But if that’s all too much for you right now, I understand. I know you don’t want your space invaded. I understand if you need some distance to breathe in this relationship but I just needed you to know how I feel. Because I don’t want you to ever have to doubt it again.”

“But…I didn’t mean any of that shit.”

“What?”

“Honey, I want you to invade my space, all of my space. Go ahead and take it all up. I only said that because I thought it’s what you wanted. I thought you were freaking out that I’d even mentioned you spending the night with me, let alone moving in together. I panicked and I said it and it was stupid but I never meant it.”

“You…you didn’t?”

You sounded so hopeful and it just made him want to flog himself. These last four days could have been avoided if he hadn’t been such a dingus, as Robin liked to call him. If he’d hung around just long enough for you to explain then neither of you would have had to go through all this uncertainty. What was Nancy always telling him? Communication was key. Obviously, because this miscommunication had almost cost him the best thing that had come into his life since Jeremiah.

“No. God no. I would lock you in my house and never let you go if I could.” He stepped into you, his arms wrapping around you, folding you against him, relishing the way you just melted into his embrace. His lips brushed against your forehead. “Honey, I love you. I don’t want distance. I don’t need to breathe.”

You laughed, “Actually, you kind of do.”

“Okay, yeah, I do, but being with you makes me feel like I can breathe. I want this too. I want it all. And we don’t have to rush anything. But maybe we could start with staying together tonight? Jeremiah’s already at your place. I left him with Lucas and Max so I could talk to you alone. We can talk to the boys first and see how they feel about it.”

You tilted your head back, smiling up at him, “Yeah. I think that sounds like a great idea.”

“Good.” His lips found yours, the moment they touched was a sigh of relief, his body relaxing into the kiss, having you right back where you belonged.

____________________________________________________________

Four weeks came and went in what felt like the blink of an eye. May had been there and gone, with so many activities to fill up the spaces on your calendar in the kitchen. From baseball games to the end of year picnic to field day, you felt like you'd barely turned the page on your calendar and you were already turning it again. Already you were in the middle of June and the boys were taking advantage of every moment of their summer break.

You and Steve had settled into a pleasant rhythm. The boys had been more than okay with the idea of sleeping at each other’s houses. They had been more than okay, giddy even, at the idea of you and Steve sleeping in the same bed. Those devious little grins shared between the two of them, marking their pride in their own role in the current situation. You were sure they were already plotting the next step, feeling this was just the beginning of everything they’d been working toward since that night at the ice rink.

On nights when Steve had Jeremiah, you stayed over at Steve’s house so Jere could have all of his things. On nights that he didn’t, Steve had been staying over at your place. You'd thought Eli may find it strange to have Steve there without Jeremiah but he didn’t seem to mind at all. He still had a playmate, just in adult form, as Steve would challenge him to video games and endless rounds of Uno, hours playing catch in the yard, and he loved helping Steve with anything around the house.

Every fear and uncertainty you'd had about moving forward, about getting your son’s hopes up, your own hopes up, had been completely unfounded. Because taking the next step, being a part of each other’s days and nights, had only made everything infinitely better. On the rare nights you didn’t spend together, you found yourself tossing and turning, reaching for the warmth of a body that wasn’t there.

It didn’t happen often but Steve had to travel a couple times for work. This new development was taking up a lot of his time and he’d had meetings with companies for supplies they needed that took him out of town. Last week he’d been gone for three days and you had been pacing the floor, anxious for him to appear on the doorstep, missing him more than you’d miss your own arm if it went missing. You pounced, almost knocking him to the ground as you leapt into his arms, the moment the front door opened, that familiar shape appearing in the doorway.

Now you were pacing around the house, anxious for an entirely different reason. You'd already cleaned the house from top to bottom, weeded the garden, done laundry, and no longer had anything to keep your nervous hands busy. Fluffing the pillow you’d already fluffed four times, your eyes looked up at the clock. Your parents were going to be arriving at any moment and they were going to be meeting Steve for the first time.

It really shouldn’t make you anxious. Your parents loved everybody. Justin had a far easier time with his in-laws than you’d had with yours. They’d adored him from the minute they’d laid eyes on him, probably before, because their version had always been as long as you were happy, they were happy. But your mom and dad, while they were two of the best parents anyone could ask for, could be a bit overwhelming when you didn’t know them. You just hoped Steve knew what he was in for.

A hand came up, wrapping around your arm gently, “Put the pillow down.”

You sighed, dropping it to the couch. That hand spun you, strong arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you into a firm chest. All the tension oozed right out of you now that you were in your favorite place, your safe space. Steve pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, those hazel eyes twinkling amusedly.

“You have got to relax. This is going to be fine. I told you. Parents absolutely love me. I’m not worried so you shouldn’t be worried, okay?” His hands locked at the small of your back, a gentle kiss to the tip of your nose. “The house looks great. I’ve got the spare ribs marinating in the fridge. The potatoes are baking in the oven. The boys are all showered and primped with strict instructions to stay inside until after the grandparents have seen how nice they look. You look amazing…” He growled playfully, head dipping into the curve of your neck, inhaling deeply. “You smell amazing.” A playful nip to your ear that had you squealing. “We’re totally ready.”

“I know. I know.” Your head fell back, a soft gasp escaping your lips as his mouth explored the column of your throat. “I just hope you’re ready for this. My parents…” Your fingers speared past the nape of his neck into his hair as those lips found their way between your breasts, exploring the skin your top didn’t conceal. “My parents will love you. They just love a little…aggressively.”

“Mmm…aggressive love can be fun, you know,” he murmured. You could feel the smile against your skin before his fingers pulled the v-neck of your top to the side and his teeth sunk into the curve of your breast that spilled out from the cup of your bra. His other hand cupped your ass, pressing you against his very obvious erection.

“Jesus Steve.” His tongue traced your bottom lip, heat pooling between your thighs, leaving you to wonder if you had time, if you could manage to hide from the boys. You could be quick. You could…the sound of the doorbell quickly dashed any hopes of that plan. “Shit. They’re here.”

Steve moved to the bottom of the stairs to call the boys down while you made your way to the door, adjusting your top. You opened it to instantly be swept up in a group hug, your dad on one side and your mom on the other, your head smashed between theirs. The sound of footsteps barreling down the stairs let you know the boys had arrived.

Your mom pulled back, eyes wide, grinning at the sight of the two kids standing in front of her. Opening her arms wide, she rushed at them both, pulling them into her sides as she exclaimed, “Oh, look at my beautiful boys!”

Steve’s eyebrows lifted toward you and you just shrugged back. But he didn’t have long to ponder your mother referring to his son as one of her boys before she was on him as well, enveloping him in a hug before taking his face in her hands.

“Oh my goodness. You are quite beautiful yourself, aren’t you? No wonder my girl is so smitten. Who wouldn’t be with that hair and those eyes and…would you look at those eyelashes! Frank, have you ever seen such long eyelashes before? Good lord. What I wouldn’t give for a set of eyelashes like that. You must have had all the girls swaying on their feet in high school. Bet you still do.”

“Now Sally, give the boy some space to breathe,” Frank grumbled, dropping their bags onto the floor. “You haven’t even introduced yourself and you’re already fawning over his eyelashes.”

He shared a knowing smile with you, neither of you surprised. Your mom had absolutely zero filter and no sense of personal space. The moment she met you, you were her best friend in the world. Your friends had all adored your mom when you were younger. Sally always felt like a friend instead of a parent, joining in the gossip, painting nails, taking you all shopping and to the movies.

“It…it’s nice to meet you Mrs. Madden,” Steve stammered and you couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. You had tried to warn him and he’d insisted it was fine. But your mom could be suffocating, a blanket of warmth and love that would smother you until you couldn’t find any air.

“Oh, none of that Mrs. nonsense,” she insisted, swatting at his arm. “You just call me mom. I mean…” She turned to you. “You are all a family now, aren’t you? So that makes you my family too. Oh, this is so exciting. I got another grandson and a son in one go.”

“I’m not your grandson, though.” Jeremiah’s statement wasn’t rude, just confused, wondering how this was all working.

“Well, you are now.” Sally walked over, dropping down to her knees in front of the boys. “I’m Eli’s grandma so now I’m your grandma too. I mean, if you’re okay with that, of course. You don’t have to call me grandma if you don’t want to. I know you already have a couple of those. You can just call me Sally if you’d prefer.”

Jeremiah looked at her and then at his dad. Steve smiled and that seemed to be the only confirmation he needed. With a shrug he said, “You can be my grandma too. I mean, most kids only get two but now I have three!”

Steve leaned down, his mouth at your ear as he whispered, “He means Joyce and Karen. He doesn’t really know my mom and honestly, that’s for the best.”

“Well, then I guess that makes me your Grandpa Frank,” your dad said, stepping forward, offering his hand to Jeremiah. The boy took it, shaking. “Wow. Strong grip there, kid, but that’s no surprise since my daughter’s told me what an amazing baseball player you are.”

Jeremiah beamed at you, “You told them I’m amazing?”

“Of course I did,” you replied with a smile. “Because you are. You and Eli both have done so well this season.”

“Yeah. We can’t wait to see you play on Saturday. Specially planned this trip just so we could catch a game,” Frank said.

“Well, why don’t you all head into the living room and relax? I’m gonna grab the ribs from the fridge and get them on the grill,” Steve announced.

“Well, I can help you out with that,” Frank offered, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know if my daughter told you, but I’m a master griller. Won the rib-off three years in a row.”

Steve’s eyes widened, “Really? She failed to mention that. I guess the pressure’s on then for my ribs to be good enough.”

“Oh, no pressure son. I just like grilling.”

“I’ll get the salad going and pop the macaroni and cheese into the oven,” you told them.

“Well, looks like we are not needed,” Sally smirked, one arm coming around each boy. “Now, tell me everything. I want to hear about school, baseball, girls.” When both boys ewwed, she laughed. “Oh, we’re not there yet, I see. Just give it some time.”

____________________________________________________________

Will and Nolan had not been exaggerating when they said they would pull out all the stops for your parents. Your pants were digging into your stomach uncomfortably after enjoying course after course of delicious dishes. They were all Nolan’s specialties but someone else was preparing them tonight as he and Will were sitting at the long table with everyone else.

This was your parent’s third night staying with you and it was not the first time they had met everyone that was currently sitting at this table. That had been yesterday at the baseball game when they’d been inundated with new faces. Luckily you had the kind of parents who were absolutely delighted, hugging every single person, excited to meet new people, wanting to know absolutely everything about their lives.

Janice had even taken the opportunity after the game, while they were all enjoying ice cream cones at the park, to announce her pregnancy to the whole clan. Nancy had squealed as if her own sister had just shared the good news. Robin had hopped on her feet while El beamed, exclaiming how she loved babies, much to Mike’s apparent unease and everyone else’s amusement.

“Oh Janice, we’re going to have to throw you the biggest shower,” Sally gushed and then winced. “Sorry. I’m probably overstepping. I am sure your own mom is handling everything, right?”

Your friend laughed, “Yeah. But she would love the help. My sister is driving her insane with all the phone calls and ideas. You know Krista, she just can’t help trying to run the show.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” snorted Steve, his eyes rolling pointedly toward Nancy.

“Oh, haha,” she snorted, rolling up her straw wrapper and tossing it at him. “There’s nothing wrong with being organized. Someone in this group has to be responsible.”

“I’m responsible!” Lucas protested. “I’m an accountant. I mean, how much more responsible can you get?”

“You still think it’s funny to make fart noises with your armpit,” Max pointed out, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “You’re basically a man-shaped child.”

“Oh, because it’s so adult to skateboard,” Lucas snapped back.

Eli straightened up in his chair, “I think skateboarding is cool.”

“That’s right.” Max nodded, putting out her fist for the kid to bump. “You tell him, Eli.”

Sally looked absolutely delighted at the chaos around her, grinning as her head turned this way and that, following each conversation as it happened. You knew your mom had always wanted a big family but that had been dashed when she suffered complications after having you. Complications that wouldn’t allow her to have anymore kids.

“And how long have you two been seeing each other?” your mom asked, turning to Robin and June, her chin resting in her palm, eyebrows bouncing with interest.

“Oh…us…it’s really new. Only forty-three days.”

Your lips pressed together, your hand grabbing onto your glass of wine and taking a drink so you didn’t comment on Robin knowing the exact number of days. You didn’t want to embarrass your friend but damn, girl must be really far gone if she was counting out exactly how many days. You were far gone too but you couldn’t have told them days. Weeks? Yes but not down to the days.

June smiled at Robin, a look full of so much adoration that it even warmed your heart watching it. Maybe they were both in deep. That thought made you happy because Robin deserved this and so did June. June’s hand covered Robin’s on top of the table.

“Aww, babe, you know how many days?” Robin flushed. “Best forty-three days of my life.” With a small laugh, she turned back to Sally. “Of course it took her friends asking me out for her. I was waiting, hoping that I wasn’t reading into things. I thought she might be interested but it was hard to tell when she wouldn’t even speak to me.”

“It was hard to speak to you! You’re so pretty,” Robin gushed. “You intimidated me. And to be fair, I didn’t know if you were into women. I mean, imagine if I would have asked you out and you wouldn’t have been. You would have been disgusted by me.”

“Oh please!” Sally exclaimed, her hands coming to her chest. “Do you know how flattered I would be if a woman hit on me? I mean, come on. Men will hit on anything with boobs. But if a woman hits on you, she genuinely thinks you’re attractive.”

“Do I need to be worried here, dear?” Frank teased, leaning in. Sally swatted him with her napkin, laughing.

“So, now I have three grandmas!” Jeremiah exclaimed from where he sat down the table between Eli and Dustin. “I mean, how cool is that? How many kids can say they have three grandmas?”

“That is pretty cool,” Dustin agreed. “I only have one.” He shrugged. “I mean, I have two but since I don’t know my dad, I don’t know that grandma. So she had to exist for me to be sitting here but…”

“Does that mean I have three grandmas, too?” interrupted Eli, his face turning to you.

Before you could answer, Karen leaned over the table, winking at him, “You are even luckier because you have four grandmas, kiddo. You have your Grandma Judith and your Grandma Sally. And now you have Grandma Karen and Grandma Joyce.”

“That’s right, kid,” Joyce agreed, tossing him a wink. “I’m afraid if you’re going to have Steve around, then we all come along with the package.”

“I hope you’re okay with having a Grandpa Hop, too,” Hopper added, raising his beer.

“So…so I have four grandmas and three grandpas!” Eli’s eyes were wide, a smile stretching from ear to ear. “That’s more than like any kid has ever had, ever!”

“Not to mention a bunch of aunts and uncles,” Lucas told him.

“Yeah, Eli. You just inherited a whole family,” Dustin said, gesturing around the very full table.

“Wow! That’s a lot of birthday presents!” Eli declared, causing a round of laughter from the table.

“Yeah, and we don’t play when it comes to presents,” Will stated.

Nolan snorted, “Seriously. Your Uncle Will has no self control when it comes to shopping. He would bankrupt us if I didn’t control him.”

Jeremiah’s face crinkled, his brow furrowing as he considered all the words being spoken at the table. He appeared to be in serious thought and then he looked down at you.

“So…so are you like my mom now, too? Do I have two moms?”

Your stomach clenched, your hand gripping the edge of the table as your eyes darted over to Nancy, hoping the woman was not offended by his question. You had never been trying to replace her, ever. Jeremiah had a mom and you were fine just being you to him. Besides, you and Steve weren’t even living together. You weren’t married. This was all just…you didn’t know what this was but it seemed a bit soon for this discussion. Even though the boys had talked about marriage, it felt different doing it in front of everyone.

Nancy smiled at her son, “If someday you would like to call her mom too, that’s okay with me. She’s going to be a big part of your life now.”

“But you don’t have to,” you assured him. “I can just be Y/N.”

“Yeah, like I’m just Jonathan,” his stepdad told him. “You don’t call me dad because Steve is your dad and that’s okay. You still love me, right?”

“Yeah. I do, a lot.”

“So…I just call you Steve?” asked Eli.

Steve looked at you for help but you had none to give. You weren't sure what to say or where this was going. This was really up to Steve and without you even living together, it seemed an insane question. But Eli was seven and he’d been wanting this for a while. It didn’t surprise you that he was asking. He’d been trying really hard to make Steve his dad for months.

“Well, you also have a dad,” Steve finally answered. “But if someday, you think you would like to call me dad, I would be honored, kid. Really, I would. Nothing would make me happier, Eli. But I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to. I can just be Steve too. It can be whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Damn honey, you snagged yourself a good one,” your mom whispered in your ear. “Don’t let that one go.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

Steve’s hand found your knee, squeezing gently and you laid your head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head and you sat, content and happy, watching everyone you loved laugh and talk and eat together.

“I love you.” It was the softest whisper, caressing the shell of your ear.

A soft smile tilted the corners of your mouth, “I love you too.”

Yeah. This was happiness. This was love. This was your second chance at happily ever after, not just with Steve, but with every single person sitting around this table. They’d given you and your son a sense of belonging, a sense of peace, and a sense of safety. You were absolutely at peace with the idea of this being her forever.

Chapter 19

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. If you want to be added please make sure your age is stated on your page somewhere. 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. I love to hear what you think! ❤️❤️❤️

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 21 days

Text

I'm a Winner

Pairing: GatorxReader

Summary: You've heard rumors about Gator's abilities in the bedroom and you're curious. You can overlook his bumbling idiocy for an earth shattering orgasm.

18+ Only

Your eyes started tracking him from the moment he walked in. Gator Tillman, cocky son of Roy Tillman who was known for being a jerk, an idiot, and the resident fuckboy. He moved with the swagger of a man who thought he ran the world. Which is exactly what he thought. He never missed a chance to tell people how he was the law.

He pulled that stupid vape from his pocket, hitting it hard as he laughed at something Jimmy was saying. Jimmy, another douchebag if there ever was one. You’d made the mistake of hooking up with him for him to be gone before you’d even woken up. No note. No call. But you’d seen him at the bar that night, Susan hanging all over him while he pretended that he had no idea who you were.

After fucking four of Stark County’s finest you had sworn off cops completely. But lately, you’d been thinking of bending that rule. Yeah, Gator Tillman ran his mouth, telling anyone who would listen how amazing he was in the sack. It was probably just that, all talk. But according to a couple of the girls, he was worth taking a ride.

He chugged a beer as the men around him all chanted, finishing it off with a neanderthal thumping of chest that led to a loud belch. You grimaced. Maybe this plan wasn’t the best one. Maybe those girls had been exaggerating. After all, Roy Tillman owned this county. No one wanted to get on his or his son’s bad side. They could just be blowing smoke up your ass so it didn’t get back to Gator that they were talking shit about him.

After Lacy Boggs had bragged about Gator fucking her in the back of his cop car after another one of Jimmy’s parties, you’d been intrigued. She’d claimed that he had worked her over so good that she couldn’t walk straight for a week. After Kelsey Stouts had renowned you with her story of giving him head to get out of a speeding ticket, saying she’d never been so turned on having a dick in her mouth, you’d been highly interested.

What man had a dick so special that a woman came just from sucking him off? You’d found yourself suddenly paying special attention to the deputy sheriff. Sipping your coffee in the diner while he picked up his order, noticing how well he filled out those camo pants he loved so much. He’d leaned back, resting his elbows on the counter, lazily waiting for his food, and you’d noticed it wasn’t just the back of the pants he’d filled out.

That was the moment you’d decided you needed to see for yourself. That was the moment you’d realized that Gator Tillman, while a piece of absolute shit, was a hell of a view from all angles. He wasn’t long term material but you weren’t looking for long term. You were simply looking for a good time with a man who might be able to show it to. Unlike the other worthless men in this town.

Gator turned, his eyes locking onto yours from where you sat, on a stool at the counter in the kitchen. One eyebrow lifted along with one side of his mouth, his hand running over that slicked back hair. You ran your tongue over your upper lip, knowing he wouldn’t be able to ignore the gesture. And sure enough, here he came, like a dog scenting a bitch in heat.

“I could feel your eyes on me,” he smirked, placing one hand on the counter next to you, invading your space to the point where you could smell the Axe body spray he’d clearly used far too much of. “Whatchu want, darling?”

“Sorry, officer. Is it a crime to look?” you challenged, tilting your head, biting back the urge to reach out and tug on the wild mass of chest hair that was escaping the top of his shirt.

“It’s only a crime if I say it’s a crime.” His head dropped, lips so close you could smell the fruity tang on his breath of watermelon from that damn vape he always had in his pocket. “See something you like?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve heard things…but I’m not sure if I should believe them or not.”

“You heard things? Well, I heard things too.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“I heard you got a thing for men in uniform,” he whispered. His hand fell on your knee and you allowed it, curious to see where this was going to go. After all, wasn’t this what you’d come here for tonight? “Let me guess. You been disappointed but you heard Gator can get your body exactly where it needs to be, didn’t you?”

His fingers slid under the edge of your skirt and you placed your hand over them, stopping him. Gator smirked, pulling hips lips between his teeth.

“Pretty full of yourself, aren’t you?” you teased.

“You could be full of me too, mama. You know you want to. Just say the word. Jimmy’s got a spare room upstairs. This Gator wouldn’t mind exploring your wet swamp.”

A snort you couldn’t stop escaped and before you knew it, you were in hysterics. Gator looked confused and then offended, his hand disappearing from your leg as he straightened up, turning his head to each side, trying to regain his tough facade. His eyes darted around the room, daring anyone to say anything about you laughing at him.

“I’m sorry…but do you really think that’s sexy? Referring to my vagina as a swamp?” you cackled. “Jesus, maybe those girls were overexaggerating. I thought you had game.”

“Oh, I got game honey,” he hissed angrily, his face suddenly in yours again, those hazel eyes dark as night. You swallowed hard, pulling back, laughter dying in your throat as you waited to see what he was going to do. Knowing the Tillman family, there was no threshold to what they were capable of when they were angry. “I got more game than Lebron James.”

“Okay…yeah. I’m sure you do. Must be a bad night for you or something.”

His hand came to your throat, his nose bumping yours, “You need a lesson in how to talk respectfully to authority. If you don’t have nothing to say, we might have to give that pretty little mouth something else to do.”

Heat flared between your thighs as he pushed against you, spreading you wide until you could feel pressed against you. Dampness was already spreading across your panties, your teeth biting down on your lower lip to keep you from whimpering in front of this entire party. Fuck. Why were you so turned on? You should be pushing this asshole off and telling him where to shove it. But the way he was looking at you, those eyes filled with promises of what he planned to do…you wanted it.

Opening your eyes wide, you gave him the most innocent, doe eyed look you could manage. “Uh-oh, deputy. Have I been a bad girl? I guess you better punish me then so I can learn to be better.”

You enjoyed the way Gator’s eyes flickered in surprise, his cock reacting to your words, rigid and hard. You fought the urge to rub yourself against him, to relieve some of the ache that was already throbbing. You fucking needed this.

“Then get that sweet little ass upstairs.” His lips brushed your ear as he whispered, “Last door on the right. Get on the bed and get on all fours. Lift that little skirt up for me and wait until I get there. And no touching yourself honey. I’ll know.”

Then he was gone. You gasped, blinking, finding him back over with his cop buddies, another beer in his hand. His eyes flickered to you and up the stairs. Not even knowing who the hell you were right now, you rose on shaky legs, making your way up the steps.

No one stopped you. No one even seemed to be paying attention and if they were, they probably just assumed you were going to the bathroom. At the top of the landing, you made your way down the hallway, grabbing the doorknob to the last door on the right just like he’d said.

Were you seriously going to do this? Were you really going to let Gator fucking Tillman order you around? For a second you considered just walking back down the stairs and out the door to your car. Let him be pissed when he got up here and found the room empty. Who in the hell did that guy think he was? God?

But that thought evaporated as fast as it came. You weren’t leaving. You were too invested now. You wanted to know if he could put his money where his mouth was. You wanted to know if that dick was as magical as the rumors said it was. And fuck, you wanted him to dominate the shit out of you. You wanted him to punish you. You wanted him to give you what you’d always craved but never had, what most of the boys in this town weren’t capable of. You wanted an earth shattering orgasm. You wanted to be walking funny for a week. You just hoped you weren’t getting your expectations up to have them shattered in disappointment because this guy could be all talk.

That fucking pick-up line. You snorted again thinking about it as you crawled onto the mattress. What woman would want her pussy to be compared to a swamp? Gross. Pressing your face into the mattress, you lifted your ass high, grasping the hem of your skirt and flipping it up. But dumb didn’t mean he couldn’t fuck, right? Only time would tell.

“Well, well, well…now if that ain’t the prettiest sight I ever did see. A woman showing some respect to authority, following an officer’s commands.”

Your pussy clenched, anticipation building at the sound of the door shutting, the lock clicking into place. The sound of cotton slipping over skin caressed your ears as he pulled his shirt off, a flash of green fabric in the corner of your vision.

Each step toward the bed was a thud as his heavy combat boots hit the floor. You squirmed. Your desire building, your need pulsing through you like the rumbles of an earthquake. You’d never been so fucking turned on in your life and he hadn’t even touched you yet. God, he better live up to the hype.

“Mmm, now that’s a peach I’d like to sink my teeth in…”

He was right behind you now and you jumped when his hand came down upon your flesh with a loud smack. Gator treated the opposite cheek to the same treatment, eliciting a whimper from you. His hand wrapped around your thighs, yanking them further apart, spreading you wide.

“My, my…” You gasped when his nose slid over your panties from the front to the back. “Damn darling, you smell just as sweet as you look. You taste just as good too?”

“Why don’t you put that mouth to good use and find out?” you teased, wiggling your ass back and forth for him, your need for him use his fingers, his tongue, his cock, fucking anything on you raging like an inferno. The heat was spreading over your skin until you were sure you would incinerate from it, nothing left but a pile of ashes on this bed.

Another smack came at your words, this time to your pussy, the impact vibrating throughout your entire body. You cried out, rocking your hips backward, damn near begging this man to give you more.

“Now, I thought we’d done and cleared this up, darling? It’s your mouth that needs something to do. Clearly you haven’t learned your less about talking back to your superiors.”

“I don’t work for you,” you snapped, unable to keep yourself from antagonizing him, wanting to push him over the edge, to push him to give you exactly what you wanted.

“Oh, well, I don’t know if you’ve heard but I’m here the law of this land,” he snarled, grabbing a fistful of your hair, lifting you up off the bed. “Tonight you do work for me and you can start by getting on your knees.”

Leaning forward, you batted your eyelashes, smirking with a tilt of your head, “Make me, officer.”

His lips pouted to the side, his hand coming to the back of his pants. You could tell he was more excited than aggravated at your challenge. Most girls probably didn’t have the balls to talk back to him, too scared of that last name he carried around. When he revealed it again, a pair of handcuffs dangled from his fingers.

“Oh, we want to play like that? Alrighty then.” Roughly, he shoved you face first onto the bed. Pulling your arms behind you, you felt the cool metal snap around each wrist. “I can play like that.”

Not even waiting for your response, his fingers curled in your hair, tugging until you had no choice but to come off the bed, standing in front of him. Pulling again, he jerked your head so you were looking up at him. You gasped at the pain at your scalp and he used that opportunity to lick the inside of your mouth before pulling your bottom lip between his teeth, sucking until it released with an audible pop.

“Now, I said on your knees.”

His hand dropped to the top of your head, pressing you down until you had no other option if you didn’t want to rupture a vertebrae. Gator stood, considering you, his head tilting one way and then the other. With a movement so fast you barely knew it had happened, his hands pulled at your shirt, ripping the buttons. Swiping at the fabric, nothing was left to conceal you from him besides scraps of black lace.

“That’s better. Wanna admire those tits while I watch that mouth apologize for talking back.” His zipper made a soft hiss before his pants dropped around his ankles. Gator slid one hand into his boxer briefs, pulling out his already hard cock, showing you that what you thought you saw was no exaggeration. This man was hung. “Now open up for me, mama.”

Eager to find out if this cock was everything you’d been told, you opened wide.

“Stick that tongue out for me. Oh…that’s a girl…”

He slapped the tip of his erection against your tongue a few times. You kept your mouth open as he slipped it inside, the tip running along each cheek. When his fist curled in your hair again, you worked to relax your throat, anticipating what was coming.

And Gator did not disappoint. He fucked your face, sending his cock straight back to kiss your tonsils. You gagged, your nose nuzzled against the coarse hair at the base of him. But he didn’t relent, doing it again, and a third time, his sack hitting your chin with each hard thrust into your mouth. His groans and grunts created a soundtrack of meal pleasure while his cock left no inch of your throat untouched until you felt like he would reach your lungs.

“Fuck, darling. That pretty little mouth is good for something other than being a smartass.” His hand eased in your hair, his other hand slipping along his length, pressing it against his stomach. “Gotta show the boys the same kind of love, now.”

You pressed your nose against the seam of his hip, dragging your tongue underneath. He hissed and you moaned, his sounds only furthering your desire. Your panties were absolutely soaked as you took first one and then the other of his testicles into your mouth, sucking and releasing with a loud pop.

“You are a dirty little slut, aren’t ya honey? You like sucking dick, don’t you?”

A moan was the only answer you gave him, your tongue now dragging over the side of his cock. Fuck, you wanted your hands free so you could touch him. Taking his length in your mouth again, you moved over him, his hips rocking forward to meet you.

“Look at me, honey. Yeah…fuck, you look so damn pretty with my cock in your mouth. Wrap your lips around it. Yeah, just like that…”

Tears streamed down your face as you took him as deeply as you could. You scraped your teeth gently over the sensitive skin and he jumped, growling before slamming to the back of your throat again in punishment. Just as his grunts were coming faster and you were sure he was close, he grabbed your hair, yanking you off him.

“Now to see if you taste as sweet as you smell.”

Heaving you over his shoulder, he tossed you to the bed, grabbing onto your hands and hooking the chain of the handcuffs over the bedpost, effectively keeping you restrained. Gator kicked off his pants and his boots before climbing on the bed. He roughly yanked off your panties and then pressed your knees, leaving you spread before him.

Lying on his stomach, he leaned in, inhaling deeply again, “Fuck, just like peaches. I’m telling ya. Now, you wanna see why all the girls talk about Gator, honey, because I’m gonna show ya.”

He didn’t just lick. He didn’t just suck. This man fucking feasted on you like you were a turkey dinner at Thanksgiving. You cried out, pulling at the handcuffs, your hips bucking up off the bed. Gator’s large hands landed on each of your thighs, pressing you down as he devoured.

“Fuck, Gator. Jesus…oh my god…that’s so good…so fucking good…” you whimpered, your hands opening and closing in desperate to grab onto his head and grind yourself against him. But you couldn’t. This man had all the control.

“Mmm…I told you, Gator knows his way around moist places, honey.”

Fuck. You hated that goddamn word. This man seriously had to come up with better descriptions for a woman’s pussy but not even that was enough to break you from the fucking ecstasy you were lost in as his tongue slid down, entering you. That glorious fucking nose, a nose that looked like it belonged on a Roman God continued to nuzzle deliciously over your clit as his tongue fucked you.

Your body was fucking humming. Gator was playing you like a violin and you were loving every goddamn note. When two thick fingers slid into you, pumping hard while his lips wrapped around your clit, you screamed his name, your thighs locking around his head. Your hips rocked up into him, your body desperately seeking sweet release.

“I’m gonna…oh shit…oh god…Gator…”

“That’s right. Come for me, mama. Come all over Gator’s face.”

The tension within you coiled so tightly, you thought you would snap and then snap you did. With a scream so loud you were sure the entire party had heard, your orgasm crashed over you, your back bowing off the bed.

“Jesus Christ…” you whimpered, collapsing.

“Mmm…” His lips pressed against your clit and you squeaked, jerking. “So fucking tasty.”

His chin glistened with your juices as he brought his two fingers to his mouth, slipping them inside, sucking the remains of your pleasure off. Your eyes fluttered closed, your body spent, completely wrecked after the most earth shattering orgasm of your goddamn life. The sound of foil tearing caught your attention and you opened your eyes to see Gator slipping a condom over his painfully hard cock.

“I ain’t done with you yet, mama.” Kneeling between your legs, he lifted one up, pressing it against his chest. “Gonna get nice and deep. I’m gonna hit places ain’t no other man ever hit.”

In one swift thrust, he entered you, stretching you, his cock filling you completely. Your eyes rolled back in your head, teeth clenched against the delicious burn. Gator did not wait for you to adjust to his size. He pounded into you, your skin slapping together harshly.

Pressing forward, he bent your leg toward you with the weight of his chest. The next thrust sent him in so deeply that you swore you could feel him in your stomach. You cursed, gasping his name.

“There it is…” he growled, rolling into you again and again, each time hitting a space that had you seeing fucking stars, planets, entire galaxies that you’d never explored but desperately wanted to.

“Jesus Gator…I’m gonna come again…I…so good…fuck…”

You wanted to grab his arms. You wanted to sink your fingers into that chest hair that was teasing you, tickling your nose. You wanted to rake your fingernails down his back. But you could do none of those things, the use of your hands taken from you.

A scream ripped from your throat as your second orgasm threatened to tear you apart. Gator didn’t cease his pace as your walls pulsed around him, pulling him deep.

“That’s it…fuck yeah…I’m a winner…” he grunted, hips slamming into you again. “I’m a winner, honey.” Sweat trickled down his face. “I’m a…” His mouth opened wide, his body shaking as he stilled above you, riding out his own release. “Winner,” he gasped. “I’m a fucking winner.”

Your eyes went wide watching him and you bit down on your lip, thinking it would be a very bad idea to laugh at him right now. Maybe he was an idiot but if he could give you orgasms like that, you’d be willing to overlook a few flaws.

“Those girls were right, weren’t they?” he demanded breathlessly. “Say it. Tell me they were right.”

“They were…they were right,” you breathed, struggling to catch your own breath. “You’re a winner, Gator.”

“Fucking right I am.”

#gator tillman x y/n #gator tillman fic #gator tillman smut #gator x reader #gator tillman #gator tillman x reader #smut #rough smut #obey me

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 21 days

Note

THAT CLIFF HANGER ARE YOU KIDDING ME ???

love it sm <3333

😘❤️ Thank you. I love a good cliffhanger.

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 22 days

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 17

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 8.5K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

“There she is. Welcome back, sweetheart.”

You fought through the fog to find the cheery face of a woman looking down at you, a woman you didn’t think you recognized but it was hard to tell when everything was so hazy. Your eyes blinked slowly, your lids feeling heavy. The face above you slowly came into focus, warm brown eyes that crinkled sweetly at the corners, a halo of short curly brown hair on top of her head. Who was this woman?

“That cute man of yours has been awfully worried. I had to practically chase him out of here to get something to eat. He was nodding off in the chair just waiting for you to wake up. He’s down in the cafeteria but I expect he’ll be back soon. He didn’t seem keen on leaving you.”

Cafeteria? Worried? You pressed your fists into the mattress beneath you, pushing yourself up. The woman talking to you was wearing scrubs, a badge hanging on them identifying her as Nurse Kathleen. You slowly took in your surroundings, the stark white walls, the uncomfortable bed beneath you, the chart hanging on the wall, the privacy curtain pulled back behind you.

“Oh no…” you groaned, your head flopping back against the pillow that somehow managed to be both too flat and too lumpy at the same time.

It all came rushing back to you. Steve asked you to stay the night with him and then told you the next logical step in your relationship would be to move in together. His words had sent you spiraling, nothing to grab onto, no time to complete your usual ritual, your body completely outside of your control. And then everything had gone black.

Your hands came to your face, running down slowly, mortified that you'd fallen apart in front of him again. And not just fallen apart, but fallen apart because he’d been baring his soul to you. He’d been telling you that he wanted you to share his bed, his home, his life with him. He’d been telling you he wanted to be a family. He’d been asking you to commit to him, the way he’d already chosen to commit to you and instead of assuring him, you'd completely unraveled. Way to ruin the moment. No, you didn’t even ruin it. You completely bulldozed it.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Nurse Kathleen assured, perching on the edge of the bed, her hand coming to your knee over the itchy blanket draped on top of your bare legs. “Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to the best of us.”

No. It didn’t. Most people didn’t black out because their boyfriend started talking about a future with them. Most people didn’t wind up taking an ambulance ride because the perfect guy was declaring his commitment. Most people didn’t wind up in a hospital bed because they couldn’t handle a serious conversation. Most people were able to control their emotions, to take the blows and surprises that came with life in stride, and move on. But not you. No. You had to have a meltdown.

What was Steve thinking right now? He was probably thinking he’d made a huge mistake hooking up with someone fragile enough to come apart at the drop of a hat. He was probably thinking you didn’t want this as much as he did. Because if you did, why would the very thought of it cause a medical situation?

But you did want it. You did. Why had your body reacted like that? Why had it betrayed you during what was such a pivotal moment in your relationship? Why couldn’t you just have opened your mouth and told him you did want all of that? You wanted to fall asleep next to him each night and wake up next to him in the morning. You wanted to be a family. You wanted to commit to him. You were already committed to him.

Yeah. It was soon but he was right. You just didn’t want to get Eli’s hopes up if this relationship wasn’t going anywhere. But it was. Hadn’t Steve shown you that it was? That he was one hundred percent in it? That he wanted you and everything that came with it?

So why had you fallen apart? Why had you felt the walls closing in on you? Why had the air escaped your lungs? Why had you blacked out? You didn’t have an answer and that only angered you even more. How could you not have an answer when it was your body?

“Anyway, you should be right as rain now. I expect they’ll be releasing you any minute.”

“What?” you responded, having had no idea what the nurse had just told you, too caught up in your own pity party.

“I said we gave you a little sedative to help calm your system down. It allowed you to take a nice little rest and allowed everything to relax. But Dr. Carth should be in soon and I expect he’ll be releasing you as long as you’re feeling okay enough to go home.”

“Oh…thanks…”

You looked up at the sound of a knock to find Janice in the doorway. Your best friend covered the space in no time, rushing in and wrapping her arms around you. Your head dropped, forehead resting against Janice’s shoulder, relishing in the comfort only your best friend could provide. Your best friend who had been by your side, who had seen you at your darkest, who had breathed with you through multiple attacks, who had encouraged you to go talk to someone.

“Hey babe. You okay?”

You pulled your head back, finding Janice’s eyes, full of concern, full of memories of your descent into a pit you never thought you'd claw your way back from. You nodded, your hands wrapping around her friend’s forearms as Nurse Kathleen excused herself, quietly leaving the two friends alone.

“What the hell happened?” asked Janice, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “You haven’t had an episode this bad in forever.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Steve called me. He said that you’d had an attack and he couldn’t bring you out of it. He said you blacked out and he had the boys call 911. He sounded terrified. Scared the shit out of me.”

“The boys…” Your eyes widened. “Where are…”

“Robin’s with them. They’re fine. Steve called her after he called 911 to see if she could come stay with them. He didn’t think you’d want Eli hanging around the hospital.”

“Shit! Eli’s probably freaking out!”

You'd done it again. You swore you were done with it but you'd terrified your son again, twice in a mere matter of weeks after doing so well for over a year. He was probably sitting in Steve’s house, worried, not understanding what was happening.

“No. He’s okay. I called him after Steve called to give me an update. I assured him that you were alright, that the doctors were taking really good care of you, and you’d be back home in the morning. Steve said they didn’t really see a reason to keep you once they got your heart rate and breathing under control.”

“Where’s Steve? Is he still here?”

Or had he left as soon as he could? That was the part you couldn’t bring yourself to voice. Had he called Janice to come up to the hospital and sit with you so he could safely get the hell away from you and your insanity? Not that you'd blame him. He’d asked you to spend the night and you'd broken in half like a graham cracker. So easy to crumble, the slightest pressure and you were snapping.

“He’s downstairs,” Janice answered. “He was talking to Nancy on the phone when I got here. I am sure he’ll be back up but he was going to give us a little time first. So, back to my original question that you have yet to answer. What in the hell happened?”

“I don’t know,” you groaned, dropping back against the bed, fingers slipping into your hair. “He asked me to stay the night. He said all our reasoning for waiting wasn’t a reason anymore because we’d both said we were in it. He said what was the big deal because we would share a bed when we moved in together which would be the logical next step. And I just spiraled. Janice, I couldn’t do anything. There was no time to look at things or hear things or feel things. It was on me, completely taking over. I couldn’t breathe. It was so damn fast. None of the tools I’ve learned were any help because I was already in the vortex of it as fast as it began.”

“Okay.” Janice’s fingers pressed against her lips. “So, did you not want to stay the night? Is this all moving too quickly for you? Did him talking about that freak you out?”

“I don’t know. That’s what pisses me off. I have no idea why it happened. I mean, I love him. I do. I want all of that with him. I want to stay the night with him. I want us to live together…I mean, eventually. I don’t know. It is fast. Right? Isn’t it? We’ve only been seeing each other for a little over a month. We’ve only known each other for like two months. I do worry about Eli. I don’t want to make some big move and then have it all fall apart around us. I can’t bear to watch his heart broken all over again. But I do want it.”

“Do you? Because your brain obviously doesn’t agree with your words.”

You growled in frustration, fingers curling in your hair, tugging. You did want it. Didn’t you? You loved Steve. You loved the way his hand always found yours when you were close, completely swallowing it in his large grip. You loved the way he put on shades and danced around, pretending to be Tom Cruise in Risky Business. You loved the way he was so patient with Eli. You loved the way he made you feel safe and secure and like you were the most precious thing in the world to him. You loved him. You wanted this. You wanted him.

“I do!” you insisted, not sure who you were trying to convince more, Janice or yourself. “I do. I don’t why the hell my body reacted like that. I don’t know why his words caused that. I want him. Janice, I want him.”

Your friend’s hands landed on your shoulders, pressing down, centering you as your heart rate kicked up, the machine next to you beeping incessantly. You closed your eyes, inhaling through your nose and blowing it out slowly through your mouth. They were about to release you. You had to calm yourself down. You did not need to give them a reason to keep you.

“Okay. Okay. I believe you. But hon, something is sending mixed signals. Some wires are getting crossed or something. There is something that is sending you into frantic mode at the thought of taking that next step with him. You have to figure out what it is.” Janice’s fingers slid under your left palm, lifting it up to your face. Your wedding band sparkled under the fluorescent lights of the hospital room. “Maybe you should start here.”

“I…but…this is…Justin…” you stammered.

“Yeah. It’s your wedding ring. The ring that Justin gave you. The ring that a man who is no longer around gave you. You’re still wearing it and it’s been two years since you lost him. Two years next week, hon. Do you think maybe that has something to do with your attack?”

Your eyes moved to the whiteboard across the room, the date written across the top, May 17, 1996. You swallowed. You'd been so swept up in this new relationship, in the excitement of it, your little bubble of joy and happiness, that it had completely slipped your mind that the anniversary of Justin’s death was coming up. He died on May 23, 1994. The worst day of your life. No. That wasn’t right. You hadn’t known then. The worst day was May 24, 1994 when two officers showed up on your doorstep.

Could that be why the attack happened? Could that be why it came on so strong and so quick? Your subconscious remembered somehow and was punishing you for forgetting, something you swore you'd never do. How could you forget? How could you not have remembered? Had everything you'd told Judith been a lie? Were you just allowing Steve to slip right in and replace Justin? Allowing yourself to forget him because you were more concerned with your own happiness?

“How could I…” you whispered, silent tears spilling from your eyes and rolling down your cheeks. “Oh my god, Janice. How could I just forget him like that?”

“Oh sweetie, don’t do that. It’s okay.”

“It’s not!”

“It is. Babe, you’re allowed to be happy. I haven’t seen you smile this much in two years. Steve makes you happy. You didn’t forget Justin. You forgot about a date. A date that is filled with nothing but pain and sadness. It’s not a date you should be focusing on anyway. Focus on the good ones. The day you went on your first date, the day you got married, the day you moved into your new house, the day you had Eli…those are the dates you want to remember. It’s not a bad thing that someone made you happy enough to forget about your pain.”

“But I swore that I wouldn’t forget. I swore that I wouldn’t let Steve replace him.”

“He’s not. He’s not replacing anybody. Look, when people lose a dog, they’re so sad. They go out and get another dog. It’s not to replace the one they’ve lost. It’s because they miss the companionship. They miss the love the dog brought to their life. They’re not forgetting their other dog. They’re simply trying to mend their broken heart with more love. That’s all you’re doing. You’re mending your broken heart by allowing Steve to pick up the pieces and reassemble them. It won’t look the same and it won’t fully heal the injury that was inflicted but it will soften it. You’ll never be the same but why would you want to? This new version of you is the one that gets to start a new chapter with the guy you love now.”

Your breath shuddered, your hands clasping together. You thought you'd dealt with all of this. You thought you were ready to move on but some part of you must have been holding on. Some part of you was not letting the past go and that part had reared its head, made itself be known, when Steve had merely mentioned the idea of taking the next step. He hadn’t even been saying you should do it now. He’d only hinted that it was what would come next.

“You don’t have to forget him, babe, but you do have to let him go. And I mean actually let him go. You’re never going to be able to give yourself to Steve fully, the way he deserves, until you do. And I don’t think your brain has gotten that message which tells me you haven’t. The attack you had tonight tells me you haven’t.” She grabbed your hand, lifting it again. “This tells me you haven’t.”

You nodded, finger and thumb coming to your ring, twirling it back and forth, remembering when Justin had slipped it on your finger. It had been a beautiful fall day. You'd always wanted a fall wedding and Mother Nature had cooperated fully, only cementing the fact in your mind that you and Justin were meant to be. So many people had told you that you couldn’t plan an outdoor wedding in October because the weather would be too unpredictable. But the sun had shown down on you, a warm breeze ruffling your hair, as you'd promised to love one another until death do they part.

Justin got to keep that promise. But you weren't gone yet. Maybe his death nullified that vow but you had no intention of breaking it. You would love him until you took your last breath. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t love Steve as well. The heart wasn’t some box of a predetermined size. It could expand exponentially to fill with as much love as you could carry. And these days, you had a lot to fill it with.

“I will. I…”

“Hey there.”

Hastily wiping your cheeks with the back of her hand, you managed to smile up at Steve, who stood in the doorway awkwardly, like he wasn’t sure if he should be there or not.

“Sorry. If I’m interrupting, I can…” He hooked his thumb behind him.

“No, no,” Janice insisted, shaking her head. “I was just getting ready to go get some coffee and see where this doctor is.” She stood, patting your shin gently. “I’ll track him down so we can get the paperwork rolling to get you the hell out of here. I promised my nephew that his mom would be home in the morning.”

“Thanks.” You reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, your insides squeezing just as tightly when your friend walked out, leaving you and Steve alone.

He pressed his lips together, barely stepping into the room. Leaning back against the wall just to the right of the door, he propped one foot over the other, eyes down on the floor. The sight tugged painfully at your heart, knowing you'd given him reason to doubt. Reason to believe that you weren't one hundred percent in, reason to think that you would cut and run at a moment’s notice. All of this tension was completely your fault.

“How are you feeling?” he asked at the same moment you hurriedly said, “I’m so sorry.” Steve paused, his eyes flicking up to yours.

“I’m so sorry,” you repeated. “I’m so sorry that happened. I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t stop it. Usually I can focus on something. You know? But this came on so fast and I didn’t mean to scare you and I didn’t mean to scare the boys and I…”

“It’s okay,” he tried but you cut him off.

“No it’s not. I thought I had come so far. It had been over a year since I’d had a full blown attack and I’ve had two since I’ve known you.”

“Well, that’s not reassuring.” His head turned, looking out the window at a group of birds flying by. “Am…am I causing you anxiety?” Those hazel eyes fixed on you but he didn’t make a move to come any closer. “Is being with me causing you anxiety?”

You sighed, blinking back tears, “Yes.”

“Great.” He nodded, lips pouting to the side.

“But not like you think. You don’t cause me anxiety. You make me so happy. The first time it happened I was just panicking because your friends were talking about us being a couple and I wasn’t even sure you wanted that. Hell, I wasn’t sure I wanted that. My head was in such a weird place. I was worried about Eli and I was worried what it meant if I liked you. And this time, it wasn’t you. It was…”

“Me pushing you,” he finished for you, his chest rising with a deep inhale. “I was pushing you to move faster than you’re ready for. Look, I didn’t mean we should move in together now.” A harsh laugh shook his body, teeth raking over his bottom lip. “I mean, that would be insane. Obviously I don’t want to move in together any time in the near future.”

“You…you don’t?”

“No,” he scoffed. “We’ve only been dating for a little over a month. That would be completely insane. We don’t even know each other that well yet, right? Besides, I like my space. I’m not ready to give that all up yet. I mean, someday…maybe, yeah, but not anytime soon.”

Your chest felt like someone had dropped a buffalo on it, the weight pressing down, your heart that had just begun to mend starting to crack at his words. But what did you expect? After the way you'd acted, you'd expected this. You'd expected him to pull away, to put the car in reverse and slam his foot down on the pedal.

It was soon. But that didn’t seem to be how he felt last night. He’d been trying to convince you that it wasn’t too soon, that only you could decide how soon. How quickly he’d changed his mind. How quickly his feelings had changed when he was faced with what he’d be dealing with if he moved forward with you. Something he’d told you he could handle but obviously couldn’t.

“Hey!” Janice exclaimed, bouncing into the room. “Good news! I tracked down the doc and he’s on his way in to release you.”

“Great,” you replied with as much excitement as you could muster. “I’m ready to go home.”

“So, how are we doing this? Steve taking you back to his place or…?”

“No. I just want to go home,” you mumbled. “I…Steve should get back for the boys. Could you just take me home so I can get my car and go get Eli?”

Janice frowned, “Honey, I don’t think you should be driving right now. Doc says you should rest. He put a call into Dr. Watson and let her know what happened. She wants to see you as soon as possible to talk about your meds.”

“Okay. I’ll…I’ll call her on Monday. I can drive. I just…”

“I’ll bring Eli to your house,” Steve said. “If you want Janice to take you home, I’ll go get Eli and bring him to you.”

“Okay, what is happening right now?” your friend asked suspiciously, looking between the two of you.

“Nothing. I’m just…I’m really tired after everything and I just want to go home and sleep.”

“Well, then why don’t I drop you off and then I go get Eli and bring him so he can see you for a minute and know you’re okay? And then I can take him and he can stay with me and Matt for the day so you can relax.You know you’re not getting any relaxation with that kid around. Besides, Matt’s been dying to get him back to the batting cages.”

“That’s fine,” you agreed, not having the energy to argue.

“Alright. Well, then I’ll go back to the house to let the boys know everything’s good and you’re fine.” Steve rocked on his heels awkwardly, clearly uncertain as to what he should do. Would he kiss your forehead sweetly like he usually did? Would he hug you? “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Nope. None of the above. He maneuvered around Janice and made his way out the door with barely a backwards wave. That pressure on your chest slithered down into your stomach, boulders settling in, the reality of what was happening threatening to crush you.

“What the hell did I miss in the five minutes I was gone?” asked Janice.

You didn’t answer, simply laid back on the bed, draping your hand over your face. One month of building something that looked like it might last and you'd shattered it all in one night.

____________________________________________________________

“Daddy! We’re here!”

Jeremiah came barreling through the door, instantly colliding with Miles who had been racing through the house to greet his favorite little guy. The kid fell backward and Miles was on him in an instant, covering his face with sloppy kisses while Jere squealed and laughed.

Nancy walked in behind him, Jeremiah’s backpack slung over one shoulder, which she dropped down onto the floor. Miles bounded over to her and she crouched down, scratching the massive beast behind his ears and pressing a kiss to his snout.

Jeremiah leapt up from the ground, eyes shining when he saw the snack that Steve had been preparing for him. “Oreos and milk! Yes!” His feet pounded over the hardwood in his race to get to the table.

“Thanks for picking him up for me,” Steve told Nancy.

“No problem.” Rising to her feet, she brushed her hands down the front of her jeans in a pointless attempt to rid them of dog hair. “But why couldn’t you get him today?”

“Oh…uh…” He turned his back on her, placing the Oreos back into the cabinet as his brain scrambled for a reasonable excuse as to why he didn’t pick up his son. “Meeting. Yeah. Meeting about the new development. We’re breaking ground next week and we had to…you know, flesh some things out. Make sure it’s all going to run smoothly.”

“Uh-huh…”

She didn’t believe him. He could tell she didn’t believe him. Maybe they hadn’t been right for each other but he knew Nancy. He knew all her tones, gestures, and facial expressions and she knew his. And her tone right now was letting him know that she knew something was up.

Steve dropped into the chair next to Jeremiah, eager to get the focus off of himself, “How was school today?”

“It was good,” Jere shrugged before shoving a milk soaked cookie into his mouth.

“Just good? No stories to tell today?” Steve urged, needing his son to tell one of his long drawn-out stories of second grade drama. He needed something, anything, to get Nancy’s eyes to stop focusing on him.

“Well, Brent is finally being nice to everybody.”

“Oh yeah? That’s great!”

His son rolled his eyes, “I guess. But he’s only being nice because nobody would play with him anymore. Even Travis and Ricky stopped playing with him because he started calling them names and being really mean to them too.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? That he’s being nice?”

“I don’t know. Is he only going to be nice until everyone plays with him again and then he will be mean again? I think we should just keep ignoring him because he’s a bully. Beth asked him to swing with her today and he used to steal her food and tell her she was fat! Why would she even want to play with someone like that? I don’t think we should just forget all the bad stuff he did.”

“You don’t forget,” Nancy told him, stepping into the kitchen to take the chair on the other side of their son. “But you can forgive. If he’s genuinely trying to change, that’s a good thing. Sometimes even the biggest jerks can change for the better and turn out to be pretty good guys.”

She smirked at Steve, one eyebrow lifting knowingly and he pressed his lips together, putting his head down. He would never live down his King Steve days, walking around like he owned the school, picking on those he saw as inferior to himself, including his ex-wife’s current husband. He was a Brent at one time and that thought disgusted him, the idea of who he used to be, but it was something he swore he’d never be again.

“Yeah but what if he hasn’t really changed? What if he’s just pretending so we all play with him again and then, bam! He’s back to being a big, fat jerk!”

“Well, you’ll have to wait and see. If he goes back to being a jerk, then you all refuse to allow it again. But maybe you all showing him that you would not accept his behavior was enough to change him. Maybe he realized if he kept acting like that he would be all alone and he’s really trying to do better. Sometimes when someone sees how it feels to be the person who’s being treated badly, they see how wrong it is.”

“Maybe…” Jeremiah didn’t sound entirely convinced.

“Regardless, just because he was mean doesn't make it right for you to be mean back. You all ignored him because you were standing up for yourself and that’s okay but if you do it now, then you’re being just as mean as he was. You should at least give him a chance to show you that he’s trying.”

“I guess. Eli doesn’t trust him either. Brent asked Eli who his favorite superhero was at lunch and Eli just walked away from him. He said Brent was probably just asking so he could make fun of him for it. But I’ll tell him we should at least try to be his friend. But if he does it again, I will never be his friend.”

“I think that’s fair. You’re giving him a chance to show he is sorry. If he doesn’t show that, then you shouldn’t give him any more chances,” Steve stated. “I’m really proud of you two for getting everyone to stand up to him. You not only stood up for yourselves but for others and that’s something to be proud of. You’re growing into a good little human, kid. There’s not much else I could ask for as a dad.”

“Where do you think he’s getting that?” asked Nancy and when he just looked at her, she laughed, rolling her eyes. “He’s learning from you. You don’t hesitate to stand up for others. And you always do the right thing by the people you care about. You’re one of the bravest people I know. Our son has a pretty amazing role model to look up to.”

Her words hit him, a blow to the chest that almost knocked him back off his chair. Because he wasn’t doing the right thing by someone he cared an awful lot about right now and he knew it. He was hiding and avoiding instead of facing it because he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to know what was on the other side of the curtain he was concealing himself behind. There was nothing brave about it.

“Hey daddy. Can Eli come over tonight? We haven’t played together, besides at school, since his mommy had to go to the hospital.”

Nancy’s brows shot up her forehead at this revelation. Those stormy blue eyes were fixed on him, her arms folding on top of the table. Shit. His son had just ratted him out, whether he’d meant to or not, and there would be no getting out of this now. When Nance had her laser fixed on you, there was no escape.

“Hey Jere, don’t you have some homework to do?” Nancy asked.

“Yeah, but daddy didn’t say if Eli could come over.”

“Not tonight buddy, okay? But we’ll make sure he comes over soon.”

“Why not?” Jere demanded. “We saw each other every day and now I haven’t hung out with him in four days. Are you and his mom fighting? Did you break up? Because Eli said he asked her last night when we were going to see them again and she said she didn’t know. Why wouldn’t she know? Did you mess up?”

“It’s complicated. Look…”

“Jeremiah, I need you to go upstairs and do your homework, okay?” Nancy stated calmly, letting her son know that there would be no more arguing. “Your dad and I need to talk and then we will talk about Eli and his mom and when you can see them later.”

“Fine,” his son growled, angrily dropping his cup and plate into the sink. He grabbed his backpack by the strap, dragging it behind him, his feet stomping loudly on each stair to make certain they knew just how unhappy he was.

Nancy stayed quiet, her eyes on the stairs until they heard the slam of Jeremiah’s door, an exclamation point on his anger and annoyance at being dismissed. Certain their son would not overhear, she turned to Steve, hands clasping on top of the table.

“Alright, spill. What’s going on?”

Steve put on the best clueless face he could manage, lips mashed together, eyes wide and confused, head shaking side to side. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Nance.”

“Oh cut the bullshit, Steve Harrington. I’ve known you for way too long to buy that. You are head over heels for this girl. I’ve never seen you so gone for anyone and you really expect me to believe you haven’t seen her for four days and nothing’s going on?”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” he shrugged, drumming his fingers on the tabletop.

“How about the truth?”

Damn Nancy and her perceptive nature. He sighed, sinking further down in the chair, resigning himself to having to tell her what was going on. She wouldn’t leave until he did.

“Fine. The truth is, I thought she felt the same way about me that I did about her but she doesn’t, okay? I thought she wanted forever. I thought she saw this as a long term, endgame kind of thing, but she clearly doesn’t so what’s the point in continuing it?”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” hissed Nancy. “Are you out of your mind? I’ve seen the way that girl looks at you. She’s just as crazy about you as you are about her.”

“She’s not. Trust me.” He shoved back from the table roughly, standing up, hands on his hips, back to Nancy.

“What made you think this? What happened? I know she had that bad anxiety attack but…”

“Yeah. She had that anxiety attack after I asked her to spend the night with me. After I mentioned that the next step for us would be moving in together. And look, I know it was fast and I know I do that all the time.” His hands flailed uncontrollably as he paced back and forth, feeling all the threads that held him together coming unraveled as he poured out his soul. “I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned something like that yet. But Nance, I’ve never felt the way I do about her. I…it’s not like the way I love baseball or a medium rare steak or hitting the snooze button an extra time in the morning. She consumes me. She’s all I can think about. When she’s with me I never want to let her go and when she’s gone I just want to be with her again. It’s like I’m in free fall and I’m scared to death I’m just going to splat on the ground. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want her.”

His fingers moved roughly through his hair, his feet stopping. Steve turned to Nancy, chest heaving, his hands curling around the top of the chair, to find her wide eyed, jaw almost to the table.

“Wow…okay…I mean, I knew you really liked her but you’re completely in love with her.” Her tongue traced the seam of her lips, fingers coming to her chin. “You’re in really deep, aren’t you?”

“I’m fucking drowning, Nance. I’m out here in the waves being thrown about, water filling my lungs, holding my hand out to her but she’s not going to take it.”

“You don’t know that, Steve.”

“I do! I do know that. Why would the idea of moving in with me send her into an anxiety attack unless the very thought was too much for her to handle? And I’m just going to keep sinking in the endless ocean if I don’t get out now until it’s too late and I am destroyed. Stuck on the bottom like the Titanic until I rot and pieces of me fall off and everything that was good about me is rusted and decayed!”

“Wow…you know King Steve really was the perfect nickname for you.”

His eyes shot over to her, annoyed, “Excuse me?”

“King Steve, as in drama king. Jesus, Steve. The girl struggles with anxiety. She has no control over when it happens and you’ve made it all about you. You’ve convinced yourself that this mental illness she struggles with has anything to do with you. How about you make your way out of the deep end and head back over to the shallows with the rest of us Mr. Swim Captain?”

“I’m not saying it’s all about me but it’s called an anxiety attack because it’s triggered by anxiety, right? Which means the idea of moving in with me someday caused her to have anxiety. Doesn’t exactly scream that she’s excited at the idea of a future with me.”

“Maybe she is. I mean, did you even talk to her about it?”

“No,” he scoffed. “I’d just sent her to the damn hospital, Nance! That was on me and my big mouth. So I assured her I didn’t mean now. I didn’t want to move in together now. I told her that would be crazy, that I wasn’t ready, that I like my space. I didn’t want to send her into another attack.”

Nancy’s hand covered her face, a deep groan audible from behind it, “You are such an idiot, Steve Harrington.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Trying to keep her calm makes me an idiot? She clearly didn’t want to be around me. She asked her friend, Janice, to take her home. She wanted no part of coming back here.”

“And that couldn’t have been because you’d just made it sound like she was invading your bachelor lifestyle, could it? “

“What? No! I…” Had that been what he’d said? No. He hadn’t said that, not in so many words, but could that have been how you'd taken it? “Okay. Maybe not the best way to word it but I just didn’t want to upset her again. I panicked, okay? I’d just had to call 911. I’d watched her struggle to breathe, Nance. It was terrifying. I didn’t want to say anything that could set her off again.”

“She’s not a rocket, Steve. There’s no fuse to light. You will never know what is going to cause it because she probably doesn’t know. So, let me get this straight. The girl has an anxiety attack, one that is so bad that she has to be taken to the hospital. She’s scared, obviously, and probably nervous about what you’re thinking. Not to mention embarrassed that it happened in front of you, again, if I’m correct. And then you tell her that you don’t want her invading your space and haven’t called her in four days to even see how she’s doing and are such a wuss that you send me to pick up Jere on your day so you don’t have to see her? This sounds like how an adult handles things to you?”

“Well, I…I mean…”

But what does he mean? He doesn’t even know. Nancy’s right. He didn’t even give you a chance to explain. You apologized to him and he just shut you down, his fear rising up, stacking bricks in front of him in an effort to protect himself because he was terrified. Terrified of the power you had to completely annihilate him with just a few words.

“I’m scared,” he admitted, chewing on his lower lip, closing his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see the pity he was sure was all over Nancy’s face. “I’m scared of how bad it will hurt if…when she decides to leave me.”

“I know you are. But Steve, that’s the risk you take. You can’t be with someone, truly give yourself to them, without there being the risk that you could have your heart broken. Even now, there is always a risk that Jonathan could walk out the door. He could wake up one morning and tell me he doesn’t feel the same. So what do I do? Choose to walk away first? Choose to be alone just in case? But alone is lonely, Steve. If you want this, you’re going to have to accept the risk that comes with it.”

“But what if…”

“What if what? What if you get hit by a bus tomorrow? What if a plane crashes into the middle of town? What if aliens invade or there’s a zombie apocalypse? You can play the what if game forever if you want. But it won’t get you the one thing you really want. It won’t get you her. It won’t get you happiness. It won’t get that happily ever after you’ve been chasing for years. All it will get you is you talking yourself right out of this. She's already suffered loss. Don’t make her lose you too. Not when she doesn’t have to. Not when it’s just your own ego and fear that’s in the way.”

“Okay but what if…” He held up his hand when Nancy opened her mouth, ready to interrupt him again. “What if I go to her and she tells me this was all a mistake? What if she says that the mention of moving in together just showed her she’s not sure she really wants this? What then?”

“Then at least you know instead of sitting around here moping and sending me to pick up our kid like I’m your personal chauffeur. Wouldn’t it be better to know? Because if you don’t, you’re going to spend the rest of your life wondering.”

Would it be better to know? Steve wasn’t so sure. It depended on what you had to say.

___________________________________________________________

Four days…four days and absolutely nothing from Steve. You wanted to scream into the void, to pound your fists against the wall, to throw things and feel the satisfaction of watching them smash into pieces. But you couldn’t. Your son was downstairs eating his snack of popcorn while watching Hey Arnold. You had to keep control of yourself. You couldn’t scare your son anymore. You'd done enough of that over the last couple months.

You'd thought Steve just needed some time. And you were more than willing to give that to him. But when Nancy had shown up at pick-up today, on a day you knew was supposed to be Steve’s, all hope that this was some temporary thing disintegrated. Nancy didn’t seem to really know why she was picking up Jeremiah for him but you didn’t need a reason because you already knew.

He’d decided you were too much for him. It was a lot to ask anyone to take on. Your grief, your past, your overbearing mother-in-law, your mental struggles, your son…what man would willingly want to walk into all of that? He’s even said it. He didn’t want you invading his space. He didn’t want you with your anxiety that crept up at the worst times with no notice and your past that kept dragging you down.

Your eyes fell to your ring again, the simple engagement band with a small diamond in the middle, tiny diamonds on either side, soldered to a solid gold band after you were married. Justin apologized right after you'd said yes, assuring you he would get you a better ring when you had more funds. But you never wanted one, not even after the two of you were bringing in more cash. The cost of the ring had never mattered. This piece of jewelry was priceless to you. It wasn’t just gold and stones. It was a promise. It was a feeling. It was a period in your life that would forever be precious.

But Janice was right. It had been two years. How could you possibly hope to ever move on when you were still holding on so tightly. When you couldn’t even let go of the symbol that represented what was, how could you possibly hope to embrace what could be?

Maybe it wouldn’t be Steve. Maybe you'd ruined any chance you had of him being the one. Maybe he was done with you, glad he’d dodged the bullet that was your instability. But that didn’t mean you didn’t still have a chance of moving on, even if it was alone. If you truly wanted to let the past go, then you had to release it and along with it, the guilt that weighed you down, that kept telling you that you were still tied to Justin.

You knew what you needed to do. It was time. It had been time for a long while now. Walking over, you grabbed the phone and made a call.

___________________________________________________________

“Hey, baby,” you greeted the slab of granite as you dropped down to your knees on the soft ground. Your fingers trailed over the grass, plush and full now, remembering when it was nothing but dirt, your fingers clawing into the loose soil as your tears created puddles, your screams wrenched into the empty air.

A soft exhale released through pursed lips as you prepared yourself for the toughest conversation of your life. Well, until the conversation you intended on trying to have after this one. Your fingers gravitated to the stone, tracing over the etched letters, spelling out the name of the person you had believed would be your forever.

You didn’t come here often anymore. You and Eli would bring a pizza and have a picnic on his birthday in August. That was something you'd promised him the two of you would always do. You would always bring a wreath at Christmas. The first year you'd been here twice a week, needing to feel close to him, even if logically you knew nothing was here but a cold, empty body.

But then you'd started therapy and as you began to feel like you were getting a handle on your grief, your need to be here lessened. It wasn’t gone. People who say that grief passes with time are lying. It enters your body and stays, altering you forever. It never completely disappears. You just learn to live with it more as each day passes. The jagged edges get just a bit more rounded, softer, not quite so painful but they’re still there.

“I miss you, you know that?” Your head dropped, your body rounding in on itself. “I miss you so damn much, all the time. I thought it would never get better. I thought it would never get easier. For so long, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I couldn’t live without you.”

You could barely remember those dark days when Eli was the only thing dragging you out of bed in the morning. You could barely remember them because you weren't really there. It was like a part of you had died right alongside Justin and you were just a body walking around, going through the motions, for the sake of your son.

The nights when Janice would take him because you didn’t have the strength to pretend. When you would lay in your bed and cry and scream until you had nothing left. When you would curse God and the universe for taking him from you, for leaving your son without a father, for leaving you alone in the world, for destroying your life.

Now, grief would hit you at the weirdest times. Most times it was just a small twist of your stomach, uncomfortable but manageable. Sometimes it was debilitating, to the point where you wanted to curl into the fetal position. You missed his smile, the way he laughed with his whole body, his voice whispering in your ear…things that were getting harder and harder to hold onto as time passed. But you wouldn’t let them go. You held on as hard as you could, refusing to let him fully slip away from you.

“But somehow, day by day, breathing became a little easier. I finally felt like I was back in my body. I was still sad. I was missing you. But I was able to enjoy the sun on my face, the sound of our son’s laughter, getting a cup of coffee with Janice. I could smile again. I could live again. All these things that I’d lost for so long because I was shrouded in my grief. It was a weight pressing down on me but I got help and…and now, there’s someone. Someone who is helping lift the weight off of me, who makes me feel like I might really have a shot at being happy again.”

You swallowed, your eyes slipping closed as tears escaped, trails of emotion running down your cheeks and off your chin. You pulled your lower lip between your teeth, bracing yourself.

“His name is Steve and he makes me really happy. For the first time since I lost you, I have hope. Hope that I can still have love. And Eli adores him. He’s so good with him. He’s a dad too. His son is the same age and they’re best friends. That’s actually how we met each other. He coaches Eli’s baseball team. You’d be so proud of him. He’s learned so much and he’s a hell of a little player. Him and Jeremiah…” You snorted, wiping your face with the back of your hand. “They’re such devious little rascals. They’ve been plotting us being together since we met. I think they knew something we didn’t or something.”

Your eyes roamed skyward as a flock of geese soared overhead, their honking breaking the silence of the cemetery. They were coming home to the warmth and the new life that Spring brought with it. Just like you, they were turning toward new possibilities and leaving behind the past.

“I love you. I will always love you. You…you showed me what love is. You showed me what it means to give all of yourself to another person. You showed me what a beautiful gift that can be, even if it was taken from you far too soon. I will never forget you. I will always be grateful for the time we had together. You will always be my first love, but…” Your thumb and forefinger gripped the gold band, slowly sliding it along your fingertip until it was free, the skin bare for the first time in over a decade. “But it’s time to say goodbye. I have to let you go. I have to do this if I have any chance of moving on. And I may have ruined my shot with Steve. It might be too late already because I couldn’t do this before but I have to try. I have to believe you’d want me to.”

A warm breeze suddenly picked up, lifting your hair, wrapping around you like a hug and you closed your eyes, smiling through the tears streaming down your face.

“I love you to Pluto and back…” you whispered into the wind, recalling your phrase, Justin declaring the moon wasn’t far enough to show how much he loved you. Pressing your fingers to your lips, you pressed them to the stone, slipping your ring into her pocket.

“Honey?"

You gasped at the sound of that voice, in this place. What in the world was he doing here? Turning your head, you wondered if he was a figment of your imagination, something you'd dreamed up because your desire to see him was so strong.

“Steve?”

Chapter 18

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 28 days

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 16

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 7.9K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Two weeks later found you at the baseball diamond for the boys first game of the season. Your group took up an entire section of the bleachers, everyone had showed up to cheer the kids on. You were squeezed between Robin and Janice, Matt on Janice’s other side. In front of you were Dustin, Lucas, Max, Nancy, and Jonathan. Behind you was El, Mike, Will, Nolan, Joyce, Karen, and Hopper. Jeremiah had a literal cheering section that was there for him and it hit you that now, so did Eli. Somehow, the two of you were not only lucky enough to get Steve, but also the entire family that came along with him.

You caught sight of Judith out of the corner of your eye, walking up, looking more out of place than a string quartet at a toddler’s birthday party. Who showed up to a baseball game in heels and a pantsuit? Judith did. You fought the urge to roll your eyes or hide. Judith’s eyes darted over the bleachers, looking for you, wincing at the raucous ruckus the dad she was standing next to was making as he loudly bragged about his son.

“Uh-oh…the she-beast has arrived,” muttered Janice, nodding in your mother-in-law’s direction.

“I saw,” you sighed, rising to your feet, waving your hand to make it easier for Judith to find you. There would be no hiding. Sometimes being the responsible adult sucked.

Judith somehow managed to look both annoyed and relieved at the sight of you. Sending one last scathing look toward the oblivious father, she made her way to your section of the bleachers.

“Judith!” exclaimed Karen, climbing carefully down, opening her arms in welcome. “You’re Eli’s grandmother. I’m Jeremiah’s grandmother. And so is Joyce.” She pointed to the petite woman who was currently holding onto Jonathan’s head to step down.

“So you’re Steve’s mom or are you Steve’s mom?” questioned Judith, her eyes roaming over the two, judgement evident in her eyes. You didn’t have to try too hard to imagine what she must be thinking. Joyce standing there in her baggy jeans and oversized sweatshirt and Karen all done up with bright makeup and a dress that, gasp, stopped above her knees and even showed some cleavage. Oh, the horror.

Karen laughed, her hand coming to her breast, Judith’s eyes about popping out of her head at the amount of bosom on display. Because heaven forbid a woman had the audacity to dress however she wanted, to be proud of her own body. And honestly, Karen had every right to show off. The woman was stunning.

“Oh no. Neither of us are. Steve’s parents aren’t really in the picture sadly. I’m Nancy’s mom.” She turned, pointing to the petite brunette who waved with a smile. “Nancy is Jeremiah’s mom.”

“And I’m actually Jonathan’s mom,” Joyce explained, pointing to her son who simply lifted his hand. “He’s Jeremiah’s stepdad but I’ve known Steve since he was just a young kid in high school and he’s practically a son to me. So it feels like I’m his mom, too.”

“Yeah, and I’ve known him just as long because him and Nance met in high school so he kind of feels like a son to me too. The poor boy went from having no mom to multiple moms who are always in his business whether he wants us there or not.”

Joyce shrugged, “Honestly, everyone here is family. Everyone you see behind you are Jere’s aunts and uncles.” They all waved, Dustin and Max a bit more obnoxiously than the rest. “Well, except for Hop. He’s my husband. So I guess he’s kind of like Steve’s dad for all intents and purposes.”

Hopper snorted and then shrugged, “I’ll guess I’ll claim Harrington if I have to.”

“How…unconventional of all of you,” Judith managed, her teeth gritted in a tight smile.

Your eyes slipped closed in frustration. Of course this woman had to show up and ruin what was looking to be a perfect day. She couldn’t fathom something like found family. She believed blood came before everything else. The very idea that all of these people could come together and be more important to each other than the family genetics had stuck them with was inconceivable for a brain like hers.

“Well, come on up,” Karen invited, giving her a wave. “We can all scooch and make room for you with the grandparents.”

“Oh, that’s alright. There will be no need for any…scooching. I’ll just…” Her eyes quickly scanned the bleachers. “I’ll sit right here. I’ll be fine.” Before anyone could argue with her, she dropped down in front of Max who turned, giving you a, can you believe this woman, look.

You rolled her eyes, letting Max silently know you could not believe her but honestly, you could. You'd learned to expect nothing less than constant judgement and absolute disdain from that woman. No one was ever good enough in her eyes. Judith raised her bar so high that no one, who wasn’t Justin, could ever manage to leap over it. And even he’d struggled to make that jump sometimes.

You zoned out as the boys began talking about their latest D&D campaign in front of you, your eyes drawn to the sight of Steve out on the field with the team. He stood, surrounded by boys in baseball pants and white shirts with green stripes. And god he looked good, fitted jeans that showed off the muscles in his strong thighs, a moss green short sleeved shirt, his rounded biceps peeking out from the hem as he leaned forward, hands on his knees to talk to the kids. A baseball cap sat on his head and she didn’t know what it was but you loved him in a ballcap, all those beautiful locks spilling out from underneath.

It was difficult to wrap your head around the fact that it had only been two weeks since you'd both been brave to utter those three little words, three little words with an impact big enough to change the trajectory of your lives. Two weeks of you feeling like you were walking on air, like nothing could possibly go wrong, floating in your own little bubble of bliss. It felt like so much longer. You couldn’t even remember what your life had been like before Steve had become a part of it, the endless days of just trying to make it through, and you didn’t want to.

The two of you had spent nearly every night together since that moment on the beach, much to the boy’s excitement. Not sleeping over, that was still something you were trying to move slowly with for the boys’ sake, particularly Eli. Steve had been incredibly understanding about you wanting to wait a bit before you took that step. But almost every evening the four of you ate dinner together, sometimes at your house, sometimes at his. You played board games, watched movies, went for a walk down to the local ice cream place or rode your bikes over to the park for the boys to play.

Steve had surprised you twice at work, showing up with lunch for the two of you. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will had invited the boys over one night for D&D last week and Robin had offered to take them to a movie last night to allow Steve and you some alone time. It was incredible. You hadn’t just gained Steve but an entire village of people who just showed up and were there, ready to help at a moment’s notice, and you were so thankful for every single one of them. You'd never had anyone but Janice and Matt and having so many people who were willing to pitch in, who enjoyed your kid enough to want to spend time with him, well it meant more to you than you could possibly express to them.

Your attention on Steve broke with an elbow to your side. Looking over, you found Janice grinning wickedly at you, “What were you thinking about, huh?”

“Probably last night,” teased Robin. “I took the boys to a movie so she and Steve were all alone. Replaying the highlight reel of naked time in your mind?”

“Eww! Can we not?” Mike asked.

“Oh please.” Robin rolled her eyes. “Maybe I had to censor myself when you were thirteen but you’re twenty-six now. I think you can handle knowing how babies are made.”

“Babies? I didn’t know we were talking about babies.” El’s face lit up. “Are you going to have a baby? Oh, I miss babies. Jeremiah was such a cute little baby.”

“No one is talking about babies,” you replied, noticing how stiff Judith’s posture had suddenly gotten. She was only sitting a couple rows in front of you and there was no doubt she was listening to every word being spoken, stocking up ammunition for later. You did not need that woman to have one more reason to come at you. “Jeez. You guys are being ridiculous.”

“Not yet anyway,” teased Nancy, turning around. “But I heard the ‘l’ word has been spoken so you never know…”

“Oh my god!” Max shrieked, spinning completely around in her seat, Judith doing the same, her eyes shooting daggers at you. You braced yourself but Judith quickly spun back around as Max continued gushing. “Are you serious? You’re using the love word? I knew you were in love. You got all red faced at the coffee shop that night when the word was even mentioned.”

“When’s the wedding?” Lucas wiggled his eyebrows. “Because I look like a million bucks in a tux and the way Dustin is going, I might never get to be in another wedding if you two don’t tie the knot.”

“Hey! I will have you know that Heather and I are going on our third date tomorrow night,” Dustin stated, folding his arms.

“Ohhh…” Will crooned. “You convinced her to go out with you a third time? What’d you bribe her with? Oh, or is it blackmail? You got something juicy on her that she doesn’t want revealed?”

Dustin chucked a piece of popcorn at him and Will caught it in his mouth, grinning triumphantly as he chewed. Dustin shook his head in disgust.

“I don’t think Dustin needs bribery or blackmail. Heather has been talking about him nonstop at the office,” you told them, sending a wink Dustin’s way. “She really likes you. She said she had a blast at the Science Museum with you last week.”

“Oh yeah? I had a lot of fun too. What else has she said about me?”

“Hmm. Let me think,” you taunted, tapping your finger against your chin, relieved to be talking about someone that wasn’t you with Judith sitting and listening like a hawk. “That you’re adorable and funny. She thinks you have the best smile. She told me you’re one of the nicest guys she’s ever met and that you’re super smart. She says your big brain is one of the sexiest things about you.”

Mike, Lucas, and Will began gagging on cue, perfectly synced as if they’d rehearsed it first. Dustin glared at them all but you could see how pleased he was at the information you'd just relayed to him. And it was all true. You'd been teasing Heather all week about what a smitten little kitten she was. They were awfully cute together.

“And speaking of new romance,” you sang, bopping your elbow into Robin’s side. “How goes it with the lovely June?”

Robin’s face flushed a brilliant shade of scarlett. She grabbed onto a piece of her hair, toying with it, a coy smile lifting the corners of her mouth. Clearly Heather wasn’t the only smitten kitten around here.

“June?” came Judith’s voice loudly. “That’s a very strange name for a man.”

“Well, that would be because June is, in fact, a woman,” Dustin stated.

Judith made a sound like a throttled gasp, her eyes going wide, “A woman? So…you’re…one of those…?”

“One of what exactly?” challenged Max, leaning forward, elbows on her knees. “A human? A woman? An American? An Earthling? What exactlt are you asking, Judith?”

Your hands clenched at your sides, bracing yourself for an ugly scene. A scene that could destroy this beautiful thing that had been building around you. Why would any of them want you to be a part of their lives when that would mean this awful woman would be a part of it too? Judith’s mouth went tight at Max’s confrontation and you braced yourself, waiting for the nasty thing that was about to come out of her mouth.

But Judith simply stated, “Never mind. It’s none of my concern,” and turned back around. Huh. She must have realized she was outnumbered and didn’t like her odds.

“So anyway, back to the matter at hand,” Max said loudly, turning to Robin.

“Yes, we’re all dying to know,” Karen exclaimed, leaning into Robin. “Are there sparks?”

“I wouldn’t say sparks…” Robin began and when they all looked crestfallen, she grinned. “More like massive explosions that could level an entire city.” She giggled. “She’s amazing. I mean, we went to the movies and it was fun, but you can’t really talk much at the movies.”

Nolan snorted, “You? You talk through movies all the time.”

“With you guys,” she huffed. “But she doesn't even know me yet. Not really. I didn’t want to give her the full dose of how neurotic I am right out of the gate. I have to give her small doses until she’s just acclimated to it and doesn’t realize the extent of my craziness. Anyway, I thought that would be the end of it. You know? I told you guys it went well but I didn’t really expect anything to come of it. Then she called and asked if I wanted to go to dinner. So we went out Tuesday night again and we were sitting in the restaurant for six hours! Six hours! Can you believe it?”

“What in the hell do you do in a restaurant for six hours?” Hopper huffed. “I mean, after you eat what else is there?” Joyce swatted him and he looked over at her, bewildered. “What?”

“Just because you have no conversational skills doesn’t mean others don’t. They were obviously talking.”

“I have conversational skills. I am very eloquent with my words, thank you very much.” He grinned when you all laughed because nothing about this bear of a man screamed eloquent. “But six hours? What could you possibly have to talk about for six hours?”

“Everything,” Robin sighed dreamily. “She was asking me all kinds of questions and she didn’t even seem to mind when I rambled. She said she thought it was cute! Can you believe it? And I learned so much about her. She loves cats. She has two of them, Hoggle and Ludo.”

“What kinds of names are those?” Judith piped up and you fought the urge to throw one of your M&Ms at the back of her head. Hadn’t the woman said enough already? Why couldn’t she just shut up?

“She’s a Labyrinth fan!” you squealed, choosing to ignore your mother-in-law completely instead. “Great taste in movies.”

“Yes! And music…she loves Blondie, Bowie, the Beatles…”

“All solid choices,” Joyce replied.

“I don’t know,” Hopper mused. “I didn’t hear any Zeppelin or Stones mentioned.”

“You’re showing your age, Hop,” Will teased.

“The game is starting,” Judith interrupted loudly. “So maybe the inappropriate talk about love lives could finish now.”

“Damn, she’s really not any fun is she?” Robin hissed in your ear.

“You have no idea,” you mumbled back with a groan. You had to keep reminding yourself that Judith was Eli’s grandmother. No matter how frustrating she was, you were going to have to deal with her but only as much as absolutely necessary. Hopefully she would just head home after the game and save you all from her unwanted presence any longer.

The game went far better than you had expected for it being the boys’ first time. Eli actually managed to hit the ball and made it all the way to third before the other team’s player managed to throw it in. Matt may have cheered the loudest, jumping out of his seat, proud of the kid he’d spent so much time in the batting cages with.

Matt’s cheering had not come as a surprise but the way the rest of them all cheered for your son did. It wasn’t just a casual, yay Eli, an obligatory cheer because their friend was dating the kid’s mom. They seemed genuinely excited, celebrating his moments of glory just as loudly and proudly as they did Jeremiah’s. When Jeremiah ran into home, breaking the tie and winning the game, you leapt from your seat, you and Nancy high fiving and hugging, two moms sharing your pride in your boys.

Both boys came racing off the field, their cheeks bright red, flushed from both the excitement and the exertion. They were swept up in a flurry of hugs and high fives from the crowd of people who had shown up just for them.

“You boys were amazing!” Hopper yelled, pulling both boys in for a bear hug. Yeah, you could definitely see where Dustin got Smokey the Bear from this guy.

“Did you see me slide right into home, grandpa? I saw that kid grab it but I just knew I had time! Daddy says to take chances!” Jeremiah beamed, the smile on his face so wide it looked painful.

“I saw it, kid. You did real good. You took the chance and it paid off. You’re going to be the next Barry Bonds, just watch. And you!” He turned his attention to Eli, his massive hand ruffling her son’s hair. “That was a hell of a hit, kid. Making it all the way to third before they could get it. You gave them a run for their money. They were scrambling after that ball.”

Eli looked so proud that your heart could burst. Judith stepped forward. She’d been keeping to the outside of the group, clearly uncomfortable, uncertain how to make herself known. You had no doubt it was killing her to see Eli receiving so much positive attention from so many people that were not her. To see that he had other people in his life that were important to him, to not be the first person that had congratulated him on his game.

Just as she stepped forward and Eli spotted her, running into her arms for a hug, Steve was making his way over from the diamond, a large bag slung over his shoulder. When his eyes found yours, he gave you one of those smiles that came with a side of a very flirty wink that he seemed to reserve just for you.

“Good game, huh?” he commented, a quick kiss planted on your lips. “The boys did a great job.”

“That’s because they have a great coach,” you replied, your arms slipping around his stomach, smiling up at this man who always had you in a state of complete awe.

“Everybody still up for burgers and shakes at Benny’s?” Hopper boomed out over the cacophony of noise.

You glanced over to Judith who was purposefully keeping her eyes off of you and Steve. You really didn’t want to invite her but it would be the right thing to do. She’d driven all this way for the game.

“Judith, would you like to join us?” you asked, keeping your arms firmly locked around Steve because who cared what Judith thought. You had made it clear to her that this new future with Steve did not erase your past with Justin. The woman was just going to have to get used to it.

“Oh. I…no, I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “Henry is supposed to be getting back this evening and he’ll need dinner.” She looked around to the others, feeling the need to explain, “Work trip.”

Yeah. Henry had an awful lot of work trips. Justin had confided in you that he wasn’t so sure they were all for work but he could never prove it. And Judith chose to go through life blissfully unaware. As far as you knew, you'd never confronted him or questioned him. But the two of them had never exactly been the warm and fuzzy couple. There weren’t those moments of tender touches or warm glances ever. Their relationship seemed more like a business transaction, something that was mutually beneficial to them both.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah grandma. Benny’s has the best shakes!”

Jeremiah nodded his agreement. “Eli and I both love strawberry! And Benny always brings me ranch to dip my fries in.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” Judith smiled down at the boy, seeming surprised that he was taking the time to talk to her. She jumped when Joyce came up next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders.

“Come on Judes.” You brought your hand to your mouth to cover the snort that had slipped out at Joyce’s choice of nickname. Robin clearly found it just as amusing as she shoved her face into El’s shoulder, her body shaking with laughter. “It’ll be fun. And if these two crazy kids are going to be doing the family thing, then that means we all need to do the family thing, right?”

“Yeah, Judes,” Max agreed, grinning as if this were the best moment of her life. “We’re all one big happy family now. We all love Eli and he loves us. Right, kid?”

Eli leapt from the ground as he proudly exclaimed, “Yeah!” He turned to Judith. “Dustin and Mike and Will and Lucas all play this really cool game called Dungeons and Dragons and they’re teaching me all about it. And Robin took us to see this movie, First Kid. It’s about this kid who is the president’s son and he has a bodyguard. It’s so funny and she got us popcorn and Skittles because she says Skittles are the superior candy. And Max is teaching me how to skateboard! I fell off a couple times but I’m starting to get the hang of it. She says I’ll be a pro by the end of summer. And El came over and helped us make slime when we spent the night with Nancy and Jonathan. They let us stay up until midnight and we got to do s’mores over the fire in their backyard. It was so cool. And Hopper let us ride in his police car! He even turned on the lights and the siren for us and he brought us one of those pads to do fingerprints! And Joyce makes the best spaghetti. We went to her house for dinner and Will is an artist and he showed us all these cool things he drew when he was just our age!”

Judith looked a bit taken aback as Eli kept rambling, caught off guard at how large a part of his life each of these people were now. You almost felt sorry for her, the sadness in her eyes, knowing how she wished she was closer so she could be a bigger part of Eli’s life. Almost but not quite because the woman was her own worst enemy.

“I don’t know. Henry…”

“Is a grown man who can fend for himself,” you reminded her. “He’s fifty-six Judith. The man should know how to at least make a sandwich.”

Judith’s hands wrung together, an internal battle playing over her face. Damn. Was she really that programmed by that man or was her uncertainty coming from all the new people, the fact that she would be the one outside looking in instead of at the center of it all?

“Come on. It will be fun,” Karen urged. “My husband, Tedd, isn't here either. We’ll be two crazy ladies without their husbands. I mean, who needs them anyway, right?”

Judith laughed, her hand flying to her mouth, eyes going wide as if she couldn’t believe she’d just done that. You pressed your lips together in amusement. So there was a woman desperate for fun in there just waiting to break free. You could see it in the sparkle of those ocean blue eyes, so much like her son’s.

“Are you sure you want me to come?” she asked, the question directed at you.

You smiled, stepping forward, placing your arm around Judith’s shoulders, “Of course I do.”

Maybe this could work out after all. Maybe Judith wasn’t as awful as she seemed. Perhaps all that bluster and rudeness came from a place of deep fear. Fear not that her son would be forgotten, but that she would. Fear that you would move on and in turn, so would Eli, and she would be left with nothing after losing her only child besides a husband that was more boring than watching paint dry. Perhaps all of this had simply been because no one but Justin had ever really thought she mattered.

Judith’s mouth lifted at the corners, her entire demeanor changing with that subtle smile. It made her appear far more approachable and soft. She nodded.

“Okay. I haven’t had a milkshake in years. Do they have malts? Oh, malts were my favorite.”

“Mine too!” Hopper bellowed. “And you won’t find a better malt than Benny’s. Come on. You can ride with us old folks.” He pulled his keys from his pocket.

“Oh! That's quite alright. I don’t want to inconvenience you. Then you would have to bring me back here. I have my own car if you just want to tell me how to get there.”

“Nonsense!” Joyce looped her arm in Judith’s, tossing you a wink. “You are not an inconvenience. Us grandmas have to stick together. Come on. We’ll let the young ones be. We’ll have plenty of time to tell you all sorts of juicy stories about Steve this way.”

Steve groaned, his head rolling around his shoulders, “Or not!”

“You’ll love this one, Judith,” Karen laughed, taking her other arm as they led her toward the parking lot. “One time I found Steve climbing up the trellis of our house to sneak and see Nancy…”

“Great,” muttered Steve as their words faded, shaking his head. “Your mother-in-law is never going to like me once those three fill her head with every screw up I’ve ever made.”

“It doesn’t matter if she likes you,” you reminded him, rising up to your tiptoes to press your lips to his. “Because I do.”

“Besides, she’ll figure out for herself what a dingus you are before too long,” Robin snorted, yelping when Steve shoved her backward.

“So, how do you think this is going to go?” asked Janice who had always chosen to keep her distance. After one meeting with Judith, Janice preferred to not deal with her at all if she could, always saying she was going to open her mouth and piss the woman off if she said one more negative thing about you in front of her.

“With Judith…who knows…”

___________________________________________________________

But it went far better than Steve could have possibly imagined. He’d pictured Judith sitting there stiffly, staring them all down as she judged every single word they said. Or possibly offending every single person at the table with her words at some point. Or announcing to the entire table why Steve shouldn’t be with you. However, none of that happened.

Sitting between Karen and Joyce, the woman had loosened. As if the two others had slowly unraveled the strings that had been knotting her up for years and she could finally breathe. She smiled. She even laughed. And even though he’d only known her a very short time, it had even shocked him to see. He hadn’t been sure the woman was capable of frivolity of any kind. Forget actually enjoying anything.

And the best part of it was that you seemed to finally be relaxed. You sat at the other end of the table, Steve on one side of you and Janice on the other, keeping your distance from Judith. But every now and then you would look down at the woman and smile. Your two worlds were coming together and it wasn’t the horrendous clash you’d expected. They were actually appearing to meld quite seamlessly.

By the time dinner was over, everyone was heading out full and in good spirits. Judith had even smiled politely when Robin asked if Steve and you would want to double date with her and June soon. She swallowed down any bullshit bias she had. If she was going to be ignorant, at least she was following the golden rule and keeping her damn mouth shut if she had nothing nice to say.

After saying your goodbyes, Steve drove you and the boys back to his house. You fed Miles while Steve headed out back to get a fire going. The boys raced upstairs to play on the Nintendo 64 for a while. You stepped onto the back deck, sliding the door shut after Miles raced out behind her, instantly doing zoomies throughout the yard.

God, you were pretty. Even weeks after meeting, he still found himself in awe of you. Jeans that wrapped around each and every curve in a way that had his hands twitching at his sides, wanting to follow those familiar hills and valleys. You hated shoes and socks, lost them as soon as you could, something he’d learned about you over the past weeks, so bare pink toes peeked out from beneath the flared denim. The Bowie shirt you wore was cropped, a sliver of your soft stomach exposed. Your hair was up in a high ponytail, only accentuating your neck which was just calling to his mouth.

You tilted your head, those perfectly pink cotton candy lips pursing in a way that had him thinking so many thoughts that were not anywhere near the ballpark of holy. You were the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and he fought the urge to pinch himself, to prove these last weeks weren’t some fever dream that he was going to wake from.

“See something you like?” Your tone was light, playful, as he slowly made his way up onto the deck until he stood right in front of you.

“I most certainly do.” Fingers gripped your hips, tugging you into him until you could feel just how much he liked what he was seeing. “You have no idea the effect you have on me.”

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea right now,” you chuckled, hands tracing over his chest and shoulders to loop around his neck. “But sadly for you, there are children afoot so there is not much I can do about that at the moment.”

“You simply existing does it for me. You don’t have to do anything but appear, honey. That’s it. You laugh. You smile. You cross your legs. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. You take a sip of coffee. It all does it for me.”

“Yeah? Well, same for me. I swear I dreamed you into existence, Steve Harrington. I didn’t believe guys like you existed. I thought they were meant for storybooks and movies.”

Heat rushed over his cheeks at your compliment. “I’m no fairytale prince, honey but I promise to try to give you a happily ever after.”

Your teeth pulled at your bottom lip, your eyes widening just slightly at his words and he was doubting himself all over again. Should he not have said that? Was that pushy? But hadn’t you said forever? Hadn’t you said it just a couple weeks ago? That if you both were all in then you had to be planning on forever?

“Happily ever after? That sounds nice,” you murmured, pulling him in until your lips met, all his doubt vanishing like vapor on the air with your words.

His arms wound around you, lifting you up onto your toes, crushing your bodies together. You moaned softly, the sound swallowed by his lips, and his jeans felt painfully tight. You tasted just as sweet as you looked, chocolate milkshake met with cherry lip balm, a combination that had his head spinning.

Everything else ceased to exist for him when your lips were on his. Your tongue parted his lips, slipping along his own, and he couldn’t have told you what color the sky was or what month of the year it was. There was only you and him, locked in this moment that he wanted to make last until eternity. If this was how he would spend the rest of his days on this Earth, he could be okay with that.

But you did manage to think, pulling back, your lips now slick, curved into the prettiest smile, your eyes heavy with the desire that was racing under his skin. He wanted you. He always wanted you and with the boys, he never had you nearly enough. But the boys were right upstairs and he knew you couldn’t risk it. Those kids could be down and out the door before they even heard a sound.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, your questioning barreling through his brain fog. “You don’t have to thank me. I’ll kiss you anytime you want.”

“No,” you chuckled, swatting at him. “Thank you for today, for dealing with Judith. I know she’s…difficult. But I don’t know. She seemed a little different today. I have hope. It's a very small hope but hope that maybe she’s coming around. But I know she wasn’t very nice to you and the fact that you are willing to put up with her…I’m just really grateful because you don’t have to, you know.”

“Of course I do.” Steve slid his hand down your arm, locking your fingers together. He led you to the lounger, sitting and pulling you down in his lap. His nose traced your jaw, nuzzled into your hair. “She’s a part of your life and she’s a part of Eli’s life. If I want to be a part of your life then that means she’s part of mine too.”

“That’s…very kind of you.”

“No. It’s not.” He took your chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning your face to his. “Look. When I said I was all in, I meant it. I don’t get to be all in and then pick and choose what I am willing to handle. Anything that comes your way comes my way now too. Anything that’s heavy for you, you got me to help you carry it. Anything that’s hurting you, I will step in front of. That’s the deal. It’s not just you anymore. It’s us. We’re a team.”

“Okay coach,” you beamed, teasing but your eyes betrayed your lighthearted tone, shimmering with emotion at his words.

Wasn’t that what a relationship was supposed to be? Two people against the world? He loved this woman. He wanted to be in your life. He wanted to crawl inside your skin and live there the way you did in his. You had managed to slither your way inside. You were in the blood that ran through his veins, in every single beat of his heart, in the very cells that made up his skin.

Yeah. You came with baggage but who didn't? And he was more than willing to help you carry that load because you were more than worth it. You were everything he hadn’t even known he’d been searching for. He’d looked for so long, in all the wrong places, never knowing that the one that would finally fill in all those hollow places inside him already existed in the same town as him.

Maybe it was wrong, maybe it was an awful thing to think, but it felt like fate had brought you together. He was so sorry that your husband had died but maybe this was the course your lives had to take for you to find one another. He’d thought about what if he’d been first. What if he’d stumbled across you when you were out with your friends thirteen years ago? It had made him feel like an absolute piece of shit, but he couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like if he’d been the one.

But then there would be no Jeremiah. There would be no Eli. You wouldn’t have known the love she already had with your husband. He wouldn’t have gotten the thump on his head that he needed for him to see you, truly see you, to understand how lucky he was to have you. Maybe the two of you had to go through all that heartache and disappointment to come to this place, where you could truly appreciate what you had. So you would never take it for granted, never throw it away, or treat it carelessly.

So yeah. Maybe Steve hadn’t been your first but he had every intention of being your last. Your last boyfriend, your last love, your last kiss, your last everything. Because he’d chosen wrong so many times before, yes, but he hadn’t this time. He knew it like he knew his own name, like he knew the sun would rise tomorrow, like he knew the beat of his son's heart. He’d chosen right this time and there was nothing that would make him walk away. He would spend the rest of his life showing you just how much you meant to him. He would never take for granted this amazing gift that had somehow walked right onto his baseball field and into his life.

“So, can I ask…I think you were going to tell me that day at the lake but we got a little sidetracked. What is the deal with you and Judith?”

Your head tipped back, eyes tracking the stars as you inhaled deeply, “I don’t know. There was never a specific moment or an event. It’s not like we had a falling out. She’s just always been like that with me. From the moment Justin introduced me to her, she treated me like I just wasn’t good enough. I was never enough for her precious son, you know?”

Steve snorted, “She’s nuts. Has she met you?”

“You’re sweet but I don’t think there’s anything I could ever do that would be enough for her. She always wanted to be the most important to him and I feel like she saw me as a threat. I mean, it’s insane. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work? You raise your son to be a good man. You hope they find someone who will see that and love them. They choose their person and that person should come first. I mean, it’s the logical order of things. But she never saw it like that. It was like she always had to find a flaw in me to prove that she was better, that she loved Justin more, that his love for her outshone his love for me.”

“Did he…”

“No.” You cut him off, shaking your head. “No. Absolutely not. He took off as soon as he could. That’s why he joined the Marines, to get away from her. He told me he felt like she was smothering him and he couldn't breathe in that house anymore. He also didn’t have the best relationship with his dad. I think Henry cheats on Judith all the time. I’m pretty sure that’s why he goes on so many ‘business trips…’” You air quoted the words. “I think they’re far more pleasure than business. Justin thought so too. He just had to get away from it.”

“Well, I understand the need to get away from toxic parents. Mine weren’t smothering…quite the opposite actually. They just were indifferent unless I was disappointing them. Did you two even see her very much if their relationship wasn’t the best?”

“Not really.” Your fingers trailed along his hand, running over his knuckles. “Holidays, birthdays…you know, the required stuff. But she would be Judith and Henry, well, when he was actually there, he would pick apart Justin. He thought he was a waste, going into the military instead of going to college. Justin was always in a horrible mood when we left. He would put off seeing them for as long as he could.”

“What about Eli? Did they want to be around when he came along?”

“Oh yeah. Well, Judith did anyway. Saw him as her second chance at getting someone to love her best. But Justin kept her at arm’s length as much as he could. He hated seeing what having her around did to me. She questioned everything I did, judged me, picked me apart. She always made me feel like an awful mother. When Eli was first learning to walk, he fell. You know how they are at that age. Their heads are too big for their bodies and they’re like a weeble wobble. He fell and smashed his forehead into the corner of the wall. He had a huge goose egg and I was panicked that he had a serious brain injury. We took him to the E.R. Judith showed up and immediately started telling me what an incompetent mother I was, questioning what I’d been doing when he fell, why I wasn’t watching him. Justin lost it. He blew up at her right in the middle of the hospital. That was the moment he told her that if she couldn’t respect his wife and the mother of his child, then she was no longer welcome to be a part of our lives. I’ve never seen her so put in her place. She had no idea how to respond. Anyway, we didn’t hear from her for about a month after that. It was a bit better then but things with her and I have always been a bit…precarious.”

“Jesus. She sounds awful. And she’s clearly no fan of mine but that’s alright. I don’t need to impress her. The only person I care about impressing is you.” He wiggled his eyebrows, planting a soft kiss on your lips.

“Oh, I am very impressed Mr. Harrington. Very impressed,” you mused, your arms winding around his neck, nose nuzzling gently over his own.

Steve was overcome with the desire to keep you there, to never let you go. Every night, when he would have to gather his things or watch you gather yours, it left him with a hollow ache. Maybe it was soon but who decided how soon was too soon? Was it too soon when all he could think about when you weren't around was seeing you again? Was it too soon when he laid in bed, inhaling the scent of vanilla and pear that you left behind, craving the warmth of your body curled into his?

“Stay,” he whispered, a plea sent on his breath to your skin, his nose tracing your cheek.

“What?”

“Stay. Stay the night with me.” His fingers wrapped around your biceps, holding you against him, willing you to agree. “I know why you’ve wanted to wait. I understand your reasons but your reasons aren’t really reasons anymore.”

“Steve…”

He was losing you. You were going to rationalize your way out of this and he couldn’t let you. He was overcome with an irrational need to get you to stay, to sleep curled up in his arms, to cement the decision that you were real, that this was it. That he was enough for you. That you wanted this as much as he did. He was pushing and he knew it but he couldn’t stop himself. He needed to know. He was in so deep here. He needed to know that you were in it too, barely keeping your head above water, sinking into the depths with him.

“No. Look, the whole reason you wanted to wait was because you didn’t want Eli getting his hopes up just for this to all end. You didn’t want him to see this as serious with him already assuming things. But this is serious and this isn’t ending. Right?”

“I mean, I don’t plan on it but…”

“No. No buts,” he insisted, hands sliding down your arms to wrap around your hands, holding them against him. Bowing his head, he brought your knuckles to his lips, brushing a kiss over them. “This isn’t ending. I’m not going anywhere. Do you plan on going anywhere?”

“Well no…”

“So then why not?”

“I don’t know. I mean, do you really think it’s appropriate for us to share a bed with the boys in the house?”

“Did you share a bed with your husband when Eli was home?”

“That’s different and you know it.”

“Why? Because we’re not married? Marriage is a piece of paper, honey. It’s a piece of paper that doesn’t mean anything because it can be torn in half and discarded so easily. I love you. You love me. The boys want this to happen. I’m not saying let’s get down and dirty.” He grinned devilishly, his cheek running over yours. “Not that I don’t want to. But would it really be inappropriate to sleep in the same bed? When we move in together, we’ll be sharing a bed, right?”

You pulled back, a look of sheer anxiety across your face, “When we…when we move in together?”

“I mean, eventually, right? That would be the logical next step. It’s silly to keep two houses when we spend most of our time together. I mean, whenever we’re apart all I can think about is the next time I get to have you in my arms. I know it may seem soon but really, we’re the only ones who get to decide what soon is. And the way I feel about you, I know it got intense pretty fast but…”

His word died in his throat as he felt the shift in you. Your chest rose and fell rapidly against his, your heart beating a rapid tempo against his skin. Releasing your hands, he grabbed your face, attempting to get your eyes to focus on him. But they were glazed, wide, staring off into nothing as you descended into a full blown attack, an attack he’d caused.

“Hey, hey…you’re okay, baby. Look at me. Come on. Just breathe with me, honey,” he urged.

You were gasping, small little squeaking sounds emitting as you struggled to take in air. Jesus Christ. What had he done? Exactly what he’d sworn he wouldn’t do. He’d pushed you, ran up behind you and shoved you off the ledge before you were ready. And now you w were free falling as he ran underneath you, trying to catch you but failing.

“Shit! Baby, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You don’t have to spend the night. We’re not moving in together. It’s okay. I’m moving too fast. I do it all the time and I’m sorry. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Just breathe for me, please.”

But you wouldn’t. You couldn’t. He grabbed onto your hands again. They were ice cold. Your skin was damp, clammy, a sheen of sweat coating your forehead and upper lip. And then you were shaking, trembling and he grasped your arms, pulling your body against his but it wouldn’t stop as you wheezed.

This had gone on for too long. It wasn’t stopping. You weren't coming back down. Your breathing was only getting worse if that was even possible. He had to do something.

“Boys!” he screamed as he cradled your quivering body against him. “Call 911!”

Chapter 17

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 28 days

Text

I Hate Myself for Loving You

Pairing: ReaderXEddieMunson

Request: i don't remember reading something like this before and i thought it might be nice. a smut where they suddenly start kissing rough during a big fight like in films/series? they might be fighting because of jealousy or something else and the fight is going really hard, (they don't hit each other) but maybe eddie is throwing things against the wall and breaking them and the reader is pushing him by the shoulders etc., with the intensity of the fight, something can be ignited and I thought it could be a really tough smut

Word Count: 3.3K

18+ Only

Smut, Rough sex, there is verbal fighting, name calling, and throwing of things but never violence at each other

“Are you fucking serious right now Eddie!?”

Your chest heaved, blood boiling in your veins, making you feel as if you were incinerating from the inside out. Was he really going to stand there and accuse you of this when he did it all the goddamn time, assuring you it meant nothing?

“I saw you, sweetheart! You were practically in his goddamn lap!”

“I was not! Jesus Christ! I was sitting on the stool next to him. We were just talking. I haven’t seen him since high school so he was asking what I’ve been up to.”

Eddie snorted, his eyes rolling up into his head. “Yeah. I’m so sure Billy Hargrove was real interested in a conversation and not your tits that were practically in his face, begging to be touched.”

The rage that was building within you had you trembling. It slithered like an ugly disease down your arm and into your hand. You grabbed the ashtray from the end table and chucked it at him. He ducked just in time as it smacked into the wall with force behind him.

“What the fuck!?” he yelled, those brown doe eyes now dark with fury. “What is wrong with you?”

“You! You’re what’s wrong with me! I sit there every fucking time you have a show and watch while girls hang all over you! You smile and laugh and tease them! You make them think they have a shot with you! You pose for pictures and sign their fucking tits! You sit there like a king on your fucking throne, soaking it all up, loving being the rock star that all the groupies want a shot with! And you’re always telling me it means nothing! I have to just accept it if I’m with you! But I have one goddamn conversation with a guy…”

“He’s not just a guy! He’s your fucking ex!”

“Yeah! He is! Ex being the word that matters here! I’m not with him. I’m with you! I chose you and I keep choosing you but you never fucking choose me!”

His mouth dropped open, sounds of disbelief and disgust spluttering from him. He folded his arms across his lean chest, rising up to full height, towering over you. You didn’t flinch. You weren’t scared of him. Eddie could be a jerk but he would never lay a hand on you.

“I choose you! I could have any of those fucking girls I want! They want to come home with me! They’ve heard I can show them one hell of a time and they practically beg me to show them! But I don’t because I have you!”

“Oh! Well so sorry you’re saddled with me! That can easily be fixed you know!”

“And just what the hell is that supposed to mean, princess?”

“You can leave anytime you want if this isn’t making you happy anymore! Yeah! You know what? Maybe you should! Then you can actually live out your sad small town rock star fantasy! You can bring a different whore home every night and show her what a good time you are.” You paused, tilting your head, hands on your hips. “But what fucking home will you bring her back to when you don’t have me to foot the bills so you can run off pretending you’re Tony Lommi?”

“We’re really going to do this again?”

“Do what again?”

“Bitch about me not pitching in enough around here! You knew what I was when you decided to be with me. You told me you were good with me working part time so I could focus on my music.”

“That was three fucking years ago! How long are you going to keep it up!?”

“You used to support me! You used to believe in me!”

Tears welled up in your eyes, only fueling your anger more, because you didn’t want to cry. You didn’t want to show any sign of weakness. You didn’t want him to see how much his words had hit their mark, like an arrow hitting the bullseye.

You had supported Eddie. You had supported him. You’d encouraged him to go for his dream but his dream was now killing both of you. You couldn’t take it. Night after night watching women throw themselves at him, watching him encourage it, eat it up, relish the attention. Working twelve hour shifts, dead on your feet, just to cover rent because Eddie couldn’t possibly take on more hours if he was going to get that new song finished.

“Yeah, I did, and you used to act like I mattered!” you spat.

“You matter!”

“Do I? It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it! When’s the last time you spent any time with me that wasn’t in the fucking bed, Eddie? That’s all I’m good for anymore! You don’t want to watch a movie or go down to the lake like we used to! I’m nothing but a toy you bring out when you need to quench your urges and then you put me back on a fucking shelf!”

“Bullshit! I invited you to band practice last week and you said no!”

“Oh! Thanks so much for wanting me to be there! We both know you just want an audience! You want someone to worship you and tell you how amazing your music is. I’m your girlfriend Eddie! I’m not some fucking groupie who’s just there to fawn over you and spread my legs!”

“No? Well, you sure acted like one tonight with Hargrove!”

“Fuck you! Get the fuck out!”

“This is my apartment too!”

“The fuck it is! You don’t pay for shit and my name’s on the lease!”

“You seriously want me to leave?” he growled.

“Yes! I want you gone! I’m done! I’m not doing this shit anymore!”

“Oh! Oh! I see what this is. You gonna call your roid rage boy toy once I’m gone? What sweetheart? You saw that mullet again and just couldn’t help yourself? You going back to him?”

You should say it but you couldn’t help yourself. Not after week after week of questioning if Eddie wasn’t just giving all those girls attention. Not after nights staring at the clock, wondering if he was off with one of those groupies, temptation too much for him to handle. Not after the way he’d just assumed you’d be willing to do the same. Staring him down, you challenged, “And so what if I am?”

His arm shot out and you shrieked, flinching, your hands coming to either side of your head as a shield. The crash of broken glass shocked you to your core as he grabbed the nearest thing to him, the lamp, and threw it with all the force he had against the wall.

You stared at him, silent, shocked as he glared down at you, chest heaving, each breath straining the fabric of the fitted shirt he’d started to wear ever since a groupie told him he should show off his body more.

“You want to go to him! You’re gonna leave me for that piece of shit!” he raged, flinging magazines from the end table one by one, nowhere in your direction, just satisfying thunks against the wall that punctuated each word he spoke. “You think he’s gonna be better to you than me!” His hand snatched the little elephant that he’d bought you from the zoo, the tiny figure cracking as it made contact with the wall next. “You’re just gonna walk away!”

“You asshole!” you screamed, fists pummeling against his chest, shoving him backward. His hands wrapped around your wrists, holding you in place, keeping you from reaching him.

“Stop it!” he yelled as you flailed like a feral animal to free yourself from his grip.

“I hate you!” you cried. “I fucking hate you!”

“Calm the fuck down!” he roared, pushing you back until he had you pinned against the wall, his weight pressing against you. “God, why do you have to be such a bitch!?”

“Probably because you’re such a dick!” you snap back, trying so hard to hold onto your anger but the awareness of his body, every inch of him now pressed against every inch of you, is making it harder to do.

He rolls his hips, his erection pressing against your center, smirking when you gasp at the contact, “Yeah, but you like that dick, don’t you?”

“Go to hell,” you grind out through gritted teeth and when he drops his head to find your lips, you snap at him, going for the bite. He just chuckles, keeping hold of your wrists, bringing them to either side of your head against the wall.

“You are such a pain in my ass.” He tries for the kiss and when you nip at him again, his lips latch onto your neck instead, sucking a bruise into your skin while he slots his thigh between yours.

“You are…”

But you never tell him what he is as he presses his thigh against your center, your traitorous hips rolling, seeking the friction he’s providing. His mouth moves over your neck, suckling the flesh in a semi-circular pattern until he reaches the other side. He’s marking you, a necklace for you to wear, to display that you’re taken, that you already belong to someone. Like a fucking dog in heat, he’s making sure that Billy Hargrove and any other unfortunate male who even glances your way knows you’re not available.

You want to fight him. You want to be the badass bitch who pushes him off and walks away, stands your ground, but it just feels so goddamn good. His mouth on your skin, firm muscle grinding against you just where you need it, fingers pressing into your pulse points as he keeps you captive against the wall.

“What was that, princess? I’m what?” he teases, fingers loosening their grip on your wrists, trailing over the sensitive flesh on the underside of your arms sending shivers racing up your spine. They brush over the outer curve of your breasts and your back arches, your body craving more, needing more but Eddie just steps back, holding his hands out in front of him. “There’s the door. If I’m such a dick, why don’t you head out right now and find your little boytoy?”

Your teeth grind together, that anger that you’d forgotten in the haze that was desire raging back, the two warring with each other, a battle that was about to lead to epic destruction.

“You bastard…” you mutter, shoving him backward, his body moving barely an inch. “I despise every fucking thing about you.”

One eyebrow lifts, taunting, his tongue slipping out of the corner of his mouth, tracing over his bottom lip. Your eyes watch, a clenching between your thighs as that backstabbing bitch aches for what she knows that tongue can do.

“I hate you…you’re…you’re…”

“Yes? I’m listening.” He cups his hand to his ear, egging you on, brown eyes dancing with amusement as how vexed he’s gotten you.

A roar of frustration rips from your throat, your hands slamming into his chest, sending him almost toppling over the coffee table. His arms flail for a second before he drops to his ass, hard, just managing to keep himself sitting. He barely has time to look up at you before you’re climbing onto his lap, your fingers sliding roughly into his hair, grabbing a fistful, painfully pulling his head back, relishing the way he winces.

“Fuck, princess. Careful with the hair.”

“Shut up,” you order, your tongue tracing down his neck, his wince quickly turning into a groan. You sink your teeth into the flesh between his neck and shoulder and he grunts, grabbing onto your hips, fingers digging into the flesh hard enough to bruise.

You rock against him, seeking the relief, the pressure building within you, winds of anger and lust meeting to create a tempest that was about to sweep you both away. Lips, teeth, and tongues clash in a war of biting, sucking, and scraping that has your thighs shaking, a coil tighter than you’ve ever felt before curling in your stomach, begging to spring free.

Eddie’s hands grab onto your top, tearing it in half, the sound of the threads coming apart satisfying. He makes quick work of your bra and then his mouth descends, marking your flesh until you’re sure there won’t be an inch of you that isn’t bruised. Your hands find their way up his shirt, nails raking along his back when he clamps his teeth over your nipple, tugging at the tender peak, a pain that sends a rush of pleasure straight to where you keep rocking against him.

“Fuck yes!” you cry, nails embedding into the skin of his shoulders, using him as leverage as you chase your own release against the bulge in his jeans.

His hand clamps around your throat, pushing you back, away from what you want right at the moment you’re about to get it. The rage is back, awakened again by the audacity of this man to keep your orgasm from you. Your back drapes over his legs as he makes fresh marks over your stomach, his other hand slipping up your skirt.

The soft Eddie, the one who glided calloused fingers over your trembling flesh, who teased you over top of your panties, who pressed tender kisses to your inner thighs, was nowhere to be found. Without warning, his thrust two of his thick fingers past the scrap of fabric and inside you, not giving one thought to if you were ready for him.

But you were. Holy shit, you were wetter than you’d ever been, inner thighs already sticky from the friction, the brutish way his mouth was marring your skin. You’d never been so turned on in your life and you didn’t know what that said about you and at this moment, with his fingers deep within your pussy, his heel grinding against your clit, his mouth suckling a fresh mark under your breast, you really didn’t care.

“Not thinking about leaving now, are you, princess?” His hand came down, making contact with the side of your breast with a smack, your whole body jolting.

You cried out, your hands dropping to the ground behind your head to keep you from spilling off his lap. Another finger pressed into you, stretching you, filling you and a sound you didn’t even recognize wrenched from your body as it clamped down around his fingers. His large palm grabbed your breast roughly, pulling at the overly sensitive skin, everything heightened in this moment, your entire body feeling like it flayed open, senses on max level.

“Fuck!” you growled, your whole body quaking as it neared release and his palm lifted, fingers slipping out, leaving you feeling empty.

“You don’t come until I tell you to.”

“What the fuck do you mean…”

But your words were cut off as he manhandled you, turning you over, your face pressed down into the carpet. Snatching off your underwear, he roughly palmed your thighs, spreading you wide until your entire front half was bent onto the floor.

You heard the slide of his zipper. “You want this dick, don’t you?” he purred, leaning forward, his voice just over your shoulder. “Come on, princess. You want this dick, you gotta ask nicely. Say please.”

“Go fuck yourself,” you spat, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing you beg.

“Hmm…okay then…”

“You think I want that after so many groupies have had a turn on it,” you challenged, daring him to say it. To tell you that yeah, he’d been cheating on you for months. Letting you believe it was all just about keeping the fans happy so they’d keep coming back. “You think it’s so special? You can fucking keep it. I can find just as good elsewhere.”

You moved to get up and his hand wrapped around the back of your neck, pushing you back down to the floor.

“Nobody’s had a fucking turn but you,” he growled. “I’m a lot of things, sweetheart but a liar ain’t one of them. You are so goddamn stubborn, you know that? Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you.”

“Then don’t!”

“Oh, I wish it were that simple. I’m fucking in love you, you idiot! You’re a pain in my ass and you drive me up the fucking wall but I love you and you love me and you fucking know it.” He slapped your ass, leaving a sting that had your pussy dripping all over again. “Now be a good girl and ask for my cock politely.”

Fuck. You hated how right he was. You hated how much you wanted him. You hated how hopelessly in love with him you were. You wished you had the strength to just get up and walk away but you didn’t. A throb between your thighs reminded you how much you needed this. Your body was going to make the decision for you.

“Fuck me, Eddie,” you snarled.

“I’m sorry. What’s the magic word?”

“I hate you…I hate you so fucking much…”

“Nope. Sorry but that’s not it.”

“Please!” you screamed. “Please fuck me into this goddamn floor and let me come already!”

“That’s my good girl.”

His hips slammed forward, colliding against your own as he buried himself to the hilt within you. You groaned gutturally, your body a discrepancy of both relief and tension. He thrust into you at a brutal pace, your skin smacking together, loudly filling the small space. You had a fleeting thought about what the neighbors were hearing but it quickly dissipated as the only thing you could focus on was Eddie, stretching you, filling you, finally giving you what you needed.

His hand wrapped around your throat, pulling you off the floor, pressing your back to his chest. Continuing to fill you, he gripped your neck, his other hand sliding over your stomach and in between your thighs. When he applied pressure to your clit, you keened, arching back against him.

“This pussy is mine. You’re mine.” His teeth bit down into your shoulder. “You’re the only one that’s mine. You’re the only one I want. Do you understand that?”

You couldn’t answer. Your eyes rolled toward the heavens, muscles trembling violently. You had zero control. His grip around your throat tightened, a wheeze rising from your lungs as you attempted to suck in air that you couldn’t find.

“I said, do you understand that?”

He slowly eased up pressure and you rasped out, “Yes. Yes. Yes…”

The word continued to fall from your lips, a mantra as the pressure that had been building within you finally reached its boiling point. You were standing at the precipice, looking at the drop…it was so damn close you could taste it.

“Come for me now,” ordered Eddie.

The band snapped, an explosion of sweltering heat racing along your skin, as your orgasm violently took over your body. Eddie kept his hand around your neck, not ceasing his unmerciful pounding, his flesh meeting yours with a ferocious collision every single time. His grip tightened as an animalistic roar assaulted your ears.

Sweat slicked flesh slid against each other as the two of you collapsed into a heap on the floor. You lay next to him, panting, struggling to understand what the hell had just happened. How had you gone from being ready to kick him out to having the hottest sex of your life?

“I mean it. You’re the only one. I’ve never kissed or touched any of those girls. I’ve never even considered it,” he gasped. “Have you? Were you…considering Billy?”

“No…not really,” you managed, still unable to fully catch your breath.

“You love me?”

Your head turned, looking over at this idiot that somehow had such a hold on you. You couldn’t explain it but you also couldn’t deny it. Rolling your eyes, you shook your head.

“Yeah. I do. I love you even if you are a dick.”

“Good because I love you too, you pain in the ass.”

#eddie munson #stranger things eddie #eddie the banished #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x femreader #eddie the freak munson #rough #rough smut #smut #request #smut requests #eddie munson stranger things #jealousy #toxic relationship #rough stuff

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 1 month

Note

just need you to know that i saw u posted and went from 😐to 😃 irl 😭😭😭😭

going to read ch 15 now ty for blessing us

You are so sweet. Thank you! 💜💜💜 I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 1 month

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Never Say Never

Chapter 15

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 8.5K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Far later than she’d expected, you pulled into the driveway of your home. Dinner and coffee had turned into a stroll down the street to the local bar, The Stumble Inn, where the owner, Dan, loved a good play on words. A couple drinks, a lot of conversation, and quite a bit of laughter later, you'd all finally said your good nights, all of you heading off to your own vehicles for home.

The boys were probably already asleep considering it was pushing eleven. That was alright. The four of you were planning on a bike ride tomorrow afternoon so if Steve wanted, he could always just leave Jeremiah there. No point in waking the kid to drag him home simply to bring him back again.

Opening the front door, you stepped inside to find Steve on the couch, a rerun of Who’s the Boss playing on the tv. He turned to look over at you, his arms propped behind his head, giving you one of those glaringly bright smiles that made you feel like you needed to shield yourself, to bring a hand to your eyes to protect them.

“Hey.”

Dropping your purse on the table by the door, you made your way into the living room, smiling down at him. “Hey. Sorry I’m so late. We completely lost track of time.”

“That’s alright. I was expecting it. I told you that you were going to be later than you thought. Robin and Nancy love to talk. And with you being all shiny and new, they had endless things to ask you, I’m sure.”

Steve pushed himself up to sitting with his legs still out in front of him, opening his arms to you. You happily accepted his invite, your body liquefying into him when his arms came around you, pulling you into the warmth of his chest. Sighing contentedly, you wound your arms around his waist curling your legs underneath you, relieved that the awkwardness of earlier appeared to be forgotten.

“They should get jobs as interrogators. They definitely threw the book at me. I don’t know if there’s anything they don’t know about me at this point,” you joked, “including the unfortunately mortifying third grade talent show story.”

“Ohh, do tell. I’m intrigued now.”

“No. That one is better left unshared. Trust me. I don’t know why I even told them. I think your friends have some kind of superpower. I was running off at the mouth, story after story. I couldn’t seem to make myself stop. To be fair, they were shooting questions at me so fast I barely had time to stop and think. I’m stuck being friends with them forever now, you know. They have far too much dirt on me. Way too much they could blackmail me for. I fear I’ve made a grave mistake.”

Steve’s laugh rumbled beneath you, his fingers slipping into your hair, thumb pressing into your skin as it slid over the back of your neck. Your eyes slipped closed, your body practically humming under his touch. His other hand moved under your chin, lifting your face to his and a soft moan escaped you when his lips found yours, gently, tenderly.

You would never tire of his mouth, his touch, the way it set you aflame every single time. You wanted him in a way that was borderline dangerous. The way you wanted him was all consuming, like a fire raging through a forest, turning everything to ash in its wake. If it weren’t for the boys, you were certain you would lose your job because you would do nothing but spend hours in bed with this man.

But there were the boys to consider. It was hard to concentrate on that fact when Steve’s tongue was exploring your throat, his hand slipping under your shirt. Fingertips made rough from working with his hands teased your skin, his palms covering your breasts completely, kneading and squeezing until you were grinding helplessly against his thigh, gasping. But that little voice in the back of your head reminded you, brought you back to reality, the reality where you did not want either of your sons to walk in on this very blatant display in the middle of the living room.

“Steve…” you rasped, struggling through the haze of desire when his lips latched onto your throat, open mouthed kisses creating a path of destruction, obliterating everything that wasn’t him.

“Hmm?” he mumbled against your skin, rolling your nipples with his thumb and forefinger, the jolt of pleasure shooting straight to your core.

“We can’t.” It was a whimper, a whine because you didn’t want this to stop. You didn’t want to be the responsible mom right now. You wanted to take this man straight up to your bed, caution be damned. But you couldn’t. You knew you couldn’t. You couldn’t have him staying over, couldn’t have Eli knowing the two of you had shared a bed, not until you were certain this was something that was going to last. You couldn’t put your son through that kind of heartbreak, not after everything he’d already lost.

“Why not?” Now his hands were creeping up your skirt, each one gripping an ample amount of your ass, pressing your center right against the delicious friction of his firm thigh.

“The boys…we can’t…the boys…”

Fuck. It was so hard to form a thought, to fight through the pleasure coursing through your very veins. His mouth teasing your earlobe, the delicious pulsing in your pussy with every press of his leg against you. You felt like a teenager. What the hell was happening to you? Were you seriously about to come just from dry humping a guy’s leg?

“But we can,” he growled, hands gripping your hips, flipping you over so your back was pressed against his chest. “Did I forget to mention they’re not here?”

“Wha…huh?” His hands slid along the insides of your thighs, pressing them open as they went. “Where are they?”

“Well, Jonathan showed up a few hours ago,” he explained, fingers slipping along the edge of your panties. “He said that Nancy had instructed him to come and get them. Repayment for me being so kind to watch them so you could go out with the girls.” One finger slid under the material, slipping through your already damp folds to toy with your clit. “They’re keeping them for the whole night so we can have some time alone. Isn’t that nice?”

“I…oh…uh-huh…”

Your head rolled back against his shoulder, that rubber band that was already stretched so thin within you stretching even more, threatening to snap at any moment as he circled, pinched, and slid over the very center of your pleasure. A rumble fell from Steve’s lips, his nose slipping over your jaw and down your neck. You were not going to last long. Not like this, not when you were already on the brink of destruction.

“Come on beautiful,” he urged, his thumb taking over the work on your clit as he slipped one large finger inside of you. “Say my name for me. You know how much I love it when you say my name for me.”

“Steve…” The word came out choked, one simple syllable that threatened to strangle you as your muscles tensed under his touch, your body ready to shatter completely.

“That’s my girl…wanna hear you screaming it, baby. No need to be quiet tonight.”

Oh shit. Those words…his girl, words you didn’t even know you wanted but you did. You wanted to make him say it again. You wanted to be his girl more than you'd ever wanted anything else at this moment. Everything in your world completely disappeared, shadowed by this man and the way he made you feel.

He got what he wanted. Because as he slid a second finger inside of you, his thumb playing you like the most beautiful song ever written, his name fell from your lips over and over. A crescendo of sound that began as a gasp and rose to a scream when that band finally snapped, your body taut, shaking, before collapsing back into him in a puddle of satisfaction.

“Jesus Christ, Steve…” you mumbled. “How are you so goddamn good…no, scratch that. I don’t want to know.”

He chuckled, arms wrapping around you, face nuzzling your hair, “Don’t worry, gorgeous, because nobody that came before you matters. They were all just practice leading up to the main attraction.” He nipped at your earlobe. “I’ve never wanted to make a girl come over and over again like I do you. The sounds you make, how beautiful you look, the way you say my name, it’s like a goddamn drug, honey. I’m completely hooked on you.”

Turning your body, you straddled him, feeling just how much he was hooked on you pressing into you. The thin fabric of his sweats and the lace of your panties was not creating much of a barrier and you fought back the urge to yank them off him and ride him right here on the couch. But not yet. There was something else you'd been wanting to do first, something that had been on your mind ever since your first encounter in her kitchen.

“Well, if I’m a drug then so are you, Steve Harrington, because I am completely addicted to you.”

“Oh yeah?” His hands settled on your hips, a smirk on his lips. “Is this the part where you fulfill my fantasy? You’re already in the perfect position.” He bucked his hips up and you gasped, hands dropping to his chest.

“Oh, I have every intention of fulfilling that fantasy but not just yet." Leaning forward, you caught his mouth with your own, your tongue gliding over his bottom lip teasingly. Your hands slid under the cotton fabric of his shirt, nails scratching gently down his chest, over his stomach. That little knot wound up within you again at the feel of that coarse hair against your fingers, tapering to a line leading you right where she wanted. Gripping the hem of his shirt, you tugged it over his head, tossing it across the room where it landed on a chair.

Steve’s lower lip jutted out playfully, “This doesn’t seem fair. You still have a top on.” Acquiescing to his request, you pulled your top off, sending it the same way as his. His hands slid up your back, fingers popping open your bra expertly, slingshotting it. “Much better.” One hand gripping you between the shoulder blades, he sat up, his mouth descending on your breasts.

“Yes…” you sighed, cradling his head against you, your hips rocking against his length once again.

“You’re so damn beautiful…”

You smiled, pushing him back down on the couch, wiggling your body down. It was your turn to drive him crazy. Your lips moved over his jaw, down his neck, your tongue tracing a trail over the artery there before your teeth nipped at his shoulder. He grunted, hips bucking when you kept going on your journey south, mouth exploring his chest, teeth raking over his nipples. Hot, wet kisses over his stomach while your hands gathered the material of his sweats and boxers, dragging them over his thighs until his cock was free, bouncing back against his stomach.

Your tongue ran over your lips as you settled onto your stomach between his legs. Steve’s eyes went wide, watching when you took his cock in your hand, dragging the tip of it across your lips. As your tongue darted across the already weeping slit, he hissed, head dropping back to the arm of the sofa.

“Jesus Christ, honey.”

Bolstered by his reaction, you used your hand to raise him up, your tongue running along the vein underneath, from the base to the tip before taking him into your mouth, swirling your tongue teasingly. With a heavy grunt, his hips rose from the couch in an attempt to get more of himself in your mouth.

Grinning around him, you continued your slow torture, only keeping the tip of him in the warmth of your mouth as one hand moved down to cradle his heavy sack, rolling his balls in your palm.

“Fuck…oh my god…honey, please…need more…”

His hands fisted at his sides and deciding you'd tormented him enough, you took the rest of him, as much as you could, working the base of him with your hand as you slowly worked the rest of him with your mouth. The sounds he was making, the animalist grunts and groans, the curses falling from his lips, were goddamn intoxicating. You'd never felt so powerful in your life as you did knowing you could reduce this beautiful man to a mewling mess with just your mouth and hands.

Steve’s fingers slid in your hair, his palms cupping the back of your head as he lifted his hips to match the rhythm of your mouth. You relaxed your throat, gagging slightly as he thrust even further into your throat. He paused, as if uncertain if what he’d done was okay, but when you dug your nails into the flesh of his thigh, lowering your mouth over him again, he took the hint, thrusting once again until your nose was nuzzling the coarse hair at the base of him.

“Shit…honey, I’m…fuck, I’m so close…fuck, stop…I…don’t wanna…not in your mouth…”

Releasing him with an audible pop, you rose to your feet, offering him your hand. He tilted his head in confusion, the look so adorable your heart tugged. How could one man be both the sexiest thing you'd ever seen and the most adorable thing you'd ever laid eyes on at the same time?

“If I’m going to ride you, let’s do it properly…in my bed.”

“Oh…yeah, okay…”

He scrambled, pulling his pants back up as he took your hand, following your lead up the stairs. You'd barely made it into the room when you slammed your hands into his chest firmly, sending him onto his back on the bed. Wasting no time, you slipped your underwear and skirt off before dragging his sweats and boxers down off his legs and onto your floor.

The smile he gave you was so soft, so heart melting, his hands gently cupping your face when you crawled up his body, straddling his hips. He opened his mouth and your heart stuttered in your chest, terrified but also thrilled at what might come out. But just that fast he closed it again, pressing his eyes shut tight.

Brushing away that hope that had flared and dwindled so quickly, you gripped him in your hand, slowly lowering herself down over him. Your warmth wrapped around him like a glove, welcoming him as if he belonged there. You sucked in air, your fingers slipping through the hair on his chest, your teeth biting down on your lower lip.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Steve growled as you rocked against him, his fingertips digging into the flesh of your hips as he met each movement.

“Steve…Steve…Jesus Christ, Steve…”

“You look just as beautiful as I knew you would. Come on, honey. Take what you need. You can have whatever you want. Give you whatever you want, honey.”

“Touch me,” you gasped, whimpering when his thumb found your clit, teasing as you pressed your hands into the mattress, arching your back, your muscles clenching as you came down on his cock again and again. “Yes. Right there. Oh god…so good…”

Your hips rolled into a circle and he grunted, “Yes, baby. Keep doing that. Shit.” His other hand came to your breast, squeezing, pinching, teasing, touching you just like you wanted and you moaned his name again. “Gonna come for me, beautiful?”

“Yes…so close…don’t stop…”

“Oh, I won’t, honey. Don’t worry. Look at me, beautiful. Wanna see you.”

You struggled, working to keep pace as you pulled yourself straight, your hands gripping his shoulders for purchase. Opening your eyes, you looked down, that band in you stretching farther than should be possible as the heat in his gaze consumed you. His name ripped from your throat, so loudly you were sure the people in the next town could hear.

Your body turned to goo, wax from a hot candle sliding down the edges of you to pool on the mattress around you. You had nothing left, your legs shaking and Steve knew, taking over for you. His hands grabbed onto your hips as he plunged himself up and into you before holding her down against him, a roar emitted through gritted teeth, painting your insides with his own release before bringing you with him as you both collapsed.

Your cheek pressed against his sweat-slicked chest, the hair there tickling your skin softly. His fingers trailed over your back, your bodies heaving as you both struggled to catch your breath.

“Holy shit…” he muttered. “So much better than I imagined.”

“Yeah…I…Steve?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t think I can walk.”

His rumbling laugh shook your bodies as his arms held you, rolling you so you were side by side, your body still cradled against his. His lips pressed against your forehead.

“Good thing you don’t have to. Honey, you’re so damn amazing. I…this…” He paused, his throat moving with a hard swallow, as if he were forcing down words he didn’t want to say to leave his mouth, banishing them to the darkness where they couldn’t see the light of day.

“Yeah?” you pressed hopefully, tilting your head back to look at him, wishing for him to say it. To say the words that had been torturing you for the last few hours, the words you were terrified to say until he did.

“I’m just so damn happy. I have never been this happy with anyone. I…” He stopped, eyes squeezing shut. “I like you a lot.”

Your heart squeezed tightly. No, of course he wasn’t going to say those words. Hadn’t you just thought how crazy it would be to say them so soon? Of course he wasn’t feeling any of that already.

“I like you a lot too.” You forced a smile, not wanting him to see the disappointment on your face as you nuzzled down into him, the top of your head tucked under his chin.

___________________________________________________________

Steve blinked against the harsh sunlight coming in through the window, one hand covering his eyes to ward off the glare. Last night came back to him in a burst of images that raced over the backs of his eyelids. The warmth of your mouth, the sight of you above him, your hair falling down your back, the gentle smile that curved your lips up on each side as you fell asleep nestled against his chest, your fingers toying with the coarse hair there as you hummed contentedly.

Rolling his head, he looked down to find you still there but at some point in the night you'd both moved. Now your back was nestled against him, your ass pressed deliciously against him, explaining why he’d woken up with an erection. Winding his arms around you tightly, his lips explored the curve of your shoulder, the hollow of your throat, delighted when you moaned softly, wiggling in his grasp.

“Good morning.” Your voice was husky, deep and raspy, choked with sleep first thing in the morning, just one more thing that Steve couldn’t help but enjoy about you. He would never tire of discovering new things about you. Each new thing only made him…

Love…that word was beginning to be a thorn in his side. The amount of times he’d had to bite his lip last night to keep from saying it was going to leave a bruise. The more time he spent with you, the more time he spent inside you, was making it harder and harder not to scream it out, consequences be damned.

“Good morning.” His nose nuzzled into your neck, lips tracing a line, following it over your shoulder. “I swear, this is the best damn thing to wake up to. You are the best damn thing to wake up to. So much better than a slobbery dog demanding breakfast.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” His fingers skimmed over your soft belly to the curve of your hip, squeezing the ample flesh there. “I could really get used to this, honey. You in my bed…”

“Well, technically this is my bed,” you teased, sighing when his hand dipped into the apex between your thighs.

“My bed, your bed…I really don’t care as long as I get to have you in a bed,” he growled, his lips wrapping around the skin at the hollow of your throat, sucking hard until you moaned deeply. “Jesus, I love the sounds you make. Wanna make you make them all the time.”

“Steve,” you protested, no real challenge in your voice. “Don’t we have to go get the boys?”

“We could push it just a bit.” Using his arm to push himself up, he pressed you onto your back into the mattress. Wiggling his eyebrows, he grinned. “I think Nance and Jonathan would understand if we waited just a couple more hours.”

“A couple hours, huh? You have big plans?”

“Oh honey, a couple hours is not nearly enough time for the plans I have for you.”

How about forever? It was on the tip of his tongue but he just couldn’t say it. He couldn’t risk it, not now, not when he was in so deep that he was drowning in you.

___________________________________________________________

An hour later, clad in only his boxer shorts, Steve was in the kitchen cooking eggs and toast while you took a shower. Unfortunately, human weakness reared its head and other biological needs needed to be met. They had made it known when your stomach had started loudly rumbling while he was buried deep inside you while he pinned your wrists down with his hands.

As much as he hadn’t wanted to pull himself away, he’d begrudgingly done so. The girl needed to eat. While he wanted nothing more than to lock the two of you in that room for the rest of the day, you were going to need your energy for the bike ride he had planned for everybody this afternoon. He couldn’t have you passing out on your bike from low blood sugar.

He slid the spatula under the perfectly cooked over-easy eggs, sliding them onto a plate. Grabbing the two pieces of toast that had just popped up, he added them and set the plate on the table. He added the butter, salt, and pepper and was just going to pour your coffee when there was a knock at the front door.

“Well shit,” muttered Steve, glancing down at his very bare chest. Grabbing his shirt from the chair in the living room where it had been tossed last night, he hastily pulled it over his head, figuring it would have to do if he wasn’t going to leave whoever was on the other side wondering if anyone was home.

Opening the door, he found a woman on the other side. Her blue eyes went wide as she took in the sight of him in the doorway, her hand running over her sleek gray bob. The flowy black pants and floral buttoned top she was wearing seemed like a strange choice for a Saturday, leaving him with the impression that she was a professional of some kind. But you hadn’t mentioned anyone dropping by.

“Hello,” he smiled pleasantly. “Can I help you?”

“I highly doubt it.” Her words were sharper than seemed necessary considering Steve had never seen this woman before in his life. “Is my daughter-in-law around?”

Shit. So that’s who this was. Justin’s mom and Steve had just answered the door wearing nothing but boxers and a t-shirt on a Saturday morning. That didn’t leave much doubt to what kind of situation this was and he wasn’t sure if this woman even knew about him. Had you told her about him? Or was she being blindsided, having the new guy that had replaced her dead son shoved in her face?

“You must be Mrs. Randall. I…uh…I’m Steve Harrington. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He stammered the words. He would have offered her his hand but his palms were suddenly very sweaty. How did one handle a situation like this?

“Oh, I know exactly who you are. Although why you’re standing in my son’s house in your underwear is quite a mystery to me.”

A nervous laugh rose up in him at her words, her eyes narrowing, head tilted as she studied him. He felt like a specimen under a microscope and judging from the way she was looking at him, he was not measuring up.

“Well, you see…I…well, Y/N and I…I’m guessing she hasn’t told you about me.”

“No. She didn’t but my grandson did. Imagine my surprise when I had to hear from a child that his mother has a new boyfriend.” She gave him a tight smile, the kind people usually displayed when they were trying to hide how they really felt, but this woman did not seem to be trying to hide anything. Disdain was rolling off her in waves so strongly it threatened to knock him off his feet. “You really think it’s appropriate for you to be spending the night this soon? Have you even bothered to consider Eli’s feelings in the matter? How it might make him feel that some man is sleeping in the bed that his mother and father used to share? That doesn’t seem a bit tacky to you?”

Steve opened his mouth, having no idea how he was going to respond but feeling like he needed to. The pressure of a thousand stares, like being on stage waiting to see if you’d nail it or fall flat on your face, was heavy on his chest. But he was saved when you came bouncing down the stairs.

“Something smells good. Did you cook break…” You came to an abrupt stop, hands gripping the towel you'd been drying your hair with when you saw the scene in front of you. Steve in his boxers, looking like a mouse staring down a cat. Judith, the cat, glaring at you both, with her hands on her hips, claws and teeth ready to slash and shred. “Judith…what are you doing here?”

“Well, after Eli dropped that particular very unpleasant and shocking bomb on me yesterday and you refused to talk to me, I decided we needed to have a conversation about this current situation.”

“You could have just called…” you began but Judith quickly cut you off.

“And what? Have you ignore my calls like you so often do? I don’t think so.” Judith stepped around Steve with a wave as if he were nothing but an annoying gnat she was wishing to swat. “No. I think not. I demand an explanation. I believe I am owed that. Precisely why did my grandson tell me that this man, who I don’t even know, who he barely even knows, is going to be his father soon?”

“Shit…” muttered Steve, earning a harsh glare from the woman that reminded him way too much of Mrs. Click from high school. He melted back against the wall, trying to make himself small and invisible to her unapproving gaze.

So this was why she came. She felt her son’s very memory was threatened by the presence of Steve. She thought that you and him were moving too fast. Of course she did if Eli was already talking about Steve being his dad. But it was just that, talk. The kid had been hoping for it before they’d even started dating.

“Mrs. Randall, I think this has just been a really big misunderstanding.”

“Well, I was rather hoping so until I showed up to find you here in your underwear, clearly having spent the night. I mean, really.” She sighed, tossing her arms in the air. “You find this kind of behavior appropriate with a child in the house?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Eli isn’t in the house,” you snapped.

“And where exactly is he?”

“He’s with my ex-wife and her husband,” Steve answered, folding his arms, his confidence returning now that he saw you weren't going to quaver under the glare of this lady.

“Strangers!” shrieked Judith. “You left my grandson with complete strangers?”

“They’re not strangers. I told you, Eli is best friends with Steve’s son, Jeremiah. I know Jeremiah’s mom and her husband. In fact, I was just out with her and some other women last night.”

“Oh! And where was my grandson while you were out living it up and having fun like some teenager with no responsibilities?”

“He was with me. I took care of the boys so she could actually enjoy a night off.” Steve’s sympathy for this woman was quickly waning each time she opened her mouth. “I made them dinner and we played some games and watched a movie. Then Jonathan showed up and offered to take the boys overnight so she and I could have some time alone. I have never slept over when he’s been here.”

“Really? Because according to Eli, you and his mother had a sleepover just last week.”

Your teeth clenched together. “The boys were having a sleepover. We were watching a movie and fell asleep on the couch. Nothing happened.” Your eyes caught Steve’s, the two of you clearly remembering what did happen, what almost happened before you were interrupted, but it was none of this woman’s business. “And whatever happened or didn’t happen isn’t really any of your concern. Eli is my son.”

“He’s my grandson! None of my concern? It’s none of my concern that you’re acting like some rampant whore around him? That you’re just choosing to leave him with strange people so you can run around with your friends and have a good time like you don’t even have a child?”

“Whoa! Hey!” Steve stepped into her, finger pointing at her face. “You have no right to come in here calling her names like that. She is a damn good mom. She’s done all of this herself for a long time and if occasionally she needs a night to herself, she’s more than earned it.”

If someone could actually explode, he was pretty certain this woman would be doing just that right now. Her nostrils flared, eyes blazing, mouth contorted into an ugly sneer as she stared him down.

“Just who in the hell do you think you are?”

“I think I’m her boyfriend. I think I’m her person. The person she’s chosen to have in her life right now. And I think I’m the person who’s not going to stand here and let you talk to her like this. I understand that it has to be hard for you to see her with someone else, to think about another guy being in your grandson’s life. But that’s not a choice you get to make. It’s hers. So unless you’re willing to have a civil conversation and listen then there’s the goddamn door.”

“I tried to help you. I offered to let you and Eli move in with me and you refused and now look at this mess you’ve created.”

“This isn’t a mess. This is my life.”

“And some life it is. I knew when Justin brought you home that he was making a mistake. You whispered all those lies about how much you loved him. I knew you never did.”

Your mouth dropped, a small gasp of pain escaping your lips, making Steve want to smack a woman for the first time in his life. Tears filled your eyes but you straightened your spine, refusing to allow Judith to make you fall apart.

“That was never a lie, Judith. I did love Justin. I still do.”

“You loved him so much that you’re so ready to just replace him and move on. To allow some other man in his house, in his bed, in his role as Eli’s father.”

“There has not been any talk of Steve being Eli’s father,” you argued. “We are dating. There’s not even been talk of moving in together. All of that is coming from Eli. He adores Steve and he’s a kid and he just wants what other kids have. Can’t you see that?”

“He already has a father,” Judith whimpered, quickly losing steam as her grief began to take the wheel from her anger.

“He does and I will never let him forget Justin. We talk about him every night before he goes to bed. I show him pictures and videos. I tell him stories. We order pizza every Friday because it’s what we used to do when Justin was home.” Those tears that had been lingering on your lash line now broke free, spilling down your cheeks as you held your hands out in front of you, begging Judith to understand. “We go to the apple orchard and the pumpkin farm every fall because it was a tradition we started with him. I show him his favorite movies and we listen to his favorite music. Eli knows all the words to The Most Beautiful Girl in the World by Prince and he knows how Justin used to sing it to me every time he’d return from deployment and we’d dance around the living room. Judith, Eli will never forget Justin because I can’t ever forget Justin. You think I don’t grieve for him still? Sometimes it hits me and the pain is so bad that I double over with it. But am I really sentenced to spend the rest of my life alone at thirty-two because the universe was cruel enough to take my happy ending away from me?”

Judith actually looked stunned. In the ten minutes Steve had known her, even he was shocked to find her speechless. This did not seem like a woman who ran out of words.

Then the two women were hugging and crying. He stood to the side, unsure of what to do. He had the equivalent of emotional whiplash. He’d been so angry, ready to storm the castle and defend you to the death if need be, and now it didn’t seem necessary. You clung to each other, sobs shaking your bodies.

“I’m sorry,” Judith sniffed, shaking her head, hands wrapped around your shoulders. “I’m sorry. I just…it’s so unfair that he got taken from us and then to know you’re with…” She jerked her head toward Steve. Well, alright. She might be apologizing but apparently she still wasn’t fond of him. “To know Eli may see someone else as his…I just couldn’t bear it. I fear I will be the only one to remember my son.”

“You won’t.” Your hands found Judith’s forearms, hanging on. “I could never forget him and I will never let Eli forget him. I promise you that. We…we don’t even know what this is yet.” Steve would be lying if he said that didn’t sting just a bit. “It’s so new. Who knows where it’s going but if it moves in that direction, Eli will still know who his dad is. And no matter what happens, you will always be his grandmother and you will always have a place in his life.”

Judith nodded slowly, her fist coming to her mouth. The woman appeared to at least be trying to accept it. Steve wasn’t sure what the history was here. He didn’t know what kind of relationship she and you had in the past but he hoped, if for nothing else than the sake of Eli, that she could.

“Can I…would it be okay if I came into town for his first game?”

“Of course. Eli would love it if you were there.”

Steve wasn’t sure he would. He wasn’t sure he wanted to spend any more time with this woman ever. But this wasn’t his decision. He knew when he started this thing that you came with some baggage. And if the heaviest load was some uptight ex mother-in-law, well, he’d just have to learn to heft it if he planned on sticking around.

“Okay. Well, then…I guess I’ll just go. It’s a long drive back. But maybe I could go pick him up and…”

You cut her off, “Steve and I are picking up the boys and taking them on a bike ride. They’ve been looking forward to it all week. So today isn’t a good day. If you would have called first I could have told you that. I could have told you all of this and saved you the drive.”

“Right. Next time I’ll call as long as you plan on answering.”

“I will answer as long as I’m not busy.”

Judith’s mouth pinched up again, the crying camaraderie apparently forgotten now. Wiping away any sign of weakness or vulnerability with her fingers under her eyes, she straightened her spine and turned for the door. It was disorienting how quickly she looked like she hadn’t just been falling apart, completely reserved once again.

“I will see you in a couple weeks then.”

“See you in a couple weeks.”

And then she was gone. You exhaled, your shoulders and head dropping forward, as if all the strength you'd held in to handle Judith had rushed from you in one breath. Your arms wrapped around your middle, reminding him of Eli after school just yesterday.

Steve stood still, unsure of what to do. Did you want him to comfort you? Did you want him to leave you alone? Should he offer to just head and get the boys and come back for you later so you could have some time to process everything that had just happened?

“I’m sorry.” The words were spoken so softly he almost didn’t catch them. “She loves to sneak up on me at the worst times. I should have seen this coming. She’s been itching to have it out with me ever since Eli told her you were my boyfriend.”

“It’s okay,” he mumbled, shrugging. It wasn’t, not really. He wasn’t sure how he felt after that whole exchange. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” you stated firmly. “I really don’t. Not right now anyway. Can we just eat?” Lifting your head, you pasted on a smile. “That coffee smells amazing and I could really use some right now.”

“Oh…uh…yeah…”

You breezed past him into the kitchen, leaving him standing there wondering what in the hell had just happened and what it meant that you didn’t know what this was between you.

____________________________________________________________

The boys were down on the sand, building a fortress from rocks and driftwood that they collected for their superheroes. It was still far too cold to even consider stepping foot in the water. The day was warm, the sun beating pleasantly down on their skin, but it would take months for the lake to absorb that heat, usually not pleasant enough for a swim until late June or even early July.

You sat on the blanket you'd brought with you to sit on while you enjoyed the picnic lunch that Steve had packed. Sandwich crusts, chip crumbs, and stray blueberries laid forgotten on plates as the boys declared themselves full in favor of running off to play. You took a sip of her iced tea, glancing over at Steve.

After Judith’s impromptu interruption, ruining what otherwise had been an absolutely perfect night and morning, he’d been rather quiet and awkward. He didn’t appear mad but disoriented, like a child who’d fallen off their bike after removing the training wheels and feared getting back on because they didn’t trust themselves. It was like he’d lost his footing and couldn’t find it again. And you knew it was your fault.

Judith just had such a negative impact on you and you were so exhausted from constantly trying to convince the woman that you w were doing a good job of raising Eli. Was it easy? No. Did you screw up a lot? Yes. But at the end of the day your son was happy, healthy, and loved. Wasn’t that what mattered? Why could that never be enough? Why did every decision you ever made have to come into question by a woman whose son joined the military just to get away from her?

“Steve…”

“Hmm?” His head turned toward you and you could see how hard he was working to keep an impassive look on his face, to not show how he was truly feeling. What was he feeling? Was he angry? He had every right to be after the way Judith had treated him, after you yourself had dismissed him, telling him you didn’t want to talk.

“About earlier…”

He cut you off, lifting his hand in front of him, “It’s fine. Really. You said you didn’t want to talk about it so you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s not fine.”

“It is. It’s obviously a tough situation for you that I don’t know anything about so…”

“But you should,” you stated firmly. Rising to your knees, you shifted until you were in front of him, taking both of his hands in your own. “You should. If we’re doing this…being an us, then you should know. Judith is difficult but she is a part of my life and she isn’t going anywhere. She’s Eli’s grandmother and that means that you’re going to have to deal with her sometimes so you should know our history. You should know exactly what you’re walking into.”

“But we don’t even know what this is, right? Isn’t that what you said? We’re not that serious so why do I need to know anything important about you?”

Ouch. His words hit their mark, exactly as he’d meant them to based on the tone he’d used. A missile he’d launched, his own hurt weaponized and aimed directly for you, successfully obliterating its target. You dropped down onto your heels as he pulled his hands back from you. His hand came to the back of his neck, rubbing, as if he could wipe away the tension that had appeared between them.

“Shit. Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“Yes you did.”

“No. I didn’t.” His cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk with a frustrated exhale. “I want to know everything about you. I do. I want to know it all, the good, the bad, and everything in between. I just…when you said that…”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Is that how you feel? That you don’t know what we are? I mean, I guess I just need to know what this is. I thought we were on the same page but maybe we’re not. What do you want here, honey? Is this all just fun for you? Is this a casual thing? Are you serious about us or should I be preparing to have my heart stomped all over?”

Those beautiful eyes were begging you for an answer, for the answer he wanted. And he had it. He had all of you. He had every piece of you that you had to offer. But you didn’t know how much to say. He had no idea how completely gone for him you already were, how you dreamed of the future with him, what it would look like, the four of you together.

Your eyes drifted over to the boys, yelling and giggling as Lex Luthor and his henchmen tried to attack the Fortress of Solitude they’d built from whatever they could find on the beach. You could picture this, days, months, years of this…the two of you sitting back and enjoying your boys together. Watching them grow up, birthday parties and Christmases, Steve helping them with their ties for school dances, teaching them how to drive. Nights together watching movies and playing games. You could see it so clearly in your mind but you were terrified that if you shared all that with him he would leave a blazing path through this forest as he ran as far and as fast as he could.

“Honey?” he prompted when you'd been silent for so long.

“What do you want?” you asked, turning the tables on him, placing the ball in his court.

“What?”

“What do you want from this? Do you see this as something that has a future? Do you see us together six months from now? A year from now? Ten years from now? Or in three months will I be just another in a long line of heartbroken exes?”

Steve reared back as if you'd just slapped him across the face. And maybe it had been an insensitive question but you felt it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Steve had been in numerous relationships throughout his life. Robin had shared that he latched on and fell fast because he was so desperate to be loved. Was that what this was?

You felt like he really liked you, like he truly cared about you. But was it just his past traumas causing him to act like that? Causing him to feel things that weren’t really there yet?

“Do you seriously not know?” he demanded. When you just looked at him, he groaned. “How do you not know how I feel about you? This isn’t even in the ballpark of casual for me. I told you I’ve never felt for anyone the way I feel for you.”

“But how can you be sure? Robin said…”

“Robin said what? That I love too quickly because of my messed up childhood bullshit? Because my parents didn’t love me enough, I’m always looking for it elsewhere?”

“I mean, she may have said something like that.”

“And she’s not wrong. I have in the past. I stayed with Nancy because I was desperate for a family, a real family. I was desperate to make it work, to be successful where my parents weren’t. But I’m not twenty anymore. I’m thirty-two and I am well aware of my faults. I didn’t even see what I was doing then but I do now. I know every relationship I’ve ever had wasn’t really love. It was…I don’t know. Me just settling, searching for something, anything that would make me feel whole. But I’ve never found it. I’ve never felt it until you. I think you’re what I’ve been searching for. I’ve spent my whole life waiting for someone like you.”

This was the second time he’d said that to you and it didn’t fail to rock you to your very core once again. It shook your very foundation to know that this beautiful, perfect man seemed to think that you were the thing he’d been missing in his life, that you were the missing piece to the puzzle that he’d been hopelessly searching for.

Your eyes roamed over his face, the flecks of gold in his eyes brought out by the sun, the freckles like angel kisses lovingly placed on his skin, those plump lips that girls would pay thousands of dollars to have. That word, that damn word, so simple, four letters, one syllable, was driving its way up your throat, desperate to be spoken.

Your hands slid over his jaw, softly, gently, as if you were holding delicate treasure that must be protected, because you were. His Adam’s apple bobbed, the muscles in his neck tensing, as he waited for you to reply to the truths he’d just laid before you.

“This isn’t casual for me either. I…I know my situation is different. I wasn’t searching all my life. I found…but he’s gone and when I lost Justin, I resigned myself to the fact that he was it. He had been my one shot at happiness and love and all that comes with it. But then here you came and you barreled through all of that doubt like a wrecking ball.” Your eyes slipped closed as you willed yourself to have the courage to jump off the edge, to soar through the air with nothing but hope that he would catch you instead of leaving you to hit the ground. “You snuck up on me and there is nothing just fun or casual about this because I…I love you.”

His eyebrows crept toward his forehead, every color in the spectrum dancing through his eyes that were now as wide as the moon and just as spectacular. You held your breath, your teeth worrying over your bottom lip. But then, as if in slow motion, his lips parted, curving into a slow smile that consumed his entire face, those little crinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes. His fingers slid into your hair, pulling you to him, his forehead pressing against yours as he whispered, “You do?”

“I do. I know it’s really soon. I wasn’t even sure I should say it. I realized it yesterday and it terrified me but it also…I don’t know. It just felt right, like something just shifting into the place it belonged all along. I told myself I wasn’t going to say it, that I was going to wait.” Your eyes squeezed shut nervously. “I was going to wait until you said it and I hope it doesn’t scare you. You don’t have to say it back. I don’t want you to say it because you think you have to. I just…I need you to know that I am all in. I am not going anywhere. I have already dove in way too deep. There’s no going back now.”

“I love you, too.”

“Don’t…please don’t say it just because I…”

“I’m not.” His fingers trailed down over your arms, linking his fingers with yours and bringing your interlocked hands to his chest. “I’m not. I’ve been trying not to say it too. I didn’t want to push you. I know this is hard for you. I know this is the first time you’ve been with anybody since your husband passed. I wanted to take things at your pace, follow your lead. I was waiting for you to say it first. But I do. I love you. I think I’ve loved you ever since that night I brought pizza over. And yeah, that’s crazy and it makes no sense because we barely knew each other but it’s true. I love everything I already know about you and I want to spend my life getting to know everything I don’t.”

“You…your life…?”

“Shit. Was that too much? I’m not about to pull out a ring or anything. I’m not asking you to promise the rest of your life to me. I just…I just meant…”

“Steve,” you laughed, pressing your lips against his to silence him. “No. It wasn’t too much. I know what you meant. I mean, we can’t really say we’re all in if we’re not expecting this to last forever, right?”

“Right.” He grinned, releasing your hands to wrap his arms around you and pull you in close. You sat between his legs, your back nestled into his chest, settling into place right where you belonged as the two of you watched your boys run down the sand.

Chapter 16

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 1 month

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 14

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 8.9K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

You grinned, holding out your arms when you spotted Eli coming out of the school with Jeremiah, waiting for the usual running hug you received that almost knocked you over now that your boy was getting bigger. But instead, your little boy just trudged slowly over to you, his head hung down toward the sidewalk beneath his feet. Your heart seized, just like it always did when your son looked anything but happy.

It was one of those moments of being a parent that reminded you how inextricably your heart was linked to theirs, your happiness, your very life. There was nothing that would smash through a good day with the force of a wrecking ball like seeing your child heartbroken. And right now, Eli looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to that beautiful little organ in his chest.

“Uh-oh, it doesn’t look like someone had a very good day,” Steve muttered softly next to you as Jeremiah walked up to him, not looking much happier than Eli. He ruffled his son’s hair. “Hey kid. How was school?”

Jere shrugged, “Okay.”

“Just okay? No crazy stories to tell today?”

“Not really.” The boy sighed, the sound so big it took up his whole body, glancing over at Eli who was standing stiff and quiet next to you.

You didn’t like this. Both boys were far too subdued. Their usual excitement and chattiness after school was nowhere to be found. Eli’s arms were wrapped tightly around his middle as if he were protecting himself from some unseen danger or trying to hold something in that was threatening to fall out.

“Hey buddy,” you said softly, placing your hands on your knees, leaning over so your eyes were at his level. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” he snapped shortly, turning his body quickly as you reached for him, rejecting your touch. “Can we just go home?”

Steve shared a worried look with you. You stood up straight, offering your son your hand but he didn’t take it, your heart breaking just a little at his refusal of even this small comfort.

Steve stepped forward, dropping to his knees in front of Eli, “Did something happen at school?”

“I said I want to go home,” he stubbornly replied, refusing to look at Steve.

“I know and your mom’s going to take you home but you know, if something happened, you can talk to us. Talking about stuff usually helps me feel better.”

“Nothing happened and even if it did I don’t want to talk to you about it,” Eli growled and then stomped away.

But he paused when he got to the curb, remembering he wasn’t supposed to walk into the parking lot alone. So instead he just stood, arms folded, glaring off into the distance. It should have been comical how he still followed the rules even when he was so angry but you were unable to find anything remotely amusing about this situation.

You could see the hurt etched across Steve’s beautiful face. But he recovered quickly, rising to his feet. Stepping into him, you kissed his cheek, offering him a sympathetic smile. You appreciated that he was trying to help but this one might have to be on you. You just hoped he wasn’t taking Eli’s rejection too hard.

“Thanks for trying. I’m sorry he said that. He doesn’t mean it. Not really. He’s just upset right now. He adores you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah.” He was trying to shake it off but not doing the best job of it. You could see Eli’s dismissal had rattled him. It had to be jarring when the kid usually worshiped the ground he walked on most of the time. “Yeah. It’s fine. I just thought…you know…maybe he’d talk to me guy to guy or something but it’s fine.��

“I’m going to talk to him,” you assured him, resting your hands against his chest. “I’ll figure out what’s going on.”

“Sure looks like he might be a tough egg to crack.”

You smiled, “This isn’t my first rodeo with moody Eli.” You winked. “Trust me. I’ll get him to tell me.”

Jeremiah spoke up, “Brent told him he doesn’t have a dad.”

“What?” Steve turned to his son.

The boy shrugged, “We were at recess playing superheroes. We were wearing the capes that Mrs. Perry always lets us borrow from the dress-up bin and Brent was picking on us like he always does. He said we were gay because we liked to dance around in capes and that we were gay for each other. Eli got mad and said he’d rather be gay than be a jerk. Then Brent said at least he still had a dad and that was why Eli was running around in a cape because he didn’t have a dad to show him how to act like a real boy.”

A boulder the size of a small town was pressing down on your chest, a tidal wave churning your stomach, as you took in Jeremiah’s words. You swayed on your feet, your eyes darting to the pink shirt with flamingos that the art teacher was wearing, the bright yellow shoes on a child’s feet running past, the rainbow painting that adorned the window of a kindergarten classroom.

Steve hand found yours, fingers slipping between your own and he squeezed tightly, grounding you. You focused on the pressure of his hand, the tips of his fingers pressing into your palm, as you listened to the sound of children talking, bringing yourself slowly back from the brink. Steve was murmuring something in your ear and as your heart rate calmed, you could finally focus on his words.

“I know you’re upset and you have every right to be. But I’m right here with you. You’re safe. Breathe for me.” As you opened your eyes and nodded, he gave you a small smile before turning back to his son. “Brent? Is his dad the one that has that giant American flag attached to the bed of his pickup truck?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that explains it,” he grumbled. “His parents are ignorant assholes. Of course they’re raising a kid who’s a little jerk. They’re probably proud of his bullying. His mom was the one at the PTO meeting yelling about the kids reading James and the Giant Peach because it promoted mysticism and that went against the bible.” He rolled his eyes and then began looking around. “Are they still here? I’d be more than happy to have a talk with them.”

“Steve…”

“Seriously honey. That’s bullshit. How dare that kid say something about his dad. How cruel can that little shit be? He’s going after a kid for having a dead parent?”

“Steve…” you tried again.

“That’s his truck.” He pointed. “It’s hard to miss. He’s got to make sure everyone knows what fucking country he lives in. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he knows just what an asshole he’s raising his kid to be.”

He began to step in the direction of the truck and you jumped in front of him, holding your hands out to block him. Those hazel eyes met yours and the fury you saw there, the absolute anger for your son and what someone had put him through, knocked the wind right out of your body. Because that four letter word began flashing like a beacon in your mind, the word you were trying so hard to ignore.

“Steve, stop. I appreciate what you’re trying to do. Really I do. But you know as well as I do that nothing you say to that dad is going to change the way he thinks. You can’t change someone who doesn’t see anything wrong with the way they think. Those kinds of people are convinced they’re right because they have God on their side and nothing you say will make a difference. It’s only going to cause a bigger problem. I’ve got it, okay? I will get Eli some hot chocolate with marshmallows when we get home and he and I will talk. I’ll have him right as rain before you and Jere come over later.”

“Are you sure? Because I can handle myself. That guy doesn’t scare me. I know he’s big but you know what they say? The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

“I am not doubting your ability to take him down,” you smiled, reaching out to squeeze his biceps assuringly. “You are a very strong man, Steve. I am sure you could lay him out but I am sure. I would rather focus on what I can change which is Eli’s reaction to people being mean. There will always be awful people in this world and my son has to learn how to navigate that.”

“Okay. If you’re sure…” His hands came to his hips, eyes down on the sidewalk before he finally looked back up at you. He was letting it go but you could see how much it pained him to do so. “I’ll be there around five so you can head out to meet the girls, okay?”

“I’ll see you at five.”

A quick kiss and then you were walking next to your surly child across the parking lot to the car. Your stomach rolled, knowing this was going to be a tough conversation to have with him, knowing it was going to be difficult to even get him to tell you what happened.

Your sweet boy, always concerned about you. You already knew why he was keeping it secret, why he felt he needed to just squash it down and live with it. He thought that telling you would make you sad. Eli lived with the fear that his mom would disappear on him again, retreating into that dark shell you had disappeared into for a while after Justin had died. But you needed to show him that you were strong, that you weren't going to fall apart at the mere mention of his death, that you could be there for him, that he didn’t have to shoulder so much of it on himself.

The car ride home was silent. You kept stealing glances in the rearview mirror but your son kept his focus out the window the entire time. You kept the music off, allowing him to feel what he was feeling, to stew in it for a bit before you tried to get him out of it.

Your therapist was always telling you not to fight your emotions, to let them come. It was okay to feel. It was okay to be sad. It was okay to be angry. We had to allow it in, recognize it for what it was, and only then could we try to move past it. Eli’s therapist had told you much of the same thing.

You'd had some rough moments the first year after Justin’s passing. Eli had lashed out, throwing things and screaming. He would burst into tears over the simplest inconveniences. He was feeling big emotions that his five year old body didn’t know how to handle. Sometimes those things still reared their head for no logical reason whatsoever. But as you'd learned, there was no time limit on grief and it would hit in the weirdest ways at the weirdest times and it was okay.

You pulled in the drive and before you could even get out of the car, Eli was stomping up the sidewalk and waiting on the porch. You quietly followed, unlocking the door, watching as he unceremoniously dropped his backpack to the ground. He tried to escape up the stairs but you stopped him.

“Eli, please don’t go up to your room yet. I would like to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“Because I can tell that something is bothering you. If something happened that made you mad, that’s okay. You’re allowed to feel mad but you still need to talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he grumbled.

“I know you don’t but if it’s because you think that you’re going to make me sad…you know, that’s okay. It’s okay if I feel sad. I am not going to crumble or hide in my room anymore from being sad. I don’t want you to be scared to talk to me.”

“I’m not scared. I’m just angry. I’m furious! I hate Brent!”

“Hate is a really strong word.”

“Well, I feel really strong about it!” he screamed, his little face as red as a tomato. “He’s so mean! He said I’m not like a boy because I don’t have a dad! He said I’m gay like gay is bad but it’s not! He’s always saying stuff like that to people! He told Chris that it’s no wonder he has poor people shoes because his mom spends all her money on beer! He smacked Beth’s cookie out of her hand and told her she didn’t need it because she’s fat! He’s always mean! The teacher sends him to the office and calls his parents but it doesn’t change! He’s still mean!”

“And that makes you angry.”

“Yes, it makes me angry! I wish I was bigger so I could punch him in the nose but he’s so much bigger than me. And if daddy were here then he could teach me how to be tough because he was a soldier and he was tough. Or he could go punch Brent’s dad and tell him to have Brent leave people alone but he’s not here!”

“Oh honey…your dad was tough but he wouldn’t have punched somebody like that.” You moved toward him, dropping down in front of him. “Your dad would have tried to teach you how to handle people like that and violence isn’t the answer. A kid like Brent, he just wants to hurt people. He wants to see them sad or angry. Maybe because he’s so sad and angry that he thinks it will make him feel better but it won’t. But when people like him don’t get what they want, they move onto someone else. You have to be confident in who you are and know that nothing he says means anything. No one gets to define who you are but you.”

“But he shouldn’t be allowed to say that stuff!”

“No. He shouldn’t. And in a perfect world, no one would ever be that cruel but it’s not a perfect world. You’re going to come across people like Brent your whole life. Eli, I still come across people like that. It doesn’t stop. You can’t control what they say or how they act. All you can do is control how you respond.”

“Well, that just sucks.”

“It does,” you agreed. “But you can choose to be a good part of the world and I believe the more good people there are, they can outweigh the bad ones. If you all stick together and stand up to him, not just you but all the kids he’s picking on, he’ll back off. There’s strength in numbers and bullies don’t like an unfair fight.”

“So we should all beat him up together?”

“No,” you chuckled, shaking your head. “That’s not what I’m saying. But if you all stand together and tell him you’re not taking it anymore, tell him we feel angry when you call us names and say mean things and we want you to stop. Isolate him. Try to get the rest of the class to stick together at lunch and recess and don’t include him. Show him that if he acts that way then no one will want to be around him.”

“But what about Travis and Ricky? They follow him everywhere.”

“Well, maybe if you all ignore them too that will change. They’ll see that hanging out with him doesn’t have the perks they think it does. People who stick to a bully usually do it because they’re getting something in return. Sometimes it’s simply because then the bully isn’t picking on them. But if he has nobody else to pick on, I am betting he will turn on them and they’ll change their mind pretty quickly.”

Eli considered your words for a minute and then nodded, “Okay. I still think he needs a punch in the nose but I won’t do that. Monday I am going to try to get all the kids together at recess and tell them the plan.”

“There you go.”

“Thanks mommy.”

“Anytime sweetie, you know that.” You pulled him into a hug. “Don’t ever be scared to tell me what’s going on. It’s my number one job to make sure you are safe, healthy, and happy.”

“I know.”

“And I know that it scares you that I am going to go to that dark place again.” You ran her hand over his hair, breathing in that little boy scent that was fading far too quickly. “But I’m not. Mommy’s done a lot of work to get to a better place and I know what to do now if I’m feeling that way. I have my doctor just like you have yours and I can call her any time. I am not going to disappear on you again, okay?”

“Okay…I just don’t like to see you sad. And I feel like you’re always sad when we talk about Daddy.”

“I’m not always sad. But yes, sometimes it makes me sad because I miss him so much. Just like you do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about him. We do that all the time. I tell you stories about him all the time. Because while it’s unfair that he was taken from us, we were so lucky to get to have him for the time we did.”

“I just wish he was still here. It sucks not having a daddy.”

“I know it does, baby.” You squeezed him harder, wishing you could make all that sadness disappear but unfortunately this was one thing you would never be able to fix for your son. “I know it does. But remember, you do have a daddy. Sadly, he’s not here anymore but you do have one. And he never would have chosen to leave you. He loved you more than anything in the world.”

“Even more than pizza?” Eli asked with a smile.

You laughed because you'd shared with your son how much his dad loved pizza. It was why they ordered it every Friday night. Justin had always wanted pizza. Even for his birthday dinner he would request pizza and you would tease him, telling him that wasn’t special because they’d just had it last week.

“Yeah, even more than pizza.”

The sound of the phone ringing broke up your moment and you pressed your finger gently to your son’s nose, earning a smile in return. Rising to your feet, you grabbed the cordless from the end table, pressing it against your ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello dear. Is Eli there?” Judith asked sweetly and you handed your son the phone without even responding, making your way into the kitchen.

“Hi grandma!”

His words flowed into the kitchen as you made yourself a cup of coffee. After your conversation with her just three days ago, you had nothing to say to Judith right now. Nothing that you trusted yourself to say anyway. The woman had immediately started in on you because Eli had told her that mommy had a boyfriend. The questions came shooting at you, one after another, so fast you couldn’t have answered them if you tried.

Who is this man?

How well do you know him?

Is he educated? Does he have a good job?

How long have you been seeing him?

Don’t you think it’s a bit soon for him to be meeting Eli?

It didn’t matter that you had told her that Eli had been friends with his son before you started dating. She wouldn’t listen to the fact that Steve was Eli’s baseball coach so he already knew him. Judith was already digging in her heels, convincing herself that this man would not be good enough to have around her grandson. And the cycle just continued itself with the focus on Steve now instead of you.

“Yeah. He said at least he has a dad and I don’t have one so I don’t know how to be a boy. But I told him that I was going to have a dad soon because Steve’s going to be my dad.”

The mug slipped from your fingers, smashing against the tile floor as your son’s words reached your ears.

“Mommy, what was that?” Eli called.

You stared down at the shards of ceramic, the creamy brown liquid spreading across the gray floor. Your hands shook as you robotically crouched down, grabbing at the pieces. You had to pick them all up before Eli came in. He couldn’t cut himself. Wrapping your hand around a large chunk, the letters apolis oo all that was left of the mug that Justin had bought you when the three of you had gone on a long weekend to Indy with Eli, visiting the zoo and the children’s museum.

“Mommy?”

You stared at the letters as they slowly went fuzzy, your grasp on the piece tightening.

“Mommy, you’re bleeding!”

Your eyes moved to your hand, red trickling from within your closed fist, a slow scarlet river making its way over your wrist and down your arm to drop and mingle with the coffee on the floor.

“I don’t know grandma. Mommy broke a mug and she’s bleeding.”

“I’m okay,” you finally managed, opening your hand to release the jagged piece of ceramic. Your son. You kept your focus on your son. “Just stay back, honey. I don’t want you to cut yourself.”

“Grandma wants to talk to you.”

“Well, I can’t talk right now. I need to clean this and myself up,” you stammered, standing up. Moving to the sink, you turned on the water, allowing it to run over the cut. It was deep but not so deep that it would require stitches. “Just go sit in the living room. I am going to wrap my hand and then I will clean this up.”

“Grandma, mommy can’t talk. She has to get a bandaid and clean,” Eli explained as he walked away.

Inhaling slowly, releasing the breath between pursed lips, you leaned against the sink. Jesus, this was just what you needed. Judith was going to have a field day with this one.

___________________________________________________________

“What should we do tonight?” Steve asked Jeremiah as they rode over to your house.

He was watching the boys while you went out with all of the girls for a few hours. What had started as a casual suggestion at Eli’s party turned into a plan within the course of a couple days. Nancy had been the one to call him and tell him he needed to watch Eli for you because they were taking you out Friday night. He just hoped they all took it easy on you. He loved his friends but they could be a bit overwhelming, especially for someone who wasn’t used to them yet.

“I don’t know.” Jeremiah shrugged sadly, that despondent look still on his face that had been there since Steve had picked him up from school. “I’m not sure if Eli will even want to play with me. He wouldn't even talk to me after Brent said all that mean stuff. Do you think he’s mad at me?”

“No. Why would he be?”

“I don’t know.” The little boy sighed, the sound filling the interior of the car with his misery. “I didn’t say anything when Brent said all that stuff to him. I should have told him what a big fat meanie he is.”

“Well, why didn’t you?”

“Because he’s scary, Daddy. He says the meanest stuff all the time and he’s big. What if he wanted to fight me or something? I know I pretend to be a superhero but I’m not really one. I don’t think I could win.”

“Being a superhero isn’t about hitting somebody, Jere. Sometimes it’s just about using your words to let someone know that what they’re doing is wrong. It’s about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. And I know that can be scary because then they might start saying those mean things to you. But if you and Eli stand up to him together then you won’t be alone. He needs to know that what he said isn’t okay. It was a really horrible thing to say to someone who experienced a loss like Eli has.”

“I know. Daddy…?” Steve’s eyes caught Jere’s in the mirror as his son asked, “Will you go to heaven like Eli’s daddy did? Because I don’t want that to happen. I would be really sad if I didn’t have you.”

His heart sank faster than a rock in the lake. Everything in him wanted to promise his son that nothing like that would happen. But there were no guarantees in life. No he wasn’t in the military but life was not promised. One day you could be fine and the next you were gone, sometimes without any warning.

“Well, buddy. Everybody dies eventually. You know that. But I don’t do a dangerous job like Eli’s daddy did. And I am a pretty healthy guy. I eat all my vegetables and exercise. So, I don’t see that happening any time soon.”

“Good.”

Jeremiah seemed satisfied with his answer and Steve was grateful for that. He hadn’t lied but he’d also assured him. And chances were he would be around for a long time but he couldn’t promise it. And he’d sworn to himself a long time ago that he wouldn’t promise his son anything that he couldn’t follow through on. The amount of broken promises that his parents had made to him as a kid could fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

He pulled in the driveway and they were barely out of the car before Eli came racing out to grab Jere, much to his son’s surprise and joy, the two of them darting into the house and up to his room before Steve had even made it in the door. At least the kid seemed in better spirits. Whatever you had managed to do must have turned his mood around.

When Eli had said he didn’t want to talk to Steve, it had damn near gutted him. He knew he hadn’t been around that long but he felt like he’d bonded with the kid already. Clearly not enough for him to turn to him for comfort yet but they’d get there. He chose to set it aside and believe that one day Eli would allow him to be that person for him.

“Hey there.”

You came out of the kitchen, a smile on your face that didn’t quite turn up in the corners, tight and closed on your face. Eli’s mood may have been lifted but it appeared yours had taken a sudden plummet. He noticed your hand was wrapped up with white gauze and stepped toward you with concern.

“What happened?”

“Oh, nothing. Just me being clumsy as usual.” You laughed, the sound hollow, not at all the usual melodic sound that he found so pleasant. “I dropped a mug and when I was cleaning up the pieces, I accidentally cut myself.”

“Is it deep? Do you need stitches?” He reached to take your hand but you stepped back.

“No, no.” You waved him off, grabbing your purse from the hook with your good hand and draping it over your shoulder. “It’s not deep at all. I cleaned it and everything. It’s fine.” Your eyes darted around before you made for the coffee table, grabbing your keys. “Anyway, there’s a frozen pizza in there if you want or whatever. You’re welcome to anything you can find in the kitchen. I don’t think I’ll be out too late.”

Steve snorted. “You’ve never hung out with this crowd. Robin will keep you there forever just talking.”

“Well, I’ll try not to be out too late so you can get Jeremiah home.”

He shrugged as every nerve ending in his body was firing, letting him know that something was going on here. Something was definitely wrong and you were doing your best to not show it but failing at it miserably. He could read it in the way your shoulders tensed up by your ears, the way you gripped your keys in your unbandaged hand until your knuckles were white, the forced way you were trying to sound casual but was anything but.

“I don’t mind. He’s easy to haul. Once that kid is asleep he is dead to the world.” You went to move for the door and he placed his hand on your arm, stopping you. “Hey, did everything go okay with Eli earlier?”

You paused, the tip of your tongue running over your lip, “Uhh…yeah. I mean, he was sad but we talked about it. We talked about ways he could handle the situation and I think he’s feeling a lot better now that he has a plan.”

“Plan?”

“I told him to try to get all of the kids in class that this kid picks on to band together against him. If they tell him they won’t let him treat them like that and choose to stay away from him, who knows? Maybe that will be enough to change him. Bullies like that love attention and they love to get a reaction. If you take away their motivation, then it loses all the fun.”

“Huh…” Steve hadn’t ever really thought of that. He’d thought about teaching the boys some nasty comebacks or possibly even teaching them how to throw a punch. “How very diplomatic of you.”

“Well, I don’t want my son thinking violence solves everything. Besides, the kid has only used his words. As far as I know, he hasn’t put his hands on anyone. Mind you, they’re nasty words but you don’t have to put more evil into the world to win. I prefer to believe you can do that by being kind while also standing up for yourself. I want my son to set boundaries with people but I don’t want him swinging every time someone says something he doesn’t like.”

“No. I mean, that’s great. I just never thought of that. I mean, when I was in school, you always dealt with those people a certain way. You had to be faster with the insults or swing to show you were tougher.”

“Yeah and that’s the problem. You swing on someone when you’re an adult and you could find yourself in the back of a cop car.”

“Well…” He grinned, eyes rolling to the side with amusement. “Unless you happen to know the Chief of police.”

You stared at him, deadpan. “Even then punching someone like a neanderthal doesn’t solve anything. This world has enough violence in it. I would prefer my son didn’t add to it.”

“I get it. I’m just glad he talked to you.” Steve stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking down at his shoe as he toed it against the carpet. “He obviously didn’t want to talk to me.”

Your bandaged hand fell gently on his arm, “Please don’t let that bother you. You know he thinks the world of you. Eli adores you. He just…stuff with his dad is going to be tricky. I don’t know if he knows how to talk to you about that just yet. I know he’s told you what happened to Justin but…this is different. He was embarrassed. He felt like he didn’t know how to handle this kid because he didn’t have a dad to show him.”

“But he has one hell of a mom who knows exactly how to handle it,” Steve told you, one hand running over your bicep, the other settling on the side of your waist. He could feel that tension he’d been sensing since he’d walked in the door seeping from your body, your muscles releasing under his hands. It made him feel ten feet tall to know that just his touch could help you relax.

“Maybe. That’s yet to be seen. I don’t want to have to storm up to the school and be all mama bear but it’s not beyond me. We’ll see if this plan works. If not, then the principal will definitely be hearing from me.” You glanced down at your watch and then reached up, your hands cradling his face. “Look, thank you. I mean it. It means so much to me that you care enough about Eli to try to help.”

“Of course I care about Eli. I love that kid, almost as much as…”

He cut himself off, cursing himself. It had almost slipped out. Just that quickly he’d almost broken the rule he’d set for himself. The rule that he would not say it first. He would not push you. He didn’t want to make you feel like you had to say it back. He didn’t want to freak you out by moving too fast.

But you knew. You knew exactly what was about to come out of his mouth. You stared at him, those lips like cotton candy parted in a perfect little o, those beautiful eyes like two big mirrors reflecting the panic he knew was written all over his face. Shit. Was this it? Were you going to run? Were you going to tell him this was all too much, too fast? You'd agreed to take it slow and he’d just revved the engine into high gear.

Taking a step back, your hand ran over your hair and you winced as your wound pressed against your scalp. Clearing your throat, you lifted your purse higher up on your shoulder.

“Anyway, thanks. I uh…I should really get going. I’m supposed to meet the girls in fifteen minutes and I’m going to be late if I don’t leave right now.”

“Right. Yeah. Don’t wanna be late,” he stammered, suddenly unsure of himself, feeling like he was walking a tightrope, staring at the ground, seconds away from teetering too far to the left or right.

“I shouldn’t be back late.”

“We’ll be here.”

Jesus. He had to get control of himself. The words came out way too high, syllables cracking like a prepubescent kid whose voice was changing. Trying to gain back some of his cool, he leaned, resting one hand on the wall, nodding and smiling at you.

“I got this. Go have fun.”

“Right. I will. Yeah. Thanks…” you mumbled, reaching for the doorknob.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?” You halted your rush to escape, glancing up at him.

“Kiss goodbye?” he asked hopefully.

“Oh. Right.”

Leaning up on your toes, you pressed your lips to his. But instead of balancing him, it left him feeling like he was tilting, ready to crash. It was quick, forced, almost uncomfortable as if you were being told to kiss your uncle that you really didn’t want to.

“Umm…bye…”

And then you were out the door as it clicked closed behind you. Steve’s hand curled into a fist that he bounced against his forehead.

“Idiot!” he muttered angrily.

____________________________________________________________

Your hands shook against the steering wheel as you drove toward Brewed Awakening. Had Steve really been about to say what you thought he was about to say? No. He couldn’t have been. It was probably just a slip of the tongue. He’d been talking about Eli. And who wouldn't love Eli? You might be biased but your son was very lovable.

But you couldn't get it out of your head. If he felt that way did you feel that way too? Was he going to say it? If he did, would he expect you to say it back? Should you say it back? Should you say it first? Did you even want to say it yet?

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden began playing on the radio and you quickly flicked the dial down. Your brain could not handle lyrics about dreaming someone into life right now. Hadn’t you thought the same exact thing about Steve? That he couldn’t be real. That you'd somehow wished him into existence because he was too perfect to actually exist?

Did you love him? That word had crossed your mind more than a few times when you'd been together, in fact as recently as this afternoon. But you weren't sure if you could trust your feelings. It had been so long since you'd been in a new relationship. Didn’t your brain release serotonin that could make you feel like it was love when it wasn’t? Or was lust clouding your emotions? Making you think you were feeling things you really wasn’t yet.

But what was love, really? At the most basic level it was an emotional bond that brought two people together. But there was nothing basic about love. Love was feeling like the dullest day was made more exciting just because you got to spend it with them. It was how every minute was made brighter by their mere presence. It was having someone that made the worst moments better just by being next to you. It was having someone you wanted to share everything with. It was missing them when they were away and wanting to spend every moment you could with them. It was knowing that you were safe. Love was realizing that home was not some structure made of four walls but a person.

“Holy shit…” you breathed, your grip on the steering wheel so tight that your cut on your palm began to throb and you had to remind yourself to relax. “I love Steve…I am in love with Steve.”

The realization threatened to send you into a tailspin, wildly whirling out of control. You pulled into a parking space in front of the cafe and sat, staring out the windshield because you just couldn’t wrap your head around it. Somehow it had happened without you even truly realizing it. It had snuck up on you. Janice had asked you and you knew you felt a lot for him but you hadn’t allowed yourself to consider that word. It was too big for something that had just begun.

Now what? Did you tell him? No. You couldn’t. You would wait for him to say it first. Steve had been with that crazy Janet lady who had latched on far too quickly. You didn’t want him thinking you were like that. No. You weren't even sure he’d been about to say it to you. You would wait. That was the right call.

“Shit!” you screeched when someone banged on your window, jumping so high you almost hit your head on the ceiling of your car. Turning, you found Robin grinning at you.

“Hey! What are you doing sitting in your car?”

Inhaling a long breath, you attempted to steady yourself. You had to set this life altering epiphany to the side for now until you could talk to Janet. You sure as hell were not divulging this information to Steve’s friends. Shutting off the car, you opened the door and stepped out.

“Sorry.”

“Is everything alright? We were all waiting there for you. We saw your car but you weren’t getting out so I said I would check on you. You appeared to be deeply lost in your own thoughts.”

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” You grasped for an excuse and realized you already had a ready made one. “Eli’s just having some issues with a boy at school and he was really upset about it today.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Robin replied as you headed into the cafe. The other girls were already at a table, smiling and waving when they saw you.

“Hey. We thought maybe you were scared to come in after I told you we wanted all your deep, dark secrets,” Max teased with a laugh. “You know I was joking, right?”

“Yeah. No, I wasn’t scared.”

“Some kid’s being a dick to Eli and he was sad,” Robin explained for you as you took a seat.

“I didn’t say anyone was being a dick.”

“Well, it was implied,” Robin replied, tracing her finger over the swirls of the pattern on top of the table. “I assume he was upset because some asshat was being a bully. Trust me, I can read between the lines.” She pointed to herself. “I was a band geek in high school. I’ve dealt with my fair share of assholes.”

Nancy leaned in, hands cupped together on the table. “What happened?”

Your cheeks puffed up before you blew out a long breath. “This kid and him got into an argument on the playground. The kid was saying that him and Jeremiah were gay for each other because they wear capes and run around. Eli got mad and told him he’d rather be gay than be a jerk.”

“Oh, nice comeback! I love your kid!” Max grinned.

“Yeah. Well, then this kid said at least he still had a dad and that Eli acted the way he did because he doesn’t have a dad to show him how to be a real boy.”

Nancy’s jaw dropped, “He didn’t!”

“That’s so mean,” El added softly, hands tucked into the sleeves of her shirt, fingers playing with the edges.

“It’s also bullshit. Eli has a dad. He just passed away. He didn’t take off or leave,” Max muttered. “What a little dick. Eli should have punched him right in the face.”

“Now you’re sounding like Steve,” you sighed, shaking your head. You picked up a napkin, pulling at the edges in an attempt to keep herself calm. “I don’t want my son to hit people. I want him to learn how to use his words to stand up for himself. We have a plan. He’s going to try it and if that doesn’t work then I’ll go up to the school myself.”

“Steve? Steve, who lost a fight against Billy Hargrove in high school wants to show someone else how to fight?” snorted Robin.

“Billy Hargrove?”

Max sighed deeply with a roll of her eyes, “My step-brother who was a complete ass in high school. He didn’t like that I was hanging around Lucas. I was…having a hard time. My parents had split and then my mom moved me from California to here. It was nothing like what I knew. Some small boring town in the middle of nowhere without a real beach. And she’d moved me away from my dad. I snuck out one night to see Lucas and my mom was worried. My step-dad, who was a total dick, sent Billy to find me. He wound up at Mike’s house where we were all hanging and Steve was there with Nancy. Billy grabbed Lucas by the shirt and slammed him against the wall and Steve tried to protect him. Unfortunately he got his ass beat instead. Billy wasn’t really the kind of guy you wanted to mess with. He could be scary.”

“He attacked a kid?” you questioned. You didn’t want to offend Max by insulting her brother but what kind of jerk attacked a child who was probably less than half their size?

“Yeah. He was angry…really angry. All the time. He hated moving from California, too, and he blamed my mom for it. He couldn’t take it out on her because Neil would have kicked his ass so he took it out on me instead.”

“Damn. That’s still no reason to hurt a kid.”

“Well, there was a lot of other shit too. His dad was mean. He hurt Billy a lot. He used to beat up Billy’s mom and one day she couldn’t take it anymore and she left but she didn’t take him with her. He always felt like she’d abandoned him because then Neil had no one else to loose his fury on. Billy became his punching bag. He wasn’t allowed to show any kind of emotion because that’s not what boys did.”

This guy sounded awful. No wonder his son had grown into such a jerk. You weren't excusing his behavior but when that was all he’d known…it painted a little different picture. Still, people had choices in life and regardless of how you were raised, you could either choose to break the cycle or continue it.

“Is he still like that?”

“No,” Max answered with a smile. “Actually, you wouldn’t even recognize him if you’d known him back then. Our parents split. Not surprising given that their relationship was toxic as hell. I was relieved to have Neil out of the house but my mom had a really hard time for a while. She had to work two jobs just to keep us afloat and we had to move into this run-down trailer. It got really bad for a while but I kept telling myself it would get better. Billy and Neil had moved away. I didn’t know where. Then one day, out of nowhere, Billy showed up on our doorstep.”

“Yeah, Lucas told me he almost pissed himself when he opened the door and saw him,” El chuckled.

Max snorted, “Yeah. Well, Billy hadn’t exactly left the best impression. Anyway, the minute he’d turned eighteen he took off. He didn’t know where else to go. So even though he’d blamed us for all of his problems, there he was. My mom took him in. He got a job as a bartender and helped out with rent and groceries. I finally convinced him to go talk to someone, a shrink, you know? I had been talking to the school counselor and at first I hated it. I shut down. I refused to tell her anything but finally I opened up and it did me a lot of good. I thought it would do him good too.”

“Did it help?” you inquired, suddenly feeling invested in this guy you didn’t even know.

“Yeah. It did,” she answered proudly, nodding. “He’s married now. The girl he’s with, Val, she’s amazing. She’s really good for him. They have three kids and live back in California. We talk on the phone every week and he seems really happy. If you would have told me back then that one day I would be proud to say Billy Hargrove is my brother I would have told you that you were insane. I hated him. I wanted nothing more than for him to go away but I think we both were just so broken we couldn’t see how hurt each other was. If we would have turned to each other instead of pushing each other away maybe things would have been different back then. But he’s turned out to be a good person in spite of how he was raised.”

“Wow. That’s amazing. It takes a pretty strong person to pull themselves out of the darkness like that.”

“Steve’s still not his biggest fan,” joked Nancy.

“Well, he gave him a broken nose and a black eye,” Robin stated, instantly rising to Steve’s defense. “Can you blame him?”

“Hey ladies! What can I get for you?”

Robin’s face drained of all color, her skin resembling a sheet of paper as June appeared at their table. She wore the customary red apron and held a pad of paper in their hand. You noticed how her eyes went straight to Robin but Robin suddenly became very interested in the menu, snatching it from the table and holding it so closely you’d think she’d forgotten her glasses even though she didn’t wear any.

“Hey June!” you greeted brightly. “Can I have the chicken salad and an iced hazelnut coffee?”

“Chicken salad, huh? I was sure you were going for the turkey pesto.”

You shrugged, “I figured I would switch it up. The fact is every sandwich you make is delicious. Don’t you think, Robin?”

“Huh?” Robin mumbled, her eyes as wide as saucers as she peered at you over the top of the menu. “Oh. Yeah. I mean you’re delicious.” She squeaked, the color rapidly returning to her cheeks in a blaze of brilliant red. “I mean, you make delicious things. Coffee…food…sandwiches. Yeah. So good.”

June’s lips pressed together, concealing a smile that you knew was there. Yeah, she definitely thought Robin was cute. Now you all just had to get Robin to be brave enough to make a move. Or somehow get June to do it.

“Thanks Robin. My sandwiches are pretty good.” She grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Of course, I have been told that I’m a pretty nice snack too.”

Oh damn. Maybe you guys wouldn’t need to intervene in any way. Robin gasped, her shoulders drooping forward as if she thought she could disappear. Make herself as small as possible so June wouldn’t be able to see her anymore.

“Robin loves snacks,” Max said with a mischievous grin.

Nancy nodded, “Yes she does. You know where they have great snacks? The movie theater. Who doesn’t love that delicious buttered popcorn? Or a pack of M&Ms. And I hear Slums of Beverly Hills is playing this weekend. You wanted to see that movie, didn’t you Robin?”

Robin nodded, the move barely perceptible, holding the menu so tightly you were surprised it didn’t tear in half.

“Yeah. It’s too bad we’re all busy this weekend,” El sighed. “We wouldn’t want you to miss out.” Whipping around in her chair, she smiled up at June. “June, would you happen to be free this weekend? Say…oh, I don’t know. Tomorrow night around seven?”

Her lips curved up on one side, the pen in her hand tapping against her chin. “Actually, I am.”

“Huh. How convenient,” Max gasped, reaching into her pocket. “And would you look at that? We’ve got tickets and everything.” She slid one across the table to June as Robin sat as still as a statue. “Why don’t you meet Robin in front of the movie theater?”

“Yeah. Definitely!” June bounced on her heels, looking down at Robin. “I mean, if you want me to come with you.”

Robin jumped, her eyes finally looking up at the raven haired beauty who was waiting anxiously for her answer. You nudged her with your toe under the table and she finally opened her mouth but no sound came out. She resorted to nodding.

“Is that a yes?” urged June.

“Yes!” Robin shrieked, causing all of them to jump. The poor girl winced, her fingers curling into a fist. “I mean, yes. That would be okay. No. I mean, that would be great. I would love…I mean, I would really like it if you came with me.”

“Okay. Great!” June took the rest of their orders, unable to keep the smile off her face, stretching from one end to the other. It was so damn adorable that you could scream. Robin had no reason to be nervous. This girl was definitely into her. She’d just been waiting for Robin to show the same interest. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She winked at Robin before she walked away and the girl melted down in her chair, almost dribbling off of it and onto the floor as the tension dissipated from her body.

“You did it! You finally did it!” Nancy squealed, grabbing her arm excitedly.

“I didn’t do anything!” she protested, glaring over at Max. “You all did this. You conniving little sneaks! You even bought tickets already? What if she’d said no?”

Max shrugged, “She wasn’t going to. But even if she did then I would have gone with you, you dork.”

“I thought you were all busy,” accused Robin, glaring at each of them in turn.

“Of course we’re not,” El laughed. “But we knew you’d never have the guts to actually say something to her. So, we came up with a plan to help you.”

“I didn’t need help.” Robin’s arms folded stubbornly like a child.

You laughed, ‘Oh girl, I hate to tell you but you absolutely needed help.”

“I hate all of you. Well, maybe not you." She pointed to you and then her eyes narrowed. "Unless you were in on it too.”

You held your hands up in front of you, “I knew nothing about any of this but I do approve of it.”

“And you don’t hate us,” Max grinned, placing her head on Robin’s shoulder. “You love us and you’ll love us even more when all of this goes well and you’re all in love and gross like the rest of us.”

Your stomach clenched at that word and you quickly looked down at your silverware, toying with the spoon. You couldn’t allow any of them a chance to see what was turning you inside out written all over your face.

“That remains to be seen. I still have to make it through this date. How am I supposed to talk to her without all of you? I barely managed a complete sentence with you all here.”

“You can do this,” El said, placing her hand over her friend’s. “I have faith in you. Just be yourself.”

“Myself!? Are you kidding me? Have you met me?”

“Yes,” Nancy stated, “we have and we all love you. June will too. Just try to relax. You get in your head and think you have to impress but all you do is freak yourself out and act all weird. Just let her see you because she is going to love you. I know it.”

“And if she doesn’t, I can always have Billy come talk to her. It worked with Lucas when he was being a turd,” Max joked and they all laughed.

“You have a date!” you cried with a smile.

“I have a date!” Robin agreed, looking far less enthused than the rest of them. In fact, the poor girl looked downright terrified.

Chapter 15

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. ❤️❤️❤️

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 2 months

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Well, this is a fun idea! Thanks for the tag @indulgence-be-thy-name This is a snippet from Nobody's Fool which is a completed fic for those of you who like to have all of it at once. It is an 18+ Only fic.

“Oh, since you apparently know me so well, please, tell me why. I'm dying to know how you've psychoanalyzed me.”

Eddie stood up from his bike and walked so he was standing right in front of you. His hands came down to hold onto your hips, his body pressed right up against yours, and his lips were a mere breath from yours. If you leaned just a hair, you'd be kissing him again. Your entire body reacted, moving to mold against him, craving him like a drug, and you hated it.

“Because you had a good time with me, you like me, you know I’m different, and you think maybe this could be the beginning of something great, something that could actually be something. And that scares the shit out of you.”

“Maybe I should be scared. I don’t know anything about you,” you breathed softly. “I just met you. You could be a serial killer for all I know.”

“Then why did you jump on the bike with me?”

“I have no idea,” you managed, your heart pounding like it was trying to break free from your chest, your breathing ragged. “It was probably a really stupid idea.”

“Or maybe it was the smartest choice you ever made,” he whispered. “I think one day you are going to look back on this night and think, damn, I was one hell of a smart woman for hopping on that motorcycle.”

“And why would I think that?”

“Because,” he said, his fingers digging into your hips, “you’re going to realize I am not the guy who hurt you and then you’re going to fall in love with me. It's only a matter of time, sweetheart, and I got plenty of it.”

Then his hands were gone and you opened your eyes to see him sliding onto his motorcycle. He grinned up at you, winking, and then he took off, roaring down the street.

You stood there, your heart hammering, your chest heaving, your legs quaking. Jesus Christ. Never had a man had such an effect on you and yeah, he was right about one thing. It scared the shit out of you. This man wasn’t just knocking down her walls, he was sending a wrecking ball straight through them. But this was just lust, dangerous yes, but it wasn’t serious. You told yourself he was wrong, there was no way you were going to fall in love with him.

No pressure tags: @hellfire--cult @lonelysatellites @trashmouth-richie @loveshotzz and anyone else who wants to join in!

A wee game I thought would be fun: choose an excerpt from one of your posted fics, 600 words or less, that will make people curious for more. Share it with the title of your fic and little to no context.

I thought this would be a way to let people have a "taste" of one of your longer fics or series, and hopefully they will want to investigate further. Tagging some people, but it's open to anyone. I'd love to see snippets of your stuff.

This is a bit from my vampire Eddie fic Death Becomes Us. Eddie isn't even in this excerpt, I just really miss Hopper and wanted to think about him.

18+MDNI, Jim Hopper, mention of vampire!Joyce, mention of addiction

Tangerine hues seeped through the slats in the blinds at the crack of dawn while Jim Hopper sat at the end of his bed, shirtless, in a pair of unbuttoned jeans, and rolled his neck from side to side. There were empty beer cans on the dresser, and a small glass vile of crimson liquid in the ashtray next to a smashed-out butt with lipstick on it. He groaned as he stood, feeling his age as he fastened his jeans, snatching the pack of cigarettes off the bedside table as he went.

“Age is just a number,” is something Joyce would say, and to that he would reply: “Yeah, well why do I feel so fucking old, then?”

Joyce Byers hadn’t aged in a decade; that’s the one gift vampirism bestowed upon its victims. Being immortal? Living forever? Jim couldn’t imagine a worse fate. If someone turned him against his will, he’d give himself over to the sun and turn to ash immediately.

Joyce had chosen the vampire life, though, and for that—a part of him would never be able to forgive her. Sure, their fling was long over, and she’d been with Bob for a while now, but he used to be able to daydream about growing old with her later in life, and now he couldn’t even do that.

Something fell out of his pocket while he was searching for his lighter and he cursed. It was another small glass vial, but this one was almost empty, and he held his cigarette between his teeth as he bent to catch it before it rolled under the bed. Picking up the vial, he regarded it between thumb and forefinger so he could get a good look at how many drops were left.

God, he hated this about himself. He hated the way he measured the days of his week around how much he had left in the vials. Every morning, he promised himself that he’d quit, as soon as work wasn’t so stressful and he had some time to himself to stomach the withdrawals.

The kitchen was cold, and it sent a pang through his heart, making him wish there was someone there to make a pot of coffee and sit with him for a few minutes before he left for work. He’d give anything to hear bacon sizzling in the pan and smell fresh squeezed orange juice again while cartoons played on the television, but those days were long gone.

Emotions rose in his throat and choked there, making him dig for the vial in his pocket. He knew there was another full one in the ashtray in his bedroom, but he had to make them both last until next week, and it already wasn’t looking good. He tore a tiny corner off of a paper towel, and then bent to unscrew the cap and tap two drops onto the paper, watching the dark red liquid bleed into the fibers. He then placed the square of paper on his tongue and let it dissolve with a hard swallow and some sink water to wash it down.

Tagging: @somnambulic-thing @deadboyfriendd @kookygranger @trashmouth-richie @atinylittlepain @joejoequinnquinn @powderblueblood@destroya2005 @eddies-house @eddiesxangel @thornsnvultures

#fic recs #tag game #writing game #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie x reader #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fandom

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 2 months

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Thanks for the tag @nailbatanddungeon and @mmunson86

bookstore au or fisherman au ✷ bartender au or spy au ✷ neighbour au or farm au ✷ wedding planner au or roommate au ✷ billionaire au or mob au ✷ western au or hospital au ✷ rockstar au or bodyguard au ✷ office/coworker au or firefighter au ✷ lumberjack au or deserted island au ✷ fantasy au or soulmates au ✷ modern au or historical au ✷ sex worker au or a/b/o au ✷ bakery au or academic au ✷ pirate au or babysitter au ✷ camp counselor au or werewolf au ✷ coffee shop au or flower shop au ✷ apocalypse au or treasure hunter au ✷ tattoo artist au or single parent au ✷ royalty au or vampire au

No pressure tags: @emmyshortcake @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @hellfire--cult @stalactitekilla + Anyone else who wants to do it

#tag game #fanfic

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 2 months

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Never Say Never

Chapter 13

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 8.1K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Steve stretched up on his toes, holding the banner in place so Jonathan could tape it across the threshold between the dining room and kitchen. Robin and Dustin were blowing up balloons in the living room while Nancy and Karen worked on the food in the kitchen. Ted was where he could always be found, leaned back in a recliner, watching television, oblivious to the fact that everybody was helping but him.

Honestly, Steve could not figure out how he and Karen were still together. He couldn’t figure out how they’d gotten together in the first place. Nancy said her mom saw stability with her dad but they were the oddest couple he’d ever seen. And that was saying something considering who his parents were.

Karen was just so vibrant, upbeat, and full of energy. She still went to jazzercise three times a week. Her and Nancy had run a marathon last summer. She was the first to offer to help or watch Jere when needed. Ted was so boring and completely useless. Whenever he opened his mouth, everyone just stared at him because he added nothing productive to the conversation even when he actually decided to join in. He’d never shared those views with Nancy, obviously, as that was her dad but he was pretty sure she felt the same way.

Mike and El were up in Jeremiah’s room, amusing the birthday boy with a round of Battleship while he anxiously awaited the arrival of his best friend. Jere had been systematically kicked out of every room in the house. He’d been kicked out of the kitchen after he’d knocked an entire tray of strawberries to the floor, causing Dustin to announce he could run to the store and grab more before Nancy had a meltdown. He’d then proceeded to pop six balloons as he karate chopped and kicked them as fast as Robin was filling them. By the eighth time of him asking Steve if it was time yet, Steve had practically begged the two of them to get him focused on anything else.

“So, Nancy told me your new girlfriend is coming to the party,” Jonathan commented with a sly smile, climbing down from the stepladder. He was sure Nancy had relayed everything Jere or Steve had told her the minute she heard it. “Must be getting pretty serious if you’re inviting her to Jere’s birthday and introducing her to Nance. You’ve never brought a girl around Jere so quickly before.” He stepped back to assess his work, high fiving Steve when they both deemed it good.

“I don’t know. I mean, yeah. I want it to be serious. It definitely seems like it might be serious. But Jere had already met her before we started dating so her being around him this quickly doesn’t really count. We met because she wanted to set up a playdate for the boys.”

“You two exclusive?”

“Yeah. We agreed on that last week,” he laughed, shaking his head. “You would have thought I was some fifteen year old boy who’s never talked to girls. I don’t know why I had such a hard time just asking her to be my girlfriend. I’ve never had a girl get me so tongue twisted before but I like her. I really like her, man. She’s pretty amazing.”

“Sounds like it. Jere says she’s your Lois Lane.”

“Of course he did. Always a superhero reference with that kid. But he’s not wrong. I don’t know. We haven’t known each other all that long but it just feels…different, somehow. I’ve been in a lot of relationships, you know. Like, a lot, a lot.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” snorted Jonathan. “We all started taking bets on how long each lady would last. I lost on Janet by a week. Lucas rubbed that one in my face for a while.”

“You guys take…seriously?” Steve groaned, his hand slipping over his mouth and jaw. Of course his friends would make his sad love life into a game. “Please tell me no one is doing that this time. The last thing I need is her hearing that my friends are placing wagers on how long we last. I’m pretty sure she already thinks I’m some kind of lady’s man.”

“Nah, man. No one’s doing that this time. For one, we haven’t even met her yet. It’s hard to judge before actually seeing the two of you together. And according to Robin and Dustin, they think this one might actually stick. If those two are saying that, then I have to believe it's possible. They’d be the first to call bullshit.”

“Trust me, Robin would have no problem calling it what it is. Hell, she wouldn’t even talk about it with all of you behind my back. She’d just tell me to my face. She told me Janet was crazy the same night she met her. She told me Jill was a narcissist after hanging out with her twice. She told me Heather was annoying and she’d never be able to put up with her if we stayed together. She told me Rachel was just using me to get back at her ex. She’s got everybody’s number from the moment she meets them. This is the first girl she actually hasn’t complained about.”

“At all?” Jonathan’s brows lifted in disbelief. “Hard to believe. Robin doesn’t seem to think anyone is good enough for you.”

“I mean, she was worried initially. She is a widow. Her husband was a Marine and he was killed in action. It happened two years ago and she hasn’t dated anyone since. Robin worried that maybe she would use me as her jumping board. You know, first relationship after losing her ex, a way to dip her toe into the waters. But after meeting her, she thinks she’s the real deal. The two of them have been getting along great, actually. They went out for dinner Wednesday night while I kept the boys.”

“Wow. Impressive. She approves and she wants to hang out with her. I’d say this girl has the Robin Buckley stamp of approval and I know how important that is.”

“Yeah,” snorted Steve, “kind of a necessity in my life.”

“Well, I can’t wait to meet her.” He nodded his head toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna go check on Nance. Make sure she’s got it all under control with the food.” He lowered his voice, hand up by his mouth. “And make sure she’s not getting too high strung over a kid’s birthday party. None of us need high strung Nance.”

Steve laughed knowingly. Nancy was the one you wanted when it came to organization but she could also be a little Type A about it. And if you let her work up too much steam, there was no slowing her down. That’s why Jonathan was so good for her. He knew exactly how to handle her when she was chugging down that track just a little too fast.

As Jonathan walked away, Steve made his way to the living room. Robin and Dustin appeared to have a system going. He would fill the balloon with air from the tank and hand it to Robin, who was tying them off. They probably had thirty balloons at this point, all yellow and black in honor of the special visitor that would be arriving later.

“You know, that’s probably enough balloons,” Steve teased. “Too many more and this house is going to lift right off the ground.”

“Nance specifically said she wanted fifty balloons,” Dustin snapped, grabbing another from the pile. “So, we are giving her fifty balloons.”

“Why fifty?”

“I don’t know, Steve,” sighed Robin, giving him that exasperated look she always gave when she felt like he was asking a stupid question. It happened far more often than it should. “Why don’t you go ask the mother of your child why she requires fifty balloons.”

It was a challenge and they both knew it. Nance would be at maximum anxiety level right now. She was handling everything for the part and until everything was checked off her list, until it was all exactly how she planned, and the event itself had begun, it was better to steer clear. Questions would only lead to icy stares and a sharp tongue. He knew way better than to get in her way.

“Nope. I’m good. Stepping into Nance’s rage cloud is Jonathan’s job now. And he’s in there doing it as we speak. I’m just gonna stay out here, far away.”

“What time is the girlfriend arriving?” asked Dustin, grinning up at him.

Steve looked down at his watch, “About fifteen minutes or so. I told her the same time we told everyone else.”

“Who? Lucas, Max, Hop, Joyce, Will, and Nolan? Speaking of, how did they get out of helping while I’m stuck sitting here blowing up an insane amount of balloons?”

“Talk and fill!” Robin snapped at him. “We’ve got eighteen more balloons to go before everyone gets here.”

“It’s the gang!” argued Dustin. “Well, and Steve’s girlfriend. It’s the same people who are here all the time. Who is Nancy trying to impress? Your new girl? You think she’s going to walk in and go, this party is okay but you know what would really have made this party great? Eighteen more balloons.”

“Do you want to deal with the wrath of Nance when she counts and there’s not fifty? Because you know she’ll count.”

“Damn it. She will,” he huffed, placing another balloon over the pump. “Why is your ex so scary?”

Laughing, Steve shrugged, “You’ve known her longer than me. You tell me.”

The front door opened, Will stepping inside with Nolan right behind him, balancing three very large wrapped boxes in his arms. Steve ran forward to help, taking the top two from him.

“What the hell, man? Did you buy him stereo speakers or something?”

Will smiled, “No.”

“You had to get him three things?”

“He’s my nephew. Of course I had to get him three things.”

“It was going to be five things but I talked him down,” Nolan said, dropping the box he still had with the pile of growing presents that sat in the corner of the living room.

“I’m his favorite uncle and I intend to keep it that way.”

Dustin’s lips came together as he blew a big raspberry, “Whatever. We all know I’m his favorite.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble but neither of you hold a candle to me,” Robin stated, tying off the next balloon, putting them at thirty-eight.

“You’re not an uncle. You’re an aunt,” Dustin pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m the favorite overall so that makes me the best.”

Steve shared a look with Nolan, both men rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. The truth was, Jeremiah adored everyone in his life and Steve would forever be grateful that he had so many people who loved him. Yeah. The pile of presents was large. But the support and devotion they all gave his son was more valuable than anything else.

Jeremiah had something that Steve never had growing up. He had a family. A family who cherished him, spent time with him, and supported him in everything he did. That kid had to have the biggest cheering section of anyone. The cheers were deafening when he walked across the stage at his Kindergarten graduation. His first baseball game was coming up in a couple weeks and Steve had no doubt that most of the people in this house would be in attendance to cheer him on.

“Will! Nolan!” Nancy squealed, exiting the kitchen, still looking picture perfect after hours of preparation for the party. She hugged each man in turn as if it had been months and not simply days, since she’d seen them last.

“Hey man.” Jonathan followed her, giving his brother and Nolan each a hug.

“Who’s manning the restaurant if you’re both here?” asked Dustin, remaining in his spot, dutifully filling the balloons until they reached fifty.

“Shelly is taking care of things for a few hours,” answered Nolan.

Will strolled into the living room, dropping down on the couch, “Yeah. She’s really been a lifesaver. It’s been nice having someone we can trust to handle things so we can actually both be off at the same time. You know, actually spending time with your husband really helps keep a marriage together. If she keeps doing such a good job, we might even consider taking a vacation.”

“We’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii,” Nolan added. “It seemed impossible but with Shelly, we might be able to do it.”

Will and Nolan were not legally married but everyone, including them, acted as if they were. They had a small ceremony in their backyard last year with just their closest friends and family. As far as Steve was concerned, they were married in all the ways that mattered. It was bullshit that the law wouldn’t recognize it. Steve had never seen a more positive example of what marriage should be.

Will had been so nervous to introduce them all to Nolan after they’d first met. He hadn’t told anyone that he was gay, yet. But it hadn’t been a huge surprise. Will, who’d never seemed interested in dating or girls. Will, who’d looked at Mike as if the sun shone on him since they were eleven. Yeah, they pretty much all knew. Steve was just happy he’d moved on from pining for something that was never going to happen and found someone who made him happy. There was nothing worse than pining for the wrong person. He knew. It was how he wound up married when Nancy came back.

The front door opened again, Hopper’s big voice booming through the house, “I hear we’ve got some kid in here who thinks it’s okay to keep growing and now he’s turning eight!”

“Shh!” Nancy chastised with a laugh, taking the gift bag from his hands to deposit it with the gifts. “Mike and El actually have him entertained right now. If he hears his Pops he is going to come running back down here.”

“So?” Hopper opened his arms wide. “The kid loves his Pops.”

“We all know he does but he’s been extremely underfoot,” Steve explained. “And he won’t stop asking when his friend, Eli, is getting here.”

“Eli? Eli with the pretty mom that you brought into the restaurant?” questioned Joyce, her lips curving up knowingly.

“Yeah, that Eli.”

“Oh, oh, oh!” Hopper bellowed, slapping Steve on the back. “You got a girl, kid? A girl who’s coming to your son’s birthday party? Sounds pretty serious! Why wasn’t I told about this?” He lifted an eyebrow at his wife.

“I just forgot to mention it,” shrugged Joyce. “Besides, you know now.”

“It is pretty serious,” Nancy smirked. “Steve is smitten. He gets all red in the cheeks when he talks about her.” She pinched his cheeks and he pulled his head away with a sigh.

“Seriously,” Robin snorted. “He’s like a little puppy who’s feet are too big, tripping all over himself whenever she’s around. It’s adorable, actually.” She tied off another balloon. “Fifty!” Holding up her hand, Dustin indulged her in a high five. “Jesus, that was a lot of balloons.”

“Great!” Nancy grinned. “Now we just need to tape them around the archway, along the table, and above the banner.”

Dustin groaned, head falling back against the couch, “Seriously? Nance, who are you trying to impress?”

“My son only turns eight once and I want it to be perfect. Now come on. We’ve only got a few minutes before Steve’s girlfriend and her son arrive and not long after that Batman will be here. I want this place birthday party perfect before Jere comes down.”

They all pitched in and with so many hands, they had the balloons affixed in no time with Nancy directing, of course, standing back, telling them where to place each one. In the midst of all the directing, grumbling, and complaining, Max and Lucas arrived, immediately being handed balloons and put to work.

Steve glanced over at the clock, edgy and tense when he saw that it was two minutes past the time he’d told you to be here. Had you decided not to come? Had the idea of meeting his ex been too much for you? He shook it off. He was being ridiculous. You'd never been here before. You probably just got lost or hit traffic or hell, maybe you had a hard time getting Eli out the door. He knew how easy it was to be late when you were managing a child.

A hand landed on his back and he glanced over to see Robin, “Calm down. I’m sure she’s coming. Not everybody is super punctual like your ex is.”

“I know, I know. I just…” His words cut off when your car pulled up out front, parking in front of a house across the street. “She’s here.”

____________________________________________________________

“Finally!” Eli dramatically cried from the backseat, throwing his hands in the air. You would have thought this drive took two hours instead of fifteen minutes the way he’d been moaning and complaining the entire time.

“Yes. We’re finally here.”

Unbuckling, you looked up at the cute little house that was your destination. The warm, welcoming brick home with brightly colored tulips in the garden should not be the most terrifying thing you'd ever seen. But your insides curdled as if this were a horror movie you were suddenly trapped in, doomed to face your inevitable demise.

Steve’s ex-wife was just there, right across the street. What was she going to think of you? Would she hate you on sight simply because you were the new woman? Would she be cold and nasty? Or even worse, would she be fake nice, that kind that was so sickly sweet it gave you a toothache even though you could hear the venom dripping underneath? What would she say to Steve after you left? Would her opinion convince him that dating you was a bad idea?

“Mommy! Don’t forget his present!” Eli yelled, unbuckling himself as you were stepping out of the car.

“I know, buddy. I got it.”

You popped the trunk, pulling out the small gift bag inside that featured Batman and Robin. Eli had begged to get Jeremiah the Diddy Kong Racing game for his Nintendo 64. It had been twenty-five dollars, a bit more than you'd planned on spending, but Eli had given you those big hopeful eyes and you just couldn’t bring yourself to say no.

It was his best friend’s party and you usually kept the budget around ten dollars for stuff like that. But it was also your boyfriend’s kid’s birthday so you figured you should spend more. How much more, you had no idea. You didn’t want to go overboard. Then everyone would look at you like you were trying to buy your way in and that certainly wouldn’t go over well with the ex. But if you didn’t get something good enough they would all think you were cheap and didn’t care enough about Jeremiah.

In the end, Eli had made the decision for you. You could always laugh it off with how badly he’d insisted on that particular gift for his friend. You'd never been so stressed just picking out a birthday gift. But this was already a very tight knit circle and you were the outsider trying to find your place. You didn’t want to mess it up.

Taking Eli’s hand, the two of you made your way up the sidewalk. Your son bounced with anticipation while you trudged like you were heading to the gallows. The front door opened just as you reached the bottom of the stairs and Steve stepped out, the mere sight of him soothing some of your anxiety.

“Hey! You made it!”

He opened his arms wide and Eli ran straight into them for a hug, sending Steve off balance. He caught himself, hugging your son before wrapping an arm around you, pressing a light kiss to your lips. You didn’t miss the variety of faces all looking out the front windows at you.

“Hey! You stepped on my foot!”

“Stop pushing!”

“I was here first!”

“Would you give the poor kids some privacy? They’re not animals on display at the zoo!”

“Quiet! They’re gonna know we’re spying on them!”

“We already know! You guys are extremely loud!” Steve bellowed, rolling his eyes toward you. “Sorry about that. They’re all very excited that you’re here.”

“Oh…that’s nice.” You swallowed down the anxiety that was creeping up. No pressure or anything. “Sorry. Eli couldn’t decide which Batman shirt to wear and I am pretty sure he tried on every single one he owns before we finally made it out the door.”

“No worries. The Dark Knight doesn’t arrive for another twenty minutes or so. You made it in plenty of time.” He grinned down at Eli and then leaned in, his hand resting on your low back, thumb brushing soothingly as he whispered, “It’s going to be fine. If you couldn’t tell, they are all really excited that you are coming.”

A nervous smile lifted the corners of your mouth as you nodded, inhaling slowly through your nose. You could do this. The worst that could happen would be that Nancy would hate your guts. That would be something you would have to navigate but you could. Couldn’t you? Lots of people dealt with exes who weren’t fond of the new girls or guys in their lives. You'd just never imagined you would be one of them.

You'd barely stepped inside when a voice called out your name and then arms were wrapping around you in a welcoming embrace. Brown curly hair covered your vision as you returned the hug, a bit overwhelmed and shocked by it to do anything but reciprocate. When the bearer of the hug pulled back, you were looking into the face of a very pretty woman with stormy blue eyes and the cutest little button nose you'd ever seen.

“H…hi…” you stammered, realizing this must be the ex wife as she was the only woman in the room that you'd yet to meet.

“Hi! I’m so sorry to just bombard you like that but I’ve been dying to meet you. Steve and Jere have talked about you so much. I’m so glad you two could come today. Jeremiah has been asking about Eli non-stop. He’s going to be so excited you’re here.” She paused, laughing. “Sorry. I’m Nancy by the way, in case you didn’t already figure that out.” She leaned down to Eli’s level. “And you must be the famous Eli. I have definitely heard all about you.”

Eli beamed, proud to be so well known already, “Jeremiah is my very best friend in the whole world.”

“And you’re definitely his. My son is very lucky to have such a kind friend like you.” Nancy reached forward, ruffling his hair. “Why don’t you head upstairs? I’m sure you’ll be able to find his room. You’ll be able to hear them. Jere is playing games with his Uncle Mike and Aunt El. He’ll be so excited you’re here.”

Eli raced up the stairs, feet pounding loudly with excitement. You stood, a little taken aback. Nancy was nothing like what you'd expected or feared. She was so warm and welcoming. You might have wondered if it was all an act but the woman seemed as genuine as they came. She truly seemed excited that the two of you were there.

“So, Batman should be here in fifteen minutes or so. Would you like anything to drink?” offered Nancy.

“I’m okay. Is there anything I can help with?”

“I was just going to bring in the food from the kitchen if you want to help with that. Robin?”

“Absolutely,” you replied, pleased to be put to use. The last thing you wanted was to be left sitting or standing around awkwardly. You smiled at Steve as you followed Nancy into the kitchen, thinking this might not be near as awful as you thought. In fact, it might actually be fun.

____________________________________________________________

Two hours later, the adults were enjoying drinks on the front porch while the boys were systematically making their way through all of Jeremiah’s birthday gifts. They’d already roped Dustin, Mike, and Lucas into a game of Cranium, opened every single superhero figure he’d received and had an epic battle in Gotham City, annoyed everyone with a Furby that you were sure was actually a demon, and now they were taking turns with Jeremiah’s new scooter. One boy would ride it while the other ran after him and then they would swap.

Batman had been a hit, as if there’d been any doubt. Both boys had been absolutely starstruck when he’d swept into the house, announcing, “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman. Now where’s this birthday boy?”

The college kid playing him had done an excellent job. He had the deep voice and the build for the superhero. He’d allowed the boys to use his grappling hook and his boomerang and set up a game where the adults were the villains and he and the boys had to stop them. Eli and Jeremiah had been giggling the entire time, especially when they got to tie up Steve with rope.

You leaned into Steve from your spot on the steps and he pressed a kiss to your temple, squeezing your shoulder gently. Nancy was grinning like a fool at you, something she’d been doing for most of the party. Contrary to your fears, the woman seemed truly happy for you. Robin was watching you too, a very satisfied smile sitting on her face, making you a bit nervous as it appeared she might be scheming. Given what Steve had told you about his best friend, it wouldn’t be out of character for her.

“You know, now that all of the introductions have been made and you are officially a part of our group, I think it’s about time we had a girl’s night so we can all get to know her a little better,” Robin announced.

“Yes!” El agreed brightly, looping her arm through Mike’s. “We haven’t had a girl’s night with all of us in forever.”

“Yeah, we need to know all your deep, dark secrets now that you’re one of us,” Max teased.

“Good grief,” grunted Hopper, standing on the sidewalk, a wreath of smoke around his head as he watched the boys. “You’re going to scare the poor girl off before Harrington even has a chance. Take it easy on her, girls.”

“Oh come on, Dad. We’re only teasing her,” El laughed with a roll of her eyes.

Lucas snorted, “She goes out with all of you and she’s going to be looking for the exit real fast.” He yelped when Max elbowed him. “Ouch! You know I’m right. I love you all but you can be a bit…much.”

“Much?” demanded Max, eyes wide. “Seriously, Lucas?”

He shrugged, ducking when Max made a swipe for the back of his head, and you had to swallow down your laugh.

“I think if you have a girl’s night, you should go to Brewed Awakening,” Karen sang, joining the crowd, two mugs of coffee in her hands, one of which she handed off to Joyce.

“Where’s Dad?” asked Nancy.

Karen harrumphed, “Do you even need to ask?”

“Snoring in my chair?” asked Jonathan knowingly and Karen pointed at him.

“Of course. Where else would he be?”

“Why should they go to the coffee place?” questioned Will.

“So one of them can finally get our Robin here to do what she’s been too scared to do for months,” Karen stated, patting the dark blond on the head.

“What’s that?” you asked curiously, leaning forward.

Robin glared at Nolan as he answered, “Robin has had a crush on the owner for months but she’s too chicken shit to actually make a move. Her excuse was that she wasn’t sure if she was into women but we have definitely confirmed that she is. In fact, multiple people in this group have confirmed that fact. So, now she has no reason besides her own cowardice.”

“Are you talking about June? I love June!” you stated. “I get my coffee from there all the time and she makes the most delicious sandwiches. I’d be happy to help you talk to her.”

“Talking to her is not my problem,” huffed Robin.

“Like hell it’s not,” argued Steve. “You trip all over your words whenever she’s around. I always do more of the talking while you stand there staring at your shoes, mumbling nonsense every few minutes.”

“Well…I mean, she’s so pretty. It’s hard for me to even look at her, let alone talk to her. I’m scared I’m going to just blurt out the wrong thing or keep talking when I should shut up. You know me. Even after I’ve said everything that I need to say, I just keep talking when I get nervous and she makes me nervous. That’s exactly what I did with Vickie so I figure maybe it’s better if I don’t talk.”

“So take the girls with you for backup,” Karen reasoned.

Joyce agreed. “Yeah. You’re always more confident when you have your support system with you. They can start the conversation and then maybe you’ll find a way to finally ask her out.”

“It took this guy six months to finally ask me out,” Nolan laughed, playfully jabbing his elbow into Will. “He kept coming into the restaurant where I worked and ordering stuff. I swear, the one day he was there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When he came back in right before closing to order dessert, I finally asked him if it was the food he was coming for or me.”

Will’s face flushed scarlet. “I mean…” He shrugged shyly. “Look at him.” He gestured to the very fit man next to him. “Who wouldn’t have trouble talking to him? I never thought some super toned, athletic guy would be interested in a nerdy string bean like me.”

“Oh, I love my nerdy string bean,” Nolan crooned, kissing him on the cheek. “Nothing gets me hotter than hearing you talk about hit points and campaign plans. Plus, you’re easy to toss around.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Oh gross,” Jonathan groaned. “I do not want to hear about my brother making anyone hot and I definitely don’t want to hear about him being tossed around.”

You laughed, resting your head on Steve’s shoulder as you observed the playful banter amid the group. It was so nice how easy they all flowed. It was effortless, like a family should be. After the upbringing Steve had, you were thankful he’d been able to find such a supportive group of people to surround himself with. You were glad that you could now call yourself a part of that too.

“So Lucas, you must be pretty relieved now that tax season is over,” you commented.

The guy groaned, “Oh my god, yes. Why in the hell do so many people wait until the last minute to file? I have been working twelve hour days for the last two weeks.”

“Because they don’t want to pay the corrupt government their bullshit money,” Dustin snorted. “I didn’t file until the last minute I had to.”

“Yeah,” glared Lucas, “I know. I thought I was finally done and in strolls this dipshit at 9:30 at night.”

Dustin shrugged, “Listen, I did what I am supposed to but there’s nothing that says I can’t do it right before it’s due. I did it the night before so the postmark would be the correct date. I followed the rules.”

The conversation flowed easily. Max filled everyone in as much as she could on the case she’d been working on for the last month. Hopper dropped a couple amusing stories about arrests and stops he’d made recently. Mike dropped a bomb, telling everyone he’d finally decided to submit his book to some publishing companies. You were amazed to see how effortlessly it was to be in the middle of this large group.

Your pocket buzzed, interrupting just as Karen was sharing a story about a seventy year old woman who was putting everyone else at Jazzercise to shame. Pulling your phone from your pocket, you sighed when you saw it was Justin’s mom, Judith.

“Can you all excuse me for a minute? I have to take this.”

Walking toward the side of the house, away from the group, you braced yourself before answering. It wasn’t that you hated Judith but Judith could be…difficult. It had taken a long time for her to accept you, struggling to believe that anyone could be good enough for her son. She acted as if you were stealing her boy away from her instead of including you as part of the family. It wasn’t until Eli arrived that she finally seemed to begrudgingly accept that you weren't going anywhere. But she’d never exactly been warm or friendly with you either.

And since Justin had passed it had just become more complicated to navigate a relationship with her. She called at least twice a week, questioning you like she was a hard nosed detective interrogating you, as if she didn’t believe you could possibly take care of her grandson alone. She’d offered to let you and Eli move in with her and her husband after Justin’s death and had taken your refusal as a personal affront. Ever since then, things had been even more dicey between the two of you than they had before.

“Hi Judith.” You pressed two fingers against your forehead, willing yourself to be as upbeat as possible because the woman would notice immediately if you had any kind of tone.

“Aly, hello. I was just calling to check in with that grandson of mine. Can you put him on the phone?”

“Actually, he’s busy right now.”

“Busy? What do you mean busy? What could a seven year old possibly have on his schedule that would be more important than talking to his grandmother?”

This was exactly the kind of thing that grated you. This was what you tried to ignore every time. This level of self-importance that Judith placed on herself. She couldn’t stand not being number one in Justin’s life anymore so now she was vying to be Eli’s number one. There was not a reality where she could imagine her being less important than something or someone else. What she failed to realize was that love should not be a hierarchy where people were valued more than others. You could love multiple people and they could all be important to you.

“We are at his best friend’s birthday party and he is riding scooters with him right now.”

“Oh, well I’m sure if you told him that I was on the phone he could take a break.”

“No Judith. I am not going to do that. He’s having fun. I don’t want to interrupt him right now. Besides, that would be quite rude to his friend. He’s here for his party.”

“It would only be a few minutes.”

“I will have him call you when we get home later. I am sure whatever you have to say can wait a couple more hours,” you stated firmly and then sighed, softening your tone. “Besides, then he can tell you all about the birthday party.”

“Oh! Well, that’s true.” You could hear it. Judith was convinced, tickled at the thought of her grandson wanting to share all the details of his life with her. “Okay. But make sure he calls me. Make sure you don’t forget.”

“I won’t.”

“Well, I know how you get, darling. I know being a single mother must be challenging but you should really find a system for writing things down. You’re so forgetful these days.”

Your neck rolled at the dig. The truth was you weren't forgetful. You chose to forget that Judith had called on occasion because you could only take so many minutes of listening to her list all the ways that you were failing. You could only handle her reminding you how she’d offered to take you and Eli in so many times. And if you didn’t occasionally forget about her, you feared you were going to lash out at her. And no matter how Judith grated your nerves, she was still your son’s grandmother.

“I promise I will have him call you.”

Keeping the goodbyes short, you flipped your phone shut, the harsh snap satisfying. Inhaling slowly, you rolled your shoulders, relaxing yourself. The last thing you needed was to head back up there tense and ruin everyone’s mood.

“Hey, everything okay?” Steve asked as you approached, his eyes lasering straight through you, seeing through the mask you were attempting to wear. His hand settled on your shoulder and you felt your body respond, each tense muscle slowly loosening under his touch.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. That was Eli’s grandmother. She just wanted to check in with him. I told her I would have him call her later after we got home.”

“Your mom?” asked Max with a tilt of her head.

“Uh…no…Justin’s mom, actually.”

Those eyes were burning into you even as you kept your gaze purposefully away from his. His hand trailed down your back, making slow circles through the fabric of your shirt, as if he could sense that you were on edge no matter how light you tried to keep your tone.

“Do they live around here?” inquired Nancy.

“No. They…they don’t.” Thank god they didn’t but you kept that particular thought in your own head. “They live over three hours away in Port Clinton, Ohio. It’s this city right by Lake Erie. We don’t really see them that much, honestly.”

“Oh. That must be hard for you two. Your parents aren’t close either, are they?” Nancy’s eyes were full of empathy, understanding from another mom. Most moms could at least envision how hard it would be to raise a child alone, empathize with the challenges. And really, for a while, until her and Jonathan got together, she had been doing it alone during the time she had Eli.

“No. They’re not. Even farther away actually, in Boston. But they usually fly out a couple times a year, around the holiday times. They…well…” You bit your lip, glancing up at Steve. You hadn’t dropped this particular bomb on him yet and this wasn’t really something you wanted to do in front of everyone. But you probably should, considering your mom had called two nights ago to tell you they booked flights for the week after school was out. “They're actually going to be visiting in about five weeks.”

“Well, that’s exciting!” beamed El. “Eli has to be happy.”

“Yeah. He is. They, well, they want to watch him play baseball. My dad is a huge Red Sox fan. He was even before they moved to Boston. I always tease him that that’s really why he wanted to move there. The job was just an excuse for him to be closer to his beloved team. And they…uh…they want to meet Steve, actually.”

Steve’s eyebrows lifted and your stomach clenched. Maybe this was all moving too fast. You'd barely been together and now you were asking him to meet your parents. Would this scare him off? For all the talking you'd done about taking it slow, the two of you seemed to be going from zero to eighty in a matter of seconds.

“You know, I can just tell them you’re out of town for work or something when they come,” you rushed to add. “My mom, while I love her, can be a bit much. The minute she found out I was dating somebody she was talking about a visit. I mean, she’s going to love you. She loves everybody but I know it’s really soon for all of that. It’s crazy, right? It’s not like we’re sixteen and you have to meet my parents before taking me out.”

Robin’s eyes went wide. “Damn. And I thought I rambled when I was nervous.”

Steve shot a glare her way and she held up her hands, leaning back against the post. “No. It’s fine. I’d love to meet your parents. Besides…” He paused, grinning, “...parents love me.”

“Its true.” Karen nodded. “I’ve adored him from the moment he walked through my door. I still love him even though he divorced my daughter.”

“But you got me in exchange,” teased Jonathan.

“That’s true.” She patted his shoulder. “And we love you too.”

“You really don’t have to if you don’t want to,” you told him. “I don’t want you feeling obligated or anything.”

“I don’t feel obligated. They can come to a game. I can cookout one day over at my place. In fact, let’s take them to Sage and Salt one night for a nice dinner.”

“Oh yeah!” Nolan agreed. “I will whip up some of my best dishes for your folks.”

“They will get the VIP treatment,” Will promised. “We’ll pull out all the stops for them.”

Joyce placed her hands on her youngest’s shoulders, “Will and Nolan will take really good care of them. And you’re not going to find better food in the whole town. Of course, I might be just a tad biased.”

“Maybe just a bit,” chuckled Will.

“You’re sure?” you asked Steve.

“Of course I’m sure. I can’t wait to meet the people who are responsible for you coming into this world.” He wrapped his arms around you, kissing your forehead. “Now I can thank them personally for making one of my favorite people I’ve ever met.”

“Oh my god,” gagged Dustin. “You guys are so sweet it’s sickening.”

“Don’t be jealous just because you don’t have anyone,” Mike mocked, slugging him lightly in the shoulder.

“You know, Dustin, there’s this girl at my work who…” Max began before Dustin cut her off.

“No. No. Absolutely not. Turn around and walk away with that thought right now. I am not going on any more dates that any of you set up for me. The last three have been a disaster. You’d think you don’t know me at all with the girls you try to set me up with.”

“Okay, even I will admit that Tammy wasn’t the best choice, but…,” Lucas admitted.

“But nothing! She was so self-involved. She kept pulling out her compact mirror to check her lipstick every five minutes. And every time I asked her a question or said anything, she said huh?” He opened his mouth wide, his eyes going glassy, clearly doing an impression of the girl. “She couldn’t even hold a simple conversation. And she kept talking about Devon Sawa.”

“I mean…” El shrugged. “He is pretty conversation worthy. Have you seen Wild America?”

Dustin’s eyes rolled up into his head as he gave a loud snort, “And Patricia! Are you kidding me? She told me she didn’t believe in dinosaurs and that fossils were planted by the devil to lure us away from God. You really thought I would mesh well with a girl who doesn’t believe in basic scientific facts?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t hook you up with either of them,” Max shot back. “Tammy was all Lucas and Patricia was all Robin.”

“To be fair, I didn’t know she was such a Jesus nut,” Robin defended. “I met her at the bookstore and she was standing in the Science Fiction section. I thought she’d be exactly your type.”

“The Science Fiction section that is right next to the Religion section?” demanded Dustin. “Did you even glance at the books that were in her arms because I guarantee you there was nothing there written by Dan Simmons or Connie Willis. But there was probably something written by men who claimed God spoke to them.”

“She didn’t have any books in her hands and you were so sad then. It had been months and you were still moping around about Suzie. I just thought going out with someone new might take your mind off of it or at least break you in a bit so you’d be ready to go out with someone new.”

“I was not moping!”

Steve guffawed loudly, “Oh yes you were. I found you laying in your bed, listening to Don’t Speak on repeat.”

“Whatever,” huffed Dustin. “The point is, I have learned my lesson. None of you are hooking me up with anyone ever again. I am more than capable of finding my own dates, thank you.”

“How about me?” you asked and they all turned to look at you. You smiled nervously, shrugging. “I mean, I’m not part of the group.”

“Oh, yes you are,” Mike stated. “Look, you’ve declared your relationship status with Steve. You’re even taking the step of introducing him to your parents. You have solidified yourself as a member of the group now.”

“Yeah,” agreed Lucas. “And I’m sorry to say, once you’re in there is no getting out. So, you’re stuck now.”

“It’s true,” Nolan shrugged. “Trust me. Once you’ve been inducted into the group there is no escape.”

Who were these people? Most people would be suspicious of a newcomer, or at least a little cautious, maybe a tad reserved until they got to know them but not them. They just accepted you. Steve was dating you so you were okay with them. Honestly, the way they just enfolded you into their group left you feeling so warm and fuzzy, like a sweater straight out of the dryer that just wrapped comfortably around your skin.

“Be that as it may, and for the record, I am perfectly okay with that seeing as I have no intention of trying to escape, I haven’t always been a part of this group. So you have no idea how my matchmaking skills are. And there’s this new nurse at my work. Her name is Heather and she’s really cute. Blond curls, gray blue eyes, adorable glasses…and she is totally into all that science stuff. I saw her reading "Neverwhere” the other day on her lunch.”

“A Gaiman fan, huh?” Dustin’s thumb and forefinger came to his chin, considering. Oh yeah, she had him interested. “That might have potential. How old is she?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Okay. What was she eating for lunch?”

“Why does that matter?” you laughed.

“Because it does. What was she eating?”

“A bologna sandwich, potato chips, and oreos.”

“Good taste in lunch food, too. Alright. I’ll tell you what. Since I don’t know you that well and you’ve never hooked me up with anyone, I will give you a shot. But just one. If this date goes sideways, no one…and I mean no one who is standing here right now gets to try to set me up ever again.”

“To be fair, I’ve never gotten a turn,” Joyce stated.

“Mama Joyce, while I love you with all the depth of the ocean blue, no thank you.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re sweet. You’re kind. You’re everything a mother should be and for all intents and purposes, you’re all of our mothers. But you married Hopper so I’m not entirely sure of your judgement skills.”

“Hey…what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Hopper blurted, folding his arms over his chest.

“I mean, come on Hop. We love you but…it’s like she married Smokey the Bear.”

“Oh yeah? Come here, kid!” He lunged off the porch and Dustin shrieked, darting away from him through the grass.

Your initial fear for the guy dissipated when you noticed they were both laughing. Hopper grabbed onto Dustin, placing him in a headlock and rubbing his fist over the top of his head. Eli and Jeremiah noticed the commotion, Eli jumping off the scooter mid-roll, the new toy dropping to the grass.

“Uncle Dusty! I’ll help you!” Jere cried, racing for Hopper and wrapping his arms and legs around one of the big guy’s.

“I’ll help too!” Eli yelled, wrapping around the other one.

“Oh yeah? Think you can pin me down?” Hopper growled playfully, releasing Dustin. He lifted one foot and then the other, both boys giggling gleefully as he walked slowly around the front yard. “You can’t stop me!”

Steve’s arms wrapped around you from behind, his chin resting on your shoulder. You leaned into the solidness of him, watching with amusement as the boys released Hopper’s legs and ran at him. The big man dramatically fell to the ground with a loud roar. Mike and Dustin immediately leapt on him, the boys jumping on each of them, and Hopper bellowed loudly.

“See? You both fit right in,” he murmured, his lips brushing over your ear. “You belong right here with all of us.”

Yeah. It really seemed like maybe you did.

Chapter 14

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. ❤️❤️❤️

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 2 months

Note

New Everybody hurts chapters?!

No, no, take your time. I just beg of you that you don't stop it entirely. Yes, I'm paranoid.

I am so sorry to say, but that story is complete. Sam and Eddie's journey has come to a close for me. I will be writing more Eddie in the future but I am currently working on a Steve series and unlike so many talented writers on here, my brain can't handle focusing on multiple stories at once. I've done it and I wind up writing the wrong character's names in the wrong stories. 🤣

#anon <3 #anon ask #anonymous #thanks anon!

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 2 months

Text

Never Say Never

Chapter 12

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

No posting schedule.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 7.9K

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A fish? Really? You shook your head as Steve demonstrated how to feed the fish. Eli was watching with rapt attention, following his every move, eager to take care of his new pet correctly. Now you just needed to make sure the damn thing stayed alive so your son wasn’t shattered. He was so soft hearted, especially when it came to animals. He’d be devastated if anything happened to Flash.

Steve had shown up with all the supplies they would need thirty minutes ago. The boys had eagerly helped place the tiny rock buildings into the bottom of the tank. They declared it Central City, the hometown of the superhero himself. You tried to convince them to name him Aquaman since the guy lived underwater but they were having none of it, looking at you as if you'd lost your mind. As if Aquaman wasn’t far more logical. So, Flash it was. Eli even made a lightning bolt out of yellow construction paper that they taped to the front of the bowl.

And now you were the proud owner of a goldfish, one of the easiest pets to fail with. You barely had the brain capacity to remember everything Eli needed but at least he could tell you. Now you had a fish that you had to remember to feed and clean the bowl. Eli swore that he would do everything but he was seven. There was no way he would remember. You'd have to stay on top of it if the fish stood a chance in hell at making it longer than a few days.

Quietly, you slipped out of the room, making your way down the stairs, leaving the boys to all admire the fish as they dropped him into his new home. You'd already pulled out the extra pillows and blankets for Jeremiah and placed the George of the Jungle VHS next to Eli’s VCR. It had been his movie request for the night since Jeremiah had never seen it before. It was one of your favorites, though you were pretty sure your reason for enjoying it so much differed from your son’s.

The dryer buzzed just as you reached the bottom step so you headed in to get the load folded before you forgot. You were notorious for that, thinking you'd get it in a minute and then forgetting, leaving you running the same load three times before it actually got folded.

Losing herself in the monotony of matching socks and your swirling thoughts, you didn’t even hear when Steve made his way downstairs. The sight of him in the doorway of the laundry room caused you to jump.

“Jesus,” you exclaimed, your hand grasping your chest. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.” Steve smiled sheepishly, folding his arms, his shoulder leaning against the frame of the door.

“Flash all settled into his new home?”

“Yep. He’s all sheltered and fed. Should be good for the night. He only really needs to be fed once a day.”

“You make it sound so simple,” you laughed.

“It is. Fish are pretty easy.”

“Yeah, if you can remember to actually keep them alive. Notice the lack of houseplants around here?” You swung your arm out wide. “That’s because they always die. I tried. I wanted to be the kind of person whose house was filled with greenery but I cannot remember to water them to save my life. That fish could be in trouble.”

“Nah. I bet you’ve got it under control. I mean, Eli looks pretty well taken care of to me.”

“That’s because he can whine at me when he’s hungry or tired or cold. The fish can’t say, hey lady, you haven’t fed me in two days and I’m going to starve.”

Steve chuckled, “No. I get that. I mean, even Miles lets me know when he’s hungry. He’ll bring his bowl right to me if it gets too far past his dinnertime. That dog does not wait for food.”

“Well, Flash doesn’t have any legs. Also, he kind of needs to stay in the water so there won’t be any chance of him coming to me for anything. And then he’ll die and Eli will be heartbroken and it will be all my fault.”

“Maybe, but see, here’s a little secret. Goldfish? They pretty much all look the same. Fairly easy to just replace him before Eli’s any the wiser.”

“If he doesn’t see him first.”

“Well, there’s that…” Steve frowned, little furrows appearing between his brows. You grabbed more socks, needing something to do with your hands so you didn’t give in to the temptation to reach out and smooth them.

“Boys all good?” you asked in an attempt to keep the conversation light when it felt anything but after everything that had occurred over the last couple of days.

“Oh yeah. I put the movie on for them. I give them maybe thirty minutes before they’re out. They swear they’re staying up all night but there’s no way with all the excitement they had tonight.”

“Thanks…you know, for getting them all settled down and everything. And for the fish supplies.”

“Well, I kind of felt like I had to take care of the supplies since it’s my fault you have one.”

“Yeah.” You swallowed and cleared your throat when you realized you had no more laundry to fold. Nothing to occupy your hands, nothing to stop you from reaching out and…no. “Well, I can drop him off tomorrow. We can play it by ear. Maybe I’ll take them to the playground or something. I’ll give you a call. I mean, if you don’t mind…or if you wanted him home sooner, I can do that too…I…”

“Honey.”

Then his hands were holding yours and you were being guided right into his chest. Your heart hammered against your ribcage, eyes slipping closed because you didn’t trust herself to look at him. If you looked at that face, you would give him anything he wanted and you had to be strong. Conversations had to be had before anything else happened. You weren't looking for some friends with benefits kind of situation. You weren't that kind of girl. You couldn’t be. You were jealous of the girls who could just enjoy sex without it being complicated. Your emotions always got involved and right now, your emotions were in a very precarious position of being squashed like a bug under a boot.

“Honey,” Steve repeated when you'd been silent for too long.

“Yeah?” you managed, the word barely a whisper as you fought to keep yourself in control.

“Can we talk? I don’t want to leave until we talk through some things.”

“Okay…yeah. That’s probably a good idea.”

You'd wanted this. This was exactly what the two of you needed to do. Sort everything out, figure out what the hell this was. So why were you shaking? Because you were scared, scared that you'd put yourself out there for the first time since losing yourself to only get shattered all over again. What if he was going to say he couldn’t do something serious with you? What if he couldn’t handle that you had a past? That you'd been married, been in love, before him?

No. No matter what he had to say, it was still better to know. Better to rip off the band-aid and let the wound breathe if that’s what was going to happen. You couldn’t tiptoe around each other, acting like you hadn’t already crossed a really huge line. You couldn’t pretend like nothing had happened. It had to be addressed and if he was going to tell you he didn’t want to move ahead with a relationship, then at least you would know so you could try to move on with your life.

Keeping one of your hands in his, Steve led you toward the living room. He paused in the hallway, pointing to a framed photo on the wall of you, Justin, and Eli a few years ago at the fair. Eli sat atop Justin’s shoulder, his arm around your waist, your cheek pressed against his chest, all three of you beaming at the camera.

“That’s your husband?”

“Yeah,” you replied softly, nodding. “That’s Justin. That was taken about a year before he died. He was home on leave for six months that time. It was wonderful getting to have him here for so long. Eli loved it. It broke his heart every single time his dad had to leave. It was such a blessing whenever we got to feel like a real family for a while. We went to the fair. Eli loved the little pigs. They were his favorite. He kept grabbing onto the fencing and sticking his nose right up to theirs. He begged Justin to get him a pig.” You laughed fondly at the memory. “He told him we didn’t have the room for a pig and Eli insisted he could share his room. That boy, always finding a way around anything you tell him.”

Steve smiled, “Like us?”

“Yeah. I guess so. He was pretty insistent that you and I would work.”

“I think he might be right.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I do.” He stepped into you, dropping your hand, one of his coming to your hip and the other to your cheek. “I think this could be something really great, actually.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I was married? That I was in love with someone else?”

Steve shrugged, “I was married, too.”

“Yeah, but tonight at the carnival, when Janet was going on and on about Justin and how perfect we were together, you looked angry. I thought maybe you were angry because you didn’t like hearing about it, about my life before. And not that I would ever shove anything in your face but he was a big part of my life and he always will be. That’s never going to change.”

“I know that. I would never ask you to pretend like Justin didn’t exist. That wasn’t why I was angry. I was angry because I knew exactly what she was doing.” His eyes rolled, a deep sigh lifting his shoulders, and he took a step back. One hand ran through his hair, letting you know he was nervous or agitated, possibly both. “Look, Janet and I dated a while back and it didn’t go well. It was before you. The whole thing was done months before you and I ever met.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

You cringed, “Your friends may have told me about it. They said she got really obsessive, almost stalkerish. They said you almost had to get a restraining order against her.”

“Yeah, pretty much. I didn't see it. Maybe I didn’t want to see it. I don’t know. She was so clingy but it felt nice…to be needed, you know? I’d never had anyone need me like that. But then she got weird. We’d only been together a couple weeks and she was talking about moving in together. After a month she was talking like I was her daughter’s dad. She even referred to me as daddy once, saying let’s see what your daddy thinks, to her kid. It freaked me out. When I tried to end things, it got even worse. She started showing up at my work, sitting in her car outside of my house. She would wait to ambush me and tell me exactly why I was making a mistake.”

“Jesus…” you muttered. You'd never been a fan of Janet but you'd never known she was quite so unhinged. She sounded scary, like one of those crazies in a Lifetime movie.

“Yeah. That’s why I got angry. She was trying to sabotage this before it’s even really began because she’s convinced that her and I should be together. It has nothing to do with you and me. It wouldn’t matter who I was with. She doesn’t want me with anyone. I didn’t want her to scare you into running away.”

“I’m not running anywhere,” you assured him, taking a step forward, placing your hand on his chest. And you weren't. You wanted this, whatever this was, with him. You weren't going to let anything, let alone some whack-a-doo, like Janet to scare you off.

“No?”

“No. I like you. I mean, I really like you. You’re the first person since Justin that has made me feel…anything. I mean, I feel like that should be obvious after the…you know, baking incident. But I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t invite you over for that.”

“I’m the one who asked, remember? And the last time I checked, both of us were pretty involved in that incident.” His head dipped toward you, those hazel eyes finding yours, one finger lifting your chin. “Do you wish it wouldn’t have happened?”

“I just don’t want you to think I’m easy. I don’t…I’ve only ever had a one night stand once in my life and I haven’t even been with anybody since my husband. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I never thought you were easy.”

“Maybe not, but you’ve done that with a lot of girls and I don’t want to be lumped in with them. I don’t want to be just a number…”

His hands cradled your face, “You could never be just a number. You could never be lumped in with anyone. You stand out, trust me. What we did…I…honey, I’ve never felt like that with anyone else. It wasn’t just sex for me.”

“Me…me neither…” you stammered, your eyes falling to his lips that were so close to yours. “So what does it mean?”

“I don’t know but I sure as hell want to find out. How about you?”

“Yeah. I do…I just, are we like a couple now?”

Steve laughed, “I think we’ve already crossed that bridge, honey. Don’t you?”

Yeah. You hadn’t just crossed that bridge. You'd demolished it. Although, plenty of people had sex without becoming a couple. It wasn’t mandatory. It certainly wasn’t crazy for you to have doubts about what it meant.

“I guess. I just…are you my boyfriend?” You cringed, laughing, shaking your head. “That sounds so weird to me. I haven’t had a boyfriend in years.”

“I mean, yeah.” Steve’s shoulders lifted and he stepped forward, backing you into the wall. “I’ll be your boyfriend. But if I’m your boyfriend, does that mean I get to kiss you whenever I want?”

“Of course,” you grinned.

Then his lips were on yours, those fingers slipping into your hair, wrapping around the base of your head while his palms still held your face. Your fingers wrapped around the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. He could never be close enough. You wanted to fuse your skin together, crawl inside of him, be as close to him as two people could be.

“Does that mean I get to touch you whenever I want?” he whispered and you could feel his smile against your lips.

“God yes,” you rasped, yanking on his shirt until his lips were molded against yours once more.

Fingers trailed down your neck, over your chest, slipping underneath the fabric of your top. You shuddered at the feel of his fingertips on your bare stomach as they crept upward, cresting over your ribs to cup your lace covered breast. He kneaded the flesh with his palm as his thumb danced over your nipple, teasing it into a hard peak.

He parted your lips with his tongue, slipping inside, moving over your own, and you groaned. Your back arched, pressing your breast further into his hand, needing more of him, needing all of him. You would never be able to get enough.

“Steve…”

“Jesus Christ, honey.” His teeth captured your bottom lip, raking over it, his tongue running just underneath the swollen flesh. “I have been so damn obsessed ever since the other day. All I can think about is the flush of your skin, the way you sound gasping my name, the look on your face when you came for me. You’re so damn pretty when you come.” His hand moved lower, over your stomach, a quick flick of the button on your jeans and then it was slipping past the thick fabric, underneath the silk of your panties, cupping your heat in his palm. “You don’t know how many times I had to stop myself from driving over here or just showing up at your work.”

“Oh yeah?” you breathed, your eyes rolling back as his fingers ran over your clit. “And what would you have done if you’d found me?”

“Mmm, well first, I would do exactly what I’m doing right now. But if I had you alone, truly alone, and I could do whatever I want, I would start by tasting every single inch of your skin.” His lips descended on your neck, wet kisses followed by a nip of your collarbone. “So damn sweet. Then I would bury my face between your thighs and worship you until I had you screaming my name. I would do this…” He pressed two fingers into you, causing you to gasp, your fingers digging into his shoulders. “And this…”

They curled, hitting that spot, your vision going hazy, teeth digging into your bottom lip as you reminded yourself the boys were here and you needed to control your volume. Your head pressed against the wall behind you as you held onto him for support, keeping yourself from sliding to the floor as your legs began to shake, your release so close.

“That…that’s good…so good…” you groaned softly.

“And only after I had made you come again and again, those beautiful lips crying out my name over and over, I would lay back so you could ride me. Because, fuck honey, I have been dreaming about what you would look like on top of me. It’s consumed me. The idea of watching every single expression on your face, seeing those beautiful breasts as you move over me, using me to make yourself feel good.”

“Jesus Christ…” you whimpered, that tremble in your legs now taking over your entire body. You wanted that too. God, you wanted that. Him under you, hazel eyes watching you, your fingers gripping onto that chest hair as you rode his cock, you in control. The very thought was too much and as his thumb circled your clit, his fingers curling and exploring within you, that tight band snapped.

You buried your face against his chest, muffling the scream that was desperate to rip itself from your lungs. Your body shook against him and he held you tightly with his free arm, his own weight pressing you back into the wall to keep you upright. When your head fell back, his mouth covered yours, swallowing all of your sounds with his lips and tongue.

“Holy shit,” you gasped, eyes fluttering open, your body struggling to gain control after the epic orgasm he’d just given you.

Steve smiled, fingers brushing your hair back off your forehead, placing gentle kisses across your forehead, your eyelids, your nose, your cheeks. God, you wanted this man, you wanted this man to completely take over your entire life. You wanted him like you had not wanted anything in such a long time.

“Jesus,” he whispered, hands cradling your jaw. “You are so damn beautiful.”

Shit. Janice was right. You were already in too deep. You weren't sure if love was the word but you'd already given your heart to this man, completely and totally. He had so much power right now, power he probably wasn’t even aware of, but you trusted him. You trusted him not to crush you. You trusted him to care for the precious thing you'd given him, whether you'd meant to or not.

“Laundry room,” you mumbled.

“Huh?” he asked, pulling back, confusion furrowing the lines on his face.

“The boys…we have to be stealthy…laundry room. We’ll hear them before we see them.”

“Oh!” His eyes lit up mischievously as he caught onto your meaning. “Laundry room.”

He grabbed your hand, pulling you behind him, the two of you giggling like teenagers who were thrilled to be getting away with something. The moment you crossed the threshold, his hands were on your hips, lifting you up, setting you on top of the washing machine.

“Not just gorgeous but smart,” Steve grinned and then his mouth was everywhere, and suddenly that need that had been quenched was raging within you all over again. “God, I want you, want to be inside you.”

Your legs wrapped around his waist, allowing you to feel exactly how much he wanted you, the firmness of him pressing against your heat. His fingers tangled in your hair, your hands sliding under his shirt, desperate to feel his skin, to rid yourselves of all the layers between you.

“Mommy?”

“Shit!” You disentangled yourself from Steve, jumping down from the washing machine just before Eli came around the corner. You ran your hands through your hair, offering your son, who had the worst timing possible, a smile. “Hey honey.”

He stopped, looking at you both with sleepy eyes, as if he were trying to figure out what exactly was happening. He rubbed them, blinking as the two of you stood still as statues, praying he hadn’t heard anything he shouldn’t have.

“What are you guys doing?” he asked.

“Us? Oh, the dryer went off so I was helping your mom fold some laundry.” Steve’s eyes darted over to the full basket you'd folded earlier, grabbing and lifting it up. “See?”

“Okay. Why are you still here? I thought you were just coming over to help with Flash.”

“Me?” Steve pointed to himself. “Well, your mom and I were going to watch a movie.”

“Oh.” Eli nodded, suspicion over. It was just that simple. Sweet boy.

“Did you need something, sweetie?” you asked.

“I’m having that ouchie in my legs again,” he told you. “Can I get some medicine?”

“Of course.” You glanced over at Steve who was looking concerned. “Growing pains. He gets them every now and again. Doctor’s checked him out and he’s all good. Just gets a bit achy every now and then.” Turning back to Eli, you sighed, shaking your head with a smile. “I guess I should get ready to have to replace your whole wardrobe, huh?” You ruffled his hair. “I’ve begged him to slow down but he won’t.”

“I can’t help it. I have to grow, mommy.”

“Don’t I know it. Come on. Let’s get you some Tylenol and get you back to bed. Is Jeremiah asleep?”

“Yeah. We didn’t watch much of the movie. I fell asleep before Ursula even met George.”

“Well, you can always show it to him another time.” You glanced over at Steve. “I’ll be right back.”

He smiled as you walked off with Eli. After a drink of water, a dose of Tylenol, and a little rub of his legs to ease the ache, you tucked him in. You placed a kiss on top of his head as he was already drifting off again. Jeremiah was fast asleep, curled into a little ball at the foot of the bed.

You made your way back downstairs to find Steve sitting on the couch, waiting for you, the remote in his hand. You offered him an apologetic smile as he patted the couch and then opened his arm. Walking over, you dropped down next to him, curling against his side, his arm coming comfortingly around you.

“Sorry about that.”

“Ah, no worries. I’m a parent too, remember?”

“I know but…that could all get a bit complicated with little people running around.”

“We’ll figure it out. Anyway, I figured we could actually watch that movie I told Eli we were going to so we’re not liars,” he chuckled, hitting play on the remote. “I looked at your options and picked First Knight. Hope that’s okay.”

Your eyes widened, “Are you kidding me? I love that movie!”

“Richard Gere fan, huh?”

“Richard Gere is okay but have you not seen Sean Connery in that movie?”

“Seriously?” Steve’s head fell back with laughter. “He’s in his sixties.”

“So? I think he looks way better with the white hair. That man got even better with age.”

“Good to know.”

“What?”

Steve smirked, “I guess I don’t have to worry about you losing interest as I age now that I know you’re into geriatrics.”

You pressed your hand into his stomach, “People in their sixties are not geriatrics.”

A pleasant thrill went through you, one you were not planning on sharing. But he’d just talked as if he assumed you were certain, as if you would still be together thirty years from now. He was probably just joking but you couldn’t deny how happy it made you, the thought of the two of you working out, of this being it for you. Your second chance. Your happily ever after, something you thought you'd never have after you lost Justin.

“Alright, fine. Not geriatrics but still grandpa age. So you’ll still want to jump my bones after a day of hanging with the grandkids?”

“Absolutely. I don’t see there ever coming a time I won’t want to jump your bones, Steve Harrington. I have no doubt you are going to be a silver fox. Besides, nothing is sexier than watching a man be good with kids.”

“Oh really? Well, that explains it all.”

“What?”

“It was the coaching, wasn’t it? That’s what attracted you to me?”

“Honestly? I was attracted to you from the moment you turned around,” you admitted, your face hot with the truth you were telling him. “I’m surprised my jaw didn’t drop like one of those cartoon characters. It sure felt like it. I mean, come on. You have to know how good looking you are.”

Steve blushed, his mouth dropping open, eyes raising to the ceiling. His hand raised and then dropped as if he were trying to think of how to respond. Yeah, the guy knew he was good looking. He was just too humble to admit it.

“All those girls in high school, the moms who throw themselves at you, you know you’re attractive.”

“Maybe,” he acknowledged with a shrug. “But my looks haven’t exactly gotten me far in life when it comes to women.”

“Well, I was attracted from the moment I saw you because you are devastatingly good looking,” you teased with a grin. “But yes, watching you with the kids at practice, particularly my kid…I saw how patient you are. I saw what a great dad you are. What a great guy you are. And if I wasn’t already hopelessly into you at that point, seeing you with all of your friends was the clincher. So, yes, you are ridiculously attractive. I mean, like borderline, it should be illegal to look the way you do, but it’s a lot more than that. And that isn’t going to change no matter how your looks do. Besides, I think you’re going to be so sexy as an older man.”

“Oh really?”

“Absolutely.”

He pressed his lips to yours, a soft sweet kiss, so unlike the heated ones you'd shared mere moments ago. But it still left your insides melting into a puddle, like a popsicle left on the sidewalk on a hot summer day. A kiss that was full of promise for the future you'd never thought was possible for you.

“You’re perfect,” he whispered, kissing you once more. “Just so damn perfect.”

“Hmm, you might change your mind about that the more you get to know me.”

“Nope. Never happening.” His arms locked around you and you eased onto his chest as he laid back on the couch. “I’ve been waiting for you a long time, honey. I think, maybe, my whole life.”

You swallowed hard, his words creating a knot of emotion that was going to spill over if you didn’t get it under control. Burrowing into him, you inhaled slowly through your nose, willing yourself not to cry. Those words had touched you deeply, had unraveled the knots within you that were your fear that you would never be important to anyone again, never be seen that way again.

You didn’t know how to respond and was relieved when he didn’t seem to expect you to. Your eyes closed as his hand brushed over your hair, tracing down your body to rest on the side of your waist, the two of you sinking into a comfortable silence as you watched the movie.

___________________________________________________________

Steve’s eyes blinked open, a warm weight pressing down against his chest. Looking down, he smiled when he found you there, peacefully sleeping in the crook of his arm. The two of you had fallen asleep on the couch, watching a movie after Eli interrupted their moment. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking. Clearly you weren’t getting away with anything with two seven year olds moving about the house.

That could prove to be a problem that needed to be worked around. He had three to four nights a week free from Jeremiah but you did not have that. Eli was always with you. Sex could prove to be tricky. How in the hell did couples manage it with kids afoot twenty-four hours a day? He’d have to ask some of the guys at work. Many of them had been married for years, their kids grown and gone. They couldn't possibly have spent years being celibate. He’d have to learn their tricks.

Because while what he'd managed to do last night had been amazing, while he’d relished every single moan, whimper, and gasp of his name that you had uttered, it hadn’t been nearly enough. It hadn’t come close to quelling the ache that had been tormenting him since that moment in your kitchen. Knowing what you felt like, what the two of you felt like together, it had been all he could think about and he needed to do it again. Needed to have your body wrapped around his, to be buried within you, to feel you as you came undone around him.

His arm tingled painfully, clearly asleep under the weight of your body resting against it all night. But he couldn't bring himself to wake you. Not when you looked so content, so peaceful, your hair splaying around your head like a crown, the sun’s rays almost making the strands appear to glow. The skin of your face was relaxed and smooth and he couldn’t stop himself from running his thumb over your cheekbone, your lips, memorizing every single detail of this woman who’d agreed to be his.

His heart swelled at the thought. The thought that this could be it, this could be the real thing. The thing he’d always wanted but felt just out of reach. He could be holding his forever in his arms right now as long as he didn’t do anything to mess it up. Because that was what he was best at, completely imploding his relationships.

Even now, he could feel it rising up in him, the desire to be next to you, to never leave your side, to spend every waking moment with you. He pushed it back down, to the depths where that kind of crazy belonged. Because if he did that, if he pushed too hard, he would push this relationship right over the edge and watch it shatter before it had even had a chance to begin.

With that urge came a word, such a simple thing, four letters, but its meaning, the feeling behind it, was so complicated. It wasn’t something he could say anytime soon. And maybe he was only thinking that word right now because he was in that fog of serotonin and hormones that came with a new relationship. That word that he always said far too soon. He wouldn't make that mistake with you, not this time, not this girl. He would bottle that word up tight. He wouldn’t utter it, not until you did, not until he was certain you were ready to hear it.

His eyes drifted over to the wall of framed photos, picture after picture of you and your husband. Your wedding day, the two of you on a beach somewhere, in the hospital room the day you had Eli, at the fair, holding up the keys as you stood on the porch of this house. It told the story of an entire life you'd lived already, a life before him, a life that you loved with a man you'd considered to be your soulmate.

You'd assumed he’d been angry that Janet was bringing up your husband. He hadn’t but he’d be lying if he said the man didn’t scare the shit out of him. He might be gone but he wasn’t, not truly, not for you, and not for Eli. And he shouldn’t be. Steve would never ask you not to talk about him or your life together. It was part of you. It was part of Eli. The boy deserved to remember his dad and the man deserved to have the people he loved remember him.

But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that Janet has given voice to his insecurities. How could he ever live up to a ghost? What if he never measured up? What if no matter what he did, he could never be enough? Would you be able to love him as much as you had Justin? Would you be able to ever truly move on with him or would a part of you always be back there, holding on to what you had instead of embracing what you could have with Steve?

It scared him. No, it terrified him, but it wasn’t enough to make him back out. It wasn’t enough to make him run away. This, what the two of you already had, the prospect of what you could have, it was worth battling back that fear. It was worth taking that risk. Because if he walked away and never found out what this had the potential to be, he would never be able to live with himself. He would always wonder. He would measure up every woman to you, every relationship to this. And even if it had only been a few weeks, it was already more than he’d ever had with anyone else, including Nance.

Maybe that was awful to even think but it was true. Him and Nance had never fit. Their relationship was like trying to pull on that pair of pants that was just a size too small. You tried to force it but it wouldn’t work, the button digging into your waist. He’d clung to her because she was comfortable, she was known, she was safe. She’d clung to him because he was certain and reliable. He made sense in her world. But they’d always been better friends than anything else.

The silence was broken by the pounding of footsteps on the floor upstairs, alerting him that the boys were up and on the move. Carefully, he slid you off of him and onto the couch, lifting your head and placing a throw pillow under it. You sighed, curling onto your side, your hands in prayer underneath your face, looking every inch the definition of perfection.

The boys came flying down the stairs, Jeremiah skidding to a stop at the bottom. Eli slammed into his back and they both fell forward onto the floor. Looking up in confusion, Eli spotted Steve and made his way to his feet, his face screwed up as if he were trying to solve a challenging math problem.

“Daddy, what are you doing here?” asked Jeremiah, leaping up from the ground, the fall completely forgotten.

“Did you have a sleepover with my mommy?”

Steve’s eyes went wide, his hand running through his hair. “You saw me…I mean, I was here last night when you came down. I just…we were watching a movie and we fell asleep on the couch. It wasn’t really a sleepover or anything. We didn’t sleep together. I mean, technically we did…but on the couch, not in a bed or anything.”

“Jeremiah and I slept in a bed,” Eli replied. “I think it’s a sleepover no matter where you sleep. I just thought you went home.” He shrugged. “But it’s good you’re here. We’re hungry.”

“Yeah. We were going to ask his mommy to make us pancakes,” Jere added, pointing to her sleeping form on the couch. “But now we don’t have to wake her up.”

“And my mommy bought bacon at the store and chocolate chips for the pancakes,” grinned Eli. “She was going to make us a big breakfast this morning anyway. She always makes a big breakfast on the weekend. Tomorrow is omelets. I just like cheese and ham, but she puts all kinds of veggies in hers.”

“Well, okay then.” Steve’s hands came to his hips as he nodded, thanking whatever force might be out there that the boys didn’t think twice of the fact that he’d slept there. “I think I can handle some chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.”

“Mommy will want us to have fruit too. She bought a pineapple but we have to cut it. We always have to have color with our meals.”

“Color. Got it.” He nodded again, giving the boys two thumbs up. “I can definitely cut up a pineapple.”

It wasn’t that he was ashamed of being with you but starting a new relationship was made infinitely more complicated when kids were involved. With Jere, he had a mom, so it wasn’t that he wouldn’t get attached to you but he would still have a strong female in his life if this didn’t work out. Hell, he had more than one between Nancy, Robin, El, and Max.

But he knew that you were worried about Eli. He’d already grown pretty attached to Steve. He’d gone so far as to ask if Steve was going to be his daddy now. He didn’t want to move too fast, to get the boy’s hopes up, and just crush them if this whole thing went sideways. The kid had already lost one father figure. He didn’t need to lose another.

And he didn’t want you to pull away because things were moving too fast or you feared Eli would think things were bigger than they were. You were trying to keep the boys’ expectations in check. Sleeping over in each other’s beds would only make it seem like moving in together or getting married was logical and they were far from that. He needed to take things slow with you and Eli. You were both vulnerable, raw from the loss you'd suffered.

“Can I mix?” asked Eli, breaking him from his thoughts as he came to stand right next to him at the counter.

“Sure, but first we need all the ingredients. Where does your mom keep the pancake mix and chocolate chips?”

“In that cupboard up there,” he answered, pointing. “That’s where all the baking stuff goes.”

“Awesome. Jere, can you get in the fridge and grab the bacon? It’s probably in one of the drawers at the bottom where the meat goes.” Steve gathered everything he needed, having to ask where a mixing bowl was. A utensil caddy sat next to the stove so he found the whisk and spatula easily and Eli got two pans out for him.

“So, are you and my mommy like boyfriend and girlfriend now?” asked Eli, whisking the batter as Steve placed strips of bacon in the pan.

Steve chuckled, “What do you know about boyfriends and girlfriends?”

“Oh, we know lots,” Jere piped in as he set plates and forks down at the table. “Zoe was Joey’s girlfriend for two weeks but then she cheated on him so he broke up with her.”

Steve turned, his eyes narrowing in disbelief, “What does that even mean? How does a second grader cheat?” As soon as the question left his mouth he wished he could take it back. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“She was holding hands with Robert at recess and Joey was really upset,” his son answered, grabbing napkins. “He asked her why she did that when she was his girlfriend and she told him that she liked Robert more. So, he told her she couldn't be his girlfriend anymore. He tried to get Lily to be his girlfriend but she has a crush on Josh so she said no. So he doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore.”

“Why does anyone in second grade have a girlfriend?” Steve sighed, turning to flip the bacon and then paused, tongs in hand. Turning back to the boys, he asked, “You two don’t have girlfriends, do you?”

“No. Yuck!” Eli exclaimed, his little face all screwed up as a shudder went through him. “I don’t want to be kissing anybody and you have to kiss if you’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“Yeah. Zoe and Joey snuck behind the tree at recess and kissed.” Jeremiah paused for dramatic effect, leaning in. “Right on the lips! It was so gross!”

“Do you and my mommy kiss?”

Yeah. He’d walked right into that one. He knew, as soon as he’d asked, that he’d made a mistake but it was too late to back out of it now. Steve faced the stove, gripping the bacon and turning it over, stepping back as grease began to pop and splatter. He was considering his answer but really, what was there to consider? No. You didn’t want to move too fast. The kids had to be a factor but you weren’t going to lie to them either.

“Yes. Yes, your mommy and I kiss,” he finally said, grabbing a ladle to gather the extra grease. “We really like each other but we’re grown ups. Kids should not be kissing each other so I am glad that you two aren’t doing that. You have so much time in life for dating and girls and kissing. Right now you should just enjoy being kids. It doesn’t last for nearly long enough, trust me.”

“Do I smell bacon?”

Steve turned his head to find you standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Your arms were folded as you leaned against the frame, looking absolutely adorable upon first waking up. Your hair was mussed up on the side that had been pressed up against him all night and a sleepy smile played on your lips as your eyes found his.

God, he wanted to kiss you so badly. But he wasn’t sure if you'd be comfortable with that in front of the boys, even if he had just told them the two of you did that. What he really wanted was to sweep you into his arms, carry you upstairs, and finish what he started last night. But that definitely wasn’t happening right now.

“We’re making chocolate chip pancakes and bacon!” Jere cheered. “And look. I set the table.”

“And I mixed the batter!” Eli added.

“Wow. You both did a very good job.” You padded into the kitchen, placing a kiss on Steve’s lips, your hands coming to his waist, shocking him. It was as innocent as a kiss could get but he hadn’t expected it. “You too.”

The boys giggled, Jeremiah singing, “Aly and Daddy sitting in a tree!”

Eli joined in, both boys belting, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.”

Steve glanced over at you, expecting you to descend into one of your anxiety attacks at the mention of marriage and babies but you just laughed, rolling your eyes. Sharing a look with him that said, aren’t these boys ridiculous? And just like that, that little sprout of hope bloomed, reaching for the sun that was your smile.

____________________________________________________________

“What can I help with?” you asked, gesturing around the kitchen.

“Nope. You get to do nothing. We got it,” Steve stated, pointing to the table. “Have a seat and relax.”

“I could make the coffee,” you offered.

“Nope. I got it. Sit,” he commanded, eyebrows lifting teasingly.

“Yes, sir,” you laughed, a little thrill going through you at his dominance, even if it was meant to be playful.

You sat down, watching as the boys moved through the kitchen. Eli helped Steve flip the pancakes, the two of them laughing when Eli was a little overzealous with one and it landed on Jeremiah’s arm. Jeremiah brought over a bowl of cut pineapple, impressing you that Steve had made sure to add fruit to the meal.

The whole scene was so domestic, and instead of it spiking your anxiety, it actually brought a sense of peace to you. You could get used to this. Slow weekend mornings, all four of you enjoying a big breakfast, having the whole day ahead of you to spend together. Maybe it was crazy but you could picture this being your future.

“So, I was thinking before practice this afternoon we could all go for a bike ride,” Steve announced, setting a plate with two large pancakes and three pieces of bacon in front of you. “What do you think?”

“Oh, I don’t…I don’t actually have a bike,” you told him.

“Yeah. Mommy’s bike broke. The pedals just kept spinning and won’t do anything,” Eli explained as he drenched his plate in syrup. “It broke last summer when we were riding bikes by the lake. She had to walk it all the way home.”

“It was a long walk, trust me. I just haven’t gotten around to looking for a new one.”

“Do you still have it?” inquired Steve, placing a cup of coffee in front of you before taking the seat next to you.

“Yeah. It’s in the garage.”

“I bet I can fix it,” he stated confidently. “I’ll take a look at it after breakfast.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no problem, really. If it needs some parts, the boys can run with me to the hardware store. Jeremiah loves being my helper, don’t you kid?”

“Yep!” he nodded, grinning through a mouthful of pancake. “I help daddy with all kinds of stuff. I helped him fix Aunt Robin’s sink and patch the hole in the wall when I opened the door too hard and fix our window when it wouldn’t stay open.”

“Oh, I wanna help too!” Eli said excitedly.

“Of course.” Steve winked at the boy. “See? Us boys will have your bike all fixed in no time.”

“Yeah but then we might not have time for a bike ride.”

“It’s spring. We’ve got plenty of time ahead of us for bike rides,” he shrugged. “Jere and I love long bike rides. Maybe the weekend after his party we can pack a picnic and head into the woods? There’s this trail that Jere really likes that has a great climbing tree and a creek where he loves to try to catch frogs.”

“That sounds cool!” Eli beamed. “I have a net!”

“Then you’ve already got the tools for the job.”

“We catch them but we don’t keep them,” Jeremiah said. “Daddy says their home is in the woods so we have to put them back. But it’s fun to catch them. They can be tricky but we always get at least one.”

“What do you say?”

What did you say? You said yes, yes to anything and everything that Steve ever wanted. Because as you looked around the table at these three boys, boys you were already thinking of as your boys, this was all you had ever wanted.

Chapter 13

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my little story! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. 😊 And replies and reblogs are always appreciated if you enjoy it. ❤️❤️❤️

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