Royal Pain Part 19
Hey, guys. Sorry it took so long to get this out. The chapter was fighting me and I have had the absolutely worst week. However in slightly happier news, my partner got a new job and that means I should be able to quit mine and go back to writing full time. I'll let you know more when I do, but it's looking more and more likely.
I realized it had been a while since we had an Eddie centric chapter and decided this would be the one. And I left it on a cliffhanger again. But don't worry next chapter will see more than one villain vanquished.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18
***
Eddie was seething. He hadn’t been this mad since he learned Max was moving to New York. Actually. No. He was madder then that. He was pissed.
Gareth grimaced. “They won’t do anything?”
“No,” Eddie growled. “Because he technically hasn’t violated the protection order, according to them.”
“If he can’t get with in five hundred feet,” Brian said, “then how did he find out about Steve.”
Eddie threw up his arms into the air. “That’s what I asked.”
“I’m betting,” Mandy said, “that they didn’t have a good answer?”
“Apparently since Seth showed up at Hopper’s,” Eddie snarled, “and not Steve’s shop, that he was just going around to all the tattoo parlors and threatening everyone.”
Jeff rolled his eyes. “I bet they didn’t even check with other tattoo shops and just made that shit up.”
“I even talked to Officer Callahan who was in charge of the original case file because he’s not supposed to be out of jail yet,” Eddie said, beginning to pace. “He never went.”
“What?!” came the shocked cry of outrage from everyone.
“Yeah,” Eddie continued. “Apparently he made a deal with the DA and they didn’t tell me. He got two years probation.”
“That’s bullshit!” Mandy hissed. “He was going to kill you.”
“Criminal mischief,” Eddie said. “Domestic abuse down to criminal mischief. $300 fine, two year probation, and forced to take a class about how not to be a violent offender.”
“It’s because you’re a man, isn’t it?” Gareth asked, licking his lips slowly. “These fuckers don’t think a man can be abused.”
Eddie pursed his lips into a line and nodded.
“Hop’s calling in a couple of favors to keep Steve safe,” he said. “But that does jack shit about me. And this isn’t me calling out that shit. That’s Hop’s prerogative but he’s my dumb ass ex, who’s protecting me?”
“We are,” Jeff said. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us. Garth, since you’re the only one without a roommate at the moment, Eddie’s going to stay with you. Brian, talk to Cecil, he’s studying law. See what he can recommend.”
Gareth and Brian both nodded.
Eddie buried his head into his hands. “This is such bullshit.”
Mandy came up and gave him a hug. “We’ll get through this. We did before and we will again. And this time we have more people that would be willing to help. Steve, Robin, Chrissy, hell the whole of the Royal Pain would throw hands for you.”
Eddie chuckled. He knew that too. “Well, maybe not Erica.”
Brian snorted. “That girl would sell her own mother for a cookie.”
“Not even a Girl Scout cookie,” Jeff agreed. “That girl is bound for world domination.”
“No doubt.”
*
“You tell me right now,” Wayne said when Eddie had called that night, “do you need me up there? Because work be damned, boy, I’ll be up there in two shakes of lamb’s tail.”
Eddie chewed on his nail. He felt like that little boy all over again. Being given the choice between being with his uncle or being put in a foster home. He didn’t want to be a bother to anyone, but he knew. He knew that Wayne was someone that wouldn’t care. That he could be as big a bother as he wanted, he would still be loved.
He let out a shuddering breath and like that little boy all those years ago said, “Yes. Please.”
“I’ve got some vacation time coming,” Wayne said as if he didn’t have weeks and weeks of it stored up because he was never sick a day in his life. “I cane be up there for as long as you need me, you hear?”
“I’m staying with Gareth for the time being,” Eddie said solemnly, “because Jeff is worried that Seth will follow me home.”
“Smart man, your Jeff,” Wayne agreed. “I have a friend in Indy I can crash on the sofa of for a couple of days until I can find something a little more permanent.”
“Yeah,” he whispered. “Let me know when you get into town and we’ll meet up for lunch.”
“You can finally take me to that pizza place you’ve been going on about for months.”
Eddie laughed, a knot loosening in his chest. “You’ve got it, old man.”
*
A few days later Steve was waiting for the pizza he had ordered for the shop, playing silly games on his phone when the bell announced new arrivals. He looked up instinctively and grinned.
He waved. “Eddie!”
Eddie lit up with a big smile. “Stevie?” He hopped over, an older man following a little slower behind.
“Hey!” Steve greeted. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Eddie’s smile turned into a grin. “DiMaggio’s is the best pizza place in Indy, not coming here is a crime.”
“If it’s not it certainly should be,” Steve agreed with his own answering grin.
“Steve,” Eddie said, “this is my uncle, Wayne. He’s staying in town for a few days.”
Steve’s mood was dampened a bit, knowing why he was in town. “Nice to meet you. I was planning a trip back down Hawkins at the end of the summer so that Eddie could introduce us, sorry we had meet under lesser than ideal circumstances.”
Wayne blinked at him for a moment before turning to Eddie. “This one is a keeper.”
Eddie blushed, shoving his hair in front of his face, ducking his head to hide his embarrassment.
Steve just smiled fondly at him. “I think that’s up to him.”
Wayne’s eyebrows shot up. “I like him.”
That surprised a laugh out of Eddie causing him to drop the hair. “Me too.”
“Let me just go order our pizzas,” Eddie murmured and darted for the front counter.
“He’s cute,” Steve said, waving his hand to the chair in front of him for Wayne to sit.
Wayne took the seat and smiled. “He certainly is. I’m glad the world didn’t beat the silliness out of him.”
“Me too,” Steve agreed. “I love how earnest and outgoing he is.”
Wayne hummed. “He tell what was going on?”
Steve nodded. “I’m afraid it’s my fault. Seth came after me at a friend’s shop, tried to threaten me into leaving Eddie alone.”
“I don’t think being threatened is the fault of the victim,” he said, his voice a deep comforting rumble.
Steve blushed. “That’s what Jeff and Robin said.”
“Jeff I know,” Wayne said, “Robin I don’t, but it sounds to me like they both have their heads on straight and you should be listening to them and not that voice in the back of your head.” He tapped Steve forehead for emphasis.
The bell above the door rang again and Mike and Will walked in. Steve raised a eyebrow when he spotted them.
“DiMaggio’s is certainly hopping for a random Thursday,” he commented dryly to Will when he lead a slightly reluctant Mike over to their table. Eddie arrived at the table just moments later and there are hugs and greetings all around.
“You caused quite a stir at the latest family dinner,” Will said with a huge grin to Steve.
Steve huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, how did that happen?”
“Jonathan is back on Mom’s couch,” he said with a smirk.
Steve reared his head back. “And how did that involve me?”
“Argyle kicked him out of the apartment because him and Nancy lied to him about who’s fault your and her relationship ended.”
“Nancy is furious at them both,” Mike said with a half shrug. “I’m not sure their relationship is going to survive that little revelation.”
Steve winced. “Yeah...that’s on them though. How was I to know that Jonathan hadn’t been honest to Argyle about that.”
Eddie bumped his shoulder. “You weren’t.”
“Oh we are totally on your side,” Will said.
Mike nodded. “Yeah, man. It was straight up bullshit all the lying they did.”
“Mom’s pissed because she really liked you,” Will continued, “and believed Jonathan about how things went down. Like of course she did. He’s her son, but she should have tried to get your side of it.”
“Those eight years are totally on her,” Steve said, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’ve been trying to tell her for years to at least talk to me about it.”
Will and Mike nodded.
Mike chewed on his lip as he played with the loose string on the hem of his t-shirt. “Is it bad I hope Nancy and Jonathan break up?”
The table got silence for a moment.
Wayne lifted his chin. “Why’s that, son?”
“Because I don’t think she wants a relationship. I think she was only with Jonathan and Steve,” he said waving at him with his left hand, “is because that’s what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.”
“Steve!” the counter called.
Steve got up to get his pizza order, he stopped back at the table. “I don’t think it’s a bad you want your sister to learn how to be herself without a partner. I think it shows that you’re more mature then she is. You’re a good man, Mike.”
He clapped Mike’s shoulder and then waved goodbye to everyone. He pulled out his keys and walked out to his car, flipping the key ring around as he thought.
He never intended this to happen when he saw his ex at the grocery store, but honestly? Maybe it was a good thing to get all those wounds brought to light so that they could heal properly.
For all their sakes.
*
Steve was ready for the weekend. His week had been a literal hell. But Eddie had promised that he would have fun. The band had been practicing a couple of new songs and were debuting them Saturday night.
He sat at the curve of the table, sandwiched between Robin, who wouldn’t care, only to tease him mercilessly later, and Mandy who got it, how fucking sexy Eddie and the band was when they were on stage.
Steve wished he could say he was better prepared every time Eddie got on stage, but every week Eddie went out of his way to drive Steve absolutely wild.
“He does this on purpose doesn’t he?” Steve asked after a particularly hot number where Eddie fell to his knees grinding on his guitar.
Mandy laughed. “I would like to put you out of your misery and say yes, but no. When Eddie gets on stage he loses all connection to the audience and just rocks out. His fans love it.”
Steve looked around the dingy bar and had to agree. They were just as turned on as he was. He shifted uncomfortably in his jeans, clearing his throat. “If we...” he cleared his throat again. “I mean if Eddie were to–if we were–”
Mandy took pity on him. “If you two were going out would the fans tear you to pieces for touching what they can’t?”
Steve bit his lip and nodded, looking at his hands that were twisted in lap.
She gave his knee a squeeze. “I honestly don’t know what the fans would do. But Eddie wouldn’t give a damn what they think. He’s been booed before for a song that they didn’t think was metal enough and he didn’t let that stop him. Not once.”
Steve let out a breath. It was always something that worried him. He knew he went against the grain in everything he did, but he didn’t want that with Eddie. He didn’t want to be with Eddie just because it went against the norm of what was expected of either of them.
They arrived at the club and already Robin was on the dance floor. She loved dancing and soon Mandy, Chrissy, Jeff, and Brian were out there with her. Gareth, Eddie, and Steve watched in amusement as their friends let loose on the dance floor, living it up under the rainbow lights and the thumping beat of the music.
Steve turned around and Eddie wasn’t there.
“You seen Eddie?” he shouted at Gareth.
Gareth shot up and looked around. “Shit.”
Somehow during their watching of their friends cutting it up, Eddie had slipped away.
“You check out back to see if he’s gone for a smoke,” Steve said.
Gareth nodded.
“I’m going to check the bar.”
Gareth nodded again.
Across the crowded room, a man in a tailored white suit grinned as he moved to the back of the club where the restrooms were, eyes glittering with want and rage as he scented his prey.
***
Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue
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