#she took Steve hostage on every birthday afterwards lest Eddie try to ruin them again

[artiststarme]

Eddie tried to break up with Steve exactly one time. His music career wasn’t taking off like he hoped it would and Steve was going to school and working two part time jobs. He didn’t want to keep dragging him down and forcing him to provide for the both of them. So, Eddie sat Steve down one day for dinner and tried to let him down gently.

He told him that he would move back in with Wayne and that Steve could have the apartment. He said he was sorry for not helping out more and that Steve deserved more than some deadbeat asshole. He emphasized that he loved him but being with him wasn’t going to get Steve anywhere, he deserved more than a Munson.

Through it all, Steve just stared at him unimpressed. When Eddie had finally said all he’d needed to say, Steve picked up the phone and dialed a number all in silence. It was quiet until Eddie heard, “hey Wayne. Can you talk to your idiot nephew, he’s trying to break up with me on my birthday. Yeah, thanks.”

And shit, Eddie had never been good at remembering dates but hearing that he’d missed Steve’s birthday in all of his catastrophizing made him feel like a whole new brand of asshole.

Steve handed him the phone with a whispered, “you better make this up to me. I like chocolate.”

Eddie couldn’t even defend himself against Wayne’s angered hisses. “What the hell, kid? What were you thinking trying to break things off with that boy? You know he’s a part of this family, you can’t just try to nix the kid willy-nilly. Do I have to drive up there? Jesus fucking Christ, Eds.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll fix it!”

“You fucking better. Jesus, I sent the kid some of those hair products he likes but no birthday present is gonna help if you piss him off like that again. Go grovel and you better call back with an update that you fixed everything. Good lord, I’m too old to be dealing with this shit.”

And Eddie did fix it. He took Steve out to dinner at his favorite restaurant and took him to the sports bar he liked to yell at TVs at. Best of all though, he never questioned their relationship again. It would take a few years and more than a few part-time jobs but his music career would take off, Steve would finish school, and they would live happily ever after.