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corroded-hellfire · 1 year ago

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Big Brown Eyes - Eddie Munson x Reader, Part 5

Summary: After your miscommunication with Eddie at the graduation party, Dustin gets to the bottom of where the issue began.

Note: She’s finally here! Thank you everybody who’s asked about this series, it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy 💙

Warnings: reader has anxiety, mom!reader, ex Steve x reader

Words: 7.9k

[Big Brown Eyes masterlist]

Everett runs over to the tank where the sea turtles are floating around, gliding through the water, and looking as if they have no problems in the world. The little boy’s eyes can’t focus on anything in particular as he tries to take in everything in the large tank. A turtle with a spotted shell swims right in front of Everett’s face and the three-year-old looks like he may pass out in excitement.

“Mommy! Did you see?!”

“I did,” you say, stepping up next to him. You card your fingers through his brown curls as Nancy comes up on your other side, pushing Everett’s stroller which is currently holding his new stuffed otter doll. “The turtles are cool, aren’t they?”

“Yeah!” Everett grins and walks down the length of the glass, following his new turtle friend as it swims along.

Though your eyes follow your son as he walks away from you, you can feel Nancy’s gaze on you. She’s basically been chomping at the bit to talk to you about what happened with Eddie since she’d gotten into your car so the two of you could take Everett to the aquarium. Now that the toddler’s out of earshot, she takes her chance.

“You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”

“I know,” you say quietly, keeping your eyes on Everett. “I don’t want to talk about it, though.”

“Are you sure?” Nancy asks.

“Yes.”

Everett runs back over to you then, giggling about how cool the turtles are. He lifts his arms up to you and you sweep him up so he can get a better look at the reptiles floating towards the top of the tank.

“What do you think, Everett?” Nancy asks. “Are the turtles your favorite so far?”

His little face scrunches up in concentration as he thinks it over. The little furrow between his brows makes him look uncannily like his father.

“Dolphins,” Everett decides. “But I like the tootles and ottahs, too.”

“Wanna go see what’s next?” you ask. Everett nods his head and scoots down from your arms. His little hand slips into yours as you make your way into the next room. Jellyfish were the next creatures awaiting you. They don’t interest the boy as much and it isn’t long before he’s curled up in his stroller, snoozing gently with his new stuffed otter in his arms as you and Nancy leisurely walk through the rest of the aquarium. Nancy respected you saying you didn’t want to talk about what happened between you and Eddie, but you know she’s still silently itching to know. So, you decide to let it out.

“Okay,” you say with a sigh. There’s a bench at the other end of the room and you nod in that direction. Nancy follows behind you as you push Everett in the stroller. Between the seat and the wall, there’s a big enough gap for you to park the sleeping little boy and sit down next to him.

“What’s up?” Nancy asks as she takes her spot next to you. Taking a moment to collect your thoughts, you watch the bright and colorful fish swimming before you in their tank. The light filtering through the blue water reflects and casts shadows against your face.

“Eddie… He, well, he uh… When I went to ask him if he wanted to go out again, he said yes but he wouldn’t even look at me. Obviously, something was up. I asked him and he starts saying how he’s never dated a mom before and how it’s a lot.” Pressure begins building behind your eyes and you need a moment to take a deep breath before continuing. “He dumped me. Makes sense, though. It was the first time he really saw me be a mom, you know?”

“That’s,” Nancy starts before trailing off with a sigh. “That’s really shitty. I’m sorry that happened.”

Not trusting your voice, you shrug your shoulders and nod your head. Hopefully, Nancy reads that as you accepting her sympathy.

“Yeah,” you manage to get out in a hoarse whisper.

Nancy’s brow wrinkles in confusion as she thinks over your words, though. “But, why would he say yes to a second date at all if he wanted to stop seeing you?”

“I don’t know.” Quickly, you wipe your nose on the back of your hand, trying to dispel the impending tears. “Maybe he wanted to ease me into it. Didn’t want to come out with a flat-out no. Especially with everyone else there at the party.”

“It’s his loss,” your best friend tells you. She rests her hand on your shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. “He’s an idiot and doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

The best you can do is offer her half a smile. It would be pointless to voice your self-deprecating thoughts that state the opposite because, the amazing friend that she is, Nancy would have a rebuttal for all of them. Later, a pep talk would be something that will help you. Right now, it would just go in one ear and out the other.

“Ready to get going? Hopefully, this sleepy head won’t wake up in the middle of his naptime and be a little menace,” you say.

“A menace? Everett? Never.” Nancy’s smirk makes you chuckle as you stand up from the bench.

“He’s Steve’s kid, of course he’s a menace sometimes,” you reply.

“You got me there,” Nancy admits, standing up beside you and walking with you toward the exit.

“What’s going on?”

Dustin doesn’t want to shush his date, but his mind is entirely focused on something other than her. He takes a few steps out of the shadow he and Geri had been standing in when he first noticed you and Nancy walk past him and over to the bench to sit. A smile had lit up his face when his eyes landed on the pair of you, but as soon as he saw the downtrodden expression on your face, he bit his tongue. Dustin hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but how could he not when you were only a few feet away?

She thinks she was dumped, Dustin thinks. Why does she think Eddie was dumping her?

“Dustin?” Geri asks.

“Yeah?” he responds, trying to settle himself back in the present moment.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” he tells her with a smile. “You wanted to go see the penguins, right?”

“Yes!” Geri takes Dustin’s hand and gives it a squeeze as they head in the right direction for the exhibit.

Maybe Steve will know what’s going on. I’ll have to track him down after this date.

The sun is setting as Dustin drives down the lonely road after dropping Geri off at her place. He’d had a nice time with the girl he met at work, but it was obvious to both of them that his mind was somewhere else the last half of the date. Now, he’s heading towards the station to see if Steve’s on call tonight or not.

His car is parked outside in the small parking lot, but Dustin knows there’s a chance his friend could be out on the ambulance for a call. Taking his chance, Dustin gets out of the car and pockets his keys as he walks into the open bay that houses the ambulances.

“Hey, Thompson,” Dustin greets one of Steve’s fellow paramedics.

“Henderson, how ya doing? Looking for Harrington?”

“Yep.”

“He’s inside,” the paramedic says, nodding his head towards the open door that leads to the interior of the station.

Dustin gives him a salute in thanks before walking inside and looking around the small area. He finds Steve in the kitchen, feet kicked up on one chair while he lounges in another, bowl of cereal in his hands.

“Dufstin?” Steve asks, mouth full of Captain Crunch and milk. “Wha’re you doin here?”

“Wanted to talk to you.” Dustin grabs another chair and turns it around before sitting on it backwards and resting his arms on the back.

“Bout?” Steve asks before swallowing what’s in his mouth.

“I had my date today, you know,” Dustin starts.

“Oh yeah. How was it?”

Releasing a sigh, Dustin tilts his head up and stares at the ceiling for a moment before looking back down to Steve who’s shoving another full spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

“Was good. Until I overheard a conversation between your ladies.” Dustin had started referring to you and Nancy as “Steve’s ladies” a couple of years back, and at first, you and Nancy rolled your eyes at the term. But when Dustin offered to change it to “Steve’s girlfriend and baby mama,” you two thought being called ladies wasn’t so bad.

“Oh, they took Ev to the aquarium? That’s funny. Wait–why was your date good up ‘til then?”

“Because I overheard them talking about Eddie.” The look Dustin gives Steve has the older man frowning and straightening his posture in his seat.

“Why’re you staring at me like that?”

“Eddie told me a different story at the party than what I heard today,” Dustin says, ignoring Steve’s question. Steve’s stomach sinks with guilt. Shit, Steve thinks. Eddie told Dustin what happened and now he knows this is all my fault. But Dustin’s next words surprise him.

“What do you know about what happened?”

“Why do you think I’d know anything?” It sounds more defensive than Steve intended, but he knew he’d end up caving and spilling his guts to his best friend anyway.

“You drove her home last night,” Dustin says, raising his eyebrows. “What did she say?”

“She said she’d been dumped.” Suddenly, Steve finds the contents of his bowl interesting and keeps his gaze on the last few pieces of golden cereal floating around.

“Eddie said he just wanted to take things slow because of Everett.” Dustin bites at his bottom lip for a moment, eyes staring at the floor next to him, mind somewhere far away. “Why did she think he was breaking up with her?”

At first, Steve thinks it’s a rhetorical question—and maybe it is. But the way Dustin stays silent, as if waiting for Steve to say something, weighs on him and he feels the need to break the silence.

“I-I don’t know, maybe she…”

“Steve.” The harsh tone of Dustin’s voice has Steve looking up from his bowl, his brown eyes swimming with guilt. “What the hell did you do?”

Conscience finally becoming too heavy to bear, Steve thunks his bowl down on the table and runs his hands over his face. He’s never wished for that alarm to go off for an emergency call more than he does right now.

“Shit,” he hisses. The weight of Dustin’s glare makes Steve’s skin crawl as he sits up properly in his chair and kicks away the second chair he’d had his feet on. “Look, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. All I said to Eddie was that I didn’t want Everett to become attached to him if he wasn’t going to stick around. Is that so wrong of me?”

“Jesus Steve, they’ve been on one date! They’ve known each other a few weeks!”

“I know. I’m an asshole,” Steve responds, not quite yelling but certainly louder than he was talking before. “I just felt really fucking weird about everything, okay?”

Dustin shakes his head in disbelief before leveling his gaze on Steve again.

“What, did you think she’d be a single mom forever, never fall in love, while you have Nancy?” The question isn’t meant to be mean, but it stings Steve nonetheless. He never wanted anything less than the best for you.

“No! Of course not. She deserves to be happy. It’s less about her–”

“About Everett, yeah,” Dustin interrupts. “Dude, Eddie isn’t trying to be his dad.”

“I know, I know!” Steve pushes himself out of the chair and begins to pace back and forth. Dustin’s eyes track him all the while, as if he’s watching a tennis match. “I just don’t want my son getting hurt.”

“Well, no shit,” Dustin scoffs. “But it looks like things were going fine until you opened your big mouth.”

Steve sighs and ceases his pacing. He purses his lips and stares in the direction of the wildlife calendar on the otherwise blank wall in front of him, lost in thought. Hadn’t he known what he was doing was wrong all along? If it wasn’t wrong, he wouldn’t have tried keeping the conversation secret from those around him.

“What do I do?” he finally asks.

Dustin’s eyes bulge, thinking the answer was the plainest thing in the world. “Fix it!”

“How?” Steve runs his hands through his hair, a sure sign of his agitation. He’d definitely be looking in a mirror as soon as possible to straighten it out. Dustin cocks his head at his friend and shrugs one shoulder.

“Your big mouth got you into this. Try using it to get out of it.”

As if concentrating wasn’t hard enough for you at work on Monday morning, Mrs. Montgomery says that you need to reshelve books in the romance section. Every time you pick up a book there’s either a couple embracing or a title about love or some affection-laced mushiness. It’s nauseating and you don’t even realize you’re slamming the books around until you whack one on the cart too hard and it goes flying halfway down the aisle. A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you trudge over to pick it up. A face pops around the corner and you’re startled to see Nancy standing there.

“I was going to surprise you for lunch,” she says as she comes to stand fully between the bookshelves, “but uh…are you okay?”

“Fine,” you say as you notice the lunchbox Nancy is holding. You take in the flowy floral summer dress she’s wearing and become self-consciously aware that you’re in an old pair of jeans and a black polo shirt.

“Lunch?” Nancy asks, holding the lunchbox up in front of her face.

The two of you go into the back room and she unpacks the sandwiches she made and two cans of coke. She waits until you’re both a few bites into your food before she speaks.

“So, Steve called from the station last night. Said Dustin paid him a visit there yesterday afternoon.”

“Oh?” You pop open your soda and take a fizzy sip.

“Mhmm,” she hums as she finishes the bite she just took. “Apparently, Steve was a bonehead and said something to Eddie at the party.” At the mention of his name, you feel anxious, and it must appear on your face because Nancy rushes to get the next sentence out. “He said he didn’t remember exactly what he said but it was something about not wanting Everett to get hurt. Don’t worry, Steve said as soon as you both get off work this evening, he’ll be over and groveling at your feet. Well, he said he’d apologize but I’m going to make sure he grovels.”

Anxiety turning to anger, you wipe your hands off on a napkin and nod your head. “Nancy, if I murder Steve and the judge is a woman, do you think I’d be able to get away with it?”

Your best friend considers this, tilting her head from side to side as she thinks.

“You’re less likely to get caught if I help you hide the body.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Dustin drives towards Benny’s Burgers with Eddie in his passenger’s seat. Yesterday, Steve had begged Dustin to get Eddie to come to the diner on his lunch break so he could talk to him.

“I’m not leaving you alone with him this time. You need supervision,” he’d told Steve. So, Dustin had called up Eddie and asked if he wanted to grab lunch together the next day. Whether or not he mentioned that Steve would be there, well he figured a lie by omission wasn’t really a lie.

Steve’s standing outside the diner when Dustin pulls into a parking space. Eddie’s brows furrow in confusion and he looks over to see Dustin avoiding his eye.

“Why’s Steve here?”

“He, uh, wants to talk to you,” Dustin says, glancing in his direction.

Eddie sighs and drops his head back against the headrest. He’s not entirely sure how he feels. He isn’t exactly mad at Steve, but he doesn’t have the warmest feelings towards the man.

“You can definitely tell him just to fuck off,” Dustin offers as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

“Nah,” Eddie says with another sigh. “Might as well hear what he has to say.”

Dustin already knows what Steve has to say because they’d practiced it over the phone last night and then again this morning. He didn’t hide the fact from Steve that he was afraid he was going to fuck this up even worse.

Steve awkwardly greets both men as they get out of the car. There’s a tense silence between the three of them as they head inside and sit down at a table. Dustin almost picked a booth but didn’t want to be shoved into a seat with either of them in case things got ugly. The waitress who comes to take their orders has to sense the uneasiness that was settled over the table. Steve waits a few moments after she walks away before clearing his throat and starting his prepared speech.

“Look, Eddie, I shouldn’t have said anything to you the other day. It wasn’t my place.”

“But you’re right,” Eddie says with a shrug. He lifts his eyes from the table to look at Steve where he’s seated across from him. “He’s your son and you want to make sure he’s not gonna get hurt. I don’t want to hurt anyone, that’s why I wanted to talk to her about slowing things down. For Everett.”

“Is that what you said to her?” Steve asks.

Eddie sighs and brings a hand up to rub along his eyebrows. “I tried.” He throws his hand out to the side before nervously rubbing it along his stubble. “But she started to get upset and I got confused.”

“She, uh,” Dustin starts, letting out a small cough, “thought you were breaking up with her.”

“What?” Eddie turns his attention to the younger man, completely flabbergasted by his words. “Why? Why would she think that?”

“Her anxiety,” Steve says, lightly rapping his knuckles against the tabletop. “It makes her brain tell her all kinds of shit that isn’t true.”

“Her insecurities get the better of her,” Dustin adds. “Makes her jump to the worst-case scenario.”

Eddie takes their words in, nodding absentmindedly as he tries to wrap his head around this.

“What? Does she think I don’t find her attractive? Because she’s fucking gorgeous,” he says.

“No, it’s not that,” Steve says with a shake of his head. “Well–it may have crossed her mind, but that’s not what this was about. It’s about her being a mom.”

This only adds to Eddie’s confusion and his face wrinkles up as he squeezes his eyes shut. “Why would that bother me?”

“Unfortunately, it would bother a lot of guys,” Dustin says. Eddie shakes his head in disbelief as if this personally offends him.

“Look,” Steve says, leaning his elbows on the table. “I just wanted to apologize and sit down to talk with you. You seem like a good guy, Eddie. She needs a good guy.”

Eddie’s shoulders slump as he slides down in his seat. The array of emotions he’s felt over the last twenty minutes is enough to give him whiplash. They buzz around his thoughts like bees, but he tries to shake them off and just focus on one thing: you. How he feels about you. How you’re out there thinking that he didn’t want to be with you all because you have the sweetest kid he’s ever met. Bitterness burns his stomach, and he knows he has to talk to you as soon as he can. But would you even hear him out?

“If she thinks I broke up with her, will she even want to see me?”

Dustin nods his head. “Nancy went to see her and told her that this one over here opened his yap when he shouldn’t have.”

It’s all Eddie needs to hear before he’s fishing out his wallet and tossing a twenty on the table. It’s more than enough to cover what he and the other two ordered. Hungry stomach be damned, you’re more important. He’s confident either Steve or Dustin will eat the lunch he ordered, and he gives them a half-assed wave as he jumps out of his seat and heads for the door. Dustin jogs out after him and slaps a hand down on his shoulder.

“I drove you here, Romeo.”

“Oh, right. Could you take me back to the garage so I can get my van?”

“No problem.”

As soon as Eddie gets into his van, he pulls out onto the street and races towards the library. His eyes dart to the clock on his dash and he prays you haven’t had your lunch break yet. Even if you did, it was unlikely the library would have so many people in it that you wouldn’t have a minute to talk. He makes a quick attempt to make himself look as presentable as possible in his rearview mirror before hopping out of the van and taking large strides up to the library door. Brown eyes scan around the room, looking for any sign of you as he makes his way to the front desk. That’s where he’s seen you the most but lets out a little huff when he sees you’re not the employee who is behind the desk today. The brunette on duty tells Eddie that you had been at work that day, but your son was sick, so you went to pick him up and take him home.

The adrenaline that was coursing through Eddie’s veins at the thought of seeing you and maybe sorting this whole mess out starts to dissipate, and it makes his limbs feel heavy and his body sluggish as he makes his way back to the van. Boosting himself inside, Eddie slams the driver’s door and lets his head fall back against the headrest. If Everett is sick, Eddie figures that you probably won’t be up to talking. Maybe he’ll call you after Everett goes to bed and pray that you hear him out. Smacking a hand against the steering wheel out of frustration, Eddie takes a few moments to collect himself before starting the van and heading back to work.

Eddie paces back and forth in front of the phone hanging on the wall of his trailer. The edge of his thumb is being gnawed on by his teeth as the nerves start getting to him. He wasn’t even this scared to call you the very first time. But what if even after he explained the miscommunication you still didn’t want to see him? What if you don’t even want to hear him out at all? What if, what if, what if.

“Just do it,” Eddie grumbles to himself before snatching up the phone. He dials your number and holds the phone against his ear, starting to pace again, but only as far as the cord would let him this time. The phone barely rings once before he hears your sweet voice.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” Eddie says as he brings up his free hand to rub at the back of his neck. “I-Is this a good time?”

“Oh.” Eddie hears the surprise in your voice when you realize it’s him on the line. You didn’t expect him to call? That seems like confirmation that you really did think he was breaking up with you. The thought makes the crack in his heart even deeper.

“I-I went by your work at lunchtime, but they said you had to go get Everett because he was sick. Is he feeling better?”

“Uh, yeah,” you answer. “I gave him something for his fever and he just fell asleep. It’s why I picked up the phone so quickly–I didn’t want it to wake him.”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Eddie says, heaving a sigh. “I didn’t mean to bother you o-or take your time away from Everett. I guess I just wanted to see if you would be okay to talk for a few minutes after his bedtime because I just couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to tell you at lunch but you weren’t there, and I can’t go another day with you thinking I was trying to break up with you.”

There’s a beat of silence as your brain registers what he just said. To Eddie, it feels like an eternity before you speak.

“Wait. W-What?”

“Sweetheart, I am head over heels, over the moon for you. I was only going to say we should take things slow because of Everett.” Eddie isn’t sure he’s ever poured his heart out for anyone like this, let alone someone he’s only known for a few weeks. But there’s something about you that makes Eddie feel like he could tell you anything and everything–and he practically has over the nights you two have spent on the phone together.

“But you said…” You trail off as the sound of whining comes from Everett’s bedroom.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Eddie says, tone softer and lighter now. “We can talk later. Take care of your boy.”

There’s rustling on the other end of the phone before you reply. “Um, I’m staying home with him tomorrow. Y-You can call or come by after work if you want.”

“How about I call on my lunch break and see how the little dude is feeling? I don’t want to intrude if the poor kid is feeling lousy,” Eddie offers.

“Yeah, okay,” you say. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Eddie.”

“Have a good night, sweetheart.”

Everett is still sick when he wakes up the next morning. He spends most of his time curled up on the couch with his head in your lap. The gentle stroke of your fingers through his soft brown locks seems to soothe him as he rewatches the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle VHS that you’ve rewound so many times you’ve lost count. You can tell your son is feeling better as the morning goes on by the way he squirms around and talks more excitedly about what’s happening on the television.

When the telephone rings, Everett’s head pops up and he stares at the phone on the wall. Luckily, he’s shuffled off of you enough that you don’t feel bad for getting up to answer it. Still, you keep your eyes on the little one as you pick up the phone and lean against the wall–mom anxiety is always on duty.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Eddie says, voice only slightly more confident than it was yesterday.

“Hi, Eddie.”

Everett sits up straight, eyes widening when he hears the name. Despite the mixed feelings that have been churning through your system for the past few days, a small smile graces your lips at Everett’s obvious excitement. Small chubby hands reach up and make a grabbing motion.

“Eddie! Wanna talk!”

“How’s Everett?” Eddie asks before you have a chance to say anything to your son. By the lack of clanging and scraping in the background, you can tell Eddie is on his lunch break though, so probably doesn’t have time to chat with both you and Ev.

“He’s better,” you tell Eddie. “Jealous that I’m the one talking to you right now, actually.”

This makes Eddie chuckle, and the sound sends butterflies flying throughout your whole body.

“He up for a visitor later then?” he asks.

“Honestly, I think he’d love that.” So would you, even though your heart–or is it your anxiety? — is hesitant to admit it.

“What about you?”

The question softens you a little. It reminds you of Eddie’s kind and thoughtful nature and how considerate he’s always been of how you feel. God damn it, Steve, you think. Why’d you have to interfere and mess me up more than I already was?

“Yeah,” you say, nodding your head. “I wouldn’t mind seeing your handsome face either.”

Eddie lets out an exhale and you can practically feel the apprehension releasing from his body, only to be replaced by relief.

“Great,” Eddie says, his voice more chipper than it’s been in days. “I’ll just get cleaned up once I’m off of work and I’ll be there.”

When you hang up the phone, warmth surges through your body. Eddie didn’t want to break up; he only wanted to protect your sweet son from potential disappointment. Leave it to Ev to burrow his way into your boyfriend’s heart within a matter of weeks.

Little did you know, Eddie would say the same about you.

Of course, the first time Eddie experiences traffic in Hawkins is when he’s trying to get home to get ready to see you. He pulls up to a red light and lets out an irritated sigh. His head lolls to the side as he impatiently waits for the signal to go. A store on his right catches his eye and Eddie’s tongue pokes out of his mouth as he ponders the idea rolling around his brain. Deciding to head in, he flicks his blinker on and turns into the shop’s parking lot.

Eddie finds what he’s looking for almost instantly and drives back to his trailer so he can wash up and make himself look presentable for you. He toys with the thought of adding a dab of cologne, but he knows he already smells like oil and gasoline and he’s not sure the cedar scent would mix well with those.

After what seems like a lifetime, Eddie finally arrives at your place and jogs up the steps to your apartment door. A sudden feeling of apprehension bubbles up in his chest. This is the first time he’s going to see you since the misunderstanding where you hastily left with your sleeping son in your arms. Eddie hopes this time his words will come out more concise and he can convey what he really feels, not just enough vague statements that leave blanks large enough for your anxiety to fill in the rest. A giddy, infectious child’s laugh floats through the wood of the door and it brings a smile to Eddie’s face. The sound calms his nerves and gives him the push to raise his fist and knock.

Every beat of his heart from the time he knocks and the time you answer the door makes him feel like his blood is pumping too fast. But your smile when your eyes land on him has him practically melting at your feet, so maybe the rapid rush of blood is all that’s keeping him upright.

“Hi,” you say, biting your lip with a shy smile. It makes Eddie want to combust.

“Hi,” Eddie responds.

“Eddie!” Everett runs over and wraps his arms around the man’s legs. Eddie chuckles and smooths a hand over the boy’s chocolate waves of hair.

“Hey, little dude. You feeling better?”

Everett looks up and nods his head. “Yep!” Your son notices the plastic bag Eddie is holding and tries to peer inside. “Whassat?”

“Honey, let Eddie inside before you try and mug him,” you say, ushering Everett back into the apartment. Eddie chuckles as he steps inside and crouches down in front of Everett. You watch the pair of them as you close the door and there’s a fullness in your heart you’ve never felt before.

“Well,” Eddie says, setting the bag down on the floor next to him. “I heard you weren’t feeling so great, so I thought I’d bring you a little something.” He pauses and lets out a sigh. “But it seems you’re feeling better now, so I guess you won’t want it.”

“No, no, no!” Everett protests, bouncing up and down on the spot. “I do, I do want it!”

“You sure?” Eddie teases, raising his eyebrows at the boy.

“Yes!” Everett promises.

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Your son is practically vibrating out of his skin as Eddie reaches into the bag and pulls out a Spider-Man action figure. Everett’s eyes widen and his hands come up, but don’t reach for the toy. He seems too transfixed to consciously move his arms to take it. Eddie chuckles and glances over at you.

“You like Spider-Man, right?” he asks.

Everett nods and finally reaches his little arms forward to take the doll from Eddie’s grasp.

“He’s da bess,” Everett replies, his voice revealing that his sinuses are starting to get worse again now that evening is approaching.

“What do you say?” you prompt.

“Thank yew! So’s much!” Everett flings himself forward and wraps his arms around Eddie’s neck. It’s such a strong squeeze for a little boy and it takes Eddie by surprise. He doesn’t hesitate to hug your son back, though. A large ringed hand rubs up and down his small back.

“You’re very welcome.”

Everett pulls back and stares at the toy. A grin lights up his face, dimples on full display, and runs back over to the couch. He hops up and kicks his tiny legs over the edge as he moves Spider-Man’s arms and legs into different positions.

“You didn’t have to—,” you start, but Eddie cuts you off.

“I brought something for you, too.” He pushes himself up to his feet and picks the bag back up. You’re shaking your head, but Eddie just smiles as he pulls out a Tupperware container. “Made some more of those cherry cobbler bars for you last night.”

You accept the baked goods from him and shake your head again. Eddie would’ve thought you were rejecting it if it weren’t for the soft smile on your lips.

“Okay, I’m going to ask you again. Where's the catch with you?” you ask.

“Hmm,” Eddie muses as he slips his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Pretty sure we’ve discovered that it’s me not being able to articulate the things I’m thinking.”

“I guess that mixed with my anxiety-riddled brain is the perfect recipe for some miscommunication, huh?”

Eddie opens his mouth to respond, but Everett lets out a sneeze loud enough to wake everyone on your floor. He looks at the boy as you check your watch and let out a sigh.

“Time for more medicine, Mister,” you announce. Everett pouts and flops back on the couch. The medicine makes him drowsy, so you know that once he takes it, he won’t be grumpy for long. “Come on, you know it makes you feel better.”

“Blech,” Everett groans as he keeps his eyes on the superhero doll in his hands.

Eddie heads towards the couch while you set the Tupperware down in the kitchen and pick up the bottle of Everett’s grape-flavored medication. The little cup it gets poured into has some medicine from this morning now sticky on the bottom of it, so you wash it out as Eddie takes a seat.

“When I was little,” Eddie tells Everett, “my uncle would give me medicine and it tasted so bad.”

“Mine too!” Everett says, pushing himself up to a seated position.

“He taught me a trick though,” Eddie says. “If I pinched my nose closed, I couldn’t taste it!”

“Like if ya swimmin’?” Everett asks.

“Exactly like that!” Eddie takes his thumb and forefinger and plugs his nostrils shut to demonstrate. Everett giggles and copies the action.

“Okay, let’s test it out then,” you say as you bring over the dosage for him. He still looks a little hesitant, but Eddie shoots him a wink and the boy nods his head and holds his hand out for the medicine. The new action figure gets put down on the cushion next to him so he can use the other hand to pinch his nose closed.

An amused look is shared between you and Eddie as Everett takes a deep breath to steady himself before he downs the grape syrup like you would a shot of vodka. Once he’s swallowed, Everett holds his nose for a moment longer before letting go. He pauses, determining if Eddie’s tactic worked or not. A small gasp escapes his lips as he turns to Eddie with wide eyes.

“It wasn’t icky!” he exclaims.

“Alright!” Eddie holds his hand up for a high five, which Everett returns enthusiastically. You toss the empty cup into the sink before plopping down on the other side of Everett from Eddie.

It doesn’t take long for the medicine to kick in and Everett’s eyes begin to droop. His head rests against your arm and you gently coax him into your lap so it will be easier to take him to bed without too much jostling. His clogged nose means when Everett finally does fall into a deep sleep, he’s snoring like a bear cub in hibernation. Slowly, you tighten your grip on him and rise to your feet.

“I’ll be right back,” you whisper to Eddie, who nods in return. Everett stays in his medication-induced slumber as you lay him down in his bed and tuck his powder blue blanket around him. You place his new Spider-Man action figure on top of his nightstand and gently lay his otter stuffie by his side. Some hair has flopped down into his eyes, so you brush it back and press a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Goodnight, baby.”

When you walk back out into the living room, Eddie is leaning back on the couch, fidgeting with the rings on his fingers.

You plop down in your previous spot, unsure of what to say now that Everett is no longer there as a buffer. What you really want to do is lean over and press your lips against his. You’re aware that’s not the best idea though, so you bite at your lower lip instead.

“I missed you,” Eddie finally says.

“I missed you, too.” Your voice is quiet, but you’re glad the ice has been broken.

Eddie turns towards you and leans in. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t clear about what I was trying to say at the party.”

Shrugging your shoulders, you offer him an apologetic smile. “I didn’t really let you finish.”

He scoots in a little closer to you and looks at you with those doe eyes that make your heart feel like it’s bouncing on a trampoline. When his tongue comes out to lick over his lips, all you can remember is the way it felt up against yours in the back of his van at Lover’s Lake. Was that really only a week and a half ago? It simultaneously feels like it was ages away and just happened yesterday.

“Steve put all this in your head, didn’t he?” you ask.

“Well…yeah,” Eddie admits, looking sheepish. You admire the fact that he doesn’t want to come out and throw the father of your child under the bus, even if that's where the blame belongs. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I’d hate myself forever if I ever disappointed that little dude.”

The thoughtfulness Eddie continues to show towards your son only has you falling farther down the rabbit hole for him. It eases a worry you didn’t even know you had. Steve’s words to him may have some validity, but it was not his place to say any of these things to Eddie. Steve was definitely taking Everett to his next dentist appointment after pulling this.

“Steve has never been one for keeping quiet,” you tell Eddie. “And I get that he’s concerned about his son, but Everett is my son, too. I always intended to move slowly because of him.”

Eddie considers this, but you can see in his tense posture that he’s not completely mollified.

“You didn’t know I was going to be at the graduation though,” Eddie says, his shoulders slumping with a sigh. “I should’ve told you.”

“No, it was a nice surprise,” you assure him. He still doesn’t look convinced, so you reach out and take one of his hands in your own. The warmth envelops your cold fingers, and the rough calluses feel steadying and calming against your softer skin. “Everett remembering you and warming up to you instantly was nice, too. You and I just hadn’t discussed how we were going to be in front of him yet. I think that talk would’ve saved us all this confusion.”

“I swear, I wasn’t trying to end anything. I just—if Everett got attached and then for some reason this didn’t work out, I’d hate to hurt him. And I never want to cross a line. If I ever do, please call me out on it. With you or Everett.”

Your top teeth begin to worry at your bottom lip as you nod your head. An odd sensation fills your body; like you’re lightheaded and weighed down all at the same time. It isn’t because of Eddie’s words—or is it? The confirmation that he wasn’t breaking up with you—the live, in person, seeing-the-words-coming-directly-from-his-mouth confirmation, you realize, has relieved you. Relief. Relief that the pain you thought you were being forced to endure was unsubstantiated. Relief that Eddie seeing you be a mom didn’t drive him away—though that is something you still want to talk to him about. Relief and pure joy at the fact that Eddie wants to be with you. It’s dizzying, honestly. But there’s still the matter that all of this confusion was put upon you both in the first place.

“That’s why we have this talk,” you assure him, voice strong yet hushed. “Be boring adults and figure out the boundaries so we can go back to making out like teenagers.”

Eddie chuckles. “I like the sound of that.”

Taking a deep breath, you give his hand a squeeze. “I know Everett doesn’t know what dating is. His whole life he’s known there’s Daddy and Nancy, and there’s Mommy. Because he’s so young, I don’t think he’ll have a problem seeing you gradually become a part of his life. But I do think it should be gradual.”

“That’s smart,” Eddie says with a nod of his head. “None of us should be moving too fast.”

“He clearly likes you,” you say, giving a small chuckle. “I think for now though, maybe it’s better if he sees you in group settings. Like, when he sees his aunts and uncles. Every time the kids get together, they ask if Everett can make an appearance. He can get to know you as one of the gang.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Eddie says. “I want you to always tell me what you’re comfortable with. You’re his mom first.”

“I’m your girl too though, right?” The way you jut out your bottom lip and give him an over-the-top pout has Eddie laughing and leaning in to press a kiss to your temple.

“Baby, nothing would make me happier than that.”

“Just…one thing.” The way your body tenses and you look away from him makes Eddie nervous. There’s this niggling thing in the back of your mind and you know your brain will never let you rest until you talk about it. “Tell me honestly. Me being a mom doesn’t bother you? At all?”

“Sweetheart, no.” A frown settles onto Eddie’s face and his eyes are filled with steel sincerity. “I adore you. Every part I’ve seen of you so far, it’s only made me crazier for you. Including the mom side. I see how strong and resilient you are all while being the most compassionate and attentive mother to that wonderful little boy. You’re a damn superhero in my opinion.”

This gets a smile out of you, and that’s all it takes to wipe Eddie’s downtrodden expression away. He leans in and presses his lips against your forehead.

“Like Spider-Man?” you ask. It makes Eddie chuckle against your skin.

“Even better than Spider-Man, baby.”

“Don’t say that to Everett.”

“Mm, I’m pretty sure he knows his mom is way better.”

“Ah, see that’s a boundary,” you say, poking your finger into his chest. “You can’t lie to me.”

Eddie playfully rolls his eyes before leaning in and nuzzling his nose into the ticklish spot he’s discovered is on the side of your neck. It causes you to break out in giggles and throw your hand over your mouth so they don’t wake your sleeping son.

“Not a lie,” Eddie mumbles.

“Fine, fine,” you say.

He pulls away from your neck and Eddie sits back up straight, looking at you, his eyes shining with admiration and fondness. You’re not sure you’ll ever get used to how he looks at you. You hope you never do.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” you ask.

“Do I get to hold you?”

“Of course.” A smile comes to your lips, and you give a gentle tug on Eddie’s hand. “But get comfortable first. You’ve got to be warm in your leather jacket and boots.”

“Mm,” Eddie hums as he pushes himself off of the couch with a cheeky smile. “Coulda just said you wanted me to undress.”

“I knew you were going to say that,” you admit with a soft giggle. Warmth comes to your cheeks just at his suggestive joke; what would happen when you two finally do start going further?

Eddie takes his boots off and rests them next to your shoes by the front door and hangs his jacket on a peg attached to your hall closet. When he comes back over to the couch, he leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead before plopping down next to you–closer than before. Not close enough for your liking, though. You scoot closer to him, and he takes the hint to wrap his arm around your shoulders as you snuggle up to his side.

“Hi,” you say, tilting your head up to look at him.

“Hi,” Eddie answers. His eyes scan your face. You can tell he’s admiring you and it brings a mixture of flattery and self-consciousness at the same time. When his eyes find your lips, they stay there the longest before he finally looks back up into your eyes. “Been wanting to kiss you since I last did it,” he murmurs in a soft voice.

“So do it.”

The words barely leave your mouth before his lips attach to yours. Eddie’s hand comes up to cup the side of your face, his thumb gently caressing your cheekbone. The kiss is full of longing and reassurance, both of you wanting the other so badly and just as fiercely wanting to show each other that you’re not going anywhere. When you part, Eddie nuzzles his nose against yours.

“So, uh, movie?” he asks.

“Right.” You stand up and pick Ghostbusters out of your stack near the television and eject the tape you’ve been watching with Everett all day to pop this one in. Eddie’s arms are back around you the moment you sit down. As much as you love this movie, there’s something you’d rather be doing.

“One last boundary?”

“Mm?”

“You gotta kiss me whenever Ev isn’t around. Gotta make up for all the times we can’t, ya know?”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson fanfic #BBE

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