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dwobbitfromtheshire · 4 months ago

Text

To Change

A/N: Wayne and Ted friendship, but it also could be read as something more. I don't know much about Ted's background in TFS, just the hedgehog thing. Here ya go!

Ted Wheeler wasn't a perfect father. He knew, but he figured he was a thousand times better than his own abusive father had been. Maybe he had tried too hard not to show his anger that he inadvertently put up the distance between him and his children. In his own stupid way, he thought he was protecting them. Maybe if he didn't get upset or show anger. . .maybe Karen would stay, that they would stay. He hadn't understood, though, just like with most social interactions, that they needed more from him. He didn't understand how to let them know that there were some things that he might not be able to give them. He didn't know how to talk to them but he had to start somewhere. He had caught Mike crying in the bathroom and trying to cut his hair.

"Here, let me help," Ted had said softly.

Mike didn't say anything. He just handed Ted the scissors. It was quiet between them as Ted cut his hair. He noticed how tall Mike had gotten. When did that happen? Pretty soon, Mike was going to be tall like him. In this moment, Ted was proud of his boy but also sad and angry for him. He shouldn't have had to go through something like this. None of them should have. Ted gently brushed the hair off the back of his neck.

"Thanks," Mike said stiffly.

"Mike," Ted said softly. "I'm so sorry about your friend. I lost a friend myself at that age, and I know how - "

"Bullshit!" Mike yelled.

"Michael!" Ted exclaimed.

"I don't believe you! I don't believe anything you have to say. You don't give a shit about anything! You just sit there in your chair, and you do nothing! You care about nothing!" Mike screamed. "It should have been you!"

Mike stormed out of the room, leaving Ted standing in the bathroom amongst his hair. He slid to the floor and let out a sob. How did he fuck up this badly? Ted gripped his arms. He began rocking back and forth as every noise in the house suddenly became overwhelming to him, even the sound of his own beating heart, which he wished he could rip out. He wished he couldn't feel anything because nothing hurt more than hearing your son wish you were dead. He knew Mike was hurting, but the words that spilled from his son's mouth still cut him like a knife to the heart. After crying for a while, Ted stood up and wiped his eyes before cleaning up the hair.

It was later that afternoon that Ted had invited the rest of the party into his house to talk about what their next plan of attack was. He didn't know what to do or to say. He really was useless. The awkwardness he was feeling made him feel uncomfortable in his very skin, and listening to them talk about what all the kids went through made it even more so. Now, the other parents were yelling at Hopper and Joyce for keeping them in the dark for so long. He didn't blame them for being angry, but the noise was too much for him to bear. Ted pulled himself out of the dining room and into the kitchen, trying to practice the breathing techniques his mother taught him to do when he was younger.

"Yeah, the noise overwhelms me too," a voice spoke, and he jumped. "Sorry."

Wayne Munson had followed him into the kitchen.

"It's fine. . .I just don't know what to say in there," Ted said.

"You're telling me," Wayne scoffed. "I don't, either."

"You want a beer?" Ted asked.

"I think the situation calls for it," Wayne sighed and Ted snorted.

He pulled out a couple of beers for himself and Wayne. They drank in comfortable silence for a while. The only sound was the parents chewing out Joyce and Hopper, but it was more muffled now that they were in the kitchen.

"I feel like my head is spinning," Ted said.

"Yeah, mine too. . .you had no clue at all that it might have been something like this?" Wayne asked.

"I can't even tell when someone is being sarcastic with me," Ted said. "How was I supposed to guess?"

"Yeah, I can't tell when people do that either. It made it easier for my brother to manipulate me," Wayne said. "Even with all the stuff I believed, I never would have guessed. . ."

"I don't know what I can possibly do with all of this or to say, and I know how it looks to people. . .like I just don't care," Ted said, sipping his beer.

"Yeah, some people think cause I don't talk much that I don't care neither," Wayne would tell him. "Like I have always told Eddie, people will see what they want to see. If all they see you as are the people in their lives who hurt them, that's all they'll see unless they decide otherwise. People won't change their minds unless they want to. Can't do it for 'em."

"I thought you don't talk much," Ted said.

"Asshole," Wayne smirked.

"Sorry about Eddie," Ted said. "Mike says he's a good man. I didn't know him. I wasn't sure what to think of him at first. . ."

"You change your mind?" Wayne asked.

"Yeah."

"You're better than most."

"I caught Mike crying in the mirror and cutting his hair. I helped him fix it. I told him how sorry I was. He yelled at me that he didn't believe me and that I didn't give two shits," Ted sighed.

"It breaks your heart, doesn't it? When they think you don't give a damn?" Wayne asked.

"Every damn day," he whispered.

"We're going to save this town even if they went after my boy. I'm gonna prove them all wrong," Wayne said.

"I'll help," Ted said. "I'll figure it out somehow. I can't let my boy think I'm completely useless. I can't let anything happen to him or my girls."

"Ain't no one going to stop you from trying to prove yourself?" He asked.

"No."

"Well, I guess someone is going to have to look after your stupid ass," Wayne replied.

"I'll do the same," Ted said. "Someone should look after you, too."

"The next person who says you don't care, I'll give 'em what for," Wayne said.

"To change," Ted muttered softly and held out his beer, tapping it with Wayne's.

"To change."

Ted came through for his kids and for his wife, summoning all of his courage to do it. He remembered that time Mike tried going to camp for the first time. He hadn't liked it and called him immediately. He remembered driving all through the night, through bad weather, to go and get him. Then there was that time that Nancy had gotten sick with the chicken pox. He had driven all over trying to find the brand of juice she liked. . .just trying to do whatever it took to make her feel better. He didn't know how to give them the comfort they deserved. He wasn't good at the whole hugging thing, and he didn't know how to talk about his feelings, but he could do things for them. Even when they wanted to go to a fair and everything overwhelmed his senses. He'd do it for them. He also remembered when Holly was born and she nearly died. When Ted wasn't by Karen's side, he was by Holly's. There was one moment when he wasn't by either, and he had gone down to the chapel to pray. Ted wasn't all that religious, but he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure his family was okay.

"Please, don't take my baby. Don't take any of them. I'll do whatever you ask of me. . .just don't take her," Ted had pleaded. "Take me instead."

Wayne had kept his vow and attempted to protect Ted's stupid ass from danger over the last few months as he also tried to prove to the town that his family wasn't anything to be afraid of. Holly had been in danger once again as well as his wife. He couldn't let anything happen to them; he couldn't let that fucker take his little girl. The Demogorgon had come for both of them, and he threw himself at it, his glasses getting knocked off of his face in the process. He heard the sound of them breaking underneath the creature's feet and then Ted felt the claws sinking into his own flesh as though it were butter. He let out an inhuman shriek of pain as fire exploded overhead and lit the creature up. It ran off, hollering and then he heard Mike.

"Dad! I'm sorry. . .I'm sorry, shit!" Mike cursed as he fell to his knees, crying. "I know, I've said a lot of things, and I know how hard you've been trying. I know you care; I know you care. Please, I don't want you to die."

"I'm proud of you," Ted whispered and closed his eyes.

"DAD!"

Ted saw nothing but darkness, and he thought for sure that he was dead at first, but then he opened his eyes for a moment. He was looking up at the dim lights of the hospital. Shit, what the fuck? He lived? He was moving quickly as though people were pushing him. He briefly saw Mike out of the corner of his eye, trying to run after him. A nurse stopped him as he couldn't follow them after that point. Wayne grabbed him from behind, trying to hold him, and he struggled in his grasp. A look of understanding passed between them as Nancy caught up with them. Wayne had his boy, and Nancy had Holly in her arms. He could sleep now.

"Dad!"

When Ted woke up, he was lying in a bed with annoying beeping sounds filling his ears. God, couldn't they turn it off? It probably wouldn't be a very good idea, he realized.

"Ted," a familiar voice spoke to him.

Ted turned his head to find Karen looking at him from the other hospital bed. The last time that he had seen her, she had looked dead. He sighed in relief and tried to get out of bed but was pulled back by the pain in his sides as well as his IV. He laid back in his bed.

"I thought you were dead," Ted sobbed.

"I thought I was too for a minute there," Karen chuckled weakly. "The nurse came in a while ago. Everyone's sleeping in the waiting room. We won, Ted."

"Shit. . .we did?" he asked.

"Our family is safe," she whispered.

"I can't believe that our kids have been dealing with this all this time," Ted said and cursed. "I know I should be feeling happy that we won and that our kids are safe. . .but all I feel is anger that we could have done something about all this. . .that they could have had you to help them through it. I've never been good at the emotional stuff but you were."

"I haven't seen you this angry in a long time, Teddy," Karen said.

"I don't like being this angry," he replied, and he went silent.

"Oh, Teddy. . .is that what you've been worried about? Even at your angriest, you aren't even close to being like your father. It's alright to be a little passionate about things, especially things that other people don't understand. They don't have to," Karen said. "I can't believe you've been worried about this all this time."

"I don't know how to get the words out or where to find them but even when I do. . . they seem to get stuck in my throat," he said.

"I think we both have a communication problem," she said. "I should have been honest with you about what I've been wanting in my life. I want something more, Teddy, something that you can't give me and almost dying made me realize that. It's such a shitty time. . . "

"You want a divorce?" Ted asked.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"Don't be, Karen," he said. "I shouldn't feel relieved. . .right? Is that a bad thing? I mean, I feel sad. . .maybe I've been wanting something more. . .I just don't know what that is."

"I think it's a good thing, Teddy," she said. "I don't know what I want either."

"It's been a while since you called me that," he realized.

"I love you, I always will. . .but we were friends first. I know that not many people know that. I want to get back to that," she said. "You gave me a really good life and I still want you to be a part of that."

"I want that too," Ted said. "I love you."

There was a long silence after that Ted had used to drift off to sleep. The next time he had woken up, he woke up to the sound of voices in their room. Ted opened his eyes to find that Nancy was leaning over him, her eyes red from crying.

"Hi, daddy," Nancy said.

"Hi, pumpkin," Ted said.

"It's been a long time since you called me that," Nancy sniffled.

"It's been a long time since you called me Daddy," Ted said. "I think the last time you did, you were still rolling your ds."

"What?" Nancy asked.

"You probably don't remember, but you had this speech thing when you were little. Doctors made us take you to this speech therapist who you did not like. Told us and you that you would always have trouble speaking," Ted said.

"You definitely didn't like that," Karen laughed.

"I have never seen a more determined look on such a little girl," Ted said, and Karen laughed.

"It was cute, though," she said.

"It was. You've always been so headstrong," Ted said. "I'm so proud of you. Of all of you."

"I'm glad you're still here," Nancy said, her bottom lip trembling, squeezing his hand.

Mike shuffled forward to stand on his other side.

"I'm really sorry," Mike whispered.

"I heard you, son," Ted said. "And I know you didn't mean it. You've all been through so much, and even as strong as you are, I know all that hurt and pain is still going to come out. I never handled it well myself either at that age. Don't really handle it well now. I tried so hard not to be like my father, but I became more like a robot than anything else."

"You never talk about him, and whenever I mention it with Nana, she said I shouldn't ask you about it," Mike said.

"My father was an abusive asshole who knocked me around for being different. Nothing I ever did was enough for him. I tried so hard to be what he wanted me to be, but I realized how miserable it made me. I started doing what I wanted, what made me happy, and when my father caught me with a boy. . .that's when the beatings started," Ted sighed.

"But you and mom - ," Mike started to say.

"I never really cared about what the packaging looked like, just the present inside," Ted said, touching his hand to his chest.

"And you can really do that?" Nancy asked.

"You can do anything. . .within reason, I suppose," he said.

"I had no idea, Ted," Karen said softly.

"How were you supposed to? I never told you and I should have because I always thought you were my best friend," Ted said. "My own father never understood. When my mom found out. . .well, Nancy, you can wield a shotgun as well as your Nana. She didn't hesitate to shoot him."

"She shot him?!" Nancy and Mike asked.

Suddenly, Ted was grateful that Holly was curled up in a chair, fast asleep. She was always a heavy sleeper.

"Grazed the bastard, but yes. He left not long after that, decided neither one of us was worth the trouble," Ted said. "I always blamed myself for what happened. I was too weird, and it what drove him to madness. Everything was too loud for me. I couldn't socialize right. . .certain clothes didn't fit me. I was too picky about what I ate. . .always said the wrong thing. . .I was too queer. . ."

"No, Dad. It was him. He was the one who couldn't accept you. He's the mouth breather," Mike said. "Nana should have shot him in the dick."

"Michael!" Karen and Ted exclaimed.

"Sorry."

"If you think there's something wrong with you, then there's something wrong with us. We've always worried about those things. I know I'm always worried about saying the wrong thing, and I don't always pick up on things either," Nancy said.

"Neither do I, and I don't know it when I'm saying something shitty," Mike frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Ted said thickly, and they looked at him. "There's nothing wrong with us. You're all so strong. . .so much like your mother and your Nana."

"We get a lot of things from you, too, Dad," Nancy said. "You're strong, too, Dad."

"He's certainly stronger than his eyesight," Mike quipped. "That's something you have in common with Dad, Nance."

"For the last time, I do not need glasses!" Nancy exclaimed.

"Bullshit!" Mike yelled and picked up a book. "What does this say? Read it without squinting."

"I don't think it's going to hurt if you get them checked, at least," Karen said.

"I guess it wouldn't," Nancy frowned.

"Still that determined little pumpkin," Ted chuckled weakly. "I'm going to need new glasses anyway. Might as well come with me."

"You can't see, Daddy?" Holly asked sleepily as she sat up. "You want me to read Nancy Drew to you?"

"I would love that more than anything," Ted said.

"You read Nancy Drew to her?" Nancy asked.

"Just like when you were little," Ted said. "And Mike, but that was during his following Nancy everywhere she goes phase."

"Oh, I miss that phase," Karen grinned and Mike groaned.

"Mom, I'm reading!" Holly said.

Ted chuckled as Holly opened her book and began to read, after moving her chair in between her parents' beds. He looked over Holly's head to share a look with his soon to be ex-wife. Their marriage had been over for a long time, but they are still what they have always been. . .family. They still had a lot to talk about and so many other things to deal with, but Ted felt like there wasn't anything they couldn't handle. An hour or so later, after Karen had drifted off to sleep, Dustin appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Ted, glad to see you're not dead," Dustin said.

"Well, someone's got to stick around to make sure you don't eat me out of house and home," Ted said dryly.

"God, I would have missed this," Dustin said, shaking his head fondly.

"I thought you hated my dad," Mike frowned.

"Michael Dean, whatever gave that idea? You really know nothing, don't you?" Dustin asked. "Anyway, thought you ought to know that Max is awake. . .if you're interested at all."

Dustin disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Mike and Nancy shared a look.

"Go, I'll be fine," Ted chuckled.

"If you're sure," Nancy said and then took off with Mike.

A moment later, Wayne appeared in the doorway, looking a lot happier than when Ted had last seen him.

"I was wondering when you were going to come see me," Ted said.

"I was just giving you time with your family," Wayne said.

He looked about as awkward as Ted usually felt. He wasn't sure what to say here either, though they had a lot of moments like that. They also had a lot of moments where they sat in comfortable silence. Ted was still learning to pick up on things with him. Wayne was a hard man to read sometimes, especially with Ted's limitations. He frowned as Ted watched him.

"Is there some wrong, Wayne?" Ted finally asked.

"Eddie's alive," he said.

"Jesus," Ted gasped. "How?"

Wayne exhaled loudly before explaining that the bat bites had turned him into a creature of the night and that Eddie had been instrumental in taking Henry Creel down.

"It's a lot to process even for me but he's still my boy," Wayne said.

"Well, I'm really glad that you got him back, Wayne," Ted said.

"Yeah. . .I heard that Karen wants a divorce," Wayne said bluntly and Ted looked at him. "Dustin's got a big mouth, very loud one too."

"That's true," Ted scoffed. "Yeah. Karen wants a divorce. It's going to be better for us and our family even if the kids can't see it right now. . .it is. I think when we were younger, we both just assumed that that's how our friendship should evolve. It's been over for a long time, and we've both been trying to hang onto something that was never really there. . . I told them about my father. You were right. They understood."

"Of course they did. Did you tell them about your boyfriend who died?" Wayne asked.

"No. . .I couldn't. . .still trying to process telling them all of that. . .I wasn't quite ready to say that I think my father might have killed my boyfriend," Ted sighed.

"You'll get there," Wayne said.

Ted was practically blind without his glasses, but he could tell that something had moved underneath Wayne's shirt pocket.

"There's something wiggling underneath your clothes," Ted said.

"You really don't know what comes out of your mouth, do ya?" Wayne asked, laughing.

"What? . . . Oh! Wayne!"

"I got something for ya," Wayne said.

"No tricks!"

"Of course. You know me. . .perfectly innocent," Wayne said and Ted scoffed.

Wayne pulled a hedgehog out of his shirt pocket and laid it on Ted's chest.

"What? Where did you get this?" He asked.

"Went down to the animal store," he said. "You mentioned once that you had one as a boy, and it seemed like you might have wanted one again, so I got you this little fella."

"Thanks, Wayne," Ted said, touched by the gift, and then he laughed. "You know, most people give flowers. They don't sneak hedgehogs into a hospital."

"I ain't most people," he shrugged.

"That's true," Ted said. "You're better."

Suddenly, Eddie popped into the room with Mike following after him.

"I heard Uncle Wayne made a friend, I had to come see for myself," Eddie said, flashing his dimples.

"Oh, lord," Wayne said with a sigh.

"Is that a hedgehog?" Mike asked.

"Wayne gave them to me," Ted said.

"Most people buy flowers," he pointed out.

"I'm glad to see you aren't dead, Eddie," Ted said. "I know your uncle has been a mess without you."

"Yeah, me too," Eddie said as he looked softly at his uncle.

"Is that Eddie?" Karen asked, spoke up. "What's going on?"

"Hey, Mrs. Wheeler, glad to see you alive," Eddie said with a grin.

"I think I've heard people say that a lot today. . .it's starting to sound weird," Mike said.

Ted quickly told Karen what Wayne had told him.

"Oh my God!" Karen asked.

"Don't worry, I don't feed on humans," he reassured her.

"No, honey, I'm just relieved you're back," Karen said.

"Yeah, so are the rest of Vecna's victims. . .turns out they weren't really dead," Eddie shrugged.

"That includes Chrissy. . .what was that song you played for her?" Wayne asked teasingly.

"Shut it, Uncle Wayne," Eddie said, rolling his eyes, and he softened his expression. "I think because of Dustin, everyone in the whole damn hospital knows about your impending divorce. Sorry about that."

"Don't be, it's the best thing for us," Ted said.

"Well, hey, Karen, if you don't want him, I'll take him," Wayne said, and Ted laughed with her. "I've had worse, unless. . .what's he like when he wakes up in the morning?"

"Asshole," Ted said.

"I keep telling everyone that my uncle is a menace," Eddie muttered. "But no one believes me."

A moment later, Nancy came in with Jonathan and Steve. All three of them were wearing yellow sweaters.

"What'd I miss?" Nancy asked.

"Was this on purpose?" Mike asked, looking at them.

"Well, my uncle seduced your dad with a baby oppossum," Eddie replied.

"Okay, I know for a fact that's a hedgehog," Steve said.

"What?" She asked.

"Did Nancy dress you?" Mike asked Steve and Jonathan.

"Yeah," Jonathan said. "So, what's going on?"

"Nancy and Michael have a new daddy now," Eddie cackled.

"That's great," Nancy grinned. "I've always wanted two dads."

"What? Since you were a little girl, you closed your eyes and wished real hard?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, but only because mom didn't let me have a marshmallow before dinner," Nancy grinned, and they all laughed.

"You can have all the marshmallows you want, darlin," Wayne said, and they laughed harder.

"I'm glad Dad has a friend like you," Nancy said softly.

"I'm lucky to have a friend like him. He's a handful but. . .he's a good man," Wayne said.

Ted swallowed as he gazed at him, recalling all those talks they had and all those times they sat in comfortable silence. Despite how uncomfortable he was, he looked directly into Wayne's eyes. He remembered all the times the other basketball players had wanted to be his friends. . .they hadn't truly wanted to. They were just basking in the fact that he was good and that he was popular. They hadn't given two fucks about him. The same went for all the girls he had dated back then. Even though it had taken him a while, he saw them for what they had truly been: pretenders. He hadn't found someone who truly cared for him until Karen, but they had both assumed that it had been romantic love, but they had been blind and so, it had led to much frustration. Wayne truly wanted to be his friend, and even without his glasses, Ted could see that.

"I think the hedgehog just pissed on you, Ted," Eddie cackled, breaking their gaze.

"Goddamnit."

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