#the kids are college grads and steddie is almost in their thirties here

[blushweddinggowns]

“Escrow’s almost over,” Eddie grinned as he hung up the phone, “I just have to go down there and resign the check, but after that we’re in the clear.”

He waltzed over to Steve, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him against his chest, “In less than twenty four hours, we’re going to be homeowners.”

Steve grinned back, running his hands up and down Eddie’s chest with half-lidded eyes, “Sexier words have never been spoken.”

Eddie chuckled, cheeks a little pink at Steve’s low tone, “Real-estate turns you on?”

“Mmhm. Co home ownership with my illegal husband? Doesn’t get hotter than that.”

“Kinky,” Eddie smiled, leaning in to start nibbling on Steve’s ear, “You’re making me not want to leave.”

“Well tough,” Steve laughed, pushing Eddie towards the door, “But the sooner you get back the sooner we can celebrate.”

Eddie pressed a quick kiss to his lips before leaving, groaning when Steve pushed him back when he tried to get his tongue in his mouth,“If I get a speeding ticket I’m blaming you.”

“I’ll take full responsibility.”

Steve locked the door behind him, smiling to himself as he heard Eddie grumble his way down the stairs. He was barely two steps away from it when someone started knocking. Steve rolled his eyes, as he went back to answer it, a teasing comment already on his tongue, “Did you forget your keys again- oh.” 

Steve paused, eyes wide at the sight of Mike Wheeler on his front door step, alone. He looked nervous, fidgeting while he kept his eyes down, “Can I uh, come in?”

Steve stepped aside, brow raised as Mike walked past him into the hall, “Eddie’s not actually here right now, but if you want to wait for him-”

“I know,” Mike interrupted, slumping down onto one of their couches, “I passed him on the stairs. I’m here to talk to you.” 

That was…weird. Mike wasn’t exactly his biggest fan. It’s not like they hated each other or anything, but they weren’t close. They more…tolerated each other. Mainly because they both loved the same people, but they just never clicked. It also didn’t help that Steve had been the cause for many a rescheduled DnD session, for admittedly, strictly horny reasons. 

Even now, with the California trio moving to Boston they hadn’t found a rhythm together. They only really interacted in group settings, with some kind of buffer between them. 

Steve sat across from him feeling a little lost when he asked,  “Uh, what can I do for you?”

“You didn’t always know you were gay right?” Mike blurted, immediately getting into it, “Like…you used to like girls didn’t you?”

“Well…technically I’m not gay. I’m bi,” Steve corrected, frowning at Mike’s confused look. Though he couldn’t exactly blame him. Hell, he didn’t know what that word meant until he was almost twenty-one, “Like bi-sexual? When you like both? Like your literal sister-”

“Please don’t talk about Nancy right now,” Mike groaned, hiding his face in his hands, “This is embarrassing enough. Did you always know or not?”

“No, I didn’t always know I was into dudes,” Steve admitted with a shrug, “I never even considered them an option when I was younger. I liked girls, so I thought that was enough proof that I was straight. Until,” He gestured to the ring on his left hand, “Y’know.”

“But I don’t know!” Mike cried out, loud enough to make Steve jump a little, “I don’t know anything! Like what? You saw Eddie one day and you were magically queer?”

“Not exactly,” Steve laughed, slowly but surely catching on to where this conversation was going. Directness seemed like the best approach for this one,“When it came to Eddie, it was more…falling in love first and then realizing I wanted to fuck him.”

“Dude!”

Steve shrugged, “You asked.”

“But it can’t just be that easy!” Mike insisted, a few frustrated tears showing up in the corner of his eyes, “How can it be that easy?”

“Hey, hey calm down,” Steve said with a frown. He didn’t really know what to do here. He had methods for talking down the other kids, but he was at a loss when it came to Mike. This was an Eddie or Nancy thing and Steve wasn’t quite sure why he was coming to him.

He opted for tossing him a box of kleenex, politely looking away when he wiped at his eyes while he answered his question, “Why can’t it be that easy? I fell in love with a man, I figured out I was attracted to him. Had a minor crisis, and now we’re living happily ever after. It’s as simple as that.”

Mike rolled his eyes, which…fair enough. And at least he wasn’t crying. Besides, no one could really handle how sappy Steve got when he was talking about Eddie. But he was being honest.

“But what made you know for sure?” Mike pressed, “What was the moment?”

“It was a lot of moments man. They kind of just…added up to love eventually. But if you mean when did I realize it was real then…well do you want the PG version or the real version?”

Mike bit his lip, considering, “Um, PG please.”

“PG version, Robin talked me through my gay thoughts and helped me figure out what it all meant.”

Mike nodded, hesitating before asking, “What’s…the real version?”

“I saw his dick once and realized I wanted it in my mouth.”

“Oh my god,” Mike groaned, hiding his face in his hands, “I don’t know what I expected from you. I really don’t.”

“Well it might help if you’d just tell me why you’re asking,” Steve huffed. Though he had a pretty strong feeling that he already knew what it was, “Mike, what’s going on?”

“It’s…Will,” He finally admitted, staring at his hands, “Ever since we moved here I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. About us and it’s driving me fucking crazy!”

Now that he was talking, it was like he couldn’t stop, “And I’ve never felt like romantic things for him. Or at least I didn’t think I did. But I always thought that…if only he was born a girl y’know? Then he’d be perfect for me. A-and I kept thinking that right? And I kept trying to find someone just like him. And it kind of worked for a while, at least when we were all living together.”

It was official. Mike was having his baby gay moment, as Robin would have called it. Steve’s eyes softened as he watched him stumble through his words, very empathetic to what he was feeling,“What changed?”

Mike sighed, voice cracking when he answered, “When we were all together, we had this deal that we wouldn’t bring people home because like, who wants to hear their brother or sister doing shit right? And we were this weird little family and it worked. But now El lives with Max and Lucas, and it’s just us. And now…he brings guys home Steve.”

This little talk was rapidly steering into the territory of shit that Steve did not want to know. But he was going to be supportive of Mike’s little gay awakening, even if it was going to break his delusion of all of his children being pure virgins. He swallowed, forcing himself to keep the conversation going, “And that bothers you?”

“Does it bother me? It’s fucking infuriating! And it’s not even about them being loud. Most of the time I can’t even hear anything, but it’s the fact that they're even there at all that pisses me off.”

“And why is that?” Steve asked. The answer was obvious, he just didn’t know if Mike knew it or not. He kind of had the urge to shake him a bit, and Steve couldn’t help but wonder if this is how Robin felt when she was talking to him.

“Because…” Mike sighed, “I don’t know. I-I don’t think I’m gay.”

“You don’t have to be gay to like Will.”

“I don’t like Will,” Mike corrected, face red, “I love him. I’ve always loved him. But it’s never felt like this before. And I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t…I can’t try and start something that I don’t know I’ll finish.”

“You’re right,” Steve agreed. If Mike broke Will’s heart there would be at least five people in line to beat his ass, “But what makes you think it wouldn’t work?”

“Because I’m not gay-”

“Forget that for a second,” Steve interrupted, “The label doesn’t matter. How do you feel about Will?”

Mike was fidgeting in his seat, nervously thoughtful, “I…I don’t want him to see anyone else.”

“Why?”

Mike sighed, voice shaky when he admitted, “Because…because he belongs with me.”

“And what would that look like? Him belonging with you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes you do,” Steve pressed, “You wouldn’t be here if you’d never thought about it.”

Mike was staring at the floor, talking like the words were being psychically pulled out of him, “It would just be us. And I would be the person he would come to for the things he wanted. Everything he wanted. I’d be the one he talked to when he had a problem. I’d be the one he’d cuddle with after a long day. I’d be the one to take care of him.”

Steve nodded along, a small smile on his face when he asked, “Is kissing involved with this whole domestic bliss vision?”

“...yes?”

“Then I think it’s safe to say you’re not entirely straight.”

“But I’ve never wanted a guy before! It’s only ever been him and-”

“And that’s how I felt with Eddie,” Steve softly interrupted. He felt like he was trying not to spook a wild animal here, “Being gay or straight or bi or whatever doesn’t really matter when you love someone. And none of those labels changes who you are anyway. You’re still going to be you, even if you want to be with Will.”

Mike was gnawing on his lower lip, face scrunched as he processed the words. He ran a hand through his hair, finally conceding, at least a little, “Okay, let’s say I’m not entirely straight. That doesn’t mean that he’d even want me. He’s so…fun. And creative and smart and…pretty. And I’m just me.”

Steve shrugged. He didn’t want to lie to him, he didn’t technically have confirmation on Will’s feelings, and the whole thing could go south in theory. But he had some pretty good odds, “Look man, the two of you have been attached at the hip since you were in grade school. If Will thought you were just some average boring loser, he would have dropped you by now. And sure, maybe he doesn’t like you back. But if he does, don’t you think it’s worth the risk to ask?”

“But what if it ruins everything?”

“But what if it doesn’t?” Steve countered, “Look at me and Eddie. I mean shit dude, you helped plan our damn wedding. Wouldn’t you say that the risk was worth it?”

Mike paused, stopping to look around their cluttered living room. His eyes snapped to Steve’s favorite photo, the one framed and sitting on their mantle. It was of him and Eddie, clad in their wedding day gear. Steve was grinning at the camera, while Eddie had an arm wrapped around his waist, smacking a kiss to his cheek. It always managed to pull Steve out of a bad mood when he looked at it, a constant reminder of how great the life they built together was. 

Mike stared at it for a while, for an uncomfortable amount of time in Steve’s opinion, but it seemed to be helping. 

Eventually, Mike nodded to himself, standing up with a newfound sense of conviction, “You’re right. I’m gonna do it. Like…now. I’m going to do it now. Before I can talk myself out of it.”

Steve grinned, slapping his knee as he stood to follow him, “Good for you man. Go get him. You need a ride?”

He shook his head, already speed walking to the door, “No thanks, I need the time to figure out what the fuck I’ll even say.”

He lingered at the threshold of the door, stopping to glance back at Steve, “Thank you. For uh, talking to me. You were the only one who I thought would…y’know. Get it.”

“No problem dude, just let me know how it goes,” Steve reassured, feeling more than a bit proud of himself, “And hey um, if things go south you can come back here tonight okay?”

Mike nodded, still hesitating to actually leave. The next thing Steve knew he was being wrapped up in gangly limbs, in probably the most awkward but endearing hug in his life. Then he was stepping back as quickly as he’d come, nearly running down the stairs of the apartment building, leaving a proud and taken aback Steve in his wake.

Steve didn’t find out what happened until later that night, because calls at three a.m. were just a thing that his family refused to not participate in. It took a minute for him to wiggle out of Eddie’s deathgrip to actually get up to answer it, but when he did he was met with an excited Mike on the other end. 

He didn’t even say hello, “It worked! We’re like boyfriends now. Just like that! The whole thing was so stupid, we were both pining for nothing. Can you believe that?”

Steve smiled, a little nostalgic at the memory of him and Eddie being just as stupid. He swallowed down a yawn, hoping his exhaustion wasn’t canceling out his sincere relief, “I’m happy for you dude. You guys are going to be cute together. Annoyingly cute.”

“Shut up, like you can talk,” Mike laughed on the other end. He cleared his throat, voice coming out a little more serious, “Can I uh, talk to you again about his kind of stuff? Because I’ll probably need more advice now than if he’d shot me down.”

Was this what being a proud father felt like?

“Yeah dude. Come over anytime,”Steve swallowed, feeling stupidly choked up all of a sudden. Jesus, is this what it felt like to be a proud dad? 

“Thanks Steve. I’ll talk to you later.”

“See you around.”

Steve crawled back into bed feeling a bit lighter. He lifted up Eddie’s arms to slide back under it, cuddling into his chest, heart full. If the two of them were able to make it for nearly a decade, why couldn’t Mike and Will? Steve fell asleep with a smile on his face, thoughts full of how much he loved his little found family. 

A snippet from this fic