Steddie where they meet somewhere around their mid/late 20s and Eddie is convinced he's started dating a single father.
Steve is always talking about the kids. About driving them to school and taking them to doctor appointments or trips. It's sweet, actually, how devoted he obviously is to his kids.
There's Dustin, who Steve is always driving everywhere and bragging about how smart he is. And there's also Max and Erica, his girls who have Steve around their fingers.
And, well, maybe Steve is young to have three kids already, but who's Eddie to judge?
But then Steve is mentioning a Lucas too when he talks about his kids, and a Jane, and okay now Eddie is kinda freaking out. He's been trying to give Steve space and time, to let Steve set the pace and decide when he wants to have the 'do you wanna meet my kids?' conversation, but Eddie can't help but blurt out, "Babe, how many kids do you have?"
Steve looks at him funny, as if Eddie is not making any sense. "What do you mean?"
"You've already mentioned at least five different kids. Is there any more?"
"Oh, they are seven in total."
Seven. Seven fucking kids. How the hell is that even possible? Steve is twenty-six!
"Jesus, how old were you when the first of them was born?"
Understanding glints in Steve's eyes and he laughs so hard that Eddie is a little offended. Who wouldn't be a little frantic after finding out their new boyfriend had seven kids?
"Do you wanna meet them?" Steve asks suddenly, unable to hold back a grin.
An hour later, Eddie finds himself meeting not a bunch of kids but a bunch of grown adults, well in their 20s too, who are very nice and cool but also extremely protective of Steve.
He gets seven shovel talks that day.