"Eddie's crying about pigeons again," Robin sighed as she left the frigid wind outside the studio.
Steve rolled his eyes. "Where is he?"
"He won't get out of the van."
"I'll go talk to him. He was crying about them this morning too but it turned out he was just hungry.”
Robin smirked. "This morning?"
Which like. Fuck. That slip was going to be…tricky.
"I—there's—" he tried. He sighed. It was pointless. He was caught. So. He chose boldness and his arms defiantly. "Yeah. This morning."
"Well," she smirked, gesturing to the parking lot. "Get out there, white knight. But for the record? Good job."
He rolled his eyes again, secretly pleased.
In the van, Eddie had his head in his hands, clearly trying to master himself. He looked up when the door opened.
"Oh god," he groaned. "She sent you out here?"
"Well. I mean. Again, Eddie?"
"I was just educating her about how we fucking abandoned them!"
"I know,” Steve said soothingly.
"Forgotten fucking heros. We sent them to war, and now? We call them sky rats. They don't know how to even care for themselves! They come to us for help, Steve!"
"I know Eds. Pizza or burrito?" he asked, ignoring Eddie's scowl and opening his bag. "I have leftovers of both.”
Eddie took the pizza he was offered and shoved way too much into his mouth.
“Unrelated,” Steve said, breathless, “I think I might have accidentally told Robin we’re together.”
Eddie froze.
“She already knew,” Steve rushed. “I think, anyway. It's Robin. And. We’re not subtle.”
Eddie rubbed his face with both hands as he finished chewing, but he was smirking now and the pigeon panic seemed to have subsided.
"I didn't mean to," Steve continued, unable to wait Eddie out. "It just came out. I mentioned this morning and then she looked at me, and I panicked. I could see it in her face. She knew we're a thing. Which—wait...shit. Are we a thing? I mean, I think we are, but."
"Stevie," Eddie said gently. "Baby. Breathe."
Steve stopped, jaw slack, and watched Eddie pick at the pizza again, silent. But he smiled wide as he tilted his head toward Steve.
"You're not upset?" Steve asked, baffled. "Because we should have talked about it, and if this is too fast, and if I just completely screwed this up, I can—"
"Okay," Eddie interrupted. "First of all, I'm flattered you panic-announced me. Very romantic. Very you."
Steve huffed a laugh that died halfway through.
"Second," Eddie went on, "sorry I'm not reacting to this news with the appropriate excitement. I'm really hungry."
Steve stared at him. "You're not freaking out at all?"
"Oh, I'm freaking out internally," Eddie teased. "But my stomach has control of the emotions right now."
He took a second bite of cold pizza, chewed, then softened when he saw Steve still frozen, one hand on the door handle like he might bolt.
"Hey," Eddie said around the mouthful, quieter now. "I like you. I like that you told someone. It's all good."
Steve exhaled, long and shaky, like he'd been holding his breath since the word ‘together’ had left his mouth.
"Okay," he said. "Okay. That's...yeah. Okay."
Eddie smiled. "Steve. We're good. But, you have to listen to me talk about pigeons for five more minutes in exchange for outing me."
He didn't even protest, just laughed and stole Eddie's crust.
"They delivered love letters in wars, Steven. They saved lives. And now people kick them. I just...god..."
"I really should not have let you go to the science center with Dustin."
"They remember faces and they mate for life. And we just...stole their jobs and threw them away."
"Alright, let's get you inside. I don't think this is gonna be a cold pizza in the van sort of problem."
Eddie reached out and grabbed Steve by the back of the neck, resting their foreheads together.
"Thanks for never treating anyone like they're disposable. Even when you were an asshole. Never that."
And Steve's heart stopped beating for a moment, finally understanding the place this particular Munson softness originated. It was always sudden, and Steve was never ready, these moments of clarity. He wanted to wrap Eddie into a small ball that he could tuck inside his chest, just to keep him safe there. Forever.
Steve breathed out, let the words tumble even though they felt too real, too vulnerable. “You are precious and kind, and I will never let anyone take your job and throw you away. Even if you steal French fries."
Eddie pushed away and laughed, kissing Steve sure and quick as he leapt from the van. Steve was pretty sure he's never going to be able to recover from the journey that is loving this man.
Which was pretty great, all pigeons considered.














