For some unknown reason, Steve had been de-aged and now a ten-year-old Steve was looking up at everyone with his big curious eyes and baby face and no one knew what to do.
A custody war immediately broke out between Robin and Eddie, both claiming that they could take good care of Steve and that the other shouldn't be trusted with a kid. The only reason Nancy and Jonathan didn't join the fistfight was because they already had their own younger siblings to worry about, but it didn't stop them from adding their opinions on who should take Steve in until he turned back to his big self.
Eventually, Steve was the one to put an end to the custody war by announcing that he wanted to be with his Bobbie and Teddy.
Being friends with Steve Harrington, Eddie realized, was the easiest thing he'd ever done in his life. The guy was endearing, earnest, and sweet. Eddie had no regrets or complains whatsoever about their precious friendship.
What made it difficult for Eddie's poor heart, however, was Steve's tendency for oversharing. And now, Eddie had to live with the knowledge that: a) Steve was bi; b) Steve used to have something going on with Tommy and Carol, Nancy and Jonathan, Jeff (that fucking traitor!), and Argyle; and c) Steve had a puppy crush on Wayne (sweet Jesus on the crackers).
The urge to grab Steve's shoulders and shake him like a snow globe, screaming What about meeeeee? was quite strong, but Eddie'd managed to resist. His most important job right now was to show Steve how good they would be for each other, and let Steve know he'd been saving up for that RV and those six little nuggets.
Eddie who insisted on taking it slow so he wouldn't spook his omega by moving too quickly vs Steve who decided to parent trap his alpha at first sight.
Everyone in Hellfire was still busy discussing their recent campaign as they exited the school's building, but Eddie's attention was fully on the shiny beamer parked outside the gate. Leaning against it was none other than Steve Harrington, his one-sided mortal enemy.
He'd heard so many tales regarding the fair and mighty Sir Stephen that he'd been itching to prove Henderson and Sinclair wrong. Unfortunately, he hadn't had the chance yet. But now, though, with Harrington and the kids all presented, it was the perfect time to do his good work.
Before Eddie could regret it, his feet already carried him toward Harrington and stop in front of him. Taking advantage of the few inches he had on the guy, he loomed over him and smirked.
"You finally deigned yourself to grace us peasants with your presence, princess?"
Steve rolled his eyes, bitchy.
Good, Eddie thought, vindictive. You could lie to children all you want, but I know you, Harrington.
"Quit talking nonsense, Munson. I'm here to pick up the kids."
"Oh how noble of you," Eddie crooned, ignoring the way his heart fluttered when he realized Harrington had to tilt his head up to look at him. Or the fact that Harrington hadn't pushed him away, yet. "Gonna gun for that babysitter of the year, pretty boy?"
Eddie meant to make Harrington uncomfortable and show his sheepies how much of a vain asshole the former king was under all that well groomed hair.
He didn't expect to be hit with "You think I'm pretty?" while Harrington glanced up at him from those long lashes, all doe eyed and rosy cheeked.
Embarrassingly, Eddie couldn't help but blurted out, "Y– Yeah." with a crack in his voice.
"The kids told me a lot about you, man," Steve said, smiling. "Thanks for always looking after them."
"No problem," Eddie said, dazed. "It's what I should do."
"See you around?" Steve said after the kids piled into his car.
"Yep, yeah," Eddie cleared his throat slightly. "See you later, sweetheart."
The pet name earned him another smile.
By the time Steve drove away with his (their) gaggle of children, Eddie was still reeling from what just happened.
"Dude," Gareth said.
"I know," Eddie lamented and held up his fist. "I had fallen for that Harrington Charm and forgot myself. I swear I'm gonna do better next time!"
"There's a next time?" Jeff asked.
"You saw him," Grants chimed in. "Harrington got him baaad."
"Eddie and Steve sit on a tree," Gareth sing-songed, causing Jeff and Grants to cackle.
Eddie scowled and blushed as his friends poked fun at him, conveniently didn't mention the phone number tucked safely in his pocket.
He had more important things to worry about now. Like wooing a certain pretty boy.
Steve who just cares a lot, always ready to help other people. He's a girls' girl, but rarely does a girl believe that his kind gestures don't include some ulterior motives. Though he doesn't blame them for being suspicious, it still gives him headaches when some girls try to ask him out as a thank you or worse, accuse him of a heartbreaker when he gently turns them down.
Enter Eddie who flirts as a habit, but it works all the time since he's lowkey charming without trying to. It's not his fault that people falls for his nerdy jokes and gets offended when he shows no interest in them. As a firm believer of true love and monogamy, he finds it funny when people starts calling him a fuckboy out of spite.
And then one day, Steve and Eddie finally run into each other. A player and a player. Or so the rumors have it.
Steve doesn't think about how Eddie's gonna break his heart when he keeps giggling at the other man's jokes. Doesn't let other people's opinions cloud his judgment. Because he's experienced enough to know when someone's genuinely interested in him, and Eddie certainly seems more than hooked.
Meanwhile, Eddie's already gone the moment Steve smiles that pretty smile at him. He'll be damned if he doesn't marry this beautiful man by the end of the night.
People keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the messy breakup and even messier fallout from the two local players. But they're gonna be disappointed, Eddie fears, because once he manages to make Steve his baby, he starts his wife guy career and never looks back.
Childhood best friends Steddie who loved playing house together and calling each other "papa" and "mommy" as a domestic joke.
Steve would laugh and roll his eyes when people mistook Eddie for his "boyfriend", whereas Eddie would straight up call Steve his wife whenever asked.
They got worse once Steve became a babysitter on the side. The gaggle of kids he was entrusted with wholeheartedly believed that Eddie was their other babysitter, and Eddie just dubbed himself as Papa Bear for the sake of his and Steve's inside joke.
It was all fun and games until they became roommates in college and woke up on the same bed one day, legs tangled and hair intertwined.
Their first kiss tasted like morning staleness and sweet sweet epiphany of love.
Steve woke up remembering absolutely nothing besides Robin and the kids and that oddly intense, handsome man whom he was pretty sure was his boyfriend.
Though everyone else (except Eddie) kept telling him otherwise, he wasn't convinced. Steve might be a bit slow on the uptake, but he knew love when he saw it. And every fiber of him had melted when he saw Eddie Munson’s face upon opening his eyes.
There was no other reason for his heart to threaten to punch through his ribcage whenever Eddie looked at him. So yeah, boyfriend.
Dustin: He's not your boyfriend, Steven!
Steve: Are you like, homophibying me?
Dustin: Wha– I'm not homophobic! Eddie! Tell him you're not his boyfriend!
Eddie: Sorry, sweetheart. I'm not your boyfriend.
Steve: Oh.
Dustin: See? I told–
Eddie: I'm actually your husband.
Dustin: Dude.
Eddie: We've been married for ten years and these are our children.
Dustin: Dude!
Steve: Who's the mother?
Eddie: You, obviously.
Steve: Yeah, that tracks.
In the end, when Steve finally regained his memory and had another bathroom heart-to-heart with Robin, he silenced Eddie's profuse apologizing with a kiss. French style.