Chapter Text
It was a Friday night, right after a Hellfire campaign was held. Eddie begged Steve for a movie night and because of how tired Steve was, he gave in fairly quickly. By 9 pm the "older" kids were sprawled across Steve's living room, snacks in bowls, a movie playing, the works. Just as Eddie came into the living room, beers in hand, the movie started. "What are we watching?" Eddie whispered to Steve as he walked along the backside of the couch to sit down. The others were quick to shush him. "Uh Three Men and a Baby apparently. It just came out and Robin insisted on watching it." Steve whispered back, emphasizing on the 'insisted'. Eddie nodded and jammed himself in between Steve, Robin, and Chrissy who was sprawled out in between Robin’s legs, with Steve, closest to the arm of the couch. This was the way the four almost, always, sat. Eddie stuck a cold bottle against Steve's arm getting a shriek and a punch in the arm for it. "Why would you do that?" Steve hissed, but no real heat behind it.
Three to five beers, and two movies later, everyone except Eddie was asleep. Steve was asleep against Eddie, Jonathan on the floor sprawled out, Nancy on the loveseat in the corner, Chrissy asleep on top of Robin while she hung off the couch. The credits were rolling while Eddie debated moving Steve to turn off the tv. He decided against it, knowing the tv would eventually turn itself off anyway. Putting his arm up on the back of the couch and by proxy, around Steve's shoulders. Eddie could practically feel sparks. He didn't like that at all. Falling for your straight friend is just asking to get hurt. No matter how much Steve initially flirted back, he refused to let it become anything more. He didn't want Steve to feel like he had to, you know?
He didn't know when he fell asleep against Steve, but he did, and was now being woken to the sound of their loud ass, fancy, doorbell. Jonathan sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. "Should I get that or...?" Jonathan said, voice raspy. "No, no I'll get it." Eddie said, pushing himself off the couch, and out from under Steve. Approaching the door, he caught himself in the mirror above the long table. "Jesus." he mumbled before unlocking and opening the door. Looking straight ahead, he didn't see anyone but just as he was about to close the door, he heard a squeal. Abruptly, he looked down, nearly smacking his head on the door. "What the fuck?" He yelled, clearly startled.
Jonathan running into the entryway in a panic yelled, "What's wrong?" before Eddie gestured to the basket on the steps. "Is that a fucking baby?!" Eddie, standing there completely stunned, "Yes! Now what the fuck do we do?" Jonathan stepped around Eddie, kneeling to pick up the basket. "Go wake up Steve?!" Eddie nodded and ran to where Steve was passed out on the couch.
Steve groaned from the sunlight beaming in through the windows, head pounding from the night before. "Harrington! Steve!" Eddie said in a hushed yell, shaking him. "What do you want." He hissed, covering his eyes with his forearm. Jonathan stepped into the room, basket in arms "Steve!" he yelled loudly enough to wake the girls as well. Steve sat up, rubbing his eyes before seeing the basket. "What's in the basket?" Eddie looked him dead in the eyes while speaking, "A baby."
Steve shook his head and let out a dry laugh. "Haha very funny Munson. Seriously. What's in the basket?" Eddie rolled his eyes, taking the basket from Jonathan before turning it toward Steve. "Is that a baby?" Steve yelled. "Is that a baby??" Nancy said, panicked, scrambling off the loveseat. She rushed over to where the three, and the baby, were. "Where did you get a baby?" Eddie shrugged, "The doorstep?" Nancy gave him a look of 'are you fucking serious'. Nancy clapped before speaking, "Okay well this is just wonderful but me and Jon gotta get going. We have work and are gonna be late if we don't leave like now. Call us when you figure it out!" She called the last bit over her shoulder as she pulled Jonathan to the door.
The two stood there in awe. "Robin! Get up!" Steve said, throwing a pillow in her direction. "What do you want, dingus? There better be a good reason for waking me this earl- Is that a baby?" Eddie let out a frustrated groan, "Jesus H. Christ! For the fourth time! Yes it's a baby! No, I don't know where it came from! It was on the doorstep!" Steve, Robin, and now Chrissy just stood there staring at him. "Okay..uhm.." Robin said while Eddie set down the basket before dragging a hand down his face. "I don't know what to do!" The others looked equally concerned. "Eddie. Breathe." Chrissy said, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. Eddie nodded and took a few deep breaths with his head dropped down on the edge of the couch.
"What can I do?" Chrissy asked Steve who looked, scared but also excited? Steve took a deep breath, thinking of what to do, "Uh.." he paused. unwrapping the now apparent, baby girl from the basket. "Do you have work or anything? Either of you." he said, glancing between Robin and Chrissy. Robin nodded, "I have the morning shift at Family Video, you know that." Steve nodded. "I'll take her, go home and change and maybe get some," with a wave of her hand, "Baby things?" Chrissy added. "Thank you, Chris, I'll stay here with Steve."
The two left, leaving Steve, Eddie, and the baby, alone in the living room. "Now what? I don't know how to take care of a baby and I know damn well I can't afford it either! My parents weren't exactly fantastic and- and-" Eddie rambled on before Steve interrupted him. "Eddie-" He stopped rambling to see what he needed. Instead of being met with a frustrated look, he was met with a much more, somber, scene. The way Steve looked at him mixed with him cradling this beautiful girl, sent a pang of longing through him. "Sorry.." Eddie mumbled. "It's okay I don't know what the fuck I'm doing either." Steve said, Eddie plopping down on the couch next to him. Steve pulled his knees up to support the baby on her back.
She smiled up at Steve, babbling. "I'd say she's worth keeping, but I dunno, Eds. Whatta ya say?" Eddie was stunned. The look Steve had in his eyes when he said that was so domestic. Eddie felt his cheeks flush, "Yeah I think so too." Steve smiled and turned back to the baby. "She's got your eyes." Steve said, not looking at him. "What?" Eddie breathed out. "Yeah, look at those doe eyes." Eddie could only manage a smile and a nod before he kept talking, "And she's got freckles and moles, like me. How ironic?" he said with a snicker. Eddie wanted to take a mental picture of this suddenly sweet moment. He shook himself out of it. "She's really cute, and I'm not even a baby person." Eddie agreed.
Eddie pulled his legs up into a folded position right as she wrapped her hand around Steve’s left thumb. Steve looked over to Eddie with a ‘holy shit are you seeing this??’ look on his face. Eddie leant over to rest his head on his shoulder. He knew he was in way over his head but he couldn’t care less. Maybe the world would keep spinning, even despite it all, he thought.