Chapter Text
The mark of a good nurse is one who knows when to tap out.
Sometimes things can be too much for a single person to handle and while it may seem noble to drown and keep quiet in order to not bother anyone, it’s usually better for everyone to ask for help when it’s needed. Speaking up is hard, but it is very important.
Newer nurses frequently have to request assistance from other staff members in order to stay on top of things, but more seasoned veterans tend to know how to prioritize their work and don’t need as much help.
Suffice to say, Steve isn’t used to tapping out since he’s been doing this for a while.
It rarely bites him in the ass, but sometimes circumstances change and require him to acknowledge his own limits… even when he’s not proud of it.
“Eddie, Ellie, I’m home!” Steve calls as he opens the front door to the trailer, kicking off his Crocs one at a time while grabbing onto the frame for support.
Things were easier when he could reach down and do this without even thinking, but now he’s had to find creative ways to adapt to his lack of balance and flexibility. For someone who spent so long being independent in life, he finds it not only annoying, but also humiliating to require assistance with simple tasks.
It doesn’t help Steve’s mood that he just finished a long shift in the ER and wants nothing more than to hop into bed. Unfortunately, he promised Ellie they could watch Frozen tonight as a family and he’s adamant about making sure she knows he keeps his word. Especially because she’s been looking forward to it all week.
“Mama’s home! I’m so happy to see you!” Ellie yells with excitement, coming around the corner from the living room and stopping just short of where he’s standing. Her arms stay extended towards him, but she knows she can’t touch Steve yet. “No hugs until you change out of your yucky scrubs,” she states, as if reminding them both of the rule.
He can’t help but smile despite his exhaustion and sincere wish to hold his pup. Ellie always manages to make the longest days still feel full of joy when she’s around. It really is a gift that few possess.
“That’s right, sweetpea. Let me put on some pajamas and then we can cuddle up on the couch. The pizza should be here soon for our movie and I convinced dad to make us some popcorn too.”
She looks absolutely delighted by the prospect of all of it, practically bouncing in place as she watches him head towards his bedroom with wide eyes.
“Ed?” Steve calls out again. He’s praying Eddie’s in the bedroom already because he won’t be able to get undressed easily without his mate’s help. Otherwise he’ll have to do all sorts of yoga positions to try and figure it out alone, which never seems to go well for him.
“In here, sweetheart!” Eddie calls back, relieving his minor panic.
He opens the door to find his alpha already sitting on the bed with a clean pair of pajamas and fuzzy socks folded next to him. Apparently his husband was prepared for his return, if the evidence nearby is any indicator.
“Oh, were you waiting for me?” Steve asks anyway, wanting to hear Eddie’s answer.
The alpha’s face breaks into a goofy smile and he stands to meet him halfway into the room, cupping his face affectionately while pointedly not pressing his body close enough to touch Steve’s scrubs.
Steve has a very firm policy about nobody in the family messing with them unnecessarily. Before he moved into the trailer (and into their lives), it was easy because he’d always strip the moment he got home from work. Now, he has to at least make it to a private room, like their bedroom or the laundry room, in order to change.
Worse, Eddie has to help him get changed lately because he can’t move quite as well. Y’know, since he’s almost full term with his pregnancy and all…
To nobody’s actual surprise, Steve had become pregnant with his new mate’s pup shortly after their bonding. Here they are eight months later, a real family who lives and spends time together.
Domestic bliss-
“How was your day, my love?” He plants a chaste kiss on the omega’s forehead. “You look exhausted, sweet thing. Ready to give in and start your maternity leave now or are you still being stubborn?” Eddie asks lightly, only a bit of teasing in his voice.
-and yet.
This is a subject they’ve been circling for weeks now with little progress on either side. Steve wants to work as long as he can up until his due date in order to not be a burden to his job or anyone else. And Eddie? Well, Eddie wants his mate home with his feet up somewhere he’s safe and comfortable.
Steve hasn’t given his alpha any headway on this half-hearted argument since they started their discussion, but today might be different. Today, he encountered sixteen year old Jason Carver who was in the ER after a high school basketball injury to his right arm.
The kid had proceeded to spend damn near five hours making Steve’s life absolutely miserable.
What the omega assumed was some moody teenager with a simple broken humerus turned out to be a living nightmare. Jason appeared to be a popular jock type who would grit his teeth through the pain and keep to himself unless he needed something.
Instead, he harassed Steve endlessly about his “dumb shoes” and made jokes about the nurse’s inability to bend down without holding onto something first. It was the first time he felt truly embarrassed about his omega status in a long time. The comments about his pregnancy on top of that just left him feeling sore about the whole day even though Jason was there for less than half of his shift.
And normally, Steve would have just asked to switch patients with someone else in order to handle the situation, but knowing that everyone had been pressuring him to go on maternity leave made him feel stupid for even being there. How could he request help when they all kept asking when he was going to stop working? This would just be proof they were right.
It may not have been his smartest decision to endure the bullying silently, but Steve couldn’t find the will to speak up about it. So at this point, he just wants to crawl into bed and cry about it by himself, despite it being his own fault.
But now it feels like Eddie’s making fun of him too and it’s his breaking point.
Heavy tears stream down Steve’s face and the sobs that he held back all day come pouring out of him in uncontrolled torrents. His legs feel wobbly and he’s actually afraid he might just fall over from how tired he is.
It’s all too much.
“Oh no. Shit. Stevie, what’s wrong, baby? Was it a really bad shift?” Eddie coos, ignoring the omega’s rules about his dirty scrubs and pulling him into a real hug now with no hesitation at all. It allows Steve to bury his face in his mate’s shoulder and get a full inhale of his warm scent without barriers, something he has greatly missed all day.
Although he can’t get real words out yet, just letting his body shake in the alpha’s embrace and knowing that he’s safe here helps tremendously.
And Steve knows that Eddie didn’t mean anything by his joking, but the day was rough and it’s been months since his back and feet didn’t ache terribly from handling the extra weight of growing a pup inside his belly.
A wicked combination of physical and emotional pain feels like it’s been released all at once as Eddie guides them over towards the bed, helping Steve to sit down next to him and get off his legs.
Half formed protests spill from his lips as he realizes that germs are getting all over their bedspread, but his mate cuts him off gently with, “I promise I’ll change the covers before bed, but this is so much more important than some extra laundry, honey. How can I help you?”
That just makes him cry harder, knowing how loved he is by Eddie through everything.
Despite their fairytale ending, the world isn’t always a kind place. Things aren’t always easy for them, but this is. The family they’ve built together and the love that connects them doesn’t waver even on the hardest days.
“I’m sorry. I just- I can’t stop,” Steve blubbers through his crying, needing Eddie to know that he didn’t return from work intending to have a hormonal breakdown and carry all the stress home with him to what’s supposed to be their refuge.
“It’s alright,” Eddie reassures him softly. He sounds like he really means it. “Your alpha is here now and I’m not going to leave you like this. Do you know why?”
It feels like such a silly question to answer in the midst of his panic, but he shakes his head in response. He cannot imagine Eddie showing him anything other than kindness because that’s who he is as a mate.
The alpha simply moves the hand that isn’t wrapped around Steve’s waist to rest on the back of his neck, thumb resting on his mating bite and putting just enough light pressure on the sentimental mark to remind him that it’s there.
It’s not a threat of control or manipulation, but an affectionate reminder of their shared bond and a loving offer to help him calm down if that’s what Steve needs at this moment.
“Because I’m your mate and I promised to take care of you forever, no matter what happens or how bad you feel after you get off work. You know you can cry as much as you need to if it helps, but say the word and I’ll do anything for you, beautiful,” Eddie noses along his cheek, still rubbing over his bonding mark gently.
Steve appreciates the sweet gesture, knowing his mate would only scruff him with his permission since he’s still lucid enough not to be hurting himself.
It’s not something he wants to do necessarily since it tends to have him feeling overly sensitive afterwards, but it’s better for his health and the health of their pup not to get stressed out, so he nods.
As soon as he’s agreed, Eddie gently presses his thumb just a bit more and the pressure releases a rush of relaxing hormones that begin to spread throughout his body. It eases his trembling and makes the tenseness of his muscles finally loosen until he’s half slumped over onto his mate and feeling much more calm in a matter of seconds.
“There we go, sweetheart,” Eddie whispers into his hair, lips brushing his temple as he speaks deliberately slow. It gives Steve’s brain a chance to catch up to what’s going on. “You’re safe here and we love you. Ellie and I are so happy that you and our baby are home with us now. You have the next three days off work and we can take things one day at a time.”
Of course he knows that this incident probably just made Eddie’s case for him to start his maternity leave early even stronger, but he appreciates the fact that he’s not speaking like it’s a done deal.
As much as his alpha can be overprotective, the last thing he would ever want is try to control Steve or tell him what he can or can’t do. So he believes Eddie when he says they’ll play it by ear from here on out.
For now, they have plans with Ellie and he doesn’t have to think about the hospital for three whole days anyway.
“Fuck,” Steve mumbles a bit hoarsely. “The pizza is gonna be here soon.”
He doesn't need to finish his thought process for Eddie to understand what he’s saying. They’re both still holed up in their bedroom and their daughter is waiting patiently for them.
“Ellie would understand if you needed to change movie night to tomorrow, Steve. I don’t want you to overdo it.”
The omega shakes his head, trying to brush off the concerns. He already feels loads better than the state he arrived home in and he has no intention of canceling on his pup. Pretty soon, she’ll be getting less attention when her little sister is born anyway. No need to rush things.
“It’s fine, Ed. Even if I fall asleep on the couch, I’ll be with my family,” he explains shortly, knowing his alpha will get what he’s saying. As long as his pack is with him, things can’t be that bad. “Like you said, I have three days.”
Eddie’s mouth quirks up into a small smile, not fighting with him on his decision. His hand does trail down Steve’s arm and land on his bump though, warm palm cupping his round stomach with gentle reverence for the new life growing there.
The touch loosens the very last bit of tightness in his chest.
“I’m sorry that things haven’t been easy, but I’m so grateful for what we have. Especially on the hard days because I don’t know how I went so long without you, Stevie. I just know I don’t want to live a single day without you ever again, so I have to take care of you,” Eddie tells him. He plants another kiss to the omega’s head before slowly standing up and reaching for the hem of Steve’s shirt.
Following their usual routine, he lifts his arms and allows Eddie to remove his scrub top and the undershirt beneath it. Before he can complain about the chill in the air, his mate has a sweatshirt in his hands and is helping him work it over his head and arms, keeping him protected.
Never in his life did he imagine the act of dressing someone to be so intimate, but when Eddie does it, Steve sort of wants to cry from how emotional it makes him. Every morning and evening, his mate is here, making sure he’s taken care of.
“Socks first?” Steve asks quietly.
His alpha nods kindly, lowering himself to the floor in front of him and pushing his pant legs up to his knees so he can work at the compression socks covering everything below that. He wore them to work even before his pregnancy, but they’ve helped his feet stop from swelling as much the last few months.
They are a bitch and a half to put on and take off and he’d never be able to manage it by himself.
Eddie makes it look easy though, rolling them down with ease as he’s learned to do without complaining and as soon as they’re off, he’s replacing them with fuzzy ones that will keep his feet warm.
Steve looks down at him with something like awe in his eyes. It’s so hard to believe that he’s been blessed with such love in his life. It’s harder still to believe that he’s worthy of it, but if his favorite person thinks he is, there’s no choice but to accept it. Afterall, Eddie is a good judge of character.
“I love you,” slips out of Steve without having to think about it.
Before standing to help him change into pajama pants, the alpha plants matching kisses to both of his knees.
“I love you too.” On his way up from the ground, Eddie lifts the hem of Steve’s sweatshirt just enough to press a kiss to the bare skin of his belly too. “And you as well, little pup. You are both loved beyond measure.”
That part makes him have to choke back any remaining tears. He may not have gotten to witness the first time Eddie became a father, but they’re so close to having another pup in their family and Steve just knows his mate is going to be amazing with their baby.
The way he takes care of Ellie is a strong testament to that.
She’s one of the most well-adjusted kids Steve’s ever met, even having been through so much in her short life. Almost seven years old and their daughter is inarguably happy and healthy, despite so many things working against her.
Hell, she’d even handled the truth about her parentage remarkably well when they’d sat down shortly after their bonding to explain things to her. Of course she’d had a lot of questions about why Eddie became her dad and where her birth father ran off to, but Ellie accepted their answers easily.
The only minor miscalculation had been the way she kept calling Eddie “brother-dad” for a few weeks afterwards. And while Robin and Chrissy had found the mortifying ordeal utterly hilarious, Steve and Eddie had kindly asked that Ellie pick one or the other in order to not confuse people further (and send the wrong sort of message to strangers).
She’d ultimately landed back where they started by insisting that Eddie is her dad and Steve is her mama as far as it mattered to her. They’d both only cried a lot at that, having been worried how Ellie would feel about them after learning the truth.
But it’s good to have everything out in the open now and Ellie’s been nothing but supportive of their mating and excited about her little sister who’s due to be born soon.
“Ready to go fall asleep on the couch?” Eddie teases Steve as he finishes helping him step into a pair of the alpha’s pajama pants.
He likes Eddie’s clothes much more than his own and has even taken to wearing his mate’s t-shirts under his scrub tops sometimes so his smell lingers on his skin longer. Just being near him isn’t enough since he got pregnant. No, Steve wants to be covered in his scent.
“Yeah, I’m just surprised the pizza hasn’t come yet. I ordered before I left the hospital. Maybe they’re behind since it’s a Friday night though,” he suggests, letting Eddie take his hand as they leave their bedroom behind and head towards the living room.
Strangely enough, it’s empty.
But something else catches his attention, easy to notice since his sense of smell has become even more keen lately.
Pizza.
There’s a distinct scent of fresh pizza wafting from the kitchen and it takes everything in Steve not to burst out laughing when they finally make it to the table where Ellie is sitting with a plate stacked high.
His daughter has a mouth full as well, stuffed with a bite that was probably too big for her to take. Clearly, she was too excited to wait for her parents to join her for dinner and decided that she would just get started.
“Elliana Louise, did you talk to the pizza delivery person by yourself?” Eddie asks, a hint of worry creeping into his question for good reason.
Steve himself is mildly panicking over that concept as well, how easily something could’ve happened to their kid while they weren’t around. It’s the sort of safety rule they’ve tried extra hard to enforce out of love.
Ellie shakes her head rapidly, chewing frantically to clear her mouth so she can respond properly. “Course not,” she replies, like they’re silly for even suggesting such a thing. “I don’t want to get kidnapped by a stranger. I waited until they left it on the steps.”
And it’s not like they can really argue with that logic. She technically shouldn’t be going outside alone, but Forest Hills is a safe place to live and Steve’s never been overly worried about their safety here.
The two of them hurry to wash their hands before plopping down at the table with her instead, loading up their own plates with their special treat for the week. All three of them have been looking forward to their weekly family night and it’s very much needed tonight.
By the time they’re finished eating, none of them even want popcorn, but they do get cuddled up on the couch to watch their movie still. Steve sits in the middle with Eddie’s arm around his back and Ellie leaning against his other side, one of her small hands resting on his belly like it normally does.
As Eddie starts up the film with the remote, Ellie snuggles up close. Her cottony puppy scent fills the room as she makes it known to both of them how very happy and safe she is.
“Mama?” Ellie whispers to him, even though Eddie is still fucking around with the DVD’s startup menu and it hasn’t started playing yet.
“Hi, Princess,” Steve says back, leaning down to press a kiss to her loose curls. “How was your day at school?”
Tomorrow they’ll take the time to do her full wash routine and maybe try something new out for fun. It’s been trickier to style it with his bump getting in the way, but they’ve adapted pretty well.
Ellie emits a soft pup noise to let him know she’s happy. He lets a gentle purr start in his chest in response, letting her know that the feeling is mutual. Becoming a mom (to both of his girls) has made his omega instincts come out full force in a way he didn’t realize he was even capable of.
“It was okay, I guess. But is the baby gonna come out soon? She’s been in there for a really long time and I want to play with her.”
He and Eddie exchange an amused glance, absolutely delighted by the treasure that is Elliana Louise Munson and her endless well of questions.
His mate’s hand joins Ellie’s on his belly, both of them holding his bump carefully now and making the baby kick back hard in response, as if she knows that her family is right there.
“Ellie Belly, you remember that the puppy has to grow in Steve’s tummy until she’s big enough, right? So when she’s done- er, cooking in there, then she’ll tell us that she’s ready to come out and play,” Eddie fumbles his way through the explanation like a true dad, causing Steve to snort at his lack of technicality.
The alpha bumps his nose against Steve’s shoulder softly in response, playfully chastising him for laughing at his pitiful attempt.
Ellie’s face scrunches up tightly, like she’s really trying to process what in the hell her dad just said to her. But finally, understanding seems to set in and her face lights up with clarity and relief.
“Like the pizza?” Ellie confirms.
Steve barely holds back his laughter, feeling his stomach physically cramp from how hard he’s trying not to react poorly to the very sincere effort his family is putting into this.
“Just like the pizza,” Eddie agrees enthusiastically, kissing Steve’s cheek to try and settle him down.
Under his breath, the omega argues, “Our pup is not a pizza…”
“You are the cutest pizza oven I have ever seen, Stevie. Although, now that I think of it, maybe the bun analogy would’ve worked better for this-” Eddie’s voice is barely louder than a whisper in his ear, but it’s enough to have him finally burst into laughter.
Steve’s whole body shakes from the force of his unrestrained giggles and his entire family ends up joining in, despite Ellie clearly having no idea why her parents are even laughing in the first place.
Even the baby feels like she’s sharing in their amusement from how much his stomach is pulling and cramping at the movement, causing his laughter to die off in a sudden gasp instead.
He grabs at his stomach, trying to ease the tight feeling that’s come and gone all day. After weeks of Braxton-Hicks contractions, he’s more than used to the bouts of discomfort that accompany late term pregnancy joys.
But something about this feels decidedly different.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Eddie’s hand moves to cover his own, locking their fingers in a move that gives him some comfort, even through his clenched teeth attempt to breathe through the pain. It hurts and it’s all he can focus on.
As the feeling slowly dissipates, Steve becomes aware of a new sensation that he hadn’t noticed initially. Wet. The spot beneath him on the couch is most definitely wet and unless Ellie spilled her drink and they didn’t notice it…
“Um, I think you were right, Ed. It’s definitely time for me to start my maternity leave now,” Steve says with a nervous laugh. He tries to catch his breath and focus on the mental checklist he’s been preparing for weeks.
Call Robin and Chrissy to tell them that Ellie is ready for their special girls’ sleepover. Let Wayne know what’s going on so he can meet them at the hospital. Grab the already packed bags from the closet along with their phones, wallets, and keys. Lock the door on the way out.
Easy. They totally got this… maybe.
“Why the sudden change of heart, Stevie?”
Eddie’s face is full of concern, searching his mate’s eyes for answers as to what’s going on. Rather than leave him in suspense any longer, the omega smiles brightly, new tears filling his eyes with happiness this time as he finally breaks the good news to him.
“Well, my water just broke, so it’s time to go meet Miss Bowie Jane Munson.”