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Steve sits out on the back patio of the small ranch house that he, Eddie and Alice call home. It’s twilight, and the horizon is dusted with the faint impression of stars as the darkening sky slowly reveals them. The occasional breeze is a nice break from the oppressive summer humidity. Further out in the yard, Alice scampers around the grass with as much grace as a three year old can possess.
These are the moments that Steve loves the most. He got off a 12 hour shift a little while ago, and now he’s got two full days off to look forward to. Two full days that he fully intends to spend with his husband and daughter.
That thought has him glancing down at the golden band around his finger and breaking out into a smile. Admittedly, their lives haven’t changed all that much in the nine months he and Eddie have officially been married. They were already living together and raising their shared child, after all, so the courthouse ceremony and small reception after were more symbolic than anything. Still, it’s nice to know that Eddie is as serious about spending the rest of his life with Steve as Steve is with him. It’s old fashioned as hell, but that night they’d even done the traditional mating ritual and marked each other with mating bites. That’s enough for Steve to know how serious it is right there. You can divorce and remarry after all, but a mating bite is a mating bite. It never goes away, even if you leave that person, and prolonged separation from a mate can cause long term issues aside from that. Steve wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t see himself with Eddie for the rest of his life.
Speaking of, the Omega himself emerges from the sliding glass doors that lead inside a moment later.
“Steve”, he says, “it’s almost 9.”
“So?” Steve asks.
“So we have a child that needs her sleep”, Eddie reminds him.
Oh yeah, that’s fair. Alice is normally in bed by now. If she stays up too late, she’ll be overtired tomorrow, and heaven help anyone that runs afoul of Alice Harrington when she’s overtired. Steve already spends his workdays dealing with emotionally distressed children, so he doesn’t really want to have to do it when he’s off too.
“Okay I get it”, Steve tells him, “I’ll put her to bed.”
That placates Eddie, who presses a kiss to Steve’s cheek before happily retreating back into the house. It’s actually kind of funny that he’s the one worrying over Alice’s bedtime, considering 2 o’clock in the morning is a common time for him to hit the hay. He is right though, there’ll be hell to pay if Alice doesn’t get a proper night’s sleep.
“Alice”, Steve calls. She immediately comes bounding over to him.
“What daddy?” she asks, and oh, Steve could just eat her up she’s so cute.
“It’s past your bedtime”, Steve informs her.
Immediately her smile fades, becoming a pout instead. She’s clearly not happy anymore (although still just as cute), and it’s not hard to guess why. Like most little kids, bedtime is one of Alice’s least favorite words. Honestly, Steve fears she may one day pick up her dad’s 2 o’clock bedtime habit herself. She hates being in bed, and she hates sleeping, but unfortunately these are vital parts of life. Once she actually closes her eyes, she’ll be out like a light, that Steve’s sure of; the problem is just getting her to do that, because she’ll fight them on it at every turn.
“I don’t wanna go to bed”, Alice whines, as predicted.
“I know”, Steve replies, “but you have to. You need your sleep.”
“But I’m not tired!” Alice insists.
“Well you still need sleep”, Steve informs her.
He scoops her up into his arms and presses a kiss to the top of her head. She’s clearly unamused by this, evidenced by the way she starts to struggle. Unbothered, Steve hauls her inside the house, carrying her into her bedroom as she fusses. He catches Eddie shaking his head in amusement as he goes.
-
Steve emerges from Alice’s room about half an hour later. Getting through their nightly picture book took a while, because Alice kept interrupting. She’s started taking on a number of distinctly Eddie-like traits as of late.
Speaking of, he’s waiting happily for Steve when he returns to the kitchen, a bright smile on his face.
“Now that Alice is asleep, I think the two of us need to have a talk”, he tells Steve.
“What about?” Steve frowns.
“I have news”, Eddie says cryptically.
“What kind of news?” Steve asks, suddenly a little concerned.
“Good news”, Eddie assures him.
Steve relaxes a bit at that. He doesn’t know what kind of news Eddie has to share with him, but he’s glad that whatever it is, it seems to be positive. Maybe it’s something about work?
“Okay, hit me”, Steve insists.
Eddie offers him a mysterious grin. Before Steve can ask, Eddie’s turning and walking over to the bathroom. Steve waits, curiously, while Eddie shifts around in there before finally emerging. He’s got something in his hand, but Steve can’t make out what it is. Smiling, Eddie holds his arm out and allows Steve to examine the object he’s holding.
It’s a thin piece of plastic. A pregnancy test, Steve quickly realizes. Steve’s mouth goes dry when he sees the positive result in the little window. Stunned, he peers back up at Eddie.
“You’re pregnant?” he asks.
“Mhm hm”, Eddie nods.
Steve tries to find the words to say, but none present themselves. It’s not like they’ve been actively trying or anything. Sure, Eddie’s not on birth control and they don’t always use contraception, but this is still very much an unexpected revelation.
“I found out earlier today”, Eddie continues, “not sure how far I am, obviously. Still pretty early I think.”
Steve’s not really listening to Eddie, though. He’s still trying to process the fact that he once again managed to inadvertently put a baby in Eddie.
“Shit”, Steve mutters, “I should’ve known..we should’ve been more careful.”
“More careful?” Eddie frowns.
“Yeah”, Steve nods, “I mean, we should’ve used protection.”
“What? Why?”
“To keep you from getting pregnant”, Steve says rather impatiently. He’s not sure what part Eddie’s so confused about.
“I didn’t realize you were trying to keep me from getting pregnant”, Eddie replies.
“Of course I am”, Steve tells him. “Why? Were you trying to get pregnant?”
“I wasn’t opposed to it”, Eddie retorts.
“I’m sorry”, Steve shakes his head, “I just…I need a minute.”
With that, he turns and walks straight out the front door, grabbing his keys as he goes. He doesn’t dare look back at the house, just hops in his car and starts off down the road. It takes a few minutes of mindless driving for him to fully process the situation. Eddie’s pregnant again. Steve unknowingly put a baby in him again. As if the last time wasn’t enough of a cautionary tale.
Unsure of what exactly he even intended to do upon leaving the house, Steve decides to go where he always does when he’s overwhelmed with a situation; Robin’s.
“Hey Steve”, Vicki greets upon opening the door.
“Hey”, Steve replies, “is Robin home?”
Vicki nods before turning and calling out to Robin. She offers Steve a friendly smile as Robin comes trotting up to the door.
“Oh, hi Steve”, she says, “what’s up with you and Eddie?”
“How did you…”
“You showing up here unannounced? Gotta be Eddie troubles”, she replies knowingly.
“Uh, yeah”, Steve rubs the back of his neck, “can we talk?”
Robin nods, offers Vicki a peck on the cheek, then slips out of the apartment door to join Steve. Without an invitation, she makes her way over to Steve’s car and climbs in the passenger seat, eyeing Steve expectantly. Steve appreciates how easily she seems to be able to read him. Somehow she always knows exactly what he needs.
Steve drives them the five minute journey it takes to get from Robin’s place to the nearest park. The two pile out of the car, then, plopping down on one of the nearby benches.
“Okay”, Robin prompts, “what’s going on with Eddie? Last I knew, you two were like, totally head over heels.”
“It’s not…we’re not fighting”, Steve sighs, although considering he just abandoned Eddie to deal with the bombshell that had just been dropped on his own, that may not be the case for much longer
“Oh good”, Robin breathes out, “I was gonna be crushed if you guys were on the rocks. So what’s the deal, then?”
“Eddie’s pregnant again”, Steve tells her.
“Oh wow”, Robin smiles, “congratulations.”
Why is everyone acting like this is some sort of celebratory news? Steve accidentally knocked up his Omega for the second time in his life. Doesn’t really seem worth celebrating to him.
“Steve”, Robin’s face falls, “you are happy, right?”
“No!” Steve insists.
A look of confusion crosses Robin’s features at the response.
“But, you love kids”, she says, “you always talked about wanting a big family and everything.”
Yes, Steve had indeed spoken of such things when he was younger and more naive, but now that he’s actually a father, well, things are a lot different.
“I did”, Steve sighs, “but that was before we had Alice.”
“I thought you loved taking care of Alice”, Robin frowns.
“I do”, Steve assures her, “I love Alice, and I’d love to see her have siblings to grow up with.”
“So what’s the problem then? Are you scared you won’t be able to afford it?” Robin ponders.
Steve shakes his head. He and Eddie aren’t millionaires by any means, but their combined income is more than enough to keep a family of four sustained. Sure, they’d have a little less breathing room with another mouth to feed, but it’s entirely possible to support a second kid in their current economic circumstances.
“Is it just that you think it’ll be too much work?” Robin guesses.
“No”, Steve admits, “I mean yeah, babies are a lot of work, but Alice is getting more independent everyday. I’m sure between the two of us, we could make it work.”
“Alright”, Robin relents, “I give up. Why are you so against having another kid?”
Steve stares at her, shocked that she can’t seem to put it together. She can’t, and Eddie didn’t seem to be able to, either. It’s clear as day to Steve, so he’s not sure how those two seem to be lost on the subject.
“Because”, he insists, “Eddie almost died having Alice.”
He can see the realization cross Robin’s face at his confession. Her eyes soften then, and she reaches out to place a supportive hand on Steve’s shoulder.
“Oh, I see”, she says, “you’re worried that what happened with Alice will happen again.”
Steve nods emphatically. The memory of that night is still etched clearly into his mind; even three years later he can picture it like it was yesterday. Holding Eddie in his arms as Wayne sped them to the hospital, desperately trying to push back his own fear enough to appear calm and comforting for Eddie. Waiting to find out if the love of his life and their child were alive or not. Eddie survived, sure, but it could’ve gone worse. He could’ve lost Alice, his womb or even his life. Steve can’t bear to imagine a scenario where Eddie dies bringing their kid into the world. He would never forgive himself if he were to cause Eddie’s death, even indirectly.
“I can’t lose him”, Steve sighs.
And he most certainly can’t. Who would tell Alice elaborate, made-up bedtime stories complete with distinct voices for each character if Eddie were gone? Who would stitch up yet another hole in the ratty old blanket she still insists on dragging around with her everywhere she goes? Who would massage Steve’s shoulders after a long shift and tell him bad jokes to get him to crack a smile when he’s had a bad day? The family would fall apart without Eddie, especially if the baby survived and he didn’t. The thought of taking care of Alice alone is bad enough, but the thought of taking care of her and a baby without Eddie to help is absolutely daunting.
“Well”, Robin says, “I mean, did the doctor ever say anything about Eddie having a higher risk of complications?”
“I don’t know”, Steve admits, “she said it’d probably be fine, but…but I work in a hospital everyday, Rob. I’ve seen what can happen when things go wrong during labor.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean any of that will happen to Eddie, right?” Robin offers, “unless the doctor thinks it’s risky…”
The doctor hadn’t given that impression, but even a small chance is still a chance. Steve hates that he has to put Eddie in this position; he should’ve probably made his feelings clear to Eddie so they could’ve used better birth control. Steve is acutely aware that his wishes are dependent on convincing Eddie to terminate the pregnancy, and he’s certainly not thrilled about it. He doesn’t know if Eddie wants to do that; he’d seemed happy when he gave Steve the news after all. He’s the one whose body is going to be directly affected by either option, is it really Steve’s place to dictate the decision for him? Steve doesn’t want to force Eddie into an abortion; he just wants to go back and stop this pup from ever being conceived in the first place.
“I don’t know what to do”, Steve admits, “Eddie seemed happy to have another kid, but I-I’m scared, Robin. I don’t want to live without him.”
“Then you need to talk to him”, Robin insists, “and the two of you need to figure this out together. Like I said, I don’t want to see you two split up, so you better explain to him what you just explained to me.”
Steve knows that she’s right. Whatever happens, he needs to be honest with Eddie. They’ll have to figure this out somehow, and they can’t if they haven’t made both of their feelings on the matter clear to each other.
“He’s probably pissed”, Steve laments, and he certainly can’t blame him.
“Maybe”, Robin says, “but you can’t fix any of this by just ignoring it.”
“I know”, Steve sighs.
-
Steve drops Robin off back at her place before heading home himself. He appreciates the clarity he’s managed to gain from his and Robin’s conversation, but it does little to calm the anxiety he’s currently experiencing at the thought of facing Eddie. He can’t stand to remember the happy look on Eddie’s face when he told him the news. He clearly assumed Steve would be too. He can’t bear the guilt of that; Eddie had clearly been paying attention every time he talked about his dream of six little nuggets. It’s not his fault that Steve never indicated his feelings on the matter had changed.
Swallowing down his dread, Steve pulls into the driveway of their home and soberly exits the car. His footsteps are heavy as he makes his way to the porch and opens the front door, dreading the reaction that awaits him on the other side.
He finds Eddie sitting at the kitchen table, his face buried in his hands.
“Steve”, Eddie abruptly stands up when he senses Steve’s presence.
His eyes are rimmed in red and swollen; an obvious aftermath to crying. Steve internally berates himself for leaving his poor husband high and dry like this. He’s caused his Omega undue distress, and while Eddie is pregnant no less. This is the time he needs his Alpha’s love and support the most.
“Eddie…”, Steve tries.
“Look, I’m really sorry”, Eddie insists, “I know you never said anything about having another kid, but you always talked about having a lot, and you never seemed all that concerned with using protection, so I just…”
“Don’t apologize”, Steve shakes his head, “I’m the one who fucked up.”
“What? How?” Eddie asks.
“By not being open with you”, Steve explains, closing the gap between him and Eddie, “I should’ve been more adamant about using protection. And I also shouldn’t have taken off earlier. I’m sorry for ditching you to deal with everything on your own. I just needed to clear my head, that’s all.”
“I get it” Eddie says, “you don’t want another kid, right?”
“Actually I do”, Steve offers, “I mean, I’d love to have more kids. That’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?” Eddie frowns.
Steve draws in a large sigh. For some reason, he’s embarrassed to admit the truth to Eddie. He’s supposed to be the strong one; how pathetic and whiny does he sound talking about how much Eddie’s plight affected him? He wasn’t the one who almost bled to death after all.
“I’m just worried”, he finally confesses, “after what happened with Alice, I’m terrified at the thought of you being pregnant and having another baby. I don’t want something bad to happen again.”
“Oh”, Eddie’s eyes light up a bit, “you’re freaked out because of last time.”
Steve nods. “It was terrifying. The doctors kept saying you could die or lose your uterus and I just had to sit there and wonder if I was ever gonna get to see you again.”
Steve remembers the dread of that uncertainty like it was only yesterday. At one point, he’d started thinking to himself about all the things he never got to say to Eddie; all of those items on their bucket list they’d never check off. The worst part was when that led to him remembering all of the things he wanted to apologize to Eddie for, and how he might never get a chance. He doesn’t ever want to be in that position again.
“I can’t lose you, okay?” Steve tells Eddie quietly, “I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t around anymore. I need you. You and Alice are my whole world and I don’t think I’d survive if something happened to you.”
“You know, you could’ve just told me all that”, Eddie replies.
“I know”, Steve sighs, “I just panicked. Thankfully Robin talked some sense into me.”
“Classic Buckley”, Eddie remarks, “always the diplomat. But seriously, Steve, is that really why you got upset? Not because you don’t want to have another kid with me?”
“Yes”, Steve assures him, “I love you, and I want to have more kids. I guess last time just kind of traumatized me.”
“I get it”, Eddie nods, “I mean, I’ve thought about that too.”
“You have?”
“Of course”, Eddie confirms, “being pregnant is scary as Hell. I guess I just think it’s worth the risks, you know? The doctor said it’d probably be okay, anyway.”
“I know”, Steve tells him, “I just got scared I guess. But I’m not gonna make you get rid of our baby, Eddie. If you want this, then I’ll stand by you.”
Eddie shakes his head. “I’m not gonna make you take care of a kid you don’t want.”
“But I do want this kid”, Steve insists. He wasn’t sure before but he is now.
“Are you sure?” Eddie asks.
“Yes”, Steve nods, “I’m sure. We’re gonna have another baby.”
That satisfies Eddie, who smiles and leans in to press a peck to Steve’s cheek. Despite himself, Steve can feel the spot start to warm up and grow slightly red afterwards. He’s not sure how he still gets this flustered around Eddie, as if they’re school kids with crushes and not a literal married couple. He certainly won’t complain, though.
“Well”, Eddie remarks, “I guess that just leaves one thing.”
“What’s that?” Steve frowns.
“Figuring out how to tell Alice she’s not going to be an only child anymore”, Eddie replies.
Foreverlong Thu 22 May 2025 11:22AM UTC
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WeirdandAbsurd42 Thu 22 May 2025 01:26PM UTC
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