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plistommy · 1 month

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”Where have you been, young lady?” Steve snapped with his arms on his hips.

Their daughter, Grace, who had just turned sixteen had been out till 2 am and Steve wasn’t having any of it.

He had stayed up the whole night for her. Waiting around nervously and wondering if she’d even show up, but then the front door had opened quietly and he finally let out the breath he was holding as he stood up from their living room’s couch.

It wasn’t like him or Eddie were strict parents, but a girl her age wandering around in the middle of the night wasn’t safe. Anything could be creeping around. Men, women or faceless creatures who’d shred you to pieces…

A loud groan snapped him out of his thoughts.

”Geez, Dad. Don’t ’young lady’ me.” Grace stepped out of her shoes and Steve had to keep back from pouting at her attitude.

”I’ll young lady you all I want, Grace. It’s the middle of the night and I was scared you’d gotten hurt!” Steve hissed while following her around until she got to the fridge and drank the rest of her old coke can.

She sighed before throwing it away and looking up at her dad with her brown eyes.

It was like staring back into a mirror.

”I was at Jess, okay? Do I need to explain myself to you everytime I go and see my friend?”

Steve wrapped his arms around his chest and raised a brow at her.

”With Jessica? You know I’ve told you that she’s not the best influence on you. I heard that she sells drugs, Grace, that's a dangerous business.”

Grace had to hold herself back from rolling her eyes as she made her way to her room, Steve following right behind her tail.

”I don’t need your option on her. And that’s not even true!” She groaned.

”And, why do you even care if she did? Didn’t Dad also sell drugs when he was younger?” She snapped a bit harder and that’s when the door to her parents room opened and Eddie walked out, looking between the two.

”What’s going on?” Eddie murmured, dark hair on a loose ponytail as he stepped closer to the other two, eyes tired but it was clear he hadn’t slept either.

”Dad is freaking out over how I got home late because I was at a friend’s house and is now telling me I cant hang out with Jess!”

Eddie turned to give Steve a look.

”Okay, hey, I didn’t say you can’t hang out with her.” Steve answered, big brown eyes frustrated that his daughter was twisting his words. He was just trying to protect her.

”Well, I’m sure you’d be fucking glad if I didn’t!” She snapped and glared up at him, making his eyes go sad.

”Hey, let’s all calm down now,” Eddie interrupted, stepping between them. He wasn’t liking his daughter’s tone and he knew he had to intervene, especially because Steve’s breathing was getting quicker from his anxiety.

”I’ll talk with your Dad and you go ahead and go to bed, peach.”

The silence stretched for a while before Grace nodded and walked to her room, closing the door with a loud thud behind her.

Eddie let out a sigh and turned to Steve who was hugging himself, nails digging into his forearms painfully.

Steve had been anxious all night because he didn’t know where their daughter was.

He tried to explain it was just the thought of her getting drunk or hurt, but Eddie knew it was the fear of the monsters that lingered in Steve’s mind.

”What if they come back and take her?” Steve had once cried when Grace was only five months old. He had had a bad nightmare about everything that happened back in Hawkins, how Eddie had almost died in his arms and he’d woken up with a cry as he searched for Eddie and Grace.

Eddie had told him they wouldn’t as he rocked Steve back and forth in his arms, Grace sleeping peacefully next to them in her crib.

He’d told him that the upside down was gone, that nothing could hurt them anymore, but he knew it never left the back of Steve’s mind like it never left his either and tonight Eddie could see it coming back to the surface again.

”Sweetheart…” Eddie whispered and slowly took Steve’s hands into his as the other tried to hold back tears.

”I was just worried, I—” Steve tried to say, but Eddie hushed him while wrapping his arms around him and letting the other cry into his shoulder.

”She’s only acting out. She’s okay, she’s just being a teenager.” Eddie reassured him and he felt how Steve nodded, but the other still let out small sobs.

”Dada?” a little voice called from behind them and they turned to look at their five year old son, Tyler.

”Why are you crying?” He asked, small hands coming to hug Steve’s leg and big brown eyes looking straight up at him with worry.

Steve wiped his eyes and crunched down to pet his head softly, ”Nothing’s wrong with me! Dada was just cutting some onions.” Steve gave the other a big smile.

”In the middle of the night?” Tyler asked after a beat.

Steve didn’t know what to really answer, but then he felt Eddie’s hand on his shoulder and he felt the tension leave his body as the other answered for him.

”Dada was making Daddy some food. I got reeeeeally hungry!” Eddie explained while petting his stomach a few times.

”Daddy looks funny!” Tyler giggled, but it soon turned into a big yawn.

Steve smiled as he stood up, but before he could go and take their son to bed, Eddie kissed his cheek and told him he’ll do it.

When Eddie got back after Tyler finally dozed off, he found Steve already laying in their bed, but he knew the other was still up. So, he went to bed too and hugged him before giving his shoulder a soft kiss.

”She loves you, you know that, right?” Eddie said and Steve was quiet for a while before he turned around and faced Eddie, a small frown in his lips that Eddie kissed away.

Steve let out a small laugh and moved closer to Eddie.

”I know.” He answered, ”I just… I hate all the sneaking around and getting home late, y’know? It makes me really worried.”

”It’s not like you didn’t do it, Steve. If I remember right, you were letting me fuck you one night so late that your mother was livid when you got back home because you didn’t join her fancy party—”

”Shut up! The kids could hear you!” Steve panicked and threw a pillow at him.

”I’m just saying!” Eddie chuckled, ”But I get it, baby, I do. I don’t like it either, but she’s a smart kid. She knows how to take care and protect herself.”

Steve gave him a sad smile, which made Eddie caress his husband’s cheek tenderly, ”She has learned that from you. You're an amazing dad, ’kay? The best dad ever.”

Eddie leaned down to kiss the two dots on Steve’s cheek and sucked the spot to make Steve squirm and laugh under him.

”Stop it!” Steve tried to push his face away, but Eddie just leaned closer and attacked Steve’s neck now with hungry kisses. It made Steve pinch his sides as a payback.

They messed around for a while before Eddie finally backed off and cuddled Steve instead. He held him close to his chest, giving his neck small kisses as Steve finally started to relax in his arms.

”You’re an amazing dad too, Eds.”

The next morning when they both woke up, they smelled food and got up to investigate, only to find their kids in the kitchen. Tyler was perched on a chair while Grace was doing some eggs and bacon, laying them down on four different plates with some berries next to them.

She turned around and set them down to the table. When she glanced up, she saw her dad’s staring back at her from the doorway and she smiled nervously.

”Morning… I made some breakfast.”

”Smells amazing, Gracie.” Eddie smiled and came to ruffle her hair as he walked past her to get some coffee from the pot. All black with no hint of sugar or milk.

Grace turned to look at Steve now, nervous about his reaction and clear sadness in her face. She felt guilty.

And Steve knew that. He did, too.

He took a slow step forward, stopping in front of her.

They stared at each other for a while before Steve pulled her into an embrace and she immediately relaxed, hugging her dad tighter while Steve petted her head.

”I’m so sorry, Dad…”

”Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry too.” Steve smiled and kissed his daughter's head, ”I should’ve not acted like I did. I’m sorry.”

”No, I get it, Dad, I do! I promise not to scare you like that anymore. I will tell you where I am the next time, okay?”

”Pinky promise?” Steve asked and it made his daughter giggle as she leaned back, eyes a little wet. She pulled her pinky out and Steve did as well.

”Pinky promise.”

Tyler giggled and Eddie pinched the boy’s cheeks, smiling at the other two once they came to sit at the nicely set table with delicious breakfast in front of them.

Their daughter has wanted to be a cook since she saw her first ever cooking show on TV at the age of four and every food she made was always amazing.

”I added some strawberries since I know those are your favorite, Dad.” Grace said when Steve took in his plate of breakfast with a big smile.

”Where did you get them?”

”Auntie Robin brought them to Gracie this morning!” Tyler said happily with a mouthful of food.

”Ohh, did she?” Eddie laughed and it made Steve grin when Tyler giggled a small ’Yes!’ back.

Steve made sure he'd give a big hug to Robin when he sees her later that evening at their shared shift.

Grace blushed and demanded everyone to dig into their food and shut it. Which they did, but not before Eddie and Steve gave each other a kiss, making their kids gag.

”Dad’s!” Grace groaned.

”Sorryyy!” Eddie wiggled his brows teasingly and wrapped his tattooed arm around Steve’s waist, holding his husband close to him.

Eddie still knew how to make Steve blush even with the smallest little touches. Steve felt so safe with him.

As they all ate their breakfast in happy silence, soft music playing from the morning radio and the sun starting to shine behind the unopened blinds, Steve felt at peace.

He had his family here. Together and safe.

Nothing would be better than this.