against all odds (steddie)

four ... honesty

march 31st, 1980
hawkins, indiana

knock knock.

steve got up from his desk after hearing the soft pecks on his door. he opened the door to find his father. something wasn't right with his father the evening before, but steve didn't think to question it. but now his father had some kind of worried look on his face, one that concerned steve.

steve went over to his bed and sit down. richard came in his room, shutting the door before sitting down in steve's chair in front of him.

"what's wrong, dad?" steve's said, watching his father's expression.

"what do you know about this eddie kid?" richard said, sitting back in his chair. "his father's trial was... a lot. very emotional. what did he say to you when you two hung out?"

steve was confused on why his father wanted to know and why it was so emotional. why did it affect him? why did it affect his father? "well, he said that his mom passed away a year ago. said his uncle was taking care of him because his father doesn't want him. why?"

richard nodded, taking steve's hand in his own. "don't go near that kid again, steven. he's troubled. he's different than me and you. he's different than tommy or carol. you stick with tommy and carol, okay?"

steve furrowed his brows. "but he's nice. he stayed with me when tommy and carol left me. i don't understand—"

"you don't have to understand, steve. you're a child, and i am the parent. he's going to drag you into trouble." richard began to explain before hearing the door open. they looked over to find tabitha, standing there with her coat on and holding richard's suitcase.

"we will be leaving for another weekend. i need some time off of work after that whole case and so does your mother." richard said, pushing the chair up to the desk. "if you need anything, miss felicity is across the street. money is on the kitchen counter as well. lock the doors when you aren't home and at night."

steve felt his heart sink. his parents were leaving again. leaving him to fend for himself as a thirteen year old. he just nodded at his father as he watched him walk out of the door. no goodbye. no i love you.

steve just laid down in the bed, pulling the covers over his head. he was a bit concerned because eddie didn't come to the park earlier that day. he thought he would see eddie, but he didn't. steve glanced at the clock. 8:34 pm.

maybe when steve woke up in the morning, everything would be okay. or maybe he would just tell himself that again when his head hit the pillow tomorrow night.

"go away, wayne!" eddie yelled, sitting up in his bed. he hadn't come out of his room since dinner the night before. wayne still hadn't gotten to explain about the affair. and eddie wasn't ready to hear about it.

wayne didn't go away though. he finally had the courage to just come into eddie's room anyway. eddie glared at wayne, tears in his eyes as wayne sat at the end of his bed.

"can i please just talk? all you have to do is listen." wayne mumbled, looking over at eddie. eddie just stared at him, a couple tears falling out of his eyes. wayne sighed, "me and your mother were actually best friends before delilah met your father. i was actually seeing a girl when me and your mother met, so we were only friends. when delilah realized we wouldn't have a chance, she got with my brother, thinking it was the next best thing. i ended up breaking up with the girl cause i realized my heart didn't belong with her. me and your mom..." wayne felt tears come to his eyes. "we slept with each other while she was with your dad. we went on dates when your dad wasn't there. and then when she got pregnant, she had to get the baby's dna tested behind your father's back."

"so i'm your son?!" eddie exclaimed.

"no—no!" wayne shook his head, wiping his tears. "you're nick's. when your mom told your father, he proposed and they got married. i continued to take care of your mother through her pregnancy when your father wasn't there. and then she had you. i was the third one to hold you in the hospital." he said, watching eddie move closer. eddie laid his head on wayne's shoulder. "your mother wanted to keep seeing me, even after you were born. you were about two when i told her it wasn't right. i already knew nick was neglecting you and her, and i didn't want to make matters worse. when i gave her a goodbye kiss...your father walked in."

eddie swallowed harshly, looking at his hands. wayne took eddie's hands into his own. "so what happened after that?"

"well, your father shut me out of your life and your mother's. me and your mother had to go back to just being best friends." wayne sighed. "if i could do it all over again, i'd ask delilah to move out of that motel and into the trailer with me, and to take you with her. i'd marry her and we would live a happy life. because i've never loved a woman more in my life."

eddie wiped his face before hugging wayne. wayne hugged eddie back, kissing eddie's head. "and i promised her that if anything ever happened to her, that i would take care of you. because she asked me to, so your right where she wants you to be. she loved you so much eddie." wayne said, tears falling down his face.

eddie sighed and let a few tears fall out of his eyes. "i know." he smiled through the tears. "and i loved her so much."

NEXT CHAPTER WILL INCLUDE SOME STEDDIE I PROMISE!!!! i needed to get these first few chapters out of the way so i could give you all some background on when we're starting, and to reveal the start of each of their traumas cause it's gotten stem from somewhere 😋. anyway, let's get into their story.