Chapter Text
Part 1
Eddie comes through the door of their two-bedroom apartment, soon to be too small for them, like a bat out of hell at exactly seven-thirty like he does every night. He practically races home anymore, especially now that Steve is getting very close to his due date.
“Ste-vie! I’m home!” He sings out his boyfriend’s name, with a huge smile plastered on his face.
“I kn-ow!” Steve mocks in a sing-songy tune right back. “The door is literally ten feet from me, Eds, I can hear when you walk in.” He laughs. The poor heavily pregnant man is nestled in a sea of pillows on the couch with his swollen ankles propped up on the ottoman. He’s got one hand in a chip bag, the other flipping pages of a magazine. Eddie drops his work things by the door, not caring if anything made the hook or not and speeds over to his lover. He makes a flying leap onto the couch, landing with his head in what’s left of Steve’s lap. He nearly crushes the bag of chips, but he couldn’t careless about them. His hands go to Steve’s belly immediately, his lips to follow.
“Jesus, Eddie, you freaking bull! Be careful!” Steve yelps, grabbing at the bag of chips to move them away. Getting startled triggered movement within his belly that made Eddie’s face light up with joy.
“Mm, sorry mama bear. Can’t help myself!” He giggles, continuing to press kiss after kiss to Steve’s, Eddie’s, stretched out Metallica shirt. He eventually lifts it to reach the taunt bare skin underneath and lays his cold cheek against the warm skin, feeling limbs push back at him. “You’ve no idea how much I missed you three today.” He sighs contently, closing his eyes as he wraps his arms around Steve’s waist.
Steve rolls his eyes, throwing another chip in his mouth. He runs gentle fingers through his boyfriend’s frizzy hair and smiles down at him.
“We missed you too, daddy.” He smirks, rubbing a clean hand, not greasy with chip crumbs, across the top of his belly. The thing is massive, with quite the impressive curve to it. Robin likes to joke and say there is a third hiding somewhere in there, but the doctor confirmed after several scans that there are only two babies, which regardless still came as a shock to them at their twelve-week scan.
Flirtatious charm drips from Eddie’s lips, “Daddy? Ooh, I’m a daddy?” Eddie picks his head up and wiggles his eyebrows at Steve, who is less than enthused.
“You know which way I meant it; you perv.” He laughs, wiping his hands on a napkin.
“A boy can dream.” He shrugs and sits all the way up. Steve huffs a short laugh and gasps with a hand to the top right of his belly.
“What is it?” Eddie curiously cocks his head at the mountainous form.
“Really strong kicks today, let me tell ya’.” Steve sighs, rubbing out the spot where a foot jabbed him quite hard. “You’d think they’d run out of room by now. I mean, seriously. Twins making it to thirty-nine weeks is a damn miracle. I should be in the world record book.” He says, splaying his hands over his extra full-term belly.
“You’ve made such a good home for them, Stevie, they don’t want to leave.” He smiles, giving the belly a gentle rub. Steve tugs his shirt back down from where Eddie pulled it up and starts shifting side to side to shimmy to the edge of his seat.
“Yeah, well I’m serving the eviction notice tomorrow if they don’t come tonight.” He grunts, epically failing to move even an inch from where he was.
Eddie stands and faces Steve with his palms turned up, “Do you require assistance my oh-so pregnant one?”
Steve glares up at him and reluctantly slaps his hands down on Eddie’s. Eddie grins, heaving Steve to his feet. It takes him more than a second to adjust to the weight in his hips, and the pull in his back. The babies are low, lower than they were a few days ago that’s for sure. Eddie noticed just by Steve’s waddle alone. He was starting to slow down considerably, but also the wide sway of his body was the true tell that something was certainly changing.
“It’s getting heavier, huh?” Eddie lifts Steve’s belly from the bottom with extra care and the feeling is magical to the soon-to-be daddy.
“Oh, fuck.” Steve lets his head fall back with a deep sigh. “That feels so good, please don’t let go.” He moans, bracing his hands on either side of it.
“Nice and easy.” Eddie clenches his teeth, slowly lowering it back down. Steve huffs a strained breath and flips off his boyfriend.
“Fuck you, that was a tease.” He sneers and places his hands on his back as he waddles out of their living room. Eddie can’t help but chuckle in a fond way.
Eddie knows Steve isn’t going to miss being extremely pregnant, but he certainly will. From the second Steve came to him with the positive test, to the first time they heard the heartbeats, he’s been over the moon in love with their babies. He can’t wait to finally physically be a dad, but he’s always going to remember the journey along the way as one of the most magical times in his life. He’s never seen Steve so beautiful and full of life and he'd give anything to keep seeing it. Even if it means their six little nuggets are only a year apart from each other. Hell, if they play their cards right, they could be done in two more rounds.
Steve heads directly for the powder room in the hall and Eddie calls to him that he’s gonna go take a shower in their room.
When they meet up again, Steve is in the kitchen preparing dinner. Eddie appears with his hair in a wet knot at the back of his head, a Guns N’ Roses muscle tank on and boxers. Steve takes one look at him and has to turn away to prevent his mind from going to the place that got him into this mess. No way does he even have the stamina to entertain the idea either.
“Sweet pea, go sit down. I’ve got this.” Eddie grabs the box of Hamburger Helper out of his boyfriends’ hands, replacing it with a gentle kiss to the side of his head.
“I can make dinner, Eds.” Steve furrows his brow, watching as his boyfriend reads over the instructions. He reaches for the box back in a rather pathetic attempt and Eddie twists his body away from him.
“So can I, Harrington. Go.” He says firmly. “You barely have ankles.” He takes a quick peek at Steve’s feet.
He scoffs, supporting his back with his belly pushed out, “Not fair, I can’t help that. Also, you’ve been at work all day. Let me make dinner for you.” Steve tries to debate.
“And you never stop working.” Eddie blushes and doesn’t skip a beat. He keeps his eyes on the box while he reaches out and rubs Steve’s belly. “Growing babies is big business, Stevie.”
“Eddie.” Steve whines weakly. He’d never truly admit how much he loves being pampered by the father of his children. He’d rather pretend like it bothers him to the ends of the earth before inevitably letting him take something over.
“Nope, go.” He points, sending the pregnant one on his way.
“Oh, fine, I’ll go sit.” Steve rolls his eyes and when his back is turned, he’s looking smug as ever.
“Good, I’ll bring it to you when it’s done.” Eddie calls out to him. Steve throws a hand up and continues on. An hour and some change later, definitely shouldn’t have taken that long, Eddie comes over to the kitchen table with a bowl for Steve and himself.
“Eat up, mama bear. You’ve got growing babies to feed in there.” He places the bag of slice bread and butter on the table between them.
“They better not grow anymore, there isn’t any room.” He pats his belly. “This smells fucking incredible by the way.” Steve dives in, not even caring when it burns the roof of his mouth. Steve takes little breaks here and there to breathe with a hand pressed into the top of his belly, which catches Eddie’s attention.
“You okay, honey?” Eddie’s concern evident in his voice.
Steve nods, sitting back with a slow exhale, “Yup. It’s happening again, I’m getting those contractions like I’ve had the last couple nights.”
“Doctor said it was normal, right? We don’t need to call this in?”
“Yeah…she said to only call her if they become consistent. These ones aren’t.” He says, yet the discomfort from the contractions is clear on his face. It’s not usually this painful.
“Okay…well let me know when they do become that. I’ll help you time them.”
“You’re really on top of this, huh?”
“Don’t underestimate my research, Harrington.” Eddie scrunches his nose, stirring his food around.
“And here, I thought the only book you would ever read would be Lord of The Rings.” Steve laughs.
Eddie drops his chin, playfully glaring at his love. He flicks his fork around at him, “I read, Steven. It may not seem like it, but I do.” He laughs, shoveling food into his mouth. Steve tense at Eddie’s inability to hold a fork like a normal, civilized person, but honestly, he’s learned to pick his battles years ago. They’ve both come a long way with their own bothersome habits and that’s all Steve can ask for.
The two finish up dinner and Steve takes to the couch to watch Late Night while Eddie does the dishes. The metalhead retires to the kitchen table to work on his D&D figurines, keeping a watch over the pregnant one. He’s been painting new characters for a few weeks now, ramping up for the campaign he’s been putting together with Will. If all goes well and Steve is still pregnant by Sunday, they can still kick off the start of it.
However, by the sounds Steve is currently making, Eddie doesn’t see it happening.
Eddie sits cross legged on the chair, with the tiniest sliver of his tongue poking out between his lips, hyper focused on his brush strokes, “I hear huffing and puffing over there, mama bear. Ye’good?” He licks his lips, dipping the tip of his #4 brush into the small vial of yellow paint.
Steve closes his eyes, massaging the sides of his belly with his knuckles, “Mmhmm.”
“Yeah? Doesn’t sound like you are.” He chuckles and makes one final stroke before putting the piece down on newspaper to dry. He makes his way over to check on his boyfriend, finding exactly what he expects to find.
Steve can feel Eddie looming over him and pops one eye open to stare up at his concerned face.
“What?” Steve scrunches his face up. Eddie is standing with his hands on his hips, unimpressed with how Steve is joking around.
“What? I should be asking you that. Are you in pain, Steven?”
“Stop calling me Steven.” He grumbles, shifting his hips. Eddie sighs, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.
“Stevie…are you in labor or not?”
“No…I don’t think so? I don’t know…maybe?” He cocks his head, sitting forward to rub at his back. “Oh god, I think so.” He grunts, feeling the tightening increase in strength. He grasps the underpart of his belly, slowly exhaling breaths through his mouth. Eddie stands by watching, waiting for the signal that Steve needs his help.
“Are they consistent? Should I be calling?” Eddie asks, walking closer to brush a hand through his boyfriend’s hair.
“No, let’s wait.” Steve shakes his head, sliding back in his seat until he’s back against the pillows again.
“I’m gonna go back to painting then? If you need me, I’m right there. Okay?” Eddie points. “Not even two feet away.”
“Okay, I got it, you don’t have to talk to me like I’m five.” Steve rolls his eyes. “Go paint.” He growls.
Eddie doesn’t even have to wait for another sign. Steve gets aggressive when he’s hurt or in pain, so he’s already well aware that something’s going on. He’s about three figures in and Steve is up and pacing the room finally. He’s breathing harder now, taking breaks to lean over furniture and making multiple trips to the bathroom.
Eddie is keeping a close eye on him out the corner of his eye and when the pregnant one gasps out, nearly doubling over he’s out of his seat in a heartbeat to help catch him.
“Oh fuck, ow, ow, ow. Th-this one h-hurts.” Steve pants, gripping the back of their couch and Eddie’s arm.
“I knew it.” Eddie says under his breath, trying to keep his boyfriend standing. “You’re doing good, babe. Keep breathing.” He coaches. He looks for a clock and squints to see the VCR’s time.
“Twelve forty-six.” Eddie announces. “Tell me when it ends.”
When Steve can finally stand straight and lets his grip go on Eddie, he nods to him that it’s over. So, they wait for the next one together. At approximately ten-minute intervals, they suspect it’s the real deal. They finish packing the hospital bag, throwing the last-minute items in and Eddie makes a courtesy call to Robin to inform her they are on their way to the hospital and to tell the others. He alerts the hospital that they are also on their way and the doctor will meet them there.
“Did you get my slippers?” Steve braces himself against the table. Eddie is running around the apartment checking for things they could have missed in their panicked rush.
“Got ‘em!” He slaps the side of the bag that’s draped over his shoulder.
“My special pillow for the hospital?”
“In the car already!” Eddie says in passing as he runs back to their bedroom to scan the bathroom one last time.
Steve rocks his hips, palms flat against the table, “Hooo…how about the babies’ outfits?” He looks toward the bedroom, craning his neck to see around the wall of the kitchen.
“Got all six outfits! Joyce said to pack extra to be safe.” Eddie slams the light off in the bedroom and rushes to Steve’s side. “We have everything sweet pea, it’s baby time.” Eddie smiles, a giddiness in his step as he bounces up to his laboring partner.
Steve nods quietly, locking eyes with Eddie, “I’m having a contraction.” He grimaces, starting to pant through it. He gets to the height of it and is taken by surprise when he involuntarily vocalizes the pain. Eddie’s hands are on him in a second, rubbing his back and his arm. Steve keeps one hand on the table, the other slid under his stomach for support. He continues to actively rock his hips back and forth, feeling an intense pressure rise in his groin with each passing, painful second.
“Shit!” Steve cries out in a gasp, dropping his head forward with a whimper. “Argh, this hurts like a motherfucker!” He grunts out. “Holy shit…holy shit, Eds, we gotta go now. Like right now.” Steve pulls away from the table, hobbling forward unsteadily. Eddie grabs hold of his arm and steadies him as best as he can.
“O-ohkay. Come on.” Eddie nods quickly, guiding his boyfriend toward the door. Steve reaches out for the wall as they walk past it, using it as a crutch to steady himself. “Easy now, come on. That’s it.” Eddie coos, opening the door to allow him to exit first. Steve stalls in the doorway and frowns up at his boyfriend.
“Eds?”
“Why are you stopping?” Eddie questions frantically. “Come on, we have to go.” He motions forward with his hands, trying to push him along.
“Yeah, okay but, babe? …go put some pants on.” Steve blows out a long steady breath with an eyebrow raised at his boyfriend and Eddie’s looking at him in disbelief.
“Are you serious?” He looks down at himself and has the audacity to be shocked that he forgot pants, but somehow remembered to put on shoes. “What a fucking idiot, Munson!” Eddie mumbles to himself with a palm to the forehead. He drops the bag at Steve’s feet and leaves him braced against the door frame. He rushes to throw pants on, grabbing the first pair of jeans he can find and shouts apologies at him as he races back. He collects the bag, slinging it over his shoulder and takes Steve in his arms gently. They lock up and the walk to the elevators is a long one, but they make it before his next contraction.
“Please god, don’t let my water break in this elevator.” Steve mumbles against Eddie’s throat, holding onto him for dear life as they make their descent.
Eddie snorts, “Wouldn’t that be something.” He says, watching the numbers decrease. Why they decided to get an apartment on the seventh floor, they’ll never know. It’s been nothing but a headache since they moved in two years ago. Eddie has been working extra hours with his uncle in order to put money away for the babies, but well before they were even a thought, the money was for a deposit for a house. It’s been a long time coming, but they finally have enough. Steve was making minimal investments to the fund for a while, but around twenty-five weeks, he was told he can’t be working long shifts on his feet anymore, thus resulting in leaving his job. Eddie told him not to worry and made sure he understood they would be taken care of regardless.
So, they figure once the babies are a couple months old and they can get their lives together, they’ll start house hunting. Upon hearing the news that they were gonna go house hunting eventually, Dustin begged them to look around his neighborhood so they can be neighbors. Eddie told him he will try his best, but he’s leaving it up to Steve to decide where they live.
Eddie throws the bag into the back seat of Steve’s BMW, then helps the heavily pregnant one into the passenger seat. He turns the engine over and looks over at Steve with his hand on the clutch.
“You ready to bring these babies earth side, sweetness?”
Steve rests his hands over his belly, visibly trembling from the nerves, “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” He laughs nervously.
“Let’s do this, kid.” He winks, biting his lip. He flips his palm up and waits for Steve. The laboring one hesitates, but low-fives him with a bashful smirk.
“Drive, ya big dork, before I birth these babies right here.” Steve shakes his head, staring out his window. Eddie cackles and shifts the car into reverse, then drive and heads toward the hospital.