Home The Hard Way *Single Dad! Eddie Munson X Steve Harrington Steddie Series*

Part Nine

The sun was hot and high over Hawkins. Eddie had all the windows rolled down, his music turned up as loud as his small car speakers would allow. Dark, round sunglasses perched on his nose as the wind whipped his hair around him. One arm sat on the open driver's side window. His other hand rested at the top of his steering wheel, a half smoked cigarette between two fingers while his thumb tapped to the beat of the music.

He nodded, offering a one handed wave to Hopper as he passed him on his way to Joe's. He smiled to himself as he thought that the last time he was here, he would have flipped the sheriff off. Maybe yelled a barnyard related insult out the window at him. But this summer had been so vastly different than when he was last home.

Eddie was older now, but that wasn't it. Being a father had forced a sort of calmness to his attitude. He couldn't afford to blow up and start yelling when he was annoyed. He couldn't risk being taken in for a night if he got cocky with a cop. And, truth be told, he didn't even want to do those things anymore. Being friendly with Hopper had gotten him out of a fine when he was pulled over for a busted tail light last week, allowing him to drive off with a gentle warning and instructions to "have Steve fix that up for you."

He pulled into the parking lot of the shop to find Steve in his usual spot. Eddie pulled up, waiting for Steve to open the door. But he didn't open the large garage door for Eddie to drive into the shop. Instead he leaned over, his hands on Eddie's open window.

"Bad news," he started with a sigh. "I'm pretty sure I've got this thing as good as it's gonna get."

"How's that bad news?"

Steve was quiet, looking away from Eddie, back to the shop. "You got anything going on?" He asked suddenly.

"The plan was to spend the next few hours watching you," Eddie answered. "So I guess not."

"What do you say we go pick up the princess and grab some food, then? It's about dinner time and I'm ravenous."

The offer brought a wide smile to Eddie's tired face. The idea of getting dinner with Steve was tempting enough. But the fact that he asked for Lucy to come along, he wanted to spend time with her, put Eddie over the edge. He smiled wider, nodding towards the passenger seat beside him.

When Eddie knocked on Sarah's door she was shocked to see him. Eddie looked over her shoulder into her living room to find her two daughters sitting on opposite sides of the living room. They wore big smiles as they tossed a small ball back and forth, prompting Lucy to crawl across the carpet between them.

"I keep trying to tell them she's not a puppy," Sarah laughed, rolling her eyes at her kids' antics. "But, hey, she's crawling like a champ, huh?"

Eddie nodded, adding to her laughter. Lucy stopped in her tracks at the sound. She turned her head around, dark curls bouncing on her head as she searched for her dad. When she spotted him she sat up on her knees and immediately put her arms up for him. Sarah opened the door wider for him to step through and collect her from the floor. He lifted her with an exaggerated grunt as held her to his chest.

"I swear I've never met a little girl who loves her daddy as much as she loves you," Sarah told him with a smile. She handed him Lucy's diaper bag, which he slung over his free shoulder effortlessly. He said his goodbyes to Sarah and the girls, giggling when Lucy raised her chubby palm and imitated his wave.

Eddie set off towards his own house, babbling to Lucy as they walked through their neighbors lawn. When they got closer to Steve Lucy started clapping, her hands smacking softly together in front of her chest when she saw him. Eddie smiled down to her, knowing that his own reaction to seeing Steve after a few weeks away would be much the same if he could.