And All That Could Have Been (Steddie)

Apart

Eddie didn't say much on the drive home, just listened to Charlotte talk about her plans for the Christmas tree, the winter dance with Izzy, and what she was considering for Christmas dinner. Eddie tried to pay attention, to engage in conversation with her, but he was so distracted that nothing she was saying was really registering with him. All he could think about was Steve. Steve was a professional baseball player? He was famous? His daughter knew who he was? Eddie couldn't wrap his head around any of it. Sure, he knew that Steve went to college on a baseball scholarship and played college ball, but he had no idea what had happened after that. Steve had always talked about working with kids. He'd never mentioned a career in sports.

And besides all of that, which was enough to distract him as it was, but then Steve had to go and look the way he did. His hair was just a little long and laying against his shoulders, his chest and arms were broad and well-muscled, there was a light scruff of hair on his face, like he hadn't shaved in a few days. It was all very rugged, very manly, and so very Steve Harrington. It made Eddie's tummy flutter like a million butterflies were flying around in there. He was still beautiful. No. That wasn't completely accurate. Steve was even more beautiful than he'd been when he was eighteen. And Eddie wasn't at all sure that he could handle this.

Because he hadn't been completely lying when he told Steve he hated him. Deep in his heart he didn't, but he'd spent the last fifteen years trying to convince himself that he did, that there were times when he absolutely believed that he did. And when he saw Steve standing there and his knees had gone weak, his mouth had dried out, his heart had skipped a beat, he was absolutely sure that he hated him for still being able to make Eddie love him. Steve had always been good at that.

"Daddy?" Eddie blinked and glanced over at Charlotte in the passenger seat. "What are you doing?" Eddie looked around. They were parked in their driveway, just sitting there. Eddie blushed a deep red. He hadn't even noticed that they'd arrived home; he wondered how long he'd been sitting there lost in his own thoughts. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what, peanut?" Eddie turned off the car and got out. As he was untying the tree to carry it inside, Charlotte came around the car and watched him closely. After a moment, Eddie glanced back at her. "What?"

"How do you know Steve Harrington and why didn't you ever tell me you did?"

"Better question, when did you get so into baseball?" This time Charlotte blushed. "Ah. Izzy. Right." Eddie pulled the tree and the protective blanket between it and his car down from the car roof and started for the front door. Charlotte scampered along behind him. He propped the tree against a wall in the living room then turned, intent on going down to the basement and retrieving the tree stand. But he stopped short when he bumped into Charlotte who was right behind him. She crossed her arms over her chest in a perfect imitation of the posture he took on when he was scolding her for something she'd done wrong and glared up at him. "What?"

"How do you know Steve Harrington?" Eddie grimaced as if her words had caused him physical discomfort. "Please, daddy?"

"Baby girl," Eddie said softly then dropped a kiss on top of her head. "We went to high school together."

Then Eddie turned and walked away. Charlotte stood there for a full minute before she finally went after him. In the basement, she found him wiping dust from the Christmas tree stand. He smiled weakly at her, and she went to him, threw her arms around him, hugged him as tight as she could, then went up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"I'm sorry, daddy."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"If I had known, I wouldn't have asked."