It had been a long drive back to his hometown, but Eddie knew it was all worth it when Charlie wrestled herself out of her seat and ran over to Wayne's trailer, banging on the door relentlessly until it opened. The force of Charlie's hug almost knocked Wayne down, and Eddie hurried over to help, carefully extracting his excitable daughter from Wayne's legs.

"Careful, let's not end up at the hospital."

"I'm not that fragile, son." Wayne dragged them both into a bear hug, Eddie relishing the moment before letting go so Charlie could have her way with him. She shrieked as Wayne picked her up and spun her around. "Oh, you've gotten so big, babygirl. You tell your daddy to bring you around more often, okay?"

"Okay."

'Sorry,' Eddie mouthed to Wayne.

It had been a while. Eddie felt guilty about not visiting sooner, but with Charlie starting school and the shop, they had been busy. Despite being away for so long, it was easy to adapt to being home again. Eddie remembered to skip the rusting step on his way into the trailer, lifting Charlie over it too, and she laughed as she left the ground momentarily. The inside hadn't changed, aside from additional mugs over the couch. At least presents for Wayne were easy.

"You guys want something to drink?" Wayne busied himself in the kitchen, Charlie running over to look through his options.

Eddie only shook his head, collapsing on the couch with a groan. He braced himself at the sound of pattering feet, and a moment later, Jackson, Wayne's German shepherd, jumped onto his lap, knocking the wind out of him. "Hello, girl. You're getting big too. Where are the others, huh?" He ruffled her ears, getting a sloppy kiss on the cheek in return.

Charlie giggled as he wiped it off. "She likes you."

"I was always her favorite," Eddie whispered, winking at Wayne.

"Mabel hates him, though." Wayne sat beside him and glanced at the door as a black Schipperke skidded inside. She immediately bounded over to Charlie, climbing into her lap to kitten lick her giggling face, whole body wriggling in excitement.

Sure enough, when Eddie tried to touch her, she bared her teeth at him. Sighing in defeat, he went back to petting Jackson. "Rat."

"Rat catcher," Wayne amended exasperatedly.

Finally, in padded William, the oldest of the three and Wayne's first dog. He was a chocolate Labrador retriever, getting on in years now, so it was with a slow grace that he approached the couch and laid out underneath them with a big huff. Charlie immediately buried her face in his soft fur, stroking his stomach. Without her affection, Mabel jumped onto Wayne's lap instead.

Charlie was happy to sit watching an old cowboy movie, drinking her juice and, eventually, the cream cakes Wayne had brought for her. "You never got me cream cakes," Eddie whispered, smiling at Charlie when she thumped his leg to be quiet.

"You never deserved them."

True. Eddie had been a wild child and an even wilder teenager. Selling drugs and always in trouble with their local chief of police. It was amazing he'd managed to stay out of jail, let alone get clean, and was raising Charlie. He reached down to play with her hair, twirling the curls between his fingers, and smiled when she beamed at him. She deserved all the cakes.

Wayne squeezed his shoulder, holding out an eclair. Laughing softly, Eddie took it. "Thanks. Guess I deserve it now, huh?"

"You weren't all that bad, kiddo. You're still here. You got a pretty amazing daughter, too. Wouldn't say that's nothing."

"I am amazing," Charlie told them succinctly, wiping chocolate from her mouth. "Right, Daddy?"

"The best."

Charlie fell asleep before the film had finished, curled up around Mabel with one of the couch cushions for a pillow. Wayne had unfurled the old blanket from the back of the couch to put around her, too, so for now, she was comfortable. Eddie was starting to fall asleep, too, blinking sleepily at the tv.

One of the cowboys, probably the protagonist, had styled brown hair, which obviously wasn't accurate, but it did remind Eddie of his Princess and the time Princess' hair had been perfectly styled, almost like the cowboy's but with an ease that must have come from years of practice. Eddie felt bad for not appreciating it more before ruining all that hard work.

It had been worth it, though, to get inside Princess again and make him come undone. Three fucking orgasms. Eddie hadn't been sure he could get that last one, but somehow, he'd done it. And it had been one of the hottest things Eddie had ever seen. Definitely something he would never forget.

"What are you smiling about?"

Eddie hummed and looked over at Wayne, waking up a little more when he saw his smirk. "Nothing."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't start." Eddie closed his eyes again, ending the conversation.

Wayne didn't bring it up again until later that evening, sitting on the porch while Charlie ran around with the dogs. Eddie kept a close eye on her, and although she knew not to go out of sight, he still worried. The trailer park wasn't the safest place to grow up, even if he'd survived. But she was happy enough, and nobody would mess with her with three dogs around, not counting the two grown men who sat nearby.

"So, you seeing anyone?"

Eddie choked on his drink, carefully avoiding his uncle's eye. "Not exactly."

"Huh. Sounds like a complicated way of saying yes."

"Ha, ha." He stretched out with a sigh, watching Charlie run across the lot, giggling, Mabel chasing after her. "No, I'm not. It's nothing serious, anyway."

"Charlie's not met them?"

"Nope." Eddie took another sip of coke. "Not gonna happen."

Wayne sighed, waiting a whole two minutes before bringing it up again. "You know, you deserve to be happy too. Charlie won't hate you for trying to date someone. Maybe it would do you some good, having someone else."

"Jesus Christ, Wayne. I told you I'm not dating anyone, so leave it!" Eddie snapped. He immediately felt guilty, even more so when Charlie stopped and came over, giving him a reproachful look as she climbed into Wayne's lap.

"Don't shout at Papaw," she told him sternly. "That's not nice."

"You're right, babygirl. Sorry, Wayne."

"Don't worry about it. Ain't my place to pry." Wayne got up with a grunt, taking Charlie with him back inside. Eddie had to jump out of the way when he whistled, and the three dogs bounded in after him.

Eddie quickly finished his drink and followed them in. Charlie sat at the table, helping Wayne mix something in a large bowl. He peered over her shoulder to see it was a brownie mix, and a familiar piece of paper was on the table between them. "Did you bring Mr Steve's recipe?"

"Yes. Papaw should try them too. He even has fairy dust."

"Fairy dust?"

"Cinnamon. It's Mr Steve's cheat." She showed him the addition on the paper. "It makes them tingly."

"Ah, makes sense." Eddie stuck a finger in the batter, dodging away when Charlie tried to hit him with the spoon and tasted it. "Very nice."

"No more until they're ready."

"Yes, ma'am."

"So how is school, this Mr Steve treating you alright?" Wayne asked her, bringing over the cinnamon.

Charlie beamed, cheeks going a little pink. "Uh-huh! He's very nice. The best teacher ever! Auntie Chris says I have a crush on him, but I don't. He is pretty, though. Daddy hasn't met him yet."

"You haven't?"

Eddie shrugged. "Chris does the drop-off and pick-up. Charlie was sick on parent's evening, so I haven't had the chance. He seems like an alright guy, though. As long as Charlie likes him."

"I've been learning math. Mr Steve says I'm very good at it."

"Huh. Don't know where you get that from, babygirl. Us Munsons aren't very good at school." Wayne ruffled her hair, relaxing slightly. "As long as you're learning. I'll be able to tell what kinda man he is once I've tasted these brownies."

Rolling his eyes, Eddie left them to it. He found his old guitar propped up by the couch, so he sat down to play. Although it needed tuning after he tried a few plucks and sighing, he set to work. Soon the trailer filled with the smell of baking brownies, reminding Eddie of the few disastrous times Wayne had tried to teach him to cook. After almost burning the place down frying bacon, they had given up.

He'd learned a few tricks since Charlie was born, mainly not setting food on fire. But enough to keep them going on more than microwave meals like he had growing up. Not that he resented Wayne, who had always been busy working to provide for them. It was nice to eat real meals now, cooking with Charlie and sometimes Chris if she joined them.

Mr Steve had helped, his recipes a hit in their kitchen. Eddie needed to thank him properly because a glittery card didn't feel sufficient enough, even if Charlie had gone mad with the stuff. He was still finding flakes around the apartment.

It reminded him of the photo Princess had sent, the flake that had followed him home. Eddie put down the guitar to find his phone, looking at the glittering piece laid out on Princess' hand.

"Daddy?"

Eddie jumped, locking his phone quickly. "Yeah, babygirl?"

"Papaw says we need to eat dinner first. Can you help me set the table?"

"Okie dokie." He got up, set the plates on the table, and helped Charle with the cutlery. Once she was seated, he finally got a look at what Wayne was cooking and hummed in approval. "Burgers?"

"Yep. My homemade specialty. Spent all day yesterday getting 'em ready for you two. So enjoy it." He pointed the spatula threateningly at Charlie, but she only giggled. "Eddie loved these as a boy. Begged me to make them every Saturday when I had the night off."

"And he always did."

"Only way I could get you to eat some meat."

Eddie only shrugged and sat beside Charlie, tucking a napkin into her shirt. She scowled at him, but he just smiled and kissed her forehead. As predicted, she bit into the burger, and sauce dripped onto the napkin. Eddie only got a toothy grin for his efforts when he had to change it again. She was worse than him for making a mess.

After drinking some hot cocoa, it was time for bed. Charlie had to be woken up to brush her teeth and change. Eddie carried her back to the main room where Wayne had set up the camp bed for her. She fell asleep instantly, clutching her stuffed rabbit close. It went everywhere with her. Eddie remembered the one time they had visited Wayne without it, and Chris drove over to drop the damn thing off. Now Eddie made sure Dio was packed when they stayed anywhere overnight.

He joined Wayne outside, bringing him a beer as part of his apology. "Sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"I told you it's fine. I shouldn't have been prying in your life. You're a grown man and can make your own decisions now." Wayne smiled and took the proffered beer. "Mostly."

They drank silently until, finally, Eddie built up the courage to say, "I'm seeing someone."

Wayne looked over at him, expression oddly neutral. "Are they nice to you?"

"Nice?"

"Yeah. Do they make you happy?"

Eddie had to consider that one. Of course, Princess made him happy. But in the confines of their relationship, sex, and hotel rooms, it wasn't hard to be satisfied. What if he took Princess out into the real world and introduced him to Chris and Charlie? Would he be happy then? What if Princess didn't want kids or hurt one of them? Eddie would never forgive himself.

But then he remembered how Princess had kissed him the last time they had met up, the warm electric feeling of his soft lips.

"I don't know," he finally said, rubbing the rim of his glass. "I suppose he does. It's not… serious or anything. Charlie doesn't know. I'm not sure I want her to."

"Why?"

"Because he could hurt her."

Wayne sighed, setting down his beer. "Eddie, have you ever wondered why I didn't date? It was because I felt exactly how you feel now. Letting people in, letting them close to those you care about, it's a scary thing. But it doesn't always have to be a bad thing."

"How can you tell the difference?"

"Well, that's up to you to decide. Is this guy good enough to meet Charlie? If not, then he's not the right person for you."

"Okay." Eddie smiled, feeling a lot better about the situation. "Never gonna stop being my dad, are you?"

"Never."

"Thanks." Eddie leaned into Wayne as he got up and hugged him to his side. After a moment, he pulled back and sniffed, wiping his face. If he turned into half the father Wayne was, Charlie would be fine. He was so lucky to have had Wayne growing up instead of being left with his shitty father—one good thing to come out of him being in jail for most of Eddie's childhood. "Uh, we should get back inside. Don't want Charlie to wake up and panic if we're not there."

"Alright, goodnight, kiddo." Wayne kissed the top of his head and went inside, leaving Eddie to his thoughts. After a few minutes, he followed.

That night, as Charlie slept on the camp bed beside him, Eddie found he couldn't sleep. His mind was racing like all those times before when he'd laid on this same couch at night, dreaming of his future. If only his past self had known how hard it would be for him in the spotlight. Maybe things would be different now.

But he didn't want that. Not really. He smiled as Charlie snuffled, rolling over in her sleep. No, he didn't want to change a damn thing.

Still, he couldn't shut his brain off. Half-formed sentences floated to the surface, words recalling the slope of Princess' eyebrows and the pretty color of his hazel eyes. Eddie wasn't sure if he could ever write something that could convey how beautiful he truly was, but his brain wanted to try.

No damn book, though. He'd left it at home. Instead, Eddie used his phone and, for the first time, opened the notes app.

It was surprising how easily the words flowed once he started. Princess was a canvas just waiting to be painted, all sharp edges feathered into shapes of beauty, moles like constellations, and the smile to rival Aphrodite herself. He was a song Eddie so badly wanted to write. Maybe this half-assed poem couldn't do him justice, but it was a start.

The sun was rising by the time Eddie finished, and he locked his phone with a tired sigh. It felt like he'd barely closed his eyes when he was jolted awake by Charlie crawling under the blankets to join him. He only hummed softly and wrapped an arm around her, making sure she was on the inside before falling asleep again.

When he woke up properly, Charlie was still there, snoring softly into his chest. He spent a while combing through her curls to detangle them, waiting for her to wake up. He remembered doing this a lot when she was younger. Charlie loved to sleep on his chest, once so small her whole body could fit. Not anymore, though. She was growing up, even if she was still his babygirl.

Jackson padded over to sniff at them, waking Charlie with his snout, and she giggled, pushing him away. "Gross, it's all cold and wet!"

"Mhmm, welcome to owning a dog. They never leave you alone."

"Like a kid?"

"Sure, but better. They don't talk back." Eddie kissed the top of her head and sighed. "Come on, get up so I can go pee."

Charlie groaned, rolling over to release him. When he got back from the bathroom, she was asleep again.

After a large breakfast, it was time to go home. Wayne took Eddie aside as Charlie bounded down to the car, gripping him tightly. "This boy you're seeing, make sure he's worth Charlie's time."

"I will," Eddie mumbled into Wayne's shoulder, feeling like a teenager again about to leave on his first touring gig. The whole world had been at his feet then. Now his world was honking the car horn and yelling at him to hurry up. Laughing, he let Wayne go. "She doesn't like waiting."

"Who do you think she learned that from?"

"I know. She's a menace of my own making. See you soon, Wayne."

"It better be soon."

Eddie rolled his eyes as the horn blared again. "I'm coming!" He secured Charlie in her seat, told her to wave goodbye to Wayne, and started the car.

Charlie waved until the trailer park was out of sight and then turned her attention back to him. "Music?"

"Uh-huh, what do you want?"

She considered the question for a moment before grinning. "Something loud!"

Eddie pulled up the rock playlist, and a moment later, Metallica was blasting from the speakers. He winced, turning it down slightly even if he got booed for it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to save your ears."

"Boring."

"You'll thank me one day." But he inched the sound up a tiny bit when he saw her pout in the mirror. "You gonna sing along?"

"So close, no matter how far. Couldn't be much more from the heart." Charlie's voice was high and clear, perfect. Eddie could tell one day, she would be a fantastic singer. "Come on, Daddy!"

Rolling his eyes, he joined in. "Never opened myself this way. Life is ours. We live it our way."

"All these words, I don't just say. And nothing else matters."

"That's it, babygirl. You're getting it."

Charlie giggled, soon joining in again. It was Eddie's favorite type of song, Charlie's voice singing along. Someday he would record it so when she was grown and off on her own adventures, he would still have her voice, singing their favorite songs.

Chris was waiting for them when they got home, and Charlie immediately jumped into her arms for a bear hug. "I missed you, Chris!"

"Oh, I missed you too, sweetpea. How was Papaw?"

"Good. He made us fancy burgers."

"And I got the recipe." Eddie waved a piece of paper victoriously. "Wayne finally trusted me with it. About time too."

"Huh, I guess he trusts you not to burn the place down trying to make some." Chris laughed and dodged out of the way when he swatted at her, sticking out her tongue. "Not my fault you can't cook."

"I can try. What do you say, babygirl? Shall we make some of Papaw's burgers to see for ourselves?"

"Yes! And we should save some for Mr Steve. He always makes me food. I wanna make him some too."

Eddie sighed in exasperation, trying to ignore Chris' raised eyebrows. "Okay, okay. We'll make enough for Mr Steve too. And we better get a glowing review. But we need to go shopping to get the right stuff. How about next weekend, and you can take him some on Monday?"

"Okay." Charlie yawned, wrapping her arms around Chris' neck. "Can I sleep now? The car makes me sleepy."

"Just a nap," Eddie warned her as Chris took her to the bedroom. "You won't sleep until morning otherwise."

He got everything in from the car while Chris settled Charlie in bed. By the time he was finished, she was waiting for him. "How is Wayne really doing?" She asked softly.

"He's fine. Getting older, but he's got those dogs keeping him young." Eddie collapsed on the couch with a sigh, gratefully accepting a drink from Chris. "He's on my case about dating. Wants me to settle down or whatever."

"Well, you are giving off loner vibes."

"I am not!"

"Maybe you should introduce me to this guy you're sleeping with. I'll let you know straight away whether he's Charlie material or not."

Eddie amused himself for a moment, imagining Chris interrogating his Princess. "Nah, don't want you to scare him off."

Chris wasn't amused, though. She sat beside him and glanced down the hallway before asking hesitantly, "Do you like him?"

"Obviously."

"You know what I mean."

He gave a noncommittal shrug. So many people asking if he liked Princess, he was even questioning it himself. "I didn't start this to fall in love with him."

"But?"

Eddie got out his phone and showed her the song he'd started composing. "He makes me want to write again."

She read the note, and when she looked up at him again, there were tears in her eyes. "Eddie…"

"Except he's some guy I met in a club. He's not gonna want to be a dad to Charlie, is he? As soon as I tell him, we're done. Maybe I'm not ready to stop yet." Or ever. Facing that truth was too painful for Eddie at the moment, so he ignored it. "Fuck. How can I fall for someone I barely know? It's supposed to be sex, nothing more."

"So find someone who cares about Charlie instead. Leave the sex for later."

"What, like Mr Steve?" He meant it to sound condescending, but there was a little truth behind that. Steve intrigued him. This person he didn't know but still warmed his heart because they cared about his daughter. Was he a better choice? Probably not, since he was Charlie's teacher. The ridiculousness of what he was contemplating made him laugh. "I've got great candidates. Charlie's teacher or my fuck buddy."

"Tinder?"

"Fuck off."

Chris reached over to take his hand and squeezed it. "Promise you'll try? I know you, Eddie. You fall fast and hard. Don't hurt yourself."

"I promise." Eddie could try to be more open with Princess. Or at least not be so cutting when it came to questions. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Princess his name. One Google search would reveal far more information than he was ready to share. "I won't be an asshole. Happy?"

"It's a start."

So maybe doing something other than fucking in a hotel room was in order. Go somewhere where they could talk. He spent the rest of the night ruminating on it until finally, as he was brushing his teeth, he came up with an idea.

A date of sorts. He could do that. And he had promised Princess they would do something special after all.

Eddie hoped he wasn't afraid of motorcycles.