cw: anal sex

...

Gareth's idea for a tattoo tour had taken root in both their minds, but finding the time to act upon it proved difficult, especially with an excitable six-year-old always within earshot. Despite that, Steve adored spending time with Charlie. When September came, he would miss her almost constant presence but knew he would be busy with his new class.

Charlie, though, enjoyed helping him plan new classes, and she was full of ideas. They practiced some of them, painting moons over Steve's arms and spelling out words. Eddie joined them one afternoon to help plan a music afternoon, offering his shop for a day trip. When Charlie left them to play, Steve leaned over the table to finally kiss him. "Thank you."

Eddie just smiled, looking down to write in his notebook again. It was a different one to the band's, Steve had noticed, but he hadn't been invited to look and knew better than to push Eddie on his private thoughts. "Might as well get some use out of that shop."

"I'm sure people would love to visit Eddie Munson's store," Steve teased.

"Fuck off."

Leaning heavily across his back, Steve kissed his cheek and sighed. "Ronnie's going to take Charlie out tomorrow. Well, have a few hours to ourselves for once."

"If Michael doesn't make good on his threat of visiting."

"He better not."

Eddie set down his pen to link their fingers together, holding Steve's arms over his shoulders. "My dick hurts, Princess."

"You'll survive."

Eddie made a wounded noise before biting Steve's wrist.

Steve retaliated by pinching his nipple. "Did you or did you not get a blow job this morning?"

"I did." Eddie smiled up at him, holding Steve's hand against his chest so he could feel his steady heartbeat. "And it was amazing. Thank you."

"That's what I thought."

Eddie kept hold of Steve's hand, forcing him to stay when he picked up his pen again and began to write. So Steve rested his head on top of dark curls, watching with unfocused eyes on the paper as words were written and scribbled out, over and over with each change of Eddie's mind. He hummed softly, thumb stroking over Steve's hand, lulling him into a stupor.

That was how Charlie found them, and she ran over to climb into Eddie's lap, forcing him to stop writing. Steve attempted to smooth her curls, but it made no difference. Much to their amusement, her hair simply remained frizzy.

"Wash your hair tonight," Eddie told her, booping her nose when she pulled a face. "And I thought you were playing?"

"I was, but I lost Lyari."

"Her DnD character," Eddie explained when Steve frowned in confusion. "We made a model last year. Where did you have her last?"

"In here." Charlie proceeded to walk around the kitchen, checking under cushions and in cupboards. Steve kissed Eddie's head before sliding out of his hold to help. Eventually, they found the model of her Fairy Ranger character hiding in the fridge. Steve got her down from the top shelf, raising her eyebrows at Charlie, but she only smiled innocently and said, "Thank you, Steve!" before running off again.

"The fridge?"

"Beats me." Eddie shrugged and returned to his notebook. "We found her in the washing machine once. Charlie swears she's magic. I thought it was Chris, but I guess not."

Steve couldn't help thinking maybe it was Charlie's dad trying to keep the magic alive but said nothing, just resumed his spot draped over Eddie's back. He looked down at the page to see it was almost finished.

Sure enough, Eddie stopped after a few minutes and sighed, flexing his hand. "Okay, I'm done. Did you wanna go out for lunch or make something?"

"Go out. Charlie wants to try that Tapas Bar a block over."

Eddie pulled a face, which only made Steve laugh. How he had managed to raise a girl who loved food when he seemed to have little interest always amused Steve. Still, Eddie ate the food and enjoyed it almost as much as Charlie. She was adamant they would go again before returning home, so Steve agreed. The food was delicious, after all.

With full stomachs, it was easy to settle down for the night and watch a few movies before going to bed. And despite looking forward to the alone time, Eddie clearly found it difficult to let Charlie go when Ronnie arrived in the morning.

"Call me if something happens, okay?" He said to Ronnie for the fifth time, and she rolled her eyes at Steve over his shoulder. "I'm serious."

"So am I. We'll be fine, Eddie. It's only a bit of shopping."

He sighed, handing over his card. "Don't go crazy. I'm not made of money."

"You're part of the band! When this album goes diamond, you don't need to worry about money. So, no pressure, but get writing. Bye, guys!" She took Charlie's hand, and they both waved goodbye as they left.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Eddie turned and pulled Steve in by his belt loops, smiling wide. "Finally."

Steve was the one to close the gap and kiss him, guiding Eddie back against the door with a gentle thump. Laughing into the kiss, Steve rolled their hips together and whispered, "Wanna take this upstairs?"

"Uh, yes?" His eyes widened when Steve bent to pick him up, arms locking around his neck as he was lifted from the floor. "Whoa, Steve?!"

"What?" Steve asked innocently, kissing his cheek. "Just because you can't pick me up doesn't mean I can't do it."

"Fuck, that's hot." Despite his eyes still being wide, Eddie was smirking, and he fisted Steve's hair, pulling his head back so they could kiss properly. "Okay, Princess, carry me to bed."

Steve did, gentle as he lowered Eddie onto the bed. He fell when he tried to stand up and was yanked down, about to apologize for crushing Eddie but stopped at the sight of his smirk. Huffing out a soft laugh, he leaned down to capture his lips instead, grinding their hips together slowly as the heat in his belly grew. He'd barely started on Eddie's zipper when he was pushed back.

"Hold up, hold up," Eddie disentangled himself and sat up. "I just- give me a second."

Steve watched in disbelief as he grabbed another small notebook on the bedside table and began scribbling in it. "Eddie..."

"Wait, wait, wait," He muttered distractedly.

Eddie sat cross-legged, writing so fast his hand was a blur. Steve had never seen anyone so entrancing. His hair, which had initially been tied up, now had several loose strands falling over his face, and his tongue poked out slightly in concentration. Steve forgot his momentary annoyance at the interruption and watched Eddie write. The focus he displayed was mesmerizing.

"Okay, done!" He snapped the book shut and tossed it aside. Grinning at Steve, he knelt closer and grasped his chin. "Now, where were we?"

"Cock blocking me?"

He chuckled, kissing Steve softly. "Can't help it, baby, you're my inspiration."

When he leaned in for a kiss, Steve quickly pressed a finger against his lips. "Hold on." He stood up to shuck off his jeans, smiling when he noticed Eddie watching, and turned around as he bent down to find his phone. Waving it at Eddie, Steve cleared his throat and tried to put on a casual tone. "So, Eddie, what was your first tattoo?"

"You know what my first tattoo was. The bats."

"Of course I know, but it's not for me. Now strip." Rolling his eyes, Steve knelt on the bed to steal a quick kiss as Eddie's head reappeared from his collar. He sat back to start recording, focusing on Eddie's bare chest. "So, first tattoo?"

Eddie held up his arm, pointing out the cluster of bats on his forearm. "This little beauty right here. Did it myself."

Steve touched the spider near his heart, tracing the legs. "And this?"

"Pretty cool?" Eddie grabbed his hand, moving it to the dragon, and grinned. "This was way cooler, though."

"And the piercings." The way Eddie's neck tensed, and the soft groan that slipped through his lips when Steve thumbed his nipple was far too obscene for the video but beautiful all the same. Steve wanted to record all the pretty sounds Eddie could make, so he ducked his head to lick his nipple instead, pleased by the strangled moan he got in response, fingers tangling in his hair.

"S-steve?!"

He pulled off with a loud slurp and wiped his mouth. "Should we show them your other piercings?"

Eddie seemed to contemplate it for a moment and then smiled wide, showing down his underwear to let his cock spring free. "Sure thing, sweetheart."

Tracing the faint lines of Eddie's veins down his stomach to grasp his cock, Steve pumped slowly, thumbing the precome already beading to make the glide smoother. He revealed in the stuttering gasp that fell from Eddie's lips, feeling particularly smug that these marks were all for him. Nobody else would ever learn the patterns of Eddie's body so intimately.

Steve felt prideful that he was one of the few people who knew Eddie was ticklish, or that his favorite food was strudels. That he loved rom-coms, despite vocally denying it, and his favorite thing in the world was to cuddle up with Charlie and hot chocolate to watch cheesy movies. Steve loved that he got to see the real Eddie, to be a part of his life like this.

"I love you," he whispered, pausing when Eddie's eyes fluttered open to look at him, pupils blown wide, but he managed to smile back sweetly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Remembering his phone, Steve fumbled for it to try and get a clear shot of Eddie's cock and piercings, slick with precome. The sight made his stomach swoop, mouth going dry as he uttered a low "Fuck."

"Like what you see?"

Steve tickled his ribs just to wipe the cocky smile from his face and laughed when he was tackled sideways. Kissed within an inch of his life, Steve didn't realize the phone was gone until Eddie sat up, blowing hair out of his face, and held it victoriously.

"Maybe we should show them your beautiful chest instead." He ran his fingers through Steve's chest hair gently, pausing only to pinch his nipple and laugh when Steve's hips bucked up. "Or how well you take my dick."

"We should."

Eddie's look of reverence turned to surprise when he touched Steve's hole. "When did you…?"

"This morning." Steve laughed when Eddie fumbled with the phone, probably trying to get a close-up. Knowing what would happen as soon as they got the house to themselves, he had already prepped. "Baby," Steve whispered, hooking his arms around Eddie's neck to pull him close. "Don't you wanna show them how well you fuck me?"

"I would very much like that."

"Then watch." Steve fumbled for the lube under the blankets, watching Eddie watch him through the phone as he wrapped a slick hand around his cock. "Looks good?"

"So fucking good."

"Show them." Eddie exhaled softly, almost a laugh, as he looked at Steve in amazement. But whatever he was thinking, he didn't share. Ducking down, Eddie kissed Steve so thoroughly that he barely noticed the two fingers inside him. Whining, he broke the kiss to pant against Eddie's cheek, "I'm fine, Eddie. Fuck me already."

Eddie's answering smirk was visible even behind the phone as he focused on the space between them, slowly pressing inside Steve. A low whine fell from his lips at the stretch, head falling back against the pillows, and it was only when Eddie's hips met his that Steve looked up, surprised to find the camera on his face.

Cheeks suddenly burning, he laughed and threw an arm over his face. "What?"

"You're beautiful, Steve. Thought I should capture it."

If he weren't so in love with Eddie, he would have been embarrassed by the way his body reacted, cock throbbing and spilling precome between them. It didn't go unnoticed because Eddie grinned, wrapping a hand around him as his hips moved slowly, rocking into Steve with more care than necessary. It was so slow that the growing heat pooling in Steve's stomach soon became unbearable, and he was whining, lifting his hips to try and urge Eddie to go faster.

He only cooed, flicking Steve's nipple. "Patience, baby."

Jerking at the sharp pain, Steve uncovered his face to wrap his arms around Eddie. Fingers tracing a familiar pattern across the wings framing his shoulders, he panted, "Wings?"

Eddie barked out a laugh, but his hips drove faster, pushing Steve into the mattress. "You still want to talk tattoos? Okay, fuck, because I'm dramatic? Kinda fits, the whole fallen angel vibe."

With his hair haloed in the morning light filtering into the room, his dimpled smile and body joined so intimately to Steve's. He couldn't doubt that Eddie had once been an angel of some sort. Steve touched his hair, fingers threading through the curls to pull Eddie down into a kiss. Phone forgotten, Eddie's hand framed Steve's face as the other pressed into the mattress, supporting his weight, his thrusts growing deeper and pulling soft noises out of Steve.

It felt really fucking good, but Steve wasn't done teasing yet, hand returning to Eddie's back to trail down his spine over the shattered sword inked there. With a little help from Dustin and his extensive Tolkien knowledge, Steve had finally learned its name. Not that he'd told Eddie yet, wanting to surprise him with the information.

He leaned close to whisper in Eddie's ear, "Narsil?" Steve's smugness turned to surprise when Eddie buried his face in his neck with a moan, body tense and then completely lax a few moments later. Running his fingers through Eddie's damp curls, Steve asked in amusement, "Did you just cum because I know the name of the sword?"

"Tolkien is my weakness," Eddie mumbled into his neck, and with a long sigh, he rolled off Steve to lay next to him.

"Maybe I should learn Elvish?"

"Don't. Unless you want me to become a one-minute man."

Steve couldn't help snorting, which turned into laughter at Eddie's glare. He calmed down after a minute, scooting closer to grab Eddie's hand. "Hey, Eddie?"

"Mhmm?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Am I?" Eddie touched his lips and trailed a finger down his neck to rest on his chest, circling one nipple. The little shocks of pleasure melted Steve, and he relaxed back, closing his eyes as the touch moved lower, running through the trail of hair down to his cock. "That's it, princess," Eddie whispered, pumping slowly. "Relax."

Steve did, letting the pleasure build until it washed over him with Eddie's guiding hand.

"So beautiful," Eddie whispered, and when Steve opened an eye, it was to see he had the phone again. Smiling, he batted at it, but Eddie held it out of reach. "This video is treasured gold. I'm keeping it."

"You're not giving it to Gareth."

"Nope." Eddie grabbed his phone, tossing Steve's to the side. "There, it's sent. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Steve sighed, relaxing back again. He barely noticed Eddie cleaning him up but registered the kiss on his forehead before he slipped into a doze.

When he woke up, Eddie was sitting at his desk writing again, but he turned at the sound of stirring and smiled. "Hey, sleeping beauty. Feeling okay?"

"Mhmm." Steve stretched, grinning when he saw Eddie was still watching. "What?"

"Hold on." Eddie snatched up his phone and gently pushed Steve back. "Stay still for me." Confused, Steve did as he was told, frowning when Eddie rearranged his necklace so it was centered on his chest. Seemingly satisfied, Eddie sat back to take a photo and smiled at Steve over his phone. "Perfect."

He turned the phone around so Steve could see the photo. A zoomed-in image of the necklace nestled in his damp chest hair. He would ask why but let it go because Eddie was obsessed with his chest. As long as he didn't use it as his Lock Screen, what did it matter? Sure enough, Eddie set his phone down and began running his fingers across Steve's chest, making the hair curl under his fingertips.

Putting an arm behind his head, Steve watched Eddie's face relax, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"What were you doing?" Steve asked softly, nodding at the desk when Eddie glanced up with a frown.

"Oh, working on a song."

"Anything good?"

"No." Curiously, Eddie was still smiling. "Nothing for the band, I should say. I've been working on my own music, too. It's different now, like your song."

Steve smiled and tapped the tune on the back of Eddie's hand. It was a beautiful song that always made his chest glow. "Making your own album?"

"Eventually." Kissing Steve hard, Eddie got up, sending him one last longing look before taking his seat at the desk again. "You need to put some clothes on. It's distracting."

Steve did not get changed. He spent a while watching Eddie work, the way he hummed softly, tapping out a new beat, and occasionally glanced back at him, smiling whenever he saw Steve was still watching. It was only when Steve felt exceptionally gross that he got up to shower, pausing to kiss Eddie on the way to the bathroom. The lingering embrace had him following moments later.

Finally clean, Steve left Eddie to work and went downstairs. He had his own planning and worksheets to do and pulled out the heavy folder that constituted his bible to get to work. That was how Charlie and Ronnie found him hours later, surrounded by sheets and recipes, a fresh loaf of bread on the side because baking always helped him concentrate.

Charlie looked hopeful, so Steve set down the worksheet to cut her a slice, and then Ronnie, too, carefully clearing space at the table for them.

"This is amazing," Ronnie said after a bite, looking surprised. "Is there anything you can't make?"

"My parent's proud."

"Ugh." Ronnie pulled a face. "I think that's true of all of us. Maybe not Charlie, though. Eddie is very proud of you."

"He is," Steve agreed, and Charlie beamed at them both. She had already finished her slice and hopped down, taking the plate to the sink to be washed later. "I'm going to go find Daddy. Thank you, Ronnie."

"Anytime." Once Charlie ran upstairs and out of earshot, Ronnie sighed and nodded towards the front door. "Eddie is going to kill me. Can't say no to her. You should see the stuff out there."

"Anything for Charlie," he echoed, packing away his things. No doubt Eddie would be dragged downstairs soon enough, and they would eat the stew simmering away on the hob. "He's just as bad."

"So are you." Ronnie nodded at the sliced bread, and who was Steve to disagree? He would do anything for Charlie. Tugging on some still loose sheets, Ronnie spun them around to read and smiled. "You love kids, huh? You definitely charmed Eddie because of Charlie."

"Something like that."

"What do you do for fun then?"

Steve blinked at the sudden change in conversation and had to think hard. "Uh… bake?" She gave him such a pitying look he felt he had to defend himself. "Okay, I used to go out clubbing with my best friend, but then I met Eddie, and… we started hooking up. He doesn't drink, and neither of us needs to go out to get laid anymore. We spend most nights together with Charlie, and she likes to bake, too. Maybe it is boring but isn't that what you're supposed to do? Find someone to be boring with?"

Ronnie stared at him momentarily before laughing so hard she started to cry. "Oh, you're a real people pleaser, aren't you?"

Unsure if that was supposed to be an insult or not, Steve didn't respond and tidied away his folder.

"Shit," Ronnie cursed when his back was turned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way! I just… speak without thinking sometimes. It's only funny because I never thought of Eddie and boring belonging in a sentence together. But here you guys are, and it's…"

"Boring?" Steve finished, turning to look at her again, and smiled so she knew he wasn't upset.

Visibly relieved, Ronnie nodded. "Maybe boring isn't the right word. Domesticated sounds nicer."

Thinking about those old pictures of Eddie with his wild hair and smudged eyeliner and knowing about his past, Steve understood what she meant. Eddie didn't exactly scream domesticated life. But when he came down the stairs moments later with Charlie on his hip and moved to kiss Steve, praising him for the wonderful smell, it was a good look on him- both of them.

Ronnie stayed for dinner, and despite baking two loaves of bread, it was all gone by the time they finished. She was quick to leave, however, when Charlie excitedly started to show them what she had bought on their shopping trip, and Eddie gave her a half-hearted glare. With the bags emptied and Charlie's new things safe in their homes, she was soon fast asleep.

Outside by the pool, Steve sat on one of the loungers with an iced drink; another sat sweating on the adjacent lounger. When Eddie finally joined him and sat down with a groan, Steve spoke softly as if to maintain the peace he felt in the air surrounding them. "It's beautiful here. Especially the sunsets. You don't get to see them like this in the city."

"You're as beautiful as the sunset, Steve."

The sincerity in his voice disarmed Steve momentarily, and all he could do was blink at Eddie. Then his cheeks burned, and he couldn't help smiling wide, utterly charmed by his boyfriend's soft smile and sweet words. Unconsciously, he pulled on the necklace, running the chain between his lips as he tried to control himself.

Eddie tracked the movement, setting down his drink to hook a finger under the chain to force Steve to stop. "I mean it, Steve. You have no idea how lucky I feel to be able to call you mine."

"I'm the lucky one," Steve protested quietly, covering his hand. "You gave me a family."

Eddie's dimples flashed as he smiled, somehow more charming than before. Steve didn't think it was possible to love him more, and yet, somehow, he did. "Maybe we're both lucky."

Boring, domesticated, and lucky. Whatever the word was to describe them, Steve didn't care. All he knew was that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life, knowing Eddie felt the same.