Chapter Text
“Shut up and put your money where your mouth is. That’s what you get for waking up in Vegas.”
-Katy Perry
“Call my wedding tacky one more time, Harrington, and I swear to God I will throw your hairspray over the balcony and I know that shit was discontinued, so good luck finding another bottle on short notice, you jerk—”
“I didn’t call it tacky, you psycho! I just said that there are better places to get married than here. You could be having a destination wedding anywhere in the world. Did it have to be Las Vegas?” Steve groans, plopping back onto his bed dramatically.
Robin shoots him a look that could cut glass as she finishes unpacking her own suitcase on the other hotel bed. She’s clearly pissed at him now for rehashing the same old argument. He’s not surprised at her reaction, honestly, but Steve will die on this hill.
Of all the places in the world they could’ve gone to get married, his best friend chose here to bring the whole group back together after so long apart.
Las Vegas, Nevada: where Steve and Robin fell in love. Not with each other, but rather simultaneously.
About ten years ago, Robin finally made a move on Chrissy on their celebratory ‘victory trip’ after Vecna was dealt with. The two of them shared a bed one night after drinking way too much and suddenly realized just how much they meant to each other. By the next morning, they were officially dating and planning to move in together.
They’ve been happy and in love ever since then and the rest was history.
Robin and her omega girlfriend moved to New York together a few years later as Chrissy was pursuing her modeling career. It took a bit for them to break into the fashion scene, but they’ve been in the spotlight for a while as one of the most elite couples to grace The Big Apple with their presence.
And though Steve made fun of the pair for taking a whole decade to finally set a date and plan a ceremony, he’s utterly ecstatic for them and their good fortune in life and love. He’s never wanted anything less than perfect happiness for them.
It’s just that… Steve’s own journey did not share the same happy ending. You see, he fell in love with Eddie Munson in Las Vegas.
Yes, that Eddie Munson.
Lead singer of rock band Corroded Coffin and veritable playboy alpha heartthrob.
The only man Steve’s ever loved (and the only one to ever break his heart into a million pieces) and he hasn’t even seen him in person in the almost decade since their messy breakup… until this weekend, that is.
Hence his frustration.
Ten years of skillfully avoiding his ex all goes down the drain tonight when Steve will be forced to see Eddie. Because of course the guy managed to stay close friends with Chrissy (and Robin by default, although she’s still not fully forgiven him), which means he apparently took a few days off touring to come and celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds.
“Vegas is where Chris and I fell in love. It holds a lot of good memories for us because it’s why we finally got our shit together,” Robin says over her shoulder as she hangs up her tux in the closet nearby.
She’ll only be keeping her things in his room for tonight since she joins Chrissy in the honeymoon suite after the ceremony later and it would be a waste to get a separate room for such a short time.
Seeing her wedding outfit just reminds Steve that things are going to be permanent soon. Robin and Chrissy are going to be officially bonded and married in a matter of hours. The whole thing is exciting in a way, but it still hurts his heart to know he’ll be alone and giving up his platonic soulmate to her romantic soulmate.
It’s a selfish and ugly thought. He wants so badly to push it far away, to be a good person who doesn’t think only of himself and the way he’s hurting.
Robin is worth so much more than that. She’s Robin for Christ sake! She’s funny and smart and she’s never hurt him the way any other alpha has. He’s pretty sure she’d die before she ever intentionally hurt Steve.
“I understand. And I’m happy for you,” he replies simply, trying not to sound as stupidly emotional as he feels about all of this. It’s not fair to Robin.
“I really wish that it was still a place that made you smile, Stevie. I know it used to be.”
He looks over at his best friend to see her expression of thinly veiled sorrow. She’s frowning and giving him her sad cow eyes. Which is absolute bullshit because it’s her wedding day and Steve shouldn’t be making her upset with his whining. His own lack of love isn’t her fault by any means.
With as much sincerity as he can muster, the omega tries to smile back at her. He wishes with all his heart that things had turned out differently for Eddie and him, but they can’t change the past.
Whoever said that love conquers all obviously never met Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson.
They’d never had to bear witness to the sort of argument that tore the two of them apart for good and made it so that they avoided one another for ten years afterwards. Despite their previous near perfect relationship and the kind of romantic connection Steve had only dreamed of, Eddie’s words had destroyed him in the end.
As it turns out, those who love hard also fight hard.
After that level of heartbreak, anyone would stop believing in love.
Steve certainly did.
He hasn’t kissed, slept with, or dated a single other person since Eddie dumped him. Even the idea of it made his inner omega scream in agony, so he just… hadn’t even tried.
Which means that Vegas holds only heartache for him.
But no amount of self pity will change that.
“This weekend isn’t about me and I’m sorry if I’ve been making it seem that way. What happened between Eddie and I was… well, it was a long time ago. I’ve been in my head about the idea of having to see him or talk to him, but I doubt he even remembers who I am with all the interesting people he meets nowadays,” Steve says with a forced laugh that verges on the edge of a choked sob.
He’d love to pretend that he could forget what Eddie looks like, but since his face is constantly plastered on every magazine and far too many CDs these days, that would be quite a feat. In fact, Corroded Coffin is so popular that he’d never be able to ignore their presence or their music entirely, no matter how hard he might try.
Still, Eddie has a reputation for sleeping around freely and Steve sincerely finds it hard to believe his ex from nearly a decade ago would have any interest in him whatsoever after all the hot strangers he’s allegedly stuck his knot in since then.
Steve's just a boring omega who still lives in his boring hometown and took a guaranteed job at his dad’s boring company. There’s nothing all that interesting about him and he certainly can’t compare to the exciting life that Eddie’s lives nowadays.
No, it’s far more likely that the alpha will simply avoid Steve at the wedding anyways. He’s far beneath Eddie. Always has been really.
“As if anyone with even half a brain could forget about you, dingus.”
Robin sits back down next to him on the bed, taking Steve’s hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. They may not see each other as often since they haven’t lived in the same state in years, but their friendship has remained strong. Weekly phone calls and holiday visits have ensured that nothing has changed between them at least.
She’s still his best friend and he’s still hers.
The wedding will be over before Steve knows it and then he can go back to his boring life again. He probably has nothing to even worry about.
“Likewise, Bucks.”
The ceremony itself is pretty non-traditional, much like every other aspect of Chrissy and Robin’s relationship. It had been described to Steve as “the authentic Las Vegas wedding experience” when he tried to ask what the plan would be.
Something about that sounded like it was going to be as ridiculous as he was imagining.
What it amounts to is no wedding rehearsal the day before and packing all their friends and family into a pay-by-the-hour chapel outside the casino (with most people ending up having to stand in order to make it into the crowded room).
Luckily, that means Steve doesn’t even have to see Eddie.
Granted, he’s far too focused on watching his friends get married by an Elvis impersonator and standing by their side as the unofficial maid of honor to notice. But if his eyes were to search the room now and then, he’d be grateful that they never land on a certain rockstar.
Part of his wishful thinking insists that maybe Eddie hadn’t been able to make it after all. That would be a true surprise and blessing if it were the case, but Steve tries not to get his hopes up.
Instead, he watches the happy couple make their vows and promise their love to one another with teary eyes.
And by the time their hour is up, they’ve all vacated the packed chapel and made their way to the location of the wedding reception. For this part, they’d actually had to book a large ballroom at the hotel along with arranging catering and an open bar.
There’s no way to be authentic about the novelty experience of eloping and also feed your guests, so they’d been forced to cave on that point. The bad news is that it seems most of the guests are staying in the hotel anyway, so it’s a rush to get seated.
Amidst the chaos, there are no assigned seats for dinner. Still, he doesn’t see Eddie and that solidifies his hope that maybe the alpha really just couldn’t make it this weekend.
Luckily, Steve ends up at a table with Dustin and his wife, Suzie, along with Max and Lucas, and the youngest member of The Party, Erica.
He’d never had that close of a relationship with Erica until the rest of the pups slowly left Hawkins over time, leaving only the two of them behind. She went off to law school last year and he’s missed her dearly.
Their circumstances had forced Erica to give in to his mothering and allow Steve to care for her like he’d done for the older kids in The Party. After all, even though the evil in Hawkins hasn’t shown itself in a very long time, Steve hasn’t rested easy since the first time he saw a demogorgon.
“It’s so good to see you, Erica,” Steve tells her as the young beta rushes over to him for a hug. He pulls her close for a moment, allowing her to do this even though she was just home the month before to visit her parents and see him then. “How are your classes going, future Supreme Court Justice Sinclair?”
She smiles brightly at that, always pleased when he takes the time to support her dreams and remind her that he still cares about her.
Even with her recent departure from Hawkins leaving him mostly alone in their hometown, he’s beyond proud of her and her accomplishments.
“They’re going very well. Thanks for asking, mom,” Erica tells him, no humor in the way she refers to him. Of course her own parents have been supportive as well, but Steve knows that she appreciates the unique friendship they have.
“Move over, America. You can’t hog Steve all to yourself, you know?” Dustin butts into their hug, wrapping his arms around the omega instead and making sure he gets his attention too.
It would be less funny if they weren’t in their twenties now and still fighting over his love like a couple of bickering pups. Some things never change.
Steve ruffles Dustin’s curls, giving him a tight squeeze before finally releasing him to return to his mate. Suzie gives him a polite wave that he returns as he takes his seat. From Max and Lucas, he gets matching nods and smiles. They’re not as physically affectionate as the rest, but they still call at least once a month from Chicago to bug him about life or pass along the latest gossip.
“So…” Steve starts, hoping someone will begin a conversation to get the whole table going as they wait for their meals to be served. He sips at his glass of wine for something to do. “What did you guys think of the wedding?”
Dustin jumps in first with, “That was possibly the weirdest fucking ceremony I have ever seen— or didn’t see, I guess. I could barely get more than a foot in the door. Eddie and I were fighting to even get a glimpse of the newlyweds from all the way back there. It was utter madness.”
The mention of Steve’s ex makes his bones go cold, freezing up any thoughts he may have had before that moment. It seems that luck was not on his side. Eddie is in Vegas, possibly in this very room.
Nobody else speaks right away and the table goes quiet, forcing Steve to look up and see four matching looks of concern being directed towards him. Evidently Dustin is the only one who forgot what a sore subject Eddie is for him still.
He clears his throat, attempting to move past the silence and give everyone permission to disregard the momentary awkwardness.
“Yeah, it was certainly unique. Chrissy said her dress is actually from an unreleased line of a designer she has an exclusive contract with, so that was pretty neat,” Steve chokes out.
His throat feels dry, so he takes several large gulps of his drink and allows the sweet taste of the alcohol to coat his tongue as another distraction. It’s been a long time since he used liquid courage to get through something, but he thinks that this is a worthy exception.
“It was… really pretty,” Max agrees, sounding like the feminine words burn on the way out of her mouth.
Steve appreciates the effort on her part.
“I thought the Elvis impersonator did a good job,” Lucas chimes in, pasting on a bright smile in a clear attempt to also cover up his friend’s misstep. “His accent was spot-on.”
Steve nods, downing the rest of his glass in the hopes it will make him less miserable thinking about his ex being somewhere nearby. He’s well aware that everyone else is still on good terms with Eddie, so he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of this if it’s not necessary.
Once again, he reminds himself that the odds of him having to engage with Eddie are remarkably low. Someone that famous doesn’t have any business tormenting his pathetic ex for fun.
It’s going to be okay.
Still, unwelcome words echo in his head above the buzzing chatter of the rest of the table.
All Steve can hear is their last argument. Ten years have gone by and yet it’s so fresh in his mind. It still hurts, still makes his skin itch to remember how Eddie surprised him out of nowhere with the news that he was leaving.
He continues drinking, hoping to forget.
“Corroded Coffin got a recording contract. Some big time guys in Indy heard our stuff and they’re actually interested in us, baby! They want us to move to Chicago and lay down an album. It’s the offer of a lifetime and we’d be stupid to turn it down,” Eddie had told him.
He can clearly remember the enthusiasm in his boyfriend’s voice and the way he’d looked at Steve like he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t happy too.
And he still recalls the way he replied, how he asked his alpha, “So you’re leaving Hawkins then? You’re— you’re leaving me?”
Eddie had looked shocked by that, as if he hadn’t even thought about Steve before agreeing to take the contract. To leave. As if he could manage to be in two places at once with no issues arising.
“Well, I mean, I figured you’d come with me? There’s plenty of room in the van for you and the signing bonus should cover both our expenses. We’d be free from this shit hole once and for all, sweetheart.”
Steve had shook his head and tried so hard to contain his tears at hearing his alpha speak that way about the humble life they made together. He thought they were both happy in their town that was finally safe.
“This is my home. My— I mean, the pups live here and they need protection. Nancy and Jonathan already left. What if— what if Vecna comes back or the portals to the upside down reopen? What if they need me and I’m not here to save them? I can’t leave, Teddy.”
A part of him had hoped that Eddie would understand. That he’d call the whole thing off. That he’d crawl into bed with Steve and apologize for upsetting him by even suggesting that they leave their home behind. At the very least, he had hoped Eddie would offer to try dating long distance.
But Eddie didn’t do any of that.
Eddie had pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Steve the same way his parents used to when he disappointed them as a child by not cleaning up his toys or forgetting to do the dishes.
He felt like a disappointment. He felt small and stupid. Powerless.
“And I can’t stay here.”
The statement had been short, but powerful. The implications behind it were much longer and far more painful. Still, it told Steve everything he needed to know.
Eddie couldn’t stay in Hawkins because Steve wasn’t worth staying for.
He remembers the distinct feeling of his heart slowly splintering into pieces as he realized that this argument could only end one way: with the two of them on opposite sides.
Steve had tucked his knees under his chin, curling in on himself to try and feel safe again. Nothing about it had felt safe. The love between them felt far away in that moment, hidden in an unknown place where he couldn’t find it.
“I don’t want you to go, Eddie. I need you with me,” Steve had told his alpha honestly. He wasn’t sure what else was left beyond that, but he still had to try. This was the happiest he’d ever been in his entire life and it felt like his partner wanted to throw it all away. “I love you.”
Eddie turned away from him to speak. He didn’t even have the decency to look at Steve’s face while he broke his heart.
“I feel like I’m suffocating here and I just need to breathe. I have to spread my wings and get away from Hawkins, Indiana before I die here like everything else does, Steve. I won’t live like a coward, afraid of all the what-ifs, when there’s nothing here for me anymore. I don't have a choice.”
His words had been a proverbial knife to the chest, but Steve hadn’t missed what wasn’t said either. The way that Eddie hadn’t returned the sentiment was as clear a message as any.
He had been rejected as a mate.
All of Eddie’s promises to love him and take care of him had meant nothing when it came down to it because Steve was a coward.
“So… so you’re leaving me then?” Steve had asked once more, quieter this time and with less panic and more resignation. “You’re running away?”
Eddie had sighed and shook his head in a way that didn’t exactly answer his question outright. It wasn’t a ‘no,’ though.
Ever since Steve faced his first demogorgon, he’d tried to put on a brave face and handle things with courage. But this was the only time that he had truly been afraid of something he couldn’t fight with a nail bat.
“If running away means that I’m not tied down here anymore… if it’s the only way that I can leave behind this horrible place and live my dreams where I’m not hated by everyone… then, yeah. I guess I’m leaving you behind too.”
Steve had finally cried then. He’d broken into choking sobs and prepared to beg for his alpha to not abandon him, to at least discuss this further before ending the best thing he's ever had, but Eddie had already closed the door firmly behind him.
He’d returned later that night to pack his bags, then left for Chicago in the morning without saying goodbye.
That had been the end of them.
“Hey, come join us, man!” Dustin shouts to someone over Steve’s shoulder, catching the omega’s attention with the sudden escalation in volume at the table.
Everyone has been surprisingly kind about the way he’s been mostly quiet through dinner, preferring to fill his stomach with liquor instead of the meal that was served. He’s fairly sure he’s on his fifth or sixth drink, but it’s made things more tolerable and his head a little lighter.
Throughout the night, his other pups had come to see him too. Will, Mike, and El said their hellos and chatted for a while before hitting the dance floor on the furthest end of the large room.
The happy atmosphere of the wedding and free alcohol have almost made Steve feel like a normal person for once. He can hardly remember what he was so nervous about to begin with.
“Ah, sorry. I don’t think there’s any room for me here, Henderson.”
Well, fuck.
There’s no mistaking the distinctive tone of Eddie’s voice. It’s gotten a little deeper and maybe a touch rougher since he became a professional singer, but it’s still a sound that Steve would recognize in his sleep.
At one time, it had filled his dreams, but now it’s mostly just in his nightmares.
Eddie’s standing somewhere close behind him and that makes him more lightheaded than any amount of bourbon or whiskey ever could. The alpha’s scent is warm and musky as it slowly trickles into his nose, something that used to make Steve practically drool when it was synonymous with safety and love.
Now it makes him nauseous.
“Don’t worry about it, Eddie. You can just have my seat or we’ll pull up a chair from another table,” Dustin offers cheerfully, oblivious to his friend’s rising panic. “There’s always room for you.”
He needs to leave.
He needs to leave before Eddie can break him again.
It feels like he hardly finished collecting the pieces from the last time they spoke and he might not survive another round of this. This is too dangerous of a gamble and there’s no time to formulate a better escape plan.
Steve stands from the table, slipping out of his chair as quickly and smoothly as he can. He realizes immediately that it’s more difficult than he was anticipating due to the sheer amount of alcohol in him, but he doesn’t knock anything over at least.
In fact, he even manages to throw out a, “Plenty of room now,” on his way towards the exit, leaving the table and the entire room behind.
Distantly, he’s upset that he can’t drink at the open bar since he might run into Eddie again and actually have to talk to him.
But he’s not stupid. Steve knows there’s a separate bar in the hotel lobby and he has enough cash to drown out the memory of Eddie’s scent once more. There’s no need to mope in his room yet when he’s still standing and his brain is still (mostly) functioning.
He would just end up crying his eyes out upstairs if he left now.
“What’re you drinking, sugar?”
His eyes snap up from where they’ve been glued to the counter of the bar for who knows how long. The bartender is giving him a sympathetic smile and leaning closer to try and see if he’s okay.
Steve tries to smile back to reassure her.
“Something strong enough to make me forget, ma’am.”
He can see the moment that his scent hits her because she blinks rapidly like she’s surprised. To be fair, not many omegas have as high of an alcohol tolerance as he has developed. It took years of partying to build his up, even if it’s waned a bit over the years.
“Well, okay then,” she replies, turning back around to presumably make something that will surely burn on the way down.
If he’s lucky, it will be enough to not only make him forget that Eddie’s here, but that Steve ever even had an Eddie to begin with.
“Can I get a jack and coke please?”
Luck does not seem to be on his side though.
Steve debates momentarily whether he should even turn to look at Eddie. But since his ex just purposely sat down right next to him, it feels a bit rude and immature to ignore him like that.
Which is exactly why he ignores him.
He doesn't owe Eddie shit.
“Harrington?” Eddie tries, barely loud enough to be heard over the general chatter in the fairly occupied bar lounge. “You look good. Um, how have you been?”
His resolve crumbles in seconds.
As much anger as he can muster goes into the look he gives to Eddie, trying to make it very clear that his presence is not welcome there.
“Really? That’s what you have to say to me? You’ve had ten years to think and that’s all you could come up with?” Steve says as calmly as he can manage, his words still coming out as biting as he intends them to.
Eddie looks surprised at his response. Well, actually, he looks hot as fuck.
For the first time since they broke up, Steve takes a good look at him and it’s hard to remember exactly why he’s not supposed to want Eddie to fuck him until his legs don’t work anymore.
The alpha is as gorgeous as he remembers him being, even more so than the way he’s been photographed in magazines. It takes everything in Steve not to offer up his bed and his body for the night.
Eddie chokes on his drink, giving him an even more shocked expression now.
“Sorry, you what?”
Steve’s heart pounds fast and he prays that none of that came out of his mouth.
He’s fairly sure it did though.
“I’m drunk. Please ignore me,” Steve squeaks out, reaching for his drink and taking another long sip, as if to prove it somehow. It burns on the way down and does nothing for the way he’s panicking now.
Eddie isn’t supposed to even be talking to him, let alone getting him to confess things. This is unfair and he wonders whether he should’ve called it quits a few drinks back in order to preserve some of his dignity.
“Me too,” the alpha replies slowly. “I lost count a while ago. I was hoping I could drink enough that I wouldn’t come and talk to you. But here we are, I guess.”
It’s more honesty than Steve was expecting, but it still hurts a little.
“There’s the door then. Nobody is forcing you to be here.”
Steve gestures in the vague direction of where he believes the exit of the hotel is.
Eddie snorts.
“That would be the bathroom, I think. Unless those toilet symbols mean something different in Vegas.”
Steve rolls his eyes, wanting to find a way to leave this already unpleasant conversation that doesn’t involve giving up his access to booze. He’s not sure there’s any in the mini fridge of his hotel room since he just got a standard room.
“Not that I think either of us needs any more alcohol, but I have the penthouse suite for the night and it’s loaded up. That is… if you’re interested,” Eddie offers slowly, his expression not giving away what he’s feeling.
And truthfully, Steve’s had worse offers in his life.
Maybe it’s the thought of drinking somewhere that’s not public or perhaps it’s the scantest possibility of having some well-earned hate sex with his ex-boyfriend, but that’s neither here nor there at this point.
“Yeah, alright. Lead the way, knothead,” Steve tells him, hopping off his barstool.
Eddie follows suit quickly, wrapping an arm around his waist as they walk. He’s not sure whether he was swaying already from his lack of balance and needed to be steadied, but he doesn’t throw the touch off him either way.
It’s nice to be held by someone in a way that says he’s protected.
“Careful, baby. Don’t need you wiping out and busting your pretty face on the linoleum. The newlyweds will have my entire ass if I don’t get you tucked into a bed safe and sound tonight.”
He likes the sound of that. Secretly even hopes it’s Eddie’s bed he gets tucked into.
Steve misses Eddie’s bed. Or, well, the bed they used to share. And Eddie’s presence in it, keeping him comfortable and safe.
He shoots back, “Keep it in your pants, Edward. This isn’t that kind of social visit. I’m just taking advantage of your rockstar perks to drink in a fancier hotel room than mine.”
Eddie laughs at that and it warms his belly to hear. He missed that too.
“Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. I’ve already sampled that cake.”
A sharp sting of disappointment nips at him, but it goes away quickly. He knows Eddie has had better and prettier than him since they broke up. Their drinking together is purely for nostalgia.
For this one night, he can allow himself to forget what happened between them.
The pounding behind Steve’s eyes briefly makes him think he might be dead. It’s almost rhythmic with the way it pulses on and off, like his hurting is on an automated timer set to inflict pain.
Normally when he wakes up with a migraine, Steve knocks back a few pills from his nightstand and makes some tea. Sometimes he can stomach eating a light breakfast or crawling into the bathtub to soak away his cares.
But as Steve starts to move his body around, attempting to warm up his muscles, he realizes it’s more than just his head that hurts.
As he mentally prepares himself to get out of bed, a sudden ache between his legs jolts him to more awareness and straight through to panic. It’s a familiar sort of pain there, but it’s not one he’s experienced in a very long time.
It’s the distinct burn that Steve only feels after he’s taken a knot (or several, from the way he can feel wetness still dripping from inside him as he starts to squirm anxiously).
That’s enough cause for concern, considering he can’t recall what happened last night, but then things somehow get even more terrifying.
Steve tries to reach down to assess the damage, but he quickly realizes that his arms are pinned down… by a pair of muscular arms wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly in an embrace that he can’t easily pull out of.
Part of him would find the action almost sweet if he knew who was spooning him and apparently fucked him the night before.
Steve’s panic wins out and he breaks free from the hold by simply throwing himself off the edge of the bed as hard as he can. He lands on the floor in a dull thump and quickly gathers the sheets nearby, tightly wrapping himself up in them to try and find some form of meager protection from the situation.
“Oh god, oh god,” he whines, backing up until he’s in the corner of the room.
His breathing gets heavy and he thinks he might pass out from the sheer stress alone, but then the single occupant left in the bed is sitting up. The man is dressed in only his boxers and looks as bad as Steve feels, staring down at him in confusion.
“Stevie? Hey, are you alright, baby?” Eddie asks quietly, getting out of bed and approaching him like a frightened animal.
He feels like a frightened animal.
Hazy events from the day before slowly filter in, much like the sunlight coming through the cracks in the blinds behind him. Steve vaguely recalls seeing Eddie at the wedding and even talking to him begrudgingly, but nothing is completely solid and he hasn’t a clue how they wound up in the same bed.
Apparently they also had a lot of sex last night if the ache between his thighs is any indicator. Worse, they had unprotected sex (something they’d never done even when they were together).
God only knows how many people Eddie has slept with since then and that’s a whole other thing he’ll have to deal with.
“Sweetheart, you need to breathe for me,” the alpha coos softly at him, crouching down closer to where he’s still curled in on himself. His hands are held in front of him in a show of intending no harm to Steve.
And Steve mostly believes that Eddie wouldn’t hurt him (physically at least), but that doesn’t make him feel any calmer. This was never supposed to happen and he’s still not sure how he even ended up here.
“What…?”
His mouth feels dry and he can’t quite find the right words to finish his question. The pounding in his head hasn’t died down and it makes it difficult to even think straight.
Eddie seems to understand what he wants to know because he shakes his head slowly, still coming closer at a snail’s pace.
“I honestly can't remember either. I think we drank too much after the wedding and came up here to talk or something. After that, it’s all a fucking blur to me. Are you okay though? Are you hurting? How can I help you?”
It’s too many questions at once, but Steve tries hard to find the answers to give him.
Is he okay? Debatable. Emotionally, he’s a fucking disaster right now. He just slept with his ex by accident and every instinct in his body is telling him to go to Eddie, even though his brain yells that it’s just another bad idea in a long line of them.
As far as physical pain goes, Steve is well aware of the poor state of his head from his hangover and even the soreness found between his legs is mildly bothersome, but there’s something else that gets his attention suddenly as he takes stock of the rest of his body.
The side of his neck has a strange, dull, throbbing sting radiating from it. Perhaps from sleeping on it wrong, but it feels deeper than that, more than just a lingering crick in it.
He winces, allowing the sheet to fall off his shoulders a bit so he can reach up to try to massage the area and alleviate some of the pain.
Steve freezes the moment his hand touches something slightly wet there. He slowly pulls his fingers back and sees red.
Jesus Christ.
His neck is bleeding and throbbing, specifically the very spot where his bonding gland lay untouched for most of his life. Apparently not anymore though. No, now it’s been marked.
Eddie gasps and his wide eyed expression must match Steve’s as he too notices the newest development.
“I didn’t mean to… Shit, I swear I didn’t mean to, Steve! You have to believe me. I would never do that to you without your permission,” Eddie promises frantically, gaze still locked firmly on the omega’s neck.
Steve feels somewhere between throwing up and crying. This is real and this is so much worse than just some messy hate sex with an ex-boyfriend.
“Did— did you—?”
The alpha nods slowly, a pained look on his face.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
It was an accident. He knows it was an accident, but hearing Eddie apologize for giving him the thing he’d dreamed about since the moment he first loved him… it hurts.
“Teddy,” he sobs, unsure what he’s asking for, but begging nonetheless.
Eddie’s right there next to him on the floor in a split second, pulling Steve close and rocking them both back and forth. He makes soothing noises and lets out a warm scent that has the omega slowly relaxing into the hold and draining the panic right out of him.
“It’s gonna be okay, Stevie. We’ll figure this out together,” Eddie whispers against his temple, lips just brushing the skin there.
And as much as he really wants to rage out, to scream at the very person who’s been the primary source of his problems for the last decade, his inner omega finally quiets down in contentment.
Being held by his alpha makes nothing else matter at this moment. He’s safe here and Eddie won’t leave him again. No more loneliness and longing for someone he can’t have.
They’re bonded as mates now, for better or worse.