Chapter Text
Moonlight poured into the windows as Steve turned the knob to his front door, it squeaked loudly as it swung slowly open. His hand falls to his side to slide his keys back into the front pocket of his denim jeans. It was obvious that his parents weren’t home, no car in the driveway, and all the lights were off in the house. So he pushed the door the rest of the way open and moved into his dark house. It felt eerie and cold whenever he came home and everyone was gone, though he liked that better than when his parents were home. Then it felt hostile and tense like Steve had to tiptoe around the house in fear of being caught by one of them.
The door clicked shut behind him as he moved into the living room to turn on one of the lights. Though before he could reach the lamp the moon faded away leaving him in complete and utter darkness. A spike of fear rose in his chest as he thought about the upside down and if Vecna was back so soon. He could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears before it was drowned out by the booming noise thundering down his steps.
Steve couldn’t help but be filled with fear as he stood still while whatever it was got closer and closer to him. Normally he was the first to jump into action when there was a threat but this time it was like he was glued to the spot.
A cloud must have been passing in front of the moon because the next time he blinked the moonlight was back again making his house come back into view. Though it wasn’t correct, vines traveled up the walls and everything was covered in dust and webs. His eyes grew as he looked around fearing he had fallen back into the upside down, somehow.
He didn’t get to think much longer because the thundering noise hit the last step on the stairs and was quickly approaching him. His head snapped to the side ready to be faced with Vecna again but instead came face to face with his father. His face was distorted into sharp angles and an evil scowl, though it wasn’t far off from his regular angry face.
“How many times have I told you to come right home after school!” his father screamed as he finally stopped right in front of his son.
“I’m sorry there was-” before he could finish his sentence a hand struck his face sending his head sharply to the side. Heat bloomed in his cheek and blood flavored his tongue, he must have bit his cheek on impact.
“I don’t want you to talk back, I want you to do as I say. If I wanted to hear excuses I’d talk to your mother,” he growled out his words filled with venom and malice. Steve couldn’t help but cower a bit in his father’s presents as he reached up to hold his reddened cheek.
“Stop cowering like a fucking omega, you are an alpha damn it! Act like one Steven!” Before he could even react a fist shot out catching him in the face again. Steve took a step back to catch himself but fell over the coffee table and to the ground. He tried to get up but his father was on him before he could get to his feet. It was just a whirlwind of punches and kicks. Each hit no doubt caused huge bruises all over his pale body. He tried to curl in on himself in order to protect his organs but it was hard when a full-grown man was beating the shit out of him. Noise by the stairs caught his attention and he quickly looked to see if he could call for help but he was only met with the cold eyes of his mother.
“I knew you could never be good enough, how could such a pathetic alpha be born from us.” she scoffed as she lit a cigarette on the stairs. Her eyes narrowed on him and that was the last thing he saw before a kick to the face knocked the sense out of him. He instinctively closed his eyes as he felt his brain rattle in his skull. He felt his head snap to the side and blood filled his mouth, pooling around his teeth and spilling out the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t help but cry out in pain as he tried to will the pain to stop. His eyes still squeezed painfully shut as a thumping filled his head, to be honest, he wasn’t even sure if it was only in his head or around them.
That was when an alarm started going off and everything started to fade away leaving only him laying in a black void. The whispers of words his parents have said to him before circled around him as the alarm kept playing in his head. It continued to get louder and louder with each chime.
“You will never be anything but a disgrace to this family.” His mother said after his first C in school.
“Pathetic Alpha, how could something so weak come from seed like mine.” His dad spoke after he got second place in the national swim meet.
“Waste of space.” Both of his parents have said this to him on more than a few occasions.
“Die already so we can try again.” his mother's voice sounded before he shot out of bed.
He panted as he looked around his room, it was lit by the sun and his alarm was going off next to his bed. Sweat traveled down the length of his back and down his arms that laid limp at his sides. It was like the life had been drained out of him and he was only a shell of himself, though most days felt like that now.
Life was easier now that Vecna was chased away but it wasn’t perfect. His family was still shitty and now that he was out of school he didn’t have to try as hard to ‘make them proud’, though his dad had just brought up him taking a job in his company. It was more money but that also meant he would have to spend more time with his father and he liked the bare minimum they were doing now. He didn’t need to be assaulted for messing something up every time they somehow found themselves alone. Plus where his father went, so did his mother and he didn’t need the constant verbal abuse either.
He liked when his family went away on business trips or vacations, it meant they were far away from him. They never asked him to come along and he never said anything. Hell, the only reason Steve’s mom went with his dad on his business trips was that she feared him cheating on her…again.
His arm finally found the will to move as it carded through his tangled locks. He needed a shower really bad and to reapply his scent blockers before leaving for work.
Rolling over in bed he slapped the top of his alarm to turn it off before getting out of bed and heading toward his bathroom.
He did his usual routine; shower, get dressed, hair, scent blockers, and then pills. It was the same every morning and each morning he did it all on autopilot.
It was 8 am when he opened the Family Video and started organizing the tapes from the night before’s returns. No one ever put them away if it was an hour before closing. Lazy sons of bitches. He swore Robin and himself were the only ones who kept this place afloat.
It was probably an hour into his shift before someone came into the store. He heard the bell chime and got up from his seat at the desk, he had been rewinding tapes in the back. When he approached the counter he was met with bright blue eyes staring back at him. It was a girl who had graduated the same year he did, an omega, and someone he actually hadn’t hooked up with.
“Claire, what can I help you with?” He asked as he leaned his elbows on the counter and smiled up at her.
“I can’t believe you remembered my name. Does that mean I have a chance at a yes?” She smiled down at him and played with a long blonde lock.
“Well, sweetheart it depends on the question.” He turned on the charm. It was mostly out of habit but he didn’t stop himself either.
Ever since he presented as an omega at 14 he’s been hiding it. The morning after his first heat he went to the pharmacy as soon as they opened to get suppressants and scent blockers. So when his parents finally came home two weeks later it was to an alpha son like they always wanted. After all, both of his parents were alphas so they expect nothing less.
In an attempt to hide his secret and hide it well he hooked up with a ton of beta and omega females. Luckily for him, he was tall for an omega and had a pretty big dick too so no one he slept with really ever noticed. Well except for the knot but no one ever said anything to his face. He only heard rumors that everyone believed he would only knot the girl he would mate one day and that worked just fine for him.
Though he noticed after that rumor he was even more desired by the females of his school. Not only that but there was a rumor he hid his scent because it was too tempting so all the girls that hooked up with him would try to ‘be the one’ or even try to smell his true scent. It never worked but it helped keep him in hiding.
Now that’s not to say he didn’t enjoy himself because he did and he made sure his lady friends enjoyed it too. He became famous for how well he performed in bed. He was always the dominant one, always praising them, touching them, and being attentive to their needs. He liked taking care of them but a part deep down inside of him wondered when it would be his turn. He had to stomp that part of himself down, he needed to act like an alpha and alphas don’t need to be taken care of. They are the providers, the protectors. So he filled that role for anyone who laid in his bed and they loved him for it.
Though after his first run-in with the upside down that all changed. He didn’t care about the act as much, didn’t bed down any hottie who came his way. He had a new purpose now and he liked it better. After his encounter with the upside down, he grew very attached to the small group of kids that survived the horrors lurking on the other side. They became his to protect and care for, he became their babysitter basically, but to him it was so much more.
Whenever he looked after the kids it pleased his omega and that’s the only time Steve let it out. They were his kids and he’d do anything for them, especially Dustin. He didn’t like playing favorites but Dustin holds a special place in his heart.
“Steve?” Claire called to him softly and it shook him out of his head.
“Oh sorry, what did you just say? I got lost in your eyes and completely blanked out.” He smirked up at her and a blush rose in her cheeks.
“I asked if you wanted to come to my party tonight.” She chuckled before pulling a sticky note from the stack near the register. She carefully wrote something on it before handing it to him with a wide smile.
“Here is the address and the time, I hope I see you there.” She stated before walking off and swaying her hips a little too wide for his taste. Steve could tell she wanted him but since the kids, he hasn’t been interested. So he stuffed the note into his pocket and walked back to the desk to continue rewinding tapes.
Hours had passed and he helped a few dozen customers pick out movies and gave recommendations. They all left with a movie or two in hand and he would go back to his counter but it was growing closer and closer to the end of his shift and he was ready for it. He read a magazine but only barely paid attention to the contents when the bell above the door sounded again.
Steve looked up and was greeted by dark brown curly hair and eyes to match, Eddie Munson. He pulled the magazine back up and covered his face as if he didn’t see him.
“King Steve, I request an audience!” He called loudly from the few feet he stood from the counter. Why was he always so damn loud, like all of the time.
“I told you to stop calling me that and can’t you see I’m busy?” He said plainly but soon his magazine was being lowered by two curled fingers on the spine. He hadn’t even heard him move from the place he stood by the door. Those damn doe eyes peering from over the pages. This close Steve could smell smoke and leather but underneath all of that was Eddie’s true scent, Coffee and Chocolate. It lit a warmth in Steve’s chest but he quickly stopped that too. He couldn’t afford to get any closer than he was with Eddie.
After their most recent encounter with the upside down, Steve and Eddie grew close. He helped Dustin pull Eddie back to the other side and got him to the hospital. They reluctantly helped him and after they pretty much blackmailed the labs into clearing Eddie’s name. It worked legally but a lot of people in town still hated Munson.
Then they would see each other all the time since the kids hung out with both of them. They got even closer from there. Eddie had even made a joke about co-parenting. It struck a bit of fear into Steve but Eddie said it like a joke and was obviously picking on him.
“Come on Stevie, it's about the brats.” His smooth voice spoke as the magazine lowered more Steve could see his obnoxious smirk now. Of course, his one weakness, and Eddie was using it against him.
“Alright spill Munson, what about the kids?” He dropped the magazine on the counter and stood to his full height which was an inch taller than Eddie. Steve found it funny that he was taller than the alpha but it must have been a perk from having two alpha parents even if he was an omega.
“Well, they are going to need a ride home after tonight’s D&D session.” He stopped there and looked at Steve expectantly.
“Oh and I’m supposed to take them home? Who is dropping them off?” He argued back but Eddie was quick to answer.
“Well, I’m picking them up so I figured you could take them home. Only fair we are co-parenting after all.” He smirked but he played with a strand of his hair. It was a nervous tell he had and Steve knew it all too well. He’s grown to understand the older man before him as they spend more time together.
“Well, I have plans so I can’t. You’re picking them up so you can take them home.” Steve reaches for the magazine in order to finish the conversation but a large palm slaps the cover. Silver rings shine in the lights above their heads and Steve can’t help but look at them a second longer before shifting it back to the alpha.
“What’s more important than our kids, Harrington?” He asks eyebrows raised. The way he said it made a blush creep up his neck and to his ears. What the hell!
“I’ll pick them up, now go!” He shouted as he pulled the magazine out from under Eddie’s hand. The alpha smiled like an idiot at Steve and plucked a lollipop from the candy bowl before turning to leave.
“I knew you’d see it my way, your highness.” He called as he hurried out the door. Steve raised the mag as if to throw it but stopped when the door closed behind the alpha. He was insufferable but somehow they were friends.
He reached into his pocket and threw the sticky note in the trash. He was ready to use it as an excuse but Eddie called him out on his shit.
He looked at the clock and noticed he had a half hour before Keith came in for his shift. The smell of coffee and chocolate still hung in the air around the counter. It was going to be a long thirty minutes.