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The bed jostles and not in the way he’s used to. Steve is just barely awake and figures Eddie maybe just came back from the bathroom and threw himself onto the mattress. But then he hears a sniffle that’s absolutely not his husband. His eyes fly open and instead of seeing a head of unruly dark curls, it’s red hair and bloodshot blue eyes.
“Max? Honey, what’s wrong?”
She just starts sobbing and buries her face in the pillow.
Steve’s panic goes through the fucking roof as he props himself up on an elbow and pets her hair. “Sweetie, what’s going on?”
On her other side, Eddie startles awake and takes in the sight in front of him. Steve is sure the last thing he expected to wake up to is his husband shirtless and consoling one of their kids. “Stevie? Wassappening?”
“I have no idea.” He’s never seen Max like this. She can be even more stoic than Wayne, so for her to be bawling her eyes out in their bed at 8 in the morning on a Saturday is alarming to say the least.
Steve scooches closer and lays his head down on the pillow next to her. He runs his fingers through her hair like Robin does to him when he’s stressed. His heart swells when Eddie moves closer too and rubs her back. She still hasn’t said a word and they just cocoon her between them and let her cry it out.
When the sobbing slows to hiccupping cries, she finally turns her wet face toward Steve and he brushes away the hairs that are stuck to her cheeks. He’s never seen her look so scared.
“Maxie…can you tell me what happened?”
Fresh tears well up in her eyes and her bottom lip trembles. “I’m pregnant.”
A sob escapes her lips and Steve scoops her into his arms and holds her tight. He’d love to be excited about this, but that’s clearly not the vibe right now. He kisses the top of her head and looks up at his husband with wide eyes.
Eddie stares right back dumbfounded and mouths what the fuck!
Steve just holds her and lets her cry as he tries to make soothing shushing sounds. Eddie blankets her from behind and wraps his arm around both of them, murmuring reassurances into her hair. When this wave of tears slows and she starts taking more steady breaths, Max tilts her head away from Steve’s chest and cringes. “Oh shit, you guys aren’t naked are you?”
Eddie snorts and buries his laughter in the pillow, and Steve rolls his eyes. “No, but thanks for asking. You ready to talk now, sweetie?”
Max nods and readjusts between them so she’s on her back staring at the ceiling. The boys each take one of her hands and gives them a squeeze. “I missed my period. It should have come like, two weeks ago. I bought some tests, but I was too scared to take ‘em. Last night I could barely sleep. Just kept thinking about what if , you know? So I got up while Lucas was still sleeping and finally took one.” She takes a shuddering breath and they squeeze her hands again. “It was positive.”
Steve rubs his thumb over the back of her hand and asks quietly, “Did you tell Lucas?”
Max shakes her head and a tear falls down her temple. “I can’t. I just grabbed my keys and ran out. Came straight here.”
This is clearly not a happy situation for her, and she’s scared shitless, but warmth stirs in Steve’s chest that her first instinct was to come to them. Her dad hasn’t been in the picture since she was a kid, and she hardly ever hears from her mom. Her step brother’s a piece of shit and she went no contact with him when she was a teenager. Steve is the closest thing she has to a brother/father figure and he’s so grateful for it.
“I’m glad you did, Maxie. It’s gonna be ok. But honey, you’re gonna have to tell him eventually.”
She sighs dramatically and closes her eyes. “I know. God, we are so not ready for this. We’re only 25. I thought I might want a family at some point, but not now .” Her eyes pop open and she looks even more distraught than when she came in. “Oh shit …ever since your guys’s wedding he’s been talking about getting married and now he’s going to be fucking relentless with it.”
Eddie furrows his brows. “You don’t want that?”
“No. Not really. I didn’t exactly grow up with good examples of healthy marriages. Other than you guys, and the Sinclair's, fuckin' everyone is divorced or in shitty marriages. My parents? Divorced. My mom and stepdad? Divorced. Claudia? Divorced. Your parents? ” She turns to Steve with a withering look. “ Should have been divorced, they’re awful to each other.”
“What about Joyce and Hop?” Eddie pipes up. “They’ve been going strong for a long ass time.”
“Ha!” Max laughs. “Yeah, true…after both of them got divorced years before. Are you sensing a theme here?”
Eddie looks thoroughly chastised and lays his head back down.
“Ok,” Steve interjects. “So marriage is off the table. You just need to be honest with him. Lucas loves you, and I think he probably just wants some reassurance that you’re both in this for the long haul. You don’t need to get married to do that.”
“Yeah, you’re right, a baby will probably do that even better,” Max huffs.
Steve props himself up on his elbow and rests his head in his palm. “Can I ask you a potentially shitty question?”
“Always.”
“Sweetie, do you want this? Because it’s ok if you don’t. I’m gonna say the awkward thing that people never want to say…you have options. If you’re not ready, if you really don’t want to have a baby yet, you don’t have to. It’s your choice, nobody else’s. And no matter what you decide, I’ll be there for you the whole way.”
Max’s eyes well up with tears again and she turns to curl into Steve. He wraps her up and kisses her head, letting her feel whatever she needs to feel. It’s muffled, but he hears her clearly when she whispers, “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.”
He holds her tight, with his husband rubbing circles on her back, and will do it for as long as she needs. “You two wanna stay cuddled up for a while?” Eddie asks. Max just nods. “Ok. I’ll go make some coffee for you guys. Have you eaten anything, Red?”
She shakes her head. “My stomach feels like shit.”
“I’ll just get you some toast, ok?”
Max nods again and lifts her head. “And a shirt for Steve? This is a little weird.”
Eddie blows a raspberry and gives her a look. “Like you don’t love it.”
She reaches back and smacks the shit out of him.
“OW! Damn, Red!”
Eddie gets him a shirt, and Steve gets Max propped up on the pillows and tucked under his arm. He hands her the remote and when Eddie returns with coffees, and a plate with toast balanced on top of one of the mugs, her tears have stopped and her bloodshot eyes are glued to an episode of New Girl. Steve takes the plate and sets it on his lap, hands Max a mug, and grabs the other one, mouthing a very emphatic thank you to his husband. Eddie just winks and leaves them to it until their mugs are empty.
About an hour later, all three of them are snuggled up when Steve and Eddie’s phones buzz. Steve reaches over to grab his off the nightstand and he cringes. “Max. Honey. Did you leave your phone at home?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Because Lucas is freaking out. Just got a text from him, he woke up and you were gone and he’s losing his mind because he can’t find you.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. You wanna call him?”
She sighs heavily and shrugs. “I don’t know what to say to him.”
“You want me to just tell him you’re here? I’m not gonna lie for you, kid. But he deserves to know you’re safe.”
“Yeah…I guess.”
Mama Steve: Hey bud, Max is our place
🏀Lucas🏀: Thank god! Is she ok?
Mama Steve: Yeah, she just needed to talk
He doesn’t get a reply after that, so it’s absolutely no shock when less than 15 minutes later, Lucas is bursting through the front door and shouting Max’s name as he runs through the house.
“Steve…” She looks up at him with panic in her eyes and he squeezes her shoulder.
“You don’t have to tell him now, but I don’t think lying to him is going to go over too well.”
Max bites her lip and nods. “Will you stay?”
“Always.”
Lucas finally finds them in the bedroom and heaves a sigh of relief at the sight of her. “Max. What’s going on? I woke up and you were gone, and I totally lost it when I couldn’t find you.”
Eddie pats the bed and Lucas climbs in, sitting cross legged at the foot. Everyone just looks at Max expectantly.
“I’m sorry I ran out. That wasn’t cool. But I was scared shitless and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Scared? Max, you can talk to me. About anything.”
Her eyes well up with tears again and her lip wobbles. “Lucas. I’m…I’m pregnant.” She immediately starts sobbing again and Steve holds her to his chest.
Lucas’s face lights up for a brief moment before it falls. He crawls closer and rests his hand on her knee. “Max…is that…do you not want?...”
“No,” she gasps as she pulls back from the cradle of Steve’s arms. “No, I…I do. I really do. I’m just… so fucking scared.”
Lucas holds an arm out and she climbs right into his lap. He rocks her back and forth and Steve is kind of amazed at the sight. She’s rarely openly affectionate, so seeing her curled up like this, clinging to her boyfriend, and letting him comfort her…it’s big. Eddie slides over and occupies the spot she was sitting in and wraps his arm around Steve. Just that one simple gesture relaxes him and makes him feel like maybe…everything’s going to be alright.
“It’s ok to be scared,” Lucas tells her quietly. “But they say it takes a village, right? I think we’ve got that covered.”
9 Weeks
Eddie’s knee is bouncing and he keeps looking at the clock. He hasn’t heard from Steve at all, but he should be home soon. Max has her first ultrasound today and she wanted him to come with her and Lucas for moral support. It’s probably good for him, too. Steve has been a nervous wreck the last few weeks. The shock of Max’s pregnancy has worn off, but Eddie and Steve are still the only ones who know about it. Max didn’t want to tell anyone until she knew everything was ok. They’re waiting until her 12 week scan to tell the family, so until then, Steve is basically just pacing and constantly checking in to make sure she’s ok.
He loves how much his husband cares about the kids.
But his worry is starting to rub off on Eddie, and not hearing anything back yet about how the ultrasound went is giving him a sinking feeling in his gut. He’s trying to distract himself with work. So he pulls out his laptop and parks himself at the kitchen table to start searching for properties in the area that would be suitable for Hellfire Records. The ball is officially rolling, and he should be stoked to do this, but his brain isn’t even registering the listings he’s looking at.
Finally the front door opens and the excited shout of “Baby!” instantly calms his frayed nerves. Steve runs into the kitchen holding a shiny piece of paper and practically tackles Eddie off his chair.
“Oof! Jesus! So I take it the scan went well?”
“So well! Baby, look!” He presents Eddie with a printout of the ultrasound, and in a sea of black and white splotches, is something that looks kind of like a lima bean.
“Holy shit. Is that it?”
Steve wraps his arms around him from behind and hooks his chin over Eddie’s shoulder. “That’s it. The doctor said it looks good. It’s the perfect size, and all the morning sickness she’s been dealing with is totally normal. Max still wants to wait until the twelve week scan just to be sure, but then they’ll tell everyone and we can hang this on the fridge.”
“Aww Stevie. You’re such a proud grandma.”
Steve shoves him.
12 Weeks
“How have you been feeling?”
Max groans in the passenger seat. “Still nauseous like, all the time. And now apples make me barf, so that’s fun.”
“It’ll pass, I’m sure. That’s what I read, anyway.”
“What have you been reading?”
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” Lucas snickers from the backseat and Steve shoots him a look over his shoulder. “You could stand to read it too, asshole!”
He holds his hands up in defense. “I am! Just surprised that you’re reading it too. We should start a book club.”
“Oh yeah,” Max drolls. “Every week you can get together and learn about how my organs are rearranging and perineal massages.”
Steve chokes on his own spit. “The fuck?!”
Totally unphased, Max explains to them how massaging her taint can help with stretching so she doesn’t tear when she gives birth. Suddenly Steve is very grateful that he’s not a woman.
At the doctor’s office, Max insists that he comes into the exam room with them since they’re just doing jelly on the belly, not the wand up my cooch. She gets set up and Lucas stands on one side of the exam table and Steve on the other, both holding her hands. Odds are good that the baby is fine, but there’s always something that can go wrong. The chance of miscarriage drops after the twelve week mark, so they’ve all been anxiously awaiting this appointment.
The nurse squirts some blue gel on Max’s lower stomach and spreads it around with the scanner thing, staring at the screen while she moves it back and forth. When she finds the right spot, a smile lights up her face and she turns to Max. “There they are! I’m going to take a few measurements, but everything is looking right on track. And we should be able to hear…”
She clicks a couple buttons and a rhythmic whooshing sound fills the room. Steve stares at the screen in awe. He can see the little flicker in the middle of the bean that’s accompanying the sounds of the baby’s heartbeat. And suddenly this all becomes so much more real . His Max is having a baby. He’s so happy he doesn’t even care when she makes fun of him on the way out for crying.
The rest of The Party are at The Dungeon, so they head over there immediately afterwards with fresh printouts of the scan. Steve already texted a picture of it to Eddie, and Max finally allowed him to spill the beans to Robin and Chrissy, who promptly blew up his phone. He can’t wait for the rest of the kids to find out.
They head inside and gather everyone in the back room, customers be damned. The boys look disgruntled, but El has a knowing smile on her face. She’s definitely the sharpest of the four and would be the only one to notice Max not feeling well and making excuses to not go out for drinks the last several weeks.
“What is this, a team meeting?”
“Yeah seriously, can we get this over with?”
“Is everything ok?”
“You guys are so dumb.”
Lucas wraps his arm around Max and has the biggest smile on his face. “We have some big news.”
El looks like she’s ready to vibrate out of her skin. Mike, Will, and Dustin look fucking clueless.
Max holds up a picture of the ultrasound and announces, “Lucas knocked me up!”
Steve slaps his hand over his face. Of course she would say it like that.
The boys’ jaws collectively hit the floor, and El screeches, immediately rushing towards Max and lifting her off her feet in an excited embrace. She sets her best friend down, puts her hands on her tummy and burst into happy tears. “Oh my god, I’m gonna be an aunt!”
“And I’m gonna be a mom! What the fuck?!” They both laugh and cling to each other.
The boys finally snap out of their shocked stupor and tackle Lucas to the floor. Steve just leans back against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest taking it all in. He’s so glad he gets to be here for this. All of this. It’s a ridiculous little village they have, and there’s definitely more than one idiot in it, but he can’t imagine a better group of people for this baby to be raised by.
16 Weeks
Eddie is fucking living for Max’s weird food cravings.
Most of her nausea has passed and now they've bonded over her bizarre urges and his willingness to try weird shit. He took her grocery shopping and brought her back to the house, and now has her seated at the kitchen counter with a spread of the most random stuff.
“Oh my god, you’re the fucking best, ” she says around a mouthful of spaghetti with melted ice cream.
“Are you talking to me, or the pasta?”
“Both.”
Eddie laughs and reaches across the counter to swirl his fork in the drippy mess so he can try a bite. It’s strange, but not awful.
Max sighs wistfully and reaches for a pickle spear, dipping into a bowl of mustard. “You know what I would kill for right now?”
“Tequila?”
She barks out a laugh and takes a bite, moaning at the vinegary combo. “Besides that. Those fucking peanut butter and jelly chicken wings from the fair.”
“Babe, those were nasty.”
“I know.”
Eddie chuckles and turns to the stove, shutting off the heat on the hot dogs he has simmering in a small pot of water. He drains them, pats them dry with a paper towel, and tucks them into a couple buns. “What did you want on these again?”
“Barbeque sauce and marshmallows.”
“Go off, queen.” He pours on some sauce and scatters a handful of mini marshmallows on top. They cheers their monstrosities and take a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
“Ya know,” Eddie says. “This is alarmingly good.”
“Shit, I want ten of these.”
They spend the entire day putting together all the combinations Max desires, and Eddie comes up with a few of his own. Bacon slathered in Nutella does not fuck around. Finally unable to eat another bite, they spread out on the couch and fall asleep in front of the tv. Steve comes home after work to them both snoring with their hands cradling their bellies and sends a picture of it to the group chat.
20 Weeks
“I want to ask Max to marry me.”
Steve freezes mid chew and sets down his grilled cheese. Lucas asked to meet him at the diner for lunch and he’ll literally take any excuse to get Wayne’s cooking. He wasn’t expecting to be blindsided like this.
“Uh…are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Well yeah,” he shrugs. “We’ve been together since middle school, we’re having a baby, it just makes sense. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Steve absolutely gets where he’s coming from, but his heart aches knowing he’s gotta gently talk this kid out of it.
“Yeah, totally…I get that. I know you love her, bud. You might want to hold off on that though?”
Lucas looks at him with the confused puppy expression. “Why?”
“Listen…I think what Max needs right now is just for everyone to be there for her. For you to be there for her. You know she loves you, and she’s not going anywhere. If that’s something she wants down the road? Awesome. If not?…Do you think you can be happy being her partner and not her husband?”
Lucas deflates a bit and stares down at his plate for a long moment. “I think so? I just want her to know that I’ve got her back, no matter what.”
“I’m pretty sure she knows that already, kid. But I think I get what you mean. There’s a sense of security or something with getting married. Commitment. But honestly? I bet you anything that becoming parents together outweighs putting a ring in her finger.”
A small smile pulls at the corner of Lucas’s mouth. “Yeah, maybe. I just feel like…that’s what you do, right? Get married? Have a family?”
“When have you ever known Max to do what people tell her to?”
That gets a genuine smile out of him. “Never.”
Steve laughs and reaches over to squeeze his arm. “Just keep supporting her. Be the partner she needs. If she does want marriage, let her get there in her own time.”
26 Weeks
Max is refusing to have a baby shower. She hates the stupid games, frilly decorations, painful small talk with distant relatives, and having to open gifts in front of everyone.
Eddie gets it. So he planned something else.
“Welcome to the Baby-Q!”
Max looks at him like he’s an idiot as he opens the sliding doors to the patio and gestures grandly to the family all sitting around like normal and Steve grilling hot dogs. “The what?”
“The Baby-Q! You know…like a barbecue. But you’re having a baby. Baby-Q.”
She just stares at him blankly, then steps through the door and has El help her sit at the side of the pool so she can dip her feet in.
Dustin comes up and gives him a reassuring pat on the back. “I thought it was funny.”
“Thank you, Henderson.”
Nobody is making a big deal out of Max being there, and that’s exactly what he wanted. There aren’t any decorations, and the only activities are sitting around shooting the shit and playing cornhole. It’s just another day.
Steve finishes grilling the hot dogs and gags when he watches Eddie slather two in barbecue sauce and marshmallows. Eddie puts them on two plates with some potato chips and peanut butter to dip them in, and takes a seat next to Max by the pool, handing her a plate.
“Oh fuck yeah.” They eat in silence. It’s perfect.
When the gettogether is done, Eddie follows Max and Lucas back to their apartment with Dustin and Mike, and they help him unload all the unwrapped presents everyone got them from the back of his SUV. He kept things simple for the party, but he totally went overboard on the gifts, making sure they had the best car seats, crib, and stroller. The boys assemble the furniture in the spare room that Will painted, and Eddie installs the seats in their cars, double checking on YouTube that he did it right. In Max’s car, he left a Hellfire onesie in the seat.
When their work is done, he bids them farewell and Max stops him when he’s halfway out the door.
“Eddie?...Thank you.”
He gives her a knowing wink and heads home.
30 Weeks
“Why does Max get to pick the movie? It’s not her turn!”
Max throws a gummy worm at Mike’s head. “Because I’m building a person! What the fuck have you done lately, Michael?”
Eddie picks the gummy worm up off the floor and eats it. Steve looks at him aghast and his husband just shrugs “Five second rule.”
Steve shakes his head at him. “Feral raccoon.”
“Popcorn’s ready!” Dustin and Will come down the stairs into the theater, each of them holding two big bowls. Eddie was so smart to get the big pack of microwave popcorn from Costco.
Will hands Max one of the bowls and she turns to Eddie who plopped down next to her. “Do we have-”
“I got you, Red.” He reaches into the couch cushion and pulls out a bottle of maple syrup, drizzling it over the popcorn.
Seriously, did he marry a raccoon? And when the fuck did he hide syrup in the couch? Steve claps his hands to get everyone’s attention so they shut up. “Alright guys, movie time! Maxie, what’s your pick?”
Oh, he does not like the smile on her face. Using her hand that’s not covered in syrup and popcorn bits, Max pulls something up on her phone and casts it to the tv. There’s no fucking warning. No time to brace themselves. In a matter of seconds, the big screen in front of them is entirely taken up by a closeup of a baby crowning and sounds of a woman’s guttural screams.
“Jesus Christ!”
“What the fuck?!”
“Oh my GOD!”
“NOOOOO!”
“HOW?!”
“That can’t be normal.”
“I’m so glad I’m a lesbian.”
Max is cackling with a mouthful of popcorn while everyone in the room is shouting, cringing, flinching, and covering their eyes. The only person who looks unphased is Lucas, sitting on her other side. Steve can only assume that Max has made him watch so many birthing videos by now that he’s totally desensitized to it.
Eddie looks like he’s going to pass out when he turns to her and just asks, “Why?!”
“If I have to suffer through the miracle of childbirth, then I’m taking you all down with me.”
“Oh my god, is that poop?!”
34 Weeks
It’s been a long time coming, but the recording studio at Hellfire Records is officially up and running. Eddie spent the entire day with the guys making sure all the equipment was working perfectly. They recorded a bunch of tracks and fucked around with mixing, and he can confidently say they’re ready to start looking for bands to sign. Now with the day’s work done, he’s excited to head home.
It’s Mom Monday, and as he steps through his front door, he’s hoping to be met with the scent of whatever Steve, Max, and El have cooked up tonight. But the three of them are laid back on the couch with discarded McDonald’s wrappers on the coffee table and Max’s feet in Steve’s lap.
“What the hell is this? Where’s my dinner?”
Max flips him off, Ell rolls her eyes and otherwise ignores him, and Steve throws a balled up burger wrapper at him. Fair.
He laughs and cleans up their garbage, dropping a kiss on Steve’s lips as he finishes, and heads to the kitchen. It smells weird in here. Eddie figures maybe they had a cooking mishap and just scrapped dinner and got fast food instead. He tosses their trash and plugs in the air fryer, perfectly content with having spring rolls for dinner.
But when he opens the freezer to grab the box, he’s met with stacks and stacks of…are those pads? He’s not exactly an expert in feminine hygiene products, but there’s no mistaking what he’s looking at. He picks one up and turns it over in his hands and yeah…there are pads in his freezer.
He takes it into the living room, clears his throat, and holds it up. He’s sure he could think of something clever or hilarious to say, but he’s so fucking baffled all that comes out is, “Why?”
Steve, offering no help, just tells him, “They’re postpartum pads.”
At Eddie’s blank stare, El fills in, “They’re for Max after she has the baby. We soaked them all with witch hazel, aloe, and lavender oil. You keep them frozen, and then Max can use them to help with pain and discomfort.”
Ah. Ok, that makes more sense.
“Yeah,” Max chimes in. “Because my vag is gonna be fucked up and I’ll probably be bleeding for like a month after.”
Much less eloquent, but point taken.
“Ok then. Got it. So, since the freezer is full of these, where are the spring rolls?”
Max smiles sweetly at him. “I ate them.”
38 Weeks
The boys and El are at a concert, so Max is spending Saturday night at the house being pampered. She’s inching closer to her due date and feeling increasingly more restless and uncomfortable. Back pain, swollen ankles, lack of sleep…the works. She’s constantly complaining about how her giant belly is getting in the way of everything, but honestly…Steve thinks she’s never looked more lovely. She’s got that glow that everyone talks about, even when she’s bitching about Lucas hovering too much and demanding more Nutella covered bacon.
She’s got Eddie so whipped and Steve is loving it.
“Fuck me, I think I have to pee again. Help?”
Steve ceases rubbing her feet and sets them down so he can get up and pull her off the couch. He’d laugh at how she wobbles with her center of gravity being so off, but he really doesn't feel like getting murdered today.
“Didn’t you just pee like, twenty minutes ago?”
“Yeah, but there’s like, constant pressure, it feels like my bladder is always full.” She waddles out of the living room and Steve gets comfy next to his husband. The peace barely lasts a minute when he hears a panicked, “Steve!” coming from down the hallway.
He leaps to his feet with Eddie hot on his heels and they stop dead at the sight of Max looking scared as shit and leaning against the wall. Her sweats have a huge dark spot all down her legs. She either didn’t make it to the bathroom or…
“My fucking water broke!”
One call to her doctor, and it’s a mad dash getting towels, everyone’s phones, the boys’ wallets, and Max’s keys and purse. They help her out to her car and Eddie lays a towel down on the passenger seat while Steve gets her seated and buckled in. He hops into the driver's seat and peels out of their driveway while Eddie is in the back frantically trying to get a hold of Lucas.
By the time they reach the hospital, Max’s contractions have started and she’s got a white knuckle grip on the Oh Shit Bar. Steve stops right outside the doors and hops out with the engine still running, tosses the keys to Eddie, and helps Max out while his husband quickly and sloppily parks the car in the adjacent lot. He’s barreling through the doors as Steve is getting her checked in and seated in a wheelchair. She’s allowed to have two people in the room, so they both come with her until they can get a hold of Lucas and get his ass there.
“I swear to god if he’s drunk at that concert I’m gonna fucking kill him," Max huffs as she’s wheeled into Labor and Delivery ward.
The boys wait outside the room while the nurses help get Max changed into a gown and they’re both taking turns calling everyone in The Party.
“Fuck, still no answer.” Steve hangs up his call to Dustin and tries El again.
Eddie groans as his call to Will goes unanswered. “That venue is like a goddamn cave, you hardly ever get cell service in there.”
“Can we just call the venue? See if anyone can find them?”
“Sweetheart, you’re a fucking genius.” Eddie scrambles to find the number of the venue and calls the box office. “Hey, hi, I’ve got a bit of an emergency situation here. Our friends are at the concert and one of them has a girlfriend who’s at the hospital in labor, and we can’t get a hold of them….uh huh…yeah…ok I totally get that, I don’t expect to have your staff go searching through the crowd for them, but I have an idea. Can we get the band to make an announcement?...What if you tell them that it’s a favor to Eddie Munson and Corroded Coffin?...Yeah, that’s me, I swear! Ok. Yeah I’ll hold.”
Eddie turns to Steve with a hopeful expression. “They’re getting the manager on the line.” Another minute passes and Steve is biting his thumbnail raw. “Hi! Yes, this is Eddie Munson! Look, our friend is in labor right now, and her boyfriend is somewhere in the crowd and there’s like, zero cell service in there so we can’t get a hold of him. Is there any way you can get a message to the band and have them make a quick announcement? Tell them I’ll owe them huge!...Oh my god, thank you so much!...Yes, his name is Lucas Sinclair…Tell them that Max is in labor and he needs to get the fuck out of there immediately and haul ass to the hospital…Thank you so much !...Yeah and can you get me the contact info for the band that’s playing so I can thank them?”
“Excuse me.” A nurse steps out of the room and taps Steve on the shoulder. “Max is all settled, we’ve got her hooked up to the heart monitor for the baby and she’s asking for her brother.”
Steve’s nose stings with the threat of tears at Max actually saying that out loud to someone. It’s always been the way he’s felt about his relationship with her, but she’s never said the word brother before. “Great, thank you.” He turns to Eddie who’s finishing up on his call with the venue and gestures to the room, getting a nod in return.
When he steps inside, Max is dressed in a gown and looks more panicked than he’s ever seen her. “Hey sweetie, how are you doing?”
“Did you get a hold of Lucas? I can’t do this without him, Steve!” There are tears in her eyes and she winces and reaches out for him as another contraction starts up. He lets her squeeze the shit out of his arms as he helps hold her up until it passes.
“Eddie got a hold of the venue, they’re getting the band to make an announcement, so we should hear from him as soon as they all get outside. Do you want to sit down, honey?”
Max shakes her head and catches her breath. “No. No they said it helps to walk around. I just need some help.”
“You got it. I’m right here, Maxie. I’m not leaving.”
Eddie comes in looking immensely relieved after another contraction hits and lets them know that Lucas called the second they stepped outside and they’re all on their way here. While they wait, Eddie gets the bag she had packed from the trunk of her car, and Steve gets Max to sit long enough to braid her hair so it’s not getting in her face. They help her waddle and breathe through her contractions, pacing the room and doing their best to stay calm for her.
About thirty minutes later, Lucas bursts through the door and the look of pure relief on Max’s face finally eases the tightness in Steve’s chest.
“Max! Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know that we wouldn’t have any signal in there and I had 30 missed calls from Steve and Eddie. Are you ok? Is the baby ok?”
Max just kind of glares at him before her face crumples and she falls into his chest. “Baby’s ok. This really fucking hurts!” She tenses up as another contraction starts and all three boys are right there to support her through it.
As soon as it passes, a nurse comes into the room, looks around, and tells them, “We’re over capacity here fellas! Lets give mom some space, alright?”
Steve and Eddie make their way to the door when Max shouts, “Wait! Can my brother stay? I can have two people, right?”
Eddie looks back at Max, then to Steve and smiles softly. “I’ll manage the gremlins in the waiting room. You take care of our girl.” He kisses Steve’s forehead and heads out of the room.
The next 17 hours are the longest hours of their lives. Max’s contractions progress slowly, which they’re told is normal for a first timer, but once she reaches active labor, everything speeds up pretty quickly. Her contractions are coming in fast and hard, and she’s abandoned walking in favor of the bed. All she’s been able to eat are ice chips and she looks so fucking exhausted.
When she reaches transition (Steve is so glad he read baby books so he would have some idea of what was going on), it’s only about twenty minutes until the nurse checks her dilation and tells her it’s time. Steve holds her hand tight through another intense contraction, and tells her, “I can head to the waiting room if you want me gone for this part.”
Both Max and Lucas snaps their heads up to him shouting, “No!”
“Please…Steve I need you here. Can you stay?”
He kisses the top of her head and rubs her back. “Of course, sweetie.”
The hours have dragged on, but now time seems to be passing in a blink. Two more nurses join them, the bed is adjusted, and suddenly Max is gripping onto Steve and Lucas’s hands and screaming as she’s being told to push. Small cries fill the room, Max heaves a sigh and slumps back, and a tiny, goopy, squirming baby is being held up in their line of sight. “Congratulations, it’s a boy!”
All three of them burst into tears.
The baby, still messy and screaming, is placed on a blanket in a nurse’s waiting hands, and passed off to Max. “Oh my god,” she cries. “I made you!” At the sound of her voice, the baby’s cries slow and he turns his head towards the source. “Holy shit, I think he recognizes my voice! Hi…I’m your mom.”
Holy shit, Max is a mom.
Lucas leans in, putting his arm around Max and kissing her sweaty forehead. “And I’m your dad. It’s nice to finally meet you, little man.”
Steve feels like he’s intruding on their moment here and quietly gets up to give them some space. But Max reaches out and grabs his wrist. “Aren’t you gonna introduce yourself? Don’t be rude to my son.”
He gives her a watery smile and moves to the side of the bed, leaning over her shoulder. “Hi little bean. I’m your Uncle Steve. Welcome to The Party.”
***********************
The hours have been endless and the stale waiting room coffee just isn’t hitting like it did at dawn. Eddie’s been awake all night, hoping for any news of the arrival of Baby Sinclair. Robin, Chrissy, and The Party have been camped out here since last night, living off of vending machine snacks and not wanting to take the risk of getting actual food from the cafeteria in case they miss anything.
Eddie’s about to check his phone for the billionth time when a very haggard looking Lucas enters the waiting room with the biggest smile. “It’s a boy!”
He’s practically tackled by everyone as they launch themselves out of their seats cheering and asking how Max and the baby are.
“She’s exhausted, but she’s ok. Oh my god you guys, she did so good!” Tears well up in his eyes and Eddie lips wobbles seeing the pride on his face. “She can have visitors now, but only two at a time. Just keep your voices down and wash your hands!”
Much to everyone else’s disappointment, Max requested to see El and Eddie first. Best friend and Dad privileges. When he steps into the room his breath is completely taken away. Steve is sitting in a chair next to Max’s bed, holding a little bundle in his arms, and smiling so bright it makes his chest ache.
Eddie wants to make that man a dad.
El shakes him out of his thoughts, pushing him aside and running to her friend. They hug and cry and hold each other, and Eddie can’t take his eyes off of his husband. Steve looks up at him and his smile grows impossibly wider. “Eds,” he whispers. “Wash up and come over here.”
Eddie washes his hands in the sink nearby and makes his way to the other side of the bed. “How are you feeling, Red?”
“Like my vagina is on fire.”
“Stop flirting with me, you’re a mother now.”
Max snorts and leans into El’s side. Eddie steps behind Steve’s chair and bends to rest his chin on his shoulder. The baby is sound asleep in his arms and looks so content wrapped in a soft blanket with a little striped beanie on his head. It’s sort of alarming to realize that all of a sudden, there’s just a brand new person here.
“He’s beautiful, Max. Does he have a name yet?”
Lucas perches himself at the end of the bed to rub Max’s feet. “Avery. It means ruler of the elves .”
Eddie sighs and reaches down to hold his tiny fist. “That’s a good one. We’ll have him rolling dice in no time.”
Steve tears his eyes away from Avery to look up at Lucas. “Tell him the full name.”
“Avery Steven Sinclair.”
Eddie’s breath catches and kisses Steve’s cheek. “Oh, baby…” He expects Steve to be a blubbering mess over this, but Steve just looks up at him unamused. “What?”
“The initials, babe.”
It takes Eddie a second and he whips his head up to look at Max with wide eyes. “ASS?!”
Max grins back at him. “Just think of when he’s old enough to take to the arcade! He’s gonna have the best initials for all the high scores he’s gonna get!”