Chapter Text
Wayne Munson had never been able to sleep well, but after spring break, after nearly losing his boy, he accepted the fact that sleep was not in the cards for him most nights. He’d take insomnia every damn night if it meant he could keep Eddie.
One thing that’s changed since the ordeal his boy was put through is how much Eddie sleeps, he used to sleep as long and as often as he could get away with it, now he’s rarely sleeping through the night.
Now Wayne’s never been a busybody and always been a reader so this late night time granted to him never seemed to be anything other than more time to read than he’s had in years. Until he noticed that more often than not the phone would ring around 2 am.
The 1st time it happened he was getting water anyway and decided he might as well see who was calling at an ungodly hour.
Wayne picked up the phone, “Munson residence.”
“Oh sorry,” was all he heard before he heard the soft click of someone hanging up on him.
Bizarre, but stranger things had happened.
He thought nothing of it until a few nights later when again, a phone ringing pierced the still of the night. He was getting out of his chair to get it when on the second ring he heard his nephew say, “Munson residence” then a beat of silence followed with, “Well if you’re that desperate to keep me around you can always ask sweetheart.” Sweetheart? Well, this was new.
Though dramatic, Eddie was not one to use terms of endearment lightly, while Wayne knew the boy publicly thought they were gross and borderline PDA he also knew he secretly wanted someone to call every name in the book. If he’s found it, good for him.
He turns back to his book until the softest tone he’s ever heard his nephew take breaks through the silence.
“Are you okay? Can you breathe for me, Harrington?”
Harrington? Richard’s boy? They’d all heard stories about that Harrington family. Richard ruled with an iron fist when he even bothered to be in town. Everyone thought after he had that son he’d stick around more but he was away even more often after Steve was born. Always leaving the boy with his grandmother, and when she passed he was left alone up in the big house.
Wayne never envied the boy that’s for sure, they may not have much but they have each other and that’s been more than enough for him.
Still, he had a heart and the idea of a kid being alone for so long didn’t sit right with him. He had met the Harrington boy once when Eddie was lying in a hospital bed and Steve was occupying the seat right next to him. Wayne made small talk through a lump in his throat and politely ignored the unshed tears in the young man's eyes that seemed to begin anew every time Eddie so much as breathed.
He crept closer to the kitchen to catch a glimpse of Eddie to make sure all was okay between the two boys on the phone.
He sees Eddie seemingly age 30 years, as stress that he should be too young to know made its home on his shoulders. He barely knows what those kids went through but he’s fought for his country, he knows the haunted look of a soldier. He knows he barely knows the tip of the iceberg.
He watches Eddie lean on the small counter almost bent completely in half and whisper into the phone, “1…. 2…. 3…. 4…. Are you doing the finger thing, Stevie?”
He pauses a beat.
Then Wayne sees a soft smile make its way onto his nephew's face, “Good. What was it tonight?”
Those boys were good to each other. Obviously, something was up, nobody called at 2 am just to say what was up. But Wayne knew Eddie could handle it and went back into his room.
Now of course Wayne knew Eddie was harboring a less than subtle crush on the other man, a crush Wayne suspected to be reciprocated based on the evidence he had gathered firsthand at the hospital.
Eddie’s clear preference for men had never been a point of contention for them, Wayne loved everything about Eddie, his only worry was Eddie’s happiness. Wayne was not ignorant of how most of this world would treat him. And he was especially worried Eddie would be alone, his nephew, loathe as he was to admit it, had a huge heart and wanted all those silly romance tropes. He may not have to worry about that anymore.
He had been stuck in his thoughts but was brought out of them instantly when his nephew barked out a sharp laugh and said, “That’s not what you said last night!”
Yup, definitely reciprocated.
“Seriously, do you want me to come? I can be over in ten minutes you know the drill sweetheart.”
More muffled conversation and a sigh from this end of the line, “Well pretty boy you can sit here and listen to me read to you until you have to go to work or wait until I get there and we can try to sleep together.”
A beat passes and Eddie snorts, “Jesus, get your mind out of the gutter pretty boy! You need sleep, I need sleep, this is mutually beneficial. So, what’d ya say?”
More silence as Wayne swears he’s not on the edge of his seat to hear the Harrington boy’s answer.
“Wise choice, my darling dear boy,” Wayne can hear how wide Eddie’s smile is from here. “I’ll be over in mere moments you hang in there sweetheart. Yeah, you too. See you in a sec.”
Wayne hears Eddie race back to his room and rummages around there undoubtedly for clean clothes. Then he feels more than hears him trip over himself while getting his keys.
When he hears the unmistakable sound of Eddie’s van leaving the trailer park, Wayne ventured out to the kitchen under the guise of wanting water. He finds Eddie’s copy of the Fellowship of the Ring bookmarked in the middle of the book with a polaroid, if he were a busybody he’d already be looking at what the picture is and he does no such thing!
On the counter next to it is a note, clearly left for him in Eddie’s rush out.
Hey Wayne,
I’m at a friend's house, I’ll see you tomorrow!
Love you bye!!
Yup, he had nothing to worry about. They’d be just fine.