To Eddie Munson: My Knight in Shining Leather

Say it again

The next morning, you woke up before Eddie. It didn't surprise you, he was NOT a morning person. You released his grasp on you, slowly crawling into a sitting position. You stretched your arms, reaching above your head, then your back, and finally your legs. Your pajamas relaxed around your body when you stood.

You walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. You sat on the toilet, rubbing the tired from your eyes. When you were done, you went down the hall to retrieve your toothbrush from your bag. His uncle —Wayne— stood in the kitchen, a newspaper in one hand, and a mug in the other. "Good morning," he said, not looking up.

"Good morning," your voice was shaky, nervous about being alone with him after Eddie's conversation with him yesterday. You squatted down and began to search for your toothbrush in your bag, but gave up when it took an awkwardly long amount of time.

"Want some coffee?"

You stood up from your position on the floor, looking to see Wayne refilling his mug. "Yeah, sure. Thank you."

He grabbed a mug for you from the dish drainer, setting his newspaper down and filling it. He didn't leave room for cream, or sugar. But you didn't complain, this interaction was going well so far. "Thanks for washing those thermoses for me." He went back to reading.

"How did you know it was me?" You sipped the black coffee, hiding your grimace at the bitter taste.

"Eddie always leaves his dishes in the sink for me to do when I get home, I doubt he'd change that. Even if it meant impressing you." He looked at you above the edge of his paper. "Relax," he said, looking at your body language and lowering his hands. "I know we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Wayne." He reached his hand out to shake yours, which you did.

"I'm y/n," you responded, deciding to lean against the counter and attempting to relax.

"I know," he said with a half-smile. "Eddie hasn't shut up about you for months."

You smiled to yourself, looking down at your mug. "Really?" You asked.

"Yes, really." He turned the page, sighing before closing it anyway. "I know I'm not technically a parent, especially not yours, but I want to tell you the same thing I told him: for the love of god, please be responsible." He looked at you again. "I saw what was in the bag from the gas station, so I know you are. I just want to stress to you how important it is."

"Yeah, my mom gave me this talk too," you took another sip. "Don't worry, I'm a bit of a goodie-two-shoes." Except for when Eddie wanted you to be bad. "I'm kind of a stickler for the rules." You laughed lightly, trying to break the tension.

"Yeah, Eddie mentioned that too," his shoulders shook as he laughed, too. "I'm glad, though. He needs something to help keep him out of trouble." He took a drink, staring into his mug and thinking over his next words. "Be careful with him, please." He looked at you out of the corner of his eye. "As much as he tries to appear like some hard-ass punk, he... feels things, deeply. And he really cares about you."

"I'm glad you told me that, he doesn't talk about his feelings much. And don't worry, Mr. Munson, I care for him too."

"Call me Wayne," he insisted, "I feel like I know too much about you to have you call me 'mister'."

"Thank you, Wayne. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too," he smiled genuinely, "I'll see you around."

"See you around," you smiled, carrying your coffee cup to Eddie's room. He still laid on his bed, sprawled out underneath his thin blanket. You set your mug on his nightstand, returning to your spot next to him on his mattress, crawling under the blanket as well. You brought your hand up to caress his face, admiring his soft features. His nose twitched when you stroked his cheek. His breathing changed, and he began to wake up.