A bright sunny day in Indiana. Wayne could remember it vividly, the day Eddie was dropped off at his house. His sister in law tossed his things from the car into the dirt, a single black backpack covered in stickers, some perfectly intact others were in various states of peeling off the fabric. Next to the backpack was a small stuffed bat, roughly the size of his own palm, it looked like it had been through hell. He'd distracted his nephew long enough to resew the poor things wing back on completely. Eddie kept the thing tucked at his side, everywhere he went that little stuffed bat accompanied him.
Even though he knew he'd deny it, Wayne knew that Eddie occasionally still slept with the toy, cradling it against his chest , just like when he was a boy.
It was the early 1970's, Eddie was only eight when his mom dropped him off at Wayne's for the last time. They had only agreed on the weekend, they've both been waiting for her to return for nearly thirteen years. There was no use in trying to hide the truth from the kid. Eddie had always been smart, a quality very few Munson's possessed. From the second he'd stepped from his parents worn down mustang, acquired in one of his brothers more successful car jackings back before he'd even met Eddie's mom, Wayne could see in the kids eyes that he already knew what was happening.
Eddie's hair had been buzzed off. He never completely got the story of why they'd shaved the kids head, but that didn't mean he couldn't come to his own conclusions. Wayne couldn't stand his brother from early on in their life, he never understood why Thomas didn't want to do better. Their bloodline was full of criminals who spent most of their lives in and out of prison. He could never understand why his brother didn't want to be the generation that stopped the cycle, but he knew in the moment Eddie had to be.
Wayne wanted Eddie to have the world, there weren't words strong enough to describe how much he loved his nephew. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him, working double shifts at the warehouse so his boy could stay in school. It was one of their greatest arguments, from the moment he started getting old enough to work, Eddie wanted to drop out and get a job at the warehouse to contribute to the bills. Growing so frustrated with being told no that he'd started down a dangerous road, selling drugs and trying to offer the money to the bills. Wayne never accepted it.
He'd tried being so careful to never let Eddie on to the extent of their money troubles.Anytime his nephew asked for new dice for his game or paint to give the hand carved figures life, he'd give it to him. The first pair of dice he'd given him took him ages to carve out, they were heavy and the corners weren't perfect, Eddie still loved them. Carving the figures for his Dungeons and Dragons campaigns had become a shared hobby for them. Wayne could remember them sitting out on the swing together for hours, his boy getting more caught up in telling him about the campaign than working on his figure. It was one of his favorite things to do, even to this very day.
Getting Eddie had never been something he planned, but it saved him. His own life hadn't been anything more than going to work to keep his lights on. At that point he'd only been in Indiana for a year, leaving Tennessee after his engagement fell apart. They'd mutually decided things weren't working out, and that same day Wayne was packing his things to hit the road for new opportunities. He'd fallen on Hawkins because it was close to his brother's family, and while he never cared for his brother's choices in life, he still wanted to try to be a part of that life.
It all worked out in the end he guessed.
Eddie's hair was so much longer than when he'd first gotten here, modeling his appearance after his favorite musicians. It all suited him. Metal and Heavy Rock had always been some of his favorite genres of music, getting to share that same love for the same bands with Eddie was great. Music meant similar things to both of them and it had been a great bonding point earlier on in Eddie's life when they were still practically strangers.
It didn't mean he didn't love giving the kid hell about perming his hair... Eddie's passion for music and that style was admirable, but Eddie with multi-colored tubes in his hair , forming the curls, was just the funniest thing ever.
He had a good kid, and every part of his home went to showing that fact. Eddie's pictures in various states in his life, some he'd taken from his sister in law, filling the shelves. The few additions to his mug collection that Eddie would buy him on Father's Day, becoming so large that he had to add a new shelf.
Wayne really couldn't have pictured a better life, of course there were rocky moments. Eddie being accused of murder. Going missing and leading everyone including him to believe that he'd been killed in the earthquake. That earthquake destroyed their home and so many memories, it taking months for Wayne to salvage things from the rubble.
A few of Eddie's pictures and that little stuffed bat to name a few things.
Eddie had turned out to be alive, and that was probably the most important thing he could have asked for.
Now in true Munson fashion, he was about to attend a completely illegal wedding for his boy and Steve Harrington of all people. The earthquake had been over a year ago now. After only dating for a few months Steve proposed to Eddie one night over dinner. Eddie had been so excited he nearly sent an entire plate of Wayne's famous lasagna onto the floor. In the moment he could only watch the scene unfold. Never would he have believed it, but the Harrington boy was good for Eddie.
Steve never left his side when he was in the ER, always checking in to make sure he was entertained and eating properly. The kid fell asleep in a wooden chair inches from the hospital bed, his eyes opening occasionally as if to make sure Eddie was still alive before dozing off again.
It was clear from early on something was there.
Wayne noticed it and now for it he had two sons instead of one. It wasn't in the plan, but he's found the best things in his life never were planned.
