In a Cottage in the Woods There Lived a Witch

Not Leaving

Billy did not, in fact, make them leave that night. Nor did he make them leave the next night. Or the next. Despite saying down the line that they should leave several times a day for the next week, they never left. Eddie never pushed the subject, quietly worried that if he did, Billy would finally make good on his threats. He knew, or at least he hoped, that Billy wouldn't really make them leave, but the not knowing was... it was a lot.

Around the fifth day of lingering in Steve's house, Eddie began to doubt that Billy was going to make good on his plans to leave. Eddie wasn't particularly smart, but he knew contentment when he saw it. When Steve rose with the sun but Billy remained lying in bed, Eddie saw it. When Billy flopped into the warm spot Steve left in the couch or on the bed, Eddie saw it, too.

On the ninth day of Billy insisting that they leave, he finally broke down. Eddie thanked every vampiric god he could remember that morning when Billy woke up with Steve big spooned around him.

We didn't leave last night, Eddie had crooned down the line with a yawn.

Nope. Billy answered sleepily. Behind him, Steve murmured something in his sleep and curled up closer to Billy. The wolf let himself be pulled into the witch's, even moved himself to snuggle in as well. It would be a while before Steve woke, the sun only just turning the sky gray. Even the birds remained asleep.

We leaving... ever? Even though Eddie knew the answer. Knew it by the way Billy craned his neck to look over his shoulder at the sleeping witch. The way he flicked his tongue out to catch the barest tip of his nose in a sweet good morning kiss that melted Eddie into his pillow. The way Billy heaved the greatest sigh his wolf lungs could manage and finally answered, nope.

The admission that they would be staying released something from Eddie's chest. Let off a little of the pressure of the anxiety that maybe Billy would have them leave. That he would cast them back into the wild to chase, if Eddie was honest, a wild goose. Why chase a home that may or may not exist when there was a perfectly good one right here, ready and willing to welcome them in?

It was nice. Really it was. It was nice to wake up to the bubble gum pop song that Steve set as his alarm sound. It was nice to lounge in bed while Steve showered. It was nice to listen to him humming and singing while he got everyone ready for the day. It was nice when Steve prodded Eddie awake with gentle fingers on his back and cheeks. Nice when he tucked the rabbit that Eddie slept on close to his chest and murmured "wakey wakey, eggs and bakey" every morning like some kind of cringey dad. Nice to watch Steve nudge Billy's head and tug at his scruff until he finally groaned, stretched, shook himself out, and followed Steve downstairs for breakfast.

It was nice, and Eddie loved it. He reclined in spun sugar and sighed in delight as sweetness filled his nose and mouth and ears. He loved being able to relax so fully that he slipped into sleep without knowing. He loved being put to use in Steve's altar room and his shop and being thanked for it. Even just the soft little, "thanks buddy" that Eddie got when he finished a delivery at the shop or stripped herbs from their stems on Steve's altar sent his heart to racing pitter patter against his birdcage chest. He loved sitting at the kitchen table, usually on Will's shoulder, while the kids played DnD. Will would whisper into Eddie's ear while he led his players, explaining what was happening and why he was making the choices he was making. Like Eddie wasn't there when the first of the rule books dropped. Like he didn't have first edition copies in his room back at Henry's mansion.

That part was something he couldn't wait to participate in fully. When he finally came out to Steve, he would take the kids on one hell of a campaign. Eddie was already planning it.

Billy was happy too. Eddie knew that. He said and showed as much. Like on the third night after deciding to stay, when Steve assumed his position behind Billy, his arm tucked firmly around Billy's chest and his giant wolf's head tucked under his chin. He smacked one loud, firm kiss onto the crown of Billy's head before he snuggled down and Billy carefully said, I get what you mean, now.