Chapter Text
"So– you think Robin is pretty?"
Steve can't see their reactions, but he definitely feels it the way his hair gets pulled between their tiny fingers as the girls behind him agree adamantly with the statement.
"Mhmm, she's really pretty. Muy, muy bonita." Riley hums. Her fingers have stopped moving, which allows Steve to turn his head just enough to get a look at Riley, Jane, and Max behind him. Riley seems to be contemplating something. "Son sus ojos. Her eyes-"
"Robin does have nice eyes." Max agrees, her lips down turned at the corners in a way of agreement.
"I like her freckles," Jane mutters, pulling at a strand of Steve's hair before placing a bright yellow clip to keep it in place.
"Ugh, I hate my freckles."
"Ow! Okay, well you don't have to take it out on me," Steve's hand reflexively goes up to soothe at the sudden tug when a quick hand slaps his out of the way. "Hey."
"Okay okay, sorry. But don't touch, we're not done playing with your hair." Max says in a hushed voice, taking another strand and beginning to twist it into a braid. They can't see the way Steve rolls his eyes.
"Well. If it's any constellation, I like your freckles."
"... Do you mean consolation?"
"Whatever, smart ass," Steve mutters, tries not to roll his eyes as the girls giggle around him. He glances down at his nails which are an abhorrent mess of blue, green, and purple, picking at his cuticles to pull at the polish that overflowed his nail-beds and onto his skin.
He doesn't remember agreeing to this sudden makeover. Most of the kids had gone home pretty early for a Thursday, for whatever reason, so he and Robin decided to get the kids to eat their snacks a bit earlier than usual and wait out the last hour and a half in the cafeteria.
Right now the only ones left were these three who had Steve at their mercy and Darren and Alex. Robin was with the other two, helping them out with some math homework a couple tables down– something about going over their division and multiplications. Steve had been over their shoulder, watching Robin help them out for a while before the girls asked if he could "come over here really quick," and "just sit here," and "can you tilt your head back- yeah, like that! Now don't move."
Was it possible to be manhandled by a bunch of pre-teen girls?
"Where did you kids even get this stuff anyway?" He pulls the small bag of torturous devices and barely has the chance to rummage through the contents before Max yanks it from his grasp, fishing out a small band to tie off her finished braid before immediately starting a new one.
"From Chrissy. Eddie took me with him to her house yesterday. We went over to her place after his dork club thing and watched Poltergeist. The second one, I think. She said she didn't use these anymore and that I could have 'em."
"Poltergeist," Steve huffs. "Are you even old enough to be watching that?" Wait. Back up. "Hold on, Chrissy? As in Cunningham?" He waves imaginary pom-poms.
Max bobs her head, tongue between her lips as she gets towards the end of a strand and struggles to get the final stragglers together before putting on another tie. Jane had stopped participating in Steve's demise for the moment. She abandoned him and his impromptu makeover for one of her comics while Riley went through the bag and practiced naming the colors of different products in Spanish.
Eddie's circle continues to confuse Steve. A part of him remembers that the duo had already mentioned Chrissy casually in passing, something about giving her a ride home. But at the time Steve had thought nothing of it. He was always giving out rides, happy to help if he could. A long car ride was always appreciated to clear his own head.
And, sure, Max made sense after the whole moving across the street from him and… other developments. But what circumstances would bring Eddie together with Chrissy?
"Have you changed your mind about the make-up yet?" Max interrupts Steve's stream of thoughts as she reaches out to readjust the clip Jane had put in, gently setting it into a spot she deems appropriate. "I think you'd look really good with some color. Can I please put some blush-"
"Absolutely not. I've let you gremlins get away with enough for one day. You hearin me, Gizmo? No!" Steve waves her reaching hands away from the make-up bag. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
Jane and Riley's attentions are officially back as they drop their distractions. They move in front of him while Max continues to move strands around his head behind him. The three girls tower over him in his current position on the floor, inspecting their work as they move his head in different positions, seemingly impressed with themselves.
God, what did they do to me?
"Steve, stop frowning. We're trying to make you pretty."
A scoff escapes him as he dramatically places a hand to his chest, feigning offense and tugging his eyebrows even further together. He pulls his head away from their reach, earning him exasperated sighs as he spins in place from his criss-crossed position to fully face Max.
"Maxine Mayfield, are you saying I'm not pretty?"
She opens her mouth to respond, except the reply doesn’t come from her, it comes from behind him– and it is definitively not the voice he expected, wanted, to hear right now. Not when he looked like this.
"I mean, I don't think we'd call you Steve 'the hair' Harrington if the world didn't think you were oh, so pretty."
Steve slowly shuts his eyes as he exhales forcefully from his nose. Heat was already rushing up his neck, to his ears until he's quite sure his cheeks were the shade of cherries. He's starting to wonder when he can start billing Eddie for his medical expenses– the constant sudden onset of palpitations could not be healthy.
When he opens his eyes, he barely suppresses a surprised gasp. Eddie was crouched in front of him, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He had his hair half up today, curls draped over his shoulders while the top sits in a small, loose knot. The tattoos were in full display as he wore a black sleeveless shirt, some band Steve doesn’t recognize across the chest.
Steve watches as Eddie raises his hand towards Steve's face to gently grasp his chin between his thumb and forefinger. Turns to the left. Turns to the right. Eddie then adjusts his hand so that his rings, ice cold against Steve’s burning face, are under his chin and gently tilts his face up.
“Today I’d say you look pretty charming.” Eddie’s eyes make a final sweep across Steve’s face before standing up, hand outstretched in offering. “Ladies. Brava.” After helping Steve to his feet he makes a show of kissing his fingers like some Italian chef as he tilts his head to the girls. They giggle and play along with his antics, making exaggerated curtsies.
“Whatever Munson, wait until these girls decide to get their hands on you. Hair like yours? Count your days.” Steve playfully hits Eddie’s arm with the back of his hand once he’s up.
"And what makes you think little Red hasn't had her grubby little hands in this already?" Eddie hip checks Max's shoulder before tipping over at the hips and shaking his head, hair spilling over on top of Max's head. She smirks as she takes a strand and tugs.
Steve and Eddie both laugh along with the giggling girls. Steve makes an attempt to brush his hair back, out of habit, but stops as his fingers hit against a few clips. He rolls his eyes as he starts to remove the first one his fingers find.
“Ahh, take a seat, Harrington. I’ll get your scalp free, seeing as it was my dear Red here's doing.” Eddie directs an accusing look in Max’s direction before winking at her. He is fighting a bubbling laugh as he pulls on Steve’s arm, directing him towards the head of one of the cafeteria tables before motioning for him to sit. Eddie kicks lightly at Steve’s feet to get him to spread them enough so Eddie can stand between his knees and get started.
Except it’s not soon enough because just as Steve and Eddie settle into a comfortable position does Darren, Alex, and Riley’s parents decide it’s time to pick up their kids.
“Hey kiddo! Are we ready to go- oh my goodness Steve! What have these girls done to you? Were you a part of this, too?” Mrs. Rider hides the laugh behind one hand as the other reaches out to Alex who approaches her, whose shoulders are shaking with laughter as she shakes her head in response. Alex turns back towards Steve and Eddie once she’s in her mother’s arms, her smile wide enough to expose the fact she’s missing one of her canines.
Steve acknowledges them all awkwardly from his position, lips in a tight line of embarrassment. He says his good-byes, wishing Darren and Alex good luck on their math quizzes for tomorrow, a quick “te veo mañana,” (he learned that one last week, thank you very much) to Riley who waves excitedly to him as her mother ushers her towards the doors.
“I think you look great.” Robin chirps from Steve’s left, already jotting down the pick up times and names on the sign-out sheet as the three families make their way towards the parking lot– but not without a few questioning glances from Mr. Win and Mrs. Corewell before they make their way outside, children in tow. Steve doesn’t notice, too busy glaring at Robin who says something about needing a drink before disappearing into the kitchen as Eddie makes work of his hair.
“Don’t you worry, my liege. Face like yours, it’s nearly impossible to ruin your image. Your crown will be back to normal soon. Promise,” Eddie murmurs, running his fingers through a section of hair that’s finally free.
There’s a knot. Except it isn’t in Steve’s hair because Eddie is gentle and methodically. He made sure to get the braids undone, clips freed, ties unwrapped before running his fingers through.
No, the knot isn’t in his hair– it’s in his gut. It jumps up into his chest, burrowing its way deep behind his ribs when Eddie’s nails rake through. They run through again, past his ears and towards the back of his neck. The knot is in his throat when Eddie tucks Steve’s hair behind his ear before he starts to undo another section.
If Eddie notices the way Steve's breath stutters, he doesn't comment on it.
The way they’re positioned has Steve about a head lower than Eddie, so at first his eyes had settled on the collar of Eddie’s shirt and the silver chain that hangs around his neck. But then his curiosity of Eddie’s tattoos takes over, figures he won’t get another opportunity to take a look. He remembers the bats on the forearm, but at this angle he’s able to see that he has a black cat on his bicep, mouth open in a hiss.
He tries to get a clearer look of what’s on Eddie’s forearm when Eddie runs his nails through his scalp again which makes Steve struggle to suppress a shudder. He has to close his eyes and bite the inside of his cheek as a tingling sensation trails down his spine. He gives up on trying to look at Eddie’s tattoos and focuses on keeping his breathing even.
It goes on like that until Steve’s hair is free. He only opens his eyes once he's sure he can stand up straight without keeling over. Eddie rests his hands on his own hips, leaning back to look over his handiwork, lips quirked in a lopsided smile. Max and Jane move to stand at either side of Eddie, mirroring his stance.
"Okay so maybe all the braids and clips killed some of your usual zhuzh, but "the king" shall reign." Eddie raises both hands as he takes a few steps back, fingers forming L's to frame Steve's face. He winks as he clicks one of his fingers to snap a shot.
Steve rolls his eyes. "Please Munson, enough with the 'king' bullshit, I'm just Steve. Not 'the hair,' or 'your highness,' alright?"
Eddie drops his arms, a bit deflated before extending out his hands, soft smile on his lip. "Okay, just Steve, first off– I don't think I've referred to you as your highness before, but… I hear you. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm just Eddie. Although I take pride in being 'the freak,' so-"
"I don't think you're a freak, Munson," Steve huffs as he takes Eddie's extended hand and gives it a quick shake. "But, thank you." As Eddie pulls his hand away, his fingers trail from Steve’s wrist to the very tips of his fingers, catching for a moment before pulling away entirely.
Steve can’t bring himself to look away first. Eddie is the first to break their gaze as Max slips her pinkie into his before gently tugging at him.
“Mom is probably home right about now. We should go now so you can drop me off and you can make your shift.” Max seems to note the confused look on Steve’s face. If she’s home why isn’t she the one picking up Max? She answers the question in Steve’s frown in a near whisper as she averts her eyes. “Her car got repo'd.” She doesn’t explain further, but it’s enough for Steve to share a look with Eddie.
“You’re right.” Eddie clears his throat, bending his knees to pick up Max’s bag before shooting Steve a final smile. “Until next time, just Steve.” He shoulders her belongings as they make their way towards the doors.
“Eddie is pretty.” Jane mutters, mostly to herself right beside Steve as she waves at their retreating forms. He nods numbly in agreement.
“Bye Eleven. Call me when you get home.” Max shouts over her shoulder before disappearing with Eddie into the waning afternoon.
Steve turns his head to look down at Jane. “Eleven?”
She shrugs. “She noticed I’m always eleventh in line when you do the head counts.” She bends over to grab her belongings. She’s getting a ride to the station from Steve today. Hopper had called, something about a meeting with the Mayor. “You’d think after two years this dumbass would understand the concept of permits .”
“Robin, let’s go!” Steve has the clipboard in hand, filling out the rest of the sign-out sheet before grabbing his things. Robin burst through the swing-doors of the kitchen, three pouches of apple juice in hand and a glint in her eyes.
“I could go for some ice cream right now.”