Work Text:
Hair-brained Schemes
“Let. Me. Brush. It.” Steve said firmly as he practically chased Eddie around the kitchen with a hair brush. He had attempted to do it while the bushy haired guitarist was asleep on the couch but almost immediately hit a knot.
“Steve! I like my hair the way it is it is fine! It doesn’t need to be brushed!” Eddie said staring him down. He often just used his fingers to style and fluff it when he needed to. He was fine with that. It was presentable for who he hung out with it wasn’t a huge thing like it was for Steve.
Steve scoffed a bit and crossed his arms. “Oh is that so? Is that why I had to unclog the sink AND the tub this morning after you showered?” He asked looking at him, tapping the brush against his arm. “You know I should just buy stock in drain de-clogging liquids-“
“Draino…”
“—shut up.” Steve said looking at him. “Come on, it’ll take like five minutes.” He begged, hearing a knock at the door followed by Dustin’s signature repeated doorbell ringing. “We’ll talk more about this later but I WILL be brushing your hair.” He said before going to the living room to open the door for the kids.
Eddie stuck his tongue out at him and ran his fingers through his hair, catching a knot again on one of his rings. He winced and got it fixed as the younger teens came in.
Dustin came in followed by the other boys. “Trouble in ‘roomie’ paradise?” He asked, grinning.
Eddie ruffled his hair. “What makes you say that?”
“He’s got the brush in his hand and looks deranged.” Dustin said looking at him as Max and El came in laughing as they set their backpacks down.
“Ah that. He tried to assault my hair while I was sleeping.” Eddie said with a laugh.
“Honestly? You could use a good brush..” Max shrugged. “It could help with more things than one…” she hinted, slightly nodding to Steve who was walking down the hall to the hall closet.
“You think?” Eddie asked quietly, looking at her.
“Let me and El do it. I guarantee when we’re done he won’t be able to resist you.” Max said confidently.
“They have a point..Steve values his hair more than any part of his body..” Mike said, quietly.
Eddie sighed and looked down the hall to where Steve was arguing with Dustin over the selection of board games he had. For the longest time he had had the largest crush on him and had been over the moon when he offered for him to live at his house after the earthquakes rocked Hawkins and destroyed his and his uncle’s trailer. “Fine..do what you have to do..” he said.
“Good. We’ll get Dustin and the boys to distract him for an hour.” Max grinned, looking at Lucas, Will, and Mike. “Well? Go idiots!”
The three boys went over and pretended to join the argument which resulted in them bullying Steve into going to the large department store on the edge of town to go find a more suitable game for game/movie night. Once they were gone Max and El set to work.
“Come on we’ll get your hair washed.” Max said.
“But I already washed it this morning…” Eddie said looking at her as they led him down the hall.
El touched it. “…You did?” She asked, making a face and feeling how dry it was.
“Too bad. We’re going to wash it and we’re going to use Steve’s forbidden shampoo.” Max grinned.
Eddie blinked. “Woah Woah he’ll kill me. I’m pretty sure he measures the amount left in the bottle..” he said trying to turn around but the girls put all their strength in almost dragging him down the hall to Steve’s bedroom.
Max went to Steve’s personal bathroom and came back out with three bottles. The shampoo and conditioner of Faberge Organics and the can of Farrah Fawcett hair spray along with the blow dryer and a curling iron. She handed them to Eddie and went back in to grab another brush and comb. “Bathroom. Now.” She ordered.
“Yes ma’am..” Eddie blinked before heading to the bathroom he used.
“Shirt off and head in the shower.” Max said. “As best you can..” she said knowing Eddie still had fresh scars that were still healing internally from the Demobats. He would have died if it hadn’t have been for Dustin and Steve’s incessant need to save him.
Eddie took his shirt off reluctantly and blushed a little, still slightly embarrassed by his scars on his torso, chest and neck. He knelt down by the tub as Max got on one side and El on his other.
Max started the water and shower once it got to a good temperature and grabbed the detachable shower head, thoroughly wetting Eddie’s hair. “Good god dude your hair is thick..” she said as her and El worked the water through it.
“It’s the Munson genes kid..” Eddie said wiping water from his eyes.
El giggled a bit and nodded. “Soap time?” She asked.
Max nodded and motioned for the bottle. “Let’s just hope your kids don’t get this thick of hair.” She said as she squirted shampoo all over his head.
“Jesus Red! I can’t afford to buy more of that crap for him!” Eddie said as he felt the amount she was pouring on.
El shook her head as she and Max giggled and lathered up his hair till the bubbles were overpowering everything.
Max used the brush to brush it through his hair more and to get rid of the knots. “Ok eyes closed, lover boy.” She said as she started rinsing the shampoo out vigorously.
Eddie closed his eyes tightly and coughed a bit as soap flowed down his face. “Try not to water board me, guys..” he said between coughs.
Once it was washed out to her satisfaction, Max motioned to El for the Conditioner.
El passed it over and watched as she squirted it into the brush and started brushing it through Eddie’s hair.
“This is going to make your hair less tangly.” Max said.
“And super soft.” El said. “Maybe we can braid it to make it all flowy!” She suggested.
“Good idea.” Max grinned as she worked it through.
“Just don’t cut it..” Eddie said. He wasn’t going to admit it but it was kind of relaxing.
Max and El rinsed his hair and got a towel around his head, getting him to sit on the toilet so they could get the braids started. “El go to the kitchen and see if you can find any rubber bands or hair ties.” Max said.
________
“Dustin come on we’ve been here too long. We’re not gonna have enough time to even play a game much less watch a movie..” Steve whined as he pushed the cart through the aisles as he followed the boys.
“Just a few more minutes.” Dustin said.
“Yeah we gotta have good snacks so we should check out the chip and soda aisle.” Mike said as he followed Dustin.
“Oh! Candy too!” Lucas nodded.
“I’m fine with whatever..” Will said as he walked with Steve.
Steve sighed and looked at them. “Ok ok everyone stop.” He demanded, hands on his hips. “What I’m seeing here is a distraction. What is going on?” He asked as he looked between them.
Dustin looked at him. “Distraction? What are you talking about Steve?” He said his voice getting a bit high pitched as it usually did when he lied. He pretended to cough. “Darn puberty..” he said trying to cover up the pitch change.
Steve looked to Mike. “Mike. Got an answer for me?” He asked.
“I got nothing I’m gonna be perfectly honest.” Mike said shaking his head.
“Lucas?”
“Um…I-I have to go grab some chips for Max…” Lucas said quickly before running off.
Steve sighed and looked to Will. “Byers.”
Will shifted nervously. “I..um…well..” he stammered, looking to the others for guidance. He saw Dustin slightly shaking his head for him not to tell and Mike rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“I will leave you all here.” Steve said, pointing to all of them before crossing his arms.
“Ugh! Fine! Ok!” Dustin said trying to get pressure off of Will. “You are seriously thick headed Steve. You’re constantly whining about no one wanting to go out with you when you’ve literally had the perfect person LIVING with you!”
“Who likes you too!” Mike said arms crossed.
“Yeah..the girls are over there practically giving him a makeover..” Will said.
“And serving him up on a silver platter for YOU.” Dustin said, putting his hands on his hips.
Steve looked at them and ran his hand through his hair, blushing ever so slightly. “You’re joking with me right? Eddie Munson has a crush on /me/?”
“Yes!” The three boys said in unison.
___________
Max and El smiled at each other as they finished their final braids. “So how long have you had a crush on Steve?” Max asked, smirking, getting ready to blow dry the wet braids to lock in the shape.
Eddie shrugged. “Since he started his sophomore year of High school..I was a junior..but I was always scared to talk to him without being an asshole..”
“Make sure when you do ask him you are not an..asshole..” El said.
“Exactly.” Max nodded, giggling. “Make sure you’re confident and level headed. Lucas was so jumpy and nervous when he asked me out the first time.”
“Level headed and confident..?” Eddie said before the sound of the blow dryer went off around him as Max dried his braided hair. “I’m not sure I can do confident..” he admitted.
“Just don’t act scared or nervous.” Max said, finishing once she was satisfied with how dry the hair was. “Ok so I’m gonna part your bangs and give you curtain style. It’ll show off your eyes more because you do have nice eyes.” She said as she plugged in the curling iron.
Eddie nodded and blushed slightly, “Thanks Red..” he said as he gave her a smile.
Max looked at El. “You go ahead and get the braids out and ready.” She said as she started on his bangs.
The two of them worked on getting it looking right. Max teased some of the curls to make it fluffy and sprayed it to lock in the style. El went to Eddie’s room and picked out some non ripped jeans and a simple button up instead of a band t-shirt.
They got him dressed and did their final look over. “Perfect.” Max grinned, turning him to the mirror.
Eddie blinked and looked at himself. He had never looked more presentable in his life. He rolled up the sleeves on the shirt even though it showed some of his fresh scars. He stopped Max as she tried to roll them down. “No..confidence you told me right?” He said as he fixed them. “Looks good..”
“Of course it looks good! Me and El are the best.” Max grinned as she high-fived El.
They all jumped hearing the door open and the boys coming in. “Ok ok Um….hold on and stay here, brush your teeth, and don’t come out till I tell you to come out. Uh..El get the shampoo back quickly!” She whispered handing them to her.
El nodded and rushed out of the bathroom and slipped back into Steve’s bedroom to put back the bottles.
Max went out and looked at them. “You guys find a game?” She asked, arms crossed.
“Yeah. We got Trivial Pursuit and Uno..” Will said as everyone set the bags down.
“Robin is coming in shortly with the movies from the store. She got The Money Pit and Night of the living Dead.” Steve looked at her. “Any objection to any of it?”
Max shook her head and grinned as El joined her. “Nope!” She said as she went to help unload the snacks. “Oh..Eddie! Can you help us reach the popcorn and snack bowls?” She smirked as she called him.
Eddie came out as casually as he could and helped grab them out of the cupboard. “There you go Red.” He said, glancing at Steve before going to sit on the couch.
Steve watched him, blushing slightly, before moving around them to gather all the plastic bags.
Dustin saw the look and the blush and grinned. “Hey we gotta go back to the car real fast and I think I see the bus with Robin pulling to the stop at the corner maybe we should all go help her…right guys?”
The rest of the kids including Max and El all agreed and filed out of the house to go meet Robin so they could leave Eddie and Steve alone.
Once the door was closed, Steve looked over at Eddie who was fiddling with the remote. He got some batteries out of the drawer and handed them to him as he sat down.
“How long before they notice we’ve been dating since April?” Eddie asked with a smirk.
“Hmm..Let them have this one.” Steve laughed. “Plus the girls really did a good job on the hair..” he said playing with Eddie’s bangs as he kissed his cheek.
(End)