Work Text:
“I’m gonna get a tattoo.”
Oh god. Steve didn’t have anything against tattoos, definitely not. He honestly liked them – but this was Dustin , and despite the fact that Dustin was an adult now (barf) he was still far too protective of the kid. So a decision like this, he was definitely wary about.
Steve let out a soft sigh, looking up from the sunflowers he was pruning and quirking a brow at him. “Are you sure? It’s kind of a permanent thing, and you’re still young.”
Dustin was already rolling his eyes before Steve could even finish. “ Yes , I’m sure, Steve. They’re pretty cool, and I want to see what it feels like, and I’ve liked D&D my whole life, so I think it’s perfectly reasonable tha–”
“Hold on, you’re getting a nerd tattoo? You’re getting something from D&D permanently put on your body?” Steve had to pull back his tone a little, realizing that he was mirroring what other people would think more so than what he himself actually believed. He shook his head a little and continued. “I mean, no– that’s– you’re right, sorry, it’s reasonable, but don’t most people get tattoos that are like… meaningful in a more personal way?”
Dustin gave him a look as he stumbled through his objection, waiting for Steve to even out before he bothered explaining himself. “It is meaningful in a personal way for me, Steve. When I had nothing else, I had D&D. It was the thing that brought me closer with my friends and what got me new friends. It’s a big part of me. But for the record, it’s perfectly acceptable to get tattoos of stuff just because you like it.”
Steve frowned a little, but nodded. It made sense, he supposed, and he knew he was putting on his big brother hat when he didn’t need to. But he also knew this was a big decision, and he didn’t want Dustin to make it lightly. “Okay… yeah, okay. Do you know where?”
Dustin wandered over to the bonsai trees not far from where Steve was working– his shop was a bit eclectic (thanks to the stylistic suggestions of one Robin Buckley) and not terribly large, stacks of shelves on each wall with a large circular display in the middle and a U-shaped counter opposite to the glass front door and windows. “Like where on my body or what shop?”
“Where on your body, but the other one too.”
Dustin nodded firmly, having clearly thought this through. “I’m gonna get the saxophone my bard uses on my upper right arm and I’m getting it at the shop next door.”
Steve’s face immediately screwed up, nose scrunching a little in distaste. Now, Steve didn’t know the owner personally, or anyone who worked there, but it was always loud and the people he saw loitering in the street were always decked head to toe in leather, covered in piercings– biker gang types or something. The kind of people he wouldn’t really want to be friends with. “You want to go there ? But why? There’s other shops nearby.”
“Okay, sure, but this one is right there . I can go get a tattoo and then come bother you the rest of the day–”
“You mean complain about how much it hurts–”
“More like show off how awesome it’s gonna look . Plus it seems like a really cool place, and the owner plays D&D, he posts about it all the time! It’s like the best place to get this tattoo, Steve.”
Steve could tell there was no talking him out of this, and honestly at this point he didn’t really have a good reason to try, so he just let out a sigh and a shrug. “Yeah, okay. Get your tattoo, but I want to be the first one to see it,” he said, shooting him a soft grin at the end.
Dustin was ecstatic.
•••••••••••
Eddie looked up from his lunch (Hawaiian pizza from the shop across the street) as a boy with curly hair and an exuberant demeanor walked into his shop. First timer, he was guessing, both from the energy and the overall look. He must’ve been no more than 21, if that. Definitely a fellow nerd, judging from the star wars shirt and the replica One Ring hanging on a chain around his neck. Eddie liked him already.
Setting down his container on the front counter, Eddie tilted his head a little at the shorter boy. “Hey, man. What can I do for you?”
They exchanged pleasantries before the kid launched into his vision for the tattoo, which was unsurprisingly D&D themed. Made perfect sense. He could do that no problem. The two went into deep discussion of what the piece would look like– what color palette they were feeling, the general composition, whether or not a d20 would be involved (Eddie voted it a necessity). Eddie urged him to start small and if they wanted to add later they could, advice which Dustin didn’t dare question. When they finally settled on a design, Eddie determined the piece would likely only take a few hours.
“You up for that now or do you want to come back another day?”
Dustin smirked at him and jammed his pointer finger on the counter. “Now,” he said, tapping his finger two more times. “Right now. Please .”
Eddie laughed good-heartedly and dramatically gestured Dustin over to his space, already set up for a walk-in. “Sit, my curly haired friend,” he offered, then moved to his desk to sketch it out. The sketch was probably Eddie’s favorite part of the process – that was where he got to take his clients’ vision and bring it to life. Obviously the end result was always cool, the satisfaction of a happy customer with Eddie’s art permanently set in their skin, but the creation of the thing was his passion. Luckily for Eddie’s focus, Dustin stayed quiet while he worked, kicking his feet and looking around curiously.
Once the sketch was finished and Dustin gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up, he headed for the printer to get the stencil ready. “I actually really hope you like this, man, if it goes well I’d love to add more,” he commented casually.
Dustin beamed over at him and nodded, fidgeting a little in his seat. “I’m sure it’ll be great . I love your work. Steve doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Eddie quirked a brow at that, joining the kid at his own chair and reaching for a fresh pair of gloves. “Who’s this Steve and what’s he got against my art?” he replied, just curious. He’d had years of experience ignoring what other people thought, but this sounded like there was a story behind it.
Dustin slapped a hand over his mouth for a few moments, not realizing until then he’d said something borderline rude. “Shit, sorry– he’s just the guy who owns the flower shop next door? He’s my best friend, but he didn’t want me to get the tattoo here at first.”
Eddie frowned a little. The florist? He knew exactly who Dustin was talking about. He’d never seen the man before, they seemed to have very different schedules, but Eddie admired his work. Sometimes when Eddie got to the shop, he’d stop to look over the various plants that were set up just outside, to smell the flowers and caress the fresh leaves. He could tell just by looking over Steve’s shop that he put a great deal of care into it all. It was beautiful, and Eddie respected him for it. He couldn’t deny it was a huge bummer to hear he didn’t want his friend to get tattooed by him.
“Why’s that? Is he loyal to another?” he teased, trying to lighten his own mood as he prepped Dustin’s arm.
Dustin grinned a little at the tickle of the razor on mostly smooth skin, then sighed a little as he shook his head. “No, nothing like that, he’s just boring,” he said with a snort, then shook his head again. “Okay, well, no, he’s not boring , but I don’t think this place is his vibe. He thinks people here are mean and he complains a lot about how loud you are.”
Dustin sure was a fountain of honesty.
Eddie’s frown only deepened before he could get his expression under control. He was about to put art in this kid’s skin for the first time, he couldn’t have a bad mood alter the experience for any reason. “You mean my music? Yeah, he sounds pretty boring,” he replied, laying the stencil on smooth and peeling it off.
“Yeah, your music,” Dustin said, nodding along, “I think he also said something about your flags? Or one of your flags.”
Eddie froze, feeling his fuse get exponentially shorter. He spared a quick glance towards the window, wherein he had a pride flag hanging for the whole street to see. “He doesn’t like my flag?” he asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.
Dustin shrugged softly, oblivious both to Eddie’s rapidly bubbling emotions and any implications that came with a distaste for the flag. “He said it makes him uncomfortable? But I don’t really get what he’s talking about.”
It was honestly a shock to discover the mystery owner he’d admired blindly was homophobic. Sometimes he forgot that ugly people could produce such beautiful things.
Deciding to brush it off for the time being, to prioritize Dustin at least until his tattoo was finished, he gave the boy’s elbow a soft tap and nodded towards the mirror. “Take a look, make sure it’s right where you want it.”
Dustin got up to view it and Eddie focused in instead on just how excited the kid was. Fuck Steve, this was going to be a great day.
•••••••••••
Steve was aware he was being loudly annoying about this tattoo thing, he could feel it in Robin’s looks. He wasn’t ranting or anything, he wasn’t saying a word, but he couldn’t stop looking at the door waiting for Dustin to return, letting out loud sighs when the motion was a customer and Dustin was inevitably not back yet.
Robin finally had enough, it seemed, because she groaned and dropped her shears. “Okay, what’s the problem?”
Steve pouted a little and shook his head, taking inventory of their seeds. “Dustin’s getting a tattoo next door, and it’s totally his choice because it’s his body and all that, but… I don’t know, I can’t help but feel like he’s gonna come back upset about it or say they were a huge dick to him or something,” he grumbled.
Robin rolled her eyes playfully, putting her hands on her hips to steady him with another look . “Dingus… I know they annoy you and they look mean and scary, but I’ve seen their art and it’s all really good. Plus… don’t you think if they were dicks to their customers they’d be out of business by now?”
Steve shrugged again, stubborn in his distaste. They’d never given him a reason to like them, aside from the pride flag in their window. They got a point for that, but that was it. “I guess. But it’s Dustin . You know how he can be… I feel like he’s either gonna come back with a new best friend or come back having gotten kicked out for arguing with the artist too much.”
Robing laughed gently, letting her arms fall away and getting back to work. “Yeah, that’s fair. But you have to stop worrying so much. I’ve got a really good feeling that he’s fi–”
As if on cue, Dustin burst through the door, buzzing with excitement, a bounce in his step. He was holding his arm just barely away from his body, tensing it to keep it still. It looked awkward and uncomfortable, but Steve figured it was probably his natural reaction to having a purposeful wound he was trying to keep safe. Steve immediately set down his notepad and approached him, giving him an encouraging smile despite the anxiety he had just been feeling. “So?”
Dustin ignored the question, simply swiveling his body so that his arm was facing Steve. “You gotta look at it quick, cause the blood is already kind of starting to pool, which is kind of badass, and it’s second skin I think so it’s gonna be trapped in there for a little bit, so look at how cool this is!!! ”
Steve couldn’t help but laugh as the words bubbled out of his younger friend, seeing exactly what he meant. There were already small pools of blood sitting beneath the thin membrane protecting the tattoo (presumably the second skin Dustin mentioned) that obscured the art, but he couldn’t deny that what he could see of the tattoo was incredible . It wasn’t huge, thank god, and it wasn’t terribly complex, but it was impressive. Dustin’s saxophone was illustrated with bold outlines at the forefront, silver and shining and a hint of dimension to it, with a plum colored d20 large behind it. The artist… was amazing.
He shot Dustin a bright smile and ruffled the boy’s curls. “You were right, dweeb. It’s a cool tattoo.”
Dustin pivoted again to angle himself towards Robin, who had appeared beside Steve to partake in the viewing. “A-HA! I told you! You never listen to me.”
Steve rolled his eyes playfully, chuckling a bit. “Yeah, okay, sure. You can have this one. But I stand by the guy being really annoying.”
Dustin scoffed, rolling his eyes right back. “Umm, no , Steve, Eddie’s not really annoying.” Eddie. So that was his name. “He’s really fucking cool, actually. He invited me to play D&D with him and some of his friends next weekend.”
Steve’s mouth fell open a little, in disbelief of just how right Steve was. “You’re seriously going to hang out with him?”
“Duhh. Why wouldn’t I? He’s awesome,” Dustin argued immediately. “And you know, I think you’d really like him if you got to know him.”
Steve sighed softly, finding yet again that he didn’t have a further argument. It honestly only got harder to argue with Dustin as he got older, unfortunately for him. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then patted Dustin’s shoulder and attempted a small smile. “Yeah… alright. Fine. Maybe I would. If I ever meet him, I’ll let you know,” he conceded. He really didn’t see any reason they’d meet, at least not properly, but maybe he’d actually keep his mind open if it ever did happen.
•••••••••••
Eddie decided the best way to get back at Steve was to fight in his own language. When he got home from the shop that day, he went right to his computer to search up flower language . He remembered that way back when– ahh, bless internet searching, it was the Victorian era– there was the language of flowers. Eddie had read about it years ago in passing, but the idea had so intrigued him that it had spawned a night long internet deep dive; The Victorians had been equally fascinated with the "language", and had devoted much of their free time to the meaning of flowers. The goal had been to send messages to each other, typically ones that couldn't be spoken aloud due to Victorian etiquette rules. And the messages ranged from all kinds, good and bad . It was actually really easy to find exactly what he was looking for – the perfect way to tell Steve fuck you , but with flowers.
So the next day he opened the shop and told his apprentice, Max, to keep an eye on the place while he ran next door and to come get him if there were any walk-ins. He waltzed right into the shop and put his hands down on the counter, leaning in a little as he gave the man he could only assume to be Steve a once-over (who looked magnificently stunned to see a long haired, very tattooed man leaning into his personal space).
Quite fucking unfortunately for Eddie, he wasn’t expecting the bigot in question to be as god damn gorgeous as Steve was. He had brown hair that was perfectly quaffed, long eyelashes accentuating chocolate puppy dog eyes that Eddie was sure he could get lost in if he let himself. Not to mention those moles peppered around his face and plump, pink lips that were downright kissable. It threw him off for sure to be so close to someone so beautiful, and only infuriated him more knowing someone could hold such foul ideals and still take his breath away. Fuck .
It took Steve a moment and a few blinks before he finally spoke: “Can I help you?”
A soft, tight grin spread on Eddie’s face as he nodded. “You can, yeah. I want a bouquet with very specific flowers.”
Steve raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded a little as he took a glance around his shop. “I’ve got a lot, hopefully I have everything you need. What flowers were you looking for?”
A smirk pulled at Eddie’s lips as he unfolded his list and cleared his throat. Eddie listed off: Red begonias, pink belladonna lilies, yellow carnations, lavender, black petunias.
Steve seemed oblivious to the flower types, but maybe he wasn’t thinking about it just yet, or maybe he was just being polite at the moment. Still, he was gathering up all the flowers Eddie listed off with ease, making one of the most beautiful, and yet strangely colored bouquets he’d ever seen. Eddie couldn’t help but smile a little as Steve handed over the final product, looking it over with playful mischief in his eyes. He could see a girl behind Steve taking a peak at what he’d just created, curious, before she met Eddie’s eye and then disappeared into the back room again. Girlfriend, maybe…?
Eddie shook it off a little and offered Steve the right amount of cash. “So, how’s business over here?” he asked with a soft grin. “Must be rough from how loud my music is.”
He caught Steve wincing softly, clearly putting two and two together immediately. “Right– that’s– I’m sorry… You did a good job on Dustin’s tattoo, by the way. It’s– I mean I would never get something like that, but,” Eddie frowned, “it was really cool.” Steve spotted his frown and winced again. “God, I didn’t mean it like–”
Eddie shook his head, waving him off. “Hey, it’s whatever. No big deal. You’re not a fan of my work. It does sting a little, though, Steve, because I have to say…” He took a pointed look around Steve’s shop and shrugged, “I’m a pretty big fan of yours. Was, anyway.”
Steve looked a little lost, then, like he knew he fucked up but didn’t know how to fix it. “You, umm… you like my flowers?”
Eddie chuckled a little and nodded. “I’m not the most outdoorsy dude on the block, but your flowers, all your plants, they’re beautiful. You clearly care about what you do.” A pause while Eddie lined up a new idea. “My ex-boyfriend was really into gardening, actually. Your shop reminds me of him.” A complete lie, but it would rile Steve up, and then he could call him out for his true sins.
Steve hummed a little, giving Eddie an awkward smile. “Sorry about that…? If it didn’t end well. Must suck having something you see everyday remind you of something like that.”
Well, that certainly wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. “No, it’s…” His brows furrowed a little before he composed himself again, shaking his head. “He was a good guy, it just didn’t work out. No harm.”
Steve’s smile grew just a little then, and he nodded. “Good. Maybe… someday they’ll just make you think of me?”
Eddie honestly didn’t know what to do with himself. “Sure… maybe.” Eddie narrowed his eyes a little, then nodded to himself before turning on his heels. “I’ll see you around, Steve. And I’ll try to keep the music down.”
Eddie could feel his heart racing in his chest as he took the few steps back over to the shop, not sure how to feel about what had just happened. Here Dustin had perfectly laid out how bad Steve was, and yet their brief interaction showed a Steve that seemed perfectly comfortable with him, even… sweet? Flirtatious? Kind? It didn’t make any sense.
He walked into the mostly empty shop and right up to Max, holding the flowers out to her. “Hey, Red, one small errand for you and you can do the next three tattoos, okay?” Her face went from annoyed to excited at the delayed offer, taking the flowers.
•••••••••••
All Steve could think about now was a man with long wavy hair who he had offended without even trying. He knew that he wasn’t particularly kind in how he’d talked about Eddie’s shop to Dustin, and clearly Dustin had told the guy about it, but the extent to Eddie’s irritation felt like he was completely missing something. As much as he didn’t have a great opinion about Eddie originally, he hadn’t actually met the man before, and now that he had... Steve wished he’d never complained. Wished he hadn’t screwed up with him before they even met, because meeting Eddie felt like the first breath after being suffocated. A little painful, forceful and rushed, but he needed it. And after he’d gotten his one breath he ached for more. Eddie was just so different from anyone else he knew – understandably so. He did make it a point for a while not to interact with people like the ones he found at Eddie’s shop. He was snarky, in a flirtatious sort of way, and his energy took up so much space. Steve loved that; his life had a tendency to feel rather empty .
He looked towards the door as a girl with flaming red hair walked in. He was briefly grateful for a distraction, but then he noticed she was holding the same bouquet his accidental enemy (and maybe now crush?) had just purchased. Huh…?
“This is for you,” she said, holding the arrangement out to him and waited for him to take it, the boredom clear in her voice.
He blinked, reluctantly reaching out for it and looking it over again before finally grasping it and holding it close to him. “For me…?”
“Yep. A gift from your friends next door,” she said cheekily, giving him a smirk, and headed right back out.
Steve was stunned. He didn’t know what to do, or what this really meant. He thought the man hated him, or at least was upset with him. But instead… he gave him flowers? Flowers that he bought from Steve. Steve was very confused. He took a brief moment to smell them, a gentle smile tugging at his lips before he brushed his fingertips gently against the petals of the petunias. There was a deep pride he held in the life he created, as ridiculous as it sounded. It was one of the only things that actually made him proud of himself, if he was honest. He spent so much time having no idea what he was passionate about, especially living in his parent’s house where something like gardening was very frowned upon. It grounded him, gardening. His father might’ve thought it was a feminine practice, but to Steve there was nothing really gendered about it. It was just… life. The soil that got under his nails, the sweat on his brow from being out in the sun for long, the mix of smells, a hint of manure and the gentle perfume of his flowers. There was no better feeling than starting with something so small as a seed and being able to nurse it into something beautiful, especially now that people actually paid for those little lives. The pure joy some people showed just to walk in and see all the green and splatters of colors blended in. Nothing made him happier. Except… well, maybe this. It was the first time in his life his joy had been gifted back to him, or any flowers for that matter. Someone actually thought he was worthy of being given something so beautiful.
Robin emerged from the back and her brows raised as her gaze reached the bouquet. “What happened?” she asked gently, hopping up on the counter beside him.
He looked towards her and smiled softly, reaching around under the counter to find a receptacle for them. “Apparently they were for me,” he said, almost like a question. “I don’t really know why. Is it…” He set a vase in front of him and delicately placed the bouquet inside. “Do you think he likes me?”
Robin was already looking at him like he was completely missing something, which only left Steve more confused. She gave him a soft pat on the shoulder and a sigh before she fished her phone out of her pocket and flipped through it. She then cleared her throat and read off the list of flowers in the bouquet.
He blinked at her before looking around the empty shop as if one of the nonexistent customers had the answer to Robin’s behavior. “And why did you write them down?”
She groaned and gestured to the bouquet. “Because it’s a very specific order. He knew every flower he wanted, and if you didn’t notice, it’s kind of a strange combination. So then I remembered that flowers have meanings, and I decided to look them all up. I think he’s using the Victorian meanings– there’s obviously lots of different symbolism for things across eras and all that but Victorian is the most commonly known I’m pretty sure, and the flowers he picked match up with some of the lists for that I found and… Sorry, Steve, but all these aren’t very nice.”
Steve frowned softly, looking back to the bouquet and feeling something in his chest tighten. “Aren’t nice how?”
“Well… the begonias are for dark thoughts, the belladonna lilies are for silence, the carnations are for disdain, the lavender is for mistrust, and petunias are for resentment and anger,” she explained gently.
Steve’s heart shattered in his chest, his newfound joy stolen from him. “So basically he hates me.”
Robin nodded softly. “That about covers it, yep.”
Steve sat with that for a second, then shrugged softly, sadly, and proceeded to find water for them. They were still his flowers, and they were still beautiful, as much as it stung that someone was trying to use them against him.
“That sucks,” he replied, summing up the hole in his chest in two simple words.
Robin gently tilted her head at him, handing him a watering can that was sitting just beside her. “You okay?”
Steve shrugged again, taking it from her and squeezing her hand after. “I guess. Just… sucks, I don’t know.”
Robin nodded and observed him for a moment, watching him gently tend to his flowers. “Do you like him then?” she asked, unable to drop this.
He made a soft noise of irritation, but didn’t bother brushing her off. She was going to keep bugging him, and his emotions were boiling and he didn’t know what to do with them. “Maybe… Might’ve. I mean, I only just met the guy, but,” he gestured to the flowers, “I’d be a bigger idiot than everyone thinks I am if I still liked him after this, right?”
Robin just shrugged, poking Steve’s cheek. “Not necessarily. I heard some of what he was saying and… I’m not gonna say you deserved it, because you’re my best friend and it felt like there’s something else under what was going on with that, and he also went a little too far with it, probably without even knowing it. But … you have been kind of making assumptions about him before you guys actually met. I think you should at least talk to him. Sort all this out, you know?” she offered with another shrug.
Steve repeated his noise, but a little louder. “You literally said that one of the flowers was for silence , do you really think he wants to talk to me?”
She shrugged again, then hopped off the counter to give him a bone-crushing side hug. “Won’t know until you try.”
Steve took a deep breath and nodded, deciding Robin was right. He turned in her arms so he could hug her back, keeping the squeeze of his arms comfortable. “Okay… here I go.”
Robin blinked, and he realized in an instant that she didn’t necessarily mean right then , but he’d already made up his mind.
Yes , he kind of deserved it, but Eddie didn’t realize the nerve he struck by using his own flowers for the gesture. He pecked Robin’s cheek before heading out, marching right into the shop and leaning on the counter, much like Eddie had to him not long before, only Steve wasn’t hiding the sting and upset on his expression like Eddie had.
It was the first time he’d ever been inside the shop, and if he was honest it wasn’t quite what he was expecting. He’d been able to see the lobby from the sidewalk, but he never really looked past a couple glances. The space seemed to be the same size as his own shop, which made it interesting how much differently it felt just from the different ways they used the spaces. The walls were black, that part wasn’t surprising, but what covered them was: each artist had pieces of theirs hanging around to display their styles, there were varying band posters and signed pictures of varying celebrities that Steve didn’t recognize, frames with what he was pretty sure was considered fan art of cartoons and various nerdy things he knew Dustin was into. He definitely understood why Dustin liked it here– he could feel that same energy his own shop held, that there was the love and passion of everyone who worked there making it fun and welcoming and dear fucking god Steve was an idiot for judging this place so intensely.
Eddie blinks over at him, clearly stunned Steve had the nerve to come into his shop. “Can I help you?” he asked with a raise of his brow, and there was a hint of something on Eddie’s face that Steve couldn’t read.
“Did you have to use my flowers?” Steve asked with a frown, deciding finally on crossing his arms instead of leaning against the counter to put more space between them.
Eddie frowned right back, coming around the counter to meet him. There were a couple people getting tattooed, but luckily Eddie was free, and even more luckily Eddie’s loud (less loud than usual) music distracted from their budding argument. “Do you tell everyone who comes in your shop not to come to me for tattoos, or just your best friend?” he countered.
Steve faltered, brows furrowing a bit as he looked over Eddie’s face. “I don’t talk about your shop to anyone else,” he mumbled out, frowning.
Eddie looked ever so slightly relieved, though still less than impressed. “I can’t tell if that makes it better or worse knowing that you’re not vocally homophobic, just to your friends.” Steve… was very confused. “On one hand, it’s kind of deceiving–”
Steve shook his head, having to close his eyes for a moment in an attempt to process what Eddie was saying. “No, hang on, shut up for a second– what about me makes you think I’m homophobic ?” he demanded. What did Dustin say???
Eddie’s expression suddenly turned very puzzled, then uncertain, then puzzled again. “You don’t like my flag,” he pointed out.
His flag…? What…
Oh.
Steve squished up his face a little, actually letting out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, not your pride flag, dumbass. One of your other ones. The ‘don’t tread on me’ one.”
Eddie’s brows raised, any and all hints of malice vanished. He then laughed in return, though much harder, rubbing his face after. “Oh, fuck, Steve ,” he replied, snickering through his words. “I’m gonna need you to go take a closer look at it, big boy.”
Steve’s brows furrowed immediately, wondering why he would want to look at a flag like that closer. Still, it would be a weird request if it was indeed what Steve thought it was, so he obliged. He walked over to the flag in question, which was hung on the wall in the lobby just above the couch, having to look at it for a moment before he slapped his hand over his mouth to hide the brewing laughter.
To his defense, it did look exactly like a regular don’t tread on me flag from a glance, but upon really looking at it, he discovered that the snake had its tongue hanging out and was blushing, and it read PLEASE DON’T TREAD ON ME I’LL CUM :-(
When Steve made his way back over to Eddie, he’d given up on hiding his laughter, and he was pleased to see that Eddie was looking at him like… well, he didn’t know how, but it felt warm. He had to gather himself a bit before giving Eddie a gentle smile and shaking his head.
“Okay, that’s… actually really fucking funny. I’m sorry Dustin made it seem like I’m a homophobe, cause I’m definitely not. But …” He cleared his throat a little and nodded, steeling himself a bit. He was more than relieved that Eddie’s perception of him had been fixed, but it didn’t change that his feelings had been hurt. “That still doesn’t make it okay to use my flowers against me.”
Eddie inched a brow toward his hair at him, more curiously than anything, and tilted his head at him. “I… no, yeah, I won’t do that again, but… I don’t get it. They’re just flowers . I figured if I was going to get a message across, you’d understand those the best.”
Steve lost some of his fuel, and yet felt his flame burn hotter at the same time. So Eddie hadn’t been trying to be outwardly cruel, he had been attempting to speak Steve’s language… but he was still wrong. “Yeah, but they’re not just flowers,” he argued, shaking his head a little. “They’re life . My life.” My anchor .
Eddie’s whole demeanor changed then, swaying back a little before he leaned forward again, right back into Steve’s personal space.
“Your plants… they really are very important to you, aren’t they?” Eddie said a little softer, a shining of understanding in his eyes.
Steve nodded gently, loosening his arms a little and looking back and forth between Eddie’s eyes. Such warm eyes for a man who covered himself in darkness. “They really are,” he replied, just as soft.
Eddie nodded, leaning onto the counter then so they were perfectly face to face, closer than Steve had had someone in… too long. “That’s how I feel about my art, sweetheart,” he offered, and Steve got it. That sharp, twisting feeling he’d had seeing his flowers used for hurt, that must’ve been how Eddie felt having someone try to talk badly about his work.
Steve let out a gentle sigh and let his arms drop to his sides, opening himself up. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, genuinely. “I shouldn’t have judged your place… or you.”
Eddie looked over his face, letting him stew for a few moments before a sweet smile spread, revealing Steve’s new favorite dimples. “Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I really am. Won’t happen again.” He held a hand to his chest and raised the other, a silly gesture of a promise.
Steve let out a happy sigh, beaming at him and nodding. “Apology accepted,” he agreed. “So… are we cool, then?”
Eddie nodded. “We’re cool.”
•••••••••••
Steve looked up from the counter as he caught motion past the glass storefront and his breath caught with it as he spotted– him . Eddie really was radiant, if he let himself think it. Like a panda joy lily. He was going to just look away, force his gaze not to linger, but Eddie held it confidently as he stood there. Eddie gave him a soft smile, then a gentle wave, and Steve couldn’t help but give one right back before Eddie finally headed for his own shop. Such a small thing, but it set a fire inside of him. And it was like that every day after, same routine. Steve was already set up when Eddie would get to the shop, and Eddie would stand just beyond the glass, waiting for Steve to notice him so he could give that smile and wave before he was off. It was stupid, insignificant– except it wasn’t insignificant at all, not to him.
Steve jumped as he turned towards the counter and Robin was directly in his way, only inches away from him. “ Jesus , Rob, you scared the shit out of m–”
“Are you ever going to ask him out?” she said.
He was stunned. “You… w…” He shook his head, then frowned. “We’re taking it slow,” he said, as if this was a discussed thing. As if they’d talked a single time since the day they met.
Robin just gave him a look, of course knowing how bullshit of an answer that was. “Babe, a smile and a wave a day is a little extreme for taking it slow ,” she teased. “You two are clearly into each other, so just ask him out! I’m tired of seeing this weird pining that’s happening.”
Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish before he huffed and crossed his arms.
“I don’t know… I mean, yeah, he smiles at me like…” He couldn’t help but grin softly to himself just picturing it, then shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean he’s into me . He could just be a seriously nice dude and… I don’t know, want to be nice to me but not actually want to talk to me?” Did that even make sense? He wasn’t sure. But all it took was a look from her and he could tell that Robin was sick of his shit. Lovingly. He groaned a little and rested against the counter, head in his arms. “ Okay , okay, I’ll go… talk to him.”
She immediately perked up, patting him on the head. “Atta boy. You’ll have a date in no time.”
So Steve went over to the tattoo shop, hands shaking a little with nervousness. Yes, sure, there was flirting that was had before (he thought so, anyway), and Eddie did make a point to acknowledge him every day, but it hadn’t been all too long ago that Eddie fully thought he was homophobic, so what were the odds he would actually be interested in dating him?
When he walked through the doors and made eye contact with Eddie, Steve’s nerves melted away. Eddie’s face lit up like a fucking Christmas tree, one of those big ones you see in malls or town squares or whatever. There was no way Eddie could look at him like that when he was still harboring any sort of disdain for him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Eddie called to him, immediately heading for him, like there was a magnetic force tethering them together. “What can I do for you?”
Steve let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, smiling gently as he allowed himself a moment to just… look at him. His hair was perfectly mussed, not in the way Steve’s was, but in a much more chaotic way. Eddie’s layers were fluffy, and it was beautiful even if it looked as though he hadn’t washed it in a couple of days, and his waves made his hair poke out in random places. Steve wanted more than anything to take pieces of it and twirl it around his fingers like the fine leaves of the maidenhair fern. Eddie’s eyes were big and round and so, so warm, probably the most beautiful shade of brown he’d ever seen. His smile… Steve had practically memorized the soft, gentle one he received every morning, but this smile made his knees buckle. It was bright and genuine and he had to be the luckiest person on the planet to have such a smile directed at him. Not to mention his lips …
Eddie tilted his head a little, his brows lifting to turn his expression more curious. “Uhh… earth to Steve? You doing okay?” Whoops. He might’ve gotten carried away.
Steve laughed breathily and rubbed the back of his neck, forcing his gaze down for a moment to break his own trance before locking eyes with Eddie again. “Sorry, yeah, I just…” This was it. He could take the leap. “I came over to ask if you’d want— I mean I don’t want to assume anything but,” Good fucking job, Steve , “do you want to go out with me sometime?”
Eddie’s face contorted at that and Steve could already feel something cracking in his chest. Fuck , had Robin read this wrong? Were Steve’s insecurities correct? “Is that… that’s a joke, right?” Ouch .
Steve shook his head, brows furrowing. “ No , no, it’s not—“
Eddie cut him off, holding a hand up. “I get what you’re doing and it’s… it’s really okay, man, I believed you before. You’re not homophobic. Point made. It’s fine.”
Steve didn’t even know what to say to that, mouth flapping stupidly. He’d gotten shot down before, plenty of times, but this felt different. This hit hard . It felt like the ground was falling out from under him, could practically feel the cement shifting beneath his feet. He didn’t know what to do, he just had to get out . He mumbled something along the lines of yeah, sorry, thanks, but he couldn’t remember the words the moment they left his lips. He booked it back out the way he came and didn’t stop until he got in his car and made it all the way back home. He could apologize to Robin later, there was simply no way he could face the public after such a tragic disaster.
Once he was settled in his driveway, he took a breath before going inside. It had been a long time since he’d had to face a rejection that affected him this much , so he started making himself some soup as if the pain he felt was just a sickness. Ultimately though, he only made it through about three spoonfuls before he gave up on trying to exist through this and instead went up to his room and curled up in bed. Steve pulled the covers in close and tucked his face into them, shutting his eyes tight and attempting to relax. A nap would do him some good, probably. At the very least, he’d be unconscious through the brunt of it.
•••••••••••
It had been a full day since Steve had pity-asked him out and Eddie was still feeling… weird. Bad . He was positive that Steve was just trying to show that he was a good dude, potentially whilst teasing him for his budding crush on the guy, but… Steve didn’t exactly react well to the whole thing. There was a solid chance that he completely fumbled the bag on that.
As if to answer his internal questioning, the girl he’d previously suspected to be Steve’s girlfriend came bounding through his doors looking less than pleased with him. Before he could even speak, she was slamming her hands down on the counter and giving him the staredown of a lifetime. “Are you stupid or something?”
Well, that wasn’t what he was expecting at all. “Very often, yeah. What did I do?”
She quirked a brow at him, leaning back a bit. “You’re not funny. Steve’s upset, and something tells me you didn’t mean to be horrible to him, so I need you to either prove me right or promise me to never come near his shop again.” If they were in fact dating, Eddie would’ve totally understood.
Eddie frowned, looking over her impressively angry expression. “Steve’s upset?” No shit, Eddie . He knew he was, but Eddie was obviously too stupid to accept that Steve was this upset. “How was I horrible to him?”
She scoffed, balling up her fists and narrowing her eyes a little before letting out a heavy breath. “You like him don’t you? I’ve seen you stand outside for like a full five minutes waiting for him to turn around and see you. But he comes to ask you out and you turn him down?”
Oh.
Yeah… he was stupid.
Very very stupid.
“I didn’t…” know . He made a dumb assumption.
“You know… when he was in high school he was kind of an asshole. Known for it, too. But he grew , so much. He’s honestly the best guy you can know. And to have someone who only just met him think so badly of him…” Oh fuck . “Eddie, not only did you manage to break his heart, you made him think he’s still a huge dickhead.”
That was possibly one of the worst things he’d ever been told in his life. A single rejection, a guy he didn’t even want to reject, and he tore him apart. What the hell was wrong with him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head a little and furrowing his brow. Sorry felt like it meant nothing, but he didn’t know what else to say.
“Say sorry to him ,” she insisted, looking at him expectantly. “He’s out for the day, but lucky for you he’s a good person and he probably will forgive you if you show up tomorrow with an undeniably amazing apology.”
Lucky for him was right, but he was also partially lucky for this girl (whom he was now assuming was actually the best friend) putting him in his place. Eddie gave her a nod, confirming he would positively be making up for this absolute fuck up. Back to the internet he went.
•••••••••••
The hardest part about getting rejected by his next door neighbor was that it hurt just to be at work. Which sucked because that was supposed to be his safe place, and now he was on day two of no wave from Eddie and he wished he was at home.
He heard Dustin before he even had time to look up. “Steve, buddy, I need some help,” Dustin said urgently, rushing up to him.
Of course, Steve’s woes immediately got shoved to the back of his head to make room for his best friend. He perked up, concern crossing him immediately. “Yeah, of course dude, what’s up?”
“I need a bouquet!” Dustin slammed a piece of notebook paper down on the counter. A bouquet? That was the desperate help Dustin needed?
Steve narrowed his eyes a little at him, but nodded as he picked up the paper. He must’ve gotten the idea from Eddie or something. Pink, red, and white camellias, gardenias, red roses, red tulips. All stuff he had, no problem.
“What do you need this for?” he asked suspiciously as he started to move around his shop and collect the flowers. When he glanced back over at Dustin, the boy’s face went blank before he crafted a grin that Steve did not trust.
“Suzie’s coming to visit– didn’t I tell you that? I’m pretty sure I told you that– so I need this to give to her when she gets here.”
It was… believable. There was still something about how Dustin was behaving that was suspicious as hell, but against his better judgment, Steve would believe him. He was honestly too tired to question him further. “Yeah, okay. Flowers for your girlfriend, that’s real sweet of you dude. I guess I raised you right,” he teased half-heartedly.
Dustin nodded excitedly, his grin twisting into his more mischievous one, which only made Steve more suspicious of him. He held out a handful of cash to exchange for the bouquet. “You did raise me right, yep. I mean– at least as a teen. My mom did good for everything else, we can’t talk bad about my mom.”
“Oh duhh, I’d never talk bad about your mom, I love your mom,” Steve replied quickly, then waved off the money. “Dude, you don’t need to pay me.”
Dustin’s face fell a little, a brief panic passing his gaze, then he frowned and stuck the money out more insistently. “You’re running a business , Steve. Take my money .”
Steve finally grinned, chuckling a little as he grabbed Dustin’s wrist and shoved it away. “I might be running a business, dude, but you get the family discount. Which means you don’t have to give me money for me to help you with something like this, it’s one bouquet. ”
Dustin opened his mouth like he was going to protest, then seemed to think better of it as he shut his mouth, shrugged, and pocketed the money before he took the bouquet. “Thank you, thank you ,” he replied, smirking, and darted for the door without another word.
“What–” Steve watched him dip out and blinked, not really knowing what to do with that. Not that it was anything new for Dustin; the kid was a whirlwind. He just let out a sigh and shook his head, trying to busy himself again to avoid delving too deep into thoughts of Eddie and the single bouquet he’d ever gotten.
Steve had barely started mixing a watering solution before the door swung open again and he looked up–
And there Eddie was, looking as gorgeous as ever holding… the bouquet Dustin just got for him.
Oh .
Steve could’ve sworn his heart stopped just from the sight of him if he didn’t feel it racing . “Is that…?” he started, not able to finish his sentence. He could barely think straight, having Eddie actually there . With another bouquet.
Eddie smiled nervously at him, finally approaching the counter and holding it out for him.
“Yeah, it’s for you. I know it’s really fucking silly to keep getting flowers from you for you, but… well, I don’t really know any other flower shop and I’m pretty sure yours is the best anyway.”
Steve’s face heated slightly, finding the compliment to his shop infinitely better than any compliment he’d gotten on his looks. He smiled softly, cautiously, and gently took the bouquet from him. He looked over each flower, then back up at him. “This isn’t a mean one, is it…?”
Eddie shook his head quickly, a slightly shaky hand raising to brush back a strand of Steve’s hair. “No way, sweetheart, it’s… well, it’s an apology. It’s a confession. And it’s also a question.”
Steve blinked, stunned in place. Eddie touched him so delicately , like he was one and the same with his flowers. Something magnificent and worth taking good care of. “Well… the apology, I can accept. But… confession? What’s the question?”
Eddie smiled a little brighter and looked over Steve’s face. He felt particularly seen . “A confession that I have a huge crush on you. And I wanted to ask you, since you’re accepting my apology, maybe you’d want to accept how much of a fucking idiot I was before and go on a date with me?”
Steve’s heart was pounding away even harder in his chest now, to the point where he was worried Eddie could hear it. He’d never had someone treat him this way, ever . “You actually want to go on a date with me? Seriously?” he asked softly, his shy smile growing.
Eddie nodded, moving around behind the counter so he could wrap an arm around Steve’s middle. “Very much so. I just didn’t think there was a chance in hell you were actually interested in me.”
Steve was losing his mind a little having Eddie so close to him, only separated by the bouquet in his arms. He carefully set it down on the counter and beamed at
Eddie as he rested his hands on Eddie’s chest. “Are you serious? Dustin loves you, you’ve got so much energy, you’re passionate… not to mention you’re like rockstar hot,” he babbled, chuckling softly. “I didn’t really have a chance.”
Eddie observed him for a moment before giggling, nose scrunching cutely. “Rockstar hot, huh?”
Steve smirked, waggling his brows playfully and giving a strand of Eddie’s hair a playful tug. “You’ve definitely got the look.” He couldn’t help but laugh at himself, his overly flirtatious bit melting into pure comfortable joy. A moment passed before he realized– “Hold on… did Dustin give you your money back? Cause I definitely didn’t charge him.”
Eddie’s mouth fell open for a moment before he bust up laughing. “No, he did not.”
Steve shook his head, thoroughly amused. “Figures. That kid…”
Eddie shrugged, a few more snickers slipping out. “Hey, man, you gotta respect the hustle. I’ll consider it payment for helping me out.”
“Mm… fair enough. He was a smart choice to keep it a surprise.”
Eddie’s face softened, and a comfortable silence fell between them for a few moments before suddenly Eddie was leaning forward and their lips were touching and Steve felt like the world was spinning around him. It took him only a moment to return the kiss, slipping one of his arms around Eddie’s neck to keep him close. He didn’t know how long it lasted, he was so caught up in the whole thing, but it was undoubtedly the most exciting kiss he’d ever experienced. He wanted more of them, preferably forever as insane as it felt to think.
Steve let out a breathy chuckle once their mouths had parted, gently brushing their noses together. “Yeah, we definitely need to go on that date.”