Chapter Text
It had been a long time coming. Steve knew that. He’d been working towards it for months. New content almost every day, multiple private requests weekly on top of the classic weekly stream. It was expected to happen relatively soon.
However, he definitely didn’t expect the notification to appear across his monitor as he just so happened to be riding his favourite pink dildo into oblivion. A small spattering of confetti flew across his stream as moans tumbled out of his lips, the heat in his stomach growing ever so strong. He smiled softly as he wrapped his free hand around his aching cock. He couldn’t help but hiss at the moment of friction as he started to move his wrist in time with his thrusts. A mix of curses fell from his lips as he watched the comments stream in. Each one encouraged, almost begging him to cum for them. A small smirk played across his lips as he felt the heat in his stomach start to reach its peak.
“A present for you all,” Steve whined, forcing the words out as his legs started to shake, “For helping me reach my goal so quickly.” Just as the final word left his lips, he felt his cock twitch in his grip. The telltale sign of just how close he was. He sped up, letting the dildo nudge that familiar spot inside him over and over as he worked himself over with his palm.
His thumb ghosted over the head of his cock, just as he felt his stomach tense. His lips fell open as his eyes clenched shut, a loud groan escaping as he ceased all movement, letting himself reach his climax. He felt his cum spurt across his hand, across his chest and his bed.
Fuck. That was going to be a bitch to clean up.
A flurry of dings echoed throughout the room as comment after comment came flying in. His eyes trailed across them, picking up on the mass of ‘good boys’ and ‘you did so well, scoops.’ A small smile played across his lips as he took a deep breath.
With shaky legs, he slowly pulled himself up and off the bed, just giving himself enough room to clutch the lube-covered pink plastic and move it towards the side. The comments were still racing in, each one congratulating him on reaching his subscriber goal and he felt the praise wash over him, small goosebumps teasing across his bare arms and chest.
“Thank you all, again, for one thousand subscribers. I never thought I’d reach one hundred, let alone this,” Steve whispered, making sure to keep his angle right as he spoke. Just below the nose, showing off his swollen pink lips as he spoke, “If you’re new here, I’ll have a little surprise for everyone on the next stream. Just a little token of my appreciation, so make sure to tune in. I’m Scoops and it’s been lovely to serve you. I’ll see you pervs next week.” His hand shook slightly as he reached out to cover the camera, immediately letting his other hand meet his mouse to end the stream.
A small sigh fell out of his lips as a smile graced them. He’d fucking done it. Robin was going to be so proud of him.
He’d started streaming as a means to an end, he had to pay for his degree and he didn’t exactly have the time to work a conventional job. It had fallen into his lap when Robin had jokingly suggested that he should start an OnlyFans. She quickly realised that Steve was actually thinking about it when the silence between them became deafening but she had been supportive from the beginning, almost taking on the role of his manager. It just made sense honestly.
Steve’s thoughts were interrupted by a series of knocks ringing through the wooden door before it swung open to reveal Robin, arms full with a large bottle of water and a ziplock bag of carrot sticks. He immediately stuck his hands out, gesturing for the carrot sticks and a laugh escaped her lips as she passed them to him. He grinned as he pulled it open. Fuck, he hadn’t realised how hungry he really was. The stream went a tad longer than usual and he didn’t like to eat beforehand. It always made it slightly more painful, and while he loved a bit of pain, that was just a bit too much. “Jesus, you were loud today,” Robin commented, gently pushing the pink dildo away as she took a seat on the edge of the bed, “Went over time as well, are you okay?”
Steve laughed lightly before taking a long swig of water, his aching throat starting to soothe. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m pretty okay Robs. I fucking hit one thousand,” He spoke, watching as Robin’s face lit up, “Didn’t think it was going to actually happen but it finally did.” He took another long sip of water, preparing himself for the loud celebration that was about to burst out of his best friend.
Throughout what seemed to feel like his entire life, she had been the one person who had always been so endlessly supportive of him. She’s been there the day he was kicked out by his parents, one phone call and she’d turned up at his doorstep ready to help him pack. It had always been Robin.
“HOLY SHIT STEVE!” She cried, attacking him with a familiar, tight hug but she very quickly pulled away, a disgusted expression across her face and Steve burst out laughing “I. I forgot that you were just- ugh.” The celebration had clearly been cut short as Robin started to rub her hands against the bed, trying to remove whatever she thought was contaminating them.
“Uh, Robs, I don’t know if the bed is the best place for you to clean yourself off.” Steve pointed out, shoving a few carrot sticks into his mouth as he watched Robin’s jaw fall open. He couldn’t help the fact that he was messy. It was part of the job. Her face contorted even more as she pushed herself up off the bed.
“You’re so gross, Harrington. Why the fuck would you let me sit here for so long? Go fucking shower or something and then change your gross-ass bedsheets,” Robin demanded, picking up Steve’s robe from the back of his door and throwing it towards him, “Oh, I made the appointment by the way.”
Steve quirked his eyebrows as he pulled the silk robe over his spent body. “When did you make the appointment? You only just found out I hit my goal,” He questioned and Robin smirked before shrugging lightly. She had always been tricky.
“I have my ways,” She teased, “I made it like three weeks ago. I knew you’d hit it this month.” Steve couldn’t stop the small smile that teased across his lips as his stomach flipped. He couldn’t help the fact that he was a sucker for praise, no matter who it came from. It helped that Robin knew that. His subtle craving for praise and approval. She had no problem leaning into it, reminding him how proud of him she was. He loved it. He loved her. “Go shower, dingus. You smell like sex.”
A loud laugh escaped his lips as he pushed himself off the bed, letting his shaky legs ground themselves on the hardwood floor. Robin quickly collected the empty water bottle, along with the ziplock bag before shuffling out of Steve’s bedroom, letting him trail behind. Steve took a quick detour, letting his feet meet the cold tiles of the small bathroom that they shared.
Their apartment had been an incredible find. A two-bedroom fixer-upper just near the University they both attended. It was perfect for them. It worked. Steve’s robe slowly fell off his arms, tumbling onto the tile as he turned on the shower, silently praying that the building’s hot water hadn’t been completely used up yet. A few seconds later, a trail of steam started to fill the small room and a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he climbed into the hot stream, letting it fall upon his aching back. He never expected OnlyFans to be this physical. Well, he had, just not in the way it really was. He definitely didn’t expect the never-ending lower back aches from presenting himself to the camera daily but it was worth it for the perfect shot.
He took his time, letting the water fall into his hair and washing the sweat and grime away. He made sure to take his time washing away the last of the lube that was clinging to his skin. While it was cherry flavored, his favourite, he didn’t particularly like the smell or feeling of leftover lube hours later. Once he felt sufficiently clean, he stepped out of the steam and wrapped himself with one of the fluffy towels he and Robin had invested in.
The entire apartment was filled with cheap IKEA furniture but there were a few things they’d both agreed to splurge on, towels being one of them. As he padded back to his bedroom, he smiled at Robin who had taken up her place on their small couch, keeping his cushion free. He quickly pulled on the pair of pink track pants and the oversized white hoodie he had stolen from an ex-hookup. His ‘after stream uniform’ as Robin had dubbed it. He liked being comfortable, what could he say? After collecting his laptop, he slowly padded his way back towards the living room and took his rightful spot on the couch, just opposite Robin.
Steve flicked his eyes up towards the small TV to see what Robin was so focused on and quickly recognised the previous week's episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. A giggle fell out of his lips as he remembered the queen who happened to go home was one of Robin’s favorites, he’d have to vacate the room before they reached the lipsynch. No one wanted to be around Robin when her favorite queen was sent home. Letting the drag queens become a steady background noise, he flipped his laptop open before quickly entering his password.
The screen lit up with a photo of him and Robin, the day they left Hawkins. Dustin had insisted on taking a picture to document ‘the day they had abandoned him’ which Steve had greatly protested but was quickly bullied by the entire party into posing and smiling for a few seconds. He was glad they’d all yelled at him. It was one of his favorite photos. A small sigh escaped his lips. God, he missed the kids. It wasn’t that long until summer break and he knew they were all coming up to Indy for a few weeks but it wasn’t the same as when he used to drive them everywhere every day. He’d hated leaving them behind but they knew he had to leave, it wasn’t safe for him in Hawkins anymore.
He quickly navigated to his already open tab, letting his eyes trail across the mass of notifications and messages. He couldn’t help but smile as each person praised him for an incredible stream, excited to see what he had in store for the next week. A little voice in the back of his head tried to tell him to check what private video requests he had but he was able to shut it up. It wasn’t time for work, thank god.
He had learnt the hard way what happened when he focused too heavily on his work. Robin had only described him as irritable and he couldn’t disagree. He needed to keep an even balance and the schedule she had created for him helped immensely. After a stream, it was purely time to relax and do something fun. If he even tried to mention work, he’d get a smack up the head from Robin before she grinned at him, insisting that they played a round of MarioKart and Steve could never refuse.
He closed the tab, letting the praise wash over him as he quickly typed in the next website he needed to check. A soft pink took over his screen as he entered his log-in details, the email he used specifically for OnlyFans and his password which he had always thought was genius but Robin had guessed on the first try. Apparently using your last name and your high school nickname as your password wasn’t an overwhelmingly smart decision.
The website reloaded and his screen was quickly replaced with multiple photos of older men, each one with classic spiels attached underneath. His gaze hovered over the bell icon in the corner, a tiny ‘36’ was lit up in red and a small sigh fell out of his lips as he hovered over it. The screen lit up with a mass of messages and Steve slowly started to work his way through reading them.
Just like he never expected himself to be a glorified porn star, he never expected that his daily routine would include checking a website created purely for the purpose of finding rich old men to spoil him. What could he say? He knew that he was pretty, he already used it in one way and he knew he may as well take advantage of it as much as he possibly could.
“How’s the search going?” Robin asked, drawing his attention away from the screen. Steve scoffed lightly before shaking his head. The search was going absolutely horridly. He’d only gone on one date and it had ended with Steve excusing himself to the bathroom to sneak out the back of the restaurant after the man had asked him how he felt about moving in with him. His skin crawled at the thought of the way his hand had trailed across his ass as they walked over to the private table. Safe to say, he was quickly blocked as soon as Steve arrived home.
“Oh my god Robs, listen to this message I just got,” Steve giggled, drawing Robin’s attention away from the TV for a few seconds, “Okay, wait let me get into character.” A smile teased across her lips as Steve adjusted himself on the couch, rolling his neck from side to side a few times before clearing his throat. “What is such a pretty thing like you doing on this side of the web? Looking for a daddy to take care of you, little one?” He spoke, voice gruff as he imitated what he expected the man in the images to sound like. His eyes flicked up to Robin, trying to gauge her reaction as her face started to contort.
“Jesus, do all men speak like that Steve? How the fuck do you do this?” She questioned, shaking her head slightly. He just laughed in response as he quickly deleted the chat offer from the man. He checked the other requests he’d received overnight and they all seemed to follow the same template. Compliment him, and call themselves his daddy before adding a creepy ass pet name at the end. It was so predictable and yet each one sent a new set of chills across Steve’s skin.
“We need the money Robs. As much as I love streaming, I don’t make enough just yet to live off. I’m not losing the flat or falling into too much debt with University. If it means I have to sit through a few dates with these men old enough to be my grandfather, I can do that,” Steve explained quietly, letting his eyes hover over the screen as he searched for someone acceptable enough. He heard a small sigh fill the space between him and Robin, “Plus, I promise I won’t go out with anyone too creepy. I may need money but I still have my standards.” The slight joking tone in his voice broke the tension as Robin’s laugh fluttered through the space, shoving him slightly.
“Thank god,” She teased, “I may be a lesbian but I can still appreciate a good-looking man, so show me the options.” He shuffled closer to her as she held up the small blanket, encouraging him to join her underneath it. A small sigh of relief fell from his lips when Robin’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in close as she laid her head on his shoulder. Her finger slowly met the screen, pointing at a film photo of a man who looked like he was well into his sixties, “I like him. He has a cool aesthetic.”
“Robs, I have the feeling it’s not an aesthetic choice,” Steve giggled, starting to scroll through the man's account, “He looks like he doesn’t even know what a digital camera is!” Robin laughed loudly, echoing across the raw brick walls of their apartment as she pushed off his shoulder to point at the screen once again.
“Hey! That is the latest iPhone, give…” She cried before pausing to squint at the screen once again, “ARTHUR. Give Arthur some credit, okay? Just because you don’t care about aesthetics doesn’t mean that that old Artie doesn’t care as well.” Steve felt tears well in his eyes as loud laughs tumbled one after the other out of his lips, a strong ache developing in his stomach as Robin continued to ramble about how Arthur clearly had a strong understanding of aesthetics.
“FINE,” He finally forced out through his laughter, “Fine. I’ll respond to him.” Steve clicked on his profile and the screen quickly loaded up the messages tab on the website. Just as he clicked on Arthur’s name, the screen was immediately lit up with one of the worst dick pics that Steve had ever seen. His jaw fell open as he scrambled forward. Robin let out an anguished scream and slammed the laptop shut before Steve managed to. He couldn’t help but laugh as Robin pushed herself off the couch, a collection of curses falling out her lips as she stormed toward the small kitchen.
“I NEED TO BLEACH MY FUCKING EYES.” She cried as Steve attempted to calm himself down. This is exactly why he hadn’t let Robin help him in his search yet. He couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of her finding out that this is an almost daily occurrence. It never gets comfortable but he can't help but just sigh each time before blocking the account. He had to admit, he was surprised the first time, expecting the website to have some sort of filter to stop this from happening. After the fifth one he had received in one day, he quickly realised it definitely didn’t.
“Jesus Robs, you don’t think you’re being a tad dramatic?” Steve cried, hearing Robin let out another cry as she ran her eyes under the water, “It wasn’t even that bad!” It was bad, don’t get him wrong but it was clear that good old Artie had at least something to show off. He knew it would just be wasted words trying to explain that to Robin as she trudged back into the living room, a small frown plastered across her lips.
“You should burn that laptop,” She stated simply, climbing back under the blanket and cuddling up next to him, “I’m never going to forget that. I’m scarred for life and it’s all your fault, dingus. How dare you do this to me.” Steve smirked at her, pulling her into a tight hug as he placed the laptop on the small coffee table. He watched the colors play across their small TV for a few moments before slowly leaning towards Robin.
“Salina goes home,” He whispered delicately in her ear, “Just so you know.” Steve immediately pulled himself off the couch, just in time to miss the hard hit that Robin threw. He watched as her fist met the mangled cushion and his jaw fell open as her eyes fell onto him.
“Fuck you, Harrington,” Robin spat, her eyes squinted as he let a small laugh fall out of his lips, “Oh? You think this is funny? I’m going to log into your laptop and leak every single photo you’ve ever posted. Do you still think it’s fucking funny?” He couldn’t stop himself from bursting into loud laughter. He knew Robin would never cause him any harm, just like he knew he’d never cause her any damage. They were incapable of hurting each other, it would hurt themselves more than the other one. “Fuck you. Don’t talk to me for the rest of the night.” She sulked, turning back to the TV with a slight pout on her lips.
“I’m going to get in bed and pass out, Buckley,” Steve smiled, collecting his laptop from the coffee table as he felt Robin’s eyes burn into the back of his head, “What time are we leaving here tomorrow?”
“We have to leave at eleven but be ready at ten so I can make sure you eat,” She grumbled, yanking the blanket closer towards her before cuddling further into the couch, “Love you.” She whispered, eyes trailing towards his figure to confirm that he had heard it. Steve felt his face flush at those two words.
“Love you too Robs.” He responded before padding back towards his room. He flung the door open before he placed his laptop on his desk. His body was still aching slightly as he pulled the track pants off, just leaving him in his boxers and the large hoodie. He could feel his eyes drooping as he stumbled towards his bed.
God, there weren’t many things that took it out of him like a stream does. He understood the physical ache but the mental discomfort took him by surprise the first few streams. Robin had once pointed out that he played a clear character, it wasn’t completely him. It was an amplified version of himself. She said that would have to be draining to keep up for three hours every week and he quickly realised that’s exactly what the mental drain was. Robin’s voice echoed in his head, reminding him to change his sheets as he pulled the duvet over his body. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d slept in the dirty sheets, what’s one more night? He’d change them tomorrow. His eyes started to flutter shut, despite his wishes for them to open one last time and sleep quickly overtook him.
–
Steve’s alarm echoed off the raw brick walls as his eyes slowly fluttered open to stare at the peeling paint of his ceiling. A grumble escaped his lips as he threw the soft duvet to one side of his bed, pushing himself to place his feet on the hardwood floor and finally stand up. He silently cursed Robin for booking the appointment for the day after a stream as his muscles ached. She’d always told him he needed to start stretching every day if he was going to be hiking his legs up and over his shoulders so often and he had just laughed it off until this exact moment. The moment where he took a small step away from the bed and his leg just gave out from underneath him, forcing his knees to land against the wood. A loud groan fell out of his lips as the pain set in, fuck maybe he did need to listen to Robin more.
He heaved himself up off the floor and slowly walked towards the door, taking extra care with each step. He really didn’t need to stack it in front of Robin this morning, he knew she was already searching for revenge after his little spoiler last night and he couldn’t give her that satisfaction.
“Good morning sunshine!” Robin cried as Steve tumbled into the kitchen. She was already dressed, a cream cable-knit sweater paired with the pair of green corduroy pants that she had found last time they went thrifting. Her hands were wrapped around her favourite mug, the largest one in their small collection as she grinned at him.
It was a sight. Seeing Robin Buckley fully dressed before midday. Steve paused for a few seconds, slowly blinking at the image in front of him as he processed it. “You woke up on the right side of the bed, birdie,” He murmured, padding towards the coffee pot that was still steaming, “We’re leaving at eleven still?” She just nodded in response, humming as she pushed herself up and off the stool she was perched on. Just as he watched her feet meet the tiled floor, the toaster beside him popped up causing him to jump slightly. He knew he was normally out of it the day after a stream but this was a new low.
He collected his mug and grasped the coffee pot in one hand, watching as the cup slowly filled. Before he could even ask, Robin had already placed his vanilla creamer on the counter. A small smile graced his lips as he quickly twisted the top off, pouring a healthy serving into the mug. Not even a minute later, a small plate filled with toast was placed in front of him. “Eat. I don’t want you to pass out during the appointment,” Robin stated, pushing it towards him before she placed herself back down on her stool to enjoy her breakfast. Steve hummed as he took a bite, smiling at her with a thankful gaze. She always took care of him. “I don’t want you to embarrass me in front of the artist. He seems sick, and I don’t need you to taint my reputation,” She teased, each word dripping with a familiar tone. The tone she saved specifically for him. It was like they had their language. They’d often teased each other around friends before quickly realising they thought they were actually angry at each other. It just made sense for them, he couldn’t explain it.
Steve scoffed around his bite of toast, shaking his head before downing the last sip of his coffee. “What the fuck does one even wear to a tattoo appointment?” He questioned, trudging towards the sink that was slowly piling up with dirty dishes. He placed his mug and plate in the collection before turning back towards Robin who was finishing her piece of toast. She tapped on her phone a few times before swallowing the bite that she was working on.
“He just said to dress comfortably,” She provided, turning her phone off and sliding it back into her small bag, “So like a pair of shorts and a shirt? I don’t know Steve, I’ve never been tattooed.” Her last few words tumbled out her mouth as she stood up from her stool before starting to usher him back towards his bedroom. “You could wear your favorite pair of lace panties and I wouldn’t care. Just as long as you’re ready in the next twenty minutes.”
Steve laughed loudly before turning into his room. He immediately pulled the hoodie over his head, tossing it towards his slightly overflowing hamper in the corner of his room. The cool metal of the handle on his set of drawers met his hand as he pulled them open, searching for a clean pair of boxers. In his search, his hand fell upon a slightly fraying pair of his old basketball shorts. A grin teased his lips as he placed them across his shoulder. Comfortable. Tight. Perfect for the appointment.
The new pair of boxers quickly replaced his pair from the previous night before he pulled the shorts over the top. He could feel the way they were hugging his hips and he couldn’t help but smile. There was a certain kind of satisfaction Steve experienced occasionally. When he found something he knew just made him look too good. He loved dressing up. For himself, of course. He didn’t look this good for anyone else. He quickly pulled a white singlet over his head when he heard Robin call his name before grabbing a pair of sneakers, stuffing a pair of socks into them and running out into the living room.
“Jesus Christ Harrington, where did those come from?” Robin smirked and Steve could feel her eyes trailing across his ass, not that he cared anyway, “They look about three sizes too small for you.” He chuckled as he sat down on the couch, pulling on the socks before stuffing his feet into the already tied-up sneakers. He always forgot to untie his shoes, he’d just slip in and out of them. It was a nasty habit he had. Robin always yelled at him, insisting that it was just destroying the shoe faster but he always saved an extra minute so why would he stop?
“Hawkins gave me few good things, Robs,” He mused, collecting his keys from the side table near their front door, “You. The kids. And shorts that make my ass look incredible.” Robin burst out into laughter as he pulled the door open. “Now hurry up and get out of the apartment so we can go and make this ass look even better.” He demanded, gesturing towards the landing and she quickly skipped out of the room. Steve followed but not before he paused to triple-check that the door was locked behind him.
–
Despite Robin’s constant battle with technology, especially the maps app on her phone, they finally stilled as Robin’s phone announced they had arrived at their destination. Steve quickly located an empty parking spot and pulled into it as Robin pointed out the studio, just opposite them.
It was small with just one tall door as an entrance. The window was lit up with a bright neon sign that was displaying what Steve assumed to be a demon or devil of some kind. Painted across the glass beneath it were the words “Hellfire Tattoos” with a few extra painted details around it. Steve quickly noticed the D20 and couldn’t stop the smile on his face as he was reminded of the kids. His eyes fell upon the posters beneath the sign, clocking a few more D20s and some other DnD references he wishes he didn’t recognise. He paused to take a picture to send to the kids later. He can’t imagine how they’d react when they found out he was getting a tattoo. They probably wouldn’t believe him. He laughed lightly as he climbed out of the car, walking around the front to meet Robin.
“It’s cute,” Steve commented as Robin connected their hands before swiping through her phone with the spare hand. She paused on an email confirmation of the appointment before they slowly started to trail towards the door.
“Munson’s supposed to be incredible. He literally only works with high-profile clients,” Robin started to babble, “I wasn’t expecting him to have an opening but I guess I messaged on the right day because he had just had someone pull out.” Steve smiled at her while she spoke, watching as she got very excited about the different styles that this ‘Munson’ guy specialised in. He didn’t expect Robin to be a tattoo nerd but it wasn’t too out of character for her. She was studying art at their University so it made sense.
As they approached the glass door, Steve stepped forward to push it open before holding it open for Robin. She smiled at him as she entered the small shop. The walls were covered with framed art, each poster showing different designs that Steve assumed were available as tattoos. They all had the same distinct style. Had this Munson guy that Robin was talking about drawn these? He’d have to ask. He was quickly drawn out of his thoughts when he felt Robin’s hand smack against his side. He opened his lips to mutter a small sound of pain before he saw the pointed look in her eyes, flicking towards the desk at the front of the room. He slowly trailed his gaze towards it and quickly understood the panic on his best friend's face.
Placed just on top of the desk was a small red-headed girl. She was hunched over the iPad in her lap, tongue between her lips as she drew, completely focused on it. Her arms were completely covered in ink which Steve was expecting to be intimidating but at a closer look, he realised it was made up of flowers, butterflies and other insects. Each one colored with a collection of pastel colours, standing out against her bright hair. He felt Robin squeeze his hand slightly, trying to prompt him to speak and he chuckled slightly. God, she was a useless lesbian, wasn’t she?
“Uh, hi,” He finally spoke, breaking the silence in the shop and making the girl jump slightly as her legs tumbled out of the cross-legged position she was in, “Oh shit, fuck, sorry!” He rambled, pushing forward to help her off the desk before she tumbled off of it. He felt himself tense as he prepared to be cursed out but it never came. Instead, a small giggle fell out of her lips as she smiled up at him. He heard Robin’s sharp intake of breath as the small girl looked over at her. She had bright blue eyes that matched the blue jewels that were placed across her nose and lips.
“Sorry, I didn’t notice you earlier!” She grinned as she quickly placed herself back down on the desk and Steve slowly walked back towards Robin, letting her grip his arm again, “I get a bit distracted when I’m drawing. It’s like I go into another world, I just completely lose touch with reality honestly. Eddie’s always saying I’m off with the fairies, I’m trying to work on it.” Steve and Robin just both smiled back at her, a small sigh falling out of Robin’s lips as she grinned at her. “Anyway, you’re Eddie’s 11:30? Steve Harrington, right?” She questioned, clicking a few things on the iPad.
“Yeah,” Steve started to speak, “I’m Steve. This is Robin, my emotional support person.” He introduced the girl clinging to him and the redhead smiled at her. He immediately felt Robin’s grip tighten and he silently prayed he was less pathetic when he met men he found attractive. Deep down he knew he wasn’t but he could still pray.
“Nice to meet you both,” She spoke as she placed the iPad down next to her, “I’m Chrissy, the co-owner of Hellfire. I’m in charge of all admin shit and the occasional piercing if either of you are ever interested.” Steve smiled at her as she spoke. She just radiated happiness and it was instantly calming the nerves Steve didn’t even know he had yet. “So, it’s just the one tat today right?” She asked and Steve nodded in confirmation, “Perfect. I love your design! I have a really similar one actually, wait one second.” She rambled before jumping off the desk and turning around. He heard Robin take a sharp intake of breath before Chrissy hiked the pink shirt she was wearing up to reveal a pair of butterfly wings just at the bottom of her back.
“Those are beautiful,” Steve spoke, walking forward to look at them a little closer, “The detail is insane.” Chrissy giggled before letting her shirt fall again and turning back around. Steve flicked his eyes over to Robin who was still frozen on the spot, face flushed. She looked up at him and he widened his eyes slightly before looking over at Chrissy. Robin just smiled at her and Chrissy smiled back before chuckling slightly, a knowing chuckle.
“You think so?” A new voice entered the conversation and Steve’s eyes immediately searched for who it must belong to.
Holy shit.
Steve immediately reached out to grip the desk, his knuckles turning white with his grip as his eyes landed on the man standing in the doorway opposite him. They trailed across his figure, taking it in. He was tall. Taller than Steve, a few inches at least. He had long curly hair, half of it was pulled back in a small ponytail and his fringe lay flat across his forehead. Piercings. He had a lot of piercings. Steve immediately noticed the nose stud paired with the septum before trailing down to the set of lip piercings. Snake Bites, that was the name, right? Steve took a deep breath as he watched the man's tongue slip out to wet his bottom lip, a small piece of metal glinting in the light.
He couldn’t ignore the fact that he was covered in tattoos. He was wearing a tight white shirt, causing the ink to stand out. Steve didn’t think he could see a free spot of skin across his arms, every single inch had been covered. It clearly continued underneath his shirt as it peaked out the top of the collar, trailing up his neck and playing across his jaw. Steve felt like someone had just walked up to him and punched him in the stomach, the wind was completely gone. He could barely breathe. He heard a small giggle and he didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Robin. Steve’s eyes met the man's and he noticed the small smirk across his lips.
“Y-Yeah,” Steve finally spoke, hoping that no one acknowledged the prolonged silence he had just caused from his oogling, “Did you do them?” What a stupid fucking question. Of course, he did, fucking look at him.
The man chuckled lightly, nodding before slowly speaking, “Yeah. I did all of Chris’s,” He gestured slightly towards her as she did a little spin, showing off her sleeves and Robin giggled at the action, “I’m Eddie. It’s nice to meet you, Stevie. You ready to come back with me?”
Steve felt like he had been shot. He’d been punched while he was still down. He heard Robin stifle a laugh and he turned around, throwing a look in her direction. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am.”
“Perfect. Just follow me, doll,” Eddie stated, “Your emotional support human can come with us as well.” Those last few words were dripping with a slight teasing lilt and Steve’s face flushed as he realised that Eddie had been listening the whole time. He watched as Eddie turned on his heels to start walking towards his area and Steve’s eyes fell onto the black bandana hanging out of his left pocket. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew what hanky code was, he just didn’t know people still used it. He also didn’t know the exact meanings. Fuck, he’d have to google it later.
He felt Robin’s hand meet the small of his back as she pushed him forward, following after Eddie. “Why the fuck is everyone who works here attractive?” She muttered under her breath, and Steve couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fuck Robs, you’re the one who booked the appointment,” He pointed out, “This is on you for not doing your research.” They slowly entered the back area to see a tattoo bed placed in the middle of the room, a comfortable-looking armchair in the corner and one wall completely covered in more posters. Eddie had already placed himself down on a small stool and he seemed to be focused on the gun, fiddling with part of it before his eyes flicked up to the pair. He flashed a grin at them, two small dimples appearing on either side of the smile and Steve felt like his legs were about to give out underneath him.
How the fuck was he supposed to sit still for an hour while this man put his hands on him? How did anyone he worked on do it? He felt like he needed to be sedated or something. Just as he was about to turn on his heels and hightail it out of the store, Eddie’s ringed hand landed on the tattoo bed, tapping it lightly. “C’mon, get comfortable, love,” He rasped, “Emotional support human, you can take the armchair.” Steve’s face flushed at the pet name, it was the second one Eddie had let slip in the mere five minutes they’d been talking. Robin nodded quickly before falling into the armchair, curling up on her side to get comfortable. Steve tried to will his feet to move as he stared at the empty leather bed but he couldn’t do it. They were frozen, like someone had poured superglue all over the scuffed floor beneath him. Eddie smirked at him, his brows quirking as he stood up from his small stool.
Steve’s breath hitched in his chest as he watched Eddie trail towards him, his eyes stuck on the floor and Eddie’s platformed leather boots. They only added an inch or so. How fucking tall was Eddie? Steve wondered if that was an odd question to ask his incredibly attractive tattoo artist. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when he felt the cool metal of Eddie’s rings against his wrist, immediately jumping slightly as he realised that Eddie had wrapped his hand around Steve’s wrist. Jesus Christ. How fucking big were his hands? He watched as his pointer and thumb brushed against each other even though they were wrapped completely around Steve’s wrist. A small scoff got caught in his throat. He wasn’t small so Eddie had to be huge.
“Are you okay, honey?” Eddie asked softly, the first time Steve had heard him speak without his teasing lilt. “It’s normal to be nervous about your first tattoo,” He continued, a comforting air surrounding each word, “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Stevie. We can take as many breaks as you’d like, we’ll go slowly yeah?” Steve felt himself nod and Eddie flashed a smile at him before leading him towards the bed. “I’ll need you on your stomach,” Eddie explained and Steve laughed slightly. Of course, he would be on his stomach, he was getting a fucking tramp stamp. “Don’t laugh at me, Stevie! Some people don’t really think about it okay? Just lie down.” Eddie exclaimed, the teasing lilt back as he pushed Steve lightly towards the bed.
Steve finally obliged the tattoo artist as he placed himself face down on the leather bed. Eddie sat back down on his stool and wheeled himself over to be face-to-face with Steve. Steve couldn’t help but let his eyes trail across his face, he noticed the slight stubble painted across his upper lips and jaw. The small scar just below his right eye. He watched as Eddie’s tongue slipped out to wet his bottom lip, the black metal glinting in the light again.
“I’m just going to do the stencil, it may be a bit cold but try not to move around too much,” Eddie spoke, words dry in his mouth. Steve can’t imagine how much he delivers this exact same spiel every day. “We’re still good with it going at the bottom of your back yeah? Just … here?” Eddie asked and just as the last words tumbled out of his lips, his fingers trailed across Steve’s lower back. Just above the elastic of the shorts he was wearing. Fuck. The tiny, tight shorts he was wearing. He silently cursed past Steve for even thinking about wearing these. “Stevie? Is that all good?”
“Y-Yeah. Yeah that’s perfect,” He forced out, not missing the way his voice cracked on the first word, “Thank you.” He heard a small hum come from Eddie as he turned back towards his table, collecting the stencil in one hand.
“I just have to pull your shirt up, is that okay, honey?” Eddie asked and Steve simply nodded in response. His breath was caught in his throat as he felt Eddie’s hand delicately pull his white tank top up slightly to reveal his lower back. “Um, I may need to pull the shorts down slightly as well. Just a bit, is that okay with you Stevie?” Eddie’s voice was dripping with a certain awkwardness that Steve didn’t expect from him. He nodded again, slightly raising his hips from the bed in order to let Eddie shuffle the elastic of his tight shorts down. “Perfect. That’s perfect, Stevie.”
Fuck.
Steve let his forehead fall onto the leather below him as he heard Robin giggle from her armchair. He knew exactly what she was reacting to. She knew about his raging praise kink. All of their friends did. It was too easy to make his cheeks flush with a simple “good boy”, let alone hearing the words ‘perfect’ and ‘Stevie’ one after the other. Thankfully, it seemed that Eddie hadn’t realised the effect his simple words had had on Steve as he delicately placed the stencil on his skin. He pressed down on the thin paper with a damp cloth before pulling them both away.
“You wanna check it out, doll?” Eddie questioned and Steve just looked over his shoulder at Robin. She understood, pushing out of the chair to take a look at the placement of the stencil.
“Fuck, it’s perfect,” Robin remarked, “It looks really good, Steve.” He could hear the smile in her voice. He also knew if it looked like utter shit, Robin would say something.
“Sick,” Eddie smiled, “Let’s do this, Stevie.’ Steve heard Robin place herself back into the armchair and Eddie sat back down on his stool. “So, I’m going to do one line and then we’ll pause, make sure we’re all good and then keep going.” He stated, waiting for Steve’s approval and he gave it, nodding slightly. Steve turned his head so he was able to lie and face Eddie as he worked. He watched Eddie as he cracked his knuckles before he picked up the gun from his table, dipping the tip into the small pot of ink tacked down. “Ready?” He asked one last time, his brown eyes meeting Steve’s and he just flashed him a smile. Eddie took a deep breath, his tight shirt shifting as he did before he leaned over Steve’s body.
A sharp feeling broke out across Steve’s skin. It didn’t hurt but it was definitely uncomfortable. Nothing he couldn’t take though, he always liked a bit of pain. He laughed slightly at his own joke and Eddie paused, the buzz across his skin stilling. “I’m good,” Steve spoke, knowing that was what Eddie was waiting for.
Eddie grinned, “Knew you would be, honey.” He dipped the gun in the ink once more before the buzz broke out across Steve’s skin again. He took a deep breath as he attempted to relax himself into the bed. He heard Robin’s nails clicking across her phone screen mixed with the constant hum of the tattoo gun. It was quiet.
“So, dingus, any more luck overnight?” Robin asked, immediately cracking the calm silence of the studio. Steve’s eyes flicked over to Eddie’s form hunched over his back. “Oh fuck off Steve, I’m sure Eddie’s heard worse.” He heard Eddie scoff before laughing slightly.
“As long as you don’t fuck on my bed, I don’t care what you talk about. I’m a closed book, you don’t have to worry about me blabbing whatever I hear,” He spoke, wiping away the excess ink on Steve’s back before the hum of the gun started again.
“No, no more luck. Still, just gross old men,” Steve hummed, and Robin snorted lightly.
“I feel like that’s the job description,” Robin teased, “You wanted a sugar daddy who isn’t a gross old man? I have a feeling that’s pretty rare.” Steve rolled his eyes at her, lifting his arm ever so slightly but just enough to flip her off as he lay on the bed.
“You can totally tell me to fuck off, but what websites are you using, honey? That may be the issue.” Eddie quietly spoke, causing Steve’s head to lift off the bed and turn towards him and Robin. “Back down, please.” He added, voice gruff and Steve immediately followed the order while he attempted to process that the incredibly attractive person doing his tattoo had just asked him what websites he was using to find a sugar daddy.
“Uh, the normal ones?” Steve suggested and he just watched as Eddie raised his eyebrows at him, “Sugar Book and Ashley Madison.” A smirk played across Eddie’s lips as Steve spoke.
“Yeah, uh, you’re just going to find gross old men on there. Trust me,” Eddie lilted as he paused, placing the gun down for a moment, “Sounds like you’re just not looking in the right places, Stevie.” The hum of the gun started again, the buzz bursting across Steve’s skin. What the fuck did Eddie know about trying to find a sugar daddy? He heard a small noise come from Robin as he pressed his cheek back onto the bed. Where else would he even try to find one? He’d been on other websites and they didn’t work either. He couldn’t just walk down the street wearing a sign that said ‘I’M LOOKING FOR A SUGAR DADDY’. He would if he could.
The room fell into a comfortable silence. Robin swiped through her phone on the chair, Eddie working as Steve just lay on the bed. Steve could hear Eddie humming under his breath as he dragged the gun across his skin. He couldn’t help but wonder how Eddie had gotten into the industry, let alone own his own studio. Robin did mention that he only worked with high-profile clients so maybe that’s how. High-profile. What does that even mean? He wasn’t high-profile and yet here he was, laying on the tattoo bed as Eddie’s gun played across his skin. He wasn’t going to complain though. Why would he? Eddie seemed to be good at his job and it was just a bonus that he was incredible to look at.
Steve felt Eddie’s ringed hand drag across his lower back as he wiped away some excess ink once again. God, just one touch and Steve had goosebumps. Just as he was preparing for the buzz to start again but it never came. He looked over his shoulder as Eddie placed the gun back down on the small table and pushed his stool away from the bed. “You’re all done, doll,” He smiled, “You can get up and look in the mirror before I put on the second skin if you’d like.”
Steve grinned at him, feeling a faint pulse of pain in his lower back as he swung his legs off the bed onto the scuffed floor. There was a small mirror leaning up against the back wall, clearly placed so people were able to have a look at Eddie’s work. Steve turned before throwing his gaze over his shoulder. His jaw dropped slightly as he stared down at the ink on his lower back. A simple heart in line with his spine with a few swirls on either side. God, it was so slutty. “It’s perfect, holy fuck,” He sighed, turning to stare at Eddie who was still perched on his stool, a dopey smile painted across his face, “Thank you Eds.”
Steve didn’t miss the way Eddie’s grin grew as he spoke before he gestured for Steve to come back over to him. “I’m just going to cover it with some second skin. It’ll keep it protected for the next few days during the initial healing process,” He started to explain as he pulled out a piece of flimsy material, “Keep it on for three to six days. After that, swap to a cream daily. We can get you one out the front before you leave if you want.” Steve just nodded as Eddie spoke, staring at Robin. She sighed and started to write down everything Eddie had just said. He just laughed from his stool at the pair. “Oh shit,” He suddenly exclaimed, “Can I take some pictures for my Instagram? I like to post each tat I do. Totally fine if not!” The last few words tumbled out of his mouth in a panic and Steve giggled at him before nodding, turning around and holding his shirt up for Eddie to take a few pictures. “Perfect. I can tag you if you want?” He offered and Steve’s smile faltered.
Fuck.
Which Instagram account was he supposed to give him? His camming one was filled with provocative pictures and awkward poses but what if someone tracked down who did ‘Scoops’ tattoo and finds his personal account? He’d just have to deal with Eddie seeing his ass.
“Yeah. Yeah, sure. Uh, just a warning- my insta is a bit .. much. It’s for work.” Steve rambled as he took Eddie’s phone from his hands, typing in the username for his camming account. The account loaded and Eddie’s phone was suddenly covered in photos of Steve’s ass clad in various different colors of lace and boxers. He cringed slightly before passing it back to him. He watched as Eddie’s eyes widened before he tapped the follow button.
“Cool,” He grinned, “I’ll tag you when I post it.” Steve blinked slowly. He didn’t even mention it. Fuck. He didn’t even mention it. Steve looked over at Robin who was equally as shocked as she stood there, mouth agape. Eddie made quick work of laying the second skin over the tattoo before tapping Steve’s hand, signalling that he could let his shirt fall again. “We’ll just go out to the front to sort everything else out.”
Steve linked arms with Robin before following Eddie out of the room. Chrissy was in the same place, perched upon the small desk with the iPad in her lap as she scribbled away. “Chris, we have couches for a reason. You don’t have to sit on the desk.” Eddie teased before he stole the iPad out of her hands. She let out a small scoff before looking up to see Steve and Robin. She immediately jumped off the desk and ran over to Steve, jumping up and down in front of him.
“Show me! Show me! Show me!” She exclaimed and Steve laughed before turning around to lift his shirt up, “Oh my god. It looks so fucking good.” Steve grinned at her over his shoulder. It did look fucking good.
“So we’ve got the deposit,” Eddie hummed, tapping through the iPad, “How did you want to cover the rest, honey?” His face flushed once again. The fucking pet names. Jesus Christ, the pet names. He saw Chrissy quirk an eyebrow at Eddie and he gave her a pointed look before he turned back towards Steve. Robin immediately rushed forward to settle the balance and Chrissy skipped over to him again.
“Just letting you know,” She whispered, “He definitely doesn’t call his normal clients that. If you were wondering.” Steve’s breath hitched in his throat as she turned back towards the desk. Fuck. What the fuck does that mean? Just as he opened his lips to ask what she meant, Eddie turned back to him with a huge grin on his lips.
“Perfect. We’re all settled,” He spoke, leaning against the desk next to where Chrissy had sat back down, “Here’s that cream I was talking about. Send me some pictures once it’s all healed up.” He passed a small box over to Steve, his fingers brushing against Eddie’s as he collected it. A small bolt of electricity ran up his arm as they pulled apart. “If you’re ever in the market for another tattoo or a piercing, we’d love to have you back.” He grinned, throwing an arm around Chrissy’s shoulders as she smiled at Robin.
“You especially, emotional support person.” She teased, and Steve swore he could hear Robin’s heart stop. She clutched his arm as she grinned back at Chrissy before digging her nails into Steve’s skin. They both had about five minutes to get into the car before one of them imploded.
“Thank you so much,” Steve finally spoke, taking one for the team, “This place is sick. I’m sure we’ll be back.” Robin waved a small goodbye to the pair. Eddie grinned at them before standing up and walking slowly towards the back again. Just before he disappeared through the door, he turned back to flash one last smile at Steve.
“Hope to see you again soon, Stevie.”