Work Text:
"Hey, gimme that!" Steve mumbles, exasperated, tugging his jacket sleeve out of Arwen's mouth. The horse snorts at him, immediately starting to nose through his pockets instead. "I don't have any treats." Steve pushes her nose away, and Arwen turns to pawing at the ground impatiently instead.
It's pet day at the local school, and Dustin had begged Steve to bring Arwen along for him.
Begrudgingly, Steve had relented, even knowing Arwen wasn't exactly the easiest horse - but Dustin had promised to keep a close eye on her and do all the work. Butterscotch had been brought along with her, in the hopes the older horse would keep her settled.
So far, it's not exactly working.
"Having fun?" Eddie asks, smirk evident in his voice as he approaches.
Steve pries the end of the lead rope out of Arwen's mouth. "Loads," he mutters. "Did ya find Dustin? He's 'sposed to be lookin' after her."
"Will's dog threw up by the lockers, he's helping clean up."
"Remind me why the school does pet days?" Steve asks, already over the whole thing.
Eddie loops an arm around his waist, holds him to his side, chuckling. "Well, the kids love it. Where's your school spirit, hmm?"
Steve grumbles, his hat bumping up against Eddie's forehead. "Ya seen Alfie yet?"
Max had borrowed Robin's beloved cat for the day, since she didn't have a pet of her own to bring along.
"Ah, yes, well…" Eddie winces.
"What is it?"
"He sort of got loose in the gym."
"WHAT?" Steve drops Arwen's rope and turns to stare at Eddie, his eyes wide.
Robin loves that old cat.
"It's ok, he's contained in there, there's a bunch of people rounding him up," Eddie quickly reassures him.
Steve shakes his head, face in his hands. "This day hasn't even fully started yet, and it's already a damn disaster."
In response, Arwen swipes the brim of his hat between her teeth, snatching it off his head.
"Hey!" Steve goes to grab it back but Arwen clamps her jaw tight.
Eddie hides a laugh behind a hand.
Steve stares daggers at him.
It's going to be a long day.
*****
"Dustin, don't let her drag you over there!" Steve yells to the kid, watching as Arwen tows him over to the flowerbed by the school fence.
"I can't exactly stop her, she's just a little bigger than me!" Dustin snaps back, digging his toes into the ground.
"Not the flowers! …right, too late." Steve huffs out a sigh as Arwen tucks into the carefully planted pansies and marigolds, shaking dirt everywhere as she uproots the plants. "Eds, can ya hold Butterscotch, please?" Steve hands him the reins, and his boyfriend wisely takes them with no question.
"But what about my ride!" a little boy whines as Steve starts to head over to rescue Dustin and the school gardens.
Steve likes kids. He's good with them, patient, kind, friendly. But this is now hour four of dealing with hyped-up, loud children while also trying to keep an eye on a rogue Arwen, a headache is beginning to build, and his patience is starting to wear a little thin.
"Eddie'll help ya," Steve says, his voice carefully measured despite the frustration building in him. He strides over to Dustin, listening to Eddie coaching the kid up onto Butterscotch behind him. The school had asked whether Steve could offer some pony rides to the younger kids, and Steve had obliged, but he hadn't realised just quite how popular it was going to be.
"Help!" Dustin hollers, still trying to unsuccessfully drag his horse away from her colourful lunch.
"C'mere," Steve grumbles, taking the rope from Dustin. He gives Arwen a slap on the butt, which she huffs at but turns to follow him back towards the others. Steve plucks stems and petals from around her muzzle as they walk, tipping his head to hide his face under his hat as they walk past the caretaker standing with his hands on his hips. "Look, you've got me in trouble," he mumbles to the horse.
Arwen snorts.
"Here, now hang onto her better," Steve tells Dustin, shoving the rope back into the boy's hands.
He watches for a while as Eddie patiently leads Butterscotch around in a circle, several kids taking their turn at a ride.
Eddie's good with the kids. He laughs, jokes, puts the nervous ones at ease, sticks close to them.
Steve smiles, frustration seeping out of him at the sight. He's transported back to a different place, to a red-dirt roundpen, to a half-wild black horse and the skittish man trying to tame her. He remembers Eddie's hesitance, his fear, the way he was quick to anger and even quicker to give up and walk away from a challenge.
So different from the man in front of him now.
Eddie catches his eye from a distance, smiles soft.
That's still the same.
The smile Steve fell in love with, the way his eyes crinkle softly at the edges.
"Dingus!" Robin's voice snaps him out of his love-sick daze. "You been making moony eyes at Eddie like that all day? This is a school, remember."
Steve snorts, bumping his shoulder to Robin's. "Didn't know you were comin' today?"
She shrugs. "Figured I'd pick up Alfie from Max."
Glancing at his watch, Steve slumps in relief. It's almost three pm, which means this day is nearly over.
For a moment, he debates whether or not to tell her about the cat's earlier escapade. He settles on no, in the end. After all, he'd been successfully caught within the hour.
"Robin!" Max approaches from one of the classrooms, holding Alfie's carrier in both hands and puffing a little. "He won a prize!" she says excitedly.
Robin coos, dropping to her knees to look in through the carrier door. "Of course he did, he's perfect!"
Steve tilts his head to look into the cage.
Alfie looks about as pissed off as Steve has ever seen him.
"What was the prize for?" Robin asks Max, then holds up a hand. "Wait, no, let me guess…best in show? Best ginger cat? Most handsome cat?"
Max smirks. "Fattest cat."
Robin's face falls.
Steve coughs, disguising a laugh.
"He's not fat!" Robin insists. "He's fluffy!"
"Well…here you go!" Max hands her the certificate, announcing Alfie as the fattest cat in show.
Robin takes it reluctantly.
"Put that one on the fridge," Steve suggests, then snaps his mouth shut when Robin gives him a death glare.
Eddie joins them, Butterscotch sighing heavily behind him.
"Yep, I'm about ready for home too, bud," Steve tells him, stroking the horse's neck. "Thanks for dealin' with the pony rides," he says to Eddie.
"No problem, figured I'd give you a little break." Eddie loops his arm around Steve's waist, thumb settling in a belt loop. Steve leans into him a little, enjoying the closeness, thinking at least he'd had Eddie here through the chaos of the day, and now they could go home and throw a pizza in the oven and stretch out on the couch and -
"STEVE!" Dustin's shriek reaches his ears, followed by the sound of heavy hoof beats in the grass.
Steve turns, honing in on the sound to see Arwen loose in the playing field. She kicks up her heels and gallops triumphantly around, digging up the immaculate grass.
"Oh, for fu-" Steve starts, but Eddie intervenes.
"Take Butterscotch, be easiest to rope her," he suggests, handing the horse's reins over to Steve.
Huffing, Steve mounts up, adjusting his hat.
Robin frowns up at him. "Are those…teeth marks on your hat?"
"Don't ask," Steve grumbles, turning Butterscotch around to face the field.
There's a crowd of kids, teachers and parents starting to gather at the edge of the playing field, and Arwen careens around, enjoying her audience.
Eddie places a hand on Steve's knee, grinning up at him. "Go give us a show, sweetheart."
Steve can't help the way his heart skips a little beat, the way Eddie's words light a small fire in him.
Smiling, he nudges Butterscotch with his heels, gathers the rope in his hands, and lopes towards the chaos.