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ciaossu-imagines · 4 months

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mini event - Eyeshield 21 with Retail Workers AU. Thank you sooo much

Oh, this was such a fun AU! Thank you, anon dear, for sending it in and I hope you'll enjoy the headcanons and the AU I came up with, though they are late getting to you!

Okay, I'm going to really show my age here, but I definitely grew up with mall culture of a sort, with malls being a pretty big deal and somewhere you went to hang out with your friends. Add to that the fact that as a Canadian teen, the show 6teen was a pretty big thing (anyone else remember that one?) for me. Hell, to this day, I still go to the mall and hang out and shop or window-shop with friends.

So, when thinking about this AU, I knew how I had to take this all. I mean, I have wayyyy too much retail sales experience and it probably would have been easier to really just focus on everyone working in, say, a Wal-Mart or an IKEA and all that, but I wanted to add a sort of extra layer.

So basically, I set this AU in a mega-mall. Basically, all of the teams sort of work in the different shops within the mall. Because of that, they're all really used to seeing each other, day in and day out, because they all are in the mall at least four to five days out of the week, they probably all eat in the food court for the most part and they all frequent each other's stores because it's just easier to do your shopping after work than go out and run errands on your days off. So everyone is at least surface familiar with everyone else and there's kind of fun little rivalries between the staff in the different stores within the mall, made even more so by the fact that the corporation that owns the mall holds a year-long contest for the 'best store in the mall', where the staff in whatever store has the best sales and customer service reviews on those stupid receipt surveys wins this grand prize. Last year, every staff member of Charms Diamond Center got a paid weekend trip to be used within the year. So the competition really ramps up that existing friendly rivalry and can actually turn it a lot less friendly at times.

So, we'll begin, most naturally with the canonical team of the Deimon Devil Bats. In this particular AU setting, I kind of see everyone as the staff in a sporting goods store…I'm such a dork that I actually based this mall and it's various stores on a map I pulled up of one of the mall's in my original province's major city malls, so for me, I'm kind of imagining it as a Cabela's on steroids, haha.

Anyway, for some reason that nobody at all can figure out, Hiruma is actually the store's manager. He scares most of the employees, especially since he seems to be able to dig up blackmail on most of them (and definitely stalks their social media) that he definitely uses to his advantage to get them to do what he wants them to do - which is whatever amuses him most, not really what the store actually needs. Add to that that Hiruma always schedules himself in the hunting section of the store, particularly behind the gun counter. The amount of knowledge that boy has with not only guns, but hunting knives, bow and arrows, and crossbows, and the ease with which he handles them kind of makes him all the more terrifying to the staff members.

The store's assistant store manager is Mamori and she's actually the one who ends up doing almost all the work, to be honest. Hiruma hates paperwork and boring things like keeping track of everyone's availability, so while he does create the schedule and decides where in the store everyone will be working any particular day, he leaves the human resources type stuff to Mamori, who double-checks the schedule, who makes sure everyone is getting their breaks properly, who deals with the customers who need to talk to a manager because those are all parts of the job Hiruma just does not give a shit about and honestly, she handles it wonderfully and is the first person the staff go to if they have actual issues or even just need a listening shoulder because working retail fucking sucks at times.

Sena is the newest staff member, only a few weeks fresh into his new job, and he is honestly both enjoying his new job and equally exhausted and terrified. The customers can be absolutely horrendous or the nicest people and that's not even going into how weird (and sort of wonderful) his coworkers are. Sena becomes one of the main three cashiers for the store and he's on the front lines of dealing with the customers. His work days are always hectic, always long, and sometimes incredibly brutal, especially if he gets a customer who wants to be a dick to him. Thank god he actually quite gets along with the other cashiers, because good coworkers can really make a shift so much better.

His fellow cashiers? Monta and Taki. Monta becomes Sena's work bestie and the two of them can get in some trouble from both Mamori and Hiruma for goofing off a little up by the cashes, especially if there's not a lot of customers around, because they should be tidying up and facing products up by the cashes but instead they're normally talking or playing around. And while Taki seems an unlikely fit for cash, or for the other boys to get along with him as well as they do, the fact of the matter is that Taki gives absolutely superb customer service and for some reason, even the most pissy of customers can't seem to stay mad at him. He always seems to be able to talk down angry customers and swoops in to save both Sena and Monta from rude customers often enough that the other boys really appreciate having Natsuhiko around, even despite the boy being a little loud and eccentric.

There is one additional cashier. Kind of. Yukimitsu mans the store's customer service desk, where customers go to process returns, to escalate complaints, or just because they're too lazy and entitled to bear standing in line for more than one minute. Honestly, Yukimitsu should be anywhere else in the store. He really should. He's not the greatest at customer service and he's always a nervous wreck but he also works so incredibly hard and his nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the store's policies, procedures, return processes, layout, and stock actually means that, while the customer's might not always like his answers, he never gives them the wrong answer and offers them every possibility in place.

Kurita and Komusubi act as the store's main receiving and inventory team. Everything being ordered into the store, everything going in and out, it all goes through these two. Jolly and good-natured, Kurita tends to be a favourite of every staff member in the store. He's one of the few that never gets bullied by Hiruma, not really, and he's actually known to be really good friends with both Hiruma and Musashi outside of the store, often seen eating or hanging out with them.

Speaking of Musashi, he really only works part-time. Most of the time he's busy helping out his family's construction business and his job at the store is really only to help him earn some extra money so that he can save up for things he wants or needs. He gets a lot of leeway from the management with how picky he is about his schedule, especially because, when he is at work, Musashi works hard and always steps in to help any of the other departments with issues. He's also the staff member who really doesn't seem to care at all about any rivalries with the staff from the other stores and who doesn't seem to give two spits about any competition.

Getting those goods out onto the shelves and the floor? It's the responsibility of the Ha-Ha Bros, three best friends from childhood who all joined the staff around the same time. These guys really just focus on getting stuff out on the floor and Mamori has actually asked all three of them, several times over, to find a sales associate from one of the departments should a customer ever so much as speak to one of the bros, because all three of them deliver the worst customer service ever. Kuroki in particular has actually had a full on fist fight with a customer he thought was being rude to him.

Taki, the cashier? His younger sister also works at the store with him…and asks that she not be assigned the same area or shifts as him because boy, though they love each other, those two can bicker and they can't seem to concentrate on their jobs with the other around to distract them. Suzuna gets assigned as floor support and sale in the outdoor recreation section, especially with the bikes, roller skates, and such.

Satake, Yamaoka, and Omosadake all work as floor support and sale in the Home & Décor section. Satake specializes in outdoor toys and recreation…a little too much. He'll sometimes unbox stuff and set it up, playing it with coworkers and even sometimes with customers that seem cool, much to Mamori's displeasure and Hiruma's amusement (because Hiruma is definitely playing and rubbing Satake's face in it when Hiruma beats him, which he does, every time). Yamaoka seems to have to deal with outdoor home decor most often and he frequently complains about how tiresome, boring, and dumb that section is, especially when he has to build and accessorize floor displays of the products. Omosadake, meanwhile, loves the decor section. He'll go to the back to grab overstock, especially for bedding, and hours later someone will find him asleep with his head on a throw pillow or one of those bed in a bags. Nobody's quite sure why he hasn't been fired yet, but he hasn't.

Ishimaru exists. Literally, he is a staff member but almost everyone forgets him, including his own coworkers and his managers, so he just kind of chills over in the hunting section, where he helps a surprising amount of customers build their blinds and suggests camouflaging techniques.

I won't get as into the ins and outs of how each person functions in their workplace and all the little interconnected relationships for the other teams, but definitely want to kind of talk about how each of them fit into the mall, where they all work and such.

So, along with the fast-food places in the main food court, this mall has a couple sit-down restaurants as well. One's a sports bar that serves food, probably like a Don Cherry's or some shit like that. But the other one is one of those 'fun' themed restaurants, where the staff have to dress up like knights or in medieval style dress while serving the customers. If your guess as to who works there were the Ojo White Knights members, you're absolutely correct. Sakuraba is the most popular waiter they have because of his looks, because honestly, he's not the greatest at his job and gets flustered and stressed easily, though he does try hard. Takami really manages the floor, while also helping serve, man the hostess section and whatever else needs to be done. Shin, in contrast to Sakuraba, is the least popular waiter because he's really not great at being friendly, but is actually exceptional at his job - everyone gets their food in a speedy manner, everyone's orders are correct, everything is perfect as far as the order and speed of service goes…he just really sucks at dealing with people. Ootawara and Ikari are part of the kitchen staff, for those wondering.

Okay, I admit that this placement makes no fucking sense whatsoever and is done just because the very idea of it makes me so very, very amused. The Shinryuji Naga team from canon work at a Spencer's. Just full stop, they all do. It's hit or miss if Agon shows up for his shift and he really just uses his job as an excuse to hit on women, particularly hanging around the sex toy section of the store and pretending to need to stock stuff around there or provide customer service to someone in that area. Unsui is just horrified by almost everything the store sells, doesn't much care for the customers, and is miserable but he needs the money to save for a car and college so he does the job and does it so well that he gets promoted to supervisor. The Saiyuki brigade and Yamabushi really do most of the floor work and Ikkyu is the other cashier and sales person really, a kind of happy medium between Agon and Unsui in terms of work ethic and how good he actually is at the job.

The Seibu Wild Gunmen work in a western wear store inside the mall. Kid is technically the store's supervisor and don't get me wrong, he doesn't mind doing his job, but as soon as his job is done, he just kind of wants to take it easy for the rest of his shift. Given that between Tetsuma, Riku, and Ushijima, most of the work is really taken care of in a quick and efficient manner, it's not too much of a stretch for Kid to be able to sneak an afternoon nap here and there in back in the office. They're also not really an overly busy store, since it is really a very niche store and overall, Riku's really the only one who cares a lot about the competition so they're probably the most chill about the whole rivalry thing.

The Taiyo Sphinx all work at a tanning salon. Harao, the supervisor, works mostly shirtless and oiled up as a way to advertise how great the salon's products work and how good they can make you look, just a personal headcanon I had for this one.

The Nasa Aliens actually work in a major grocery store chain in the mall. Panther actually works both there part-time and in another chain in the mall part-time, on top of being a student because honestly, he's not from a real well-off family and needs to work hard to survive. It makes the whole competition between stores thing a little harder on him because he loves his coworkers and doesn't mind his job at either place so he can't really figure out which one to stay completely loyal to and he really does just try to do his best while working at either place. Apollo is the store manager, he's not super well-liked among the staff and he's the only one really super into the rivalries, like the one to be mean and nasty and cut-throat about it all. The Gonzales brothers are stock boys, Jeremy works back in the office handling inventory and receiving, while Homer is one of the cashiers.

Another choice done simply because it really amuses me but the Kyoshin Poseidon…they all work at a Wal-Mart. Every single one of them actually hate their day to day jobs, but they're all kind of competitive people and while they never make the rivalries into some mean or cut-throat like the grocery store's manager, they all start putting a lot more effort into their jobs when the competition between stores start in earnest.

Okay, it only makes sense that the Bando Spiders are working in a Sunrise Records, right? Kotaro and Akaba really spend a lot of their shifts together fighting amongst themselves (and Akaba can be more than a little judgey about what the customers are buying) and the supervisor, Juri, really ends up having to make those two shut up, do their work, and be nice to the customers while trying to do her own job. They're not really a huge contender for best store because they just cannot seem to get their own shit together, but it doesn't stop them all from believing they can win it.

The Hakushu Dinosaurs, for again, no reason than that it amuses me, all work in a movie theatre chain located in the mall. Marco and Maria met through work and started dating and she really wishes that he'd stop taking her to the movies for dates because they get enough of that at work. Kisaragi mans the ticket booths more times than not and really gets the major brunt of rude or upset customers, poor guy. Gaou does most of the cleaning, while Tengu is mainly on concession duty.

The Teikoku Alexanders? The all work at a major chain book store, something like a Chapters or along those lines. Yamato is the front store supervisor and he's excellent at both finding good recommendations for people and providing exceptional customer service. There's really not a part of that store that he doesn't know like the back of his hand. Honjo is good at his job, but honestly, he kind of gets distracted and sucked into reading whatever book catches his interest that day and can ignore customers until he finishes whatever page he's on. Karin's specialty is in the graphic novels and manga sections and she's always called whenever people have questions regarding those. Overall, the book store is always one of the most popular places in the mall, helped along by the fact that the Starbucks is located inside the bookstore and they always have fantastic monthly numbers and seem to be the front-runners for winning the competition.

The Pentagram, including Panther in his other part time job, work as tellers in a local banking chain located within the mall. All the staff, with the exception of Panther, really kind of consider themselves above the rest of the mall staff, as they're bank employees and not just lousy retail slaves or janitors or mall security. While the chain in the mall is very popular and has amazing numbers, they're too cocky about winning and it's really just all agreed upon by everyone else in the mall that it would suck to lose, yeah, but it would suck even more to lose to the douches at the bank so they have to at least beat them.

To finish it off with some just random headcanons - Hatsujou works at a Charms Diamond Centre, Rui and Megu work at a Harley Davidson outlet in the mall, Munakata and Aoyanagi work at a natural wellness store, Sasuke Kanagushi works at a Hot Topic, Onihei is supervisor at Bath and Body Works, Kamiya works at the Dairy Queen while Chuubou works at the Starbucks. Riku and Riko Kumabukuro and Machine Gun Sanada work at the Apple Store, Miracle Ito runs a small photography studio located in the mall, Torikichi works part time at Lush, while Rodchenko works security and Henrich Schultz works as a janitor in the mall.

#replies #eyeshield 21 #es21 #headcanons #au headcanons #retail au #deimon devil bats #hiruma youichi #mamori anezaki #sena kobayakawa #monta #natsuhiko taki #suzuna taki #manabu yukimitsu #the haha bros #gen takekura

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stevebabey · 1 year

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Steve hates to ask this of Eddie.

Really, it’s a last resort sort of thing. Robin’s gone for the week, some trip upstate with her family. And it’s fine, they’re close but Steve’s a big boy. He can handle a week without his best friend.

But, well, it’s just unfortunate for it to creep up on Steve when Robin’s gone. It being… shit, how did Robin explain it? She was so much better at keeping track of all those things than he was, all the terms filed away nicely in her head to be recalled as needed. Steve’s much messier— in his head, in his life.

Touch aversion, that’s what she called it. A by-product of the severe lack of touch in his childhood she had said; not enough hugs, hand holding, the works and now Steve’s grown to find it too strange. Something prickles under his skin, pulls in his gut all the wrong way, when someone’s too touchy-feely with him. Robin’s said it’s normal, and he believes her.

It just makes it harder when this comes by. That completely strange backward want that carves into his chest, creating a chasm that just aches. Suddenly, Steve wants to be touched, needs to be touched — like something behind his ribs is just begging for comfort in the form of touch, any way he can have it. Like some young part of him can still remember the hunger he had for it and it comes back in full force, a tender wound between his lungs.

It doesn’t happen that often — though, it’s more frequent than ever recently — but usually, Robin’s here. She can almost always tell before Steve works up the courage to ask. Twitchy fingers give him away. He hovers closer than normal, shoulders brushing more often.

She always gives him a smile, softer than her usual snark and says, “C’mere, dingus.” and stands on her tip-toes to envelope him in a hug. Steve can’t help but sink into it, gripping her close around the waist for as long as he needs until the hole in his chest feels a step closer to patching up.

Robin also tells him he can have as many hugs as he’d like but Steve is firm with himself; he only needs one, then he’ll be back to fine.

It what’s he needs now. One really fucking good hug. Still, he hates to ask, least of all from Eddie, because, well— okay, Steve has no reason to assume Eddie wouldn’t give him a hug.

He’s seen Eddie’s hugs before. Like everything he does, Eddie puts his everything into it- he hugs Robin til she wheezes, loves to lift Nancy off the ground, and the hug he gives Dustin is sweetest of all, a hand on the back of the littler’s head while he does some strange little sway. Dustin always laughs, playfully shoving him away by the end but Steve knows he loves them, that it helps in more than one way.

Steve is glad that Dustin has someone, besides his Mom of course, who can hug him, because Steve can’t give that to him. Maybe one day, but for now, hugs from Steve are a rarity — few and far in between. Maybe, he thinks, he doesn’t want to ask Eddie specifically because of that niggling feeling that comes up around Eddie, all gooey and soft. A feeling the swings too close to a crush that Steve has no fucking clue what to do about.

So, he hates to ask. Really. On the drive over to Eddie’s, a hangout organised before Steve started to feel the lack of touch creep in, he runs through any other options. Wait til Robin gets back? Steve’s not sure he’ll make it another 4 days. When left alone, it seems to consume him and make everything harder, everything heavier to deal with.

He’s still tossing it when he climbs the steps to Eddie’s trailer. Steve decides that he’ll see how it goes, see if there’s an opening to ask…semi-naturally or something. He’s not gonna spring it on the guy.

Eddie is wonderful company as always, devilish grins and god-awful comments about the film he picked. Steve feeds off it, drinking in the infectious energy. He tries to let it be enough; their shoulders pressed together, Eddie’s knee knocking his when he laughs, the way Eddie leans into his space to whisper even though it’s just them here tonight. Steve wants it to be enough. But even then, he can see the way his hands twitch in his lap, desperate for more.

Steve closes his eyes. Curls his hands up so tightly his nails bite into the skin. He tries to use it to wane off the feeling, the ache that sings out for Eddie beside him and it nearly works. Until—

“Steve? Y’okay?” Eddie’s voice pipes up, making Steve open his eyes in an instant.

“Hm?” Steve hums, hoping that his casualness will be enough for Eddie to skip over his peculiar behaviour. He blinks, tilting his head just a bit to show he was confused why Eddie was asking.

Eddie chuckles lightly, gesturing towards Steve’s lap, where his hands sit still clenched, white knuckled with his self-restraint. “You seem a bit stiff, that’s all.” Eddie rechecks. “You good?”

Steve opens his mouth and then closes it, forcing his hands to unclench in his lap. “I-“ he begins, then stops, unsure of what he was going to say. He did say he would look for an opening tonight. The way Eddie’s regarding him, open faced with his concern, is as good as he might get.

“This might sound a bit weird,” Steve starts, defensiveness already tingeing the words, his shoulders curling in just a bit. Eddie could say no. He’s allowed to say no. Steve really doesn’t want him to. “Like, if you think it’s weird, that’s totally fine and we can just, like, forget I said anything and—”

“Steve.” Eddie cuts him off, a linger of an amused smile on his lips. “I don’t think I’m going to find anything you say weird, sweetheart. Shoot. What’s on your mind? What troubles the great mind of Steve Harrington?”

God, it’s like a whole bunch of words designed to set Steve’s head spinning. ‘The great mind of Steve Harrington’ makes him want to scoff. ‘Sweetheart’ makes him want to swoon. He can’t decide which one he wants to do more.

“Can I-” Steve stammers, the words halting automatically. It’s too much of a habit to swallow them down. Coercing them out takes more work. He stares up at the ceiling as he grits his teeth, releases a harsh sigh, pulling himself together. “Can I… have a hug?”

There a moment of silence and Steve holds his breath.

“Oh,” Eddie breathes, and Steve takes his eyes off the ceiling to see just what that Oh means. Eddie’s smiling, a soft one gracing his pretty mouth, and Steve thinks, maybe, one day he’ll have the courage to ask for a kiss as well. Relief moves sluggishly through his veins— Eddie’s smiling, this is good.

“Well, of course,” Eddie grins widely and opens his arms, inviting Steve in. Steve hesitates for only a moment before he leans in gratefully, his arms tucking around Eddie’s midriff tightly. Eddie’s arms curl around Steve’s neck, pulling him in close. It’s the easiest thing in the world, sinking into it, so much that Steve tries his best not to immediately slump against Eddie. It feels a bit too pathetic, so Steve reels himself in. He can’t make his arms relax, trying too hard to take only what he needs and not a moment more.

“C’mon, Stevie.” Eddie’s voice teases beside his ear, his breath warm. “You call that a hug?”

He squeezes Steve a little tighter, pulling him even closer and Steve can’t help the way he melts into it— he slumps, leaning against Eddie properly and burying his quiet whine of relief into the juncture between Eddie's neck and shoulder.

“There we go,” Eddie murmurs comfortingly.

Eddie takes him wholly, gives a damn good Munson hug, all warmth and comfort. He smells like, well, Eddie — a lingering scent of weed, something musky, something Eddie. His arms around Steve’s neck shuffle and Steve worries he’s trying to pull away so soon, only for one of his hands to tangle in the hair at the nape of Steve’s neck. He combs through, light fingernails scratching at Steve’s scalp and shit, Steve really can’t control the noise of contentment that slips out his throat.

“Can’t believe you got so worked up just to ask for a hug,” Eddie tsks, tone coloured in disbelief. Steve makes a noise of protest, trying for a moment to wind it all back in but, like Eddie can sense it, he’s squeezing him tighter again. He begins to rock them, a soft sway side to side that lets Steve lean on him even more. He hums a tune Steve doesn’t know, low and soft.

“M’sorry,” Steve mumbles in reply, though he’s not entirely sure what he’s apologising for. For having to ask, for taking so much, for enjoying Eddie’s arms around him just a little too much.

“What the fuck for?” Eddie laughs lightly, one of his hands beginning to drum against the divots of Steve’s spin. It feels like he’s tapping pure delirium with each fingertip, shivers that make Steve’s chest glow terribly warm. It feels good, so good to be held and honestly, Steve could stay here all night if Eddie let him. Knowing Eddie, he would, because he’s that fucking nice.

That knowledge alone forces Steve to sit himself up, extracting him limbs even though so much of him mourns the warmth, the touch, that goes with it. He wants the touch but he’s had enough. Some scorned part of him burns bitterly to think Eddie would give him more just to be nice. Steve doesn’t want that— Steve wants Eddie to touch him because he wants to.

“Sorry, man, I just, uh, get like that sometimes.” Steve feels the need to explain, bringing a hand up to rub at one of his eyes. He does it half so can hide his embarrassed expression from Eddie— who’s looking at him so gently and still so so close.

“Just, aha—“ Christ, it wasn’t this awkward telling Robin. Steve’s hand moves to rub the back of his neck. “Sometimes I realise it’s been awhile since,” He gnaws on his bottom lip, something alike to humiliation curling in his gut. “Since I’ve had some touch. Usually, Robin’s around but y’know.”

He waves a hand, huffing another awkward laugh. Eddie hasn’t moved much, just listening intently, his brows ever so slightly inching closer together. He looks outright concerned at Steve’s next words.

“It’s okay, I’ve— I’ll be good now.” Steve nods along, like the motion will help him convince himself as well as Eddie. He’ll be okay now. Usually, one hug is all it takes. He ignores the surging tidal-wave want that is still going, still aching to be held by Eddie again. It would be selfish to ask for more. Eddie didn’t invite him around to hug— it’s weird, and Steve shouldn’t- can’t ask for more.

“Sooooo,” Eddie draws out the word, an impish smile beginning to play at the corners of his lips. He opens his arms wide again. “You don’t want another hug?”

In his lap, Steve’s fingers twitch. Eddie’s eyes dart to them for a second, before fixing back on Steve. He does, he really fucking does want another hug. He can’t. He’s had enough, really, it would greedy to have more.

Steve shakes his head, forces himself to huff another laugh that accidentally comes out as a strained sigh. He smiles weakly, “No, no, I’m good, dude. It’s… I’m okay, swear.”

For a moment, Steve thinks he’s convinced him. Eddie studies his face, his mischief slipping away as he deliberates Steve’s words. His eyes narrow, arms dropping just an inch before he smiles brightly and says, “Okay, can I have a hug then?”

Which, okay, right, Steve didn’t think of that. People don’t ask him for hugs. He blinks, a bit dumbly. Eddie is waiting, face eager and for a second there’s an expression of almost smugness on his face — like he’s about to get exactly what he wants. Because he knows Steve would never be rude and say no.

“I mean,” Steve breathes, voice a bit tighter than he’s expecting. He clears his throat. “Yeah, yeah, you can have a hug.”

“Great!” Eddie replies and he wastes no time. He’s all up in Steve’s space, arms around Steve’s waist this time. The motion takes Steve by surprise, enough that because he’s not expecting it Eddie’s weight pushes him back so he’s lying on the couch.

If Eddie cares, he pays no mind, his head curling up into the crook of Steve’s neck as he hugs him closer. His hair gets in Steve’s mouth, making him splutter for a second, but Eddie just grins, wriggling closer until they’re pressed firmly against each other. Steve would go as far as to say this is closer to cuddling than a hug, with Eddie squishing him from above, his arms around Steve’s middle.

“Just so you know,” Eddie’s voice rumbles from where their chests are touching, his breath sweeping across Steve’s neck. Steve shivers without meaning to, feels Eddie’s responding grin even as he continues. “All hugs requested by me are automatically 10 minutes long. Hope you’re okay with that, sweetheart.”

Steve isn’t stupid — he knows Eddie is doing it for him, doing it because he could see right through Steve’s stupid facade, had peered his yawning hunger for touch right in the face and hadn’t blanched. Instead of feeling tricked or fooled, Steve just feels…warm. Comfortable. He works his arms around Eddie’s neck til their more comfortable and find the courage in him scrape his fingers through Eddie’s hair— like he had done to Steve. Eddie’s sighs sweetly and Steve thinks he could listen to that noise forever.

“I’m… I’m okay with that.” Steve murmurs lowly, yet he knows Eddie can hear him. Eddie noses closer, a borderline nuzzle against his neck, and further down, one his hands starts to stroke softly up and down Steve’s ribs.

Steve can’t help the way it makes him freeze, the breath in his lungs holding tight as he tries to relax, tries to ignore the prickly feeling under his skin. It’s a lot. A lot of touch that Steve just isn’t used to just yet, even if he desperately craves it.

“Relax,” Eddie whispers into his skin, a soft instruction paired with the motion, one soothing stroke up and down his ribs. Steve pushes the breath in his lungs out, forces the tension out of his body, trusts that Eddie wouldn’t be offering— wouldn’t tell him to relax if he wasn’t allowed to.

“That’s it.” Eddie praises, feeling the body beneath him settle and sink a little lower into the couch. “Now, watch the movie.” Eddie instructs, jutting at the still playing screen with his chin. Steve laughs a bit, but obeys, turning his head to see what part they’d gotten up to. They’d missed a big chunk in their hug. Steve nearly apologises for it, the words on the tip of his tongue, before he decides Eddie might smack him for it.

So, he doesn’t. He watches the film, let’s the gentle touch of Eddie on his skin relax him til sleepiness starts to fill each of his limbs, heavy like lead. Eddie’s hand stops moving eventually, when his breath gets heavier, lulled by Steve’s scratch in his hair. A snore starts up, loud and quite frankly, annoying, and yet, Steve finds that with Eddie’s arms around him, he has no trouble finding sleep.

It’s the first time in years Steve’s fallen asleep in someone else’s arms. And even if he doesn't know it yet, it’s certainly not the last.

now with a part two!

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