Use Volume, Not Violence

The shop he booked with has a steep cancellation fee (and also he’s not a bitch) so he decided “fuck it.” It’ll look good on him anyway. 

He knows because he did extensive research and some amateur photo editing after glass number four.)

He peels into the parking lot on two wheels a whole two minutes before his appointment and breathes a sigh of relief and the slightest bit of apprehension.

He knew booking during the week would be an ordeal but he didn’t want to wait, sue him.

So as he walks in the door to the very last appointment of the day, he’s got an apology on the tip of his tongue. He’s met with a bright smile and a wave.

“Hey man, welcome in! What can we do for you today?”

Steve catches the tail end of the once over the guy gives him and can imagine the picture he makes.

Who pulls up to the tattoo/piercing shop at 4:50 p.m. on a Wednesday in khakis and a corporate branded quarter zip?

He reaches up and scratches at the back of his neck, a sudden onslaught of nerves making him jittery.

“Uh yeah hi. I’ve got an appointment with Eddie?”

The guy behind the counter snaps his fingers and points. 

“Nostril piercing, right?”

Steve nods.

“Sick. You check out the jewelry here on this first shelf and I’ll let him know you’re here.” The guy walks toward a back room but catches the doorframe at the last second. “I’m Jeff by the way. Holler if you need anything.”

Steve peruses the jewelry and sees a ton of things he would never be brave enough to try for himself. But he sends a couple of snaps to Robin, sees some things she would look cool with.

He lands on a tiny diamond stud with a gold setting. Knows it’ll probably cost an arm and a leg despite its size but can’t bring himself to care. He’s always been drawn to things that sparkle and he can just imagine now how this one would look. Subtle, but flashy in its own right.

Jeff comes back and has Steve fill out some paperwork. Tells him he picked a good piece and that he’ll have to make sure he lets him see it before he leaves.

Steve kills a few minutes in the lobby, eyes drifting over the tattoo designs on the wall. A number of them signed “Eddie Munson.” Huh. Maybe if he decides to get tattooed next he’ll make this a one-stop shop.

His nerves are just starting to creep up on him when he hears footsteps coming down the hall.

Steve’s man enough to admit that he’s a little floored for a half second before he pulls himself together. 

“Hey man! Steve, right? You ready to go?”

Eddie, he assumes, is a character. That’s the only word he has for him.

He’s hot, first and foremost, but he’s also just interesting.

Dressed in black, lots of it, some 80’s band shirt and the clunkiest boots Steve’s ever seen, somehow his outfit is hardly the most noticeable thing about him. His tattoos on every inch of his arms are equally as distracting as the silver jewelry all but covering his ears. Steve can practically hear it clinking as he talks. He’s got wild curls pulled up on top of his head and Steve is grateful, he’ll say that.

He shakes himself off and nods. Shrugs with his hands in his pockets.

“Ready as I’m gonna get, probably.”

Eddie’s smile makes Steve’s stomach swoop. He nods toward the back and leads the way.

Eddie gestures for Steve to sit down and he starts talking about the process but Steve’s hardly listening. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears and it's got nothing to with the needle he’s about to have shoved in his face. 

Before he can psych himself entirely out, Eddie shuffles in front of him with a pen.

“Look at me.”

Steve’s eyes dart up to meet Eddie’s and he watches them fill with mirth. Feels ringed fingers catch his chin and tilt his face up. Oh. Duh.

“Not quite, sweetheart.”

Steve can all but feel the blush cover his cheeks.

His eyes dart all over Eddie’s face while he marks on Steve’s skin. He looks at the sharp focus of his brow, the double hoops situated in the side of his nose, his stupidly pretty lips. The way he watches his eyes refocus on Steve’s whole face.

“You ever had anything pierced before?”

And oddly enough, “Yeah in college. Got drunk at a party and let some girl pierce my ears.” Eddie fake-winces and makes Steve giggle. “I didn’t keep them though.”

He feels Eddie’s fingers tuck his hair behind his ear and he turns Steve’s head to the side with a hum.

“Shame. Think you’d look awful cute with some hoops.”

Before Steve can process Eddie’s casual flirting the other man’s clapping his hands and telling Steve to check the placement in the mirror.

He doesn’t have the heart to say he couldn’t care less where the damn thing goes. Not when Eddie’s tugging black latex gloves on over his shoulder in the mirror.

He sits back down and wrings his hands in his lap, suddenly nervous again.

Eddie tells him to lay back and when he looks up at the ceiling his heartbeat really ramps up. 

“Am I gonna look stupid?” He asks. The impulse finally catching up with him and making him realize what exactly he’s about to do. 

Eddie walks around to stand above his head and he somehow still looks just as pretty upside down.

He shakes his head and adjusts Steve’s head where he wants it. “Hell no. You’re gonna look super hot.” He freezes for a half second before he shrugs, plays it cool. “In my very professional opinion, obviously.”

Steve snorts and smiles as Eddie lines up the needle. His eyes dart across Eddie’s face again and he’s clearly not listening, too distracted by thoughts of how much he wants to kiss his piercer.

He’s startled out of his own head with a tap to his cheek.

Eddie’s smiling down at him. “You don’t have to keep looking at me.”

Steve's mouth has always moved faster than his brain.

“Can I?”

Eddie’s face twists into a smirk but Steve can still see the faintest blush paint his cheeks so he calls his own inability to keep his mouth shut a win.

“You can look as much as you want, pretty boy.”

He lines the needle back up again and Steve takes in a sharp breath.

“Deep breath in, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

Steve’s so caught off guard by the way that simple phrase sends all his blood south that he doesn’t even register the needle so much as he just hears Eddie say “– and out. That’s perfect. You’re such a good listener.”

And what the fuck?

Steve’s heart is pounding and his head is fuzzy around the edges and he just feels a little tug and suddenly Eddie’s peeling off his gloves with a “Voila!”

He sits up slowly, wary of the fact that he’s a bit dizzy albeit not from the needle. 

Eddie catches him before he can get to the mirror and Steve is fascinated with the way he can literally watch his eyes darken.

He crosses his arms over his chest and nods. “Knew you’d look hot, but Jesus.” He hands Steve a handheld mirror and drags a hand over his face.

Steve looks himself over and can feel his own face light up.

“I love it. It's so cute!”

Eddie covers his face with his hands and groans. “Cute. Jesus fucking Christ.” He snorts and starts gathering up all of Steve’s care instructions and goodies. “Yeah, it’s cute alright.”

Now that he’s not scared anymore, loath as he was to admit that he was in the first place, he can crank the charm back up.

He tilts his head to the side and leans back on his hands. “Yeah? You like it?”

Eddie looks over his shoulder with his eyebrow raised.

“I do like it. Do you?”

Steve gives him a very deliberate once over. Shrugs one shoulder when his eyes make it back up to Eddie’s face. 

“Mhm. S’hot.”

Eddie shakes his head and laughs under his breath. He hands Steve a stack of papers and a handful of stickers.

“Your care instructions, darling.”

Steve snorts when he reads the sticker on top.

“”I got penetrated by a professional.” Really?”

Eddie shrugs. “You did, didn’t you?”

Once again, mouth beats brain.

“I would.”

There’s a charged silence before Eddie huffs and snatches the papers back from Steve.

He’s mumbling under his breath as he scribbles on the paper. Something like “–so stupid, what the fuck.”

When he hands them back there’s a number scrawled across the top.

“Call me when I’m not on the clock, if you’re interested in the alternative context.”

Steve smiles to himself while Eddie rings him up.

Only has to sit in his car for two minutes before he’s pressing call.