#yes this is based off the pictures i just reblogged of joe keery. he just looks so pretty with the little facial hair.

[bisexual-cryptid]

it all starts because steve can’t bring himself to leave the hospital at first. he just can’t leave max and eddie there alone, and so he neglects taking care of himself and that just so happens to invoke him not shaving either.

he doesn’t grow facial hair super fast, and the fact he is so focused on whether or not eddie and max will wake up, he doesn’t even notice the growing facial hair at first. it’s not until eddie wakes up that he really notices how long he’s been letting it grow.

he’s not there when eddie wakes up. he’s on his shift with max while uncle wayne takes over looking after eddie. as soon as he gets the news that eddie is awake he’s rushing into the room. he nearly collapses when he sees eddie’s bright smile and tired eyes for the first time in weeks. even in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and deep bags under his eyes, steve can’t help but think that eddie looks beautiful.

“hey big boy!” eddie greets as soon as steve is through the door. steve can’t help the desperate laugh that bubbles up in his throat as he rushes over to eddie’s bedside.

“you’re awake!” steve exclaims, being careful not to jostle eddie as he sits himself on the edge of the hospital bed, next to eddie’s calves.

steve watches as eddie’s eyes travel over his face, his eyes widening as he gets down to his lips. he feels his face heat up as he watches eddie look him over, suddenly feeling horribly self conscious about the fact he hasn’t showered in days.

“you- you have facial hair,” eddie says, how voice sounding a little strained. steve brings a hand up to his chin, rubbing it over the hair there as if just realizing it exists.

“oh, uh, yeah. i guess i didn’t realize how long it’s been since i shaved.” steve says self consciously, keeping his hand there to cover some of it up.

“it looks really good.” eddie says with finality, a bright smile lighting up his face as he lets out a pleased giggle. like, an honest to god giggle. “lemme feeeeeeeel,” eddie whines, trying to sit up and reach for steve’s face. steve turns to wayne, realizing now, how out of it eddie must be on pain killers.

“how out of it is he?” steve asks, ignoring as eddie’s finger tips reach his face and start stroking over the hair there. wayne is watching all of this with an amused smile.

“he is higher ‘an a skunk in a tree.” wayne replies, his accent coating his words. steve turns back to eddie, who’s hand is still firmly on his face.

“you’re so pretty, stevie.” eddie says, his voice light and airy. his face is deeply concentrated as he continues stroking his fingertips over steve’s facial hair. steve can feel how hot his face is from both the contact and eddie’s words. he knows eddie is high out of his mind, but he wishes so bad this could be real.

“isn’t he pretty, uncle wayne?” eddie asks, turning to his uncle without removing his hand from steve’s face.

“oh, the prettiest,” wayne replies jokingly. he and steve had gotten decently close in the weeks eddie has been in the hospital so he doesn’t mind joking around with the other man. steve flips him off, not bothering taking his eyes off eddie as he does so.

steve suddenly realizes the strain reaching out to touch his face must be putting on eddie’s wounds. he takes eddie’s hand in his, moving it gently back to his side, despite eddie’s protests.

“you’ll pull your stitches,” steve argues, releasing eddie’s hand once it’s by his side.

“but i wanna touch your beard! it’s soft and pretty!” eddie argues back, tears springing to his eyes. steve starts to panic as the tears start falling down eddie’s face. he turns to wayne, silently asking for help but the man just shrugs at him.

when steve turns back to eddie the boy is reaching out with both arms now and trying to sit up so he can touch steve again. steve panics, grabbing both arms to place them back by his sides.

“steeeeeve, why do you hate me?” eddie cries, the tears falling steadily now as he lets out gross sniffles.

“eddie, you’ll hurt yourself,” steve tries to reason again, but even he knows it’s a losing battle.

“please, stevie. need to touch you,” eddie says, his voice thick with tears. unsure what else to do, steve finally gives in. there’s no way he will let eddie pull a stitch but he also knows he’s losing this fight.

“fine.” steve huffs out, carefully maneuvering himself so he is sitting closer to eddie’s torso instead of his legs before carefully bending over and letting eddie reach up to touch his face. a huge smile breaks out on eddie’s face as soon as he touches steve’s facial hair.

“so pretty,” eddie says wistfully, making steve’s face heat up once again. it doesn’t take long before eddie’s eyes start drooping, and before he knows it he’s back asleep, his hand still firmly on steve’s face.

steve knows he’ll have terrible back pain later, but he doesn’t really care as he carefully positions himself so he can lay his head down next to eddie, making sure his hand stays on his face the whole time in case he wakes up.