Just a little something, inspired by @wrecked-fuse ‘s pocketverse ~
• • •
Steve opened the door with his cheek full of sandwich. Unlike most people who have the sheriff on their stoop, he merely swallowed and went in for another bite. “Hey, sheriff. What’s going on?”
It took Steve too long to notice the shoebox in the man’s hands. His fingers lightly tapped on it until he glanced at it and decidedly stopped. “I don’t have any way of explaining things to you. All I know is that these should be with you. And. Uh...they refuse to be separated.”
Steve distantly wondered, Like magnets? in his mind as he accepted the box -
“Don’t open it out here,” Hopper warned. “Take them inside. Water, food, the works. Listen, this happened on the worst day because I gotta go. But you have my number.”
“Yeah, sure,” Steve answered by default, feeling supremely lost but not wanting to be an obstacle. If Hopper was delivering something in a shoebox that needed to be fed, how hard could it be?
He took the box to the kitchen and opened a cabinet for a plate with a tall brim. If it was chicks or something, they would need something they could drink out of without falling into...
Steve lifted the lid off the box and froze. He stared into alarmingly familiar brown eyes. If the past three years in Hawkins, Indiana hadn’t happened, he might’ve reacted badly, like flinching or yelling or something.
Now, though...he ventured a wary, “Hi?”
Perhaps if Hopper had given him a better description of what the box held, Steve would have thought of something cleverer to say to his tiny doppelganger. Because that’s exactly who he was seeing: a version of himself that was so small, he could fit on Steve’s palm, lying down.
The box was padded with a baby blanket on the bottom, and two plushies on either side, protecting the little ones - because there were two, Steve was realizing in staggered terror. Hopper had clearly stolen his secretary’s handkerchiefs and used a safety pin to toga-wrap them for some kind of clothing.
The little Steve sat down right on the other little one, who lay in a fetal position on the blanket. Big Steve realized all at once that the small one was glaring at him.
“I won’t hurt your friend,” he immediately softened. “Sorry, my name’s Steve.”
“My name’s Steve!”
Big Steve’s mouth hung, thoroughly at a loss for words. Well, they’re not babies...
Then he recovered, “That’s great! We’re the Steves. Is it okay that I get you some water and food? Is your friend okay?”
The large head underneath little Steve’s protective stance swiveled to point teary, but bright blue eyes at him. Once again, Steve felt like his brain just couldn’t keep up and hadn’t noticed in time that the other one’s hair was blond. Oh no...
Little Steve lowered to the blanket to huddle close to the other one. Maybe he thought he was whispering, but Steve heard clearly, “Biwwy? Food?”
Big Steve swallowed but kept his voice level and kind. They refuse to be separated.
“Billy? Do you know what your favorite food is?”
A single Fruit Loop would fill these guys up...
For all of the fear that Billy’s body language carried, his eyes were resilient and his bottom lip pushed up in a pathetic - and adorable - whimper. “Em nn Ms.”
“M&M’s?” Steve reiterated as he quickly ran through his memory of the fridge and pantry. He couldn’t imagine that the sheriff station had a lot of options “Coming right up. Are you two warm enough?”
“We’wre naked, dumb ass!”
“Wow,” Steve croaked as he hid the original water dish in the sink and went for the shot glasses. “You really remind me of someone.”
With the electric kettle, he warmed up some water with honey and set the glass in the box. “Be gentle, okay? It’s a little hot but you need to drink some water and it will keep you warm. We’ll work on getting you guys clothes later.”
“Biwwy wants emm and emms!” little Steve shouted, his voice cracking a little.
Steve put his elbows on the counter to be more on their level. “I know, but I need an extra minute. Don’t strain your voice. I can hear you really well, I promise.”
Delicate slurping filled the air as he ripped open an M&M’s package and cut through the peanuts before it occurred to him that people have nut allergies. “Do you two happen to have any allergies?”
Billy answered, “Awergic to people bein’ pokey!”
Steve inhaled for patience. “Do you like chocolate M&M’s or peanut M&M’s?”
“The rwed ones!”
“Okay, but is there something crunchy in the middle or not?”
“Why wouldn’t there be?”
Steve finished cutting a couple of candies in half and set them next to the shot glass. Billy chomped contently over the candies while Steve cracked an egg into a bowl and got a pan onto the stove. The glass chiming of the whisk made two heads perk up over the edge of the box, using one of the plushes as a stepladder. “Steve?”
He looked at his smaller version. “Yeah?”
“What’s that?”
“I’m making a scrambled egg for us. You need more than M&M’s to keep that hair shiny.”
Tiny hands sandwiched his head as he considered that, but little Billy scrutinized him with lips pressed into a discontent line. “Are scwambled eggs good?”
“They’re my favorite.”
Billy looked at the smaller Steve as if both Steves were one and the same. Then he waved a little hand in the air, summoning. “Pick me up! I wanna see.”
“Hang on, hang on, the stove is too hot to risk you getting too close. I’ll move the box. Hang on tight.”
Ever so gently, Steve grasped the box and picked them up to set them on the counter beside the stove. The small Billy and Steve didn’t hang onto the box, though. They put their arms around each other, and held onto Steve’s thumbs hooked on the edge of the box.
The living heat radiating from those little hands into Steve’s skin made his heart break and stitch itself back up at the same time. All at once, these two...humans? Creatures? Were very real, and Steve was in very deep shit.
Was more curious than freaked out when he first met you
First week was a little awkward as he didn’t really know how to handle a human the size of a fairy
But quickly adjusted afterwards and creates a cute little bed next to his bed for you to sleep in
Secretly wants you to sleep with him instead, but he’s terrified he’ll accidentally roll over and crush you in his sleep
If you fall asleep before he does, he’ll pat you on the head with his finger for a few minutes before hitting the hay
He likes to put you in the pocket of his shirt cause he can bring you anywhere he needs to go and you like being there because of the view so its a great win-win situation for you both
Has nightmares where you accidentally fall from a table or chair and when he wakes up from it he’ll quickly check to see if you’re still sleeping in your bed and will sigh in relief when you’re safe and sound
Freaked out the first time he lost you in the house and kept yelling for you while carefully lifting all of the furniture in his house
Found you sleeping on the floor of his closet and he fell to the floor in relief
Afterwards he decided to put a tiny tracker in your bracelet just to make sure he doesn’t lose you
The members love you and they try and spoil you with what they find on the internet like tiny necklaces and dresses or literally anything that has a mini-size
Haechan will buy barbie dolls and give their accessories to you, but they’re made out of plastic so it’s pretty uncomfortable. Jeno just puts them in a drawer hoping Haechan never notices that you never wear them;;
Jeno’s pretty protective of you so whenever the members get a little too crazy in the house, he makes sure you’re out of harms way by placing you some where that is NCT-free
But the guys want to play with you so they just follow wherever Jeno puts you so that idea doesn’t end up working out a lot
“Aw come one man, I promise we won’t be too crazy. We just want to be around the cute little polly pocket!”
“No, just leave them alone! Hey, what are yo-stop following us!”
They do realize they need to be a little more chill around you just so you don’t get hurt or anything and things are completely fine afterwards
Jeno’s bought you tiny pots and pans to cook with and made you a cute tiny little apron
Has tiny bowls and spoons for you to use and tries his best to make each dish look pretty for you before you eat it
Has like 3000+ photos of you and they are all somehow perfectly clear. He will never delete any of them. Like e v e r
Will try and help you pick up stuff, but if you insist on doing it yourself, he’ll stop and just watch with hope that you can do it with adoration in his eyes
His favorite pastime with you is when you join him when he’s recording an ASMR video. It’s always fun tapping things while talking with you and you can up close and personal with some of the objects he’s brought and provide more intense sounds for the audio so it’s great
He was terrified his cats might try and eat you, but is super relieved when he sees you guys get along and finds it adorable when he sees you guys play around together (but he’s always cautious when you do play with them just in case)
He has a picture of you asleep on top of one of the cats as his wallpaper on his phone and he always has a soft smile when he looks at it
Will talk about you to his group members daily
“And then she tripped over a piece of lint! She kept pouting afterwards, it was adorable.”
He doesn’t realize he does it often
You’ll call him nicknames from time to time just to tease him like No-no, J. J, Jeeno, Jenormous, Jenny (he hates this one the most)
If you need help with anything, you can call him over and he’ll be there in like ten seconds
It usually takes him a while to get close to other people in a way where he feels completely at ease, but you did it with flying colors
You’re so precious to him, he would literally give up anything and everything for you
» You picked pocket woozi out at the store cause you thought he looked lonely
» Little did you know
» He actually prefered being alone
» So when he didn’t want anything to do with you the first week or so you were less than pleased
» But as time passed on he grew warmer towards you
» First he just didn’t move somewhere else when you sat down close to him
» And then he started eating his meals with you
» And talking with you
» And eventually he even started to climb around on you
» “Because its easier to get around this way” was his excuse
» But you were convinced he just liked you more than before
» So now that he was more open with you
» You got to see a lot of his personality you didn’t see before
» Like he was always humming or flat out singing to himself
» And he messed around with any music instrument he could get his hands on
» So just because
» You went out and got him a pocket sized guitar
» You’ve seriously never seen anyone so excited before in your life
» The first thing he did was sit down right where he was and strum out a song for you
» And boy was it beautiful
» When he sets his mind to something he doesn’t give up easily
» And will keep trying until he succeeds
» And as a pocket person this usually just ends up in him putting himself in dangerous positions
» And giving you a heart attack
» Like you walked into the kitchen one day and saw him trying to get something out of the fridge
» And the door closed right as you walked in
» The little guy trapped himself in the dang fridge
» Thankfully you were there so he didn’t freeze to death
» But you made him promise right then are there to never do that again
» He promised
» With a pout of his face
» But that didnt stop him from doing other dumbdangerous things
» Woozi is very blunt
» And so when he thinks something isn’t right he’ll let you know
» But it actually makes things easier for you
» He helps you pick out which outfits to wear
» And tries your cooking to see if its any good
» But most of all he’s just a squish of a person
» He absolutely hates being called cute
» But out of all your friends and their pocket people
» Woozi is by far the cutest
» With his cute lil cheeks
» And his cute lil eyes
» He just looks so soft you could cry
» Sometimes when the two of you are watching a movie or something at the end of the day
» He’ll crawl into your hand and just snuggle up in a little ball and fall asleep
» And you can feel his tiny heart beat and soft little breaths against your finger and you're just about ready to die from the cuteness
» He’s more protective of you than a guard dog would be
» If anyone is rude towards you
» You can bet woozi will be telling them off right away
» Seriously just turns into a little ball of rage
» You wonder what it would be like if he was human sized
» probably beat someone with his guitar
» In the end pocket woozi would just be super awkward, and shy but all together freakin adorable
Billy had his assignment, and getting the smaller Billy’s head measurement was the easy part. He had to use a strip of paper to mark the circumference of the large noggin’ on the little body, and then measure that before he went to the most expensive store for tiny clothing.
“Okay, chipmunk. I’ll see you at the music store.”
“Bwing the hat!”
“They might have to make it if it’s not available,” Billy warned on his way out of the video store.
Big Steve sighed heavily, inducing Robin to scrutinize him. “Are you afraid of the doll store?”
“Only the woman who runs it. Can we close already? I’m ready to be a person again.”
“Music Stowre!” little Steve shouted with his hands in the air. Big Steve set their finished shoebox room on the counter and waved them in.
“Get inside, you two, and hold on tight.”
Billy charged through the cardboard flaps they’d cut like doors and pushed the button on the battery pack shoved under his bed. The little fairy lights around the room bloomed with warm light as they landed on their beds, ready for their ride.
Robin carefully tied shoelaces over both of them like seatbelts while Steve closed up the back of the store. She carried their precious cargo as he moved the register money bag to the safe and turned the lights off. With the front door finally locked, Steve heaved a breath of relief and ripped his vest off. “Okay, let’s go.”
Little Steve and Billy sang movie tunes on the way to the record shop. Robin couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she held them on her lap and said to big Steve, “Getting Billy to go to the doll store is a test, isn’t it?”
Steve shrugged. “B wants a hat. It’ll be nice for someone else to use a credit card for a change. If I can get Hopper to buy anything, he’s getting a list.”
However, he felt Robin’s gaze on him and peeked at her before admitting, “Yeah, Billy Hargrove, lifeguard extraordinaire, in a doll store sounds hilarious. Sue me.”
“What’s wife gward?” small Billy exclaimed.
“He’s not a wife guard,” Robin sassed, rocking from the nudge Steve gave her. She rerouted, “Billy works at the Rec Center, little man. So he teaches exercise classes, swimming lessons, and makes sure people stay safe in the indoor and outdoor pools.”
“Biwwy’s a knight?” small Steve exclaimed in wonder.
Robin’s eyes narrowed as the car turned into a new parking lot. “I don’t know if that’s the right word for it, but it is technically his job to protect people.”
“Wow,” he breathed. “Big Biwwy, is so cool! But who keeps Biwwy safe?”
Robin and big Steve exchanged a loaded silence as he turned the car off. The latter reassured, “Billy can take care of himself while he’s gone. Are you ready to hear some music?”
“Hell yeah!” Billy declared.
Reggae played over the main speakers of the store, and an underlying aroma of marijuana wafted up from the carpets. Steve and Robin understood without saying anything that they needed an empty nook of the store. Robin set the box on a shelf between cassette and vinyl racks. She looked at the tape left in the player and set it aside before giving the shoelaces a tug to free the little ones. “You need to stay in there, okay? It’s too easy to get lost in here.”
Steve appeared and held up two small LP’s. “Do you want a little spicy or a little soul?”
“Spicy!” Billy demanded.
Robin placed the headset on the box as if the shoebox were a head, and Steve got the record player going. “You Spin Me Around” by Dead or Alive started up and Robin’s nose wrinkled.
“You’re going to give them a heart attack. Soul, soul, soul...” She started switching the LP’s, only to corner, “Steve, Boney M. is disco.”
“It’s groovy,” he smiled over a rolling shoulder. He put the other record back and set the needle down on the right song.
As music began to trickle over the shoebox bedroom, little Steve began to sway his hips. “Gwoovy,” he said experimentally.
Steve and Robin place the other headsets on their heads, the latter nodding along as Steve shamelessly danced in the store. “Let it out, lil dude. Let the music wiggle through you.”
Little Steve smiled shyly as he looked at Billy sitting on his bed and kicking his feet. “Gwoovy, Biwwy!”
Robin laughed, “Can you imagine how many complaints we’ll get if we play this at work?”
“Yeah, from Keith, if he ever bothers to actually come into work. Everyone else will thank us. How long until the GM realizes Keith is at the community college instead of Family Video?”
“Depends on when I need a raise,” she finished, letting more of her body move to the music.
Steve laughed and watched his smaller self coax Billy off the bed and do little hops and wiggles to the music. Robin encouraged, “Woo! Shake that wittle butt, Billy Boy. You’re rocking it.”
They both laughed as Billy did just that, bending his knees and throwing his butt back and forth while little Steve clapped his hands to the music.
A deeper voice warned, “Don’t throw your back out.”
The little ones gasped at big Billy joining them with his own box under his arm. Flicking the lid open, he withdrew something and twirled a familiar hat over his finger. “How about a summer jacket instead of that winter one? It’s not in season yet.”
Little Billy jumped up and down. “My hat! Will it fit? Gimme!”
Steve marveled, “They had a whole Indiana Jones doll?”
“I’ll mail you my fees,” Billy retorted, and shoved the box against Steve’s chest. Steve held it while Billy disrobed the doll and passed down the thinner jacket. Next came the hat -
“Don’t show him that,” Steve warned quietly when he gripped Billy’s hand inside the box.
Billy held his gaze a moment before he assured, “Relax, Harrington. It’s not a real whip. It’s just a string.”
“I don’t care. A bird will take these guys away if we’re not careful. B tries to belly flop off my bedside dresser every morning. Don’t let him see it.”
Billy’s brows reached for his hairline as he removed his hand from Steve’s grasp, holding it up defensively. “Your call, daddy Harrington.”
Robin pointed a mild grimace over Steve’s shoulder. Billy didn’t draw attention to it and instead looked down at little Billy putting the hat on smaller Steve’s head. “Stevie! We need a miwwor in here.”
Little Steve giggled and looked up at them, holding the wide-brimmed fedora on his head. “How do I wook?”
Robin’s eyes alighted on the pair striding into the video store. She finished with the only customer in the store fast - and a bit rudely - but it’s not like they worked for tips. Max held the door for them on their way out, and Robin and Steve crowded Billy to take the lid off the box.
“Hey, little man,” Steve cooed. “What’s going on?”
Little Steve yanked on his seat belt ribbon and ran to little Billy’s bed. “His tummy uppy, Stevie! Hewlp!”
His hair bobbed over his eyes as he looked up at big Billy. “What did they eat? Did they eat anything weird?”
Billy’s voice rumbled from his chest as he guarded, “He got a taste of carbonation.”
“Carb- like a soda?” Then Steve’s face went blank with realization. “You didn’t let him drink beer, did you?”
“He got a sip before I could stop him.”
A small voice intercepted, “It’s my fawlt...”
Robin frowned. “I doubt this can be your fault.”
He fiddled with his fingers before holding up a hand. “I huwrt my hand. Big Biwwy let me hold his dwink to feewl bettewr. My Biwwy took a sip sip.”
Robin consoled, “It’s not your fault. Thing is, it’s no one’s fault. These things happen. I drank my mom’s wine and then ruined my grandma’s antique couch.”
Max, Billy, and Steve stared at her before the latter remarked, “Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome.”
Max provided, “For what it’s worth, he didn’t really act any different. I mean...he really liked kicking stuff around, but he wasn’t drunk.”
Little Steve piped in, “His tummy is weally noisy!”
That had big Steve’s mouth relaxing into a silent, Oh...before he asked, “B, can I touch your belly?”
He got a whine as a response but he took the bedroom box and set it on the counter. Pulling on the ribbon to get it out of the way, he carefully touched all over Billy’s torso. “I think you’ve got gas.”
Little Steve asked, “What’s gas?”
Large Billy answered, “Bubbles.”
The former gasped. “Oh, Biwwy...”
Robin looked at Steve when he announced, “I have an idea. Turn the popcorn machine on.”
“Okay, why?”
“It vibrates and it’s warm.”
Max made a face. “Uh. Huh?”
Steve gestured the flat of his hand into the box. “B-Man needs to fart. What, have you never had to pass gas?”
“Old,” Robin accused from the other side of the video store.
“B-Man?” Billy smirked as he reached in and little Steve helped small Billy onto his palm.
Large Steve grabbed one of their comforters and put it on top of the popcorn machine. “This can get a little hot, but you’ll be safe as long as you’re on the bedding. I’m gonna massage your belly until the popcorn gets going.”
Small Billy whined as big Billy eased him onto the comforter, “Don’t pwess my tummy.”
Steve opened his mouth to reassure, but big Billy reassured, “We’re getting things moving. The bubbles staying still are causing the pain.”
The little one groaned but blinked softly as small Steve scooted himself under the blond head. “Piwwow, Biwwy. Big B and Stevies will take care of you.”
Steve found the small curve of little Billy’s lumbar and cushioned it while he eased the little guy onto his side and started pressing circles over his abdomen with a pinkie.
Small Steve asked, “Is it working?”
Large Billy hushed, “It’ll take a few minutes.”
That little mouth rolled into an anxious line, but he focused on petting the soft, dark blond hair.
Billy watched Steve cradling the little body with the utmost care - impressive, considering Steve touched six feet high and had the hands to match his size.
“Does this hurt?”
“Mm...um. A wittle.”
Steve expanded his circles. “Better?”
“Mmhm,” little Billy settled.
Steve could feel larger eyes on him. He glanced back at Max helping herself to gummy worms, and then looked at Billy, who inquired, “Where did you learn this?”
Steve shrugged and admitted, “Are you even lactose intolerant if you don’t relentlessly eat dairy? Instant gratification first, pain later.”
Billy chuckled and leaned down to slouch over the counter. “Your little guy seems to be doing fine, though.”
“He’s better at eating fruit and yogurt than yours is. I got his bowels on a schedule.”
“Ew, Steve,” Robin grimaced in passing. She handed Max a bottle of water and cracked open a ginger ale for herself. “But that does beg the question: what dietary stuff should we be warned about, on the lil man’s behalf?”
Max’s eyes lolled in their sockets, supremely bored. “Billy drinks beer all the time. He belches like a shitty dragon.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Robin concluded. “Lilly Billy doesn’t know how to burp.”
Big Billy intervened, “Keep it up with the names and your bike will disappear.”
“Careful,” she smiled. “The whole town knows your self esteem is in your car.”
Steve glared at them with the warning, “Children, please? This is basically a doctor’s office right now. Respect my patient.”
As if on cue, a high pitched sound plucked the air. They almost ignored it, except for little Steve giggling and chirping, “Toot.”
Big Steve smiled. “Progress.”
Max laughed and tore a gummy worm with her teeth while Robin congratulated, “One for luck, two for glory.”
“Ah!” little Steve startled when the first kernel blew.
“It’s about to get noisy,” big Steve reassured. “Hold onto him.”
Tall Billy’s eyes watched his little self reach up to reciprocate small Steve holding onto him as the machine started to rattle with popcorn commotion. Another too-toot! escaped his butt and he exhaled with palpable relief. Robin applauded but also warned, “You unlocked something.”
Steve laughed but disregarded, “Farts are harmless compared to the mayhem these two cause.”
He paused when Billy reached into his space, a careful finger rubbing small Steve’s back. “Thanks for looking after him, chipmunk.”
The way the Family Video lighting sparkled off of little Steve’s eyes, Billy wondered if he genuinely had tiny stars and planets in those big brown eyes. A big smile matched rose cheeks. “Welwcome, Biwwy! Biwwys will ahways be okay with Stevies awound.”
Steve shook his head as if something were obvious. “I keep saying that I’m a hot commodity -”
Max barked, “Cool. Go out for burgers and bring me back a milkshake.”
“Maxine,” Billy growled.
Steve clipped, “B isn’t going anywhere near a fry until he experiences the jammy goodness that is a prune.”
Robin taunted, “You look good with those grey hairs, Harrington.”
He tossed his head in the direction of the break room. “Who stocks your lunch yogurts, Buckley?”
Attention swiveled to Billy laughing, “Maybe King Steve is having a dry spell because all you talk about is shit and fruit.”
Steve might’ve had something spiteful to say, if small Billy hadn’t called tiredly, “Stevie?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
His voice rattled a little from the soothing vibrations of the popcorn machine. “Can we have noodwes?”
“Noodles? My nacho noodles?”
The littles smiled in confirmation as large Billy gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
Steve looked at him like this was totally rational. “Nacho noodles. You mix the dipping cheese with a little tomato sauce and top some egg noodles with, like, beans, veg, and stuff.”
“There’s a special prison for people like you.”
“People with ingenuity and good taste?”
“There are Italian and Mexican grandmothers rolling in their grave.”
“I’ve had Mexican and Italian grandmas invite me over for dinner more often than their granddaughters,” Steve countered.
That got a laugh from Billy that tipped his head up toward the ceiling. And another fart from the little one.
I’m thinking of a pocketverse scenario where big Billy is a werewolf but the best little Billy can do is sprout ears and a tail. Otherwise, he just bites and awwoooo ‘s a lot 🥺😩😤
( pt. 7′s art 🎩 ) ( pt. 9′s art 👀 ) ( pt. 14′s art 💨 ) ( pt. 19′s art 🦇 ) ( pt. 20′s art 🍳)
~ on ao3 ~
• • •
“Since when are you and Eddie Munson friends?”
Steve scratched his patchy stubble. “I wouldn’t say we are, but he’s got little guys too. You saw ‘em.”
“Yeah,” Max answered distractedly, preoccupied with watching the littles riding their bikes through Family Video. “But I figured Dustin finally made you cave for Hellfire.”
Steve opened his mouth, but their heads turned toward the very Eddie Munson in question, wielding the cassette case for Dark Crystal threateningly. “Choose your next words carefully, Harrington. And yes, hi, still here.”
“I see you,” Steve droned from behind the counter. The flood of church-goers had already come and gone from the store, stocking up on their Sunday evening plans and leaving the store mostly devoid of customers; especially since all of Hawkins knew the best movies were gone between Sunday and Tuesday.
Which also meant that they had been given a list of documentaries by the middle and high school faculty to be fulfilled by Monday morning. Robin sat on the confetti-printed carpet with the storage boxes, sorting and piling up the demanded inventory.
Steve finished, “D&D isn’t my thing.”
“And what is your thing?” Eddie challenged, smiling cockily.
“I’m a visual person, not an imagination person,” Steve countered.
Eddie’s smile faded somewhat. “I can’t fault you there, jock star. Even we use figurines and books to help us.”
Steve’s brows furrowed a little, but his, “Thanks,” was sincere. Then he focused on Robin and the littles riding their bikes amongst the piles. “Why doesn’t the school library have these things?”
Robin lifted a video and read aloud, “Childbirth: Richard’s Story. I think some people would burn the school to the ground if they heard about Richard.”
Steve shrugged. “We’ve all seen it. Why is it a surprise?”
Eddie answered, “Because kids are free to rebel before they join the cult comforts of their adult hive minds.”
“Do you always talk like this?”
“I’m not wrong - shit.”
Steve took a deep breath, which paused when headlights refracted off the storefront windows. He squinted in the gloom until he was sure, “Everyone relax, it’s Chris.”
The littles emerged from underneath Robin’s crisscrossed legs - small Eddie on Robin’s shoulder peeked out from underneath her bobbed hair. “Chwissy?”
“Me!” little Chrissy celebrated. “Big me!”
Chrissy stepped into the store and said, “Hey, Steve!” before waving at her parents, who drove away after dropping her off.
Gliding to the floor, small Eddie declared, “Chwissy! Wanna see me wide? I fwy like E.T.!”
Chrissy laughed and sank to the floor, legs bent to the side as she sat next opposite to Robin and watched the littles slalom in figure eights on the carpet. But in the first couple of minutes of arriving, Chrissy couldn’t help but notice little Billy riding a little distantly from the others. Little Eddie used Steve’s bike, since the latter lay within the arms of his otter plushie, watching Billy.
“Are they okay?”
“There was an incident,” Robin filled in. “Billy - like, big Billy - taunted Stevie, which lil B didn’t like. Now they’re both moping.”
Robin looked up at Max, who took the cue, “He’s at home. Our parents are going out of town for the week, so he has to prove that he’s around.”
Chrissy seemed to understand this since she nodded, but Eddie draped his arms over the shelves as he asked, “And you don’t?”
Chrissy intercepted, “It’s an older sibling thing.”
Eddie slowly picked his jaw up as he nodded, processing. “Baby of the family perks.”
“Except I’m not a baby,” Max said bitterly.
“Oh, you’ll always be the baby,” Eddie taunted, “and Billy will always be your leash.”
Emotion faded from Max’s face as if she might’ve seen a ghost. Still, she fought, “That sounds like hypocritical crap.”
“That’s parenting,” Eddie scoffed indifferently. “My dad told me about it. He was one of seven, and after he left home, he never spoke to his eldest brother again. He always regretted it. He told me it wasn’t even their fault; parents lower the chain of command to the eldest kids, and they hold the leash too tight, but the person on the other end doesn’t feel it. The leash sure does, though. Hence why his trauma led to me being an only child.”
Steve’s eyes wandered, clearly unsure how to moderate the discussion and thankfully didn’t have to. Chrissy offered to Robin, “Do you have siblings?”
“A sister,” Robin shared, “but our age gap is too big. We barely keep track of one another.”
“I’m counting the register,” Steve announced.
Robin glanced back at him and then at her watch. “Sure, I’ll finish early. Hell yeah.”
She set the stack of movies for the schools on the counter and she and Chrissy got the rest back in the boxes before promptly throwing the storage keys at Eddie. “Look like a charmer, Munson. Big and strong.”
He glared at her but couldn’t stop his eyes flicking to Chrissy as he heaved the box up in his arms. Chrissy was busy huddled next to the otter plushie, talking softly to the littles. Billy had dumped his bike to climb into the plushie’s fluff with little Steve. Small Eddie held onto Chrissy’s fingers while he talked animatedly, and little Chrissy sat on the otter’s arm, petting small Billy’s head.
Steve emerged from the break room, having deposited the money bag in the safe, and folded himself onto the floor like Chrissy. “What’re we talkin’ about down here?”
Chrissy lifted her eyes to him. “I’m trying to ask why they’re upset and what would make them feel better.”
Steve didn’t smile so much as press his lips into a sympathetic line. “B didn’t like the joke of Stevie getting hurt. Ever since B took a bite out of Billy, Billy’s been saying he’ll bite back.”
“ ‘S not my fawlt.”
Their eyes sank onto the small voice coming from within the otter fluff. Steve consoled, “I’m not saying it’s anyone’s fault, buddy. I know you were hungry when you did it, but he was trying to keep you from swan diving out of his shirt. And he shouldn’t have taken it so far as to actually scare Stevie. Now we’re all stuck in the middle.”
Small Chrissy reached over the otter’s arms to hold his hands. “You need to be nice, Biwwy. For Stevie and big Biwwy, too. He’s not weally mean. I can tell.”
Small Eddie seconded, “Yeah! Like me! Chwissy sees right thwough me.”
Big Chrissy smiled and tried, “What if Billy were to apologize? Would that help you say sorry too?”
Billy had his face tucked into the otter fur, making his eyes and cheeks look endearingly plump. “He wouldn’t mean it.”
Steve’s eyes felt huge in his own head. “Why do you think so?”
Blue eyes blinked up at him and fake otter fur caught quiet tears. “I wasn’t sowwy when I bit ‘im.”
“You don’t have to apologize for biting him.” All eyes lifted to Chrissy, who elaborated, “You were hungry and frustrated. It makes sense. But you could tell him thank you for making sure you didn’t hurt yourself while you were hungry and reckless.”
Little Chrissy and little Steve raked Billy’s hair off his face, wiping his tears for him. Big Chrissy finished, “I have a feeling you both really like being helpful. Am I right?”
Little Eddie answered, “Biwwy and Stevie made us croissants!”
Chrissy nodded like she had been right about something. “Billy likes helping, too. He acts like he doesn’t, because for some reason boys have a weird idea of what strength looks like. But he does.”
This close to the floor, big Steve noticed Max’s fidgety shuffling, sparing her a glance that made her go still.
Chrissy finished, “If you try to talk to him, I’m sure Billy will reciprocate. He’s that kind of person. He’s not all bad. He just needs to know how he can help.”
Little Billy sniffled and wiped his nose on the otter. “How d’you know he’wll be sowwy? And mean it?”
“Because if he isn’t, then I’ll make him sorry for something,” she smiled with a wink. “But seriously, Billy’s helped me a few times. I’ve got him figured out.”
Steve huffed congenially. “Wish I had him figured out.”
Chrissy inhaled like she might’ve intended to speak, but little Eddie flew up to her eye level and moved a piece of hair that had been hanging over her eyelashes, causing her to blink several times out of rhythm. “Thanks, Eddie.”
Then the larger Eddie said behind them, “Good job, lil dude. We ready to roll?”
Chrissy unfolded herself from the floor with little Eddie and Chrissy in her hands. She answered a chipper, “Yeah.”
Steve picked up the otter over his forearm as he rose to his feet. “What do you two have planned for a Sunday night?”
Eddie countered, “You mind your sleepover and we’ll mind ours.”
Steve started to roll his eyes, but Chrissy brightened, “You’re seeing Billy tonight?”
Robin arrived from the break room, then, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and catching the look Steve gave her. They frowned at each other, eye brows wagging in silent confusion they both failed at communication.
Max scoffed, “Oh, come on. Your littles lick each other. What’s the surprise? Are we going or what?”
Chrissy burst into giggles. “They what?”
Steve dodged, “I gotta lock the doors. Everyone out!”
Chrissy laughed and Eddie smiled as he dropped his jacket onto her shoulders on their way outside. “My van’s heating is out.”
“Thanks,” she said, voice and cheeks warm. Little Chrissy’s excitement over Eddie’s jacket had her nervously lifted a hand to push her hair behind her ear even though it was tied back in a pony tail.
Little Eddie distracted her with, “Chwissy? Can I wide in your hair?”
“Sure. You need to talk up there, though, so I know you’re still there.”
Little Eddie happily sat astride her scrunchie like a saddle. “I’m here! The world is beauwtiful on your head, Chwissy.”
“Tone it down,” big Eddie hissed as he opened the passenger door for them, earning bubbling laughter from both Chrissy and little Eds.
As for Steve’s car, Robin and Max fell into their seats, the latter holding the shoebox bedroom and the former holding the littles and their otter in her lap. Once the engine woke up and Steve got his headlights situated, little Stevie asked, “Are we weally going to Biwwy’s tonight?”
“That’s up to you two,” Steve answered. “We don’t have to, but I’m going to be a selfish asshole and crash there with you, if we go.”
Little Steve laughed and Billy thanked, “I want you therwe, Stevie.”
He let himself smile softly when he glanced at the blond tuft in all the otter’s fur, safely bound in small Steve’s arms. “Have a nap, B. We’re going home first.”
Little Steve looked up at him. “Home? Are we okay?”
“Yeah, we’re okay. But you guys will need an overnight bag...and Stevie, if all else fails, I think I know something that will cheer Honey B up. How’s that sound?”
“Good! Sounds good!”
Steve nodded at the street ahead, but he could feel the silence in the car like a fog. Then simultaneously, Robin and Max said together,
“Do I want to know?”
“Billy and I share a wall.”
Steve grimaced and waved at the air like he were swatting gnats. “It’s not about you! It’s about making a little guy with a big heart feel better. Jesus.”
More silence.
Then Robin asked, “Will you drop me off before you get married or am I handcuffed to this sleepover too?”
