#childhood bestfriend steve harrington

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

Someone Borrowed, Someone Blue.

an engagement party, your childhood best friend, one too many glasses of champagne. what could go wrong?

pairing - childhood bestfriend!steve harrington x female reader

warnings - smut. cursing. cheating. alcohol mention. so much angst… i’d apologise but i’m not sorry.

word count - 3.7k

author’s note - get it? like, something borrowed, something blue… because it’s a wedding… I was half asleep when that popped into my head and I thought it was perfect, personally. I don’t condone cheating irl, but also… it’s your life, do what you want ;)

as always, reblogs are the only way to circulate my fics!! so, if you enjoyed, please consider reblogging. thanks, angels <3

masterlist. inbox.

The moonlight shines down, glinting off the diamond ring settled on your left hand.

Everyone's dancing, singing, laughing, enjoying each other's company in a rare moment of complete happiness. People keep grabbing you, hugging you, reaching for you to offer their congratulations.

Isn't it just so wonderful? Two people completely in love. Ah, to be young again.

The fairy lights twinkle where they're hung across the garden, acres of grass just begging to be decorated. You'd initially protested this venue - a huge country house in the middle of nowhere, with countless rooms and a huge courtyard.

It's just our engagement party, not our wedding. We don't have to be so extravagant.

This isn't extravagant - not for my family, anyway. Just say yes. I'll plan the entire thing, you don't have to worry.

And so you did. Say yes. To his proposal, the venue, anything he suggests. You can't find it in you to say no, to argue, to fight for what you really want. It isn't worth it.

"There you are, my soon to be wife!"

You take a deep breath, pretending the sound of his voice doesn't make you feel sick.

"My soon to be husband."

He can't see the grimace on your face, even though it's there, loud and clear. He can't read you, has never been able to.

"A car has just pulled up. You expecting anyone else?"

You are, but you won't let yourself get your hopes up. So you lie.

"Don't think so."

"Okay, well... you'll save me a dance, won't you? My mom wants to take some pictures."

You nod reluctantly, patting his arm with as much affection as you can muster.

"I think your brother is calling you."

You direct his attention to where his frat boy siblings are, hollering and yelling for him to come over.

"My guys!"

He departs as quickly as he came, leaving a wave of too strong cologne in his wake.

You take a walk from the garden to the front of the house, curiosity peaked. You scan the parking lot, and your heart stops when you spot the car in the corner.

A burgundy 1983 BMW 733i.

He's here.

You spin on your heel, searching almost frantically, when you hear someone clear their throat. You turn around, and there he is.

Leaning against a pillar, stood in a dress shirt and tailored trousers, hair perfectly styled.

Steve Harrington.

You're half convinced you're dreaming. The world moves around you in a daze, crickets chirping and wind blowing gently. You lock eyes with him, and can't fight the grin that spreads across your face.

“Don’t fret, baby. The life of the party has arrived.”

You scoff but almost run towards him, tripping over in your heels. He meets you halfway, arms snaking around your waist to keep you steady as you wrap yourself around him.

He smells the same. Cologne, spearmint, a faint note of diesel from the car. He smells like home.

Past home, you remind yourself. Not anymore. You have a new home now, with a soon to be husband that doesn’t understand you and a soon to be family that is built on morally questionable money and fake niceties. Steve’s a person of your past, a distant memory, a fading dream.

Except he’s stood right in front of you.

He's staring at you with a look in his eyes you can’t quite place. You’ve never seen it before.

"I didn't think you'd come," you whisper, begging yourself to pull away from his embrace. He doesn't let you go far, keeping his arms around your back as if he's worried you'll bolt at any given moment.

"And miss my best friends engagement party? Never."

"Best friends. We're not five anymore, Steve."

You roll your eyes, punching his arm lightly.

"What, I can't call you my best friend anymore?"

He picks you up, spinning you across the gravel of the parking lot. You're dizzy with it, the world passing by you in streaks of shapes and colours.

"Steve!"

"What?" he laughs. "You don't like this, best friend? What's the problem, best friend? Are you dizzy, best friend?"

"Put me down!"

Steve throws you over his shoulder as you both spin, strong hands preventing you from falling.

"Put me down, Steve, please - okay, okay! You're my best friend! Call me best friend all you want, please!"

Steve's crying with laughter, out of breath and rosy cheeked. He places you back on the ground, smoothing your hair down with rough palms.

You inhale carefully, grabbing onto his biceps as an anchor as you gauge your bearings. You look up at him, and lose your breath all over again.

Chest heaving, tongue darting over his bottom lip, hair mussed but still perfectly styled. He looks a picture, an ancient painting, a statue carved from the finest marble.

"I never want you to stop calling me your best friend," you whisper, so quietly that the breeze takes it.

"Then I won't."

Your hand slips down Steve's arm and into his, fingers linking gently.

"I missed you."

"I missed you so much, Birdy. You have no idea."

The childhood nickname shoots a lightning bolt through your heart, shiver running up your back involuntarily.

The two of you would sit and watch cartoons for hours on the floor of Steve's living room, pressing your little heads together to see the TV better. He'd joke that you sounded like Tweety Bird, all sweet and lispy. The nickname was born that day, and stuck ever since.

"How was California?"

"So good. I'll tell you all about it later. How's your engagement party?"

"It's good."

You try to sound convincing but your voice cracks, giving you away instantly. Busted.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. There's a few people you know back there - from school, the neighbourhood, family. They'll all wanna see you."

"I'll socialise later. Wanna talk to you first."

The intensity in his voice makes you nervous. You realise you're still holding his hand, so you drop it, crossing your arms over your chest.

"You didn't RSVP."

"Didn't get your invite. Travelling."

"I called your mom. She said she'd tell you."

"She didn't."

"She told me she did."

The crickets continue to chirp, gentle breeze blowing your hair into your face. You look at Steve pointedly, unwilling to be the first to break.

"What are you doing here, Steve?"

"It's your engagement party."

"So you've said."

"I haven't seen you in months."

"I tried to call, but you stopped answering."

"Birdy-"

"I'm just saying, Steve. We haven't spoken in months, I feel like you've been point blank ignoring me, I've had to come to terms with the fact that you probably wouldn't be at this party or the wedding and then all of a sudden you just show up? Unannounced?"

"I know how this looks."

"Do you?"

You're not entirely sure where all of this anger has come from, but you can't seem to tamp it down. It's bubbling, simmering, threatening to spill over the surface dramatically any second.

"I wasn't sure I could do this. Any of it."

"Do what?"

"Stand by and watch you make a mistake."

You scoff, laughing at him in disbelief. He's never been one to sugarcoat things, and usually, it's one of your favourite things about him. But not today.

"Don't you fucking dare, Steve."

"Birdy, be real. The guy is a prick. And you want to marry him? You're a smart girl, the smartest person I know. You've got to see that none of this makes any sense."

"So you showed up here to yell at me? Criticise my life choices? Thanks, Steve. Thanks a million. Some best friend, huh?"

"I've done nothing but support you."

"You ran away! Across the country! How is that support?"

"Fine, maybe I can't support straight up stupidity!"

"Am I smart or am I stupid? Which one is it?"

Steve sighs, running his fingers through his hair as he watches you pace the gravel in front of him. You're vibrating with fury now. It's something he's seen before. Something he knows how to navigate better than anyone. He knows you. He knows you need an outlet here.

He also knows that you're never more hyperaware than when you're mad. So, he takes his opportunity.

"I came here to tell you not to marry him."

You stop dead in your tracks, shaking your head in denial.

"...Why, Steve? Why would you say that?"

"You know why."

"No."

You take a deep breath and will yourself not to cry. In the garden, you can hear people laughing, singing along to some 70s pop song you've never liked. You pray silently that no one comes looking for you.

You take a step closer to Steve, standing up straight.

"Say it."

He looks at you incredulously, shocked by your sudden defiance.

"Say it, Steve. If you came all this way to say it, then fucking say it."

Steve steps into you, closing down the space. You don't move, determined not to back down.

"You're going to hate me if I say it, Birdy."

"I don't give a fuck anymore. Say. It."

Steve runs his tongue over his bottom lip, never once breaking eye contact with you. The silence seems to stretch on infinitely, thick and blanketing like fresh snow falling.

"I'm in love with you."

You feel like you've been punched in the gut. You take a deep breath and try to stay on two feet, wobbling where you stand. Finally, you find your voice.

"Fuck you, Steve Harrington. Fuck. You."

He laughs, but there's no humour in it.

"Yeah."

"How dare you? How dare you come to my engagement party and start confessing your feelings? You could have told me anytime, but you chose today?"

He goes to interrupt but you hold a finger up, effectively shutting him up.

"How long, huh? How long have you been in love with me?"

Steve's trembling, chest stuttering with the force of his confession.

"For as long as I can remember."

You haven't looked away from him once. You're frozen in place, suspended in the moment.

"No you haven't."

"You're gonna tell me how I feel now, Birdy?"

"Yeah, Steve, I am. Because I don't believe you. You're King Steve, ladies man, notorious player. You were never seen with the same girl twice in high school. Don't you remember? Sneaking into my room at night, whispering under my blankets about your latest hookup, telling me all the dirty details?"

"I remember," he whispers, voice laced with something like sadness. "Of course I remember."

"You don't get to tell me this now. It's not fair, Steve."

"Why not, huh?"

"Because I've always been in love with you! Always."

Steve stumbles backwards, dizzy and disorientated.

"No you haven't."

"You're gonna tell me how I feel now?" you laugh in disbelief. "I've always been in love with you. Everyone knows it. My parents, your parents, all of our friends... I think the goddamn mailman knew, Steve!"

"I didn't."

"Blissful ignorance," you chuckle humourlessly.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew it wouldn't change anything."

Steve's eyes go wide as he keels over, as if the wind has been knocked out of him.

"Wouldn't change anything? Birdy, it... I-I can assure you it... It would have changed everything."

You both look at each other, breathless and riddled with confusion. There's something flowing through your veins, something unintelligible, something unrecognisable.

"Why would you do this today?" you choke out, sobs threatening to break free. "Of all the days, Steve."

"Because I'm going insane!" he yells, voice raising. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't function knowing that you're going to marry a man you don't love. It's ruining my life, Birdy!"

"You don't think it's ruining mine? Huh?"

You take a breath, very aware that if you shout anymore, multiple people are going to come running from the garden.

"This is selfish, Steve. And you're not selfish."

He looks down at you, bottom lip wobbling.

"I am when it comes to you. Always have been."

"You're breaking my fucking heart, baby."

You choke out the words before bursting into tears, sobs wracking your frame. Steve grabs your hand and guides you to the stone steps, sitting you down next to him. Against better judgment, he slings an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close.

He smells so familiar, so comforting, that it only makes you cry harder. You bury your face in his chest, fingers tangled into his dress shirt, holding on for dear life.

"I'm sorry," he's mumbling. "I'm so fucking sorry. I had to. I really had to."

"I know," you're muttering back. "I know you did. I know."

You lift your head to look at him only to find he's crying too, years of emotion dripping down his face. You wipe his tears with your thumbs, your heart shattering at the sight in front of you.

Steve's only made you cry once before. In ninth grade, you'd stupidly assumed that the two of you would go to the prom together. Steve had made a joking comment about always being your date, and you hadn't questioned it. Then, one Friday night, he'd snuck into your room to tell you excitedly that he'd asked Lizzy Buchanan to the dance, and she'd said yes. You'd burst into tears immediately, much to your teenage embarrassment, willing yourself to play your cards closer to your chest. Steve had crumbled instantly, crying because you were.

That's how it's always been. He cries, you cry. You cry, he cries. He's just not usually the cause of the tears.

"I'm sorry, Birdy," he chokes. "This was the only way."

"I know," you soothe, rubbing circles into his wet cheeks with your fingers. "I know. You're not the villain here, Steve. You never were."

His eyes are trained to yours, silent communication passing back and forth. The two of you have always had the ability to practically read each other's minds.

You're not sure who moves first - perhaps it's the universe, pulling you together by the strings woven into your chests - but suddenly your lips are melded together, moving as if it's the easiest thing in the world. Steve's clinging to you as if you're his life source, a man in the desert without water.

You tangle your fingers into his hair to tug him impossibly closer, eyes fluttering when he groans, deep and visceral. He spreads his legs and pulls you between them, both of you slotting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Your tears are dancing onto each other's cheeks, mixing like rain water and gasoline.

Suddenly, you yank yourself from his grip, standing up and smoothing down your silky dress. Steve prepares himself for the yelling, the screaming, a slap that he most definitely deserves.

Instead, he's met with you, chest heaving, skin warm, eyes heavy. You're looking at him expectantly.

"Come with me," you croak, voice hoarse and untrustworthy.

You grab his hand and slink through the front door, up the grand staircase and into a room with a heavy oak door. He follows you obediently, confused but completely trusting.

It's your hotel room. A marriage suite. A spacious, windowed room, with makeup scattered across the vanity and suitcases half unpacked on the floor. The bed is still made, which makes Steve breathe a sigh of relief. He hasn't had you here. The room isn't marred.

The minute you shut the door you're back on Steve, shoving him up against the hard wood. He grabs handfuls of your ass and spins you around, backing you into the cold surface behind you for stability. He lifts you easily, wrapping your legs around his waist as he kisses you again.

Steve trails his lips down your neck as you rock your hips, desperate to find some friction. You whine gently, fingers tugging at his hair a little rougher than intended to get your message across.

"What do you need, honey?" he murmurs, afraid to disrupt the atmosphere.

"You."

Steve throws his head back as he groans, exposing his throat to you. You waste no time in nipping up the expanse of it, sinking your teeth in with no regard for the consequences. You're too far gone now, not worried about looking back.

Walking backwards, Steve tosses you onto the bed, chuckling when you almost bounce off of it. He unbuttons and strips his shirt, pulling his belt from the loops as he goes. You can only lie there and watch, wondering when your best friend became less of a boy and more of a man. He's all corded muscle and tanned skin, freckled and perfect.

Steve crawls between your legs, kissing you tenderly.

"Wanna take my time with you," he murmurs between kisses. "Can't right now. Will, though. Promise."

You feel as if there's electricity crackling across your skin, pulsing and alive. It's never felt like this with anyone. It never will again.

"Promise?"

You can't help the slight insecurity that colours your voice, young and unsure.

"I promise, Birdy. Cross my heart."

He takes your hand in his and places it over his chest, as if to solidify his point.

You nod and kiss him again, desperate to have every inch of his skin on yours.

Steve shimmies your underwear down your legs, tossing them behind him somewhere. Shucking his trousers off, he pushes your dress up and around your waist, groaning when he gets a good look at you.

"Prettiest girl in the world. He doesn't deserve you. Never did."

"And you do?"

"I'll spend every day for the rest of time proving that I do."

With that he's pushing into you, sliding home with one smooth thrust. Both of you gasp, grabbing onto the other person to use them as an anchor.

"Please, Steve," you're whispering. "Give me everything. I want it all."

"You've got no idea how long I've been waiting for this."

"I do," you laugh, "I do. Because I've been waiting just as long."

Steve chuckles and leans down to kiss you, slipping his tongue into your mouth to memorise the way you taste. There's remnants of champagne on your lips, along with the minty lip gloss you've loved for as long as he can remember.

He wastes no time setting a steady rhythm, thrusts deep and measured. You rake your nails down his back, clawing at this skin, praying silently that you leave your mark. Little do you know, you staked your claim on him a long, long time ago.

"S'good, Stevie," you whine. "Fuck, so good."

"Does he make you come? Does he even try?"

You shake your head frantically, closing your eyes when Steve laughs dryly.

"Didn't think so. He can't make you feel the way I can, baby. He'll never be able to."

His words are only pushing you closer and closer to the edge, red hot heat building at the pit of your stomach. Steve places one hand at the base of your throat, the heavy weight of it causing your eyes to roll back.

Your sweat slicked skin is plastered to his, every inch of you pressed together. Steve leans down to rest his forehead against yours, panting into each other's mouths.

"I love you," he breathes, hips getting quicker. "I love you. Fuck, I love you."

"I love you," you sob, back arching as you find your release. Stars dance across your vision as you tighten around Steve, nails leaving crescent moons on the skin of his shoulders.

Steve's right there with you, back flexing and fingers leaving their prints on your hips as he groans. It's the prettiest sound you've ever heard. Your mind loops it for you, playing it on repeat as he collapses his weight on top of your body.

"I meant it," he mutters against your damp chest. "I do love you. Always have."

You kiss his forehead gently, smoothing the hair away from his face.

"I meant it too. I love you. You taught me what love was in the first place, Steve."

He leans up to press his lips to yours, tender and honey sweet.

You realise the gravity of the situation all of a sudden, your heart rate increasing in Steve's ear.

"Hey, hey. Birdy. Don't panic, okay? We'll figure this out."

You think for a moment, weighing up your options in your head. Unexpectedly, you're jumping out of bed, fixing your dress and slipping on your underwear and heels.

"What are you doing, babe?"

You adjust your hair and swipe your fingers under your eyes to salvage your makeup in the mirror, turning to face the man who's now dressing himself frantically.

"Have you had a drink tonight?"

"No, I drove here."

"Perfect."

You grab your purse and stand by the door, waiting for him to follow. When he looks at you in pure confusion, you chuckle.

"Let's run away."

"Birdy... what?"

"Steve. You heard me. Let's. Run. Away."

He scans your face for any sign of hesitation, but all he finds is love. Adoration. Assuredness. That's all the confirmation he needs.

He runs at you, picking you up and spinning you around. Grabbing his hand, the two of you sneak down the stairs, slipping out of the front door as quietly as possible.

You throw yourself into the front seat of his BMW, vibrating with adrenaline as Steve starts up the engine. It roars to life, and you're very aware that people are going to come looking for you.

But you don't care.

Steve links your fingers, resting your intertwined hands in his lap as he reverses. You go to look back towards the garden, but you stop yourself.

"Can't move forward if you're always looking back, right?"

Steve laughs, leaning over to kiss your warm cheek.

"Truer words have never been spoken, Birdy."

He brings the car to a stop before you begin down the winding driveway, looking at you carefully.

"You ready?"

You take a deep breath, grinning at him.

"I've been ready since we were five years old."

He smiles at you, bright and blinding, and there's no doubt in your mind that you've made the right choice.

Can't move forward if you keep looking back, after all.

@enigmaticloki @joekeerysslut @s-trawberryv-eins @wintressoldier36 @mangomastani

[supernovafics]

•*⁀➷ ❝ 𝐈’𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔. ❞✧∘ ✭・.✫・゜·。.

supernovafics!

✭•*⁀➷ a bestfriend!steve harrington roommate au slightly inspired by the tv show “friends” ·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。.

a year in the lives of you and your best friend steve harrington. you never thought that you would be living with this guy you’ve known since you were ten— although it was a hypothetical topic that was discussed at length during the many sleepovers you had over the years. but somehow on a hectic day in august, the stars managed to align, and the next thing you know a lease is being signed and the two of you are moving into a two-bedroom apartment. so far it’s been two months of countless late nights and too many really early mornings where you’re running late to class or steve’s rushing to get to his shift at family video. for the most part, though, it’s a perfect situation. until the lines that felt as if they were clearly drawn in the sand— and had been there from perhaps the moment you and him met— start getting blurrier and blurrier

warnings: bestfriend!steve, roommate!steve, childhood best friends to (eventual) lovers, two idiots in love (but neither wanna admit it), Big Big slow burn, besties being besties, minimal angst, mainly just a lot of fun vibes, eventual smut (minors dni!), many familiar faces (robin, eddie, sometimes the kids), no use of y/n, specific warnings will be tagged per chapter

important note! this will be a very “low stakes” series (there’s not really a super specific storyline happening in this), and i’m really just gonna post for it whenever i’m in the mood/feel inspired for it. i already have a bunch of random ideas for this universe that i wanna eventually do, but requests are open for anything you wanna see with these roommates/besties<333 (also oneshots/blurbs will be posted non-chronologically but will be listed chronologically, so you can pretty much read in any order you want to!)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

fall 1985

love is a game (the one where you and steve have a “housewarming party”)

let’s forget it (the one where steve sees you naked)

third street (the one at the diner in the middle of the night)

silly promises (the one at dairy queen)

take a picture (the one with batman & robin)

from the dining table (the one with the early thanksgiving dinner)

never talk about it (the one where you see steve naked)

just a feeling (the one with steve’s date)

winter 1985/1986

the first fall of snow (the one where the kids spend the night)

care for you (the one where you’re both sick)

maybe this year (the one with the bet)

closing time (the one at family video)

while you were sleeping (the one with steve’s epiphany)

only for you (the one where you and steve play basketball)

in the middle of the night (the one with the ski trip)

worth waiting for (the one after the ski trip) (18+)

spring 1986

between you and me (the one where you and steve are secretly dating)

tell me a secret (the one where everyone finds out)

take my hand (the one where you and steve are chaperones at a school dance)

stay with me (the one where you come home drunk and steve takes care of you)

much better (the one with the "celebratory dinner")

summer 1986

one more second (the one with the barbecue)

out for the night (the one with the party at the lake)

[harrywavycurly]

Summary: You’ve been married to Steve Harrington for over two years and things couldn’t be better, you even someon how managed to convince your childhood bestfriend Eddie Munson and his wife Chrissy to move in next door. You feel like you’re living the dream but slowly you start to notice it’s actually more of a nightmare when Steve begins acting weird, but at least you still have Eddie. But unknown to you Eddie is also beginning to feel like life is too good to be true when his wife starts coming up with excuses to not be home, but at least he has you his bestfriend right next door. This is a series all about how you never really know what’s happening behind closed doors and that love sometimes sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

Type of Story: This is a double feature cheater fic aka Steve and Chrissy both cheat on you and Eddie BUT it has a happy ending.

A/N: I know cheating fics aren’t everyone’s thing and that’s totally fine I understand this can be hard for some people to read so do what’s best for you✨

TW: Cheating, cursing, gaslighting and mentions of divorce

Status: Completed🖤

Tag List: Open

Instagrams: Here

Conversations: Here

Extras: here

*This is a texting series but you’ll find everything in the correct order below*

Part 1: Game Night

Part 2: Gossip

Part 3: Normal

Part 4: Smokes

Part 5: Cuddles

Part 6: Roses

Part 7: Note

Part 8: Exhale

Part 9: Employee of the Month

Part 10: Backyard bonus convo here

Part 11: Relieved bonus convo here

Part 12: Four Days

Part 13: Oil Change

Part 14: Not the First Time bonus convo here

Part 15: Porch

Part 15 part 2: Porch Convo bonus convo here

Part 16: Smooth Sailing bonus convo here convo with Steve and Chrissy here

Part 17: Police Escort

Part 18: Downstairs

Part 19: Open Spaces bonus convo between Eddie and Wayne here

Part 20: Five? bonus convo here

Part 21: Practice Date bonus convo here

Part 22: Sixteen

Part 23: Pizza

Part 24: Reflexes bonus convo here

Part 25: We’re Gonna Be Fine

Part 26: Change

Part 27: Late

Part 28: Trust

Part 29: Traditions

Part 30: Promises

Bonus Content:

That Felt Good

Permission

[bloodibambiidoll]

Sugar and Spice: Part 1

(E.M. x Fem!Reader x S.H.) Part 2 Series Masterlist.

Summary: Steve has massive crush on you, Eddie’s childhood bestfriend who just came home from collage. The only problem is you despised him in highschool and he’s pretty sure Eddie’s in love with you.

Warnings: Eventual smut, pining, love triangle, no upside down, eventual steddie x reader, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, fluff, no use of Y/N so definitely a billion pet names. There’s not really any for this chapter, it’s mostly setting the scene for the rest of the story. Mentions of sex and some swearing. I will add additional warnings each chapter! But still my work is always 18+MNDI

A/N: Okay I found this in my docs and I was reading over it and got inspired to keep writing it. I’ve had this idea in my head for a long time about a Reader who has a kind of like pastel goth type of aesthetic. Like she plays D&D and loves horror but also really loves chick flicks and pink. She listens to Black Sabbath but then will turn around and listen to Blondie in the same 10 minutes. Collects Care Bears but has read every Anne Rice book. I feel like both Eddie and Steve would lose their minds over that. There will be no physical descriptions of reader besides the outfits she wears, which will be things like big chunky goth boots and fuzzy pink sweaters. Ngl it’s kinda self indulgent of me but I hope there’s others who can relate to her.🤭 divider I used is by: @firefly-graphics

Steve wasn’t obsessed with you, at least he tried to convince himself that was the case. He hadn’t seen you since you graduated and moved to the city. But ever since you’ve been back it’s like he sees you everywhere. You come into his work sometimes and rent horror movies, or on rare occasions you rent something totally cute and left-field like The Little Mermaid. You wore outfits that were somehow the hottest and cutest thing he’s ever seen at once, his favorite he’s ever seen you in was this short little black skirt and a pink button up cardigan that you replaced the buttons with little skulls all brought together by the big platform boots you’re usually wearing. That contrast just made him more infatuated with you. You were like sugar and spice wrapped up in one really beautiful girl.

But there were TWO major problems, one being that you hated him In highschool. He was an arrogant asshole who thought he was better than everyone, could do whatever he wanted and looked down on the kind of people you hung around. You were pretty quiet but outspoken and opinionated when you wanted to be, kept close to the few friends you had and always had your head in some kind of horror or vampire book that Steve would definitely not understand but would’ve totally listened to you talk about all day just to hear you talk about something you loved. He always thought you were pretty, even in highschool when you used to dress a lot more reserved. Mostly ripped jeans, the occasional Care Bears tee, and shirts of bands he didn’t know. He even asked you out once Junior year before he got with Nancy and you laughed in his face and said “yeah fucking right Harrington, good one” But now? You’re always wearing those little mini skirts, low cut tank tops, and ripped up fishnets. Steve literally feels like he can’t think around you.

Which brings him to problem number two…Eddie. You and Eddie are bestfriends and have been since middle school, he’s part of the reason you never liked Steve because of the way he and his friends treated Eddie. Even though Steve was never directly mean to YOU, his friends were and that was enough. But Steve and Eddie had a recently developed… acquaintanceship due to their mutual friendship with Dustin. It took some time and convincing but once they got past their preconceived notions of each other they were able to be civil. Eddie being in the group meant when you came back naturally you were integrated in as well. Which means Steve has seen you in an actual social setting multiple times now.

You think that would be great, right? Wrong. Eddie was constantly touching you. Holding your hand, putting his arms around your waist, you sitting IN HIS LAP. It drove Steve fucking crazy, especially because he knows that Eddie loves you and he feels just a little bad about it because he had actually started to really like Eddie and maybe even began to see him as a friend. But seeing him all over you drove him insane and made him have a bad taste in his mouth every time he heard his name. He was pretty sure you loved Eddie. The way you looked at him and the gentle way you handled him and spoke to him like he wasn’t the resident metalhead drug dealer but a giant teddy bear that needed to be hugged and cared for.

Steve would’ve given up in an instant if you said you were Eddie’s girl, but you always said you guys were bestfriends despite the fact that Eddie definitely called you his girl on multiple occasions to the entire group. You definitely had feelings for him. He could see it but there was also something keeping you from making it official and that gave Steve hope. Especially once you warmed up to him and started sitting on HIS lap sometimes. You would just come and plop down across his knees looking at him all sweet like it was the most casual thing and you didn’t just make his brain short circuit. You started calling him cute little pet names and kissing his cheek every time you saw him.

Again, these things would all be fantastic IF you didn’t do all the same things and more with Eddie. Every time you sat on Eddie’s lap he literally wanted to rip you off of him and kiss you right in front of Eddie’s smug face. He was always smirking at Steve over your shoulder because he knew Steve liked you. He confronted him about it last week when they were at the arcade with Dustin and Mike.

“So. You like her don’t you?” Eddie just asked him out of the blue. Steve looked at him with a confused look on his face not really registering what he meant at first “Huh? Like who?”

“Don’t play dumb man, you know who I’m talking about” Eddie scoffed and rolled his eyes

“Why would you think she would ever like you back? You treated us like shit in highschool and just because she’s more confident and can stand to be in the same room as you, now you want her? Fuck that. She deserves better than that, she is so much more than how she looks.”

Steve was kind of taken back at first, knowing he wasn’t exactly wrong “You don’t think I know that Munson? I don’t just like her because she’s hot. She also has this confidence and energy about her that’s just really attractive. She’s fucking funny and not afraid to be herself. She’s got that whole sugar and spice thing going on where she’s so sweet and gentle one second and the next she’s cussing like a sailor going off on these cute little tangents. I thought we established I’m not the guy I was in highschool anymore. I’m not some player trying to go through women. I like her.” he kind of didn’t mean to say ALL of that but it just kept coming out once he started talking about you he couldn’t help it.

“Okay I get it, you actually like her. Either way she’s never going to go for you, you aren’t even her type.” He grabbed the sleeve of Steve’s bright blue crew neck “I’ve never seen her be into a pretty boy like you, she likes dudes who look like they’re part of the lost boys clan or the dudes she sees on MTV.”

Steve couldn’t help but roll his eyes “Sooo, you then? If you love her so much then why aren’t you with her?” Eddie flushed and his face fell slightly “because man, she’s the most important person in my life. Imagine if we got together for real and then we broke up? Things wouldn’t be the same between us, I might lose her entirely”

“When you say ‘for real’ what does that mean?” Steve asked him, hoping it didn’t mean what he thought it meant.

“I mean we do a lot of couple things, we go on bestfriend dates, we are super affectionate with each other, we fuck sometimes, but both of us are scared if we decided to be together for real it would ruin it” Eddie shrugged like he didn’t just metaphorically punch Steve in the chest with that information.

“So what? Are you guys exclusive or what? Because if you’re not, I’m going to ask her out.” Steve just shrugged trying to play it off.

“Dude. Are you seriously going to ask out my girl after what I just said!?”

“Yeah, DUDE. You just said she wasn’t yours so is she or isn’t she?”

“Now that I finally have you around without Eddie I can ask the question I’ve been dying to ask, what’s the deal with you two? Are you like, together?” Robin suddenly asked you out of the blue.

Her and Nancy finally convinced you to have a girls day with them. You went and got mani pedis and picked up lunch so you could eat it back at Nancy and Jonathan’s apartment while you watched some movies Robin got from work.

“I mean… Technically? No. You could say we are like bestfriends with benefits I guess? We have kind of been fooling around off and on since sophomore year of highschool when we lost our virginity to each other.”

“And you’re… okay with that?”

“Yeah Robin, I’m okay with it. We decided a long time ago that us being together for real wasn't really an option. Imagine if we broke up? I couldn’t handle losing him.” You bit your lip, just the thought of losing Eddie made you anxious.

Now you had Nancy curious “So have you ever been with anyone else? Or are you guys like exclusive friends with benefits? Because if you’ve only ever been with him I’d say you’re pretty much together anyways.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve had hookups and flings, so has Eddie. I had a few guys I went on a couple dates with when I was gone at school but I’ve never had an actual relationship really. Neither has he.”

“So you’re telling us, you’ve been fucking on and off and on for almost EIGHT YEARS, never had a real relationship, and yet you guys still aren’t actually together? Don’t you think that’s maybe the reason neither of you have ever had a relationship? You’re stuck on each other?” Nancy, always the voice of reason.

“I absolutely know that’s why, I compare every guy to Eddie and no one has measured up. He treats me like a princess, why would I want a boyfriend who treats me anything less than that?” You shrugged and took another bite of your egg roll.

“Okay but what about when you do find that person? Or he does? What then? Things will change either way.” Robin questioned. She had her own reasons for bringing this all up in the first place. She knew Steve liked you, and he made her promise not to mettle but just asking if you were single isn’t meddling, right?

“I don’t know Robin, we’ve never talked about it. We will cross that bridge when the time comes.” You hoped they would let it go after that. It’s not that you necessarily didn’t want to talk about your relationship with Eddie, it’s just whenever anyone brings up that it probably has an eventual expiration date you feel like your whole world is crashing down.

“So there’s really no one you’ve ever thought you really really liked?” Okay, maybe she was reaching meddling territory now.

“Nope. Never. Can we just watch dirty dancing now?”

You didn’t feel like elaborating more than that, especially since recently there was someone you’d started to like. It was confusing and very much against your will but you had started to develop a small crush on Steve. You tried really hard to give him the cold shoulder when you first got back, you spent years with feelings of animosity towards him but if even Eddie could give him another chance you figured you could too. Then of course he had to be just so sweet, and such a gentleman, always telling you that you looked pretty and he smelled so good. It honestly made you want to punch him in the face. Or kiss him. Or both.

Robin narrowed her eyes at you but decided to drop it for now, even though she could tell there was definitely something you weren’t telling them with how quickly you decided to change the subject.

“Yeah okay, let’s watch the movie. But I’m not letting this go forever.”

“I didn’t even think for a second that you would.” You laughed and pressed play on the VHS.

Your love life wasn’t brought up anymore after that but that didn’t keep you from thinking about it. What would happen if Eddie got a girlfriend? You and him were never exclusive but the thought of him actually loving someone made you feel sick. Did he feel the same way? You hoped he did. Does that mean you want things with him to be exclusive? You’d never really allowed yourself to have those thoughts but now you were starting to wonder.

Then there was Steve, who just added to your confusion. Something about him just drew you to him, even back in highschool when you felt nothing but negative feelings toward him it was like he was everywhere you looked. Maybe you always had a small crush on him but would’ve never in a million years admitted it to yourself back then. It’s not like you would’ve ever had a chance, he treated everyone like you like dirt under his shoe. He never bullied you directly but him picking on your friends was enough to tell you how he probably felt about you too. Then you remember that one time Junior year when he asked you out, did he actually mean it? The thought that he might like you made your insides heat up and you felt like one of those girls you used to make fun of in highschool for swooning over him.

Robin could practically see the gears turning in your head, it was very obvious you weren’t watching the movie at all and she knew she told Steve she wouldn’t involve herself but she just had this feeling…

“You like Steve don’t you?” Robin’s voice snapped you out of your cycle of spiraling thoughts and you whipped your head around to look at her.

“What!?”

[forever-rogue]

Hi!!! I was wondering if u could do a henderson!reader x steve harrington imagine where it’s enemies to lovers and also one bed? Where they use to be childhood bestfriends but then steve ditched her for the popular crowd and they took the kids on a vacation or something and had to share a bed? It’s angsty but also fluffy fluff fluff where they admit they’re in love with eachother!!

AN | Ooh, but this got real soft and made me feel things 🥺

Warnings | Language

Pairing | Steve x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 2k

Masterlist | Steve, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“You’re joking,” you looked at your younger brother in desperation, wanting him to come out and say that he hadn’t mean it. But he just grinned that smug little grin you wanted to wipe off his exuberant little face, “you’re joking, right?”

“Nope.”

“Dustin!” you groaned in frustration as Steve rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, “why…this doesn’t make any sense!”

“Sure it does,” he shrugged his shoulders, fully aware of what he was doing, “the rest of us are already all paired up in cabins and that just leaves the two of you. So…you’ll have to share this cabin.”

“Why can’t I share with Robin?” you flailed your arms and hit Steve in the chest, “or Nance?”

“They’re bunking together.”

“Surely they can take a third person-”

“They’re bunking together,” he repeated and you understood the implication. Damn them. You pinched your brow and shook your head.

“What about Eddie?” you offered, “why can’t I stay with Eddie?”

“I’m staying with Eddie-”

“Be a good brother and trade!”

“No can do,” he ducked out of your reach and tossed the cabin keys to Steve, “sorry! Be a good sister and make do! It’s only a week.”

“You’re the worst!” you called at his retreating back, “you’re adopted!”

“You’re the adopted one!” all you could hear was his laughter as he disappeared into the distance. You turned around and found Steve watching you intently.

“Don’t even start Harrington,” you grabbed the keys and unlocked the door before unceremoniously kicking the door open. As soon as you stepped inside of the old cabin, a sound of despair escaped your lips. No way. There was no way.

“Well,” Steve trudged in after you, tossing both of your bags onto the floor, “looks like there’s only one bed, princess.”

“Fuck me.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I am not sharing a bed with you,” you vehemently shook your head as you took a step further from him. He rolled his eyes again before flopping onto the bed and letting out a long sigh of relief, “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“You don’t even have a sleeping bag.”

“I’ll use a blanket.”

"We could share the bed. We've done it before-"

"We were stupid kids. I'll take the floor."

“It’s hardwood and it’ll be cold.”

“I’ll deal with it!” you snapped at him and he sat up, “don’t act like you suddenly care.”

A flash of hurt crossed his features for a moment before he snapped back into reality, “fine - you take the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No.”

“Don’t be so stubborn,” he got off the bed and closed the small distance between your bodies. You were ready to make a smark retort but he was too fast, “take the bed and I will take the floor. Now stop arguing, princess, and deal with it.”

“I hate you,” you sat on the bed cross-legged as you sighed in sheer exasperation.

“The feeling’s mutual,” his back was to you so you couldn’t see his face. You wondered what his expression was because there appeared to be no venom to his tone. 

This was going to be a long week.

-─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It turned out you were right…it was a very long couple of days. You were so busy trying to avoid Steve at all costs that it became less about having fun and camping with your friends and more about your little vendetta. And honestly? It was tiring. But you were too stubborn to admit you could have possibly been wrong. At least when it came to him.

And you thought you didn't have a heart anymore, but it turns out that it was still there. Even if just a little bit. 

It happened midway through the week, after a rainy day that had turned into a cold night. 

"Harrington," you didn't bother to turn on the light, knowing full well he was still awake. He didn't say anything, so you sighed lightly, "get up here."

"What?"

"Don't make this weird," you were already having second thoughts but it was too late now, "get in the bed…but stay on the other side. It's too cold and I don't want to hear you complaining about your sore back tomorrow."

"Are you-"

"Don't make me change my mind," you shuffled around when you heard him getting up and made it so your back was towards him, "just get in the bed and sleep."

He climbed into the bed on the opposite side, taking up just enough room to be acceptable but still leaving a divide. Your backs were to each other and you could hear his breathing slowly start to even out. Before either of you could fall asleep he spoke up again.

"I don't hate you, you know," his admission was so quiet you weren't even sure it was meant for you to hear. You swallowed thickly, trying to decide if you should respond, "I know you're awake."

"What do you want me to say?" You squeezed your eyes shut as you burrowed your face into the pillow, "that I don't hate you? That I forgive you? Because that would be a lie."

"Maybe if I knew why you suddenly decided to hate me, I could have apologized-"

"Don't act like you don't know!" You were blinking back tears fighting the urge to roll over and glare at him.

"I'm not acting," he sat up and ran a hand through his messy hair, only giving you a cursory little glance, "what did I do? Why have you hated me for the last five years?"

"Are you serious?” this time you did roll around and glared at him, huffing heavily. He gave a no duh kind of look and you narrowed your eyes at him, “we were best friends. You said we would always be best friends…forever. But then one day you just left me behind and never looked back. I couldn’t even manage to get you alone to talk or anything. You were always with your new popular friends.”

“Oh,” he mused thoughtfully, a deep frown tugging down the corners of his mouth, “that’s what…all this time?”

“Steve,” you sighed lightly but the fact that you actually used his first name for a change was not lost on him, “your friends were assholes. They were rude to me - everyone except their little clique. It seemed like as soon as you started hanging out with them no one else mattered. You didn’t even try and defend me when they picked on me.”

“They were rude to you?” every word from your mouth made his heart break a little more. If he could go back now, he’d do everything differently. He’d been so lost and alone during those years, it was just recently that he started feeling like himself again. 

“Yeah,” you swallowed thickly, “but that doesn’t matter now, does it? I guess it just…I thought we’d always be friends, like we’d always said. But it seemed so easy for you to just forget about me.”

“Because whenever you weren’t around your little friends were assholes to me,” you huffed in frustration, “at least when you were around they ignored me. That was better than the alternative.”

“I never forgot about you,” he whispered. But really, it was just too little too late, “I thought…you hated me. At first, I kept trying to get you to hang out with us, but you never even looked at me.”

A heavy silence fell over the two of you for a while, so thick you could have it easily cut through it with even the dullest of knives.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered softly, breaking the silence and causing you to startle.

“It doesn’t matter,” you closed your eyes and tried to make yourself comfortable again, hoping to be able to get some sleep, “what’s done is done. Let’s just get some sleep.”

From the tattered silence next to you, you could tell there was more that he wanted to say. You just weren’t sure if you wanted to listen. You wanted to keep hating him - it was easier than admitting that deep down you were still in love with him.

Yeah. That realization hurt.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The next couple of days passed in relative peace, which came as a shocker to everyone. They all regarded the two of you cautiously, like they were worried that somehow they would cause everything to break. Meanwhile you and Steve decided to ignore it and pretend that nothing was wrong or different.  It was easier than finishing the conversation that lingered between you. 

It was the night before you were all set to leave that something changed again. You were packing up your things, more or less pretending that Steve didn’t exist when you heard him sit on the bed with a sigh. 

“Can we talk?” you turned around and looked at him in surprise. Your instinct was to argue with him, but instead you offered him a curt nod and sat down next to him. You could see him swallow thickly, “listen, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Truly. For everything that’s happened and…and not sticking to our promise.”

“Okay,” you nodded, and while part of you wanted to continue to stay mad, but you were also tired of the fight, “thank you.”

“I never stopped…” his voice dropped off and you raised an eyebrow gently nudging his leg with yours so he would go on. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. But then he dropped the biggest shocker of all, “I never stopped loving you.”

“Oh,” you recoiled in surprise and he grimaced. Your heart was almost beating out of your chest in surprise, “oh. Well, I-I guess deep down I still love you too. We spent most of our lives together so…”

“Not like that,” he shook his head and angled his body towards yours, “not like that.”

“Like…oh.”

“Yeah,” his pretty face was flushed pink as you opened and closed your mouth a few times, unsure of exactly what you wanted to say, “I’m sorry…I probably shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to make things worse, but also kind of just needed to get that out there..”

“Steve…” you closed your eyes, wondering how you could possibly convey what you were feeling with words. There were a lot of things going around all at once, “are you sorry for the feelings or telling me?”

“Telling you,” he almost choked on the words and you nodded in understanding, “I can finish packing and then see if I can crash with Eddie and Dustin.”

You reached for his hand and stopped him from walking away, gently shaking your head. He looked confused but you stood up and took a step closer to him, “don’t go.”

“Sweetheart-”

“I’m not going to pretend that this solves everything,” you whispered, “we still have a lot of fighting to do, and fighting with people you love is worth it, fighting for the right thing.”

“Oh,” this time it was his turn to be dumbfounded, “what do you-”

You took his face in your hands and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips, effectively silencing both of you. When you pulled back, the two of you exchanged small, shy smiles. 

“I never stopped either,” you promised, “just so you know.”

“Yeah?” his pretty face lit up and you couldn’t help but mirror the enthusiasm back to him. 

“Yeah,” you were positive you’d never been more sure, “but we’ll still talk about it right? I don’t want to just sweep everything under the rug.”

“We will,” he pressed a kiss to your forehead, “we’ll fight and figure it all out.”

“Perfect.”

[skyfallslayer]

Should We Stay or Should We Go? || Chapter Four

-A ST Rewrite Feat. Steve Harrington x Henderson!OFC-

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist

🎲Summary: Refusing to believe that the kids are dead, Joyce tries to connect with her son and Steph. The boys give Eleven a makeover in order to connect with their loved ones. Hopper turns up his detective game. Steve has a slight breakdown, while Nancy and Jonathan form an unlikely alliance.

🎲Pairings: Will x Platonic!OFC; Dustin x Sister!OC; Slow burn! Steve x Henderson!OFC (Ex-bestfriends to Lovers); Slow burn! Byler

🎲Rating: Teen-Mature

🎲Word Count: 13,951

🎲Date: 7/4/24

🎲Warnings: Angst; Heavy Language & Dialogue; References To Broken Friendship; Mental Strain/Breaking Down; Talks of Mental Health Issues; Bullying of All Kinds; Physical Fighting; Lying; "Death"; Crying; Talks of Corpses; Heavy Alcohol Consumption; Unwanted Touching; Suggestive Dialogue; One Comment About Being A Pedo; The Byers Family's Mental Strain; Hopper Being a Great Cop & A Total Mess; Dustin Being a Gangster & A Total Mess; Jessica & Charles Harrington's A+ Parenting; Steve's 'Asshole Era'; Steve's Emotional Damage. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

(And let me know if I missed anything)

🎲A/N: Happy 4th, everyone! What a better way to celebrate then with an angsty fic? Heads up, this does contain less of us being in the Upside Down, and there's a reference to Hopper's childhood with Joyce and Claudia. There's also a bit of a mystery surrounding Steph and Dustin's father, so keep that part buried in your mind for future chapters. Also... there's a bit of a cameo in here I think everyone will enjoy :)

Nancy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The view of the quarry on the TV made her feel sick. She wants to change the station but she can’t – none of her family can’t because the news is so shocking. It wasn’t until her little brother came home, tears streaming down his face and running into their mother’s arms for comfort, that she realized it was all real. 

After a few minutes of gathering her strength, she manages to slip into the kitchen to grab the phone, dialing a number close to heart. She wipes the corner of her eyes, trying to put up a good front before the call. She has to be the strong one here, especially since–

Then the other lined beeps followed by a voice that says, 

[ ‘Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later, or leave a message after the tone, and hang up when you’re finished.’ ]

“Shit.” She whispers, and waits for the beep again. “Steve, it’s Nancy, it’s…” She sighs. “Listen, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Just give me a call back, please.”

She hangs up, taking a moment to think. Whether he admits or not, she knows he still cares in some way for Stephanie. And he’s not going to be in the best state if he’s seen the news.

Not even thinking twice about this sudden thought, Nancy grabs her car keys out of the bowl, ignoring when her parents asked her a question and leaves out the front door. 

She just has to know if he’s okay.

That’s it.

That’s all she needs to know and do.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

|| THE OTHER SIDE ||

Will was… mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted. Heavy on the latter. They thought they were finally doing well, they thought they were finally going to get an answer –a way to get back– but every time they tried, they get back to square one. 

The beast that had no face, its growls could send shivers down their spines and curse their souls, kept finding them. But how? It had no eyes, no nose, no ears, just a mouth hidden its folds; How could such a thing keep finding them? And that voice…

The voice was new. And for some reason it scared him more than the beast.

.

// I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING. //

.

I know what you’re doing. 

What does that mean? Could the monster actually speak? Was someone else in this place with them? Did someone or something not want to escape? What is it? What is the answer? What can they do?

He doesn’t know who slowed down first, but they eventually stopped somewhere in the trees. Will was taking in the cold, dirty air, a tickle was blooming in his throat while doing so. He felt like he was on the verge of getting sick, probably the temperatures doing, but didn’t want to express his concerns. They had other problems to worry about.

“What are we going to do?” He asked, unaware of the older girl’s swaying moments and gaze going distant. “Do we go back? Do we try another place? But that’ll probably be a waste right? But can really go back with that–”

“I’m s-sorry…” She whispers that it turned into a small pant. It was enough for him to turn around and question:

“Why?” He manages to spill out before her body drops like a stack of dominos. “Stephanie!!” He lunged forward, his tiny body was only good enough to cradle her head. “No… No…” 

He starts ripping everything on her away, the shotgun, her backpack, and holding her sleeping head in her lap. He knew this would have happened sometime soon, especially when she admitted earlier that she hasn’t slept since getting stuck here, too worried about his safety rather than her own, and now look where that’s gotten her. 

“Steph… come on. W-Wake up. Pl-Please…” Will pleads, lightly tapping her cheek. “Come on. You can’t do this to me now… w-why is this happening n-now?!”

Stranded in the woods, a monster lurking somewhere in the dark. 

What was a twelve year old boy going to be able to do? It’s not like he can carry her and all their belongings somewhere, right?

He couldn’t help but start crying, like a child scared of the creature under his bed, and started holding the teenager close like she was his lifeline.

“♪ C-Come o-on and l-let me know ♪”  He whispers, face pressed against hers. “♪ Sh-Should I-I stay or should I g-go? Should I-I stay or should I go now? If I g-go th-there will be trouble. If I stay it will be double– ♪” 

He sobs, shaking. “St-Stephanie…”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Telling a family about their loved one was never easy, especially since the deceased were from families he knew personally growing up. He still spoke carefully though after him and his men looked around the house just in case they missed something. He spoke softly, not wanting to hurt her anymore than she probably is.

“A trooper found something in the, uh… water that’s at the Quarry. Our working theory right now is that Stephanie… crashed her car, and they... made their way over the Quarry and, uh… accidentally fell in. The earth must have given way.” Hopper explains, but he can tell she’s not listening (at least not fully). “Joyce? Joyce? Do you understand what I’m saying?

“N-No…” She trembles, in denial. “Whoever you found… is not my boy. It’s not Will.”

“Joyce.” He says, reaching out to touch her shoulder, which she shrugged off. 

“No, you don’t understand. I talked to him… a half hour ago.” She sniffles, and tries to remember every detail. “He was... He was here. He was... He was talking with these.” She gestures to the lights. “Him and Stephanie. Th-They both were here.”

“Talking?” Hopper asked, his composure breaking. It was like looking in the mirror for him. He remembers the denial, the pain of losing a child of his own.

“Uh-huh. One blink for yes, two for no. And... And, uh…” She then points to the alphabet wall. “And then I made this so they could talk to me. ‘Cause they were hiding… from that... that thing.”

“The thing that came out of the wall? The thing that chased you?”

“Y-Yeah.” 

“Mom, come on, please.” Jonathan begs, heart breaking for his own mother. “You’ve gotta stop this.”

“No, maybe they’re… It’s after them!” She snaps, grabbing onto her son for his support, both physically and emotionally. “They’re in danger. We have to find Them! We—”

“What exactly was this thing? It was some kind of animal, you said?” Hopper asked, as she shook her head.

“Uh, no, it was… It was almost... human, but it wasn’t. It… It had these long arms and... it didn’t have a face.”

“It didn’t have a face?” His gaze meets the teenager’s, and he silently tells him to leave. Jonathan does, running off somewhere to cry himself. “Joyce–”

“It didn’t have a face…”

“Joyce, listen to me.” He helps her sit down on the couch, and he kneels before her. “Listen to me.” He starts getting teary eyed too. “After Sarah… I saw her, too. And I heard her. I didn’t know what was real. And then I figured out that it was in my mind. And I had to pack all that away. Otherwise, I was gonna fall down a hole… that I couldn’t get out of.”

“No, you’re... you’re talking about grief.” She shakes her head again. “This is different.”

“I’m just saying that you–” 

“No, I-I know what y-you’re saying, Hop. I sw-swear to you, I-I know what I saw. And I’m n-not crazy.”

“I’m not saying that you’re crazy.”

“N-No... You are. And I understand, but… God, I…” She sobs. “I need you to believe me. Please.” She then whispers, “Please.”

“Listen…” He takes her hands into his own. “I think you should go down to the morgue tomorrow and see him for yourself. It’ll give you the answers that you need. But tonight–”

“Oh, God…”

“-I want you to try to get some sleep, if you can.”

“Sl-Sleep?” She asks him, and he nods. She couldn’t comprehend this, couldn’t understand why he won’t believe her. She thought she could trust him, they’ve known each other through thick and thin and he’s just going to forget about all that? That’s…

That’s bullshit.

She shakes her head, pushing his hands away. “I’m not crazy. I know what I saw. And no one, I mean NO ONE, is going to change my mind.”

Hopper’s expression deepens. “Joyce–”

“Get out of my house.” She spats, and leaves the room. 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The black BMW pulled onto Cornwallis Road and drove towards the destination he still has in the back of his head. The radio was up, a song that was setting the mood, or matching it more likely. 

[ ♪ If you leave me now

You’ll take away the biggest part of me

Ooh, no, baby, please don’t go ♪ ]

His hands regripped the wheel, trying not to cry again.

[ ♪ And if you leave me now

You’ll take away the very heart of me

Ooh, no, baby, please don’t go

Ooh, girl, I just want you to stay ♪ ]

He starts to slow, parking off to the side, a curb across the street where he needed to be. 

[ ♪ A love like ours is love that’s hard to find

How could we let it slip away? ♪ ]

He saw the lights were on, he saw her brother’s bike in the grass and her mother’s car in the driveway. He knows they’re both home, but did they know the news like he did? 

[ ♪ We’ve come too far to leave it all behind

How could we end it all this way?

When tomorrow comes and we;ll both regret

The things we said today ♪ ]

Steve swallows, debating whether or not he should go up there. Will Stephanie’s mom remember him at all? Will her little brother Dustin tackle him as soon as he remembers their history? But despite their shaky past, he still owes the family his condolences, right? 

But just as he was about to get out of the car, he perked up at the sound of sirens coming down the road, and could see the blue and red lights flashing in the night sky. 

Huh. Maybe they didn’t know. Yet even after the swarm arrived in front of the Henderson home, Steve couldn’t help but stay and wait.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Claudia was hysterical, probably more than Joyce was; Yet, she was also more accepting about their theory. Hopper repeated it again, the mother was sitting down with her youngest on the couch. “A trooper found something in the water that’s at the Quarry. Our working theory right now is that Stephanie crashed her car, and they made their way over the Quarry and, uh… accidentally fell in. The earth must have given way.” 

Claudia sobbed into her handkerchief. “Oh, my poor baby. Poor Will.” 

“I’m so sorry.” He frowns, his face softens again too. “I know this is going to sound hard, but can you come down to–”

“That’s bullshit.” Dustin interrupted, finally speaking. His face was still puffy and his eyes were red. From being a complete mess earlier, he now looks like he was full of rage.

Hopper blinks, confused. “What?”

“That’s a bullshit theory!” He yells, jolting up.

“Dustin!” Claudia scolds.

“What? It is!” He points to himself. “M-My sister is smarter than that! Will’s smarter than that! It doesn’t matter if they were being chased, they wouldn’t have fallen into the Quarry!” 

“Dustin!” She says again, and then looks at the other adult. “Chief, I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand.” Hopper replies, accepting the apology. Now it was his turn to look at the kid, treading water carefully. “Look, Son–”

“Don’t call me that!” Dustin says, shaking his head.

“Kid–”

“Then where’s the shotgun?!” He replies, making Hopper’s heart sink (He didn’t even think about that). “Huh? You found their bodies, then where’s the gun? And why did they take the gun in the first place? What made them run off the road? Who was chasing them? You aren’t answering any of the obvious fucking questions–”

“Dustin!” Claudia yells, grabbing her son by his wrist. “Show some respect.”

“Fuck, respect.” Dustin pulls himself free. “He ain’t doing his job.” And then he storms out of the room, his mother calling out his name and apologizing once again.

“No, don’t be.” Hopper reassures. “He just lost his only sister. I understand.”

She nods slowly. “Okay. What were we saying before he interrupted?”

“Just, in the morning, if you can, come down to the morgue to verify Stephanie’s body. I’ll already be there with Joyce and her son.” 

“O-Okay. I can do that.” She takes a shaky breath. “Hopper?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you… for trying to bring her home these past few days.”

His eyes widened slightly, not really expecting that kind of reaction. He was honestly stunned and felt like a failure again. “Claudia–”

“No. Don’t.” She takes his hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “I’ve known you since middle school, I know how your mind thinks sometimes. So please don’t feel guilty. I know you were giving it your all to find these kids. Even though… I-It was… a t-terrible outcome, you still found my daughter. You still brought her home.” Another squeeze. “So thank you. James.”

Hopper was speechless, ending up just giving her a nod and a promise to see her tomorrow. As he steps outside, he swallows the urge to start crying again.

“You going to be okay, Chief?” Callahan asked, meeting him halfway down the driveway.

“I’ll be fine.” Hopper replies, a half-lie. “I just need to…” He trails off when he sees a certain someone across the way. What is he doing here?

Callahan follows his gaze, confused. “Hey, isn’t that the Harrington boy?”

“Wrap everything up. I’ll meet you at the station.” Hopper leaves him behind and starts walking towards his target. 

“I was going to pay my condolences but I saw you guys pull in.” Steve says, leaving against the driver door with a sad expression.

“Kind of creepy for someone who says they aren’t friends anymore.” Hopper pokes, hands on his hips – all business again.

“Just because we’re not friends, doesn’t mean I’m an asshole. I mean, this house was practically my second home growing up.” It kind of hurts to say that. He looks down, can’t even look the man in the eye while asking this question, “So is it true?”

“Yeah.” Hopper says, sadly. “It is. I… saw the bodies myself.”

Steve shifted his weight around, his chest feeling tight. “Do…” What is it even saying? “Do they look real?”

The police chief reverted back to the same look he was giving Joyce earlier, slight pity but also disbelief. “For Christ’s Sake. Not you too.” What was with all this in denial? “Look, son, I–”

“Are you going to be there at the morgue?” 

Well that was a weird question. “Yes. I will be.” Hopper pauses. “Why?”

Steve shifted again, this time looking the adult in the eye. “‘Cause… there’s probably going to be something on… her body that her family’s not going to be able to explain. It’s…” He sighs. What am I even doing? She’s… gone. The Chief saw her body. This is all real it’s–

“Son?” Hopper said, getting a hum. “Continue? What do you mean about her family not going to be able to explain?”

He swallows, and stands straighter. “When we were kids, there was a… a bit of an accident, something we weren’t supposed to do, so we kept it a secret from our parents. However, it left us with a scar each.” He rolls up his sleeve, showing a huge pink gash on his left bicep. “Hers is on her left shoulder, close to her neck. I just thought when her mother sees her body you can explain the situation to her.”

His blue eyes rake over the scar, thinking. “You said it was a scar?” Hopper asked, getting a nod. “You know scars tend to fade over some time.”

“I know. But hers was much deeper than mine.” Steve pulls his sleeve back down. “If mine’s still here, I’m pretty sure hers is too.”

He takes a minute to process this. “Okay.” This was still leaving a weird feeling in his chest. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He has to, but how the fuck is he going to explain the still secretive accident to Claudia? He sighs. “Aren’t you going in?”

Steve shook his head. “Probably not.” His sad eyes fell on the house. “How distraught are they?”

“Her mother’s a mess, but is accepting, can’t say the same thing for her brother. If looks could kill, he would have.”

“Gotcha. I’ll just…” He swallows, eyes starting to sting again. “Say my condolences at the funeral.” Steve opens his door up, not making eye contact with the adult. “‘Night, Chief.”

“Hey.” Hopper says, stopping the door from being closed. But as soon as their gazes locked, his brain went to a halt. What else could he say? “Nevermind. Get home safe, ‘Kay?”

The teenager nods, letting his door be closed before pulling away. Hopper’s not sure why but…

He feels like he’s missing something here.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Dustin was curled up in a ball on his bed. He was hugging a pillow tightly, tears quietly rolling down his face. He didn’t think he had anymore tears left in him, but they just kept on coming. 

His sister is dead.

If he didn’t see her body himself, he wouldn’t believe it. 

No more nights of bothering her to watch some cheesy movies.

No more waking up fighting over the bathroom and eating breakfast together.

No more friendly, stupid banters about cryptids.

No more listening to her about customers driving her up the wall.

No more could he slip under the covers with her when a nightmare overtakes him.

No more could he wait by the front door for her so they could go to school.

No more of… anything. It was just him and his mother now. Just him and his mother to make ends meet. 

He choked on the memories, gripping the pillow tighter. “Phanie…” 

.

.

.

The sound of static makes him jolt upright. Heart skipping a beat, he realizes it was coming from his bag. He groans, a mixture of frustration and sadness. He wasn’t in the mood for anyone right now, not even his friends. He just wanted to grieve in peace until at least morning.

He wiggles his walkie talkie out, pulling the antenna all the way up and pressing the button. “Look, guys, please leave me alone. I don’t want to talk right now. Okay?”

He lets go of the button, waiting for a reply that was nothing more than static came, followed by–

[ ♪–on and let me know ♪ ] 

He drops the walkie like it was made of fire and practically jumps a few feet back. The static was loud, but you couldn’t miss that voice. That voice coming from the speaker sounded a lot like–

[ ♪ Should I stay or should I go? 

Should I stay or should I go now? 

Should I stay or should I go now? 

If I go there will be trouble 

If I stay it will be double– ♪ ]

He heard a sob, and a whisper of,

[ St-Stephanie… ]

Dustin’s eyes widened with realization. There’s no way he could miss that. He almost felt like crying again. 

“...W-Will?”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Nancy’s knuckles knocked on the door thrice, before trying the doorbell. She crossed her arms when the wind blew harder, wishing she had enough time to grab a sweater or something before she left. She tries the door again after silence, this time the door springs open. She’s met with a woman who was taller than her, dark locks a complete mess, face flushed red. 

She batted her eyes at the girl while clinging to the door. “May I help you?”

“Uh… is, uh, St-Steve home?” Nancy asked, trying to keep her gaze up high on the woman that was clearly wearing just a bra and panties.

“Steven?” She hissed, defensively. “Who’s asking?”

“I’m… Nancy, his girlfriend.” She recognizes the voice. “I think we spoke on the phone–”

“OH! NANCY! Yes! The Wheeler, girl. Yes, I remember. Awe…” Jessica Harrington reached up and pinched her cheek. “You’re just as adorable as I imagine.”

“Um, t-thanks. Uh–” Nancy wouldn’t be lying if she wasn’t already feeling uncomfortable. “Is this a bad time? I can come back–”

“No, no, no. Never. Never, dearie.” She said, practically dragging the teenager inside. “Come in, Steven should be back any minute now.” She shuts the door, head turning in another direction. “Charles, are your pants on? Our son’s girlfriend is here.” She smiles. “So how did you two meet? Are you in the same class?”

“Um–”

“So you’re our son’s lover?” Charles Harrington slurred out as he came literally stumbling into the hallway. Face as red as a tomato, hair disheveled and missing his shirt. “I never understand why Steven decided to hide you. You seem so nice.”

“Uh, thank– thank you.” Nancy said, hiding the urge to scrunch up her nose at his alcoholic breath. “Look, if he isn’t here, I’ll catch him in the morning–”

“Nonsense. You should stay.” Jessica urges. “It’ll be nice to get to know you.”

“Yes. Please–” His hand comes up to the girl’s shoulder. “Come sit with us.”

Nancy, this time, visibly shuddered. “I–”

“Get your hand off her, Dad.” Steve’s voice echoed out as he entered through the back door. His face seemed calm, but nobody could miss the fear in his eyes and the anger that was making his hands into fists. 

“Steve?”

“Steven!” His mother exclaimed, all bubbly. “We were just getting to know your girlfriend.”

Steve gets between them, pulling Nancy close and away. “Mom, please, put a robe on. Dad, a shirt.” 

“Yeah, son.” His father said, his hand coming around and grabbing a firm hold of the front of his child’s sweater. “How come we weren’t informed about this news, hmm? How could you do this to me and your mother?”

A bead of sweat rolled down Steve’s face, as he started pushing his girlfriend towards the door subtly. “Um, well, Dad–”

“You better have a good explanation.”

“Yeah, Steven.” Jessica said, her hand finding his forearm. “What gives?”

“‘Cause we-we’ve only been dating for a week.” Steve spits out the lie.

Nancy flashes him a look of confusion. “A week?”

“Yeah.” He gives a look now, hoping she gets it. “A week, Nancy.” He then sees the realization in her eyes.

“Yes.” She smiles and chuckles. “Well, it’s a week and a half, actually..”

“Oh, you and your technicality.” He smiles too, hand reaching back to the door knob. “That’s what won me over in math class. Uh, Listen, Mom, Dad, uh, we’ll have to plan a proper dinner out so you get to know Nancy. Okay?”

“Sure she doesn’t want to stay over for a bit?” His mother asked, with a look he didn’t like. “We don’t mind.”

“I know you don’t. But it is a school night, and it’s late. We also got uh, uh, a huge test tomorrow. So we should get some rest, you know?”

She frowns. “Awe. Okay. We can definitely plan a date.”

“Perfect! We can talk about it later, uh–” Steve opens the door and manages to get out his parents’ holds. “Just going to walk her back to her car.”

“Like a proper gentleman.” She smiles again, and gaze trails to the Wheeler. “You definitely scored with my son.”

“Oh, for sure. I agree.” Nancy said, getting forced outside.

“Be right back.” Steve replies, stepping out too and shutting the door.

“Steve– Hey!” He grabs her hands and strings her along quickly; She felt like they were sprinting down the driveway. “Steve?” She tests out his name as he takes a look back at his house before picking up the speed. “Steve! Talk to me! What is–”

“Don’t come to my house.” He blurts out the moment they are in front of her car. 

She blinks. “What?”

“Don’t…” He exhales. “Don’t come to my house. At least at night. ‘Cause my parents like to… party, or…” He groans. “Actually, don’t come to my house alone. When my parents are here, make sure you only come when I’m there or I’m with you, alright? Do you understand?”

No, she certainly does not. “Steve, what do you mean? Why don’t you–”

“Did my mom say anything?”

Another blink. “What?”

“Did my dad do anything? Like… h-how uncomfortable were you? B-Be honest, Nance.”

“Steve, I don’t…” She trails off when she finally sees him whole. He seemed so… distraught. And she knows it’s probably not just about the sour news of Stephanie. For some reason, he’s scared of her going into his house. “Steve.” She tries again, softer. “What’s going on? Are your parents hur–”

“Why are you here, Nancy?”

She frowns, worriedly. “I was just wondering if you heard the news?”

Steve looks down at his feet. “About Will and Stephanie?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.” He swallows. “I-I heard…”

Nancy gently cups his face. She could see the corner of his eyes were red and irritated. Crying. Steve must have been crying. “Are you okay?”

Steve stayed quiet, building up the courage to speak – to make it sound confident. “Yeah. I’m fine. It just… caught me off guard.”

“You sure? You can talk to me. I’m not going to–”

“How’s your brother?”

She bites her lip. “Mike’s… really upset. I mean who wouldn’t be when it’s your friend.”

Steve hums. “Maybe you should go back. Check in on him.”

“But, Steve–”

“I appreciate you coming over and making sure that I’m okay.” A bittersweet look blooms on his face. “Really. Your compassion is one of the things I love about you. But I think you should go home to your family. They’re probably wondering where you’re at.”

She shakes her head. “Steve–”

“As for my parents, forget about tonight. I’ll… I promise I’ll explain them to you one day, but for now, just forget you ever met them. Okay?”

She gave in, not wanting to argue. “Okay.”

“Thanks.” He gives her a quick kiss, and pulls away. “See you tomorrow.”

“Night…” Her blue eyes trail him as he heads inside, a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Was he going to be alright? Should she call someone? Should she–

A twinge snapped behind her.

She turns around, the sound coming from the woods. She squinted and took a small step – a shadow moved across the bushes – tall, lanky… no face– What?

She heard the shadow shift around again, and then swore she heard a growl coming from it. Paling instantly, Nancy took small steps back towards her car, feeling around for the handle. Once she grasps it she gets in, hands tightly on the steering wheel. Swallowing, she takes one look back over her shoulder, the shadow to have disappeared into the beyond. 

Death.

Disappearances.

A thing with no face.

What the hell is happening to Hawkins? 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he couldn’t help himself! He knows what he heard, he knows that was Will. He couldn’t sleep the rest of the night, his mind in overdrive on what and why and how this was even possible. But sometime in the night, an idea hit him hard. 

The next morning, he made sure his mother was okay, and fit enough to go to the morgue. She already told him the night before that he should stay home, playing the kid card on him. Usually, he would have been upset at this statement, but this time he decided it was time to hold his tongue. As soon as Dustin saw the car leave, he wastes no time to pop open his walkie talkie antenna, tuning into a certain channel. 

“Lucas, do you copy?” He said, waiting. He was met with static, but he just knows his friend is nearby and listening (His friends are never far away from their source of communication). “Lucas, come on, I know you’re there! This is urgent.”

Nothing.

“I’m serious. I’m not gonna stop until you answer.”

Nothing again. 

“Lucas. Lucas! Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas, Lucas–”

[ ‘Go away, Dustin. I’m not in the mood, all right? Over and out.’ ]

“No, not ‘out’. I’m not messing around, okay?” He starts pacing around his living room. “This is about Will and my sister. Over.”

[ ‘What about them? You mean about their funeral? Over.’ ]

“No, not their funeral. Fuck their funeral!”

[ ‘W-What?’ ]

“Just get over to my place, stat. And tell Mike to bring Eleven too.”

[ ‘Eleven? Why? She’s the reason–’ ]

“JUST DO IT! OKAY!” He yells, face red, open hand in a fist. “Over and out!”

[ ‘Dustin–’ ]

Dustin pushes the antenna down and shuts the device off. He knows Lucas will listen, even if he thinks he’s lost his mind, he’ll still listen. His eyes fall on a family picture on one of the side tables, his heart skipping a beat.

“Don’t worry, guys. We’re going to find you no matter where you are.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Meanwhile, down at the Coroner’s office, Hopper waited impatiently for… what? Half an hour now? He sighs. “What’s taking so long?”

“Well, everything’s been a bit chaotic around here without Gary.” The receptionist, Patty said, upset as well.

Hopper perks up at this news. “Without Gary?” That doesn’t make sense. “Where’s Gary?”

“Well, I thought you knew. Those men from State, they... they sent Gary home last night.”

“So who did the autopsy?”

“Someone from State.” 

Someone from State? I mean, the crime scene made sense, but the autopsy? Why would they send someone to an autopsy? On two kids no less? He wanted to ask more questions, but that’s when the oldest child of the Byers’ family came out looking sick to his stomach.

Hopper can tell he was trying to hold it all together the best he could. Poor kid. 

“How’s your mom doing?” He asked, after a while of silence. 

Jonathan sniffled, head still hanging low. “I don’t know.” He whispers.

“How long’s this stuff been going on? With the lights and, uh… Will and the thing in the wall?”

“Since the first phone call, I guess.” A sob. “You know, she’s had anxiety problems… in the past. But this… I don’t know.” He exhales shakily. “I’m worried it could be…” He shakes his head. “Ugh, I don’t know. She’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. My mom… she’s tough.”

“Yeah, she is.” Hopper said, getting a chuckle out of the kid. He then placed a firm hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Hey. She is.”

That got Jonathan to cheer up for just a second before it crashed down again. Joyce came storming out, the coroner following behind with a clipboard asking her to sign; Which she’s flat out refusing.

“I don’t know what you think that thing is in there, but that is not my son!” She shouted, waving him off.

“Joyce, wait a second.” Hopper said, standing.

“No!” She snapped, and hustled out the door, Jonathan following right behind. As soon as she leaves, it was like a chain reaction, because Claudia just arrived. 

She already had a hand covering her mouth at the sight of seeing Joyce. “I-I… I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Hey, hey–” Hopper comes over reassuringly. “Hey, Claudia. It’s okay. I know it’s hard, but it is necessary.” He sees her closing her eyes to steady herself. “Would you like me to come in?” She nods. “‘Kay. Let’s go. Come on.”

He walks her to the back, telling the coroner who they’re here for, and was left waiting for him to get the body. 

“I don’t know how to thank you, James. You’ve always seemed to help my family when we’re in a rut.” Claudia said, trying to hold it together. 

“Just doing my job.” He replies, with a warm smile.

“Still.” She looks up at him fondly. “I don’t think I appreciated you enough when you helped put Walter away.”

Walter. He remembers her shitty husband very clearly.

He nods. “Well, if it wasn’t for that anonymous tip, I wouldn’t have been able to have done that.”

She hums. “Yes, the tip.” She sighs. “I wonder who has the guts to do that.”

Yeah, he always wondered who the tipper was too. 

“You ready, Ma’am?” The coroner asked, after wheeling on the table.

Claudia nods, her hands squeezing together. “Yes.” She inhales. “Show me.”

He does so, and she holds back the urge to cry again upon seeing her daughter’s body. She couldn’t help but wonder why God would take such a beautiful girl.

“Oh, god… that’s her.” She mutters, biting her lip.

As Hopper was able to keep his composure, he was suddenly hit with a memory like a speeding truck. He almost completely forgot about what the Steve Harrington kid told him last night.

.

“When we were kids, there was a… a bit of an accident, something we weren’t supposed to do, so we kept it a secret from our parents. However, it left us with a scar each.” He rolls up his sleeve, showing a huge pink gash on his left bicep. “Hers is on her left shoulder, close to her neck. I just thought when her mother sees her body you can explain the situation to her.”

.

The scar. Of course! How could he forget? His lips tugged into a frown, and began with, “Claudia, there’s…”

Wait a minute. 

His gaze went straight for where the boy told him the scar would be but there was…

Nothing.

He blinked and looked on the other shoulder just to be sure but there was nothing either. If Steve’s scarred, then hers should have been, right?

“Chief?” Claudia said, pulling him out of his trance. “Did you say something?”

His eyes glance at her and then back at the body before shaking his head. “No.” Then back at her. “Never mind.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Steve was late to school the first time in a while. His clothes looked a bit sloppy, his hair did too, and he was practically dragging his backpack on the floor with only its handle. He had managed to avoid the girlfriend talk this morning with his parents since they were both hungover and still in bed. He’s not really sure how he’ll handle it later (If they actually remember Nancy that is). 

He took his time moving through the halls, trying to straighten up his posture, to put up somewhat of a nice expression. What would Tommy and Carol say? Would they belittle him? Ignore him? Pretend that the death of a school student didn’t exist? And what about Nancy? Will she say anything? Will she ignore him too?

He frowns, the intercom buzzing above.

// Attention students, there will be an assembly to honor Stephanie Henderson in the gymnasium 10am. Do not go to second period. Classes shall resume afterwards. //

An assembly? For Stephanie? How many people will actually go? How many people would actually be respectful? She wasn’t exactly miss popular.

He shakes his head. Don’t even think that, Harrington. It’ll be fine. It’ll be…

He trails off as soon as he rounded the corner. He didn’t need super sight to know what it was. For some reason instead of leaping towards it like he should be, he was slow, sick by the sight. Someone, probably more than one, had vandalized her locker. Someone had spray painted, egged, beat the living hell out of it with either a bat or a crowbar, all because she was what? The weird girl? The girl who was nerdy? The girl who likes stuff only guys like? The girl who’s vocabulary is like a sailor? 

The girl who doesn’t fit in unless it’s with the “freaks”?

With disgust, Steve pulled off the missing poster of her. Someone had scribbled horns, covered the eyes, and called her a freak in bright red. How could someone with a heart do this to the one of the kindest girls he’s ever met?

He crushed the paper in his hand, before opening up the locker, some belonging falling out. He sighs, dropping his bag before deciding to tidy this up. Maybe he should bring her family her things so they don’t have to see this mess?

“Hey, shouldn’t you be in class?” A teacher, Mrs. Trebecky said, hands on her hips.

Steve glances over at her, his look telling it all. “I’m just trying to clean it up.” Her eyes trail over, finally seeing what he was talking about. Yet he didn’t care if he got scolded or got detention for skipping class, this was more important. But to his surprise, there was a key suddenly dangling in his face.

“There’s a storage closet around the corner. Use whatever you need.” She replies, and he takes it. “I have to prepare the gym for the assembly, but if you need something else, feel free to come get me.”

Steve clenches the key close as she leaves, a warm feeling blooming in his chest. At least she wasn’t mad. 

He starts walking to where she said it was, only to spot another odd sighting. There was a boy (who looked oddly familiar to him) leaning against the wall right by the door – the same door that was actually opened. Raising an eyebrow and slowing his pace, he didn’t know what to think or even say before the boy saw him coming. It was like a match had been lit under his feet, the boy jerked up so quickly, and threw the door open even wider.

“We’ve been spotted! We gotta go!” He shouted and took off. 

Steve then watched as two other teenagers came running out, faster than anyone on the football team. What the hell is that all about?

But he chose to ignore it, opening the door fully, nearly clashing with some else that was left behind in the group. The person seemed startled to see him, taking a small step back and growing a bit paler. It didn’t take the King of highschool to realize who this is – the person with brown curls tucked back in small ponytail, with a wardrobe that reminded him of Stephanie – The person was know another than:

.

Eddie Munson.

.

Well now he knows why he looks scared. Steve nearly cringes and cusses at himself out loud for what he’s done in the past. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Instead, he kept his blank expression and started moving around him. “Didn’t mean to startle you, Munson.” He replies, looking over all the cleaning supplies on the shelf.

“It’s…” Eddie begins, still tense, but confused by how simple and nice Steve sounded. “Fine. Um… Wh-What brings you here? N-Need something?”

“Relax, I’m not here to cause any trouble.” Man, how many people has he hurt with his new personality? “I was going to clean up a vandalized locker.”

Eddie perks up, even more confused. “The Henderson girl’s locker?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s… surprising.”

“Yeah. I guess.” Steve frowns, sparing a glance. That’s when he notices he’s holding a few sponges and a bucket. “Oh. Were… were you going to clean?”

“Um–” Eddie breaks his gaze. “M-Me and my boys saw it on our way in, thought we would clean it up. Hope I don’t get in trouble for picking the lock.” He ends with a quiet, nervous chuckle which honestly fueled the other boy’s guilt.

“Is that so?”

“Well… W-we do know what it’s like to have our lockers destroyed by the… ‘perfectionists’.” 

Perfectionists, fuck. Steve swallows and mentally strangles himself. What have I done?

He exhales quietly, and starts gathering things. “You should go.”

Eddie’s distant gaze snapped right back at him. “What?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Steve says, not looking at him. “I know you’ve been trying to graduate.”

“How–”

“Go.” Steve pressures. “Don’t…” Why was this so hard? “Don’t fall behind. Especially in Kaminsky’s class. He’s a hardass if you don’t listen and study.” 

Eddie was speechless. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, couldn’t believe it was coming from the legend of the school himself (Guess there was a first time for everything, right?) “You sure? Doesn’t… Doesn’t the King of Hawkins High want to keep his good grades up?”

“I don’t care anymore.” Steve replies quickly, surprising the other teen again, but it was the truth. He could care less about all this right now. “Frankly, I didn’t want to even be here today, so…” 

He didn’t say anymore, instead he tried holding whatever he could in his arms. Silently, and luckily he noticed it in the corner of his eye, he saw Munson holding up the bucket as an offer. He takes it and thanks him. He loads it up and makes his way to leave, but stops in the doorway. 

“You know she liked your band.” Steve blurts out, getting another puzzled stare. “Uh, Fia, she– wait.” Fia. He almost forgot about his little nickname for her. It makes his stomach roll into knots as he tries again. “S-Sorry, Stephanie… really liked your band. She went to your show a few years back. Uh, the Lover’s Lake one. She is– w-was definitely a metal head.”

That seemed to surprise him a lot, because Eddie actually perks up with joy this time. There even was a smile tugging on his lips. 

“She’s seen Corroded Coffin?” He asked, intrigued. 

“Yeah. She really liked that opening song of yours.” 

“‘To Love a Monster’?” 

Steve nods, still remembering that day so clearly, still remembering the day he showed her the tickets. “She sang it for weeks afterwards. It was… funny. Cute– Awesome! It was awesome.”

Eddie gave him another look, one he couldn’t quite place. “That’s… amazing. I never knew that. Most of our fans are just people from our neighbourhoods.”

“Yeah.” He nods again, feeling his eye starting to sting. “Just thought I’d let you know that since you… offered to clean up her locker.” He swallows once more, and he tries to leave, but his conscience gets the best of him. It’s now or never, Harrington.

Looking like a kicked puppy, he faces him again. “I’m sorry.” Steve says, honestly. “I’m really, really sorry for everything I’ve done. I know I haven’t been the most pleasant with you and your– your bandmates, and I realize that I’m an asshole. A real fucking asshole, so– um…” He didn’t have to forgive him, he just wanted to get it out there. “I don’t need forgiveness, but at least accept it.”

Steve didn’t even wait for his answer, didn’t wait for a change on his face, and just left to finish what needed to be done.

Meanwhile, Eddie watches him leave just as his friends come running back, worriedness on their features.

“What did he do? Do we need to report him?” Gareth asked, scaredly.

“No, he…” Eddie still couldn’t believe the last few minutes even happened. “He apologized.” He looks over at them. “For being a dick.”

“What?”

“And then he said that Henderson girl went to our Lover’s Lake concert a few years back.” That response got his friends muttering amongst themselves. 

“She did?” 

“How would Harrington know that, though? All our tickets are limited.” Jeff asked.

“Unless…”

Eddie’s eyes widened. “They were friends.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Dustin snuck his friends in from the back, immediately rambling last night’s situation. Of course he got looks of concern, and sentences of reassurance before he shook them all off and showed them. They sat around on his bedroom floor, fiddling with the walkie. It was faint, and it certainly wasn’t the song he heard last night, but he could tell by the mumbling words that it was in fact Will.

“We keep losing the signal, but you heard it, right?” Dustin said, looking between them.

“Yeah, I heard a baby.” Lucas said, looking at his friend like he had three heads.

Dustin looks offended. “A baby?”

He rolls his eyes. “Dustin, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor. It’s probably one of your neighbours.”

“Uh, did that sound like a baby to you? That was Will!” 

“Dustin…”

“Lucas, you don’t understand. He spoke last night. Words! He was singing that weird song he loves. And he even said my sister’s name.”

“Oh, well, if the of you heard your sister’s name, then I guess–”

“Are you sure you’re on the right channel?” Mike asked, genuinely invested in this.

A small smile blooms on Dustin’s face. Finally! At least someone believed him. “I don’t think it’s about that. I think, somehow, I was channeling him.”

“Like... like Professor X.”

He nods eagerly. “Yeah.” 

“Are you actually believing this crap?” Lucas asked, staring at Mike like he was the weird one here.

“I don’t know, I mean… Do you remember when Will fell off his bike and broke his finger? He sounded a lot like that.”

“Oh, my god.” Lucas groans “Did you guys not see what I saw? They pulled Will’s body out of the water. They pulled Stephanie’s body out of the water too. They’re dead!”

“Well, maybe it’s their ghost. Maybe they’re haunting us.” Mike replies.

“It’s not their ghost.” Dustin said, shaking his head. 

“So how do you know that?” Lucas pushes.

“I just do!”

“Then what was in that water?”

“I don’t know!” Dustin shoots to his feet. “All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive! If he’s alive, then there’s a good chance Stephanie is too. They’re out there somewhere. All we have to do is find them. And I know for fact…” He points at Eleven. “She’s the key.” He frowns, and looks her way (Guilt on his face). “I’m sorry for how I reacted last night. I swear I wasn’t mad at you, just the situation. But I know you’re really our only shot at finding them. Please forgive me.”

It took a second, but Eleven nods and smiles with understanding, lifting the weight of the boy’s shoulders. 

“Well…” Mike begins, stopping him from handing over the walkie. “If you want her to somehow channel them, this isn’t gonna work. We need to get El to a stronger radio. Like, Mr. Clarke’s Heathkit ham shack.”

Dustin perks up. “That’ll totally work!”

“The Heathkit’s at school.” Lucas butts in. “There is no way we’re gonna get the weirdo in there without anyone noticing. I mean…” He gestures. “Look at her.”

But the Henderson brushed him off. “Don’t worry about that. I have an idea.” And then they busted into his sister’s room. “You might have to roll up the pant legs and/or sleeves, but Phanie’s stuff should be able to fit you just fine.”

“Uh, no offense to Stephanie–” Lucas begins, watching him rummage through his sister’s drawers. “But she’s not exactly the definition of girly-girl.”

“So? Look, we just want to get El inside the school. Mike, go to my mom’s room and grab some of her makeup. Lucas, head to the basement, I think we might have some wigs left over from a couple Halloweens. Go!”

They scatter, and Dustin continues grabbing what he can and lays it out on the bed. “Here.” He tells the girl. “Try a couple outfits on. See what fits.”

El takes a moment to look at them, mesmerized. “Pretty?” She asks, puzzled.

“Yeah.” He smiles. “We’re going to make you look pretty. Or at least prettier.”

She bats an eye. “Prettier?” 

“Yeah. They say, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Just because someone doesn’t think you’re pretty, doesn’t mean everyone else does.” It seemed to get her spirits up just as the other boys arrived with the stuff.

“Got the makeup.” Mike said, holding the pile in his arms.

“And I found a wig. Hopefully this works.” Lucas says, holding it up.

“Perfect.” Dustin gives the thumbs up. “Let’s do light on the makeup, and let’s put a braid in the wig.” After their tasks, the boys waited outside the door for her to change.

“Is that really the best wig you could have found?” Mike said, after a few moments of silence. 

“What’s wrong with the wig?” Lucas asked, offended.

“Don’t you remember? That was the wig Steph used to dress up as a clown.”

“It’s not that orange, Mike.” Dustin said, Lucas agreeing.

“It’s orange.”

“Dude, come on–”

The door opens, and El steps out to reveal the outfit she picked. It happened to be a Mötley Crüe band tee that was tucked into some jeans, a red and black plaid button up as a jacket and some converse; Her wig was in a neat braid and was accompanied with a headband.

“Wow.” Mike said, staring.

“It’s like my sister has a prodigy.” Dustin said, grinning. “Grunge girl, 2.0.”

“How do you feel?”

Eleven looks herself up and down before smiling at herself. “Pretty.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

It was pretty awkward to sit outside the cafeteria doors waiting to be called in and questioned by police. Nancy was the first to be called in, the first to have a parent actually show up to observe. It felt weird, and she could feel her mother’s eyes watching her closely.

“This argument you and Barbara had? What exactly was it about?” Powell asked, after reading over his notes.

Nancy gives a half-shrug. “It wasn’t really an argument. Barb just wanted to leave. I didn’t, so, I… I told her to just go home.”

“Then what?”

“Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes.”

“And the next day, you went back and…” Callahan reads over his notes too. “Saw a bear, you’re thinking?

“I don’t know what it was, but… I think…” She frowns. “I think maybe it took Barb. You need to check behind Steve’s house— 

“We did. There’s nothing there. There’s no sign of a bear.”

“And no car.” Powell adds.

She blinks, confused. “What?”

“Look.” Callahan sighs. “We figured that Barbara came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else. Has she ever talked to you about running off? Leaving town, maybe?”

“No. No, Barb wouldn’t do that, ever.” Nancy assures.

“She wasn’t maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy?” Powell glances down again. “Uh, Steve Harrington?

“What? No!”

“Maybe she was jealous because she saw you go up to Steve’s room?”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Like what?”

“Steve and me, we’re... we’re just friends. We... we just talked.”

“Just talked?” Callahan gives her a look.

She bites the inside of her cheek. “Yeah. Just talked.” She wanted to say something else until the door opened, showing off to another officer.

“Hey–” He said, thumb jerking over his shoulder. “The Hagan and Perkins kids, they’re parents aren’t coming, they refuse for us to talk to their kids. Harrington’s parents said they’re too busy with work to come, but have given us permission to talk to their son.”

Powell sighs, looking over his partner who shrugged. “Alright. Send them home. Except Harrington, have him come in. You–” He looks at Nancy. “You’re dismissed.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“So, Gary, tell me about these troopers that brought in the kids.” Hopper asked, after settling Hawkins local coroner down. He told him to come down to the station, offering him a cup of joe as he tries to get a few things straightened out. He still finds this whole… State taking over everything is a bit odd.

“It was about six of ’em, I’d say.” Gary replies, with a nod.

“They’re all Staties?”

“Yes, sir. Never seen that many troopers come with two bodies before.”

“They told you that they were gonna take care of the autopsy, huh?”

“Yeah. Claimed jurisdiction. Kicked me out. Well, it all seemed a bit over the top to me, considering…” He looked a bit nervous about this. 

“Considering what?” Hopper asked, suspicious. 

“Considering this was Will Byers and Stephanie Henderson and not John F. Kennedy.”

So this wasn’t just weird to me? Great. His eyes catch something on the tv, making him stand up. “Thanks for stopping by, Gary.”

“Sure thing.”

Hopper tunes everything else out as he turns up the volume, listening as a state trooper talks to the reporter about the incident. 

.

< -let the people know that, uh, the troopers are on duty and you should be safe, because we think this is just an isolated incident. >

< State trooper David O’Bannon, thank you so much for your help. >

< Thank you, sir. >

.

O’Bannon. Gary. Staties. Hawkins Lab. Hopper’s frown deepens. What does this all mean?

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

And that’s when Jim came up with another question that he needed to answer. Something that’s been nagging him since yesterday. So that’s how he found himself at Hawkins High School. He had to swerve around the teens leaving the gymnasium from Stephanie’s assembly, and just hoped that his guys were still in the cafeteria questioning some suspects. Well… hopefully the one he really wanted to talk to was still there.

“Oh, hey Chief.” Callahan calls out, just as Hopper bursts through the doors.

Hopper’s gaze trails to the teen in questioning – and thank god it was the person he was looking for. With a serious look he storms over, completely ignoring everything and everyone else.

“We just got done with–”

“I need you to give me the room for a second.” Hopper blurts out, the two officers staring. “Now.” Callahan and Powell waste no time to get up and leave, the whole place growing silent immediately. 

Steve glances between the door and the police Chief, confused. “Is there a problem?”

Without saying anything, Hopper reaches over and lifts Steve’s left arm sleeve, seeing the scar again. Blinking, and kicking his senses into high gear, the teenager pulls his arm away – the officer looking like he was scared. 

“Dude, what the fu–”

“How long ago was that?” Hopper asks, practically fidgeting in his seat. 

“I’m sorry?”

“How long ago did you get the scar?”

“Um, I…” Steve pauses to think. When did he get it? “Three… three years ago? Maybe longer?”

“And you said both your injuries were deep? Especially Stephanie’s?” 

“Yeah.” He nods, suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

Hopper suddenly is overcome with worriedness, causing him to look around and lowers his voice. “Listen to what I’m about to say, ‘cause I’m only going to say it once. Understood?” He waits for the teenager to nod again before going. “Good.”

He takes a deep breath. “Look, her mother’s a mess, hysterical. And her brother is just… angry. I want to ask them stuff, but I think it’ll be an emotionally… fusing answer. They’re not going to be able to give me something basic. So what I’m trying to say is, I don’t care what happened between the two of you, but be honest. How well did you know this girl?”

And Steve, of course, doesn’t lie (he too wants to know what the hell’s going on). “Pretty well, I like to think. I mean we were tied at the hip since the age of five. We never really went anywhere without each other.” He frowns, scared. “You’re kind of making me nervous. What’s going on?”

Hopper looks around again, getting closer. “Just answer my questions. How likely was it for Stephanie to pick up Will that night when she saw him stranded?”

“Highly.” Steve says, truthfully. “She loves her brother’s friends.”

“How likely was it for her to protect him from whatever was chasing them?”

“Highly. That’s the kind of person she is. Putting herself before others.”

With each answer, Hopper’s heart picks up. “How likely was it for her to take a weapon if she felt like she was in danger?”

“She’s not exactly a violent person, but… if she was in danger, she’s smart enough to arm herself.”

“How much is she familiar with the woods around here?”

“Only certain areas she really knows like the back of her hand.”

“What about the Quarry?” 

“The Quarry?” Steve said, fond memories coming in. “That used to be our spot when we were kids. We know the ends and out of it pretty well.”

Now Hopper feels destroyed. He was half expecting this answer but still. It wasn’t easy to accept. “So… hypothetically speaking, if she was being chased in the direction of the Quarry, how likely would she have fallen in?”

Steve gets taken aback, his heart sinking. “Unlikely. She always knew where she was going.” He was oblivious to the way the Chief suddenly looked. “So it wasn’t the news making a theory? Stephanie and Will actually fell into the Quarry?”

“Fuck.” Hopper says, standing up and starts leaving.

Steve gets up as well, following. “I still don’t understand what’s–”

“Listen to me–” He stops the teen in his place, pointing, and spitting his next sentence out like venom. “This conversation never happened. Understood?”

Steve just nods, scared to talk back as the Police Chief finally left with the answer he was worried about – while Harrington was also left with a question that was now answered. 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Okay, remember, if anyone sees us, look sad.” Mike says, as they entered the school. Right on cue, someone came on the PA, which is the perfect cover up for them.

// Attention students, there will be an assembly to honor Will Byers in the gymnasium now. Do not go to fourth period. //

“It’s locked.”

“What?” Lucas said, brushing by Mike to try the door.

“Hey, do you think you can open it? With your powers?” Dustin asked, hopefully. But before anything could be resolved, their teacher just so happened to appear around the corner. 

“Boys?” Mr. Clarke said, startling them. “Assembly’s about to start.”

“We know. We’re just, you know…” Mike trails over, pretending to be sad. 

“Upset.” Lucas finishes.

“Y-Yeah, d-definitely upset.” Dustin adds.

“We need some alone time.”

“To cry.”

“Yeah, listen… I get it. I do. I know how hard this is, but let’s just be there for Will, huh? And then…” Mr. Clarke fishes his keys out of his pocket, tossing them over. “The Heathkit is all yours for the rest of the day. What do you say?” The boys smiled and nodded eagerly. “I don’t believe we’ve met. What’s your name?”

El’s eyes widened, and stutters, “Eleven–”

“Eleanor!” Mike corrects. “She’s my, uh–”

“Cousin.” Lucas says.

“Second cousin.” Dustin blurts out. 

“She’s here for Will and Stephanie’s funeral.” Mike finishes. 

Mr. Clarke frowns, bittersweetly. “Ah, well, welcome to Hawkins Middle, Eleanor. I wish you were here under better circumstances.”

“Thank you.” She says.

“Uh, where are you from exactly?”

“Bad place–”

“Sweden!” Dustin shouts.

“I have a lot of Swedish family.” Mike explains. 

“She hates it there.”

“Cold!” Lucas adds, smiling nervously.

“Subzero.”

Mr. Clarke nods, deciding to just go along with this. “Shall we?”

“Yep!” They said, running along.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“You lied to the police!” Karen snapped at her daughter as they entered the house.

“I didn’t lie!” Nancy shouted back, about to head for her room.

“How naive do you think I am!? You and Steve were just talking?”

The teenager gritted her teeth, stopping on the stairs. “We did just talk! Okay? I found out Steve used to know Dustin’s sister, and we talked about it! Is that what you want to know? Huh? It doesn’t matter!”

“It does matter!” Her mother shouts back.

“No!” Nancy scoffs. “It is all bullshit! It has nothing to do with Barb and she’s missing. And something terrible happened to her. I know it. I know it! And no one is listening to me!” She storms off towards her room, her mother shouting her name repeatedly. “Just leave me alone!”

And then her door slams shut.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Listening to the principal speak, the boys realized he probably was the only one who actually cares. The rest of the school, the students, looked like they were completely lost and not interested in listening to this. 

“Look at these fakers.” Mike mutters, irritated. 

“They probably didn’t even know his name till today.” Lucas scoffed.

The boys continued to survey the area, they heard the two school bullies laughing. Troy and James were laughing and mocking what the principal was saying about their friend Will, completely berating him. The Boys glared, all while Eleven put two and two together. 

“Mouth breather.” She says, remembering what Mike told her who was responsible for the gash on his chin.

He was actually surprised she remembered, and continued to try to ignore their laughing. But when assembly finally ended, Mike couldn’t hold back his anger any more.

“Hey! Hey! Hey, Troy! You... you think this is funny?” 

Troy stopped and scoffed. “What’d you say, Wheeler?”

“I-I saw you guys laughing over there.” Mike said, oblivious to the audience he was getting. “And I think that’s a real messed up thing to do.”

“Didn’t you listen to the counselor, Wheeler?” James said, smiling. “Grief shows itself in funny ways.”

Mike balled his hands into fists, and ready to snap; Just as Dustin steps up to the plate.

“What did I say yesterday? You keep my sister’s and Will’s name out of your mouths.” He replies.

“So what, Henderson?” Troy shrugged. “Besides, what’s there to be sad about, anyway? Will’s in fairyland now, right? Flying around with all the other little fairies. All happy and gay– and your sister… well… I didn’t take her to be a pedo for your little friend.”

Dustin’s face morphed into one of a killer. “You–”

“Asshole!” Mike shouted, and shoved their bully to the floor. Immediately, their audiences gasp in shock. 

Troy groaned, and stood up, charging up his fist. “You’re dead, Wheeler! Dead!”

But before he could release it, his whole body froze. Everyone stared in confusion, even Troy didn’t know what was going on. Then…

A student started laughing. 

“Dude, Troy peed himself.”

And the giggles broke out because everyone’s eyes were on his pants. Sure enough, there was a stain appearing and running down his pant leg.

“Holy shit!” Dustin said, his gaze looking back to El. She flashes the boys a cocky look before wiping the blood from her nose.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” The principal shouted as he entered the room.

“Shit! Let’s go!” 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Jonathan was surprised to see her at the Funeral home, interrupting his shopping (Although, seeing all these coffins and trying to find one for his little brother, maybe it was best to take a break). To his disbelief, she asked him to see his collection of photos from Steve’s backyard.

Of course, now he was nervous. Did she change her mind about protecting him the other day? Was she going to rat him out to the police after all? But instead, she carefully looked through them, until she found one he took of Barb. 

“That’s it.” Nancy said, putting on the weird distorted blur behind her friend. “W-What is that?”

He takes it from her hands, studying it hard. “It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn’t using the wide angle.” He frowns, uncertain. “I don’t know. It’s weird.

“And you’re sure you didn’t see anyone else out there?”

“No. And she was there one second and then, um… gone. I figured she bolted.”

She sighs. “The cops think that she ran away. But they don’t know Barb. And I went back to Steve’s… and I thought I… saw something. Some… weird man or… I don’t know what it was.” She glances over at him, realizing what she was doing. “Oh, god. I’m sorry. I... I shouldn’t have come here today. I’m…” She grabs her purse and stands up. “I’m so sorry.”

Jonathan right there and then decided to bite the bullet. His mind wandered back to when the police came over to tell him and his mother what happened to Will. “What’d he look like?

She stops a few steps away, turning around. “What?”

“This man you saw in the woods. What’d he look like?”

“I don’t know.” She knows she is going to sound crazy when she tells him this. “It was almost like he… he didn’t have–”

“Didn’t have a face?”

Nancy stares at him, a bit freaked out. “How did you know that?”

Jonathan suddenly shakes his head, running a hand through his locks. “Shit…”

“What?”

“Shit.” He stands up, guilt on his face. “I think I fucked up.” 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

None of this made sense.

Steve had parked his car off the road and had walked a path he knew like the back of his hand. He found himself soon standing above the Quarry, a view of where the crime scene had happened. It was still tapped off and there were two cop cars still sitting there, observing. He frowns, and his brain starts going into overdrive. 

None of this made sense. 

She crashes her car not far from the boy’s house, they both run and somehow end up with a shotgun. But the police are saying they ended up in the Quarry, probably being chased but…

It doesn’t make any sense. The Byers house does face the road that takes you to the Quarry, but there’s no logical way that they would follow the road like that. If the theory was true, and they did run back to the house, they would more likely would have run through the front door, and out the back if someone was chasing them; Which means–

They would have ended up going into the woods, not the direction of the Quarry. And you wouldn’t make that harsh right turn unless the chaser was making you do that. No…

If someone was chasing you, the human reaction is to keep running straight until you find somewhere or someone safe. 

And if they did get pulled in the direction, there’s no way they would have just fallen in. Steph knows that place too well, and even though they were driven to the edge, wouldn’t the smart thing to do is use the shotgun on your chaser?

His mind wanders back to the conversation with the police chief. He seemed so spooked after he told him the truth. And what was the worried reaction after looking at his scar again? Unless…

Did… Steve nearly choked on the thought. Did her body not have the scar?

But if it didn’t have the scar then…

He gasps.

.

“Do…” What is it even saying? “Do they look real?”

The police chief reverted back to the same look he was giving Joyce earlier, slight pity but also disbelief. “For Christ’s Sake. Not you too.” 

.

Not you too? What does that even mean? Did Stephanie’s mother have doubts too? Did Will’s mother have doubts? Was he really doubting the whole situation from the beginning as well?

But his mind kept going back to Hopper and him just an hour ago.

.

 “I still don’t understand what’s–”

“Listen to me–” He stops the teen in his place, pointing, and spitting his next sentence out like venom. “This conversation never happened. Understood?”

.

Oh, god.

Steve couldn’t even believe what he was considering doing next.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Hopper sat in street clothes at a bar, a shit eating grin on his face, a cigarette in hand, and he was keeping a close eye on the man sitting next to him who was currently watching a football game on the tv. He chuckles, getting the bartender’s attention. 

“Another, please. And another for my, uh, friend here.”

“Oh, thanks, man. Appreciate it.” The guy, a Statie, named David said. 

“Yeah, that’s all right. I’m, uh... I’m celebrating. My daughter, she won the spelling bee today.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Hopper said, chuckling. “‘Odontalgia’. That was the word. You know what it means?” He gets a ‘no’ for an answer. “It’s a fancy name for a toothache.” His grin grows. “Yeah, she’s smart. She’s real smart. Don’t know where she gets it from. I’ve been tryin’ to figure that out for years.”

“Your daughter, she got a name?”

Hopper’s brain short circuited for a second. “What?”

“Your daughter? What’s her name?”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Sarah. Her name’s Sarah.”

David grabs his bottle and holds it up. “To Sarah.” He said, and they clink their glasses. The police chief finally had the hook in place.

Hopper takes a sip, and turns up his acting skills. “I recognize you. Are you famous or somethin’?”

“Uh, you might have seen me on TV, I, uh... I found those kids.”

Gotcha, asshole. Hopper nods. “So, you on that case or what?”

“I just saw the kids on patrol, you know? Dumb luck.”

“So that Quarry, that’s, uh… that’s state-run, where they found those kids, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Hopper starts laughing quietly. “Yeah, well, that’s funny. ’Cause, you know, I know for a fact that it’s run by the Sattler Company. Frank Sattler? Decent guy, still got a couple operational quarries up in Roane.

David starts looking preoccupied. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. That’s right.” He starts glaring. “So why are you lying to me, man?”

“What’s your problem, bud?” David snaps.

“I don’t have a problem. I’m just a concerned citizen.”

“Yeah? Well, stick your nose someplace else. Those kids are dead. End of story.” He stands up and throws some money on the counter. “Thanks for ruining the game, dick.”

Hopper shakes his head, almost pitying the guy. If only he had just been honest and open with him, he wouldn’t have to get his ass beaten. 

Kind of like right now. 

He had dragged the man behind the building, striking him multiple times to bruise his cheeks, and open wounds under his eyes and nose.

“Okay…” Hopper pins him to the wall. “Let’s try this one more time.” He grabs the man by the chin, squeezing. “Who told you to be out there? What were you doing out there?” He watched for an answer, and when he wasn’t getting any, he dialed back his fist.

“I don’t know!” David shouts. “I don’t know. They… they just told me to call it in and not let anybody get too close.

“Get close to what?!”

“The bodies.”

The bodies? Why? Hopper huffs and squeezes tighter. “Who do you work for? The NSA? Hawkins Lab?” He catches David’s gaze falling behind him and looks, spotting a black car in the distance. “Who is that?”

“You’re gonna get us both killed.”

“Who is that? Hey! Hey!” Hopper takes off, pulling out his gun. But to no avail, the car was already off. And so was the Statie in question. He looked around, gripping his hair. “Fuck…”

What the fuck is going on?!

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

|| THE OTHER SIDE ||

Will didn’t know what to do. Stephanie had passed out, and is still passed out after all this time. He had a blanket draped over her, and propped her head up against her backpack. He didn’t know if she was coming down with something either or not because the temperature was making his hands feel numb even with the gloves on.

What can he do? The only thought that crossed his mind was going back to his house and trying to contact his mother. But the problem with that is, is he’ll have to leave Steph behind. There’s no way he can carry her back, no way he can drag her back either without collapsing himself, and then what? The monster comes and gets them while they’re unconscious? 

Heck, no!

But… that means the first option is the only logical way to do this.

Will decides to lighten his load, only taking the shotgun with him and scrambles to find something to write on. He still had his school notebook in his bag and wrote a quick message on one of the pages.

WENT TO GET HELP. 

Then he placed it right next to her head. He hopes she doesn’t freak out too badly before and after reading the note, and hopes when they do reconnect she won’t scold him (She’ll probably will, but he can have hopes). 

He looks down at her one more time before retracing his steps back home. 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Come on.” Mike ushered them inside the room, closing it shut and showing El where to sit by the radio.

“Now what?” Dustin asked, almost nervously. 

“She’ll find them. Right, El?”

El nods and closes her eyes as Mike starts turning the radio on. Almost immediately she locked onto something, a muffled voice coming through. The boys, minus Lucas, perked up at this with joy.

“She’s doing it.” Dustin said, smiling. 

“She’s finding them!” Mike says, nearly jumping with joy. 

“This is crazy.”

“Calm down. She just closed her eyes.” Lucas said, and right on cue, almost a way of telling him not to underestimate her, the light above them shattered and went out.

The boys gasped and huddled closer. Then that’s when they heard something else come through other than static. There was the sound of something banging. Banging on what? They couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“What is that?” Dustin asked, confused, but they continued to listen for anything else.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“COME ON! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Joyce was blasting her youngest favorite song, hoping to get some communication again. She practically begged whatever higher force there was to get her to talk to her son again.

“COME ON! WILL, STEPHANIE! I NEED ONE OF YOU–”

Then the banging came.

She immediately stops the music, listening. She slowly walks over to the wall where she saw the faceless thing last night, and puts her ear to it.

|| Mom? ||

She gasps, hands pressing against the wall like she could grab him. “Will?”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

|| M-Mom? ||

The boys took a step back in shock.

They heard him. 

They actually heard him. 

“No freaking way!” Lucas said, and everyone began shouting his name.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

|| Mom... || 

“Will!” Joyce yells, her heart hurting at the sound of her baby boy crying. 

|| Please… ||

“Will! Will!” She starts banging on the wall, and clawing at the wall paper.

|| Mom!!!! ||

“Will! I’m here! I’m here!” She manages to snag the corner of the paper and begins peeling it off. “Oh, God…”

|| Mom!!!! ||

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Will!” Mike shouts.

“Will, it’s us! Are you there?” Lucas says, getting closer to the radio.

“Can you hear us? We’re here!” Dustin asks, getting close too. They can hear him, even if it’s a bit distorted, so why can’t he hear them? “Will? Hello?! Will!”

|| H-Hel-lo? M-Mom? ||

“Why can’t he hear us?” Lucas asked, worriedly. 

“I don’t know!” Mike yells, scared. “Will!”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Baby…” Joyce cries as the wallpaper came down, and revealed a weird color bubble on her wall. She wasn’t even going to question it when she finally saw movement behind it. 

|| Mom?! || 

“Oh, God. Will!” She could cry. “Oh, thank God. Baby… Will…”

|| Mom… || 

She could hear something growling from the other side, and could barely make out her son’s scared face. 

|| Mom, it’s coming! ||

“Tell me where you are!” Joyce said, banging on the bubble. “How do I get to you?!”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The boys stared, completely afraid for their friend because he sounded like he was going to break at any moment. And that weird growling wasn’t helping the situation either. Where the heck was he?

|| I-It’s like ho-home, but it’s s-so dark… It’s so da-rk and empty. An–d-d it’s cold! A-And Step-hanie’s passed out! ||

Mike gasps and looks at Dustin. “She is with him.”

“Jesus…” The Henderson said, covering his mouth with his hand.

|| I do-n’t kn-know what t-to do! Mo-m? M-m-mom! || 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“Listen to me!” Joyce said, with all the might of her voice. “I swear I’m gonna get to you, okay? But right now, I need you to hide. I need you to get Stephanie and hide!”

|| Mom, please! ||

“No, no, listen! Listen, I…” Her heart skips a beat when the growling gets louder. “I will find you both, but you have to run now! Run! Run!”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Then the radio bursts up into flames, immediately setting off the fire alarms. Dustin kicked himself in high gear, running over to the extinguisher and pulling the pin. 

“El, are you okay?” Mike asked, after the fire was put out. But the young girl stared at him, and you can clearly tell she wasn’t here. “Can you move?”

“Shit! Blood, Mike!” Lucas points out, as the red liquid gushes out of her nose immensely. 

“Jeez! Help her up!” 

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

“And you’re…” Nancy questions as he watches him fiddle around with the machine in the room engulfed in red light.

“Brightening. Enlarging.” He explains.

“Did your mom say anything else? Like, um, where it might have gone to, or…”

“No, just that it came out of the wall.” Jonathan sighs as he finishes with the machine before carefully placing the photo into the water.

“How long does this take?”

“Not long.”

She nods, fiddling with her hand. “Have you been… doing this a while?”

He blinks. “What?”

“Photography?” She clarifies, and he shrugs.

“Yeah.” He gives her a nervous look. “I guess I’d rather observe people than, you know… Talk to them. I know. It’s weird.”

“No!” She shakes her head.

“No, it is.” He chuckles, and grins. “It’s just, sometimes… people don’t really say what they’re really thinking. But you capture the right moment… it says more.”

“What was I saying?” Nancy asked, a smile creeping up in her face.

“What?”

“When you took my picture.”

He frowns. “I shouldn’t have taken that.” He looks away. “I’m, uh… I’m sorry. It’s just–”

“That’s it.” She said, getting his attention. “That’s what I saw.”

Jonathan gasps quietly at the sight of it, a disgusting, tall figure that didn’t have a face. “My mom… I thought she was crazy ’cause she said… that’s not Will’s body. That he’s alive.”

“And if he’s alive–”

“Then Barbara.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Steve couldn’t believe he even had this thought, but he finds himself pulling into the parking lot of the Coroner’s office. He sat there with the engine off, rethinking everything.

“Oh my god…” His forehead touched the steering wheel. “What am I doing?” But he gets out anyway, heading inside and turning on his charm to hide his nerves. “Hello, Ma’am!”

Patty pulls the phone away from her ear. “Hey, uh, can I help you?”

“Oh, uh, my brother, I think he left something behind. I‘m sure it’s still on the seat. If you don’t mind me looking, that is.”

“Oh, well…”

“Please?” He begs, and shows her the doe eyes. Well, they worked because she told him he can go ahead. “Thank you. I’ll just be a minute.”

And now it was now or never.

Steve strolls through the hallway, spotting, to his surprise, a cop sitting on a chair by the door he needed to get in (Guess he’ll question this situation later). “Hey, I love that book.” He says, the cop springing to his feet “It’s a nasty mutt.”

“Hey, you can’t be back here.”

“Yeah, I know, but I just got off the line with uh… you know.”

“Know what?”

“You…” Smacks lips. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

And that’s when Steve decks him the side of the head, before sending another punch to the jaw that renders him unconscious. He still can’t believe what he’s doing, even after snatching the keys from the guy’s belt. He looks around worriedly as he unlocks the door to head inside. His nerves were being shot through the roof as he arrived at the freezers, and with a shaky hand he started opening the doors up, reading the name tags that were tied on the deceased’s toes.

When he found Stephanie’s he nearly vomited. And when he finally pulled back the sheet he nearly fainted.

Ever since their friendship ended the only time he’s only ever seen her was when they would pass by each other in school, and that wasn’t very often. But this…

This is different. This is sick. This is violating. 

It hurt to see how pale she was, those bright blue eyes of her closed, her brown locks brushed back from her face.

He swallows and looks away. What the fuck am I doing?

He takes a deep breath, and pulls the sheet back more, stopping before it shows off her chest. He still had the courtesy to not see her naked, not like this anyhow. It wouldn’t be right. But when he finally took the rest of her in, his heart got stuck in his throat.

The scar… on her shoulder was…

Non-existent.

That doesn’t… what? Steve knows this isn’t right. He remembers the incident so clearly, he remembers the scar they both promise to hide from their families. So if he had his still, then where was hers? Is this what was spooking the police chief? 

Now it made sense why Hopper was asking those questions to him. He must have seen Stephanie’s body without the scar and wanted to ask how long ago it was. 

Now it all made sense. 

Steve, without even realizing, had reached down to touch the spot where the scar should be. His brown orbs widened at the touch. For being a deceased body it was–

Completely dry.

Now, he might not be the most book smart person despite keeping his grades up for his parents sake, but even he remembers his science teacher explaining the stages of a dead body. Something about the body puffing up and releasing fluids. So why is it dry? And secondly, if Steph’s mother showed up for the autopsy, then where’s the incision marks?

.

“Do…” What is it even saying? “Do they look real?”

.

Steve shuts his eyes again, another shaky breath as he takes out his knife from his back pocket, flicking it open. He has to know, he has to know if his doubts are real. He starts by putting the tip on her shoulder, before stopping.

But what if he’s wrong? What if this is really her? 

He groaned, every kind of emotion was coming through. What if I’m wrong and I just butchered my first friend? 

He sighs. Well…

He’s not going to know until he tries.

“Fuck.” He whispers, before digging the tip into her shoulder. Cringing at the sound of the skin breaking. He continues until he gets to the end of the collarbone, and puts the knife aside. 

It was the moment of truth as he slowly digs his hand into the cut, half expecting for his hand to touch bone or get drenched in a vein but…

Steve might as well be as pale as this corpse as soon as touched something that shouldn’t be in there. Scaredly, he pulled the substance out. 

It was cotton. Stuffing that was used in pillows or children’s toys.

He didn’t know whether to be happy he was right, or upset that he was. He still almost couldn’t believe it. 

“What the fuck?” He manages to say before he hears the door behind him open wider. Out of instinct, he grabs his knife and spins around, expecting the receptionist or even that cop he knocked out to be there, but not him.

Jim Hopper was staring back at him, out of uniform and looking surprised to see him here too (That’s probably why his gun was out). Both of them didn’t say anything, and the adult’s eyes shifted to the table behind him. Jim hustles over, Steve sidestepping quickly – I mean he’s caught red handed anyway. 

And that’s when Jim saw what Steve saw.

That’s when they both realized…

.

.

.

.

Something’s going on.

-Taglist is Open-

@ladygrey03 @poppet05 @tooearlyforthis @lovesfics @lordzzz

@mirkwoodshewolf @sadbitchfangirl @olivewisp @emsownuniverse @unspecifiedvisitor @smaryamsstuff @kitty49646 @jinxeee @bookkeeperlove @prozacgooble @goth-baby98 @aainr @luca-random-stuff @catradorapotter

[chaoticfics]

masterpost of fics

Harry Styles:

SNL (Harry Styles X Famous!Reader)

Citrine (Witch!harry)

Sweet as Honey (boxer!harry)

parts: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Heal (wolf!harry)

mute!harry

7 missed calls (car accident)

historical au (farmhand)

prince!harry

witch harry and yn

baseball harry

harry erectile disfunction

secret pregnancy trope

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

stepdad!harry not being legal guarding of r kid

single mom r

single mom r

teen dad

fairy!harry

Spencer Reid

period stain

police officers check out pregnant yn

gf answers door to bau when they were having sex

sr and r kids get kidnapped when they were secret

sr and r kids set them up

sr and r exs, they have a kid

r is witness, dating sr

secret pregnancy/child

camp!au

cockwarming

one bed trope

lure unsub out by kissing

regulus black

lestrange!r

r and reg live with serious during war

muggle born r and having to lie to reg parents

evans!r. lily finds you and reg dating

steve harrington

mike grossed out by pda

sh going crazy for boobs

r loves his uniform

omega steve

grumpy!r

wallet photo

after birth, steve scared sex

miguel o’hara

secret pregnancy trope

childhood bestfriends (headcanon)

non-spidey, insecure

misses you

misses you (ceo)

male spiders give back rubs

clingy mig

youre cheated on, m comforts

ppl try to guess whats between you

m breaking bed

shy/inexperienced m

secret preg trope

mean/sassy!r

fake relationship

m back scratches

anatomy lesson

Cedric Diggory

cd and r's kid tells their story

smut after practice

Jack Hughs

secret prg trope

single!mom: one, two, three

want baby

walked during sex

daughter comforts after loss

Zuko

Rotations

max thunderman

pheobe catches you two

Battison

fake marriage

failed flying

wife kidnapped by riddler

sakusa

s and r are secretly dating

s and r are engaged

secret pregnancy

oikawa x r

loki x daughter!r

georgie cooper x r

[tinyevelyn]

✨📼Andrea Henderson📼✨

Andrea Henderson is a sharp-witted and fiercely independent teenager who balances her tough exterior with a deep care for her loved ones, often hiding her vulnerabilities behind a layer of sarcasm.

BASIC INFO -

Full Name: Andrea Henderson

Age: 16 (season 2), 17 (season 3), 18 (season 4)

Gender: female she/her

Height: 166cm - 5'5

Personality Types: ENTJ 8w7

Traits: protective, independent, insensitive, quick-witted, sharp-tongued, intelligent, playful, observant, sarcastic

Family Members: Dustin Hendersen (younger brother), Claudia Hendersen (mother), unnamed father

Love Interest: Steve Harrington

Love Languages: Acts Of Service, Quality Time

Face Claim: Katherine Langford

Character Arc Summary:

Andrea starts out as this tough, distant person who feels like she has to be strong for everyone, especially her younger brother. She hides her feelings and tries not to show any weakness. Over time, she learns it’s okay to be vulnerable and that showing her true self is actually a strength. Her journey is about finding balance between being strong and letting her guard down.

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS -

Dustin Hendersen (younger brother):

Andrea's relationship with Dustin is kinda distant because she’s always trying to be the strong, tough older sister. She cares about him a lot but doesn’t always show it. They’ve got that typical sibling banter, but as they go through more stuff together, their bond starts to get stronger.

Steve Harrington (love interest):

Andrea and Steve are playful and competitive with each other. They’re always teasing, but there’s a lot of respect there too. They’re both super protective of each other, even if they don’t always admit it, and they find comfort in being around each other as they get closer.

Nancy Wheeler (childhood bestfriend):

Andrea and Nancy used to be really close, but they drifted apart when Nancy got involved with the popular kids. They start reconnecting when they have to work together, and their dynamic is pretty cool—two strong personalities finding their way back to a solid friendship.

(I will add onto this once I develop Andrea a little more)

RANDOM FUN FACTS✨️ -

Andrea's character was created around 2022, and was originally going to be part of the Wheeler family, her name was still Andrea yea so Andrea Wheeler, eh doesn't fit

Andrea was an when I first made her ENTP but when I first made her, I sucked at writing characters (I'm not saying I don't suck now but still) soo recently when I chose to pick up her character again and rewrite it, I really wanted to try writing xxTJ characters as I didn't exactly like them and now I do

I was going to give Andrea a middle name so like Andrea Marie Hendersen and then I realise how shitty that sounds so I gave up on that idea, plus I don't think any of the characters in Stranger Things have middle names

(I will edit this in the future >:3)

credit to @sister-lucifer for them dividers

ASKS ARE APPRECIATED!!!💖💖

[nervoushottee]

IMPORTANT: This blog is 18+ MDNI!! If you don’t have age on your blog then I will block it.

*Inbox and messages are always open!*

Ao3

Joel Miller

Series:

Flaws and All: You and Joel get caught in a blizzard while traveling. Cooped up in a cabin that is a bit of a fixer upper, the two of you learn how to grow with one another. In the process of waiting out the blizzard, you both have no choice but to accept each other, flaws and all. And maybe, just maybe find more in each other than just a travel partner. Will be Explicit in future chapters

A Solemn Promise: Joel thought he had lost it all. That the cruel bitter world had taken away his heart and soul piece by piece until there was nothing left. Everything he cared so deeply for gone. Turning him into a complicated man with a complicated heart. But when he has to travel across the country with a young girl and his girlfriend that he thought was dead. Maybe, just maybe his broken heart and soul can mend.

Oneshot

A Shot of Whiskey: (Explicit) You didn't think Joel would take you up on your offer. But here you were getting fucked in the bathroom stall of the bar.

Lucien Flores

Oneshot:

Kill the Lights: (Explicit) Lucien Flores is your older brother's bestfriend and to you he was always off limits and vice versa. Until one night that changes... (insipred by the song "De Selby part 2 by Hozier")

Triple Frontier

Frankie "Catfish" Morales

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Santiago "Pope" Garcia

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Stranger Things

Steve Harrington

Series:

The Summer Before: You and the gang decide to take a trip together before you all go your separate ways after summer is over. You’re excited for a reset away from Hawkins. Away from your problems and responsibilities. But one of the problems that you can’t seem to find the answer to went with you and it’s Steve Harrington. Conversations about old times and second chances wasn’t something you really planned on doing but here you are.  The days will be light and warm. Trips to the lake and burgers on the grill. The nights will feel long filled with laughter, beers, unwanted truths and tattoos you won’t remember getting the next day. Secrets will be spilled and tears will be shed.  A last hooray at the end of the summer while everyone was still together.  This should be fun. Right?

Oneshot:

Take Care: Steve wakes up from a nightmare that scares him a lot more than usual. The two of you frantically decide in the middle of night to get out of Hawkins. Even if it’s just for a little while.

Go For It: Steve has been your “movie guy” at Family Video for a while now. Little does he know that the main reason you’ve been buying these movies is to flirt with him and just maybe ask him out…

Illicit Affairs: You wish you were enough for Steve, but he will always want Nancy. (inspired by "Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift")

My pretty girl: (Explicit) you can’t help but beg for more of steve

Eddie Munson

Oneshot:

• never like this: your house never feels like home, but Eddie does.

Steddie

Oneshot:

This or That: (Explicit) You can't seem to figure out what you like better between Steve and Eddie.

MISCELLANEOUS

Series

Folklore: In which nervoushottee creates a series of fanfics insipred by the songs from Folklore by Taylor Swift

Oneshot

Paul Atreides

With Want: (Explicit) Paul Atreides always had dreams. But from the very beginning, there was an invisible string pulling him to you.

COD MW11

Captain John Price:

More: (Explicit) You’re stressed out of your mind and John knows exactly what you need to relax

141:

Just thinking about you doing the “Sorry, I’m not into short guys” Tiktok trend with The 141 boys

House of the Dragon

Alicent Hightower

Series:

Queen Alicent’s Maid: In which Alicent gets a maid after becoming the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms…

Daryl Dixon

Oneshot:

It Happened Quiet: What you and Daryl have is a soft quiet love

Night Shift: You keep Daryl company during a night watch

Masterlist header and dividers by @saradika

[agirlwholovesrockstars]

Eddie Munson | Agatha

🖤 - smut | 🩰 - fluff | ⛓️ - angst

✨ - popular

❣ AGATHA'S MAIN PAGE ❣

Here's my complete masterlist for my most beloved character ever, Edward Munson :)

Reblogs are deeply appreciated! I'm very thankful when you supported and liked my work! 🥺🫶🏻

18+ MDNI : PLEASE READ EVERY FIC WARNING‼️

RECENTLY RELEASED : CH 6 : SEPARATE WAYS (UPDATED : NOV 9)

♡ ONE SHOTS ♡

pretty please 18+ 🖤🩰✨ Eddie Munson x FashionDesigner!FEM!reader

she's my collar 18+ 🖤🩰⛓️ Vampire!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

If you don't know me by now 🩰 Eddie Munson x Popstar!FEM!reader

at the end of the day, I choose you 🩰⛓️✨ Wanted!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

pretty young thing 🩰 Shy!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

need your loving tonight 18+ 🖤🩰⛓️✨ Idiot!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

how sweet it is to be loved by you 🩰⛓️✨ Firefighter!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

unchained melody 🩰 Eddie Munson x Fairy!FEM!reader

you ain't woman enough 🩰⛓️✨ Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Rockstar's!Wife!FEM!reader

after last night 18+ 🖤🩰⛓️✨ Player!Rockstar!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

don't you forget about me 🩰 HighschoolClassmates!Songwriter!Eddie Munson x Popstar!FEM!reader

the greatest 18+ 🖤⛓️ Rockstar!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader (hurt/no comfort!)

liar *coming soon*

birds of a feather *coming soon*

tell her about it *coming soon*

blessed *coming soon*

don't cha *coming soon*

stitches and burns *coming soon*

matilda *coming soon*

♢ SERIES ♢

out of touch | *completed* 🩰⛓️ Eddie Munson x Childhood!Bestfriend Steve Harrington x FEM!reader

faith, trust and pixie dust & I won't say I'm in love (two-part series) 🩰⛓️ *on hiatus*

you make me feel brand new 18+ 🩰⛓️🖤✨ | *completed* LostPrince!Knight Eddie Munson x Princess!FEM!reader

separate ways 18+ 🩰⛓️🖤 Eddie Munson x Future!FEM!reader (time travel/fantasy/romance)

highschool sweethearts *coming soon*

✿ MINI FICS ✿

drenched 18+ 🖤🩰✨ Neighbor!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

good old fashioned lover boy 🩰 | a mini fic to "need your loving tonight"

you're Gareth's....WHAT?!? 🩰⛓️✨ Bestfriend!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

smeared lipstick 18+ 🖤🩰✨ Eddie Munson x Waitress!FEM!reader

accidentally in love 🩰✨ Eddie Munson x Athlete!FEM!reader

smile idiot, I love you 🩰⛓️ Bestfriend!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

hot flushed *coming soon*

only those who care about you, can hear you when you're quiet *coming soon*

they'll never can make me hate you *coming soon*

☠ HALLOWEEN ZONE ☠

I've never met a girl like you before *coming soon*

my girlfriend is a witch *coming soon*

eaten alive *coming soon*

✦ CHRISTMAS SPECIALS ✦

seasonal colds 🩰 Neighbor!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

as long as you love me so, let it snow 🩰⛓️ Eddie Munson x Shy!FEM!reader

when the clock strikes 12 18+ 🖤🩰 Boyfriend!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader

[hawthorneonarainyday]

Who We Are - Steve Harrington (2)

Prologue | Steve 1 | Eddie | Billy | Ian The two of them had been friends for twenty-two years now. They'd grown up right next to each other, casually holding hands for all their lives. What neither of them had ever considered, though, was that their relationship could ever be anything else. They were just them, Steve and her. Right? Attention! - This is the third part of 'Grey Overalls and Rainy Days' and 'Who We Are (1)'. Please read those first if you haven't yet! Information you might need ♥ ~ Word Count: 16.113 3rd Person (She/Her) Flashbacks will be presented in cursive, since tumblr doesn't really have the neatest typesetting system. In this chapter you will find: Rain, cursing, slow-burn childhood bestfriends to lovers, a lot of physical contact, canon tinkering, flashbacks, arguments, nightmares, comfort, lot's of kissing. There will be mentions of food and eating, blood, canon level violence, loss, grief, death, sex, trauma, bad parenting, cheating, misunderstandings Enjoy ♥

For most of Hawkins inhabitants, it was one normal night.

Cold and quiet, the air moist from the random bouts of rain that fell throughout the last few days, it trickled past the little towns’ population without a hitch. Few people were still awake at this hour, most exhausted from a weeks’ worth of work and everyday life. Families with small children and babies may have been the exception to that rule, at least whenever one of the little ones woke its parents with little, desperate screams for love, warmth and attention.

Another exception were those lucky people whose Friday night dates had gone over successfully, some huddled in their bedrooms on their own reminiscing over their new found love; others wrapped up together in a passionate tangle of limbs, hidden away from prying eyes.

Then there were the few people who were still working. The night shift, the owls of society; people that were easily forgotten by all the other larks. Instead of singing loudly and proudly, flapping their wings audibly to get wherever they needed to, the owls would glide through the night on silent wings. No hooting, not even the rustle of feathers could be heard as they were cooped up at their jobs, serving a few stragglers at diners, bars and gas stations or helping the hurt and elderly at hospitals, sanatoriums, and nursing homes. And, come morning, they would vanish just as silently; back into their homes for no one to find until night dawned again.

The last exception, perhaps the most unpleasant one of the lot, were people like her. People, who had been sleeping for a good few hours already, softly hidden under their duvets. The people who had started out with warm, pleasant dreams about their deepest desires only to watch them turn. The bright, healing light would turn red and suddenly everything looked dark and menacing. People would turn to threats, animals to monsters and panic would slam into them the second they noticed something was off. They would run, fight, try to survive but fail. Then, at the very last second, a moment before the inevitable happened, they would wake up with a fearful scream.

“NO.”

She sat up, teary eyed and hands balled to fists at her sides. Her breath was laboured and unsteady, similar to someone who’d run for their life. The room was dark - usually something she didn’t mind that now had turned into something to fear once more. It took her half a second, maybe less, to kick her duvets aside and stumble to the phone on the wall. She didn’t think about what she was doing, or else she would have hesitated. If she’d been thinking clearly, she’d known that a call like that was always a gamble and, more importantly, probably not necessary.

But she wasn’t thinking clearly.

Her mind was still haunted by what she’d just seen. Pictures of her friends, similar to actual events and yet so, so different. Her heart still hammered in her chest, threatening to burst through her rib cage, as she finished dialling and heard the usual tone. It beeped once, twice, three times and she felt dread crawl up her throat, probably accompanied by bile and maybe even her soul until finally finally someone picked up.

“…Hello…?” The voice on the other end was muffled by sleep, indicating that its owner had been deep asleep until a few moments prior.

“Steve?” She asked, noticing how her voice was laced with panic but unable to do anything about it. There was noise on the other end, a quick, surprised rustling, as Steve sat up straight in bed, triggered into hero-mode by the tone of her voice. “Steve, are you alright?”

“Am I- yes, of course, I’m alright. Are you alright? What happened, what’s up?” Relief flooded her system, dousing her panic and having her legs grow weak. She used her shoulders and the wall to keep herself standing, hands still cramped around the receiver. It was shaking, the cold plastic of the receiver in her hands tap tapping against her feverish skin again and again. It was relief, it was adrenaline and it was one more thing. Because relief wasn’t the only thing that washed over her. No, with it came shame.

Of course he was alright.

He was probably at home, maybe with some tired girl that was now eyeing him in confusion. What would happen to him there? Of course, of course, of course. She’d let her panic guide her again, despite being able to control it most nights. It was rare however, for a dream to feel so real. So desperately real that she woke up and couldn’t see the lines of real and fake.

“Hey, talk to me.” Steve said, his voice distorted by the phone and laced with worry. That, if anything, made her feel even worse. “Are you alright?”

She blinked a couple of times, tears rising in her eyes as she grappled for words - any words really.

“Yeah, I’m-I’m alright, I just…I had this-It’s just-“ She sobbed, unable to hold it back despite desperately trying to. “God, Steve, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I- I shouldn’t have called you in the middle of the night.” Nearly every word was torn apart by a desperate sob, so she wouldn’t have been surprised if Steve hadn’t understood a damn thing she was saying. But, apparently, he did. Because it wasn’t two seconds before she heard more rustling.

“I’m coming over.”

“Wait, no, Steve, you don’t-you don’t have to. I-I’m fine, I will be-“

“Ten minutes.” He didn’t even listen to any more of her protests. The line went dead.

Shit.

Still sobbing, she sank down to the floor beneath the telephone. Just like Steve had done eons ago, she let go of the receiver, causing it to jump up and dangle somewhere next to her head as she tried to slow down her tears. She felt stupid and childish for the amount of relief she had felt the moment Steve had confirmed that he was alright. Of course he was, god, what was she thinking? How much of an idiot could one person be? And Steve had been so calm about it. If it had been the other way around, she would probably have snapped at him and thrown the receiver down to go back to sleep.

Okay, that was a lie. It was far more likely that she would’ve hung up the phone and rushed out in PJ’s and slippers to drive her bike across town to the Harrington house, to the boy who was despairing much like she was right now.

Although, admittedly, it would have taken her far longer than it took him.

It couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes when Steve unlocked her front door, his shoes already half kicked off by the time he’d relocked it behind him. Just like he’d secretly expected, she was still sitting beside the phone, curled up like a child and sobbing into her arms. She could hear his steps over her cheap floors, the soft tapping of socks against linoleum and then carpet. The dangling receiver was hung up with a soft ‘click’ before Steve crouched down before her.

Cold, familiar hands framed her face, carefully lifting it out of his hiding space. Steve sent her a semi-comforting smile when their eyes locked, worry still setting his brows in a deep frown. With his thumbs, he wiped some tears off her face; a gentle move that made her want to cry even more.

“Hey there, sweet girl.”

That was all he said.

He didn’t ask any questions; he didn’t demand any explanations. He just stayed there, one hand still stroking her cheeks as the other smoothed out her hair which, in turn, made her sob even harder. Steve sighed at the sight.

“I’m sorry.” The words were breathless, squeezed out between tears and shame.

“It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. It’s okay.” He said, gentle yet firm enough to have her stop. For a moment, he watched her sob on helplessly; but then he moved, leaving his crouch in favour of sitting down, his back against her bed. To do that, he had to let go of her face, grabbing her hand instead. Much like he’d done back in family video, he used his thumb to massage away any tension. He did so thoughtlessly, an unconscious effort to calm her down. Her eyes focused on their hands, the movement a welcome distraction.

“I had a dream.”

“I figured.” He didn’t ask what it was about.

She’d tell him anyway.

“You were in it.” Steve just hummed, encouraging her to keep going. She bit her lips for a second, debating whether she actually should. But she did, of course she did. “It was ’83 again.” Funnily enough, it was a year she rarely dreamed about – if ever. In the grand scheme of things, that year really hadn’t been all that bad. “Just as you did, you freaked out. Dragged me out of the Byers house and shoved me towards the car. And, of course, I was yelling at you.” ’83 was maybe not a totally horrible year, all things considered, but it hadn’t been a good year for the two of them.

They’d argued a lot.

About Steve ditching her for Nancy all the damn time, about her being ‘jealous’ over his ‘functional relationship’ and over him still being friends with Tommy and Carol, even after what they’d done to her. In the friendship of her and Steve, that year was a mess.

‘Well, why do I have to suffer just because you can’t pick your boy toys properly!?’ He’d said to her when she asked him why he was still hanging around their former friend group. ‘Honestly, what did you expect? You’ve known Tommy since middle school – he was always a dick. Your fault for going steady with him.’

Sure, he wasn’t wrong. She’d accepted Tommy despite knowing his character. But that didn’t mean she deserved to be cheated on, like he so unsubtly hinted. When she said nothing and just stared at him, he immediately realised what he’d said. His eyes widened at his own words and his mouth opened.

‘Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t-‘ He didn’t make it further, because she’d socked him straight in the face, just like her big brother had taught her. It would be days later that she’d find out how good a hit she’d landed. But right then, she just stared him down as he looked up at her in shock, a hand pressed to his eye.

‘You’re an ass, Steve Harrington.’ She’d spat, rage and hurt steeling her voice. And with that, she’d turned and left him, sitting at the quarry all on his own.

That day would be the last time they spoke for a good, couple of months. It wasn’t until Barb vanished from his yard that she’d finally found enough good will in herself to actually go and check on him. Not that that had meant she’d forgiven him, hell no. She’d basically yelled at him the whole time and he, the mean bitch he was back then, yelled back; neither of them able to tell each other how sorry they were and how much they’d missed each other. Because back then, that was who they were. Two dumb, stubborn kids.

She sighed and looked up at the Steve of ’89, older and nothing like the dick he’d been in high school. That was the Steve she’d always known, always seen in him. The kind and caring, slightly dorky version he’d nearly lost by pretending to be something else.

“And just like you did back then, you saw the lights flicker and froze. I immediately knew what you were going to do, so I tried to stop you, but you idiot didn’t listen.” When did he ever. “You just yelled ‘Nancy, Nancy’s in there!’ and ran back in. And I followed you - of course I did.” Steve nodded, the dream in line with what he remembered about that night. “But when I stumbled into the room, you didn’t have that damn bat.” A gaussian blur fell over her surroundings, tears rising once more. Her voice was frail when she went on, thinned by her effort not to sob again. “Jonathan still had it, but he was out cold and the Demogorgon was heading towards Nancy and you-“ Her voice broke, the sob finally freeing itself. “- you idiot jumped in between her and that thing, pulling one of your stupid hero moves without any weapon or armour.” She used her free hand to wipe her eyes roughly. “That thing, it just-it tore you apart, Steve, and there was nothing I could do. I went for the bat, I killed that thing, but by the time I was done you were already…you were bleeding so much. I couldn’t help you and you were barely conscious, gurgling up blood and shit-“ For a moment, she covered her eyes with her hand, trying and failing to push the image out of her mind. “I was panicking, because this…this couldn’t be it.” The same desperation she’d felt in her dream was now creeping up her chest. “It just- I couldn’t even tell you that I was sorry, for fucks sake. The last things you’d remember about me would be me giving you a black eye or me yelling and cursing at you. And I tried so hard to keep you alive, but you-you suddenly went all slack and stopped breathing.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “That was when I woke up. I should have known it was a dream, because shit, I wouldn’t be in this house if it had been real. I’d likely be- I don’t know, Mind Flayer goo or Demodog feed or whatever. But it-it felt so real, Steve. It felt so real, because it was such a tiny, seemingly meaningless difference that triggered such a different line of events, I just-I needed to make sure that you were okay.”

Steve was quiet for a moment after she’d finished, processing all that she’d said, before letting out a deep sigh. With gentle hands, he pulled her forwards and into his lap. His arms curled around her waist; a firm, grounding pressure. Her arms found their way around his neck all on their own and she pressed herself against the boy in an effort to remind herself that he was actually there. Wordlessly, he accepted her clinging and started to pat her back, merely a calm, rhythmic movement of his hand against her shoulders.

“I’m okay.” He said, his voice close to her ear. “I’m okay, sweet girl. It was just a dream.” Her breath stuttered at his words, unshed tears making it hard to breathe. “Just a dream.”

“I know.” She whispered back. “Now, I know. I knew the moment you answered your phone.”

“Good. Good job.” She didn’t know what exactly the good job was and she didn’t feel like asking either. Instead, she pressed herself closer to him, fingers brushing the hair on the back of his head. This close, all she could smell was Steve’s signature scent – sandalwood, lavender and just…just Steve.

It was a scent she always liked – she bought him the cologne that caused two thirds of it – but right then, on the floor of her tiny bedroom, it felt more important than ever. Enough, to have her inch that tiny bit closer, press her nose as close to his skin as she could and just breathe. In and out, in and out…

If you’d ask her later, she couldn’t have said why, but right then everything felt… different. More raw, more open, more important, more terrifying, more honest, more overwhelming – so, so overwhelming. His hands on her back, his chest against hers, his breath ghosting her skin, his scent all around her - all overwhelming to her already frayed nerves.

And yet there was a small, minuscule part of her that didn’t want to ever let go. It wanted to hold on to the boy forever, bask in this state of familiar and unknown, of overwhelming and calming and just breathe him in.

For a moment, a self-indulgent, selfish moment, she just did.

Even later, she wouldn’t be able to tell you who’d started it; whether it was a decision they’d both simultaneously made. Maybe it was Steve trying to comfort her in whatever way he could or maybe it was just her, instinctively seeking him out. All she knew, was that their lips met halfway and suddenly her senses, already overwhelmed by his presence, were flooded even more with all things Steve.

Their kiss was nothing like either of them could’ve imagined. Mainly because neither of them ever did - but if they had, it wouldn’t have been anything like this. There was no desperation or hunger; no hidden terror or huge feelings. No one was clinging to the other, no one was moving hurriedly, trying to get closer and closer before the inevitable end. There was no fire, there was no fear. Just…

Comfort.

This kiss was strangely comfortable. Their lips were moving against each other in the softest way, a new sensation that left a pleasant tingle in its wake. What should have felt nerve wrecking, terrifying, felt anything but. No, the kiss was filled with familiarity and warmth. Like they’d been here before, like they were coming home after a long time gone; welcoming and longful.

God, so longful.

A deep sense of longing replaced any possible adrenaline. It wasn’t quite… complete, though. The longing could have been for love, for each other, for intimacy or touch. There was no name to put to it yet. It was just there, having them both pull each other closer, having them deepen the kiss with no thought, just pure longing.

Underneath that kiss, she could feel all that was Steve. She could feel his kindness and consideration within every move. The smell, the taste, the way his tongue brushed her lips, all of that was so, so him that it felt like they’d kissed a million times before. And yet she never wanted it to end, wanted to keep exploring this new familiarity with him until they both ceased to exist. She wouldn’t have missed anything, as long as she could have this, have him.

Even so, the moment had to end.

It did with her reluctantly loosening the tight hold she had on him, slowly drawing back. Her forehead stayed against his for another moment, noses touching in the softest way, as they breathed each other in one more time. But eventually she eased back so she could see his face. His lips were a soft pink, clearly kiss-bitten, and his eyes were trained on her, black in the low light of her room. With careful fingers, she cradled his face in her hands; soft knuckles gliding over unshaven cheeks. A deep breath left Steve’s lips at her touch, both tired and comforting.

“I didn’t want you to come rushing all the way here.” Her voice was quiet, merely a soft whisper in the night. Under his eyes, there were dark circles; Thin skin darkened by long days and short nights. His breath hitched lightly when her fingers shifted, the tips of her fingers now curling into his hair as her thumbs drew softly over the darkened skin. Steve leaned into her hands a bit more, hot air washing over her fingers with every breath he took.

“I know.” He said, his fingers curling around her wrists, holding them in place. Steve’s hands were too warm; two burning bracelets pressed against her skin. Part of her wanted to shake them off, while the rest of her just revelled in the feeling. His dark eyes never left hers, both knowing that whatever moment they were having, whatever emotions were passing right then would be over as soon as they did. “But you needed me to.”

She did.

Because that was who she actually was.

***

No one mentioned that night after it had passed.

That should’ve been dreadful, horrifying, and uncomfortable – but it really wasn’t.

Steve had stayed the night, neither of them wanting to let go of the other. They’d moved to the bed, covered themselves with her duvet and fell asleep far too close. There were little reservations between the two, having shared a bed more often than anyone would like to believe. They knew each other’s quirks; she knew how to evade Steve’s grabby arms and how to stop him from hogging the blanket just as he knew how to keep her cold feet out of his area and how to get her to stop snoring with just his elbow. After that night, they just knew one thing more about each other. One less thing to be shy about.

The next morning, they’d downed a cup of coffee each; Steve close enough to bump her hip as they stood in pleasant silence. They’d gotten ready, Steve taking painstakingly long to do his hair and she yelling about it, and then he had driven her to work. The drive was spent bickering about who would drive her home later, seeing as Steve was working late. He went as far as making her promise she would ask one of her boys for a ride and only after that was he willing to let her go. She jogged the few steps inside, waved at him and he drove off into another rainy day.

It was the same as always.

 An old routine, repeated a hundred times over the years they’d known each other. There was nothing uncomfortable about any of it, no regrets, no talks to be had. There was nothing but her and Steve, exactly like they’d always been.

Maybe that was a good thing? It could be that the two of them had simply unlocked another level of platonic skinship and intimacy. That wouldn’t be the worst thing and honestly? It wouldn’t be surprising either. They’d always been extremely close, never afraid to hug, hold hands or touch each other in any way. Maybe kissing was just a new addition, a new stage to their ever-growing friendship.

Or, maybe, both of them somehow knew that it wasn’t yet the time. That, whatever had happened that night, was not yet ready; that there was something missing before they could put a name to it. And maybe, just maybe, they both knew that mentioning it too early, mentioning that kiss while the sun was out, would lead to shame and despair. That asking for answers, for clarification neither could give would have them stumble and fall.

Maybe they both knew, that patience was a virtue worth having.

So going about their days as usual didn’t hurt. It was nice to see that they could go back to what they were. Even as weeks passed, they could meet up, hang out alone or with their collective friends and just be themselves. She would still call Steve every night and ask about his day. He would still show up at her shop at random, completely unannounced, and yet always welcome.

In fact, that was what he did that day.

At noon, a couple of weeks after the nightmare, he’d kicked open the door to her shop like he owned the place. In his hand, a huge box of donuts for the hungry mechanics of Hawkins only repair shop. Tiny drops were covering the box from where it had been hit by another day’s rain – on the news, the weatherman kept telling them it would be over soon, that the everlasting rain would soon be gone, but for now they’d still have to make due – but the donuts itself were still deliciously warm. Steve had snagged them a few before her ravenous boys could devour them all, and now he was sitting on a table she’d repeatedly told him not to sit on and watched her work with mild interest.

And work she did.

One of the richer inhabitants of Hawkins, a neighbour of the Harringtons most likely, had booked in his car with mysterious ‘troubles’. Usually that wasn’t strange or worry-worthy at all. Few people knew what they were talking about when it came to cars, though many of them liked to act as if they did. But what the dude had ‘forgotten’ to mention was that his car was one of those imported fancy-ass cars that were more trouble than they were worth.

“Ah fucking shit.” She sighed and pushed her hair back. “This is a nightmare. An absolute fucking nightmare. I hate rich people. I hate them so much.”

“Oi.”

“You’re not rich, pretty boy. You work at family video.” Steve protested from behind, but she didn’t listen.  “Otherwise, I’d have you buy this car fresh and new to save me the god damn hassle.” Steve just snorted at her nagging, offering up a donut for her to bite. Obviously, she did, humming happily at the taste. It was simple yet pleasant, soft dough with a coating powdered sugar. For some reason, those exact donuts had always been her favourite while other people tended to label them as boring or too plain. But she loved them, maybe even too much.

“Come on, you already did so much…stuff.” He said, wiping some powdered sugar off her lips with his thumb. “I mean, you totally look like you know what you’re doing.” He pointed to the assortment of stuff, picking up a spark plug with two fingers. “Like, when you removed this thing? Total pro.” She rolled her eyes, plucking the spark plug out of his hands.

“This ‘thing’ is a spark plug. And it’s covered in coolant, idiot.” She grabbed one of the wet wipes she kept on hand to wipe his fingers and offered up her sleeve so he could dry them off. “Keep your phalanges off this stuff, or your hands will end up like mine.” He shrugged.

“At least then I look like I have a respectable job.”

“You do.”

“Oh sure, I rent out videos for a living – can’t get any more respectable than that.” She grinned as his fingers wrapped around her wrist, fingertips directly over her pulse point. Now, if they’d been paying attention, they would’ve noticed her boys throwing them suspicious glances. Everyone knew that a lot of Steve’s and her relationship was based on skinship, with both of them being on the touchier side, but lately, their casual skinship had reached new heights that hadn’t been lost on the people around them.

“Well, I do know something that might be a little more respectable than the honourable duty of rewinding tapes and restocking porn shelves.” The boy groaned, his head tipping back.

“Jesus, you’re more excited about that than I am.”

“Duh, I have to be excited for the two of us. You won’t, will you?” She cocked her head with a grin. “Nurse Steve?” He flicked her forehead and pushed her away.

“Yeah, yeah, cool yourself, dude, you’re getting oil on my jeans.” Whoops.

“Oups, sorry.” She stepped back. “But it’s not just oil, it’s coolant too.”

“Sure, and whatever else they smear inside a car then.” He shrugged and leaned back, gazing at the assortment of stuff she’d removed from the engine. “What exactly is wrong with that thing that you have to rip it apart like that?” She rolled her eyes, swatting his hands away.

“Don’t touch those, you’ll get them mixed up.” Steve was very talented at causing mild chaos. Which wasn’t all that bad, usually, but not then. Not with that car. “That baby” she pointed towards the car “has a major blown head gasket.” Steve winced. He may have known nothing about cars, seriously he barely knew how to change a tire, but he’d listened to her whine about head gaskets enough to know that those were nasty to deal with.

“Shit.”

“Yupp.” She sighed deeply. “And the moron has likely be driving around with it for quite some time. Ugh, I don’t even want to check for warpage. Might as well just get rid of that damn thing, she’s more coolant than oil at this point.” Why were people like that? The mechanics were pretty certain the moment Billy had moved the car inside for her, all eyeing it with a big sigh. It wasn’t even subtle. The poor thing was literally smoking like a god damn dragon and everybody should know that that wasn’t a good sign.

“But you can fix it?”

“Think so. Depends on how and if I can get the parts, because apparently American cars aren’t good enough for him.”

“German?”

“French.”

“Yikes.”

“Exactly. Getting the parts is not going to be fun, like, at all.” She leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh. “And the cleaning…I hate the cleaning so much.” Mainly because it bored her to death. There was nothing fun about scrubbing a valve cover with some cleaner and a toothbrush. It was repetitive and messy. Steve chuckled, patting her head before shrugging his shoulder.

“Come on, sweet girl, take another bite and then get back to it. You can do it.” He held out the donut once more and took care of the sugar on her lips straight after. “And, you know what? Let Munson do the cleaning. Serves him right.” She grinned at that. Maybe she actually should, put the newbie to work where he couldn’t break anything. Still chewing, she went back to the car to keep disassembling it. “Oh, and we’re getting a new delivery soon.”

“Yeah?”

“Hmmh. And guess what’s on the list.” She perked up.

“Don’t tell me it’s-“

“’Working Girl’, yeah.” He watched her do a happy tippy tap from one foot to the other while unscrewing something out of view. “And Beetlejuice too.”

“That’s the one Robin likes, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, she’s been talking about watching it with us for ages now.” She nodded. It was absolutely true, since Robin had a not-so-secret obsession with Winona Ryder. Countless times had shared movie nights begun with ‘Square Dance’ – much to Steve’s dismay. And sure, he’d protested but Robin won each and every time.

“Well, when’s the delivery due?”

“Monday, like always.”

“Then how ‘bout a double feature on Friday? Robin, You, Me – my place.” He snorted.

“First: Why don’t I get to pick a movie?” Because he’d likely pick Top Gun again. And nothing against Tom Cruise, but god she couldn’t watch that one again. By now, she could play every part herself. A one women Top Gun. “Secondly: Friday the same week?”

“No, Steve. I meant November 27th 1991, please. That should be a Friday, right?” Steve sighed, shaking his head. Not that she saw that, she just knew.

“You know, you could’ve just said yes.”

“Stupid question, stupid answer, Steven.” He scoffed.

“Bite me.” Maybe she would, next time he offered up that donut. “I’m busy that Friday, so that’s a no for me.”

“What, busy on a Friday night?” Her brows rose as she tried really hard to loosen a nut. God, please. She didn’t want to ask Billy or Ian again. The boys always teased her if she did. “You got a hot date or what?”

“Yes, actually.” She nearly dropped the wrench and fumbled to catch it, before her head snapping towards him. He was still sitting there as she’d left him, fiddling around with something she was sure she’d asked him not to. But right now, that wasn’t important.

“What?” It didn’t come out as aggressive as one might think. Rather, mildly surprised. Extremely curious. Something like that.

“Yeah, uh…You know, Robin said that, uh, Chelsea – remember her?” She furrowed her brows, raking her mind for a Chelsea. Initially, there was nothing but after a moment, it clicked and the image of a girl with a choppy brown bob and kind brown eyes appeared before long.

“Uh…yeah, I think we met her…once? She’s the one with the brown bob, isn’t she?”

“Exactly, her.” He nodded, rubbing his hands together. “Robin told me that Chelsea mentioned that she thought I was kinda cute, so Robin offered to set us up.” Yeah, she could vividly imagine that conversation. Robin was quite the wannabe Cupid, if given the change. Both Steve and Chelsea probably didn’t know what hit them. “And, well, she did. So Friday it is.”

“Oh. Uh, okay. But what, uhm, what happened to ‘just wait and see’? I thought you wanted to do that. Take a break for a while.”

“Yeah, well, I guess that kinda counts, doesn’t it?” Did it though? Was two weeks really ‘waiting’? “I mean, it-it’s a really short wait, sure, but maybe me giving up was, you know, enough?” Well, she didn’t know about that. But she turned back to her car with a slight nod.

“Yeah. Maybe.” She shrugged. “It’s great, though, Steve. That you…found someone so quickly.” Didn’t feel great, though, for some reason. No, quite the opposite actually. She felt like she wanted to kick something.

“Yeah, yeah, no, really.” He said, nodding to himself behind her back. “I think so too.” She kept her eyes on the engine, focused on the stubborn nut. Annoyance was already settling in, most likely because she knew what would follow. Steve took no notice of her mood, too preoccupied with his usual rambling.

“And, you know, Chelsea, she, uh, she wants to be a dentist, I think. Honestly, I never listened to properly when Robin told me, but I think that’s what it was. And that’s, like, really cool isn’t it?”

“Super cool, Steve.” Inside her, something moved. It was something she’d felt every time when Steve got like this, all rambly about some girl, but she never felt it as strongly as she did now. It was something sticky and ugly crawling around, looking for a way out. And she knew, she just knew that she shouldn’t let it. Whatever that ugly feeling was, it had to stay caged in her ribs until she could figure it out.

“Right? That’s, like, a proper job. And, you know, she’s really smart too. Remember that theory she told us about, that, uh, parallel universe bullshit? That was super, uhm, profound.” God, was he just trying to find big words to describe her? She’d heard that theory and it was, in fact, bullshit. Nothing made sense about it, even Robin had said so. And she knew Steve had thought so too, shit, he’d told her himself.

But here he was, chatting on. Her brows kept dipping lower with every word he said, the ugly creature inside her chest fought harder to get out; leaving hot, angry residue wherever it stepped.

“And, yeah, well she is really pretty. Obviously.” That was actually true. Chelsea was extremely lovely to look at, all petite build and nice smiles. Way back, Robin and she had even made fun of Steve, because she was almost exactly Steve’s type. Her face might have been a lot softer than Nancy’s, specked with eyes the colour of hot chocolate, but the rest fit the bill well enough. The full brown hair, the petite body, a flawless porcelain complexion, the big eyes and even the clothes were all things Chelsea and Nancy had in common. Chelsea was much more agreeable and a lot nicer than the Wheeler princess, though, at least at a glance.

“I think that, with enough time and talk, she and I can probably get to know each other. You know, learn to see eye to eye and stuff. Well, we do kinda see eye to eye – at Robins birthday party we did agree that blue is a great colour on brunettes.” Steve blabbered on, not noticing that she had stopped reacting to anything he said. She was too focused on controlling her emotions, the anger that bubbled up around the ugly the longer his ramble went on. “But I mean on a more substantial topics than, uhm, colours. You know, with a little time and patience, she could even be…” However, the thing with caged creatures was that they grew angry. The longer they fought, the longer they stayed caged, the angrier they became.

And, eventually, the cage would break.

“Steve” she interrupted, slamming her hands onto the car frame “Can you shut up!?” Her head turned towards him, eyes glaring. “Just shut up for a god damn minute.” Steve, ever the rehabbed mean girl, bristled immediately at her tone and sat up straight.

“What are you getting all pissed for!?”

“I’m not getting ‘all pissed’!” He got off the table, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, obviously you are.” He snapped back, a hand gesturing towards her. “I mean, what-what’s wrong, what pissed in your breakfast?” The two were unaware that they’d drawn the attention of the other mechanics inside the shop, both too busy glaring at each other to see how a row of heads rose from popped hoods and from behind cars. And really? Even if she’d noticed, she was too annoyed to care.

“You know what?” She asked as she took a couple of steps towards him. “You did, Steve.” She stubbed her finger against his chest, something she knew he hated. “You did, because you’re doing it again.” Steve was scowling so hard, his brows almost turned into one.

“What do you mean by that? What am I doing ‘again’?” An unamused sound left her lips as she stared at him.

“Amping up a girl that you’ve met once.” He was always like this, like a child, running towards something that wasn’t certain. “You’ve met her once, Steve, one time for maybe two or three hours. Hours, during which Robin did most of the talking, by the way.” She shook her head. “You’re always like this. You-you’re projecting your hopes and dreams onto them, Steve, and they never meet your expectations. Honestly, at this point I don’t think you’ve really had feelings for any of them, you just talked yourself into having them!” Her scowl matched his, both almost sneering at each other like angry cats. “It’s ridiculous! I mean, take Chelsea.” She would probably feel bad later for using her as an example, but she was already the topic of conversation so it was just easy. “Like, how do you know she’s smart!? She could be the biggest idiot! You’ve met her once and talked to her for maybe five minutes – two of which were spent on deciding that the colour blue is great, apparently!” He opened his mouth, likely do disagree, but she didn’t let him. “Don’t try to tell me that it wasn’t like that, because I was there, Steve! Chelsea barely got a word out until Robin started talking.” The girl was really shy until she got to know someone, at least according to Robin herself. “And yet you’re sitting here, talking like you’ve known her for ages! Like she’s the best girl you’ve ever met! And if you really think she’s ‘the one’, great! I’m happy for you!” That was the thing. There was that pathetic bit of ugliness inside of her, the part that sneered when Steve said he had a date. But the rest of her wanted to be happy for him. She wanted him to be happy, to go on a good date, to finally find love. She wanted that more than anything. “But I don’t think you do, Steve.”

How could he? How could he actually believe that Chelsea could be ‘the one’ simply based on the fact that they would go on a stupid date? Love wasn’t supposed to work like that. It wasn’t supposed to be just…just trying to make do. And, for some reason, the boy who was desperate for love was the only one who’d yet to realise it. “This is not how this thing works, Steve. You can’t just…just go ahead and decide for yourself that ‘with enough work’ someone could become special to you.” People just…became special. If everyone could actually pick who they wanted to love there would be way less heartbreak. Just look at her! She never would’ve picked Tommy out of all the guys she’d known back then. She just started to like him. That was all.

“That’s not real love, Steve. It’s just you, imagining how you’d like this to go. It’s…it’s talking yourself into settling for someone you might not even want.” That was what she suspected, at least. Steve wasn’t blind, she knew that, and he was smarter than most people gave him credit for. Sure, he could be simple and he failed at anything that remotely involved maths and strategic thinking, but he was smart. He could understand more than others thought, and he could understand himself more than he liked to admit. he must have known every time; he must have known that the next date would fail again because Becky, Sarah, Caroline, Jessamine, Nicole, Bridgit, Laura and whoever else he’d taken out weren’t what he was looking for. That he’d once again fooled himself into a delusion of love.

But Steve Harrington was, more than anything, a stubborn bastard.

It was how he was raised. Stubborn perseverance, stubborn survival, stubbornly holding on to something he was about to lose. It made him resilient, but it tended to make him unreasonable at times, just as it did right now. She saw how he set his jaw, how he stared her down.

“So?”

“So?” She repeated, almost shocked. That was all he had to say? So? An unamused chuckle bubbled out of her chest, the ugly riding it like a steed. “So” she started, eyes trained on his “in a week, when you’ve been on your date.” Something in her was begging her to stop, to stop talking right now but she couldn’t. Once you’ve jumped off a cliff, nothing could stop your fall. “Will you come crawling to me again, crying because she isn’t the girl you made her out to be?” Steve’s face fell and her eyes widened in shock. “No, no no no, wait. I-Steve, I didn’t-“ He didn’t let her finish.

“You know what?” Steve was looking straight at her, anger and hurt clear in his voice. “Fuck you.”

He was gone before she got another word out, the door slamming shut behind him.

She was left standing, staring at where he’d just been standing, cursing her own damn mouth. Why didn’t she just shut up? God, how could she say any of that!?

“Fuck!” She kicked the table, pain immediately shooting up her leg. Things fell over, engine parts rolled off and scattered. She tuned towards the god damn car next, half a mind to beat it to pieces with nothing but a wrench, but someone was quicker.

Ian had caught her wrist a mere second after the thought popped up, peeling the wrench from her clenched hand with skilled fingers.

“Gimme that.” Was all he said. He threw the wrench towards Eddie – who fumbled very hard to catch it – and far away from her. Next he stepped aside, nodding towards the door. “Out.” She didn’t move, glaring up at the dark-haired mechanic. Who was he to tell her what to do? But Ian wasn’t having it, offering no reaction to her sharp glare. “Come on, move it.” He said, more emphasis this time and a hand on her shoulder that pushed her onwards and out the door. Maybe she would have fought back, had she not known it would be completely useless. She wasn’t weak, but Ian was really strong.

All of her boys were.

It was still early, barely past noon, so the sun was still going strong; Its beams defying the dark clouds that seemed to have permanently settled above Hawkins. For now, there was no rain. Pretty much only a matter of time, though. The grey sky seemed to be copying her mood perfectly, a visualisation of whatever was brewing inside her head.

Her thoughts were tripping over each other, anger turning to shame turning to dread. And not that tiny, unimportant dread you felt when you encountered a small spider or saw a goose gaze at you from afar. No, this was real dread, the kind that had your heart speed up and hammer against your chest.

But this wasn’t a fight or flight situation.

Ian placed her down onto the tire stack in front of the shop. No one really knew where this thing had come from or who’d put it there, but after days and days of ‘I’ll deal with this later’ they’d sort of accepted it as part of the shop. It was nice, like it belonged right there. Two stacks of four and then two tires, haphazardly thrown up next to the entrance. It gave this whole place a very lived in ambience and it provided them with a chair for when it was needed. Most of the time, she and the boys would use it when they were on their smoke break, arguing over who got to sit and who had to stand.

This time, there was no arguing though.

She just plunked down when he wanted her to, slumping in on herself. Blood was still rushing in her ears from the fight, anger still hot in her veins, while her head was filling more and more with dread. Her words were running through her mind, over and over again; an ouroboros of letters that seemed to endlessly spin and spin without ever tiring.

God, she’d hurt him. She’d hurt Steve.

Of all people, she’d said that shit to him. Was she insane? Fuck, usually she’d beat up anyone who dared to talk to him like that – which made this even worse because Steve likely knew that. He knew that she’d kick the shit out of every little shit stain that came at him like that because that was who she was. Steve wasn’t the only one who was fiercely protective of his people, of her. No, she could do that just as much and yet she’d basically told him he was an annoying, desperate, lonely little bitch.

That fact alone made her nauseous.

She must have made a weird noise, because suddenly a hand was placed on her head; long fingers gently tousling her hair. When she looked up, Ian was looking at her like he usually did. His light blue eyes calm and focused, a fresh cigarette hung between his lips. He tutted softly when he saw tears build in her eyes, his caressing never ceasing as he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket. Silently, he held it out to her.

The thing was old and faded by now, the hemming barely intact and the monogram stitched into it fraying here and there. It was clean and smelled of detergent, almost too strongly.

One of his siblings must’ve helped with the wash again.

“Don’t just stare at it, sweetheart.” She hesitated another moment, before taking it. Folding it carefully, she used it to wipe the tears that were threatening to overflow. It didn’t help much, the tears much quicker than her dabbing hands, but it was better than nothing.

“I’m going to get it dirty.”

“It’s a handkerchief. That’s what they’re made for.” She knew that he knew exactly what she was talking about, but she didn’t push it.

“I fucked up, didn’t I.” Ian, the ever-honest Ian, smiled softly before nodding.

“Yeah.” Her eyes fell shut, a sob nearly making its way past her lips. She tried not to let it, tried to keep it down. It wasn’t her place to cry. She’d been the one who hurt Steve, not the other way around. She didn’t get to cry about that.

Ian, however, was making it hard not to.

“It will be okay, you know?” He said, fingers still in her hair. It should’ve been annoying and patronising, she was older than him after all, and maybe she should have protested the gentle pats and strokes but…she liked it. She’d always liked it and Ian knew that too. So, she ignored the part of her that yelled ‘I’m a grown woman!’ and instead let herself enjoy his easy affection.

“Will it though?” She asked back. “Because I don’t know.” Maybe it would have been, had she not added that stupid last bit. She closed her eyes with a helpless sniffle. “Fuck, I didn’t even mean…Well, I meant a lot of it, because a lot of it is true but I didn’t mean…I basically told him that I mind when he comes to me if he needs it.” Don’t sob. Don’t sob. Don’t sob. It was slowly becoming a mantra, uselessly so. “And that’s not it, that’s never it. It’s-god. It’s Steve. My Steve. Of course he can come to me if he needs to. He can cry about everything, no matter how often he repeats himself, I don’t care.”

“I know.” Ian said, wiping her cheek with the back of his hand. The gesture was extremely brother-y and she felt her throat close up even more. Fuck, did he have to pull out the kind big brother thing every time? It made shit really difficult to suppress. “And he knows that, too. Just like he knows that you weren’t wrong.” Ian blew out some smoke and shrugged. “I like the guy, you know I do, but his desperate quest for love really is something.” It was. Steve and Nancy had broken up five years ago by now, and although Steve was great he hadn’t managed to find someone else to be with. It was always one-time things, maybe some flings but that was pretty much about it. “Who knows? Maybe it was exactly what he needed to hear.”

“…But there’s things one should say and things one shouldn’t. And this-“

“Is sometimes necessary.” Ian ended, flicking his cigarette into the water bucket next to them. “And everything else can be talked about. You know that best, don’t you, sweetheart?” Frowning, she looked up at him, which he acknowledged with a huffed laugh and a finger on her forehead, pressing against the skin directly above her furrowed brows. “What?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean ’83.”

“’83…?” She actually had to rack her brain, looking for what he was talking about. The Demogorgon, a lost Will Byers, the beginning of Stancy and the end of-oh. “Oh.” How could she have forgotten? She’d just thought about it the other day, the whole Your-Fault-For-Being-Cheated-On-Affair.

“Right. Oh.” Ian shrugged and used his thumb to flatten the crease between her brows. “If you could forgive him then, he should definitely be able to forgive you now.” Ian smirked, that signature lop-sided smile of his. “Sweetheart, everyone knows that you two will always have each other’s back. And nobody knows it like the two of you do.” One last time, he stroked over her hair before stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Trust that.”

With a deep sigh, she wiped her face one last time and used her fingers to neaten her hair as much as possible. Ian was already stepping towards the door, which she noted with a tired huff.

How typical. Job done; Ian gone. He was never one to linger and that hadn’t changed; likely wouldn’t ever. It was just very him. Give you a talk, help you feel better and then take off into the night, leaving you to your own thoughts. She shook her head with a smile, gazing at his back as he opened the door.

“Thanks, Ian.”

“Always, sweetheart.”

***

The next week passed by slowly.

Turns out, the weatherman was a lying bastard. The rain didn’t ease up, drowning small Hawkins in copious amounts each and every day. All year had been rather dry, at least for Indiana, and now mother nature seemed to be determined to make up for lost time by throwing buckets of rain down onto them each and every day. The fine people of Hawkins got used to it, umbrellas quickly turning into a staple accessory for both young and old.

All the rain didn’t really help lighten her mood.

If anything, it made it much worse. Most of her days were spend moody and brooding, every little task seemingly more inconvenient than ever. Her boys stayed far, keeping their usual jokes and bickering down while she was around. She felt bad. They shouldn’t have to scurry around her, not ever, but she was thankful all the same. It spared her from yelling at anyone simply because they were being annoying for fun. Well, mostly anyone. Eddie and his stumbling got dangerously close to a full-blown freak out once or twice. But he tried, she knew, and she did too.

Her evenings were regretfully empty without Steve or their shared bunch of friends. Not that there was any problem with them, Robin and Max would come over whenever she asked and she knew that. But it wasn’t the same. And she wouldn’t drack Robin into this, more than she likely already was. So, a lot of her nights were spent alone, which was fine for a day or two. She’d finally gotten around to finishing the taxes and cleaned out her office. Both tasks that needed to be done, but rarely held more appeal than going home to watch a movie or phone Steve.

Not now, though.

She started staying late every day, simply so that she wouldn’t have to sit around at home. Cleaning, sorting through trash, refiling her papers – anything that looked only slightly out of place was tackled with focus and determination. Determination to not go home until two in the morning, that is.

To not go home where everything was filled with Steve.

How had she never noticed how much of him was part of her home?

There were his clothes and his toothbrush, surely something that accumulated after too many sleepovers. Understandable. But it was more than just that.

There were his emergency glasses on her coffee table, right next to some magazines he liked. There was the Farrah Fawcett hairspray she definitely never used, his Fabergé shampoo and conditioner and a half empty bottle of his cologne on her shelf. His very own pair of slippers waited by the door and his pj’s hung over the edge of her bedroom chair. On the side table, she’d stashed a book of his – one of those Robin had bought for him. In the kitchen there were the condiments and cereal he liked as well as the powder blue mug he’d crowned as his very favourite.

So much of her home was Steve, had always been Steve.

And now that Steve himself was absent it became more and more evident. It felt like her own home was mocking her, trying to get her to call him and ask for his forgiveness. And she wanted to, she really did, but she didn’t…she didn’t want to impose. She didn’t want to ask too much too early of him. She’d hurt his feelings, so the least she could do was give him space. That was what he had done back then, right? Space was good, everyone needed space sometimes. Especially when someone was angry it was better to back off and let them breathe until they were ready to just…talk. Or so she hoped.

But the longer it took, the more miserable she felt.

At first, she just had trouble sleeping. That was to be expected, she tended to turn into an insomniac whenever things got just the slightest bit stressful, but it didn’t make it much nicer. Even when she got home late after a taxing day at work, she’d find herself lying in bed with her eyes forcefully shut in hopes of getting any amount of sleep. Some nights it worked, the continuous darkness finally dragging her down into a fitful slumber, but often she’d give up an hour in. She’d get up and wander into the living room, Tut hot on her heels, to take post by the window and stare outside. The cat would curl up in her lap, soon drifting off into his own feline dreams of mice and cheese with soft snores and she would just sit there, petting him gently as she stared at the moon.

The moon could be excellent company for the tired and sleepless.

During the day, when the moon was nowhere to be seen, she’d eat. She’d eat so much, even Riley started to respect the copious amounts she could stomach. Snacks, meals, anything. It was like throwing food into a deep dark well without ever being able to fill it up. It was just another bad habit, her body seemingly triggered into famine-mode whenever she was under stress, but she couldn’t help it. If she didn’t eat, her mood would only get worse and worse which was clearly not ideal. So, she ate, stuffing herself with bread, cereal and snacks whenever given the chance to.

Be it at work or at home, every ring of the phone had her jump. She’d tackle Billy aside before he could reach the phone, yell at Riley to let her answer it just on the off chance that it could be Steve. Every time it wasn’t him, however, she felt her shoulders slump. Disappointment grew heavy in her stomach, dragging down any prior excitement. She had quite the hard time keeping it out of her voice when it was customers or someone equally as important.

But, from what she’d heard, she wasn’t the only one.

Robin had visited her at work a few days in, taking in her mopey form with a groan.

“You both are pathetic.” She’d said, arms crossed and fingers drumming against the fabric of her jacket.

“What?”

“You and Steve.” To that, she could only sigh because honestly? They probably were.

“I know.”

“Do you?” Robin had asked, nodding towards the phone. “Then do you know that you’re both staring wistfully at the phone, too? Hell, if you’re sorry just call him and tell him that!”

“I am sorry. And I want to call him.” She’d told the other girl while brushing some stains out of the steering wheel of Joyce’ car. “But I…well. He might need more time. You know. I don’t want to force myself on him. In case he’s still angry.”

“I don’t think he’s been angry since day two!”

“You don’t know that.” Robin had let out a throaty, frustrated noise at that, slumping back into the chair.

“I take it back, please go back to being disgustingly close. Anything is better than this!” She’d yelled, ruffing up her hair in frustration.

Now, it was Saturday and she had a hard time finding any reason to stay at work any longer.

She’d cleaned better than ever - even sorted their tools and various knick knacks – and the shop was in pristine condition by now. Well, as pristine as a repair shop could ever be. There would always be a bit of dirt involved. So, what should she do to waste time with? Polish all their tools? Because, sure, that would take a lot of time, but maybe that was taking things a bit far. The boys would likely flip their shits when they’d walk in one morning, only to find every tool pristine and sparkling. They’d already been nagging her relentless cleaning, saying that they felt bad for making a mess of what she’d just so ‘lovingly’ tidied.

So, no. No polished wrenches.

For now.

If the silence between Steve and her lasted much longer, she couldn’t guarantee for anything anymore. Another day or two, fine, but the minute it crossed the two weeks mark she would be sitting right there, on the floor with a towel and a bunch of polishing cream and wipe away until she could see her own reflection in whatever hammer she was holding.

With a sigh, she wandered over to the window.

Outside, one of the ‘last’ promised downpours was going strong; thick drops of rain pitter pattering onto the gravelly car park out front. One could really believe they were in Mumbai and not Indiana, because this was starting to feel like a monsoon. Which, thinking about it, was probably something everyone who actually lived in Mumbai laughed about. Indiana was fairly wet compared to other states, but probably not yet monsoon wet.

Maybe she was being a tiny bit dramatic. But she hated rain, so, so much.

“Why did you choose to stay in this damn state again?” She huffed, looking out the window to check the puddles growing bigger and bigger. The shop phone rang and she, too preoccupied with intense hate, walked over while muttering on. “Should’ve moved to fucking Arizona when you had the chance.” Sighing, she picked up immediately rattling down the usual greeting. “…repair shop, what can I do for you on this lovely evening?”

“Hey.” Her breath hitched, heart stuttering for a second.

“Steve…?” It was spoken quietly, more air than wort. She could hear the disbelieve in her own voice and she didn’t like it one bit.

“…yeah. It’s me.” Steve cleared his throat. “I was- I tried calling your house but you didn’t pick up, so I figured you’d still be working and I just thought that maybe we-“

“I’m sorry.” Fuck. It had just come out; she didn’t want to jump him like that! God, couldn’t she be normal for once? No, she literally slapped the apology across his face, nice. Stupid, so stupid. She didn’t even know why he was calling; he could literally be about to tell her to go die in a ditch or something. But hey, sure, why not yell another sorry right across town? Idiot.

Steve was silent for an excruciatingly long moment.

She could almost hear the time pass by, like sand trickling through the thin waist of an hourglass. A soft hissing noise that made the small hairs on her arms stand up. But finally, he let out a deep breath.

“I know.” She felt herself deflate like a popped balloon; a weeks’ worth of tension draining right out of her with two simple words. “I know you are; I could tell the moment you realised what you’d said.” Something on the other end shifted, a soft swish that broke through the slight static. “And I’m sorry too.”

“What?” Her brows dipped. “What are you sorry for? You didn’t do anything.”

“I could’ve called you earlier.” She snorted.

“You’re fine, Harrington.” What kind of bullshit, really... As if that was something to be sorry for. “You’ve got about five months and three weeks left to be angry. Well, that and a black eye. After that, I would’ve come for you – no matter what.” Steve huffed a weak laugh on the other end.

“You’ve been thinking about that time too, huh?” He sighed. “I was a dick.”

“You were. But you were sixteen, all sixteen-year-olds are dicks.” Smiling, she leaned against the wall, her fingers winding into the spiral cord. “I was a bitch and I’m twenty-three, so what’s my excuse?”

“You weren’t.”

“Sure was, Harrington. And I really am sorry.” She eyed her feet, the tip of her shoe painting invisible lines against the floor. “You can always come to me. Cry however much you want, I don’t give a shit. If necessary, I’ll wipe your Nancy-tears until we’re eighty-seven.” Steve snorted; the noise so familiar that her heart fluttered.

“If I’m still crying about Nancy at eighty-seven, you have my permission to shoot me.” She could feel her lips curl up in a stupidly happy smile. God, she’d missed him. It had been little over a week and she’d missed him so much that talking to him now turned her giddy. “Why are you still at work? It’s late.” Automatically, her eyes went to her watch and sure enough. It was almost eleven.

“Uh…Working?”

“You were hiding at work, weren’t you?”

“…Maybe?”

“Definitely.” Steve sighed and she heard something shingle. “I’ll come pick you up.”

“What!? No, Steve, it’s late and a quasi-monsoon is raging outside. Stay home, I’ll be fine.”

“All the more reason to pick you up. You’re on your bike, right?”

“Uh…”

“Yeah, nope. I’m coming.”

“Steve-”

“I missed you.” Her mouth snapped shut, protest dying down immediately. “This week was fucking long and I’d like to pick up my best friend for food because I missed her. So, can said best friend please stop objecting?” Her heart did a stupid jumpy thing, thumping against her chest almost painfully. She cleared her throat to get rid of the tight feeling.

“Uhm…yeah. Okay, yeah, sure. I’ll wait.”

“Great. Be there in ten minutes.” He was about to hang up, but she stopped him.

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“I missed you too.” Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against the phone. “See you soon.”

“See you, sweet girl.”

***

The minute she sat in the passenger seat of Steve’s BMW, she wanted to cry.

It was only a moment, a small second of emotion rolling over her, but it was strong enough to have her stifle a gasp. Steve really had only needed ten minutes to come and pick her up, barely enough time to visit the loo and get her bag, and even just seeing the burgundy car roll up her shops car park nearly turned her emotional.

Her hand was trembling a tiny bit when she pulled the doorhandle, a motion that stopped the moment she saw Steve. The boy looked like he always did – it had only been a week or so, but it had felt so long – with his brown floppy hair and those stupid polo shirts that were just so distinctly him. His hair was a bit messier than usual, though that could have been the weathers’ fault. What wasn’t though, were the black lines underneath his eyes. He had massive dark circles, something that was likely mirrored on her face. Nights had been short that week, it seems. For both of them.

Neither of them said anything as she got in, both just sending each other silly smiles and a soft bump of their shoulders.

It was a relaxed silence, both knowing that there were things that needed to be addressed but also knowing that it could wait for a moment. Right then, both just wanted to ease back into their easy routine, find footing in a place that had felt unsure for the last couple of days.

The car itself smelled like Steve – lavender, sandalwood, and boy. It was a warm, comforting scent that had her want to curl up and do nothing for at least another week. Just drink up a weeks’ worth of peace, quiet and Steve. Rain was still thrumming rhythmically against the windshield, now a little less annoying than before, as Steve put the car into gear and drove off. He didn’t offer any information on where they were headed and she didn’t ask.

She didn’t need to.

Fleetwood Mac trickled out of the radio, filling the silence with soft music. The streets were mostly empty at this time of night, the only thing slowing their journey being the many traffic lights. The windows of Hawkins inhabitants were dark, only a few TV screens flickering in the most interesting colours.

Steve’s finger was tapping against the steering wheel, led by the rhythm of the blinking indicator. When he noticed her watching him, he raised his brows in question, to which she just smiled and shook her head. Steve smiled back and she turned to look out the blurry window. Everything looked the same outside, the same old Hawkins, but the blurred lines made it seem completely different. She had to concentrate to see, concentrate to recognise the places she grew up around. It felt odd yet normal, like maybe she’d done this before.

She probably had.  

The sound of the handbrake pulled her out of her reverie.

Steve had parked at Rosemary’s Diner, of course in his favourite spot. Way back, when they first started getting there with a car, Steve had chosen the spot because it was where everyone could see his car easily. He’d been a show off, that Harrington. Of course, the interest in that waned rather quickly. She was sure that by now, he was just used to parking right there. Steve pulled the keys from the ignition with more flourish than usual and got out of the car, a movement not unnoticed by her.

The asphalt resembled black glass as the lights of traffic and people were glistening both around and beneath them; their shine caught in the water on the worn asphalt. Flashes of red and yellow, stark and soft white reflected off the grey stone. With every drop, the reflections moved, lights dancing beneath her trainers with every step. Part of her wanted to stop and stare, just take in the sights of the car park that were so distinctly different.

Every light brought the town some resemblance of beauty, something fascinating to look at in a place that so rarely changed. Just how little it needed to make something look…new. Beautiful, even.

It was fascinating, wasn’t it?

This was the very same place it had always been, just drenched in rain. That’s it. And yet it helped her appreciate the town she was born and raised in in a completely different way. She could see more than just cracks in the ground, more than just roads worn down by frequent use of people who’d never left this place for more than a day.

All it took was some water.

Were all changes this simple, at least in their essence? Was a change really nothing more than just this, water haphazardly spilled over a street? Everyone knew that changes felt heavy, at least most of the time. They filled people with fear, invoking anxiety about whatever the future may hold. People panicked and fought against them, sometimes so hard they ruined themselves - and yet it was just this? Just rain that fell and suddenly everything was a bit different?

Even this one, the rain, had felt incredibly heavy to her. She’d been so moody, so put off by heavens everlasting tears and now look at what it gave her.

Beauty.

Beauty in the mundane.

Maybe all changes were like that. Maybe they just felt heavy, felt stifling and unsafe. Perhaps changes just seemed large, but in reality they weren’t. Change could have just been this, a quiet obstruction that caused discomfort but never enough to actually matter. It blurred the lines for a moment and then it was already over and none of it mattered anymore. It was just feelings, just something clouded in instincts.

Maybe change was like that, quiet and quick. Different, yet the same. Maybe it was all just…water on a road.

Just that.

The inside of Rosemarys Diner was brightly lit, almost blindingly so. She blinked a couple of times as they entered, forcing her eyes to readjust quickly. Not that she really needed to see where she was going to find her way in here. This Diner never changed.

It felt strangely timeless, at least most days. The checkered floor tiles Steve was strolling down, well-worn and cracked in all the same places. Burgundy leather seats, cracked and ripped enough to hiss familiarly whenever someone sank into them. Waitresses, clad in a pale-yellow uniform, complete with white aprons and shoes.

Everything stayed the same.

But today, it felt strangely different as well.

As she and Steve sank down in their favourite booth, second to last by the window, she saw how far the big crack on his seat had progressed all of a sudden. It used to be short, barely reaching her line of sight, and now it was nearly touching the top of the backrest. She could see how the line right beneath her foot had become more visible, the sharp cracked lines worn down by shoes and dirt over the years.

It was the same diner, and yet it felt so, so different.

Doreen came up to their table, smiling brightly as always, her braids pulled up into a ponytail at the back of her head. She looked very much like herself, the very same waitress that had been here when they first entered the diner all those years ago. For the first time, however, she could see the lines her face had gained over the last ten years. Her face had changed bit by bit, so subtly that it went unnoticed by everyone else but she could see it so, so clearly. Doreen had aged, the last chubbiness of youth had left her face. She’d grown out of her lipstick and bubble-gum phase, no longer the bratty teen that used to work here to earn money for college.

No, Doreen had become an adult somewhere over the last years.

Steve ordered their usual, leaning back in his seat with a big sigh. Her eyes wandered towards the window, the outside too dark to see anything; Especially with the bright lights of the Diner above her. Instead, she looked at her own tired face. She’d looked at herself in that very window hundreds of times before, used it to apply lipstick and mascara as well as to wipe away tear streaks and sauce. This very window had watched her grow up, and right then it felt as if she was looking at a memory. Like her own eleven year old self was staring back at her, wearing a scruffy shirt and jeans combo, roughed up from spending the day in the forest with Steve.

“What are you staring at yourself for?” The boy asked, leaning on the table while eyeing the counter.

She took one more look at herself, todays one that was still in her ugly grey overall, stained by dirt and oil. Her hair was messy after a day’s work and her eyes were surrounded by dark circles that had indicated her week hadn’t been going well.

“You could have told me that I look like crap.” She said, turning to Steve. The boys’ brows furrowed as he turned towards her, taking her in with one long look.

“You look like you always do.” Her lips curled up at his words, something that had him scowl a bit harder.

“I do?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” With a smile, she took in the boy sitting in front of her; the same honey eyed boy that she’d known all her life.

He was sitting right there, his seat positioned so that he could keep an eye on the whole room. She could remember the brunette boy he’d been all those years ago, explaining to her that he liked to watch what people were doing. He’d been all gangly limbs and thin joints then, a resilient but weak boy whose parents were cold and neglectful. People didn’t care much for him, the boy too short and dorky to be cool just yet.

Much like now, the Steve of ’78 didn’t have a lot of people that loved him. But those who did, those who saw who he was, were everything he needed. He’d battle their bullies without batting an eye, despite surely losing the fight. The Steve of ’78 was already just as protective as the Steve of ’89, fearlessly charging ahead whenever he deemed it necessary. The Steve that had fought Russians and the supernatural, swinging that bat of his like a battle axe to protect a gaggle of kids, was already there.

He just needed to grow into him.

On first glance, there was little of the young boy left in the Steve of ‘89. The gangly arms and legs were gone, now turned into the limbs of a grown man. He was no longer thin and scruffy, years of basketball and fights helping him to become more defined. She was no longer a head taller than him, no longer needing to look down at him. His shorts had been exchanged for jeans; his dirty trainers exchanged for neat white sneakers.

But if she looked closely, he was still very much the same. The same warm brown eyes, the same expressive eyebrows, the same floppy hair. He still had that scar from when broke his arm while climbing the tree in her father’s backyard, silver with age now. His laugh was still the same, he still narrowed his eyes with every grin and he still gesticulated a lot when he was upset or excited.

He was still very much her Steve.

“You’re being weird. Are you okay?” He asked, plucking the pickles off his burger,and exchanging them for one of her tomatoes with just two fingers.

“I’m great, Steve.” He eyed her like a hawk, worry pulling at his features.

“Are you sure? Is there something you need to say?” She shook her head, grabbing a tissue to wipe some sauce off his fingers.

“I’m fine. I promise I’ll talk when I have something to say, but right now I’m perfect.” Steve looked at her for another moment, but nodded. He didn’t really believe her, she knew, but he chose to give her room to breathe. Just like he’d always done. “Do you need to say something before we eat, though?”

“Yeah.” He said, fiddling with her hand. It was something he used to do a lot when they were younger, fiddling with her hand when he was nervous. She didn’t realise he’d kept that habit even today. “You were right.” A frown pulled at her features.

��About what?”

“About Chelsea and I not being...it, I guess.” Steve sighed, leaning back in his seat while holding on to her hand. “I went on that date and I hated it.” He focused on their hands; eyes hidden slightly behind a strand of hair. “She’s nice and all, but she barely talked. I know she’s shy, Robin told me, but god. Maybe I’m not patient enough for that.”

“I’m sorry.” She was. Despite everything, despite all the things she’d said she actually wanted him to be happy. She really really did. If there was just one person that deserved to be loved, it was him.

“It’s okay.” It looked like he meant it. “Anyway, you were right with that…and pretty much everything else you said. I do amp them up, I do, uh…project or whatever. I know I do.” His hand tightened around hers, a pressure she returned comfortingly. “It’s stupid. But I just…” He broke off as she interlocked her fingers with his.

“I know.” Steve’s head tipped back, eyes closing as he smiled. He looked exhausted doing that. Once more, she squeezed his hand comfortingly.

“Of course you do.”

With that, they went about their food. She started with the fries, Steve with his burger before switching. The burger was the same as always, delicious, and exactly the way she liked it. The fries were perfectly crisp and hot, the mayonnaise clinging to them deliciously. While they ate, they talked about their weeks, sharing whatever they felt the other should know. Turns out, it wasn’t much for either of them. Robin hadn’t been wrong in saying that the two of them spend most their time close to a phone, waiting for a sign that told them it was okay to call the other.

When she asked Steve why today had been the day, he’d just shrugged.

“I missed you and I was fed up with waiting.”

Simple as that, it seems.

Steve threw some cash on the table after their dinner and the two of them left. Neither knew where exactly they were headed, but they’d find out. They always did, didn’t they? Outside, the rain was still going strong, if not even stronger than before. Thick, cold drops were splashing down, filling the air with blur and noise. Had she compared the rain earlier with a monsoon, would this probably be the end of the world.

Water stood high on the road, the already overburdened gutters finally giving in. From afar, it looked more like a shallow stream than a street, water moving along the length of it without mercy. Wind was shaking leaves and trees, enough to look scary but likely not to actually to do any harm. Or so she hoped. Steve’s car was parked regrettably far away, at least for these weather conditions, and the two of them stood under the awning before the diner, hesitating.

“Shit.” Steve pushed back his hair. “It’s not going to stop soon, is it?” 

“The weatherman said it would.”

“It won’t ever stop then.” He groaned. “That guy is always wrong.” She chuckled. It was true, the weatherman had terrible luck with his forecasts for quite some time now and it was getting harder and harder to trust him. Steve grabbed her hand. “Okay, we’re gonna run for it. Ready?”

“Always.” He grinned at her and then they were jogging along, rushing towards the burgundy swimming out there in the giant puddle that had been the car park.

She shrieked when water got into her shoes, the soft fabric hungrily drinking up the cold wet fluid and becoming heavier with each step. The hems of her overall and Steve’s jeans didn’t fare any better, water mercilessly soaking them the moment they came in contact. Still falling, the rain was cold where it hit them; icy splatters of water bursting against their skin and dousing them within just a few steps. Goosebumps rose on both their arms, only one of the many indicators of how cold it actually was.

Honestly, they could have wandered over to the car slowly and nothing would have changed. By the time they reached Steve’s car, they were soaked to the bone. Her thick overall was heavy with rain and started to cling and rub against her skin uncomfortably. Steve’s shirt looked a few shades darker than before and both of them had to squint to keep rain from running into their eyes.

“Shit, keys! Keys!” Steve hissed when they reached the back of his car. Keeping one hand in hers, he started to grapple for the car keys in his jeans. As always, they caught on the fabric and he struggled to get them out any further. The jeans being as wet as they were didn’t help; soaked jeans fabric suddenly no longer smooth to the touch. “Shit, why didn’t we think of that!?”

“It’s your car!” She yelled back, giggling at his glare as cold rain running down her face. It clung to her lips and lashes no matter how often she wiped her face. The boy kept struggling, even dropping his wallet in his fight to loosen the key ring from a snaggy thread. She heard him curse as she dove down, snagging the poor wet thing from its nightmarish bath.

“Shit, those damn tight ass jeans.” He cursed and she laughed, a surprised sound that he’d later admit to secretly really liking. A car passed by them, the headlights hitting them for just a moment. A couple of seconds of light, barely even enough time to blink, and her laughter died down. It had just been a moment, a tiny moment that shouldn’t matter.

And yet that moment was enough.

When she saw Steve standing there, dripping with rain and doused in the light of a stranger’s headlights, her breath hitched. Her shoulders slumped as she took him in, the boy she’d known all her life, with rain drops dripping down his chin and nose and a fierce frown set on his face. Her thoughts slowed, everything that wasn’t him shifting to the back for now. Nothing mattered anymore, be it rain or wet clothes or the cold. Not even the water running into her eyes.

Because right there, hair plastered to his head by the rain, struggling for his damn keys while holding onto her hand she noticed something she should’ve known before. Or maybe she did. Maybe she did know and she just never realised it, never understood what it meant.

Honestly, it wasn’t important. the order of why and when and how didn’t matter. Nothing did.

Nothing but him.

Because Steve was beautiful.

Not handsome, not pretty. Beautiful. When the light reflected off of him, even with his hair plastered against his forehead, he looked beautiful. Perfect, even. His eyes were not merely honeyed, no, they were radiant. They were warm and brilliant, like embers of a long summers’ campfire; comforting like hot chocolate on a cold winters’ night. Nothing, not even his current scowl, could take that away from him.

Steve was beautiful.

And not because he was handsome either. Which he was, of course. Those eyes, the hair, the nose and everything else about him looked good. She’s always known that, ever since they were just two young teens in a world too big and too small at the same time, laden with responsibilities they shouldn’t have had. She knew he was handsome, but it wasn’t just that.

No, Steve wasn’t beautiful because of his face.

He was beautiful because he was Steve.

He was Steve, with all his boyish charm and easy conversations; his hero complex and the bravery to match it. The Steve that had gone above and beyond for a tween boy he barely knew because it was the right thing to do; who greeted the same kid with specialised, dorky handshakes no matter how dumb it looked.

It was her Steve, with all of his big heart and empty home.

Her Steve. The boy she’d met when he was only just born, still in his mother’s arms. He was the beautiful boy who climbed trees with her; who tried to beat up every single of her bullies no matter how tall or old they were. Her beautiful boy, who’d watch movies with her despite saying he didn’t want to; who never once judged her fear of driving. He was the boy who understood her when even she herself didn’t. He came running in the middle of the night, simply because she called. Because he knew she needed him there.

He was the very boy that had been hurt and scarred by so many and survived. He’d held onto love when he was abandoned, onto positivity when he was hurt and scarred. He’d fought, kicking and screaming, with foolish determination against those who wanted to take those things from him. He was the very boy who always stood in the front lines of every battle, because he’d rather get hurt than watch his people suffer.

The boy who only cried when there was no one to hear him, who acted strong when he wasn’t.

He was just Steve.

So how could he not be beautiful?

“Jesus, finally!” Steve sighed, holding up the keys for her to see and nodding towards the car. “Move it, come on!” He let go of her hand, turning towards the car but she grabbed his wrist, keeping him in place. Dark brows dipped as he turned back towards her, features contorted in surprised worry. “What, what is it?”

“I love you.”

The keys fell from his hands, hitting the ground with a subdued splash. This time no one was diving for them, the object forgotten the second it was let go of. Wind whipped through their wet hair, cold and merciless, but neither of them did anything but stare. Steve’s eyes were opened wide, shoulders slack as he stared at her like he was waiting for something more. Something, she didn’t know how to give him.

“What?” He asked, voice barely audible over the rain. She didn’t need to hear him, though, because she knew. She knew, because it was him. Because this was who they were. Open, Withdrawn, Disbelieving and yet hopeful, this was all them.

“I love you.” Moving slowly, she interlocked their fingers. Steve’s eyes flicked towards their hands and back to her face, something between shock and confusion clouding his eyes. Like he didn’t understand what was going on, what she was saying or why this was happening right then. But there, in the car park of their very favourite diner, she chose to wait. Of course she could’ve elaborated, she could’ve explained and rushed him on. But she didn’t. She wouldn’t. No, she waited for him, for him to catch up with what she was saying.

Just as he’d been waiting for her.

When she looked back at everything right then, it was so, so clear. All he’d been doing was waiting. He’d waited for everyone and everything - for his parents and the world to accept him, for someone to love, for anyone to see him for who he was.

Steve Harrington had spent all his life waiting for everyone else.

So now it was his turn. His turn to take his time, the worlds turn to wait.

“Why?”

Why.

She huffed a tiny laugh, shaking her head at his disbelieve. 

How should she tell him? Tell him that his ‘why’ was all they’d seen, all they’d done and all they’d become over the years? Tell him that ‘why’ was everything and nothing. It was Steve and it was her, formless yet there. It was woven deep into the reality she called home. How did one turn all that was, is, could and would be into a simple answer the other could understand?

She didn’t know. But she was determined to try.

“Because it’s you.”

His hand was trembling in hers, whether that was because of the cold or the things she was saying she didn’t know. Maybe it was a bit of both. She covered his hands with hers, shielding it from everything she possibly could for just a moment. “Because this is who you are and this is who I am.” It was that simple. Her knuckles ran over his cheek as she smiled and his breath stuttered. “I love you because you’re you, Steve Harrington.”

It was easy to pin point the exact moment Steve was hit by realisation. His face spoke more words than any mouth before, at least to her.

The car was cold against her back as Steve pressed her against it, but she didn’t even care. All that mattered was Steve and everything he was, surrounding her in a way she never wanted to miss again. The boy himself was warm against her front, his lips on hers with that same sense of familiarity she’d felt before. Warm fingers were curling around her wrist while hers were clinging to the wet fabric of his shirt.

Once again, kissing Steve was like coming home. Warm and familiar, loving and beloved. Like she’d been gone for many many years, out exploring the world, before finally stepping over the treshhold to her own space. The one space where she could just exist without expectations, live without being questioned. Where her being her was more than enough.

But maybe that wasn’t home at all.

Maybe that was just Steve.

It made sense, a whole lot of sense. Hadn’t she just realised how much of her home was Steve? How much of him was there even when he himself was not? Maybe the feeling she’d come to know as ‘home’ was Steve, had always been Steve. Maybe it would always be Steve. Because, if that was it, if that was what home felt like, she never wanted to leave ever again.

The kiss lasted for a tiny eternity, much too long for where they were and how it had come be, yet far too short all the same. Neither truly wanted to let go of the other, the opposite seeming much more inviting. She would have loved to stay there, right there in the pouring rain, and get lost in Steve and Steve alone.

But later would do just as fine.

Steve was the one who broke it first, her boy drawing back to look at her with kiss bitten lips and wide eyes. Eyes, that might have been teary, she wasn’t all too sure; Not with the rain clinging to his lashes and cheeks. Holding eye contact, she smiled up at him; gauging his reaction. And who knows, maybe that was it. Perhaps her stare was too much, too intense for her fractured boy. For all one knew, it could have been the realisation that the thing he had been looking for, what he’d been searching for all these years, had been right there, right next to him all along.

Whatever it was, it was too much.

Steve’s face crumpled, the boy buckling into her. Cooing softly, she pulled him close, letting him bury his face against her neck. With a smile, she looped her arms around his back, nose pressed to his temple. Her boy was trembling with as she breathed him in, fingers digging into her side. She basked in the warm smell of Steve, everywhere now that they were so close, and ran her fingers slowly up and down his shaking shoulders.

“It’s okay.” She whispered into his ear, nose caressing the side of his face. “I’m here. I love you. I’m here, it’s okay. Take your time.” Her whispers were nothing coherent, really. Hushed affirmations; soft encouraging for her crying boy. Just something to ground him, to help him keep breathing as he sobbed silently. Shaky puffs of breath hot ghosted her neck as he kept breathing.

It took a moment for him to regain his composure, his breathing evening out more and more; each exhale allowing more frustration, more overwhelm, more regret, simply more of any emotion he currently felt to leave his body. Behind it left a tired boy with red rimmed eyes, that drew back slowly to look at her once more.

Her hands found his cheeks, cradling his face in her hands as she smiled up at him. The touch seemed to soften him completely, her boy melting into her hold more and more with every brush of her thumb. His eyes were shimmering with emotion, all hope and fear and love, which caused her own vision to become blurry.

“I love you.”

Gentle fingers were brushing up her arms; caressing her cold skin so softly that her eyes fell shut. Steve didn’t stop, his hands moving onwards without ceasing.

“Why?” Eyes fluttering back open, she gazed at him with a smile that held just the slightest bit of tease. Steve huffed a shaky laugh and rolled his eyes, a reaction so familiar and typical that she had to stifle a giggle. Instead, she used her finger tips to comb a wet strand of hair out of his forehead, his eyes fluttering like they always did.

“Because this is who we are.” Tears trickled down her cheeks as she nodded along, his face still cradled in her hands. Steve was now circling her wrists, fingers directly over her pulsepoint and eyes trained on her

“Yeah.” Later, he would tell her how brilliant, how radiant her smile had been right then. How much of that moment was based just on that, at least to him. “This is who we are.”

Even later, neither Steve nor her would be able to tell you who kissed the other first. Maybe it had been a decision they’d both made at the same time or perhaps they knew each other well enough to know what the other would do. Neither of them could tell, neither of them cared.

One thing she did know, however, was that she would never hate the rain again. She couldn’t, not after this. Sure, it was a hassle and sure it was grey and moody just as it always had been. Except now, it was theirs.

From that day on, rain would turn into a fond memory for the two of them, something they’d remember even many years later. Like everything they’d seen over the years; like the tree’s they’d climbed and the diner they frequented; like burgundy BMW’s and large elevators, like movies and demogorgons, like arguments and laughter, desperation and comfort, like love and loss…It would remain forever, changing them just as quietly as water on a late night’s road.

On that day, right in front of Rosemary’s diner, the smell of rain was woven into the fabric that made up their story. The feeling of rain drops became part of what made them Steve and her.

Rain became part of everything they would ever be.

Because this was exactly who they were.

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

Cherry.

Synopsis - The lines of friendship get a little blurry, one unassuming Friday night in December.

Pairing - Bestfriend!Steve Harrington x Female Reader

Warnings - smut. cursing. steve's got an ego, but for good reason.

Age Rating - 18+

Word Count - 2k

Author's Note - hi lovelies!! my first steve fic!! listen, I actually really didn't enjoy stranger things, but... I love this man. he's charming and he's a softie and he's such a good character to write. hope you enjoy this - it's got me all warm and fuzzy. please feel free to send me a christmas request if you fancy, I'm in the mood to write some seasonal fics. much love, always!! <3

as always, reblogs are the only way to circulate my fics!! please, if you enjoyed, consider reblogging this so it gets further reach. comments and feedback are always appreciated!! thanks, angels. <3

Part Two. Part Three. Part Four. Masterlist. Inbox. The Moodboard. Series Masterlist.

Three rocks ping off the panes of your bedroom window in quick succession.

You're applying your moisturiser in the mirror, winding down and almost ready for bed. Your reflection is illuminated by a faint glow from the fairy lights you've draped over the headboard for the festive season, warm and comforting. A soft, jazzy melody is drifting from the radio softly, a welcome noise to break up the silence.

Another rock hits your window.

You fly out of your seat and towards the source of the trouble, worried that he's going to throw one too hard one of these days.

"Steve," you hiss as you yank it open. "Cut it out. Just come through the door."

"Where's the fun in that?" he chuckles, eyes rife with mischief.

You roll your eyes but step back anyway, making room for him to climb the tree and dive through the window into your room.

"Hi, sugar."

"Hi, Steven."

He grins at you, bright and awake despite the late hour.

"Don't you have better plans on a Friday night, King Steve?"

"And miss out on seeing you in your little pink pyjamas? Absolutely not."

You shove at his chest, smacking him upside the head for good measure. He feigns pain and wraps his arms around your middle, picking you up off the ground and spinning you in circles. You shriek, and the sound makes him laugh.

"Okay, okay! I'm dizzy! Put me down!"

He obliges by throwing you unceremoniously onto your bed, smirking when you almost bounce off it.

"So," he begins, sitting down across from you. "How was it? Do you feel like a whole new woman?"

You scoff.

"What? That bad?"

"Yeah, that bad. We didn't even do it."

He quirks a brow in curiosity, tilting his head to look at you.

"I thought tonight was the big night?"

"Yeah, it was supposed to be. But he was kissing me, and it just didn't feel... right? He started grabbing at me and I realised that you can only lose your virginity once - and that definitely wasn't how I wanted to lose mine."

You shrug, trying to play indifference, but Steve can see the hurt in your eyes.

"You always deserved so much better than him."

"Thanks, Steve."

"Come on, Cherry. The guy is an asshole who happens to be attractive. His face is the only thing he's got going for him."

The mention of your childhood nickname has memories of fruit flavoured popsicles on summer days flooding back. Laughter by the pool, pushing Steve in and screeching when he dragged you with him, staying out in the sun until you were both exhausted. Cherry. You've always been Steve's Cherry, for as long as you can remember. You still wear the lip balm he bought you last year, fitting for your moniker.

"You didn't like him from the start. Actually, you've never liked any guy that has ever liked me."

"Because they're not good enough for you."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"And you're the boss of me and my love life now?"

"I'm the person that knows you better than anyone in the entire world. I think I have a pretty good view on things."

You huff, but accept your defeat in knowing that he's right. No one knows you like him. Steve always does this. He pisses you off, but makes you love him a tiny bit more each time.

He grabs your foot from the bed, pressing his thumbs into your sole. You relax instantly, tired of half arguing with him.

"I give up."

"With what?"

"Dating. Fuck it."

He chuckles, rubbing soothing patterns into your ankle gently.

"You've barely even started."

"Ooo, sorry Mr Womaniser."

"Stop it," he chides, pinching your calf. "Maybe The One for you just isn't in Hawkins. This place has always been too small for us anyway."

"Yeah, maybe. It'll all change when we go to college, hopefully."

"Exactly. It'll be a whole different ball game. There'll be tonnes of hot guys begging for your attention."

"And you'll be fighting them off."

"Yes I will."

You laugh, poking him in the chest with your foot teasingly.

"And maybe the college guys will actually know what they're doing in bed."

"Hey, some of us do know!"

"Yeah yeah, Steve's good in bed. I've heard it all before."

"Don't be jealous, Cherry baby."

"Jealous isn't quite the word I'd use."

"No?"

He drops your foot and scoots closer, settling in between your parted legs.

"You're not even a little bit curious what all the rumours are about?"

"Steve," you laugh. "I think they're probably just exactly that. Rumours."

He inches in towards you, so his forehead is almost touching yours. Running his fingers up and down the outside of your thigh, he takes a deep breath in.

"You should let me show you just how much I know. We're not all clueless, Cherry. I'm confident I could make you feel good."

You exhale with a shudder.

"I'm not letting you take my virginity, Steve."

"I don't want to. There's a thousand ways I can make your legs shake without fucking you, baby."

You stare into his big doe eyes, admiring the way a single strand of hair has fallen across his forehead. You look for a shred of doubt, or amusement, but all you see is love. Admiration. Trust. Sincerity.

"Okay," you breathe, before your mind has truly processed what you're saying. "Show me what you got, Harrington."

He grins, slow and saccharine, like the cat who got the cream.

"Steve?" you whisper.

"Yeah?"

"This isn't going to fuck things up between us, is it?"

He smiles, big and bright.

"Never. Nothing is ever going to fuck things up between us. It's you and me forever, Cherry Pie."

You chuckle at the nickname, stroking his cheek with your thumb.

"Well, then what are you waiting for?"

He shakes his head and grabs your ankle, pulling you across the bed and into his body. Wrapping a hand around the back of your neck, he leans in, pressing his forehead to yours.

"If at any point this gets weird, or you don't like it... Just say the words, okay?"

"Okay," you breathe, inhaling the scent of mint from his tongue. "Promise."

"Can I kiss you?"

"You don't usually ask," you tease.

It's no secret that you and Steve have kissed a few times. Once after prom, once at a party here and there, once when you were cuddled in bed comforting him after a break up. But it's never led to anything more. Which is probably why this feels a little different.

"I know, but this is a little more... intense, than usual."

You try to ignore the way your heart swells at his consideration for you, and nod your head gently.

"Kiss me. Please."

Steve wastes no time, leaning in to press his lips to yours. He tastes like spearmint and soda, with a hint of the cherry lipbalm he steals from your nightstand. You instinctively shuffle closer to him, straddling his lap as his arms bracket themselves around you. It's like he can't decide where to put his hands - they're roaming up your back, squeezing your ass, kneading your thighs. He's antsy and impatient, eager to feel you.

"Lie back," he whispers against your mouth, tipping you onto the bed.

Your head hits your pillows and you crane your neck to watch him as he crawls down your body, eyes never leaving yours.

"Steve-"

"Stop thinking so hard, Cherry. I can practically hear your thoughts."

You huff but can't keep the smile off your face, willing your mind to stop racing.

"Let me quiet things down, hmm?"

Steve presses a gentle kiss to the inside of your knee, trailing up and up until he reaches your hip. He licks across your hipbone before nipping it with his teeth, smirking when you gasp.

Grasping the waistband of your pyjama shorts, he asks for permission with his eyes, no words needed. You nod and lift your hips, letting him slide them down your body.

You've never been so exposed, which is causing a sudden realisation that the two of you are crossing a line that can never be uncrossed. As if he can read your mind, Steve presses a kiss to the inside of your thigh, tender and full of love.

"Babe, if you want to stop..."

"I don't, I promise. I'm just nervous. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise," he murmurs, resting his head on your thigh and looking up at you. "Never apologise. You're doing so good, Cherry. I love you."

You didn't know what you were expecting, but it wasn't I love you. You've both said it to each other a million times, but something about saying it in this exact moment makes it feel... weighted. You'll talk about it later. You'll make sure of it.

"I love you too. So much."

You're whispering, scared to ruin the peace you've created. Steve kisses your skin again gently, gazing at you like you've hung the stars just for him.

"Let me make you feel good, okay?"

When you nod, Steve nudges your core with his nose, arms wrapping around your thighs to keep you anchored in place.

"So pretty," he's mumbling. "Prettiest fuckin' girl I've ever seen."

He starts slow, easing you in carefully. Kitten licks and gentle nips, testing the waters. When you tangle a hand into his hair and tug, Steve gets the message.

"You want more, pretty baby?"

"Yes," you confirm, more breathless than intended. "Please."

He dives back in, this time with more intention. His nose keeps nudging your clit, the friction licking up your spine deliciously. It's like he can't get enough, eating you out like a man starved.

He groans into your heat, the vibrations making you whine. When he curls his tongue just right, you keen, the sounds leaving your mouth foreign to the both of you.

"Fuck, you sound so beautiful. You're perfect. God, you're perfect."

"Stevie," you pant. "So close."

"I got you. Atta girl, I got you. That's my girl, give it to me."

Maybe it's the my girl, or maybe it's the way he's slipped two fingers into you, but the coil snaps. Your back arches off the bed as white heat engulfs your body, vision going black for a moment. You can hear him talking you through it, loving and encouraging. Eventually, your grip on his hair loosens as you go lax, collapsing back against the comforter.

Steve grins at you as he licks his fingers clean, crawling up your body to kiss you. You groan when you taste yourself, arms wrapping around his shoulders to keep him close. Resting his head on your chest, you run your fingers through his hair, humming gently when he relaxes.

"You okay?"

"Never better," you laugh. "You're good with your mouth, Harrington. I'll give you that."

"Told you the rumours were true."

You shake your head and reach over, grabbing the glass of water from your nightstand and taking a sip. You offer it to Steve without a second thought, rolling your eyes when he downs the rest.

He plucks your cherry lipbalm from the drawer and applies it to himself, before leaning up to carefully do the same to you. He pecks your lips sweetly before returning it to its rightful place.

"You replace it, don't you?"

"Hmm?"

"The chapstick. I've had it for a whole year, and I've never even come close to reaching the end."

He blushes as he looks at you, suddenly bashful.

"It's special," he murmurs. "It's our thing, you know? And it smells good. I like knowing that I'm the only one who knows you taste like cherries."

You want to poke fun at him, say something to make him laugh. But you can't. He's rendered you speechless, for the second time in one night.

"I like knowing the reason you taste like spearmint is because I've been slipping pieces of gum into the pockets of your jeans for ten years."

"I knew it," he laughs, leaning up to kiss you firmly. "I can't tell you the last time I bought gum."

"You're welcome."

Steve shucks off his jeans and his shirt, climbing into your bed with just his boxers on. You slip your underwear up your legs before getting under the comforter with him, tangling your limbs with his.

The tunes from the radio still hum gently as the fairy lights flicker.

The room is unchanged.

The people in it are not.

read Part Two here. Part Three here. Part Four here.

@lillian-gallows @bookish-embroidery-witch @sweetdazequeen @fruityforcocoapuffs @steviespookie @livsters @diffrent-spokes @violet2022 @mrsjoequinn @valerievortex @chrrymunson

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 4.3k words

warnings: explicit language, brief mention of weed, a bit of angst

summary: a power outage leaves you stuck at steve’s apartment for the night

CHAPTER SEVEN | ❝𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌❞

Winter 2015

The call connected after only a few rings. “Hey.”

“Hey, Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you too,” Eddie responded. “Did it end up snowing by you?”

“Yeah, only a couple of inches, but it’s still something.” 

“Make a snowman in honor of me and send me a picture.”

You laughed a little. “It’ll be the smallest snowman in the world because there’s barely any snow on the ground, Edward.” 

“I’ll take what I can get.”

“Fine, I’m not gonna do it now since it’s two in the morning, but I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” He said and you could hear the smile in his voice. 

Things became comfortably quiet for a few moments and you kept the phone at your ear as you moved about your kitchen, searching for something to eat and ultimately settling for a bowl of dry cereal. 

“What are you doing right now?”

“Getting a snack.”

“Cereal?”

“Of course,” You nodded even though he couldn’t see you. “You know me so well.”

“I think I’ll always remember that because it's such a random thing,” He told you and you laughed at that. 

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting outside smoking.”

“I wish I was there right now,” You told him. “It’s so quiet here because my dad’s not really around. Plus, I really like your hometown.”

“Come here for spring break.”

You didn’t even need to think about his words before you were agreeing. “Okay.”

“Great,” He said. “And you already know about my very loud and obnoxious neighbors, so you’ll like it. It’s rarely ever quiet here.”

You smiled. “Any new stories to share?”

He told you about an argument he overheard yesterday, something about a lawn mower, and then the two of you talked about nothing for the next hour as you leaned back against your kitchen counter eating your cereal and Eddie smoked weed in his front yard. You could tell that he was already tired only half an hour into the call, it was always easy to hear the sleepiness in his voice, but he stayed on for you. You talked until you finally got tired, a yawn escaping your lips as you went upstairs to your childhood bedroom.

“Goodnight. Sorry for keeping you on the phone for so long.”

“No apology needed. I wanted to talk to you.”

You were shaking your head as you got under your covers. “You’re just way too nice to me.”

“I gotta be nice or else I’ll never get my tiny snowman,” He joked and you smiled at that. “G’night.”

“Bye.”

You two hung up then, and you became engulfed in silence and darkness; the soothing and comforting kind that made your eyelids feel heavy. But before you could fall asleep, you thought about the kiss— that quick moment played on what felt like a constant loop in your head. 

At first, you had wanted to just forget about it, and a part of you wished that you simply didn’t remember it like Eddie didn’t. But, the more you thought about it over the last few days that you’d been home, the more it felt easier to convince yourself that maybe it was a good thing that it happened. Because you couldn’t help but still believe that it had to mean something. 

That entire night had to mean something, actually. Eddie didn’t have his date with Chrissy; you still didn’t know the reason why she canceled it at the last second. And he kissed you at that party— even though he didn’t remember it, it still happened.

You considered finally, finally taking the plunge and just telling him how you felt when you both were back from break. Simply letting it out and letting everything else fall into the places that they were meant to fall. And somehow, the thought of finally doing it, finally admitting the truth, didn’t scare you as much as it once did.  

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

You tried to figure out if the silence that you and Steve were currently sitting in was comfortable or not. It felt equal parts good and bad, too much and just fine, and weird but also not really. 

You shifted slightly on the couch, which you and Steve were currently sitting on opposite sides of, folding your legs under yourself. Things didn’t immediately become quiet between you two when the power went out. Instead, you followed him, using your phone as a flashlight, as he went to find the candles he had around; there were only three. He lit them and set them on the coffee table in the living room and then that was when you two settled on the couch, a quietness starting to linger. 

It was late, getting close to midnight, and a part of you wanted to go to sleep, but there was no way that you’d be able to do so with how silent it was, and you didn’t think that you’d be able to bear sitting in it all night. Maybe it wasn’t too comfortable after all. 

You were reminded of when you and Eddie met; the broken down elevator and random conversation that forged an immediate friendship. For obvious reasons, this moment was pretty different— you and Steve weren’t strangers, although you definitely didn’t feel that far off from it, and you knew that you’d be at Steve’s place for much longer than you’d been stuck in the elevator with Eddie. 

Because of that, you were abruptly breaking the silence with the first thing that came to your mind.

“Do you remember what your last dream was about?” 

Steve was clearly surprised by the randomness of your question because all he responded with was “What?” and let out a confused laugh. 

“Things are way too quiet right now and that was the first question that came to my mind,” You told him with a shrug. “So, do you remember your last dream?” 

“Um, kinda?” He said and then paused for a moment to think. “I’m pretty sure I was just driving. But, it was in a different country because I was driving on the other side of the road.”

There was something about the mundanity of his dream that was both boring and kind of soothing to hear about. “That’s so normal.”

“What was yours?” 

You were thinking for a second before it hit you; the dream that you’d had a few nights ago that was the most recent one you remembered. “I got pushed off a cliff.”

Steve looked at you. It was too dark to read his expression, the candles weren’t doing much to light up the space, but you imagined it was one of confusion. “That sounds much more like a nightmare than a dream.”

“Yeah, abruptly waking up from that was a great way to start my Friday morning,” You responded. “I rarely remember regular dreams where I’m just doing dumb normal stuff. It’s always those falling ones that stick and they actually happen a lot. Before the cliff thing, I remember one where I was tumbling down a hill.”

“You’re talking about this so normally that I don’t know if I should feel bad or not.”

You laughed a little as you shook your head. “Definitely don’t feel bad. Just please tell me about any recurring nightmares you’ve had before.”

“I used to have this one where I’m playing basketball and then I get injured; broken ankle, broken leg, stuff like that,” He told you, which made you inwardly wince because that sounded a thousand times worse than your falling dreams. “That nightmare doesn’t happen that much anymore now, though. It used to happen a lot right when I actually got hurt playing a couple years ago.”

You nodded at that. “Oh, is that why you stopped?”

“Yeah, that injury was pretty fucked…” His eyes pulled away from yours and focused on something else. You were able to read that pretty easily; his want for the subject to change and shift away from him having to talk about his injury and probably basketball in general. 

“Y’know, I’m just now realizing that we don’t really know anything about each other. Actually, I’m not just now realizing that, I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days. How this whole thing between me and you feels like when you get partnered up on a project with that one person in class that you never really talked to before,” You were pretty much rambling at this point so you decided to stop. “But, yeah, anyway, the sentiment still stands. We know nothing about each other.”

“I think saying nothing is kind of a stretch,” Steve said, eyes meeting yours again. “I know you’re an English major and you love reading, which of course makes sense. And you have a bunch of roommates; you were just gonna have one, but then that changed to three.” 

It didn’t entirely surprise you to hear all of the stuff that he had remembered from the date; it had only been a little over a week ago. What did surprise you was that you couldn’t really say the same. The only things you remembered learning about him were his major and minor, which you already knew, and the fact that he didn’t like reading— you were vaguely reminded of an Italian mouse book series that he had apparently really liked in fifth grade. 

“Oh my god, did I seriously only talk about myself during our date?” You said, suddenly feeling entirely too embarrassed by just how true your words were. “I didn’t think I was that much of a narcissist.”

“You’re not. I just didn’t talk about myself that much,” Steve told you with a shrug.  

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why?”

He sighed. “You’re gonna think I’m an asshole.” 

For some reason, that made you smile. “Now, I definitely wanna hear it.” 

He sighed again and for a second you thought that he just wasn’t going to tell you, but then he was speaking. “I always do that on dates because it’s just the easiest way to keep things surface level and not serious.”

It surprised you that he sounded a little embarrassed to admit that.

“I don’t think that makes you an asshole,” You said, and you were actually being honest. You really didn’t think that him basically putting up walls was an inherently shitty thing to do, but it did sound the tiniest bit sad. You didn’t want to say that, though. “Are you tired right now?” Another conversation shift, solely for the reason that you wanted to keep things simple and easy. This was only the second real and non-fake dating conversation you two were having and you didn’t want it to lead to you two bearing your souls to each other in the dark. It felt way too soon for those kinds of conversations, and you didn’t know if you’d even get to that place with him before the month was over and you two “broke up” and went your separate ways. 

“No,” He answered with a quick shake of his head, which you were glad for because you were nowhere near being tired either. “Are you?” 

“Not even close,” You responded. “Do you have any games we can play or something?”

“I have a deck of cards.” 

“That works.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

You two didn’t end up playing any actual card games. Steve attempted to teach you poker, but after only a few rounds you hated it, and there were no other games that either of you could think of with simple enough rules that you could teach him or he could teach you. Therefore, you two instead started playing with the cards themselves, attempting to build little card houses and other things, which was Steve’s suggestion. 

It had been quiet for the past few minutes, but surprisingly comfortably so. You could feel yourself becoming the tiniest bit tired, but at the same time not at all. 

“Do you like living alone?” You asked as you attempted to stand two cards up to make a sort of triangle shape and balance on each other, which actually wasn’t that easy.

“Yeah, definitely,” Steve nodded. You two were sitting on opposite sides of his coffee table and the candles had been moved to the floor— which probably should’ve felt more like a bad idea— to make room on the table. “The roommate I had Freshman year was horrible.”

You laughed at that. “I also had a shitty roommate experience Freshman year, but I still love having roommates…” You trailed off as you tried to think of the perfect way to fully sum up your thoughts toward your current roommate situation. “It feels like summer camp, but without the poison ivy and multiple cases of mono.” 

Steve gave you an amused look. “What kinds of insane summer camps did you used to go to?” 

“Really bad ones,” You told him. “And I hated it every year, but my parents were obsessed with sending me to them— especially after they got divorced— because they worked a lot and didn’t want me to be alone all the time.” 

“Okay, now it makes sense why you like having roommates.” 

You nodded. “Only child and divorced parents. Terrible combo. I hate when things are too quiet.”  

You pulled your eyes away from the cards that you finally managed to make stand on their own to look at what Steve was doing. He was much farther along than you were at building something that actually looked interesting.  

“You’re weirdly good at this,” You said when your cards fell again and instead of immediately trying to stand them back up, you watched as Steve kept building some sort of pyramid. 

He shrugged. “I don’t know why, but I used to always do this when I was bored as a kid.”

“That’s actually quite wholesome,” You told him as you picked up your two cards. A beat of silence lingered for a moment before you were speaking. “So, did you ever go to camp or were your summers spent playing with cards like a bored child in the fifties?”

The laugh Steve let out at your joke made you smile. “I only went to camp twice; when I was twelve and then thirteen. It felt a lot like the kind of summer camp that you’d see in any movie. Lots of lake stuff and campfires and that type of thing. The first year kinda sucked, but the second year was fun. I even had a camp girlfriend.”

You let out an exaggerated gasp. “Wow, you actually had a girlfriend?”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, it was the greatest three-week-long relationship ever.”

What happened? 

That was what you wanted to ask— not what happened to the camp girlfriend because you obviously knew how those relationships went. But what happened to him wanting crushes and relationships and actual feelings? 

You didn’t ask that, though. You felt like you couldn’t; the question felt too deep, too real. And you also thought that it would be kind of pointless to ask it.

“Do you think it’s working?” Steve asked, abruptly pulling you out of your thoughts. 

“What?”

“This fake dating thing. Do you think it’s working for you?” 

“Oh, yeah, sometimes I think it actually is. Like, after game night, Eddie stayed over at the apartment and we watched TV for a few hours and then he randomly asked if I really liked you. I told him yes— obviously— and he said “Cool,” but there was this certain look on his face too. I couldn’t tell what exactly it was, but it felt like something,” You said, thinking back to that Monday night. “But, then, I also think it’s not really working because nothing like that has happened since.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s true. The party a few days ago didn’t feel like nothing.” 

“You think?” 

“Yeah, it looked pretty clear that he didn’t want you to stay with me,” He told you and you weren’t entirely sure how true that was, the end of the night was a little bit of a blur, but you did believe Steve. “Have you ever thought that something was going to happen between you and him before? Like, moments that made it feel obvious or whatever?”

Your mind traveled to the drunken kiss at the frat party Freshman year. A fleeting kiss that felt like a distant memory at this point, and the tiniest bit like a dream. What also felt like a dream, or more so a nightmare, was the day that you came back from Winter break, weeks after the kiss. You had finally worked up the courage to tell Eddie how you felt and you were knocking on his door to do it before you could convince yourself not to. He opened the door after only a second and there he was with Chrissy. 

You didn’t immediately know it was her; at first, she was simply just a random girl wearing his t-shirt. What happened over those next few minutes was Eddie explaining to you that they met up during the last few days of break and the rest was history. They seemed happier than ever and you knew for certain that your chance was gone.

You hated thinking about that moment. You remembered feeling stupidly hopeful, like everything was going to finally fall into place for you and him, and then feeling severely disappointed, but having to hide that with a happy smile. From there you pushed everything to the side— went back to pretending that you felt nothing romantic for your best friend and simply avoided thinking about it altogether. Until they broke up and now here you were back to pining. 

It felt way too embarrassing to admit all of that to Steve right then.

“Um, I don’t know…” You finally said, trailing off and shrugging. “Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate the moments that are solely friendly with the moments that could maybe mean something more.” 

If Steve could tell that you were lying and avoiding saying a lot more, he didn’t call you out on it; which you were glad for. Instead, he simply nodded at your words. 

You pushed up the sleeves of your sweater. “These candles are making it really warm in here.” 

“I can give you something to wear if you want, so you’re not in jeans and a sweater all night.”

You hesitated just for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, that would be good, thanks.”

You followed him to his room and stood by the door as he went to grab something for you. When he handed the clothes over, you saw that it was a t-shirt and basketball shorts. You went to the bathroom to change, keeping the door cracked so that it wasn’t entirely pitch black.

You put on the shorts first and then slipped the shirt over your head. It smelled just like Steve, which shouldn’t have been surprising at all since these were his clothes, but you still were a little startled. Maybe it felt more surprising to you that you were able to easily recognize his smell; that you could get hit with the scent of something that was somehow equal parts musky and sweet and immediately place it as Steve. 

It felt weird and almost too much, and a part of you wanted to take off his shirt, but you knew that it probably would’ve been weirder and more of a big deal if you did. So, you didn’t take it off and instead decided to actively not think about why it had felt weird to you at all. 

When you returned to the living room, you sat on Steve’s side of the table because you wanted to lean back against the couch. The pyramid he had been building was gone and instead, he just had a few cards in his hand. You noticed him yawn, which made you realize that you still weren’t really tired, and you also wondered what time it was. You grabbed your phone off the table to check the time; 1:17a.m.

“Are you tired now?” You asked Steve as you placed your phone back down. You knew what answer you were expecting to get from him, but you still wanted to ask the question anyway. 

“Not really, no,” He answered, and you, of course, didn’t believe him.

“You can go to sleep if you want,” You said, glancing at him. “I’ll be fine out here.”

You probably would end up staying up all night if he did leave you right then, but you didn't want to force him to stay awake with you if he was tired.

“It’s okay,” He said. “Let’s just keep talking.” 

You still weren’t completely convinced, but you nodded at his words anyway. 

“This is random, but sometimes Talia bakes in the middle of the night whenever she’s stressed and can’t sleep,” You told him and then let out a small laugh. “And she’s a very noisy baker. I was woken up many, many times to the sound of a mixer last semester.”

Steve turned his head to look at you. “Isn’t that annoying?”

“A little bit, yeah. But she thankfully got one of those stand mixers that are pretty quiet last month, so now it’s not that bad,” You said, and you briefly thought back to a few weeks ago when she made blueberry muffins on a random Tuesday night. “Also, we wake up to freshly baked muffins in the morning so that makes it okay too.”  

“Okay, yeah, maybe the muffins make it worth it.”  

“Very much so.” 

You poked at a few of the cards on the table, flipping them over and then flipping them back just so you could have something to do with your hands. 

“Tell me about your Freshman year roommate,” Steve said. You’d forgotten that that had been briefly brought up in the conversation earlier. “Any shitty stories to share?”

“Oh, a lot. I’m pretty sure she hated me. She never blatantly said that, but it just felt obvious. Anyway, though, she always brought people over and never told me about it. I lost count of how many times I walked in on her and some guy mid-makeout,” You quickly explained. “That was actually how me and Eddie got really close. He lived across the hall from me, and his roommate was barely ever around, so I would always go over to his dorm when my roommate was being annoying.” 

“Okay, she sounds a thousand times worse than how mine was. He would mainly just leave trash everywhere and play music really loud.”

“That sounds like heaven compared to the shit I had to deal with.” 

“It was still enough to make me never want a roommate again,” Steve responded, putting the cards in his hand down on the table and leaning back against the couch. “I don’t mind the quietness that comes with no one else being here.”

“Okay, this question is very random and probably dumb, but why did you say yes to the blind date thing when Eddie asked you?” You weren’t entirely sure why you asked that, but you were curious, and also finally starting to get a little tired so your mind was moving to even more random places. The kinds of places that it wouldn’t have gone to if your lack of sleep from the night before wasn’t beginning to catch up with you. 

“He made you sound really cool and nice and—”

You stopped Steve mid-sentence. “Okay, wait, never mind, pretend I didn’t ask. It feels weird hearing that, actually.”

“Honestly, I think he probably does feel the same as you. The way he talked about you that day felt different than just how a friend talks about another friend, now that I'm really thinking about it.”

You weren’t entirely sure how to respond to that.

It was hard to tell the difference between having false hope and having expectations that were actually realistic enough to be fulfilled. You didn’t know where this Eddie thing lay. It felt so in the middle, perfectly toeing the line.

You leaned back against the couch and that was when you noticed how close you and Steve were sitting. Your sides just barely touched, the short sleeves of your respective shirts lightly brushing, but you didn’t feel the need to move over. 

“So, if this fake dating thing ends up working for you, and you’re not forced to go to the Hamptons to find your future wife, do you know what you’re gonna do for the summer?” 

You figured that, at the end of the day, if what you two were doing didn’t end up working out on your side of things, at least Steve would hopefully get something good out of it. 

“I’m not sure yet. Maybe go to Europe for a bit with a few friends.”

“That’s very rich kid of you to say,” You joked. 

Steve laughed a little. “Do you know what you’re gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” You shrugged. “But, I do know that it probably won’t include backpacking around Europe.”

The conversation continued moving in different directions from there, but it slowly started to fade out. With both of you saying things that probably didn’t make too much sense and probably wouldn’t even be remembered in the morning because you were falling asleep as you were talking and the lines between what was real and what felt like a dream became blurred. At some point, you were closing your eyes and leaning your head against Steve’s shoulder because you were too tired to think better of it. 

The night had felt entirely unexpected, but you were glad that it happened. You were happy about the stupid storm and stupid power outage. 

Finally, you felt like you actually knew him— not just the stuff that mattered for fake dating. He was your friend now and you were his. Neither of you would end up saying that in the morning or anytime soon, but it felt pretty obvious.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

next part!

taglist (lmk if you want to be added or taken off<333); @eddiernunson , @loulouloueh , @the-aster , @blckburd , @totally-bogus-timelady , @yujyujj , @irhdifartzamfyaa , @mochminnie , @munsonssweets , @blckbrrybasket , @xprloki , @definitionwanderlust , @dwcode , @sun-fiower-seed , @keerysfolklore , @damon-loves-pie , @lodeddiperrodrick , @bisexual-and-intellectual

[hairrington]

Hi!!! I was wondering if u could do a henderson!reader x steve harrington imagine where it’s enemies to lovers and also one bed? Where they use to be childhood bestfriends but then steve ditched her for the popular crowd and they took the kids on a vacation or something and had to share a bed? It’s angsty but also fluffy fluff fluff where they admit they’re in love with eachother!!

enemies to lovers is THE BEST. this was rly fun to write (and it got way too long lmao) thanks for requesting <3

[moremaybank]

— concepts ⭑𓂃 ( one ) ( two )

rafe cameron !

rafe teaching inexperienced!reader how to ride him

rafe goes away on vacation and comes home to you with a 'daddy' tramp stamp

rafe mocking your moans while he fucks you

rafe giving you hickies and the pogues seeing them the next day

rafe teasing you about watching high school musical but then ends up getting hooked

stepbro!rafe stealing your panties

rafe giving you booty rubs

rafe jiggling your ass when he hugs you

rafe fucking you in prisoner/prison guard

rafe eating you out while you study

being nervous to sit on rafe's face

rafe and hand placement

rafe taking dirty pictures of you

getting dug out by rafe on your couch

brother’s bsf!rafe

rafe shoving your face into the bed to suck out the last drops of him

rafe gives you pussy slaps

gun play with rafe

rafe teasing you ‘til you cry

stepbro!rafe who sneaks into your bed in the middle of the night

rafe stuffing his fingers in your mouth

pervy bsf!rafe preying on you when he hasn't gotten laid in awhile

stepbro!rafe cums into your panties when he finds out that you’re going on a date

biting his shirt

"it doesn't really count" with stepbro!rafe

jj maybank !

jj wanting a baby while you two are living at john b's

mutual masturbation with jj

"just one more" with jj

jj making innocent!reader squirt for the first time

jj gives you a treat after giving you surfing lessons

jj being obsessed with eating his girl out

childhood best friends to lovers with jj (full fic/au coming soon!) , another musing

you and best friend!jj sneaking off from the group

kissing best friend!jj to shut him up during a fight

you and jj fucking raw 24/7

soft and sensual sex with jj

jj tells you not to run from him while he eats you out

best friend!jj has to remind you to give your eyes a break

your feet hurt and best friend!jj carries you

best friend!jj stealing your necklace

ex!jj wants to come home (home meaning you)

best friend!jj rearranges your guts and almost doesn’t let you recover

yet another breeding kink!jj musing

tending to jj's cuts and bruises after he defends your honour

you and mechanic!jj talk about your future

convincing jj to stay

jj proposing to you with his mom’s ring

sneaking away from the pogues to make out with jj

pregnancy makes you forgetful

jj holds your stomach while you're pregnant

bestfriend!jj climbs through your window drunk

dad!jj respects his daughter's wishes

kissing jj’s tip

jj who gets just a lil’ mean when he eats you out

shy, pervy bsf!jj

jj worships you when he finds out that you're insecure about your body post-pregnancy

jj keeps your tits safe while you sleep

jj gets hard after you peck his lips

biting his shirt

titty-lover!jj

slow, soft, and deep makeout session with bsf!jj

sneaking off with jj during midsummers

your hair gets caught in your earring while you're going down on jj

pervy bsf!jj gets you to kiss his tip

jj finds out that your daughter has a boyfriend (and loses it)

steve harrington !

riding steve's thigh

[sortagaysortahigh]

Sex Education P.3 | Steve Harrington

a/n: yall posting this shit was the most annoying experience ever and tumblr and I have genuine beef, but its okay because hopefully she’ll post <3. Also I decided that this series is going to be 5 parts, and this is the longest part thus far because it’s the “turning point” in the series :)

Summary: No one ever assumes they’d develop feelings for their childhood best friend who also happened to be their friend with benefits, nor do they expect to end up jealous over mindless flirting.

Warnings: SMUT, cussing, spelling and grammar errors, talks about kinks, mentions of: bondage, handcuffs, voyeurism, mutual masturbation, and gagging, actual P in V unprotected smut, creampie, rough sex, spanking, fingering, oral (f receiving, m giving), spitting, hair pulling, back shots, missionary, jealous sex, degradation, praise kinks, choking, overstimulation, Dom!Steve, Sub!(ish)Reader

Word Count: 12k

Series Masterlist

Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

(I just really like this gif honestly, like it gives bestfriend steve vibes)

Friday came faster than expected, and of course, something had to go wrong the day of Y/n’s big exam. She’d made it to the college early-leaving thirty minutes prior to when she usually left. The forty-five minute drive filled with her loud sing-a-long to Blondie’s The Hunter album as she sped down the highway. Then she got to school, parking outside of her academic building then rushing inside-hoping to get some kind of last minute cramming in as she found herself running up two flights of steps-anxiety fueling her swift steps.

By the time she’d sat in her usual classroom she was slightly out of breath, opting to sit in the front row to the left side of the room. Immediately going through her bag-then realizing that the flashcards Steve helped her make-flashcards which included important vocabulary, structures, authors, and anything else she found essential from the past half-semester-were still sitting at home on her nightstand-right next to a sleeping Steve Harrington. 

The same Steve Harrington that had spent the past two days at her house, granted the two went to work together yesterday-then he found himself back at her house, helping her study until he decided that she deserved some ‘stress relief’ which in turn led to his head between her thighs for nearly two hours. Her thighs and calves were still store from the feeling of both curling her toes constantly and Steve holding her in place while she begged and whined for more.

She was currently in a state of panic, looking down at his watch that he insisted she take for good luck today-seeing that she had twenty minutes before the class started-then she rushed out, finding the nearest phone and dialing her home number-praying Steve would answer. 

“Hello?” She tried to ignore the deep rasp in his voice-he was clearly still sleeping-but it still sent a small shiver down her spine. It’s been happening a lot lately, he’d say things or give her certain looks and they’d somehow make her heart race. But now wasn’t a time to focus on whatever that meant.

“Steve! I left the stupid flashcards there and I’m taking this test in-” she glanced down at the watch “-in seventeen minutes and I’m literally about to vomit because I was gonna try and cram before but now I don’t even know what I’m gonna do or if I’m gonna pass-this class literally determines if I have to extend or not because the class I’m taking next semester is only offered in the spring and this midterm is worth more of my grade than the final which is total bullshit but holy shit-”

As she rambled Steve sat up in her bed-phone in his right hand held up to his face while he ran a hand through his hair-the comforter now sinking past his bare chest to his waist.

“Y/n! Y/n!” the silence on the other end of the line caused him to let out a sigh of relief “you’re gonna do great okay? You know everything from this class-you need to stop doubting yourself. Cramming was never going to help you because it doesn’t ever work for you-it hasn’t worked since like freshman year of high school. You need to take a deep breath-” he paused for a second-his gaze now focused on her messy desk-alongside the few photos pinned to her corkboard above it-a small smile on his face when he spotted a photo strip of the two of them from the fair in tenth grade.

She took a deep breath, leaning against the wall next to the phone-a hand on her forehead-thumb and index finger massaging her temples while she stared at the ceiling. 

“This is a big deal Steve-I can’t just relax-I’m like a ball of anxiety and nerves and-” he cut her off mid-sentence “-and nothing. It’s okay to be nervous about your exam but you can’t dwell on something like flashcards-you’ve been studying for this for like two weeks-you color coded all of your textbooks and notes Y/n-you know everything already-you’re overthinking it”

She groaned, and on the other end of the phone Steve smiled, shaking his head while rolling his eyes-she’d always done this. Everytime a big test was coming up she’d panic about it and rush to sit and study until there was nothing left-then she’d panic more until the day of the test when she usually aced it-occasionally getting a B-but even then she’d never failed. 

That was something he admired about Y/n, she’d go through hell and back if it meant being successful-and her version of success was always her own. She never compared her successes to other people’s because as she always said ‘Steve success isn’t measured by other assholes-it’s measured by you. How the hell are you supposed to be your dad’s version of successful when you don’t even like your dad-you’ll never live up to whatever he wants you to be because that’s not what you wanna be’. 

He found himself biting his bottom lip and smiling while she spoke to him.

“Okay-sure you’re right I might be overthinking it-but this shit is genuinely so stressful and what if my professor thinks my answers sound stupid? Then what? I can’t sit here and look stupid-God I’m gonna barf” he laughed at her, all the while she groaned again, staring down at his watch, seventeen minutes turned into ten and now she was biting her thumb nail-the leather band slightly slipping along her wrist.

“You won’t sound stupid, now go drink some water and kick your tests ass.” she sighed “if you say so Harrington” he nodded his head-the same dopey smile on his face “what time are you coming home?” 

His words made her smile, both eyebrows raised and she was positive if she’d been anywhere but here-or even if she was sitting down-she’d be kicking her feet back and forth. She felt like a thirteen year old getting called pretty by a boy for the first time.

“Home? So now you live with me?” he scoffed, of course she couldn’t see the blush on his face-thankfully “I mean this is your house isn’t it-and considering your parents don’t get back til Monday-I’ll stick around. Besides it’s better than Casa Harrington-home of the assholes”

She smiled, nodding her head while twirling the metallic curly phone cable in her hand “Guess you aren't asshole after all. Anyways, my class ends in two hours-then I’m meeting with my advisor so like another half hour-plus the drive back home-basically three or four hours” 

“You’re gonna crush your test, now hang up the phone Y/l/n” she scoffed, holding in a giggle-who the hell was she becoming. “Uh huh Harrington, I’ll see you when I get back” she bit her bottom lip “Drive safe baby, bye” with that the two hung up the phone. She couldn’t stop the heat enveloping her features at the pet name-of course she was used to it when they had sex-but outside of that-he’d never really casually called her that. But it made her heart race and she couldn’t stop her smile as she walked back to her classroom.

Steve however hung up the phone then groaned-two hands covering his face at the realization that he’d let the ‘baby’ slip out. Of course he started to overthink it the second he said it-mostly because she had no reaction to it-and of course it wasn’t like he could see her through the phone. Hopefully in the future they’d invent video calls or something for people.

He laid back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling decorated in small stars-the same stars he’d called childish the first time he’d gone over to her house when they were twelve. His parents had been late picking him up from swim practice-of course he said he’d just take the bus home or figure something out-but her mother insisted he came over and she’d call his parents for him.

By the time he got to their house he’d realized two things-Y/n’s mom was a lot cooler than he’d thought-granted she always showed up on time for practices, never missed a meet, and of course encouraged her daughter to speak her mind-which in turn led to a few altercations with other teams during the season. However she was genuinely nice to him and even as she drove-she still listened to him as he spoke-occasionally making eye contact through the rear view mirror and nodding her head.

The second thing he realized was that Y/n was really pretty-he’d never really gotten to see her sit in silence and just listen before that point-and as the golden hues from the sun outside hit her skin while she sat in the back seat with Steve-he found himself staring at her-the two holding eye contact while he spoke. He just assumed she’d always been confident in herself and a good listener based on the way she looked so relaxed and invested in his story-but even as a twelve year old she made him blush.

When they got to the house her mother called his mother’s office-leaving a message with their home address alongside the fact that Steve was there hanging out with Y/n and staying for dinner. She was quick to drag Steve down the hall to her room, forcing him to sit on her bed while she blow dried his hair-which she’d been wanting to do for some time-he even argued with her before she started. However, at the mention of Y/n’s mother making him dinner-he agreed.

Even at twelve he had great hair, his father always forcing the need to look presentable down his throat. She stood on her knees behind him-the bright pink blow drier in her right hand while she ran her left hand through his hair as she dried it-giggling at the way he protested. Then as she finished and turned off the blow dryer he laid back-purposefully pushing her backwards-nearly knocking her off the bed-which only made the both of them burst into laughter.

“Are you afraid of the dark? What's up with the baby stickers” she scoffed, sitting up and shoving him over while rolling her eyes “oh shut it poodle” with that she stood up, grabbing a compact off of her dresser-throwing it at him with a smirk on her face-which in turn led to his jaw dropping as he stared at his reflection-his hair overly voluminous and framing his head like a bad bowl cut.

The memory made Steve smile, eyes tracing each star formation-after she’d shoved him she eventually told him that she’d placed them in the shape of constellations-showing all of them to him before her mother called the two for dinner. That was the day he realized that he wanted to be her friend for a long time. She was caring, smart, she was honest-overly honest sometimes, she definitely had a nerdy side to her, her family genuinely cared for him, and she was the only person he knew he could be himself around.

After that day he started coming around more and more, her mother offering him rides home sometimes-the first time he slept over was during their eighth grade school year. The two had to do their science fair project together and once it hit nine o’clock her mother insisted he just spent the night-so he did. The both of them eventually fell asleep on the living room sofa after watching Star Trek-which Y/n had to explain to him.

He had no idea why he was reminiscing about their friendship-he also had no idea why calling her baby just felt right-granted when they had sex he knew she liked the pet names-a smile on her face while she bit her lip-the thought made his cock stir which only led to him groaning again. He’s her best friend, granted their relationship was starting to shift-he knew it was there and maybe she just didn’t notice it-or maybe she didn’t care-but there was something different now.

At first he summed it up to ‘well she’s seen my dick and I’ve fucked her so that must be it’ but the more he thought about it-the more he realized this wasn’t just about sex-actually it wasn’t about sex at all. She made his heart race in ways it hadn’t before-well ways it hadn’t in a long time.

He admittedly had a crush on her when they were in middle school, of course by freshman year he claimed it was gone-and then as he rose up the ranks in popularity because of sports-he dragged her along with him. Then by their junior year he was King Steve-he could get with any girl he wanted-so the crush on Y/n was long forgotten. She still argued with him in the hallways, constantly cursing him out and telling him to ‘humble yourself Harrington! High Schools not the real world jackass!.

She always stuck around though, she was there during his first genuine heartbreak-when Nancy Wheeler cheated on him after telling him she didn’t love him. He was at the Y/l/n household crying-which he would never tell anyone else about-and Y/n was holding him-rubbing circles into his back while making small sarcastic jokes and remarks to cheer him up. 

Ironically that’s around the time that a very broken and bloody Steve later showed up at her doorstep surrounded by Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, and Lucas Sinclair-kids she thought he was babysitting-and as she was patching Steve up they all explained everything.

Of course the girl didn’t believe them-even when Steve told her that it was all true she simply scoffed and mumbled something along the lines of ‘Hargrove really beat the shit out of you huh?’ However, when they all took her to meet El a few days later-the girl with supposed ‘super powers’ and after seeing Nancy’s tape-she quickly learned that they were all telling the truth. The entire drive back to her house she kept rambling to Steve and asking him questions even he couldn’t answer.

She always did that, the girl had little to no filter-so anything that came to mind would be said. If it was a question, a comment, a concern, a rude statement, or an obnoxious opinion-she’d let it be heard. A lot of people hated that about her-it was the reason she’d gotten into so many arguments with Carol Perkins, always telling the girl that she was ‘an airhead with Daddy’s money’ alongside comments like ‘don’t be upset because you didn’t make the cheer squad Carol, I’m sure you can shake your ass for some dumb jock and he’ll pay attention to you’. 

Yeah, she was brutal. But he loved that about her. 

Then it all dawned upon him-he had a thing for his best friend-of course it broke the final rule of their ‘contract’ but he didn’t want to acknowledge it. As he stared at her ceiling he decided he’d just ignore it, hoping that things would be fine between the two-and that she wouldn’t catch on.

He spent the next few hours getting ready to face her-hell he’d even cleaned her room and did her laundry-blushing as he fumbled her panties into the washer and dryer, then he all but moaned at the sight of her vibrator in the back of her panty drawer-a rosy blush overtaking his features while he stared at the baby blue bullet-then at the sound of a car pulling up and parking he slammed the drawer shut-fumbling to fold the rest of her clothes.

She whistled as she walked into the house, a triumphant smile on her face because not only did she complete her exam early-her professor spoke to her after she’d turned it in-stating that she had the highest grade in the class. Then she met with her advisor who said she was on track to graduate a semester early-and traffic on the way home wasn’t bad whatsoever.

He walked out of her room, standing in the hallway with a clean shirt thrown over his shoulder while he held her basket-once she glanced at him she couldn’t stop the laugh.

“You look so domestic Stevie-it’s adorable. You’re just missing your six kids” he scoffed at that, rolling his eyes while walking back into her room once he realized she was heading in that direction.

“For your information-I got bored” she nodded her head as she placed her backpack onto her desk chair-glancing around at the now neatly organized room-her bed was even made-Blueberry sat in the very front. “So you cleaned my room? And did my laundry? Are you pursuing a career in housekeeping?” He rolled his eyes at her, watching as she pulled out the notebook their ‘contract’ was written in-followed by her pink pen.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something serious though” he nodded his head slowly, taking her folded shirt off his shoulder-tossing it in the basket before placing it on the floor then sitting down. His eyes never left her as she kicked her shoes off then sat on the bed criss-crossed across from him. She then turned the pages to the back of their contract page, placing the notebook on one of her knees as she uncapped the pen-his gaze shifting to her bare legs-spotting the bite mark on her right inner thigh from last night-he tried to hold in a groan at the way her skirt rode up.

“You look nervous-loosen up Harrington it’s not like I’m breaking up with you” he scoffed, craning his neck back slightly “as if you’d ever want to break up with me” she glanced up at him, brows raised “aren’t you just a catch” then the two started laughing at one another, Y/n reaching over and shoving him lightly before focusing on the notebook.

He watched as she wrote out ‘Kinks’ then two categories titled ‘Y/n’ and ‘Steve’, he blinked a few times, clearing his throat while licking his lips, catching her attention again.

“Steve-if we’re actually gonna do the whole ‘trying new things out’ part of this then we have to talk about everything prior to y’know having sex” he nodded his head, scratching the back of his neck-visibly tensing up at her words. “Can you stop overthinking for five seconds Harrington! You look so stiff, relax” 

“That’s easy for you to say-you’re you!” she scoffed “and what’s that supposed to mean Steve?” he shrugged “this doesn’t bother you-like you don’t have any reactions to us having sex-or like changes or anything” she placed the notebook to the side, getting on her knees and practically waddling towards steve before grabbing his face in both of her hands-his lips parted while he stared at her in awe.

“Just because I don’t act like weird or whatever because we have sex doesn’t mean I don’t have any reactions or whatever to it Steve-I clearly understand that our friendship is gonna slightly change because of the sex-you’re still my best friend jackass” she spoke slightly slower than usual, eyes widening just the smallest bit to emphasize her point while she held eye contact with him. “Now stop being a weirdo so we can talk about our kinks mister I wanna do anal” 

He blinked a few times, shoving her back slightly-causing her to let out a small ‘yelp’ as she fell backwards-her body hitting the mattress and a series of loud laughs and giggles left her lips as her head slightly hung off the bed. She was thankful that she had a Queen sized bed-otherwise even at the diagonal angle she was in-she’d probably fallen off the bed.

He was blushing, his entire neck was on fire-and he was blushing the same way that Dustin used to blush when Y/n would talk to him-the boys crush on Y/n was almost adorable, but eventually he told Steve that he’d gotten over ‘his girl’-which of course had Steve questioning everything the younger boy was saying in the moment-however now when he thought about it he knew that Y/n was inevitably going to look like his girl to everyone who didn’t understand their friendship.

But he liked that, he wanted her to be his girl-but that wasn’t happening any time soon, so instead of sitting like a statue he moved-placing his hands on her knees which were nearly eye level with him-then he parted her legs-looking at her while she awkwardly strained her neck to look at him-a goofy smile still on her face.

“You’re a weirdo Harrington-now help me up” he nodded his head, grabbing her outstretched hands then pulling her upwards. After she got situated-scooching closer to Steve this time-she grabbed the notebook and her pen. 

“So what exactly are your kinks?” she scoffed, glancing at him “uh uh-you can go first” he rolled his eyes, pursing his lips slightly “after I did all of this cleaning for you? I still have to spill my deepest secrets first?” she smacked his arm lightly “I already know your deepest darkest secrets-now tell me your kinks! Other than butt stuff-I already know that one” he rolled his eyes, stifling a laugh.

“Are you ever gonna get over that?” she shook her head “nope, I think it’s funny-as childish as that is” she now glanced at him, raising a brow expectantly “choking” she nodded, writing it down and in turn she wrote it down on her side too, earning a curious look from him.

“That’s good to know” she scoffed “shush-what’s next pretty boy?” he bit his lip “uh being complimented?” she rolled her eyes “it’s called a praise kink” he nodded slowly-watching as she wrote it on both sides-then she followed that with degradation before elbowing him-motioning for him to continue.

“Uh-well I er-I like to spit” she blinked a few times, brows knit together while glancing at him “elaborate” he bit his bottom lip for a second-feeling the familiar heat in his face “Like in girls mouths-and uh-on them” she slowly nodded her head, slightly confused but also intrigued “so like, you just do it? Is it like a heat of the moment thing? Or do you just-do it?” he shrugged.

“I guess it depends on the girl-you into that?” she shrugged “I dunno? Never really thought about it until now-I guess I’m always down to try something new?” he bit his bottom look-the two holding eye contact-his eyes flickering to her lips for a second before moving back up. Then he shifted his body slightly-to face her before bringing a hand to her cheek-gently caressing it before placing his thumb on her bottom lip-tugging at it.

“You wanna try it?” she felt heat rushing through her face-and she knew he’d be able to feel it radiating from her cheeks-his voice slightly dropped as his gaze was held on her lips. “Y-yeah” he smirked at her stuttering, moving his hand to her chin-tilting her head up slightly.

“Open up for me princess” the pet name sent a shiver down her spine as she obeyed him, parting her lips “tongue out-good girl” his praises went straight to her core-she was positive he knew exactly what he was doing-and truth be told-he did. He then leaned over her slightly-spitting in her mouth-and it was almost an instinct for him to lean closer-tongue against hers as he pulled her into a sloppy kiss. 

As much as she wanted to keep kissing him she pulled away for air first-she knew she was blushing-the heat enveloping her face had her biting her lip and looking away from Steve-staring down at the notebook. He smirked at her reaction, moving back the smallest bit-still in her personal space as he watched her write it on the paper-on his side she simply wrote ‘spitting’, on her side she wrote it with a few question marks. 

“You okay?” she shushed him “you know what you’re doing Harrington-quit it” he couldn’t hold in his laugh at her reaction “I just had to test a theory is all” she shushed him again, this time smacking his chest without looking up at him while she wrote ‘hair pulling’ on her side-and based on what she’d learned from their past experiences-it reflected on his too. She then followed her side with ‘overstimulation’

“So you’re into being fucked til you cry?” she choked slightly, her eyes widening and as she finished writing the ‘n’ she accidentally extended the ending of the letter. “Jesus Christ Steve” he nudged her slightly “oh c’mon you won’t even look at me? Really? Are you embarrassed again?” she scoffed.

“Shut up! Just tell me what to add to the list Harrington” he hummed, raising a brow “Finish your side first” the slight dominance in his tone made her eyes widened-and she finally looked at him-processing how close their faces were “Quit it Harrington” he bit his lip, tilting his head in faux confusion “quit what princess?” she clenched her jaw.

“You know what you’re doing!” he smiled “is it working” she shoved him back-pointing a singular finger at him while squinting her eyes slightly “we need to finish this you horndog!” he smirked, nodding his head “so it is working?” she scoffed “list first, then maybe if we have time we can fuck okay? Shit you’re such a perv!” he smiled “but you like it don’t you” she shushed him again-rolling her eyes while trying to hold in a smile.

“I was serious though, finish your side so I know what I’m working with” she scoffed “confident much? A little humility would benefit you” he nodded his head “you’ve been saying that for years at this point” she scoffed “maybe if you listened then I wouldn’t have to repeat it so often” he slowly nodded his head, a singular brow raised at that “eh-you’re right, now get to writing princess”

“Quit it!” she shoved him again “that one wasn’t even that sexual!” she scoffed, glancing at him “really? That sexual? You ass” he shrugged, pointing to the notebook with an expectant look on his face. She groaned, shifting away from him-trying to block his view-the entire time he moved behind her-glancing over her shoulders as she wrote ‘mirrors, rough sex (situational), breeding??, voyeurism, bondage??, spanking, edging??’.

“You have a breeding kink? That’s hot” her eyes widened at his question, heart practically beating out of her chest “shut up!” he laughed at her tensing up “You have to get comfortable saying things out loud y’know-that’s the whole point of us having sex” she groaned “that’s easy for you to say-you aren’t the one feeling like a whore writing this shit down” he laughed at her embarrassed tone.

“I mean-I’m gonna fuck you like a whore apparently-so it’s not far off?” she elbowed him “Steve!” he rolled his eyes “okay, okay I’ll cut it out” she nodded her head, before adding more things to the list-which only made Steve groan as he read them ‘gagging, crying??’ she shoved him back while she rushed to scribble the next one down ‘thighs’, although he still read it, his brows raised at that one-and he had to admit his cock was twitching in his pants.

“Finished?” she nodded her head, handing him the notebook-too embarrassed to actually face him. He quickly scribbled down ‘breeding, masterbating together, edging, blindfolds, handcuffs?? (sounds hot), biting, pussy eating’ he paused for a second “what’s voyeurism?” she groaned “when you like watching” his brows raised in surprise “learn something new about you every day Y/n” then he wrote it down on his side followed by ‘being in charge’, then ‘submissive shit’. 

With that he handed her the notebook-watching as she read through the list, brows raising and eyes widening. 

“So can we have sex now? Wait-first how was your exam” she placed the notebook on the bed between them-alongside her pen-her face now in her hands as she tried to calm herself down-she was both nervous and really turned on. He shifted on the bed, now sitting in front of her-gently grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from her face “you okay?” she nodded her head, avoiding eye contact.

“What’s wrong?” she scoffed “that’s my line Harrington” he nodded his head “I’m not the one nervous and stiff-y’know we don’t have to do it all at once-take it day by day-or week by week if you want” she bit her bottom lip, lightly gnawing on it “I’ve just never told anyone that stuff-y’know” he nodded slowly “not even Ryan?” she rolled her eyes “Ryan couldn’t even make me cum, and he was such an egocentric asshole-just cause he was decent at football” 

“So you're just into sleeping with assholes then?” he wiggled his brows when she glanced at him, she was quick to roll her eyes-smiling at his words “are you implying you’re an asshole Steve?” he shrugged “seems that way sometimes” she laughed at him “you’re not an asshole-anymore at least” he smiled at that.

“Okay now, we can focus on this-” he grabbed the notebook and closed it “-later, tell me about your exam pretty girl” she rolled her eyes, her smile evident while he stood up from the bed-placing her notebook on her desk before making it back to his original spot on the bed-scooting back against her iron wire headboard-which had pillows in front of it-then he extended his arms out-waiting for her to slide into them.

She grabbed her stuffed animal, holding it as she moved back-leaning against Steve’s side.

“I’m pretty sure I passed it?, found out I have the highest grade in the class-which was kind of shocking because I’ve been struggling my ass off.” 

She spent the next hour telling Steve everything about her exam, then about her conversation with her advisor and going into detail on her entire morning, all the while he nodded his head, listening to each and every word she said, free hand rubbing circles into her right thigh-which ended up being draped over his left leg. 

Then her alarm clock went off at one-thirty, signaling that the both of them had to be at work in half an hour-which only made Y/n groan, rolling her eyes while Steve reached over and turned it off. 

“I hate our job” he nodded his head “I mean-after we get off-we could always-y’know revisit the book” she bit her lip, glancing over at him “okay” with that he nodded his head-and without a second thought he leaned in-placing a gentle kiss to her lips-and when she kissed him back he felt like his heart was doing backflips in his chest-their moment cut short when she moved away, placing Blueberry down on the bed. 

“Can you drive today Steve? I really hate driving on days I have class” he nodded his head “that’s uh-fine-yeah totally fine” she smiled, grabbing her tote bag from her desk chair-switchin her wallet and keys from her backpack into that bag-all the while he stared at her, eyes tracing along her figure-staring like a lovesick puppy. 

Well that was until she put her vans back on, then turned to look at him, an expectant expression on her face “c’mon Harrington, shoes on-I wanna grab Robin something on the way since she’s been working the morning shift” he furrowed his brows “since when am I your taxi?” she shrugged “since you started eating my pussy on a regular basis” he choked on air at her comment-it was clear her confidence was back-but he hadn’t expected that one.

“Vulgar!” she scoffed “coming from you? You’re a literal perv, now hurry up!” he groaned, getting out of her bed. The two of them scrambled around the house for a few more minutes, then they were off. Y/n now sat in his passenger seat as she went through the different tapes in his glove compartment, raising a brow at the Madonna one while holding it up.

“Are you a material girl, Harrington?” he rolled his eyes “I got that for you y’know” she furrowed her brows, glancing at the tape-then back at him. “You always hum the songs on that album-and you always criticize what I play in the car-so I got that one to play when you’re here” she blinked a few times, trying to ignore the warm feeling in her chest while she popped it out of its case-then replaced the tape in his stereo with it.

He smiled when she played the tape, the upbeat tune of ‘Material Girl’ playing through the car while she looked out the window-based on her posture he knew she was trying to hide her smile-she always did that when people remember small things about her. It was practically the girl’s love language-granted he didn’t really understand the whole love language thing-but he knew nothing made her happier than that. 

He was falling deeper and deeper into his ‘thing’ for her, and he just wanted to push it away but the more he thought about it-the worse it got. So he opted to simply ignore it.

Which he later found was a lot harder than he thought.

Several hours had passed since they’d gotten to work, the two worked until close at nine tonight-close used to mean ten-however after a lot of arguing with their manager-they’d gotten it to nine. It was now closer to seven thirty and the traffic within the store started to pick up, Y/n worked the register while Robin worked on helping people with recommendations and going to the back to find any extra copies of tapes, and Steve worked on reshelving and talking to customers around the store.

It was their usual system-dividing and conquering as they went. 

However when one of her ex-boyfriend's friends walked through the front door Steve immediately stiffened up-eyeing him as he wandered through the new releases section-then the tall blonde made his way to the front desk where Y/n was currently on the phone.

He waited until she hung up, then from what Steve could see he started flirting with her-and he was laying it on thick-he was too irritated to even acknowledge the guy’s lame pick up lines and overused compliments-all he could focus on was the way Y/n laughed and smiled, rolling her eyes in a playful manner, twirling a piece of her blown out hair around her finger. 

She had a wide smile on her face as she rolled her eyes-clearly falling for his shitty flirting. Then he leaned across the counter slightly, closer to her-now twirling one of his fingers around a strand of her hair-the motion lighting a fire of jealousy in Steve’s entire body-to the point that he was completely ignoring a woman asking him for his help-too focused on the way Y/n let that douchebag touch her.

He finally recognized him-Richard Miles-it made sense that his name was Richard, he was a real dickhead. Steve mumbled under his breath about standards while gripping the tape in his hand so hard that his knuckles were whitening-the sound of snapping and a hand being waved in his face finally breaking his trance.

“Uh sorry-ya how can I help you ma’am?” the older woman nodded her head, a tight lipped smile on her face as she glanced over towards Y/n-then back at Steve “I understand that young love can be complicated, but please focus on your job kid-can you help me find a copy of Back to the Future? My grandson has been asking about seeing it” he nodded his head, motioning for her to follow behind him.

Meanwhile Y/n was still giggling at Rich’s jokes, gently swatting his hand away from her hair before leaning back, her hands now on the edge of the counter.

“Sorry Rich-no can do-Robin’s off limits” he scoffed, raising both brows “seriously? I’ve been trying to ask her out forever-she just doesn’t notice. Y’know I have English with her? She doesn’t even acknowledge me half the time-and we sit right next to each other!” she laughed at that, rolling her eyes, shaking her head.

“I can’t help you Rich, the heart wants what it wants-but sometimes it’s just not in the cards” he knit his brows together, running a hand through his tousled blonde hair. “I’m gonna act like I got that card thing-but you really can’t help me-not even for the sake of old times?” she sighed, pursing her lips inward while shaking her head-she knew why Robin didn’t pay him any mind-and it was never her place to tell anyone that. When Robin wanted to let her truth be known-she would. For now Y/n would be a supportive friend.

“Not even for old times” he sighed, leaning over again-toying with her hair. He’d always been a flirt-that was just Rich, he was a natural flirt and it was simply a part of his personality. She didn’t mind it, the two were actually good friends prior to her messy breakup-then he had to let her know that for the sake of his spot on the team-he had to distance himself from her. At first she was angry that her ex managed to break her friendships apart, but she knew how much playing football actually meant to the blonde so she simply accepted the fate of her friendship.

However when Ryan went off to play football at some D3 school across the country she easily found her way back to her old social circles, when she wasn’t with Steve, Robin, and the kids-she was with them. No one ever really questioned it because she didn’t give them the chance to. 

“Alright sweetheart-thanks for trying though” she nodded her head as he let go of her hair, offering a small smile-his gaze finding Robin as she walked around the store “you think if I go talk to her-she’ll listen” Y/n laughed at that, shaking her head “I don’t think so man-sorry” he nodded his head a few times, letting out a groan before handing her the copy of Risky Business

“Interesting choice” he shrugged “what can I say, my sister loves Tom Cruise” she laughed while scanning his membership card, then scanning the barcode of the movie with her hand scanner, typing a few things into the system. “That’ll be four-forty seven and it’s back in three days” he nodded his head, handing her a five dollar bill.

“Keep the change pretty girl” she scoffed, laughing at his terrible joke, however before Y/n could respond Steve was standing next to her behind the front desk, smacking a hand against the counter while grabbing his receipt and shoving it in his direction “have a great day Rich” the blonde slowly nodded while taking his receipt, walking away then turning back to wave at Y/n.

She glanced over at Steve-who was visibly annoyed “what the hell was that Harrington?” he clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath, now meeting her stare “nothing-just figured you could use a break from flirting with every guy within a ten foot radius” she blinked a few times, brows knit together-a wave of anger coursing through her entire body.

“Excuse me? What the fuck is your problem?” he rolled his eyes, nodding his head a few times “my problem? You-” before he could finish Robin cut them both off with a loud “Woah, woah, woah! Both of you calm down and go back to what you were doing! Argue later-we actually have to do our job today!” Y/n clenched her jaw-eyes slightly squinted as she stared at Steve-a look of pure anger on her face while he licked his lips, then offered Robin a tight lipped smile, his hands on his hips while he nodded his head again.

“Yeah-you heard that Y/l/n-we have a job to do so maybe don’t eye fuck any of our other customers” she scoffed “Are you serious? Fuck you Harrington” but before they could keep arguing Robin dragged Steve away-by his ear as if she was his mother. She smiled at some of the customers staring at the two while she dragged him to the far back corner near the Adult section partition.

She immediately smacked his arm “what is wrong with you?!” he rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders “nothing-nothings wrong” she raised both brows, staring expectantly at Steve “you’re joking right? You basically just called Y/n a whore? In the middle of our job?” he blinked a few times, finally unclenching his jaw and rolling his shoulders back.

“I didn’t call her a whore” Robin gave him a confused look “yes you did, you literally said she was eye fucking every male within a ten foot radius-your words not mine” she glanced back over at Y/n, who now forced a smile, but Robin easily noticed the way she angrily typed-fingers practically bashing into the keys-then she basically slammed the scanner down onto the counter while smacking the register shut. 

“Yeah-she’s pissed.” he looked over at her, now feeling a pang of guilt in his chest-he didn’t know where that came from-he was angry at her-or maybe at Rich-he didn’t really know.

“I just-I dunno” Robin scoffed “you got jealous didn’t you! Oh my god I knew it!” he knit his brows together, glancing back at Robin “knew what?” she rolled her eyes “you have a thing for her! I knew people couldn’t just have sex and not be into each other” he shushed her, blinking rapidly-tilting his head slightly before glancing at the customers around the store. “I don’t have a thing for her”

Robin slowly nodded her head “so why’d you get jealous when Rich was flirting with her-by the way he flirts with everyone-that’s literally just how he acts. He flirts with our English teacher-and she’s like fifty Steve!” he blinked a few times, a dumbfounded look on his face as he opened and closed his lips a few times trying to figure out something to say-he couldn’t just outwardly admit that Robin was right-and he also felt bad for calling Y/n a whore-granted he’d definitely call her a whore in a different context. 

“Are you gonna tell her?” he scoffed “Tell her what Rob? I-I don’t have a thing for her-she’s my friend okay-I just-I dunno” Robin slowly nodded, her brows still raised “well-whatever that was-figure your shit out because we have a job to do and I just wanna go home soon” he nodded his head.

For the next two hours Y/n ignored Steve-and even as the three of them were finishing closing she completely ignored him, walking right past him-taking the extra step away from him so their shoulders didn’t brush, taking the register key from his hands without even looking in his direction, organizing the desk while whistling to drown out the sounds of his forced apologies, and once Steve mumbled something about dropping Robin off she simply nodded her head. 

She’d gone as far as to sit in the backseat-shimmying away from his line of vision, only saying bye to Robin and blowing her a kiss before staying seated in his back seat. He tried to convince her to move to the front-however she simply stared out of the window-an emotionless expression on her face which remained the same as he drove towards her house. 

Once he parked the car she was quick to get out-slamming the door as hard as possible.

“Seriously y/n!” She flipped him off while she walked to her front door-pulling her keys out of her bag and unlocking it-she was planning on slamming the door in Steve’s face-however he managed to hold it open from behind her-following her inside despite her silent protest.

It was clear that she was still pissed. 

“Can you at least let me apologize?” she scoffed, walking down the hallway and into her bedroom, kicking off her shoes and placing her bag on her desk before turning to face him. “Apologize? For which part? Being a total asshole to Rich for no fucking reason? Calling me a whore? Or maybe arguing with me at our fucking job? Hmm how about accusing me of eye fucking random fucking people?” 

He blinked a few times-trying to ignore the way her irritation was turning him on, she spoke with an almost venomous tone-she hadn’t been this angry with him since their junior year homecoming-but good God was it doing things to him. He licked his lips while nodding his head.

“Maybe if you’d let me explain” she scoffed “explain what? Your bullshit fit of jealousy because oh wow I’m gonna go fuck any guy that pays any attention to me? What do you think I’m just fucking easy?” He tried to stay calm, but as she walked closer to him-her voice getting louder-he found it harder to keep himself calm and collected. He clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath.

“What the fuck do you even have to be jealous of? And don’t even try to lie to me Steve-I know you like the back of my fucking hand! You’re acting like I’m some precious little ‘off limits’ doll-you fucking asshole!” he scoffed, mumbling “you are off limits”-which only made her tilt her head, fists clenched at her sides as she stopped in her tracks-only a few steps away from him now.

“Excuse me?” he nodded his head “last time I checked, you’re not supposed to be fucking other people in the first place Princess” he walked right past her-grabbing the notebook off her desk-flipping it open “Huh-wow even wrote it yourself-what a smart girl you are” his sarcasm was pissing her off even more.

“I never even said I was gonna fuck him, you just assume that I whore myself out to anyone and everyone-huh maybe that’s why I even agreed to fuck you in the first place! How about I just call this off and go fuck Rich and everyone else in Hawkins over the age of eighteen”  that caught his attention-now staring at her-the pit of jealousy ignited again.

“Since I’m such a fucking easy whore, maybe I’ll start with all of my exes team mates-let them pass me around for fun!” Her sarcasm was actually irritating him now, and truth be told, the thought of her with anyone but him set off a fire in him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. She shook her head, rolling her eyes at his silence.

“Get the fuck out Steve” he licked his lips at her words “Do you ever shut the fuck up?” she scoffed “excuse me?” he nodded his head, “I said, do-you-ever-shut-the-fuck-up” he paused between each word, the evident shift in his tone brought heat to her cheeks-but she ignored it-she was mad at him and she had to remember that as she stood her ground.

“You’re such a fucking asshole Steve!” he bit his lip, nodding his head twice “yeah? I’m the asshole-course I am pretty girl-or would you like it better if Rich called you that-maybe I should just keep calling you a whore-I know how much you like that” his dominant tone was evident while he stared at her-glancing down at the notebook in his hands before flipping a page-looking at the list they’d made earlier for a few seconds before meeting her stare again.

“Maybe I should fuck you like a whore-maybe then you’d shut the fuck up” she swallowed, trying to ignore the heat traveling through her body, forcing a scoff “your ego isn’t helping the situation Harrington” he licked his lips again-a smirk on his face at the way her thighs slightly clenched together-the black miniskirt she wore did nothing to hide that. His eyes slowly trailed her figure-and she was trying her best not to buckle under pressure-she was mad at him-she needed to remember that she was mad at him.

He took a few steps towards her until they were inches apart, the same smirk on his face “you can’t even hide it can you” he tried to place a hand on her cheek-but she immediately smacked it away while rolling her eyes “you can’t fuck your way out of everything Steve” he nodded his head “you’re right, but I can fuck you so good you stop entertaining every asshole that looks your way” his confidence sent shivers down her spine while he held eye contact with her.

“Why can’t you just admit that you’re a jealous asshole” he nodded his head “yea would that make my girl happy? If I said watching that blonde dickhead flirt you-and touch you-made me jealous? That I don’t like people touching what’s not theirs” her face was on fire at this point-and as he placed his hand on her jaw-she let him-her heart practically beating out of it’s chest-her anger slowly fading into need. 

“If it’s too much-I want you to say peaches-cause they’re your favorite, isn’t that right princess” she nodded her head, lips parted as she stared at him-slowly forgetting why she was angry in the first place. The look he was giving her was enough to send her spiraling.

Steve on the other hand had a fire of jealousy running through his entire body-he was committed to making his point and solidifying it. He didn’t hesitate to pull her into a kiss, lips crashing together, Y/n easily melting against him-one of his hands now on the back of her head-hand in her hair while the other was holding onto her waist-pulling her even closer to him. 

She moaned into the kiss when he lightly tugged on her hair-giving him the chance to slide his tongue into her mouth-and as he deepened the kiss she gripped his sides-tongue moving against his while she felt herself getting pushed into that familiar pool of Steve Harrington. The hand on her waist slipped down-and when he opted to bunch up her skirt-his hand grasping her ass before landing a hard smack to her skin she whimpered.

He didn’t stop there-as he kissed her he repeated the motion, massaging the soft flesh, harshly grasping it, then smacking it-earning a moan as she pulled away from the kiss-eyes still shut-forehead against his-lips parted with heavy breaths falling from them. 

“Already desperate? Haven’t even gotten to the good part yet princess” she kept her eyes shut, now biting down on her bottom lip-she didn’t want to look at him-she felt the very familiar flush across her skin-heat enveloping her figure. Her resolve was so easily broken down it was as if she’d never even been mad at him. 

“Open your eyes” she listened to him-her gaze focused on anything but his face as she pulled back slightly-she was embarrassed by how easily he could wrap her around his finger-then he smacked her ass again “Look at me princess” she did as told, now meeting his stare-his eyes were usually dark-but they looked almost black-lust overtaking them as he stared at her-his cocky smirk evident.

“You’re such a desperate slut y’know that?” she nodded her head “You just need attention is all” as he spoke he trailed the hand that was on the back of her head along her cheek-tugging at her bottom lip for a second before he harshly gripped her chin-cheeks slightly smushed together-lips parted as rushed breaths left them. “You’re usually such a good girl for me, perfect little princess, all As, studying so hard, never late for anything, always so focused, so helpful, so eager, keeps those legs nice and wide for me, so sweet-but look at you now-a bitchy little whore” his degrading tone had her panties practically soaked, her thighs pressed together, her grip on his sides tightening.

“Is’ okay, m’ gonna take care of my little slut-remind you that you’re my girl-remind you of your fucking place” she tried to nod her head-his hand keeping her still. “You understand me?” she whimpered “y-yes” he gave her an almost sadistic smile “good girl” 

With that he all but threw her onto her bed, her back hitting the mattress-a loud creak from her bed heard as it hit the wall. He was quick to pull off his crew neck-tossing it aside then kicking off his shoes-all the while she stared at him, chest rapidly rising and falling while she pressed her thighs together-trying to get some type of friction-some type of relief. 

“So pretty like that-” he spoke as he got onto the bed-making his way between her thighs-easily spreading her legs wide open-a smirk on his face when he noticed the evident wet spot on her black panties. Her thighs still covered in marks he’d left the night before-she was his and it made him go crazy. She just needed to be reminded of that. 

He was quick to start rubbing her clit above her panties-the friction and much needed relief had her head rolling back, whimpers leaving her lips as her hands gripped the sheets below her-bucking her hips into Steve’s hand-on the verge of begging him for more. The tension between the two had gotten so thick-so palpable-that she was positive it was only making things so much worse for herself. 

“Haven’t even really touched you yet and look at you-” he finally slid her panties to the side-not bothering to remove them as his middle and ring finger found their place against her clit while he rubbed harsh circles against the sensitive pearl. “-Don’t think I forgot that you like it rough-you want me to fuck you like a desperate, whiney, whore? Make you cry?” she nodded her head-finally looking at him.

“Use your words princess” she moaned “y-yes” he smirked, fingers moving faster along her clit-the feeling had her whimpering-hooded eyes staring at him while she moved one of her hands-grasping his wrist “you’re already gonna cum aren’t you? That needy?” she moaned as he shifted his hand slightly, two fingers slipping right into her-his thumb against her clit. It was like he memorized her body-to be fair he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since the first time they slept together. 

Her loud moans and whimpers only motivated him to move his fingers faster within her, curling them against her g-spot over and over again-the motion making her toes curl-the familiar coil in her abdomen tight. As the walls of her cunt fluttered around his fingers he knew she was close-he loved it when he made her cum-she looked so pretty under him-face scrunched up slightly, lips forming a perfect ‘o’ while needy whines and moans left her swollen lips. 

“Aw are you already gonna cum? That quick-can’t even hold it can you?” she shook her head, brows knit together while she bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to nearly draw blood. “Fuck look at you-so fuckin desperate-fuck.” he groaned as he spoke, his eyes trailing her entire figure-her shirt rolling up slightly-skirt bunched up at her waist as her legs were spread wide-glistening cunt on full display just for him. 

“So pretty like this, spread wide open just for me” she nodded her head, head rolling back again, rushed whimpers leaving her lips while her back arched off the bed slightly “that’s it princess-cum for me like the needy bitch you are” that sent her right over the edge-hips bucking into his hand while her eyes were squeezed shut-loud moans leaving her lips.

“St-Steve! Oh fuck-Steve” her words dragged as she moaned, breaths slightly choked, her head felt like it was spinning-because the second she felt like she was coming down-she opened her eyes and Steve was already laying between her thighs-fingers still rapidly fucking into her. 

“Love how your pussy tastes-fuck can’t get enough of it” with that his tongue trailed along her folds-teasing her-and right as she let out a loud strung out whine-he started lapping at her clit then bringing it into his mouth. He sucked on it like a man starved, her hands now gripping his hair-tugging at the soft brown locks while her back arched off the bed-eyes screwed shut-loud moans, whimpers, and cries constantly falling from her lips.

When she tried bucking her hips into his face he moved his free hand-wrapping it around one of her thighs-holding it against his shoulder-using that as leverage to pin her in place. He moved back for a second “stay fuckin still” she moaned a slurred “yes sir” which only made him groan-mouth back on her pussy-sliding a third finger into her sopping hole-smirking at the way she gasped-his gaze now held on her face-watching as she tried to look at him-her eyes falling shut each and every time.

“Steve-oh my god-Steve-please-please-please” her begging had him moaning against her clit, his hips rutting against her bed-as he kept his motions up, slightly grinding his teeth against her clit-tugging at it-the motion pushing her right over the edge again-the overstimulation setting as she nearly screamed his name. Her whole body tensed, her hands tugging his hair harder and harder while he lapped at her cunt-sliding his fingers out of her-only to replace them with his tongue.

“T-too much-fuck, fuck, fuck” he licked one final flat stripe against her cunt before sitting up on his knees “Yeah? Too much? Pretty girls all fucked out already?” she whimpered “that’s too fuckin bad” with that he grasped her waist “you’ve got on too much clothes baby, take it off my smart girl” she nodded her head, vision slightly hazy as she sat up slightly-pulling off her sweater-tossing it elsewhere before she unclasped her bra-Steve pulling it right off-taking a second to drag his fingers along her arms-the soft motion a direct contrast from the way he was about to ruin her.

“So perfect-look at you-my perfect little fuck toy” she moaned at his words, her heart beating against her chest while his hungry eyes scanned her figure-and as she tried to close her legs-he pinned them down-holding them open-his stare held on her cunt-wet panties pushed to the side-leaving her open the way he liked. “This cunts all mine-all fuckin mine-you understand me?” she nodded her head. “Use your words”

“All yours-fuck Steve-all yours” he smirked, her raspy voice made him blush, but more importantly-her words lit a different fire in him-one that was consuming his entire being-he needed more of her-he needed to fuck her. He landed a harsh smack to her center-the motion earning a whimper from her while she stared at him. “Hands and knees-gonna fuck you like a whore since you love to act like one” 

The way he degraded her made her mind hazy, all she could do was nod her head-and with his help she managed to roll over-now on her hands and knees-head slightly hung. He groaned at the sight-but it wasn’t good enough for him-he pressed a singular hand to her lower back-his other hand holding her hip-pushing against her-deepening her arch until she groaned-the new stretch oddly satisfying while Steve worked at his jeans-the sound of his belt unbuckling sent heat through her core. 

She was positive that her cunt was leaking along her thighs-she’d never been this turned on in her life-her mind lost in the haze of Steve Harrington’s dominant side. She’d never been a fan of jealous sex in the past-but right now-she’d flirt with half of Hawkins if it meant he’d fuck her like this more often.

He stroked his cock a few times-moaning at the sight of her on all fours-face down ass up just for him-god he’d fantasized about this moment for what felt like years. She wiggled her ass slighty-swaying her hips and whining “Steve-please-fuck me” he moaned at that-smacking her ass twice “shut the fuck up and wait princess” with that he lined himself up with her cunt-sliding the tip of his cock along her slit-gathering her wetness while teasing her.

“Gonna fuck you so good, make you forget all about that fuckin asshole from earlier-remind you that I’m the only one allowed in this tight little cunt-only one allowed to have you like this-only one allowed to hear your desperate whines while I fuck you like a bitch in heat” she whimpered-looking back over her shoulder-craning her neck trying to see him-watching as he stared down at her cunt-gliding his cock along her slit until he found her hole.

“Oh and princess-I’d never assume you’d whore yourself out to anyone who looked your way” with that he slammed into her-bottoming out in one fast stroke-then he repeated the motion building a rhythm. Her arms practically collapsed-back arching a little bit more as her cheek hit the mattress, hands gripping the sheets below her while she moaned his name-over and over-in a chant. She didn’t even care about the burn of the stretch-she loved the way he was pounding into her. 

“F-fuck Steve-so good-so so good fuck” he smirked, smacking her ass again-then placing one hand on her waist-holding her bunched up skirt in place as he fucked into her. She was a moaning, whining mess under him as he fucked her-his head thrown back slightly while he kept his movements up. He couldn’t get enough of her-and the way she felt around him-he was thankful she forced him into going to the clinic-the feeling of her warm, tight, wet cunt swallowing him raw was a feeling he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“So fuckin tight-fuck feels so good baby” she whimpered, biting her bottom lip-the overstimulation making her body burn “too much-fuck Steve” her words had a continuos slur to them, all dragging together. It felt too good, she knew she was close again-her body melting into him-she really was his fuck toy-and she loved every second of it.

He leaned forward, snaking a hand around her figure-gripping her throat-the feeling made her whimper as he pulled her back slightly-her head leaned back into his shoulder while he pinned her to the bed-cock fucking into her sopping cunt-the squelching sounds alongside the sounds of skin slapping practically echoing in the room. 

Then he started licking and sucking marks into her shoulder blade, leaving a bite mark along her soft skin-earning another loud moan from her.

“Taking my cock so well-fuck feels like you’re swallowing me-so fuckin good for me Y/n-always so fuckin good-even when you have that fuckin attitude. Just needed to get fucked good huh? That it?” she nodded her head, moaning incoherent words and sounds, he felt her walls flutter around him-he knew how close she was-and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t teetering on that edge as well.

“M-more, n-need m-more Steve” he smirked “yeah? You need more? My smart girl needs more?” she whimpered “y-yes” which led to him moving the hand on her hip-sliding it under her body-between her thighs-two fingers tracing crescent moons into her swollen clit, her jaw dropping at that-a long low moan of his name slipping out of her lips, tears sliding down her cheeks from the intense pleasure coursing through her.

“Gonna let me cum in you? Fill you up? Make this cunt mine?” she moaned a quick “y-yes” while nodding her head, one of her hands moving from the bed below her to his wrist-holding on to him while he fucked her over the edge-a loud scream of his name fell past her lips, her eyes squeezed shut as she arched into him. 

“Just like that pretty girl, fuck just like that” he moaned as he spoke, keeping his rhythm up-fucking her through her orgasm before pulling out of her, taking a second to press a gentle kiss to her cheek before moving back. “Roll over for me baby” she lazily nodded her head-laying down then slowly rolling onto her back-the second Steve noticed the tears on her face he swiped a few away with his thumb before holding her chin “you’re so pretty when you cry” his words were almost sweet-but the degrading tone behind them made her whimper. 

The way she stared at him made his heart race-she looked so cock drunk, her eyes hooded, tears along her cheeks, a layer of sweat covering her skin, lips swollen and parted with a small smile on her face. “Can you handle another one?” she nodded her head “words” 

“Yeah-please Stevie” her voice was strained and raspy, she moved one of her hands to grip his forearm-pulling his hand from her chin to her throat all the while holding eye contact with him-and he lost all of his composure at the motion. Her mind was a haze, she was so high on pleasure that she’d practically let him do anything to her right now and it was driving him crazy. 

He stared at her for a few moments, taking every part of her in before moving, now leaning above her, perfectly slotted between her thighs while he traced the tip of his cock along her dripping slit-and in one quick motion he was thrusting into her, her head falling back slightly-a loud moan of his name leaving her lips while her hands easily found their way to his back-gripping against his shoulder blades as he pounded relentlessly into her.

“So-so good, fuck-swallowing me whole-taking it so well” she nodded her head at his praise, brows knit together in pleasure while her nails dug into his skin-scratching long marks into his back while she moaned below him-the tears still falling from her eyes as she felt herself practically drowning-it was so overwhelming. She knew she was close, it wouldn’t take much to push her back over the edge-her fucked out cunt and swollen clit so sensitive that the moment his fingers glided against the bud she was gasping and arching into him.

“C’mon princess, cum all over my cock-show me it’s all yours” His head now in the crook of her neck, lips brushing her ear as he spoke. her heart was racing for a different reason now-his words sending a shiver down her spine and even through the ocean of pleasure she was in-she still felt the butterflies in her stomach. He was so close that his shoulder was slightly brushing against her chin-his body enveloping hers.

“Good girl, just like that-squeezin me so good” she moaned again, and as her orgasm hit her-she bit down on his shoulder-earning a loud groan from him-the motion surprising him but also sending heat waves through his entire figure. “F-fuck, gonna cum-I’m gonna fill you up princess” his words were strained and all she could do was moan-too caught up in her orgasm to speak coherently. 

Then as she felt herself start coming down from her high-he kept fucking into her-hips slamming against hers for a few seconds before his warmth filled her-the motion feeling almost euphoric as she whined his name-all the while he was moaning incoherent phrases into her ear.

As they both came down from their state of euphoria he rested his head against her shoulder-both of them catching their breath as he slowly pulled out of her-mumbling apologies when she whimpered and gripped his skin again. Then he rolled off of her-ignoring the feeling of his pants around his hips-tucking his cock back into his briefs while he stared at her ceiling. The two laying in complete silence-the only sounds heard were their harsh breaths.

“Steve” he swallowed “yeah?” “Rich is into Robin not me” his eyes widened at that, brows knit together while he processed her words-then he finally sat up-looking over at her-watching as she pulled one of her bunched up sheets over her chest-gaze still held on the ceiling above them. 

“What? She’s gay-” Y/n rolled her eyes “we’re literally the only people in Hawkins who know that you moron” he blinked even more, an evident flush on his skin now because he had to bullshit some excuse about the way he just fucked her-or why he said the things he said-he couldn’t just outwardly say he was jealous because he wanted her to be his-in every aspect. No he couldn’t, so what was he supposed to say.

“Oh-uh-shit” she finally looked at him, shifting her body slightly-laying on her side as she met his stare. “Have you always been the jealous type?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes-the real answer was no-he’d been confident in most of his relationships and endeavors-of course his ex girlfriend did cheat on him but even before that he’d never been outwardly jealous when someone looked her way-so why was it different with Y/n.

“Uh yeah-guess so” she knit her brows together at his rushed response, but she didn’t want to press anything else out of him given the fact that it was late and her entire body was sore-and all she wanted to do was take off her soaked panties, take the skirt off, then lay down. 

“Help me with my skirt?” he nodded his head, gently pulling the sheet back-a loud audible moan leaving his lips at the sight of her fucked out pussy dripping with his cum-a wave of heat rushing through his entire body as he found himself struggling to pull her skirt off alongside her panties. His gaze focused on her cunt-and as she squeezed her legs shut-angling them slightly-just enough that he could see her leaking pussy he had to fight the urge to finger it all back into her.

She hadn’t even noticed-her eyes fluttering shut while he pulled her clothes off, however as his fingers gently grazed her inner thigh she whimpered-looking at him-realizing his gaze was directly on her center. “Harrington-quit it” he raised a brow-blinking a few times before looking back at her face “huh-what?” she pursed her lips slightly “stop staring at my pussy” he groaned “I can’t help it, looks so good with my cum dripping from it” 

She ignored the rush of heat to her face, opting to roll her eyes instead “take your pants off and lay down with me you jealous douchebag-and I still want that apology” he bit his lip, holding back a smile while nodding her head.

Then after a few minutes he was back next to her-pulling her into his chest.

“Sorry for flipping out earlier-I just-I dunno I didn’t like how he was flirting with you-then you kept giggling and I just-” she scoffed “you just what? Assumed I’d spread my legs for him in the middle of the store?” she was teasing him now, her light hearted tone made him roll his eyes, a smile on his face. “I mean-Rich isn’t exactly ugly-for all I know he could be my competition” she rolled her eyes “I agreed to have sex with you and literally said I wouldn’t have sex with anyone else-also if I wanted to fuck Rich I would’ve done it months ago. He’s a cool guy but he’s such an airhead, maybe if I was like you he’d be my type”

He scoffed “like me?-I’ll have you know my type is very diverse!” she rolled her eyes “pretty bimbos with big tits” he scoffed again “and what about you?” she raised a brow, now leaning up, looking down at him “so you’re saying i’m your type?” he started blushing-eyes widening at her words.

“It’s okay Harrington-you just might be my type too. Don’t think too deep into it-might actually hurt that pretty little head” he rolled his eyes “just because you have a nice ass doesn’t mean you have to act like an ass” she nodded her head “who knows-maybe next time you fuck me like that I’ll let you eat it-and don’t forget I have a great rack too”

With that she let out a few giggles, laying back down and shushing him as he tried to respond.

The both of them knew they were more than friends-however they’d do their best to avoid the conversation about that. For now they’d simply pretend nothing had changed-pretend that their sex mean’t nothing-that Steve’s jealousy was just a spur of the moment thing, and that Y/n’s heart didn’t race everytime he looked her way. 

What’s the worst that would happen? They’d fall in love? As if.

-

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