Steve Harrington x reader
I got inspired to write this from listening to Djo, and I think this song fits Steve really well. No upside down/canon plot. The first gif is found on pinterest, the second gif credit to @kwistowee
Thank you to all that took the poll, and to everyone who voted for Steve this is for you, I hope you enjoy! I'm kind of nervous to post since I haven't written in a while, please be kind ♡
"If you want to date someone like Nancy Wheeler, you're going to have to change. Not just for her, but for yourself."
Those words of advice stuck with Steve for years. And Steve took it to heart.
You wouldn't have considered Steve and you to be close. You wouldn't have even been acknowledged by Steve if it wasn't for Nancy. You, Nancy and Barb were best friends. And when Nancy told the two of you about Steve inviting her, as well as you and Barb (by association of friendship) to his party you were shocked.
"Steve? King Steve? Really?" Nancy gave a shy look, like she knew the truth but wanted to defend him. "He's not as bad as you think, he's..." You interrupted, not interested in her excuse for Steve. "There is no way I'm going to a party at Steve Harrington's house, you two can go without me." "Please Y/N. I want you there. It's not a huge party. It's just a small get together. Please, for me?"
So that is how you ended up at Steve Harrington's house with your two best friends on a random tuesday night. The house was huge.
The three of you were sitting by the pool near Steve, who was smoking a cigarette. Tommy and Carol were nearby too. Steve was trying too hard to win over Nancy. To your annoyance, it seemed to be working. Nancy had excused herself to the bathroom, Steve, trying to show he can be a gentleman, offered to show her where it was.
When Steve came back, he was staring at you, He sat near you. A little too close for your liking.
"Why are you sitting near me Harrington?" You asked, clearly annoyed. Steve gave an annoying smirk. "Sorry Princess, I didn't think it would be a big deal to sit where I want at my house." You scoff. "Don't call me pricess Harrington. And you know what I mean."
Steve took another puff of the cigarette, before blowing out the smoke, directly in your face to get on your nerves. "I just wanted to talk. You're kind of mysterious, princess." You rolled your eyes at the nickname but ignored it. "I'm not mysterious. You just never bothered to get to know me."
For a moment, you could have sworn you saw a flash of guilt on Steve's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Well I'm trying to get to know you now pri... I mean Y/n."
"Wow, you're actually being nice to me for once. If it wasn't for the fact that you're dating Nancy I would think you were flirting with me."
"Well, maybe I was." He stared at you with those eyes, the eyes that would get any girl to fall for him.
Your brain short circuited in that moment. You picked up a beer can that was sitting on the edge of the chair by the pool. You poured the beer on his head, all over his hair. "Hey, what the hell!"
"A little piece of advice Harrington, if you want to date someone like Nancy Wheeler, you're going to have to change. Not just for her, but for yourself."
You turned to Barb. "I'm going to walk home, tell Nancy I'm sorry." And with that you quickly rushed away from a pissed off Steve, and a worried looking Barb.
A few months later, Steve and Nancy had officially broken up. It had been mutual but they remained friends. You had not spoken to Steve much since the night of the party. You both had the same friend group, but didn't talk to one another unless you had to.
You hated to admit it, but Steve did seem different recently. He had been a good babysitter to the kids, he seemed to actually be trying, to be a better person. You may not have spoken much but you heard about the small changes in Steve. And everyone had heard about the fall of "King Steve". He had ended his friendship with Tommy H. and Carol. He stopped hanging out with the popular crowd, he stopped acting like everything revolved around him.
After graduation, you decided you wanted to become a teacher. You decided to leave Hawkins, and go to school for teaching. You had no plan to return to Hawkins, but decided that ultimately Hawkins will always be your home. So when you finally got your degree and officially became an English teacher, you decided to move back to Hawkins.
You got a job at Hawkins middle school, which was very nostalgic for you. You were getting to teach at your old middle school, it felt like a full circle moment. The beginning of the school year was coming up, your first year of teaching. There was a back to school night for the teachers. A night to get to know other teachers, to meet new teachers, and to get ready for the school year. You had not planned to run into Steve Harrington of all people, the one person you used to hate, that you were surprised even graduated at all. When Steve saw you his eyes widened. He hadn't expected to see you either. He was talking to another gym teacher, but once he saw you he quickly excused himself from the conversation and walked towards you.
"Yeah, I'm back." There was silence for what felt like minutes. It wasn't awkward, but just two acquaintances seeing one another once again, after years apart.
"I didn't know you'd be back." You chuckled. "I didn't know the guy who barely graduated high school would be at a back to school teacher meeting. "
Steve laughed. "That's fair, I'm surprised too. I'm the new baseball coach. As well as the sex ed teacher." Steve laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. You were surprised to see him nervous. Back in high school he would have made a crude joke. Maybe Steve Harrington really has matured, maybe he really changed.
You and Steve talked for a majority of the night. He asked about your time away from Hawkins, you asked him about how he chose to become a coach. You were laughing at something Steve said, completely forgetting that at one point you hated him. And then Steve got serious.
"Hey Y/n, I'd like to apologize." "Apologize? For what?" "For being such a jerk in high school. For the way I treated you back then. That night at the party." "That was years ago." "I know, but you still deserve to hear it, even if it's been years. I should have never flirted with you when I was with Nancy. It was wrong. You were right. About what you said, I needed to change. Not just for her, but for myself."
You looked at him surprised. "You remember what I said?"
"Of course I remember. I never forgot. I told Nancy what happened that night. After the breakup, I worked on myself. I realized that I didn't want to be that person anymore. I didn't want to be "King Steve". I wanted to just be...me. I have you to thank for that."
"Me? I didn't do anything. Except for pouring a beer at you." You laughed at the memory.
Steve laughs too. "Well I did deserve it, but you owe me for ruining my hair, princess." You roll your eyes playfully. "I owe you?" He stares at you, mocking seriousness. "Yeah, do you know how long it takes to make it perfect?" He gestures to his hair. He continues to give a mock serious face, but then ruins it by laughing.
"Well, I could buy you a drink, tonight?" You surprise yourself by asking. Steve looks at you shocked that you ask. "Well, I guess I can agree to that. But it's on me this time, for all the times I messed up back then." "Okay. This time, deal." Steve smiles. He might have made a lot of mistakes when he was younger, but he's proud of himself now, and how far he's come. And you may not admit it to him yet, but you are proud of him too. He may not be "King Steve" anymore, but you had a feeling you would always be his princess.
Taglist: @bethlikestoread, @5lutforeddie, @harringtonkeerys, @nightfirecomit, @pumpkinleavess
