This blog contains 18+ content. MDNI, and I mean that.
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MASTERLIST
HOT OFF THE PRESS .á.á careful, the ink's still wet.
five stars | steve harrington x f!reader
‷ After coming off a date with a bad review, Steve sets out to prove that he really is good at some thingsâŠ
knight next door | single dad!steve harrington x f!neighbor!reader
‷ The single dad next door is running late and in desperate need of a knight in shining armor. Preferably one who knows about ballet buns.
fatal attraction | draco malfoy x f!reader
‷ Thanks to your idiotic lab partner and Quidditch rival Draco Malfoy, the two of you have to sneak into the greenhouse at night for a missed potions ingredient, only to stumble into some strange plants along the way.
âïž oh! a coffee for me??? omg thank youuuu!!! :) | inbox is open!!
Hello I just discovered your writing and I love the way you write! Could you recommend me some of youâre favorite blogs? Iâm trying to find more blogs to follow but I donât know where to being. I love fanfics and Iâm sure you know a lot of recs I could have :)
omg thank you so much and yes yes yes!!!
I am a ride or die @levanswrites fan and everything out of her mouth is pure poetry istg. @snoopyharrington is out there doing the lord's work in oneshots. for longer series I would completely recommend @graywrenhart . also @djocufics and my lovely mutual @valentine-night are the top rebloggers on this website and everything they post goes absolutely platinum with me.
i found lessons in loosing when up to chapter 14 was out and now i wonât let myself read it until itâs all out. I was devastated there wasnât a next chapter and i refuse to do that to myself againđ
All I want in life is to watch my original characters on the screen, LITERALLY brought to life by a TV show or movie. Like, how is Elle Kennedy doing? Anybody check on her lately? Because if it was me, Iâd be binging those edits for hoursssss giggling and kicking my feet.
Serious question about The Real Deal. Why does Sam call Steve "Harry"? I don't remember it ever being explained, or if it was I totally forget because I was probably reading that part at 1AM and fighting sleep....
LOL idk. A little play on "Harrington", a nod to Steve's phenomenal hair, but mostly I just thought it was cute.
Summary: You need a boyfriend for Christmas. So, your best friend Steve Harrington agrees to fake it with you only to help get your parents off your back after a string of failed relationships.
The rules are simple: no sharing a bed, no kissing , and no catching feelings.
Until theyâre not.
tags: MDNI [smut] [lots of it lol] [fake dating for christmas] [best friends to lovers] [college students] [found family] [modern day au] [smut] [porn with plot] [mentions of family problems] [sex bets] [tension] [angst with happy ending] [there was only one bed] [steve's a sweetheart] [but with a big cock]
read chapter one đ± read on ao3
chapter one - no big deal
chapter two - not yours
chapter three - just once
chapter four - snowed in
chapter five - between friends
chapter six - losing me
chapter seven - another chance
chapter eight - good thing
chapter nine - kissing clause
epilogue coming soon
 ⻠see the family tree chart
â. đËàż please comment below if you want to be added to this story's taglist đđËâ
Omg you guys, I can't believe it's over. Thank you so so much to everyone who read, commented, shared, and sent me messages and asks about this story. You encouraged me, fed into my delusions, and brought these characters to LIFE.
Thank you for loving Steve and Ace, and all these chaotic oc's as much as I do  â»
Chapter Nine - Kissing Clause
{best friends to lovers, fake dating over Christmas}
or: You forgot about the The Kissing Clause on Christmas Day...
5.3k words â» go to landing page
CW: just some tooth rotting fluff, kissing, Steve holds a baby for the first time...are you sitting down?
âââ â» âââ
If someone were to ask you what the best thing to wake up to is, youâd have a list for them.
A cup of coffee with cinnamon on top.
Sun streaming through the window at the Cottage.
The smell of Dadâs burnt bacon wafting up the stairs.
And a recent addition: Steve sleeping beside you, his brown hair mussed, snoring lightly on the pillow next to yours.
Nowhere on that list, however, is a flurry of red lipstick and blonde hair barreling into your room at the inn while youâre tangled up half naked with your boyfriend.
You jolt awake, gasping as light from the hallway pours in, spilling across the bed.
âWhat theââ you squint at the silhouette standing in the doorway, the familiar shape hovering like an assassin come to slit your throat on Christmas morning. âMom?â
âMorninââ Kristy says cheerily, then flips on the overhead light.
Steve lurches up in bed next to you, hair sticking up in every direction. His brown eyes flick between you, then Mom, then you again, before dropping to the blankets barely covering his lower half.
âOh, donât worry, sweetie,â Mom says, sending him a wink over her shoulder as she stoops to pick up your clothes from the fucking floor. God, you could strangle this woman. âYou got nothinâ I ainât seen before. Now hurry and get dressed! We donât have all day!â
Steve yanks up the blankets to cover his chest, squinting over at you.
The message is clear: do something. Well, heâll find out soon enough itâs impossible to get rid of Kristy when she has her mind set on a plan.
You sigh, rubbing your bleary eyes. âWhat do you want, Mom?â
âJenna had her baby last night. Everyoneâs waiting, so, letâs goââ
âWait, really?â you ask, surprised.
Guess those contractions she was having last night were real after all.
âI know! Can you believe it?â she squeals in girlish delight. âBest Christmas present ever!â
She then tries to jump up into a classic cheerleading pose, but stumbles, earning a chuckle from Steve that he smothers with the back of his hand.
You sigh heavily. âMom, first of all, never do that againââ
âYou like that?â she interrupts, âItâs from my cheer days.â
âYeah, no. Secondly, what do you mean everyone is here?â
âYeah, I thought there was a giant snowstorm last night,â Steve says, voice rough from sleep, and you have the wildest, most intense urge to kiss him stupid.
Mom rolls her eyes. âYou think a little snow is going to keep us from meeting the newest member of this family? Cole has a snowplow, so weâre goinâ around collecting everybody, so, scoot your tushesââ
âOkay, weâll get up, but you have to get out!â you say, tossing a pillow at her for good measure, which she dodges easily.
âAlright! Alright!â She backs toward the door, grinning. âIâll be right outside.â
The door shuts, and you fall back onto the bed with a groan. You open your eyes to find Steve smiling down at you, his head haloed by the shine of the chandelier on the ceiling.
âHi,â he murmurs.
You snort softly. âHi.â
His fingers brush your cheek, and you can feel the warmth radiating from his chest through the blankets.
Then his eyes drop to your lips.
You reach up and thread your fingers through his hair, pulling him down to you. He leans in, chin tilting until his lips brush yours â
âBlow each other later!â Mom calls through the door.
âOh, for fuckâs sake!â You shout, shoving yourself out from under your boyfriend with a miserable groan. You look back at Steve, lying there warm and completely indecent under soft linen sheets, wanting nothing more than to crawl back to him.
âCan we do presents in the car?â you ask.
âSure, Ace.â His eyes drag over your rumpled sleep set like heâd rather be unwrapping you instead. âBut Iâm just saying, whatever you got me is gonna have a hard time beating this.â
You huff, amused. âThis?â
âWaking up to you in my bed?â His eyes soften as you smile back at him. âBest Christmas morning Iâve ever had.â
âââ â» âââ
âOkay, now hold onââ Steve whines. He lifts a finger off the steering wheel and points it in your direction. âYou are making this sound so much worse than it is.â
âSteve,â you gasp, still laughing. âHow could you not realizeâwatch out!â
The caravan makes a sudden right turn, and Tiffâs tires kick up a blinding cloud of snow that nearly whites out your windshield in the chaotic rush toward the hospital. Uncle Coleâs snowplow leads the way, while several cars filled to the brim with your family drive behind yours.
Steve recovers the car quickly, then rakes a hand through his hair, white-knuckling the steering wheel with the other. âJustâhear me out, Ace.â
You sit up in your seat, mimicking his ramrod posture and pretending very hard to be serious while you hold up his Christmas present for you.
A little H dangles on a gold chain, catching the first rays of sun as it peeks over the horizon.
âThe H doesnât have to stand for that,â he argues. âIt could be forâŠhappiness! Right? Or, fuck, I donât know. Hamburgers! You love those!â
A grin tugs at your mouth, and you shoot him a knowing look. âSteve, you picked this out for me long before we got together.â
He lifts his hands in surrender, and you actually have to lurch across his lap and physically grab the wheel before you go careening out of line and into a snow pile.Â
âLook,â he says, hands resuming their place at ten and two. âI just wanted you to have something that reminded you of me, okay? Yâknow, since school is almost over.â
âRight. I mean, nothing says friendship like monogramming your best friend with your surname.â
âListen! I swear, I'm not trying to..." He trails off as you reach over and run a hand through his messy chestnut hair. His eyes soften as he glances over at you, still laughing.Â
âI love it,â you say.
His shoulders slump in relief. âYeah?â
âYeah. And donât worry.â You smile, patting the cool metal H against your chest. âIâll tell everyone you were only planning on proposing strictly as a friend.â
âOh my Godââ
âââ â» âââ
The crisp morning air nips at your skin as you step out into the snowy parking lot. You arrived at the hospital before Steve could open your gift.
But heâs soon distracted from his disappointment when an avalanche of your family members pours from their cars and welcome him back with a flurry of hugs, kisses, (Aunt Tiff goes for the lips, the bitch), slaps on the back, and a fuck ton of I-told-you-soâs.
But the person most excited to see SteveâŠis Sam.Â
âI knew you werenât leaving forever!â your brother says, then fist-bumps him so hard Steve actually winces.
The hospital doors hiss open automatically, but your family acts like they couldnât open fast enough. They burst into the lobby in a flurry of pink and blue balloons, loud Christmas greetings for strangers, and stacks of presents for the little one.
The security guardâa tall, well-built specimen of a manâcatches Brielleâs bicep as she prances past, holding three bottles of wine.Â
âCanât bring that in here, miss,â he says, voice gruff.Â
Brielle scoffs, jerking back when the guard tries to confiscate her alcohol. âListen, my Aunt hasnât had a drink in nine months!â Brielle argues, âItâs Christmas! The woman just gave birth for twelve hours, trust meâsheâs going to need this.â
You share an amused look with Steve, and the conversation trails off in the distance as he gestures over to the elevator.Â
Somehow, in the buzz of excitement, the balloons have found their way into PawPaw Benâs hands. He looks quite the picture, grumpy scowl twitching under his mustache, waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive while holding a mountain of floating latex.
You approach him in a fit of giggles, which quickly earns you a gruff, âshut upâ from your grandpa, but his eyes sparkle with laughter.Â
The elevator ride up to the maternity ward is a sight to behold.Â
âThis is definitely past the weight limit,â Steve mutters, smushed between a bouquet of roses and a stack of presents.Â
âDefinitely,â you whisper back, sending him a small smile as everyone loudly places final bets about whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Â
The doors open with a chime. Only when your shoes squeak against the hospital floor, do you feel like you can breathe again.
Violet and Sam trip over each other in their race down the hall, slowing the stampede for all of three seconds before everyone barrels into room twenty-five. Â You sort of feel bad for any new mothers trying to catch a little shut-eye in this joint, thanks to the uproarious laughter and general chaos spilling from Jennaâs room.Â
You hang back, letting the horde go first. Steve stays beside you, warm and solid in that red sweater, a crooked smirk tugging at his mouth as he looks over at you.Â
âGod, this coffee tastes like shit,â a familiar voice mutters behind you.Â
You turn to see Dallas and Banks striding towards you under the florescent lights, Dallas grimacing as he takes another sip from the styrofoam cup in his hand.
âYouâre just saying that because you take your coffee with an inhumane amount of creamer,â Banks says, âNot exactly living up to the sterotype, there, cowboy.â
The two of them look downright miserable.Â
âWow. I donât think Iâve ever seen either of you up this early,â you tease.
Dallas shoots you a withering look. âAs if I had a choice. Your mother practically ripped the sheets off me this morning.â
âYeah, sorry, she does that.â
Banks looks smugly at Steve, then at you.Â
âCanât say Iâm surprisedâŠâ he whispers over your shoulder before he and Dallas disappear inside the room.Â
You roll your eyes and follow after him, threading your fingers through Steveâs. The second you step through the doorway, you catch sight of Jenna.Â
Sheâs sitting up in the hospital bed, looking tired but beautiful in the early morning light as she cradles a tiny pink bundle in her arms.
A baby girl.Â
You smile and pull your gaze up to meet hers, preparing to congratulate her, but her expression catches you off guard.Â
She looks downright evil, smirking over at you and Steve.
âKissing Clause,â she says cheekily.
Samâs head whips towards you. âKissing Clause!â he shouts. Then he turns to Kristy. âMom! Kissing Clause!â
Mom stops cooing at the baby and looks over her shoulder, blonde ponytail swaying. Silence falls throughout the room as all eyes turn toward you two.Â
And then, as if on cue, everyone bursts into laughter.Â
Oh no.
âSteve,â you say, nonchalantly.
He hums. âAce?â
âIs there mistletoe above us?â
His head tips back in your peripheral vision, and he huffs. âYep. And Iâm guessing thatâsâŠbad?â
You shoot Jenna an exasperated look. âYou just had a child and youâre already hanging mistletoe over your door, trying to catch us?â
She shrugs, eyes sparkling. âPriorities.â
Cole whoops from the couch next to the window. âWe got them, boys!â
âOhââ You scoff ruefully, gesturing towards Rick and Sam. âStop high-fiving!â
Steveâs hand leaves yours to caress the curve of your waist. âAlright, somebody better start explaining, because Iâm about two seconds away from kissing her in front of all of you.â
âNo!â everyone shouts at once.Â
Then, they all dissolve into laughing fits again.Â
You narrow your eyes at the lot of them.Â
Amy takes pity on your boyfriend. âOn Christmas Day, if you get caught under the mistletoe without kissing, youâre forbidden to kiss your partner until the clock strikes twelve.â
Steve looks positively distraught. âYouâre kidding, right? Youâre saying I canât kiss her for an entire day? Christmas Day?â
âItâs just until midnight!â Tiff says from the foot of Jennaâs bed.Â
âOh, sure, Tiff, just until midnight.â Steve sasses. âWhat happens if I do it anyway?â
âThen we throw you both out into the snow!â Sam cheers.
That just throws the room into another rowdy betting pool, pertaining whether or not youâll make it until midnight. Amid this outrage, you feel a tug on your sleeve.Â
âSorry, got held up there for a second,â Brielle says, slipping past you and into the room, but not before you catch the mischief in her warm brown eyes.
You hum, unconvinced. âWhat, did the security guard have handcuffs or something?â
âNo!â she says, then lowers her voice. âHe took my booze! Iâm pissed at him.â
âYou got his number, right?â
âOf course I got his number, who do you think I am?â
You laugh, shoving her arm playfully, and she shoots you a wink before striding over and dropping a kiss on her auntâs head.
âSteve?â Jenna says suddenly over the noise of the crowd, âWould you like to hold her?â
Steveâs head snaps towards her in surprise, and he hesitates, gaze dropping to the sleeping bundle in her arms once before shaking his head.
âOh, no. I couldnâtââ he starts.Â
You canât resist twisting a hand in his sweater, watching the way his jaw clenches under the harsh hospital lighting.
âHave you ever held a baby before?â you ask softly.
He swallows, eyes still on the blanket. âItâs not that I havenât wanted to. Itâs justâŠI mean, people usually hand babies to the girls, yâknow?â
 His eyes drop to yours as if looking for encouragement, or permission, and something in your heart twists.Â
The room shifts around you, the groups talking amongst themselves as you tug Steve forward by the sleeve.
âWhat if I drop her?â he whispers.
Brielle steps aside when you both reach the bed and smiles at him. âYou wonât. â
âHer name is Joy,â Jenna says, sitting up as best she can and holding the baby out for you to take. Her tiny weight settles in your hands, that distinct baby smell turning your insides all gooey.
âItâs perfect for her,â you whisper, taking in Joyâs soft, dark hair and sleepy eyes.Â
You turn to Steve, whose looking at you like youâre currently hanging the moon in the sky, and gesture for him to move closer.Â
He bends down uncertainly, arms outstretched, and the warm bundle shifts from your hands into his until sheâs safely settled in the crook of his arm.Â
âHere, support her head,â you instruct. âYeah, just like that. You got it!â
His eyes, which had been flicking between you and Jenna to make sure he was doing it right, are now glued to the baby in his arms like nothing could ever tear them away.Â
âSo tiny,â he whispers, âLook at youâŠlittle nugget.â
Your thumb catches on the cool H against your chest as you watch him. Joy blinks up at him, eyes wide and unfocused, and her fingers wriggle in the air.Â
Steve grows more confident after a minute, and shifts her gently to free up one of his hands.
âHere. You wanna hold onto something?â he murmurs, raising his index finger over her face. Her tiny hand waves around, and when they make contact, her fingers wrap around his on instinct.Â
âYouâre a natural!â Cole says, his eyes tired from being up all night with his wife, but so full of love and excitement.
Youâre so enamored with your boyfriend holding a baby for the first time, you barely notice Uncle Rick stepping up beside you, a steaming yeti in his hand.Â
âGood Lord,â he chuckles. âWeâre gonna have to mop you up from the floor.â
You roll your eyes and bump his arm with yours.
âExcited to have him next season. Heâll be good with the kids,â he says, gesturing with his coffee towards Steve.Â
You frown. âWait, what?â
Rick shrugs casually, but then he catches the look on your face and instantly starts tugging on his flannel collar, lips twitching downward beneath his mustache that looks just like his dadâs.
âRick?â You press.
He clears his throat and looks away. âShit. Uhââ
âTell me, Rick.â
âWell, you know weâve been looking for a replacement baseball coach at the elementary school in town. Itâs good timing for me, Iâve been there long enough, and the middle school has a position opening Iâve been thinking about.â
You stare at him, eyes wide. âYou offered Steve a coaching job?â
âItâs only a starter position,â he says placatingly, âbut if he does well, he could move on to the bigger schools in the area. He hasnât officially accepted it or anything. Said he needed to talk to you first.â
You think back to Steve pitching to Sam. Was that just yesterday? It feels like an eternity ago. Youâve always planned on moving back here after college. And the thought of Steve living in your hometown with you sends butterflies fluttering in your stomach.
âYou gotta admit,â Rick says, â'Coach Steve' has a nice ring to it, donât you think?â
And you know whatâŠ
It really does.
âââ â» âââ
Steve has a stocking.
Itâs red velvet with white trim, lined up with the rest above the fireplace in Pawpaw Ben and Nanâs living room, hanging right next to yours.Â
He sees it the second you enter the room with Banks, Sam, and Dallas all in tow, (Theyâd all insisted you needed constant supervision since the Kissing Clause.)
Steveâs eyes go wide, and while everyone sprints to bury their hands in their own stocking, he only hesitates for a second before joining in.
The house smells like every good holiday memory youâve ever had. Pine, cedar, and cinnamonâMom no doubt already in the kitchen baking her cinnamon rolls.Â
A new Christmas tree sits in the corner against the tall windows, glittering with lights and ornaments, and a pile of presents so big underneath you could probably get lost in it.Â
Watching Steve rummage through a stocking that belongs to him, alongside all your cousins, makes you so happy that the back of your nose starts to burn.Â
But the tears quickly dry when Steve withdraws his hand, holding...a book.Â
The cover boasts a crude depiction of a cowboy pinning a girl up against a stable wall, one tan hand clamped over both her wrists.
Steve holds it up to you, and it only takes you a second to read the title.Â
The One Rule Ranch.Â
âUh, Kristy?â Steve calls.
Thereâs a bang from the kitchen, then Mom swings around the corner, wearing an apron covered in flour. She catches sight of the book in his hand and sends him a wicked wink. Â
âMerry Christmas!â she says, âThereâs some great BDSM in that one. Might open your eyes to some things.â
Your jaw drops. âMom!â
âWhat?â She turns to you and juts out her hip. âYouâre the one who said he was vanilla.â
Steveâs head whips towards you. âYou said that?â
âNo, Steve, that was all her assumptions, I neverââ
Steveâs not listening.Â
The glow of the fireplace frames his broad shoulders as he advances towards you. You take a step back and then another, until your head hits the wall behind you, and then heâs towering over you, eyes dark and heated.
âDonât kiss her!â someone warns from behind him.
That lock of hair falls over his brow and his chest rises and falls against yours, warm even through his sweater.
âOh, donât worry,â Steve says, eyes locked on yours. âI wonât.â
Damn.
Your breath catches, eyes dropping to his lips. Maybe itâs worth getting tossed into a snow bank just to feel his mouth on yours.
Steve leans in, breath brushing your ear, and your heart slams against your ribs.
âYou wanna get freaky, Ace?â he whispers, âAll you have to do is ask.â
You roll your eyes, even as butterflies erupt in your stomach.
He takes a step back, letting you squirm out from under his arm.
âWeâre gonna talk about this later,â he warns, and he spanks your ass with the book as you walk past.
Mom giggles as you and Steve pass her in the doorway, then reaches for the book. âIâm just kiddinâ. I lost that one a long time ago, didnât know where it went. Here, Iâll take itââ
Steve snatches it back incredulously. âUh-uh. It was in my stocking. And how else am I going to find out what this one rule is on the ranch?â
God, you need a drink.
Suddenly, a cold glass presses into your sweater, and you look down to see a freshly shaken dirty martini sitting in Banksâ ringed hand.
"Extra dirty," he says.Â
âYou actually have a superpower, you know that?â you mutter, taking the drink without looking at him.
âSo Iâve been told,â Banks replies, before disappearing again, off to serve his role as alcohol fairy.Â
Sam runs up and catches Steveâs hand.
âHarry, come play!â he pleads, pulling him further into the kitchen. You steal a gingerbread cookie from the counter on the way, earning a playful slap on the wrist from Gran.Â
Christmas lights frame the window on the far side of the room, and the table is set with taper candles that cast a soft glow over Violet, Mason, and Jane as they sit in the chairs, cards in hand.
Steve looks over the table, hands on his hips. âOkay, whatâre we playing here? Go fish? Uno?â
âPoker,â Jane says as if thatâs the obvious answer.
Steve shakes his head. âGambling already? Of course you are.â
âJust for M&Mâs!â Sam insists.
âOh, thereâs candy involved?â Steve catches your hip and the wooden chair creaks as he pulls you down onto his lap. âAlright, deal me in.â
A few minutes later, half the chocolate candies on the table are gone, and Steve hasnât had any. He tries to steal a bite of your cookie but you finish it off before he can, chuckling at his puppy dog eyes.Â
Loud laughter, clinking silverware, and the banging of pots and pans echo from the kitchen.The smell of roasted meat and gingerbread fill your nose, making your stomach rumble.Â
A few people have wandered in to escape the chaos and ended up staying to watch Steve lose to a group of kids. So many, in fact, you start to take pity on him.
âYou know, if youââ you start, squinting down at his cards.Â
âIâm not taking advice from you, Ace,â Steve interrupts, squeezing your thigh. âDonât corrupt me with your cheating ways. Iâm going to win fair and square. Howâs that sound, Sam?â
âSounds fine, Harry,â Sam says with a wicked gleam in his eyes. âBut good luck winning with your hand.â
A round of âooohâsâ go through the room.
Steve gasps, pressing his cards to his chest. âOkay, but I donât need luck, because unlike you allâŠI have an Ace.â
The two of you exchange a soft, secret sort of smile.Â
âThat reminds me,â you say casually, then reach down to fish a small box from your purse beside you. âMerry Christmas.â
You place Steveâs present in front of him on the table.Â
His eyes lock with yours for a weighted second before he snatches up the gift.
âUmâpresents after dinner!â Jane reminds, but the table falls quiet anyway as Steve peels back the ribbon and pulls a single playing card out of the box.Â
An Ace of hearts.Â
The edges are a little worn, the red ink faded slightly, but he recognizes it instantly.Â
âI kept it that night,â you say. âAfter we met at that poker game at freshman orientation. I donât know why, but I justâŠâ
âKnew,â Steve finishes your sentence for you.Â
His hand finds your leg under the table, and you lean into his touch.Â
Suddenly, a sigh sounds from across the room. All eyes turn to find Dallas in the corner, sulking.Â
âIf one more person says something as cheesy as that tonight, Iâm catching the next bus back to Texas, I swearââ
His phone starts ringing, cutting him off. He frowns and fishes it out of his pocket, but when he reads the name on the screen, his eyes light up.Â
Your heart swells as he nearly throws himself out of the kitchen and out the front door to answer it.Â
âAnya, hi. Y-yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too. Yeah, Iââ
The door slams shut behind him, his muffled voice swallowed by the crowd.Â
Steve looks back down at the card, then up at you.Â
âHold on. You gave me all that crap about the necklace, but you were still gonna give me this? Even if we didnât end up together?â
You shrug, a smile pulling at your lips. âYou can never have enough Aces, can you?â
âYouâre right," he says, "Iâll keep it in my wallet for dire times. Such asâŠnow!â
He slams the card on the table, along with his whole hand, revealing a flush.Â
âThatâs cheating!â Jane accuses, now on her feet.Â
Mason rolls his eyes. âOh, Câmon, youâre notâheâs not playing that!â
âWhy not? She does it all the time,â Steve says, motioning towards you and then leaning back in the chair with a charming grin. âNow, give me some of that candy.â
âââ â» âââ
If someone were to ask you what the best Christmas gift youâve ever received is, youâd tell them it was this: watching Steve Harrington sit in your favorite room, smushed on the couch between your family members, with a pile of presents at his feet.
All of them with his name on them.
His cheeks are red from the wine, and the firelight, and from getting the attention and doting heâs always deserved but never had before.
âFor you, honey,â Mom says, passing Dad a present from under the tree before looking at the crowd. âDid anyone get him what he really needs?â
âA haircut?â Gran pipes up from the corner.Â
Dad shoots her a withering look.
Mom laughs. âNo, something to inspire his next bestseller.â
Dad shakes his head. âI already got that.â
âYou did?â
His gaze swings to where youâre standing beside the windows, then he tips his chin toward Steve on the couch.Â
âYou inspired me, kids,â he says.
A smile steals across your lips, and you hold your glass out to cheers him from afar.Â
Steveâs eyes narrow, darting between you and Ed. âOkay, but if youâre going to write me, I need to proofread this thing. I mean, what if you donât describe my hair right?â
Laughter fills the room. Itâs soft, and warm, and it feels like home.
Later, after the sunâs gone down, and the pile of wrapping paper is officially taller than the Christmas tree, Steveâs eyes catch yours from across the room. He approaches you by the windows, and when he notices your empty drink, his brows furrow.Â
âHere,â he says, reaching for your glass. âLet me get you another.â
âOh, itâs fine, I canââ you start, but heâs not listening.
âAnybody else want anything?â he calls, already moving away from you.Â
A few people pipe up with their orders, and he nods, then disappears into the kitchen.
A few minutes go by with no sign of him, so you pad over to the kitchen to investigate. The sound of cold beers clinking against each other greets you first, then the slam of drawers. You turn the corner to see Steve rummaging around, searching the cabinets for something.
You lean your head against the doorframe. âCâmon, Steve. You held up at first base, or what?â
âIâm trying to find the bottle openersââ Steve freezes, then whips towards you. His lips part in amusement. âWas that baseball terminology?â
âOhâsorry. Coach,â you amend, smirking. âForgot that part.â
He leans back against the counter and faces you, but when you catch his eyes, they hold a seriousness you werenât expecting.
âListen, I was gonna talk to you about the job,â he says. âI just figured maybe you wanted a couple days before we started deciding things like thatââ
âTake it.â
He swallows hard, looking at you intently. âReally?â
âYes, Steve.â You step over to him, and his hands find your waist immediately. âI love you.â
âI love you too, Ace, and thatâs why I donât want you to feelâŠrushed? Fuck, I donât know, we justââ
âI donât feel rushed,â you insist, cutting him off. âI think itâs fantastic. I mean, if itâs what you want to do. You know, you donât have to move here for me if you donât want to.â You thread your fingers through his. âWhatever you want, weâll make it work. Together.â
Gone is the tightness in your chest at those words. Thanks to everything you went through this Christmas, you really believe them now.
Steve smiles softly down at you.
âI think Iâd like it. Coaching, I mean. I knew I wanted to do something with sports, and then teaching Sammy the other nightâŠâ He brings your hands up to his chest, his warm fingers closing over yours. âI donât know. It felt right.â
You exhale, relieved. âI would love for you to be here. Fuck, Steve. Iâd really, really love it.â
His eyes dart between yours, then drop to your lips.
âFor real?â he breathes.
You smile. âFor real.â
His shoulders drop with relief and happiness, and then, without hesitation, he dips his chin and his lips meet yours.
Your stomach flips and you kiss him back. Lovingly. Adoringly.Â
Distantly, you hear someone say, âWaitâŠis anyone else in the kitchen with them?â
But youâre not really listening, lost in Steveâs soft exhales, the gentle glide of his tongue, the way his hands grip your hips like youâre the only thing that matters in his worldâ
âOh my God, theyâre kissing!â
You and Steve spring apart in unison and whirl around.Â
A stunned Brielle stands in the doorway, dark curls lit with the kitchen light. Then, she grins devilishly.Â
âGuys! Get them!â she shouts.
Oh, shit.
âRun!â you say to Steve.Â
But neither of you even make it out of the kitchen before theyâre on you.
âYou know the rules!â Aunt Tiff shouts as you squeal, twisting away from the hands grabbing at your sweater.Â
âNo!â Steve laughs as Dallas and Rick advance on him at once. Heâs trapped in the corner of the kitchen, nowhere to run. âNo! Listenâyou know how long I waited for this girl? Justâwait a second, oh my GodââÂ
Dallas and Rick each grab him under one arm, dragging him toward the door as he keeps trying to plead his case.Â
Youâre laughing so hard you canât catch your breath as the front door opens, spilling cold air into the entryway.
Ed swings around on your other side, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and hauling you forward.
âNot you, too!â you gasp. âSeriously? Whereâs your sense of romance, Dad? Iââ
âHeave ho!â Gran calls from the doorway, as hands drag you down the steps.
Then, in unison, they release you.
Straight into a snow pile.
Steve catches you a second before you hit the snow, breaking your fall and rolling you underneath him. The cold snow soaks into your clothes, but Steve smiles down at you, hair framed by the porch light, eyes full of laughter and love, and God, itâs the single most gorgeous thing youâve ever seen.
âCâmere, Harrington,â you whisper, curling your icy fingers into his sweater, and pulling his mouth to yours once more.Â
And as you kiss Steve in the snow, under the stars and the cheers of your family, a deep nostalgia settles in your heart.
Not for your past.
But for your future.
And it starts now.
âââ â» âââ
a/n: I can't believe we're here....the last chapter of The Real Deal. Thank you so much for everyone who has read, shared, and commented. Especially those who sent me such lovely words about how this story has touched them. It makes me so incredibly happy, you literally have no idea.
This story bloomed a lot from where it began, and I could go on about it forever, but Ace and Steve will continue to live in my heart for a lot of reasons.
Thank you a million times over, I love you all so much.
(By the way, there will also be an epilogue eventually hehe)
i LOVE your draco ficâ€ïž i will be patiently waiting for the next update ily
Thank you!!! God, it makes me so happy to see everyone loving Lessons in Losing. I think about those characters every single day. (And I'm still writing chapter twenty, it will be yours soon, I promise!!)
Who knew all it took was one look at Simon Riley covered in blood to make you fail miserably at your job.
Price, Gaz, Soap, and Ghost stand behind your pilotâs chair, chests heaving from the effort of throwing themselves through the plane doors, fresh off the op youâre supposed to be flying them out of.
But you just sit there, jaw stupidly slack as you take in Simonâs already dark clothes, absolutely drenched in the proof of what a powerful predator he is. Deep red dots splatter his mask, too, and streak down his forearm, his fingers curled lazily around the handle of a knife.Â
Then he turns sharply, like heâs just noticed that the plane isnât moving. Â
âThe fuck are we waiting for?â Simon snaps.
Soap looks from him to you, then lifts both hands in mock surrender. âDonât look at me. Seems the pretty pilotâs got a thing for blood.â
Simonâs head whips towards you.Â
Heat rushes to your cheeks, and your hand flies to the throttle. But then his gaze catches yours and he chuckles darkly.
â 'S that right?âÂ
The rich brown of his eyes grow molten beneath the smudges of red across his mask as he takes in your expression, and for one incredibly embarrassing moment, you almost forget how to actually fly this fucking thing.Â
Without breaking eye contact, Simon steps forward and crouches down to your level.Â
Your breath catches as his gloved hand closes over yours, gently pulling back the acceleration lever. The plane lurches forward hard enough to send the boys tumbling into a pile of grunts and curses.Â
Your stomach dips and you snap back into gear instinctively, flipping the switch on the dash to pull the wheels up, hands flying to the control stick as you build in altitude.Â
âDonât worry, Bird,â Simon says gruffly, raising that knife and dragging one finger down the bloody blade. âItâs not mine.â
i found lessons in losing a while ago and i saved it and finally decided to read it last night and i am HOOKED i read it all in one night and the writing is so good and the storyline is so thought out!!! it has to be illegal to leave us on that cliff hanger đ„čđ„č i canât for the next chapter but i canât believe itâs ending soon đđ
first of all, thank you sooo much!!! and yes, I know, but the payoff will be worth it, I promise! :)
and I also can't believe it's almost over! soooo excited to show ya'll the new draco series I've been working on!!!
iâm missing cruise steve so five stars steve is really scratching that itch đ„”đ„”đ„”
cruise steve!!!
guys the next chapter of any port in a storm has a similar scene (bossy steve, hello?) and im obsessed, its coming soon dont worry! I had a really crazy week and havenât been writing as much as I want to, Iâve missed you all!!!