Take Your Shoes Off… @lesservillain - Tumblr Blog

Now that the end of the world is over…

viii. Liar (It takes one to know one)

Steve Harrington x reader

Summary: One conversation makes you rethink everything you’d been telling yourself until now. But is this going to go as well as you hope?

cw: SMUT. ANGST. FLUFF (we got it all here folks) unprotected piv, Steve’s breeding kink, lots of confrontation, some truth bombs dropping, reader’s mother (she needs her own warning)

wc: 14.8K

an: :)

“How’s North Carolina?” You lean against the wall as you hold the phone to your ear.

”Good, good,” Steve says on the other end. “This hotel bed is not very comfortable, but otherwise it’s been pretty cool.”

”Well, if that’s all you have to complain about then I guess things must be going well,” you say with a small laugh.

”What’s he complaining about?” Robin asks as she tosses a piece of popcorn to try and catch in her mouth.

”The hotel bed,” you tell her before returning back to Steve.

”How’s Lily been without me?”

”She’s been asking for you,” you tell him with a wince, knowing that it would simultaneously break his heart and make him happy.

”Ugh, this sucks,” he whines, “I wish you guys could have come.”

”I know,” you tell him, “Maybe when Lily gets a little bigger.”

”I wouldn’t want to put her through that boring drive, but it would have been nice to take a little trip with you two,” he says in a questioning way that makes you think he’s testing your thoughts on the idea.

”We can take a trip sometime, but let’s do it when it’s really just us and not the entire Hawkins Cubs baseball team.”

”Noted,” he says with a chuckle.

”Tell him not to worry,” Robin says from the island, “I’m gonna take good care of you two while he’s gone.”

”Robin said—“

“I heard her. Tell her I appreciate it.”

”He said he appreciates it,” you say, and Robin gives you a thumbs up. “I still can’t believe you’re going to be gone for seven more days.”

”Yeah, but I’ll be back before you know it,” he says, trying to reassure you.

”Well, I’m sure you probably want to get some rest before tomorrow,” you say, because you know he will just keep talking to you until he’s up later than he’s supposed to be.

Steve sighs, “Fine, I get it. Don’t want to talk to me.”

”I want you to be able to function when you wake up tomorrow,” you tell him.

”Okay, okay. Still trying to take care of me when you’re 10 hours away from me.”

”Absolutely,” you say with a smile.

”Alright, well, goodnight I guess. I’ll call again tomorrow,” he says, his tone still sounding like he’s truly suffering because you want to hang up.

”Goodnight Steve,” you tell him, not entertaining his theatrics.

”Night!” Robin yells, just in time for him to hang up.

Once you place the phone back on the receiver you let out a long sigh, rubbing your face over your hand.

“You okay?” Robin asks, looking at you with sympathy.

”I just hope I can sleep tonight,” you say with a weak smile.

Steve left two days ago for the nationals with his team. You thought you would be okay since Robin was staying with you in Steve’s old room, something you were very appreciative for, but you were still having some anxieties about Steve not being there.

It wasn’t as bad during the day, but at night when you had to sleep in that big bed alone, it gave you this terrible feeling in your gut. Robin suggested that you could ask Nancy to stay the night with one of her guns, but that sounded way scarier to you than it probably should have.

So night after night you just tossed and turned until your body tired itself out and you had no other choice but to fall asleep. It was starting to affect you to the point where you were falling asleep on the couch when Lily was taking her naps. You apologized to Robin every time knowing that she was not there to watch you sleep, but she said she didn’t mind at all.

”It’s kind of flattering that you feel okay to sleep around me,” she says as you try to rub the sleepies from your eyes.

”Well I have no reason not to feel safe around you,” you say with a yawn.

“Hey, I could be a psycho serial killer and you would never even know,” she says with raised brows.

”Even if you were, you seem more like an Aileen Wuornos type than a Ted Bundy,” you say, making her laugh.

”You’re so right. I would totally kill piece of shit men who deserved it if I had the guts,” she says sarcastically.

Spending nine days with Robin had made you learn a lot about her. She was a talker, an over explainer, but someone that you could just turn off your brain and listen to for hours as she drones on about anything and everything. She was funny too, and there were several times where she almost started talking about something where she would have to stop herself. “Sorry, that’s confidential” or “I’ll let Steve decide to tell you about that.”

She also talked a lot about her friend Vickie. They seemed to be super close since they spent so much time together. Her and Steve used to hang out a lot too, but you noticed that there weren’t as many recent instances of them getting to do stuff together.

”You don’t spend less time with Steve because of me do you?” You ask her the Saturday before Steve is supposed to come home.

”What? Oh my god, no way!” She says, baffled you would even think such a thing. “I mean, yeah, we don’t get to hang out as much as we did like a year ago, but we have our own relationships to focus on now.”

”Relationships?” You say, ducking your head shyly.

”Yeah, you know, you and Steve have your thing going on and I have…my own thing going on, too,” she says, once again sparing the details on herself.

”Can I ask you something?”

She looks at you curiously from across rhe couch, leaning in so her chin rests on her knees. “Absolutely anything.”

”What exactly has Steve said about…us? Like our…situation.”

Robin slowly leans back, a smirk appearing on her face. You know her and Steve talk a lot, and you try to give him privacy when they do since it’s not your business to be hearing. So you’re sure he’s had to bring up how he feels about the two of you to her at some point, right?

“Is that the real question you want to ask?” She questions back, making you rethink your words. “How about this: why don’t you tell me how you feel, and I’ll give you my best advice for how to handle it with Steve. Sound good?”

“That would be great,” you say, adjusting to face her more on the couch. “But promise me whatever I say stays between us? I know we’re not close like you and Steve are, but I feel like I can trust you.”

“I’m not going to say anything that I think you need to say yourself. How ‘bout that?”

“That’s fair,” you say with a small smile.

“I will preface my words by saying I am obviously biased in this situation, though. I want Steve to be happy after all.”

“See, I do too,” you start, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “All I want is for him to be happy. I love being here with him, but I worry that my presence is going to cause issues for him in the long run.”

“How so?” She asks with a suspicious eye.

“I don’t think it’s fair that he has to be alone for, well, the next 17 years at least until Lily is 18 and goes to college,” you explain.

“Why do you think he has to be alone?”

“Come on, what girl is going to want to be with a guy who still lives with their child’s mother?”

“Why do you think he would want to be with anyone else?” She ask, her wording making you feel like she’s implying something.

“You never know,” you say with a shrug. “He might meet someone at a baseball game one day.”

“Mmm, I highly doubt that at this point,” she says confidently.

“Can I be honest with you?”

“That’s all I’m asking for,” she smiles.

You think for a moment before closing your eyes and just letting it all out.

“I’ve been in love with Steve since we were 15,” you confess. Robin’s eyes go wide, mouth dropping open in shock. “I always really liked him, and then one time when Carol was being a bitch to me, he stepped in and stood up for me. He didn’t have to, but he did. It’s been all over for me since.”

“Wow, I was…totally not expecting that,” she admits slowly shaking her head.

“It was definitely more of a juvenile puppy-love back then, but…”

“Buuuuut?” She asks, looking at you eagerly.

“But now…It’s way more real,” you say, burying your face in your hands.

“Now, as in, like, right now, now?” She asks excitedly. You simply nod, spreading your fingers to gauge her reaction. “Wow,” she says with a whimsical sigh. “Who knew things like this could happen in real life?”

“What do you mean?” You ask, looking at her skeptically.

“Nothing, nothing,” she says waving you off. “I just feel like I’m witnessing a romance novel come to life.”

“Ha ha, you are so funny,” you say, playfully shoving her.

“Okay, well, if you want my honest opinion—“

“I do.”

—And if that’s really how you feel—“

“It is.”

“Then, I really don’t think it would hurt to share those feelings with Steve.”

Your heart skips a beat and your chest suddenly feels very tight. It’s one thing for your sister to have said something, but to have Steve’s best friend tell you that you should just tell him how you feel…

“Are you sure?” You ask her, still not fully believing it.

“I promise,” she says, looking at you intently. “Like I said, I want Steve to be happy, and I think he would be very happy if you talked with him about your feelings.”

So the next day after Robin had left, you paced the house trying to think about how you were going to execute this confession. Should you just tell him as soon as you see him? Or should you let him settle down and relax for a bit after being gone for so long? Would it be fair to him to just drop a bomb on him, or should you try easing him into it?

You’re sure he’ll want to spend time with Lily, so maybe you need to let him do that first. Sure, you’ll be suffering the whole time, but you want to do this right.

When you hear Steve coming through the front door just as dinner is finishing up, nerves hit your stomach instantly. How were you going to be able to keep yourself together when you can barely stand the thought of him being in the house?

“Anybody home?” You hear him yell from the entryway, and your feet are suddenly moving, taking you to him.

“Hey sweetie,” he says, a big beaming smile as he kicks off his sneakers.

“I love you.”

You don’t know why you said it. All your plans just went right out the door, but you just couldn’t stop yourself. You braced yourself for whatever reaction you thought he might give you.

“Awe, I love you, too,” he cooes, walking over and giving you a tight hug. “Where’s our little lady at?”

You’re in complete shock at his response to your confession…or, rather, lack of response. The way your sister and Robin had talked you up, you were expecting some big dramatic scene, where Steve would pull you in and kiss you, and maybe even take you up stairs for—

“Hello?” A hand waving in your face pulls your attention.

“Oh, sorry, s-she’s in the kitchen,” you say, trying not to sound disappointed.

“Oh Lilyyyyyy,” Steve calls, and you hear Lily squeal. He leaves you standing there with your thoughts, still unsure how to feel.

“Smells good in here,” you hear Steve say after a beat, and you rush back into the kitchen.

“It should be done now,” you say as you turn the knobs of the stove.

“Mmm got home just in time.”

Then, you feel arms wrap around your middle, Steve’s chin resting on the top of your head as he holds you close. You rest your arms on his and just take him in. It really hit you how much you missed him, and how much your heart ached for him.

You wanted to just spin around and kiss him, really show him how happy you were that he was home. But…the way he responded to your declaration of love kept you from making the jump.

The rest of the evening consisted of a lot of family time between the three of you, but you knew that you weren’t as present as you wanted to be. Your mind was reeling over what you could have done differently to get a better reaction out of him, a million scenarios playing in your head making you curse yourself for being so stupid.

And it only got worse once the two of you climbed in bed. Steve’s touch was a welcome one, but you just felt like it didn’t mean what you’d been thinking it meant all this time.

”What’s wrong?” Steve says, his chin on top of your head again.

You don’t answer at first, thinking maybe you should just tell him that you’re okay and not to worry about it. But you couldn’t. You were tired of keeping your feelings to yourself and pretending everything is fine.

“Steve?”

”Yes angel?”

”Why were you, like, not surprised when I told you I love you?”

”What do you mean?” He asks, finger under your chin so you can look up at him.

”I mean, maybe you didn’t understand, but I wasn’t just…saying it. I mean it. I love you,” you say, thinking that maybe he was misunderstanding your words.

”I know,” he says with a smile, “And I love you, too.”

”See, you say that like this was something we’ve already talked about,” you say, but unsure standing this situation.

”We have?” He asks a question.

”What? No we haven’t,” you say, sitting up in the bed.

”Babe, you’ve told me you love me before,” he says, also sitting up.

You try to wrack your brain to when you could have possibly said how you feel about him before, but you cannot recall.

”I think I would know if I’ve confessed my love to you already,” you say, making him laugh.

”I mean, it wasn’t like that, but you’ve definitely said it,” he says, shaking his head.

”Steve, I’m really sorry I don’t remember.”

”So, you don’t remember me saying it back then either, huh?” He says, looking down bashfully.

”No, definitely not,” you say, shaking your head slowly.

”Okay, how about we start over?” He suggests, sitting up in bed. “Just pretend nothing has been said and clear the air.”

”Yeah, okay,” you say, “Um, you first?”

”S-sure,” he says, rubbing his hands together.

You watch as he takes a deep breath in, letting it out as he hypes himself up.

”Alright…I love you.” His words make your chest tighten, because you can’t handle how serious he sounds. It’s not casual or playful like earlier, this felt like a punch to the heart.

”I’ve actually felt this way for a while. The love-love part maybe was more so a little after you stayed with me that first weekend before you moved in—“

”Wait, you’ve felt like this since Valentine’s Day?” You ask dumbfounded.

”Yeah,” he says with a crooked smile. “And it’s only gotten worse since you’ve been here. I’ve been trying so hard to keep myself together with you being here, but I know that I’ve not been the best. So I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel uncomfortable.”

”Oh, Steve, no, never,” you reassure him.

”Good, that makes me feel better,” he says with a sigh of relief. “I’ve been kind of hoping you’d show me some kind of sign that you felt the same way, but you’ve been keeping to yourself for the most part. But, when you started, you know, sleeping next to me like we have been, I thought maybe that was a good sign.”

”It was,” you confirm, “I’ve been making small gestures to try and build up my courage so I could do something…more.”

”More?” He asks cheekily. “Well, I’ve definitely noticed, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions so I’ve also been kind of trying to get the guts to do something, you know, more, too.”

That made your stomach do flips. This whole thing was too good to be true. You even sort of pinched yourself to make sure you hadn’t fallen asleep. But it was real. Steve Harrington, the love of your life, was sitting next to you in your shared bed telling you he was in love with you.

”I love you, too,” you say, shy at first but fighting it and looking directly at him. You tell him all about how you’ve loved him since high school and how it was a dream come true when he asked you out two years ago.

”I knew it was just another date for you, but I was begging any higher power out there who would listen that this would be the start of our fairy tale story. Which sounds immature for a 19 year old, but I just wanted you to like me back so bad.”

“Wow, I had no idea,” he said, making you chuckle.

”I know, I kept that secret close to my chest,” you tell him. “The only person I ever told was Heather, and then she died, so it was just me who knew.”

”That’s…”

”Crazy?”

”No, not at all,” he says, waving his hands, “I was gonna say something like, maybe it was fate or something that we got together that night. Even if we lost contact, maybe it was just meant to be and that’s why you were able to find me.”

”You believe in that stuff?” You ask with a giggle.

”I believe in a lot of things after what I’ve seen. But, you know, I tried to find you after our date.”

”You did?” You ask in shock.

”As much as I could at least. I called so many times, even drove by your house but no cars were there. I heard from someone that you had moved, but they had no idea where, so I felt like I really was never going to see you again.”

”Why did you want to find me so bad?”

”Because I just…” he starts, pausing to collect his thoughts, “I really felt something with you that night. More than any other date I’d been on before or since.”

”Really?” You say, feeling like you could cry from how happy that made you feel.

”I mean, I always thought I knew about you since we had some of the same friends. But that date…I just felt like we connected in a way I’ve never felt before.”

”I did, too. It killed me that we had to leave like we did,” you say sadly.

”I don’t blame you. Half the town left after all those killings, and my parents really wanted me to move with them when it happened. But, I had to stay, and even after all I’ve been through, I think it was worth it that I stayed since you’ve come back into my life.”

You can’t help but feel fuzzy all over at his words. “This is so weird,” you say, looking down at your hands.

“Why is it weird?” He asks, moving closer to you.

“I just…can’t believe this is my life.”

Steve chuckles, “Honestly, I can’t either. I mean, I always dreamed of a wife and six kids and the white picket fence with a dog—“

“Woah, hold on there,” you say, stopping him.

“What? Do you not like dogs?” He asks, knowing damn well why you stopped him.

“Really Steve? Six kids?” You ask in disbelief.

“I grew up an only child, so I think it only makes sense I want a big family, right? Like sure I have lots of friends, but I think I missed out by not having a brother or a sister.”

“Well, it’s not all it’s chalked up to be,” you tell him, thinking about how turbulent your siblingship with your sister has been over the years.

“No offense, but I think your circumstance is different,” and you totally get what he’s saying.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” you say with a sigh. “But I can tell you right now, I am not having five more kids.”

“I figured as much…which is why I’ll settle for four.”

“What!” You exclaim, making him fall back with laughter. “You say that like it’s any better! That’s still 3 more kids to give birth to!”

“Yeah, but it’ll be different the second, third and fourth times,” he says, watching you as you lay next to him in the bed. “Because I’ll be there, and you won’t have to feel like you’re doing it alone or with people hanging their help over your head for the rest of your life.”

You’re quiet when he says that, thinking back to how utterly alone you felt Lily’s first year of life. It’s amazing how much of yourself you lose when you become a mother. How different people view you. Selfish if you do anything for yourself, but a burnout if you only think about the baby.

“You know I’m just teasing you, right?” Steve asks after a long pause. “If you don’t want more kids I’m okay with that. I’d be just as happy if it was just the three of us for the rest of our lives.”

“Maybe one more?” You suggest, and Steve looks at you like a dog that heard its favorite word. He turns over on his side to face you, looking at you excitedly.

“Really?” He asks giddily. “I mean, no pressure at all, and we can wait until you’re ready, but I would really like that.”

“Before Lily, I used to think I wanted three kids,” you start, looking up at the ceiling. “Then, when I got pregnant and had her, I made peace with the idea that I would only have one. But—

“But?” Steve asks curiously.

“But I think, with you, maybe I could handle just one more,” you say, looking at him as you speak. His face lights up, and you can feel his energy radiating off of him.

“Do you trust me?” He asks, sitting up so he’s looking down at you.

“Of course,” you say as if it was absurd to think otherwise.

You watch him, waiting for him to say something else, but he doesn’t. Instead, he reaches out, leaning over you with a hand caressing your face. As he gets closer, your heart begins to pick up its pace, feeling like it’s going to burst from your chest as he closes in on you. His eyes close and his lips purse, which is the last thing you see before you close your own eyes.

For a split second you think something has to happen. Every time you have a moment like this with him something stops you. But as you hold your breath, the time for something to happen passes.

Because his lips meet yours, soft and sweet and chapped. He holds you there, not breaking from you as if afraid that if he stops he’ll never have this chance again. But you want him to know that’s not true. So you break from him, only to pull him back in again. With arms wrapped around his neck, you kiss him back hard, making sure he knows how much you want this, too.

But then things get messy. His lips parting, allowing his teeth to nip at your lower lip, testing the waters to see how much you’ll let him in. And boy do you let him in, kissing him back with parted lips and hot passion.

“Steve,” you breath, making him shutter.

“Yes baby?” He asks, the pet name hitting different in this new tone of voice.

“Want you,” you tell him, fingers running though his soft hair and tugging. His head tilts back, eyes shut as he moans.

“Shit, you don’t have to tell me twice,” he says, leaning back just enough that he can pull his night shirt off. You follow suit, maneuvering to peel your own clothes off you as well. Steve’s eyes go wide as he sees your bare chest, and you swear you see something shift in his eyes.

“Been waiting so long for this,” he says, diving down to kiss you again. It’s a lot of tongue and lips smacking and kisses that trails from the corner of your mouth down your neck. You feel the heat begin to build between your legs as he makes contact with your breast.

He kisses all the way until he reaches your perked nipple, not wasting a moment before taking it into his mouth. The sensation has you gasping, nails digging into his shoulders as he sucks and licks at it repeatedly. While his mouth is occupied, his hand is making sure your other breast isn’t neglected as he gropes and palms it.

“Nnn, Steve,” you whine, your legs rubbing together as you try and get some sort of friction to satisfy the ache that he’s creating in you.

“Mmm, I’m sorry, I just really missed these,” he says, burying his face between your breasts for a moment before looking up at you.

“They were better before Lily,” you tell him, and he pshes you.

“I’ll still love these two even when they’re down to your knees,” he says, making you slap his arm playfully.

“You say that now, but if I had six kids they’d be down to my knees before I’m thirty.”

“And I’m telling you I’m gonna love them all the same,” he says, pecking the tops of both breasts before reaching forward, silently asking you for a kiss. You sigh dramatically, but lean forward to kiss him back knowing you couldn’t deny him now.

“You know, as much as I love these two, I think there’s something else I’ve missed even more,” he says, the cute attitude shifting as you feel his hand slither up your leg. You watch him with parted lips as you can only feel him getting closer to your heat, audible gasping when his big hand cups your still clothed cunt.

“Can I?” He asks as he pulls at the material of your sleep shorts. You simply nod, eyes still glued to him as you feel his fingers slip into the elastic.

He sits back before he pulls them off, looking down at you to watch the blue cotton slide down your body. It’s a bit clumsy when you pull your legs out from them, but Steve doesn’t seem to mind, his gaze laser focused on the wet patch that was forming on the crotch of your panties.

“Look at that,” he says, his hand pressing against your inner thigh as his thumb brushes over your wetness. “Bet you’ve been wanting this just as much as I have.”

“Mhm,” you sigh, eyes screwing shut when he applies pressure near your clit.

“In fact I know you have,” he says confidently. “Heard you screaming my name when I came home the other night.”

“W-what?” You look at him with wide eyes, mortified at his words.

“I thought you were in trouble, so I rushed up the stairs,” he says, not minding your embarrassment as he keeps moving his thumb on you. “But before I opened the door, I could hear all those little noises you were making.”

“Steve, I’m so sorry—“

“I wanted to open that door so bad,” he says, his hand moving up until both of his hands were sliding in the sides of your panties. “Wanted to take you right there. Ended up having to take care of myself in the hall bathroom while you were in the shower.”

“You should have,” you say, making him look at you. “I was so frustrated because I wanted you so bad, I just didn’t want to admit it. But if you had come in—“

Steve’s lips were on you in an instant, kissing you with a hunger you’ve never seen before. At the same time, his hand roughly pulls down your panties just enough that his hand can make its way to your center. His fingers find your entrance with no problem, one of them pushing deep inside of you and moving quicker than you were ready for.

“Oh my god, Steve!” You moan, arms wrapping around his neck so you can grip at his back.

“Mmm, you say my name so pretty like this,” he says before burying his face in your neck. His lips nip and gently pull at your skin, adding another layer of sensation to what he was already putting you through.

“Gonna put another one in,” he says, and you feel it as it stretches you more, moving in tandem with the first one. “Gotta get you nice and ready for me.”

His words send a tingle down your spine with the promise that he was going to split you open on his cock again. You knew he needed to get you ready, but wanted nothing more than to feel him in you right now.

“Fuck, Steve, please,” you whine, looking at him desperately.

“Think you can take me now?” He says scissoring his fingers inside of you.

“Want it,” you say desperately.

He leans down to kiss you again, slowing his movements as he starts to pull his fingers from you. You hate the empty feeling, but remind yourself that it’s just temporary.

The same hand that was just inside of you is now tugging at his sleep pants, sloppily pulling them down as he tries to do that and keep kissing you at the same time. As he’s about to pull himself free, a sound from the monitor has the both of you freezing in place.

If it was just a babble or a coo, you wouldn’t have paid it much attention. But this sound had you jumping up from the bed, grabbing your shirt and pulling it over you as you yank the bedroom door open and rush down the hall.

You hear the sound of Lily crying before you can even push her bedroom door open. “Oh Lily Pad,” you coo, scooping your daughter up into your arms.

“Is she okay?” You hear Steve ask, appearing in the doorway behind you.

You look with the light from the night light around the crib and the floor under it to see where Lily had thrown up. It was a lot, which had you greatly concerned since she was still just a one year old.

“I think I’m going to get in the shower with her,” you tell him, trying to shush your upset toddler.

“I’ll clean this up,” he says, face scrunched in disgust.

“I can do it if you don’t want to,” you offer, but he waves you off.

“I can handle it,” he says. “I’m so sorry, angel.” Steve rubs Lily’s back as she starts to settle a bit, her face pressed into the side of your neck.

Lily throws up again while the two of you are in the shower, not as much as before, but enough that you’re feeling genuinely concerned about her.

“Should we take her to the hospital?” You ask Steve as he helps you get Lily redressed.

“I don’t know… It wouldn’t hurt right?”

“What time is it?”

Steve walks into your bedroom and checks the time, yelling back, “Almost midnight!”

You think about it for a moment, looking down at your sick daughter. Feeling her forehead, you can tell she has a bit of a fever, and you really don’t want her to suffer all night before you can get her into the pediatrician.

“Do you care if we take her?” You ask Steve once he reenters the bathroom.

“Not at all. Let me get dressed and then I’ll take her so you can too,” he says before disappearing again. You walked around the bathroom while Steve changed, trying to comfort Lily the best you could.

When he came back in, Steve grabbed Lily from you, following you back into the bedroom. You didn’t even think about it when you let the towel drop, exposing yourself in front of Steve as you started to get redressed. Once you were dressed, you turned around to see Steve looking suspiciously around the room with red tipped ears and pink cheeks.

“Okay, let me grab some extra clothes in case she gets sick again. I’ll sit in the back with her on the way there.”

“Meet you in the car?” Steve suggests, with you nodding in agreement.

The next morning you found yourself barely able to stay awake as the three of you laid in your bed. Lily was fast asleep laying sideways between you and Steve, who was also snoring as he slept. You wanted to sleep too, but the fear of Lily vomiting in her sleep and drowning in it kept you awake since you came home from the hospital.

They said it was likely just a stomach bug and that it would pass after a few days. It was a huge relief to you that it wasn’t something more serious, but this is the first time Lily has ever been sick before, so you felt awful for letting it happen.

“You’re not a bad mom,” Steve yawned when he was driving you all home.

“But I let her get sick,” you cry, caressing your sweet baby’s face.

“Kids get sick, remember? That’s what the doctor said.”

“I know but, do you not feel awful?” You ask with a sniffle.

“I feel bad that she doesn’t feel good, but I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault she’s sick,” he reassures you.

You were glad to have Steve in moments like this. Because if it had been just you, you probably would have blamed yourself forever. But you felt better hearing Steve tell you that it’s going to be okay.

You look over at him as he sleeps, Lily’s feet pressing into his ribs but not bothering him in the least. It took you a second but you realized the two of them were laying the exact same way: on their backs with a hand behind their heads. It made you laugh to yourself, because there was definitely no denying them being father and daughter.

“Do you think she’s well enough for our families to be visiting?” You ask Steve, watching Lily play in the living room from the kitchen.

“It’s been two weeks, I think she’s feeling much better now,” he says from the couch, watching her play while MTV plays.

“I know, but I don’t want her to overdo it,” you say, wiping your hand on a towel.

“I’ll tell my mom to keep it easy.”

“I feel bad they can’t stay here,” you tell him as you walk into the living room. He reaches out to you and you take his hand, surprised when he pulls you into his lap.

“I don’t,” he says, looking at you with a certain something in his eye.

“That’s just because you want to—“

“Shhh, not in front of the child,” he says sarcastically before kissing you silly.

“But, we still need to finish where we left off the other night,” you say, playfully grinding yourself down on Steve’s lap.

“Mmm, trust me I haven’t forgotten,” he says with a strain in his voice. “As soon as that one goes down tonight, I have plans for you.”

You got goosebumps with the way he was speaking, but it was short lived when you heard a knock at the door.

“Coming!” You yell. Looking down at Steve, you give him a knowing look before pressing a quick kiss to his lips. He chased after you as you climbed off of him, smirking as you walked out of the room.

Grabbing the door, you were surprised to see that it was the Harrington’s at your door instead of your own parents. “Oh my gosh, you didn’t have to knock,” you tell them, stepping aside so they could come in.

“Nonsense,” Mrs.Harrington tells you as she walks in. “This is your home now, and I’m not horrible enough of a mother in law to just invade your space.”

“Speak for yourself,” you hear Mr.Harrington say under his breath.

“Hello, Mr.Harrington,” you say, catching his attention. When he looks at you, he really takes you in in a way that makes you feel like you’re being judged. You tried to look your best for their visit, and you hoped that he would approve of you.

“Hi,” he says shortly before walking away, seemingly unimpressed.

“Don’t mind him,” Mrs.Harrington says to you. “He gets grumpy after a long flight.”

“Oh, I see,” you say, not really believing her.

“Hello Steve,” you hear Mr.Harrington say as he enters the main room.

“Hey Dad,” Steve says, jumping up from the couch. He looks around the corner and sees his mom, seemingly much more excited with her presence. “Hi Mom!”

“Hi dear,” she coos, walking into the living room and embracing him. “How are you? Hopefully not sick after having an ill child.”

“We’re both good,” he assures her. “Had an upset stomach for a day or two, but it was nothing as bad as what baby girl had.”

“Awe, my poor baby,” Mrs.Harrington cries, rushing over to where Lily was sitting on the floor. She scoops Lily up in her arms, and Lily looks at her like she’s trying to figure out why this lady looks familiar.

“Daniel, come meet your granddaughter,” Mrs.Harrington says, waving him over to her. Mr.Harrington silently crosses the room, stopping just next to Mrs.Harrington. He doesn’t do much, just sort of looks at Lily from a comfortable distance.

“Well, she’s definitely a Harrington.”

It didn’t seem like much, but his words felt affirming to you. He even seemed to break his stoic act a bit, leaning in to rub his finger under Lily’s chin and making her giggle.

“Smells good in here,” Mr.Harrington declares, sniffing the air.

“I’m making something from Steve’s Nona’s cook book. He said it’s your favorite,” you tell them.

“I thought I smelled something familiar," Steve’s mother says giddily. “Reminds me of my mother’s kitchen when I was young.” You looked over at Steve who gave you a small thumbs up. It had been his suggestion to make the dish knowing you really wanted to impress his parents.

”Nice to have a woman who cooks for you, isn’t it son?” Mr.Harrington says, looking over to Steve with a grin.

”I don’t do it all,” you say, making Steve’s father side eye you.

”She’s an amazing cook,” is all Steve says, his eyes on you lovingly.

”Hmm, yes,” he says, rubbing his hand down his front.

“Well, let me know when dinner is ready. I’ll be up in my office in the meantime.”

You watched Steve’s face drop at his dad’s words. You felt awful, knowing that it was because his father had been so neglectful to him growing up. “I just hope that he’s more present for Lily,” he had said to you last night, your daughter laying between the two of you as she sleeps. You tried to tell him that it would be better, but it didn’t seem to be fairing that way.

As Steve’s dad walked into the entryway, there was another knock at the door. “I got it,” he calls back, and you watch as he walks to the door and opens it.

There’s a brief quiet moment before you hear your dad greeting Steve’s father at the door.

”How’s it going?” He asks, taking Steve’s father’s hand as he walks into the house. The two men talk for a moment and you see your mother sneak inside the house without paying Steve’s father much mind.

”Cathy!” Steve’s mother called, and your mother’s face perks up a bit.

”Hello, Martha,” she says as she walks into the living room. You see her glance at you from her peripherals but that’s about all the acknowledgment she gives you. “How was the flight?”

”Long and boring,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “But so worth it to see my little princess.” She pressed her cheek against Lily’s and you almost freak when Lily gives her an open mouth kiss. But Steve’s mom didn’t seem to mind, just laughing it off.

”Yes, it’s always worth it to travel to see the grandbaby,” your mother says, stepping closer and cupping Lily’s cheeks in her hands. She leans in and whispers something to her, but you couldn’t hear it from where you were standing.

Steve calls for your mom’s attention and she turns to look at the two of you as if she hadn’t even noticed you were there.

”Oh, hello Steve,” she says. She nods and says your name, but turns her attention back to Steve. “How have you been, dear?”

”We’ve been okay all things considered,” he says, nodding towards Lily.

”Right, poor thing. I’m glad she’s feeling better,” your mother says, looking sympathetically at Lily. “Hopefully this is a learning moment about how to keep a house properly germ free.”

You roll your eyes at her words. You know what she was trying to say; that you don’t keep the house clean enough. Didn’t seem to be an issue when you were living with her though.

Steve’s dad eventually heads up stairs and your dad greets you with open arms. He even takes Steve in for one of his big bear hugs, which Steve seems elated to receive. The four of them plus Lily make themselves comfortable in the living room while you hang out in the kitchen, checking to make sure everything is cooking as it was supposed to.

”Need any help?” You’re startled by your mother’s voice as she had snuck up behind you.

”What? Oh, no, I got it,” you say, wiping your hands on the rag over your shoulder.

”Smells good,” she says, eyeing the food in the pans on the stove.

”Kinda hard to mess up Italian,” you say with a shrug.

“You’d be surprised,” she says, with a sigh.

”How…have you been?”

She looks at you, seemingly surprised that you’re making the first move in this.

”I’ve been good. Trying to keep up with your grandparents’ house has been quite the task, but we’re managing,” she says with a genuine smile. “How about you, sweetheart?”

”It’s been great. Amazing, really,” you tell her, “I can’t imagine how it could be any better.”

Your mother hums, nodding her head at your words. “That’s good. Glad to hear that. Um, do you have any asprin? I’ve been dealing with a headache since we left.”

”Yeah, it’s in our hallway bathroom upstairs. Do you want me to go get it?”

”No, no,” she says, waving you off, “I’m a big girl, I’ll get it myself.” She walks away, hand pressing against her forehead as she leaves the kitchen. But you weren’t alone for long as Steve entered the kitchen in her place.

”Hey did you talk to her?” He asks lowly, leaning over you.

”Briefly,” you tell him, not sure how you felt about the small interaction.

”Good,” he says with a nod. “I was keeping an eye when I noticed she walked in here. But the lack of yelling seems promising.”

“I think we are okay…at least for now. We need to have a conversation, but not today obviously.”

”Yeah, let’s just try and enjoy ourselves tonight, huh?” He says, hands grabbing your hips as he looks at you suggestively.

”You’re going to need to hold it together for a little while, buddy,” you tell him, pushing his hands off of you in case his mother or your father see. Steve lets out a dramatic sigh, crossing his arms like a petulant child. “Why don’t you go grab a beer for you and my dad? He probably needs one after driving 3 and a half hours with my mom and sister.”

”Oh, good call,” he says, patting you on the arm before rushing to the fridge.

”Can I get you a glass of wine, Mrs.Harrington,” you offer as Steve walks out of the kitchen with the two beers.

”That would be wonderful, darling,” she says from where she’s sitting on the living room floor with Lily. You pull out a bottle you picked up for the evening and poured yourself and her a glass. You left another glass out for your mom to pour for her when she comes down stairs.

But some time had passed, and her glass had you realizing that she had been gone for at least 15 minutes if not more. You were a little worried since she was complaining of a headache, so you decided to head up stairs to make sure nothing had happened to her.

When you got up the stairs, you looked around to see if you could find her. She wasn’t in the bathroom, nor in yours and Steve’s room or even Lily’s room. You were a bit worried since you hadn’t heard her come back down stairs, so you headed down the hall to see if maybe she had gotten lost looking for the right bathroom.

You were about to check Steve’s room, but you heard some noise coming from the closed door of Steve’s father’s office. As you approached it, you noticed that it was two different voices, recognizing one of them to be your mother’s. Pressing your ear to the door, you listened in on what they were talking about.

”This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t gotten her pregnant in the first place!” You hear your mother shout, immediately confusing you. “I know that I wasn’t the only girl you were leading on, but why her?”

You gasp, taken aback at your mother’s words. You wanted to make sure what you heard was correct, so you kept listening on.

”Catherine, what has happened between Martha and I was unfortunate, but you need to realize it wouldn’t have been much different if it had been you instead,” Mr.Harrington says with a sigh.

”You told me you loved me,” your mother says with venom in her tone.

”And I did. Once upon a time ago. But, look at us, we both have our own happy families—“

”Oh don’t even try that with me,” your mother spits, “I know what you have in your family isn’t love.”

There was a quiet beat for a moment before Steve’s father spoke again.

“Why are you so infatuated with love amyway?” He asks. “Why do you think every couple that is together must be so in love? That type of mindset is exactly why your daughter is adamant on not marrying my son, even though it would benefit the both of them socially and her financially. They have a child, so they need to do what is best for her.”

”I think you want them to do what’s best for you,” your mother suggests. “You just don’t want word to get out that the only Harrington son had a child out of wedlock. I mean, what would the country club think!”

You hear Mr.Harrington audibly sigh, “Catherine, what exactly do you want me to do at this point?”

”Tell your son to stop leading my daughter on so she can be happy. Tell him that she needs to leave so she can come home.”

You reel back at your mother’s request, mind racing to try and comprehend it. There was no way that could happen. She had no idea about yours and Steve’s relationship, but you had just told her about how happy you were. Why is she so dead set on trying to ruin everything good you have going for you?

“I don’t think that’s very fair,” Steve’s father says, and you hear your mother scoff.

”Oh, now you care about what’s fair?” Your mother says with disbelief.

”Martha has told me that Steve is very much interested in your daughter,” he says, and you felt like dropping to your knees that Steve’s father was being reasonable right now.

”Only because he’s your son,” your mother says. “Just like your spawn to try and convince themselves that they’d be happy with their child’s mother.”

”Have you even talked to your daughter?” Steve’s father asks. “She’s been here for four months and hasn’t come running back to you yet. She’s been going around running fundraisers for my son’s job, calling herself Mrs.Harrington. You think that sounds like someone who isn’t happy? I mean they sleep in the same bed for Christ’s sake!”

There’s a pregnant pause that has you on edge. You could only imagine your mother’s face as she’s taking in all this information from her ex lover when she would know all this if she bothered to try and make things right with you.

“You’re useless,” you finally hear her say. Then the knob of the door turns, and you jump back at your met with your mother’s surprised face.

”How much did you hear?” She asks, and you see Mr.Harrington stand up from his desk.

”I heard enough,” you say, crossing your arms.

Your mother sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “C‘mon, we need to talk.”

”It can wait,” you say, pulling away from her. “Dinner is ready, so the both of you are expected downstairs.”

You give Mr.Harrington a sharp look before walking away from the both of them and practically running down the stairs. Steve looks happy to see you as he takes all the pans off the stove.

”Everything okay?” He asks, licking red sauce off his finger.

”Yep, just fine,” you say, putting on your best innocent face. “Do you want to get Lily ready and I’ll get the food to the table?”

”You got it, boss,” Steve says, saluting you before taking off.

As you start to dish everything, you see your mother and Mr.Harrington walk into the living room and head to the table. They sit at opposite ends of the table, nowhere near each other, which is probably for the best.

Once you’re all seated and everything is being passed around, some light conversation starts up at the table. Thankfully your mother participates, seeming to be keeping her feelings to herself, which you were appreciative of.

Eventually the topic, unfortunately or not, came to you and Steve. Questions about how you two were doing had the two of you looking at each other. You had talked about possibly bringing up your new relationship with your family, but hadn’t come to a conclusive decision, mostly with your hesitance. But now, with this new information, you are feeling a little different.

”Oh, well, you know—“

”We’re happily together," you say before taking a sip of your wine, making Steve look at you in shock.

“What? Really?” Mrs.Harrington asks excitedly.

”Y-yeah,” Steve confirms, beaming at you. “It’s new for us, but, yeah, we’re, like, crazy in love.”

”In love?” Your mother asks, confused.

”Does this have to do with the conversation we had at the park when I was here in March?” Your father asks Steve, making you look at him confused.

”Well, that’s wonderful isn’t it,” Mr.Harrington says, looking at your mother for a moment. “So when’s the wedding?”

”No wedding yet,” Steve says with a wave of his hand. “We know we haven’t done things in order, but we still want to make sure that we do things right before making that kind of commitment.”

”I’m placing bets that you’ll be married by the end of next year,” Mrs.Harrington says giddily.

”Well, let’s not rush things,” your mother says before taking a big gulp of her glass.

”Too late to not rush things now,” Mrs.Harrington laughs. “Including more kids.”

”Oh well—“ You start.

”My daughter doesn’t want more children,” your mother interrupts matter of factly.

”No, don’t say that,” Mrs.Harrington boos.

”Well, I’m not completely against it,” you say, hoping to reassure her. ”It’s something we’ve talked about potentially doing, but not for a while. Right Steve?” You look over to Steve to confirm, but instead of him being as smiley and happy as you, his eyes seem to be cast down and he doesn’t totally seem present at the moment. ”Steve?”

Suddenly your mother stands at the table, causing all eyes to be on her. Her eyes are locked on you, not seeming to care if she’s about to cause a scene.

”I need to speak with you. Privately.”

“M-mom—“

But before you can protest, your mother takes off from the table, leaving everyone behind.

”Is everything okay?” Mrs.Harrington asks lowly.

”It’s fine,” you say, quickly standing from the table. “We’ll be right back.”

You follow your mother’s steps up the stairs and find her standing in the hallway, foot tapping impatiently. “Where can we talk?” She asks, looking around her.

”We can talk in here,” you say, walking over to your bedroom door and pushing it open. Your mother scoffs when she realizes where you were going, but doesn’t protest.

”Alright, what is going on?” You ask once the door is shut.

”I should be asking you that,” she says with agitation. “You leave for 4 months and all the sudden you’ve completely changed your mind on everything? Are you even the same daughter of mine who left me?”

”I didn’t leave you, mom,” you tell her, and she rolls her eyes. “Whether you like it or not, I moved because it’s better for Lily to be with both of her parents. Steve and I get along really well so I don’t see why it’s such an issue.”

”You get along well, alright. Madly in love,” she mocks Steve’s words with a sarcastic laugh. “I knew this would happen. You’re just as weak and gullible as I thought you were.”

”Mom, I understand now why you think that me being with Steve is a bad idea, but I promise you he is nothing like his father,” you try to convince her.

”Of course he’s convinced you of that,” she says in disbelief. “His father said the same thing to his mother, too, and you can see how that’s turned out. What you need to realize is that Steve is no different from any man out there, and that includes his father.”

“Oh, so just because one guy was shitty to you in high school that means all guys are shitty? I guess that means dad is like that, too?”

”Well, I said I would never tell you this,” she starts, crossing her arms over herself in a way that looks like she’s hugging herself, “But yes, even your father. You wouldn’t know this, but he left me for another woman after I got pregnant with you.”

You take a step back, not wanting to believe her words. Your father treated you like the greatest thing to ever happen to him, so there was no way he would do that.

”I don’t believe you.”

”Fine, don’t. But ask him who Betty Rimmick is and see how his face drops when you do,” she says, turning to look away from you.

”But dad—“

”Thinks you hung the stars?” She asks, making you nod. “Yeah, that was only after you were born and he couldn’t deny you. It took a lot of convincing, even after we got married, to trust him again. That’s why you and your sister have several years between you.”

You are quiet for a moment as you process this new information, but you aren’t going to let her convince you to change your mind about Steve.

”Even if that’s true, Steve is not like dad either. At least, not in that way.”

”Not yet,” she says, taking a step towards you. “But just wait. Get pregnant with his kid again and see how he acts then. You didn’t get to see it with Lily, but you know there’s a reason he has no siblings.”

”Again, Mom, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” you tell her. ”Steve’s mom can’t have more kids. Something happened when she was pregnant with Steve and she couldn’t get pregnant after that. It’s not because of what you think.”

”That’s what she told you? Of course, because she would never admit to the fact that Daniel Harrington never wanted kids to begin with. He and I used to argue about it quite a bit. Don’t know how she managed to trick him into getting her pregnant in the first place.”

“Did you consider that maybe he just didn’t want kids with you?”

She turns to look at you, eyes wide in offended shock. “You weren’t there,” she says through her teeth. “You see the way he is with Steve now. How could you not be convinced he never wanted to be a father.”

”Even if he didn’t, I know for a fact that Steve does,” you tell her. “He told me he wants six kids, Mom. Six! What man who doesn’t want kids would ever admit something like that?”

”Please, that’s such an exaggeration that he was clearly lying to you. This is why you shouldn’t have left. You just believe anything that boy tells you without even thinking it through!”

”I have thought it through! I overthink everything actually! He’s been trying to tell me how he’s felt for months but he didn’t make a move until I finally admitted how I felt.”

”And what exactly do you think you feel?” She asks condescendingly. “That you love him?”

”I do love him,” you say sternly. Your mother drops her arms, eyes rolling as she begins to pace the room. ”Mom, I’ve loved him for a long time. Longer than you know—“

”If you count having a crush on him in high school as loving him then you clearly have no idea what real love is,” she scoffs, shaking her head dismissively.

”It’s not the same love as then, but it’s…evolved. Grown. Changed. It’s real, Mom. What I feel for Steve is real,” you plead, hoping to get it through to her.

“Sweetheart, I get it. Trust me,” she says, hands on your arms as if now she was trying to convince you. “I’ve been there. That’s why I know that what you’re saying is only going to lead you to heartbreak.”

”No, Mom, it’s not the same,” you shake her off of you. “And you know what? Even if it is, it’s something that I am going to have to experience myself. You can’t protect me from everything.”

”I know that,” she says, finally breaking, “but I have to try! You and your sister are the only two things in this world that have ever made me feel like there is a purpose to my life. I might not get it right all the time, but all I really want is for you to be happy.”

”And you thought me being the maid of grandma and grandpa’s house was what was going to make me happy?”

“You had a child at 20 years old,” she says, pointing a finger at you. “I did what I needed to do to make sure you could stay home with her and raise her. But you needed to do your part around the house you were living in for free. You don’t know this, but your grandparents told me every day that I was babying you by not making you work. You know they kicked me out when I got pregnant with you, right? So be lucky you didn’t have them as parents like I did when I had you.”

You didn’t know how to respond to that. It explained why your grandparents seemed to not care that you were basically their live-in maid. It made you sad to know how they really felt, but this was just further proof that you needed to leave.

“You know, I do all the same stuff here for Steve that I did at their house,” you tell her, biting your lip, “But Steve thanks me every day for what I do. Maybe not always with words, but with his actions. He makes me feel appreciated for doing what I do.”

”And he should. I’m sure it was hard for him doing it by himself for so long, so he should appreciate you for picking up his slack,” she says with a shrug.

”Mom, can you stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you want from me?” You say with frustration. “Because you’re telling me that I shouldn’t want to be here, but you’re not making me want to come back to you either.”

”I…” She stops, hand over her mouth as she thinks. It’s a long drawn silence, your eyes on her as the only sound between you is your breathing. ”You know what?” She laughs. “I don’t know. I don’t even know. Because you’re right. I don’t want you here, but I don’t think you should come back either. I wish I could just magically give you your own place and support you myself until Lily starts school and you could get a day job. But, I just can’t.”

”I appreciate that you want to do that for me, I really do. But…I have to grow up and do this on my own.”

“Then what do I do?” She asks with a watery tone as tears come to her eyes. “Do I just stand by and hope that you make the right decisions?”

”I think so,” you say gently, putting a hand on her arm. She looks at you like it’s finally clicking for her. Then, she grabs you and pulls you in, holding you close as she starts to cry. You can’t help but cry, too, holding her tight.

”I’m sorry,” she sniffles. “Sorry for everything. I know I treated you harder than your sister, but you’ve always been such a soft girl that I was terrified of what the world would do to you.”

”I know,” you tell her. “It’s going to take a long time to heal from that, but…I think I understand it now.”

”I can already tell that you’re going to do better with Lily than I did with you,” she says quietly, almost a whisper.

”I’m going to try,” you say with a sniffle.

The two of you break from your embrace and laugh at each other's running make up. You show her to your bathroom and you get yourselves cleaned up the best you can before deciding that you should probably go back downstairs.

”Is there…anything you want to know before we go back down?” She asks, her eyes on the floor anxiously.

”Like about you and Steve’s father?” You ask, making her nod. “No, not really. That’s something that the two of you need to deal with on your own.” She nods, but smiles at you, following behind you as you head out of your room.

”There you are,” Mrs.Harrington says with Lily in her arms, standing up from the couch. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes,” your mother says, “We just needed to have a little talk. Mother to daughter.”

”Oh good, I was so worried I had said something to upset you,” Mrs.Harrington says, plopping back down on the couch. “I hope you don’t mind we cleaned up a bit down here while you were gone darling.”

”What?” You say, head whipping around to look at the almost cleared dining room table. “No, you shouldn’t have,” you say frantically.

”Don’t worry,” you hear from behind you as Steve’s hands land on your shoulders, massaging them. “You did all that effort to cook, let us clean up.”

You look over your shoulder when you notice the slight slur in Steve’s words. His cheeks are slightly flushed, and his eyes are heavily lidded looking at you. “What?” He asks, and you can smell the beer on his breath.

”Having fun?” You ask, turning to face him. He chuckles before leaning in, hand on the back of your head as he kisses you. You thought it was going to be a small peck, but he held you there longer than what was probably appropriate in front of your families. So you pulled away, making him whine.

”Steve,” you say sternly, head nodding back. He looks behind you to see your mothers talking on the couch while your fathers are nowhere to be found. He just laughs, giving you another small peck before quickly walking away like nothing happened.

”Can I get you ladies anything?” He asks, making you shake your head at him as you walk into the kitchen.

The food still needed to be put away so you went ahead and got on task with that, listening quietly as Steve put on his charms as he spoke to your mothers. He’s always been a social guy, but even in high school you knew that he opened up way more when he drank. People used to say you couldn’t tell Steve a secret when he was drunk because he would just tell the next person who crossed his path. He didn’t mean any harm, he was just a dumb jock at heart and you loved that about him.

It made you think about what it would be like if you had a son one day with him. One that maybe looks a little more like you, but has his father’s hair and all the same charm. That would probably make Mr.Harrington very happy, and you still felt like you needed to prove yourself to him.

Speaking of, the back door opened and the hearty laugh of your father filled the room as he and Mr.Harrington stepped inside. You watched them as they walked in, but you noticed your father’s face change when he spotted you.

“Steve,” Mr.Harrington says, lacking the humor he had before.

“Huh? Oh hey dad. What’s up?”

”I need to speak with you in my office,” Mr.Harrington said flatly, and you watched Steve swallow thickly. ”Thank you both for coming tonight. We’ll have to get together again soon,” Mr.Harrington says to your psrents. “Lily’s birthday is in December, right?” He asks, turning to look at you for the answer.

”Yes, it is,” you nod, surprised he remembered.

”Good, well hopefully it will be before then, but in December for sure. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Steve’s father takes him by the arm and leads him up stairs, leaving the rest of you behind.

”We probably should get going,” your mother says, standing up from the couch. “We should get Fran from that boy’s house before we have another mess on our hands.”

”Mom,” you say, looking at her pointedly.

”I’m kidding,” she says, waving a hand at you. “But seriously, let’s go get her,” she says under her breath to your father.

As they gave Lily their good byes, you walked over to both of them and gave them both hugs before walking them to the door. Your dad seemed happy that you and your mother were getting along, but didn’t comment on it to you.

”See you again soon,” Mrs.Harrington waves as your parents walk out the front door, closing it behind them.

You think that’s the end of that, until Mrs.Harrington says your name in a tone that had you feeling like your hairs were going to stand on end. When you turned to look at her, you found that she did not have the chipper, passive look on her face that she normally had. Instead, it was replaced with a serious one that had you feeling sick.

”Y-yes?”

”I think we should put Lily to bed, yes?” She asked, but her demeanor still made you feel uneasy.

”Um, yeah, it is her bed time,” you say, taking the lead up the stairs as they followed behind. It was quiet between you as you took Lily from her, starting to change her and get her in her night clothes.

”How much do you know?” She asks, and you look up at her confused.

”Know about what?”

”About your mother and my husband.”

Oh fuck.

”I, um—d-don’t know what you mean.“

”Don’t play dumb with me,” she says, crouching to get on your level. “I might not seem like it, but I know what is going on more than you think.”

”I mean, all I know was they had a thing back in high school or something. But that’s it,” you admit, not wanting to get on her bad side.

”Is that all? So there was nothing going on when they both were gone for a long period of time this evening?”

”What? Oh, god, no,” you tell her, “They were at each other’s throats earlier, but that was it.”

”And you know this because…”

”I overheard their conversation,” you tell her as you stand with Lily, and she eyes you. “They were arguing about me and Steve.”

”Hmm, that sounds about right,” she says with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. ”I’m sure your mother must think my son is just like his father. A lying, cheating scoundrel.”

You were shocked to hear these words, and your face must have given you away because she laughed before continuing on.

”Your mother knows just as well that keeping that husband of mine only mine has been a full time job for the last twenty some odd years now. And I know all about her and my husband’s little situation before he got me pregnant with Steve. I hoped that she would have gotten over it by now, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” she says with a sigh.

”I think it will be better now after the talk she and I had,” you tell her as you place Lily in her crib. She watches as you flick on Lily’s night light, the both of you walking out of her room after telling her goodnight.

As you start to walk away, you feel Mrs.Harrington grab you by the arm to stop you. You turn to look at her, expecting her to have a sour look on her face, but are instead met with a sullen one.

”My son…he’s not like his father,” she says to you, making you turn to fully face her.

”I know,” you say, but she shakes her head.

”He’s a lover,” she says with a small smile. “He may have thrown himself at any girl that would give him attention before, but he didn’t do it for the reasons his father did. Steve wants to be loved. He wants to have something that we—he couldn’t give him growing up.”

”I can tell,” you say, and she looks at you with surprise. “Steve is such a good father and partner, and I know he has to have gotten that from you.”

Mrs.Harrington smiles, “Yeah, that’s all me. Unfortunately I was never able to give it to someone who actually deserved it. But…I want to make sure that is something you are wanting to give my son, too. I want him to give his all to someone that deserves it.”

You take a deep breath in before giving her an assuring nod. “I want to prove to you, and to him that I do. That he deserves it, too.”

You watch as your words make her visibly relax. But it’s short lived when you hear the office door open and see Steve step out, his eyes red and nose sniffling as if he’s been crying.

“Oh, Mom,” he says, voice watery. Mrs.Harrington turns on her heel and is clearly instantly upset to see her son like this. “Dad wants to talk to you.” You see him look at you only briefly, as if you wouldn’t notice him in this state if he wasn’t looking at you.

”Please excuse me,” Mrs.Harrington says softly, walking away from you and following Steve back into Mr.Harrington’s office.

You thought about eavesdropping at the door like you did earlier, but you didn’t want to risk making anyone mad by listening in on their private conversation. Maybe if Steve wasn’t completely sobered by his conversation with his father he would just end up telling you what was said anyway.

You actually hoped he would tell you even if he was sober. Because you wanted to be there for Steve in times like these. You wanted to be there for him to help him deal with his family drama, just like he wants to be there to support you with yours.

So while they talked, you took yourself downstairs and finished cleaning. They still hadn’t come down by the time you were done, so you chose to just hang out in yours and Steve’s room and read to keep you occupied. You kept glancing at the clock, the time getting later and later without Steve having returned yet, making you start to worry.

Then, at almost 11 pm, the bedroom door finally opened, and a very defeated looking Steve walked in.

“Hey,” you said as you closed your book.

”Hi,” he sniffles. “My parents left. Told me to tell you they’d see you tomorrow.”

”Oh, okay,” you say, standing up from the bed. “Is everything okay?”

Steve stopped, not looking at you before starting to sob. “No,” he cries, sitting down on the edge of the bed. You sit down next to him, wrapping an arm around him.

”Steve, what happened?"

Steve hiccups, sniffling like crazy as he wipes his face with his shirt. “Oh you know, just my dad telling me I’m a total fuck up.”

”What?” You say, turning to face him. “Why would he say that?”

”Because no matter what I do I’ll never be good enough for him,” he says, standing up as he unbuttons his shirt roughly. “He’s mad at me about Lily. Mad at me about you. Mad at me about my job. I just…can’t do anything right,” he yells as he throws his shirt on the floor.

”Okay, hold on,” you stand, walking to him. “I can get why he’d be upset about Lily and us to an extent, but not enough to be mad enough to make you cry. And what’s wrong with your job? You love your job and you’re working very hard to be ready to teach this year.”

”He says my job is an embarrassment and that teaching is a woman’s job,” he says, shaking his head.

”Oh, whatever,” you say, rolling your eyes. “There are plenty of male teachers in the world.”

”He wanted me to join his business, but I’d have to get a finance degree to do what he wants me to do.”

”Well, is that something you want to do?”

”Hell no,” he says, making you chuckle. “I don’t want anything to do with his business shit. He travels all the time, and I like being here with you and Lily. I know it would make more money, but I don’t really think I’d get through all the schooling anyway.”

”Well, I wouldn’t say that, but you really shouldn’t do it because you don’t want to. I can tell being a coach makes you happy, and I think you will really enjoy teaching.”

”I think so, too,” he says, seeming to calm down a bit. You take this as an opportunity to embrace him, wrapping your arms around him and resting your head against his chest. He gladly accepts you, wrapping his arms around you and just holding you.

But then, his hold on you loosens, leaning back a bit to look down at you. His hand goes under your chin, gently lifting your head so you look up at him. He’s smiling down at you, but his eyes are conveying how he’s really feeling, and a tingle runs down your spine.

You let him place a soft kiss against your lips, and then another, and another that built in intensity when his lips parted to take your upper lip between his. Everything after that happened so fast once it started, and soon you found the both of you barely clothed with your back against the bed as he pressed his body into you.

His hand moves down your side and slides over your thigh until it meets your core. Silently, Steve slips his hand into your underwear and feels around until his fingers find your sensitive bud. Your hips jolt at the feeling, writhing as Steve begins to work you up.

Then he gives you a moment to breathe as he moves lower, fingers gliding through your folds before settling at your entrance. He pushes a digit in and without warning begins to move it inside of you. You grip his bare shoulders, body heating up even more as he pushes a second finger in.

He’s panting hot, eyes barely open as he focuses solely on trying to get you ready for him. You’d probably complain any other time about the lack of foreplay, but you were so needy for him that you weren’t bothered by his rushing.

”Fuck, I need you,” he huffs, his fingers suddenly needing you as he sits up so he can pull himself out of his boxers. You giggle at his clumsiness watching him pull his boxers off his body. But he’s not laughing, clearly in the zone as he leans over you, his hard cock in one hand as he pulls you to the edge of the bed with the other.

You’re breath hitches when you feel him line himself up, his tip prodding you as he starts to push himself in. You grip the sheets of the bed as you brace yourself for the stretch you know you were about to receive. He slowly starts to push in, making little trusts to work you open for him. It’s intense at first, but the more he lets you adjust the more enjoyable it feels, eventually having you moaning as he gets as close as he can to bottoming out.

”Does it hurt?” He asks, looking down at you with pinched brows.

”Nnn-no, it feels good,” you breathe out, gasping when he gives you an experimental thrust to see how you take it. He seems pleased when you moan at the feeling of him hitting that spot inside of you. This prompts him to keep going, starting slow until he builds up a steady pace.

The bed rocks under you as he fucks you, the headboard hitting the wall over and over from his thrusts. His eyes are all over you, bouncing between the bounce of your tits and the way your face is contorting with pleasure as he bullies your soft spot with his tip. You say his name between breathy moans and small curses, eyes barely able to stay open as you take in everything he’s giving to you.

”God, you’re gorgeous,” he breaths. Then he’s flopping forward until he’s an inch from your face. One arm is next to your head and his free hand is gripping the side of your head so he can kiss you senseless.

As you wrap your arms around his neck, you’re also wrapping your legs around him to push him into you more. The grinding feeling was throttling you towards your peak, and you made it known as you scratched your nails down Steve’s back. His eyes rolled back, hesitating for a moment before starting to move even faster.

”Mmm, you gonna cum pretty girl?” He asks, looking down at you with lidded eyes. His pupils were so blown out you could barely see the ring of hazel that remained.

“Y-yes,” you choke out, head tilting until your back was aching off the bed. “Oh god, Steve, fuck!” Then your body starts to shake, the feeling hitting you like a train as you cum hard.

”God, I can feel it,” he says, eyes screwing shut and his bottom lip tucked between his teeth. “Fuck I’m getting close.”

There’s a moment of clarity for you when he says that, especially since he didn’t seem like he was making it apparent if he was going to be pulling out or not. For a brief moment the idea of him cumming inside of you made your body heat up with excitement. But the reality of what could happen is what made pulled you out of the moment.

”Steve?” You say, trying to get his attention. He looks down at you, in the zone until he notices the look on your face.

”What’s wrong?” He says, slowing down to a stop.

”I’m sorry I just—I don’t know,” you say, covering your face with your hands. But he’s grabbing your wrist and pulling your hands away from your face gently so you can look at him.

”Do you need me to stop?” He asks, looking at you with concern.

”No, it’s not that, it’s just…I don’t know if I’m ready for another baby yet,” you admit, eyes closed so you don’t have to look at him. It’s quiet for a moment, so when you get nothing from Steve you can’t help but peek open one eye to see his reaction.

The look on his face makes your heart drop.

“Steve, I’m sorry—“

”No, it’s okay,” he says, shaking himself out of it. “I-I can pull out.”

”Steve…” you start, but he keeps shaking his head.

”Or maybe we should just stop,” he says, pushing off from the bed and standing upright.

”Wait, I don’t want to stop,” you tell him, grabbing his arm to keep him where he is.

”I know I just…”

”Tell me what’s on your mind.”

He’s quiet again, eyes shifting as he’s deep in thought. You feel awful for upsetting him like this. You should have talked more about this topic before just diving into bed with each other.

”I’m not trying to make you do anything,” he starts, making you nod in understanding, “I just…If I’m being honest, I just want to be a little selfish.”

”What do you mean?” You ask curiously.

”I…I want another kid, like, now…” he says, not looking at you.

“Steve…”

”It’s selfish, I know. But I want…I want to experience everything I missed before. That I missed with Lily. I know it wont fix the past, but I just want to have that with you.”

”I get that,” you say, biting your bottom lip. “It would have been easier if you had been there…”

”I think I’m just, I don’t know, worked up because of my dad,” he says, throwing up his hands. “I just want to show him I know what I’m doing.”

”And you think having another kid would do that?” You ask him with a small grin.

”Yes? No? I don’t know,” he says, hands wiping over his face.

”Steve, there’s no rush to do anything. You know that right? I’m not going anywhere,” you say in hopes to make him feel better.

”I know, I know, but ever since we talked about it I just…can’t get the image out of my head.”

”What image?” You ask. You see Steve turn his head, looking bashful at your question.

”Of you…being pregnant,” he says quietly, like he was hoping maybe you wouldn’t hear it. You don’t know why but his admission made you feel funny, but in a good way.

“What about me being pregnant?” You ask, trying to hide the way you were starting to heat up again.

”I don’t know,” he says, beating around the bush.

”Tell me,” you say, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to you again. You feel him twitch inside of you with this movement, his eyes wide as he realizes that you might be into this.

”I want to knock you up,” he says as he licks his lips. You pull him down to you and peck his lips. “Wanna see your belly big with my baby.”

”Yeah?” You ask breathily.

“Y-yeah. Wanna show you off,” you kiss him again, and you can feel him starting to rock into you again, slowly at first. “Want everyone to know you’re my girl.”

”I am your girl,” you tell him, and he moans into your lips as you kiss him.

”Want everyone to know what I did to you,” he says, giving you a sharp thrust. “Big belly, ring on your finger—fuck, and you wearing my coache’s jacket. God, you had no idea how hot you looked in it.”

His thrusts got harder, sloppier as he continued to babble on. His words get you going, making your mind slip into another place as he keeps going.

“You want that, too, right?” He asks, and you nod your head without hesitation. ”Fuck, I’m gonna cum. Where do you want it?”

You think for a split second before you’re telling him not to pull out, legs wrapping around him again to keep him inside. But he doesn’t fight you, giving you a few more thrusts before he’s stilling balls deep inside of you. You feel his cum spurting out and filling you up, making you gasp at the sensation.

“Shit, are you okay?” He asks through gritted teeth. You laugh, because even like this he’s still making sure you’re okay.

”I’m fine,” you giggle, hands cupping his face as your thumbs stroke his cheeks soothingly. He nods, slowly opening his eyes to look down at you.

And then he’s falling, dropping his whole body on you making you laugh. “Steve, I can’t breathe,” you tell him, trying to push him off.

”Mmm, I don’t wannaaaaa,” he whines, and you can see his grin on his face.

”If you want me to have your kid I need to be alive to do that,” you tell him. He sighs dramatically before finally pushing off of you. He pulls out, wincing a bit before he’s plopping down on the bed next to you. His head is turned to the side so he can see you, that big goofy grin on his face on full display.

”I can’t believe we finally did it,” you tell him, making him laugh.

”I know. We should probably check and make sure Lily is okay, just in case,” he says, and that suddenly makes you worry. “I’m kidding, I’m sure she’s fine,” he says, trying to make you feel better.

“I don’t know, maybe I should check,” you say, sitting up in the bed.

”If it will make you feel better,” he says, grabbing your hand.

You grab some sleep clothes to quickly put on and quickly tip toe to Lily’s room. You sneak over to her crib and watch, sighing with relief when you see her breathing.

Once you return to the room, you hear Steve turning on the shower in the bathroom. “Can I join?” You ask from the doorway, trying to keep your cool at seeing Steve’s post sex naked body. You winced a bit at the red marks you had made down his back, but he didn’t seem to mind them.

”Please do,” he says, motioning for you to come to him. You saunter over to him, arms wrapping around him as you approach. He helps you get undressed and the two of you jump into the warm shower water.

You can barely keep your hands off each other the whole time. It started with just you bumping into each other, then became you washing each others bodies, then turned into him bending you over against the wall as he fucks you for a second time. It was much quicker than before, the both of you almost cumming in tandem.

By the time the two of you were dry and ready for bed you felt like you could have fallen asleep as soon as you hit the pillow. But Steve wasn’t going to let you go that easily, pulling you across the bed until your bodies were tangled with each other. He somehow fell asleep before you, his snores filling your ears as you drifted off to sleep.

thank you for reading!

Next Part➡️

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