you and i were fireworks
steve harrington x reader ☆
w/c: 2853
just a cute lil fluffy steve fic ♡ enjoy
masterlist
The backyard smelled like charcoal and bug spray and every good memory Hawkins had tried to keep. String lights sagged between the trees, a half-deflated “Happy 4th” balloon bobbed against the fence, and the cooler was already sweating onto the patio bricks. Steve’s house had become neutral ground over the years- big enough for everyone, far enough from the old mall that nobody got weird, and close enough to town that the fireworks still painted the entire sky with bright color.
You were perched on the low stone wall by the grill, plastic cup of lemonade sweating in your hand. Steve had been orbiting you all night the way he always did when the world felt too loud- a palm sliding across your lower back as he passed behind you to grab another soda, fingers brushing yours when he handed it over, the way his shoulder found yours and stayed there a second longer than necessary while Robin told a story about her new roommate. Small things. Quiet things. The kind that said I’m here without needing an audience.
He hated the Fourth. You knew it even if he never said the words out loud anymore. Starcourt had burned that holiday into his bones- loud cracks, bright flashes, the smell of sulfur and panic. Every pop from across town made his shoulders twitch, but he still hosted, still smiled, still let the kids turn his lawn into a battlefield of water balloons and bad decisions.
Which was probably why Dustin was currently standing on a lawn chair like he was giving a TED Talk.
“Listen up, people!” Dustin announced, arms wide. “This view is fine, but Lovers Lake? The fireworks reflect off the water. It’s science. It’s cinematic. It’s better. We should walk.”
A chorus of groans rose from the older half of the group.
“Walk?” Steve repeated, like the word had personally offended him. He was still holding the tongs from the grill, one hip cocked against the table. “It’s like a mile away, Henderson. In the dark. With fireworks going off. Absolutely not.”
Robin pointed a half-eaten hot dog at him like a weapon. “I second the motion to drive. My calves already hate me and I haven’t even moved yet.”
Eddie, sprawled across two deck chairs like he owned the place, lifted his head just enough to smirk. “I'll drive. Everyone can fit in the back of the van”
Nancy, ever the reasonable one, tried diplomacy from where she was arranging a tray of deviled eggs. “It’s safer to drive. And faster. We can still get a good spot if we leave soon.”
Jonathan just nodded quietly beside her, already folding a blanket like he knew which side was winning.
The kids- Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, Max, and El- exchanged a single, synchronized look that had been perfected over years of collective chaos.
“No,” Max said flatly, arms crossed. “We’re walking. It’s tradition now.”
“There is no tradition,” Steve argued.
“There is now,” Dustin shot back. “C’mon, Harrington. Live a little. Feel the breeze. Smell the… whatever that smell is. Freedom? This could possibly be our last holiday all together.”
Lucas grinned. “Or we go without you. Your choice, old man.”
Steve’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. His eyes flicked to you- searching, a little pleading, a little soft. You gave him the smallest smile and a tiny shrug that said your call, but I’m with them. His shoulders dropped on a sigh that was half defeat, half fondness.
“Fine,” he muttered. “But if anyone twists an ankle, I’m not carrying you. Except maybe one person.” The last part was quieter, meant only for you, and the way his fingers found the inside of your wrist for a second made your stomach do that stupid little flip it always did around him.
Robin threw her hands up. “Democracy is dead. Long live blisters.”
Eddie whooped and rolled off the chairs with dramatic flair. “Onward, my brave little sheep! To the lake of questionable decisions!”
Ten minutes later the whole circus was moving down the sidewalk in a loose, loud parade. Steve had insisted on bringing the cooler on wheels, Robin had three flashlights and a fanny pack full of bandaids “just in case,” and Eddie was already narrating their journey like it was the opening crawl of a fantasy movie.
“Chapter one,” he intoned, walking backward so he could face the group. “The Fellowship of the Lake departs the Shire-er, Harrington’s tragically average backyard- on a quest for explosive entertainment. Little do they know, danger lurks in the form of… mosquitoes. And Steve’s complaining.”
“I’m not complaining,” Steve said from beside you. He was. A little. But his hand had found yours again, fingers laced tight, thumb stroking slow circles over your knuckles like he needed the reminder that you were solid and real and here. Every time a firework cracked somewhere ahead- early testers, bright and distant- his grip tightened for a second before he forced himself to relax. You squeezed back. Grounded him. That was the deal tonight.
The kids had already pulled ahead, arguing about which color firework was objectively the best (Dustin was team blue, Max was team “whatever blows up the loudest”). Nancy and Jonathan walked a little ways behind them, talking quietly, Jonathan’s camera slung around his neck. Robin had fallen into step with Eddie, the two of them trading increasingly ridiculous stories that definitely weren’t true.
You and Steve hung back just enough to have a pocket of quiet in the middle of the noise.
Another pop split the air- closer this time- and Steve flinched hard enough that you felt it through your joined hands. He stopped walking for half a second, jaw tight, eyes flicking toward the sky like he expected something worse. You stepped in front of him without thinking, free hand coming up to rest lightly on his chest.
“Hey,” you said softly. “Just us. Just fireworks. Nothing else.”
He let out a shaky breath and leaned into your touch for a moment, forehead almost brushing yours. “I know. I’m good. Just… hate how my brain still does that.”
“I know.” You rose on your toes and pressed a quick, sweet kiss to the apple of his cheek- nothing dramatic, just enough to make his expression soften into something unbearably adorable. “We’ve got this. Together.”
His free hand came up to cup the back of your neck, thumb brushing your jaw. “Yeah. We do.” Another firework popped and this time he only tensed a little, the corner of his mouth twitching into a reluctant smile. “See? Progress.”
Up ahead, Dustin’s voice carried back to you. “If you two are done making heart eyes, some of us would like to get to the lake before the show starts!”
Steve groaned but didn’t let go of your hand. “I’m gonna kill that kid.”
“No you’re not,” you laughed. “You love him.”
“Debatable.”
The walk turned into exactly the kind of beautiful mess you’d expected. Eddie tried to start a sing-along to “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and got pelted with a pinecone by Max. Robin kept swatting at imaginary mosquitoes and complained about her suffering. Lucas and Mike got into a very serious debate about whether fireworks were technically “romantic” or “just loud,” which somehow looped back to whether Steve and you were “gross” or “cute” (the jury was still out, but Max voted gross with a grin).
Every few minutes Steve’s arm would find its way around your shoulders or his fingers would tuck a piece of hair behind your ear like he couldn’t quite stop touching you now that the decision had been made. The further you got from the houses, the darker it became, and the more the sky started to bloom with real color- reds and blues and golds bursting over the treetops. Each one made the whole group jump a little, laugh a little louder, huddle a little closer. But nobody suggested turning back.
By the time the path opened up and Lovers Lake spread out in front of you- dark water catching every flash of light like it had been waiting for the show- the air felt different. Lighter. The kids whooped and sprinted the last stretch, already claiming the best patch of grass near the shore. Blankets were shaken out. The cooler was parked like a trophy. Someone had brought a portable radio that was now playing something soft and staticky.
Steve found a spot a little apart from the main cluster- close enough to hear the chaos, far enough that the two of you could breathe. He dropped down onto the blanket you’d claimed and tugged you down beside him, arm sliding around your waist like it belonged there. Another firework exploded overhead, painting everything gold for a second, and this time when he tensed you were already turning into him, one hand on his chest, the other finding his.
“Still with me?” you asked quietly.
“Yeah,” he murmured. “Still with you.”
The real show was just starting- big, booming bursts that lit up the whole lake and made the kids cheer like it was the best thing they’d ever seen. Steve didn’t flinch as hard this time. His fingers stayed laced with yours, his thumb tracing lazy patterns, and every so often he’d glance over at you with that small, private smile that said the holiday still sucked… but you made it bearable. More than bearable.
Robin’s voice carried over from the main blanket pile. “If you two get any cuter I’m filing a complaint with the universe!”
Eddie immediately followed with a dramatic gasp. “Public displays of affection! In front of the children!”
Steve flipped them both off without looking, which only made everyone laugh harder.
You leaned your head on his shoulder, felt him rest his cheek against your hair, and watched the sky bloom.
The fireworks really started then- big, blooming bursts of red and gold and electric blue that painted the surface of Lovers Lake like someone had spilled liquid light across it. The kids were in full chaos mode up on the main blanket- Dustin trying to explain the science of fireworks, Lucas and Mike trying to guess which color would come next, Max and El lying on their backs with their heads together, pointing at the sky and giggling every time a new one cracked open. Nancy and Jonathan had their arms around each other, Jonathan’s camera clicking every few seconds even though half the shots would probably be blurry from the angle. Robin was pretending to be unimpressed but kept letting out these tiny delighted “oh!” sounds she immediately tried to cover with sarcasm.
Steve wasn’t watching the sky.
Not really.
He was watching you.
Every time a firework lit up your face- soft gold across your cheek, then cool blue in your eyes- he felt something in his chest do this ridiculous little somersault. You were laughing at something Eddie had shouted, head tipped back, and Steve thought, God, I’m so gone for you it’s embarrassing. His arm was already around your waist, but his free hand kept finding excuses to touch you. He couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to.
“You’re staring,” you teased quietly, not looking away from the sky.
“Yeah,” he admitted, voice low and a little rough. “Can’t help it. You look… happy. It’s a good look on you.”
You turned your head then, and the way you smiled at him- soft and a little shy- made his stomach flip again. Another firework exploded overhead, bigger this time, and the reflection danced across the water and across your face. Steve’s thumb stroked your hip through your shirt like he was memorizing the shape of you.
The show built and built- bigger bursts, faster, the kind that made the ground rumble a little under the blankets. The kids were on their feet now, cheering. Even Eddie and Robin were standing despite their earlier complaints, Eddie's arm slung over Robin's shoulder with ease.
And then came the finale.
It started with a single massive boom that lit up the entire lake in brilliant white gold, followed by a rapid-fire cascade of color- red, blue, green, purple- cracking and sparkling and echoing across the water. Everyone gasped. The kids screamed in delight. Even Nancy let out a whoop.
Steve didn’t look up.
He was already turning toward you, one hand coming up to cradle your jaw, the other sliding to your waist and pulling you in. The last of the fireworks painted everything in shifting light as he leaned in, hesitated for half a second like he was giving you every chance to pull away, and then kissed you.
It was soft. Sweet. A little clumsy at first because he was smiling too hard, but perfect anyway- warm and careful and full of every lingering touch from the whole night. His thumb brushed your cheek. You tasted like lemonade and popsicles and everything he’d been too scared to reach for until right now. When he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, both of you a little breathless, the world felt quieter even with the fireworks still fading overhead.
For a second it was just the two of you.
Then the entire group exploded.
“FINALLY!” Robin shrieked, throwing her hands in the air.
“About damn time, Harrington!” Eddie hollered, clapping like he’d won something. “I was about to start a betting pool!”
Nancy was laughing, Jonathan smiling that quiet little smile of his while he snapped one last photo of the moment. The kids were a mix of dramatic gagging (“Ew, gross!” from Mike and Dustin in unison) and genuine cheering. Max wolf-whistled. El clapped politely like she’d been waiting for this plot development all along. Will just looked happy for you both.
Steve’s face went bright red, but he didn’t let go of you. He just buried his face in your shoulder for a second, laughing against your neck. “I hate all of them,” he mumbled, but you could feel him smiling.
“You love them,” you said, and kissed his cheek.
The walk home started peaceful- blankets rolled up, cooler dragged along, everyone still buzzing from the show and the kiss. Steve kept your hand in his the whole way, swinging it between you like a little kid, occasionally tugging you closer to press a kiss to your temple or the back of your hand. The sky had cleared into that deep summer dark, stars peeking through.
Halfway back, the first fat raindrop hit Steve’s shoulder.
Then another.
Then the sky opened up like it had been waiting for the perfect dramatic moment.
Rain poured down in warm sheets, soaking everyone instantly. There was a collective second of shock- then the laughter started. Real, helpless, joyful laughter.
Eddie immediately launched into the middle of the desolate road, spinning like he was in a music video.
Robin slipped on the wet pavement and nearly took Jonathan down with her, both of them cackling as they caught each other. Nancy tried to shield Jonathan's camera with her jacket but gave up and just started dancing with him instead, twirling under the streetlights. The kids took off running and sliding through puddles like it was the best idea anyone had ever had- Max doing an exaggerated moonwalk that ended with her landing on her butt in a puddle, Dustin and Lucas having a full-on splash fight, Will and El holding hands and spinning in circles while El tried to keep the rain off them with her powers.
Steve didn’t even try to run for cover.
He turned to you in the downpour, rain dripping off his hair and eyelashes, and grinned- wide and boyish and completely enamored. “C’mere,” he said, and pulled you into a spin right there in the street. You both slipped a little but he caught you, laughing as he dipped you dramatically like something out of an old movie. Water ran down both your faces. His shirt was plastered to him. Yours too. Neither of you cared.
He kissed you again in the rain- slower this time, deeper, one hand cradling the back of your head while the other stayed at your waist. When he pulled back he was smiling so big it crinkled his eyes. “Worth the wait,” he said, voice soft under the roar of the rain.
By the time you all tumbled back into Steve’s house- dripping, giggling, tracking water everywhere- the mood was electric and warm and stupidly happy. Towels were thrown around like confetti. Someone started making hot chocolate in the kitchen even though it was nearly midnight. The kids piled onto the living room floor in a heap of wet blankets and loud retellings of the night. Eddie flopped dramatically across the couch and declared he was “emotionally and physically spent.”
Steve pulled you into the hallway for a second, away from the noise, and just held you- arms around your waist, forehead against yours, both of you still dripping.
“Best Fourth I’ve had in a long time,” he murmured. “Because of you.”
