summary: steve harrington x y/n byers and their six little nuggets' life
characters: dad!steve x byers!y/n, joyce x hopper, will, jonothan, el, dustin, lucas x max, mike
warnings: ST4 VOL. 2 SPOILERS!! fluff, minimal swearing, pregnancy, hinted smut, childbirth, that's probably it :)
legend: italics = not in the moment narration, ~~~ = scene change
a/n: ik literally nobody pays attention to these but if this sucks i'm sorry it's my first time writing :,) also i tried really hard to keep steve in-character, bc i read so many of these where he totally isn't.. takes place after season four, except there's no ominous ending (i'm coming for u duffers) also nancy is non-existent in this fic (i love her but she would be problematic due to ST4 ship moments; and there's no mileven or byler bc will and el are way to good for mike and the im convinced byler car scene was will finally letting himself let go of mike)
"STEVE!" I cried, sitting on the cold tile of our shared bedroom's bathroom.
He sprinted in from the kitchen- with the glass of water he went to get for me- breathless. "What's it say?"
I flipped the pregnancy test around, revealing two pink lines.
"YES!" he cried, high-fiving me ecstatically. "This is so great, y/n," he smiled, kneeling down to my spot on the floor.
"We're gonna be parents," I murmured, caressing my boyfriend's face gently.
"The start of our Brood of Harringtons™!" He cheered.
You're probably wondering, "What had you done to get in this situation?" Hopefully not literally, but that's not the point. Well, after all of the chaos in Hawkins, me and Steve finally decided what was most important to the both of us: each other.
Now, I know it was cheesy for us to realize that, but c'mon, where did you think all those clichés came from?
After Steve's sappy speech in the Winnebago, and the terrifying threats of the Upside Down, we worked towards making that dream a reality.
Steve enrolled in ILEA, or the Police Academy for Indiana. I went back to college, seeing as I had been accepted to the local community college. Me and Steve had planned to wait to get married and have our "six little nuggets", as he calls them, until after college. But things don't always go according to plan- especially after a few drinks and a local party (which I remember nothing, not even whose party it was). I missed my monthly twice, and finally told Steve. Of course, he was beyond happy, and ran out to buy a few pregnancy tests. And that's how we ended up talking about our baby-to-come on a Sunday afternoon, on the floor of our bathroom.
But that was back in '87, a whole year after the last.. incident. But I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to tell you about my family, The Harrington's.
Nine months after that, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy: Matthew James Harrington. Born October 7, 1987, at 6:22 in the morning, after 13 long hours of excruciating pain. Here's how it went..
"Hey, Steve..?" I said calmly.
"Yeah, babe?" Steve called from over his shoulder. He was on a ladder, fixing a dead lightbulb in the nursery.
"So, don't freak out," I said, still calm. Which, of course, made Steve turn around, and see me waddle in with my water broken all over my pants.
"Oh. Oh! OH, SSSSSSHIT!" He yelled, scrambling down the ladder. "Ooookay, okay. Stay calm, alright! You go take a bath, change into your hospital clothes, and we'll get in the car, and drive to the hospital!" He listed as he guided me into the bathroom, starting a bath and lying out my hospital clothes.
"Alright, I'll stay calm," I giggled, laughing at his panicked state.
After helping me into the bath, he darted between the bathroom and bedroom, continuously asking me how I felt. "Are you sure you don't need anything? Like, absolutely sure? Because I can get you anything you need," He rambled.
"I need you to stop asking me if I'm alright every five seconds. I'll let you know if I'm in any pain." I sighed.
"Okay, okay, sorry." He muttered, helping me out of the bath after a bit and handing me my clothes.
(Which I may or may not have had to ask for help to put on)
Steve had called my Mom (Joyce), Stepdad (Hop), Stepsister (El), and Brothers (Jon and Will) once we were at the hospital. They rushed over, only Mom and Steve following me into the delivery room.
"It's alright sweetheart, it's almost time," my mother cooed, pressing kisses to my sweaty forehead as she smoothed my hair. "You're almost there."
As expected, I was crying in pain. Scratch that, I was wailing. Childbirth is my least favorite thing, just to be clear.
"Good job, y/n.. good job, hon." Steve was repeating this like his life depends on it, his hand in mine as I squeezed it, nearly breaking his hand.
"I was prepared for pain, not whatever the hell this is!" I screeched, letting out a final push. And then I heard it. Sure, anyone else would have covered their ears at the sound of a screaming baby, but when it's yours, it is an entirely different experience.
Steve let go of my hand, walking over to the nurse holding our son. "Can I...?" He whispered. The nurse nodded, handing him our baby.
"Good job, sweetie.. you did so good." Mom sobbed as she kisses my head. She gave my hand a squeeze as Steve handed me our first baby.
"Hi, little man," I blubbered, "Hello, it's mama." Different flavors of that sentence passed between my giggles and sobs.
"We did good, huh?" Steve murmured, stroking my hair and holding our son's head.
"If you mean me by 'we', then, yes, I did do good." I teased, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Mom scooped the baby up softly, murmuring to him as me and Steve filled out our new baby's birth certificate. I looked back over once we finished, smiling at my mother and son.
"Yes, hello.... It's me, it's Grandma," she cooed.
I was really grateful for my mom and Hopper; they didn't waste one second in congratulating me and Steve. There were no lectures about how we were barely twenty, only loving support. Especially from the kids; they were all about being uncles and aunts. Steve's parents, however, were a different story.
Steve hasn't had the best relationship with his parents; his father really cared about what Steve did with his life. Which doesn't sound bad, except for the fact that that was all he cared about. Steve's mother was the same story, with a bit of 'I love you's sprinkled in between the lectures.
We had decided to keep Chris and babies-to-come out of his parents' lives. Steve wasn't comfortable with our kids being exposed to the same thing he was.
But my family's support and loved was very visible when they came in to meet baby Chris.
The boys walked in first, as the hospital only allowed two at a time (which meant Mom and Steve were kicked out). Will was carrying a bouquet of flowers for Steve and I, and Jonathan was holding his camera, jumping at the chance for pictures of his brand-new nephew.
"Hey, y/n/n," Will said. He walked over, sitting in the chair next to me. He peered at the tiny baby swaddled in puffy blankets. "And hello, baby...?"
"Christopher James Harrington." I stated proudly.
"Yeah, I'm not repeating all of that. Hi there, Chris." My younger brother cooed.
"Alright, move, my turn," Jonathan said after Will had got a chance to hold Chris. "Can I take a picture of you?" he asked.
You hadn't expected anything less from your twin brother. "One picture," you sighed. "Only one."
He smiled, snapping a picture of the two of you. "Now it's my turn to hold him... Hi there, Christopher.." he cooed, then looked back up to me. "He is the spitting image of Steve. The hair and everything."
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna have my hands full."
After the boys left me, El and Hopper walked in. El, never having held or been exposed to a baby, was extremely nervous. She let Hop go first, and he gladly accepted the offer.
"Let me get my hands on this monster," he uttered softly. It seems a bit harsh for a newborn, but I didn't expect any mushy baby-talk from him. "Hey there, Chris, It's Grandpa. I.." Jim went on talking to Chris as I motion El to come stand on my other side.
"Don't be nervous, El. You're gonna be just fine," I spoke. "I'll be right here and Jim's gonna help you hold her."
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I won't.. hurt him?"
"You would never." I promised.
With that, she walked over and sat in the chair. Hop helped her hold Christopher, and soon she was giggling at his little cries and squeaks.
After that, Steve came in to help us to the car. However, I refused to drive home, afraid the carseat wasn't in properly. Hopper checked it three times, but every time I looked at it and shook my head.
So, yes. I did, in fact, walk home with my newborn and boyfriend, the rest of my family following in the two cars that were brought.
I jumped, hearing a clamor and lots of various "LET US IN!"s at my front door. It was just two days after me and Chris came home from the hospital, and Steve had told the Teens to wait a few days until unleashing their chaos on our new baby. I laughed, making a "be quiet" signal as I opened the door to the Teens.
"Oh, don't tell me he's asleep!" Dustin complained.
"No, but you can't shout around a newborn regardless." I laughed.
They filed in and sat around the living room as I headed upstairs. "Guess who's here," I cooed to my son.
"I don't have to guess, I can hear them from up here," Steve said, walking in to hug me from behind.
"Hate to break it to you, but I wasn't talking to you, love. But, you do get to change him!" I said, handing the baby to Steve.
Steve sighed, sniffing his son. "Wow- that smells horrible. He's only drinking milk?" he coughed, beginning to change your baby.
"I'll be waiting with them," I laughed.
After changing him, Steve brought Chris down, handing him to Dustin first.
"I swear to you, Henderson, if you drop my kid you'll never be seen again," he warned, gently placing Chris in Dustin's arms.
The Teens crowded around him, all cooing and laughing at his every movement and sound. El and Will sat back with you, and Steve was behind the couch.
"Are you really going to let Mike hold him?" Will asked doubtfully.
"Yes," I said, seeing Mike glare over at Will. Then leaning into my little brother's ear, "sit next to him when he does." Which earned a laugh from the pair.
After they all had gotten a chance to hold Christopher, Max had called dibs on holding her the rest of the time, save little breaks when El would hold her. Steve and Dustin cooked dinner under the supervision of Lucas. Not that he was any more equipped, but if Steve and Dustin got into an argument, he was there to make sure nothing was set on fire.
And that's how things were. I loved the Teens, and not just because they were free babysitters. I knew that I was never going to have to worry about my babies, they were going to be very well cared for.
A few years later, Steve is Chief of Police. Yes, he's graduated from ILEA. I got a job at Hawkins' Law Firm, even if I was only their receptionist, and graduated college. It was now 1990, and me and Steve have two kids with another on the way. Christopher was now three years old, and a carbon copy of his father. We have a one and a half year old girl, Jessica. She was, and is, also a carbon copy of Steve, much to my annoyance that none of our babies take after me. Our next baby is also a girl, and I was about seven months along. We're naming her Emily.
Oh, and I almost forgot. Me and Steve tied the knot. After I gave birth to Jessica, he proposed to me. Not right after obviously, but about a month.
"So, what's the occasion?" I giggled, me and Steve sitting under a tree at Lovers' Lake.
"The occasion," Steve mocked my words, "is that I love you and our little family."
"That was the occasion when Jessica spit up on your back at breakfast today," I smiled. "so what's the real occasion?"
Steve sighed, pulling out a ring from his jean pocket. "The occasion," he murmured, "is our engagement..?" he ended it as a question.
"Steve, are you for real?" My voice trembled, on the verge of tears. It's crazy how even when I'm not pregnant my emotions can change in a matter of minutes.
He nodded. "Uhm, duh," He kissed my neck. "So?" Steve was never patient.
"Yes! Of course!" I sobbed- or laughed- well, both. "Gimme," I sniffled, looking at the simple silver band, lined with tiny diamonds. "Steve, it's beautiful."
"Yeah, I knew you'd like it."
"Mama," a small voice whispered, crawling on top of me, tiny knees and elbows crashing into my face. "Mama, it's time to go now."
I sighed, opening my eyes to a pair of identical y/e/c ones. "You're right, baby."
Steve walked in, tackling our youngest. "C'mon, nugget, let's go eat breakfast while Mama gets dressed."
I stretched, smiling. "You made breakfast?"
"I did," He smiled. "Everyone's up, except you. So let's go, chop chop."
"Alright, alright. I'll be down soon."
Steve and I have two boys and four girls. Not quite what we had planned, but we have no complaints. As I said before, things don't always go according to plan.
So here's our not-so-little family tree: Christopher James Harrington, born 1987. Jessica Brittany Harrington, born 1989. Emily Joyce Harrington, born 1991. The twins, Eddie Brian and Tiffany Michelle Harrington, born 1993. And lastly, Rachel Alison Harrington, born 1996.
"Have I told you what a great husband you are?" I murmured, hugging Steve from behind.
"Mm, not yet, I don't think so," he teased, passing down pancakes with the help of Chris.
"Well, you are." I smiled, scattering kisses on my husband's neck (much to our kids' disgust).
I sat down with my family, finishing up breakfast. After that, we all piled into our Winnebago, off on our long talked about Harrington Summer Road Trip.
So there we are. A whole brood, army, cult, whatever you'd like to call it, of Harringtons. There were some bumps along the way, like the time Steve dropped Eddie when he was two months old. Or the time I forgot Christopher at the grocery store when he was eight. But let's talk about high points: I started taking weekends and Wednesdays off to take care of the kids, and Steve came home earlier and left later for work. We got a dog, a golden retriever named Scooter. Robin comes over to babysit, along with Dustin and El. Sometimes Will tags along on our family trips, dragging Jonathan along. Jess got accepted onto the cheer team, and Tiffany is the head of the mathletes. Ed is a track star, and Rachel is an off-balanced ballerina. Chris is a basketball star, just like his dad. And Emily joined the AV club, ironically enough.
I guess that's it. Our Brood of Harringtons™. And boy, are we happy.
a/n: i'm sorry that gave me Cheaper By The Dozen vibes :,/ anyways requests are open for any Marvel or Stranger Things requests :)
