[megxplryxb]

Masterlist

Steve Harrington fics

Roommate Romance

Romance is Dead, Isn't It?

More Than This Part 1

More Than This Part 2

Let Me Show You

Serving More Than Ice Cream

Our Little Secret

Tainted Love

Date Night

Fighting The Fireworks

Green With Envy Pt.1

Green With Envy Pt.2

Things We Didn't Say

Bite Me

Truth or Dare

Unfaithful

My Heart Still Beats For You

I Don't Want You Like A Best Friend

Someone to Save You

For you I Would Ruin Myself

Dance with me Forever

Steve Harrington Imagines

Steve Imagine #1

Steve Imagine #2

Steve Imagine #3

Steve Imagine #4

Dating Steve Harrington Would Include

Colby Brock

Lockdown Lovers

As Bad As You Are

How Can it be Over When it Never Really Started?

Pete Dunne

Twisted Temptations

Secret Passion

Till The Bitter End

Currently Working On.....

[megxplryxb]

Just got a hateful comment on one of my fics because the Reader (who is fictional) cheated on her fiance (who is fictional) with Steve Harrington (who is fictional). 😂 “you can have a love story without cheating” You can but this is MY story. “you fucking authors glorifying cheating because he’s your favourite celebrity” yadda yadda yadda. May I add, the warning had cheating in it so why the fuck did you read it??? 🤨

Like girl, who hurt you?!?!?

These are fictional characters!!! We write FANFICTION!! If you don’t like the theme then move the fuck along.

Why do people feel the need to leave negative comments on a fic when they themselves probably don’t even write? I put my heart and soul into what I write, like every single author on here does. Don’t judge our work when you have the possibility to write a story yourself.

[megxplryxb]

I should’ve been there then but I’m here now - S.H

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, hurt, mention of parents illness, comfort

The Thompson house was buzzing, the kind of restless, chaotic energy that came with too many teenagers crammed into one space. Music pulses through the walls, lights flickered, and the air was thick with the smell of cheap beer and too much cologne. Laughter spilled from every corner, the kind that was loud enough to cover up the awkward silences and the things people didn’t want to think about.

Steve Harrington stood in the middle of it all, a red cup dangling loosely from his hand, and still, he felt detached. Like the whole thing was happening around him, not to him. His teammates were somewhere in the living room, already drunk and shouting about a game that had ended weeks ago. Normally, he would’ve been right there with them, loud, cocky, pretending like it all meant something. But tonight, he just couldn’t bring himself to fake it.

He leaned against the doorway of the living room, watching a group of cheerleaders laughing near the kitchen and that’s when he saw you. You were in the middle of them, not towering over the others like some queen bee, but laughing with them, pulling a shy freshmen into the circle, steadying one girl who’d had way too much to drink, tucking her hair behind her ear and offering her water instead of letting her stumble off embarrassed. The girls hung on your words, not because they were afraid of you, but because they trusted you.

Steve’s chest tightened. That used to be him, standing by your side, arm slung around your shoulder protectively. You two had been inseparable before Tommy H and Carol came along. Before he thought popularity meant trading kindness for cruelty.

Now he watched you from across the room, heart twisting as he realised the difference. His own teammates never looked at him like that. They listened because he was captain, because he scored the most points, not because they respected them. Not the way your squad respected you. Not the way they adored you.

When you threw your head back and laughed at something one of the girls said, Steve felt it like it a punch. You were so warm and all he could do was lean against the wall and pretend he wasn’t staring.

Steve had been trying to keep his eyes off you all night, but it was useless. No matter how many times someone tried to drag him into some story or one of his teammates shoved another drink into his hand, Steve’s gaze kept drifting back across the room to you.

At first, all he saw was what everyone else saw. The smile, the easy laughter, the way you pulled your friends into orbit like sunlight. But the longer he watched, the more he noticed the cracks. The way your smile faltered for half a second when no one was looking. How your laughter came a beat too late, as though you had to remind yourself to join in.

Steve felt it like a stone dropping in his stomach. Because no one else seemed to notice but he did. He still knew you. He still recognised the little crease in your brow, the way you looked away when you were trying not to let something show.

And it hit him like a punch. You weren’t as unshakable as everyone thought.

You laughed at something one of the girls said, your voice bright but strained, and then you excused yourself with a polite smile. Steve’s eyes followed you as you slipped through the crowd, weaving past the beer pong table and the couples pressed against the walls, until the back door closed shut behind you.

The party noise swallowed you up, and for a moment Steve stood there, frozen. He could pretend he hadn’t noticed. Pretend he wasn’t still the only one who could see the sadness behind your smile. But his chest was tight, feet already moving before he even thought about it. He set down his untouched drink and headed outside, the pull of old loyalty and something deeper, dragging him into the night after you.

The backyard was quieter, the muffled bass of the party fading into the night air. You stood at the edge of the patio, arms crossed against the chill, staring off into the dark.

The door creaked open behind you. You didn’t turn, but your voice cut through the silence, sharp and cool.

“Careful Harrington.” You said, not looking at him. “If you keep staring at me like that, people are gonna notice.”

Steve stood in the doorway, caught. He tried to laugh it off, but it came out strained. “Guess I wasn’t as subtle as I thought.”

You finally turned to look at him, expression unreadable, though your eyes were colder than he remembered. “Not even close.”

Steve rocked back on his heels, the cool night air biting at his skin. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets before letting out a heavy breath. “This party kind of blows, huh? Honestly, they’ve all sucked lately.”

You let out a short, humourless laugh, glancing at him. “Why’s that? Because Nancy Wheeler dumped you at the last one in front of everyone?”

Steve froze, the words hitting sharper than you probably meant them to. His mouth opened, then closed again, no clever comeback surfacing. He wasn’t used to you being so cold but then again, he couldn’t blame you.

“Guess I walked right into that one.” He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

You just looked at him, eyes steady, waiting to see if he’d actually have something real to say for once.

“I don’t blame her, you know. Nancy. For breaking up with me like that. I deserved it. Probably deserved worse.”

The silence stretched, broken only by the faint thump of music bleeding through the walls. You studied him, the way his shoulders slumped, how there wasn’t a trace of King Steve in the boy standing in front of you.

“It looked pretty brutal.” You admitted finally, voice quieter than before. “I saw the whole thing. I wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay.”

Steve’s head snapped up, surprise flickering across his face.

“But then I remembered we weren’t friends anymore.” You finished, your tone hardening again, like you were slamming a door shut.

The words cut deeper than anything else you’d said. Steve felt the sting settle in his chest, heavy and raw. He wanted to reach for you, to take it back, to tell you how badly he hated the distance between you.

“Guess that’s on me.” He said softly. “Losing the one person who would’ve actually cared.”

You shifted, arms folding again, your voice cutting through the silence. “I heard what Nancy said that night. That you were…bullshit.” You hesitated, softer now. “I saw your face. I know how much that hurt.”

Steve huffed out a short, humourless laugh, shaking his head. “She was right.” His voice was low. “I was bullshit. All of it was. The parties, Tommy, Carol, the whole King Steve thing. None of it meant anything. It was just me trying to fill a hole and as usual making everything worse.”

He looked at you then, eyes stripped of their usual armour. “So yeah. It hurt. But she wasn’t wrong.”

You stared at him, the honesty in his voice leaving you unsettled. He wasn’t trying to charm his way out of it, wasn’t deflecting with jokes. He was just…Steve. The Steve you used to know.

Your throat tightened, the words bubbling up before you could stop them. “You know what really was bullshit?” You asked, your voice trembling now. “That you abandoned me when I needed you the most.”

Steve’s brows knit together. “What do you mean?”

You swallowed hard, looking away. “My Mom was sick. Did you even know that?”

His face fell, eyes wide. “What? No. I…I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t.” You said bitterly, blinking fast. “Your parents obviously weren’t around to tell you and you weren’t around to ask.” You snapped, your voice rising. “You never noticed because you were too busy chasing after Tommy and Carol, pretending to be the person they wanted you to be.”

Steve flinched, but you didn’t stop. Years of swallowed hurt poured out now, jagged and unfiltered.

“You used to know everything about me. Every secret, every fear, every stupid little thing. And then one day you just…decided I didn’t matter anymore. My Mom was lying in a hospital bed, and I was trying to keep it together, and the one person I needed more than anything was too selfish to see what was going on because it didn’t concern him.”

Your voice cracked at the end, but your glare stayed steady, fury and heartbreak mixing in your eyes.

Steve swallowed hard, his throat tight. He wanted to argue, to tell you he hadn’t known what he was doing, but the truth was right here in from of him. He had been selfish. He had abandoned you. And hearing it out loud, from your lips, was worse than anything Nancy Wheeler ever said to him.

He dragged a hand down his face, his chest heaving like he’d taken a punch. For a long moment, he couldn’t even look at you because every word you’d thrown at him was true and he had no excuse.

When he finally met your eyes, his voice was unsteady, stripped bare. “You’re right. I was selfish. I was scared and I didn’t know how to handle it, so I took the cowards way out.”

Your arms remained folded, jaw tight, but the flicker in his face made you hesitate.

“I wasn’t good enough for you.” Steve said, his words tumbling out now. “You were, are this amazing person who actually cares about people. Who knows how to lead, how to make people feel like they matter. And me?” He shook his head, bitter. “ I didn’t think I could live up to that. To you. So I did the one thing I swore I’d never do. I let you down. Instead of trying harder, I went with Tommy and Carol because it was easier to be shallow with them than to risk failing you.”

His voice cracked at the end, raw and unpolished. “I thought, if I stayed close, you’d see how much I didn’t measure up and I couldn’t take that. Not from you.”

Steve’s chest rose and fell unevenly, his words hanging in the night. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to go on.

“I’m sorry.” He said, voice rough. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when your Mom was sick. I should’ve been there. You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.”

You shifted, arms tightening around yourself, but you didn’t interrupt.

Steve stepped close, his eyes shining with something vulnerable, almost pleading. “I wish you’d told me. God, I wish you had because I swear, whether you believe me or not, I would’ve been there. Day or night, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

You swallowed hard, your throat bobbing, forcing yourself to keep your tone flat. “It’s too late now, Steve. You weren’t there and I figured out how to survive without you.”

The words landed heavy and cold but you held your chin high.

Steve flinched but didn’t back down. His eyes softened, almost pleading. “I miss you.”

You turned away, unwilling to let the words sink in.

“I know you miss me too.” He pressed gently. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t still be this angry. If you didn’t care, you’d just shrug me off. But you don’t. You’re still hurt and I get it. But that has to mean something right?”

“Does it?” You ask.

Steve stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I still know you better than anyone. I saw you tonight. Everyone else bought the smile, the laugh, the whole act. But I didn’t. I saw the sadness under it, because I know you and I know you don’t just let anyone see that.”

Your chest ached, but you clenched your jaw, fighting the crack in your armour. Because fuck, he was right. He’d always been able to see straight through you.

“You don’t know me anymore, Steve. Not really.” But even to your own ears, it sounded more like a defence than the truth.

Steve didn’t waver. “I do.” He said simply with a conviction that rattled you more than any argument could. “I know you better than you want me to. That’s why you can’t stand me being here right now.”

You let out a sharp breath, rolling your eyes as if to brush it off. “You think you’ve got me all figured out? That just because you used to know me, you still do? That’s arrogant, even for you.”

Steve didn’t rise to the bait. He just took another step closer. “It’s not arrogance. It’s me paying attention.”

You turned your head away, blinking fast to keep the sting in your eyes from spilling over. You wanted to tell him he was wrong, to go to hell but the lump in your throat made it impossible.

“You can keep pretending with everyone else. But not with me.”

And that was the moment your carefully built walls began to crumble.

“You think you’ve see me, Steve? Fine, then see this.” You swallowed hard, words tumbling out faster. “That smile I wear, it’s fake. It’s the only thing holding me together because every day, I’m terrified my Mom is going to get sick again. Do you get that? I lie awake at night, so wound up with worry that I can’t even breathe.”

Your arms dropped, your fists clenching at your sides. “The squad, people think I lead them, that I’m their rock but the truth is, I need them more than they need me. They’re my escape. If I didn’t keep the mask on, if I didn’t act like I had it all under control…” Your voice broke. “I’d fall apart.”

Steve’s chest hurt as he took you in. He didn’t speak right away, didn’t try to fix it with some stupid joke.

“You don’t have to carry that alone anymore.” He murmured. “Not if you don’t want to. I’ll be there. For the worry, the fear, the late nights when you can’t sleep. All of it. Just give me a chance to make it up to you.”

You let out a shaky laugh brushing at your eyes quickly before he could see too much. “You make it sound so easy. Like you can just waltz back into my life after everything and pick up where we left off.”

Steve shook his head. “ I don’t think it’s easy. I know it’s not. I know I screwed up so bad I probably don’t even deserve to be out here with you right now.” His voice caught but he steadied it. “But I meant what I said, you don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’ve got you.”

“And what? I’m just supposed to trust you again?”

Steve’s expression twisted, guilt clear in every line of his face. “No. You’re supposed to be angry. You’re supposed to hate me for it. I hate me for it. But that doesn’t change the fact that I still see you. Still know you and I think you know that too or you wouldn’t have told me any of this.”

Your breath caught because he wasn’t wrong. You hadn’t meant to say as much as you did and yet, standing in front of him, it felt impossible to hide.

Slowly, carefully, Steve reached out. His fingers brushed against yours, tentative, like he was giving you every chance to pull away. When you didn’t, he slipped his hand into yours warm and steady.

You let out a breath you hadn’t realised you were holding. Your grip tightened around his, not out of certainty but out of need. Out of relief that you didn’t have to carry it alone anymore.

Steve’s chest loosened, his lips twitching into the smallest, softer smile. He shifted closer and you leaned into him almost without thinking, your head resting against his shoulder. The familiar shape of him, the warmth, felt like home in a way you hadn’t dared to let yourself miss.

For a long moment, the two of you just stayed there, breathing in sync, the muffled sound of the party fading into nothing.

Then, his voice came low, almost shy. “Hey, you wanna get out of here? Go grab a burger or something?

A quiet laugh slipped from you, easing the tension in your chest. “Yeah.” You whispered. “I’d like that.”

Steve’s smile widened, genuine and bright, the first real one of the night.

The neon glow of the diner sign cut through the night as you and Steve slid into a booth by the window, the smell of frying burgers and coffee wrapping around you like a blanket. It felt strange to be sitting across from him again after so long but as the minutes passed, the strangeness gave way to something achingly familiar.

You ordered your food, teased him about still drowning his fries in ketchup, and he laughed, really laughed, the sound easy and unguarded. You found yourself laughing too, the kind that shook loose the weight you’d been carrying for months.

The conversation spilled naturally from one topic to another. You told him about your squad, about keeping yourself busy and he told you about how basketball wasn’t what he thought it’s be, how being ‘King Steve’ had felt emptier than he’d ever imagined. Somewhere between bites of burgers and sips of milkshakes, you caught up with everything you’d missed, the good, the bad, the stupid little things that made up the years you’d lost.

And somewhere in the in the middle of it, the silence between you stopped feeling heavy. It started to feel safe.

When the laughter finally faded into softer smiles, Steve leaned back in the booth, watching you with a look that made your chest tighten. Not the old cocky grin, something gentler, steadier.

“I missed this.” He said quietly. “I missed you.”

You held his gaze for a moment, a smile tugging at your lips despite yourself. “Yeah.” You murmured. “Me too.”

Neither of you said the other words, the bigger ones lingering unspoken in the air, but they didn’t need to be said. Not yet. They way his hand brushed yours across the table, the way your laughter blended together again after so long, it was enough for now.

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“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear all white before. Well, unless my bedsheets count but I guess they probably don’t.”

THIS WAS DIABOLICAL 🫠🫠🫠 I loved it.

Hehehe. I love a cocky Steve. 🫣

[megxplryxb]

This Town is Fake But You’re The Real Thing…

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of cheating, mutual pining, allusions to smut, hurt with a happy ending.

Summary: On the Eve of your wedding, your carefully constructed life begins to unravel when your first love, Steve Harrington, unexpectedly shows up at your rehearsal dinner.

The sound of champagne flutes clinking echoed throughout the luxurious five star restaurant as your fiancé stood proudly at the top of the table to thank your respective families for attending your highly anticipated wedding rehearsal dinner. The dimly lit bistro was illuminated by twinkling fairy lights and candles, providing a cosy, intimate atmosphere while garlands of eucalyptus and wisteria dangled from the ceiling above. Waiters circled the area, topping up glasses of their finest bubbly as your guests sampled the caviar that had just been served up, making you wonder just how much money your future in laws had spent on tonight’s gathering alone.

Your pending nuptials had been the topic of every conversation for the past several months, having only been engaged for a brief period of time before the planning had truly gotten underway. Your soon to be mother in law had taken it upon herself to organise every aspect of the big day and while her taste was completely different to yours, you thought it best to agree with her, not wanting to cause any friction leading up to the wedding. Your fiancé’s family were extremely wealthy and very intimidating and although you’d been together for almost two years, you still felt very much out of place amongst them. Unlike Daniel, you didn’t come from money, weren’t raised with a silver spoon in your mouth and certainly didn’t grow up in a penthouse in midtown Manhattan with a butler to wait on you hand and foot.

You met Daniel in New York, in a coffee shop cramming for finals when you accidentally spilled a cup of hot chocolate all over him. You’d been too focused on your studies to realise a handsome stranger had taken the seat beside you, not looking up until he tapped your shoulder to ask if he could borrow a pen. Suddenly, his shirt and pants were soaked and you were apologising profusely, offering to pay for his dry cleaning, mortified that you’d caused such a mess. His eyes were gleaming brightly now as he recounted the same story to your guests, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he boasted that he’d left with your number that evening, stating the rest was history as he held up your hand, showing off your ridiculously expensive Tiffany engagement ring. You blushed, embarrassed as he looked down at you in awe, admitting how excited he was for tomorrow and how he couldn’t wait to call you his wife. As everyone cheered and clapped, Daniel lovingly placed a kiss to your cheek as you plastered a grin across your face, leaning into him as he took a seat beside you once more.

It was in that moment, you spot an all too familiar face at the rear of the restaurant, smile fading as you watch Steve Harrington relax against the bar, slowly clapping along with your guests unenthusiastically. He looks out of place and achingly familiar at the same time. Sleeves rolled, hair a little wild, nursing a drink like he wandered in by accident. But you know better.

Your heart kicks in your chest, because Steve isn’t just anyone. He was your first love. The love of your life.

Back then, when you were eighteen, you thought nothing could touch the way you felt about him. And then he broke your heart, broke himself too. You think back now, how he told you if he didn’t let you go, you’d never leave Hawkins. He wanted you to follow your dreams, go to college in New York like you’d always planned. Build the life you deserved, even if it meant doing it without him.

But the thing is, you never really left Steve behind.

You proved it the first Christmas you came home after that first semester, when you ran into him again. It started with small talk, family and the weather before Steve told you he’d quit Family Video to take his place within his Father’s company, quickly working his way up the ladder. You both revealed you were single, briefly mentioning that you’d been on one date with a guy named Daniel. You could see the jealousy written all over his face and then he told you how much he had missed you. The ache in your chest snapped wide open, and one thing led to another until you were back in his bed. Back in his arms. For a few stolen weeks, it was like nothing had changed. You spent the holidays tangled up in each other, laughing, loving, pretending time hadn’t passed, until it did. And then you left again.

Months later Steve moved to New York. It was supposed to be temporary, just business with his Father’s company, hoping to expand to bigger cities but fate put him in front of you again. Six weeks ago. A bakery on a rainy Sunday morning, and suddenly there he was, hand brushing yours as you both reached for the last chocolate muffin. The conversation slipped into old rhythms, easy as breathing, and before you knew it, you’d spent the whole day together. That night, the line blurred completely. You let him take you to his apartment, into his arms and into his bed, even though you were already engaged to Daniel.

And now here he is, like a living reminder of every choice you’ve made, every version of yourself you’ve tried to bury.

He smirks confidently now, knowing he’s caught your attention, watching you shift uncomfortably in your seat as you try to avoid his gaze and regain your composure. You know he’s taking pride in making you squirm like this. You can see it written all over his beautiful fucking face and christ, you just want to smack the cockiness right off of him. For a few moments, you try to ignore him as best as you can, pretending to listen to Daniel’s brother boast about a new business deal he’d closed only hours before, earning a handshake and a pat on the back from your soon to be father in law.

“You ok baby?” Daniel asks, squeezing your thigh as you bring your focus back to him, doing your best to ignore the knot forming in your stomach.

“Of course I am, I just need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” You reassure, standing up, placing a quick kiss to his lips before motioning for your ex to follow you away from your party.

Steve takes the subtle hint and slides off the barstool, slowly trailing behind as you walk by him nonchalantly. He takes little notice of how your jaw clenches in anger, too focused on the way your pearly white dress hugs your body just right. He keeps his distance but follows in your direction until you’re far enough away from the Daniel and other prying eyes before pushing open the fire exit, stepping out with Steve as you finally turn to face him, arms folded coldly.

“What the hell are you doing here?” You ask, getting straight to the point, wanting to get this exchange over and done with as quickly as possible so you could get back to your guests and fiancé without any suspicions.

“I’m just here for a drink, honey.” He answers coyly, raising the glass to his lips, swallowing back the alcohol before his eyes meet yours again.

It was hard to ignore how good he looked now that he had your full attention. Dressed in an expensive suit, top of his shirt unbuttoned, revealing the chest hair that drove you crazy. You hadn’t seen him look this good in a suit since prom night when he fucked you dumb in the back of his BMW. The mere memory of that night sending a lightening bolt straight to your core.

Fuck, you needed to focus.

“Don’t call me that and please don’t bullshit me, Steve. How did you know I’d be here?” You question, knowing there’s a long list of ways he could have gotten the information.

“Just a lucky coincidence or maybe it was fate, if you believe in that.” He shrugs, glancing at you.

“I don’t.”

“You used to.”

“Yeah well, things change.” You respond, remaining frosty.

"Only if you want them to." He replies, as you look away from him, remaining silent.

“You look really beautiful, you know that? White is definitely your colour. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear all white before. Well, unless my bedsheets count but I guess they probably don’t.” He teases, causing your cheeks to flush red.

"You are not actually trying to flirt with me right now?" You scoff as he chuckles, sliding his hands into his pants pockets.

"Sorry, you just seem so tense. I'm just trying to lighten the mood." He jokes as you shake your head.

"Well, having an ex unexpectedly crash your wedding rehearsal dinner will do that to you.” You state.

“That was a nice little story your fiance told in there. About how you first met? It was really cute actually, you spilling the hot chocolate on him and him asking you out. The timeline did get me thinking though, that was just before the holidays right?” He smirks, moving closer again and you know where he’s going with this.

“Steve…” You whisper, feeling his breath on you.

“Does he know you spent that Christmas in my bed?” He questions smugly, whispering in your ear. “Does he know it was my name you were screaming every time you came?”

“No of course he doesn’t. We had one date before I came home for the holidays.” You said defending yourself.

“And what about us sleeping together six weeks ago, you just forgetting about that?” He scoffs as you close your eyes in shame.

“I haven’t forgotten. That should never have happened. It was a mistake.” You say firmly, even though the words feel like glass in your mouth.

Steve lets out a laugh, low and disbelieving. “You don’t actually expect me to believe that, do you?”

You cross your arms, desperate for armour. “What else am I supposed to call it?”

“Real.” He says, sharp enough to sting. “That’s what it was. Don’t stand here and tell me it didn’t mean anything.”

Your chest tightens, as the anger rises to the surface. “Is this a joke to you? Showing up here, throwing this in my face like you want to see how much you can ruin for me?”

His eyes widen, hurt flashing before it hardens into something else. “A joke?” He repeats, voice breaking around the word. “You think this is funny to me? God, I can’t believe you’d even say that.”

“Then why? Your voice shakes, raw and trembling. “Why show up at my wedding rehearsal dinner of all places?”

Steve exhales, his shoulders sagging like he’s finally too tired to keep the mask on. “Because I needed to see you before I left.”

The words snag in your chest. “Left?”

“I’m moving back to Hawkins.” He says simply, like it’s already been decided, like the suitcase you can imagine waiting in his apartment is proof enough. “It was only ever a temporary move until we got things up and running here and I’m needed back at home.” He decides not to tell you that the biggest reason he’s leaving is because he can’t take seeing you as someone else’s wife. That your surname won’t be Harrington like he always dreamed it would be.

“I just couldn’t leave without seeing you one more time.”

It’s too much, too sudden, the floor tilting beneath your heels. “Why, Steve? Why would you even want to?”

His jaw tightens, something restless sparking behind his eyes. “Because you asked me to.”

Your breath catches. “What?”

“You asked me to fight for us.” His voice is steady, but there’s a rawness in it, like he’s laying down a secret you can’t quite see.

You blink at him, confusion tightening in your chest. “I…I never said that.”

He looks away, biting down hard on his lip, like he’s already said too much. For a second, you think he might explain, might tell you about the voicemail you don’t even remember leaving, your voice slurred and aching on the other end of his phone three weeks ago. But he doesn’t.

Instead he shakes his head, shutting it down. “Forget it.”

You study him, searching for an answer he won’t give.

“Steve…” Your voice cracks, but he doesn’t let you fill the silence.

“No, don’t ‘Steve’ me.” His jaw clenches, that boyish grin you once loved long gone. “You think I don’t see it? You think I didn’t see it six weeks ago when you were laying naked beside me?”

Your stomach drops. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” His voice rises, not loud enough to draw attention, but sharp enough to cut. “Don’t bring up the day we bumped into each other? The way you smiled at me like you hadn’t in years? Don’t bring up how we spent the whole day together, walking, talking like we used to? How you ened up in my bed that night?”

Your cheeks burn. “I told you, that was a mistake.”

His laugh is harsh. “Yeah? Felt pretty real to me. Felt like you still wanted me. Still loved me.” He takes a step closer, his eyes searching yours. “You don’t look at him the way you looked at me that night.”

Your throat tightens, because he’s right and you hate him for it. “Stop it.”

“No.” He shakes his head, frustrated. “You’re faking it. This whole…princess in a penthouse life? The fancy dinners, the way you sit there quiet with his family around you like you’re an accessory? That’s not you.”

You flinch like he’s struck you, anger sparking under your skin. “You don’t get to say that. You don’t know what my life is now.”

“The hell I don’t.” He gestures towards the door, toward all the people waiting for you. “I watched you tonight. Smiling through your teeth, laughing at jokes that aren’t funny, standing next to him like you’re trying to fit into a frame that was never built for you.”

Your voice shakes with fury. “You think you know me better than the man I’m marrying?”

Steve’s eyes blaze, but his words come out softer, steadier. “I think you know me better than him. I know you never cared about money or status, and I think you’re lying to yourself if you say otherwise because this isn’t you.”

You feel your nails biting into your palms. “And what, Steve? You are? You’re my happily ever after?”

He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t back down. “Yeah I think I am and I think you know it. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Your throat burns, anger bubbling past the hurt. “You don’t get to stand here and lecture me, Steve. You are the one who ended things with us, you broke my heart. Do you remember that? Because I do. I remember crying so hard I thought I was going to stop breathing. I loved you more than anything and you just let me go and then you had the nerve to act like it was for my own good?”

His jaw stiffens, eyes glassy but fierce. “You think that was easy for me? You think I didn’t love you? I loved you so much but I couldn’t be the reason you gave up everything. If you stayed with me, you wouldn’t have gone. You would’ve thrown away college, your whole goddamn future just to stay in Hawkins with some loser working at Family Video. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Your hand shakes as you jab a finger into his chest. “You don’t get to rewrite it now. You didn’t give me a choice! You decided it for me. You broke us, Steve, not me.”

“I broke us, so you could be you.” He shoots back, voice raising with every word. “Not so you could turn into—” he gestures sharply at your dress, your well done hair, the perfect picture you’ve been painted into all night, “—some trophy wife in training for Daniel’s family.”

The insult stings, raw and cutting. “Don’t you dare.”

“It’s the truth!” He steps forward, voice breaking. “The girl I fell in love with didn’t give a damn about designer dresses or gala dinners. She wanted music and laughter and stupid late night drives. She wanted to live, not to pose in a frame to make some rich guy’s parents proud.”

Your eyes blur with furious tears. “And what about what I wanted? I wanted you! I wanted us! And you decided I wasn’t allowed to have that!”

Steve’s chest heaves, his voice hoarse as he tries to keep steady. “I’ve loved you this whole fucking time. Every day, I’ve loved you and I let you go because I thought it was the only way you’d get everything you deserved. But this…this isn’t you, this isn’t for you.”

Your lip trembles, and for a split second, all you want is to collapse into him, let him hold you like he used to. But the anger wins. The betrayal wins.

“You don’t get to come back now and tell me who I am or who I’m not.” You choke out. “You lost that right when you walked away from us.”

You turn sharply, heels biting into the concrete as you open the door and storm back towards your guests, to Daniel, toward the safety of the life you’ve promised yourself, even if it felt like a lie.

The restaurant is beginning to empty out, waiters clearing glasses and fancy napkins. You stand with Daniel near the doors, his hand warm at the small of your back, his smile still perfectly in place even after hours of small talk and toasts.

“Well.” He says lightly, leaning in to brush a kiss against your temple. “This is it. Last night before you’re officially stuck with me.”

You force a laugh, hoping it doesn’t sounds as brittle as it feels. “Guess so.”

Traditional, his mother had insisted that you don’t see each other until the ceremony. It was sweet, in its way, a little old fashioned. And yet, instead of feeling giddy at the thought of tomorrow, your stomach twists tight.

Daniel squeezes your hand. “You okay? You’ve been a little quiet tonight.”

You meet his eyes, warm, steady, reassuring. The kind of eyes you should want to drown in. “I’m just tired.” You say softly. “It’s been a long day.”

He nods, accepting it without hesitation. That’s Daniel. He trusts. He doesn’t push. He never suspects that your silence isn’t exhaustion, but the ghost of Steve’s voice still echoing in your ears.

Daniel kisses your hand, thumb brushing your ring like it’s already a promise fulfilled. “Tomorrow’s going to be perfect.”

You smile because it’s what you’re supposed to do, even as doubt claws at your chest. “Yeah.” You whisper, the word catching in your throat. “Perfect.”

The suite is too big, too polished, too quiet. You kick off your heels at the door and leave them where they fall off, one tipped on its side like a casualty. The champagne buzz that carried you through the dinner has curdled into something heavier, something jagged, pressing down on your ribs.

The wedding dress waits for you in the corner, suspended on its padded hanger, all silk and lace and impossible perfection. It glows under the soft lamplight, the way it did when you tried it on for the first time. When your friends from New York gasped and said you looked like a princess, when Daniel’s mother dabbed at her eyes and said how lovely you’d look walking into their family.

You cross the room slowly, fingers brushing over the fabric. It’s beautiful. It’s expensive. It’s wrong.

Because all you can think about is Steve.

“You asked me to fight for us.”

The words replay in your head over and over until they’re all you can hear. You drag your fingers through your hair, pacing, trying to recall when you could have possibly said that. You never did. You would remember something so bold, so reckless. Wouldn’t you?

Your throat tightens. Steve’s face flashes in your mind, the certainty in his voice, the way his eyes had searched yours, like he was holding onto something you’d forgotten.

You whisper into the empty room. “When did I say it?”

The silence gives you no answer.

And suddenly, the stillness of the suite feels unbearable. You can’t sit here, surrounded by silk and lace and all the lies you’ve told yourself. You need to know what he meant. You need to hear it from him.

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you grab your coat and your bag. The wedding dress gleams faintly in the corner as you pass it, patient and perfect, waiting for a bride you’re not sure you can be.

You don’t look back.

You don’t remember much of the cab ride over. Only the blur of lights streaking past the window, the buzz of champagne and nerves still clinging to your skin, and the way your pulse kept echoing Steve’s words from earlier in the night.

The doorman recognises you but looks uncertain when you barrel past him. You don’t care. Your heels click down the hall until you’re standing outside Steve’s door, fist raised, not sure if you’re here to fight him, beg him or fuck him. Maybe all three.

The door opens and there he is.

Steve blinks at you, hair mussed, shirt clinging to his chest like he’d been pacing. His expression flickers from surprise to something heavier, something he doesn’t hide.

“Thought you’d be at some fancy hotel getting your beauty sleep for your big day tomorrow.” Steve says quietly, voice hoarse like he hasn’t spoken since he left the restaurant earlier.

You swallow hard, forcing the words out. “I need to know what you meant.”

He doesn’t ask what you’re talking about. He doesn’t need to. His shoulders tense, his eyes searching yours, and for a beat you think he might shut the door. But instead he steps aside.

“Come in.”

The suitcase is still on the couch, half zipped, clothes folded around it like evidence. You walk past it, pulse thrumming, and turn to face him.

“You said I asked you to fight for us,” you say, voice unsteady. “I don’t remember that. So tell me when I did. Tell me the truth.”

Steve exhales slowly, dragging a hand through his hair. He looks wrecked, tired, restless, raw and when his eyes meet yours again, there’s no shield left.

“Your bachelorette. Three weeks ago. You called me. Twice actually. The second time, you left a voicemail.”

Heat flashes up your neck. “I—Steve, I was drunk.”

“I know.” His voice is gentle and it makes it worse. “But you were honest.”

Your ribs feel tight too. “What did I say?”

Steve doesn’t make you beg for it. He clears his throat, gaze dropping and repeats it back to you, not mocking, not theatrical, just careful, like he’s returning something that was always yours.

“You said, ‘You should have fought for us years ago’.” His jaw clenches. “And then you said, ‘You should be fighting for me now.’”

“I shouldn’t have said that.” You whisper. “It wasn’t fair.”

“But it was true.” Steve confesses.

‘If it’s true, why are you leaving?”

Something flares in his face, hurt, frustration, love. You can’t tell where one ends and the next begins. “Because you’re getting married tomorrow and I can’t stay here and watch you be a wife to someone who isn’t me.”

The room is too quiet. You can feel New York humming beyond the glass, sirens muttering, a horn, your own breath hitching.

“Can I, can I listen to it?”

He hesitates, then sighs heavily as his thumb hovers over the button like he’s asking your permission. You nod, heart in your throat as he finally presses play on his machine.

“Hey, it’s me. It’s like, two in the morning right now and I’m outside some club on a pay phone that has gum stuck all over it. It’s so gross but I just, I needed to hear your voice but you didn’t answer so now I probably have gum stuck in my hair for nothing.” You listen to yourself half laugh into the phone before you start speaking again. “It’s my bachelorette party tonight and I thought I was having fun, y’know? But then this stupid song came on. The one we danced to at prom when you told me you loved me for the first time and I just broke down crying in front of everyone. God, it was so embarrassing because I couldn’t tell them it was because it made me think about you. You know what’s funny? I used to think it would be you. That someday, I’d be walking down the aisle and you’d be the one waiting for me. Not—” A pause muffled like you covered the phone. “Not Daniel. God, Steve, it was always supposed to be you. Even when I left, I always thought it’d be you somehow.”

There’s a clatter but then your voice returns, softer, almost breaking.

“You should’ve fought for us years ago. When I left for college, when I packed up my life, I kept waiting for you to stop me. But you didn’t and now I’m standing in a stupid sash and a tiara, about to marry someone who isn’t you and I—” You laugh again, but it’s watery this time. “You should be fighting for me now.”

The voicemail ends.

Your chest feels too tight, like the room has shrunk two sizes. You can’t look at him but Steve doesn’t let you turn away.

“I have replayed that message every day for the past three weeks.” He admits, shaking his head. “Was it true?” He asks softly. “All of it?”

You close your eyes because lying feels impossible. “Yes.”

For a moment, neither of you speaks. Then he takes a step closer and it’s like the air between you snaps into focus.

“I need to know something, and I need you to say it.” His voice is low but steady, the same way he’d hold your face after a fight and ask if you were really okay. “What do you want? Not what’s safe, not what’s expected. What do you want?”

The question sinks deep, heavier than the ring on your finger, heavier than the vows you’re supposed to recite tomorrow.

“I don’t want easy.” You say. “I don’t want polite. I want…the life I thought we’d have. I want you, Steve.” Tears sting your eyes, but you don’t look away. “I loved you, Steve. I still…” You break off, pressing a hand to your chest like you can hold yourself together. “I never stopped.”

For a beat, neither of you moves. Then he steps closer, tentative, like he’s afraid you’ll vanish if he touches you. “Say it again.” He pleads, his voice breaking.

“I never stopped loving you.” You breathe.

That’s all it takes. He closes the distance, his hands cradling your face, and his mouth finds yours. The kiss is desperate, trembling, years of retreat and longing unraveling in a rush. You cling to him, pulling him closer as though you could make up for every lost moment.

When you finally break apart, foreheads pressed together, your breath ragged, you whisper. “I can’t marry him. Not when it’s always been you.”

Steve squeezes his eyes shut, a shaky laugh escaping him, relief mixing with tears. “Are you sure?”

You nod, steady this time. “Yes, I don’t want perfect. I don’t want polished. I want us. Messy, complicated, real. I want you.”

His arms wrap tight around you, pulling you against his chest. “Then stay. Stay with me, We’ll go back to Hawkins, or anywhere you want. I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s with you.”

You hold him tighter, knowing the choice is made, the weight of the wedding gown left behind with the life you were never meant to live. Tomorrow, the aisle will stand empty. But tonight, here in his arms, you’ve found where you were always meant to be.

[megxplryxb]

i’m begging on my KNEES for a part 2 of my heart bleeds for you…i could feel the tension through my screen i need more pretty please xx

Thank you so much reading ❤️ I really wanted people to feel the tension between them so super happy you felt it. I haven’t started a part 2 yet but maybe soon because we all want Steve to be happy!

[megxplryxb]

Hey! Are you planning on making a part 2 to My Heart Still Beats For You?

Desperate to know if Steve has a happy ending ❤️

Hi. 😄 Thank you so much for reading. ❤️ Honestly, I haven’t made up my mind yet but I always want Steve to have a happy ending. 😫

[megxplryxb]

Please please please as tell me there’s a part 2 to my heart still beats for you!!!

I must know that her and Steve get together, my well being depends on this!!

I don’t have one currently planned but now that your well being depends on it, I most have to consider a part 2! ❤️

[megxplryxb]

My Heart Still Beats for You - S.H

Notes: inspired by TSITP scene where Belly helps Conrad after he hurts his leg surfing. Events of all 4 seasons did happen with little changes here and there as Eddie is still alive in this fic and Hawkins didn’t get ripped apart at the end. Vecna is dead in this fic and things have finally gotten back to normal.

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader / Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, Mutual Pining, Mentions of Blood, Angst, Sexual Tension

You stand in front of the full length mirror propped against the wall in Eddie’s room, tugging at the hem of a sundress you aren’t sure you even like. The reflection stares back at you, familiar but foreign. Six months away from Hawkins and somehow you look the same but you don’t feel the same.

You smooth your hair down, then push it back up, then fuss with it again, combing through it once more. Anything to buy yourself a few more minutes. Because once you walk out that door, once you climb into Eddie’s van and drive across to the better part of town, you’ll be back in his backyard. Steve Harrington’s backyard.

And that thought alone makes your chest ache more than it should.

You try to tell yourself you’re being silly. It’s been a long time and Steve wasn’t yours anymore. He never really was, not in the way you wanted him to be. It was just a blurred line between two people who formed an unlikely friendship in the middle of a junkyard. Trying to protect kids who were way in over their heads. That’s where it had started, Steve standing in front of you with blood on his face and that stupid nail bat in his hands, terrified but steady, cool, in only a way that Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington could be. What followed from there wasn’t love in the way people would talk about in movies. It wasn’t defined or safe or real. It was stolen moments in his car with the windows rolled down, whispered jokes on nights when the world felt like it was ending again or a mattress shared after another secret rendezvous when neither of you wanted to be alone, terrified of what danger came next.

But Steve had this way of keeping you close and pushing you away in the same breath. He’d kiss you like you were the only girl in the world, then vanish into silence again. He’d let you see the cracks in his armour, then patch them up and pretend you’d never been there. And every time you told yourself to let go, he’d look at you, really look at you and you’d cave all over again.

Then Eddie came along, loud, warm, wreckless Eddie who never made you guess how he felt. Who wore his heart on his sleeve, along with a dozen tattoos. He was kind and honest and for the first time you felt chosen instead of being an option. So you let yourself move on or at least you tried to. And that was when Steve finally said it. After the demobats, after Vecna had been defeated and the dust had settled, when you could all finally breathe again, his voice broke on the words you had begged for years to hear him say: “I love you”

It should have made you happy but instead it broke you. Because you loved him, god did you love him. But love that only showed up when you were holding someone else’s hand wasn’t a love that you could trust. Not after years of waiting for it, years of being pushed away when you got too close until you finally learned to stop reaching. So you told yourself no. No, even if your chest ached at the sight of him. Even if you dreamed about him more than you admitted. Because loving Steve Harrington had already cost you too much and you wouldn’t let him hurt you again.

Your stomach twists at the thought of seeing him. The way his hair will undoubtedly catch the sun by the pool. The way his laugh will carry over the music. The way his eyes might—will—find yours, like they always did and when they do, you’ll both pretend that it means nothing.

And worse, Eddie will be there, too. Your sweet, chaotic Eddie, who makes you laugh until your sides ache, who holds your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world. If only he knew how much of you still belonged to someone else. If only he saw the part of you that couldn’t let go of Steve Harrington no matter how hard you try.

You press your palms to the fabric, to your stomach, trying to ground yourself. “It’s just a party” you whisper to your reflection. “Robin’s birthday. Just a party.” But your reflection doesn’t look convinced. Because deep down, you know it’s not just a party. It’s the first time in six months you’ll stand in the same room as Steve Harrington. And no dress in the world can make that feel any less terrifying.

Eddie’s van rattled down the quiet streets, the familiar hum of the engine filling the silence between you. He was drumming the steering wheel with his fingers, humming off key to a Judas Priest tape that had long since worn thin from overplay. You sat in the passenger seat, hands folded in your lap, staring out the window. Each turn brought you closer to Steve’s house, and with it, the knot in your stomach pulled tighter.

Eddie glanced at you, grinning unaware of your inner turmoil. “You look like you’re about to fail a math test or something, it’s just Robin’s birthday, babe. Chill.” Eddie reached across the console, lacing his fingers with yours. His thumb brushing lazy circles over your knuckles, warm and steady. “Everyone’s gonna be psyched to see you.”

You smiled at him, guilt heavy in your chest. He deserved that smile. Deserved more than the hollow echo of your heart splitting in two.

The metalhead pulls his van into Steve’s driveway and you already hear the music from the backyard, Robin laughing and then the splash of someone cannonballing into the pool.

“Ready?” Eddie asked, already hopping out, his rings clinking against the door and slammed it shut. He looks back at you with that easy grin, the one that always made you feel safe.

You force a smile, slipping out of the passenger seat.

“Yeah.”

But the second your feet hit the concrete, you felt the weight of the house pressing down on you. Eddie laced his fingers with yours as you rounded the corner into the backyard. The party was in full swing. Robin was floating on a raft with a tiara askew on her head, Max and Lucas arguing over a volleyball and Dustin pilling his plate too high with potato chips.

And then your eyes found him.

Steve Harrington stood at the grill, a spatula in one hand, a beer in the other. The sunlight caught in his hair, his shirt clinging to him from when the kids had clearly shoved him into the pool earlier. He looked up at the sound of Eddie’s booming greeting, and then his gaze landed on you.

The world stopped.

Six months fell away in an instant. His expression froze, bottle dangling loosely from his fingers. His lips parted like he wanted to say something but no sound came. Your chest tightened. You should have looked away. Should’ve smiled, waved, pretended like it didn’t matter. But your feet rooted to the ground, your pulse roaring in your ears.

Eddie squeezed your hand, tugging you toward the crowd, oblivious. And Steve? He just stood there, eyes locked on yours, his jaw tightening before he dropped his gaze and turned back to the grill.

“Holy shit!” Dustin nearly dropped his plate, his face splitting into a grin. “You’re here!”

Before you could answer, he was charging across the patio and throwing his arms around you. Max and Lucas weren’t far behind, both smiling in that understated way that made your throat tighten.

“About damn time.” Erica cracked a grin. Nancy rose from her spot by the deck, hugging you tightly, her voice quiet but full of relief. “We missed you.”

“I missed you all too.” You whisper, trying to hold back tears you’d been fighting all day.

It was overwhelming, the sheer warmth of it, the way the group closed in around you like you hadn’t been gone at all. Robin shoved through them last, birthday crown tilted sideways, eyes already wet as she grabbed your hands.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming.” She scolded but her smile was too wide to be angry.

“That’s the thing about surprises, Rob.” You tease.

“Best. Present. Ever.” She shrieks pulling you into a giant hug. For a moment, it was easy to pretend this was all it was, a reunion, a homecoming.

But then your eyes drift past her.

Steve stands at the back of everyone, sunglasses shading his face. He hadn’t said a word since your arrival, just lifted a hand to give you both a small wave and though he was surrounded by balloons and laughter, you felt the distance in the set of his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched before he turned back to focus on something else again.

Robin followed your gaze. Her smile dimmed just slightly, her fingers squeezing yours. She didn’t say anything, not here, not now but the knowing in her eyes was sharp, a secret tether. She saw it. She always had.

“Come on.” Eddie says, bouncing up beside you with his usual hurricane energy, sliding an arm around your waist like he’d been there the whole time. “Told you I’d get her here, didn’t I?”

The group cheered again, their noise sweeping you back into their orbit. You smiled, you laughed, you let Eddie pull you toward the pool where the others shouted at you to join in. But the entire time, you could feel it. Steve’s silence lingering across the yard, a gravity pulling at you even as you tried to face the people who were so happy to see you again.

The first hour had been a blur of laughter and jokes, of Robin smearing frosting across your cheek and Dustin talking a mile a minute like he had to fill you in on six months in six seconds. His latest invention, how good Erica has gotten at D&D, Suzie. For the first time all day, you let yourself breathe. The knot in your stomach eased as the sun dipped lower, the pool reflecting it back in ripples of orange and gold.

You sat cross legged on a lounge chair, Max on one side, Erica on the other, the three of you laughing at Eddie’s retelling of some campaign at Hellfire club that had apparently “changed lives.” He was in his element by the pool, hands flying as he acted out every detail and then with a flourish, he was beside you again, plopping down on the edge of the chair. You rolled your eyes, laughing but before you could argue, Eddie tugged you onto his lap. His arms slid around your waist, his chin hooked over your shoulder as he nuzzled into your neck.

The group howled, Robin fake gagging from across the pool. “Gross! It’s my birthday, not yours Munson!”

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you Buckley!” Eddie shot back, tightening his arms around you until you squeaked. You laugh hard, cheeks warm, trying to wriggle out of his grasp but you caught the movement across the patio and froze.

Steve leaning against the deck rail, gritting his teeth. He was watching. Not openly. Not enough for anyone else to notice but you saw it. The way his knuckles whitened around the bottle, the way his eyes lingered for just a moment too long before flicking away.

It was gone as quickly as it came. Steve turned away to say something to Lucas, his face smoothing into something easy, practiced. But you knew it, you felt it. The weight of his jealousy settled heavy in your chest, warring with warmth of Eddie’s arms around you.

Another hour went by and your chest ached from smiling. From pretending. Because in that time, you and Steve hadn’t said a word to each other. Not one. He stayed on the other side of the pool, near the cooler, near anyone but you. You stayed at Eddie’s side, letting his warmth shield you, letting his laugh carry you along even when your eyes kept drifting. Every time Steve walked by, a towel draped over his shoulders, a drink dangling from his hand, the air between you tightened, sharp and unspoken.

“Alright.” Dustin announced loudly, breaking the lull. “Steve, the hotdogs were awesome but I’m still hungry. Who’s voting for pizza?”

A cheer rose up from the group. “Birthday girl says yes, so it’s unanimous!” Robin yells excitedly.

“You want it, so go make the call, Henderson.” Steve points towards the kitchen as most of the group follow Dustin, arguing about toppings and how many pizza’s should be ordered. “Shit, I forgot to tell him extra cheese. I’ll be right back, sweets.” Eddie mutters, planting a messy kiss to your cheek before he slips through the patio door.

It’s then you realise that Steve is still in the yard. Gathering up used cups and paper plates, picking up napkins before the summer breeze sends them into the neighbours bushes. You decide to break the ice by helping him clean up the first round of mess, both of you tip toeing around one another until you eventually unite at the trash can.

For a beat, neither of you say anything. Then awkwardly, he clears his throat, “Hey.”

You grip the empty soda can in your hand a little tighter, forcing a small smile. “Hi.”

“You don’t have to clean up. You’re supposed to be a guest.” He tries to joke. But you never felt like just a guest in Steve’s house. With him, it felt like home.

“Old habits I guess.” You shrug, pulling a loose strand of hair out of your face, finally popping the can into the trash bag.

“Havin’ fun?” He asks as you nervously bite your lip.

“Yeah, I am. It’s good to see everyone again.”

Steve nods, shifting his weight like he didn’t know what to do with himself. “Yeah. They, uh…missed you.”

“Only them?” The words slip out before you stop them, soft and too honest.

His eyes flicked to yours. “No. Not only them but you already knew that.” He swallows, walking away as the rest of the group begin to make their way back outside again. You curse yourself as you walk back to your chair, heart racing, hands shaking, lips trembling as you try to steady your breathing again. Within seconds, Eddie is back by your side again, lighting up a joint and passing it to Argyle who takes a long, drawn out drag before handing it back to your boyfriend.

“Uh, guys?” Dustin’s voice cuts through the noise. He was holding the phone by the patio door, grimacing. “Pizza Palace says it’ll be like, an hour before they can deliver. They’re swamped.”

A chorus of groans rise up. Robin shouts something about her birthday immunity, Eddie waves his joint like a sword in protest and Steve sighs, wiping his hands in a towel,

“Alright, I’ll run out.” He started.

“I’ll go.” You blurted. Too fast. Too eager.

Everyone blinked at you.

You forced a shrug, standing, placing your cola back on the table. “It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

“You sure, babe?” Eddie asks, raising a brow at you.

“Yeah totally, I just need the keys to your—”

“Take my car.” Steve’s voice came, quiet but firm. Before you could respond, he’d grabbed them from his lounge chair, handing them to you, glinting in the sun. His expression was unreadable but his eyes lingered on yours, heavy, steady, in a way that made it hard to breathe again.

You swallowed, stepping forward to take the keys. “Thanks.”

Your fingers brushed his as you did, and the contact was electric, sharp enough to make you pull back too fast. Steve’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing, Just gave you a small nod, letting you go.

And as you walked through the sliding glass door, the noise of the party fading behind you, you realised the truth: you weren’t running out for pizza, you were running from him. From Steve. From the way being near him again made you feel like you’d never really left at all.

The smell of melted cheese fills your nostrils, warm boxes stacked high in your arms as you nudged the door to Steve’s house open with your hip. “Delivery service has arrived!” You call, your voice light, practiced. The kind of cheerful tone you used to hide the knot in your chest. But as you stepped into the kitchen, your smile faltered.

There, smeared across the tile, was a streak of red. Small at first, then thicker. Like droplets that had been tracked from wet feet. Your stomach dropped.

“Don’t freak out, he’s fine.” Robin appeared in the doorway, her hair dripping pool water onto her shirt, forcing a weak smile.

“Who’s fine?” You asked confused, your grip on the pizza boxes tightening.

“Dingus. He slipped by the pool, he was holding his beer, and the bottle broke. His leg caught the worst of it.”

You swallowed hard, eyes darting to the trail of blood smeared faintly down the hall and towards the stairs. “Where is he?”

“Bathroom. Upstairs.” Robin shifted, biting her lip. “He wouldn’t let me help him. Said he’s got it handled. But, uh..” She hesitated, eyeing you carefully. “He’s not great at handling it.” And you knew her words meant more than she was saying.

Your chest ached, nodding stiffly, setting the pizzas down on the counter with shaky hands. “I’ll go check on him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not even a little bit.” You laughed nervously but Robin knew you. She knew you’d go to him regardless. You always did.

You froze at the bottom step, staring up into the dark where you knew the bathroom door was shut tight. Still, you continued upwards unable to hear the little voice in your head telling you to turn back before it was too late. You hesitated outside the bathroom door, hand hovering, breath caught in your throat. You knew this was a mistake. You knew walking in would undo you once more.

“Steve?”

“Yeah, uh— I’ll be down in a minute.” He assures, surprised by your sudden appearance but you can hear the pain in his voice as he speaks. It’s not the first time you’ve witnessed Steve Harrington trying to hide his discomfort but it is the first time you’ve ever been hesitant to help him.

“Robin said you cut your leg pretty bad—are you ok?” You ask through the other side of the door.

“M’fine. S’just a scratch.” He mutters but you scoff lightly.

“Your Mom’s blood stained staircase says otherwise.” You tease, attempting to ease the awkwardness but he doesn’t respond and the silence is deafening between you once more.

It’s then you hear him curse under his breath, water running from the bathtub as he lets out a pained wince. Your fingers brushed the cool brass of the doorknob before you can stop yourself. Don’t, you whisper to yourself. Don’t do this. You can’t do this.

And then, before you knew what you were doing, you turned the handle and the door creaked open.

Steve was perched on the edge off of the tub, shirtless, hair dripping onto his shoulders, swim trunks torn, a towel was pressed haphazardly to his thigh, blood seeping through, dark against the white fabric.

“Oh my god. Shit.” You exhale, placing a hand through your hair.

“It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding all over the place, Steve, you’re clearly not fine.”

“The bleeding’s almost stopped, I’ve got it under control. Just go back to Ed—to the party.” Steve corrects himself but it’s too late, you’ve already picked up on the jealousy radiating from him.

“I’m not going anywhere until we get you patched up. So try not to be a dick for five minutes and keep putting pressure on it until I find something to clean it with, alright?”

Steve doesn’t even have time to respond, when you’re already crouched under his sink, pushing aside expensive bottles of shampoo and half empty cans of Farrah Fawcett hair spray in search of his first aid kit.

“Where’s the kit I gave you after Starcourt?” You quiz, letting out a frustrated groan.

“You think I’d be sitting here bleeding out if there was a first aid kit in there?” He raises his brows, lips twitching.

“You are unbelievable.” You mutter, shutting the cabinet door. “After all the shit that happens to you, how can you not know where…” Then suddenly, in the middle of your frustration, you remember.

The night you’d faced the demobats. Steve barely able to walk, his back and sides torn, flesh bitten and mauled, his voice breaking but still trying to sound brave for you. You had managed to drag him back to his house, into his bedroom with tears in your eyes as you cleaned the blood off of his body for what you hoped would be the last time. But here you were again.

You froze, your hands gripping the edge of the sink. The memory hit so sharp it made your throat ache. “I know where it is.”

Steve tilted his head, brow furrowing, “What?”

You swallowed, forcing yourself to meet his eyes. “It’s in your room. Closet. Left side, bottom shelf. I— put it there.”

His smirk faltered just for a second, replaced by something softer. Something that said “you remembered that?”

For a moment, neither of you moved. The party downstairs buzzed faintly though the floorboards, but here, in the small bathroom, it was just you and him and the weight of everything you used to be.

“I’ll go get it.”

“Ye—yeah, sure. Thanks.” Steve swallowed, eyes watching as you slipped out.

The hallway felt narrower than it should have, your pulse loud in your ears as you made your way toward his room. It had been months since you last stepped foot in here, maybe even longer. The door creaked when you pushed it open and for a moment, it was like no time had passed at all. The same stupid posters on the wall, same awful wallpaper, same records stacked in a crooked pile by the stereo. The air smelled faintly like cologne and spearmint, his smell, one you used to fall asleep tangled up in.

You take a deep breath, forcing yourself toward the closet before the memories could swallow you whole. There it was. Left side, bottom shelf. Exactly where you’d left it after that night when his body had become a shredded mess and you’d knelt on the same floor, hands shaking as you cleaned the blood away, doing your best to put him back together again, like you always did. Steve had joked through the pain, the way he always did, trying to distract you from the way you cried while being so gentle, so careful. Never wanting to cause him more pain.

Your fingers lingered on the kit’s handle, the weight of it almost too much as you finally pulled it free.

“Find it?” Steve calls from the bathroom making you jump, pulling you back from the memories you tried so hard to forget. You stay silent as you approach the doorway again but he locks eyes with you immediately, as if he can feel every emotion right along with you.

You place the first aid kit on the sink, gathering the equipment needed to patch the wound on Steve’s thigh, hands moving on autopilot but your pulse was anything but. You shouldn’t be here. You knew that. Not when Eddie was downstairs. But the pull of Steve Harrington had always been too much for you to ignore, even when you wanted to.

“Bet if feels weird, being back, huh?”

“Yeah.” You breathed because lying felt impossible when he looked at you like that.

“Six months is a long time.” He says, barely above a whisper and it causes you to look at him. Really look at him.

“It’s almost as if you were counting.” You tease lightly and he gives you that Harrington smirk that makes your stomach flip.

“Maybe I was.” He admits before a silence falls between you once more.

“We should get this cleaned up.” You breathe out, swinging a leg over the tub, settling yourself beside Steve, taking a quick glance at him before quickly looking away. He looks pale but you know he’s trying to play it off, jaw set, eyes anywhere but on you now. You reach over to the faucet, running the cloth under the water until it goes lukewarm, then gently, you begin to wash the blood from his leg. “See, it doesn’t look overly horrifying now that your leg doesn’t look like something from a Jaws movie.” You tell him, or yourself, you’re not really sure. You’re just trying to focus on anything other than how fast your heart is racing.

You grab the bottle of antiseptic next, unscrewing the cap, placing it on the edge of the bathroom sink before pouring some onto the cloth.

“Hold still, it’s going to sting a bit.” You mutter, leaning closer towards him.

He gives a humourless laugh. “I am holding still.”

“You’re twitching.”

“I’ve got a hole in my leg, forgive me for twitching.”

“Well, if you want it to get infected, by all means.” You fire back.

Despite the sarcastic banter, you could feel his eyes on you as you pressed the cloth to his skin, His breath hitched instantly. “Shit” His hands shot out, gripping your thigh just above your knee, knuckles white as the sting set in. His other hand braced the porcelain, but he leans forward, forehead brushing your shoulder, the faint smell of chlorine and sunscreen wrapping around you.

“I told you it was gonna sting.” You whispered, voice catching, trying to ignore how his hand was gripping onto you, how it burned your skin.

You focused on cleaning the wound, not on the way his thigh was warm under your hands, not on the ache in his expression when your fingers brushed his skin.

“You really didn’t have to do this.” He winces quietly, almost like he was talking to the tiles below him instead of you. “It’s not like I’ve been—”

“I didn’t see anyone else lining up to help, Harrington.” You cut him off, sharper than you meant to.

That shut him up, but the silence that followed was worse. He shifted, turning his head just enough that you felt his breath against your neck.

“You’re still the same.” He murmurs.

You freeze, cloth clutched in your hand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Steve’s voice cracked a little, though he tried to cover it up with a crooked smile. “Always taking care of people. Even when they don’t deserve it.”

“Yeah well, you’re hurt.”

His eyes softened and that crooked, dangerous half-smile tugged at his mouth. “Eddie’s downstairs.” He breathes, like a reminder. Maybe for you, maybe for himself.

Your throat tightened as you wrapped the bandage quickly, too quickly, your fingers brushing his skin in ways that felt far too intimate in this moment. “I know.” You whisper, voice trembling.

For a minute, neither of you move. The air was too hot, too heavy. His hand twitched, like he almost wanted to reach for you but didn’t.

“I know I shouldn’t be here.” The words slipped out before you could catch them.

Steve leaned forward, close enough that you could feel the heat of him. Close enough that your heart slammed against your ribs. His voice cracked when he spoke. “Then why are you?”

You didn’t have an answer. You only knew that your body tilted toward his, that every part of you screamed to close the small gap between you. His gaze dropped to your mouth, yours to his, the air buzzing with the inevitable…

And then you both froze.

Downstairs, Eddie called your name, his voice cutting through the haze like a knife. You jerked back, pulling your hands back like you’d been burned. Steve exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face, forcing himself to lean away, loosening his grip on you.

You swallow hard, voice breaking as you forced the words out. “I should go back down.”

He nodded, but his eyes told a different story. Regret. Longing. The ache of everything you couldn’t say.

As you opened the door to slip back into the hallway, his voice stopped you, low and raw:

“You still love me.”

You didn’t turn around. Didn’t answer. But your silence was louder than any words could be.

You never stopped loving Steve Harrington and he never stopped loving you.

[megxplryxb]

Current POV. Freaking out.

[megxplryxb]

I Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Best friends to lovers <3

Warnings: Angsty fluff, Tommy being an ass, Billy being a perv but nothing heavy

Tag list: @edb954 @vintage-karma

Authors Note: To everyone who voted for this on the poll, I’m sorry it took so long. As usual, I’m not happy with the ending but please enjoy x

It was a little after eight thirty on Friday evening when Steve Harrington's maroon BMW pulled up in front of your house, looking freshly washed and polished. The headlights of his prized possession illuminating your bedroom walls, letting you know your best friend was patiently waiting outside until you were ready to go. Smiling, you give him a little wave through your window, signalling that you’d be right down, still feeling slightly giddy every time you see his new car parked in your driveway.

Mr Harrington had made the promise of purchasing a car for his son on the condition that Steve would improve his steadily declining grades. His parent’s had grown rather concerned that he wasn’t focused enough on his studies, too invested in girls, friends and partying to care about getting into college and so they figured a bargaining chip was the only option they had left, knowing their son wouldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.

Steve had come to you immediately after his Father had presented him with the proposal, climbing through your window, begging you to tutor him after school hours, even vowing to be your personal chauffeur until graduation. You knew how much he had always wanted a car and seeing as it was the first decent thing his parents had ever done for him, who were you to say no? Eventually, after many evenings and late nights, sharing cold pizza and hot chocolate over many books and study notes, Steve’s grades had finally started to go in the right direction and a few months later, he was presented with the shiny new vehicle, having you to thank.

You had been best friends since elementary school when Steve had accidentally hit you with a soccer ball, covering you and your new dress in mud in the process. You’d called him a buttface when he tried to apologise, grinning with a boyish charm as he muttered that you still looked super pretty and because you were already dirty, you should just come play with him and his friends. Of course, it didn’t take him long to persuade you and you’d been inseparable ever since.

Steve had always had a way with words, could say the right thing to get himself out of almost any situation and as he got older, moving into his later teenage years, it worked even more so to his advantage. Steve could get any girl he wanted, could get away with doing anything he wanted, because he was just that damn charming. That’s how you wound up agreeing to go to this stupid party in the first place, using the Harrington charm on you, all puppy dog eyes and pouting pink lips, sweet talking you until you eventually caved. Even after all these years, you still couldn’t say no to Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington and you kind of hated that he still had that effect on you.

Looking around the room once more, you turned off your cassette player that had been blaring Madonna for the past thirty minutes, quickly glossing your lips, placing the tube back onto your vanity before giving yourself one final glance in the mirror. You’d opted for a flowy dress, hot pink and short, along with your trademark white converse and a new cardigan that your Father insisted you wear all evening even though he knew you were going to leave it in Steve’s car.

Steve’s head turned at the sudden sound of the front door closing behind you, watching in awe as you walked towards him, wearing a dress he’d never seen before but already deciding it was his new favourite. The colour of your outfit instantly reminded him of your first interaction all those years ago when you were just little kids in the school yard. The memory sending a warm feeling straight to his chest as he got out of the car to open the passenger door for you, trying to stay calm and collected as he did so.

God, his best friend was really pretty.

“Hey Stevie.”

“Hi honey, you uh, you look amazing.” He swallows, pulling you in for a hug, taking in the sweet scent of your perfume.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” You reply giving him a cheesy grin, settling in to the passenger seat, already rummaging through his tape collection as he gets into the drivers side again.

“Ready to go?” He asks, brows raised as you let out an irritated huff, pushing Michael Jackson's Thriller into the cassette player.

“As I’ll ever be. Still don’t know why I’m even going to this party. Tammy totally hates me.” You state with wide eyes.

“She does not hate you.” Steve chuckles lightly knowing that was a lie.

Tammy did in fact, totally hate you.

She had done so ever since trying out for the cheer squad at the beginning of the year. Her audition ending up being much worse than her singing and because you were the captain, it had been up to you to let her down gently. She seemed to take the rejection well at first, that was until she “accidentally” spilled a soda all over you at lunch later that day to exact her revenge and you'd been enemies ever since.

“Oh come on, we both know she’s only inviting me to get into your good books. That girl has it baaaad for you.” You tease as a frown begins to form on Steve's face.

“Yeah well, I’m not interested in Tammy Thompson.” He sighs, keeping his eyes on the road, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.

“Oh? But you are interested in somebody?” You question, your own interest peaked as he shuffles uncomfortably beside you. It had been a while since Steve had a crush, his relationship with Nancy Wheeler having ended a couple of months ago, leaving him with some metaphorical battle wounds that he was still seemingly recovering from because he hadn't been on a date since. He hadn't even really talked about the break up at all which was weird for Steve because he would always come to you when his love life wasn't going so well.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to, it’s written all over your pretty little face.” You poke at his cheek, seeing a hint of pink flare up.

“Steve Harrington, are you blushing right now?” A giggle escapes your lips as you watch his eyes widen, panic apparent on his beautiful features.

“I am not blushing. I’m just hot, it's really hot in here.” He sighs, rolling down his window as he continues to avoid your gaze.

“Jeez, she must be really special.” You taunt as Steve finally glances at you.

“Will you stop it? There’s no one, alright?.” He laughs trying to brush off your teasing but you sense a nervousness in his tone.

“You’re a terrible liar, you know that right?”

“Look, can we just talk about something else please?" He begs and you decide it’s best not to discuss it further. If Steve wanted to tell you who it was, he’d do it in his own time. He never had an issue telling you before.

“God, I really hope Billy isn’t going to be here.” You groan, throwing your head back in an attempt to change the subject.

“It’s not like Hargrove to miss a party.” Steve grunts at the mention of his new found enemy while you play with the charm bracelet on your wrist.

“He asked me out today.” You reveal casually as the car suddenly comes to a halt in the middle of the road, sending your body forward in the process.

“Hargrove asked you out?” He quizzes with a stressed look on his face. “Jesus Steven, warn a girl next time, my boobs could’ve fallen out.” You joke, looking behind you to make sure there were no cars coming before locking eyes with your friend who looks less than amused.

“Seriously, did he really ask you out?” Steve asks again in a tone that leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

“Is that so hard to believe or something?” You challenge, crossing your arms as his hand rests on your thigh.

Of course it’s not hard to believe, you’re a fucking knock out, he wouldn’t blame any guy for asking you out. But Steve didn’t even want to imagine you and Billy together. The thought of that asshole going anywhere near you made him sick.

“Honey, no. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean it like that, god you're so great and I just…you know I think that guy is a piece of shit and you— well, you deserve someone…better than him.” He explains, clearing his throat, as you nod in agreement.

“I know Steve. It’s not like I said yes or anything.” You roll your eyes, failing to notice the relief on your friend’s face as he starts to take off down the road again.

“Sorry for almost making your boobs fall out.” He teases, playfully nudging you as your lips begin to curve into a smile.

“You can buy me a burger and a milkshake later to make it up to me.”

“You got yourself a deal.” He pinky promises, even though he was going to bring you there anyway. It was your usual after party ritual after all.

When Steve pulls up outside Tammy’s house, the party is already in full swing. There’s numerous cars in the driveway and abandoned all over the street but it’s a familiar blue Camaro that immediately catches your eye, making your stomach churn.

“Oh great.” You whine as Steve takes notice of Billy’s car, clenching his jaw. “Told you he wouldn’t miss a party.” He says, throwing an arm around your shoulder protectively.

As you enter the Thompson residence, the hallway was already crowded with people, the smell of weed lingering in the air, as the wood flooring underneath your feet vibrated from the music coming from the back. It's then that you feel Steve's warm hand in yours as he guides you towards the kitchen, making sure you both get there in one piece and you instantly feel a sense of comfort knowing he’s with you.

You’re both greeted by fellow Hawkins High students as you and Steve squeeze through the crowds. People stop their conversations to high five your best friend as he walks by, while Chrissy runs to you, immediately enveloping you in a hug as if she hadn’t seen you mere hours ago at cheer practice.

"I'm so glad you came! I really didn't think you were going to show up." She squeals excitedly knowing how hesitant you had been about attending the party earlier. She had been a witness to many of your heated interactions with Tammy over the past couple of months and she wouldn’t blame you if you had decided to stay at home.

"I didn't actually want to come, but somehow, I just can't say no to 'King Steve' here." You playfully nudge Steve as he pulls you closer into his side.

“Who could say no to this face, seriously?” He points at himself as you and Chrissy roll your eyes, giggling at him.

“You haven’t even had a drink and you’re already insufferable, Harrington.” You smile as he holds a hand over his heart.

"Come on honey, don’t pretend like you don’t love me.” He smirks, thankfully failing to notice the colour your cheeks have gone when he’s greeted by another member of the basketball team. Unfortunately for you, Chrissy is already raising her brows suspiciously and you know she won’t let this go easily.

“I’ll go get you ladies a drink, I’ll be right back.” He says, squeezing your hand before disappearing into the crowd. Your eyes follow him for a moment before landing back on Chrissy again who's staring smugly at you with her arms folded.

“Wow, you guys really need to just have sex and get it over with already.” She grins playfully as you cover her mouth, trying to shush her.

“Chrissy stop. For the millionth time, it’s not like that with me and Steve. We’re just friends. Best friends” You assert but she scoffs dramatically.

“Babe, friends don’t look at each other they way you two do. You’re both so in love it’s insane that you can’t see it.” She reiterates, but you still believe she’s seeing things that weren't really there.

Admittedly, Chrissy wasn't the first person to question your relationship with Steve. Your parents had often wondered what was really going on between you both. Questioning what the true status of your relationship was. Your father was especially hesitant to allow Steve in to your bedroom as you two got older but he eased up when it was clear that you were both dating other people and not each other. Your mom on the other hand, always thought you and Steve were destined to be together from a young age. When you complained to her about Steve's parent's, she'd tease you about the fact that they would eventually be your in laws, that you yourself would eventually become a Harrington. You'd always scoff and roll your eyes but you'd be lying if you said a little part of you didn't secretly wonder what it would actually be like.

It was a line that had never been crossed between you. Not even a little bit. Steve had never shown an interest in you like that and you refused to get your hopes up for anything more, so you pushed your feelings aside, refusing to let anything get in the way of your friendship. You loved Steve more than anything and if having him as a friend was as far as it would ever go, you'd happily accept that. It's not like you were waiting for him to make a move or have some sort of epiphany and realise you were the one. You'd had multiple boyfriends, some Steve liked, some he didn't but either way, they just never seemed to work out and you never seemed to be that upset.

An hour later after dancing with Heather and Chrissy in the living room, you decided to get some much needed air. The music was getting too loud, the smell of weed was making you dizzy and Billy Hargrove had been eye fucking you from across the room for far too long. As you leaned against the wall, taking in a large breath, you notice Nancy Wheeler sitting with Jonathan Byers on a lounge chair, both of whom were looking right at you. You'd heard rumours that they had been hooking up recently but didn't dare ask Steve in case it upset him and now you were wondering if that had been the reason why they had broken up. You shook off the thought almost immediately, not believing that Nancy was the type of girl to cheat but she had been avoiding you ever since the break up and you weren't sure why. Nancy looked suddenly panicked as Jonathan whispered that he'd be right back, kissing her cheek as he got up, nodding as he passed by you. She seemed awkward now, her shoulders tense as she looked away, focusing on a couple yelling at each other on the other side of the yard.

“Hey.” You greet, giving her a small, friendly wave, making your way towards her.

“Oh, hi.” Nancy smiles nervously as she takes a sip of her drink.

“I like your hair, I've never seen it that curly before." You compliment.

"Thanks." She says, pulling her lips to one side and you sense a tension between you that had never been there before.

“I think I’ve seen them argue with each other at pretty much every party I’ve been to. I don’t even know why they’re together. It looks like they can’t stand each other most of the time.” You joke, pointing to the bickering couple but Nancy just nods her head.

"Nancy, is everything ok? Have I done something to upset you?"

“Oh god no. I just, I'm sorry… I guess I'm just surprised you’re even talking to me after the whole break up thing with Steve.” She admits and you frown, cocking your head to the side.

“What? Why wouldn’t I? You were honestly the first girlfriend of his I actually liked. I was super bummed when he told me you guys broke up.”

“You were?” She questions, looking slightly confused.

“Totally! You were really good together." You say as she lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah I thought so too for a while.”

“So then why did you break up with him? I mean, I thought you guys were happy.”

“He still never told you, did he?" Nancy questions, staring at you in disbelief.

“No? He hasn't really talked about it at all." You shrug.

"Unbelievable." Nancy mutters into her cup.

"Am I missing something here? Is there something I should know?" You ask, suddenly feeling like you had skipped several chapters of a story.

“I think you should talk to Steve.” She states as you raise your brows.

"Nancy, what's going on? Why can't you tell me?" You quiz as she shakes her head, sighing heavily.

"Because I promised him I wouldn’t. Because it's better coming from him." She asserts, nodding at you as Jonathan makes his way back over with two new drinks in hand, taking a seat beside her again. You decide it's best to leave it at that, not wanting to discuss Steve in front of Jonathan and make either of them more uncomfortable than they already were.

You walk back into Tammy's house feeling worse than you were before. Your brain is heavy with questions and your stomach suddenly sick with worry. You needed to find Steve to ask him what the hell was going on. What had he done to make Nancy break up with him? What was so bad that he decided he couldn't even tell you? Had you played some part in her decision to end things with Steve without even knowing?

“Well if it isn’t the Princess of Hawkins High.” You hear Tommy Hagan drunkenly snicker as he chugs back the rest of his beer. His girlfriend Carol throws you a dirty look as she clings to him possessively, the duo still clearly pissed off that Steve no longer wanted anything to do with them. You roll your eyes at the couple, hoping to just ignore them but Tommy was never going to let that happen. This was the last thing you fucking needed right now.

"That dress is a little bit slutty for you princess. Giving off the wrong impression.” He slurs as Carol giggles beside him.

"Wow Tommy, I almost didn’t recognise you. Did you get a tan? Or is that just what you look like when you're out of Steve's shadow?" You fire back as he moves to get into your face.

“What did you just say to me bit—”

"Get the fuck away from her, Hagan.” Steve warns, pulling you behind him before shoving his former friend as Tommy’s back hits the wall. You didn't even know where Steve had come from but you were thankful for his sudden arrival.

“Steve don’t, he’s not worth it.” You shake your head, placing a hand on your friend’s chest to keep him from moving forward as a crowd suddenly began to form around the boys.

“Yeah Harrington, listen to your girlfriend. Oh wait, sorry man, I forgot, she's the only bitch you haven't managed to fuck y–" Tommy spat before Steve's fist connected with his jaw as his former friend fell to the floor. Steve's eyes were almost black as he lunged forward again, grabbing Tommy by the collar of his shirt, pinning him to the wall.

"STEVE!" You yell, trying to pull him away as the crowd cheered on.

"Talk about her like that again and see what fucking happens Hagan. You so much as look her way and I swear it'll be the last thing you ever do." Steve whispers before finally letting Tommy go as Carol follows him out of the house.

Steve quickly pulls you away from the party, finding a quieter area as he cups your face. "Are you ok?" He asks, inspecting your body as if Tommy had dared to put his hands on you.

"I'm fine. I just didn't think you'd to punch his lights out."

"I know. Shit, I'm sorry, I just lost it when I heard him say those things. He's just such a fucking asshole!" Steve exclaims as you take his hand and squeeze it.

"Steve it's ok–"

"No it's not! Jesus, I should never have been friends with those idiots. You always told me they were shitty people. What the hell was I even thinking?” He curses himself, putting a hand through his hair as a silence falls between you.

“Thank you by the way, for saving me back there.” You mutter as he gives you a half smile. “I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner. I was trying to find you but I didn't know where you were."

“I went outside for a little bit. I um, I actually spoke to Nancy." You reveal as Steve's eyes widen in shock.

"Nancy Wheeler? Nancy? My Nancy? Well, not my Nancy but—"

"Mhm." You say, crossing your arms, sensing an immediate change in Steve's demeanour when he notes the serious look on your face.

"I uh, I didn't even know she was gonna be here." He says, scratching the back of his neck, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. "What did...did she say anything?"

"Not much. It was kind of awkward, honestly. I told her I was sorry that you guys had broken up and she seemed kind of surprised by that. Like as if she thought I didn't like her or something?" You answer, still puzzled by the conversation you had had with Steve's ex only moments ago.

"What? That's crazy. I'm sure she didn't mean it like that. Anyway, do you wanna-"

"That's not all she said." You mutter as Steve gulps.

"Oh."

“Yeah.”

“Wh— what else did she say?” He quizzes, his voice barely above a whisper as you notice how tense he’s become.

“She said I should talk to you about why you guys broke up. That I needed to talk to you.” You reveal while Steve nods his head, clearing his throat.

"Steve, can I ask you something?" You question, biting your lip as your friend’s face turns white.

"Ye- yeah, um, sure?" He answers, licking his lips as he takes a step back, taking a deep breath as if he's been waiting for this exact moment for some time.

"Am I the reason you and Nancy broke up?"

Steve stays silent for a moment, almost trying to register your question, as you stare at him anxiously waiting for a response. He looks panicked, as if he's just been caught cheating on a test with no excuse ready to save himself. Like the walls are closing in and there's no escape in sight.

You weren’t used to seeing Steve like this.

You can tell he's trying to find the words, to find his god damn tongue and christ, you were starting to feel so guilty at the thought of being the reason Nancy had broken your best friend's heart all those months ago. Had you been hanging around them too much? Were you not giving them enough time to be alone together? It’s not like you were third wheeling their date nights or anything. You had dates of your own. Other friends that you hung out with. It’s not like Steve and you were attached at the hip. But maybe Nancy hadn’t seen it that way. Maybe she had made him choose between you and her?

Then suddenly before you could get any answers, Tammy struts over to Steve, grabbing his hand, completely ignoring you. "Come on Steve, a bunch of us are playing spin the bottle and we need more guys!" She grins at you like the cat who got the cream as Steve allows himself to be dragged away.

You try to call for him but he seems to be in a total daze as you follow them back into the living room again. She plonks Steve down, taking a seat next to him in the circle where several more Hawkin's High students were waiting excitedly for the game to begin.

Chrissy calls out to you, keeping a space free beside her as you huff, not really wanting to play this stupid game after the night you had already endured. The last thing you needed tonight was for the bottle to land on Billy Hargrove who was already winking at you from across the circle. You try one last time to grab Steve’s attention but he was hell bent on avoiding your gaze as he sat in silence between your classmates. Giving up, you finally take a seat on the ground next to Chrissy as the game finally gets underway.

Several minutes later, you’re still in the clear from having to kiss anyone but the same couldn’t be said for Chrissy who already had to kiss her ex Jason and some curly haired guy you’d seen around school but never talked to. You think his name was Eddie from what you could remember. He was cute though, fingers styled with silver rings and arms covered in tattoos and Chrissy seemed a little bit more than pleased when the bottle had landed on him.

Once Eddie had crawled back to his side of the circle again and recovered from a rather intense make-out session with your friend, he spun the bottle enthusiastically before it eventually stopped and pointed right at you.

"Two babes in one night. I really hit the jackpot." The metalhead grins, winking at you.

You looked straight to Steve, who was gazing anywhere but at you before moving to Chrissy for permission, sensing there may be more going on between herself and Eddie than you've been led to believe. Chrissy smiles at you, nodding her head as the curly haired rocker began his trail over to you.

"Don't worry, forget what you just witnessed a moment ago between Miss Cunningham and myself, I assure you, I'm a total gentleman." He teases, making you feel a little more at ease as you both lean in for the kiss.

Thankfully, Eddie keeps his word, keeping the kiss short and tongue free but not before playfully biting on your bottom lip. You giggle, pushing him backwards as you grabbed the bottle with your other hand, spinning it quickly in the middle of the circle, praying that it would land on anyone other than Billy.

The brown beer bottle seemed to spin for an eternity with no sign of stopping due to the laminate flooring underneath. The rest of the circle was anxiously waiting to see where it would land when it finally came to a halt, slapping their knees excitedly as you tried to hide your nerves. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the arrogant smirk on Billy’s face begin to fall when it becomes clear that the long necked bottle had bypassed him and was slowing down too much to make its way back around to him again. But when it does eventually stop, you feel as if your heart stops too when you lock eyes with the person the bottle is pointing to. The person sitting directly across from you in the circle.

Your best friend.

Steve.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Well this is interesting." You hear Chrissy mutter beside you, trying to nudge you forward as everyone begins to cat call and cheer.

You don't move. You're frozen to the ground unsure of what to do next. You've never kissed Steve before. Not on the lips. Not any way intimately and you were terrified that if you did, you’d give away every feeling you’ve always told yourself and everyone else you didn’t have for him.

Steve hasn’t moved either but at least he’s looking at you now. He hasn’t stopped looking at you since the bottle pointed at him. Tammy is also staring at you. The jealousy is written all over her face and there’s a little part of you that’s enjoying seeing her so mad.

“What are you guys waiting for?” Someone in the circle questions.

“Yeah, it’s not like you haven’t done this before.” Another expresses.

“We haven’t.” You mutter. Unsure of why you even answered.

Suddenly the back door opens as Nancy and Jonathan make their way back inside. Both of them stop when they see the situation unfolding in front of them.

“Come on, seriously? Everyone knows you’re both completely in love with each other. It’s like totally inevitable.” Sara from your cheer squad drunkenly slurs pointing between you and Steve.

Steve looks away from you then, finally seeing Nancy watching on. Her arms are folded now as she waits to see the outcome. Your heart is racing, your face bright red from embarrassment. The last thing you wanted to do was make this harder for Steve. Or Nancy.

“No, no you’re wrong. Steve and I are just friends. We’ve always been just friends.” You nod assuringly as you catch Steve looking at you again, an almost hurt look an his face.

"Well, friends or not, rules are rules so get to it.” Heather squeals as everyone starts chanting “kiss! kiss! kiss!”

It’s Steve who eventually makes a move but not the one you were expecting. He begins to back out of the circle, shaking his head. “I— I can’t. I can’t do this. I’m sorry.” He apologises, as he stands up grabbing his keys from his pocket indicating his desire to leave.

You catch Nancy shaking her head at him, rolling her eyes before she takes Jonathan’s hand and walks away from the scene. You hate that your heart stings the way it does right now. The slight sense of embarrassment you feel having been rejected by your friend. Your best friend. Tammy is giggling, highly entertained at seeing you looking so uncomfortable and it takes everything in you not to reach over and slap her.

“Babe, Eddie can drive you home later if you don’t want to leave yet.” Chrissy says clinging to you.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. It's no problem." Eddie smiles, sympathy written all over his face.

“No, I’m ready to go. I need to figure out what’s going on with him. Thanks though.” You whisper, hugging Chrissy once more before you stand up to follow Steve into the hallway and out the front door.

He walks ahead of you, opening the passenger side door for you, closing it once you slide in and belt up. He sits next to you, neither of you looking at the other as he turns the key in the ignition and drives off. The car ride home is awkward and it feels odd. It's usually filled with chatter and laughter, some random song playing in the background as you sing at the top of your lungs while Steve cringes when you struggle to reach the high notes but now, there's no laughter. No music. Just silence.

Steve coughs, trying to break the tension between you. "You uh, you still wanna go to Benny's for a burger?" He asks, taking a quick glance in your direction.

"M'not hungry." You mutter, wrapping your arms around yourself suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

"Come on, we always get burgers after a party. It's our thing." He replies, giving you a small smile. You look at him then, finally getting the courage to face him for the first time since he started the car. Was he really just going to pretend like everything was ok right now?

"What are you doing Steve?"

"I'm not doing anything. I just thought you might be hungry that's all. You're usually deciding whether to get onions on your cheese burger at this point and we both know you will." He jokes but then sees the irritated look on your face.

"Can you stop the car?" You ask, ignoring his attempts to break the ice.

"Yeah, sure. You feeling ok?" He quizzes, looking for any signs that you might be unwell.

"Just stop the car, Steve." You demand, before he pulls over on the side of the road.

Once the car comes to a halt, you remove yourself immediately, grabbing your cardigan from the backseat, slamming the BMW door as you take off down the road.

"Hey, woah! Where are you going?" Steve panics, jumping out of the car.

"Home. Somewhere. Anywhere but here." You reply as he begins to catch up.

"You must be crazy if you think I'm letting you walk off by yourself." He half laughs, taking your arm.

"I’m not sitting in that car pretending everything is fucking peachy when it’s clearly not.” You fire back, pulling your arm away.

“Can we please not do this right now?” He sighs, pinching his nose.

“Not do what, exactly? Cause I don’t even know what’s happening Steve!” You exclaim. “I mean everything was fine earlier wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. I just—”

“You just what? What’s going on with you?” You quiz as Steve stares at the ground, kicking his foot back and forth.

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” He mutters, shaking his head.

“Stop lying to me, Steve. You’ve obviously been doing that since Nancy broke up with you.” You state as he glares at you.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” He spits angrily.

“Well then tell me! Jesus Christ, I’m your best friend!”

“Exactly! You’re my best fucking friend!” He shouts in frustration.

“I don’t under—”

“Look, please just get in the car, let me take you home ok?” He begs trying to calm down.

“No Steve. Not until you tell me what’s going on.” You refuse, crossing your arms.

“Honey, can you please just drop this for right now?” He pleads once more, moving closer to cup your face.

“Please Steve, I need to hear you say it.”

“Say what?” He asks, confused.

“That I’m the reason you and Nancy broke up. It’s all my fault isn’t it?”

“No. No it’s not.” He shakes his head furiously.

“It is. I know it is. Nancy could barely look at me earlier and when I tried to ask her about it, she said I needed to talk to you. Then when I did try to talk to you, you got all weird but it was written all over your face. I could see it in your eyes.I know it’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault.” He reassures, trying to shush you.

I’m sorry if I was around too much.”

“Honey please sto—”

“I’m so sorry Stevie. I know how much you love her. I know that’s why you haven’t been dating other girls. You’re still in love with her.” You ramble on, not even realising tears had begun to fall from your eyes.

“I’m not in love with Nancy.” He admits but you keep talking.

“That’s why you ran away when that stupid bottle landed on you. Because Nancy was there when everyone said that we were in love with each other.”

“That’s not why I ran away.” He refutes but again you talk over him.

“It’s not like it would’ve meant anything anyway, if we did kiss. I mean, we’re just fri—”

You’re suddenly cut off when Steve’s lips find yours, pulling you closer to him as his palm caresses your cheek lightly. Your eyes close shut as you feel yourself melting into his body, your chest pressed against his, deepening the kiss when his hand moves to the back of your neck, slipping his tongue into your mouth. Your hands slide up his front, gripping his shirt before finding a home in his Farrah Fawcett sprayed hair. But before you can comprehend what just occurred between you, Steve pulls his lips back, giving you both time to breathe as he rests his forehead against yours.

“Maybe to you it wouldn’t have meant anything. But not to me. You mean everything to me.” He whispers, stealing another kiss as he smiles at you. “I’ve imagined what it would be like to kiss you since I was thirteen years old. I’ve thought about how I would do it, when it would happen, where it would happen but playing a stupid fucking game of spin the bottle in front of Billy Hargrove and Tammy Thompson, was not exactly what I had in mind.”

You’re still in shock as your fingers intertwine with his, neither of you moving, both afraid that this wasn’t really happening.

“But what about Nancy?” You ask, twisting your lips as he sighs. “Nancy knew it was always you. Even when I tried to tell her it wasn’t. Fuck, I tried to tell myself it wasn’t you y’know? Cause it was just easier than admitting the truth. But she saw right through me the whole time. Just like everyone else did and I felt awful that I had put her through that. I just thought that my feelings for you would eventually fade away but they didn’t. So Nancy ended things with me, told me I should tell you how I felt but I was too scared, so instead I made her promise not to tell you.”

“Why?”

“Cause if you didn’t feel the same way, I wasn’t sure that we could go back to how we were and I didn’t want to lose you. I can’t ever lose you.” He admits before you place your lips on his again, letting him know that you felt the same way.

“You could never lose me, Steve. I’ve always been yours. Whether either of us knew it or not, it’s always been you. It’ll always be you.” You promise as Steve wraps his arms around you.

“Can I take you home now?”

“I’ve just confessed my love for you and you want to send me home?” You tease, pushing him away.

“What I was trying to say was, I want you to come home with me.” He flirts suggestively, pulling loose strands of hair out of your face before his lips move to your neck.

“Oh, you want to take me home huh?” You grin, embarrassed at how easily he could make your knees weak.

“Only if you want to. We don’t have to do anything, I just wanna be with you. But if you want to go home I’ll bring—”

“Buy me a cheeseburger and I’m all yours, Harrington.” You smirk, attempting to drag him back to his car before he playfully tosses you over his shoulder.

“I knew you were fucking hungry!”

[megxplryxb]

Sweet jesus…How is this man real?

[megxplryxb]

Ok, I’ve got a few unfinished Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader fics in my drafts but don’t know which one to start with. What would you guys be most interested in reading?

Best friends to lovers - Where Steve is in love with reader and she has no idea

Steve trying to win back ex gf reader before she gets married to someone else

Cheer captain reader x BB Captain Steve - Enemies but Steve is infatuated

Reader spends the night at Steve’s before the final battle with Vecna

Voting ended onMar 11, 2025

[megxplryxb]

Djo World Tour, I repeat, DJO WORLD TOUR!!!

[megxplryxb]

Me looking at the 7 Steve Harrington fics currently sitting in my drafts but writers block won’t let me finish a single one.

[megxplryxb]

Someone to Save You

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Mostly fluff, slight mention of death (Billy), mention of violence (evil Russians), no use of y/n, set in Season 3.

Notes: Short fic that’s been unfinished in my drafts for far too long and I got tired of seeing it sitting there judging me.

"I guess we're gonna have to find new jobs now huh?" Robin laughs anxiously, brows raised, eyes wide as she tries her best to lighten the mood while you both sit in the back of an ambulance watching on as Hawkins finest attempt to extinguish the flames currently engulfing what remains of the Starcourt mall. It was clear the two of you were still visibly shaken up, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours and a part of you wondered if you were still tripping from the drugs you’d been injected with earlier because there was no way you had actually fought a monster like creature from another dimension back in the food court, let alone gotten kidnapped and held hostage by an army of Russian soldiers.

The sound of sirens echoing throughout the parking lot made you wince as your head pounded in agony from the beating you’d taken at the hands of the guards during their unsuccessful interrogation of yourself and Steve. Looking down to inspect yourself, you see your Scoops uniform covered in blood and vomit, your legs and arms covered in cuts and bruises and the bottom of your lip split wide open, making you wonder how the fuck you had actually managed to make it out in one piece.

It was only supposed to be for fun, trying to translate that stupid Russian code. Something to do to pass the time during your shifts at Scoops Ahoy, a form of entertainment in between having to serve bratty children and stuck up parents their ice cream. It wasn’t meant to end up with you and Steve being beaten to a bloody pulp or with the mall burning down and it certainly wasn’t meant to end with the death of Billy Hargrove. Unfortunately, there was much more going on beneath the surface of Hawkins, Indiana than you could have ever imagined and somehow you’d managed to get yourself directly caught in the crossfire.

"Yeah, it looks like it." You eventually mutter, not really listening to your friend as she rambles on about how the government was going to cover all of this up, long zoned out, too focused on your handsome coworker to care about any cover up story.

Your eyes had been glued to Steve Harrington since the paramedics helped him to another ambulance across the lot to get checked out. Dustin Henderson was standing by his side as always, refusing to leave his friend and hero alone. His face and presumably his body were badly battered after the punishment he had taken during your time in the Russian base, trying his best to protect you and keep you safe. Steve had pleaded with the guards to let you go, promising he’d tell them everything they wanted to know once they guaranteed your safety but you refused to abandon him and in the end, you both suffered the consequences until Robin, Erica and Dustin had come to your eventual rescue.

Watching Steve get knocked unconscious had absolutely terrified you. His lifeless body unresponsive on the floor as you screamed for him to wake up, to move, to do anything just to let you know he was alive. When he finally came to, you wrapped yourself around him, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest with relief when he mumbled that he was ‘ok’, even managing to tease you for being a blubbering mess over him when you always claimed to hate him.

It was true, you did hate him back in High School. Couldn’t stand him or his shitty friends and the way they believed they were actual fucking royalty. But then you graduated, hoping to forget the trauma of Hawkins High, got a job working in Scoops Ahoy and to your utter horror, Steve Harrington was behind the counter wearing a god damn sailor outfit that didn’t even fit him right. Of course, Robin tried to tell you that things were different now, that he wasn’t the same asshole from school. His ‘King’ title long relinquished and his trust fund completely confiscated and in your eyes, it was karma and karma was a bitch. Admittedly, you were also a bitch, refusing to believe he’d actually changed his ways, giving the cold shoulder, throwing a harsh comment whenever the opportunity presented itself. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it and Steve too gave just as good as he got, annoying you on a daily basis, ruining every possible chance you had of a date when someone tried to ask you out, spilling ice cream on your uniform and just making a total nuisance of himself around you.

It’s only when his Dad arrived into the parlour one evening to collect him that you really felt sorry for Steve. His BMW had been in the garage and his Dad walked in, tossing him some clothes to change into before he left the mall, not wanting anyone to see his son “looking like an idiot”. You don’t know why seeing Steve being ridiculed and humiliated by his own Father mad you angry but it did. You could still remember the look on Steve’s face when it happened and a part of you wanted to defend him, to pull him into you and hug him but that would have been weird back then. So you decided to give him a break after that night, finally getting to know him after a longer than usual shift, both of you stuck cleaning up after a birthday party and you realised Robin was right. He had changed. He was kind and sweet and somehow he had six kids who absolutely adored him and the longer you were around him, you couldn’t help but start to adore him too.

“It’s okay to admit that you care about him, y’know?” Robin whispers, nudging your shoulder, shaking you from your thoughts of Steve. “Dingus is a good guy and it’s pretty obvious he cares a lot about you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Robin.” You laugh dismissively, trying to avoid the conversation completely because maybe you weren’t fully ready to admit your feelings to yourself yet.

“Oh please! You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re totally into each other.” She states but you shake your head defensively, hoping it was too dark for her to see the tints of pink on your cheeks.

“No, it’s not like that. I mean, Steve could barely stand to be around me a couple of weeks ago. There’s no way he has actual feelings for me.” You assert but it does little to dissuade Robin who’s had a front row seat to your constant bickering over the last couple of months and while it seemed like you both truly despised each other at the beginning, it became clear to her that you and Steve were hiding behind your real feelings and the last few days only made it all the more obvious.

“Come on, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, the way he gets totally jealous every time Jason Carver comes in to flirt with you. He tries to act like he doesn’t care but his face gives him away every time. Not to mention how happy he was when you fell asleep on his shoulder in that damn elevator, poor guy couldn’t stop gazing at you.” She chuckles as Erica walks towards you both.

“You’re talking about Harrington right? Dustin said he’s totally in love with you and since I’ve spent the last twenty four hours stuck with your insane asses, I’m inclined to agree with him.” The younger Sinclair smirks, folding her arms. You try your best to ignore them both, reverting your gaze back towards the direction of Steve who’s already looking right at you. Dustin is pointing your way, speaking passionately and although you can’t hear what he’s saying, you assume it’s about you because Steve quickly slaps his hand away before rolling his eyes at the younger boy.

“See?” Robin nudges you again. “He keeps looking over here. Just go talk to him, please? Put us all out of our misery.” She begs, giving you puppy dog eyes as Erica whistles at Dustin to call him over, giving him a small thumbs up as he grins widely and starts to make his way over.

“Why do I feel like I’ve just been set up?” You grit your teeth, glaring at your friends.

“Maybe because you have been.” Robin smiles sweetly, shoving you forward as you begin to walk towards Steve. Your stomach twists as you get closer to the boy, hoping you don’t look as anxious as you feel. If everyone else could tell you had feelings for him, wasn’t it likely he knew too?

“If you came over here to tell me I look like shit, you're too late, Henderson already beat you to it.” Steve jokes, looking at you through his one good eye, the other badly swollen as he holds an ice pack to his face, wincing a little from the cool contact.

“Relax Harrington, you’re still annoyingly pretty. I just wanted to make sure you were doing ok.” You say, taking a seat beside him on the edge of the ambulance as he scoots over for you. "Besides, it’s not like I can talk right now, I'm sure I don’t look much better.” You sigh as he scans the injuries on your face, hating himself for getting you caught up in all of this mess.

“Nah, don’t worry. You’re still beautiful .” He smirks, his bruised face still achingly gorgeous in the night sky as you both lock eyes, sitting in silence for a moment before you finally remember to breathe.

Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington had just called you beautiful. You— the girl he once claimed to hate. The girl that used to drive him utterly insane in High School. Shit, in the few short months you’ve worked in Scoops Ahoy with Steve, you’ve heard him use many terms when talking about other girls, ‘hot’ ‘cute’ ‘pretty’ but he’d never used the word beautiful. Did he really think you were beautiful?

“I think you’re still high, Steve.” You blush, placing a strand of hair behind your ear as he shakes his head.

“No. For the first time in a while, I think I’m seeing things pretty clearly actually.” He affirms, too confidently for a guy who looks like he’s just gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali.

“I’m not sure how that’s possible when you can’t see out of one eye right now but okay.” You giggle and he laughs with you.

“Come on, you know what I mean.” He playfully bumps your shoulder to grab your focus. His caramel eyes moving to your lips before looking back at you again and suddenly there’s a familiar tension in the air between you that you’ve refused to acknowledge before.

“Do I?” You ask, your voice barely above a whisper as you take the ice pack from him, holding it to the side of his face soothingly.

“God I hope so.” He breathes out, lifting his hand to cover yours. You can sense that he’s nervous and you almost want to laugh at how insane this all seems. The thought of Steve Harrington being nervous because of you would have been comical a couple of months ago but here you are, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss you stupid.

“I’m really fucking sorry for getting you guys mixed up in all of this.” He mutters, a guilty look across his face as he lowers his head.

“Hey, no. None of this is your fault Steve. Nobody could have known what was going to happen.” You try to comfort him but he can’t help feel slightly responsible.

“No, I should have known the reason those Russian’s came to Hawkins. I should have known that thing was back. God I’m so stupid!” He spits with anger in his voice, throwing his head back.

“You’re not stupid Steve.” You say softly, gently placing your hand on his thigh.

“Come on honey, you can say it, s’not like I don’t already know.” He half laughs and you hate that he thinks of himself that way, that he thinks you think of him that way.

“I don’t think that Steve, I never thought that. An asshole? Yes. Selfish? Hell yes. But not stupid, never stupid and after actually getting to know you—the real you and not the person you pretended to be in High School, I can safely say I was wrong about who I thought you were.” You admit, finally finding the courage to reach for his hand and intertwining your fingers with his.

“Oh yeah? What changed your mind hmm?” He asks, grinning as he turns his body fully towards you, rubbing his thumb over the delicate skin of your knuckles.

“I’m not sure really, maybe seeing how good of a babysitter you are, how protective you are of all your kids. That might have had a little something to do with it.” You tease as he chuckles with you. “Only a little huh?”

“Well, it might also have something to do with you saving my life. Trying to sacrifice yourself so they’d let me go. That was really brave Steve.” You whisper, trying to stop yourself from getting choked up.

“And it was really stupid of you to refuse.” Steve replies, immediately wiping away the tear he can see trailing down your cheek.

“Hey, if we go down, then we go down together. That’s the Scoops Ahoy! policy remember?” You remind him as he shakes his head at you, cupping your face, caressing the apples of your cheeks. “I don’t know what I’d have done if something bad happened to you. Every time they touched you, every time they even looked at you— god I wanted to fucking kill them.”

“Careful Harrington, it almost sounds like you care about me.” You breathe out, hypnotised by his full pink lips as you realise they’re inching incredibly closer to yours.

“Shit honey, what gave it away?” He smirks at you, finally closing the space between you as his lips gently meet yours in a warm embrace. You can hear the wolf whistles from across the lot, both of you laughing into the kiss as your friends cheer you on and you can’t help feel like a kid playing spin the bottle for the first time.

You eventually break apart when the medic coughs awkwardly, mortified that he’s had to stumble across a make out session as you both try your best to hide your embarrassment, your cheeks flushing bright red.

“Alright Mr Harrington, from what I can see, it looks like you’ve got a bit of a concussion there. I know you mentioned your parents are currently out of town so I think it might be best if we keep you in overnight at the hospital tonight.” The man says as you watch Steve sigh heavily.

“I’m sure I’ll be ok by myself, I’m not really the biggest fan of hospitals sir.” He admits, swallowing hard and you can’t help but be mad at his parents for once again being absent when he needed them.

“I’m really not comfortable with you being alone tonight Mr Harrington, I’d rather you come—“

“He won’t be alone. He can come stay with me, I’ll look after him.” You interrupt, taking Steve’s hand in yours, squeezing it reassuringly. His head turns to you immediately, eyes glossy and mouth open in awe of your kindness, he feels like his heart is going to explode.

“Are, are you sure?” He mumbles, blushing as you kiss him on the cheek.

“Of course I’m sure, I owe you for saving my life. Maybe it’s time, you let someone save you.”

[megxplryxb]

girl i just read “dance with me forever” and omg the way that your write dialogue for the characters is SO GOOD!!! i could hear their voice in my head as i read it and you got their personalities on point 💕💕💕

i loved it so much, such a great read!

Thank you so much! It always means so much to me that someone would take the time to comment on a fic I’ve written ❤️ I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🥹