Can a bond forged in trauma blossom into something more?
Birthday Wishes
What happens when you realize you have feelings for your best friend?
An Unexpected Date
A Touron’s flirting triggers some unexpected consequences
Shoebox of Mementos
When your boyfriend doesn’t treat you well, JJ steps in to help you understand that you deserve better.
The Introverted Twin (complete)
Being John B’s bookish twin isn’t easy. Especially with my best friend, Pope, being weird about me getting closer with JJ.
Butterflies
From dating in junior high to high school best friends is quite a trip.
The Fall (in progress)
Grace Porter just moved from Figure Eight to the Cut. She never expected to run into her old friend, Kiara, and discover she lives next door to JJ Maybank.
Preview
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
The Story
You and JJ had a moment and he blew it. Now you’re dating someone new but JJ thinks the new guy isn’t what he seems.
childhood best friends to lovers w/ Steve Harrington
summary: growing up, steve was your favorite person, your best friend. but now that you're older, he's calling less and less, fading away slowly. will your hail mary attempt to draw him back to you end with you in his arms, or has he given up on you for good?
content: fluff, angst, smut. pinv, strictly 18+ minors do not interact. non-canon steve au (upside down-less hawkins)
Steve holds out his pinky finger, and you know exactly what that means. You’re on adjacent swings, legs dangling over the thin layer of woodchips that wouldn’t really soften the blow if you fell. But you know that Steve would be right by your side, lifting you from the ground, making sure you were okay.
You’d moved to Hawkins a year ago, starting school in the same third grade class as Steve. You were so scared your first day, you didn’t speak to anyone in your class. You could hear the cool girls in the corner of the classroom whispering about you. Arms crossed on the desk and head hung low, you fought hard not to cry. The first tear broke through at the same time a chair pulled up next to yours.
A boy with brownish greenish eyes, and a disproportionate amount of hair on his head for such a scrawny frame, smiled from the seat next to you.
“Hi I’m St-”
The tear rolling down your cheek caused him to lose his train of thought.
“Uh oh, are you crying?”
“No,” you replied. But it was no use, the second tear was already falling and you could feel a third on deck.
Steve pulled the sleeve of his sweater over his hand, bringing the fabric to your cheeks to pat them dry.
“Yes you are,” he pointed out.
“Please, don’t tell anyone,” you begged him.
He eyed the girls in the corner, sending them an angry frown, then turned back to you, his small voice dead serious as he vowed, “your secret’s safe with me.”
“Promise?” You asked skeptically.
“Not just promise,” he raised his pinky finger out to you, “pinky promise.”
And from then on he got all of your secrets, and you got all of his.
So there on the swings, you dragged your feet along the ground to inch your swing closer to his, looping your pinky around his like you had been doing all year.
“Pinky promise.”
The years went by that way. Your best buddy Steve by your side, even through the awkward middle school years. Like the time a boy in your biology class said you looked like the frog he was dissecting and Steve punched him in the face and got suspended for a week. Or when his parents told him they were getting a divorce and you snuck into his bedroom window and stayed up with him all night listening to records until he fell asleep. He laid his head in your lap, his tears dripping onto your pajama pants while you pushed his hair back from his forehead and whispered, “everything’s going to be okay, because I’m not going anywhere.”
As you grew up together, almost everything changed, except that promise you’d made each other on the playground - you were still best friends. Even when you got your first period and realized there were going to be some things in life you just couldn’t talk to him about. Even when he shaved off all of his hair the Summer you were fourteen and you cried when he showed you, which made him cry and he didn’t speak to you until it had grown back. Even when you were in high school and his dad started coming around less and less and he entered what you now refer to as ‘The Mean Steve Years.’
Even the night before junior year, when you were swimming at the lake. Steve took his shirt off and you noticed he was starting to grow chest hair, your surprise slowly melting into a warm feeling in your belly you couldn’t quite understand. Even when your fits of laughter while watching Spinal Tap on your basement’s shag rug turned into a giggly wrestling match until Steve was pinning you down and you felt something hard and strong against your thigh. Even when he ran out of your basement blushing, making an excuse about being home for dinner and then didn’t talk to you for a week.
Eventually, of course, he spoke to you again, but something had shifted between you. Then began the years of glances across the room, sneaking peaks at his strong hand on the gear shift while he drove, his lower lip tucked between his teeth when, getting ready for prom, you asked “zip me up?” like it was the most innocent thing in the world, like the brush of his knuckles on your spine didn’t send heat through you all the way down to your toes.
Through it all, you repeated over and over how you were best friends, just best friends. The oldest lie in the book. It had certainly been for you. And the day you found out it had been for him too, all bets were off.
College had come and gone. You’d gone far for school, he’d stayed close. Your once weekly phone calls with Steve grew fewer and farther apart. Last you’d spoken, you were moving in with your Psychology 101 TA boyfriend and you thought you could hear Steve grinding his teeth on the other end of the line when you’d told him.
Then, after only a few months of coinhabitated bliss, you and James the TA started fighting. The two of you were fighting so often that one day, you just stood up from your shared sofa and walked out. He lost you, and you lost your security deposit. Aimless and yearning for home, you took a job covering sports for the Hawkins Post.
Now, single and speeding down the highway toward your hometown, your whole body tingles with excitement every mile you get closer to seeing your best friend. You haven’t told him you’re moving back yet, you can’t wait for the delicious look of surprise and joy he’ll give you when he sees you.
Only, in the seventh inning, when he finally looks up and spots you in the stands cheering him on, he doesn’t seem excited at all.
Waiting until every last fan left and the away team boarded their bus home, you sneak down to the dugout. Steve is cleaning up empty water cups and brushing sunflower seeds off the bench. His team lost, and he’s angrily muttering to himself about something you can’t quite hear.
“You’ll get ‘em next time, coach,” you say.
He looks up, though he doesn’t seem as startled as you’d thought he’d be, like he had expected you to make your way down here.
“Welcome home,” he says, his body tense.
“You’re not even going to give me a hug?”
“Sorry, I’m just thinking about…the game.”
When you don’t reply, he crosses the dugout and pulls you in for a hug. You sink into him, reveling in his familiar scent as your fists clutch the back of his shirt.
“I missed you,” you mumble, your lips brushing the warm skin of his neck.
Steve pulls back too quickly, your arms fall to your sides lamely as he puts space between you.
“Yeah, uh, you too.” He scratches the back of his neck, staring just past you to avoid your eyes.
“Is everything okay?” You frown.
“Yeah, ‘course,” Steve runs his hands through his hair, making the stringy ends stick up before falling back over his forehead. “Just didn’t expect you to be back so soon.”
“Oh. Well my grad school classes are over, so…I’m actually, uh, moving back.”
You’d practiced this little announcement the whole drive home, so why did this moment feel so anticlimactic?
“Right.” He nods. “Cool.
Oh, that’s why.
To avoid the sting of his indifference, you try to pivot.
“I sent you an invite to my graduation, but you weren’t there.”
“Sorry, yeah, I just figured there’d be plenty of people there, I didn’t want to crowd you.”
“I mean, it was just my parents. I didn’t even use all of my tickets.”
“Really? What about Sigmund Freud?”
You roll your eyes at the nickname. “You mean James? We, uh…I left him.”
For the first time since you’d wandered into the dugout, Steve looks you in the eyes.
“Oh, well, good. Your head can only be shrunk so much, y’know, before the brain damage sets in.”
You crack a smile at his familiar sarcastic rambling.
“Why don’t you seem happy to see me?” You reroute the conversation away from James and back to the moment.
“I am. Of course I am, I just didn’t expect it.” He sets his hands on his hips, trying to come across as casual while acting anything but. “I’m in work mode I guess.”
“Okay, well don’t work too hard.” You smile softly. “Before you were Mr. Harrington, you were Steve. My Steve.”
Steve sighs, lips drawn tight.
“Yeah, well, I should get back to it. The custodians hate it when we leave this place a mess.”
Before you can respond, he turns and goes back to his cleaning duties.
“Hey?” You say, voice feeling small.
Steve turns back to you, “yeah?”
You step carefully toward him, your pinky extended.
“Promise you’re still my best friend?”
A thousand times in your fifteen years of friendship, Steve has wrapped his pinky around yours as you both swore to be friends forever. But this time, he just stares at your outstretched hand, forehead creased in…is it anger? No, something more like disappointment.
“Really?” You drop your hand as your voice rises. “What, have you outgrown me? You have a big grown up job now and no need for a best friend?”
“I don’t know.” Steve shakes his head and you feel your heart crack right down the middle.
“Okay. Okay, well that’s fine. I have other friends.” You try your hardest to sound unaffected, but you know he can see the way your chin is starting to wobble. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
Steve huffs, muttering under his breath, “still dramatic as ever I see.”
Your hands ball up at your sides, shaking in fury. Steve knows there is nothing you hate being called more than ‘dramatic.’ Other than maybe when you’d been compared to that dead frog.
Too angry to speak, you just glare at him. He shies away from your anger by turning to throw away another cup.
“I’ll see you around, okay?” He sighs, ending the conversation. But you aren’t done.
It’s then that you notice the cooler of water on the dugout wall, lid thrown on the ground and dead gnats floating at the water’s surface.
Not giving yourself a second to overthink it, you grab the cooler and lift it over Steve’s head. Only, as you raise it up, the water sloshes over the edge and your grip slips, tipping the cooler so it covers you both in frigid water and bug guts.
“What the hell?” Steve turns on his heel and stares at you in shock, his locks of brown hair sticking to his forehead and coach’s uniform soaked through. “Why did you do that?!”
You blink the water out of your own eyes and gasp for air.
“Because! Coming back to this school has turned you back into Mean Steve!”
“I wasn’t being mean!”
“Yes, you were! And I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I want my best friend back, right now.”
“He’s standing right here! And now he’s cold, and wet, and probably going to catch a cold like this, so thanks a lot.”
“Oh my god, you’re being such a baby.”
“Oh I’m being a baby? You’re the one throwing a temper tantrum because I wouldn’t make you a pinky promise.”
Chin wobbling, your voice is small as you say, “that’s not why, and you know it.”
Before he gets the chance to distinguish the tears from the water still dripping down your face, you turn from him and run out of the dugout toward your car.
As you open the door of your old beat-up station wagon, a hand reaches around you and slams it shut. For a moment, there is just the quiet of the night, the sound of crickets, Steve’s breath behind you, and nothing else.
You turn and look at him, your makeup completely smeared from the water cooler, body shivering in the crisp night air. His hand stays on the door, head tilted down as he struggles for something to say.
He lands on, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” You demand.
“For missing your graduation. And for tonight. I don’t know what my problem is.”
“Maybe you just outgrew me. It’s okay if you…” you swallow hard. “If you’re done with me.”
Steve’s eyes meet yours, a stunned expression on his face as if you just slapped him.
“Done with you? I’ll never be done with you. Never. I can’t. Not when I-”
“When you what?” Your hands are shaking again, this time for a completely different reason.
You can almost see the words forming on the tip of his tongue, but suddenly he drops them, stepping back and shutting down again. God, this is exhausting.
An exasperated growl leaves your throat as you throw your head back and look at the stars. You can feel the water drip from your hair down your legs to the backs of your ankles. You try to find the Big Dipper among the stars. Anything to keep your eyes off of him. But then he speaks.
“Why did you leave James?”
You thought he was going to say something to break your heart. You’d almost rather he do that than make you answer this question.
“Why does that matter right now?” You deflect.
Steve pulls his lips between his teeth. His hands go to his hips and then fly out in exasperation, finally landing with a slap against his thighs. He doesn’t need to speak, he just gives you that look. Eyes wide and a little frenzied. It’s the look he gives you when you’re annoying him, when he’s trying his best to love you but you’re pushing him to his limit. The familiarity of that look, of fighting like you used to fight when you were kids, makes you smile.
“What’s funny?” He asks.
“Just…you.”
Steve laughs but there’s no humor in it. He runs his hands through his hair in the way that you love, the way that makes it fly in all directions until he looks like a mad man. It’s so endearing you take some pity on him and decide to answer.
The anger from earlier has been drained out of you. Everything he’s doing, every expression, every mannerism is so familiar, so very him, that your inhibitions go up in flames.
“Can I tell you a secret?” You ask him.
“Always.” He responds, the quickness of his answer wrapping you in comfort like a warm blanket over your wet, shivering shoulders.
“And you won’t tell?”
“Have I ever?”
“No, you haven’t.”
You step toward him and he almost seems like he’s going to step back. His defenses are up, confused by your sudden change in demeanor.
Once you’re close enough, you reach out and rub a palm over his head to straighten his hair, like you’ve done a million times. Like you did the night of the snow ball in eighth grade, giving him a pep-talk to ask Mindy Tompkins if she wanted to dance. Like you did before he appeared in court to testify in his parent’s custody hearing. Like you did before he interviewed for his first job. You can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s thinking of all those times, too.
“I left James because we got in a big fight. I was yelling, he was yelling…”
At the mention of James yelling at you, Steve’s jaw tightens. “He yelled at you?”
“Don’t worry, any hell he gave me I gave him right back,” you wink at him. He fights back a smile because he believes you.
With a deep breath you continue, “we were fighting all the time, and then one day he said something that just…something I think he’d probably been trying not to say for a long time. And I couldn’t even fight back, because I knew he was right. So, rather than try to lie, I just left.”
Steve waits a moment, giving you the chance to keep going, but then; sensing you’re having a hard time with the rest, asks, “what’d he say? If he was mean to you I swear to God-”
“No, no,” you chuckle. “He wasn’t mean. He was right.”
You shut your eyes and breathe in deep, steeling yourself, willing yourself not to chicken out.
“He said that I would never be able to give myself to him fully. Not when my heart belongs to somebody else.”
Steve’s jaw tightens then goes slack. “Who does it belong to?”
You tilt your head and smile a sad, knowing smile.
“...c’mon,” you whisper, begging him not to make you say it.
For a long moment, you just look at each other.
The air is tight between you, threatening to snap, only you don’t know if you want to find out what will happen when it does. Will you be drawn to each other, that delicate space between you that’s held you back for so long finally giving way? Or will you be propelled apart, any chance or ‘maybe’ that lives in the back of your mind dying in the dirt under you.
“Y’know, the morning of my first day teaching here, I was so excited,” Steve confides. “I woke up early.”
Your eyebrows shoot up. “You woke up early?”
“I know, right?” His lips twist into a smirk. “I was up before the sun, I tried on like four different outfits. I was so excited. And the day went perfectly fine, the kids seemed to like me. Even the teachers whose classes I used to cut seemed happy to see me. But when I got home that night, I just sat in the dark in my living room, sipping room temperature beer and feeling like, I don’t know…empty, I guess.”
You frown, hating the thought of him alone like that, wishing he didn’t have to spend even one second of his life not being his carefree, easygoing self.
“It took me a long time to figure out why I wasn’t having fun. The life I worked for was right in front of me, I have a job that I got completely on my own, without my dad wielding his influence. I even bought a house, it’s tiny, nothing like the one I grew up in. But it’s mine.”
“I’m so proud of you, Steve,” you interject.
“But see it’s not right. None of it is right. My life will never be right...”
You hold your breath, somehow knowing in that inexplicable way you’ve always known him down to your core, exactly what he was going to say next.
“...unless you’re in it. But you were with him. And I knew after him there’d be someone else, and that person would never be me. So I stopped calling. Stopped thinking about you, hoping if I moved on from you I’d finally find a life that makes me happy.”
His eyes glass over just slightly. He steps back, just an inch, just enough to study your face with pinched eyebrows, like he’s bracing himself for a fatal blow.
“And did you?” You ask, almost too quiet for him to hear.
“Do I seem happy to you?”
You study him, your lungs aching with the breath you’ve been holding.
“So you don’t want me to be your best friend anymore?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “No, I want you to be my girl.”
“Steve.” You step closer, and this time, he doesn’t move away. “I’ve always been your girl.
Then it happens, it finally happens, the invisible string between you, always pulled taught, fraying at the edges, breaks. Like magnets, your bodies snap together.
His hands fly to your hair, yours to his shoulders. Your lips hover for just a moment, just one excruciating, exhilarating, delicious moment. And then they meet.
Steve kisses you like he’s trying to memorize the shape of your mouth. Like he’s been slowly and carefully mapping it out for years. But a groan escapes him when you finally part your lips and invite him in, realizing it’s so much better than he’d imagined.
It is everything it’s supposed to be. Drenched confessions of love lead to screeching tires and running stop signs until he finally gets you back to your new apartment. Doorway kisses lead to hands gripping each other desperately as he walks you toward the bed.
You’d been kissing like that for what felt like days, laying across your bed, tangling together, rolling in the sheets in your now mostly dry clothes. After forever like that, Steve pulls back, tentatively beginning to unbutton your top. His fingers are shaking.
Placing your hand softly over his you ask, “are you nervous?”
“What? Nervous? I’m not…I’m definitely not…” he hangs his head and sighs, “yeah, okay. Yeah I’m really nervous.”
His cheeks are scarlet as he avoids your gaze. When he finally looks back up at you, you cover your face in your hands, peeking at him through your fingers.
“I’m nervous, too,” you confess.
The shared relief breaks you both into a fit of laughter. There had been so much build up to this moment, years of it, that now that you’re here, it feels impossible.
“Is this real life?” You ask him through your giggles.
“I honestly don’t know,” he croaks out, making your belly shake with another round of laughter. You’ve both lost your minds.
When the hilarity finally dies down, you look over at Steve, the golden glow of a streetlamp washing over his face.
“Maybe for now you could just hold me?” You suggest.
With a rush of relief, Steve pulls you into him, your back to his chest, legs tangled together.
“Yes, I’ll hold you,” he whispers in your hair, “you’ve got no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hold you just like this.”
“Hmm, I think I might have some idea.”
You fall asleep like that, wrapped up in each other, and sleep more soundly than you have maybe ever.
The night comes and goes, the sun eventually rises. And though neither of you wants to, you eventually get out of bed. Steve’s team has an away game two towns over, and you have boxes to unpack.
So he leaves, you shower, eat, spend the day distractedly unpacking books and clothes, only to rearrange them again and again, just killing the time until you see him again. Hours pass so slowly they feel like days, and as the clock ticks, reality hangs in the air outside your window, threatening to bring you back to earth. Just as you’re wondering if you’d really imagined it all, you hear a knock on your door.
You swing the mahogany open, standing flushed and expectant in the short blue satin dress you hope he’ll love, cheeks pink and not just from your rouge. Steve's eyes drift up and down like he hasn’t seen you in days, despite having his hands on you just this morning.
He leans against the door frame as he devours you with hazel eyes. He’s cleaned himself up, wearing a black sport coat over a black shirt, a single swirl of hair falling over his forehead despite his obvious attempt to hairspray it into place. It’s okay, you like him messy.
His gaze may be confident but his words come out in a clumsy stammer.
“You…it’s…just…aghhh.” He throws his head back, eyes shut tight as he tries to gather his thoughts.
“Yes, Mr. Harrington?” You tease, only flustering him more.
He just shakes his head, tongue poking into his cheek.
“It’s not fair.” He laughs.
Your smile finally breaks through, heart swelling. The arms that held you tight last night belonged to a man, but in front of you now he’s still the devilishly cute schoolboy you’ve been harboring a secret crush on since your playground days.
“Is that a compliment?” You ask.
“It’s a compliment.” He steps over the threshold and grabs you by the waist, finally finding his voice, “a compliment, a praise, a prayer-”
He cuts his own musings off with a kiss, arm looping around your back, crushing your body into his until you’re lifted to your tippytoes. You sigh into it, bunching his lapels in your hands as if you could possibly pull him in any closer. He kisses you so fiercely, his lips eventually slide off of yours, leaving a trail along the corner of your lips, your cheek, the sweet spot behind your ear. He sucks there, just slightly, until your knees turn to water and he has to hold you up for real.
“Speaking of things that aren’t fair,” you exhale.
Steve’s laugh is muffled against your ear and he pulls back to look at you. His lips are stained red from your lipstick. You grin wildly at him as you swipe your finger along each lip to clean him up.
Seizing the opportunity, he holds your hand to his mouth, kissing your knuckles, then your palm, down to your wrist. If you don’t stop him, you know you’re seconds from ditching your dinner reservation. When his lips press to the pulse point inside your wrist, you consider never leaving the house again.
Then your stomach grumbles, loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.
“Hungry?” He jokes, letting your hand fall only to lace his fingers with yours.
“Mhm, probably because I skipped dinner last night…” you remind him.
“Let’s get you fed then.” He tips his head toward his waiting car in the driveway. “You’re gonna need your energy.”
“Oh will I?” Your eyebrows raise, daring him to elaborate further.
“Oh yes.” He nods earnestly, though you still catch that teasing glint in his eye. “You’re gonna want to enjoy your dinner, ‘cause I’ve got big plans for dessert.”
You scoff and slap his arm, hoping he doesn’t notice the way your heart skipped a beat at the thought. Apparently, he wasn’t nervous anymore.
The restaurant is nice. Nothing like the dive bars and diners you’ve spent most of your friendship terrorizing. Your Friday nights usually consist of digging through Steve’s car for coins so you can play the same song on the juke box twenty times. On those nights, you take bets on how many people you can annoy out of the bar while you throw back cheap beers and sing badly to the bartender.
But tonight, Steve is a total gentleman to everyone you encounter - the valet, the hostess, the waiter, even the busboy gets a crisp five dollar bill slipped into his palm as Steve tells him, “thanks for taking care of us.”
You stare at him from across the table, head tilted and eyes studying him.
“What?” Steve asks, wiping his face as if maybe there was a glob of chocolate left over from the soufflé you’d shared.
“Nothing, it’s just…” your lips scrunch, considering how to say what you’re thinking without hurting his feelings.
He leans closer from across the table, “tell me, baby. You can tell me anything.”
You know it’s true. He’s been your number one secret keeper your entire life. But something shifted last night, and now it feels like you’re holding each other’s bare hearts in your hands, everything tinted with a vulnerability that wasn’t there until he’d kissed you.
“I’m just wondering,” you lay your hand over his, “when you became such a…man.”
Steve bites the inside of his cheek, considering your words. You’re nervous you offended him until he turns his hand over to hold yours, giving your fingers a reassuring squeeze.
“Do you not want me to be a man? Because I’ll be literally anything you want me to be. An animal, a vegetable, a mineral, you name it, and I’ll be it.”
Relief pours over you at his joking. It’s clear the same Steve you’ve spent your favorite days with is still the one who’s sitting in front of you tonight.
“I just want you to be you.” You squeeze his hand back.
“Yeah but maybe there’s parts of me you haven’t met yet,” he suggests.
You consider his words. They almost make you sad, like you’re jealous of anyone who's gotten to see any version of him you haven’t yet. Suddenly, you’re hungry again. Not for another five star meal, but for him. All of him. Last night you’d barely gotten a taste, but suddenly, sitting across from him, lights low and his eyes fixed on you, you’re not nervous anymore. Not at all.
You need to do it all again, to see if you can find the boy you love within the man. See if you can have both.
The toe of your shoes run up his calf, lifting the pleated fabric of his trousers as they go.
“Well then why don’t you introduce me?”
Without another word, Steve motions to the waiter to bring the check.
Once home, you stand at your vanity, removing your earrings and the gold necklace you’d worn to dinner - a locket Steve had given you for your birthday in the tenth grade. He had told you he found it on the school bus, but later, his mom had let it slip that he’d spent all of the money he’d made mowing lawns in the summer to buy it for you. Your heart squeezes as you trace your fingers over it now. The signs that he was in love with you had really been there all along, you just hadn’t been paying attention. You’re done missing things.
“Steve, can you help me with something?” You call out.
He stops halfway through pouring your coffee - the flimsy excuse you’d made to invite him inside after he drove you home - and makes his way to your bedroom.
When he appears in the doorway, your eyes find his in the mirror.
“Can you unzip my dress for me?”
Steve swallows, stepping toward you slowly. When he pulls the zipper down, you swear you can feel his fingers shaking a little. Maybe he too feels the importance of this moment, that what happened last night was inevitable, but what happens next will be far more important. He’s never been this quiet before. The thought makes you miss him, even though he’s standing right behind you.
Once the zipper is as low down your back as it’ll go, you turn, meeting his eyes. He’s blinking back at you, both of you breathing shakily, unsure of what comes next.
“Do you still want this?” You ask him.
Steve’s eyes sweep over your face, landing back on yours with an almost aching intensity.
“I’ve always wanted this,” he swears. And you believe him.
“Me too.”
You lift your hands to slide off the straps of your dress. Steve sucks in a breath and doesn’t release it for several seconds, the anticipation nearly killing him.
You take your sweet time lowering the fabric, torturing him as you let the silky threads fall away slowly. The straps finally slip from your fingers, the dress pooling around your hips, leaving you half bare in front of him. He tries to keep his eyes on yours, to be respectful, but he’s only human.
Losing the battle, his gaze drops down your body. It’s only then that he finally releases the breath he’s been holding, exhaling through his nose as his forehead scrunches. At first, you’re worried he’s upset somehow, until you realize he’s not in distress, he’s completely wrecked.
Steve’s forehead falls forward onto your collarbone. His hand finds the small of your back, clinging to you like you’re the only thing keeping him on Earth.
“I…I just…” He tries to speak, but nothing comes of it. You run your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, soothing his worry.
“Steve?” You say, low and comforting.
“Hmm?” Is all he can manage.
“Take me to bed.”
He stands to his full height again, which forces you to look up into his face.
“If you insist,” he says, wrapping his other arm around you and pulling you up to wrap your legs around his waist.
Steve lays you on the bed softly before standing to pull his suit jacket off.
“I think I promised you dessert?” He smirks. He’s trying to muster that bravado he’d shown at the restaurant, but that’s not what you want right now.
You pull the rest of your dress down over your hips, leaving you in just your bra and underwear, a matching lacy set you’d selected just for him. He looks down at you in awe, his whole body tight, from the tick of his jaw down to the firm grasp of his hands on your waist.
“You too.” You nod to his clothes, the only thing standing in the way of getting what you so desperately want.
He stands at the end of your bed, and you rise on your elbows to watch. Slowly, he slides the suit jacket off his shoulders and lifts the black sweater underneath over his head. His trousers go next, pooling in a pile at his feet until he’s standing in only his socks, boxers, and white undershirt. He gives you a shy smile.
“All of it.” You insist.
With a deep, shaky breath, he pulls the shirt over his head, revealing his broad chest and that pillow of chest hair that’s been filling your dreams since you were seventeen. He’s bigger than the last time you saw him shirtless. His chest is solid, his stomach taut and chiselded. His biceps are defined, but not bulky, a pulsing vein running down them all the way to his forearms. He’s been working out, clearly, and selfishly you hope it was all for you.
Lip drawn between your teeth, your chest rises and falls with anxious breaths as he removes his socks one at a time and then finally hooks his fingers into the waistband of his boxers.
“Wait,” you say, and he freezes instantly.
You rise on your knees, shifting toward him on the bed until your fingertips find the goosebumped skin on his stomach, “let me.”
He watches with wide eyes as you gently push his hands out of the way and slip your own fingers under his waistband. Your eyes stay locked to his, looking up at him with a smirk as you lower the fabric over his hips and let it fall away down his legs. In your peripheral vision, you can see him, hard and ready, just inches from brushing against your belly. But you just keep your eyes trained on him as you slide your hand between your bodies and wrap your fingers around his cock, your touch featherlight.
He twitches in your hand and you can’t contain your satisfied smirk. When you run the pad of your thumb over his slit - already leaking desperately - his head falls forward, hair hanging over his forehead and eyes screwed shut.
“Th-that is…” He can’t find the words. You’ve got him speechless and it feels so damn good.
This is what you wanted. To watch all his efforts to seem cool and calm melt away and reveal his truest self. The self that’s desperate for you, the self that’s always been at your mercy, just like you are at his.
You run your hands over him a little firmer, and his whole body jerks forward. Laughing gently you rise higher on your knees, the hand that isn’t working up and down his shaft wrapping around the back of his neck, pulling his lips to yours.
Steve kisses you hard and you squeeze around his base in gratitude. Then he whimpers into your mouth and every nerve ending in your body buzzes with pleasure.
Like a reward, you pull him down further, until you’re laying back on the bed, head resting on your pillow, and his body hovers over yours. One of his hands is on the mattress just next to your shoulder, and the other finds its rightful place on your hip.
He runs his fingers along the elastic of your panties, making to push them aside, but you stop him.
“No,” you command gently. “I get to go first.”
He obeys and pulls his hand back, though his eyes are squinting in confusion. Instead of explaining yourself, you lick your own palm before bringing it back to his cock. Twisting your wrist, you begin to stroke slowly, feeling his fist bunch up the sheets next to you.
“Oh, my god,” he breathes through gritted teeth. “Ah, shit, that feels incredible.”
You watch him in awe, your own mouth hanging open, adoring eyes sweeping over his features, taking mental pictures you know you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.
Steve groans, the growl in the back of his throat petering out into another whimper.
“Yes, keep making those sounds, baby,” you coo. “I love seeing you like this.”
With your encouraging words, you start to move your hand faster, twisting all the way to the tip and circling your thumb there until you drag your palm back to his base and squeeze gently. His eyes that have been squeezed shut fly open and he looks at you with pure panic.
“If you…I can’t…if you keep going I’m not gonna last,” he warns you with a breathy chuckle.
There he is. Your sweet boy. All pretenses dropped, telling you the truth without embarrassment. Your best friend, shaking above you, gasping against your skin when his forehead falls to the center of your chest.
“That’s okay,” you reassure him. “I want you to feel good. I want to watch you fall apart for me.”
“Can I…mmm - fuck - can-” he tries desperately to find his voice between needy moans, “I need to touch you.”
“Yeah?” You smile. “You want to feel me?”
“God yes,” he breathes. “I’ve wanted this for so long you have no idea.”
The hand not working him brushes his hair away from his eyes, palm caressing his cheek.
“Me too,” you admit. “I dream about this.”
“Do you?” He asks, and it melts you completely.
Because it’s not cocky, not teasing. It’s a prayer, begging for your words to be true. Begging you to tell him he’s not alone, that you need him in the same way he needs you.
“Mhm,” you nod. “I dream about you coming undone for me. About the look on your face when you fall apart, about what sounds you’ll make when you give in.”
Steve’s eyes roll back at your words, shaking his head.
“Okay, that’s it, I need to touch you. Now.”
He drops his mouth to the crook of your neck, trailing down to your chest, sloppy kisses all the way down. You giggle as the last bit of his pride crumbles for you, fingers slotting in his hair to keep him anchored to you.
Once his mouth gets to the top of your breasts he pauses, tilting his face up to look at you as he pulls the straps of your bra down your shoulder. You lift off the mattress a bit to give him enough room to undo the clasp. When he pulls the lace away completely, his tongue runs over his lips, like he’s literally hungry for you.
“Are you kidding me? How are you even real?”
Steve tugs on your legs, dragging you down the bed, making you fall back onto the mattress until you’re underneath him again. You yelp in delight and his lips are on your neck again, mumbling between each kiss, “so beautiful…perfect…my dream girl…”
His words make you feel dizzy, completely drunk off this.
“You’re so sweet to me,” you smile. He picks his head up to look at you, kissing the smile right off of your lips.
“‘Cause you deserve it, baby.”
He’s still kissing you when his fingers dance over the lace between your legs, feeling your wetness through the fabric.
“You’re also so fucking hot,” he whispers in your ear.
Steve sits back on his knees to watch as he slides your panties down your legs. You shimmy to give him room, and then hold your breath as he runs his eyes over you, bare for him for the first time. It’s the first time you’ve ever been skittish around him, his stoic silence not relaxing you one bit.
“Listen, uh, this may sound lame but…I don’t know it’s like, sometimes I think I wouldn’t exist if you didn’t either. Does that make any sense? Like I was only put on this Earth because you were too. If I didn’t have this…I wouldn’t…I couldn’t-”
Two seconds ago you were laughing, and now he’s choking up. You sit up to bring your face close to his, making sure he hears you when you whisper, “we’ll always have this. You’ll always have me.”
You kiss his lips like it will somehow seal your words, make them permanent in his mind. He sighs into it, like he’s accepting them from you.
You try to keep him from noticing that your hand is drifting down between you again, reaching out for him, but it’s no use, he knows you well enough to know what you’re doing even when his eyes are closed.
“Yeah, no,” he scolds, pushing your hand back. “It’s still my turn.”
You narrow your eyes at him, “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”
“”We can argue about it later,” he tells you, “but right now…”
Steve grabs your shoulders, turning you so you’re on your knees in front of him, him on his knees behind you. He kisses along your shoulder and you tilt your head to give him more access, sighing in defeat. His tongue draws long stripes up your neck and up higher until they’re swirling over your ear, his tongue dipping in. You’ve never had someone do this before and you’re so surprised by how good it feels, warm and wet in the best way. You whine a little and he smiles against you.
“Your mouth is so good,” you say, not sure if you’re even making sense anymore.
“Mmh, later I’m going to taste you for real, but first…”
Without you realizing it, he’s snaked his arm down your front, his fingers finding the slickness between your thighs and sliding through it gently. The pads of his fingers drag achingly light over every sensitive nerve. Your body jolts in response, so worked up that even just this gentle touch overwhelms your senses. You’re shaking now, so much that he lays his other hand flat over your stomach to settle you. After exploring you for a few more seconds, he circles your clit, just once, and you gasp.
“There?” Steve asks in your ear when you shiver under his touch.
You nod and let your head fall back onto his shoulder.
“Yes, yes I love that.” You whimper.
“Love, huh? You love when I touch you?”
You just nod again, knowing you look pathetic with your eyes shut so tight and your body quivering but you’re so far past caring. Steve picks up the pace, alternating between circling and tapping your clit until you’re so gone you start grinding down, riding his hand.
Feeling that familiar tightness in your stomach, you realize you never want this feeling to end. You rise up on your knees, causing his hand to fall away. Just as he opens his mouth to protest, you reach back and wrap your fingers around his cock again.
“Fuck.” The word comes out harsh and broken, like he’s just been punched.
Twitching in your hand again, Steve’s head falls forward to rest just between your shoulder blades. He looks down, mesmerized by the sight of your delicate fingers running over his thick length and the curve of your ass just inches away. He swears nothing could possibly be better than this, until you lean forward and guide the head of cock through your slick, dragging the tip through your folds and over your clit.
“Jesus, fu -” Before he can get out another curse, you slide him down to your dripping hole, slipping him inside.
You both shiver in unison, frozen in place as you adjust. Steve grabs your hips but doesn’t pull you back, not wanting to force you to do anything. So you do it for him, rocking your hips back until he slides deeper inside.
“Ah…ah ah fuck, you’re so…” His breath is coming out in increasingly desperate gasps with every inch of access you give him.
“Oh my god, Steve, can you feel how much you’re stretching me out? Feels so good,” you cry out.
“Yeah, yes, baby, I feel it. I feel all of it.”
Once he’s fully buried inside of you, he pulls your upper body back against him. His hands are everywhere as you start to rock together - on your stomach, your tits, your neck, your hips - gripping and gliding like he’s afraid if he lets go you’ll disappear.
You’re so full of him that your mind is hazy, almost slipping away into yourself until you remember you’re supposed to be paying attention.
“Talk to me,” you beg him. “Wanna hear you.”
He groans against your ear, the vibration running down your neck. You’re grinding back onto him as he rolls his hips to hit you as deep as possible, and your breath is completely stolen. He takes a second to groan again and nip at your jaw before he speaks.
“Yeah? What do you wanna hear? That I’ve never felt this fucking good in my entire life? That you’re so tight and hot around me I’m afraid I’m gonna come already?”
In response to his perfect words, you lift your arm, hand rubbing the back of his neck. He takes the opportunity to kiss your arm before he keeps crooning.
“I’m gonna go harder now, honey. Is that okay?”
“Mhm, please,” you moan.
Steve’s hands land on your hips, pushing you forward just enough to bring you back again, testing your response. You cry out, a sharp squeal that tells him exactly what he wants to know.
“There we go. Better like that, right?” He asks.
“So good, please keep going,” you whimper.
“Well if you insist…” he jokes before bringing you forward and back again, thrusting his hips forward to meet you each time.
The room fills with the sound of your bodies coming together over and over, the soft smacks of your ass against his thighs. The pressure of his thrusts is so good that you fall forward, supporting yourself with your hands on the mattress as he takes over the rhythm. Your moans are uncontained now, nearly crying from the pleasure.
“Gonna keep you just like this.” He hasn’t forgotten your request for him to talk you through it. “Under me, full of me. You deserve it, baby, you deserve everything. So patient with me, so good to me.”
You cry out his name, almost unable to bear the affection you feel for him. The moment is so tender you’re afraid you’re going to shatter, break into a million pieces underneath him. You can’t help the small sniffle that escapes you.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he draws you back up by your shoulders to hug you from behind, one hand tilting your chin so he can look you in the eyes. “You okay? Was it something I said?”
“Yes, it’s everything, you’re everything.” You’re afraid you won’t be able to find the words to explain it. “It’s just, I don’t ever want this to end.”
Steve’s face floods with relief, and he presses his forehead against yours.
“It’s never gonna end.” He kisses your cheek, right over the tear that’s streaking your skin. When he kisses your mouth gently, it tastes like salt water.
“Believe me, now that I’ve gotten my hands on you, God himself couldn’t pull them off. Never letting you go now.”
“Promise?” You ask.
He laughs once before his face goes dead serious, “pinky promise.”
As he says it, his hand is sliding down your stomach, leaving a trail of goosebumps until his fingers find your clit again.
“Steve!” You sob.
It's the loudest you’ve been all night and you can tell by the way his free arm tightens around your waist that he loves hearing you just as much as you love hearing him. So you don’t hold back, words incoherent as you let out a string of moans and babbled praises.
Steve’s fingers pick up the pace on your clit as he rocks his cock in and out of you, making you tremble each time he hits that perfect spot deep inside you. Of course he’s the first and only man who has ever found it. You clench around him hard each time he does.
“Oh, shit, so tight.” He can barely grunt the words out with his jaw clenched so tight. “Are you gonna come? Please tell me you’re gonna come. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this, please don’t make me wait anymore.”
His voice is hoarse as he begs. Nobody has ever been this desperate for you before. Hell, no one has ever cared about your pleasure this much before either. The connection between you is so cosmic and intoxicating that the world is spinning around you, stars sparking behind your eyes when you squeeze them shut. You gulp down one sharp breath, and then you’re gone.
“Oh!”
You’re shaking, body absolutely convulsing as you reach the peak, and then fall over the edge. You can’t speak, can’t even breathe, mouth wide in a silent scream as you’re hit with wave after wave of the sweetest ecstasy you’ve ever felt.
It’s almost too much, your hand grabs Steve’s, pausing his work on your clit as you pant desperately, “come with me. Please, need you here with me.”
It doesn’t take much convincing at all. It’s clear Steve has been right at the edge of it this whole time, because as soon as the words leave your mouth he’s breaking. A sound from so deep inside him, you swear its primal, rips out of his chest. The warmth of him fills you, beginning to drip down your legs where he’s buried to the hilt. Steve’s groan fades into a breathy whisper.
“I….oh my god…I love you. I love you. I love you so much,” he whispers as he twitches once more, pulling your ass flush against him so he can hit that spot you love one last time.
When it’s over, he holds you there for several minutes. His arms are wrapped around your waist, head resting on the nape of your neck. You rub your hands gently up and down his forearms, both of you needing time to make sure that actually just happened, that it wasn’t a dream.
Only when you’re both sure this is real life does he let go. You slide down on your front and collapse into the bed. Your arms fold on the pillow so you can rest your head on your hands. You breathe the happiest sigh of satisfaction. Steve lays next to you, looking at the ceiling, one arm under his head, one on his chest. Your eyes flutter shut as you let this perfect moment wash over you.
“So…” Steve says, never one to let silence linger. “That was like, what? A five out of ten?”
Without opening your eyes you throw your hand in his general direction, smacking him on the arm as hard as your spent body can manage.
“Ow!” He fake cries. “I’m kidding!”
You turn your head to face him, cheek still smushed into the pillow. He shoots you a smirk and winks.
You’re still completely naked and Steve doesn’t miss the goosebumps all over your skin. He lifts himself to pull the bedsheet up and over you. Giggling, you pull it higher until it’s over both of your heads. He finds you under the covers, your own little tent where only the two of you exist, just like when you were kids.
Your lips twist, trying to suppress a smile that escapes anyway.
“What?” He asks, your smile making his cheeks go hot.
“You said you love me.”
Bashful, he pulls the sheets back off, “okaaay, alright. That’s enough outta you.”
You laugh hard as he rolls away like he’s going to get out of the bed. You grab his arm to pull him back and he pretends he’s going to fight you on it for only a second before giving in and falling back onto the mattress.
When you turn on your side to face him, he follows suit, until you’re laying chest to chest, laughter fading slowly.
You reach out a single finger, running it over his jaw, across his cheeks, down his nose, even along the soft skin just under his eyes, caressing all of the features you’ve known for so long but never gotten to touch like this.
“I love you, too,” you whisper.
You thought after all these years, you’d seen all of Steve’s mannerisms. But this look on his face is something completely new, like he’d been waiting all his life to hear those words.
“Promise?” He asks.
When you lift your pinky out, he wraps his own around it.
You kiss his hand slowly and swear, “pinky promise.”
a/n: thanks for reading! i know i'm new to the stranger things au world, i hope y'all like what i came up with! may have more steve stories to come! xoxo
♡ Serves: the kind of safety that turns into longing
Summary: A quiet Christmas Eve, a conversation that changes everything, and a first time chosen with care.
Baker’s Notes: Recipe inspired by this sweet request ♡ Soft, intentional, and very close to my heart.
Allergies: 18+ / MDNI! Friends to lovers, unprotected sex, first time, soft Steve, aftercare
Word Count: 4.8k
Pairs Well With: Steve Harrington × BestFriend!Reader
♡ From the Hawkins’ Midwinter Recipe Book ♡
You and Steve Harrington have been best friends for years.
He’s your person.
Your safe place. Your constant.
The one who walks you home without comment, who lets you ramble without trying to fix you, who never laughs when you admit something embarrassing—just nods, like it makes sense that you’d feel that way.
That safety used to be enough.
Lately, it’s started to chafe.
Everyone else seems to have moved on without you. Friends pairing off. Conversations drifting casually toward sex, toward bad first times told like jokes you’re expected to laugh along with. You do—most of the time. You’ve learned how.
Someone showed interest in you not long ago.
A sweet guy who came by your work more than once, always polite, always a little nervous. He remembered your name. Asked how your day was going like he actually cared. One afternoon he lingered longer than necessary, hands shoved in his pockets, and suggested a date like it wasn’t a big deal at all.
There was a party invite, casual, tossed out with a hopeful smile. A look that waited for an answer without demanding one.
You froze—not because you didn’t want it, but because you didn’t know how to start. How to step into something everyone else makes sound so simple.
You’re not ashamed of being inexperienced. That isn’t the problem.
You’re frustrated. Tired of feeling like everyone else learned a language you somehow missed, nodding along while secretly translating in your head, always a beat behind.
Steve notices. Of course he does.
He’s been increasingly protective. A little defensive. Always quick to remind you that you don’t owe anyone anything. Quietly tense whenever the topic comes up, jaw tightening just enough that you catch it. Careful, always, not to assume you need saving. He never pushes. Never pries.
Which is exactly why, when the pressure starts to feel too loud to ignore, when you finally admit you don’t want your first real experience to be with someone who won’t care if you’re scared, there’s only one person you feel safe enough to ask.
Steve.
The house is quieter than it should be for Christmas Eve.
Not empty, just settled. The kind of quiet that comes after too much noise earlier in the day, when everyone’s gone to bed and the walls are finally allowed to exhale. The tree lights blink softly in the corner, casting gold across the carpet. Snow taps against the window in lazy little flurries.
You and Steve are still on the couch, shoulders almost touching, knees angled toward each other without either of you acknowledging it.
You’ve been like this for hours.
A bad movie plays on mute. Steve’s glass sweats onto the coffee table. You’ve twisted the sleeve of your jumper around your fingers so many times the knit has gone loose.
You don’t know how to start.
Steve notices. He always does.
“Hey,” Steve says softly, pulling you back. “You good?” Not loud enough to break the moment. Just enough to let you know he’s there.
You nod. Then shake your head. Then sigh.
“Can I ask you something?” you say.
He straightens a little, giving you his full attention immediately. “Yeah. Of course.”
You hesitate. Swallow.
“Like… actually ask. And you can’t make fun of me.”
Steve’s brows knit together at once. He turns more towards you, voice dropping without him meaning to.
“Hey,” he says softly. “I would never do that.”
Not just a promise. A reminder. Of years of him proving it without needing to say the words. Of late nights and quiet walks and confessions you trusted him with because he never made you feel small for having them.
You nod, breathing a little easier.
“Do you ever feel like everyone else got a rulebook you missed?” you ask, staring at the glow of the tree instead of his face.
Steve lets out a small breath of a laugh. “Pretty sure I’ve been winging it since ‘85.”
You smile, but it fades almost as quickly as it appears.
“I mean—” you search for the words. “With stuff. With… dating. Sex. All of it.”
Steve goes still. Not tense. Just careful.
“Yeah,” he says after a moment. “Sometimes.”
Encouraged, you keep going.
“Everyone talks about it like it’s nothing. Like it just… happens. Like you wake up one day fluent. And I keep waiting for it to feel normal, and it doesn’t.”
He doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t rush you. Just listens.
You risk a glance at him. His eyes are on you, soft, unreadable, steady.
“I haven’t really,” you say quietly. “Done much. And I don’t hate that about myself. I just—” You exhale, frustrated. “I’m just tired of feeling like I’m behind. Like I’m nodding along in conversations I don’t actually understand.”
The room feels warmer. Smaller.
Steve leans back into the couch, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t owe anyone anything,” he says. “You know that, right?”
“I do,” you say. “This isn’t about owing. It’s about… wanting.”
Steve doesn’t answer right away. He shifts slightly, turning his body toward you fully now, like whatever this is deserves his whole attention. His knee brushes yours. Neither of you moves away.
“Wanting what?” he asks gently.
You swallow. Your throat feels tight, like you’ve already gone too far and not far enough at the same time.
“I don’t want my first real experience to be with someone who won’t care if I’m scared,” you say. “Or if I mess it up. Or if I need to stop.”
“They should care,” Steve says immediately, voice firm. “Anyone should.”
“I know,” you say. “That’s why I—”
You stop. Breathe.
“I trust you,” you finish quietly. “More than anyone.”
Something shifts in his expression. He looks at you like he’s putting together pieces he’s had for a long time.
“I don’t think you need to rush this,” he says gently. “You’ve got time.”
“I know.” You nod. Then, softer—braver—“I just… if it were you, I wouldn’t be scared.”
That’s it.
Not a request. Not a demand. Just the truth, laid carefully between you.
Steve goes very still.
“That’s,” he starts, then stops. Swallows. “That’s not a small thing to say.”
“I know.”
And the room tilts, quietly, irrevocably, toward something neither of you can pretend is hypothetical anymore.
Steve doesn’t move at first.
Then he does, but not closer.
It’s subtle. A half-step back into the couch. A breath taken like he’s bracing himself against something he wants—and shouldn’t reach for.
“I can’t,” he starts, then stops. His jaw tightens, eyes dropping to where your hands are twisted together in your lap. “I don’t want to be the guy who rushes you into something you’re not ready for.”
“I’m not rushing,” you say quietly. “I’m choosing.”
He shakes his head once, like he’s arguing with himself. “You say that now, but later… what if you regret it? What if you wake up and think I should’ve protected you from this?”
The word protected lands heavier than anything else he’s said tonight.
You lean forward slightly, just enough to keep him with you. “You are protecting me,” you say. “By listening. By not assuming. By giving me the choice.”
Steve closes his eyes for a brief second.
If I say yes, he thinks, I change everything.If I say no, I could lose her anyway.
The realisation hits him so cleanly it almost hurts.
When he opens his eyes again, they’re softer. Wrecked. Honest.
“I don’t want to pretend this is just helping,” he admits. “Because it wouldn’t be. Not for me.”
Your heart stutters. “Then don’t pretend.”
Silence stretches. Thick. Intent.
Finally, Steve exhales, slow and deliberate, like he’s stepping off solid ground on purpose.
“Okay,” he says quietly. “But we go slow. And you tell me if anything feels wrong. Or confusing. Or like too much.”
“I will.”
“And if you change your mind—”
“I know,” you say. “You’ll stop.”
His shoulders ease just a fraction. Relief, tangled with something dangerously close to hope.
He reaches for you then—not urgent, not claiming. Just his hand settling over yours, steady and warm.
And this time, he doesn’t pull back.
Steve doesn’t rush it.
If anything, he slows down further, like he’s proving to both of you that this isn’t something that just happens. That it’s a series of choices, each one checked and rechecked.
“Okay,” he says quietly, more to himself than to you. “So… first thing.”
He shifts closer, not enough to crowd you. Just enough that your knees brush properly this time. The contact sends a small, surprising jolt up your spine.
“You don’t start with big things,” he continues, voice steady, grounded. “You start with what feels safe.”
His hand lifts, hesitates midair. An open question.
“Is this okay?” he asks.
You nod. “Yeah.”
Only then does he touch you.
It’s not dramatic. Not possessive. His fingers settle lightly over your wrist, warm and solid, thumb resting where your pulse jumps under his skin.
“This,” he says softly, “is how you know you’re not rushing. When it doesn’t feel like you’re being pulled.”
He traces a slow, absent line along your wrist, then stills, watching your face like he’s reading something important there.
“And if it ever feels wrong,” he adds, “you stop. No explanations. No guilt.”
Your throat tightens. “You make it sound… simple.”
He smiles faintly. “It kind of is. People just make it loud.”
His hand drifts then, not wandering, just intentional, to rest against your knee. Broad palm, reassuring weight. He pauses again, waiting.
“Still okay?” he asks.
“Yes,” you breathe.
He doesn’t move it any higher. Doesn’t test boundaries. Just lets it stay there, grounding you, anchoring the moment.
“Feeling nervous doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” Steve says. “It just means it matters.”
You let out a quiet laugh, shaky. “You’re really good at this.”
He glances at you, something almost shy flickering across his face. “I’m better when it’s you.”
The words slip out before he can stop them.
Silence stretches. Not uncomfortable, just charged.
His thumb brushes your knee once, slow and deliberate. Not accidental. Not casual.
“And this part,” he continues, voice lower now, “is when you check in with yourself. Not what you think you should want. Just… what you actually want.”
You meet his eyes. Hold them.
“I want to stay,” you say.
Something soft breaks open in his expression.
“Okay,” he murmurs. “Then stay.”
He leans in just enough that his forehead brushes yours—breaths mingling, space narrowing. He doesn’t kiss you yet. He waits. Gives you the choice again.
And when you tilt your head, just slightly, closing the distance -
- that’s when he finally understands there’s no going back.
Not for either of you.
Steve stays close, but he doesn’t close the distance yet.
His forehead rests against yours, just barely. You can feel his breath, warm and uneven, ghosting across your mouth. The nearness is almost worse than the wait.
“Still okay?” he asks softly.
“Yes,” you say, soft but sure.
His thumb brushes your wrist again, steadying.
“You tell me if you want me to stop.”
“I will.”
Another beat. Another breath.
Then he leans in. Not fast. Not claiming. The kiss is tentative, barely there, like he’s testing the idea of it more than the reality. His lips brush yours once, light enough that you could pretend it didn’t happen.
He pulls back immediately, searching your face. “Okay?”
Your answer comes in the way you lean forward this time, closing the space yourself.
The second kiss lasts longer. Still gentle, still careful, but warmer now. Intentional. Steve exhales against your mouth like he’s been holding that breath for a long time. His hand tightens just a fraction at your wrist, anchoring himself.
Halfway through, he stops again. Foreheads touching. Eyes closed.
“Too much?” he asks.
“No,” you breathe. “It’s… good.”
Something shifts in him then. Quiet, irreversible.
When he kisses you again, it’s deeper, but still restrained. No rush. No hunger he hasn’t checked. Just the steady press of his mouth, the way he tilts his head to fit you better, like he’s learning you by feel.
Oh, he thinks suddenly, sharply, this is it. This is the thing I’ve been careful not to want.
The realisation hits him so cleanly it almost knocks the air from his lungs.
He pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against yours again, breath shaky now. His thumb brushes your knuckles once, twice.
“We can stop,” he says, even now. “Anytime.”
You smile, small, sure. “I know.”
He nods, swallowing hard, and leans in again. This time with the quiet certainty of someone who already knows there’s no version of this where he walks away unchanged.
And neither do you.
The kiss shifts.
It’s subtle at first, your mouth pressing closer, a little more sure. You follow the shape of him instinctively, a soft brush of your tongue against his lower lip, testing.
Steve makes a low sound in his throat.
Your hands slide to his shoulders. You shift, knees drawing closer, and for a breathless second you start to move like you might climb into his lap.
He freezes.
Then, firm and sudden, his hands are on your hips, stopping you.
“Hey,” he says, breath rough. “Wait.”
Your heart drops.
“Oh—” You pull back immediately, heat flooding your face. “I’m sorry. I—I didn’t mean to—”
You’re already scrambling for space, embarrassment curling sharp and fast.
Steve’s hands tighten instead of letting go.
“No,” he says, quick. Too quick. “No, not like that.”
You blink at him. He looks… wrecked. Cheeks flushed, eyes dark, jaw clenched like he’s hanging on by sheer will.
“I didn’t mean you went too far,” he says, exhaling hard. “You didn’t.”
“Then why?” Your voice wobbles despite you.
Steve drags a hand down his face, frustrated, not at you, but at himself.
“I can’t do this,” he says, and the words land heavy.
Your stomach sinks.
“Not like this,” he finishes, softer—but no less intense.
You look at him, confused. “Why?”
Because if I let you climb into my lap, he thinks, I won’t stop. Because I’ve wanted this too long to pretend it’s just careful curiosity.
He swallows.
“Because I don’t want this to be something you practice,” he says quietly. “I want it chosen. Slow. Ours.”
Your chest tightens.
“So you stopped me,” you say quietly, “because you wanted it too much.”
Steve meets your eyes.
“Yes.”
The word is immediate. Certain. It surprises both of you with how little hesitation it carries.
He leans his forehead against yours again, breath still uneven. “You didn’t go too far,” he murmurs. “You just hit the part where I have to be better than my instincts.”
Silence hums between you, charged and grounding.
Then he exhales, slower this time, like he’s made a decision he’s done pretending he hadn’t made years ago.
“I’ve wanted you - this - for a while,” he says quietly. Not dramatic. Not rehearsed. Just true. “Longer than I should’ve let myself.”
Your heart stutters.
“I kept telling myself it was just… being careful,” he continues. “Being a good friend. But that’s not all it was.” His thumb brushes your hip, grounding himself as much as you
“I didn’t stop you because I didn’t want it. I stopped you because if I let myself go any faster, I wouldn’t be able to pretend this doesn’t matter.”
You swallow. “It matters to me.”
That does something to him. You feel it in the way his shoulders ease, like he’s been bracing for impact and instead finds solid ground.
He leans forward until your foreheads press together, the contact gentle but deliberate. His breath is warm against your cheek.
“Okay,” he murmurs, like he’s letting himself believe it. “I just needed to know we were on the same page.”
“We are,” you say. “Definitely.”
The word comes out on a breathless laugh, nervous and real, and Steve mirrors it instinctively. A quiet huff of sound that might almost be a laugh, except there’s too much emotion caught in it for that.
“Good,” he says softly. “Because it stopped being that for me a while ago.”
His hand shifts, not pulling away, not claiming more, just settling more surely, like he’s choosing the place it belongs.
“I don’t want this to be something that disappears in the morning,” he adds, voice low. “Or something we pretend didn’t change anything. I want it to be… us. Whatever that means.”
Your chest tightens, but in a good way. A steady way.
“It already is,” you say. “You don’t have to be careful with me right now. Just honest.”
He nods, eyes closing briefly, forehead still resting against yours.
“I can do honest,” he says. “Especially with you.”
He stays there for a moment longer, like he’s memorising the feeling, before he pulls back just enough to look at you, really look at you.
And when he kisses you again, it isn’t just careful.
This time, it’s a decision.
You pull back slightly, fingers twisting in the hem of his shirt. "Steve," you murmur, breath uneven against his lips. "I want—could we—" The words stick in your throat, but he hears them anyway.
His hands tighten reflexively on your hips, the pressure warm and grounding.
He doesn’t rush to stand. Doesn’t pull you anywhere. He just looks at you, searching your face like this is another moment that deserves to be chosen.
His thumb strokes over your knuckles, steadying himself as much as you.
“Hey,” he says softly. “If we’re doing this… our first time isn’t happening on a couch.”
The word our lands gently, but it doesn’t miss.
You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “Okay.”
That earns you the smallest smile, equal parts relief and reverence. “Bedroom,” he says then. Not a question. Not a suggestion. Just a quiet certainty that matches the way his eyes have gone dark, pupils swallowing hazel.
Only then does he stand, carefully, slowly, like he’s afraid one sudden move might shatter the moment. His fingers lace through yours, anchoring you both as he helps you up.
When he leads you down the hallway, every step feels deliberate.
Chosen.
The door clicks shut behind you, sealing you both in a quiet so thick you can hear the way his breath hitches when your eyes meet in the half-light.
The bed dips under Steve’s weight as he sits beside you, his fingers tracing your jawline with deliberate slowness, like he’s mapping the moment.
The dim glow from the hallway spills across his bare shoulders, catching the tension in his muscles, not fear, but restraint. “Tell me what you want,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing your lower lip. The request isn’t a formality; it’s a vow.
His gaze holds yours, unwavering, as if every word you say next will shape the rest of his life.
You swallow, pulse fluttering under his touch. "You," you whisper, and the word cracks open something between you—raw, honest, overdue.
The word hangs between you, soft and devastating.
Steve’s breath catches like he’s been punched, like he’s been waiting years to hear it and still wasn’t ready. His fingers tighten just slightly against your jaw, not restraining, but reverent.
For a heartbeat, neither of you moves.
Then his mouth crashes into yours, no longer careful, no longer restrained. It’s messy, desperate, the kind of kiss that feels like coming home and falling apart at the same time. You gasp into it, fingers twisting in his sweater, pulling him closer until there’s no space left to second-guess
Steve guides you back onto the mattress with a tenderness that belies the hunger in his grip, his hands trembling where they frame your face, like he’s afraid you’ll vanish if he holds too tight.
The weight of him settles over you, warm and solid, and when he pauses to brush your hair from your forehead, his breath hitches. You arch up to meet him, nails scraping down his back in answer, and the sound he makes is half groan, half prayer.
His hips press forward in a slow, testing roll, and your gasp catches in his mouth. He stills instantly, forehead dropping to yours. "Too much?" he breathes.
You shake your head, legs hooking around his waist to pull him deeper, and the way his control fractures, jaw clenching, eyes squeezing shut, makes your chest ache.
He kisses you like he’s memorising the shape of your pleasure, swallowing every whimper as his rhythm falters between restraint and abandon.
The hem of your shirt rides up under his palms, his fingers skating over bare skin with reverence. He pauses at your waistband, lips brushing your collarbone. "This okay?" His voice is wrecked.
You nod, lifting your hips to help him, and the way his hands shake undoing your jeans, fast then slow, like he’s savouring the act, undoes you more than the exposure.
Fabric rasps against your thighs as he peels them away, his exhale hot against your stomach.
"God, you’re—" He cuts himself off, nuzzling the dip of your hipbone instead.
He strips your clothes away like he’s unwrapping something sacred, fingertips trailing firelight over every newly exposed inch of skin—lingering at the dip of your waist, the jut of your hip, the flutter of your pulse at your throat.
His mouth follows, peppering soft, exploratory kisses along your collarbone, murmuring broken praise against your skin, each word a benediction that makes your stomach tighten.
When he reaches the waistband of your underwear, he pauses, pressing his forehead to your stomach, breath ragged against your skin.
"Tell me," he insists again, voice wrecked.
You thread your fingers through his hair and whisper, "Please," and the way he shudders tells you he’s already undone.
Steve pulls back just enough to strip off his own top, the fabric catching briefly on his forearms before he tosses it aside. The dim light catches the flex of his shoulders, the scattering of old scars and new sweat across his torso, proof of years spent holding the line.
His hands tremble slightly as they hover over his belt, gaze locked onto yours like he’s seeking permission even now.
You reach out, fingers brushing the hollow of his throat first, then skating down his sternum, feeling the way his breath stutters beneath your touch.
Your fingers find the buckle of his belt, the cold metal biting into your fingertips as you fumble with the clasp. Steve lets out a shaky breath above you, his hips twitching forward slightly, a silent plea.
The leather slides free with a whisper, and when your knuckles brush the waistband of his jeans, he jerks like you’ve burned him. "Jesus," he hisses, forehead dropping to your shoulder as you pop the button.
The zipper catches halfway down, and the choked laugh that escapes him is equal parts nerves and want.
The last barrier between you falls away, and suddenly there’s nothing left but heat and the press of skin against skin, his body aligning with yours in a way that makes your breath hitch.
Steve stills above you, trembling with the effort of restraint, his forehead pressed to yours as he adjusts to the sensation—your thighs bracketing his hips, the slick warmth between them, the way your chest rises and falls in ragged sync with his.
Steve pulls back just enough to cup your face, his thumbs brushing your cheekbones with aching tenderness. “Still with me?” he murmurs, his voice sandpaper-rough, eyes scanning yours for any flicker of hesitation.
You nod, tilting your chin up to catch his lips in one last lingering kiss, slow, sweet, suffused with the unspoken promise of what comes next.
His hips shift forward, just enough for you to feel the hot press of him against your thigh, and your breath catches at the slow, deliberate pressure.
His fingers tighten against your jaw, thumb brushing the corner of your mouth."One more time," he rasps, lips hovering just shy of yours. "Tell me you’re sure."
You don’t hesitate, arching up to close the gap, biting his lower lip gently before whispering, “Yes,” against his mouth.
He moves into you with agonising slowness, the press of him deliberate—inch by inch, pausing when your breath catches, waiting for the slightest nod before continuing. His forehead presses against yours, sweat-slick and trembling, every muscle in his body taut with restraint.
"Breathe," he murmurs against your lips, his voice frayed at the edges, fingers lacing through yours and pressing them into the mattress like an anchor.
The stretch burns, unfamiliar but not unwelcome, and when you whimper, he freezes instantly, hips locking in place. “Tell me,” he gasps, the desperation in his voice cracking something open inside you.
You drag your nails down his back, arching into him, and the sound he makes is gutted, rough.
He pulls back just enough to watch your face, pupils blown wide, before sinking in again, deeper this time, his rhythm stuttering when your legs tighten around his waist.
Every movement is measured, controlled, but the way his breath hitches against your neck betrays how close he is to losing it.
"Look at me," he demands, voice raw, and when you do, his expression is wrecked—like he’s memorising every flicker of pleasure that crosses your features, like he’ll never get enough.
The moment your gaze locks onto his—eyes clouded with want, lips parted around a gasp—his rhythm stutters. His fingers dig into your hips, blunt nails pressing crescent-moons into your skin as his breath fractures into something ragged.
"Fuck," he grits out, forehead dropping to your collarbone, shoulders trembling with the effort to hold back. But when you whimper his name, fingers scraping through his sweat-damp hair, he looks up again and the raw desperation in his expression undoes you both.
His thrusts turn uneven, frantic, his mouth crashing against yours in a kiss that’s more teeth than tongue, more surrender than control.
"You feel—" His voice breaks as you clench around him. A choked laugh escapes him, warm against your collarbone.
"Fuck. Better than I imagined." The admission spills out raw, unpolished, and you cradle his face, thumb brushing the tear he doesn’t realize has escaped. He turns into your touch like a sunflower seeking light.
His fingers find your clit with unerring accuracy and the first deliberate circle wrings a sob from your throat. He speeds up, hips snapping forward in time with the rhythm of his fingers, each stroke stealing your breath.
“Come for me,” he rasps, lips dragging along your jaw.
“Please—fuck, please, baby—” His voice is wreckage now, syllables crumbling under the weight of his own unraveling.
His hips jerk uncontrollably, rhythm fractured beyond repair. You twist your fingers in his hair, pulling his mouth to yours, and the sound he makes is swallowed by your kiss—broken, shuddering, complete surrender.
The tension snaps. Your back arches off the mattress as pleasure crests, sharp and blinding, your cry muffled against Steve’s shoulder. He swallows the sound with a groan, hips stuttering as he follows you over the edge, his entire body locking around you.
For a heartbeat, there’s nothing but the ragged sync of your breathing, the sweat-slick press of skin, aftershocks trembling through both of you.
Then Steve moves.
Slowly. Carefully. Like the moment is something fragile he refuses to rush past.
He shifts just enough to tuck you closer, one arm sliding around your back, the other cradling the side of your face. His lips find your temple first, then your cheek, each kiss gentle and unhurried, like he’s counting them.
“Hey,” he murmurs, voice low and rough in the quiet. “You okay?”
You nod, breath still uneven, forehead pressing into the warm hollow of his shoulder. “Yeah,” you whisper. “I’m… yeah.”
He exhales, relief soft and shaky. His thumb traces slow, grounding circles along your spine, over and over, like he’s reminding both of you that you’re here. That this is real.
“You did so good,” he says quietly—no pride, no possession. Just care. “I’ve got you.”
You tilt your head up, and he kisses you again, slower now. Softer. Nothing urgent left in it. Just warmth and familiarity, like this has always been where you were meant to land.
After a moment, he reaches for the blanket and pulls it around you both, tucking it up around your shoulders with the same careful attention he’s given you all night, like after matters just as much as before.
“Stay,” he says, not asking.
You smile against his chest. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.”
That earns you a quiet huff of a laugh, his chin resting on the top of your head. His fingers keep moving, absent and steady, tracing comfort into your skin.
The room is still. Warm. Safe.
And for the first time in a long while, you don’t feel behind at all—just exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Served when you stop feeling behind and realise you’ve been home all along.
summary: steve would do anything for you, but he would never tell anyone why—until today
(i suck at writing summaries but it’s basically just 4.8k words of best friends to lovers with the best soccer mom ever!)
warnings: swearing, steve being adorable, slight violence but it’s only like one slap, fluff central
a/n: i really am a sucker for the best friends to lovers trope. enjoy!! <3
masterlist + taglist
(gif found on google, credits to owner)
You burst through the doors of Family Video, looking around the store frantically for the one person you needed to find until you finally spotted him reshelving movies in the corner. He (surprisingly) didn’t see you coming, so when you popped into his line of sight, he jumped.
“Jesus Christ!” Steve yelped, all the tapes in his arms clattering to the floor.
“Sorry,” You offered him a guilty smile, kneeling down to help him pick everything up. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Uh, no, you’re—you’re all good. I was spaced the hell out.” Steve mumbled. “What’s up?”
“You’re going to Lucas’ game tonight, right?”
“Yeah, of course. Why?”
“Would it be okay if the boys and I hitched a ride?” You asked sheepishly. “I promised I’d drive them, but my sister called dibs on the car for her stupid date, and I—”
“Yeah, sure! No problem.” His response was immediate (and a bit squeaky too), head nodding so fast that his hair fell into his eyes. “I can pick you up at six, swing around and grab them on the way?”
“That sounds perfect! Thank you so much, Steve, you’re a lifesaver!” You beamed at him, passing off the rest of the fallen tapes into his arms and pulling him into a quick hug. He barely had time to react before you backed away, but your perfume lingered in his space. “I gotta get to work, but thank you again. I’ll see you tonight.”
Steve managed a weak wave goodbye before watching you retreat out the doors, mind still processing your conversation.
“Alright, I’ll shoot. When are you gonna tell her?” Robin’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked over to see her leaning against the front counter with her chin propped up in her hand and a shit eating grin on her face.
“Tell her what?” He snorted, shoving the rest of the movies back on their respective shelves. Robin aimed a rather pointed look at him. “Seriously, what?”
“Oh, you’re serious?” She raised an eyebrow. When all Steve did was give her a dumb look, she sighed. “When are you gonna tell Y/N that you’re in love with her?”
Steve froze in his tracks, gaze whipping over to her incredulously. “What?”
“You heard me, dingus.”
“You’re insane.”
“Steve, you were literally just telling me yesterday about your date with Brenda tonight, and you just agreed to play soccer mom carting around a bunch of your kid friends, all because Y/N batted her eyes and said pretty please?”
“We’re friends, Robin. That’s what friends do.” He replied with a shrug, but even that seemed forced. “Besides, I can just call Brenda and reschedule, no big deal. She’ll understand.”
“I’m your friend too, and you wouldn’t even give me a ride home from school after band practice last week!”
“That was different!”
“Yeah, you’re not completely head over heels for me!”
“Y’know what?” Steve huffed, grabbing the movie cart and pushing it away from Robin. “I have work to do. I don’t need this.”
“Right, because you’re so hard at work reshelving tapes!” Robin called after him, to which he flipped her off behind his back.
Once Steve finished reshelving all the rewound tapes, he glanced back over at the counter to see if Robin was still behind it, and when he saw that she was helping an old lady in the far corner of the store, he hurried over to the phone, digging the scrap of paper that Brenda had given him out of his pocket and dialing her number. He drummed his fingers on the counter as it rang, trying to come up with a way to bail on their date at the last minute without seeming like a jackass.
“Hello?” Brenda’s sickly sweet voice poured through the receiver, and Steve cringed.
“Hey, Brenda, it’s Steve. Harrington.” He said weakly, twirling a pen between his fingers.
“Steve, hi!” She sounded happy to hear from him. “I’m looking forward to our date tonight!”
“Yeah! Um, about that…I hate to do this so last minute, but I just came down with the nastiest case of food poisoning, and I think we’re probably gonna have to take a raincheck on our date.”
“Oh no, you poor baby!” Brenda cooed. “Of course we can reschedule, no problem! Whenever you’re feeling better, just give me a call.”
“Thank you so much, Brenda, you’re a real saint!”
“Maybe I’ll swing by your place and bring you some soup?”
“No!” Steve blurted, then let out a forced chuckle. “No, I mean, I think food poisoning is contagious, and I’d be so bummed if you came by and I gave it to you.”
Brenda giggled, and he could just picture her twirling her permed blond hair around her finger like she always did around him. “You’re so thoughtful, Steve.”
“That, I am.” He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. “I, um, I’ve gotta go…y’know—I’ll just call you sometime, yeah?”
“Feel better soon!”
Steve mumbled out a ‘thank you’ before hanging up, ignoring the guilt pooling in his stomach and instead focusing on how happy you’d looked when he said he could give you and the boys a ride.
“Does your ass ever get tired of all the shit that comes out of your mouth?” Robin asked innocently, pulling him out of his thoughts. Steve just flipped her off again on his way to the back room, where he collapsed into one of the flimsy plastic chairs with a heavy sigh.
Robin was right, he was head over heels for you (but she didn’t need to know that). After Nancy, Steve didn’t think he’d ever be able to connect with anyone ever again. But then you came along with your bright smile and witty comebacks and how much you cared about your friends, and he fell hard and he fell fast. You’d ruined him for anyone else, in the best possible way.
He’d been going on all these dates with different people, trying to find one person who he thought he could be happy with for once, but with every date he went on, his heart wasn’t in it.
You had Steve Harrington wrapped around your finger, and you didn’t even know it.
He’d do anything for you, so canceling a date that he didn’t even really want to go on was the least of his worries. Steve just hoped it didn’t end up backfiring on him in the future, because that would definitely not be a good look for him.
-------
“You’re baking. You hate baking, why are you baking?” Your older sister, Callie, furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as soon as she walked into the kitchen, eyeing the mess of baking supplies on the counter with you in the middle of it all.
You blew a stray piece of hair out of your face, hands too covered in sticky dough to touch anything else. “Cookies for Steve.”
“Cookies for Steve,” She repeated, nodding slowly. “Why?”
“Since someone,” You aimed a pointed look at her, “is taking the car tonight, he’s driving the boys and I to Lucas’ game.”
“Is he now?” She hummed, smirking.
See, what you didn't know was that Callie was friends with Brenda, the very same Brenda who was supposed to be going on a date with Steve tonight. Also the very same Brenda that had just called her sadly about Steve having food poisoning and canceling said date. Now hearing that he’d bailed on her to help you out, everything she’d been picking up on between you and Steve finally made sense.
The way Steve always hung onto your every word, gazing stupidly at you when you weren’t looking. Every single time he’d gotten you something just because he thought you’d like it. How he’d show up at your house and watch god awful movies with you, and she could hear both your snorting laughters all throughout the night.
And now this: Steve making up a bogus excuse to get out of a date all because you’d asked him for a favor.
There was no mistaking it—Steve Harrington was in love with you.
And you definitely felt the same way about him, because here you were, baking cookies for him like you were Betty Crocker despite your outspoken hatred for it.
“So what’s the deal between you and Steve anyways?” Callie asked nonchalantly, reaching across the counter to snag a handful of chocolate chips and popping them in her mouth.
“What deal?” You pulled open the oven to put the cookies inside to bake, setting a timer for ten minutes before turning back to her with furrowed brows to see that she was looking pointedly at you. “There is no deal with me and Steve, Cal, we’re friends. Friends help each other out.”
“Right,” She dragged out the word amusedly, like she didn’t believe a word you were saying. “So you don’t like him? Like, like him like him?”
“Me, like Steve?” You forced out a laugh, shaking your head. She nodded. “No, I don’t like him. Why are you asking?”
“Oh, no reason.”
“Weirdo.”
“Says the one covered in flour,” Callie shot back, wrinkling her nose at you. “Don’t you have to go get ready or something?”
One glance at the clock above the sink had you swearing like a sailor, because you now had less than an hour to clean up your mess, shower, get dressed, and let the cookies cool before Steve picked you up.
“Can you help me clean up?” You yelped, scrambling out of your dusty apron and chucking it at Callie frantically, who dodged it with an indignant noise.
“No, it’s your mess, you clean it!”
You were already hurrying down the hall to your bedroom, but you managed to catch yourself on the doorway as you yelled back at her. “I’ll take your laundry duty for the next three weeks!”
“Five!”
“Deal!”
-------
Steve watched you leap down the steps outside your front door, smiling as you waved wildly at him on your way to his car.
“Hi, Steve!” You chirped, sliding into the passenger seat smoothly. He nodded in acknowledgement, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel casually. “Thanks again for giving us a ride, I hope I didn’t crash any plans you might’ve had.”
“Nah, no plans. And you don’t need to keep thanking me, I’m happy to help out,” He chuckled, pushing down the nagging feeling in his gut and pulling away from the curb smoothly. “Whatcha got there?”
You cracked open the plastic container on your lap with a sheepish smile. “Cookies. Made them as a thank you, but—”
“Oh no, I’ll take that thank you,” He said quickly, opening his mouth without taking his eyes off the road. “Gimme one!”
Popping a cookie into his mouth with a chuckle, you wiped your fingers on the collar of his jacket, listening to him groan about how this was his favorite one and how you’d ruined it. All you did was roll your eyes playfully, cranking up the radio to drown him out, but Steve switched gears right away, singing along horribly to every song that played—especially if he didn’t know the words.
You couldn’t help but admire him from your side of the car, your eyes taking in every slope, curve, and contour of his face. From the sharp angle of his jaw to the curve of his pink lips; the scattering of freckles across his cheeks to the lines on his face that morphed into the cutest dimples whenever he smiled—in your eyes, everything about Steve Harrington was perfect.
Sure, he could be a little dumb sometimes, but that was another one of the things you loved about him.
And you did admit, the whole falling-for-your-best-friend thing wasn’t your smartest move, especially since that best friend was Steve freaking Harrington, who went on dates with different girls practically every other night and had a reputation for being quite the ladies’ man. You liked to think that he’d mellowed out since his King Steve days, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have Hawkins girls lined up out the door to get their share of him.
You didn’t really have any right to feel the jealousy that you did every time Steve talked about how he went roller skating with Stacy from junior year trig, or went out for milkshakes with Carla from the girls’ volleyball team, but you couldn’t help it. Steve was out of your league, and there was nothing you could (or would) do about it.
“Hey, you okay?” Steve’s voice drew you out of your thoughts, and you saw that he was looking over at you in slight concern. When he saw you refocus, he smiled softly. “There she is. I was starting to wonder if I’d have to steal another cookie myself.”
“I, um, I’m good. I was just…thinking.” You mumbled, embarrassed at the thought of being caught thinking about Steve by Steve.
“Thinking, huh? Care to share?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You teased, eyes glinting with amusement.
“I would, actually. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that mind of yours.”
“Maybe another time, Harrington.” You giggled, offering out another cookie as a consolation prize that Steve plucked right out of your fingertips. The car slowed to a stop outside of Dustin’s house, where the curly haired boy was already waiting outside impatiently, brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of Steve’s car but hopping in nonetheless. “Hey, Dustin! Sorry we’re late.”
“It’s fine, the game doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes,” He assured you, then turned right to Steve. “But what are you doing here? I thought you were going—”
“We should really get going if we wanna pick up the rest of the gang and get to the game on time!” Steve interrupted forcibly, shooting Dustin a very pointed look in the rearview mirror.
“But—”
“All buckled in, Henderson?” Dustin nodded slowly. “Alright, time to go!”
Without further ado, Steve pulled away from the curb, cranking the radio back up and leaving Dustin (and now you) confused.
The atmosphere of the car ride to pick up Mike and Will, then to the high school, was awkward to say the least. The boys were in the back whispering about something you couldn’t make out and glancing at you and Steve in the front seat, while Steve was significantly less chatty with you than he was before Dustin got into the car. As soon as the car was parked, the younger boys filed out of the backseat, barely nodding at Steve’s promise to meet back here after the game was over in case anyone got separated before hurrying off towards the gym.
“I’m gonna say it because nobody else will, but what is wrong with those kids?” You asked incredulously, wrinkling your nose at how weird they were acting.
Steve just chuckled nervously, falling into step with you as you made your way slowly to the gym as well. “I ask myself that everyday.”
You noticed how Steve didn’t answer your question, but decided not to push in fear of making things more awkward than they already were now. The two of you made your way into the school in silence, passing off your tickets and finding an empty space midway up the wooden bleachers, an aisle away from the band. You caught Robin’s eye and waved at her excitedly, nudging Steve with your elbow for him to say hi too. He waved, purposely ignoring her smug gaze by focusing out on the cheerleading squad.
“Has Robin made her move on Vickie yet?” Your voice was soft in Steve’s ear, but still made his breath catch in his chest at the fact that you were basically leaning against him to be heard in the loud gym.
“She, uh—no, she hasn’t. Not that I know of.” He stuttered, gulping nervously.
“I think they’d be good together.”
“I keep telling her that, but she keeps pushing back,” Steve shrugged. “You should talk some sense into her.”
You smiled at him, patting his shoulder. “I think I will. Maybe I’ll swing by Family Video tomorrow.”
Right as Steve was about to respond, a shrill whistle from the referee signaled the start of the game, not leaving much room to discuss Plan Robin-gets-the-girl.
You couldn’t help but touch Steve every time something big happened during the game, whether it was latching your arm around his during a particularly risky play, elbowing him playfully when he made a sarcastic remark about the players, or much to Steve’s dismay, smacking his shoulder roughly every time Lucas touched the ball, as if Steve wasn’t watching the exact same game you were.
The final play of the game was by far the best, when Lucas hit a buzzer beating three to bring it all home, and you nearly knocked Steve over hugging him in excitement. He wrapped his arms around your waist, reciprocating your hug and taking it one step further by lifting you up off your feet for a few seconds. Your nose nudged against his hammering pulse point at that, which you just chalked up to the adrenaline of the game and not what it actually was—you throwing yourself into Steve’s arms without a care in the world. It made Steve’s heart hammer in his chest, so much so that he was still thinking about it as the crowd was filing out of the gym, the cool air doing wonders to sooth his flushed cheeks.
You nudged his shoulder gently, shaking him out of his head. “So, what do you think? Think we got a shot at winning the championships this year?”
“I’d say yeah, so long as Coach takes Sinclair off the bench and puts him in action.”
“I bet you could put in a good word for him, King Steve,” You teased, letting out a shriek of laughter and dodging Steve’s hands when he lunged towards you in retaliation.
“Get the hell back here, you little—”
“Steve!”
Steve stopped in his tracks at the sickeningly familiar, once sweet, now turned very, very angry, voice that rang out from behind him, sending his heart that was just swelling with happiness plummeting into his stomach. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned around slowly to see none other than Brenda standing behind him, arms crossed over her chest and eyes glaring right at him whilst she snapped the pink bubble gum forcefully between her teeth.
“Hey—hey, Brenda!” He cleared his throat awkwardly in a sad attempt to keep his voice steady.
Shit, she looked mad.
“That food poisoning really cleared up fast, didn’t it?” She deadpanned, and if her gaze were lasers, they’d be boring a hole right through his head right now.
“Yeah, uh—about that, I’m really sorry,” Steve mumbled, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Seriously? That’s the line you’re gonna use?” Brenda scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If you didn’t want to go out with me, you should’ve just said so instead of making up some bullshit excuse!”
“I didn’t mean to, I just—it came out! I’m sorry, okay?” He blurted, realizing a split second after that he’d definitely just made things a whole lot worse. She looked about ready to rip his face off as she stalked towards him angrily.
“It just came out???” She shrieked, eyes blazing with fury. “You’re an asshole and a coward, Steve, you know that?”
“A coward?” He arched an eyebrow. Asshole, yeah, he could admit that much. But coward? That one threw him for a loop.
“You heard me.”
“How am I—y’know what, I don’t even think I wanna know,” He shook his head, holding his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, Brenda. Truly, I really am. It was wrong of me to lie, and I apologize.”
“Fuck you, Steve.” She snarled. Steve saw her hand go up, but he didn’t even register that she’d slapped him until a burning pain took over the entire left side of his face. Even then, he could only stand there in stunned silence as he watched her storm away from him.
Meanwhile, you were watching the whole thing from a few feet away, going through a myriad of emotions at their interaction and ending wide eyed in shock at the sight of Brenda slapping Steve clean across the face.
“What the hell just happened?” You nearly collided with him as you rushed forward, your fingers instantly angling his chin towards you to assess the damage. An angry red hand imprint was already beginning to blossom across his cheek.
He squinted with a scrunched nose, feeling his face grow hot in embarrassment. “It’s nothing, I’m fine.”
“Steve, she just bitch slapped you across the face, that’s not nothing,” You pressed, dropping your hands to prop on your hips with a frown aimed up at him. “What was she talking about?”
Steve blew out a heaving breath, backing up a few paces. Everything was blowing up in his face right now. “I lied earlier. I did have plans tonight. I was, uh, I was supposed to be coming to the game with Brenda…on a date.”
“Steve, really?” You gasped, bringing your hands up to cover your mouth. “Oh, this is all my fault, I shouldn’t have—”
“No! No, Y/N, this isn’t your fault. It’s mine, I should’ve said something.” He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “This is on me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had plans? I would’ve figured something else out.”
Steve had two options. He could either use the same line about wanting to be a good friend that he used to justify his choice to Robin earlier, or he could man up and come clean, actually tell you why he dropped plans for you. Finally confess that he was in love with you.
But the way you were looking at him, all confused and guilty and so beautifully conflicted at the same time, he couldn’t lie to you anymore.
“I need to tell you something,” He blurted, getting the ball rolling so he wouldn’t chicken out. You tilted your head at him curiously, your expression inviting him to get what he needed to off his chest. Steve inhaled a sharp breath first, steeling his nerves. “The reason why I lied about my date, it’s—it’s the same reason why I keep going on so many dates.”
“I’m not following…”
“I go out on all these dates with all these different girls to distract me from the fact that there’s one girl who owns my heart. One girl that has me so wrapped around her finger that I’d do anything for her, no matter how big or small.”
“Steve,” You said softly, your breath hitching in your chest at the way he was stepping closer to you with every word with the most serious and the most nervous look you’d ever seen grace his face. “What are you saying?”
“I’m in love with you, Y/N, so goddamn much that it hurts. I’ve been in love with you for…god, I don’t even know how long now,” Steve was nearly nose to nose with you now, taking your hand and placing it on his chest, right above his jackhammering heart. He didn’t care how many people were watching right now; he was on a roll and there was no way he was going to stop himself. Steve didn’t think he could even if he tried. “This heart is yours, Y/N L/N. It always has been, and it always will be.”
You didn’t even realize there were tears rolling down your cheeks until the rough pads of Steve’s thumbs swiped under your eyes gently. “You’re crying. You’re—shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Then he was backing away quickly, hands trembling in uncertainty at your reaction to his confession, because shit, out of all the times he’d imagined this whole thing going down, not once did he expect you to start crying.
It was damn near impossible for you to find the words to convey the knot of feelings pooling in your gut, so you did the next best thing that you could think of to make Steve understand that you loved him too. You surged forward before he could back off completely, body crashing against his and arms winding around his neck, and you kissed him. Hard. Lovingly, but yeah, still hard.
Steve froze again for what seemed like the hundredth time today, his brain short-circuiting at what was happening at this very moment. You. Him. You were kissing him. In the middle of the parking lot. For pretty much all of Hawkins to see.
Holy shit.
You were kissing him.
Kissing you was better than Steve had ever imagined—and he’d imagined it a lot. You tasted heavenly sweet, like the strawberry chapstick you always wore and the chocolate from the cookies you’d eaten earlier, and it made him weak in the knees. His hands were traveling up and down your back, resting at your waist, pulling you closer, moving like he didn't know what to do with them but didn't want to let you get away. Yours, on the other hand, stayed firmly planted in his hair, which—despite all the products that you'd always seen strewn across his bathroom counter at home—was surprisingly soft to the touch.
It wasn’t until you heard a series of wolf whistles from passing students that you remembered you were in the middle of the parking lot, kissing Steve right out there in the open for everyone to see. And it was that thought that had you pulling away from his addicting lips, pressing your forehead against his as you tried to catch your breath after the kiss had pulled it out of both your chests.
The world felt like it was spinning when you pulled away from him, like you’d just gotten drunk off his kiss, and you missed it already.
“Whoa,” He panted, chest heaving. “What was—you…what was that?”
You gnawed on your lower lip in contemplation, pondering how to word this in the best way. “In the car earlier, you said you wanted to know what I was thinking about.”
“I remember.”
“I was thinking about you.”
“Me?” His voice was soft, honey brown eyes lighting up at your words.
“Yeah, you. And how I’m in love with you too.”
“You are?”
“I love you, Steve Harrington.”
Steve couldn’t help the dopey grin that stretched across his face at your words. “That—wow, that feels really good. Just hearing you say it.” He chuckled breathlessly, thumbing at your waist. “Can I kiss you again? Please?”
“You can kiss me whenever you want.”
“God, that’s even better.”
He leaned in to kiss you again and you gladly reciprocated, subconsciously bringing your hand up to cup his face as he dipped you down slowly. As soon as your palm came in soft contact with his cheek, however, Steve hissed. “Ow, shit—”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” You yelped, pulling away from him in a panic. “I forgot!”
“No, it was worth it,” He groaned, wincing slightly as your fingers ghosted across the handprint across his cheek once more. “So worth it.”
“We should probably get some ice on that.” You chuckled, lacing your fingers through his and tugging him towards the car, where Dustin and the rest of the boys were all waiting with crossed arms and smug ass smiles.
“About high time you guys figured it out!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air exasperatedly. “God, I thought I was gonna have to confess for you, Steve.”
“Shut it, Henderson,” Steve rolled his eyes, but was still smiling nonetheless whilst snaking his arm around your waist. “Get your asses in the car, I’m taking everyone home now.”
“Why, so you can spend more time sucking face with your girlfriend?” teased Lucas, mimicking kissing the air childishly.
“I’ll make you walk, Sinclair!” Lucas pushed past Will into the backseat without another word. “That’s what I thought.”
The rest of the boys were quick to follow, none of them wanting to make the trek all the way home in the dark. You just shook your head amusedly, climbing into the passenger seat. Steve immediately took your hand as soon as he slid into the driver’s seat, resting it on the gearshift with his on top, but not before pressing a kiss to your knuckles. And when you beamed at him lovingly, he couldn’t help it. He leaned over the center console, capturing your lips in a soft kiss without giving two shits about the noises of disgust and retching coming from the boys in the backseat at his lovesick actions.
Because, in a twist of fate that somehow worked in his favor, Steve got the girl. He finally got you, the girl he’d always wanted but never in a million years thought he’d ever be so lucky to call his. The girl that changed the game for him.
you have a terrible migraine and go to a mission anyway. the results aren’t what you expected but Miguel has your back. established relationship.
let me help 🥺 2
you haven’t been yourself for weeks so you’ve been avoiding Miguel to avoid worrying him. little did you know the distance is worrying him anyway so he confronts you about it. best friends to lovers hurt comfort.
the only one I trust ⚡️💖
after getting hurt on a mission you spend a cozy soft morning with Miguel. established relationship.
bliss 💖⚡️
aftercare with miguel.
tell me 💖
jealousy makes Miguel’s feelings impossible to ignore.
completely yours 🥺
you’ve never hidden your affections for Miguel, and though you know he cares about you, he’s always hiding his. this changes when a mission goes sideways.
what if’s ⚡️🥺
the lines between friendship and love have been blurred between the two of you for a while. when miguel’s stubbornness causes you to fight, the two of you have to decide if you’re willing to take a leap in more ways than one.
steve harrington:
breath of fresh air ⚡️💖️
you get overwhelmed at a party, steve is very understanding.
the way you move 1 2 3 4 5 💖️⚡️
steve harrington is you best friend, he’s captain of the community college basketball team and you’re a ballet dancer studying in the university of Indiana. opposites attract, though the two of you are convinced the other couldn’t like you more than a friend. pining idiots in love, best friends to eventual lovers.
you're in your best friend steve's garage, watching him change the oil on his BMW, when he reminds you it's movie night with the gang, but you don't feel up to it because your boyfriend just dumped you – he says you spend too much time with steve – and maybe he's right | ( 2.4k, angst, banter, fluff, smut, friends to lovers, steve x you, steve x reader )
C ' M O N, B A B Y, L I G H T M Y F I R E
🎵 right here waiting for you, richard marx
It was impossible.
Being friends with Steve.
Because he opened the car door for you. Because he walked you home from the Wheeler’s when it got dark. Because he knew how to pull giggles from you on the couch when he squeezed at your thighs and teased a smile out of you, telling you how that guy wasn’t worth your tears.
Because he’d hold your hand when the movie was too scary and because every single laugh he gave you was like treasure. Glittering and gold and precious and–
“Hey, Princess, toss me that towel, will ya?”
Steve’s head appeared out from under the hood of his BMW, grease smudged across his forehead under the curl of hair that had fallen into his eyes. He refused to get his oil changed at the shop, learned how to do it himself in high school to save money, but mostly to show his dad he wasn’t afraid of a little hard work.
You were sitting on the work bench, wood rough under your thighs, your own forehead dewy from the summer heat. Grabbing the ripped-up scrap of fabric, you balled it up and threw it toward Steve’s outstretched hand.
“Thanks,” he caught it without looking, then dipped back under the hood. “Almost done here.”
“M’not in a rush,” you insisted and he peeked back out to give you a grin.
“You’re not?”
You quirked a brow at his question, “Should I be?”
“It’s movie night,” he reminded before disappearing again.
“Don’t think I’ll make it.”
You tried your best to sound casual, but the grunt that came from under the hood told you he didn’t buy it. His feet shuffled under the car as he grunted again and you pictured him muscling the oil cap back on tight.
He’d have to excuse you, but hanging out with everyone pretending to be fine three days after your boyfriend, your ex boyfriend, broke up with you didn’t sound like fun.
“Won’t make it, huh?” he asked through another noise of effort.
“Nope.”
Finally, Steve’s grease-stained fingers curled over the hood and he slowly lowered it to mid-chest, the sleeves of his ratty, old white t-shirt straining against his biceps.
“It’s not a scary one,” he offered, honey colored eyes flicking up to meet yours and the weight of his gaze made you glance away, suddenly interested in the cracks spidering across the garage floor.
“Can’t. I’m busy.”
The hood of his BMW slammed shut and the sound pulled your gaze back up to see Steve still looking at you.
“He call you again?”
Heat swept over your cheeks in a rush, but you forced yourself to not look away this time.
“Maybe.”
Swiping the back of his arm across his forehead, he tucked the towel in the back pocket of his Levi’s, tongue jammed into cheek – a move you knew meant he was struggling to keep himself in check.
“What’d he say this time?” he asked, tone accusatory as he shuffled around the garage picking up his tools and throwing away the empty oil can.
Your chest tightened, throat threatening to close around the words you were trying to force out.
What’d he say this time?
Steve knew the whole story. Knew your ex had cheated on you twice with Tammy Thompson last year, but sweet talked you back into it. Stood you up on your birthday this year, but told you he’d make it up to you. Forgot your anniversary last month, but swore he hadn’t meant to then broke up with you three days later.
The only thing Steve didn’t know was the real reason he broke up with you, was him.
Steve.
“Nothing new,” you lied, jumping down from the work bench, fingers picking at the chipped polish on your nails; a nervous habit.
Steve stopped what he was doing, oil funnel in one hand and the other pushing at the hair in his eyes. “How long have we known each other?”
“Fourth grade.”
He hummed at your reply and closed the gap between you, free hand closing around your fingers. “Long enough to know when you’re lying.”
The sudden feeling of his callouses pressed to your skin pulled your gaze up to look at him, your eyes meeting his, warm and honeyed. You swallowed the heat blooming in your chest and held his look.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
Leaning around you, he placed the funnel on the work bench and rested his hand on his hip, the other still holding yours.
“He’s an asshole and he’s not good enough for you.”
The heat in your chest flirted with something else then, a muddied mixture of frustration and want, anger and adoration.
“No one is,” came out sharper than you’d meant it and Steve let your hand go.
“Whoa–” his brows pinched together, lips curved down in a frown, “–where’d that come from?”
Holding your breath, you hoped maybe it would choke out the tears stinging at the corners of your eyes.
Don’t do it.
Don’t ruin it.
But Steve clocked your shift and something darker flashed in his eyes, “Did he hurt you?”
“God, Steve–” you sighed, exasperated, “No.”
“Then what?” he pushed and you cracked.
“You! It’s you!”
Quickly, you clamped a hand over your mouth, but it was too late. Steve’s expression softened; hurt, confused.
“Me?”
“He said he can’t be with me because I’m always here.”
“Here?” Steve echoed, feeling a little dumb and a lot lost.
“With you.”
“Well–of course you’re with me–we’re best friends. Best friends can’t hang out?” he protested, tone shifting, offended.
“Not like this,” you waved a hand in the tiny gap between you and he shook his head.
“Like what? I really don’t understand–”
“He’s right,” you cut in, “We’re together, all the time, but…”
“But what?” Steve asked, features softening, apprehensive.
“But I don’t think you want to be best friends.”
The heat across your cheeks hit Steve now, red all the way up to his ears, and his mouth dropped open.
“Don’t want to–wait–you think I don’t want to be friends?” he stammered, scrambling to gather up all the pieces of him you’d just managed to scatter across the garage with one sentence.
“You always tell me: no one’s good enough, he’s not good enough and–” A sigh pushed through your lips, “No one’s good enough for me…except you, I just think you’re scared to admit it.”
Steve swallowed thick, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, caught, and you watched the wheels in his head spin in a panic.
“Me, scared?” he scoffed, “I’m not scared. What do I have to be scared about? That doesn’t even make sense. You don’t know–”
“–Steve.”
Grabbing at his grease-stained hand again, you pushed yourself to be brave, tangling your fingers with his, and he froze. Eyes locked with yours. Afraid to move.
Reaching up, you tucked loose chestnut curls behind his ear.
“Be honest,” you started quietly and when he gave you small sound of acknowledgement you pressed on, “You want more than friends.”
Steve blinked down at you, the long sweep of his lashes brushing at the tops of his cheeks.
“You want us to be more than friends,” you said again, hoping and praying you were right.
Flicking his gaze up to the ceiling, Steve pulled in and let out a deep breath, eyes closing for a second. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and then looked back down at you, corners of his mouth still tugged down in a half-frown.
“I just–shit. Yeah. Yeah, I do,” he murmured.
His hand squeezed at yours, and something unraveled deep in the pit of your stomach. A knot of feelings and confessions and admissions untangling in the dark, stretching up, up, up toward the light. Seeds of care and devotion and longing planted all those years ago, finally watered and placed out in the sun.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” you asked, the last bits of fear clinging at the end of your question, and his frown tipped up a little.
“I didn’t want to ruin it or–or make you feel like you had to. Right? Like…everyone always expects the childhood best friends to get together, but what if I held you back? Or–or made you feel like you had to? I just…I guess I wanted to protect you.” He shook his head, “Pretty shit at it though.”
You snorted a laugh and put your hand to the line of his jaw, thumb soothing over the twin moles dotted there.
“Very shit.”
Steve laughed too, a low rumble you felt through the thin fabric of his shirt, and the heat that crackled between you, sobered you both.
“Um,” Steve choked out, clearing his throat, “Can I–I mean–would it be okay if I kissed you?”
“Please?” you half-whispered, half-begged, and the soft lilt of your voice set fire to the feelings he’d kept locked away all those years.
Dipping down quickly, Steve cupped your face in his hands, wide and warm, and pressed his lips to yours. It was hesitant and slow at first, curious and wary, but then your tongue flicked out to chase across the seam of his lips and it pulled a strangled sound from him.
One of his hands slipped around the back of your neck, fingers threading through your hair, tilting your head just right to deepen the kiss and you opened to him. Let him lick into you, tasting you, and it was sweet and warm, like popsicles and summer.
Easing his fingers from your hair, he hooked both hands under the curve of your ass and lifted you back up onto the work bench, your mouths not separating for even one second.
“Steve,” you breathed into him and he nipped at your bottom lip, swallowing the moan you made for him.
“What, anything, tell me,” he babbled, slotting himself between your bare legs, your shorts riding up your thighs.
“You’re a really good kisser,” you tried to tease, but then he grinned against your lips.
“Know what else I’m really good at?” he asked, hands grabbing at your hips, all confidence – a taste of King Steve – and it settled heat in your belly.
“Have a few ideas,” you gasped, his hands sliding up and over your thighs.
“Wanna guess?”
“Stop teasing me.”
“Or what?”
You pulled away for a second, holding his chin between your thumb and forefinger, “Or I’ll make you wait.”
Lips pinched in a pout, he blinked down at you, “M’not good at waiting.”
You shook your head at him.
“Greedy,” he murmured and you nodded with a small smile.
“Just want you, Steve.”
The corners of his mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin, “Say that again.”
“I want you, Steve Harrington,” you said, cheeks flush and smile gone, feeling like a school girl with a stupid crush, and he loved every second of it.
“Want you too, baby,” he pressed his lips to yours again, teeth clicking together at the force, and it pulled laughs from both of you, but then your breathed hitched in your throat and it sobered you both.
Steve’s hand slid up under your shirt, palming at your ribs, hardening at the way you tensed under him. His fingers trailed down, fumbling with the button on your shorts to pop it open, and the gasp he pulled from you was almost enough to finish him right there on the spot.
“What d’you need, baby–tell me–whatever you want, wanna give it to you,” he rambled, your hands at his belt making his brain go fuzzy.
“You, this,” came out of you stilted, fingers undoing his zipper so you could feel his length through the fabric of his boxers.
“Jesus Christ–baby,” he choked, “Slow–slower.”
His hands tugged at your shorts and you pressed your heels into the shelf at your feet, helping him slide them down to your knees.
“I can’t,” you gasped and he shook his head, me either, running his nose up your neck, asking for more access, and you gave it to him.
Steve set you on fire, filled you with heat, like sun on your skin as he dragged lazy, open-mouthed kisses under your jaw, along your collarbone, at the hollow of your neck. Looping your fingers under the elastic of his boxers, you tugged, setting him free between your legs and letting him press against the soft, damp, lilac fabric of your panties. When he felt what he was doing to you, it pulled a groan from him.
“Baby.”
“Need you, Steve,” you practically begged, and he wasn’t about to make you wait.
“I know, I know,” he babbled, “Get these out of the way.” After guiding your hand to your panties, you did as you were told while he hooked your legs around his waist. “Got you, baby, I’ve got you,” he whispered at the shell of your ear, gently easing himself inside you, and the pressure had your arms squeezing around his neck.
“Steve,” you whined as he bottomed out.
“Shh, I got you,” he promised, setting a slow pace, in out, in out.
The height of the work bench was absolute, fucking magic with your ass just barely hanging off the edge and giving him perfect access to you. You squeezed at him everywhere, arms, legs, cock, and it pushed him to go faster.
Soon he was pulling sounds from your lips that were practically pornographic, the slap of skin on skin filling the garage, both of you panting at the effort; huh, huh, huh!
“S’close, Steve,” you whimpered, head falling back at how good he was making you feel.
“C’mon, honey–come for me, baby,” he breathed into you, hands squeezing at your thighs, hips thrusting into your yours, fucking you closer and closer to climax until finally you peaked and clenched around him, throwing you both over the edge.
Steve’s movements grew frantic as his rhythm snapped and broke, thrusts uneven and slowing as he eased you both back down.
“Holy shit,” he gasped, forehead dewy with sweat as you still held tight to him for dear life, labored laughs escaping you both. “Guess you’re shit at waiting too, huh?” he teased and you nipped at his shoulder, “Hey!”
“Didn’t say I was patient, Harrington,” you grinned.
And he grinned back, “S’one of my favorite things about you.”
It was impossible.
Being friends with Steve.
But more than friends was easy. Effortless.
More than friends with Steve
was everything.
crappymixtape™ • steve harrington masterlist // stranger things masterlist♥️ reblogs and comments keep me going, friends! ily! ♥️
you struggle with bad dreams, and steve always talks you down over the phone no matter what time of night, but this is the worst you’ve had in a long time and when you can’t shake it steve takes care of you | ( 3.3k, fluff, hurt / comfort, smut, best friends to lovers, steve x you, steve x reader – TW: blood, descriptions of death )
D R E A M S O F Y O U
🎵 i miss july, marie dresselhuis
The fan in your room hummed on the ceiling, pushing and pulling cool air in from your open window. Soft light played against your curtains, fingers of sunlight teasing along the horizon, birds just rousing in the trees outside, too early even for them. The sprinklers across the street in the neighbor’s lawn ticked to life, shh, shh, shh, flinging water over parched grass, their static sound crawling slow into your ear.
Shifting against the sheets you woke, turning on your side, your vision still gauzy and blurred from sleep, but clear enough to make out a figure stretched out next to you.
Chestnut curls, sunkissed skin, a map of freckles and moles only you knew by heart. Long lashes that fanned out over his cheeks, shielding his warm amber eyes from morning, brow relaxed in sleep and expression soft. Peaceful. Safe.
You couldn’t help the way your hand twitched, lifting from the sheets to slip your fingers under the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead and tucking it up and away.
Steve.
Your best friend.
The only one who’d take a call from you at 1am, your voice trembling over the line and making his chest ache…
“Had another bad dream, worse this time.”
“S’okay, m’here,” he’d reassured you, voice scratchy with sleep, “S’not real, remember? C’mon, let’s count. Ready? Together. One, two, three…” He counted all the way to ten with you, helped you try to even your shallow breaths, but it hadn’t worked.
“I can’t shake it,” you’d said, throat tight and squeezing, the back of your nose prickling with the threat of tears, “Felt so real.”
“M’coming over, just stay there.”
You can’t remember when they started, during your childhood sometime, just bad dreams at first. Monsters under the bed or in your closet, lights not working no matter how many times you flipped the switch, but then at some point they shifted darker.
Claws like knives and rows of teeth. Desiccated wings and rotting flesh. Long, thick vines that wrapped themselves up your torso, squeezed tight at your neck, choking and strangling until you forced yourself awake, gasping for air.
For a long time you didn’t tell anyone, afraid of what they might think of you. Afraid they’d tell you you were crazy or that you were overreacting – grow up – but not Steve. The night you’d cracked and called him you almost hung up, but when he picked up and heard how scared you were he told you he’d stay on the phone until you fell back to sleep, and that was how it went for a long while.
Bad dream, call Steve, talk until everything went fuzzy and your speech started to slur only to wake the next morning to the sound of his soft snores drifting through the receiver. But last night? Last night was unlike anything you’d experienced before.
Flashes of light and thunder, thick, wet vines wrapping up, up, up over your mouth, choking and squeezing, your best friend lying spread eagle on the ground just out of reach, limbs bent wrong and eyes distant and unfocused, blood trickling from his nose and down over the seam of his lips.
No–no! Steve! Wake up! Please wake up!
The second he answered, he knew this time was different. Heard the panic in your voice, drove across town in the dark and gathered you up in his arms the moment you opened the door. Walking the steps to your room, you’d grabbed hold of his hand, your tether to the real world, your anchor in the hurricane, and you didn’t let go until you laid down next to him and finally allowed your body to give into exhaustion.
You watched him now, the steady rise and fall of his breaths reassuring, and you wondered for a minute what you did to deserve him. The back of your nose prickled again and you held your breath, a move you’d perfected to stave off tears, but when your lungs tightened against the lack of air you couldn’t help sucking in a gasp.
The sharp sound fell on Steve’s ears, lying so close to you there in the bed, and his lashes fluttered open slowly as he pulled in a deep breath.
“Y’okay?” he asked, voice scratchy and hair sticking up in every direction as he stretched awake.
“Mmhm,” was all you could manage, and it made him pause to look over at you.
Eyes glassy and lips pressed tight, holding it all in, trying to get a grip and he rolled onto his side so that his hands could find yours, gently threading his fingers through them.
“Hey,” he coaxed, “Hey. What happened?”
You threw your gaze to the ceiling, anywhere else but the way he was looking at you in the warmth of the early morning light.
“I just–” you started, tripping on your words, “What if I didn’t have you?”
“Whoa,” he breathed, free hand moving to take hold of your chin and easing it down, look at me. “You do have me, m’right here.”
Blinking against his gaze, you pulled in a shaky breath, “I know.”
A soft sigh escaped Steve’s lips, brows pinching together, I’m sorry. “If I could have your bad dreams instead, I’d do it in a heart beat. Y’know that?”
You huffed a wet laugh, a small pathetic thing that let loose a tear past your lashes, but Steve’s thumb was quick to wipe it away.
“M’not goin’ anywhere,” he whispered and it pulled your gaze.
Caught in the warm amber of his eyes and the way they turned almost green in the soft light, mossy and dark, blooming into inky black irises. He really saw you, made you feel raw. Vulnerable. All the worst parts of you laid bare before him and he still didn’t look away.
“You don’t think I’ve completely lost my mind?” you tried to joke, but the smile he gave you wasn’t.
“Nope,” he reassured, “But even if you did, I wouldn’t care.” Easing his hand from your chin, he slipped it up the soft line of your jaw, thumb soothing across the apple of your cheek. “I’d take you bad dreams and all,” he confessed quietly, heart hammering against his ribcage at the weight of his words, waiting, watching, hoping.
You let his confession settle over you, pulse fluttering against your neck at the way it lessened the heavy feeling on your shoulders.
“Steve…”
“Yeah?”
“I think I…” your breath caught, snagging on the things you’d wanted to say for so long.
His brow furrowed as he scooted closer to you, the heat of his body reaching across the sliver of space between you, a ghost of warmth over your thighs.
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I just…you’re my best friend,” you skated around it, cheeks pinking up under his gaze.
“Mine too,” he quickly agreed, nodding his head against your pillow, hinging on the empty space you’d left behind. “…But?” he asked.
“IthinkIloveyou,” you exhaled in a single breath, eyes squeezed shut, afraid of what this would do, what it meant, how it could change things. The possibility of losing him.
Silence followed, stretched like an eternity, when in reality was a millisecond before the warmth of Steve’s laugh filled it in. A low rumble in his chest that pulled your eyes open to see him looking at you with what could only be described as absolute adoration.
“Love me?” he asked, and it sent a jolt of panic up your arms, but then his leg looped over yours and pulled you into him. “Does that mean I can say it back?”
Your heart soared as you nodded, a smile creeping across your lips.
“I think I love you too,” he said, quieter this time, all joking and teasing gone from his tone and it set a fire between your ribs.
“Wanna kiss you,” you murmured and it blew his pupils wide, the leg he had thrown over yours twitching against your thigh.
“Okay,” he breathed, swallowing thick, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.
Steve couldn’t lie to himself. The amount of times he’d thought about this, about kissing you, about pulling your body into his, pushing and pressing tight against you, the feeling of your lips soft on his, the way you’d rake your hands through his hair and the pretty little sounds you’d make under his touch. He didn’t want to ruin it, wanted it to be perfect, struggled to remind himself to go slow, but it all went out the window the minute you leaned in and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
It was anything but slow. It was a heavy exhale, a gasping stretch, the release of everything you’d kept pent up away from each other over the last few years. It was hungry, searching, wanting. A clash of teeth and heat between bodies, Steve’s weight over you a welcome heavy press you’d let squeeze every last breath from your lungs.
He’d rolled you onto your back so fast you’d sucked in a breath of surprise.
“Oh–y’okay?” he panicked, but it disappeared as soon as he felt your legs wrap and settle at the small of his back.
“More than okay,” you murmured, and it made his mouth drop open into a perfect little ‘o’. “Please, don’t stop.”
“Don’t stop,” he echoed and you quieted him with another kiss.
The dam was more than broken now, and you were breathing each other like air, your legs squeezing at his waist and pulling him closer, closer, closer. You could feel how hard he was, pressed against the seam of your pajama shorts, and it sent your heartbeat skittering down to beat between your legs.
“Jesus Christ,” Steve gasped as he came up for air, breaths falling quick between you. “Fuckin’ unreal, could do this all day, so damn pretty,” he babbled.
His voice was so close, so warm, had you coming undone already, the low hum of it a steady drip, drip, drip down through your body like liquid heat. You were a live wire, buzzing every where his skin pressed into yours, crackling and zipping as he peppered kisses down the column of your neck.
“So beautiful, wanted to tell you forever ago–”
The slow drag of his lips across your collarbone.
“Love how you look like this–”
Mouth sucking pretty little lilac marks under your jaw.
“You’re perfect, fuckin’ perfect–”
Your hands spidered up under his shirt, scratching over the trail of dark, chestnut hair that chased down his torso from his chest before disappearing under the band of his shorts. You wanted so badly to follow it with the palm of your hand, feel the rough of it on your skin, but when he sucked in a gasp you froze.
Eyes darting to look up at his face, you saw his were shut tight, jaw clenched, head tipped back in restraint and utter agony.
“Steve, are you–”
“No, no, no–sorry, I just need–” he swallowed his words, throat bobbing as they tumbled back down into his chest. “Need a minute,” he breathed. “I don’t wanna…uhm–” he pulled air in through his nose, “–you just got me all worked up.”
Your thighs squeezed together at the effect you had on him, Steve and the way he had you pinned down against the same needy press of desire.
“I trust you,” you finally broke, tone quiet but sure, and he opened his eyes to look down at you.
“You’re in the driver’s seat, whatever you want. Stop, go, slow down…” he matched your seriousness and it made the flicker of heat in your chest grow.
Lifting your hand back to his tummy, you brushed your fingers feather light along the sliver of skin between his shirt and shorts, watching as he tensed under your touch. Catching himself he pressed his hand into yours.
“You can,” he said, “If you want.”
Pressing up on one elbow you let his permission wrap you up in heat and want, slipped your hand down into the front of his shorts and slowly tugged them down, lower, lower, lower, chasing the trail of curls until you found where it ended in a dark thatch. He twitched against your hand, hardening under your soft, firm grasp, and it made you look up at him.
He was wrecked, hair sticking up at the ends and brows cinched together, pained, his jaw ticking at how hard he was biting down on the feel of you. You with your hands on him, you so close, you and the pout of your lips and the dark flicker in your eyes.
With one last slow drag, you pulled his shorts and boxers off and he sucked a gasp through his teeth the moment he sprang free. His cheeks grew hot, apprehensive despite doing this with other girls, but you weren’t like them. Weren’t fragile or putting on a front, didn’t shy away from being real with him and didn’t play up to whatever people thought ‘his type’ was. Little did they know, there was no type.
There was only you.
Taking him in your hand, you started a slow slide of your palm wrapped around him, grip slick as you ran your fingers over his already leaking tip and pulling a groan from his mouth dropped open, and unable to catch his breath.
“–ohmy–ohmygod,” he gasped.
His arms shook from the effort it took to not pump into your hand like a piston, the restraint a burning twist through his muscles, and it had your mind racing away with what he’d feel like inside you. What it’d be like for him to be pressing into you, a slow drag, in out in out.
The rhythm of your hand on him broke, your thighs slipping together at how wet you’d made yourself, and you couldn’t take it anymore.
“Steve–” came out desperate, pleading, “–can’t do it like this, wanna feel more of you.”
“Baby,” he practically moaned, more than ready to push past the thin fabric of your pajamas, the soaked cotton between your legs, “Need you to help me, please.”
His hard length bounced against your tummy when you let go of him to eagerly push your shorts and panties down, tossing them off the bed. When you found him again, he twitched in your hand, please, please, please, as you guided him to your entrance, and the second the head of his cock touched you had you squeezing against nothing. Ready to pull him in.
A moan whimpered at the back of your throat when he finally started pushing into you, your hands fisting in the sheets.
“Slowslowslow,” he rattled to himself, eyes flicking down to look at how you were taking him, “So good, so good, baby–jus’ like that.”
He filled you with a stretch that edged on pain, but the ache in the pit of your belly set it aflame, flickering hot and wanting.
Another moan fell from your lips, louder this time as he bottomed out, your thighs squeezing at his waist. “Holy shit,” you breathed, eyes locked on where Steve was buried in you up to the hilt, “Please, move, Steve–gotta move.”
“IknowIknow–” he huffed, swallowing thick, “So tight–I got you, I got you.”
He rocked his hips back slow, dragging out of you and leaving a wanting gap behind, a whine humming in the back of your throat at the loss, please, please, please, until he pushed back in and you swore you saw stars. He was thick, stretching you out in a way that had you feeling dizzy and dumb, drunk on Steve and how he felt inside you. You squeezed down on him and he practically cried.
“Baby, baby, baby–” he panted, picking up the pace, his slow drag shifting, the slap, slap, slap of his thighs against your skin filling the room.
Tangling his hands in yours, he dropped down on his elbows and held onto you for dear life, your fingers laced tight in his on either side of your head. He fucked you like it was the end of the world, like maybe this was the first and last time it would ever happen and it was soft and rough all at the same time. Twisting the coil in your stomach into a frenzy, a loaded spring, waiting for him to hit the spot at the back of you you could never reach on your own.
When his rhythm peaked your name was falling from his lips like a prayer, like it was the only word he knew and nothing else mattered. The sounds coming from you were practically pornographic, wet slaps and moans and cries of Steve, Steve, Steve. He loved how his name sounded on your tongue like this, wanted to hear it from you like this forever, and when you clenched down on him, “S–so close, Steve–please, Steve–faster, Steve–” he did exactly as he was told.
Fucked you faster until the coil in your tummy snapped and your nails pressed half-moons into the backs of Steve’s hands as you cried out against the waves rippling through your body. Your heels pressed desperately into his waist and pulled him with you. His hips stuttering out of rhythm as he came with a choked out cry, gasping and panting and slowing his thrusts to a lazy drag as his forehead fell down to press into yours.
Rays of sunlight stretched through the window, spilling over your bodies and lighting Steve up like some kind of dream. His shoulders and chest dewy with sweat, half-hard cock softening inside of you as he tried to catch his breath, his hands still holding tight to yours.
“Y’okay?” he sighed, lifting his head from yours to see you better.
“Ask me again in five,” you gasped through a laugh as he pulled out of you, rolled onto his back, sticky skin pressed to sticky skin and leaving your legs shaking as they collapsed on the bed.
Bird songs filtered in through your gauzy curtains, blending and blurring together with the slowing of Steve’s breaths, and you pushed yourself onto your side to find his eyes were closed. Chestnut locks stuck and messy across his forehead, his hand settled against the thick thatch of hair across his chest, twin moles dotting down his jaw.
His mouth pulled up at the corners in a lazy grin, eyes still closed, “Whatcha lookin’ at?”
Your chest ached at how perfect he was, how lucky you were. Propping up on your elbow you leaned down and pressed your lips to his smile, soft this time, lingering and curious as his hand slipped into the baby hairs at the back of your neck. When you pulled back he was looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky, like all the glittering constellations and stretch of galaxies were created on the tips of your fingers and he shook his head.
“I love you,” he murmured and your heart fluttered in your chest, butterfly wings on your ribs, and Steve, Steve, Steve.
“Love you too, Stevie,” you whispered and he held onto each word like treasure. Kissed you again and again and again, invisible tattoos on your skin like tiny permanent promises to keep you forever, and god–you’d let him.
crappymixtape™ • steve harrington masterlist // stranger things masterlist♥️ reblogs and comments keep me going, friends! ily! ♥️
steve harrington is unlucky when it comes to matters of the heart. for years he’s been in love with his best friend, but circumstances have made it impossible for him to make his feelings known. fate seems to have other plans, when you ask him to help you escape your wedding day, with nothing but his hand to hold and a car to drive off in. you suddenly find yourself headed back to hawkins, back to the place that feels so unfamiliar now — back to the place where you first fell in love.
warnings:
18+, for use of alcohol, smut, and my blog rules in general.
steve harrington x f!reader || best friends to lovers, mutual pining, second chance romance with the town handyman who lives in a cabin in the woods. inspired by this edit by @somnambulic-thing
Steve Harrington x afab!reader || Masterlist || Steve playlist
summary: A year has past since you left for college, but now you’re back in Hawkins for the summer and reunited with your best friend Steve. The friend who you have been in love with since forever.
word count: 14.4k
warning/tags: Smut (18+, mdni!) No Upside Down au. Language. Smoking. Food/eating. Childhood friends to lovers. Fluff. Thigh riding. Tit sucking. Vaginal fingering. Cunnilingus. Blow jobs. Protected p in v. Haven’t been beta or proofread.
You drum your hand against the wheel off your dad’s car as the familiar streets of Hawkins pass by outside. The summer breeze swooping over your face through the rolled down window, tingling your skin as it carries a mix of nostalgia and anticipation.
It’s been a year since you left for college, and you came back last night to spend the summer with your family. The small town hasn’t changed much, but you can’t help but notice the few subtle differences in the familiar surroundings as you drive towards Family Video.
You can’t wait to see Steve again, feeling a rush of excitement and nerves at the thought of reuniting with him. You were actually not supposed to return to Hawkins until next week, but after being away for a whole year you had made the decision to come home a little earlier. So, here you are, cruising down Main Street, heading towards the one place you know Steve will be. Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, your best friend in the whole world, and the boy you’ve been in love with since middle school, but that love has always remained unspoken. Your feelings for Steve being your deepest secret.
As you pull up to the familiar red brick building of Family Video and park a little down the street from the store, you spot Steve’s merlot colored BMW and your heart skips a beat. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves before stepping out on the sidewalk, the pavement beneath your feet echoing the memories of your childhood, all the times you and Steve had rented movies together, arguing over which one to choose and then staying up all night watching them and talking about everything and nothing, the laughter and the inside jokes shared between the two of you.
Steve was always there, effortlessly charming and protective. The thought of seeing Steve after almost a year sends butterflies fluttering in your stomach. You wonder if he feels the same way, if he’s missed you as much as you’ve missed him. The anticipation builds with every passing step, and you can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as you approach the building.
You can’t help but smile as you push open the door and are immediately greeted by the familiar sight of rows and rows of VHS tapes, the little bell above the door chiming merrily as you enter. The store is quiet, except for the soft humming of fluorescent lights and the gentle whir of VHS tapes being rewound. And there he is. Steve is standing behind the counter, his hair perfectly styled as always. You feel how your smile widens as you spot him, exactly as you remember him. His arms bulking under the short sleeves of his t-shirt, and you feel how your smile turns softer as you spot the little orange name tag reading ‘Steve’ tagged to the right side of his green work vest.
Steve’s eyes widen as he catches sight of you, and a wide grin spreads across his face. Your name escaping from his lips in a surprised squeal. And before you even get to step much further into the store, Steve’s already placed his hands on the counter and in his excitement to see you he jumps over it, too eager to use the extra five seconds it would take to go around it.
You let out a surprised giggle as Steve vaults over the obstacle, landing gracefully in front of you. His honey brown eyes sparkle with delight, mirroring the joy radiating from your own. Without a second thought, he wraps his arms around you in a tight hug, enveloping you in warmth and familiarity. The familiar scent of his cologne envelopes you as he pulls you close, his arms wrapping securely around your body.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until next week,” Steve murmurs into your hair, his voice filled with genuine affection and happy surprise.
“I wasn’t, but I thought I would surprise you, I flew in last night,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you lean back to look at his face. Steve’s smile widens even further, his eyes sparkling with happiness.
“Well, surprise me, you did!” he exclaims, his tone laced with excitement. You feel a rush of relief wash over you as you realize that Steve is just as happy to see you as you are to see him. It’s not that you had thought he wouldn’t be, but it’s still nice to be confirmed about it. “I’ve missed you,” he admits, his voice soft and sincere.
“I’ve missed you too,” you reply, feeling a wave of warmth and affection wash over you. For a moment, you both just stand there, holding onto each other, caught up in the emotions of the reunion. The world outside fades away, leaving just the two of you, wrapped up in the warm hug.
Eventually, Steve pulls back slightly, his hands resting on your shoulders as he looks into your eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I’m so glad you’re back,” he says, his voice filled with sincerity.
“Me too,” you reply, a smile tugging at your lips. “You got plans later?” you ask, not wanting to waste a single moment of your time back in Hawkins.
Steve shakes his head, his smile widening. “Nope, nothing I can’t blow off, I just have to work for another three hours or so and then I’m all yours,” he replies with a wink. You feel a surge of happiness at his words, knowing that you have the whole evening to spend with Steve.
“You don’t have to blow off plans because of me,” you say, even though you know you would do the same for him in a heartbeat.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s just Henderson, I told him I would help him change his bike, he can wait till tomorrow. Besides, I’d much rather spend time with you than anything else,” Steve reassures you, his eyes filled with warmth and sincerity.
You are just about to say something, what you don’t even know, the intensity of his stare making your heart race, when suddenly a loud crash echoes off the world followed by a ‘oh, shit’.
Robin comes bursting through the back door of the store, a sheepish expression on her face as she tries to regain her composure, a giant pile of video tapes at her feet. Steve rolls his eyes at her, but there’s a fondness in his gaze and a sweet smile on his lips as he turns away from you to help his coworker pick up the tapes she dropped.
“I told you not to carry that many at once,” he chuckles as he squats down to help her. You can’t help but notice how nice his ass looks in those jeans he is wearing, your face getting a little warmer as you walk over to help too.
“Oh my gosh, you’re here!” Robin exclaims, her eyes widening in surprise as she looks up at you.
You can’t help but grin at her, her excitement for seeing you is sweet and infectious. “I am,” you reply, smiling back at her as you begin helping to pick up the scattered VHS tapes. Robin stands up, a bright smile on her face as she hugs you tightly, which surprises you slightly, but you hug her back, nonetheless.
Her and Steve had become friends last summer as they started to work together at Scoop Ahoy, you had already left for college by then as you had decided to start early with a summer semester. But you had had a few classes with her in high school since she was only a year younger than you and Steve and you have heard much about her from Steve’s phone calls and letters in the last year since the two of them had become such good friends
“I thought you’d first come back next week? Steve has been counting down the days like a kid waiting for Christmas,” Robin says as she lets go of you, teasing Steve as she hands him a few VHS tapes to put back on the shelves. “Do you know how much he talks about you? He practically hasn’t stopped talking about you since you left for college.”she continues with a mischievous grin. Steve blushes slightly, shooting a playful glare at Robin as he finishes organizing the tapes.
“Shut up, Robin,” he mutters, but there is a fondness in his tone that doesn’t go unnoticed.
You laugh at Robin’s teasing, shooting a playful glare in Steve’s direction. “Oh really? I had no idea I was that missed,” you say, a hint of sarcasm in your tone as you help Steve with the tapes.
Steve just grins sheepishly as the pink blush on cheeks darken ever so slightly. “Okay, okay, guilty as charged. I might have mentioned you a couple of times,” he admits, his eyes shining with amusement.
You can’t help but feel a warm, fluttery feeling in your chest at Steve’s admission. It’s comforting to know that he has been thinking about you as much as you have been thinking about him. You know that the feelings you have for Steve run deep, deeper than just friendship. But you also know that it’s a delicate balance, and you don’t want to ruin the friendship that means so much to you. So for now, you’ll just enjoy being back in Hawkins, spending time with Steve, and soaking up every moment of summer before you have to head back to college in the fall.
As you finish organizing the VHS tapes with Steve and Robin, you glance over at Steve, his eyes meeting yours with a warmth that makes your heart skip a beat. You know that no matter what the future holds, you have this moment, this summer, and the memories you’ll make together to carry with you. And for now, that’s enough. Despite the feelings you have for him he is your friend first and foremost, and that will always be the most important.
The bell over the door chimes again, and before neither you nor Steve can react, Robin has already headed for the counter, “I’ll take this one,” she exclaims, leaving you and Steve to stand alone by the back door.
“So, yeah… That’s Robin for you,” Steve says with a chuckle, shaking his head fondly as he looks after her.
“She seems cool,” you reply, smiling at the easy camaraderie between the two of them.
“She’s the best,” Steve says, his voice filled with genuine affection for his friend before you both fall into a short moment of silence as you both process that you’re back in Hawkins.
“So, what do you want to do later?” Steve asks, breaking the silence, running a hand through his fluffy hair.
“I’m up for anything,” you reply, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of spending time with Steve. Steve grins, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Well, as I said before I still have three hours left of my shift, but how about you go home and I finish up here, then I can come pick you up later, we can pick up food from Benny’s or wherever you prefer and just catch up,” he suggests.
“That sounds perfect,” you say, feeling a warm glow of happiness at the simple yet perfect plan. Steve reaches out to take your hand, his grip warm and comforting.
“Great,” he says, a smile playing on his lips. “It’s good to have you back.”
You squeeze his hand in return, feeling the familiar warmth of his touch. “It’s good to be back.”
With a final squeeze of your hand, Steve turns back towards the counter, leaving you with a smile on your face as you head out of the store. The early afternoon sun, warm and golden as you make your way back to your dad’s car. As you drive home, you can’t help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. The familiar sights and sounds of Hawkins fill you with a sense of nostalgia, but also a renewed sense of excitement for the summer ahead. You can’t wait to spend more time with Steve, catching up on everything that’s happened in the past year and just enjoying each other’s company.
· · · · ·
Steve can’t help but look out the glass door even long after you left, a smile still lingering on his lips. Robin watches him with a knowing smile, leaning against the counter.
“Looks like you’re happy she’s back,” she teases, raising an eyebrow. Steve turns to her, a genuine smile on his face.
“Of course I am, I’ve missed her,” he admits, his voice soft. Robin nods in understanding, her expression softening.
“I can tell, It’s good to see you two back together, it’s like you never missed a beat,” she says, her tone filled with warmth. Steve’s smile grows at her words, grateful for her understanding.
“Yeah, she’s my best friend. Always has been,” he says, his eyes reflecting the truth of his words but he knows that there’s more to it than just friendship, at least from his part. He’s loved you for so long, but he’s always been too afraid to say anything, worried that it might ruin the bond you share.
Robin nods in agreement, a small teasing smile on her lips. “You should tell her, you know,” Robin says, her tone gentle but firm. Steve looks at her, surprise evident in his expression.
“Tell her what?” he asks, even though he knows exactly what she’s referring to. Robin rolls her eyes, shaking her head slightly.
“That you’re in love with her, you idiot,” she says, her teasing smile turning into a knowing one. Steve’s heart skips a beat at her words, the weight of his feelings for you suddenly feeling heavier. He runs a hand through his hair, contemplating her suggestion.
“I can’t,” he finally says, the words heavy with regret. “I can’t risk losing her.”
Robin gives him a sympathetic look, understanding his fear but also seeing the longing in his eyes. “You won’t know until you try, Steve. Life is too short to hold back on your feelings,” she says, her voice gentle but firm.
Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t want to ruin what we have,” he admits, his voice filled with sadness. Robin walks over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“You won’t ruin anything, Steve. You both care about each other deeply, I can see that, and I’m like the most clueless person ever, you’ve literally told me that. So if I can see it then it must be real. If anything, being honest about your feelings might just bring you closer together,” she says, her words filled with wisdom.
“I can’t risk it, okay. Besides, how do I even know if she feels the same way?” Steve asks, his voice filled with uncertainty. “She’s also, like, way out of my league.”
“You were literally one of the most popular boys in school, you were king Steve, for christ sake,” Robin chuckles, shaking her head.
“Yeah, and now I’m a loser working full time at Family Video while she is off to college living her best life,” Steve replies, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
Robin gives him a knowing look, her eyes soft. “Steve, you’re an amazing guy, and anyone would be lucky to have you. Including her,” she says, her voice reassuring. Steve looks at her, gratitude evident in his gaze. “Even if you’re a loser now. Also ouch, don’t disrespect Family Video’s dedicated employees like that.”
Steve chuckles, a small smile tugging at his lips, but his smile quickly falls, his heart pounding heavy in his chest. “But what if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if I lose her?” he asks, his voice filled with fear.
Robin sighs, giving him a knowing look. “You won’t know until you try. And trust me, she cares about you just as much as you care about her. Take a chance, Steve. You never know what might happen,” she says, her words filled with sincerity.
“Hmm…” Steve hums, feeling torn as he molds her words over. His mind racing with thoughts and doubts. But deep down, he knows that Robin might be right. He can’t keep his feelings hidden forever, and if he never takes a chance, he might never know what could have been. “Maybe you’re right,” he mumbles, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“Of course I am, Harrington,” she says with a smile before turning to attend to a customer who has walked into the store.
· · · · ·
You are standing in front of the full length mirror of your childhood bedroom, taking a moment to collect your thoughts. It’s been a little over four hours since you left Family Video and you know that Steve can be here any minute and as much as you want to suppress it, you can’t deny the flutter of excitement in your stomach.
It’s weird really. You have known that you have feelings for him for years, but you have always been able to keep them in check, to keep them hidden, buried deep beneath the surface, never wanting them to potentially ruin your friendship.
Taking a deep breath, you smooth down your outfit, trying to calm your nerves. You’ve never before been nervous to see Steve, but something about coming back after a year away has got you feeling all jittery.
But you’re brought out of your thoughts as you hear a car pull up in the driveway, your heart skips a beat. You take one last look in the mirror, a determined look in your eyes, before heading downstairs to greet Steve. The doorbell rings, and you can feel how your heart beats a little faster in your chest.
Opening the door, you’re met with Steve’s bright smile and warm gaze. The green Family Video vest has been disposed of, and he has changed his shirt that’s now under a thin jacket as well, but he is still wearing the jeans that have been clinging to your thoughts since earlier in the day. He looks as effortlessly charming as always, even though you’re one of the few people who knows how much Farrah Fawcett spray he really goes through to get that perfect hair. You’ve been best friends forever, after all; you know all of his secrets, or so you think.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes lighting up as he sees you. His silhouette glows in the golden light of the low hanging, evening sun and it is making his brown hair shine like spun gold. You feel how your heart skips a beat at the sight of him. You’ve missed him so much and the familiar warmth of his smile makes you feel like you’re finally truly home. You are so captivated by it that it takes you a moment to notice the bouquet of bright colored flowers in his hand, your heart fluttering at the sight.
“Hey,” you reply, softly returning his smile as you step out onto the porch. “Are those flowers?”
“Ye-yeah,” Steve stammers, a slight blush tinting his cheeks as he holds out the bouquet towards you. “You kind of surprised me, I thought I had a week more to get you a ‘welcome back’ present,” he explains, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
“Gee, Harrington, you really know how to make a girl feel special, if people saw us they would think you were taking me on a date or something,” you tease, a playful smile dancing on your lips as you try to play it cool, but on the inside your heart is racing. Even just the idea of Steve giving you flowers in a romantic way sends a thrill through you.
Steve blushes slightly at your comment, a sheepish smile on his face as he hands you the bouquet. “Sorry, I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
You take the bouquet, the sweet scent of the flowers filling your nostrils as you admire them. “Don’t apologize. They’re beautiful. Thank you, Stevie,” you say, a warm smile on your face as you look up at him. The nickname falls so naturally from your lips, a nickname only you really use. You had called him Stevie Nicks after he one time in freshman year had nicked himself shaving, and had to wear a bandage on his jaw for a few days. Stevie had just kind of stuck ever since. “But you seriously didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Maybe, not, but I wanted to,” Steve replies with a shrug of his shoulders, his eyes meeting yours with sincerity. You feel a rush of warmth in your chest at his words. “I’m glad you like them,” he adds, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“I should probably get them in some water,” you say, breaking eye contact as you turn to head inside. Steve follows you, stepping through the door to follow you into the house.
As you enter the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers, Steve takes a moment to look around your childhood home, taking in the familiar surroundings. “It’s good to have you back,” he says, his voice filled with nostalgia.
You nod in agreement, a soft smile on your lips. “It feels good to be back,” you reply, turning to face Steve. There’s a moment of silence between the two of you, the air filled with unspoken words and emotion. You notice how something flickers in Steve’s eyes, something soft, he is just about to open his mouth to say something, but he doesn’t get the chance to before your mother steps into the room, a bright smile on her face as she greets Steve warmly.
She’s always been fond of Steve, treating him like a second son. “Steve, it’s so good to see you! How have you been?” she asks, her voice filled with genuine interest as she moves to give him a hug. Steve returns the hug, a smile on his face as he answers her questions and engages in friendly conversation while you take care of the flowers.
You watch the interaction between Steve and your mother, feeling a warmth in your chest at the sight. Steve has always been welcomed with open arms in your family, and it feels so right to have him here with you, their chipper chatter turning into sweet background noise as you busy yourself with cutting the stems of the flowers, letting yourself get lost in thoughts.
“Oh, my,” your mother says, as she finally notices the giant beautiful bouquet you’re arranging, she had been so excited to talk to Steve that she hadn’t even seen what you were doing.
“Yeah, they’re beautiful, aren’t they,” you reply with a smile, setting the vase with the now arranged flowers on the middle of the kitchen island. “They are a ‘welcome home’ present from Steve, if you can believe it,” you add with a teasing grin, glancing over at Steve who is blushing slightly at the attention.
“Of course I can believe it. He’s always been such a gentleman,” your mother comments, giving Steve a warm smile.
“I don’t know about that,” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck a little self-consciously, but your mom simply laughs, giving him a playful look.
“Oh, come on, Steve. Don’t be modest,” she says, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “You’ve always been such a sweet boy,” she insists as she pats his arm affectionately..
Steve smiles back at her, his cheeks still slightly flushed. “I try to be,” he says, his voice filled with warmth.
Your mother then turns to you, a curious glint in her eye. “So, are you two going out tonight?” she asks, a knowing smile on her face.
“We’re just going to grab some food and catch up,” you reply, trying to play it cool, giving you mom a stern look to prevent her from teasing further.
“Well ,I’m going to leave you to it then,” she says, “have fun, you two,” giving you both a smile before heading out of the room and leaving you and Steve alone once again.
You turn back to Steve, a nervous energy buzzing between you. “So, Benny’s?” you suggest, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves at the prospect of spending tonight with Steve.
“Yeah, sounds good to me,” Steve replies, his smile warm and inviting as he takes a step closer to you, a comfortable silence settling between the two of you.
As you make your way out of the house and into Steve’s car, a feeling of contentment washes over you. Despite the crushing weight of your true feelings for him, being with Steve is easy, it feels like coming home. You can’t help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort as the car pulls out of the driveway and onto the familiar streets of Hawkins, the memories of your shared past flooding your mind.
You sit in silence for a short while, Steve’s eyes firmly planted on the road ahead and yours on the passing scenery, but you can’t help occasionally glancing over at him, taking in the sight of him driving so effortlessly, his profile bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. The warmth of his presence fills you with a sense of peace, a feeling of being exactly where you’re supposed to be.
But after a little while Steve breaks the silence, his voice gentle as he speaks. “So, what’s college like?”
“I don’t know, it’s like…” What is it like? “I mean it is cool, but…” your voice trails off.
“But?” His voice is gentle as he prompts you to continue.
“I don’t even know,” you confess. “It’s just different, you know? Different from high school, at least, that’s for sure.”
Steve nods in understanding, his gaze flicking over to you briefly before returning to the road. “Yeah, I can imagine. It must be a big change,” he says, his voice filled with empathy.
“Yeah, but it’s also been good, I’ve met some amazing people and learned so much,” you explain, trying to put your feelings into words. “Got some really cool new friends.”
“Oh, should I be worried?” Steve teases, a playful glint in his eyes as he shoots you a smirk.
You playfully nudge him, a smirk tugging at your lips. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my number one,” you reassure him, a warm smile on your face as you feel a rush of affection for your best friend. Steve returns your smile, his eyes soft as he looks at you.
“Good to know,” he says, his voice filled with warmth before another stretch of silence settles between the two of you, each lost in your own thoughts, until Steve breaks the silence yet again. “And uh… Those college boys treating you all right?”
“Yeah, they’re all right,” you reply, trying to keep your tone casual even though your heart skips a beat at his question.
“That’s… That’s good,” Steve says, his voice laced with a hint of something you can’t quite place.
The truth is you have never really been that interested in any of the guys you’ve met at college. You’ve kissed a few at some parties, but you’ve not been doing more than that after you left for college. None of them have made your heart race or your stomach flip like you had hoped they would.
You had dated a few boys in highschool, and it had been nice enough, but nothing ever really felt quite right. You had told yourself that it was just a matter of finding the right person, but deep down, you had always known who that right person was. Steve. It was always Steve who made your heart race with just a smile, who made you feel warm and happy just by being in his presence.
But you had also always pushed those feelings down, telling yourself that it was just a silly crush on your best friend, that it was normal to have those feelings for someone you were so close to. But deep down, you knew that you were doomed.
It had been hard to see Steve be the popular guy in high school, dating other girls and being adored by everyone, while you stayed by his side as his best friend, silently loving him from afar. But you never let it show, always supportive and happy for him, even though it hurt to see him with someone else.
But now, sitting beside him in the car after being apart for so long, the weight of your feelings for him is pressing heavy on your chest.
“And how have you been?” you ask, changing the subject slightly, your voice laced with genuine interest.
Steve shrugs, a small smile on his lips. “I’ve been good. Just working and hanging out, nothing too exciting,” he replies, his tone casual. But you can see a hint of something in his eyes, a depth that hints at more going on beneath the surface.
“Just same old, same old, huh?” you tease, a playful glint in your eyes as you look over at him.
Steve chuckles, a warm sound that fills the car. “Yeah, pretty much,” he replies, his smile widening.
“Hanging out with Robin,” you tease with a lifted brow and a little smile.
Steve chuckles, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. “Yeah, Robin has been keeping me entertained, that’s for sure,” he admits, a playful glint in his eyes. “But she’s a good friend, you know that.”
You nod in understanding, a warm feeling swelling in your chest at the mention of Robin. “Yeah, she seems really cool. I’m glad you have her,” you say, genuinely happy for Steve.
“Yeah, me too,” he nods a warm smile tugging at his lips before he continues. “But, eh, it is just platonic, by the way. Like, platonic with a capital,” he adds.
“Mm, I see,” you reply, still keeping the teasing tone, but you know that what he’s saying is true, and if your intuition is right, you know that you have absolutely no need to worry about it changing anytime in the future. You’re happy that Steve has a good friend in Robin. “And how’s Dustin and the other’s doing?”
“Dustin’s good, the other kiddos are good” Steve says, a fondness in his voice as he talks about them. “Lucas and Max keep breaking up and getting back together again though. He keeps coming to me for advice, as if I would have a clue about what to do.”
“Oh, young love,” you reply with a small chuckle, shaking your head. “They’ll figure it out eventually.”
As you continue to chat and catch up on each other’s lives on the drive to Benny’s, you feel a sense of peace settle over you. The easy banter between the two of you fills you with a sense of comfort, a reminder of the deep bond you share and before you know it you roll up in front of the burger shop.
As Steve parks the car, the two of you get out and head inside, a familiar sense of nostalgia washing over you as you step into the cozy diner. You decide to get your orders to go and soon you are back in the car with the food in your lap, the warm paper bags warming your thighs as Steve put in the key to start the engine.
“I thought we could go to the lake and eat there,” Steve suggests, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looks over at you.
“Lover’s lake?” you tease, raising an eyebrow at him with a playful grin. Steve blushes slightly, but his smile widens at your comment.
“Hey, it’s just a nice spot to eat, okay?” he defends himself, but you’re not oblivious to the way his eyes soften as he looks at you.
You laugh, feeling a rush of warmth at his choice of location. “I’m just messing with you, Stevie. Lover’s lake it is,” you say, a smile playing on your lips as you settle back in your seat.
As Steve starts the car and drives towards the lake, the anticipation of spending time with him in such a familiar and special place fills you with excitement. The sun is beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape as you arrive at the lake, the water shimmering in the fading light.
You find a spot to park, overlooking the water as you sit on the hood of his car like you’ve done so many times before. You’d never be able to count the amount of times you’ve sat like this with him all over Hawkins, but you have never taken you here before, not unless it was with a group of friends since you were kids. It was like when you turned teenagers the implication of the ‘Lover’s’ name kept you away, even though you had played there so much as kids.
You remember how you and Steve would run around the wooded area, skipping rock on the water and building forts out of fallen branches. The memories flood your mind, a wave of nostalgia washing over you as you take in the sight of the lake at dusk. You’re brought out of your memories as Steve hands you your food and some napkins, a warm smile on his face. You thank him as you fold out one of the thin paper napkins and place it over your lap.
“Been awhile since I was here last, I almost forgot how beautiful it is,” you comment, your eyes tracing the ripples on the water as the last rays of the sun dance on its surface.
Steve nods in agreement, his eyes soft as he looks out at the scene. “It’s always been one of my favorite spots in Hawkins,” he says, his voice filled with nostalgia.
“You’ve taken a lot of girls here before?” you tease, a playful glint in your eye as you take a bite of your burger. Steve chuckles, shaking his head.
“Not really, actually. Just you,” he admits, his voice soft. Your heart skips a beat at his words, feeling a rush of warmth and affection towards him. You can’t help but feel a pang of hope at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way about you. “It would be a little too cliché to bring a girl here, don’t you think?” he adds with a playful grin. You laugh, feeling a happy warmth spreading through you at his words.
“You should have told that to Marcus Jenkins. Did you know I popped my cherry in the cargo bed of his dad’s pickup truck? Marcus borrowed it one night and we drove out here. Took me at least 30 minutes to get rid of all the pine needles and dirt afterwards,” you laugh as you recall the awkward memory of your first time, too lost in the memory to notice that Steve hasn’t joined in on your laughter or how his face falls slightly, your gaze fixed on the water.
“Nah, I didn’t know that,” he says, his voice sounding a bit strained as he looks away, his jaw clenched.
You nod, feeling a rush of embarrassment at the memory but also a sense of humor about it now.
“I played basketball with him, you never said anything,” he adds, his voice low to the point that you could barely make out what he was saying. You turn to look at him, noticing the slight tension in his shoulders and the distant look in his eyes.
“We just saw each other for a few months. You were dating Nancy Wheeler so you were pretty occupied at that time” you explain, feeling a pang of guilt at bringing up a past lover. “Plus, it’s not like it was anything serious with Marcus, I didn’t think it was important to tell you, I didn’t have a suspicion that you and him were particularly close outside of basketball,” you add quickly, trying to ease the tension as you think he feels betrayed that you didn’t tell him about being with one of his friends.
“It’s fine, really,” he says, his tone casual even though his eyes betray a different story. “It’s just, I never imagined you with him, that’s all. Especially not in the back of a pick up truck.” he adds.
You can sense that there’s something more to his reaction, something deeper that he’s not saying. You want to ask him about it, to dig deeper into what’s going on in his mind, but you hesitate, not wanting to push him too much, so you decide to try to turn the conversation in a lighter direction.
“Now what’s that supposed to mean,” you tease playfully, a small grin on your face as you bump your shoulder against his in a playful manner. Steve looks over at you, a small smile tugging at his lips as he meets your gaze.
“Oh, you know, just never saw you as a pine needle and dirt kind of girl,” he quips, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
You can’t help but laugh at his comment, feeling the tension from before fading a little as you fall back into your easy banter. “Are you calling me a prude, Steve Harrington?”
Steve chuckles, a warm sound filling the air between you. “Not at all, just saying I always saw you as more of a classy lady,” he replies, his tone filled with playful teasing. You can’t help but smile at his words, feeling a rush of warmth at the easy camaraderie between the two of you.
“Sure,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you take another bite of your burger. The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, the sound of the crickets chirping in the background, the fading light casting a warm glow over the scene as you slowly finish your meal. You gather your napkins and fry wrappers in the empty burger bag before Steve jumps down from the hood to throw them out in a nearby trash can.
Remember when we used to come here all the time as kids?” Steve says suddenly, his voice soft as he breaks the silence as he walks back to you, taking a seat on the hood next to you once again as he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. The nostalgia in his voice tugs at your heartstrings, reminding you of the countless happy memories you’ve shared at Lover’s Lake.
“Yeah, those were some of the best times,” you reply, a warm smile on your face as you reminisce on the carefree days of your childhood. “We were always getting into some kind of mischief.”
Steve chuckles, nodding in agreement as he lights his cigarette and takes a deep drag before offering you the pack and lighter. You accept and pull one out of the carton, but before you can take the lighter from him he has already lit it, his hand shielding the flame from the soft breeze. You lean in and pull life into the cigarette, feeling the smoke fill your lungs as you exhale slowly.
“I miss those days,” Steve admits, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he puts the lighter and pack of smokes back in his pocket. “Life was so much simpler back then.”
You nod in agreement, taking in the peaceful surroundings of the lake. The sun has almost fully disappeared over the horizon, leaving the sky painted in shades of pink and orange. The sound of crickets fills the air, and a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the surrounding trees.
“Me too,” you say softly, exhaling a plume of smoke as you lean back against the windshield of the car and a little stretch of silence unfolds between you as you both sit in shared reminiscence of the past, slowly finishing your cigarettes.
“I’ve really missed you, you know,” Steve says, breaking the silence with a soft tone, his voice filled with sincerity.
You turn to look at him, feeling a rush of emotion at his words. “I’ve missed you too, Steve,” you reply, a soft smile playing on your lips. “It’s been so weird being away from Hawkins for so long.”
“I know what you mean,” Steve nods, a look of understanding in his eyes. “It’s been weird being here without you, it’s just not the same without you around.”
You feel a rush of warmth and affection for him at his words, a surge of emotion swelling in your chest. You want to tell him how much he means to you, how much you’ve missed him, but the words stick in your throat, fear and uncertainty holding you back. Before you can say anything, Steve clears his throat, his eyes meeting yours with a soft gaze.
“You know as a kid, I never really imagined my life without you in it,” he admits, his voice filled with sincerity and vulnerability. “You’ve always been such a good friend, even when I wasn’t the best person in high school, you were always there for me. I just… I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Your heart swells at his words, feeling a wave of emotion wash over you. The depth of his feelings for you is clear in his words, his vulnerability touching something deep within you. You reach out and place a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze as you meet his gaze.
“Can I tell you a secret?” he asks, his voice soft and vulnerable.
“Of course,” you reply, your voice equally soft as you look into his eyes.
“I was so relieved when me and Nancy broke up. I know it sounds terrible, but it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And then she got with Jonathan, and I was just so happy that I wasn’t standing in the way for that anymore,” he confesses. “And every date I’ve been on after has been a disaster, but for some reason I’ve been relieved about that too, cause I really couldn’t see myself being with any of them.”
You listen to his confession, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside you. Part of you is relieved to hear that he felt the same way about his past relationships as you did, but another part of you can't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, his feelings may extend beyond friendship for you. You take a deep breath, summoning your courage to speak the words that have been weighing on your heart for so long.
“Has there ever been someone you could see yourself being with?” you ask, your voice soft but filled with hope and vulnerability. Steve looks at you, his eyes searching yours for a moment before a small smile tugs at his lips.
“There has always been this one girl, I kind of thought I would grow up to marry her when I was a kid,” he admits, his voice filled with emotion. “She’s always been there for me, through thick and thin, and I can’t imagine my life without her in it.”
You feel your heart race at his words, a rush of emotion swelling inside you. You open your mouth but before you can say anything to answer him, a loud splash breaks the moment, causing you both to jump and turn towards the sound.
You see a group of teenagers messing around on the other side of the lake, laughter echoing across the water as they splash each other and play. The moment shattered, you and Steve share a smile before turning back to each other, the warmth of your shared moment lingering between you.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones enjoying the lake tonight,” Steve comments, a playful grin on his face.
“Yeah, looks like it,” you reply with a chuckle, as you look back at the scene before turning your gaze back to Steve.
You take a moment to just look at him, gathering your courage which is a little difficult when he looks so handsome under the fading light of the sun.
“That girl you talked about… what happened to her?” you finally ask, your voice barely above a whisper you hold your breath. The answer seems so obvious, but you’re still afraid that you somehow are wrong, hope and fear mingle in your chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment.
“Well, she is, like, really smart, and really amazing, so she got into college in another state. She’s been there for a year now, studying something important that she’s really passionate about, and I think she’s doing really well. I miss her a lot, but I know she’s doing what’s best for her,” Steve replies, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sadness.
You feel a lump form in your throat at his words, the weight of his confession hitting you hard. You know he’s talking about you, and the realization fills you with a rush of emotion. “Yeah, that girl sounds pretty great,” you reply, your voice barely above a whisper.
“She is,” Steve says, his gaze soft and filled with emotion. “And I can’t imagine my life without her.” The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air between you, the unspoken truth of his feelings lingering in the space.
“I can imagine she feels the same,” you say, as you look into his eyes, the depth of your emotions mirrored in them.
“You think so?” he asks, his voice soft and vulnerable.
“I know so,” you reply, your tone filled with sincerity and warmth.
“How do you think she would feel if I kissed her right now?”
“I think she would be a little afraid that she might have burger breath, but I also think it would make her very happy, and that she has been waiting for that moment for a very long time,” you whisper.
A smile plays on Steve’s lips as he leans in closer to you, his gaze unwavering as he searches your eyes for any signs of hesitation. Without a moment of doubt, he closes the distance between you and presses his lips against yours.
The kiss is gentle but filled with a depth of emotion that leaves you breathless. He tastes of cigarettes and burgers, but underneath that familiar taste is the sweet essence of Steve that you have missed so much. The warmth of his lips against yours ignites a fire inside you, a rush of emotions swirling in your chest as you melt into the kiss, savoring every moment of it.
You wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer as the world around you fades away. The moment feels like a lifetime, but also like a fragile bubble, ready to burst at any moment. When you finally break apart, both of you are left breathless, hearts racing as you look into each other’s eyes. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing finally lifted, replaced by the sweet thrill of knowing that you both feel the same way.
Steve slides down from the hood of the car and steps in front of you so that he can step between your legs, cupping your face in his hands as he looks into your eyes with a mixture of love and adoration. “You mean so much to me,” he whispers, his voice filled with sincerity.
“You mean a lot to me too, Steve,” you reply, tears prickling in your eyes at the depth of emotion in his words. Without hesitation, you lean forward and press your lips against his again, feeling a rush of euphoria as he responds eagerly, deepening the kiss. It is much more desperate than the first one, years of pent-up emotions pouring out in this moment of raw honesty and vulnerability. His tongue slides against yours, making an electric rush course through your body and you can’t help but squirm a little in your seat on the car as you feel a dull throb of desire between your legs.
Your hands wander through his hair, feeling the soft strands beneath your fingertips, while his hands rest on your waist, keeping you close to him. The kiss is a mix of passion and tenderness, a culmination of years of hidden feelings and unspoken love finally being expressed.
When you finally pull back, both of you are breathless and smiling, your hearts racing with the intensity of the moment. “Wow,” Steve breathes, his eyes locked with yours in a mix of joy and vulnerability.
“Wow,” you echo, your voice filled with awe and happiness. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing has been lifted, replaced by the sweet relief of finally being able to express your feelings for each other.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for years,” Steve admits, his voice soft and filled with emotion.
“I’ve been wanting you to do that for years, thank you for bringing me here Steve,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you gaze into his eyes. “And this is so much better than being covered in pine needles in the back of a pick up truck,” you joke, the tension between you finally broken as you both laugh, the warm sound filling the space between you.
“Yeah, I’d say this is definitely an upgrade from that,” he agrees, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “But I wouldn’t mind doing it in the back of a pick up truck if it was with you,” he adds, a mischievous grin on his face that makes your heart skip a beat.
You laugh, feeling a rush of affection for him as you shake your head in amusement. “You’re impossible, Steve Harrington,” you tease, leaning in to press a quick kiss against his lips before resting your head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your cheek. Steve wraps his arms around you, holding you close.
“I wouldn’t mind doing it in the back of a BMW 733ii," you confess, making Steve freeze up a little against you.
“You can’t just say stuff like that without warning,” he says, his voice a mix of surprise and amusement. You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks at your bold statement, but you can’t deny the thrill of the moment.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” you reply with a playful grin, looking up at him with a twinkle in your eye.
“Come here,” Steve whispers, before pulling you in for another kiss, this one filled with a newfound sense of intensity and desire. His hands grasp your waist and he slides you down from the car, pulling you closer to him, You gasp into the kiss as you feel the firm press of his body against yours, the heat of his touch sending shivers of pleasure down your spine.
You can’t help yourself, you’re just so caught up in the heat of the moment. You start to slowly grind against the denim of his jeans, making Steve groan into the kiss, his hands gripping your hips tighter as he responds eagerly to your movements.
The sun is now fully gone and the stars begin to twinkle in the darkening sky, the reflection of the stars shimmering on the lake’s surface.
“Fuck,” he breathes out between kisses, the sound of his voice sending a jolt of arousal through you as you continue to explore each other’s mouths, the taste of each other mingling in a heady mix of desire and affection.
Every touch, every caress, feels electric, sending sparks of pleasure through your bodies. You can feel the heat of his body against yours, the hardness of his muscles beneath your fingertips as you run your hands over his back, feeling the strength of him against you. In a moment of unbridled need, you find yourself pushing your hand up under his shirt, the warm skin beneath your fingers making you shiver with anticipation.
“Car... now,” you whisper between kisses, the urgency in your voice matching the intensity of the moment.
Steve nods in agreement, his hands trailing down your body as he opens the back door of the car, guiding you inside. The space is cramped but the heat between you makes the enclosed space feel like the most intimate place in the world. The sound of heavy breathing fills the air as Steve settles back into the leather of the seat and you straddle him.
You feel his hands roam over your body, the heat of his touch igniting a fire within you as you press your lips against his once again. You start to slowly move against him, his muscular thighs under you, the friction between your bodies sending waves of pleasure coursing through you. Your hands roam over his chest, feeling the firm muscles beneath your touch as he groans softly against your lips. The sound only fuels your desire, and you deepen the kiss, your tongues dancing in a passionate dance.
He leans a little forward, his back leaving the leather backrest without breaking the kiss as he shreds his light blue summer jacket. Your hands immediately grasp his, now exposed, biceps, feeling the strength and warmth of him beneath your touch.
The intensity of the moment is overwhelming, the rush of desire and affection between you building to a crescendo. The air is thick with heat and need, your bodies moving in sync as you lose yourselves in the passion of the moment. Steve’s hands find your ass and you let out a surprised gasp as he starts to move you against him in a slow steady rhythm. You can feel him hardening under you, making you moan into the kiss, the sensation of him pressing against you sending shivers of pleasure down your spine.
Your hands roam over his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breath, the heat of his touch igniting a fire within you as you continue to move against him. The urgency of your need for each other consumes you, the desire to be as close as possible to him overwhelming your senses and as the heat between you escalates, you find yourself reaching for the buckle of his belt, but his hands find yours, gently stopping you before you can start unbuckling it.
His lips are leaving yours, and you feel how your heart sinks.
“Wait, wait don’t,” Steve breathes out, his voice filled with a mix of desire and restraint.
You freeze, feeling a rush of embarrassment and self-consciousness wash over you as you realize how carried away you were in the heat of the moment. “You don’t want to...”
“No.”
“Oh...” You feel how your world shatters by his short single syllable answer.
“No! no, wait, that’s not what I meant,” he quickly assures you as he sees how your entire demeanor fell. “I do want this, I really do. I’ve wanted this for so long, you won’t even believe it, I just… I want to do this right. I’m not going to have our first time together be in the back of my car, okay? I’m not Marcus Jenkins,” he explains, his voice filled with sincerity and a hint of playfulness to try and ease the sudden tension between you.
You feel a rush of relief flood through you as you realize what he’s saying, a mix of embarrassment and gratitude for his thoughtfulness. “No, that you are not,” you giggle softly. He is Steve, your Steve, and you’re so thankful for that.
“I want this just as much as you do, probably even more. But I want it to be special, you know what I mean?” Steve says, reaching out to cup your face gently with his hand, his touch warm and reassuring.
You nod, you do know what he means.
“Listen… My parents aren’t home,” he says, suddenly sounding almost shy and you can’t help but finding it incredibly cute, his big brown eyes looking into yours with a mix of vulnerability and longing. It doesn’t surprise you that his parents aren’t home, they have always been pretty absent, he has basically had the house for himself more often than not since you started high school. “We could go back to my place, and...” he trails off, the unspoken invitation hanging between you. “Do it right…”
You look into his eyes, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of being alone with him, of finally being able to fully explore the depth of your feelings for each other. “I’d love that,” you say softly, a shy smile playing on your lips.
Steve’s smile widens at your words, his eyes shining with anticipation. “You would?” he says, his voice filled with excitement as you nod eagerly before planting a firm kiss to his soft lips.
“Lead the way, Stevie,” you whisper as you pull away, your voice filled with a mix of longing and desire. Steve leans in to press another gentle kiss against your lips before pulling back with a smile. His eyes are sparkling with anticipation and with a last quick peck to your lips, he helps you out of the car before stepping out himself, opening the passenger seat door for you and guiding you in. When you’re seated he leans in over you, pulling your seat belt tightly around your waist with a soft touch, his eyes locked with yours in a silent promise of what’s to come.
With a final kiss and a knowing smile, he closes the door and rushes over to the driver’s seat, starting the engine as he looks over at you with a grin. The drive to his house is filled with a mix of nervous excitement and anticipation, the air thick with the energy of the moment.
As you drive through the familiar streets of Hawkins, the warm glow of streetlights casting a soft light on the world outside. Steve’s right hand is firmly planted on your thigh for most of the drive, his fingers gently digging into the soft skin beneath, and his thumb stroking small circles on your skin, sending shivers of pleasure up your spine.
You squeeze your thighs together as you feel the heat of his touch igniting a fire in your belly that continues all the way down between your legs. You can feel how wet your panties are by now. The anticipation builds with every passing moment, the desire between you and Steve palpable in the air.
Finally, you arrive at his house, pulling into the familiar driveway. As he parks the car, he turns to you with a soft, almost boyish smile, his eyes filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Without a word, he unbuckles his seatbelt and steps out of the car, moving around to your side to help you out. You take his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch as he helps you onto the driveway.
The two of you make your way to the door and you can’t help but laugh as he clumsily struggles to get the key into the lock, his eagerness betraying his normally cool and collected demeanor.
“You’re really cute, Steve Harrington, did you know that?”
He laughs, a blush rising to his cheeks. “I try my best,” he replies with a sheepish grin before finally managing to unlock the door and with a hand gently placed at the small of your back he leads you into the house. As soon as the door closes behind you, Steve turns to you. Without a word, he steps closer to you, his hands finding your waist as he leans in to capture your lips in a sweet, passionate kiss, it’s a little clumsy as you both toe out of your shoes without breaking the kiss.
His touch is electric, sending shivers of pleasure through your body as you deepen the kiss. You wrap your arms around him, one hand tangling in his hair as you pull him closer. He hums softly into the kiss, making his soft lips gently vibrate against yours. His hands start to wander, slowly roaming over your body, leaving your waist and making a trail of fire in their wake as they softly grab your ass, making your whimper with desire.
“Steve, bedroom now,” you whisper against his lips, the urgency in your voice matching the intensity of the moment.
Steve nods in agreement, his eyes locked with yours, “Yeah, let’s go,” he breathes out, breaking the kiss and his hand finding yours as he leads you further into the house and up the stairs. The sound of your footsteps echoing through the hallway as you make your way towards his bedroom.
As you enter the room, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casts a warm, cozy light over the space. The room is a mix of chaos and order, his belongings scattered around but with a sense of organization in the mess, making the place feel so much more alive and lived in than the rest of the house. The familiar checkered wallpaper you have teased him about for years makes you feel instantly at home and the bed inviting and enticing.
Steve turns to face you, his eyes searching yours as he reaches out to gently cup your face in his hands. “Are you still sure about this?” he asks, his voice filled with sincerity and a hint of vulnerability. You nod, feeling a rush of excitement and longing as you lean into his touch. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” you say softly, a smile playing on your lips as you meet his gaze.
With a gentle smile, Steve leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The kiss is sweet and unhurried, filled with a depth of love and longing that has been building between you for years. Without breaking the kiss, Steve guides you towards the bed, his hands firm and confident his lips leaves yours as he helps you lay back on it, the rustling of the sheets as you settle down on the soft mattress fills the air, the heat between you palpable as you break gaze into each other’s as he follows you, hovering over you as he continues to press kisses against your lips, your neck, your collarbone. The warmth of his touch sends waves of pleasure through you, making you moan softly with need.
“I think you’re wearing too much clothes,” you murmur, your voice heavy with desire as you reach up to start playing with the hair at the back of your neck.
“Oh, you do?” Steve chuckles softly against the skin of your neck.
“Yeah , I do,” you reply, giggling slightly, you really can’t believe that this is real.
“Alright then,” Steve replies with a playful grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he leans back, his hands grabbing the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head to reveal his sculpted chest.
You can’t help but admire the sight before you, the planes and curves of his muscles defined under his skin as he discards his shirt. “You’re so hairy,” you mumble softly. It is not the first time you have seen him without his shirt on, but he used to shave his chest when he was on the swimming team. He looks so manly now and you can’t help but reach out to run over the soft hair on his chest, feeling the warmth and strength of his skin beneath your fingertips. His breath hitches at your touch, a soft gasp escaping his lips
“Eh, yeah, sorry about that,” he chuckles a little shyly, but you can also tell he appreciates the attention as he leans down to press gentle kisses along your jawline, trailing down to your collarbone. You feel a surge of desire swirling through you, a mixture of longing and excitement overwhelming your senses.
“I’m not complaining,” you reply with a teasing grin as you keep running your hands over his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours as you explore the contours of his body. “Quit the opposite, actually.”
Steve’s chuckle turns into a soft groan as he continues his exploration of your skin with his lips, his hands roaming over your body in a mix of reverence and desire. The heat between you is overwhelming, the anticipation building with every touch and kiss. You gasp softly as his lips find the sensitive spot at the base of your neck, sending waves of pleasurable sensations through you. Your hands move down his chest, down over his abs and slip beneath the waistband of his jeans, making him groan as you gently cup his hard on through the denim as he keeps kissing you.
“God, you’re so perfect,” he whispers against your skin, his voice filled with awe and longing as he gently lifts himself off you to pause and look into your eyes. The intensity of his gaze sends a shiver of pleasure down your spine, the raw emotion and desire swirling in the depths of his eyes capturing you completely. Without breaking eye contact, he sits back on his heels and you follow him, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Your turn,” he says with a soft smile, sneaking his hands up under your shirt, but he doesn’t begin to pull it up before you give him a small nod of approval.
He starts to slowly peel off your shirt, slowly revealing your bare skin to his hungry gaze. His touch is gentle and reverent, his fingers tracing patterns along the curve of your waist and up to the swell of your breasts. You feel a rush of desire building inside you as his hands find their way to the clasp of your bra.
He looks up at you, his eyes seeking permission, not going further before you give him a nod to indicate that he can continue, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation fluttering in your chest. As the fabric of your bra falls away, you feel the cool air against your exposed skin, the sensation of vulnerability and desire mingling within you. He leans back slightly, his beautiful eyes filled with adoration as he takes in the sight of you, his gaze soft and reverent. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice filled with awe as he looks at you before leaning in to press a soft kiss against the swell of your breast, his lips warm and soft against your skin.
Your hands find the buckle of his belt and start to slowly undo it, the urgency and need between you building with every passing second. Steve groans softly, his hands trailing down your sides as he continues to press kisses against your skin. “Pants off,” you whisper, your voice filled with desire as you tangle your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to you. Steve nods in agreement, his hands finding the button of his jeans and quickly getting rid of them, his erection straining against the fabric of his boxers and you gasp as you feel it against your body.
“Your turn,” he counters, his voice filled with desire and longing as he helps you remove your pants. Steve leans back, his eyes locked with yours as he settles between your legs, his hands smoothing over your skin as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The kiss is sweet and unhurried, filled with a depth of love and longing that has been building between you for years. Without breaking the kiss, Steve guides you towards the center of the bed, the soft cotton of the sheets cool against your heated skin as he settles on top of you, his body pressing against yours.
“You’re so amazing,” Steve whispers against your lips, his voice husky with desire as he trails kisses down your neck and chest, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. You gasp softly as his lips find their way back to your breasts, the heat of his mouth sending waves of pleasure through you. Your hands roam over his back, feeling the muscles tense and relax beneath your touch as he softly pops one of your nipples between his lips, gently sucking, as his hand grabs your other breast, gently neading the soft, plump skin.
The sensation of his touch sends shivers of pleasure through you, the heat between you igniting a fire deep within your core. You arch your back, seeking more of his touch, more of the sweet sensations he’s awakening within you. Steve’s tongue starts to swirl around your hardened nipples, sending waves of pleasure through you as you gasp and moan with each touch. His mouth leaves your breast and he starts leaving a slow trail of kisses and soft nibbles down your abdomen until he reaches the waistband of your panties.
He looks up at you, his eyes seeking permission before he slowly starts to peel them off, revealing your soaked, glistening pussy to him. “Wow, you’re so wet,” he murmurs, his voice filled with desire as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your inner thigh, his lips warm and gentle against your skin. The sensation of his touch sends a rush of pleasure through you, making you moan softly with need. “Can I taste you?” he asks, his voice sounding desperate, like he is a man dying of thirst and you are his last drop of water.
“Yes, please,” you nod eagerly, the throbbing between your legs growing stronger with every passing moment.
Steve smiles up at you, his eyes darken with desire as his strong hands find their way to your hips, his touch firm and sure as he leans in to press a slow, sensual kiss against your clit, his tongue swirling against your sensitive flesh as he starts to eat you out, his touch sending waves of pleasure through your body.
You can barely contain the sounds of pleasure that escape your lips as he expertly works his tongue against your folds. You arch your back, your hands tangling in his hair as you guide him closer to you, feeling the heat of his breath against your most intimate parts. His tongue alternates lapping into your center and making slow, teasing circles against your clit as you keep moaning with pleasure, the sensations overwhelming your senses.
“Fu-uck, Steve,” you gasp, your voice filled with need and desire as you feel the coil of pleasure building deep within you, the pleasure and desire swirling inside you until you almost can’t take it anymore. “So… So good,” you whimper, your voice thick with need as you guide him closer to you, making him moan against you, sending a sweet vibration into your weeping cunt.
Steve brings a hand to your wet folds, coating his fingers in your slickness before slowly inserting first one, then two fingers into you, his touch sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. The sensation of his fingers sliding inside you makes you gasp with pleasure as he curls them, hitting just the right spot that sends you over the edge while his mouth keeps sucking and flicking over your sensitive clit.
The last string that is holding you together finally snaps, as your climax wash over you in hot, electric waves of pleasure. You cry out his name and grip the sheets beneath you. Steve continues to work his fingers and tongue against you, helping you ride out the intense wave of pleasure until you collapse back onto the bed, panting and completely sated.
As you come down from the high of your climax, Steve climbs back up your body and you reach out to him, pulling him down over you as you kiss him deeply, tasting yourself on his lips as he wraps his strong arms around you, sending a content shiver through you as you feel the strength and warmth of his body against yours.
“You’re amazing, Steve,” you whisper, your voice filled with awe and gratitude.
Steve smiles against your lips, his eyes shining with love and affection as he gazes down at you. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he replies, his voice soft and filled with emotion.
You giggle softly at his words, feeling a rush of happiness at his confession. “I think I have a pretty good idea now,” you tease, a playful grin on your lips before you leave a sweet peck on his mouth. “And now it’s my turn,” you whisper against his lips, a mischievous glint in your eye as you start to trail kisses down his neck, laying your palms flat against his chest, feeling the heat and strength of his body beneath your fingertips.
Steve gasps softly as you start to explore his body, trailing kisses and light nips along his chest and abs. You softly push against his chest, prompting him to lay back against the bed as you continue to explore his body with your hands and mouth, straddling him as you take your time, savoring the taste and feel of his skin, every touch sending a rush of pleasure through you as you kiss and nibble your way down his body. Steve groans softly as he gently guides you lower, his body trembling with desire as you reach the waistband of his boxers.
With a mischievous grin, you slowly start to peel off his boxers, releasing his hard cock from its cotton prison, his thick shaft smacking against his abdomen.
You feel a rush of desire flooding through you as you gaze at him, taking in the sight of his cock. He is big, both long and girthy, and the sight of him, hard and throbbing for you, sends a thrill of excitement through you. “Wow, Stevie,” you whisper, your voice filled with desire as you lean in to press a soft kiss against the tip of his cock, feeling the heat of his skin against your lips. Steve gasps softly at your touch, his sharp intake of breath sending a shiver of pleasure down your spine.
His hands gripping the sheets beneath him as you part your lips, letting a drop of saliva fall from your mouth landing on his eager tip before you wrap your hand around him, stroking him slowly and purposefully as you smear the spit down his shaft. “Fuck, you’re so good at this,” he groans, his voice husky with desire as you lean in to press another soft kiss against the head of his cock, tasting the saltiness of him on your lips.
With a wicked grin, you part your lips over his tip. He breathes out, his voice filled with need as you start to work your way down his shaft, your tongue swirling against his sensitive flesh as you take him in your mouth, his groans of pleasure driving you further. The sensation of him filling your mouth, the taste of him against your tongue, sends waves of desire through you, making you moan with need.
You take him in as deep as you can, feeling the tip of his cock hitting the back of your throat, letting a hand take care of the base of his shaft, as you work to please him, your own desire building with every touch and kiss. A flood of praises and sweet words leaving Steve’s lips which only fuels your own arousal. You can feel the tension in him building, the tightness in his body as he grows closer to the edge, and you continue to work him with dedication, wanting to bring him to the peak of pleasure, but he suddenly pulls you off him, his hand grabbing yours as he guides you back up to him, pressing a passionate kiss against your lips.
“As much as I’m enjoying this,” he breathes out, his voice filled with desire. “I don’t want to finish that way. I want to be inside you when I come. I want to feel you around me. I want to be inside you when we both come,” he adds, a sense of urgency in his tone .
“Fuck, Steve” you moan, your voice heavy with need and desire as you nod eagerly, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of him being inside you. “Please,” you whimper, your voice thick with need as you guide him closer to you, the raw intensity of the moment overwhelming your senses. Steve’s eyes darken with desire as he gently flips you onto your back, his hand reaching for the drawer of his bedside table to grab a condom.
You watch him with anticipation, feeling a mix of excitement and longing as he sheaths himself, his hard cock twitching in anticipation as he settles back between your legs, his eyes locked with yours as he positions himself at your entrance. He gazes into your eyes, seeking permission, and you nod eagerly, a rush of anticipation and longing sweeping through you. Steve leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion as he slowly starts to push inside you, his thick cock stretching you in the most delicious way as he slowly gives you more and more, letting you adjust to his size.
“You’re doing great,” he murmurs, his voice filled with reassurance and affection as he, with a slow, steady push, he finally slides all the way in, filling you completely as you gasp. He gives you a moment to adjust to the feeling of him inside you, his eyes locked with yours after he has left a series of sweet pecks to your lips and cheek, as he waits for your signal to continue.
After a moment, you nod, a soft whimper escaping your lips as you cling to him, your nails digging into his back. “Please, Steve” you beg, your voice thick with desire as you urge him to move. Steve wastes no time, starting with a slow, gentle pace before gradually picking up speed, his thrusts deep and powerful as he fills you completely, the sensation overwhelming your senses as pleasure courses through your body by the way he is now pounding his thick cock into you, in complete contrast to the way he so sweetly kisses you.
Your whines and whimpers being swallowed up by his sweet lips, all the while as he drills into you, deep and purposefully. His hair has started to cling to his forehead and neck. “You’re, fu-uck, you’re so good,” he groans, his voice thick with desire as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The room is filled with the sounds of your bodies moving together, skin colliding with skin. “I always imagined you would feel like heaven, but damn.” He groans through gritted teeth. “You are taking me so well.” He encourages. “Feeling so fucking good.”
“Steve, ugh, I-I’m so close,” you whimper, your voice filled with need and desire as you feel how the coil in your stomach keeps tightening and tightening, he is hitting that magic spot inside of you that is driving you closer and closer to the edge. “Don’t stop, please, I’m so close,” you beg, your voice thick with desire as you cling to him, feeling the wave of pleasure building inside you, ready to crash over you at any moment. Your tits are being squeezed against his broad chest, the feeling of his chest hair tickling against your sensitive nipples. His heavy balls are slapping against your skin with each thrust.
“I’m close too,” Steve gasps, his voice strained with the effort of holding back his own climax. His hips rock against yours in a steady rhythm, his thrusts becoming more urgent and desperate as he chases his release.
“Then come, Stevie, please... Please come for me,” you gasp, your voice filled with need as you urge him on, feeling the intensity of the moment reaching its peak.
And with a few final thrusts, you both reach the edge together, the wave of pleasure crashing over you in a sweet, intense climax.
“Fuu-uck,” you moan, your bodies spasming in unison as you ride out the intense pleasure together, your moans filling the room. Steve collapses on top of you, his body shaking with the force of his release as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his breath hot and rigid. His hand gently sneaks between your bodies to grab the condom as he carefully pulls out, tying the rubber before disposing of it in the trash beside the bed and collapsing back against the bed, wrapping his strong arms around you and pulling you tight against his chest, plastering your forehead in a series of sweet kisses.
Both of you pant heavily, the room filled with the sound of your ragged breaths as you cling to each other, basking in the afterglow of your shared pleasure. “Wow,” Steve breathes out, his voice hoarse with emotion as he looks into your eyes, and you can hear the soft smile in his voice.
“Yeah,” you reply, a soft smile of your own tugging at your own lips as you turn to face him, your hearts still racing with the intensity of the moment you just shared. You reach up to cup his face in your hands, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours. “That was... incredible,” you murmur, your voice filled with awe and gratitude.
Steve nods, his eyes shining with emotion. “It was. And it was even better because it was with you,” he replies, his voice soft and filled with sincerity. “I can’t believe that tonight was even real. All this feels like a dream.”
You smile, feeling a rush of happiness at his words. “It was real, Steve. And I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else but you,” you say, your voice filled with love and affection. You lean in to press a soft kiss against his lips, feeling the warmth and tenderness of the moment lingering between you.
As Steve pulls away his eyes are filled with adoration as he gazes at you, his dark lashes casting soft shadows on his cheeks, the beauty marks peppered across his face like constellations. You’re so caught up in the way he looks at you, so full of love and tenderness, that you almost miss the words leaving his sweet mouth.
“I love you,” he whispers, his voice soft and filled with sincerity as he says your name like it’s the most precious thing in the world, “I’ve loved you for so long.”
You feel the weight of his words settle in your chest, your heart swell with emotion, your gaze turning blurry as tears start to prick at the corner of your eyes from his confession.
“I love you too, Steve,” you reply, your voice filled with emotion as you cup his face in your hands, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your touch as you crush your lips against his in a passionate kiss, your feelings so deep in this moment that you don’t know how words could ever measure explaining them, so instead you hope to pour the depth of your love for him into the way your bodies press together, the way your lips move in sync with each other, and the way your hearts beat as one, the way your souls intertwine in that moment of pure connection.
You pull back, your cheeks now shining with tears of joy as you gaze into his, the love and adoration reflected back at you in equal measure. “I’ve really, really missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Steve replies with a soft smile, wiping away your tears with his thumb before pulling you into a tight embrace. The warmth of his body against yours and the ways his arms engulf you make you feel safer than you ever have before.
He keeps leaving sweet kisses to your forehead as you cuddle together, wrapped in each other’s arms, the room filled with the sweet scent of sex and the sound of your soft breathing and you feel such an intense sense of contentment wash over you that you’ve never felt before. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing finally lifted, replaced by the sweet relief of being able to express your feelings for each other.
You lay like this for a while, a comfortable silence falling between you as you bask in the moment, but then all of the sudden the silence breaks, the both of you bursting out in a spontaneous laughter, the sound filling the room with joy and lightness.
Steve pulls back slightly to look at you, a wide grin on his face as his eyes sparkle with happiness. “I can’t believe that you’re really here and all this just happened,” he chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Me neither,” you giggle, wiping away your tears of joy as you lean in to press a quick kiss against his lips. “But I’m so glad it did, I’ve waited on it for a very long time.”
“Me too,” Steve replies, his voice filled with sincerity and warmth as he pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you in a tight embrace. The two of you lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the warmth and comfort of each other’s presence filling the space between you. “I love you,” Steve whispers, his voice barely above a whisper as he presses a sweet kiss against your forehead.
“I love you too,” you reply, your voice soft and full of emotion as you close your eyes, feeling the weight of his love and the depth of your own emotions wash over you in a wave of pure, unadulterated bliss. You have been knowing it for years, but as you lay here in his arms you know that you are exactly where you were meant to be, with the only person that has ever been the right one for you.
Thank you for reading! Reblogs and comments are always greatly appreciated ♡
pairings: best friend! Steve Harrington x fem!Reader
author's note: just a little late night thought I needed to write. This is briefly edited so if there's mistakes or spelling errors, I’m sorry! I hope you enjoy it 🖤
w/c: 3.2k
warnings: PURE SMUT 🔥 fingering, oral (reader receiving), a little bit of ass play, unprotected sex, creampie, ass smacking, dirty talk. Sorry if I missed anything!
‼️ THIS IS AN 18+ BLOG, MINORS DNI ‼️
“What are we watching?” You ask as you bounce onto Steve’s bed, sundress riding up your thighs and resting just below the curve of your ass.
Steve gulps as he stares, resisting the urge to reach out and run his hands beneath the fabric.
You turn to him, a knowing smile spreading across your lips when you catch the initial direction of his gaze before he meets your eyes. His cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, and he laughs awkwardly before responding.
“You asked to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street, remember?” He states and clears his throat. His gaze shifts to the screen of his TV as the opening trailers play, doing anything to distract himself from you.
“Right,” you nod and turn back toward the screen, the fat of your ass bouncing as you do, and Steve watches from the corner of his eye.
It had gone on like this for weeks, a game of cat and mouse ever since your drunken kiss. A steamy kiss that had plagued your thoughts and took over all your dreams. Every night, you’d wake up in a cold sweat just as Steve finally touched you - his big hands gripping your waist or lost in your hair, and god, you didn’t want them to just be dreams.
But Steve was worried. You were his best friend, the one person who knew all his darkest secrets and had stood by him through it all. He didn’t want to ruin that with a silly crush, and he was worried that he almost had by kissing you the night of his birthday—the alcohol dulling all his usual inhibitions. You’d looked too pretty, all dolled up and dancing with him. Smile infectious, smell intoxicating, just like now.
He can smell your perfume from where you lay and wants to bury his face in your neck. To run his fingers along your exposed flesh and to hear you sigh just as you had that night.
Instead, his back remains pressed to the wooden headboard of his bed. Mind not entirely focusing as the movie plays.
His distance from you kept you distracted, focused on how far he was instead of laying right next to you like usual.
“Is something wrong?” You turn onto your back and ask him suddenly.
Steve’s eyebrows push together, and he shakes his head.
“W-what do you mean?” He stammers.
“Do I suddenly have cooties or something? Why are you over there?”
“Just thought you’d be more comfortable,” he waves an absent hand.
“Don’t be silly,” you scoff, throwing the spare pillow in his direction.
“Come on,” you pat the spot beside you and turn back over. Your eyes settle on the screen, but your mind focuses on his movements.
Steve takes a deep breath and slowly stretches onto his stomach beside you. He can smell the scent of your coconut shampoo, the vanilla body oil you rub on every morning, and his jaw clenches. Your gaze turns to his at that moment.
“Are you watching?” You nudge his shoulder with yours, a playful grin spread across your lips. Steve’s gaze darts to their plump flesh, licking his bottom lip, wanting to taste you again.
He shakes his head, trying to escape the trance you’d put him in.
“‘Course I am,” he refocuses his gaze, and the two of you fall into silence as the movie continues to play. Neither of you paying much attention, thoughts on the other.
“Can we readjust?” You press yourself up and onto your palms to look at him. Almost instinctively, his eyes glance to the peaks of your breasts pushing out of your blue sundress before averting to look anywhere else in the room, and you notice. A devilish smile pulls on your lips.
If he isn’t going to make a move, then you will.
“Uh, y-yeah sure. Where do you want me?” He pushes onto his knees and looks at you to direct him.
“I just want to lay on my side,” you shrug innocently.
“I can lay behind you?” He suggests, just like you wanted him to, and you nod.
He grabs his pillow and moves so you can get comfortable before slotting himself behind you, resting his head in his hands. His hazel eyes dance along your shoulder, and you can feel the heat of his stare.
“Can we cuddle?” It wasn’t unusual for you two to snuggle closer during a movie, often sharing a blanket or resting your legs on one another if you were nestled on the couch.
“Yeah,” Steve scoots closer without a second thought and you grab his arm to drape over you. Enjoying the way his chest feels against your back. The feeling of his breath fanning against your skin.
You play with his fingers absently as the movie continues, admiring how long and thick they are. Imagining how they’d feel digging into your skin. Stretching you, and the thought sends tingles that zip straight to your center. You squeeze your thighs together and, in the process, rub your ass against Steve.
His body stills, breath hitching in his throat at the sensation.
Steve tests the waters and begins to slowly grind against you. When you wiggle your ass against him once more, he slots his fingers between yours and turns your face with his other hand. He stares at you for a moment, measuring your response. Encouraged by how your eyes dance close and your lips purse in anticipation.
He kisses you gently, a little uncertain. Still in disbelief that he’s kissing his best friend. Again. That you're grinding against him eagerly and looking at him with needy eyes when he breaks from the embrace.
He untangles your clasped hands and drags them up your legs.
Your breath hitches as his hands trail up, up,up, and along your thigh. Under the material of your dress, his mouth latching to your neck and sucking at your pulse. You press your ass into him, the evidence of his growing arousal pressing back into you, and you moan. His fingers play with the edge of your panties, tracing the lace before pushing underneath the fabric. Your breaths grow heavier, chest rising and falling rapidly as you anticipate his touch.
“Is this okay,” he asks, and you nod.
“More than,” you assure.
His fingers run along your slick folds, circling your clit, and you whimper.
“Fuck,” he breaths against your neck, a digit pushing against your entrance. You squirm against him, ass cheeks pressing into his cock, desperate for his finger to stretch you just like you’d been imaging.
He withdraws his hand suddenly and pushes himself on top of you, slotting a leg between your thighs. His mouth was on yours before you could protest the loss of his touch. The kiss wasn’t like the first one you shared. The sweetness replaced with an intense hunger, a need you didn’t know that each of you shared.
Steve’s hand held your face, the other pressed into the mattress holding his weight above you. Your lips continue to mesh together, want driving you despite the burning in your lungs.
His teeth graze your bottom lip, pulling gently and swallowing your small moan. Gingerly pushing his tongue against yours, savoring the way yours meets his and slides across his flesh. It felt like you were floating out of your body and experiencing everything with heightened senses all at the same time.
His hand left your face and traced a trail down your body, pushing the material of your dress up.
He pulls away, an unspoken question in his eyes, and you nod.
Steve pulls the pale blue fabric over your head and throws it to the side. His eyes dance over your body, admiring every curve and every dimple.
Your hands push against the hem of his striped t-shirt, and he helps you pull it over his head. You’d seen his naked chest plenty of times, but now you admired the constellation of freckles that decorated the flesh openly, tracing along and connecting the dots.
He was beautiful, and your heart was nearly hammering out of your chest.
You were almost naked in Steve Harrington’s room, lying below him in just your bra and underwear. It was a scene you’d daydreamed about since you were in eleventh grade, but nothing could compare to how his warm body felt against yours.
“Can I take this off?” He whispers, fingers playing with the strap of your white lace bra. You nod, and slowly he pushes both straps down—one with his hand, the other with his teeth.
The cold air greets your supple flesh, creating goosebumps along your skin and making your nipples perk. Steve’s jaw goes slack as he stares and works his hands around your back to unclasp the material, throwing it to the other side of the room absently.
Steve’s hand traces a line to your breast, fingers pinching your nipples before he cups it fully in his large grasp. You hum as he massages your heavy flesh, eyebrows pushing together as he plays with your nipples.
He bends his head down, running his warm tongue against the other.
“Oh,” you moan, absently grinding against his thigh, urging him on.
He continues to flick and suck as your hands curl in his hair. Soaking through your panties and creating a spot on his jeans. Their rough material creates just the right amount of friction against your clit.
Steve groans against your breast before releasing it, trailing kisses down your sternum and to the tops of your panties. His fingers hook around the elastic, pulling the material down as he eyes you.
You lift your hips to help him, fingers digging into his wrists as you do and watch as he discards them over his shoulder. He kisses up your legs, sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh of your thighs until he reaches your sex.
Your eyes closed in anticipation, fingers knotted in his hair.
He drags a line along your folds with the soft pad of his tongue, moaning when he tastes your arousal.
“Fuck, baby, have you always been this sweet?” His warm breath fans against your wet heat.
You could only whimper in response.
Steve uses a hand to spread your lips, tongue darting against your bundle of nerves and down again. Savoring the sweet metallic taste of your cunt. You twitch in response, your grip tightening in his hair.
His tongue juts in and out of your sopping hole, creating a lewd noise that fills the air. Your moans escape in quick succession, and it feels like you can’t breathe.
“Steve.”
The way you mewl his name only seems to egg him on. He buries his face deeper into your pussy, his nose pressing against your clit as he continues to eat you out. You hold him to you, grinding yourself against him and nearing the edge of your release.
You whine as he pulls away and glance down at him. His gaze meets yours, brown eyes nearly black and blown with lust. Your arousal glistens against his lips and along his chin. He runs a finger along you collecting your slick before pressing into your entrance. He allows you to adjust to the stretch before he begins to push out and in, adding another finger as he increases his speed. Steve was hitting a spot you hadn’t before, his longer fingers reaching where your smaller ones hadn’t been able to.
Your moans grow louder, and your entire body stills, boobs bouncing as he fingers you. He watches you, his dick throbbing as they press against the tight material of his jeans, and he begins to grind against his mattress in search of his release.
“I-I’m close, Steve,” you stammer, bucking against him when his fingers curl inside you and his tongue darts against your clit.
Every nerve in your body felt like it was alive, your blood thrumming in your veins. Vision turning white.
Steve sucks your clit, and the rubber band inside you snaps. Your cunt clenches around his fingers as the orgasm pulses through your body.
“Oh my god-” you keen, hips beginning to lift from the mattress.
He presses his free arm against your waist, holding you there as you practically ride his face. Pussy pulsating with your climax.
Steve releases your hips as you sink back into the mattress, slowly pulling his fingers out of you. Digits sticky with your release.
You watch with an open mouth as he licks your come from each of his fingers, groaning as he tastes you again. He turns and grips your hips with both hands as he kisses his way back up your body, over the soft of your stomach and chest, until he reaches your lips.
His mouth was on yours with a new intensity, and you can still taste yourself on his tongue as it pushes at the seam of your lips.
And it was no longer slow, no longer hesitant. You reach your hands between your bodies and push at the button of his jeans, working them off of him and only pulling away from each other so he can slide them off along with his boxers. He kicks them off the bed, the length of his dick pressing against your stomach. It was bigger and thicker than you’d imagined - than you’d ever had experience with.
His gaze dances between yours as he reaches between your bodies and lines himself up with your entrance.
You nod at him, eyebrows marrying in the middle when you feel the stretch of his tip as he pushes into you.
The stretch is delicious, making your jaw hang slack as the entire length of his cock settles inside you. Steve’s breath is heavy, chest rising and falling rapidly as your walls wrap around him.
Your nails dig into his biceps, creating half-moons along his freckled skin.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” he grunts, not moving. Allowing you to adjust to his size.
He curves his head and presses kisses along your jaw before dragging his hips back and slowly pushing into you again.
You moan at the sensation, your pussy already sensitive.
Slowly, he picks up his pace. Mouth sucking a bruise into your neck.
Your tits bounce against his chest, perked nipples stimulated by the patch of his hair on his chest.
“Holy shit, Steve,” you groan his name. His grip on your thigh grows tighter as his hips snap into you.
“Baby,” he moans, warm breath fanning against you. He was close, but he wasn’t ready for it to be over.
You whine as he pulls out of you suddenly, flipping you onto your stomach and slapping your ass.
Without being told, you get onto all fours wiggling your ass in the air and anticipating the feel of his hands on them.
“You’re so pretty, honey,” he states, voice dripping with admiration before he slaps the flesh again. Mesmerized by the bounce of your cheeks, he grips the dough of them, spreading them apart.
His tongue brushes against clit, following your seam up past your entrance until it is circling the rim of your ass. You gasp, hips jerking beneath him.
“Is this okay?” He asks, resting his chin against you.
“Yes,” you respond breathlessly, needy to feel him again.
His fingers dig deeper into your skin as his tongue darts against you. Your muscles are taut, every inch of you on alert as the new sensation crashes over you.
Steve groans against you, kissing over the peaks of your ass before straightening his spine and dragging his cock along your folds.
Your hands twist in the comforter, back arching and ass pushing against him. Aching to wrap around him.
His tip pushes inside of your entrance, and you stretch over him once more, eyes rolling to the back of your head.
He isn’t slow this time, instead gripping your hips and slamming his cock inside you at a brutal pace. One that makes your eyes begin to water as he hits your spongy center. The spot that has your toes curling in ecstasy, his name on your lips like a prayer.
“Steve, Steve, Steve,” you chant as you turn to face him, tits bouncing with each jut of hips.
Your pussy squelches around him, tightening as you climb to the peak of your next climax.
Each rut of his hips sends you closer to the edge.
“Are you going to come for me, baby?” He questions between pants, and you can only moan in response.
He slaps your ass and grips your cheek.
“I need to hear you,” he moans your name as he continues to fuck you, his pace not slowing but his hips stuttering.
“I’m going to come, Steve,” your words leave your lips in a whine.
Your vision becomes spotty, and you come undone once more. Your moans are loud and drawn out. Every inch of your skin blushing, goosebumps sprouting. The grip you hold on the comforter loosens as your cunt pulses against his cock, and it’s more than Steve can take. He grips your hips, teeth marring his bottom lip as he concentrates on not finishing inside you.
“Where do you want it?” He asks between grunts.
“Inside, please,” you beg. Pussy gripping him tighter as you imagine the way his hot release will feel.
“Oh, shit,” he groans, and his body stills as his hips sputter against your ass.
His warm come fills you, releasing in hot spurts and felt against your sensitive walls causing you to moan.
Steve’s head is thrown back as he continues to paint your walls until he is entirely spent, jaw clenched and chest a bright red from the intensity of his orgasm.
He watches you with hooded eyes as he slowly pulls his softening dick from inside of you. The loss of it causes you to whine. The mix of his and your come dripping out of you.
“You’re a mess, baby,” he slaps your ass again. Softer. Playful. Before kissing where he’d marked.
“Let me get you cleaned up,” he pushes off the mattress and walks to the adjoining bathroom. You remain in the same position, ass in the air and head still in the clouds. Brain mush after he fucked you dumb.
He smiles at you when he returns, an affectionate glimmer in his gaze highlighted by the light of the TV. You jolt as he drags the warm cloth against your sensitive skin. He gently cleans you, tossing the washcloth to the ground as he wraps his arms around you and brings you to his chest as he joins you on the bed.
“Wow,” it’s all you can manage, and he chuckles.
“Yeah,” he agrees and presses a kiss to your hairline.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” you admit unabashed and look at his lips. He traces his nose along yours, lips hovering over your own.
“We could’ve done that a long time ago?” He jokes, his breathy laugh felt against your mouth, and you nod.
“Should’ve made a move, Harrington,” you tease, and his lips press to yours. Slower, sweeter, and savoring every curve of them.
“Does that count?” He asks as he pulls away, his lips smacking softly as he does, and you nod.
Gaze trained on how his smile curves, committing the look in his eyes and the press of his chest against yours to memory.
Summary: Request- John b's little sister grew up with JJ. Both boys are protective of her but when John B and Sarah leave on the boat, she only has JJ. She realizes she has feelings for him, not knowing he feels the same.
Authors note: I decided I could give you guys a sprinkle of fluff and slight smut after the last two pieces! This takes place at the beginning of season 2 where they believe Sarah and John b are dead.
Also, someone complained about the length of my pieces. I know they’re long but it’s just my writing style. I like for the readers to feel what the main character is feeling. If the length bothers you, then don’t read it!
_______________
Angry.
That’s how I felt.
At myself. At my dad. At John B.
When we first lost our dad, it didn’t feel real. I waited outside on the steps of the chateu hoping to see him come back on his boat. Suddenly, hours turned to days which turned into months and the hope that filled my chest shrank bit by bit until I no longer sat outside.
Instead, John B and I did what we could. After successfully evading CPS, we decided it was best to lay low. That was the thing about us, we always managed to make the best out of a shitty situation because let’s face it, being born on the cut was shitty situation after shitty situation.
Unfortunately, it felt like the stress had finally caught up to me. Being surrounded by unfamiliar people caused a bitter sense of panic to fill my very core. My anxiety had amplified tenfold as the once out going girl became completely sheltered.
It was safer that way. At least, if I isolated myself, losing someone else won’t hurt as bad as this. Because as long as I had my brother, everything else was manageable.
Losing my dad was tough, almost impossible but at least I had John B.
Until, I didn’t.
It didn’t hit me until I saw the boat capsize with my brother and Sarah in it. I was truly an orphan, in every sense of the word.
My knees had given out as every emotion crashed into my body like a violent tsunami. A silent scream leaving my body as I could no longer hold myself up.
Familiar arms caught me just as I was about to hit the floor, the rain pounded into my skin like thousands of needles. As I drew in a sharp breath, my voice impossible to find, a delicate smell of sex wax and salt filled my nose.
JJ.
“Please breathe. I need you to take a b-breath,” He pleaded, his voice shook in obvious grief. He had just lost his brother too.
I couldn’t seem to do what he was asking. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing for this nightmare to end, but thought after thought slammed into my head repeatedly. My chest squeezed tightly, so tight that I began to claw at it, desperate to relieve the tension.
Yet, nothing seemed to work. I could see him now, his image blurred due to the tears falling from my eyes. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear anything.
My fingers slowly started to cramp due to the lack of oxygen from my inability to calm down. The tidal wave known as anxiety pulled me deep, my vision slowly becoming black before my unconscious body falls limp in the arms of my brother’s best friend.
_________
I hated this sign.
My eyes glared at the makeshift headstone my friends made for Sarah and John B that was carved into the tree.
It served as another reminder that my brother left me.
I’ve become close friends with anger and sadness.
Our friends tried to give me a sense of stability and normalcy, one that I’ve been lacking since the moment our dad died. Kie always stopped by bringing left overs from her parent’s restaurant. Pope would help me with my homework and go over scholarship options. I knew he was trying to help me plan for the future, but we both knew he was the only one that could really get out. I welcomed the distraction and tried to enjoy the small bubble I’ve created for myself.
And then, there was JJ.
JJ was special.
He all but moved in to the chateau, never leaving me alone in my thoughts for too long. He took up a serving job at some kook club to feed us and always brought me with him. I would sit in a small corner throughout, his shifts and enjoy his company.
In a way, I think it was for him just as much as it was for me. We had both bonded over the loss of my brother and it caused an invisible string to tether us together in a way that almost felt intimate.
I blew out a breath.
Standing up, I wiped off the dirt from my thighs and flexed my hands. JJ was on his way to pick me up and take me to the annual bonfire here on the island.
When he asked me, my first reaction was an immediate no. I had avoided going near large groups of people since they believed my brother to be a murder, therefore, making me guilty by association. Just the thought of surrounding myself around those people made my skin itch.
But I also knew that we were both desperate to feel the closest thing to normal that we could find.
What he didn’t know was that feeling of normalcy could only be achieved when he was with me. Breathing was easier when he was with me, living was easier.
The familiar sound of a bike engine caused my stomach to flutter with nerves.
“You ready?”
Inhaling deeply, I turned around to see JJ leaning against his bike looking every bit as handsome as the first time I laid eyes on him. He was grinning, something he reserved just for me, with a toothpick on one side.
If he was here, then I’d be able to do anything.
“I go where you go.”
JJ’s blue eyes shined at my words. He shot me his infamous smirk that nearly caused the butterflies in my stomach to erupt.
“You got that right. Get on the bike, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
My brain was my biggest enemy. It had a tendency to disrupt whatever sense of peace I had and destroy it with every self sabotaging thought I’ve ever had.
In this case, my brain wanted to know just how many girls sat there before me.
Noticing my hesitation, JJ raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “What’s up?”
“I just don’t want to get cooties from all the girls you let on this thing.”
He rolled his eyes. “Get your ass on the bike.”
My feet moved towards the bike as I mumbled under my breath. Stopping in front of him, JJ brushes some loose strands of my hair out of my face before grabbing the helmet that was on the seat.
I reached for it but JJ shoved my hands away, shooting me a flat look. Huffing, I stood there as JJ placed the helmet on my head, tightening the strap under my chin.
“Why do I have to wear a helmet and you don’t?”
“Because you matter.” His response was immediate.
Speechless, I said nothing more as he continued with the unnecessary pampering before he finally let me on the bike. Revving the engine, JJ kicks up the stand before reaching behind and grabbing my arm, settling it around his waist. He tapped my thigh twice to signal we were going and we took off.
I clung to his body, watching as the greenery blurred into one large mass, my thoughts doing the same.
You matter.
You matter.
You matter.
But what did that mean? What did it mean to him? What did I mean to him?
Because, I knew exactly what he meant to me.
There were small moments we shared. Our eye contact would stay on each other for a beat too long or his hands would linger just a minute longer than normal.
I knew, at least for me, our friendship had reached a very blurred line. My feelings for him seemed to consume me but I couldn’t tell how he felt. No one ever could, JJ didn’t let them.
He would say things like this that would completely throw me out of the loop. So we settled into a routine, one that resembled a relationship yet we weren’t in one.
The familiar cackle of the fire and shouts of excitement signaled that we were close to the party. Unease leaked into my bloodstream as I flexed my fingers into JJ’s shirt, the nerves sky rocketing.
JJ parked next to some truck but my focus was broken. My eyes jumped all over, taking in the scene all while trying to remind myself to breathe. People were shot gunning while others were playing beer pong, kooks and pouges alike.
Everyone was laughing and smiling, but it all seemed foreign to me. This was what I used to do, when things weren’t as complicated and dark as they were now. It felt almost wrong to go dancing and drinking when my life was in shambles.
A small touch to my wrist pulled me out of my thoughts as I turned to face JJ. A look of concern painted his face as he pressed his fingers against my wrist, checking my pulse.
“JJ, I’m fine.” I said exasperated but secretly, I adored how he took care of me. It made me feel like to him, I was different than all the other girls.
I just couldn’t decipher if he took care of me out of obligation to John B or because he actually cared for me.
He picked up this habit after I passed out in his arms. JJ always brushed his fingers against the inside of my wrist, just to double check that I wasn’t going to pass out again.
My anxiety was yet another monster I had to tackle after I lost John B and JJ was the only one that could calm me down. He weighed me down like an anchor.
“Look at me,” he demanded, his fingers lifting my chin causing my eyes to meet his.
His gaze ran over every inch of my face before a small satisfied smile played his lips.
“Do you believe me now?”
JJ shot me a wink, before cupping my face gently. “I’ll be back with tequila, don’t move.”
A small laugh left my mouth. “JJ, I don’t hang out with anyone else.”
“I’m all you can handle anyways, baby.”
My stomach dipped at the term of endearment. Laughing it off, I shooed him away and within seconds people were calling out his name, tugging him into their groups.
He seemed relax—happy even—to be surrounded by familiar people that I’m sure made him feel normal. I wanted him to have that, god, did I want him to have that.
So I ignored the nausea that nipped at my throat and spent the next five minutes looking around, hoping to spot Pope or Kie with no luck.
JJ deserved some time that didn’t involve watching me.
Only, I didn’t expect him to disappear for the rest of the night.
Hours later, I pushed passed the sweaty, overheated bodies as the bass of the music trembled through the air rattling my chest. The mass of bodies caused a layer of sweat to cover my body the further I went into the crowd. Intense rap music was being blasted instantly getting a reaction by the drug induced people around me.
Just by a simple sweep of the overcrowded property, I gave it a solid half hour before the cops showed up.
A large figure stumbled into me, beer sloshing onto my top. I gasped, stepping back slightly wincing at the cold liquid dripping down my stomach.
"Sorry," He slurred before stumbling back into the mosh pit of raging teens.
A familiar laugh rang out and almost immediately my body reacted to it. It was odd. After years of hearing his voice and his laugh, you would think I'd have gotten used to it by now, but no.
The effect he had on my body left me stunned.
My eyes were drawn to him instantly. I blocked everything else out.
His head was tilted back as he belted out another laugh. JJ was leaning against a wall with a hand holding a beer bottle loosely and the other moving as he spoke animatedly to the group that surrounded him.
His sun touched skin complimented his bright blue orbs that shined with a child-like wonder. JJ’s golden colored locks were thick and fell into a messy heap on his head, loose strands brushing against his forehead.
The black cut muscle tee he wore displayed every muscle as he continued to move his arms to accompany his storytelling.
JJ Maybank was a sight for sore eyes.
He was still talking rapidly when he glanced up and locked eyes with mine. JJ’s ocean eyes shined as he shot me a megawatt smile nearly sending me to my knees. He stopped mid-conversation and motioned for me to come over, his eyes once again gleaming with a unspoken level of affection.
I remained frozen. Sometimes this happened. I got overwhelmed by just how much I needed him.
JJ managed to knock me off my feet a solid five times a day. Each time welcomed even more than the last.
He bit his lip, stopping a smile as he bid his friends goodbye and began walking over to where I stood, running a hand through his hair messily.
I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say when a manicured hand rested itself on his stomach, stopping him in his tracks.
“Haven’t see you in awhile. Where ya been?”
Stacey Williams had this thing about her.
What it was, I couldn’t say, but it was enough for JJ to keep going back for more. She was the only other girl in his life that he gave a fraction of his attention to.
That fact alone made me nervous.
Just walk away, JJ. Please just walk away.
Instead, he took a seat next to her and shot her smile that was reserved for me.
People stumble between us, blocking my view but I could still hear them conversing.
She let out a giggle causing me to roll my eyes. He’s really not that funny.
“You haven’t been answering my calls. I figured, tonight you could come over and we could talk.”
My stomach tied itself in knots at the silence on his end. It was almost like he was contemplating going.
“I -I can’t tonight. I came with John b’s sister.”
I winced. That’s all I was to him?
I could see Stacey lean forward and slip her hand along the open slit of his muscle tee. “She follows you around like a lost puppy, JJ. It’s almost sad if it wasn’t so weird.”
I saw him shake his head. “It’s not like that, we’re both just dealing with everything the best way we can.”
Stacey rolled her eyes before she took a sip of her drink, “JJ, your hot but please tell me you’re not that blind. The girl is basically in love with you.”
Judging by the way JJ froze, I now knew that I misjudged every interaction we’ve had to this point. He didn’t even notice how I felt.
“What-I mean-no. She’s just a girl that needs help. I mean, come on. She’s just John B’s sister.”
The only thing more humiliating than finding out the person you want doesn’t want you, is finding out they were only there for you because of an obligation.
I wasn’t special to him. I was just John B’s little sister.
I think another part of me died right there, because yet again, I have lost another person I loved.
But this time, he wasn’t gone, no—he was right in front of me, but he might as well have been a million miles away or six feet under.
Eavesdropping is the quickest way to a broken heart. Words not meant for your ears strike your heart in a brutal assault until nothing remained.
Finally, the crowd that separated us moved and I stood there stupidly staring at him.
Feeling the weight of my gaze, JJ turned his head and his eyes widened before settling into a look of guilt.
I tore my gaze off of him and looked at her. The smug smile she wore told me she intended for me to hear what he had said.
My face heated, and I glanced down at the drink in my hand. How could I be so fucking stupid?
Ignoring the sickening twists in my stomach, I tossed back the strong liquor in my cup. The burning trail the tequila left is the feeling I decided to focus on.
Spinning around, my eyes searched for another cooler, desperate to keep the burning feeling going.
“Shit-Wait,” I could hear JJ shouting for me but I kept moving.
Finding a handle of tequila, I flicked the top off and took a pull. The bitter burn fell over my body with a fuzzy warmth.
JJ knocks the bottle out of my hand.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
“Since when do you drink like that?” He asked.
“Go away, JJ. I don’t need you to babysit me anymore.”
“Listen, if this is about what I said-“
“You’re free, JJ,” my voice trembled with pain,” You don’t need to waste any more of your time on me.”
I grabbed a red solo cup, sniffing the contents, and just as I was about to chug it back, his hand slaps it out of my own.
“Will you stop fucking drinking that-“ JJ’s baby blues narrowed as he growled at me.
“What are you, my dad? You’re taking this baby sitting gig a little too seriously.”
It was, then I noticed how many eyes were on us. The music was still blasting, but no one was dancing.
My breathing picked up at the sudden attention. I dug my nails into the palm of my hand to distract my body from the ever growing panic that plagued my body.
JJ’s eye clock in on my nervous tic causing his glare to soften. A figure approaching pulled my focus off of him.
Topper strides over with a drink in his hand and a lazy smile. “Hey man-“
“Top, your wearing sandals bro. Step off.”
“I’m just saying man, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
JJ’s eyes darkened as a threatening smile slowly graced his lips. “Wanna run that by me again?”
“I forgot that you pouges are missing a couple brain cells,” Topper lolled his head to the side and shot me a wink, “Since you’re clearly a bit slow, I’ll spell it out for you. She. Doesn’t. Want. To. Talk. To. You.”
“I dont remember you being this cocky with a gun to your head.” The words were spoken softly but the threat was clear.
A storm brewed in JJ’s eyes as the bright blue was replaced by something much darker.
My heart jumped at his tone and the look in his eyes made me swallow hard. Disgust filled me as heat began to build between my legs forcing me to press my thighs together.
Hands up on surrender, Topper shot me a look before heading back to his friends. JJ’s eyes stayed on him for a beat ensuring that he wouldn’t come back.
When he was satisfied, JJ moved towards me in quick strides making me yelp in surprise.
His ring covered hand grasped my upper arm and tugged me back to his bike. I shrugged out of his hold and crossed my arms across my chest, hoping it’ll keep a safe distance between the two of us.
I couldn’t think clearly when he was close.
“Listen-“
“No thanks.”
“If you would just-“
“Go away.”
“Can you please stop acting-“
“Why don’t you go back to Stacy? I’m sure she’d find this conversation enlightening.” I spat, shoving his reaching hands away.
“I dont want to talk to Sta-“
“Are you sure? You seemed to have a lot to say be-“
“Jesus Christ, would you just shut up?” JJ shouted with his hands in his hair.
My mouth opened and closed in shock.
“You’re the most frustrating person on this fucking island.” He growled, shaking his head in false amusement.
“Then why are you still talking to me?”
“Because it’s you.”
Throwing my hands up in defeat, I let out a bleak laugh. “What does that even mean? Stop pretending you care. Stop pretending to be my-“
“I wasn’t pretending.” He shook his head, the blue orbs pleading for me to understand,”Stacey was just saying shit to get a reaction-“
“She wasn’t wrong.”
He stopped talking and stared at me, almost confused.
My body trembled slightly with nerves as I prepared to finally expose every bit of my heart to the blue eyed boy in front of me.
“What she said—about how I feel about you. She was right. Anybody with two fucking eyes can see how I feel about you, except for you.”
I furiously wiped my eyes stop the tears from falling. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
“But now I know you only see me as John B’s little sister. It’s just humiliating that you chose to say that to Stacey instead of me.”
I was going to throw up. My stomach churned and swayed but I swallowed down the urge.
JJ let out a harsh sound, “I feel fucking guilty, okay? I feel guilty that I don’t see you the way I should. John B was my best friend and now I’m falling for his sister? It’s eating at me.”
“Then leave-“
“Shut up,” He snapped. “You’ve already got to say what you wanted. It’s my turn.”
My throat tightened as I braced myself for his confession.
“I look at you and I have to stop myself from kissing you even though it’s all I can think about.”
His eye contact seared into my very soul. I could feel it pierce my pounding heart.
“So you aren’t the only one that feels something.”
My heart was in my throat as I processed his words.
“But you said-“
“I lied.” He cut me off with a shrug and advanced towards me, clearly fed up with the distance I placed between us.
In a last ditched effort, I put up my hands to stop him in his tracks. I needed to think. I needed to breathe.
“Don’t touch me.” The plea itself was weak at best.
At the sound of my sob, JJ ignores my demand, and shoves my hands away, despite my weak attempt to keep him out of my space.
Instantly, his fingers curl themselves along my wrist and take note of my pulse. He let out a distressed sound from what I can only assume is the pounding of my pulse and whispers soothing words.
Taking in gulps of air, he slowly counts me down to a manageable pace of breathing. My shaking slowly begins to subside and my very focus is just on him.
Resting his forehead on mine, JJ whispers pleadingly, “Please stop crying.”
Another kiss lands on my nose. “I’m sorry.”
His request along with his sweet pleadings, causes my defenses to crumble down. Another sob tears from my chest as I relax into his embrace.
“I didn’t mean it.” He muttered, brushing my tears away with his thumb.
“Then why did you say it?” My words were soft, barely a whisper.
“Because she’s not important enough to know how I feel.”
Our eyes were glued to each other, a deep unknown longing singeing us together.
“You said I was just some girl.”
JJ tilted my head up, his fingers trailing softly along my bottom lip, “I meant my girl.”
“I have a lot of baggage,” I gave him one more shot at leaving.
“Good thing I have a truck.”
“But she-“
He shook his head, leaning down so there’s just a sliver of space between our lips, so close that we were inhaling each others breaths.
“You’re the only one I want.”
JJ bent down, his arms circling themselves directly below my ass, and picked me up causing me to shout out in surprise.
My hands curled onto each of his arms, my stomach fluttering at the flex of his muscles. He set me on the seat of the bike, his large calloused hands gripped my upper thighs tightly sending a wave of heat right to my core.
JJ’s half lidded eyes dart between my gaze and my lips. “Tell me to stop.”
The words never crossed my lips.
He let out a sound of satisfaction, tugging my legs open to stand in between them.
His ring covered fingers danced along the strands of my hair before nesting themselves at the root, gripping the nape tightly, "You’re mine.”
Heat instantly swarmed my belly as I drastically tried to collect my thoughts. My lips trembled as he hovered over me, his figure towering over my small frame.
JJ swiped his tongue along my parted lips before biting gently. Instantly, my body jolted forward and we were chest to chest, perfectly aligned.
My grip on his biceps tightened as I tremble with anticipation.
Finally, he pressed his lips to mine, slowly guiding our kiss. Gripping my hair tighter, he tilts my head sliding his tongue inside.
A small whimper escaped my lips causing a groan to erupt from him. Almost lazily, he pulled back slightly and pulled my bottom lip into his, sucking softly.
White hot lust seared itself into my blood. I let out a whine and pushed myself up, pressing my lips to his, desperate for another taste of JJ.
My blood was pounding in my ears as I tugged him closer. Almost lazily, I teased his mouth open and slid my tongue inside. Humming with desire, I gently sucked on his tongue causing him to flex his grip on my thighs.
JJ pulled back giving me the opportunity to catch my breath. His fingertips left a heated trail along my face as he caressed every inch.
He shook his head, laughing to himself softly,” It’s you. It’s always been you.”
______________
I love sassy JJ. Sorry for the delayed upload, I got into a car accident and am just now starting to get better:)
Please let me know what you think!! Next piece will be yummy smut with Rafe
Steve Harrington x afab!reader || Masterlist || Steve playlist
summary: A year has past since you left for college, but now you’re back in Hawkins for the summer and reunited with your best friend Steve. The friend who you have been in love with since forever.
word count: 14.4k
warning/tags: Smut (18+, mdni!) No Upside Down au. Language. Smoking. Food/eating. Childhood friends to lovers. Fluff. Thigh riding. Tit sucking. Vaginal fingering. Cunnilingus. Blow jobs. Protected p in v. Haven’t been beta or proofread.
You drum your hand against the wheel off your dad’s car as the familiar streets of Hawkins pass by outside. The summer breeze swooping over your face through the rolled down window, tingling your skin as it carries a mix of nostalgia and anticipation.
It’s been a year since you left for college, and you came back last night to spend the summer with your family. The small town hasn’t changed much, but you can’t help but notice the few subtle differences in the familiar surroundings as you drive towards Family Video.
You can’t wait to see Steve again, feeling a rush of excitement and nerves at the thought of reuniting with him. You were actually not supposed to return to Hawkins until next week, but after being away for a whole year you had made the decision to come home a little earlier. So, here you are, cruising down Main Street, heading towards the one place you know Steve will be. Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, your best friend in the whole world, and the boy you’ve been in love with since middle school, but that love has always remained unspoken. Your feelings for Steve being your deepest secret.
As you pull up to the familiar red brick building of Family Video and park a little down the street from the store, you spot Steve’s merlot colored BMW and your heart skips a beat. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves before stepping out on the sidewalk, the pavement beneath your feet echoing the memories of your childhood, all the times you and Steve had rented movies together, arguing over which one to choose and then staying up all night watching them and talking about everything and nothing, the laughter and the inside jokes shared between the two of you.
Steve was always there, effortlessly charming and protective. The thought of seeing Steve after almost a year sends butterflies fluttering in your stomach. You wonder if he feels the same way, if he’s missed you as much as you’ve missed him. The anticipation builds with every passing step, and you can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as you approach the building.
You can’t help but smile as you push open the door and are immediately greeted by the familiar sight of rows and rows of VHS tapes, the little bell above the door chiming merrily as you enter. The store is quiet, except for the soft humming of fluorescent lights and the gentle whir of VHS tapes being rewound. And there he is. Steve is standing behind the counter, his hair perfectly styled as always. You feel how your smile widens as you spot him, exactly as you remember him. His arms bulking under the short sleeves of his t-shirt, and you feel how your smile turns softer as you spot the little orange name tag reading ‘Steve’ tagged to the right side of his green work vest.
Steve’s eyes widen as he catches sight of you, and a wide grin spreads across his face. Your name escaping from his lips in a surprised squeal. And before you even get to step much further into the store, Steve’s already placed his hands on the counter and in his excitement to see you he jumps over it, too eager to use the extra five seconds it would take to go around it.
You let out a surprised giggle as Steve vaults over the obstacle, landing gracefully in front of you. His honey brown eyes sparkle with delight, mirroring the joy radiating from your own. Without a second thought, he wraps his arms around you in a tight hug, enveloping you in warmth and familiarity. The familiar scent of his cologne envelopes you as he pulls you close, his arms wrapping securely around your body.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until next week,” Steve murmurs into your hair, his voice filled with genuine affection and happy surprise.
“I wasn’t, but I thought I would surprise you, I flew in last night,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you lean back to look at his face. Steve’s smile widens even further, his eyes sparkling with happiness.
“Well, surprise me, you did!” he exclaims, his tone laced with excitement. You feel a rush of relief wash over you as you realize that Steve is just as happy to see you as you are to see him. It’s not that you had thought he wouldn’t be, but it’s still nice to be confirmed about it. “I’ve missed you,” he admits, his voice soft and sincere.
“I’ve missed you too,” you reply, feeling a wave of warmth and affection wash over you. For a moment, you both just stand there, holding onto each other, caught up in the emotions of the reunion. The world outside fades away, leaving just the two of you, wrapped up in the warm hug.
Eventually, Steve pulls back slightly, his hands resting on your shoulders as he looks into your eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I’m so glad you’re back,” he says, his voice filled with sincerity.
“Me too,” you reply, a smile tugging at your lips. “You got plans later?” you ask, not wanting to waste a single moment of your time back in Hawkins.
Steve shakes his head, his smile widening. “Nope, nothing I can’t blow off, I just have to work for another three hours or so and then I’m all yours,” he replies with a wink. You feel a surge of happiness at his words, knowing that you have the whole evening to spend with Steve.
“You don’t have to blow off plans because of me,” you say, even though you know you would do the same for him in a heartbeat.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s just Henderson, I told him I would help him change his bike, he can wait till tomorrow. Besides, I’d much rather spend time with you than anything else,” Steve reassures you, his eyes filled with warmth and sincerity.
You are just about to say something, what you don’t even know, the intensity of his stare making your heart race, when suddenly a loud crash echoes off the world followed by a ‘oh, shit’.
Robin comes bursting through the back door of the store, a sheepish expression on her face as she tries to regain her composure, a giant pile of video tapes at her feet. Steve rolls his eyes at her, but there’s a fondness in his gaze and a sweet smile on his lips as he turns away from you to help his coworker pick up the tapes she dropped.
“I told you not to carry that many at once,” he chuckles as he squats down to help her. You can’t help but notice how nice his ass looks in those jeans he is wearing, your face getting a little warmer as you walk over to help too.
“Oh my gosh, you’re here!” Robin exclaims, her eyes widening in surprise as she looks up at you.
You can’t help but grin at her, her excitement for seeing you is sweet and infectious. “I am,” you reply, smiling back at her as you begin helping to pick up the scattered VHS tapes. Robin stands up, a bright smile on her face as she hugs you tightly, which surprises you slightly, but you hug her back, nonetheless.
Her and Steve had become friends last summer as they started to work together at Scoop Ahoy, you had already left for college by then as you had decided to start early with a summer semester. But you had had a few classes with her in high school since she was only a year younger than you and Steve and you have heard much about her from Steve’s phone calls and letters in the last year since the two of them had become such good friends
“I thought you’d first come back next week? Steve has been counting down the days like a kid waiting for Christmas,” Robin says as she lets go of you, teasing Steve as she hands him a few VHS tapes to put back on the shelves. “Do you know how much he talks about you? He practically hasn’t stopped talking about you since you left for college.”she continues with a mischievous grin. Steve blushes slightly, shooting a playful glare at Robin as he finishes organizing the tapes.
“Shut up, Robin,” he mutters, but there is a fondness in his tone that doesn’t go unnoticed.
You laugh at Robin’s teasing, shooting a playful glare in Steve’s direction. “Oh really? I had no idea I was that missed,” you say, a hint of sarcasm in your tone as you help Steve with the tapes.
Steve just grins sheepishly as the pink blush on cheeks darken ever so slightly. “Okay, okay, guilty as charged. I might have mentioned you a couple of times,” he admits, his eyes shining with amusement.
You can’t help but feel a warm, fluttery feeling in your chest at Steve’s admission. It’s comforting to know that he has been thinking about you as much as you have been thinking about him. You know that the feelings you have for Steve run deep, deeper than just friendship. But you also know that it’s a delicate balance, and you don’t want to ruin the friendship that means so much to you. So for now, you’ll just enjoy being back in Hawkins, spending time with Steve, and soaking up every moment of summer before you have to head back to college in the fall.
As you finish organizing the VHS tapes with Steve and Robin, you glance over at Steve, his eyes meeting yours with a warmth that makes your heart skip a beat. You know that no matter what the future holds, you have this moment, this summer, and the memories you’ll make together to carry with you. And for now, that’s enough. Despite the feelings you have for him he is your friend first and foremost, and that will always be the most important.
The bell over the door chimes again, and before neither you nor Steve can react, Robin has already headed for the counter, “I’ll take this one,” she exclaims, leaving you and Steve to stand alone by the back door.
“So, yeah… That’s Robin for you,” Steve says with a chuckle, shaking his head fondly as he looks after her.
“She seems cool,” you reply, smiling at the easy camaraderie between the two of them.
“She’s the best,” Steve says, his voice filled with genuine affection for his friend before you both fall into a short moment of silence as you both process that you’re back in Hawkins.
“So, what do you want to do later?” Steve asks, breaking the silence, running a hand through his fluffy hair.
“I’m up for anything,” you reply, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of spending time with Steve. Steve grins, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Well, as I said before I still have three hours left of my shift, but how about you go home and I finish up here, then I can come pick you up later, we can pick up food from Benny’s or wherever you prefer and just catch up,” he suggests.
“That sounds perfect,” you say, feeling a warm glow of happiness at the simple yet perfect plan. Steve reaches out to take your hand, his grip warm and comforting.
“Great,” he says, a smile playing on his lips. “It’s good to have you back.”
You squeeze his hand in return, feeling the familiar warmth of his touch. “It’s good to be back.”
With a final squeeze of your hand, Steve turns back towards the counter, leaving you with a smile on your face as you head out of the store. The early afternoon sun, warm and golden as you make your way back to your dad’s car. As you drive home, you can’t help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. The familiar sights and sounds of Hawkins fill you with a sense of nostalgia, but also a renewed sense of excitement for the summer ahead. You can’t wait to spend more time with Steve, catching up on everything that’s happened in the past year and just enjoying each other’s company.
· · · · ·
Steve can’t help but look out the glass door even long after you left, a smile still lingering on his lips. Robin watches him with a knowing smile, leaning against the counter.
“Looks like you’re happy she’s back,” she teases, raising an eyebrow. Steve turns to her, a genuine smile on his face.
“Of course I am, I’ve missed her,” he admits, his voice soft. Robin nods in understanding, her expression softening.
“I can tell, It’s good to see you two back together, it’s like you never missed a beat,” she says, her tone filled with warmth. Steve’s smile grows at her words, grateful for her understanding.
“Yeah, she’s my best friend. Always has been,” he says, his eyes reflecting the truth of his words but he knows that there’s more to it than just friendship, at least from his part. He’s loved you for so long, but he’s always been too afraid to say anything, worried that it might ruin the bond you share.
Robin nods in agreement, a small teasing smile on her lips. “You should tell her, you know,” Robin says, her tone gentle but firm. Steve looks at her, surprise evident in his expression.
“Tell her what?” he asks, even though he knows exactly what she’s referring to. Robin rolls her eyes, shaking her head slightly.
“That you’re in love with her, you idiot,” she says, her teasing smile turning into a knowing one. Steve’s heart skips a beat at her words, the weight of his feelings for you suddenly feeling heavier. He runs a hand through his hair, contemplating her suggestion.
“I can’t,” he finally says, the words heavy with regret. “I can’t risk losing her.”
Robin gives him a sympathetic look, understanding his fear but also seeing the longing in his eyes. “You won’t know until you try, Steve. Life is too short to hold back on your feelings,” she says, her voice gentle but firm.
Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t want to ruin what we have,” he admits, his voice filled with sadness. Robin walks over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“You won’t ruin anything, Steve. You both care about each other deeply, I can see that, and I’m like the most clueless person ever, you’ve literally told me that. So if I can see it then it must be real. If anything, being honest about your feelings might just bring you closer together,” she says, her words filled with wisdom.
“I can’t risk it, okay. Besides, how do I even know if she feels the same way?” Steve asks, his voice filled with uncertainty. “She’s also, like, way out of my league.”
“You were literally one of the most popular boys in school, you were king Steve, for christ sake,” Robin chuckles, shaking her head.
“Yeah, and now I’m a loser working full time at Family Video while she is off to college living her best life,” Steve replies, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
Robin gives him a knowing look, her eyes soft. “Steve, you’re an amazing guy, and anyone would be lucky to have you. Including her,” she says, her voice reassuring. Steve looks at her, gratitude evident in his gaze. “Even if you’re a loser now. Also ouch, don’t disrespect Family Video’s dedicated employees like that.”
Steve chuckles, a small smile tugging at his lips, but his smile quickly falls, his heart pounding heavy in his chest. “But what if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if I lose her?” he asks, his voice filled with fear.
Robin sighs, giving him a knowing look. “You won’t know until you try. And trust me, she cares about you just as much as you care about her. Take a chance, Steve. You never know what might happen,” she says, her words filled with sincerity.
“Hmm…” Steve hums, feeling torn as he molds her words over. His mind racing with thoughts and doubts. But deep down, he knows that Robin might be right. He can’t keep his feelings hidden forever, and if he never takes a chance, he might never know what could have been. “Maybe you’re right,” he mumbles, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“Of course I am, Harrington,” she says with a smile before turning to attend to a customer who has walked into the store.
· · · · ·
You are standing in front of the full length mirror of your childhood bedroom, taking a moment to collect your thoughts. It’s been a little over four hours since you left Family Video and you know that Steve can be here any minute and as much as you want to suppress it, you can’t deny the flutter of excitement in your stomach.
It’s weird really. You have known that you have feelings for him for years, but you have always been able to keep them in check, to keep them hidden, buried deep beneath the surface, never wanting them to potentially ruin your friendship.
Taking a deep breath, you smooth down your outfit, trying to calm your nerves. You’ve never before been nervous to see Steve, but something about coming back after a year away has got you feeling all jittery.
But you’re brought out of your thoughts as you hear a car pull up in the driveway, your heart skips a beat. You take one last look in the mirror, a determined look in your eyes, before heading downstairs to greet Steve. The doorbell rings, and you can feel how your heart beats a little faster in your chest.
Opening the door, you’re met with Steve’s bright smile and warm gaze. The green Family Video vest has been disposed of, and he has changed his shirt that’s now under a thin jacket as well, but he is still wearing the jeans that have been clinging to your thoughts since earlier in the day. He looks as effortlessly charming as always, even though you’re one of the few people who knows how much Farrah Fawcett spray he really goes through to get that perfect hair. You’ve been best friends forever, after all; you know all of his secrets, or so you think.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes lighting up as he sees you. His silhouette glows in the golden light of the low hanging, evening sun and it is making his brown hair shine like spun gold. You feel how your heart skips a beat at the sight of him. You’ve missed him so much and the familiar warmth of his smile makes you feel like you’re finally truly home. You are so captivated by it that it takes you a moment to notice the bouquet of bright colored flowers in his hand, your heart fluttering at the sight.
“Hey,” you reply, softly returning his smile as you step out onto the porch. “Are those flowers?”
“Ye-yeah,” Steve stammers, a slight blush tinting his cheeks as he holds out the bouquet towards you. “You kind of surprised me, I thought I had a week more to get you a ‘welcome back’ present,” he explains, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
“Gee, Harrington, you really know how to make a girl feel special, if people saw us they would think you were taking me on a date or something,” you tease, a playful smile dancing on your lips as you try to play it cool, but on the inside your heart is racing. Even just the idea of Steve giving you flowers in a romantic way sends a thrill through you.
Steve blushes slightly at your comment, a sheepish smile on his face as he hands you the bouquet. “Sorry, I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
You take the bouquet, the sweet scent of the flowers filling your nostrils as you admire them. “Don’t apologize. They’re beautiful. Thank you, Stevie,” you say, a warm smile on your face as you look up at him. The nickname falls so naturally from your lips, a nickname only you really use. You had called him Stevie Nicks after he one time in freshman year had nicked himself shaving, and had to wear a bandage on his jaw for a few days. Stevie had just kind of stuck ever since. “But you seriously didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Maybe, not, but I wanted to,” Steve replies with a shrug of his shoulders, his eyes meeting yours with sincerity. You feel a rush of warmth in your chest at his words. “I’m glad you like them,” he adds, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“I should probably get them in some water,” you say, breaking eye contact as you turn to head inside. Steve follows you, stepping through the door to follow you into the house.
As you enter the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers, Steve takes a moment to look around your childhood home, taking in the familiar surroundings. “It’s good to have you back,” he says, his voice filled with nostalgia.
You nod in agreement, a soft smile on your lips. “It feels good to be back,” you reply, turning to face Steve. There’s a moment of silence between the two of you, the air filled with unspoken words and emotion. You notice how something flickers in Steve’s eyes, something soft, he is just about to open his mouth to say something, but he doesn’t get the chance to before your mother steps into the room, a bright smile on her face as she greets Steve warmly.
She’s always been fond of Steve, treating him like a second son. “Steve, it’s so good to see you! How have you been?” she asks, her voice filled with genuine interest as she moves to give him a hug. Steve returns the hug, a smile on his face as he answers her questions and engages in friendly conversation while you take care of the flowers.
You watch the interaction between Steve and your mother, feeling a warmth in your chest at the sight. Steve has always been welcomed with open arms in your family, and it feels so right to have him here with you, their chipper chatter turning into sweet background noise as you busy yourself with cutting the stems of the flowers, letting yourself get lost in thoughts.
“Oh, my,” your mother says, as she finally notices the giant beautiful bouquet you’re arranging, she had been so excited to talk to Steve that she hadn’t even seen what you were doing.
“Yeah, they’re beautiful, aren’t they,” you reply with a smile, setting the vase with the now arranged flowers on the middle of the kitchen island. “They are a ‘welcome home’ present from Steve, if you can believe it,” you add with a teasing grin, glancing over at Steve who is blushing slightly at the attention.
“Of course I can believe it. He’s always been such a gentleman,” your mother comments, giving Steve a warm smile.
“I don’t know about that,” he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck a little self-consciously, but your mom simply laughs, giving him a playful look.
“Oh, come on, Steve. Don’t be modest,” she says, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “You’ve always been such a sweet boy,” she insists as she pats his arm affectionately..
Steve smiles back at her, his cheeks still slightly flushed. “I try to be,” he says, his voice filled with warmth.
Your mother then turns to you, a curious glint in her eye. “So, are you two going out tonight?” she asks, a knowing smile on her face.
“We’re just going to grab some food and catch up,” you reply, trying to play it cool, giving you mom a stern look to prevent her from teasing further.
“Well ,I’m going to leave you to it then,” she says, “have fun, you two,” giving you both a smile before heading out of the room and leaving you and Steve alone once again.
You turn back to Steve, a nervous energy buzzing between you. “So, Benny’s?” you suggest, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves at the prospect of spending tonight with Steve.
“Yeah, sounds good to me,” Steve replies, his smile warm and inviting as he takes a step closer to you, a comfortable silence settling between the two of you.
As you make your way out of the house and into Steve’s car, a feeling of contentment washes over you. Despite the crushing weight of your true feelings for him, being with Steve is easy, it feels like coming home. You can’t help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort as the car pulls out of the driveway and onto the familiar streets of Hawkins, the memories of your shared past flooding your mind.
You sit in silence for a short while, Steve’s eyes firmly planted on the road ahead and yours on the passing scenery, but you can’t help occasionally glancing over at him, taking in the sight of him driving so effortlessly, his profile bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. The warmth of his presence fills you with a sense of peace, a feeling of being exactly where you’re supposed to be.
But after a little while Steve breaks the silence, his voice gentle as he speaks. “So, what’s college like?”
“I don’t know, it’s like…” What is it like? “I mean it is cool, but…” your voice trails off.
“But?” His voice is gentle as he prompts you to continue.
“I don’t even know,” you confess. “It’s just different, you know? Different from high school, at least, that’s for sure.”
Steve nods in understanding, his gaze flicking over to you briefly before returning to the road. “Yeah, I can imagine. It must be a big change,” he says, his voice filled with empathy.
“Yeah, but it’s also been good, I’ve met some amazing people and learned so much,” you explain, trying to put your feelings into words. “Got some really cool new friends.”
“Oh, should I be worried?” Steve teases, a playful glint in his eyes as he shoots you a smirk.
You playfully nudge him, a smirk tugging at your lips. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my number one,” you reassure him, a warm smile on your face as you feel a rush of affection for your best friend. Steve returns your smile, his eyes soft as he looks at you.
“Good to know,” he says, his voice filled with warmth before another stretch of silence settles between the two of you, each lost in your own thoughts, until Steve breaks the silence yet again. “And uh… Those college boys treating you all right?”
“Yeah, they’re all right,” you reply, trying to keep your tone casual even though your heart skips a beat at his question.
“That’s… That’s good,” Steve says, his voice laced with a hint of something you can’t quite place.
The truth is you have never really been that interested in any of the guys you’ve met at college. You’ve kissed a few at some parties, but you’ve not been doing more than that after you left for college. None of them have made your heart race or your stomach flip like you had hoped they would.
You had dated a few boys in highschool, and it had been nice enough, but nothing ever really felt quite right. You had told yourself that it was just a matter of finding the right person, but deep down, you had always known who that right person was. Steve. It was always Steve who made your heart race with just a smile, who made you feel warm and happy just by being in his presence.
But you had also always pushed those feelings down, telling yourself that it was just a silly crush on your best friend, that it was normal to have those feelings for someone you were so close to. But deep down, you knew that you were doomed.
It had been hard to see Steve be the popular guy in high school, dating other girls and being adored by everyone, while you stayed by his side as his best friend, silently loving him from afar. But you never let it show, always supportive and happy for him, even though it hurt to see him with someone else.
But now, sitting beside him in the car after being apart for so long, the weight of your feelings for him is pressing heavy on your chest.
“And how have you been?” you ask, changing the subject slightly, your voice laced with genuine interest.
Steve shrugs, a small smile on his lips. “I’ve been good. Just working and hanging out, nothing too exciting,” he replies, his tone casual. But you can see a hint of something in his eyes, a depth that hints at more going on beneath the surface.
“Just same old, same old, huh?” you tease, a playful glint in your eyes as you look over at him.
Steve chuckles, a warm sound that fills the car. “Yeah, pretty much,” he replies, his smile widening.
“Hanging out with Robin,” you tease with a lifted brow and a little smile.
Steve chuckles, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. “Yeah, Robin has been keeping me entertained, that’s for sure,” he admits, a playful glint in his eyes. “But she’s a good friend, you know that.”
You nod in understanding, a warm feeling swelling in your chest at the mention of Robin. “Yeah, she seems really cool. I’m glad you have her,” you say, genuinely happy for Steve.
“Yeah, me too,” he nods a warm smile tugging at his lips before he continues. “But, eh, it is just platonic, by the way. Like, platonic with a capital,” he adds.
“Mm, I see,” you reply, still keeping the teasing tone, but you know that what he’s saying is true, and if your intuition is right, you know that you have absolutely no need to worry about it changing anytime in the future. You’re happy that Steve has a good friend in Robin. “And how’s Dustin and the other’s doing?”
“Dustin’s good, the other kiddos are good” Steve says, a fondness in his voice as he talks about them. “Lucas and Max keep breaking up and getting back together again though. He keeps coming to me for advice, as if I would have a clue about what to do.”
“Oh, young love,” you reply with a small chuckle, shaking your head. “They’ll figure it out eventually.”
As you continue to chat and catch up on each other’s lives on the drive to Benny’s, you feel a sense of peace settle over you. The easy banter between the two of you fills you with a sense of comfort, a reminder of the deep bond you share and before you know it you roll up in front of the burger shop.
As Steve parks the car, the two of you get out and head inside, a familiar sense of nostalgia washing over you as you step into the cozy diner. You decide to get your orders to go and soon you are back in the car with the food in your lap, the warm paper bags warming your thighs as Steve put in the key to start the engine.
“I thought we could go to the lake and eat there,” Steve suggests, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looks over at you.
“Lover’s lake?” you tease, raising an eyebrow at him with a playful grin. Steve blushes slightly, but his smile widens at your comment.
“Hey, it’s just a nice spot to eat, okay?” he defends himself, but you’re not oblivious to the way his eyes soften as he looks at you.
You laugh, feeling a rush of warmth at his choice of location. “I’m just messing with you, Stevie. Lover’s lake it is,” you say, a smile playing on your lips as you settle back in your seat.
As Steve starts the car and drives towards the lake, the anticipation of spending time with him in such a familiar and special place fills you with excitement. The sun is beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape as you arrive at the lake, the water shimmering in the fading light.
You find a spot to park, overlooking the water as you sit on the hood of his car like you’ve done so many times before. You’d never be able to count the amount of times you’ve sat like this with him all over Hawkins, but you have never taken you here before, not unless it was with a group of friends since you were kids. It was like when you turned teenagers the implication of the ‘Lover’s’ name kept you away, even though you had played there so much as kids.
You remember how you and Steve would run around the wooded area, skipping rock on the water and building forts out of fallen branches. The memories flood your mind, a wave of nostalgia washing over you as you take in the sight of the lake at dusk. You’re brought out of your memories as Steve hands you your food and some napkins, a warm smile on his face. You thank him as you fold out one of the thin paper napkins and place it over your lap.
“Been awhile since I was here last, I almost forgot how beautiful it is,” you comment, your eyes tracing the ripples on the water as the last rays of the sun dance on its surface.
Steve nods in agreement, his eyes soft as he looks out at the scene. “It’s always been one of my favorite spots in Hawkins,” he says, his voice filled with nostalgia.
“You’ve taken a lot of girls here before?” you tease, a playful glint in your eye as you take a bite of your burger. Steve chuckles, shaking his head.
“Not really, actually. Just you,” he admits, his voice soft. Your heart skips a beat at his words, feeling a rush of warmth and affection towards him. You can’t help but feel a pang of hope at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way about you. “It would be a little too cliché to bring a girl here, don’t you think?” he adds with a playful grin. You laugh, feeling a happy warmth spreading through you at his words.
“You should have told that to Marcus Jenkins. Did you know I popped my cherry in the cargo bed of his dad’s pickup truck? Marcus borrowed it one night and we drove out here. Took me at least 30 minutes to get rid of all the pine needles and dirt afterwards,” you laugh as you recall the awkward memory of your first time, too lost in the memory to notice that Steve hasn’t joined in on your laughter or how his face falls slightly, your gaze fixed on the water.
“Nah, I didn’t know that,” he says, his voice sounding a bit strained as he looks away, his jaw clenched.
You nod, feeling a rush of embarrassment at the memory but also a sense of humor about it now.
“I played basketball with him, you never said anything,” he adds, his voice low to the point that you could barely make out what he was saying. You turn to look at him, noticing the slight tension in his shoulders and the distant look in his eyes.
“We just saw each other for a few months. You were dating Nancy Wheeler so you were pretty occupied at that time” you explain, feeling a pang of guilt at bringing up a past lover. “Plus, it’s not like it was anything serious with Marcus, I didn’t think it was important to tell you, I didn’t have a suspicion that you and him were particularly close outside of basketball,” you add quickly, trying to ease the tension as you think he feels betrayed that you didn’t tell him about being with one of his friends.
“It’s fine, really,” he says, his tone casual even though his eyes betray a different story. “It’s just, I never imagined you with him, that’s all. Especially not in the back of a pick up truck.” he adds.
You can sense that there’s something more to his reaction, something deeper that he’s not saying. You want to ask him about it, to dig deeper into what’s going on in his mind, but you hesitate, not wanting to push him too much, so you decide to try to turn the conversation in a lighter direction.
“Now what’s that supposed to mean,” you tease playfully, a small grin on your face as you bump your shoulder against his in a playful manner. Steve looks over at you, a small smile tugging at his lips as he meets your gaze.
“Oh, you know, just never saw you as a pine needle and dirt kind of girl,” he quips, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
You can’t help but laugh at his comment, feeling the tension from before fading a little as you fall back into your easy banter. “Are you calling me a prude, Steve Harrington?”
Steve chuckles, a warm sound filling the air between you. “Not at all, just saying I always saw you as more of a classy lady,” he replies, his tone filled with playful teasing. You can’t help but smile at his words, feeling a rush of warmth at the easy camaraderie between the two of you.
“Sure,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you take another bite of your burger. The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, the sound of the crickets chirping in the background, the fading light casting a warm glow over the scene as you slowly finish your meal. You gather your napkins and fry wrappers in the empty burger bag before Steve jumps down from the hood to throw them out in a nearby trash can.
Remember when we used to come here all the time as kids?” Steve says suddenly, his voice soft as he breaks the silence as he walks back to you, taking a seat on the hood next to you once again as he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. The nostalgia in his voice tugs at your heartstrings, reminding you of the countless happy memories you’ve shared at Lover’s Lake.
“Yeah, those were some of the best times,” you reply, a warm smile on your face as you reminisce on the carefree days of your childhood. “We were always getting into some kind of mischief.”
Steve chuckles, nodding in agreement as he lights his cigarette and takes a deep drag before offering you the pack and lighter. You accept and pull one out of the carton, but before you can take the lighter from him he has already lit it, his hand shielding the flame from the soft breeze. You lean in and pull life into the cigarette, feeling the smoke fill your lungs as you exhale slowly.
“I miss those days,” Steve admits, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he puts the lighter and pack of smokes back in his pocket. “Life was so much simpler back then.”
You nod in agreement, taking in the peaceful surroundings of the lake. The sun has almost fully disappeared over the horizon, leaving the sky painted in shades of pink and orange. The sound of crickets fills the air, and a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the surrounding trees.
“Me too,” you say softly, exhaling a plume of smoke as you lean back against the windshield of the car and a little stretch of silence unfolds between you as you both sit in shared reminiscence of the past, slowly finishing your cigarettes.
“I’ve really missed you, you know,” Steve says, breaking the silence with a soft tone, his voice filled with sincerity.
You turn to look at him, feeling a rush of emotion at his words. “I’ve missed you too, Steve,” you reply, a soft smile playing on your lips. “It’s been so weird being away from Hawkins for so long.”
“I know what you mean,” Steve nods, a look of understanding in his eyes. “It’s been weird being here without you, it’s just not the same without you around.”
You feel a rush of warmth and affection for him at his words, a surge of emotion swelling in your chest. You want to tell him how much he means to you, how much you’ve missed him, but the words stick in your throat, fear and uncertainty holding you back. Before you can say anything, Steve clears his throat, his eyes meeting yours with a soft gaze.
“You know as a kid, I never really imagined my life without you in it,” he admits, his voice filled with sincerity and vulnerability. “You’ve always been such a good friend, even when I wasn’t the best person in high school, you were always there for me. I just… I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Your heart swells at his words, feeling a wave of emotion wash over you. The depth of his feelings for you is clear in his words, his vulnerability touching something deep within you. You reach out and place a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze as you meet his gaze.
“Can I tell you a secret?” he asks, his voice soft and vulnerable.
“Of course,” you reply, your voice equally soft as you look into his eyes.
“I was so relieved when me and Nancy broke up. I know it sounds terrible, but it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And then she got with Jonathan, and I was just so happy that I wasn’t standing in the way for that anymore,” he confesses. “And every date I’ve been on after has been a disaster, but for some reason I’ve been relieved about that too, cause I really couldn’t see myself being with any of them.”
You listen to his confession, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside you. Part of you is relieved to hear that he felt the same way about his past relationships as you did, but another part of you can't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, his feelings may extend beyond friendship for you. You take a deep breath, summoning your courage to speak the words that have been weighing on your heart for so long.
“Has there ever been someone you could see yourself being with?” you ask, your voice soft but filled with hope and vulnerability. Steve looks at you, his eyes searching yours for a moment before a small smile tugs at his lips.
“There has always been this one girl, I kind of thought I would grow up to marry her when I was a kid,” he admits, his voice filled with emotion. “She’s always been there for me, through thick and thin, and I can’t imagine my life without her in it.”
You feel your heart race at his words, a rush of emotion swelling inside you. You open your mouth but before you can say anything to answer him, a loud splash breaks the moment, causing you both to jump and turn towards the sound.
You see a group of teenagers messing around on the other side of the lake, laughter echoing across the water as they splash each other and play. The moment shattered, you and Steve share a smile before turning back to each other, the warmth of your shared moment lingering between you.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones enjoying the lake tonight,” Steve comments, a playful grin on his face.
“Yeah, looks like it,” you reply with a chuckle, as you look back at the scene before turning your gaze back to Steve.
You take a moment to just look at him, gathering your courage which is a little difficult when he looks so handsome under the fading light of the sun.
“That girl you talked about… what happened to her?” you finally ask, your voice barely above a whisper you hold your breath. The answer seems so obvious, but you’re still afraid that you somehow are wrong, hope and fear mingle in your chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment.
“Well, she is, like, really smart, and really amazing, so she got into college in another state. She’s been there for a year now, studying something important that she’s really passionate about, and I think she’s doing really well. I miss her a lot, but I know she’s doing what’s best for her,” Steve replies, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sadness.
You feel a lump form in your throat at his words, the weight of his confession hitting you hard. You know he’s talking about you, and the realization fills you with a rush of emotion. “Yeah, that girl sounds pretty great,” you reply, your voice barely above a whisper.
“She is,” Steve says, his gaze soft and filled with emotion. “And I can’t imagine my life without her.” The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air between you, the unspoken truth of his feelings lingering in the space.
“I can imagine she feels the same,” you say, as you look into his eyes, the depth of your emotions mirrored in them.
“You think so?” he asks, his voice soft and vulnerable.
“I know so,” you reply, your tone filled with sincerity and warmth.
“How do you think she would feel if I kissed her right now?”
“I think she would be a little afraid that she might have burger breath, but I also think it would make her very happy, and that she has been waiting for that moment for a very long time,” you whisper.
A smile plays on Steve’s lips as he leans in closer to you, his gaze unwavering as he searches your eyes for any signs of hesitation. Without a moment of doubt, he closes the distance between you and presses his lips against yours.
The kiss is gentle but filled with a depth of emotion that leaves you breathless. He tastes of cigarettes and burgers, but underneath that familiar taste is the sweet essence of Steve that you have missed so much. The warmth of his lips against yours ignites a fire inside you, a rush of emotions swirling in your chest as you melt into the kiss, savoring every moment of it.
You wrap your arms around him, pulling him closer as the world around you fades away. The moment feels like a lifetime, but also like a fragile bubble, ready to burst at any moment. When you finally break apart, both of you are left breathless, hearts racing as you look into each other’s eyes. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing finally lifted, replaced by the sweet thrill of knowing that you both feel the same way.
Steve slides down from the hood of the car and steps in front of you so that he can step between your legs, cupping your face in his hands as he looks into your eyes with a mixture of love and adoration. “You mean so much to me,” he whispers, his voice filled with sincerity.
“You mean a lot to me too, Steve,” you reply, tears prickling in your eyes at the depth of emotion in his words. Without hesitation, you lean forward and press your lips against his again, feeling a rush of euphoria as he responds eagerly, deepening the kiss. It is much more desperate than the first one, years of pent-up emotions pouring out in this moment of raw honesty and vulnerability. His tongue slides against yours, making an electric rush course through your body and you can’t help but squirm a little in your seat on the car as you feel a dull throb of desire between your legs.
Your hands wander through his hair, feeling the soft strands beneath your fingertips, while his hands rest on your waist, keeping you close to him. The kiss is a mix of passion and tenderness, a culmination of years of hidden feelings and unspoken love finally being expressed.
When you finally pull back, both of you are breathless and smiling, your hearts racing with the intensity of the moment. “Wow,” Steve breathes, his eyes locked with yours in a mix of joy and vulnerability.
“Wow,” you echo, your voice filled with awe and happiness. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing has been lifted, replaced by the sweet relief of finally being able to express your feelings for each other.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for years,” Steve admits, his voice soft and filled with emotion.
“I’ve been wanting you to do that for years, thank you for bringing me here Steve,” you reply, a smile playing on your lips as you gaze into his eyes. “And this is so much better than being covered in pine needles in the back of a pick up truck,” you joke, the tension between you finally broken as you both laugh, the warm sound filling the space between you.
“Yeah, I’d say this is definitely an upgrade from that,” he agrees, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “But I wouldn’t mind doing it in the back of a pick up truck if it was with you,” he adds, a mischievous grin on his face that makes your heart skip a beat.
You laugh, feeling a rush of affection for him as you shake your head in amusement. “You’re impossible, Steve Harrington,” you tease, leaning in to press a quick kiss against his lips before resting your head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your cheek. Steve wraps his arms around you, holding you close.
“I wouldn’t mind doing it in the back of a BMW 733ii," you confess, making Steve freeze up a little against you.
“You can’t just say stuff like that without warning,” he says, his voice a mix of surprise and amusement. You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks at your bold statement, but you can’t deny the thrill of the moment.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” you reply with a playful grin, looking up at him with a twinkle in your eye.
“Come here,” Steve whispers, before pulling you in for another kiss, this one filled with a newfound sense of intensity and desire. His hands grasp your waist and he slides you down from the car, pulling you closer to him, You gasp into the kiss as you feel the firm press of his body against yours, the heat of his touch sending shivers of pleasure down your spine.
You can’t help yourself, you’re just so caught up in the heat of the moment. You start to slowly grind against the denim of his jeans, making Steve groan into the kiss, his hands gripping your hips tighter as he responds eagerly to your movements.
The sun is now fully gone and the stars begin to twinkle in the darkening sky, the reflection of the stars shimmering on the lake’s surface.
“Fuck,” he breathes out between kisses, the sound of his voice sending a jolt of arousal through you as you continue to explore each other’s mouths, the taste of each other mingling in a heady mix of desire and affection.
Every touch, every caress, feels electric, sending sparks of pleasure through your bodies. You can feel the heat of his body against yours, the hardness of his muscles beneath your fingertips as you run your hands over his back, feeling the strength of him against you. In a moment of unbridled need, you find yourself pushing your hand up under his shirt, the warm skin beneath your fingers making you shiver with anticipation.
“Car... now,” you whisper between kisses, the urgency in your voice matching the intensity of the moment.
Steve nods in agreement, his hands trailing down your body as he opens the back door of the car, guiding you inside. The space is cramped but the heat between you makes the enclosed space feel like the most intimate place in the world. The sound of heavy breathing fills the air as Steve settles back into the leather of the seat and you straddle him.
You feel his hands roam over your body, the heat of his touch igniting a fire within you as you press your lips against his once again. You start to slowly move against him, his muscular thighs under you, the friction between your bodies sending waves of pleasure coursing through you. Your hands roam over his chest, feeling the firm muscles beneath your touch as he groans softly against your lips. The sound only fuels your desire, and you deepen the kiss, your tongues dancing in a passionate dance.
He leans a little forward, his back leaving the leather backrest without breaking the kiss as he shreds his light blue summer jacket. Your hands immediately grasp his, now exposed, biceps, feeling the strength and warmth of him beneath your touch.
The intensity of the moment is overwhelming, the rush of desire and affection between you building to a crescendo. The air is thick with heat and need, your bodies moving in sync as you lose yourselves in the passion of the moment. Steve’s hands find your ass and you let out a surprised gasp as he starts to move you against him in a slow steady rhythm. You can feel him hardening under you, making you moan into the kiss, the sensation of him pressing against you sending shivers of pleasure down your spine.
Your hands roam over his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breath, the heat of his touch igniting a fire within you as you continue to move against him. The urgency of your need for each other consumes you, the desire to be as close as possible to him overwhelming your senses and as the heat between you escalates, you find yourself reaching for the buckle of his belt, but his hands find yours, gently stopping you before you can start unbuckling it.
His lips are leaving yours, and you feel how your heart sinks.
“Wait, wait don’t,” Steve breathes out, his voice filled with a mix of desire and restraint.
You freeze, feeling a rush of embarrassment and self-consciousness wash over you as you realize how carried away you were in the heat of the moment. “You don’t want to...”
“No.”
“Oh...” You feel how your world shatters by his short single syllable answer.
“No! no, wait, that’s not what I meant,” he quickly assures you as he sees how your entire demeanor fell. “I do want this, I really do. I’ve wanted this for so long, you won’t even believe it, I just… I want to do this right. I’m not going to have our first time together be in the back of my car, okay? I’m not Marcus Jenkins,” he explains, his voice filled with sincerity and a hint of playfulness to try and ease the sudden tension between you.
You feel a rush of relief flood through you as you realize what he’s saying, a mix of embarrassment and gratitude for his thoughtfulness. “No, that you are not,” you giggle softly. He is Steve, your Steve, and you’re so thankful for that.
“I want this just as much as you do, probably even more. But I want it to be special, you know what I mean?” Steve says, reaching out to cup your face gently with his hand, his touch warm and reassuring.
You nod, you do know what he means.
“Listen… My parents aren’t home,” he says, suddenly sounding almost shy and you can’t help but finding it incredibly cute, his big brown eyes looking into yours with a mix of vulnerability and longing. It doesn’t surprise you that his parents aren’t home, they have always been pretty absent, he has basically had the house for himself more often than not since you started high school. “We could go back to my place, and...” he trails off, the unspoken invitation hanging between you. “Do it right…”
You look into his eyes, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of being alone with him, of finally being able to fully explore the depth of your feelings for each other. “I’d love that,” you say softly, a shy smile playing on your lips.
Steve’s smile widens at your words, his eyes shining with anticipation. “You would?” he says, his voice filled with excitement as you nod eagerly before planting a firm kiss to his soft lips.
“Lead the way, Stevie,” you whisper as you pull away, your voice filled with a mix of longing and desire. Steve leans in to press another gentle kiss against your lips before pulling back with a smile. His eyes are sparkling with anticipation and with a last quick peck to your lips, he helps you out of the car before stepping out himself, opening the passenger seat door for you and guiding you in. When you’re seated he leans in over you, pulling your seat belt tightly around your waist with a soft touch, his eyes locked with yours in a silent promise of what’s to come.
With a final kiss and a knowing smile, he closes the door and rushes over to the driver’s seat, starting the engine as he looks over at you with a grin. The drive to his house is filled with a mix of nervous excitement and anticipation, the air thick with the energy of the moment.
As you drive through the familiar streets of Hawkins, the warm glow of streetlights casting a soft light on the world outside. Steve’s right hand is firmly planted on your thigh for most of the drive, his fingers gently digging into the soft skin beneath, and his thumb stroking small circles on your skin, sending shivers of pleasure up your spine.
You squeeze your thighs together as you feel the heat of his touch igniting a fire in your belly that continues all the way down between your legs. You can feel how wet your panties are by now. The anticipation builds with every passing moment, the desire between you and Steve palpable in the air.
Finally, you arrive at his house, pulling into the familiar driveway. As he parks the car, he turns to you with a soft, almost boyish smile, his eyes filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Without a word, he unbuckles his seatbelt and steps out of the car, moving around to your side to help you out. You take his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch as he helps you onto the driveway.
The two of you make your way to the door and you can’t help but laugh as he clumsily struggles to get the key into the lock, his eagerness betraying his normally cool and collected demeanor.
“You’re really cute, Steve Harrington, did you know that?”
He laughs, a blush rising to his cheeks. “I try my best,” he replies with a sheepish grin before finally managing to unlock the door and with a hand gently placed at the small of your back he leads you into the house. As soon as the door closes behind you, Steve turns to you. Without a word, he steps closer to you, his hands finding your waist as he leans in to capture your lips in a sweet, passionate kiss, it’s a little clumsy as you both toe out of your shoes without breaking the kiss.
His touch is electric, sending shivers of pleasure through your body as you deepen the kiss. You wrap your arms around him, one hand tangling in his hair as you pull him closer. He hums softly into the kiss, making his soft lips gently vibrate against yours. His hands start to wander, slowly roaming over your body, leaving your waist and making a trail of fire in their wake as they softly grab your ass, making your whimper with desire.
“Steve, bedroom now,” you whisper against his lips, the urgency in your voice matching the intensity of the moment.
Steve nods in agreement, his eyes locked with yours, “Yeah, let’s go,” he breathes out, breaking the kiss and his hand finding yours as he leads you further into the house and up the stairs. The sound of your footsteps echoing through the hallway as you make your way towards his bedroom.
As you enter the room, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casts a warm, cozy light over the space. The room is a mix of chaos and order, his belongings scattered around but with a sense of organization in the mess, making the place feel so much more alive and lived in than the rest of the house. The familiar checkered wallpaper you have teased him about for years makes you feel instantly at home and the bed inviting and enticing.
Steve turns to face you, his eyes searching yours as he reaches out to gently cup your face in his hands. “Are you still sure about this?” he asks, his voice filled with sincerity and a hint of vulnerability. You nod, feeling a rush of excitement and longing as you lean into his touch. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” you say softly, a smile playing on your lips as you meet his gaze.
With a gentle smile, Steve leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The kiss is sweet and unhurried, filled with a depth of love and longing that has been building between you for years. Without breaking the kiss, Steve guides you towards the bed, his hands firm and confident his lips leaves yours as he helps you lay back on it, the rustling of the sheets as you settle down on the soft mattress fills the air, the heat between you palpable as you break gaze into each other’s as he follows you, hovering over you as he continues to press kisses against your lips, your neck, your collarbone. The warmth of his touch sends waves of pleasure through you, making you moan softly with need.
“I think you’re wearing too much clothes,” you murmur, your voice heavy with desire as you reach up to start playing with the hair at the back of your neck.
“Oh, you do?” Steve chuckles softly against the skin of your neck.
“Yeah , I do,” you reply, giggling slightly, you really can’t believe that this is real.
“Alright then,” Steve replies with a playful grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he leans back, his hands grabbing the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head to reveal his sculpted chest.
You can’t help but admire the sight before you, the planes and curves of his muscles defined under his skin as he discards his shirt. “You’re so hairy,” you mumble softly. It is not the first time you have seen him without his shirt on, but he used to shave his chest when he was on the swimming team. He looks so manly now and you can’t help but reach out to run over the soft hair on his chest, feeling the warmth and strength of his skin beneath your fingertips. His breath hitches at your touch, a soft gasp escaping his lips
“Eh, yeah, sorry about that,” he chuckles a little shyly, but you can also tell he appreciates the attention as he leans down to press gentle kisses along your jawline, trailing down to your collarbone. You feel a surge of desire swirling through you, a mixture of longing and excitement overwhelming your senses.
“I’m not complaining,” you reply with a teasing grin as you keep running your hands over his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours as you explore the contours of his body. “Quit the opposite, actually.”
Steve’s chuckle turns into a soft groan as he continues his exploration of your skin with his lips, his hands roaming over your body in a mix of reverence and desire. The heat between you is overwhelming, the anticipation building with every touch and kiss. You gasp softly as his lips find the sensitive spot at the base of your neck, sending waves of pleasurable sensations through you. Your hands move down his chest, down over his abs and slip beneath the waistband of his jeans, making him groan as you gently cup his hard on through the denim as he keeps kissing you.
“God, you’re so perfect,” he whispers against your skin, his voice filled with awe and longing as he gently lifts himself off you to pause and look into your eyes. The intensity of his gaze sends a shiver of pleasure down your spine, the raw emotion and desire swirling in the depths of his eyes capturing you completely. Without breaking eye contact, he sits back on his heels and you follow him, propping yourself up on your elbows. “Your turn,” he says with a soft smile, sneaking his hands up under your shirt, but he doesn’t begin to pull it up before you give him a small nod of approval.
He starts to slowly peel off your shirt, slowly revealing your bare skin to his hungry gaze. His touch is gentle and reverent, his fingers tracing patterns along the curve of your waist and up to the swell of your breasts. You feel a rush of desire building inside you as his hands find their way to the clasp of your bra.
He looks up at you, his eyes seeking permission, not going further before you give him a nod to indicate that he can continue, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation fluttering in your chest. As the fabric of your bra falls away, you feel the cool air against your exposed skin, the sensation of vulnerability and desire mingling within you. He leans back slightly, his beautiful eyes filled with adoration as he takes in the sight of you, his gaze soft and reverent. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice filled with awe as he looks at you before leaning in to press a soft kiss against the swell of your breast, his lips warm and soft against your skin.
Your hands find the buckle of his belt and start to slowly undo it, the urgency and need between you building with every passing second. Steve groans softly, his hands trailing down your sides as he continues to press kisses against your skin. “Pants off,” you whisper, your voice filled with desire as you tangle your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to you. Steve nods in agreement, his hands finding the button of his jeans and quickly getting rid of them, his erection straining against the fabric of his boxers and you gasp as you feel it against your body.
“Your turn,” he counters, his voice filled with desire and longing as he helps you remove your pants. Steve leans back, his eyes locked with yours as he settles between your legs, his hands smoothing over your skin as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The kiss is sweet and unhurried, filled with a depth of love and longing that has been building between you for years. Without breaking the kiss, Steve guides you towards the center of the bed, the soft cotton of the sheets cool against your heated skin as he settles on top of you, his body pressing against yours.
“You’re so amazing,” Steve whispers against your lips, his voice husky with desire as he trails kisses down your neck and chest, his lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. You gasp softly as his lips find their way back to your breasts, the heat of his mouth sending waves of pleasure through you. Your hands roam over his back, feeling the muscles tense and relax beneath your touch as he softly pops one of your nipples between his lips, gently sucking, as his hand grabs your other breast, gently neading the soft, plump skin.
The sensation of his touch sends shivers of pleasure through you, the heat between you igniting a fire deep within your core. You arch your back, seeking more of his touch, more of the sweet sensations he’s awakening within you. Steve’s tongue starts to swirl around your hardened nipples, sending waves of pleasure through you as you gasp and moan with each touch. His mouth leaves your breast and he starts leaving a slow trail of kisses and soft nibbles down your abdomen until he reaches the waistband of your panties.
He looks up at you, his eyes seeking permission before he slowly starts to peel them off, revealing your soaked, glistening pussy to him. “Wow, you’re so wet,” he murmurs, his voice filled with desire as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your inner thigh, his lips warm and gentle against your skin. The sensation of his touch sends a rush of pleasure through you, making you moan softly with need. “Can I taste you?” he asks, his voice sounding desperate, like he is a man dying of thirst and you are his last drop of water.
“Yes, please,” you nod eagerly, the throbbing between your legs growing stronger with every passing moment.
Steve smiles up at you, his eyes darken with desire as his strong hands find their way to your hips, his touch firm and sure as he leans in to press a slow, sensual kiss against your clit, his tongue swirling against your sensitive flesh as he starts to eat you out, his touch sending waves of pleasure through your body.
You can barely contain the sounds of pleasure that escape your lips as he expertly works his tongue against your folds. You arch your back, your hands tangling in his hair as you guide him closer to you, feeling the heat of his breath against your most intimate parts. His tongue alternates lapping into your center and making slow, teasing circles against your clit as you keep moaning with pleasure, the sensations overwhelming your senses.
“Fu-uck, Steve,” you gasp, your voice filled with need and desire as you feel the coil of pleasure building deep within you, the pleasure and desire swirling inside you until you almost can’t take it anymore. “So… So good,” you whimper, your voice thick with need as you guide him closer to you, making him moan against you, sending a sweet vibration into your weeping cunt.
Steve brings a hand to your wet folds, coating his fingers in your slickness before slowly inserting first one, then two fingers into you, his touch sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. The sensation of his fingers sliding inside you makes you gasp with pleasure as he curls them, hitting just the right spot that sends you over the edge while his mouth keeps sucking and flicking over your sensitive clit.
The last string that is holding you together finally snaps, as your climax wash over you in hot, electric waves of pleasure. You cry out his name and grip the sheets beneath you. Steve continues to work his fingers and tongue against you, helping you ride out the intense wave of pleasure until you collapse back onto the bed, panting and completely sated.
As you come down from the high of your climax, Steve climbs back up your body and you reach out to him, pulling him down over you as you kiss him deeply, tasting yourself on his lips as he wraps his strong arms around you, sending a content shiver through you as you feel the strength and warmth of his body against yours.
“You’re amazing, Steve,” you whisper, your voice filled with awe and gratitude.
Steve smiles against your lips, his eyes shining with love and affection as he gazes down at you. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he replies, his voice soft and filled with emotion.
You giggle softly at his words, feeling a rush of happiness at his confession. “I think I have a pretty good idea now,” you tease, a playful grin on your lips before you leave a sweet peck on his mouth. “And now it’s my turn,” you whisper against his lips, a mischievous glint in your eye as you start to trail kisses down his neck, laying your palms flat against his chest, feeling the heat and strength of his body beneath your fingertips.
Steve gasps softly as you start to explore his body, trailing kisses and light nips along his chest and abs. You softly push against his chest, prompting him to lay back against the bed as you continue to explore his body with your hands and mouth, straddling him as you take your time, savoring the taste and feel of his skin, every touch sending a rush of pleasure through you as you kiss and nibble your way down his body. Steve groans softly as he gently guides you lower, his body trembling with desire as you reach the waistband of his boxers.
With a mischievous grin, you slowly start to peel off his boxers, releasing his hard cock from its cotton prison, his thick shaft smacking against his abdomen.
You feel a rush of desire flooding through you as you gaze at him, taking in the sight of his cock. He is big, both long and girthy, and the sight of him, hard and throbbing for you, sends a thrill of excitement through you. “Wow, Stevie,” you whisper, your voice filled with desire as you lean in to press a soft kiss against the tip of his cock, feeling the heat of his skin against your lips. Steve gasps softly at your touch, his sharp intake of breath sending a shiver of pleasure down your spine.
His hands gripping the sheets beneath him as you part your lips, letting a drop of saliva fall from your mouth landing on his eager tip before you wrap your hand around him, stroking him slowly and purposefully as you smear the spit down his shaft. “Fuck, you’re so good at this,” he groans, his voice husky with desire as you lean in to press another soft kiss against the head of his cock, tasting the saltiness of him on your lips.
With a wicked grin, you part your lips over his tip. He breathes out, his voice filled with need as you start to work your way down his shaft, your tongue swirling against his sensitive flesh as you take him in your mouth, his groans of pleasure driving you further. The sensation of him filling your mouth, the taste of him against your tongue, sends waves of desire through you, making you moan with need.
You take him in as deep as you can, feeling the tip of his cock hitting the back of your throat, letting a hand take care of the base of his shaft, as you work to please him, your own desire building with every touch and kiss. A flood of praises and sweet words leaving Steve’s lips which only fuels your own arousal. You can feel the tension in him building, the tightness in his body as he grows closer to the edge, and you continue to work him with dedication, wanting to bring him to the peak of pleasure, but he suddenly pulls you off him, his hand grabbing yours as he guides you back up to him, pressing a passionate kiss against your lips.
“As much as I’m enjoying this,” he breathes out, his voice filled with desire. “I don’t want to finish that way. I want to be inside you when I come. I want to feel you around me. I want to be inside you when we both come,” he adds, a sense of urgency in his tone .
“Fuck, Steve” you moan, your voice heavy with need and desire as you nod eagerly, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of him being inside you. “Please,” you whimper, your voice thick with need as you guide him closer to you, the raw intensity of the moment overwhelming your senses. Steve’s eyes darken with desire as he gently flips you onto your back, his hand reaching for the drawer of his bedside table to grab a condom.
You watch him with anticipation, feeling a mix of excitement and longing as he sheaths himself, his hard cock twitching in anticipation as he settles back between your legs, his eyes locked with yours as he positions himself at your entrance. He gazes into your eyes, seeking permission, and you nod eagerly, a rush of anticipation and longing sweeping through you. Steve leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion as he slowly starts to push inside you, his thick cock stretching you in the most delicious way as he slowly gives you more and more, letting you adjust to his size.
“You’re doing great,” he murmurs, his voice filled with reassurance and affection as he, with a slow, steady push, he finally slides all the way in, filling you completely as you gasp. He gives you a moment to adjust to the feeling of him inside you, his eyes locked with yours after he has left a series of sweet pecks to your lips and cheek, as he waits for your signal to continue.
After a moment, you nod, a soft whimper escaping your lips as you cling to him, your nails digging into his back. “Please, Steve” you beg, your voice thick with desire as you urge him to move. Steve wastes no time, starting with a slow, gentle pace before gradually picking up speed, his thrusts deep and powerful as he fills you completely, the sensation overwhelming your senses as pleasure courses through your body by the way he is now pounding his thick cock into you, in complete contrast to the way he so sweetly kisses you.
Your whines and whimpers being swallowed up by his sweet lips, all the while as he drills into you, deep and purposefully. His hair has started to cling to his forehead and neck. “You’re, fu-uck, you’re so good,” he groans, his voice thick with desire as he leans in to press a soft kiss against your lips, his touch tender and full of emotion. The room is filled with the sounds of your bodies moving together, skin colliding with skin. “I always imagined you would feel like heaven, but damn.” He groans through gritted teeth. “You are taking me so well.” He encourages. “Feeling so fucking good.”
“Steve, ugh, I-I’m so close,” you whimper, your voice filled with need and desire as you feel how the coil in your stomach keeps tightening and tightening, he is hitting that magic spot inside of you that is driving you closer and closer to the edge. “Don’t stop, please, I’m so close,” you beg, your voice thick with desire as you cling to him, feeling the wave of pleasure building inside you, ready to crash over you at any moment. Your tits are being squeezed against his broad chest, the feeling of his chest hair tickling against your sensitive nipples. His heavy balls are slapping against your skin with each thrust.
“I’m close too,” Steve gasps, his voice strained with the effort of holding back his own climax. His hips rock against yours in a steady rhythm, his thrusts becoming more urgent and desperate as he chases his release.
“Then come, Stevie, please... Please come for me,” you gasp, your voice filled with need as you urge him on, feeling the intensity of the moment reaching its peak.
And with a few final thrusts, you both reach the edge together, the wave of pleasure crashing over you in a sweet, intense climax.
“Fuu-uck,” you moan, your bodies spasming in unison as you ride out the intense pleasure together, your moans filling the room. Steve collapses on top of you, his body shaking with the force of his release as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his breath hot and rigid. His hand gently sneaks between your bodies to grab the condom as he carefully pulls out, tying the rubber before disposing of it in the trash beside the bed and collapsing back against the bed, wrapping his strong arms around you and pulling you tight against his chest, plastering your forehead in a series of sweet kisses.
Both of you pant heavily, the room filled with the sound of your ragged breaths as you cling to each other, basking in the afterglow of your shared pleasure. “Wow,” Steve breathes out, his voice hoarse with emotion as he looks into your eyes, and you can hear the soft smile in his voice.
“Yeah,” you reply, a soft smile of your own tugging at your own lips as you turn to face him, your hearts still racing with the intensity of the moment you just shared. You reach up to cup his face in your hands, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours. “That was... incredible,” you murmur, your voice filled with awe and gratitude.
Steve nods, his eyes shining with emotion. “It was. And it was even better because it was with you,” he replies, his voice soft and filled with sincerity. “I can’t believe that tonight was even real. All this feels like a dream.”
You smile, feeling a rush of happiness at his words. “It was real, Steve. And I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else but you,” you say, your voice filled with love and affection. You lean in to press a soft kiss against his lips, feeling the warmth and tenderness of the moment lingering between you.
As Steve pulls away his eyes are filled with adoration as he gazes at you, his dark lashes casting soft shadows on his cheeks, the beauty marks peppered across his face like constellations. You’re so caught up in the way he looks at you, so full of love and tenderness, that you almost miss the words leaving his sweet mouth.
“I love you,” he whispers, his voice soft and filled with sincerity as he says your name like it’s the most precious thing in the world, “I’ve loved you for so long.”
You feel the weight of his words settle in your chest, your heart swell with emotion, your gaze turning blurry as tears start to prick at the corner of your eyes from his confession.
“I love you too, Steve,” you reply, your voice filled with emotion as you cup his face in your hands, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your touch as you crush your lips against his in a passionate kiss, your feelings so deep in this moment that you don’t know how words could ever measure explaining them, so instead you hope to pour the depth of your love for him into the way your bodies press together, the way your lips move in sync with each other, and the way your hearts beat as one, the way your souls intertwine in that moment of pure connection.
You pull back, your cheeks now shining with tears of joy as you gaze into his, the love and adoration reflected back at you in equal measure. “I’ve really, really missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Steve replies with a soft smile, wiping away your tears with his thumb before pulling you into a tight embrace. The warmth of his body against yours and the ways his arms engulf you make you feel safer than you ever have before.
He keeps leaving sweet kisses to your forehead as you cuddle together, wrapped in each other’s arms, the room filled with the sweet scent of sex and the sound of your soft breathing and you feel such an intense sense of contentment wash over you that you’ve never felt before. The weight of years of unspoken love and longing finally lifted, replaced by the sweet relief of being able to express your feelings for each other.
You lay like this for a while, a comfortable silence falling between you as you bask in the moment, but then all of the sudden the silence breaks, the both of you bursting out in a spontaneous laughter, the sound filling the room with joy and lightness.
Steve pulls back slightly to look at you, a wide grin on his face as his eyes sparkle with happiness. “I can’t believe that you’re really here and all this just happened,” he chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Me neither,” you giggle, wiping away your tears of joy as you lean in to press a quick kiss against his lips. “But I’m so glad it did, I’ve waited on it for a very long time.”
“Me too,” Steve replies, his voice filled with sincerity and warmth as he pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you in a tight embrace. The two of you lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the warmth and comfort of each other’s presence filling the space between you. “I love you,” Steve whispers, his voice barely above a whisper as he presses a sweet kiss against your forehead.
“I love you too,” you reply, your voice soft and full of emotion as you close your eyes, feeling the weight of his love and the depth of your own emotions wash over you in a wave of pure, unadulterated bliss. You have been knowing it for years, but as you lay here in his arms you know that you are exactly where you were meant to be, with the only person that has ever been the right one for you.
Thank you for reading! Reblogs and comments are always greatly appreciated ♡
There's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear - S.H
Steve’s completely and utterly in love with his best friend
A/n: friends to lovers, valentines theme, florist!reader, love confession
Warnings: kissing,
Word count: 3.8k
February,
She always smiled when she saw him. She always said she missed him, and if there were no customers she ran to hug him. It didn't matter if he had seen her the evening before or that same morning, she always seemed to miss him no matter how long it had been. He understood that more than she knew, he felt it with her constantly.
The windows were a little misted up that evening. Fogged up in the corners like it was always meant to be like that. It got colder the second the sun set but no matter the time of year, no matter if it was snowing or raining, after Steve’s day ended he walked right down to the florists to see her.
It was pretty inside, he imagined it was supposed to be like that but sometimes, almost all the time, he liked to give her credit for it all. For the perfectly placed flowers, all somehow fading into one another, soft blues into bright pinks.
And that oh so pretty smile when she saw him, standing outside with his hands in his pockets, a boyish grin on his lips no matter how tired he was, his fluffy hair and his unfixed collar.
It was busier today, so she gave him a little nod to come inside, sticking her nose up like a cat rubbing against his leg. He wasn’t sure how it was possible but everything she did was cute.
He wouldn't get to hear the bell above the door ring right before she crashed into him today, running out into the cold just to greet him like she normally would, he crossed his fingers for tomorrow.
“Sorry.” She mouthed as he walked in, her eyes so soft that his heart could’ve broken right there all over the lavender. It was like every time they were apart he forgot how one look from her made his knees weaken.
Steve wandered around for a little while, keeping his hands at his sides, careful not to break anything, just waiting for things to slow down. Really, he could have just gone home, he could’ve got in his car and headed straight back, none of his friends would’ve waited around like this.
But he was content with waiting and he liked the little walk to his car where they talked and he liked how her perfume stuck to the seats long after he dropped her off.
He also liked watching her. Watching how she smiled at every single person who walked through the door, even though he knew she was shy, she forced herself to be kind and that accidentally made Steve a little jealous at times. How she lit up when someone asked her a question or how she softened over when someone came in and told her they needed flowers for a girlfriend or a boyfriend.
When it died down and they were left alone, Steve went and leaned on the counter, just like she did when she visited family video, they always seemed to be leaning towards each other.
The corners of his mouth were already flicking up without permission, he guessed he had missed her more that day. She had pretty specks of gold and silver by her eyes, it always made him do a double take. He pressed his nails into his palm to stop from brushing the fallen glitter from her cheek.
Steve hated her makeup, he hated how it made him want to touch her, how he wanted to fix her shiny lip gloss and accidentally linger a little too long on her lips. Honestly he just hated that he wasn’t her boyfriend and he wasn’t allowed to do those things, that she wasn’t his girl and he couldn’t just-
“I have to stay late today Stevie.”
His eyes darted back to hers, away from her lips, hearing her pretty little nickname for him made the blood rush to his head, and it somehow made it feel a lot hotter than it was. No one else called him that, he didn’t care for it until she started saying it and how could he ever correct her.
“No.” He pouted, eyes dropping into a puppy-like stare, hoping he could play on her heart a little and make her come with him. It was selfish and childish but knowing he was the one that got her home every night, that he was the one telling her about plans with their friends, made him feel more important to her.
Her eyes softened with sadness, which at least told him she didn’t want to stay either, that she wanted to go with him too.
“I’m so sorry I was going to call and let you know, and now you’ve walked all this way- and It’s freezing.” She glanced outside the window, as if there was some horrible snow storm coming down and it was all her fault. “Steve, I feel awful.” She put her head in her hands, even when apologising, for something she didn’t need to, she was adorable.
He placed his hands around her wrists, pulling them away, trying not to smile too hard. He could feel her pulse under his fingers and the patterned thumping almost made him drop to the floor. He swallowed down hard, letting her go, trying not to think about dragging kisses along the inside of her wrists.
“Can I help?” Steve’s voice cracked slightly, he just hoped she didn’t catch it. He didn’t mind all the pollen making his eyes itch if it meant he could steal a little time with her, and maybe if it got late enough and they were tired he could tell her.
He wouldn’t but he liked to think about doing a lot.
Her eyes lit up and he swore he could have kissed her, just for the sake of kissing her, nothing more. “You want to?” She asked, nervously-excited like he hadn’t already implied it. Like he wouldn’t drop everything for her in a heartbeat.
Including sitting on the floor crossed legged surrounded by ribbons and paper hearts. Valentines day was just two weeks away, and the one girl he wanted to take out was sitting across from him, tying pink ribbon and looking unbelievably gorgeous while simply just existing.
She never noticed when he was staring, it sounded foolish but when he was busy looking at her like she held the stars, she was helplessly too caught up in his puppy dog eyes and his soft smile to see it.
When Steve drove her home after her shifts, he always opened the car door for her, he always played the cd’s she liked even if he didn’t like them so much. And she still didn’t know. The whole town knew he was head over heels but she was far too busy daydreaming about him to notice.
He always looked extra pretty when he drove her home, the passing street lights and the warm orange from the car light made him look golden. She doubted there was any kind of light that could make him look bad. He always just looked right. Everything fitted him and it made her head spin.
Right down to the way his car smelled faintly like cigarettes and Obsession cologne.
“What are you thinking about?” Steve leaned back against a table leg, clearly uncomfortable but clearly not wanting to say so.
He wasn’t going to tell her that sitting on the floor like this was making his legs ache like he had just been running around town three times over. She would’ve told him to stop helping her and to go home and he really didn’t want that.
Steve had been watching her for a while and slowly she had started to lose focus and almost seem to drift off somewhere. He knew because he found himself doing it so often around her. There were many mislabelled tapes lying around at family video just because he was thinking about what perfume she was wearing the evening before and why it made his head spin.
His voice made her flinch slightly, not in a bad way, simply because she was so busy thinking about him that she forgot he was sitting in front of her. She felt the blood rushing to her head, like Steve could somehow know he had caught her out.
“Nothing.” She didn’t mean to stutter but when he had moved he had started leaning his shoe against her knee, it was harmless and he probably didn’t even notice. However innocent it was, it didn't stop her heart from thumping. “Why?” She hated the way her voice cracked.
He nodded his head towards her crossed legs. “You're cutting it wrong.” He smiled softly, not for one second wanting to make her feel bad.
“Oh.”
There was a mess of ribbons and paper in her lap, Steve was right, she really hadn’t been paying enough attention. She really was starting to wonder if he knew. Was it obvious when she was thinking about him?
The following week the entire town seemed to be covered in pink and red with flowers in every store window. It made Steve smile as he walked, it was like seeing a little reminder of her everywhere. Because like always, he had missed her all day like he hadn’t seen the night before.
It was strange, he should've hated everything about Valentines, he was lovelorn for a girl who was one of his closest friends. But it was hard to be miserable while being in love with her, no matter if she didn't feel it back.
Sometimes it hurt, sometimes his whole body ached, but then she'd smile at him or talk and it would be worth it. He got to the florists, he hadn't remembered how, he guess he got too caught up in thinking about her, but he was here now.
The little bell above the door rang as she came out to greet him. She had no idea how hot the back of his neck had gotten from just seeing her, And when she threw her arms around him, he worried she might feel the thumping of his heart through his coat.
“Oh, Stevie, I missed you.” He smiled, holding her a little tighter, his hands spread across her back. “The ride home was so much quicker last night.” She pulled back, pouting a little, he was so very glad she agreed with him. Even if it took the same time as always.
“I know but at least we can hang out tonight.” He took the keys from her fingers, he always locked up for her this time of year. Steve hated her getting cold hands because she was fussing with the door lock.
He wasn’t just driving her home tonight, they were heading to some bar Robin had been obsessing over. Steve didn’t care for crowded or even empty bars much anymore but he doubted he could’ve gotten out of it, plus the second Robin said that the girl standing beside him, waiting for him to lock up was going, he knew he would be too.
She smiled at that. “Sounds like a plan.” She started to walk off, she knew where his car was, and she knew Steve would follow.
Everyone was talking over the music playing, huddled up in some corner even though it was Hakwins and the bar was half empty. He didn’t mind that everyone was practically sitting on top of each other because Steve was sitting next to her.
Her thighs were pressing into his, their knees accidently touching every time the other moved even just slightly. And every time she laughed or spoke, he was the first to hear it. He could feel the heat coming off her, it only made the perfume sitting on her neck stronger, but being this close made Steve more quiet then normal.
How was he supposed to talk or even join in in any conversion happening before him when she was right there. Lips smudged with something shiny that could easily become sticky, eyes batting away like she had no idea what she was doing to him.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her in front of all their friends. He wanted to kiss her hidden away in the bathroom just for them to know. He wanted to kiss her everywhere.
“Right Steve?”
He turned hearing his name and hurt his neck from the sudden snap of attention. He really hadn’t been listening and suddenly everyone was looking at him, and some of them, mostly Robin and Eddie, seemed to be laughing about something.
The girl beside him looked bashfully at the floor, what had he missed?
“Yeah.” Steve wanted nothing more than to be left back out of the conversation. They seemed to take his voice breaking response, which was slightly embarrassing, and carry on talking amongst themselves. “What was that about?” He whispered to the girl next to him.
“They were just joking about-” She stopped herself, she was nervous, he could always tell. “About, about you staring at me.” She continued staring at the floor like she didn’t find the joke funny at all. He didn’t either.
She hadn’t thought he was staring. She presumed everyone was making a joke that she just didn’t understand. Why would he be looking at her and why would that be so funny to them? But then the red hint in Steve’s cheeks gave him away.
Maybe he had been staring. She looked at him and it felt different, she felt different. She was flustered now, more than she ever had been when any other boy had looked at her. And there was something darker in his eyes, something wanting that made her lips suddenly feel so unused.
They didn’t talk much for the rest of the night, better yet, Steve didn’t talk much. He just whispered to her when he had missed something or when he was asking her if she wanted a drink. It made her wonder why he had even gone.
They left together because they always did, someone else could't given her a ride home but Steve always did so why would they. It wasn’t even a question anymore, he was just always willing and ready to get her home safe.
He grabbed her hand to lead her out after saying goodbye, it wasn’t busy enough for him to have to do it but she didn’t let go. He held her hand gently but there was no chance of her slipping from his hold. She didn’t think her hand would’ve let her let his go anyway, so instead she squeezed his hand back and followed him outside.
Steve let her go the second the cold air hit, maybe his hands were just cold but it still made her heart sink. It would’ve been nice to hold his hand for a little longer, it would've been nice to stay longer too, not for the drinks or necessarily the comply, but because it was nice sitting so close to Steve.
She could’ve rested her head on his shoulder and stayed there all night if he wanted.
He stopped, right in the middle of the road, by where his car was parked. She almost walked right into him, too preoccupied thinking about how much bigger his hand was to hers. He was breathing deeply and quickly, it must’ve been the cold.
But she wasn’t so sure because when she looked up at him, he had this look in his eyes, something she could’ve mistaken for being afraid but she couldn’t tell. He almost looked sad in a way, kind of like his heart was hanging vulnerably off his sleeve. She didn’t know what he could’ve been so twisted over, nothing had happened.
Unless-
Steve stepped forward, the ends of his sneakers brushing hers. It made her lightheaded, she could practically taste the peppermint on his tongue, mixing with the Pepsi he had drunk. It was completely head spinning and he was getting too close. They had never been this close before, had they?
She felt the air getting thinner as her eyes fell on his lips.
She stumbled back slightly, her back hitting against his passenger door. She never moved away from him on purpose, she always leaned towards him but having him so close was making her nervous. Steve only followed her.
He was warm, she could feel the heat coming off him, or maybe he was just making her hot, she couldn’t tell anymore.
He went to say something, parting his lips but letting no sound out. He just kept breathing in like he had forgotten to breathe out. He placed his hand on the roof of his car, trying to steady himself but for her, that only shut everything else out. All she could think or feel was Steve. Steve, Steve, and she-
“Can I kiss you, please?” He sounded desperate, they way he said it was so sweet, so Steve. He wasn’t just asking to kiss her he was begging, his eyes were soft and sad and he wanted to kiss her. No one had ever said please when asking to do anything to her before.
She nodded, quickly. She didn’t think she could have spoken without stuttering or making a fool of herself. He pressed a hand to her waist, his thumb digging into her soft skin, making her feel jealous of every girl who had been in this position before.
He tilted his head down, lips just ghosting over hers for a moment, his nose nudging against her own. As he wet his lips in anticipation he accidentally touched her bottom lip and that was enough to break the softness of the moment they were having.
Suddenly he was kissing her. Pressed up against his car in the middle of the street. He really did taste like Pepsi and peppermint, she hadn't imagined that. The taste of him glossed over her lips and she barely noticed Steve’s hand leaving her side just to wrap around her wrist and put her hand on his neck.
The car door was cold against her back but she didn;t mind because Steve’s hands were warm, his neck was hot and his lips were burning. “God, I love you.” She heard him mutter between kisses and her heart stopped.
It was all she had ever wanted to hear him say and yet she was completely unprepared for how the words from his lips would stitch onto her heart with the sharpest needle. He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, this time breathing out too.
His eyes were closed and he looked prettier than ever with her lip gloss smudge across his face and his cheeks flushed red. She found she quite liked having her hands around his neck, she tagged her fingers in his hair, not missing the slight groan he made at the feeling.
He looked down at her, that little hint of fear back in his eyes. She wanted to kiss that feeling away, like he had done for her. She decided on admitting what she had known for a long time instead. “I love you too Steve.”
He instantly smiled, a boyish, lovesick, Steve Harrington kind of smile. He held her face delicately, tilted her jaw up, rubbing his thumb over the corner of her lip. “Hey,” He quickly kissed where his touch had traced, making her smile. “What are you doing on Valentine's day?”
She shook her head and he laughed softly at her. He couldn’t be doing what she thought he was, she had just told him she loved him, he had told her he loved her, he couldn't be asking if-
“Wanna go out with me?”
Oh sweet Steve.
He turned up at her door on February fourteenth, a collection of pink and orange Lilies in his hand, tied together with a white ribbon, he hadn’t got them from her so he must’ve gone out of town. The little sentiment made her heart leap.
He had sweater hair, like he had been rushing to get ready and pulled his red jumper over his head and forgotten how the static made his hair so fluffy. He looked soft and sweet, and that was before she even noticed the red vines in his other hand.
Steve’s eyes flickered over her little dress, over the wool cardigan keeping her warm, it was a soft pink that made the white of her dress look even more pure. She looked like how he imagined this holiday would look if they were a person.
“You look, you’re-, always so-” She felt her face burn, he was stuttering because of her. He stepped through the doorway, feeling like he might just fall to the floor at any moment. “You’re just so pretty.”
His eyes never left her as he said it, he was shaking his head like he almost didn’t believe it. He handed her the flowers, smiling at the way she held them close and breathed them in. She was already saddened that one day they were going to wilt and die, she'd have to keep the ribbon somewhere for safe keeping.
“You’re pretty too Stevie.” She didn’t mean much by saying it, she was so busy looking at her flowers that the thought just slipped past her lips in a soft mutter. She shut her door and went to place them on the kitchen table, he just followed her like she guessed he would.
The blush in Steve’s cheeks came out, spreading a little to his neck. The freckles that dotted across his skin were always such a distraction for her, the way his neck strained was too, and now she could add how it looked flushed to her list of distractions. She wondered what it might be like to kiss his neck.
His hand slipped over the backs on one of the chairs as he stepped closer to her, she stayed still this time, anxious for him to be nearer.
“Stop you’re going to make tonight torture.” He breathed out desperately, making her head hurt, not knowing that her simple words had made his entire soul ache for her.
He held his hand to her cheek, smoothing her skin with his thumb, catching her eyes in the sparkling chandelier hanging above them. The light touching across his face made him look kissable, not that he didn’t before, but it was somehow worse now.
She swallowed down nervously, last time he had kissed her it had been perfect, but this moment felt a little different, they knew what it was like now, and Steve hadn’t kissed her again since, he said he wanted to take her out properly first, which had been torture,
“You’re the one doing that.” She whispered to him, hands getting lost in his hair as he smirked down at her. She pulled slightly, letting him know she wanted nothing more for him to kiss her again. Their plans for the night slowly slipping away, because once Steve kissed her he wouldn’t be able to stop.
summary: a movie night, a confession, an offer, your Calvin's bunched up on the floor of your best friend's BMW...and other places | 18+ Only, NSFW | main menu
the song: Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds - all of steve's music
6.6k words
warnings: "inexperienced" reader - in the form of never really making out/receiving none/not great foreplay - masturbating for comfort/ease before sex, SMUT (public - in the back of Steve's car - "caught" by Hopper when you're done, oral, fingering, steve cums in his levi's cause I'm a sucker for doing this to him, what can I say?)
A/N: Once upon a time, I asked for requests, and I failed to fulfill many of them (you may have heard this story before), but this one sat in the drafts for many many months, and then I really chickened out posting it for a long time. Everyone say thanks to @palmtreesx3 - I owe her and the request for the prompt "we're not really just best friends, are we?"(which isn't even used in this, but you get the picture) and The Breakfast Club for this fic 💛
He didn’t hear it at first, over the last remaining popping kernels.
“What?” He called around a mouthful of the snack he was already dipping into before it was finished.
In the other room, your attention was strictly on Judd Nelson, but you tried again, with no real power or meaning behind the words.
“Want me to pause it?”
“No,” he shook his head and rolled his eyes to no one but himself in the kitchen, “Don’t think you need to pause the movie I’ve seen three times…this week.”
“I’d love one, thanks!”
Steve snorted at your response that made no sense, it becoming apparent you weren’t listening to him at all.
He should have known this was his fate after the way you acted when it was showing at The Hawk. You saw it with him, then Robin, then Nancy, and Steve put his foot down when you tried to drag him down there for a fourth time.
Now here he was, dumping the popcorn into a large bowl and watching it again. He didn’t even know what number of views he was on with you, which had him worried about your sanity, ‘cause you had to be watching it without him too.
Steve snagged two cans of Coke out of the fridge, assuming that’s what you’d love one of, and kicked the door closed with his heel.
He cradled the popcorn bowl against his side and held each of the cans with one hand and spread fingers, socked feet slipping on the hardwoods when he rounded the corner and saw you again.
Despite becoming incredibly bored by the movie, he did love watching you watch it, because somehow, it’s as if you’re watching it for the first time every time.
Your white tube socks were stark against the dark wood of the coffee table, bunching around your ankles that led him to the exposed skin of your calves. Which led to the way your blue skirt fanned over your thighs all nice, then the Queen shirt he got you for your birthday tucked into it, your thumb between your teeth with your eyebrows bunched together.
His best friend was really fucking pretty.
He almost said it out loud, which had him flopping onto the couch a little quickly, a little too heavy with his fall. Careless in his aim of the cushion and causing popcorn to spill from the bowl into your lap as his shoulder jostled yours.
Before he could even say sorry, you were grabbing the popcorn from your lap like it was the bowl, blissfully unaware it wasn’t, all the while making heart eyes at dreamy Bender.
“Thanks,” your appreciation came out heavy around the buttery and salty handful of the snack, the Coke you’d love sitting on the coffee table, already forgotten.
Steve hummed, his amused lips twitched in a losing fight against a smile at your captivated stare fixated on the screen. He suppressed an eye roll at the scene about to happen, as he swiped condensation off the cool metal of the can with his thumb.
He popped the drink open with a loud hiss, slurping his first sip - a habit you’d normally swat at his chest for - but you were too busy focusing on the words about to leave Judd’s mouth.
“Have you ever kissed a boy on the mouth?”
They sort of just tumbled out of Steve too, while his eyes glanced over the popcorn bowl, searching for a perfectly buttery piece. Which is why he didn’t see that he, your best friend, quoting the scene that has dialogue that got you all hot and bothered more than others, had your entire body freezing.
Steve tossed the acquired piece into the air, catching it in his mouth before he turned to face your profile. He found you with widened eyes, chest rising and falling a little too quickly, and he grinned.
“Have you ever been felt up…over the bra…under the blouse…your shoes off, hoping to god your parents don’t walk in?”
He’s simply delighted when he quotes the scene again and your body shifts, toes curling as you arched your neck away from. You kept your eyes on the screen, not giving him the satisfaction of eye contact because of what he was slowly, finally, realizing.
You were totally turned on and he couldn’t wait to tease you about it forever.
Steve leaned in closer, whispering along with the movie, “Over the panties…no bra…blouse unbuttoned…Calvin’s in a ball on the front seat past eleven on a school night?”
He’s gearing up, about to tease you, make some dumb boy comment about being hot for the school freak, when your quiet, barely a breath response had him pausing.
“No.”
Did you just say that out loud?!
Your head turned to find Steve blinking at you, creases in his forehead deepening beneath the stray locks of hair that fell forward.
Looks like you did.
“Ste-”
“What? What do you mean no?”
Your eyes closed when you both spoke at the same time, avoiding his curious stare. Hands roamed to your cheeks to hide your face as your head fell towards your knees.
As you shook your head no, your response gets muffled into your skirt. “I meant no.”
Steve’s hand nudged at your shoulder, prodding for clarity and for you to sit up. He failed to sound casual when his question came out incredulously.
“No, you’ve never kissed a guy?”
Your hands still covered your face as you fell back against the couch with a groan, “No, I..I have. I just…”
Steve pulled at your hands, his heart racing like it was overtime. All these years, he thought you’d been with all these other guys, his quiet jealousy seething under the surface of his tinged green from envy skin.
A breath, well, more of a huff really, slipped past your lips as your gaze dropped to the hands holding yours in your lap. “I’ve never really made out with anyone? Just like…a quick kiss or two. I don’t even know, can you even count it as kissing? Over before it starts kind of thing…”
The ramble trailed off, the room silent save for the movie still playing and the giant, loud, big, fat, zero response from Steve. You counted the threads in the carpet, the pieces of popcorn in the bowl as your skin grew hotter and hotter from the reveal he’s left just hanging there until he finally sputtered out a sorry excuse for one.
“Are you shitting me? We’re like…old.”
It doesn’t come out how he meant it to at all, he’s just shocked. He’s wincing almost immediately as the words reach his ears and brain, he knows how it sounded. He wishes he could take it back when your head whips up, hurt eyes meeting his as you ripped your hands away from him.
“Yeah, Steve,” you scoffed, jaw pulsing as your voice dripped with sarcasm that tried to cover the embarrassment, “I’m shitting you. Thought it’d be real funny to trick you into thinking your best friend is a loser who’s barely been kissed even though she’s so old.”
Pieces of popcorn fell from your lap as you stood, not letting yourself wonder where they came from as you stomped around the coffee table and towards his entryway.
“No, honey, wait-” he stumbled after you, spilling Coke down the front of his shirt as he did, “Shit.”
He patted at his chest like it’d do anything, shirt damp and sticking to his skin as he rounded the corner and found you lacing up your converse and shaking your head.
“It’s fine, Steve. I’m fine. I just don’t feel like talking about it. I’m gonna go home. Don’t worry about it. Girl stuff.”
“No, please, I didn’t mean-”
His words stopped just as abruptly as your body, when the front door swung open to reveal an out of nowhere downpour.
Your head fell as you started to ask, and he was already one step ahead of you.
“Can you please-”
“I’ll grab my keys.”
He was tripping up his stairs by the time he finished saying it. When he returned, it was in a clean shirt, jumping from the second to last step as he swirled the keys around his pointer finger.
The light blue fabric of his new shirt pulled at his shoulders that hunched when your glare remained unwavering despite the apologetic puppy dog eyes he had going for him.
You understood Steve didn’t mean for the comment to start the hole he was digging, and you knew you weren’t being fair for being so upset. It’s not like it was his fault, it was just your own insecurities manifesting in an anger towards him.
The nagging feeling of being some sort of freak who’d never made out while even the little twerps who clung to Steve were, while your best friend was Steve Harrington, former king of Hawkins High only grew stronger. The thought of Steve thinking you were some sort of weirdo for being old and never making out had something in your gut churning, had a familiar sting behind your eyes forming that you tried your best to ignore.
When Steve opened his mouth, about to try to make it all better again, you simply turned on your heel and stalked out into the rain. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at the way you stomped through it, pretending to not be drowned.
He quickly rushed behind you and got to the door first and swung it open, to which you rolled your eyes at, but slid in and got comfortable while he closed it for you nonetheless.
Unsure why he went and changed as he raced around the hood and shot into the driver’s seat, totally soaked through to his skin now. He cranked the heat before swiping fingers over his eyes, a large hand ran through his hair and pushed it back only for it to fall into his eyes again. Steve reached over with wet and shaking fingers at the same time you held yours up, both of you pausing and glancing at the other’s hands.
Steve was about to cup your fingers between his and blow warm breath onto them, just like he always did, but you ripped your hands down to your lap, and curled your body against the door, like you needed to be as far from him as you could be.
Your damp forehead touched the cool glass of the window as he sighed, “Please don’t-”
“Just take me home, please?”
The tone in which the words were said has something in his chest breaking. Like you were really fucking sad, embarassed, it was a real plea to just take you home and leave you alone.
So he wasn’t gonna do that, ‘cause he never was a great listener, so why start now?
He pretends though, he backs out of the driveway and heads in the direction of your apartment. He lets the radio fill the space and he turns the heat down when the air inside the car is heavier and warm despite your cold shoulder. The orange glow of the street lights slanted inside the car in a soothing rhythm as his wheels spun over the pavement until he was coming to the last four way stop before your apartment.
It unfolds just as he had planned, when he’s still stopped at the deserted intersection, as your breath fogged up the glass when you asked, “Harrington, you planning on leaving the intersection anytime soon?”
His bottom lip wobbled as his teeth continued to press into it, thick fingers rubbing at a scruff dotted jaw as he thought out loud in an attempt to sway you.
“Well, you see, I could go straight and take you home-” he started.
“Right. Let’s do that.” You waved your hand towards the direction of the apartment that held the ice cream you were desperate to eat and wallow with while watching Pretty In Pink.
“Or,” Steve interrupted right back, tapping on the steering wheel with his finger as he did, “I could go to the right. Pull into the diner. Buy you a milkshake and say sorry?”
The thing was, he was gonna go to the right regardless of your answer. He knew once you pulled into the parking lot there was no way you’d not at least go in and get fries and a shake, if not a whole burger. You’d done this dance before, him putting his foot in his mouth was not a new occurrence.
Your lips twitched, but your arms stayed crossed as he hummed and whispered, “Tough choice…tough choice…”
Shoulders fell in defeat, but your mouth stayed downturned in a forced frown as you grumbled, “And fries.”
Steve smiled, turned on his blinker and nodded. He cleared his throat.
“And fries. Definitely.”
“And none of that you order yourself a vanilla shake and I order strawberry and you drink half of mine because it’s better and eat all the fries shit.”
“Of course,” Steve scoffed, “I would never do that.”
Steve slipped his straw into your shake, pulling the glass across the sticky tabletop as you did the same with his. He tried not to smirk around the straw when you did, dipping a fry in his vanilla he ordered for a reason despite the strawberry being better.
“Do you think Claire is a prude for never doing anything?”
He shook his head no almost immediately, swiping at stray ice cream from the corner of his mouth with his tongue.
You fiddled with the straw wrapped between your fingers and narrowed your eyes at him.
“Would your answer be the same if, say, Eddie was sitting here asking you? Not me, your best friend, who you have sudden pity for?”
He blinked at you and sighed, “I don’t have pity for you.”
“Your mouth and your eyes are telling two different stories Harrington,” you waved a fry at him as you spoke, gesturing to his face with it.
Your gaze stayed on the fry you were ripping in half, focused on watching it sink into the sweet vanilla as he dared to say, “I just don’t get it.”
“What, that I haven’t done that and I’m so old,” you tried to tease, to move past it.
But the way you were licking salt off your finger had him wondering if he swiped his own through the salt on the tray and pushed the pad against your lips if they would part like they were now, if he could taste it on your lips if he just leaned forward and-
“No, ‘cause you’re so fucking pretty.”
He definitely said it out loud that time.
You blinked at him, cheeks suddenly too warm for the cold and damp Spring that had been surrounding you all day.
“Ste-”
“And so smart,” he licked his lips, leaning forward, unable to stop now that it was out, “And funny. And…and sweet, you’ve got the biggest heart of anyone I know, I just don’t understand how guys aren’t falling over themselves, unable to do anything but make out with you, or more or-”
“I never said I didn’t do more,” you whispered, ignoring all of his compliments that made your chest feel all tight and sticky and choosing to argue with him instead because that was easier.
“But you said…if you haven’t made out with anyone…”
Your body slipped lower against the squeaky seat, embarrassed as you shrugged and Steve felt too hot in the tiny little booth, thinking about all those guys’ hands on you again, and then what you said, what it meant, really clicked.
“Hold on…how…how’d…you didn’t, build up to it?” He asked softly, eyes bouncing over your face with worry.
“Steve,” you grabbed for the other shake, and sat up straighter, “We don’t need to talk about this. It’s not import-”
“It’s so important,” he grabbed your hand and squeezed your fingers lightly, “Half the fun is all the build up to it. And,” he swallowed, forehead creasing with deeper worry, “And then it, it doesn’t hurt. ‘Cause tell me if I’m wrong, but if they weren’t making out with you, were they doing anything to make sure you felt good?”
You squirmed in your seat, fingers pushing up against his mindlessly, aimlessly, as you shrugged again. “It’s only hurt a few times. I learned that if I…um, If I got myself ready beforehand, that I was, uh, more comfortable.”
Steve’s fingers let go of yours with the excuse of grabbing a fry, because he was trying not to be a gross guy, but all he could think about was you in your bedroom, with your fingers between your thighs now. Did you play music? What song? Did you have underwear on? What color? With a shirt that your nipples were visibly hard through as you touched yourself and maybe it was his shirt or maybe you said his name or-
“Right,” Steve nodded, “Um, right. And that’s great, lots of people do that for a date, so like if you need or want to beforehand that’s not…that’s great. It just shouldn’t be the only thing, you know? They should be putting in the work, they should be wanting to. And dates! They should watch a movie with you, and dinner and drive around and then kiss so much you feel dizzy and then if you want, more.”
He finished his rambling speech and you smiled softly, unsure of what to say, because you knew he wasn’t wrong, it’s just that they had.
“They did,” you sighed, “Well, not Paul.”
Steve scowled at the table, “Yeah, well, I’m sure you weren’t missing much. Who wants to yell out Paul?”
“Oh,” you laughed, “And Steve is so much better?”
He looked up at you, your smile sweet and kind and your eyes a little sad, but trying not to be and he wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell you that if it was those lips and that voice saying it, it was better, because how could it not be? Like his name only had the best letters, like it belonged to the best guy in the world, one that belonged to you and no one else.
But you were swiping at ice cream on your lips and sighing, saying something that made his chest ache instead.
“They were nice dates. And it’s not like the sex was bad. But,” you looked out the window, eyes tracking the droplets of rain twinged neon from the light hanging above you both, “The kissing till I’m dizzy sounds nice. Is it…is it fun?”
“Yeah,” Steve whispered, admiring the way the red and blue lit up your profile before you turned to face him.
And then he was saying something before he really thought it through, because god you weren’t just fucking pretty, you were the most beautiful person he’d ever met and no way in hell was he letting anyone treat you the way you’d been ever again. So this was his chance, and he was taking the leap.
“I could…” he blew out a breath and smiled. He sat up straighter, and he searched for some sort of lingering king steve confidence he could latch onto without all the douche as he asked, “I could show you?”
To both of your surprise, you’d said yes, and he paid and you were in the car, driving, and parked somewhere in what felt like seconds. Now your best friend sat across from you, both of you facing the center console, but not daring to do more.
The rain beat against the roof of the maroon car, each drop a punctuated tick of a nonexistent clock - a meter for how much time was passing without movement, without words. Just both of your breathing filled the space. First exhaling, then desperately inhaling for more air as your chests rose and fell ragged. And then, like in some unspoken agreement only best friends can have, you both started to lean forward cause you just knew.
Your heart’s thrum threatened to drown out the rain, building and building, screaming to break out of your chest, pounding in your ears while your cheeks grew warm and your stomach dipped as Steve’s tongue slipped out quickly and wetted his lips.
But then he leaned and his eyes started to close and you giggled, fingers slipping over your lips as his eyelids shot open.
“Sorry,” you gasped and shook your head and your hands out as you tried to be serious, “Your ‘I’m about to kiss you’ face is real cute, Harrington.”
Tried being the definitive word.
“Cute?” He groaned, smiling, “Not sexy?”
You leaned in, faster this time, a smile matching his as you shrugged, “It’s nice. Never thought I’d be on the opposite side of it, is all.”
It’s easy to tilt your head and welcome the hand that reached up to cradle your jaw as he softly promised, “Your ‘I’m about to be kissed face’ is really cute too.”
The pad of his thumb brushed over the apple of your cheek in the tenderest touch you’d ever felt, before his fingers curled under your jaw and tilted you gently, slowly, up so his lips were right over yours.
It felt like he was handling you like the most precious and fragile thing, like a prized possession that he’d only ever hold with care and never let another soul touch.
His breath fanned over yours, warm and sweet smelling, vanilla and cherry just out of reach for you to taste as you dared to quip back again. “Alright, I’m gonna have to cross reference these lines with other girls you’ve promised to make dizzy, Harrington, cause if that’s the first time you’ve used that, I’m afraid it’s far too smooth…”
Steve’s heart felt like it was trying to claw out of his chest as you laughed, smiling at him when he responded, “And, I think that’s enough out of you.”
Which you couldn’t help but reply back to with, “Yeah? Have some fancy trick to get me to stop talking?”
He laughed, low, muffled and deep in his chest. “A few.”
A sharp inhale slipped past your lips when his nose bumps yours, not realizing how close he’d gotten while you joked back and forth nervously. There wasn’t a protocol on how to let your best show you a proper make out, on how to just dive in and start, you just knew you wanted to.
Steve’s swallow bobbed his adams apple as the leather beneath you creaked from shifting weight, needing to get closer. And as you did, his eyes found yours, mossy and dark in the low light, the browns and golds washed away in the rain. Their gaze flitted down to your lips, back up to fluttering eyelashes, and then his own eyelids were closing.
All it took was another breath in, an exhale out, and his lips were on yours. A simple, slow press, holding your top lip between the both of his. Strawberry and vanilla teasing you, and soon he was moving, now bottom lip between his and you got it. Your mouths parted together, lips slotting in a rhythm that came naturally, that clicked.
Something in your stomach fizzled and crackled like the sparklers you lit every year in his driveway on the fourth as the sigh from his nose hit your cheek. Body warm and sticky in a way that was usually reserved for Summer when his fingers skated over your jaw, up and around your ear, until they were cradling the back of your neck and pulling you closer. His mouth moved with yours in a way that could only be described as frantically graceful - needing more, hurried, hungry, but with the promise and precision of someone who knew what he was doing. It had your stomach dipping, like a freefall, like the greatest and scariest thing you’d ever felt.
If he’d have opened his eyes, he’d have found you with your hands suspended between your bodies though. Fingers not quite brave enough to reach up and get lost in his hair, but not content to just sit in your lap and do nothing either.
And if you'd opened your eyes, you’d have found his other hand gripping the center console like he was hanging on for dear life. ‘Cause holy shit was he trying to go slow, but kissing you was like chasing the last few minutes of sunlight in July - sweet and fleeting and magic - something you needed to make last, to soak up every last drop of until you couldn’t any more, not by choice, but because the sun has to set and he has to breathe.
In a shared gasp for air, you parted, but his lips were back on yours immediately, making your stomach swoop even more, like an entire family of butterflies had decided - hey, we live here now and we’re gonna make a ruckus so get used to it.
You didn’t mind.
Steve’s fingers found yours and without breaking his rhythm, he tugged, guiding them to his shoulders that were practically on your side of the console now, which wasn’t doing something great to his already somersaulting stomach.
He slowed down as your fingers brushed over and back on the collar of his shirt and his hands cradled both of your cheeks, pulling you off of his lips regretfully. You were both breathing like you’d run a marathon, his forehead pressed to yours as he gasped out, “Dizzy yet?”
“No,” you lied.
He grinned, tip of his nose tracing the bridge of yours as he admitted, “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you like that.”
You couldn’t even respond, couldn’t tell him you wanted that too, couldn’t tell him that it was something you only dared let a daydream or two convince you it could happen before you were shutting it down, cause he was still talking.
“And now that I have,” he swallowed, his thumbs glided down opposite sides of your neck as he shook his head, “I’m never stopping.”
Then he was kissing you again, and if you thought he was frantic before…
You had this feeling that even if those other guys had made out with you, kissing them wasn’t and never would be the same as kissing Steve Harrington.
Soon one of your feet was on the seat, the other bracing yourself in the footwell. He had a hand on your hip and the other on the back of your neck and yours were finally starting to dare to journey past their spot on his shoulders and then your skirt was caught on the gearshift and he was stopping you again.
“Honey, what are you doing?”
“So was that ‘never stopping’ just a nice sentiment or are you planning to back it up with action?” You huffed, distracted by pink lips that twisted into a crooked smile as he looked at your pretzeled body.
Your shoulders fell as you nodded your head towards his side of the car and admitted, “I just want to be closer.”
“Oh, right.” Steve swallowed, and you wondered if it’d be weird if you kissed every freckle and mole you could find on his throat. Something told you he wouldn’t mind when he asked, a little more eager than you’d heard tonight, “Backseat?”
And you clambered out of the car, the slowing rain soothing to heated and flushed skin under the mussed clothes, and then you were both meeting in the backseat, but the nerves returned. The way you both glanced at the space between you and were immediately and acutely aware of the lack of anything between you except doubt and fear. Was this a mistake? What about your friendship?
Steve looked at the space, at you, and then held up his finger in the symbol for one sec as he said, “Hold on,” and half climbed back into the front seat. His torso draped over the console as he loudly opened the glovebox and rummaged around inside, before he was fiddling with the radio, and falling back into the seat.
His cheeks pink, but his smile wide as he looked at you again. “Hey! I’m so glad we could do this tonight. You look beautiful. Ready to watch your favorite movie?”
“Wh-what?” You laughed, totally and utterly confused.
He tugged on your fingers, and pulled you to the middle, until you were slouched next to each other, shoulders touching as he shushed and said, “The Breakfast Club is starting.”
And the music playing over the radio,Simple Minds, a cassette he must have put in, had your chest swelling with something that was sure to burst and explode and kill you, because the boy was actually pretending you were on a couch, on a date, in a living room, watching a movie - it was perfectly Steve and you, and the best first date you’d ever been on.
His left hand picked up yours, resting it on your thigh and played with your fingers. The pads of his traced up and down and over your hand as he stared at the windshield, his temple resting against yours. The music played, and his fingertips swooped between the curves of each finger aimlessly, the sides of his fingers running down yours and back up making it really hard to concentrate on the non-existent flick.
When you finally relaxed into his side, when you flipped your hand over so he could draw little loop de loops on your palm, he quietly asked, “Who’s your favorite?”
“Brian,” said without hesitation.
Steve groaned, in pain, “Ugh, you would like him the best.”
You laughed, turning to look up at him a bit from where your head had fallen to his shoulder, “Don’t knock him Steve,” you spoke softly, fondly, “You’re a lot more of a dork like him than you think.”
Steve made a pft noise, fingers now interlaced with yours as he turned his head, the tip of his nose touching yours as he looked down at you with the sort of look the guys give the girls in the movies, one that should be illegal from the way it had that family of butterflies shouting about their presence again and fluttering around.
“Hey Steve?”
“Hmm?” He hummed, eyelashes fluttering as he sighed when your thumb brushed over his knuckles.
“This is a really great…first date?” You asked, hopeful that it wasn’t just an offer, that you weren’t some game, that the guy next to you was just as crazy about you as you were him.
“Yeah?” He smiled, proud, and then bragged, “Wait till the second one.”
It was your turn to hum, to look into his eyes and get a little lost as his mouth parted and you both scooted closer, waiting, as he squeezed your fingers wrapped around his.
“You’re making the ‘I’m about to kiss you face’ again, Steve,” you whispered, lips brushing his as you did.
“Right,” he whispered back, bottom lip catching yours as he suggested, “Which means you should probably stop talking again.”
This kiss wasn’t as easy and smooth, made difficult by grins of fools who were totally in love but wouldn’t admit it just yet, but how could you both not be after years together?
But you smoothed it out quickly, and soon he was swiping his tongue over your bottom lip as his hand gripped at your waist a little tightly. He traced over your top lip as your entire body turned towards his, like a plant in search of sunlight, his body on yours fundamental to your survival.
He gasped as you straddled him, your mouth swallowing the sound as his hands roamed up your sides, taking the hem of your shirt with it so his fingers could scrape at the skin just under your ribs before they dared to drift along the band of your bra.
You let out a sound that he’d never forget as long as he lived when you finally lowered yourself, skirt fanning over your laps so the sinful way he pressed up against your pristine soaked Calvin’s was slightly hidden. The unclip of your bra and the removal and toss over the seat was fluid, and you couldn’t think about it because the way his hand on your chest felt, the thumb over a pebbled nipple was something you’d only let yourself think about in moments of need before a date that wasn’t him.
Steve was wrong, the build up was more than half the fun.
The way his hands buzzed against your spine like the air after fireworks, the way his tongue brushed yours, the way he couldn’t help but guide your hips to rock against him. Denim hitting cotton in the exact right spot so the nerves underneath it got the friction they were aching for, while your mind ran away from you, thoughts about how this was just getting started. How there was more.
His lips left yours and his smile pressed to your jaw when the action got a soft whimper to fall from you. He tutted into your neck, lips grazing over an erratic pulse as he whispered, “Can I touch you?”
“Is that,” your breath hitched around the words as his tongue licked a thick stripe over your neck that extended, “Is that a part of making me dizzy or the more, when I’m sufficiently so?”
“You’re not yet?” His teeth scraped at where his tongue had just been. “I like when you say words like sufficiently, ‘s’hot.”
You laughed as his lips kissed the same spot, and then he was sucking, skin beneath his tongue warm and sending a message to your brain that you liked that a lot.
“Yeah,” you hiccuped, eyelids fluttering in their view of the car’s roof as you arched and his hands gripped your hips, “Yeah, touch me.”
He didn’t have to be told twice, arm around your waist holding you steady while the other traveled under the hem of your skirt. His mouth moved to below your ear and as his fingers glided up your thigh. He sucked and kissed, and sent that message to your brain again, having you say his name and god’s in the same desperate sentence.
Steve wasn’t gonna last much longer.
Especially when his fingers met the wet cotton and you moaned, so much filthier than he’d have thought possible. Especially when he circled over your clit through the fabric and you rolled your hips with the movement, far dirtier than he thought you were capable of.
“Fuck baby, you’re soaked.” He mouthed at the collar of your rucked up shirt, looking down at the way your hips rolled over his but he couldn’t quite see what was underneath.
You hid in the crook of his neck, hot, and you didn’t know if it was because the windows were fogged and Steve was so fucking good at this or because you were embarassed by how turned on you were from his next words.
“Please, I gotta,” he slipped a finger under the fabric and you shuddered as it ran down your slick and back up, “I gotta taste you. I need to put my mouth on you. Let me make you feel good, yeah?”
You were on your back, Calvin’s in a ball on the front seat, with Steve crouched between your thighs not even a minute later.
Thick fingers toyed with the hem of your skirt from his spot, blown out pupils taking over his stare up at you. One of your converse pushed to the other side of the car against the door as your fingers curled around the base of the sweating window above you.
Steve kissed your knee, and made his way higher between your legs slowly, until he was flipping your skirt up and swallowing as he stared at the space like it was a fucking artwork.
You giggled, nervously under the intense awestruck stare, squeezing your eyes shut as he strained to get out, “Fuck, honey, you’re trying to kill me.”
He was mesmerized, the way you clenched around nothing, his thumbs spreading you so he could see just how wet you were for him.
He was really not gonna last much longer. Straining in his jeans painfully like a teenager.
And that was before you whimpered, before you said:
“Steve, please.”
“Only,” he swallowed, leaning down so his breath hit your cunt in a way that had your hips wiggling, and him closing his eyes, “Only cause you asked so nicely.”
His thumbs held you open, massaging the sides as his tongue licked once, slow and broad, following the path of his nose up to your clit. He did it again, and again, and again. Until his fingers were slipping inside of you, pumping in and out of walls that held him tightly and his mouth sucked at your clit. Then you tugged, forcefully at the curls at the back of his head and practically screamed his name. Like it was full of only the best letters. Like it was yours.
Your stomach burned, the butterflies angry and in your chest now too, on fire, but happy about it. Steve’s fingers inside of you and mouth on your clit better than any orgasm you’d ever had, and you couldn’t help it when you came without warning, toes curling inside of your converse that kicked at the door and his thigh, while your fingers slipped on the window and your chest ached for a breath as it yelled his name in a way that the whole world would have to know how you felt when they heard it.
He didn’t pull away until you were gasping and your thighs were shaking and your fingers loosened in his hair. His cheek pressed to your thigh as he stared up at you and gasped out a proud, smug, “I’d like to see Bender of Brian do that.”
You laughed, tired, but happy, and he crawled up your body, kissing any part of it he could find while he ignored the uncomfortable wet patch in the front of his Levi’s.
Except you noticed and raised your eyebrows at it, a little smug yourself as you said, “Bet Claire couldn’t do that.”
Steve rolled his eyes, but then you were both flinching as a loud smack of something hit the back window. He glanced up and cursed under his breath, rolling down the window slightly as he called out from on top of you, “Hey, Hop.”
There was a loud, deep, sigh from outside as you both sat up with apologetic faces and Steve rolled down the window further.
Hopper’s cigarette smoke wafted in as he looked at the pair of you with a touch of surprise when he saw it was you next to Steve in the fogged up beemer. He shook his head, frown under the mustache forced. “It’s past eleven. On a weeknight. Have some decency and do this at home in front of a movie like normal people next time, yeah?”
You both nodded, your teeth pulling at your lip in a terrible attempt at not smiling.
He walked away, and you and Steve slapped hands over each other’s laughs and snorts, but you still managed to catch the quiet, “Bout damn time.”
And when Steve dropped you off at home, with a kiss to seal it all and a promise of a real date tomorrow that he’d pick you up for, you shoved the bunched up Calvin’s in his front pocket with your own promise, whispering in his ear the words “Sincerely, yours” before you left him with his mouth open on the front steps, watching you walk away.
i haven't written for this himbo in a hot minute, so thank you for this anna baby!!! pls enjoy pining jj <33
jj maybank x reader, short lil best friends to lovers + love confession, 1.6k
“Holy shit, he’s here and I’m not ready yet! J, go stall for time!” You exclaimed, angling your head towards your bedroom, where JJ had been camped out on your bed for hours now, having been the poor soul relegated to help you choose an outfit for your date tonight. The doorbell had just rung whilst you were in the middle of doing your makeup, nearly sending you into a frenzy.
“Got it!” He yelled back, heaving himself to his feet and stomping down the hall to answer the door, albeit a bit begrudgingly.
There was nothing he wanted to do less than make small talk with yet another guy that wasn’t him taking you on a date. But you asked, and JJ always did what you asked. It came with the territory of being head over heels in love with your best friend.
He plastered a neutral look on his face, pulling open the front door only to be met with some dude who he vaguely recognized as being one of Sarah’s slightly less stuck up Kook friends—Preston who the fuck knows what. Probably some fancy ass last name like Berkeshire. Harrington. Vanderbilt. Something hyphenated, or with a Jr. or II tacked on the end of it.
Preston something or other looked a bit surprised to see him standing on the other side of the door but recovered quickly, guy nodding at him suavely. “Hey man. Is Y/N here?”
“She’s almost ready.” JJ replied, leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. Preston nodded again, shifting on his feet. He looked nervous, JJ noticed. Good. Then he noticed the bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. “Carnations, huh?”
“Yeah, you think she’ll like them?” He straightened the cellophane surrounding them, tucking a stray leaf back into the bunch.
“Oh, totally.” JJ was being one hundred percent sarcastic, but Preston didn’t know that. If he really knew you at all, he would know that you hated carnations. That you thought they were tacky and too bright. And if JJ wanted to be a good guy, he’d tell Preston before he made the wrong impression on you. But he wasn’t going to. He knew he probably should, but he wasn’t going to. Call him selfish. “So tell me, Preston, what’s the agenda for tonight? Where are y’all going?”
“Uh, nowhere special. Dinner at that new bistro on Main and maybe a walk around town afterward.” Preston chuckled awkwardly, licking his lips.
Damn it. That was actually a really good date idea.
“Preston, hi!” You interjected breathlessly, rushing past JJ to give the other boy a brief hug. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I hope this one didn’t tell you too many embarrassing stories about me.”
“I would never.” JJ mock gasped, pressing a hand against his chest.
“Yes, you would.”
“Alright, maybe I would.” He shrugged. “Anyways, whatever! Get outta here, kids, go have fun. Not too much fun though, Preston my man! No funny business, have her home by eleven, yadda yadda.”
“Bye, J. Try not to burn down the house while I’m gone.”
“I’ll try my best.” He saluted you, ignoring the warmth in his chest when you rolled your eyes playfully at him. Then you were gone, leaving JJ alone.
He did admit, he worked himself up a little too much waiting for you to come home. Maybe he almost paced a hole in the floor just thinking about what could happen if this date actually went well. He could see it now, ten, fifteen years into the future—you were a Figure 8 trophy wife with two kids who looked annoyingly just like Preston, and JJ was still here on the southside, hopelessly in love with his happily married, Kook-converted best friend.
Okay, maybe he was overreacting a little bit, but he couldn’t help it. Nothing he did seemed to quell the thoughts ping-ponging around in his brain; all he could do was wait for you to come home and tell him everything, like you always did.
-------
He straightened up the second he heard your key twisting in the lock, swinging his legs down to the floor from where they’d previously been hooked over the back of the sofa. Play it cool, bro.
“That’s it!” You huffed, throwing open the front door and traipsing inside, kicking off your shoes before flopping down next to him rather dramatically. “I’m calling it now! I’m never gonna find anyone!”
JJ thumped your forehead from where your head had landed in his lap upon landing. “I take it the date didn’t go well?”
“That would be the understatement of a century.”
“Well, I didn’t like him anyways, so.” You squinted up at him, frowning. “What? He got you carnations, Y/N. You hate carnations.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t hate Preston. He seemed nice, but the whole night, he was just…off, I dunno.” You sighed, waving a vague hand. “It was weird, I saw him this morning and he said he was excited, but when he came here it was like his whole vibe changed.” Part of that was probably his interaction with JJ, but the blond boy held his tongue. You sat up, angling yourself to face him with furrowed brows. “What did you say to him when he got here earlier?”
“Me? I didn’t say shit, I was just sussin’ him out. Simply exercising my duty as best friend.”
“Bullshit, you were probably sabotaging me!” Grabbing a pillow, you shoved your face into it, letting out a strangled groan. JJ patted your leg soothingly (he hoped), lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s whatever though. I don’t care anymore. I’m just never gonna find love in this lifetime.”
“Hey, don’t say that,” He chided, easing the pillow away from your face. “That’s not true. You’ll find love.” With me, he wanted to add. He didn’t.
“Thanks, J. But I don’t…I really don’t know anymore. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but it just feels like everytime I think ‘wow, this could be the time’, it just doesn’t work out.” You mumbled, picking at a loose thread at the hem of your shirt. “Makes me think that maybe it’s me, maybe I’m just unlovable.”
And that—you thinking that you were unlovable when JJ had loved you all his life—that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I love you.” He blurted, brows furrowing.
Your breath caught in your chest, and you hesitated a second. “You do?”
“Fuck—yeah. Yeah, I do. ‘Course I do.” He sighed, dragging a hand through his already unruly hair, causing it to spring back in every which way. “How could I not?”
“Since when?”
“Are you kidding me? Since forever, Y/N. Honestly, probably since the first day we met, back when we were what, seven? You told me you liked my hair. Said it reminded you of gold, then you shared your fruit snacks with me. And that,” JJ chuckled, shaking his head, “that stuck with me, ever since then.”
“I remember.” You said softly, the memory bringing a small smile to your face. You’d met JJ on the first day of second grade, and it seemed like you’d just been attached at the hip ever since. He knew everything about you, you knew everything about him—except for the fact that he’d been in love with you ever since.
So really, maybe you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did.
“I can see the gears turning in your head right now.” He bumped his knuckles against your knee, ducking to meet your gaze. “You don’t have to say anything right now, I know it’s—it’s probably hard to take in. But it’s the truth. You were never unloveable, Y/N, you’re fucking perfect. You just…hadn’t found the right guy to love yet. And it might not be me, but I just needed you to know that you’re not doing anything wrong. Those guys are just fucking stupid if they didn’t see what I see in you. What I’ve always seen.”
You didn’t respond, instead just leaning forward and taking his face in your hands and pressing your lips against his, kissing him before you chickened out. If JJ was surprised he masked it well, only taking less than a beat to react. He reached out blindly, hands finding your waist to pull you onto his lap as he kissed you back eagerly.
“That was—what was that?” He breathed, pink lips parted and now shiny with your lipgloss, eyes bluer than the summer sky gazing wide right at you.
“Wanted to see if it felt right.” You whispered.
His chest rose and fell, pushing against yours with every deep breath he took in an attempt to keep calm despite his electric nerves. “And did it?”
“It did.” You confirmed with a nod, a small grin stretching your lips.
Everything was making sense now, like pieces slotting into a lifelong puzzle. The reason you were having such a hard time finding someone to love and someone to love you was because the person you needed and didn’t realize you wanted had been right in front of you for years, and you’d been too blind to see it all this time. But you saw it now.
You saw JJ now, and nothing had been clearer.
“I love you, J.”
JJ’s eyes fluttered shut almost blissfully, head lolling back against the couch cushions. “Shit, you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to hear you say that.” He gave your waist a quick squeeze before letting his hand come up to give himself a light slap on the cheek.
“What’re you doing?” You giggled, tugging his hand away from his face.
“Making sure this isn’t another one of my dreams.”
Your brows lifted teasingly. “You dream about me?”
“All the fucking time, sweetheart.” His fingers traced the inside of your wrist, basking in the feeling of your soft skin warm against his, the view of you sitting on top of him looking like the epitome of beauty. He’d imagined this moment countless times, but never once did he think it would ever become a reality.
“And how do those dreams usually end?”
JJ smirked, eyes now gleaming with mischief. “You want me to show you?”
There's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear - S.H
Steve’s completely and utterly in love with his best friend
A/n: friends to lovers, valentines theme, florist!reader, love confession
Warnings: kissing,
Word count: 3.8k
February,
She always smiled when she saw him. She always said she missed him, and if there were no customers she ran to hug him. It didn't matter if he had seen her the evening before or that same morning, she always seemed to miss him no matter how long it had been. He understood that more than she knew, he felt it with her constantly.
The windows were a little misted up that evening. Fogged up in the corners like it was always meant to be like that. It got colder the second the sun set but no matter the time of year, no matter if it was snowing or raining, after Steve’s day ended he walked right down to the florists to see her.
It was pretty inside, he imagined it was supposed to be like that but sometimes, almost all the time, he liked to give her credit for it all. For the perfectly placed flowers, all somehow fading into one another, soft blues into bright pinks.
And that oh so pretty smile when she saw him, standing outside with his hands in his pockets, a boyish grin on his lips no matter how tired he was, his fluffy hair and his unfixed collar.
It was busier today, so she gave him a little nod to come inside, sticking her nose up like a cat rubbing against his leg. He wasn’t sure how it was possible but everything she did was cute.
He wouldn't get to hear the bell above the door ring right before she crashed into him today, running out into the cold just to greet him like she normally would, he crossed his fingers for tomorrow.
“Sorry.” She mouthed as he walked in, her eyes so soft that his heart could’ve broken right there all over the lavender. It was like every time they were apart he forgot how one look from her made his knees weaken.
Steve wandered around for a little while, keeping his hands at his sides, careful not to break anything, just waiting for things to slow down. Really, he could have just gone home, he could’ve got in his car and headed straight back, none of his friends would’ve waited around like this.
But he was content with waiting and he liked the little walk to his car where they talked and he liked how her perfume stuck to the seats long after he dropped her off.
He also liked watching her. Watching how she smiled at every single person who walked through the door, even though he knew she was shy, she forced herself to be kind and that accidentally made Steve a little jealous at times. How she lit up when someone asked her a question or how she softened over when someone came in and told her they needed flowers for a girlfriend or a boyfriend.
When it died down and they were left alone, Steve went and leaned on the counter, just like she did when she visited family video, they always seemed to be leaning towards each other.
The corners of his mouth were already flicking up without permission, he guessed he had missed her more that day. She had pretty specks of gold and silver by her eyes, it always made him do a double take. He pressed his nails into his palm to stop from brushing the fallen glitter from her cheek.
Steve hated her makeup, he hated how it made him want to touch her, how he wanted to fix her shiny lip gloss and accidentally linger a little too long on her lips. Honestly he just hated that he wasn’t her boyfriend and he wasn’t allowed to do those things, that she wasn’t his girl and he couldn’t just-
“I have to stay late today Stevie.”
His eyes darted back to hers, away from her lips, hearing her pretty little nickname for him made the blood rush to his head, and it somehow made it feel a lot hotter than it was. No one else called him that, he didn’t care for it until she started saying it and how could he ever correct her.
“No.” He pouted, eyes dropping into a puppy-like stare, hoping he could play on her heart a little and make her come with him. It was selfish and childish but knowing he was the one that got her home every night, that he was the one telling her about plans with their friends, made him feel more important to her.
Her eyes softened with sadness, which at least told him she didn’t want to stay either, that she wanted to go with him too.
“I’m so sorry I was going to call and let you know, and now you’ve walked all this way- and It’s freezing.” She glanced outside the window, as if there was some horrible snow storm coming down and it was all her fault. “Steve, I feel awful.” She put her head in her hands, even when apologising, for something she didn’t need to, she was adorable.
He placed his hands around her wrists, pulling them away, trying not to smile too hard. He could feel her pulse under his fingers and the patterned thumping almost made him drop to the floor. He swallowed down hard, letting her go, trying not to think about dragging kisses along the inside of her wrists.
“Can I help?” Steve’s voice cracked slightly, he just hoped she didn’t catch it. He didn’t mind all the pollen making his eyes itch if it meant he could steal a little time with her, and maybe if it got late enough and they were tired he could tell her.
He wouldn’t but he liked to think about doing a lot.
Her eyes lit up and he swore he could have kissed her, just for the sake of kissing her, nothing more. “You want to?” She asked, nervously-excited like he hadn’t already implied it. Like he wouldn’t drop everything for her in a heartbeat.
Including sitting on the floor crossed legged surrounded by ribbons and paper hearts. Valentines day was just two weeks away, and the one girl he wanted to take out was sitting across from him, tying pink ribbon and looking unbelievably gorgeous while simply just existing.
She never noticed when he was staring, it sounded foolish but when he was busy looking at her like she held the stars, she was helplessly too caught up in his puppy dog eyes and his soft smile to see it.
When Steve drove her home after her shifts, he always opened the car door for her, he always played the cd’s she liked even if he didn’t like them so much. And she still didn’t know. The whole town knew he was head over heels but she was far too busy daydreaming about him to notice.
He always looked extra pretty when he drove her home, the passing street lights and the warm orange from the car light made him look golden. She doubted there was any kind of light that could make him look bad. He always just looked right. Everything fitted him and it made her head spin.
Right down to the way his car smelled faintly like cigarettes and Obsession cologne.
“What are you thinking about?” Steve leaned back against a table leg, clearly uncomfortable but clearly not wanting to say so.
He wasn’t going to tell her that sitting on the floor like this was making his legs ache like he had just been running around town three times over. She would’ve told him to stop helping her and to go home and he really didn’t want that.
Steve had been watching her for a while and slowly she had started to lose focus and almost seem to drift off somewhere. He knew because he found himself doing it so often around her. There were many mislabelled tapes lying around at family video just because he was thinking about what perfume she was wearing the evening before and why it made his head spin.
His voice made her flinch slightly, not in a bad way, simply because she was so busy thinking about him that she forgot he was sitting in front of her. She felt the blood rushing to her head, like Steve could somehow know he had caught her out.
“Nothing.” She didn’t mean to stutter but when he had moved he had started leaning his shoe against her knee, it was harmless and he probably didn’t even notice. However innocent it was, it didn't stop her heart from thumping. “Why?” She hated the way her voice cracked.
He nodded his head towards her crossed legs. “You're cutting it wrong.” He smiled softly, not for one second wanting to make her feel bad.
“Oh.”
There was a mess of ribbons and paper in her lap, Steve was right, she really hadn’t been paying enough attention. She really was starting to wonder if he knew. Was it obvious when she was thinking about him?
The following week the entire town seemed to be covered in pink and red with flowers in every store window. It made Steve smile as he walked, it was like seeing a little reminder of her everywhere. Because like always, he had missed her all day like he hadn’t seen the night before.
It was strange, he should've hated everything about Valentines, he was lovelorn for a girl who was one of his closest friends. But it was hard to be miserable while being in love with her, no matter if she didn't feel it back.
Sometimes it hurt, sometimes his whole body ached, but then she'd smile at him or talk and it would be worth it. He got to the florists, he hadn't remembered how, he guess he got too caught up in thinking about her, but he was here now.
The little bell above the door rang as she came out to greet him. She had no idea how hot the back of his neck had gotten from just seeing her, And when she threw her arms around him, he worried she might feel the thumping of his heart through his coat.
“Oh, Stevie, I missed you.” He smiled, holding her a little tighter, his hands spread across her back. “The ride home was so much quicker last night.” She pulled back, pouting a little, he was so very glad she agreed with him. Even if it took the same time as always.
“I know but at least we can hang out tonight.” He took the keys from her fingers, he always locked up for her this time of year. Steve hated her getting cold hands because she was fussing with the door lock.
He wasn’t just driving her home tonight, they were heading to some bar Robin had been obsessing over. Steve didn’t care for crowded or even empty bars much anymore but he doubted he could’ve gotten out of it, plus the second Robin said that the girl standing beside him, waiting for him to lock up was going, he knew he would be too.
She smiled at that. “Sounds like a plan.” She started to walk off, she knew where his car was, and she knew Steve would follow.
Everyone was talking over the music playing, huddled up in some corner even though it was Hakwins and the bar was half empty. He didn’t mind that everyone was practically sitting on top of each other because Steve was sitting next to her.
Her thighs were pressing into his, their knees accidently touching every time the other moved even just slightly. And every time she laughed or spoke, he was the first to hear it. He could feel the heat coming off her, it only made the perfume sitting on her neck stronger, but being this close made Steve more quiet then normal.
How was he supposed to talk or even join in in any conversion happening before him when she was right there. Lips smudged with something shiny that could easily become sticky, eyes batting away like she had no idea what she was doing to him.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her in front of all their friends. He wanted to kiss her hidden away in the bathroom just for them to know. He wanted to kiss her everywhere.
“Right Steve?”
He turned hearing his name and hurt his neck from the sudden snap of attention. He really hadn’t been listening and suddenly everyone was looking at him, and some of them, mostly Robin and Eddie, seemed to be laughing about something.
The girl beside him looked bashfully at the floor, what had he missed?
“Yeah.” Steve wanted nothing more than to be left back out of the conversation. They seemed to take his voice breaking response, which was slightly embarrassing, and carry on talking amongst themselves. “What was that about?” He whispered to the girl next to him.
“They were just joking about-” She stopped herself, she was nervous, he could always tell. “About, about you staring at me.” She continued staring at the floor like she didn’t find the joke funny at all. He didn’t either.
She hadn’t thought he was staring. She presumed everyone was making a joke that she just didn’t understand. Why would he be looking at her and why would that be so funny to them? But then the red hint in Steve’s cheeks gave him away.
Maybe he had been staring. She looked at him and it felt different, she felt different. She was flustered now, more than she ever had been when any other boy had looked at her. And there was something darker in his eyes, something wanting that made her lips suddenly feel so unused.
They didn’t talk much for the rest of the night, better yet, Steve didn’t talk much. He just whispered to her when he had missed something or when he was asking her if she wanted a drink. It made her wonder why he had even gone.
They left together because they always did, someone else could't given her a ride home but Steve always did so why would they. It wasn’t even a question anymore, he was just always willing and ready to get her home safe.
He grabbed her hand to lead her out after saying goodbye, it wasn’t busy enough for him to have to do it but she didn’t let go. He held her hand gently but there was no chance of her slipping from his hold. She didn’t think her hand would’ve let her let his go anyway, so instead she squeezed his hand back and followed him outside.
Steve let her go the second the cold air hit, maybe his hands were just cold but it still made her heart sink. It would’ve been nice to hold his hand for a little longer, it would've been nice to stay longer too, not for the drinks or necessarily the comply, but because it was nice sitting so close to Steve.
She could’ve rested her head on his shoulder and stayed there all night if he wanted.
He stopped, right in the middle of the road, by where his car was parked. She almost walked right into him, too preoccupied thinking about how much bigger his hand was to hers. He was breathing deeply and quickly, it must’ve been the cold.
But she wasn’t so sure because when she looked up at him, he had this look in his eyes, something she could’ve mistaken for being afraid but she couldn’t tell. He almost looked sad in a way, kind of like his heart was hanging vulnerably off his sleeve. She didn’t know what he could’ve been so twisted over, nothing had happened.
Unless-
Steve stepped forward, the ends of his sneakers brushing hers. It made her lightheaded, she could practically taste the peppermint on his tongue, mixing with the Pepsi he had drunk. It was completely head spinning and he was getting too close. They had never been this close before, had they?
She felt the air getting thinner as her eyes fell on his lips.
She stumbled back slightly, her back hitting against his passenger door. She never moved away from him on purpose, she always leaned towards him but having him so close was making her nervous. Steve only followed her.
He was warm, she could feel the heat coming off him, or maybe he was just making her hot, she couldn’t tell anymore.
He went to say something, parting his lips but letting no sound out. He just kept breathing in like he had forgotten to breathe out. He placed his hand on the roof of his car, trying to steady himself but for her, that only shut everything else out. All she could think or feel was Steve. Steve, Steve, and she-
“Can I kiss you, please?” He sounded desperate, they way he said it was so sweet, so Steve. He wasn’t just asking to kiss her he was begging, his eyes were soft and sad and he wanted to kiss her. No one had ever said please when asking to do anything to her before.
She nodded, quickly. She didn’t think she could have spoken without stuttering or making a fool of herself. He pressed a hand to her waist, his thumb digging into her soft skin, making her feel jealous of every girl who had been in this position before.
He tilted his head down, lips just ghosting over hers for a moment, his nose nudging against her own. As he wet his lips in anticipation he accidentally touched her bottom lip and that was enough to break the softness of the moment they were having.
Suddenly he was kissing her. Pressed up against his car in the middle of the street. He really did taste like Pepsi and peppermint, she hadn't imagined that. The taste of him glossed over her lips and she barely noticed Steve’s hand leaving her side just to wrap around her wrist and put her hand on his neck.
The car door was cold against her back but she didn;t mind because Steve’s hands were warm, his neck was hot and his lips were burning. “God, I love you.” She heard him mutter between kisses and her heart stopped.
It was all she had ever wanted to hear him say and yet she was completely unprepared for how the words from his lips would stitch onto her heart with the sharpest needle. He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, this time breathing out too.
His eyes were closed and he looked prettier than ever with her lip gloss smudge across his face and his cheeks flushed red. She found she quite liked having her hands around his neck, she tagged her fingers in his hair, not missing the slight groan he made at the feeling.
He looked down at her, that little hint of fear back in his eyes. She wanted to kiss that feeling away, like he had done for her. She decided on admitting what she had known for a long time instead. “I love you too Steve.”
He instantly smiled, a boyish, lovesick, Steve Harrington kind of smile. He held her face delicately, tilted her jaw up, rubbing his thumb over the corner of her lip. “Hey,” He quickly kissed where his touch had traced, making her smile. “What are you doing on Valentine's day?”
She shook her head and he laughed softly at her. He couldn’t be doing what she thought he was, she had just told him she loved him, he had told her he loved her, he couldn't be asking if-
“Wanna go out with me?”
Oh sweet Steve.
He turned up at her door on February fourteenth, a collection of pink and orange Lilies in his hand, tied together with a white ribbon, he hadn’t got them from her so he must’ve gone out of town. The little sentiment made her heart leap.
He had sweater hair, like he had been rushing to get ready and pulled his red jumper over his head and forgotten how the static made his hair so fluffy. He looked soft and sweet, and that was before she even noticed the red vines in his other hand.
Steve’s eyes flickered over her little dress, over the wool cardigan keeping her warm, it was a soft pink that made the white of her dress look even more pure. She looked like how he imagined this holiday would look if they were a person.
“You look, you’re-, always so-” She felt her face burn, he was stuttering because of her. He stepped through the doorway, feeling like he might just fall to the floor at any moment. “You’re just so pretty.”
His eyes never left her as he said it, he was shaking his head like he almost didn’t believe it. He handed her the flowers, smiling at the way she held them close and breathed them in. She was already saddened that one day they were going to wilt and die, she'd have to keep the ribbon somewhere for safe keeping.
“You’re pretty too Stevie.” She didn’t mean much by saying it, she was so busy looking at her flowers that the thought just slipped past her lips in a soft mutter. She shut her door and went to place them on the kitchen table, he just followed her like she guessed he would.
The blush in Steve’s cheeks came out, spreading a little to his neck. The freckles that dotted across his skin were always such a distraction for her, the way his neck strained was too, and now she could add how it looked flushed to her list of distractions. She wondered what it might be like to kiss his neck.
His hand slipped over the backs on one of the chairs as he stepped closer to her, she stayed still this time, anxious for him to be nearer.
“Stop you’re going to make tonight torture.” He breathed out desperately, making her head hurt, not knowing that her simple words had made his entire soul ache for her.
He held his hand to her cheek, smoothing her skin with his thumb, catching her eyes in the sparkling chandelier hanging above them. The light touching across his face made him look kissable, not that he didn’t before, but it was somehow worse now.
She swallowed down nervously, last time he had kissed her it had been perfect, but this moment felt a little different, they knew what it was like now, and Steve hadn’t kissed her again since, he said he wanted to take her out properly first, which had been torture,
“You’re the one doing that.” She whispered to him, hands getting lost in his hair as he smirked down at her. She pulled slightly, letting him know she wanted nothing more for him to kiss her again. Their plans for the night slowly slipping away, because once Steve kissed her he wouldn’t be able to stop.
Meeting Steve in college, where his king Steve title never really faded, 7.1k
And when I'm feeling alone you remind me of home
Christmas is getting closer but Steve's favourite girl has lost her Christmas spirit, and Steve's more than happy to help her get it back, 3.1k
Broken and blue *
After the events of season three Steve and his girl get a little caught up, 1.6k
We're the best of friends
She's been pulling away and Steve wants to know why, 1.7k
All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing
Soft hopelessly in love Steve 2.4k
Maroon*
Steve has major problems with his parents and there's one way he can let them go, 1.9k
Sweet tea in the summer
Steve falling helplessly in love with a pretty girl the first time he meets her, 2k
Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover
Steve gets hired as a date for a wedding and can't help but wonder why the pretty girl he had a thing for in high school even needed him, 3.6k
Spring breaks loose
Soft boyfriend Steve, 0.5k
Glitch
Living in New York Steve makes a friend that seems to blur the line of friendship, 3.8k
Untouchable
Steve asksing out a pretty girl, 0.7k
Whispers of "Are you sure?" *
Steve plans a group trip just to spend time with his favourite girl, 3.3k
The way you call me "baby" *
Steve’s been so patient with his girl but he just can’t take it anymore and neither can she, 2.4k
Our secret moments in a crowded room *
Going to one of Band!Steve’s shows, 1.9k
Our love lasts so long
A picnic date in spring, 1.1k
I'm not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you *
Steve invites his favourite girl over to watch sixteen candles and have a sleepover, 2.2k
I don’t want to think of anything else now that I thought of you
Steve starts enjoying working a scoops ahoy when a pretty girl starts coming in, 2k
Love story *
Summer 1990, Steve's been living in the country his whole life, when suddenly there's this new girl and Steve's instantly infatuated with her, 15.1k
Superstar *
The girl of Steve’s dreams finally comes to see his show, 4.4k
Tangled up with you all night *
First time with soft boyfriend Steve, 3k
Hey Stephen *
Steve meets a girl on his trip to Greece, 8k
This love *
Steve's goes to his family's beach house every summer, but there's a new girl there who he's convinced is the one, 14.1k
I get mystified
A summer day with Steve, 1.8k
I want your midnights
A first date with Steve, 1.2k
Mine
Summer break spent with best friend!Steve who’s secretly lovesick for his favourite girl, 3.3k
I’m wonderstruck
Steve takes his favourite girl home, 1.5k
Absentmindedly making me want you *
A movie date with Hawkins it boy, 2.4k
Moss
Camping with Steve, 6.3k
He is in love
Steve finally realises what everyone else has known forever, he's in love with his best friend, 1.2k
When you splashed your wine into me
Steve’s instantly hooked on the pretty girl behind the bar, 1.8k
I would've read your love letters every single night
Steve falls for a girl he's only ever written to, 2.9k
I can’t dare to dream about you anymore
Late nights at family video with Steve, 5.2k
Jessie's girl
Steve is deeply into love with his best friend's girl, 1.2k
Outside they're push and shoving
While spying on another team the pretty girl in the hall was just best kind of distraction, 2.3k
This happens all the time
Steve's completely gone for the girl from the hallway, 0.6k
Christmas lights glisten
Steve makes sure his girl gets her perfect Christmas, 2.2k
There's glitter on the floor after the party
A new years eve party forces Steve to admit how he really feels, 4.8k
Willow
Steve gets taken on by the Byers farm but there's a pretty girl that lives there too, a friend of the family and poor Steve is instantly taken by her, 7.4k
And I couldn't be sure, I had a feeling so peculiar
Steve meets a pretty girl in the woods just when he needs to, 1.8k
