★ pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader
★ summary: forgotten what love truly feels like, you had pushed it to the side. steve harrington, on the other hand, was desperate for it. both working at the local family video (and with the help of your meddling friend, Robin), you realize you've been right in front of each other the whole time.
★ warnings: 18+ MDNI, nsfw sexual content, unprotected piv sex, riding, car sex, keith is a weirdo as per usual, friends to lovers, big dick!steve (ofc), ignoring feelings, confessions, no use of y/n
★ word count: 5.1k
Dust. It’s not Hawkins Family Video if there isn’t a thin layer of it on absolutely everything. The sleeves of the VHS tapes, the dark wood countertops, the top of the bulky store computer, and especially over your old, worn-out love life. It was sad, really. You hadn’t even thought about dating since junior year of high school. You’d abandoned the idea like the world abandoned Betamax. Cobwebs formed in the corners of your stomach, the butterflies long vacated. That was until you started working at Family Video.
Steve Harrington had a charm. Everyone could feel it. Everyone had to breathe it in. Suffocate in it. He held up the weight of his body with nothing but lean muscle and the unearned confidence of a derailed traincar. His energy pushed everything else out of the room until it was the only thing to inhabit it. It was for that reason you always wondered how he could possibly still be single. His attractiveness was no question. He flirted like it was his first language. He was desperate to find the right girl. What was holding him back?
Over the time you spent working at Family Video, you formed a close bond with your co-workers (bar one). You, Robin, and Steve worked great together.
Robin, although completely co-dependent with Steve, clung to you from the jump. There's only so much you can get out of a friendship with a man after all. Your presence added a feminine touch to the masculine environment, and to say she was ecstatic was an understatement.
Steve was always respectful. He had a great sense of humor, too. Conversations flowed naturally, and banter came as easily as breath in your lungs. Once, when you first started, you were given the task of restocking some of the horror films. Somehow, they all ended up in the family section. Steve ended up taking the blame, earning some long lectures from some very horrified mothers. He just took them in stride, sharing a laugh with you once the parents marched out of the store, clutching their traumatized (or sometimes completely mesmerized) kid by the shoulders.
And lastly, Keith was… Well, he was just a nightmare. He’d eat Cheetos over the store computer, jamming the clunky, loud keys with crumbs. He constantly made rude remarks to Robin and Steve, abusing his authority to the fullest. He spoke inches from people's faces despite the unpleasantness of his breath, and he had the most glaringly obvious crush on you.
You were the only person he didn't sneer at or pick on. The second you’d escape a conversation with him, and he’d retreat into his office, you, Steve, and Robin would find each other’s faces, exchanging looks. Robin’s was a mixture of pity and amusement. She’d laugh along with you despite her horror. Steve just looked annoyed, his jaw clenching. Like he was tired of you putting up with the guy. He’d tell you as much, too.
“I just don't get why you let him corner you like that. The guy’s a stain, you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to,” he’d say.
You’d snort and respond. “Harrington, need I remind you, he’s the guy who signs my paychecks. Of course, I have to talk to him.” He’d either nod in defeat or change the topic to something lighter.
Today was just like any other. Slow, habitual, and long. Dust floated around in the rays of light peeking through the windows. Steve was hitting on what could very well be the fifth girl that day. He was swinging and missing, missing, missing. It was hard to watch.
“Oh, Back to the Future, I love that one!” Steve leaned an arm against the ‘new releases’ display.
“Yeah, I heard it was supposed to be good,” the girl said, twirling her finger in her frizzy, permed hair.
“It’s great. I watched it when it came out, instant classic.”
“You’re glowering.” That was Robin in your ear. Your head snapped her way, eyebrows knit together in a tight line.
“What? No, i’m not.”
“Still are,” she assured with a smirk. “Someone’s got a crush—” She sang the words in a classic teasing tune. Robin had known about your instant infatuation with Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington since you’d become friends, but you couldn’t risk stroking her ego by confirming it.
“Oh, please, that's ridiculous,” You huffed, yet your gaze found its way back to Steve and that girl. Your eyes clung onto the figures like a magnet, just far enough to keep you engaged, not close enough to draw you in.
“Do you think it’s too ‘all ages’ for a date night? My boyfriend didn’t like The Goonies that much.” Steve immediately froze. It was like his lungs stuttered, and his muscles turned to stone. It was just for a split second before he readjusted, and his confidence crumbled onto the floor.
“Oh—Uh—Your boyfriend... No, no, he’s—He’s gonna love it.” The interaction faltered, crashed, and subsequently burned before your eyes.
“Huh,” Robin started. “You’re not glowering anymore. Weird.” You flashed an irritated look at the girl. She winked and slowly walked away, a trail of pride under her every step. Robin read you like a book. She knew what you felt before even you did. You hated it. You also hated that it was impossible to stay mad at her.
Of course, you liked Steve. Who didn’t? Wanting him was one thing, but you’d never dream of anything more with him. Even just the silly fantasy felt like too much to ask. Maybe one day you’d finally dust yourself off along with your forgotten desires, but Steve Harrington was just too out of reach. You learned to be satisfied enough with the daily banter and the small accidental touches. That was enough to last you until you got home, at least. When you’d lie in your bed at night, his face painted underneath your eyelids, imagining his hands instead of yours, touching every inch of you. His voice guiding you through wave after wave of ecstasy, whispering soft nothings in your ear.
When the girl walked away to Robin at the counter, you approached the ‘new releases’ stand Steve stood by, lingering at the scene of the crime. You had a big stack of tapes in your hand, which needed to be restocked. As you sorted through them to pick out the right ones, words began to spill from your mouth.
“Another one bites the dust, huh?”
“Yeah, you can say that again,” Steve snorted.
“What do you think the problem is?” you asked. Steve leaned his weight on the display, huffing out through his nose.
“I don’t know—It’s like I’ve got this weird—” He stops to think and snaps his fingers a few times. “What’s the opposite of a chick magnet?” You laugh as you tuck Rocky IV in with the rest of the ‘R’s.’
“I think they’re calling it B.O. now.” This earned you the smirk you’d been eager to see all day after the many failed flirts.
“Oh, please, the ladies dig my scent.”
“I’m sure, since you use the same shampoo as them.” Steve fights with the corners of his mouth, which threaten to twitch upward even further.
“Harrington, back to work. I don’t pay you to sit around and ogle at our clientele.” Keith. He approached the two of you like a roach out of a rusty drain. “Nor my employees.”
Steve said nothing, just rolled his eyes and took half of the titles in your hands. He shot Keith a sarcastic smile as he helped you unload. The greasy-haired man snorted and stalked back into his office.
“Jesus, that guy’s got such a thing for you,” Steve muttered into the shelves.
“Yeah, I noticed.” He reached out his arm, sliding one of the tapes in his hand into the display. His arm just barely grazed yours. His skin was a hot iron against your cold skin.
Steve was tired. He hadn’t landed a date in ages. When he had, they all ended the same. They’d chat some, get that over with, screw, and one of them would be out the door before the sun came up. He had set out to find a real love, one that was more than meaningless sex. More than the pretending and the shallow dialogue. Look where that got him. Still just as single as he was weeks, even months ago, and now more lonely than ever. To say he was frustrated would be completely unfair. It was so much more than that.
He had started up conversations with multiple girls today alone. Sending the lines out to watch them float. Not one catch.
“Hey, looking for anything specific?” He turned on his signature Harrington charm.
“Do you guys have Grease 2?” And, just like that, the conversation was over. Steve could barely see the girl past his rapid blinking.
“Grease 2… Yeah. Yeah, we have that.
The girl left with her movie. And Steve’s dignity. He sank into the counter as the door’s bell chimed.
“Going… Going… And, gone. Wow, Stevie, you are killing it today.” Robin teased him like it was an Olympic sport.
“What was wrong with her?
“Grease 2.” Robin winced. That was everything she needed to hear. “What the hell is the matter with me?”
Robin couldn't hide her sly grin. Steve didn’t know what she was up to, but knew it was something. “Maybe you’re just not looking in the right places.”
He rolled his eyes. “‘Kay, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” Her voice lowered slightly. “You keep trying to look for the right girl as they come into the store. What if that girl’s already here?” Steve thought about what she said, mostly trying to figure out what the hell it meant. Already here? The only girls who were here at all times were Robin—and that was a no—and… You.
“Will you stop it with that? No, she’s totally off the table. No.” Robin groaned, throwing her head back in frustration
“Shes…” He exhaled. “Hawkins isn't it for her. She's not stuck here. She can leave whenever she wants.”
“Maybe you can too. Did you ever think about that?” Steve brushed the words off like dust on his shoulder. Robin wasn’t making sense. Clearly, her chronic optimism was plaguing her pep talks in a dangerous way.
“Do you have this on Betamax?”
“No, sir, we don’t.”
“You people don’t have anything anymore.”
“Beta’s on its way out, sir. You should probably just switch to VHS before it goes completely obsolete.”
“Listen, smartass, I am not switching to VHS, my machine works just fine.”
The next day, the hums of chatter and neon blended together into one vision-blurring work environment. Robin was being hounded at the counter, Steve was glaring in your direction, restocking some comedies, and Keith was directly in front of you, speaking at you instead of to you. Your senses were focused on everything around you except the offensive man in your personal space.
“So, what do you say?” he asked, a ring of Cheeto dust around his mouth, bag in hand.
“Me. You. Arcade?” The monotone words sucked the blood right out of your face. Did Keith actually just ask you out? Keith? The same Keith you once saw eat a Cheeto right off the floor after having been knuckle deep in his nose? The same Keith who has a higher score on Asteroids than his chances of ever scoring with a woman? That Keith asked you out?
“Oh… I—Um…” You were left a stuttering mess. Your brain went static, your mouth became dry. That was until you heard another voice from across the store.
“Hey!” Your head snapped in its direction, desperate to look anywhere but Keith’s gaping mouth. It was Steve. He was sauntering up with a stack of tapes on one arm and just one in the other hand. He waved the tape back and forth as he asked you, “Where would you say this goes? Horror or thriller?” The movie was Police Academy.
Keith shot the other boy his signature sneer and began to answer with something snarky. You interrupted before he could get a word out.
“Oh! That actually goes under comedy.” As you ‘helpfully’ correct his knowingly dumb question, you follow his lead back to the displays and pretend to help him sort through the titles. Once you’re out of earshot of Keith, you mutter under your breath.
Steve woke up that morning already contemplating. He drove to work in silence, the only sound in the car being his long, deep breaths. He stared at the entrance of Family Video, frozen solid. He did all this with one very confusing and world-bending conversation on his mind. You keep trying to look for the right girl as they come into the store. What if that girl’s already here?
Robin. Always trying to confuse him. He should march in there and tell her to get out of his head, he thought. Instead, he stayed frozen. Mulling over her words over and over again. Steve had never looked at you any way other than platonically. At least, he swore he didn’t. Forced himself not to. He knew that this crummy Family Video in middle-of-nowhere-Indiana was just one bump in the road for you. He knew that the dusty shelves and the worn VHS cases were something you’d one day move on from without so much as a glance. He knew you’d make it out of this town one day. Unlike him. He was stuck.
His tense body jumped when a knock at his window cut through his swirling thoughts. He looked up to find you walking towards the store, waving back at him. His shoulders relaxed as he followed your stride. How you carried yourself with just enough confidence to catch people’s attention, but not enough to pull them in. He wondered what it’d take to get you to want to pull him in for once.
Shaking the thought from his head, he got out of the car and flipped on the signature Harrington bravado that got him through his days.
“Big time,” he chuckles, stocking the movie in the (correct) section. It, for some reason, struck you. You had never heard that sound from him before. Sure, you’ve shared plenty of laughs, but this was an entirely new thing. It was more intentional, more careful. Like he let his hard, confident exterior slip for just a moment. “I told you he would do it one day. You never listened to me.” He nudged you with a push of his elbow, jostling your mind to the present.
“I know, I know, I just figured he was… self-aware enough? To ask any girl out for that matter.” He laughed again, this time employing the same self-assured disguise you’d always known him to wear.
“Yeah—guys like that? They’ll always think they have a chance. No matter how pathetic it may be.”
“Yeah? What would you call you hitting on Becky H. yesterday?” Steve rolled his eyes.
“What—? Okay, that was—” He composed his stammers with a shut-eyed exhale. “That’s different, okay?”
You raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic grin tugging at your features before a loud boom sounded from outside. Thunder. When you walked to work in the cool summer morning, it was beautiful outside, not a drop of rain in the forecast. How were you supposed to get home now?
“Shit,” you muttered. Steve shot you a look.
“What’s the matter, don't like driving in the rain?” he asked.
“More like walking in the rain. That’s gonna suck.” Steve shifted his weight, a force tugging his brows tightly together.
“You walked?” You said nothing, the silence confirming his question. “That’s ridiculous. Why haven’t you ever asked for a ride?” God, he asked as if that were easy. You just shrugged. He continued before you even thought of what to say. “Well, starting today, I drive you, okay?” He stepped a little closer, grinning down at you. His closeness was something new. He usually kept his distance. You offered him a light smile back, feeling the heat from his body radiating off of him. Both of you stilled when a third voice cut through the weighted silence.
“Hey,” Robin called your name. “Can you help me get this Beta rental on file?”
You looked back up at him, smile tightening. You gestured behind you.
“Yeah.” He responded so fast you almost said the words simultaneously.
You shuffled behind the counter, mind in a fog. The keys clacked beneath your fingers.
“This is the exact same process as VHS. Why do you need my help?” Robin wore her signature smirk, the one that told you she was up to no good.
“I see you and dingus are getting pretty close over there.” You sighed into the blue light.
“I’m sure I don't know what you're talking about.” Of course, that was a lie. You knew. You still felt the burn in your cheeks from his proximity, his gaze. Felt the tingling on your skin from the warmth he cast out.
“Oh—I didn't mean anything cryptic or enigmatic or anything.” The way she was able to stumble over a completely solid sentence was fascinating. You just huffed at the words, shooing her a knowing look. Your hands finished on the keyboard when she spoke again, somehow in an even more leading tone.
“But… if I was?” she asked. “being all cryptic and enigmatic, I mean. Would that be so out of line?”
You turned to face her, pondering the question. “I guess not…” With that, her hands waved around, and her face, her features scrunched up in pure joy.
“Great! I already started working on Steve.”
“Okay, crazy,” you said, brushing her off. She was already skipping around the counter to do some busy work, where her hands could get moving without making it anybody else's problem. Suddenly, her words registered, and your brows were pulled together in an instant.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind. Suddenly, it was like a flip had switched. Steve was getting so… close. He was pushing the boundaries, seeing how they bend. Looking for a limit that might not have even existed. It seemed like he didn’t even realize he was doing it. A few times, he even made contact. Trying to see if you’d flinch. You didn’t. He’d ask you about anything—stupid stuff. Stuff he already knew the answers to. Of course, Robin lingered hard. You and he both caught her peering over several times, no matter how tame your conversation. You just shot each other a look and laughed.
When the clock struck 11, almost everyone was more than ready to run out of that door for the day.
Robin skipped out with a “see ya!” and Keith stalked out without a word. You and Steve were too busy playfully arguing over movies on the shelves.
“Steve, you cannot think Return of the Jedi is the best Star Wars.”
“Of course it is! It’s the one with the teddy bears!”
“A New Hope is the best one! Always has been—” You paused to take a quick look around. Where was everyone? “Wait, what time is it?”
Steve checked his watch. “‘Round 10:30, Why—? Holy shit, it’s 10 after.” You looked at him with wide eyes. Then, he smiled, and all you could do was laugh along with him. How had you gotten so lost with him to the point that everyone and everything else had just disappeared?
Steve grabbed his keys, locked up, and then you both were on your way, silently jogging to Steve’s red BMW, rain drizzling down even still. He opened the door for you and ran around to the driver's seat.
The car ride was mostly quiet at first, bar the crackling thunder. Steve was the first one to speak up.
“Did you notice Robin acting weird lately?” You peeked up at him, his eyes glued to the disappearing road in front of him.
“Yeah, like… I don't know. She’s been saying these things, giving us weird looks… Robin’s a weirdo, but this is different. I don't know what it’s all about.” You thought about his words. Took it in. You thought back to what Robin had said a few hours before. I already started working on Steve. So that’s what she meant. You sat in silence for a moment. Steve was just about to fill the air when you beat him to it.
“You are… such an idiot.” He pulled his eyes away from the road to look at you.
“What?” His face twisted in a combination of confusion and astonishment.
You paused for a second, all the frustration hitting you at once. “She’s trying to get you to give me a chance!” The words felt like they were forcing their way out of your mouth. You tried to take them back the moment you said them, but Steve was already pulling over on the shoulder of the road. The car stopped before you’d even registered him shifting gears.
“Give you a chance? What are you talking about?”
Suddenly, your lips moved at a faster rate than your brain could stop them. The words spilled out of you like wine onto a pale carpet. “She knows I like you. Ever since I’ve known you, and—Goddamn it, I should have known she’d try to insert herself into my love life at some point.
“Yeah, that’s Robin alright.” That was all he could say. His voice was strained. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He looked anywhere but at you. The dash, the window behind you, the time on the center console—anywhere where he wouldn't have to look you in the eye. Yours stayed locked on him.
“Steve.” Nothing. “You alright over there?”
“Yeah, yeah, I just…” You dreaded what would come out of his mouth next. You honestly didn’t even want to know. You thought about how you’d rather get out now and walk home in the rain. Preferably in the middle of the road, now that you’ve practically spilled your guts to your work crush and close friend.
“I just wish I’d offered you a ride sooner.” Finally, he met your eyes. His hazel stare darkened in the twilight sky. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
You leaned in playfully. “Now’s just fine. I just can’t help but wonder who’s been keeping the seat warm for me.” You said with a smirk. The air felt lighter and lighter with each passing moment. You could breathe again.
Steve scoffed. “Please, I haven’t landed a date in…” He thought. Really sat and thought for a moment. His eyes became focused again as he spoke. “Since you got hired.” His expression shifts. He’s suddenly closer. You are, too. Your mind is in a haze when your lips meet in a soft, awaited press. Yours and his melted together, neither one of you wanting the moment to end. The kiss was featherlight. It was gentle. Hesitant. That was until it wasn't. Suddenly, you had both gone from testing the waters to cannonballing. Your lips pressed harder against his. His hands cupped your face. All of your late-night fantasies were playing out right in front of you like a film reel through an old projector. Was this even real?
You don’t remember how it happened, but somehow you ended up nestled in Steve’s lap. Your shins ached from climbing over the center console, though the sensation was quickly erased by your lips crashing into Steve’s once more. He had you by the waist, pressing you into him. Your fingers brushed through his brunette locks, earning a groan from the man’s throat. His hands snaked down your body, reaching your thighs on either side of his hips. Then, suddenly, one was hovering right under you. Right where you ached for friction of any kind. He pulled from your lips to lock eyes with you. When you gave him a quick nod, he wasted no time, cupping between your thighs and working pressure into the seam of your jeans with intent. You sighed into his mouth at the sensation, only motivating him further. He stayed like that for a while, memorizing the way you sound under his touch. Stowing it away for future recollection.
Then, Steve couldn’t take it anymore. He fiddled with the buttons of your jeans and ripped the fly down, needy and restless. He looked into your eager eyes before his hand disappeared into your jeans and began rubbing careful circles on your clit. You let out a moan at the contact you’ve so badly yearned for. You hadn’t been touched in ages. Even when guys would ask you out, you couldn’t bring yourself to give them your attention. Now, the man you've been holding out for all this time was right under you, whispering in your ear as he pushed you closer and closer to the edge.
“That feel good?” he asked, soft against your earlobe. You nodded, your lips pressed tight against each other. He slowed down his pace. “C’mon, let me hear it.”
You let the tension release in your throat, desperate for him to continue his movements. “Yes, God—just please—please keep going.” It was all you could manage. Seemingly pleased with himself, he got back to it, this time even faster than before. You lost control of your noises, repeating his name into his shoulder like a prayer. Just like that, you came undone in his grasp, clutching onto his biceps for dear life as he worked you through your release. You were left a puddle in his arms, chest heaving into his. When you got a hold of your bearings, Steve looked into your eyes, confidence deteriorating. “So…” he started, a dorky grin beginning to spread across his lips. “Should we head to the back?” You laughed, eyes rolling weakly.
You climbed into the backseat first, and he followed close behind. You leaned in to kiss him. Soft and tender. He pulled you closer by the waist, tugging at your shirt. You lifted your arms above your head, and he did the rest, leaving you almost bare. Getting your pants off was an awkward process, the two of you giggling the whole time, but once they were off, you were right back on top of him like you belonged there.
He gazed into your eyes as you lined yourself up. He almost looked nervous. As you slowly sank down onto him, he threw his head back, mouth agape.
“Careful, careful,” he managed. You let a moan escape your lips as you adjusted to his size. Hands planted on his chest, you rolled your hips, watching the look on his face as it contorted. Your movements continued in a calculated rhythm.
“Maybe Robin had the right idea,” he grunted with a smirk, throat tight with restraint. You swallowed his words with another deep kiss. You loved Robin, but she was the last thing on your mind as you rode the man you’ve been dreaming about since you’ve known him.
The feeling was surreal. Being here, in the back of Steve Harrington’s BMW, sighing into his touch, letting each wave of pleasure crest and fall onto the shore. He must have felt the same, considering he tried his best to keep his eyes open, glued to yours. As if he was afraid that if he looked away for just a second, what was surely a dream would fizzle out and he’d wake up still lonely and desperate for someone to walk into his life the way you had.
Feeling a pressure building in your abdomen, your movements sped up, almost involuntarily. Steve peeks into your gaze, feeling the shift. He stabilizes you with two hands on your waist, as you carelessly chase the feeling. He watches in awe as your mouth hangs open, eyes shut, reveling in the way he’s making you feel, like he’s proud to be able to get you here.
The words don't come easily, but you’re somehow able to mutter a weak “Steve” through the chaos of your motions. Your hips became as sloppy as your lips, stained with the feeling of Steve Harrington all over your mouth like cherry wine.
“Fuck—I know. I know.” His expression was inconsistent, changing with each roll of your hips, each sigh from your mouth, each gentle pulse around him. His arms snaked around you, grounding both you and him. Not pulling you closer, just feeling as much of you as he could. Holding you like a relic, like something precious.
With nowhere else to go, your pleasure peaked, spilling over the edge as you came undone in his solid arms. Your hands gripped his shirt, balling it in your fists. Your eyes squeezed shut, jaw slacked. You went silent in a way Steve had never seen before. Not in indifference, not with unfeeling. It was a scream in a silent movie. A performance in the dark. A fallen tree in the forest. Steve watched in awe, your statuesque features bringing him closer and closer to his release. With a gasp inward, finally forcing yourself to breathe in the heat of your orgasm, he gripped you tighter, holding you in place as he buried himself into you.
He unraveled just like that, face sinking into your collarbones as he whispered soft, unintelligible words into your skin.
You both sat there for a moment, drinking each other in. Like you were both too afraid to speak. Fearful of spoiling something beautiful. His thumbs traced circles into your body, letting you know that he was still here. You pulled yourself back into reality and lifted your chest off of his, meeting the hazel in his gaze, the rain humming a gentle song into the windows of the car. Moonlit and delirious, Steve offered you a weak smile, one that you returned.
“Yeah…” you pant. “Robin was definitely onto something.” Steve laughed in a sharp puff of air through his nostrils.
“Guess I don't give her enough credit.” You both sat there like a couple of giddy teenagers, smiling into each other's lips.
“Maybe I should call her later. Need advice for my date with Keith, super nervous about it—” Before you were even done with the sentence, he was rolling his eyes, retorting back an unamused “oh, shut up!”
Then, he kissed you in a way that said everything. That he was now yours if you’d have him. That he already missed the thrumming of your heart against his chest. That he was ready to drive you home tonight and do it again tomorrow.
a/n: this took years off my life I was so stuck anyways hope u enjoy :)
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