🌷 : biggest cat lover - Djo - springtime - vinyl collector - Queen enthusiast - channeling my inner 70’s + 80’s - Tame Impala - music bae 𝄞 You just gonna let fear take that?
✦ joe’s family is eager to meet the baby and can’t wait. so, every day, joe (not so) sneakily snaps photos to send to them.
.ᐟ.ᐟ pet names (honey)
✦ A/N - hey, it’s been a while… anyways this is kinda short but i had the thought and had to write it
ʚɞ masterlist
you were heavily pregnant. like, “this baby is way past its welcome” kind of pregnant.
you were puffy, your stomach hurt like you could feel your skin stretching more than it should. your feet ached, and don’t even get started on your back.
joe had to massage you every hour. of course, he didn’t mind. i mean, you were carrying his baby. god forbid you do anything more than sit down and rest. but the issue was when he was busy for more than thirty minutes. if he wasn’t there to dig his hands into your back, pregnancy hormones would take over and you would be sobbing.
not only would your back hurt, but you’d be hungry, uncomfortable, have a headache, and not have showered in about a week.
you just wanted this to be over.
the pain and restlessness mostly.
you wanted to be able to hold your baby. love your baby. parent your baby.
but so did Joes family.
“is she still pregnant?”
“i can’t wait to meet my grandchild.”
“she’s past her due date, the baby will be here in no time.”
his family would message every day, checking in on you.
so, Joe decided, every morning, he’d sneak photos of you and your pregnant belly, not only for his own enjoyment, but for his family’s too.
the first time it happened was at 4:37 am.
you had a difficult night, not being able to rest comfortably. your stomach was in the way of everything.
you’d probably gotten about an hours sleep if that.
joe, being the sweetheart he is, refused to sleep and let you suffer alone with him right next to you.
you spent half of the night watching Desperate Housewives, which joe swears he’s not interested in, but gossips every ten minutes anyways.
“you know, i feel bad for susan. why does edie always get in the way?”
“whys he on a phone call? whys he got a gun?”
“is he going to kill her?”
his energy a little too high for the time of night.
“I’m hungry.” you soon announce, throwing the blankets off yourself. the old wooden floors creak as you stand.
joe immediately makes his way around the bed to you, grabbing your hand.
“you ok?” he calmly asks.
“i can walk, honey. if you haven’t noticed.”
“i know, i just want to make sure you’re not going to fall.” his pace matched your slow speed down the stairs.
“your balance has been a little off recently.” he says, to which you give him a glare.
“sorry.” he mutters.
you make it downstairs and immediately open the fridge. there were still some leftovers from dinner the previous night, which you grabbed out and reheated, standing inpatiently in front of the microwave.
joe leans against the counter behind you, whipping out his phone and quickly pulling up the camera.
he snaps a photo.
“what was that?” you turn your head curiously to him.
“what was what?”
“you.” you gesture to him. “i saw you through the reflection of the microwave.”
he just shrugs. “just… updating my parents.” you give him a suspicious look but soon manage to brush it off once the microwave pings.
he sends the photo. all you can see is mainly your back, but due to the angle he was at, you could see half of the bump.
‘still pregnant.’ was the caption he used.
he knew no one was going to be up at that time, but still, he sent it.
it was only a few hours later did people start replying.
“it’ll be soon!”
“can’t wait to meet baby 😊”
“only a matter of time!”
at this point, it feels like you’ve tried everything.
exercise ball, spicy food. you even read somewhere that pineapples were supposed to help.
when you mentioned that to joe, the house was filled with the fruit an hour later.
one thing you are set on refusing is sex. your midwife mentioned it could help, but one thing you’re not doing is the thing that got the baby there in the first place.
though surprisingly, one thing you hadn’t done was the curb walking.
so, one morning, you and joe took off around your neighbourhood.
the early spring morning breeze made your skin prick in the refreshing way that makes you feel more awake.
the first few minutes were good. you and joe chatted about random things you talk about all the time.
after a while, it started to get tiring.
“you don’t have to continue if you don’t want.” joe reminds you.
“i know.” but you still kept going. the longer you did it, the quicker the baby would come.
after that, there was comfortable silence. both of you enjoying the scenery. the leaves starting to grow again. the sun shining through the clouds, beams of light falling to the ground in front of you.
you were lost in your own thoughts when joe decided to update his family. he whips out his phone, snapping a photo.
you were looking the other way, watching a bird from its nest. so joe captured the perfect photo. bump on full show.
he captioned it ‘still not here yet. trying curb walking.’
people quickly replied.
“that worked for me. give it a day.”
“such a beautiful photo.”
“she looks beautiful 😁”
it had started around 3 pm that day. contractions.
a twisting pain in your stomach that traveled to your back.
joe noticed.
“you ok?” his hand rests against your lower back while you lean against the counter, head dropped into your hands.
“yeah.” you dismiss it, thinking it’s something else. maybe the baby’s kicking?
“well, you don’t look ok.” concern written all over his face. he’d been on edge ever since you told him you were pregnant, even more so since you entered your third trimester.
the third trimester was real. when you had to make sure the nursery was finished, you had enough supplies, you had to baby proof everything. he really didn’t rest.
“i think im having contractions.”
and that was it.
he was rushing round the house, grabbing your pre-packed hospital bag, grabbing water, and extra blankets for “just in case”.
“joe, really, I’m fine.”
“you’re literally going to give birth, like, today.”
“you know having contractions doesn’t mean i’m about to have the baby.”
“well, depending on how far apart contractions are, there is an eighty percent chance that you’ll give birth today… we need to time how far apart your contractions are.”
the hospital lights were uncomfortably bright. even after hours of being there, you still had to squint whenever they were turned on.
you had requested for them to be off, so you gave birth with a few small lights on.
it felt like everything went so fast. one minute you’re at home, the next minute you’re being rushed to give birth.
one thing you’re certain of is that joe was there the entire time, holding your hand, giving you words of encouragement.
you were led to the hospital bed, exhausted. but you couldn’t sleep. you couldn’t stop looking at your baby. so tiny, so new.
tears pricked at your eyes once again.
you felt joe’s hand interlocked with yours, pulling your attention away from the newborn.
“i’m so in love with her, it feels like my heart can’t take it.” he whispers lovingly. “and i’m so in love with you.”
you blink away your tears. tired, but yet still so awake.
there’s a moment of silence while you both admire her. skin so soft and delicate.
he grabs his phone from his pocket and angles it towards the baby, capturing her hair and the way she looks so relaxed.
ok hear me out. a Joe fic where he films little videos for his future kids with you
i actually need him
˗ˏˋsilver camera
⤷ Joe Keery x reader
.ᐟ.ᐟ pet names (baby, sweetheart), mentions of being drunk
✦ A/N - this req is literally perfect I love you. The ending is kinda rushed apologies about that but still adorable!!
ʚɞ masterlist
One of the first times Joe had pulled out his camera to record was on a hike.
Joe loved hikes. Watching the views, having a challenge, and sitting down at a nearby restaurant to finish off.
You were halfway up a hill, both of you ridiculously out of breath. Joe slows down, and you quickly notice when he isn’t next to you anymore.
You watch as he fiddles with the front pocket of his backpack, whipping out the slightly old silver camera that you’re way used to seeing now.
You don’t notice it at first. You’re just taking in the view of nature. Being surrounded by trees, the sky filled with the beautiful baby blue you see in paintings. The way the leaves rustle slightly along with the breeze that cools you down.
It’s only until he speaks you notice his camera pointing at you.
“Say hi.” You can see the way he smiles, like it’s lighting up his whole face. The way his eyes never leave yours, always holding that sparkle that’s reserved just for you.
“Who am I saying hi to?” You walk closer to him, a smile tugs at your lips.
“Our future kids.” His tone soft and gentle.
Your face breaks out into a smile. Your cheeks turning into a soft pink. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He says sincerely. He turns the camera enough where you’re both in the frame. His hand snaking around your waist.
“We are currently hiking in the middle of nowhere.” He quickly pans the camera around the view. “And your mother was just freaking out that we got lost and that we were going to have to live in this forest like wild bears–“
“I never said that–!”
“Yes you did!”
You and Joe always had date night on a Thursday.
It was something that just fell into routine when you first started dating.
It was a day where restaurants would be quieter than on weekends. Buildings would be filled but not packed. Not everyone would be celebrating the end of the weekday just yet, but wanted to go out for a small glass of wine.
You were standing in the bathroom of your bedroom, finishing the last touches of your makeup.
Usually, you would go a little more basic and easier than you were doing now. Less heavy on the foundation and eyeshadow. But this week Joe had decided to book a table at a more fancy restaurant than you’re used to.
Normally, you would go to a local restaurant. Somewhere less expensive on the burgers and alcohol.
Right now, Joe was in the bedroom, probably messing around with his hair, as you assumed.
But instead, he was fiddling around with his camera.
He turns it on and starts recording. Sitting on your shared bed, he has a good enough view of you that he didn’t have to move to record you.
“Look at your mom. Isn’t she the most gorgeous woman in the world?” He speaks quietly from behind the camera.
“Baby, I can hear you.” You poke your head from around the corner of the door.
“I’m just telling our kids how you’re the most beautiful woman ever.” He zooms in on your face.
“Hi, kids.” A fond smile finds its way onto your face at the thought of it. Having kids with Joe. Having a future with him that seems so clear in mind.
“We’re about to go on a date. Somewhere fancy this time. Never been, but apparently it’s supposed to be good.” He walks over to you, recording the both of you from the bathroom mirror.
“Well, I sure hope it’s good because it’s expensive.” You lean into Joe instinctively.
“It’ll still be good because you’re there.” He kisses the top of your head.
The breeze was cold and refreshing. The kind you get when you’re on vacation and sitting by the sea.
The grass was long but short enough that it didn’t tickle your calves.
The sun was peaking through the trees, lowering below the horizon to cast a beautiful pink onto you and Joe.
You happily laugh, your forehead resting against Joe’s as he picks you up, spinning you around.
He soon lowers you down, giving you a quick kiss before digging into his jeans pocket. He quickly turns his camera on, pressing the button at the top of the silver device.
“You’re so pretty, baby.” He mutters affectionately. You smile, tilting your head towards the ground in half embarrassment.
“Hey, kids.” He begins, his smile evident in the way he talks. “Your mum and I just got engaged. Show them the ring, sweetheart.”
You oblige and hold up your hand, the diamond reflecting in the beams of sun, making it sparkle. He mumbles a “wow” under his breath, though it’s directed more at you than the ring hugging your finger.
“And the view is gorgeous.” He pans the camera around, but it quickly falls back to you. “More gorgeous with you in it, though.”
“You’re so cheesy.” You giggle out, the blush on your face still lingering. It hasn’t left since he was on one knee.
“You love it.” He teases, turning the camera around to show himself standing next to you. His puppy brown eyes shine into a light hazel in the sunlight. You lean into his side, your arm interlinking with his.
“We’re getting married!” His voice filled with excitement and joy.
The night was long but not long enough.
You really wish it could’ve lasted forever. Getting married to the man you love more than yourself, and then everyone getting wasted afterwards.
You and Joe finally made it back to the hotel. Both of you were too tired to even bother taking off your shoes.
You lay in bed, side by side, and shoulders touching. Your eyes threatened to close the minute your head touched the pillow.
“Don’t fall asleep.” Joe mumbled, his voice cracking due to the singing and shouting you had been doing all night.
“Joe, it’s like three in the morning.” You felt out of breath. Even talking taking too much energy from you.
“Hold on.” His hand wipes over the bedside table to find the camera. He finds it and holds it up to his face, enough so he can see you through it.
“Hi, kids–“ the moment he says that, you groan, but a small smile tugs at your lips. “We just got married.”
“Is this really a good example to set for our future kids?” You open your eyes to look at him.
“Maybe not.” He shrugs. “But we’ve gotta show them how much fun we had.” He flips the camera to reveal his slightly dishevelled self, a lopsided smile gracing his face.
“We got very drunk. So did Uncle Wes and Jake.” He said too casually. Like he’s already sure about it. It made your heart warm. “They’re even worse than us. I think they’re probably sleeping on the dance floor right now.”
“But other than that, we had the best time of our lives. And now I’m married to my best friend.” His voice was soft and gentle. So sincere it made your eyes sting.
He flips the camera to face both of you. You still lie next to each other, heads resting against one another.
“I love you.” You look up at him, your eyes heavy with sleepiness.
“I love you more.”
The monitors beeped, but you quickly got used to it.
The room was finally quiet. No more nurses coming in or out to check on you or the newborn, no visitors, and no crying baby. Just the quiet suckles that the baby made against your breast.
You were both exhausted, living off approximately three hours of sleep between the two of you in thirty eight hours.
Joe sat in a seat next to the bed, watching in awe at the newborn resting comfortably in your embrace.
“She’s so beautiful.” His tone was quiet, scared that the tiniest noise would startle her. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes once again.
To be honest, ever since she was born, there hadn’t been an hour he hadn’t cried.
“I can’t believe we made her.” Your voice carries the tired but gentle tone. “She’s tiny.”
He grabs the hospital bag that’s close by, whipping out the camera.
“You really brought that?” You raise your brows, watching as he turns it on.
“I have to get a video of my baby girl.” His eyes turn into the big puppy eyes you can’t be annoyed at.
“You’re here.” He starts the video. Capturing the soft baby that resting against you. “And you’re so beautiful.” His voice cracks. “You’re everything I could’ve asked for and more.” A tear runs down his cheek.
“I love you, my girls, so much. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” And once he says that, you’re both sobbing while looking at the newborn who had no idea how much they’re loved.
Before (and even still now) you got together, boys would practically throw themselves at your way.
Still, you rejected all of them and chose Steve instead.
Which made it his duty to protect you always.
You often visited Steve at Family Video. It was easy to get there since the cafe you worked at was only a few stores down, so whenever you had your lunch break, you would come down and sit in the back with Steve or help him reorganise tapes. Which you were doing right now.
Being with each other silently was comfortable. Steve had a soft smile playing on his lips. The one he always had whenever he was within a five mile radius of you.
“Hold on, I have to grab more tapes.” He walks past you, his hand purposely brushing your lower back as he does so.
You still have some tapes in hand: ‘Sixteen Candles’, ‘Valley Girl’, ‘Pretty in Pink’.
“Pretty in Pink, huh?” A deep, unfamiliar voice approaches you, leaning against the stand.
“Yep.” You pop the P, a small, polite smile appearing on your face.
“It’s a good movie, but her dress at the end is horrendous.” He scoffs, a sneaky smirk dancing on his face. “I bet you’d look good in that dress. You look like you could pull anything off.” His voice is now low and hoarse. His eyes scan you up and down, biting the inside of his cheek.
“Oh i-“
“Can I help?” Steve walks in front of you, blocking you from seeing the guy.
“Nope, just having a friendly conversation—“ he looks down at Steve’s name tag, “Steve.” He taunts.
“Really? Didn’t sound so friendly.”
“Can I not compliment a girl nowadays?” The guy frowns, leaning into Steve’s face a little more to rile him up. Steve just stands there, unmoving.
“Not my girlfriend.” Steve says sternly.
“Oh, really?” His face now holding a teasing smile. “Pretty girl. Bet you’re real lucky.”
“I am.” He nods, his arms now crossed and protective.
“Okay, well I’ll see you around.” The man pulls away, giving you a wink before turning around and soon leaving.
“Thank you, Stevie.” You say quietly, grabbing the few other tapes he hands to you.
“Gotta protect my girlfriend.” He kisses the top of your head, gentle and warm.
✦ Steve is obsessed with you being his wife, so he makes sure people know it.
.ᐟ.ᐟ pet names (baby)
✦ A/N - can’t stop thinking about husband Steve omg. And we aren’t gonna talk about how I disappeared again… tf AND I changed my user name and lowk had a revamp of my blog. Feeling like a whole new woman
ʚɞ masterlist
Steve didn’t miss an opportunity to make it clear you were his wife.
For example, at restaurants.
It was busy. The kind of busy restaurants get on a Friday night when people are coming to celebrate the end of the weekday with some wine and pasta.
The lights were dim above you. A candle in the middle of your table projecting a small glow onto both of your faces as you scanned the menu.
You’ve been here many times, so it really didn’t take much decision to know what you wanted.
You look out the window, watching as the town moves slowly for this time of night. The occasional person walking past, looking to be in their head too much to notice their surroundings.
The street lamps light up the sidewalk, making the misty rain look like glitter as it gently falls to the ground.
Time passes while you wait for someone to serve you. Eventually, someone does.
“What would you like today?” The young man, who seems to be in his early twenties, asks.
“Can I get the classic burger, please?” Steve replies with a polite smile. You were about to answer, but Steve managed to get there before you did.
“My wife,” the words on his tongue seemed so normal. So casual but protective. “Would like the pasta.” Steve glances over to you. “Right, baby?” His foot nudges yours. You nod.
“Yes, please.”
Even around friends, the words seemed to have slipped off his tongue like second nature.
Every so often, when everyone’s schedules aligned, everyone would come round to yours and Steve’s house.
Mike, Robin, Dustin, Max, and Steve all stood in the kitchen. Most of them having beers in hand, while Max and Dustin had some fizzy drinks they’d managed to find in the back of the fridge.
The chatter circled around the room comfortably. The kind where you know you can say whatever without being judged.
Everyone was relaxed, like this was their everyday life.
You, Nancy, Jonathan, Will, and Lucas all sat in the living room, snacking on some food that you and Steve never finished last night.
It was cosy. Something you were definitely used to when being with the friends you fought monsters with.
From where you were sitting, you could ever so slightly make out what everyone in the kitchen was saying. You were only half paying attention, your brain not storing any of the information from the conversation you were eavesdropping on.
“My wife and I actually went into that restaurant the other day. I’m surprised you’ve never been.” You managed to make out what Steve was saying. It made you turn your head slightly. You looked through the open door from where you were sat, having a perfect view of Steve and Robin.
“You don’t have to say ‘wife’, Steve.” Dustin says with a small scoff.
“We literally knew her before we knew you,” Max quickly adds.
“Seriously, we’re aware of who your wife is. No need to brag.” Robin takes a swig of her beer.
Steve subconsciously glances over to you. Something he does without thinking to make sure you’re still there and where he’d last seen you. Though, you’re still looking over, making eye contact with him.
His face immediately softens, a soft smile taking up his face when he sees you.
summary: As maid of honor and best man, you're stuck with your ex-boyfriend to solve wedding crises together. Although, the biggest mess might just be you two.
a/n: we've got another fic filled with bickering with steve since you guys loved the previous one! hope u enjoy, feedback is very apreciated. (dividers by @cursed-carmine)
words: 5.8k - masterlist
August 12th - two days before the wedding.
Max was pacing in front of the mirror, hair messy from all the times she moved it from side to side, something she does when she's frustrated.
“They’re red, Lucas!” she says for the third time, like if she repeated it enough times, Lucas would start freaking out the way she is. I asked for white flowers. White is the whole theme. What am I supposed to do with red flowers? This isn’t a fucking Valentine’s wedding!”
Lucas was dialing the bakery again, phone pressed tight to his ear. “They’re still not answering.”
“Of course they’re not answering!” Max snaps, turning on him. “Why would anything go right today? Why would anything be easy?”
“And what did your aunt say? She just decided to not come? Two days before the wedding?” he asks.
“She said something came up. She wouldn't even tell me what it was. I think she just didn't want to see my mom because they're still mad at each other! Everything just sucks! My family is so messed up, we can't even have a wedding!” she started crying again.
“Hey, hey-” he softened immediately, reaching for her.
“The seating chart is ruined now. I spent hours on that, I finally got everyone where they wouldn’t fight and now there’s empty spaces and... god, the florist, the cake, the seating-”
“Max-”
“I can’t do this,” she says, voice breaking. “I just can't do this anymore."
"Okay, Max, leave it to me." you finally step in. “You’re getting married in less than forty-eight hours. You can't fall apart now.”
“I’m already falling apart.” Max mutters weakly.
“So let me handle it." you repeat.
“Yeah." Steve adds, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. “That’s literally why we’re here, remember? Best man, maid of honor. Isn't it our job to solve problems?”
You were, in fact, the maid of honor of Max's wedding. You were so excited when she had asked you, so happy and proud. But it all came crashing down when she told you who the best man was going to be. Of all people, Lucas had asked your ex-boyfriend.
The reasons they gave you made sense. Throughout their relationship, you and Steve were always the ones to offer advice on how to fix a fight and how to forgive each other over dumb things, as mad as they could be at each other. They say that if it weren’t for your help, they probably wouldn't be together today.
Funny how that worked perfectly for them, but it didn't have the same effect on your relationship...
As the saying goes 'do as I say, not as I do.'
Steve and you broke up a year ago already, after 5 years of dating. It got to a point where there were more fights than sex, and more insults than compliments. So you decided to walk out, and not come back.
You don't look at him when he talks.
“We’ll fix the flowers, track down the cake, and redo the seating chart.” you tell Max.
“Sorry, we?” Steve checks, surprised. "As in... together?"
“Yes. We.” you finally look at him.
Lucas looked between you, already hopeful. “You sure you guys can handle it?”
“Of course." you say, saving the doubts all for yourself, trying to look confident.
“Sure, piece of cake.” Steve reassures him.
Max steps forward towards you. “If you fix this, I swear I’ll owe you forever.”
“Just relax, I'll handle everything." you say.
“Debatable.” Steve mutters under his breath, you ignore him.
“Go,” you tell her gently. “Take five minutes. Cry, breathe. We’ll start figuring this out.”
Lucas nods, guiding Max toward the bathroom. “Okay. Okay. Yeah. Five minutes, honey.”
The door shut behind them.
"What did you get us into?" Steve complains.
"We don't have time for your pessimism."
“My pessimism?” Steve asks incredulously. “You just volunteered us to fix four separate crises in under two days like we’re some kind of magicians."
“We have to be!” you shot back, scribbling something down. “Or did you think your role was just standing there and looking pretty?”
"It was all I was worried about up until ten minutes ago." he mutters.
“Focus.”
“I’m focused,” he says, stepping closer. “I’m focused on the fact that you just decided everything without asking me.”
“What exactly would you have said?” you look at him.
“That this is insane?”
“And then what?”
“And then-” he hesitates for a second, thinking of another alternative, then says, “-we come up with a plan, all four of us together!”
"I already have a plan! We'll keep calling the bakery until they answer; threaten the florist so he can do his job right; call the aunt and convince her to come." you list with your fingers.
“Wow... revolutionary.” he says sarcastically. You roll your eyes and start moving. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to you."
“I’m not walking away, I’m working.”
“No, you’re doing the thing you always do-”
"Do not start with that." you turn to him.
“You shut down and pretend the conversation’s over just because you’re done with it.”
“I am done with this conversation, yes.”
“And that’s supposed to make it better? Just ignoring everything?”
“It makes it faster.” you respond, heading to the hallway.
“Oh, great, yeah, because that worked so well for us last time.” he walks right behind you.
“We are not doing this right now.”
“Are we ever going to do it? Because apparently walking away is your favorite solution.”
“Stop following me.”
“Stop running away.”
“I’m not.”
“You literally are!”
You spun around. "I am trying to fix our friend's wedding while you're busy picking a fight over something that happened a year ago."
"Because we never talked about it!” he fires back. “You just decide you’re done and that’s it!”
“At least I don’t drag things out until they get ugly.” you snap.
His laugh is sharp. “Oh, you mean like right now?”
You exhale, long, trying to control yourself. “Pass me the phone, Steve.”
He stares back at you. Hurt under his anger. “Unbelievable.” he mutters, but he grabs the phone anyway.
You start dialing the phone number of Max's aunt. Steve leans back against the wall, arms crossed, watching you with skepticism and amusement, more than enough to get under your skin.
“Hello? Hi! Mrs. Montgomery? Hi, this is Max’s maid of honor.” you tell her your name. “I just wanted to talk to you for a minute about Sunday. Max is really upset you won’t be here, and I thought maybe we could-”
You pause. Steve sees your expression shifting just a little.
“No, I understand things come up, of course, but I just think that-”
You pause again, your shoulders slump down, signing this is not going well.
“Well, yes, but it’s not just any day, it’s her wedding, and-” you stop talking. lips pressing together.
“Okay,” you sigh. “I see. No, I understand. Thank you for letting me know.” you lower the phone slowly.
“Well?” Steve pushes off the wall, already knowing the answer.
“She’s not coming.”
“Shocking.”
“Don’t.”
“I mean, really, who could’ve predicted that not everyone bends to your will?” he goes on, “Must be a new experience for you.”
“What side are you on?” you turn to him.
“What?”
“You’re supposed to be helping me solve this,” you snap, stepping closer. “Not standing there waiting for me to fail.”
“I’m not waiting for you to fail. I just think it’s funny you walked into that call so sure you had it handled.”
“I did-”
“No, you didn’t. You had a plan and it didn’t work.”
“At least I had a plan!” you fire back.
“Oh, yeah, great plan. ‘Hi, I’m the maid of honor, change your entire life decision because I said so.’” he mocks your voice.
“That’s not what I said-”
“That’s basically what you said.”
You turn away from him before you say something worse. “This is a waste of time.”
“Yeah, walk away again, that’ll fix it.” he mutters.
“Not everything is about us, Steve.” you turn back. “Max is crying and we need to fix it.”
He exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Fine.”
“Fine.” you settle.
The seating chart was way worse. Little white cards were scattered across the table.
“We need to fill the empty seat and rebalance the tables so no one ends up isolated.” you start thinking out loud.
“What if we move Dustin and Mike to table three? That frees up space here.” Steve leans over the table.
“No.” you simply say.
“No?”
“That separates them from our group. And they will end up too far away from us.” You explain.
“They’ll survive being at a different table for dinner.”
“It’s their best friend's wedding.”
“And they’ll still be at his wedding.” Steve shrugs.
“No, Max was very particular about keeping certain groups together.” you shake your head. “Okay,” he says slowly, “but Max also didn’t plan for her aunt to bail last minute, so we kind of have to adapt.”
You ignore that, putting Dustin and Mike at your table like they were before.
“You’re overthinking it.” he says, reaching for a card. “If I move to table three, that leaves the spot open for-”
“What? No.” you say.
“Why not?”
“That doesn’t work.” you say.
Why? Because table three had three single girls who had already been asking about Steve to Max. Because Steve in a suit, sitting at a table full of available women was a thought that made you want to puke.
“Our table’s already settled. We keep you here.” you give him that excuse.
“Why do I feel like I just got assigned a seat in kindergarten?” he repeats, amused.
“Maybe because you are acting like a child.”
“Alright, boss, then what’s your brilliant plan?” he laughs.
“We move Gareth and Jeff to table three, fill the gap there, and keep our group intact.”
“And you keep me there with you.” he insists.
“What?” you snap when you see that face.
“Nothing, just interesting.” he says, but there was a hint of sarcasm.
“Can you focus?”
“Oh, I am, I’m focused on how every option somehow ends with me glued to this exact spot.”
“It’s what Max wanted!”
“Is it?” he tilts his head. “Or is it because you really don’t want me sitting over there?”
“Oh, trust me, you can move to whichever table you want. I’ll survive.” you say, already a little mad.
“Even with the single girls at that table?” he leans just a little.
You scoff. “Please. Stop flattering yourself.”
“There she is.” he smirks wider.
“What?!”
“That tone. I know that tone, you hate that.”
“I just don’t think the best man should be sitting with random guests all night.”
“And now it’s about my duties? Not about me talking to other girls?”
“You can talk to whoever you want. I couldn’t care less.”
“Mmhmm.” he still grins.
“I don’t.” you insist.
“Sure.”
“Why are you obsessed with sitting there anyway?!”
“I’m not, I just think it’s funny that you’re so determined to stop me.”
“I stop you because they’re bad arrangements. They don’t work!”
“You’re jealous.” he states.
“You are so full of yourself.” you roll your eyes. “I’m literally trying to fix a seating chart.”
“And making sure I don’t end up near any available women.”
“You are exhausting.”
“And you’re obvious.”
“I’m not jealous. Table three just doesn’t work.” you say, stubbornly.
“Yeah, okay.” he says with a soft smile still.
“Are we done with this?” you change the subject.
“Yeah, finished.”
The night continued with even more chaos. The rehearsal for the wedding was that night, and no one was cooperating.
“Okay, can we please just run the entrance once without anyone complaining?” Max clapped once to gather attention.
“I am complaining.” Mike says immediately. “There’s no need to do this, this is stupid.”
Max, standing at the front with her clipboard, looked like she was one inconvenience away from crying again.
“Mike, you just have to walk in a straight line. That’s it. You can do that, right?” you step in, and he just rolls his eyes.
“Stop it!” Eddie yells at Dustin while he’s teasing him. “Max, I’m sorry, I’m not tying my hair for this.”
Dustin starts laughing hysterically like he just poked him enough times to make him insecure about it.
“Eddie.” you warn him.
“I’m serious, I’m not doing it.” he crosses his arms.
“It’s a formal wedding.” Max looks at him like she could just kill him.
“And I look good like this, why would I ruin it?”
“Because it’s not about you!” Max steps closer to Eddie. “Please. Just tie it back for the ceremony.”
“I don’t want to risk it.” Eddie explains.
“Risk what?”
“I’m not gonna get any if I look like a dweeb.” he says, dead serious.
“He’s got a point.” Steve agrees.
“Don’t encourage him.” you look at Steve.
“You are unbelievable.” Max comments.
“Eddie,” Lucas steps in, rubbing his temples, “just tie your hair.”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Fine, we’ll revisit the hair later. Focus on this now.” you cut him off.
“Everyone, positions.” Lucas exhales. “Partners, please-”
“Actually, can we change partners?” Nancy stands, crossing her arms. Jonathan next to her looked equally done.
“Seriously? Now?” Jonathan protests.
“Yes, now,” Nancy answers. “I’m not doing this with you pretending everything’s fine.”
“We’re not pretending anything, we’re just—”
“Walking down the aisle together like a happy couple?” she cuts in. “No, thanks.”
“Nancy, please-” Max rolls her eyes.
“No, it’s fine. We’ll just switch.” she says quickly. “I’ll walk with Steve instead."
“No.” It comes out instantly from you. Steve walking in with his other ex-girlfriend? His first love? No.
Nancy frowns. “Why not?”
“Because that’s not how it was planned.”
“It’s a small change—”
“It’s not necessary.”
Steve, a few feet away, goes very still.
“I mean,” Gareth’s voice cuts in. “If she's free, she could walk in with me.” he signals you, but you didn’t even have a chance to react.
“No.” This time it was Steve, just as sharp as yours. “Not happening.”
You feel the tension spike. “Okay,” you cut in quickly. “No one is improvising partners. Nancy, you don’t have to pretend anything. You walk with Jonathan, you don’t hold hands, you don’t look at each other if you don’t want to. You just walk. It’s ten seconds.”
Nancy doesn’t respond, but Jonathan says they can do that,
“Eddie, you can keep your hair down for the reception, but if Max decides she wants it tied for the ceremony, you’ll do it.”
“Fine, maybe.” he settles.
“That’s progress.” Steve insists. “Okay. From the top.”
People start moving into place. Crisis contained… for now.
Max starts giving instructions on how she wants the pace and the music. You glance to your side, Steve is already there. “Go.” she gestures.
You start walking, and for two seconds, it was going well.
Until Steve notices you’re drifting, just slightly. And before you take notice of this, his hand is at your waist firmly, pulling you back into him.
“What are you doing?” you complain under your breath, still walking.
“You’re speeding ahead.” he mutters.
“Don’t…” you have to contain your voice and keep it low, “manhanlde me.”
“I’m not, I’m guiding you.”
“I’m walking perfectly fine, you’re just looking for an excuse to touch me.”
“Oh, please.” He lets out a laugh.
You scoff, trying to pull slightly out of his hold, but his grip tightens.
“You were jealous of Nancy.” he whispers.
“You were jealous of Gareth.” you shot back.
He just smirks and you reach the end of the aisle.
“Good, that was good.” Max calls from the front.
By the time the rehearsal wrapped, your friends weren’t fighting anymore. You’re stacking papers for the tasks you still have for tomorrow.
“Hey.” Gareth smiles at you. “You did good, kept everyone from killing each other.”
“Barely.” you reply.
He laughs. “Listen, a bunch of us are grabbing dinner now. You should come.”
“Oh, really?” you hesitate, thinking about it. Until someone calls your name from behind. Steve was walking towards you.
“I need you.” he says.
“We were just-” Gareth starts but Steve ignores him.
“It’s about the seating chart again, there’s another problem.”
“What problem?” you frown.
“Lucas’ cousin just called, he wants to bring a plus one now, at the last minute. We have to fix it before Max sees it and loses it again.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, now.”
“That can’t wait an hour?” Gareth steps in.
“No.” Steve finally looks at him.
“It really can’t.” you add. “Maybe another day.”
“Okay,” you go back to the seating chart. “If we have a plus one now, we’d have to move someone from table four. But I don’t know where-”
“Or,” Steve says. “I can call him back and tell him he can’t bring a plus one at the last minute.”
You freeze, slowly turn around. “You didn’t do that before?”
“What?”
“If that was an option, why didn’t you just do that instead of dragging me here?”
“Well, I- I wasn’t the one who talked to him really, it was- uh-”
“Oh my god, you’re lying. You made it up so I wouldn’t go to dinner with Gareth.”
“It’s not-”
“You made that whole speech earlier about how I was jealous of the girls at the table, and how I wouldn't let you sit anywhere near them-”
“Because you were-”
“And you just lied to keep me from going out with someone?”
“Because you were about to leave with him!” he shot back.
“So?! Why do you care?!”
“Don’t act like you don’t get it.”
“I don't get it, Steve!”
“He’s been flirting with you all day.” he says frustrated. “I couldn’t just stand there and watch it happen.”
“But it’s wrong when I do it, isn’t it?” you point out.
“I never said that-”
“You did! You’re jealous, you’re controlling…” you mock his voice.
“Well, at least I’m not pretending I’m not.” he adds.
“It doesn’t matter,” you stop him. “We’re not together anymore.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“This is ridiculous, we have actual problems to fix.”
August 13th - One day before the wedding.
The next day you get up ready to finish your work. You and Steve meet at the venue, which smelled like roses… red roses.
Tables were already in place for tomorrow, arrangements being placed one by one. The white theme Max and Lucas had picked up was bleeding out a deep crimson color. It was aggressive.
Two men were arranging a centrepiece for the tables when you approach them.
“Excuse me, hi. Could you tell me who’s in charge?”
“Florist’s over there” One of them points.
“Thank you.” You walk straight past them, Steve trailing a step behind, hands in his pockets, watching.
The florist was checking something off on a clipboard. You stop in front of him.
“Hi, I need to talk to you.”
He doesn’t even look up at you. “Yes?”
“The order for this wedding was white flowers.” you say.
“No, it’s not. Everything is being set up according to order.”
“Check the order again.” you challenge him.
He looks up at you, doesn’t even check his papers. “Order says red.”
“I’ve seen the contract. It was white roses, white lilies. This entire wedding is built around that color palette.” you fight.
“Are you the bride?” he asks.
“No, I’m the maid of honor.”
“Well, miss, you’re clearly mistaken-”
“No, you need to fix this now!” you finally lose it.
“It’s the day before the wedding,” he says in a condescending tone. “There’s nothing to fix.”
“There is, you sent the wrong order.” you reply.
“You need to check again.”
“I did.”
“Then check once more! Or you won’t get paid.”
He just smiles. “Right. Okay” He nods slowly. Treats you like you’re bluffing, like you’re just another stressed bridesmaid throwing around empty threats.
“I’m serious.” you try again.
“Mmhmm.” he gives you a little hum, dismissing you.
Behind you, Steve pushes off the pillar, stands beside you, in front of the man. Taller, broader. And the florist noticed.
Steve doesn’t even look at you, his gaze is on this man. “You heard her,” his voice is low. “You don’t fix this, you don’t get paid.”
Same exact words, but this time, the florist straightens.
“Well, like I said, the order-”
“Check it again.” Steve cuts in, firm.
“Fine.” he sighs. He flips through the pages of his clipboard, then pauses. “This is for Mayfield?”
“Yes.” you respond.
He clears his throat. “It… looks like there was a mix-up with another order.”
“Looks like it.” you repeat.
“We’ll, uh- we’ll correct it immediately. We can have the white arrangements here within a few hours. We’ll start replacing everything as soon as they arrive. ” he moves off, already calling his team.
Another problem solved.
For a moment, neither of you speak. You can feel his eyes on you. He waits for you to talk first, but you stay quiet.
“He’s an asshole.” he breaks the silence.
“It’s fine.” you roll your eyes.
“No, I said your exact same words but he only listened to me.”
“Then thanks for saving the day…” you finish this conversation and start walking again. “Let’s keep going, we have to keep trying with the cake.”
“I’ve been calling them all morning.” Steve frowns slightly.
“I know.” you say, already grabbing the phone and dialing.
“Oh, so I’m doing it wrong now?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I just said I’ll try.”
“Yeah, ‘cause clearly I’m incapable of making a phone call.”
“Steve, not everything I do is about you.” you exhale, pressing the phone to your ear.
“No, but everything you do is better, right?”
You close your eyes, getting annoyed at him, waiting as the line rang. But nothing. You hang up.
“Wow, great job.” he crosses his arms.
“We’ll have to go there, to the bakery.”
“Now?”
“Yes. We don’t have time to wait around for a call that might never come.”
“Fine, let’s go.”
The bakery looks a little old. The sign is faded, with chipped paint, the windows needed a repaint.
An old woman stood behind the counter. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, yes. We’re here about a wedding cake. It’s for tomorrow, it’s under Mayfield.” you step forward.
“Oh yes, beautiful design. We’re finishing it today.” she nods.
“Okay, great. Because we’ve been trying to call, the bride was worried.” Steve explains.
“Oh, our phone broke a few days ago, we’re waiting for someone to fix it. But don’t worry, the cake will be delivered tomorrow morning, everything is on schedule.”
“Okay, thank you.” you smile.
“Of course, dear.”
“Well,” Steve says. “That was easy.”
“For once.” you nod. Then you turn toward the elevator to head back down. The doors slid shut once you entered it.
“Would that mean we fixed everything already?” Steve asks, pressing the button.
“If everything goes according to plan from now on, then yes. Miracles really do-”
The elevator jolts, then stops, the lights flicker, nothing else moves.
“Oh, no.”
Steve presses buttons again, all of them, but nothing.
“Don’t tell me we’re stuck.” you cover your face with your hands.
He keeps hitting the emergency button. “...Great.”
“This is just great.” you sit on the floor.
“It’s an old building, someone will notice.” Steve joins you on the floor.
“When? In an hour? Two? What if no one comes up here for the rest of the day?”
“They will.”
“What if we miss the rehearsal dinner? The wedding-?”
“You’re being dramatic.” he stops you. “You’re jumping straight to the worst possible scenario like you always do.”
“I’m thinking ahead.”
“You’re overthinking. We’re trapped in an elevator, not in a burning building.”
“You don’t get it.” you shake your head.
“No, I do.” he says sharper now. “You always do this. You get into panic mode so easily, it’s exhausting. It’s one of the worst things about you, you make everything bigger than it is, you stress so much about things that haven’t even happened yet, and then-” he stops, too late.
You don’t say anything, just look down. And something about your expression, about the hurt in your face, made him realize he went too far.
“Hey…” he says in a softer tone. No response. “I’m sorry, I took it too far. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine.” you whisper, still not looking at him. “Can we just not… do this right now?”
He nods, and time stretches as you sit in silence. You stay like you were, back against the wall, eyes fixed on the floor as the minutes passed.
He whispers your name. “I didn’t mean it.”
“It’s true.”
“That you’re exhausting?”
“Sometimes, yeah.” you shrug.
“No, no. That’s not true.” he repeats. “I just said it because I was frustrated, not because it’s true.”
“Steve-”
“Let me finish. I hate when you get like that, when you start thinking ten steps ahead and you get stuck in your own head. Not because it makes you exhausting, but because it hurts you.”
You stay looking at him, but you stay silent.
“I’ve seen it. You get so worked up over things that haven’t even happened yet, and you carry them like they're already real. And I hate that. Not you, just that you get tangled in that.”
“It’s fine, Steve-”
“No, no. You’re amazing, look how fixed everything just to keep Max from stressing. You think ahead, and you care so much. I’ve always liked that about you." he continues.
“That’s the first sweet thing you’ve said to me since we got here.” you notice.
“Yeah, I guess it is. I’m sorry, for all of it.”
“I’m not exactly innocent here.” you shake your head.
“Still.”
“No, I kinda started it.” you insist. “It just hurt. Seeing you again. I thought I would be fine, but I wasn't.”
“I get that. I got way more hurt than I expected, and I decided it’s be a great idea to be an asshole back.” he admits.
“It’s a great strategy.” you chuckle.
“I know, really mature.” he laughs too.
“I’m sorry too.”
“So, we’re good now?” he asks.
“Yeah, we’re good.” you smile.
“Still stuck in an elevator.” he groans.
The rehearsal dinner is therefore different. There are no more fights, no more snapping, and no need to win every conversation.
Twenty minutes later, someone found you. They helped to open the doors with tools and finally, you could get out.
You stand by your table, getting a drink. Across the room, Steve is talking to Dustin, laughing. The suit he’s wearing makes it impossible for you to take your eyes off him, his hair looks perfect like it always does.
You can’t shake the thought of wondering when did this happen. Him across the room from you, his hands in his pockets instead of on your waist.
What if you never broke up? What if you took better care of you two?
You’d be by his side, his touch on you at all times, maybe a hand on your waist, or holding yours. He’d pull you in from time to time to give you a kiss. You’d be complimenting each other and blushing every five minutes.
But instead, you’re left fantasizing about it.
August 14th - The day of the wedding.
And little did you know, Steve was doing the same thing from his side of the room.
“Tell me I don’t look like a dork.” Eddie stands in front of you after you help him to pull his hair back neatly.
“You look just fine.” you say.
“You could look worse.” Steve comments.
“Thanks, man.” he says sarcastically.
“Stop it,” you smack Steve in the arm. “You look good, it actually works.”
“And you can take it out the second we leave the church.” Steve adds.
“Fine.”
Across the room, Nancy and Jonathan are still fighting.
“It would make more sense, we could switch partners and walk at ease.” Nancy insists, and before you can open your mouth to complain, Steve beats you to it.
“No. It’s not happening. Just respect the couples.”
“We’ll just do what we planned.” Jonathan comments.
“Great.” you say.
You stand in your positions. The music started.
“Ready?” Steve asks you with a smile.
“Yeah.” you nod.
You step into place, and then start walking. Steve’s hand rests at your waist again, and you let him, you even lean into it.
“You look stunning.” he murmurs under his breath. You keep looking forward, but a small smile tugs at your lips.
“You look really handsome. Way too handsome, it’s annoying.” you whisper back.
He huffs a quiet laugh.
You reach the end of the aisle in silence, but with his hand even tighter on your waist. Then you step apart.
When the preacher starts talking after Max walks in, Steve has a hard time focusing. He tries to keep his eyes on Lucas, on Max, but you’re right there.
Then, the reception is louder. You barely had time to look around that Eddie already grabs you.
“You said I could take it down after the ceremony.”
“Alright, come here.”
“Careful- ow-” he complains.
“Stop moving.” you tell him. “Okay, now you look good.”
“Yeah okay,” he runs his hands through his hair. “This is better.”
Steve was standing in front of you, laughing at the way you were practically attacking Eddie.
“Alright, Harrington. Let’s go.” he turns to Steve.
“Where?”
“Bridesmaid table.” Eddie says like it’s obvious.
“Go have fun.” you say, swallowing the jealousy.
“...I'll go later.” Steve says.
“What? Why?” Eddie frowns. “That’s literally the point of being here.”
“I’m good for now.”
“Fine, suit yourself.” He runs straight to Gareth. “Come on, man. Bridesmaid table.”
“Actually,” Gareth looks at you. “I was hoping to steal you for a dance first.”
“Oh… that’s nice, but-” it takes you by surprise.
“Come on, one dance.”
Steve doesn’t say anything, but you can feel him beside you.
“You should go with Eddie. He’s been waiting all day for this.” you say.
“That’s true, I have.” Eddie nods immediately.
“Alright, later then?” he asks.
“Maybe.” you answer.
“Dance with me?” Steve asks, extends his hand.
“Don’t ditch me, come on.” Eddie grabs him and walks.
There a moment of quietness between Steve and you where you look around the room.
You laugh softly. “Really?”
“Yeah, come on.” he smiles and you take his hand.
U2 is playing, “With or Without you”. The partners are dancing slowly on the dance floor.
One of Steve’s hands finds your waist, the other takes yours slowly. You rest your head on his shoulder, your fingers are loosely intertwined. You just move, simply.
“You know what’s a little rude?” he talks.
“What is?” you look up at him.
“You’re the most beautiful girl in this wedding, the others don’t stand a chance.”
“Don’t say that.” you let out a soft laugh.
“I’m serious.”
“You shouldn’t be.” you smile. “Max looks perfect.”
“She does,” he agrees. “But to me, you're better.”
You smile at him. “You always look good. But tonight is a bit much.”
“Oh, yeah?” he laughs.
You hum. “It’s almost unfair.”
“I’ll try to tone it down next time.” he jokes.
You laugh. His hand tightens on your waist, pulling you a little closer, you rest your head on his chest again.
Steve’s chest felt like it might actually give out.
“Hey,” he whispers. “Can we… go outside for a minute? Need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” you nod.
Once outside, the night was cooler and quieter, the noise from the party stayed behind doors. You wrap your arms around yourself, Steve stops pacing and gives you his suit jacket.
He runs a hand through his hair. “...I don't really know how to start this.”
“It’s okay, however you can.”
“I’ve been trying to find the words all day, and everytime I think I’ve got it, it just sounds stupid in my head.”
“It won’t.” you say quietly.
“This weekend’s been a mess.” he starts. “Like, us. The way we’ve been acting, the fights… it fucked me up more than I expected. I thought I was over it, or over you enough to handle this. But I’m not, I’m not over you.”
You stay quiet, deciding to let him talk first. Also because your breath is caught from everything he’s confessing.
“And all day today, during the ceremony, at dinner last night, and- fuck, even in the elevator- all I could think about was everything I should’ve done differently. I keep going every fight, every moment where I could’ve said something else, or stayed, tried harder, not let you walk away.”
His eyes start tearing up. “I just let it happen, I let us fall apart like it was inevitable or something. And now I’m here, all I can think is that I should have never let you go. I don’t think I’ll ever forget about you.”
Your vision is already blurred too. You blink fast, trying to stop it, but it was too late.
“Great, now you’re gonna ruin my makeup.” you wipe the tears quickly.
He lets out a small laugh. “Sorry.”
“I spent so long on this.” you add, trying to sound annoyed.
“Let me help-”
“No, it’s fine, I just… I miss you too.” you give up on trying to hold it together. “I didn’t even realize how much until I saw you again and- and- suddenly I had to watch you walk in here, looking like that-” a laugh escapes you.
“And I just kept thinking, ‘great, now I have to sit here and watch him flirt with every beautiful girl and act like I’m completely fine with it.’ And I was jealous and annoyed. I wasn’t ready to let you go like that.”
You look up at him. “Steve, the worst thing I did to us was not give us a chance. I just decided it was too much and I left. And now all I can think about is how you deserved another chance.”
Steve steps closer. “...Is it too late? To give me that second chance, right now.”
You shake your head. “No.”
That was all he needed to close the distance immediately. His hand came to your face, thumb brushing away the tears, and he kissed you.
You melt on him just as fast, your hands grip his shoulders and pull him closer. The music and noise from inside fades completely. Your hands move up to tug on his hair as he hugs your waist tighter.
When you pull away, you barely move too far from each other. His thumb brushes under your eye again. “Careful, your makeup.”
“You already ruined it.” you joke.
“You still look really good.”
“You’re biased.”
“Completely.” he smiles.
You stay outside just making out and talking for what feels like hours. And when you finally walk back inside, it’s like the last year never passed.
✦ A/N - I’m hella ovulating and I need Steve badly rn
✦ masterlist
Steve didn’t think he could be anymore obsessed with you.
But the minute the ring slipped on your finger, he was down bad.
He’d just gotten home from his first day back at training after your honeymoon. You knew that since you heard the door close and shoes being kicked off by the entryway followed by a sigh.
You were in the kitchen, the low hum of music playing from your old record player that you should really throw away. But still, it works.
You felt his presence behind you, then his big hands wrapping around your waist. He squeezed you for a moment.
“Missed you, baby.” He mumbles into your shoulder.
“Miss you too. How was training?” You turn to face him, wrapping your arms around his neck, to which he groans and gives you a few pecks on the lips.
“Same old. But I was just thinking about getting to come back to you.” His voice is low and gruff. His head dips back into your shoulder, kissing you all the way up to your neck, then jaw, then lips.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. My beautiful wife.” You feel his lips smile softly on yours, deepening the kiss. His hands roam your body. To your hips, waist, neck, and ass.
He scoops you up in his arms, dropping you gently on the countertop.
“I love you so much.” He practically moans like it hurts.
It was movie night. Every so often, when everyone’s schedules weren’t busy and aligned, you all sat in yours and Steve’s living room arguing over who gets what seat, what movie to watch, and who ate the rest of the popcorn.
It was relaxing in the way you’re were used to.
You and Steve sat next to each other, your legs flung over his lap as his hands rubbed up and down them while he couldn’t stop looking at you with the side of his lip perking up.
You all soon put on a movie. Top Gun won the most votes. Mainly from Lucas.
It was nice. The presence of everyone you grew up with sitting in the same room.
Soon, all the snacks had been eaten, not even halfway through the movie. When Dustin and Robin complained there wasn’t any more popcorn, you got up and made your way to the kitchen with Steve following closely.
“Making popcorn isn’t a two person job, guys!” Lucas yells from the living room.
“It is now!” Steve says back.
The kitchen was quieter than the living room. The hum of the room was a small relief from the already hectic night.
Steve rests his head on your shoulder, soothing his hands on either side of your body.
“I can’t wait for them to leave.” He says quietly.
“Yeah?” You chuckle, tilting your head to the side so he had more room to kiss your skin.
“I just want to be with you.” His hand splayed across your stomach. “Be alone with my wife and admire her in peace.”
You were stood there for at least a minute. Steve was holding you close while you attempted to make the popcorn with him latching onto you.
“Steve, I can’t do anything with you holding onto me like a baby.”
“I don’t want to let go.” He sighs, inhaling the smell of your hair. “If I let go, I’m going to feel like a baby being ripped away from their mother.”
“Steve, you’re being dramatic.”
“Maybe. But at least it’s not a lie.”
Slow mornings were your favourite. You two lay in bed, holding each other close with not a single worry in the world. He’d sometimes even leave, telling you to stay there and soon come back with some coffee and toast you shared together.
Today was no different. You two had already been awake for at least ten minutes, enjoying the silence and the warm presence of each other before getting up and facing the world.
You were straddled on his lap, leaning in closely. His hands were rubbing down your back to touch the waistband of your shorts before slowly coming back up underneath your shirt.
“You’re so gorgeous.” He mutters, his pupils noticeably blown when you look at him.
“You’re so handsome.” Your hot breath tickling his jaw as you peck small, teasing kisses across his face.
“I can’t believe you’re my wife.” He shudders. You sit up, still straddling him. His hands gripping at your sides.
His eyes don’t leave your face. It’s almost like he’s in a trance and can’t move or blink.
“I’m obsessed with you.” He says like a prayer. His right hand now resting at the top of your thigh.
“If you don’t stop saying that, we’ll be in bed all morning.” You whisper.
“That’s something I won’t be complaining about.”
God I need a submissive Steve Harrington in my life immediately
✦ Steve is overthinking meeting your parents. Little does he know, your parents will adore him.
.ᐟ.ᐟ reader has siblings
✦ A/N - didn’t proof read oops
✦ masterlist
All you said for Steve to bring was himself. But alongside that, he brought worry.
The car ride was relatively silent. The low music coming from the radio filled the anxious silence.
Steve couldn’t sit still. He kept budging in his seat, his fingers nervously tapping the steering wheel, and he was chewing the inside of his mouth. A habit he often did.
You grab his arm, pulling him out of his anxious state for a moment. You interlock your fingers and sooth the top of his hand with your thumb.
Steve was already preparing for the worst. Sure, he was overthinking whether or not he was going to make a good impression. But what really tugged at him was the “what if”s – “what if they’re like my parents?” were making its rounds in his head.
You knew that, of course. You told him multiple times that they’d accept him no matter what. That they’d always listen to what he has to say.
Though, what Steve needed was proof. And the proof wasn’t going to show itself when you’re both sat in the car outside the house.
“Steve, they’ll love you as much as I do. I promise.” You say carefully. He looks at you, biting his lip as if he were debating whether you’re right or not.
“Hey, stop that.” You frown at him, and he immediately stops biting his lip.
“Come on, let’s get it over and done with.” You nod to the house, opening the car door so he can’t back down. He heavily sighs, opening his side and slipping out.
“Are you sure I didn’t need to bring flowers or anything?” He stops you before you can even make it to the front porch.
“I’m sure. You just need to bring yourself. That’s all they want from you.” You say seriously.
The house was loud in the way that everyone was comfortable.
Your siblings bicker over the tv remote after not having done so for years. Someone’s in the kitchen preparing dinner, the pots and pans clanking together as they move. There are quiet conversations from your parents in the living room.
It’s all so normal to you. So calming and peaceful.
The moment your parents see you, they get up from the couch and your mother brings you into a warm hug.
“I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?” She says in a soft tone. Her eyes wander over your face to see if there’s any change since the last time she saw you.
But the moment she sees Steve, she lights up.
“You’re the one I’ve heard so much about.” She opens her arms, inviting him in for a hug.
“Good things, I hope.” He chuckles nervously.
“Of course, good things.”
Eventually, your dad walks up to you, bringing you into his bear hug you used to complain about when you were younger, but learned to savour the moments like this.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hi, dad.”
Your dad looks over at Steve, glancing up at him head to toe with a neutral expression, which makes Steve swallow anxiously.
“Hello, sir.” His eyes dart everywhere but his face.
“Hey, kid.” Your dad offers his hand for a handshake. Steve takes it. Your father shakes it firmly.
“I hope you’re taking care of my daughter.” Your dad looks him in the eye. Not harshly, but not kindly either. More of a warning.
“Of course.” Steve nods. 
“Right!” Your mother interrupts. “Dinner should be ready soon, so get comfortable, make yourself at home.” She smiles kindly.
The dinner table was filled with chatter.
Your siblings joked with each other, even adding Steve to the conversation. Leaving him with a big smile afterwards while he continued to eat.
Your parents asked questions about your relationship with Steve. How you met, and what he does for work.
You could practically see the worry lift off Steve’s shoulders every time he spoke with your family. And more often than not, you’ll bump into Steve’s leg when he smiles contently. Giving him a “I told you so” look.
It was quieter after everyone had eaten.
You were all gathered around in the living room. Enjoying the presence of each other while silent conversations made their rounds.
You and Steve sat next to each other, your shoulders touching from how close you were.
You glance up at Steve while he speaks to your sibling, and you could’ve sworn he looked like this is how it’s been his whole life. Comfortable and relaxed. Easy chatter flowing between him and your family.
It made your heart warm.
Only a few hours ago, Steve was convincing himself your family would hate him. Now, they speak like they’ve known each other for years.
Even he and your dad.
Your father had that glint of approval in his eyes. It’s quiet, but it’s there. His lips held a fond smile whenever they joked together.
Your dad had that expression of love that only a father could give to his children. A subconscious way of showing how your dad is slowly accepting Steve into the family.
Later into the night, when you go to the kitchen to grab a drink, your dad stood by the sink, finishing up some final washing up.
There was a comfortable silence until he broke it first.
“You did good.”
And that was all you needed to know.
The sun was now setting, casting a glow that shone through the windows.
You and Steve stand by the front door with your parents looking at both of you lovingly.
“It was so nice to have you.” Your mother says. “Steve, it was wonderful finally meeting you.” She pulls him into one more hug.
“It was nice meeting you, too.” His voice muffled into her shoulder.
“Come visit again soon.” your dad says, giving Steve a pat on the back.
Once you’re in the car, it’s silent for a moment.
Steve takes a sigh of relief, looking at you with a big smile.
“I told you they’d love you.” You smile softly at him.
“I know.” He replies calmly. “I love you.” He says after a moment of silence.
“I love you too.”
Ever since then, you swear he looked at you with an extra sparkle in his eyes.
And after your parents had met him, there wasn’t a week that went by without a phone call from them asking when they could see you again.
Though, you knew it was just to see Steve.
And Steve continued to go with a bright, eager smile on his face every time.
Touring with Joe would be hectic, but in the best way.
You'd never be bored and always have something to do, even if that's watching the band argue about who put their guitar where.
Every evening, when the sun is setting into a gorgeous purple, you and Joe finally get some alone time to sit in each other's presence and talk about everything but nothing.
You'd be lying with your legs thrown across his while he absentmindedly rubs shapes on your ankles.
There'd even be the occasional time where Caity would snap a quick photo, you two too lost in your conversation to even notice.
The days he's performing, you'll stand behind the stage curtain, quietly cheering him on with a big, proud smile on your face.
He'll occasionally glance back to check you're still there, blowing you a kiss when you lock eyes again.
And the moment he walks off stage, he tackles you in a big bear hug, warmth radiating off him.
"You stink." Your voice muffled in his shoulder.
"You'll be fine." He mutters as he kisses your head.
During sound checks, you'll watch from the sidelines, half listening. You never quite know when it's happening, but he'll reach out and spin you around. Before you know it, you're both carelessly dancing to his music like it's only you two in the room.
You'll both be laughing like you haven't done this thousands of times. The band will watch with smiles on their faces, giving each other knowing glances while you two take the stage.
There wouldn't be a day where Joe wouldn't pull out his camera and take photos of you. You could be lying on the hotel bed scrolling through your phone and hear a quiet shutter noise.
You'd look over and see his wide smile, like he'd just taken the world's best photo of you.
"Seriously?" You say unenthusiastically, though you don't care as much as you make it seem.
"Documenting.
"What, me doing the least interesting thing on Earth?"
"You are the most interesting thing on Earth. And most gorgeous." He walks over and kisses you, feeling his smile against yours.
✦ based off the interview of Joe taking about the story behind ‘Gap Tooth Smile’
✦ A/N - this idea has been in my head for the longest time
✦ masterlist
The room was cozy.
Flower pots on shelves that you were interested in and asked questions about, books neatly arranged but loved, a small lamp beside the armchair that Joe was sitting in.
You’ve never witnessed an interview being recorded. Sure, Joe has done a few Zoom call interviews at home, but he always does them in the office or in the living room. It was anywhere you weren’t.
The sun seeped through the window, casting a nice light onto Joe while he sat in front of the camera talking about his songs and the story behind them.
“Gap Tooth Smile is about loving your girlfriend, I guess.” He speaks into a mini handheld microphone. He looks over at you as he talks, giving you a gentle smile.
“She’s actually here, watching me.” He speaks to the camera. He nods to you, a silent way of asking if you want to go show your face to the camera.
Joe always had a way of keeping you safe and out of the public eye. You were a normal person, and he guarded your safety like it was the most important thing ever.
He wanted to make you feel safe and loved and not have people digging into your life like people do to his. So, he was careful asking if you wanted your face shown. He knows your boundaries and limits, but he also knew you didn’t want to be hidden from the world; you knew how to handle situations, and Joe trusted you on that.
You hesitantly walk over, perching on the arm of the chair. Joe’s hand rests on your lower back instinctively, making sure you have balance.
“This is my girlfriend, about whom the song is.” He glances at you, and you could’ve sworn you saw his pupils dilate.
It was a night where Steve wasn’t distracted by the kids, you weren’t hunted down by Max and El to help with Mike. It was a night without kids and the upside down.
All those things you wished could disappear disappeared when you were with Steve.
A candle lit between the two of you, empty plates pushed off to the side, and a quiet conversation bounced off you and Steve.
There wasn’t a pressure to say the right things, to act a certain way. It was gentle and comforting. Something you definitely needed after the past few weeks dealing with Vecna.
The sun was setting, casting an orange glow throughout the restaurant. You had finished your food about twenty minutes ago, and you and Steve were catching up on all the things you’d missed while in California.
Eventually, the restaurant was starting to quieten. Only the employees and the last few customers remained. You and Steve decided to finally leave.
Making your way up to the bar to pay, Steve pulled out his wallet and decided to tip them a few dollars. Though, you notice something.
“Is that a picture of me?” You stop him just as you were about to exit. He just shrugs dismissively.
“Maybe.” He mutters, shoving his wallet back into his pocket. You smile. That big, cheesy smile you do when you want to tease him a little.
“That was a photo of me. Wasn’t it?” You taunt him. His lip curves into a grin, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I missed you while you were in California.” He says sincerely, watching as your face turns into the sweet, affectionate smile he knows and missed so much.
“Is it a good one, at least?”
“Baby, any photo of you is perfect.”
And after that, you didn’t stop pestering him about it.
.ᐟ.ᐟ No use of Y/N you’re referred to as reader, face claim is Clairo though imagine who you’d like.
✦ A/N - this is the last part!! Unless anyone wants me to do another part that explains the conversation they had at the after party 🫣 also I’m working on another smau series so it should be out in the next few days!!!
✦ masterlist
Part 1 ⟢ Part 2 - flashback ⟢ Part 3 📍
Liked by rolemodel, laufey, djotime and others.
Youruser Golden Globes was fun
View all comments ↓
Rolemodel was the smoke break really necessary
- Youruser absolutely.
User1 is this alluding to the fact you were in the same room as Joe 
- User2 I bet it is
Laufey that dress looks stunning!! Give it to me…
- Youruser come find it
Billieeilish my girlll
- Youruser of course of course
Dylanminnette the dress though 😻
- Youruser boyyy shoosh
- User3 woahhh
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You and Billie Eilish’s chat
You - Joe liked my insta post
Billie - he did???!!!
You - yeah, I think after the conversation we had at the party made him think we were close again
You - I mean, I kinda thought it did too.
Billie - either way, that’s brave of him
Billie - especially without talking with you about what you are
You - exactly. And I know how the internet is aswell
Billie - do you still have his number?
You - yes…
You - I’m not gonna text him! You even said I needed my time to heal
Billie - yes, but that was before you found out the whole story on why he was acting strange!
You - so you’re hyping me up to attempt to get back with my ex?
Billie - maybe…
Billie - but it’s not like you ended beacuse of a very bad reason. There was just a little misunderstanding and you were perfect for each other
Billie - do what you want, though. I won’t stop you
You - 🙄🫣
—————————————————————————
You and Joe’s chat
Joe - hey, I just wanted to say it was good talking to you again the other night 🙂
You - hi. Yeah, I’m glad we could catch up :)
—————————————————————————
You and Billie Eilish’s chat
30 minutes later
You - he literally texted me a few mins after we spoke.
Billie - that man wants you back.
You - literally what do I even say?
You - he said “it was good talking to you again the other night” and I said “yeah, I’m glad we could catch up”
Billie - you don’t even need to say anything else. He’s probably debating whether or not to say anything back
You - you’re getting my hopes too high
You - he hasn’t replied in an hour
—————————————————————————
You and Joe’s chat
3 hours later
Joe - I was thinking we could catch up more? Maybe go out somewhere?
Joe - you like picnics and it’s starting to get warmer out. How about we do that? It’s fine if you don’t want to, of course. I understand.
You - I’d love to, actually.
You - I’m surprised you remembered haha
Joe - I wouldn’t be able to forget even if I tried
Joe - not after that one time we went a few years back and it started raining on us in the middle of summer. You were angry about that for weeks on end
You - I still get angry about that sometimes
You - it was the most beautiful and perfect day to go out and I hadn’t even had a picnic in so long. It was the first time that summer 🙄
Joe - I remember that perfectly. Hilarious but devastating
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Liked by user4, user5, user6 and others.
Duexmoi Reader and Joe Keery spot out on a “date”? Both of them were feeding fruits to each other and looked closer than usual. Could this mean they’re rekindling their relationship?
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User7 omg omg omg omg omg
User8 this means a lot to me
User9 my parents are getting back together 🥲 used to dream of days like these
User10 fuck off omg
User11 probably their first meeting since the break up and they’re already feeding food to each other
- User12 wouldn’t expect anything less tbf
- User13 if I had the opportunity to feed Joe Keery, I would
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Liked by b.i.g.s.h.r.i.m.p, youruser, rolemodel and others.
Djotime stuff recently
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User14 the picnic blanket. You’re not slick
B.i.g.s.h.r.i.m.p arm wrestle me next time
- Djotime 🫡🫡
User15 the picnic blanket AND Reader liking this?? I’m dead
- User16 never been so happy they might be getting back together. Or at least talking again
Weswesp_ what other stuff have you been up to recently 🤔
- Djotime a lot
- User17 woah. Woah. WOAH
- User18 pls tell me this is something to do with Reader.
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Liked by billieeilish, stinkyjavi, djotime and others.
Youruser my random dump of photos I thought were aesthetic
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User19 are they both re-soft launching their relationship
- User20 yes and I’m here for it
Billieeilish you made the daisy chain for me!!
- Youruser of course I did. You deserve it
Stinkyjavi not sure if your aware but there’s something in the corner of that photo
- Youruser yeah, it’s just a bug. Ignore it
- User21 HAHA whattttt
- User22 cackling. That’s crazyyy
User23 every talking about the last photo but I wanna talk about the second one 🥲🥲
- User24 literally same. Likeeeeee
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Likes by laufey, djotime, weswesp_ and others.
Youruser round two
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User25 I love them and all but I need to know why they broke up
Djotime I could definitely go for two rounds
- Youruser Joseph. Get off your phone
- User26 definitely a choice of words
- User27 not even Joe humping the microphone stand can compare to how freaky this is
Laufey you’re literally the cutest people ever
- Youruser you’re the cutest person ever
Billieeilish told you
- Youruser 🙄🙄
- Djotime told you what?????
- User28 looolllll
User29 sorry to ruin the vibe but are we gonna get a collab any time soon
