What we never said ˙⋆✮ SH
Steve Harrington x femreader
Word count: 12.3k!
°❀⋆ Coming home from college was supposed to be simple until you saw Steve Harrington again. A year after an almost-kiss neither of you forgot, old feelings, unresolved tension, and painful misunderstandings collide when you’re forced back into each other’s lives. The problem is that the more you try to stay away from him, the more impossible it becomes to ignore what was left unfinished.
ִ ࣪𖤐.ᐟ Explicit smut, angst, friends to enemies to lovers, fingering, dirty talk, p in v sex, creampie
݁ ˖Ი𐑼ֶָ֢hi angels I’m back! I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t been able to write a lot but I’ll try my best. I’m not done with watercolor bruises don’t worry ! This is my first smut work I hope it’s not cringe, enjoy<3
The summer air in Hawkins felt different than you remembered.
Maybe it was because you had been gone for almost a year. Maybe it was because college had changed you more than you realized. Or maybe it was because every street, every storefront, and every familiar corner of town seemed to hold a memory of someone you had spent months trying not to think about.Someone who had never really left your mind.
As your car rolled down the quiet neighborhood street, your fingers tightened around the steering wheel. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pavement, painting everything in warm gold. The houses looked exactly the same as they had when you left last August, but somehow they felt smaller now.Home.After months of crowded lecture halls, noisy dormitories, and endless assignments, you were finally back.You should have felt relieved.Instead, your stomach twisted with nerves.Because coming home meant seeing him again.
Steve Harrington.
The thought alone made your chest tighten.The last time you had seen Steve was the night before you left for school.You remembered every detail no matter how hard you tried to forget.The memory had followed you through every exam, every football game on campus, every late-night study session. You had been standing in your driveway while Dustin loaded the last of your boxes into the car. The humid August air had wrapped around the two of you like a blanket. Everyone else had gone inside, leaving you and Steve alone for just a few minutes. Neither of you had known what to say.
You and Steve had spent the entire summer dancing around feelings neither of you were brave enough to admit. Lingering glances. Shoulders brushing. Conversations that lasted longer than they needed to. Every moment building toward something neither of you seemed willing to cross. Until that night. You could still remember the way Steve had looked at you beneath the porch light. The way his eyes had softened. The way his voice had gone quiet when he told you he was going to miss you. And then he had stepped closer. Close enough that your heart had started pounding. Close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him. For one suspended moment, neither of you moved. Neither of you breathed. His gaze had dropped briefly to your lips before finding your eyes again. You had thought he was going to kiss you. You had wanted him to. More than anything. But Dustin had burst through the front door yelling about forgetting something in the house, completely ruining the moment. The spell had shattered instantly. The next morning you had left for college. And nothing had happened. No kiss. No confession. No answers. Just an entire year of wondering what might have been.
You parked in front of the Henderson house and let out a slow breath.The familiar white siding came into view, followed by the porch swing your mother loved and the basketball hoop Dustin refused to admit was crooked.Home.You should have been thinking about unpacking. About seeing your family. About enjoying your summer. Instead, your mind was already racing ahead. Because if there was one thing you knew about Hawkins, it was that you couldn’t avoid Steve Harrington forever. Especially when he practically lived at your house.
You grabbed your bag from the passenger seat and stepped out into the warm afternoon air. The second your feet touched the driveway, the front door flew open.
“Dustin!” your mother shouted from somewhere inside.
A familiar voice immediately answered “I’m literally right here!”
You froze. Your heart stopped. Because that voice didn’t belong to Dustin. It belonged to Steve. Slowly, almost against your will, your eyes lifted toward the front porch. And there he was. Standing in your doorway like he had every right to be there.
Taller than you remembered His hair was slightly longer than it had been last summer, falling effortlessly into place despite the heat. He wore a faded Family Video shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans that looked worn from use.
For a moment, neither of you moved.
Neither of you spoke.
His expression shifted from confusion to complete shock.
Like he hadn’t expected to see you either.
Then his eyes widened.And suddenly every unanswered feeling from that night a year ago came rushing back.
You had only been home for five seconds. And somehow, Steve Harrington was already making your summer infinitely more complicated. For several long seconds, neither of you said a word. The world seemed to narrow until all you could see was Steve standing on the porch.
A year.
You had gone an entire year without seeing him. Yet the second your eyes met, it felt as if no time had passed at all. Your pulse hammered against your ribs. Steve looked just as stunned. His hand was still resting on the screen door handle, frozen in place as he stared at you. The confident smile he usually wore was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was something vulnerable in his expression. Something that made your stomach flip. Before either of you could figure out what to say, a loud crash echoed from inside the house.
“Dustin!” your mother yelled.
“It wasn’t me!” came Dustin’s immediate response.A moment later, the front door burst open.Dustin practically launched himself onto the porch.He stopped dead the second he saw you.For a moment his eyes widened in disbelief.Then his face split into the biggest grin imaginable.
“Oh my God!”
Before you could react, he sprinted down the steps.
“Dustin—”You barely had time to drop your bag before he wrapped his arms around you.
The force of it nearly knocked you backward.You laughed despite yourself as you hugged him tightly.
“Hey, idiot.”
“I can’t believe you’re actually here!” he exclaimed. “Mom said you’d be home today, but I didn’t know when!”
You ruffled his curls. “It’s good to see you too.”
When Dustin finally stepped back, he immediately began talking a mile a minute.
“You missed literally everything. Mike got taller, Lucas got taller, I got taller—”
“You grew half an inch.”
“That still counts.”
You rolled your eyes.
Only then did Dustin glance over his shoulder.Directly at Steve.The excitement on his face slowly disappeared.His gaze moved from Steve. To you. Back to Steve. Then back to you again. A suspicious look settled across his features. You felt your face grow warm. Steve suddenly became very interested in the porch railing. The silence that followed was painfully awkward. Dustin narrowed his eyes.
“What was that?”
“What was what?” you asked immediately.
“That.”
You blinked “Dustin, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He pointed between you and Steve.“The weird staring thing.”
“There was no weird staring thing.”
“There absolutely was.”
“There wasn’t.”
“There was.”
Steve cleared his throat.“Lucky for me, this conversation sounds like it’s about to become incredibly annoying.”
Dustin ignored him.“You guys looked at each other for, like, ten seconds.”
“It was not ten seconds.”
“It was definitely ten seconds.”
You crossed your arms.“Dustin.”
His grin returned instantly.“Oh my God.”
Your stomach dropped.“Dustin.”
“Oh my God.”
“Dustin.”
He pointed at Steve “You still have a crush on my sister.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Steve looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
“Dustin,” he said through clenched teeth.
“No way.”
“Dustin.”
“No way.”
“Dustin.”
“You totally do.”
Steve ran a hand down his face.You wanted to disappear.
“Dustin,” Steve said slowly, “I am begging you to stop talking.”
The younger boy looked entirely too pleased with himself.
Then he turned toward you “And you still—”
“Nope.”
“You literally turned red.”
“I just drove three hours.”
“That’s not how driving works.”
Steve abruptly stepped backward toward the driveway “You know what?” he said. “I just remembered I have somewhere else to be.”
Dustin stared.
“You don’t have your car.”
“I’ll walk.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
You bit down on a laugh.Steve shot you a look.The sight only made it harder not to smile.For a brief second, his expression softened.A familiar warmth settled between the two of you. The same feeling that had existed on that summer night a year ago. The same unfinished feeling neither of you seemed able to escape. Then Dustin stepped directly between you.
“So,” he announced loudly, “this summer is already getting interesting.”
Steve groaned.You laughed.And just like that, you knew one thing for certain. This was going to be a very long summer.
Eventually, after Dustin spent another fifteen minutes interrogating you about college and making wildly inaccurate assumptions about your nonexistent love life, you escaped upstairs.
The second your bedroom door closed behind you, silence settled around you like a blanket.You let out a long breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.Home.Actually home.
The familiar scent of your room greeted you immediately. It smelled faintly like vanilla from the candle sitting on your dresser and the laundry detergent your mother always used on your sheets.
For a moment, you simply stood there.
Your suitcase rested beside your feet while late afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, bathing everything in a warm golden glow.
Nothing had changed.The same framed photographs sat on your bookshelf.The same collection of movie tickets, concert stubs, and random keepsakes remained pinned to your corkboard.It felt strange.A year ago, this room had felt too small.You had been desperate to leave Hawkins.Desperate for something bigger.Now, standing in the middle of it again, it felt comforting.
Safe.
Like stepping into an old photograph.You slowly crossed the room and ran your fingers along the edge of your desk A smile tugged at your lips when you noticed a small note still taped beside the lamp.
Good luck at college. Don’t become smarter than me.
— Dustin
You shook your head.
“Impossible,” you muttered.
A laugh escaped you.The sound felt unfamiliar.College had been good.Busy.Exciting.But it had also been lonely.There had been nights when you missed home so much it physically hurt.Nights when you would lie awake staring at the ceiling of your dorm room while wishing you could hear Dustin arguing with the television downstairs.Wishing you could hear your mother’s voice calling everyone to dinner.Wishing you could be here. You sat down on the edge of your bed. The mattress dipped beneath your weight. For the first time all day, you allowed yourself to relax. Unfortunately, that was when your thoughts drifted somewhere they absolutely should not have.
Steve.
Your stomach tightened instantly. You groaned and fell backward onto the bed. The ceiling stared back at you.
“This is ridiculous.”
One year. One entire year.
You had met dozens of new people.
Gone to parties. Made friends. Studied until your eyes hurt. Pulled all-nighters. Built an entirely new life.
And somehow Steve Harrington still had the ability to completely derail your thoughts. You squeezed your eyes shut. The memory of seeing him on the porch replayed immediately. The surprise on his face. The way he had looked at you. The awkward tension. The unfinished feeling lingering between you. You rolled onto your side and buried your face in a pillow. The last thing you needed was to spend your entire summer obsessing over a guy you almost kissed a year ago.
Almost.
The word alone made your chest ache. Because that was the problem. Nothing had actually happened. There had never been a relationship. Never been a first date. Never been a first kiss. Just stolen glances and lingering moments that never became anything more. Which somehow made it worse. Because there was no closure. No rejection. No answer. Just endless possibilities. A knock sounded against your bedroom door.
You sat up immediately. “Come in.”
The door opened. Dustin poked his head inside.
You narrowed your eyes. “What do you want?”
His grin was immediate. “Steve said hi.”
You threw a pillow at him. Dustin yelped before disappearing into the hallway. The sound of his laughter echoed down the stairs. Your bedroom door swung shut once more. Silence returned. You stared at the closed door. Then you flopped backward onto your bed again. A reluctant smile pulled at your lips despite yourself. The summer had been back for less than two hours. And already Steve Harrington was somehow making your life difficult.
Some things, apparently, never changed.
Movie nights had always been chaotic.That had never changed.
The living room was overflowing with people. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max, and Will were spread across the floor surrounded by blankets, empty soda cans, and enough snacks to feed an army. The television blasted previews loud enough to shake the walls while everyone argued over what movie they should watch.
“No one wants to watch that!”
“It’s a classic!”
“It’s boring!”
“You have terrible taste!”
You smiled despite yourself from your spot on the couch.Somehow, after all these years, nothing about this group had changed.Except maybe the fact that they were all getting taller.And louder.Definitely louder.The smell of freshly made popcorn drifted through the room.Your bowl was nearly empty.
You stood, stretching slightly. “I’m getting more popcorn.”
Nobody looked away from the television.
“Okay.”
“Bring me some.”
“Bring me soda.”
“Bring me—”
“No.”
A chorus of complaints followed you as you disappeared into the kitchen.The moment you stepped through the doorway, the noise from the living room became muffled.For the first time all evening, it was quiet.You grabbed the popcorn bowl from the counter and turned toward the microwave.Only to freeze.Steve was already there.Of course he was.
He stood in front of the counter with his back partially turned toward you, pouring himself a drink. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms, and the soft yellow kitchen light reflected off his hair.
The second he noticed movement, he looked up.Your eyes met.Immediately, both of you stopped moving.
“Oh.”
“Oh.”
Silence. Steve blinked. You blinked. Neither of you seemed to know what to do next.
Finally, Steve awkwardly stepped to the side “Sorry.”
“No, you’re fine.”
“You can use the microwave.”
“Thanks.”
Another silence. You walked toward the microwave.Steve took a step toward the refrigerator. Unfortunately, you both moved in exactly the same direction. You almost collided.
“Oh my God.”
“Sorry.”
“No, that’s my fault.”
“No, it was definitely mine.”
You both stepped away at the same time. Then accidentally stepped back into each other’s path again. A laugh escaped you before you could stop it.
Steve let out a groan. “This is going really well.”
You covered your smile. “It’s not that bad.”
“It is absolutely that bad.” The corners of your mouth lifted.
Steve stared at you for a moment.The sight of your smile seemed to catch him off guard.Something softened in his expression.For a second, neither of you looked away.The kitchen suddenly felt much smaller.Much quieter.You quickly turned toward the microwave.
“So…”Smooth.
Very smooth.
Steve cleared his throat.“So.”
Another pause.You pressed the popcorn button even though the popcorn didn’t actually need to be reheated.The machine immediately started humming.Thank God.At least now there was noise.
Steve leaned against the counter. “How’s college?”
You looked over at him.The question was simple enough, but something about hearing him ask it made your chest tighten.
“It’s good.”
“Yeah?”
You nodded. “Busy. A lot busier than I expected.”
“I figured.”
You smiled slightly. “There are way more papers than they tell you about.”
Steve laughed. “I don’t know. That sounds exactly like something they would tell you about.”
“Okay, fair.” The tension eased a little.
Not much.But enough.
Steve looked down at the floor briefly before meeting your eyes again. “You seem happy.”
Your heart skipped. The sincerity in his voice surprised you. “Yeah,” you admitted quietly. “I am.”
A small smile appeared on his face. “Good.”
The word settled somewhere deep inside your chest.Because he meant it. You could tell. Even after a year. Even after all the awkwardness. Steve still cared. The realization made your stomach flutter.
Before you could stop yourself, you asked, “How’s Family Video?”
Steve immediately groaned. You laughed.
“There it is.”
“I hate that store.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do.”
“You practically live there.”
“Exactly.” You laughed again.
Steve’s smile widened. And suddenly it felt easier. Almost normal. Like no time had passed at all.
Then Steve said quietly, “I missed you.”
The words hit you like a freight train.Everything froze The microwave hummed. The television echoed faintly from the other room. But all you could hear was your heartbeat. Steve looked just as surprised as you were. Like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Like the words had simply escaped. His jaw tightened. You stared at him. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Neither of you breathed. Because there it was. The thing neither of you had addressed. The thing that had been hanging between you since last summer. The thing both of you had been avoiding. Your chest felt tight.
“I missed you too.”Your voice came out softer than intended.
Steve’s eyes met yours.And suddenly the air felt too warm.Too heavy.Too full of everything neither of you knew how to say.The microwave beeped loudly.Both of you jumped.Immediately looking away.You grabbed the bowl.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “Well.”
“Yep.”
“Movie night.”
“Movie night.”
Another awkward silence.
Then Dustin’s voice suddenly echoed from the living room. “WHY ARE YOU GUYS TAKING SO LONG?”
You squeezed your eyes shut.
Steve dropped his head against the refrigerator. “Dustin is going to be the death of me.”
A laugh burst from your lips.The sound made Steve smile despite himself. For a brief moment, everything felt lighter.
Then you picked up the popcorn bowl. “I should go.”
“Yeah.”
Neither of you moved. Another second passed. Then two. Finally, Steve stepped aside. You walked past him. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his shoulder. Close enough for your heart to start racing again. And as you disappeared back into the living room, one thought repeated itself over and over in your mind. This summer was becoming dangerous. Because Steve Harrington clearly hadn’t forgotten about that almost-kiss. And neither had you.
Three days after movie night, you found yourself pulling into the parking lot of Family Video.
The summer sun hung high in the sky, baking the asphalt beneath your feet as you climbed out of your car. A faint feeling of nostalgia settled over you as you looked up at the familiar building.
Before college, you had spent so much time here that it practically felt like a second home.You told yourself you were only stopping by because Dustin wanted you to pick up a movie he had reserved.You ignored the small voice in the back of your mind that pointed out there were probably a dozen other ways Dustin could have gotten that movie.The bell above the door chimed softly as you stepped inside.
Cool air immediately greeted you.The store looked exactly the same.The shelves were packed with VHS tapes and movie posters. The carpet still had that strange old-store smell that somehow never seemed to go away. Everything felt frozen in time.For a moment, nobody noticed you.Then a familiar voice carried from behind the counter.
“If Keith complains about the organization system one more time, I’m going to reorganize his entire desk just to spite him.”
You smiled before you even saw her.Robin looked up from a stack of returned tapes.
The second she recognized you, her entire face lit up. “Oh my God.”
The tapes nearly slipped from her hands.You barely had time to react before she hurried around the counter.
“There is absolutely no way that’s actually you.”
A laugh escaped your lips “It’s me.”
“No. I refuse to believe it.” Robin grabbed both of your shoulders and held you at arm’s length.
“You’ve been gone for an entire year.”
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“It has felt that long.” The sincerity in her voice made your smile soften.
Robin looked you over dramatically.“You look different.”
Your eyebrows rose. “Different good or different bad?”
“Different college.”
You laughed. “I have no idea what that means.”
“I don’t either, but it makes sense in my head.”
The two of you stood there smiling at each other for a moment before Robin pulled you into a tight hug The gesture caught you off guard.You immediately hugged her back.It felt nice.Comfortable. Familiar.
When she finally pulled away, she shook her head. “I missed you.”
The simple honesty in her voice made something warm settle in your chest.
“I missed you too.”
Robin immediately pointed toward the employee room. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“We have approximately eleven months of missed conversations to make up for.”
You laughed. “Eleven months?”
“I am accounting for holidays and phone calls.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
“I know.”
A few minutes later, the two of you were sitting in the back room surrounded by boxes of tapes and movie posters waiting to be hung.Robin sat backwards on a chair while you leaned against a stack of inventory boxes.For nearly an hour, the conversation flowed effortlessly.
You told her about college.
About your professors.
About your roommates.
About accidentally getting lost during your first week on campus because every building looked identical.Robin laughed so hard at that story that she nearly fell out of her chair.
“You mean to tell me you wandered around for forty-five minutes and didn’t ask anyone for directions?”
You pointed accusingly.“I was trying to figure it out myself.”
“You were lost.”
“I was temporarily disoriented.”
“You were incredibly lost.”
You laughed despite yourself.
Robin grinned victoriously. “That’s what I thought.”
The conversation shifted naturally from one topic to another.Robin told you stories about work.About Keith.About customers.About the countless ridiculous situations she and Steve somehow found themselves trapped in.
By the time she finished describing a customer who had spent twenty minutes arguing that a horror movie belonged in the romance section, both of you were laughing.It felt easy.The way conversations with Robin always did.For the first time since returning home, you felt completely relaxed.Which was probably why you didn’t notice the trap until it was too late.Robin had been listening to you talk about school when a strange smile appeared on her face.You immediately narrowed your eyes.That smile never meant anything good.
“What?”
Robin tilted her head slightly. “You know, Steve talks about you a lot.”
Your stomach dropped.The reaction was immediate.
Robin’s smile widened. “Oh, there it is.”
You looked away. “There what is?”
“That exact reaction.”
You crossed your arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Robin let out a laugh. “You know, most people would at least attempt to sound convincing when they lie.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You absolutely are.”
You shook your head. “I’m really not.”
Robin rested her chin on the back of her chair. “Then why do you suddenly look like you’re preparing for a court trial?”
You groaned. “Robin.”
She ignored you completely. “The second I mentioned Steve, your entire body language changed.”
“It did not.”
“It absolutely did.”
“It absolutely did not.”
Robin pointed dramatically. “You just crossed your arms.”
“Because you’re annoying.”
“You also looked away.”
“Because you’re annoying.”
“You got defensive.”
“Because you’re annoying.”
Robin smiled. “Notice how none of those answers actually deny anything.”
You pressed your lips together.
Unfortunately, she noticed that too.
Her smile softened slightly. “Can I be honest?”
You sighed. “That has never stopped you before.”
“Fair.”Robin leaned back in her chair.
“The two of you have been ridiculous for years.”
You stared at her. “What does that even mean?”
“It means that everyone noticed except the two of you.”
Your heart skipped. “Robin—”
“No, seriously.” She sat forward.
“The amount of times I have watched Steve stare at you when he thought nobody was paying attention is honestly embarrassing.”
Heat immediately rushed to your face. “Robin.”
“I’m not even exaggerating.” She pointed toward the front of the store.
“The guy practically walked into a display once because you walked in wearing a new jacket.”
You buried your face in your hands. “Oh my God.”
“I’m serious.”
“This conversation is horrible.”
“This conversation is long overdue.”
You laughed despite yourself. Robin smiled.
Then her expression softened. “You know he missed you, right?”
The teasing disappeared from her voice completely. Now she sounded sincere. Your chest tightened. The employee room suddenly felt very quiet. You looked down at your hands.
Robin continued carefully. “When you left for school, he acted like he was happy for you. And he was. But every time something reminded him of you, everyone could tell.”
You swallowed.The memory of movie night flashed through your mind.I missed you. The words had been stuck in your head ever since.
“He talked about you all year,” Robin said quietly. “Not constantly. Not in some dramatic way. But enough that I noticed.”
You looked up. Robin was watching you carefully now. Not teasing. Not joking. Just telling the truth. For a moment, neither of you spoke.
Then she smiled gently. “You know what the funny part is?”
You raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“The funny part is that every time he mentioned you, I got the feeling he thought you’d forgotten about him.”
Your heart ached unexpectedly. Because the truth was, you had spent the entire year thinking the exact same thing. You had assumed college had moved you out of Steve’s life. You had assumed he had forgotten. Moved on. Found someone else.
Robin’s smile grew. “And judging by your face right now, I’m willing to bet neither of you forgot anything.”
The room fell quiet.You stared down at the floor.Because for the first time since coming home, someone had finally put words to the thing you had been trying not to think about.The feelings between you and Steve hadn’t disappeared while you were away. They had simply been left unfinished. And now that you were back in Hawkins, neither of you seemed capable of pretending they weren’t still there.
Robin’s words lingered in your mind for days. No matter how hard you tried to push them away, they always found their way back. Sometimes they appeared when you were lying awake in bed staring at the ceiling long after midnight. Sometimes they surfaced while you were helping your mother make dinner. Sometimes they slipped into your thoughts during conversations with Dustin when your attention drifted for just a second.
He talked about you all year.The sentence replayed endlessly.It should have made you happy.Instead, it left an ache in your chest.Because if Steve had really missed you…If he had spent an entire year thinking about you…Then why did everything still feel so unfinished? Why had neither of you called? Why had neither of you said anything?Why had you spent an entire year dancing around feelings that had never actually gone away?The questions followed you everywhere.And the more you thought about them, the heavier they became.Until eventually, they felt impossible to ignore.
A week later, the summer evening settled over Hawkins in shades of gold and blue. The sun had nearly disappeared beyond the trees, leaving streaks of fading orange stretched across the horizon.The air was thick with humidity.Crickets chirped in the grass.Somewhere down the street, a dog barked. The familiar sounds of summer wrapped around the neighborhood. Inside the Henderson house, laughter drifted through the walls. The younger kids were gathered in the basement. Dustin’s voice occasionally rose above everyone else’s, followed by the inevitable chorus of complaints from Mike and Lucas. The noise should have been comforting. Instead, you found yourself escaping outside. The back porch had always been your favorite place when you needed to think.
You sat alone on the old porch swing, your bare feet brushing against the wooden boards beneath you. The chains creaked softly every time the swing moved. A warm breeze stirred through the backyard, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and distant rain. The fading sunlight cast long shadows across the yard. You hugged your knees to your chest and stared out into the darkness slowly swallowing the neighborhood.
Your thoughts drifted where they always seemed to drift lately. To Steve.
The memory of seeing him again after a year still felt vivid. The shock on his face. The awkwardness. The tension. The way your heart had immediately forgotten how to function.
You let out a frustrated sigh.“This is ridiculous.”
The words disappeared into the evening air. Almost immediately, the screen door behind you creaked open.
You froze.
A familiar voice spoke from the doorway. “I was wondering when you’d finally come out here.”
Your stomach dropped. Every single time. No matter how much you prepared yourself. No matter how many times you saw him. Your body still reacted before your brain could catch up.
You turned.
Steve stood in the doorway. The warm yellow light from the kitchen spilled around him, illuminating the edges of his figure against the growing darkness. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. One hand loosely held a can of soda. His hair was slightly messy, as though he had spent the last hour running his hands through it.
For a moment, neither of you moved. The familiar nervous tension immediately settled between you.
Not uncomfortable.
Not exactly.
Just overwhelming.
Because there were too many things left unsaid. Steve stepped onto the porch. The screen door closed quietly behind him. The sound seemed unusually loud.
“I wasn’t hiding,” you said.
Your voice came out softer than intended. A faint smile touched his lips.
“You always come out here when you’re thinking.”
Something tightened in your chest. The fact that he still remembered things like that somehow made everything worse. Because it reminded you how close the two of you had once been.
You looked away. “And you know that because?”
“I’ve known you for years.” The answer came immediately.
Effortlessly. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Your heart squeezed painfully.
Steve leaned against the porch railing. The fading sunlight caught the side of his face. For a few moments, neither of you spoke. The silence stretched.
Not empty.
Just full.
Full of everything both of you were trying not to say.
Finally Steve broke it. “Robin told me she saw you.”
You groaned immediately. Steve actually laughed. The sound was brief but genuine.
“Yeah, that’s about the reaction I expected.”
“Robin needs to learn boundaries.”
“Good luck with that.”
A reluctant smile tugged at your lips. For a moment, things felt almost normal.
Almost.
Then the silence returned. The comfortable feeling vanished. You found yourself staring out into the yard again. The darkness had deepened. The first stars were beginning to appear overhead. You could feel Steve standing nearby. Close enough to hear his breathing. Close enough that you were painfully aware of every inch separating you.
Before you could stop yourself, the question slipped out. “Did you really talk about me all year?”
The moment the words left your mouth, you regretted them. Steve immediately went still. The shift was subtle. But you noticed.
His shoulders stiffened.
His gaze dropped toward the porch floor.
His fingers tightened slightly around the soda can.
The easy atmosphere disappeared completely. Seconds passed. The silence stretched.
Finally he exhaled. “Robin talks too much.”
Your chest tightened. The answer wasn’t really an answer.
You turned toward him. “Steve.”
His eyes remained fixed on the yard. “She does.”
“Did you?”
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he laughed quietly. The sound carried no amusement whatsoever.
It sounded tired. “I don’t know.”
You frowned. “What does that mean?”
Steve rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.The movement seemed nervous.
Almost frustrated. “It means sometimes.”
Your stomach twisted.Because despite how small the answer was, you could hear the truth underneath it. You studied him carefully. The shadows hid part of his expression. But not enough. Something was bothering him. Something bigger than this conversation.
“Steve.”
He looked up. “What?”
The single word wasn’t harsh. Just exhausted.
You swallowed. “What happened?”
For a moment, confusion crossed his face. Then understanding. His eyes dropped again.
“Nothing happened.”
“You know that’s not true.”
The silence that followed felt heavy. Steve looked away. Toward the dark yard. Toward anywhere except you.
The muscles in his jaw tightened. “You left.”
The words landed between you. Simple. Quiet. Yet somehow devastating.
You stared at him. “What?”
Steve laughed softly. The sound was hollow.
“You left.” His eyes finally met yours.
And the sadness there nearly stole your breath.
“You went away.” The vulnerability in his voice was impossible to miss now.
Every defense. Every joke. Every attempt to avoid the conversation. Gone. Leaving only honesty. Raw and painful.
“I know.”
“You got out.” His gaze drifted toward the neighborhood.
Toward Hawkins. Toward everything that had stayed exactly the same.
“You got to leave this place.” The bitterness wasn’t directed at you.
That somehow made it worse. Because it sounded directed at himself.
“I didn’t leave because of you.”
Steve nodded. But the movement looked empty. Like he didn’t believe you.
“Steve—”
“No, it’s fine.”
“It isn’t.”
His laugh came again. Short. Sharp. Painful.
“You know what the worst part is?”
Your chest tightened. “What?”
For a second, Steve just stared into the darkness. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.
“I spent that entire last summer trying to work up the nerve to tell you how I felt.”
Your heart stopped. The confession hung in the air between you. Heavy. Unavoidable. Steve shook his head.
A bitter smile crossing his face. “And then you left.”
The words hurt more than they should have. Because you knew exactly what he meant. You remembered that night. The almost-kiss. The porch light. The look in his eyes. The feeling that everything was about to change. Only for nothing to happen.
You stepped closer. “Steve…”
“I thought maybe it was for the best.” His voice cracked slightly.
The sound shattered something inside your chest.
“I figured you’d go to college and meet people.”
His eyes finally lifted.
“And you did.”
You opened your mouth. Then closed it. Because technically he was right. You had met people. You had made friends. Built a life. The hesitation lasted less than a second. But Steve noticed. Of course he did. The momentary pause seemed to confirm every fear he’d carried for an entire year. Something in his expression changed. The vulnerability disappeared. The walls returned. You watched it happen in real time. And there was nothing you could do to stop it.
Steve looked away. His voice became distant. Guarded. Cold.
“Yeah.”
Your stomach dropped. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.”
“It really doesn’t.”
The words felt like a door slamming shut.
You stepped forward again. Frustration bubbling beneath your skin.
“Why are you acting like I chose someone else?”
Steve’s jaw tightened. His eyes flashed with hurt. Because that was exactly what he’d spent a year convincing himself had happened. Even if it wasn’t true.
For several long seconds, neither of you spoke.
Then Steve quietly said the thing that hurt most.
“Because you never gave me a reason to think otherwise.”
The words struck like a punch to the chest. Silence followed. Thick. Painful. You couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t find the right response. And the worst part was that Steve looked just as devastated as you felt. As if he regretted saying it the second it left his mouth. As if he wanted to take it back. But couldn’t. Because maybe part of him believed it. Maybe part of you understood why. The distance between you suddenly felt impossible to cross. Finally Steve looked away.
His voice was barely audible. “I should go.”
The sentence sounded defeated. Not angry. Not cruel. Just tired. Like he didn’t have the energy to keep hurting anymore. You watched him turn. Watched him reach for the screen door. Watched him disappear inside. The door closed softly behind him. Yet somehow the sound echoed through the entire porch. Leaving you standing alone beneath the fading summer sky. The crickets continued chirping. The wind continued moving through the trees. Life continued exactly as before. But the ache in your chest remained. Because after an entire year apart, you and Steve had finally spoken honestly. And somehow it had only made everything worse.
Three days passed after your conversation with Steve on the porch.Three long, miserable days.
You told yourself you were overthinking everything. You told yourself the conversation hadn’t been as bad as it felt. You told yourself that eventually the awkwardness would fade and things would go back to normal.The problem was that nothing felt normal anymore.
Ever since that night, Steve had practically disappeared. He hadn’t stopped by the house. He hadn’t joined movie night. He hadn’t shown up to annoy Dustin or raid your refrigerator the way he usually did. The absence was impossible to ignore. You hated how much you noticed it.
The realization irritated you more than anything else. You should have been enjoying your summer. Instead, you found yourself constantly glancing toward the driveway whenever a car passed the house.
You were lying across your bed one humid afternoon, pretending to read a book while your thoughts wandered somewhere entirely different, when your bedroom door suddenly burst open.
The door slammed against the wall hard enough to make you jump.
You lowered the book and immediately frowned.
“Dustin Henderson, if you break my door, I am personally telling Mom that you are the reason her kitchen scissors disappeared.”
Dustin froze in the doorway. For a brief moment, genuine panic crossed his face.
Then he narrowed his eyes. “You still don’t know about that.”
You sat upright. “Dustin.”
“You have no proof.”
You pointed toward the hallway. “Get out.”
Instead of leaving, he walked directly into your room and dropped onto the chair beside your desk. Immediately, you knew he wanted something. Dustin only acted this determined when he had an agenda.
“What do you want?” you asked suspiciously.
A grin appeared on his face. “You are coming to Steve’s pool party this weekend.”
You stared at him. The smile instantly disappeared from your face.
“No.”
Dustin blinked. Then he laughed. Not because he thought you were joking. Because apparently he found your answer ridiculous.
You crossed your arms. “I am serious.”
“So am I.”
“I am not going.”
Dustin leaned forward. “Why?”
You looked back down at your book. “Because I don’t want to.”
“That is not an actual reason.”
“It is absolutely an actual reason.”
Dustin rolled his eyes dramatically. “No, it isn’t. An actual reason would be something like you already have plans or you have work or you’re allergic to swimming pools.”
You stared at him. “Allergic to swimming pools?”
“The point still stands.”
You sighed heavily. “Dustin, I don’t want to go.”
The younger boy studied you carefully Far too carefully. You immediately became suspicious.
“What?”
His eyes narrowed. “You know what I think?”
“No, and I would very much like to keep it that way.”
“I think you’re avoiding Steve.”
Your stomach dropped. You looked away so quickly that it probably confirmed his accusation immediately.
Unfortunately, Dustin noticed everything. His grin widened.
“You are avoiding Steve.”
“I am not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I am not avoiding him.”
Dustin pointed dramatically. “You just looked away.”
“Because you’re being annoying.”
“You always say that when you’re losing an argument.”
You groaned and threw your book onto the bed. “I am not losing an argument because there isn’t an argument.”
“There is definitely an argument.”
“Dustin.”
“There is.”
You pressed your palms against your eyes. “This conversation is exhausting.”
The chair squeaked as Dustin leaned forward. His expression shifted slightly. The teasing faded.
“I know something happened.”
Your stomach tightened. You slowly lowered your hands.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Dustin shrugged. “You and Steve are weird now.”
The statement was simple. Matter-of-fact. Like he was discussing the weather.
You stared at him. “We are not weird.”
Dustin looked completely unconvinced.
“You can tell yourself that if it makes you feel better.”
You groaned. “Dustin.”
“No, seriously.”
His voice softened slightly. “I’ve known Steve for years.”
You looked away.
Dustin continued. “I’ve never seen him act like this.”
The knot in your stomach tightened. You hated hearing that. You hated how quickly concern replaced your frustration.
“What do you mean?”
Dustin noticed your immediate interest and pointed triumphantly.
“Exactly.”
You glared at him. “Dustin.”
“He hasn’t been around.”
The grin disappeared from his face.
“He barely comes over anymore.”
Your chest tightened. Because now that he mentioned it, you had noticed too. Steve practically lived at the Henderson house. He always had. Movie nights. Dinner. Helping Dustin with projects. Watching television. Sometimes he would stop by for no reason at all. Now he was nowhere. The absence felt wrong.
Dustin leaned back in the chair. “He misses you, you know.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
You looked down at your hands. “Dustin…”
“I’m serious.” For once, there was no teasing in his voice.
No jokes. No smug grin. Just honesty.
“He was excited that you were coming home.”
Your throat tightened. You remembered the look on Steve’s face when he saw you in the driveway.
The surprise. The relief. The happiness. You remembered all of it.
Dustin continued quietly. “I think he spent most of the year waiting for summer.”
Your heart ached. You hated hearing that. Because part of you had done exactly the same thing. You had counted down the months. The weeks. The days. You had imagined coming home so many times. Imagined finally seeing Steve again. Imagined finally finding out whether the almost-kiss meant as much to him as it had meant to you.
Instead everything had fallen apart.
You swallowed hard. “Dustin, it isn’t that simple.”
He looked at you for a long moment.
Then he sighed. “I know.”
The response surprised you. You expected another joke. Another argument.Instead, Dustin seemed oddly understanding.
He stood from the chair and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know what happened.”
His voice was quieter now. “But whatever it is, you both look miserable.”
The room fell silent. The words lingered between you. You looked away first. Because the truth hurt.
Dustin headed toward the door. Just before leaving, he stopped and looked back.
“Do you know what the most annoying thing about both of you is?”
You narrowed your eyes. “I feel like I am about to be insulted.”
“You are.”
That earned the smallest smile from you. Dustin pointed toward your bedroom window.
“You spend all your time looking at each other like you have something important to say.”
Your smile disappeared. The younger boy shook his head.
“And then neither of you actually says it.”
The room felt suddenly smaller. Warmer. Harder to breathe in.
Dustin opened the door. “I think you’re both waiting for the other person to fix everything.”
He paused. Then added quietly,
“And I think you’re both too stubborn to do it first.”
The words settled heavily in your chest. Before you could respond, Dustin stepped into the hallway.
“Oh, and Mom already said you can go to the pool party.”
You blinked. “What?”
The grin immediately returned. “I asked her yesterday.”
“Dustin!”
“See you Saturday!”
The door slammed shut before you could throw anything at him. Silence filled the room once more. You stared at the closed door. Then you looked down at the book resting beside you. You had not read a single page. Your thoughts had already drifted somewhere else.
To Steve.
To the porch.
To the hurt in his eyes.
To all the things neither of you had managed to say. And despite everything that had happened between you, despite every reason you had for staying home, a small part of you already knew that when Saturday arrived…
You were probably going to that pool party.
Saturday arrived far faster than you wanted it to. The entire morning passed in a blur of nervous energy. You tried reading. That lasted five minutes. You tried watching television. You couldn’t focus. You even attempted helping your mother around the house, but after dropping a stack of towels and nearly putting cereal in the refrigerator, she finally pointed toward the stairs and told you to go get ready. Now you stood alone in your bedroom. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the scattered mess covering nearly every surface. Your bed was buried beneath discarded clothes.
Shorts.
Tank tops.
Sundresses.
Three different cover-ups. The evidence of nearly an hour of indecision surrounded you. You stared at your closet. Then at the clock. Then back at your closet.
“This is ridiculous.”The words echoed through the empty room.
Because it was ridiculous. It was just a pool party. You were not getting ready for a date. You were not trying to impress anyone. You definitely were not spending forty-five minutes deciding what swimsuit to wear because Steve Harrington would be there.
Absolutely not.
Unfortunately, your reflection in the mirror looked unconvinced.
You sighed dramatically before walking toward your dresser. Several swimsuits were piled neatly inside one drawer. You pulled them out one by one. The first one was comfortable but plain. The second was cute but didn’t feel right. The third made you immediately shake your head.
“No.” You tossed it onto the bed.
A few moments later, your attention landed on another one. You paused. The swimsuit was one you had bought during your first year at college. Simple. Confident. Flattering without being over-the-top. The color stood out beautifully in the sunlight. You held it up. Studied it. Then glanced toward the mirror. A small smile tugged at your lips.
“Okay.”
Several minutes later, you changed and stepped in front of the mirror. For a moment, you simply looked at your reflection. The girl staring back at you looked different than the one who had left Hawkins almost a year ago. Not entirely. The same eyes. The same smile. The same person. But there was something else now. A confidence that hadn’t been there before. College had changed you. Not completely. Just enough. You no longer felt like the girl who had spent an entire summer wondering whether Steve Harrington liked her.
You knew your worth now. You knew who you were becoming. And yet somehow, the thought of seeing Steve still made your stomach twist into knots.
You laughed softly at yourself. Then reached for a loose button-down shirt to wear over your swimsuit. The lightweight fabric hung comfortably over your shoulders. Casual. Normal. Like you hadn’t spent the last week replaying every painful word from your porch conversation. You moved toward your vanity and sat down. The familiar scent of sunscreen drifted through the room.
Outside your window, you could hear neighborhood kids laughing somewhere down the street. Summer in Hawkins felt endless. Golden. Warm. Unchanging.
You brushed through your hair before leaving it loose. The sunlight caught the strands as you stood once more. Your gaze found the mirror again. Not because you were checking your appearance. At least that’s what you told yourself. Instead, you found yourself wondering what today would be like. Whether things would be awkward. Whether Steve would avoid you. Whether either of you would find the courage to address what happened. A knot formed in your stomach. The uncertainty was exhausting.
A loud knock suddenly rattled your bedroom door. Before you could answer, Dustin burst inside.
His eyes immediately widened. “There is absolutely no way you’ve been getting ready this whole time.”
You rolled your eyes. “I have.”
“You’ve been upstairs for over an hour.”
“That’s none of your business.”
Dustin pointed accusingly. “You are nervous.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I’m really not.”
“You spent an hour picking out an outfit.”
You grabbed a nearby pillow. “Dustin.”
He raised both hands. “Okay, okay.”
A grin spread across his face. “But for the record, if Steve passes out when he sees you, I’m not carrying him.”
Your mouth fell open. “Dustin Henderson!”
He laughed and sprinted toward the hallway before you could throw the pillow.
The door slammed behind him. Silence returned. You stared at the closed door. Then slowly shook your head. A reluctant smile appeared despite yourself. A few moments later, you grabbed your bag and headed downstairs. The butterflies in your stomach immediately returned. Because no matter how much you tried convincing yourself otherwise, you knew the truth.
You weren’t nervous about the pool party. You were nervous about Steve.
And that was a much bigger problem.
The entire drive to Steve’s house felt far too short.
One minute you were standing in your bedroom convincing yourself that going to this pool party was no big deal.
The next, you were driving down a road that felt all to familiar while Dustin drummed his fingers against the dashboard and sang terribly to the radio.
The further you drove through Hawkins, the worse the knot in your stomach became. By the time Steve’s neighborhood came into view, your nerves were completely out of control. You hated it. You hated that one person could still affect you this much. You hated that after an entire year away at college, after meeting countless new people and building a life outside of Hawkins, Steve Harrington could still reduce you to this.
A nervous mess.
The worst part was that you weren’t even sure why. Maybe it was because things felt unfinished. Maybe it was because neither of you had gotten closure. Or maybe it was because deep down, you still cared far more than you wanted to admit.
The car slowed as you pulled into the driveway. Immediately, you could hear music. Laughter drifted through the warm summer air. Several cars were already parked along the street. Colorful pool floats drifted across the water.
The entire backyard looked alive. People filled nearly every corner. Some sat around the edge of the pool. Others occupied lounge chairs beneath umbrellas.
Robin was already there, laughing loudly at something Max had said. The younger kids were running around with enough energy to power the entire state of Indiana.
For a brief moment, you simply sat there. Staring. Trying to gather yourself.
Dustin noticed immediately. A grin spread across his face. “You look like you’re preparing for battle.”
You rolled your eyes. “I’m literally sitting in a car.”
“You’re emotionally preparing.”
“I am not.”
“You absolutely are.”
You grabbed your bag. “Dustin.”
He laughed. “You’ll be fine.”
The confidence in his voice annoyed you. Mostly because he sounded so sure. You climbed out of the car before he could say anything else. The summer heat immediately wrapped around you. The sun reflected brightly off the surface of the pool. The smell of sunscreen and chlorine filled the air.
You adjusted the strap of your bag and followed Dustin through the gate.
The moment you stepped into the backyard, your eyes found Steve. Of course they did. You weren’t even looking for him. Not consciously. Yet somehow you noticed him immediately. He stood near the grill talking to Robin. A faded t-shirt stretched across his shoulders. A pair of swim trunks hung low on his hips. His hair looked slightly damp, as though he had already been in the pool. For one brief second, your heart stopped. Because he looked up. And his eyes met yours. The world seemed to pause. The noise around you faded. The music disappeared. For one suspended moment, it was just you and him. You watched recognition flash across his face. You watched his expression tighten. And then— He looked away.
Just like that.
No smile.
No wave.
No greeting.
Nothing.
Your stomach dropped. The feeling was immediate.
Sharp.
Painful.
Like missing a step in the dark.
Steve turned back toward Robin as though nothing had happened. As though he hadn’t just spent an entire second staring directly at you. As though you hadn’t existed at all. You stood frozen near the gate. Confusion quickly gave way to hurt. Maybe you had imagined it. Maybe he hadn’t seen you properly. But then Robin looked up. Her eyes widened. She immediately waved. You forced a smile. Robin said something to Steve. You could tell because she nudged his shoulder. His gaze briefly flickered in your direction. Then he looked away again. The knot in your stomach tightened.
Hard.
“Oh.”
The realization settled heavily in your chest. This wasn’t an accident.
He was avoiding you.
You swallowed. Suddenly, coming here felt like a terrible idea.
A really terrible idea.
Dustin had already disappeared toward the pool. Robin was occupied. Everyone else seemed busy. For the first time all afternoon, you felt strangely alone. You slowly made your way toward an empty lounge chair. The sounds of the party continued around you.
People laughed.
Music played.
Water splashed.
Yet everything felt distant.
Muted.
Because your attention kept drifting back to Steve. Unfortunately, every time it did, you wished it hadn’t. Everywhere you looked, he seemed determined not to acknowledge you. When Lucas asked him a question, Steve focused entirely on Lucas. When Robin called his name, Steve immediately joined her conversation. When Max nearly pushed Dustin into the pool, Steve laughed and walked over to help.
But whenever you moved nearby…
Whenever your paths should have crossed…
He left.
At first you tried convincing yourself it wasn’t intentional. By the fourth time it happened, that excuse stopped working. The hurt settled deeper with every passing minute. You hated how much it bothered you. Because part of you wanted to be angry. After all, Steve had every right to be upset after the conversation on the porch. But another part of you couldn’t stop thinking about movie night. About the kitchen. About the way he’d admitted he missed you. About all the moments that had made you believe there was still something between you. Now it felt like he was erasing all of it. As if pretending none of it had happened would somehow make things easier.
You sat quietly on the edge of a lounge chair, staring down at the condensation sliding down the side of your drink. The cold water bottle rested against your palm. The sunlight sparkled across the surface of the pool. Laughter erupted somewhere nearby. Yet none of it reached you. Across the yard, Steve stood talking to a group of people. He laughed at something someone said. The sound carried through the warm air. And somehow that hurt too. Because he looked completely normal.
Meanwhile, you felt like your chest was slowly being crushed. You looked away quickly. Your eyes burned unexpectedly. Not enough to cry. Just enough to make you angry at yourself. You had spent an hour getting ready. Spent days debating whether to come. Spent the entire drive convincing yourself that maybe things could be fixed.
Instead, Steve was acting like you were a complete stranger. And somehow that hurt far worse than if the two of you had argued. At least an argument would have meant he cared. Ignoring you felt like something else entirely. The realization settled heavily in your chest. For the first time since arriving, you genuinely considered leaving. Because standing ten feet away from Steve Harrington while he pretended you didn’t exist was becoming harder to endure with every passing minute. And unfortunately, the party had only just begun.
By the time the sky turned dark, most of the party had disappeared.
The endless noise that had filled Steve’s backyard all afternoon had slowly faded away. The music was quieter now. Empty soda cans sat abandoned on tables. Pool floats drifted lazily across the water, illuminated by the soft glow of the backyard lights.
The air felt different.
Calmer.
But somehow heavier.
You had spent nearly the entire party avoiding looking at Steve. Mostly because every time you did, it hurt. The worst part wasn’t that he had been rude. It wasn’t that he had been angry. It was that he had acted completely indifferent. As though the two of you hadn’t spent an entire year thinking about each other.
As though the almost-kiss had never happened. As though the conversation on the porch had never happened. As though you were just another person at his party.
By the time evening arrived, your patience had worn dangerously thin. You slipped inside the house to escape the crowd for a few minutes. The cool air-conditioning washed over your skin as you stepped into the hallway.
You were already halfway down the hallway when you stopped abruptly. Steve stood at the opposite end.
The moment your eyes met, your stomach dropped. Of course. Of course it would be him.
For a second neither of you moved.
The moment your eyes met Steve’s at the end of the hallway, all the frustration you’d spent the entire afternoon trying to suppress came rushing back.
You were tired. Tired of being ignored. Tired of pretending it didn’t bother you. Tired of acting like the way he’d treated you all day hadn’t hurt.
Steve froze when he saw you. For a split second, something flashed across his face.
Then it disappeared. The same way it always did. Hidden behind that frustratingly guarded expression he’d been wearing ever since you came home.
You folded your arms across your chest. “Are you going to keep doing that?”
Steve frowned. “Doing what?”
You let out a sharp laugh.
The sound echoed down the empty hallway.
“Seriously?”
His jaw tightened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then maybe you’re even better at pretending than I thought.”
The air between you immediately became tense.
Steve’s shoulders stiffened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you spent an entire day acting like I wasn’t even here.”
His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t act like you weren’t here.”
“Really?” Your voice rose.
“Because from where I was standing, it looked a lot like you couldn’t wait to get away from me.”
Steve looked away for a second. That tiny movement made your anger spike.
Because it felt like confirmation.
“You know what?” you continued. “Forget it.”
You started to move past him.
Steve immediately stepped forward. “No.”
The word stopped you.
You turned back around. “No?”
His frustration finally broke through.
“No, because every time something goes wrong, you decide what I’m thinking before I even get a chance to explain.”
Disbelief washed over you. “Explain what exactly, Steve?”
His chest rose sharply. “The fact that everything has been weird since you came back.”
“Weird because of you.” His head snapped up.
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
You threw your hands into the air. “You are the one avoiding me.”
Steve laughed bitterly. The sound carried through the hallway.
“You really think that’s the whole story?”
“What else am I supposed to think?”
“You could try thinking about someone besides yourself for five minutes.”
The words hit hard.
Your eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
The second the sentence left his mouth, regret flickered across his face.
But it vanished almost immediately.
Replaced by anger. “You heard me.”
A heavy silence settled between you. Your heart pounded so hard it hurt.
“You don’t get to say that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you have no idea what this year was like for me.”
Steve laughed again. A harsh, frustrated sound.
“No, apparently I’m the one who doesn’t know anything.”
Your stomach dropped. The hurt underneath his anger was becoming impossible to miss.
But you were too angry to stop. “Then tell me.”
Steve stared at you. For several seconds neither of you moved.
Then everything he’d been holding back finally exploded.
“I spent an entire year wondering if I was an idiot.”
The confession hit like a punch. Steve ran a hand through his hair. His breathing was uneven now. His composure finally cracking.
“I spent an entire year thinking about that night.”
Your chest tightened. The almost-kiss. Neither of you said it out loud. You didn’t have to.
“I kept wondering if I imagined the whole thing.” His voice echoed down the hallway.
“I kept wondering if maybe I cared more than you did.”
The words hurt because they mirrored your own fears. Your own thoughts. Your own insecurities.
But before you could respond, Steve kept going. “Then you left.”
“There it is again.” Your voice shook.
“You keep saying that like I abandoned you.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t have to!”
The argument echoed through the house now. Louder. Sharper. Years of feelings and misunderstandings spilling out all at once.
“You act like I chose school over you.”
Steve looked away. The movement alone made your chest ache.
“Maybe it felt that way.”
The honesty knocked the air from your lungs. For a second, neither of you spoke. The silence felt deafening. Then anger returned. Stronger this time. Because hurt often looked a lot like anger.
“You know what?” you said. “Maybe if you actually told me how you felt, things would’ve been different.”
Steve stared at you. His expression darkened.
“You think I didn’t try?”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I was terrified!” The words exploded out of him.
You froze. Steve looked shocked he’d admitted it. But he didn’t take it back. His voice remained rough. Raw.
“I was terrified because every person I’ve ever cared about leaves eventually.”
The confession hit harder than anything else.
His eyes locked onto yours. “And I thought if I told you how I felt and you didn’t feel the same way, I’d lose you completely.”
The anger inside you immediately weakened. Not disappearing.
Just changing.
Because suddenly you could see the hurt behind everything. Months of hurt. Months of fear. Months of missed chances. And somehow that made the entire situation even more painful. The two of you stood there staring at each other. Breathing hard. Exhausted. Neither willing to back down. Neither willing to walk away.
Because for the first time since you came home, all the things you’d both been hiding were finally out in the open.
And there was no pretending anymore.
You aren’t sure who moved first but you were pretty sure he did. before you could even register how close he had gotten his hands were already on you.
“tell me to stop”
“tell me to leave you alone and i will” he said looking down at you.
You couldn’t form any words. All you could do was look up at him. his eyes looked at you like they were trying to memorize every single detail of you.
“steve” was all you could manage
“please tell me to stop because if i don’t stop i’ll do something i might regret”
“ don’t stop”
His hand traveled from your forearms to one on your waist and the other on your cheek and without hesitation he dove right in to you.
The kiss was fast, deep, like a fight for power. Your hands snaked around his neck as he pulled you closer to him till you could feel his whole body against yours. you reached into the back of his hair running your fingers through the soft locks. his hands traveled lower and lower until he hooked they around the backs of your knees picking you up then devouring your mouth once more.
He slowly pulled away “ we shouldn’t be doing this” he said sucking marks into your neck as he moved you against the wall.
“Steve I said don’t stop” and that was all he needed before he was back on you like a man starved.
Steve walked the both of you to his bedroom for before throwing it open and bursting through it then kicking closed as he held you with one arm.
“You don’t understand what you do to me, you don’t understand how you messed with my head to the point you are all i think about” he said lowering you on to his bed looking at you with hunger in his eyes.
“ steve please” You said trying to reach out and grab him to pull him back to you and now your were laying on his bed as he stood over you.
“ No tell me, tell me i’m not the only one”
you pulled yourself up to rest on your elbows. “Steve you had me completely ruined all year”
“I couldn’t do anything without thinking about you, without missing you, without wanting you”
He slowly crawled on to the bed placing his forearms on each side of your head locking you in place.
He bent down slowly kissing up your neck as you pulled on his shirt attempting to get any possible contact.
“ All i could think about was having you like this, under me, completely mine”
He dove in again kissing you softer this time as if he was trying to show you how bad he wanted you. his hand found the hem of your top and pulled back to look in your eyes. with a nod from you he pulled the shirt up slowly to reveal the pink bathing suit top that hugged your boobs so tightly.
Without breaking eye contact his hand moved over the soft skin of your breast softly needing it eating a low sigh from you.
“So fucking gorgeous” he said has he pulled the rest of the shirt of and reached behind your back to pull at the strings of the bathing suit.
Once you were fully top naked his eyes devoured your skin.
“All mine now, Don’t you ever try to run away from me again” was all he said before he took your niple into his mouth softly sucking and biting it.
A high pitched moan was all that came out of you as you tried to form and thought but he was clouding your brain.
“ I don’t want to run steve i want this, i need this”
you tugged his shirt over his head putting his chest hair on full display as you went to kiss his neck. He moved his hips down to connect with yours and apply pressure sending you into heaven.
His fingers dipped below your waistband and softly danced over your clothes slit.
“Steve please no more teasing please just take me” you said into his mouth practically begging him.
“are you sure”
“this will change everything”
“ I’m sure i’ve spent all year being sure, thinking about this, thinking about you” the words came out dripping with intent and raw emotions.
He dipped his fingers under the fabric of your panties and rubbed slow soft circles on to your sensitive nub. You could feel him everywhere it felt like he had his hands on every inch of you.
“How’s that baby”
he slowly entered his fingers into your dripping hole.
“is all this for me pretty girl” he said nipping your neck leaving marks your sure will show for days.
“steve please i need… oh my god”
“mmm what do you need” steve said as he continued to kiss you and pull your shorts clean off so your naked body is completely on display for him.
He pulled his head back to look at you as his fingers still worked you.
“ you are absolutely perfect baby, so perfectly mine now”
“ i’ve always been yours steve, i need more please” you said through moans.
As his one hand still dove into you he used his other to slowly un do his belt and pull down his pants and boxers in one go releasing his massive cock that was standing up hitting his soft tummy.
“don’t just stare at it” he said removing his fingers.
“it’s just…”
“What baby i need you to use your big girl words”
“your so big steve”
He moved closer lining him self up with your needy hole. Slowly rubbing himself over you to tease you.
“I’m not doing this just to do it, i’m doing this because i mean it , because i want you all of you” steve said starting to enter you. The feeling almost put you over the edge the pleasure exploded all through your body as he pushed deeper.
“Steve i-“ before you could finish he was fully inside ripping a scream from your throat as you pulled him closer.
“What baby talk to me” continuing to pick up his pace.
Both of you were moaning and breathing heavily forgetting that his house was full of your friends but neither of you cared.
he moved his hand to hold the side of your face and just stare at you with a look you knew ment something you weren’t ready to confess.
“god its so big”
“Yea baby… your taking it so good oh my fuck”
His hands of your body, his lips on your skin, his sent filling your nose. He had completely consumed all of you.
He moved faster and faster as you both chased your release. He moved harder his hips drilling into yours as your moaned his name like heaven. You looked down to see where your bodies connected and felt an overwhelming feeling, something you had been trying to deny all year. You loved steve harrington.
You felt yourself get closer and closer to sweet release and by his thrusts getting slightly sloppy you could tell he was to. The two of you were rambling and groaning.
“God steve i fucking love you”
That made him stop.
“you what”
“i-“
“I love you so much so fucking much baby i always have” he said starting trust again faster and harder.
And that was all it took you knew you were right about to cum.
“come on be a good girl and cum for me baby”
he went harder whispering dirty words into your ear.
“Steve i… fuck… gooood i love you” you said cumming all over him.
“me to too baby, this fucking pussy was made for me”
“i’m so close where do you want it” he said trying to hold back as he waited for an answer from you”
“inside i need it inside please please steve i need to feel it”
With one more hard trust you felt think ropes of his release in you. He continued to fuck you threw both of your highs.
Once you were done he didn’t pull out immediately he stayed and fucked his cum farther into you. You both layed there covered in sweat trying to come to your senses.
“Did you mean it” Steve said still inside you as your combined juices dripped down your legs.
“yeah i did i really did, did you mean it” you replied
“i’ve loved you for years, your it for me baby” he said pulling out as you winced at the loss.
He layed on his back and pulled you to his chest.
“ i want this i want all of this all of you i want you to me with me for real no more pretending no more hiding i don’t care what it take i just want you baby”
“ i want you to stevie i promise i do”
He bent his head down and kissed you again. This time the kiss was soft, sweet and loving.
“ i’ll move i’ll come to collage with you i’ll do anything to have you just please let me”
“im yours steve i always have been”
“good because after i got a taste of your i’m never leaving you” he said rubbing soft circles on your back.
“be my girlfriend be with me”
“ of course i will, i mean i have been waiting a year for this” you said giggling as he rolled you over on to your back placing kisses all over your face.
“god i love you pretty girl”
For a moment you had been in your own world just you in steve in love.
Until
“ Hey steve are you done strewing my sister we need help with the pool light” dustin’s voice caused you both to jump up in fear.
“go the fuck away you little germ” steve yelled back at the door.
“well when your done come help us please man”
“ And for what it’s worth i told you both this would happen it was my plan that whole time” dustin said running away.
“that little shit” you said laughing.
“ i mean he’s a bug in my side but he’s not wrong, i got my girl now” steve said kissing you.
“i guess we should go help him”
“ fuck no i’m not leaving this bed”
Steve hooked his arm around you and kissed your head as you both dozed off.
You knew that in this moment you have never been happier. But you wish you had come to your senses sooner. And you know you’d love this man for the rest of your life.
