The Adults: Steve Harrington- Date For Real
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader
Pov: Reader
Warnings: Fluff, already in love, love confession, Steve's parents are still dicks, lovesick, desperately in love, insecure, dinner date with parents, pretending, pretending to be in a relationship.
Summary: When Steve's parents come back home, Steve needs someone to pretend to be his date.
A/n- Firefly-graphics for dividers
WC- 4.3k
Stranger Things Master List
"Fuck FUCk FUCK!" Steve is rambling on as he walks in through the door of the video store. His shift just now starting. Robin and I stare at him from behind the desk. "Steve?" Robin is the first one to say something.
The three of us had only been friends for a while now. I have been working here the longest and when the two of them came in searching for a job. I was the one who trained them.
"Oh, Jesus fucking christ… I'm late and I…" His words started to fade as he walked into the back to stamp his time card. I stared at the door a little longer than I should have. "Y/n you really should just tell." Robin giggle from behind me, and I rolled my eyes.
"No Rob, you know I can't do that. Anyways I'm not Steve's type at all. You see the girls he tries to get when they come walking in. He's simply out of my league." I said to her. "Who's out of your league?" Steve asks as he walked out of the back room. I stared with my mouth open. "Nobody we weren't talking about anything," I mumble out before looking down at the magazine I had in my hands.
Arched brows are written on both of their faces. "She's just talking about that guy she really likes." Robin, I sigh heavily before kicking her ankle. "Who?" Steve asks timidly, I can feel his eyes on me. "Just some guy, but like I said far out of my league," I muttered.
Time passes with customers coming and going, and having to watch Steve flirt shamelessly with every pretty girl who walked in. I groaned as I watched yet another girl walk in. Preppy looking, dress that made me wish that I was that confident. Steve was drooling over her, "I'll take her." Steve whispered walking around the counter. "I'm telling you Y/n just say something. Hell, anything to Steve." Robin really was a good friend who was really trying to help me but it was deeper than just saying my truth to Steve.
Fear of rejection sat on the forefront of my head as I watched him flirt, and her touch his arm. I just wanted that from him, hell from anybody. It's just hard to want to be with someone who doesn't even see me that way. "Rob, I don't think he even likes me like that," I mutter, no longer bearing to look at Steve flirt with the girl anymore.
Rolling her eyes, her hands rest on my shoulders. "Shut up, and stop thinking all the worse things will ya. If you say something and it goes great then it's perfect, but if it doesn't then don't worry about it. Hell Steve admitted to me years ago that he had a crush on me and now look we're best friends." Robin says "That's not the same thing and you know it…"
I hear the similar jingle of the doors bell, then shuffle around us. Robin takes her hands off my shoulders. "What was all that fuck fuck fuck about earlier?" Robin asks, Steve rests his elbows on the front counter his head in his hands. "So get this, my parents are coming into town in a few days." We nod along. We had been friends long enough for me to come to realize that Steve's parents were utter dicks and didn't really care that they even had a son.
"I don't really wanna listen to how I don't have a good job or are even interested in starting a family of my own. I don't know I just need to figure something out." Steve mumbles. "But you're only twenty Steve." I mumble out, "yeah I know, they're such hypocrites. Wanting me to start a family with some random girl that I don't even know just because she's somehow connected to their business. Who even says I want a family at all?" Steve babbles on.
"So what's the problem? Just don't go home, you can stay at my place while they're in town." Robin offers. Steve shakes his head, hair falling out of place. The urge to wipe it away is strong but I don't. "I picked the phone up at the house, and they told me I have to go. They asked me if I had a girlfriend and I might have fibbed, lied a little bit to them." Robin and I look at each other.
"So you just need a date?" Robin asks looking back at Steve. "You make it sound so simple. I have to find someone who wants to fake date me in front of my parents." Steve sounds so dejected at the thought of trying to convince someone to be his fake date. "It can't be someone who doesn't know anything about you Steve," I comment. Brows furrow and then he comes to the realization. More disappointment sits on his handsome face.
"Yeah I mean Y/n's not wrong. It's gotta be someone who you know, and who knows you." Robin adds looking directly at me, "And it can't be me, cause nobody wold ever believe that you're such a rad girl." I look over at Robin, my eyes are begging her to stop. "But I bet you could totally take someone else you know." Robin continues, "Hmm yeah like who Rob?" Steve asks completely unaware that Robin is talking about me. Like I said before I'm not a part of Steve's world. He doesn't notice me.
"Dingus, she's sitting right in front of you. She's perfect too, respectful, really such a beautiful woman, and she knows all about you." Robin is waving her arms all around me as I sink further and further behind the counter.
"Y/n doesn't want to come to help me with my douche parents. It would just end badly I know it." Steve says not even bothering to look at me. The blush on my cheeks is harsh and I feel so hot. "How about we ask her?" Robin says. In unison, they both turn to look at me, but I'm hidden behind my own hands. "Dingus you hurt her feelings." There is silence in the video store.
"Okay I'll do it." I say even though my heart is soaring in my chest. When I look up Steve eyes are on me, reaching out to grab my hands from acorss the counter. "Are you sure? Who know dickish my parents can be. I don't want anything that they say to hurt you… because you know you're my good friend and that…" "Stop talking and let her answer Robin interupts Steve, he hums and stares me. My hands still in his.
My mouth opens and then closes. "Yeah, I'll do it… " He smiles, and squeezes my hands, "anything for you Steve," I mutter to myself.
It's not as if Steve and I have to discuss much more after that. I know this is all fake, so the only thing I have to worry about is making it seem real for… his parents. He calls me as I get ready for a morning shift at the video store. It's only been a day or so since I agreed to be Steve's fake dinner date with his parents.
The phone rings as I try to get my pants up my thighs. I sigh with frustration as I take the phone off the receiver. "Hello?" I say into the phone. The voice on the other side of the phone is frantic, panicking about everything. "How long have we been dating, and what are your favorite flowers? How are you at cooking? What…" His voice goes bare and quiet. "Steve calm down, take a breath for me," I say into the phone. I hear a shaky breath and then I continue on.
"What happened?" I ask him, "My parents called, and they wanted to know about you, but I said… Y/n I said that I didn't want to ruin the surprise. and then I started to worry that I don't even know anything about you. Like what do I call you around other people, and what do I call you when it's just the two of us?" Steve asks more questions. "Steve don't worry about not knowing me. It will come as we sit at dinner with your parents. And for what we call each other how about we just see what happens when I get there yeah." I say calmly into the phone.
There's a sigh on the other side of the phone, "Okay Y/n, I guess I should probably tell you a few more details before you worry about them like me." I chuckle, "That would be good Stevie." I mutter as I finally get my jeans up my thighs and onto my hips. "Thank you Y/n firstly I just wanna say that." I hum, "So parents are coming home tomorrow we'll have dinner after work. Wear that pretty number you've got. I'll drive you back home afterward okay." I nod, but remember that I'm not in front of Steve at the current moment.
Then the thought comes into my head. If Steve were standing in front of me he'd be staring at my bra-covered chest. Half naked as I grabbed the phone handle just a little bit harder. "Y/n you still there?" I heard Steve's voice come through the phone. "yeah I heard you, I gotta get ready for work bye Steve." I said in a ramble of words. Barely able to catch my breath as the thought, and now image of having Steve stand in front of me staring at me with the same eyes he would give the girls that walked in through the video store door.
Work was very slow this morning. Hell nobody came by the video store at nine in the morning, and so it was just me and Robin. "He called me this morning," I say as I restock the shelve with video tapes that had been returned last night. Robin drops her own stack of returns and turns around so quickly. "I'M SORRY WHAT?" I nodded my head.
"Yeah, Steve called was a rambling mess about how he didn't know what to do about what he was going to tell his parents. Talking about what he was going to call me in front of his parents if we had little nicknames for each other. I mean he was a mess, Rob." She stared at me before dropping to her knees to pick up her stack of videotapes. "He called you?" I hummed putting the last of the videos away. "He called and wanted to talk about how everything was going to go. Nothing to worry about ya know."
She continues to stare at me. "God I was so blind," Robin mutters mostly to herself. "What are you talking about? Blind to what?" I asked starting to get more and more intrigued. "I. didn't think… Hell, why didn't I think that he liked you too? He's almost always looking at you. Hell, he never stops talking about you when it's just the two of us hanging out." By the time I had gotten around the countertop, I was blank in my thoughts.
"He talks about me to you?" "WAIT you guys hang out without me?" She shakes her hands in front of my face, and don't worry about whether or not we hang out without you Y/n. Worry about the fact that he talks about you all the fucking time. Sometimes it is downright sick." My hands and my heart shakes at the thought.
"Does he love me?" I ask almost by accident. Robin smirks and looks at me like a lovesick puppy. "I'd say that he does, but maybe you should ask him that tomorrow." My eyes bludge, the dinner date with his parents.
The next day is almost… almost the same. I pack a bag with a different set of clothes. A pretty summer dress due to the warm air as summer approaches, a pair of nice flats not that if I were to wear heels I'd ever be as tall as Steve is. Steve is right there on time. "I'll take you to work this morning Y/n." He says as holds open the passenger side door. Robin still in morning classes. It leads to an awkward ride to Hawkins High and then to the video store.
"So…" Steve says awkwardly after dropping off Robin. "So…" I echo him. "Are you sure that you're okay with doing this? Because if you aren't then I can tell my parents that you aren't feeling good, or something happened today" I smile sweetly as I rest a hand on his thigh 'god he's so muscular I shake the thought. "Of course, I want to help my friend." I try to say reassuring him that eveything will be fine after this point.
The rest of the car ride is silent. Comfortable silence wraps itself around us and then continues as we open shop for the video store. "Did you know that Robin likes Vicky from the band?" Steve says into the comfortable air. "What?" He nods his head and moves from the shelves and cart to in front of the countertop. "I had a talk with her a few days ago about it. Apparently, she doesn't think it not the same thing for a guy to have a crush on a girl, as is it for a girl to have a crush on another girl." My brows furrow together.
"What does that even mean Stevie?" I ask him unaware that my nickname was making him internally blush. He swallows, "I'm not really sure, but I know that Vicky likes girls because she paused fast time at that boob scene." Steve whispers the last part like their customers are around. It's my turn to blush. "So does Vicky like Robin back?" I ask intrigued by where this sudden topic of discussion is going. "I think she does. I really hope she does because if not then we'll have to listen to Robin talk about for another few months." Steve laughs.
Before our shift was over I grabbed my bag from the back room and rush to the bathroom. Throwing off my vest, and shirt, grabbing my summer dress from inside the bag. My jeans are the next to come off and folded them ontop of my shirt and vest. The summer dress fits me perfectly, but as I look at myself in the mirror a part of me worries I'm not enough even for this fake version of Steve and I.
When I slip off my sneakers and slip into my flat I zip up the bag and come out to see that nobody is in the store. "I just went to stamp our time…" Steve says but then magically almost his words fall flat and right out of his mouth. "God you're beautiful! Not that you aren't always beautiful like this, but you're… fuck i'm sorry." Steve mumbles.
I blush hard under his kind stare. I never thought I hear him, Steve call me beautiful. "What were you saying before?" I ask him. Running a hand through his hair, "I just was… I made sure our time cards were stamped. A little early but that's okay." Steve says coming over to turn off the open sign.
Opening the door and letting me out first. I hear the click of the door telling me he's locked up for the night. As I went to grab the passenger door he was there in a flash opening it up for me. "I guess I should probably start to be a bit more gentleman like right sweetheart" Steve teased as I sat down into the seat. As we drove to his house I fidgeted in my seat.
I wondered if I would be enough for his parents. If this would all fall apart the minute we got there. I hoped that maybe for just a few seconds he would see me as something more than just a friend. I just wanted more, and maybe I was just being selfish when I said yes. I'm just done pretending that I'm happy with being alone. I'm not happy being all alone, watching as Steve tries desperately to be with women when I would do anything for him.
Boyfriend and Girlfriend walk into the doors of the stuck-up rich household that even when Steve's parents are there still feels empty and cold. "Father, Mother!" Steve calls out as he shuts the door and softly rests his hand on my back before whispering into my ear.
"Don't you worry about what they say? You just look at me and I'll keep… try to keep things at bay for you Y/n." He whispers it sends shivers down my spine. "Oh, so this is the girl you wouldn't say anything about." His mother says softly. She's different than I thought she would have been. Less rough around the edges, "Mr. and Mrs. Harrington it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Y/n." I say sweetly. My fingers interlaced together. His mother nods her head and off she goes back into the kitchen.
His father stays looking at the both of us. He's so rough around the edges I can already tell. "Steve, why don't we go talk, your girlfriend can go help your mother prepare the table," Steve's father says without another word he's walking towards a door that's never open when we come over. "I'll be right back sweetheart," Steve says and kisses my forehead before walking away. I follow the sounds of plates clattering together.
"Mrs. Harrington? Do you need any help?" My voice is timid and shaky at first. "Oh dear that would be wonderful." She says handing me the plates and everything that she had already gathered, she doesn't have to point towards the dining room table that is almost always cleared.
There's a white cloth that lays over it, and as I set down the plates I hear the faint sounds of shouting. I try to just ignore them so I return my attention back to setting the table. Plates in front of the glasses are already placed down.
"Yes, I understand Father." I hear Steve's voice ring out. "So where did you and my boy meet?" Mr. Harrington asks me. I stop making the table and turn to face him smiling sweetly at him. "We met at work actually," I say looking over at him, but the smile on my face fades as I see how red Steve's face is and how his fists are balled up so much that his knuckles are white.
"And what is it that makes you so interested in my son?" Mr. Harrington asks. My face contorts. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir?" I say trying to understand desperately where the conversation is going. "Dinner is finished, Paul will you come in here and help me." I hear Steve's mother shout out. My heart is racing out of my chest and I stand there until his father leaves the dining room. "Are you okay?" Steve rushes over to me. I shake my head still utterly confused. "What happened upstairs I could hear shouting?" I ask my own question. I can feel the air change. "My father had decided that you are just after my money. That we are faking it." Steve whispers the last part.
"What…" I say but then my mouth shuts as Steve's parents walk right back in. His mother holding a platter of ham, and his father holding onto side dishes. "Sit dearie." His mother prompts me. I take my sit and Steve sits down next to me. My hands are sweaty as I try to not think about how Steve's father could possibly know that we were just faking it.
"We pray in this household or has Steve not been doing that while we've been gone." Steve's father says sounding disgusting. The dining table is set and food is out. Steve sits across from his father, and I across from his mother. His mother reaches out her hands and we pray before eating. For the rest of the dinner, we eat in uncomfortable air.
"Like I asked earlier miss Y/n, why are you interested in my son?" His voice is thick and harasser than before. Maybe due to the few glasses of bourbon, he had sipped on. I chew on my food before setting my fork down and swallowing before answering him.
"Mr. Harrington I… love your son. More than I think he knows, more than he will ever understand. I don't care much for material things sir. I enjoy the moments that I share with your son. I care for the way he looks longing at me during times of our work. I enjoy the way he takes care of the kids he babysat for years. I love the way he makes me feel whenever he looks at me." I rest my hand on his thigh, not daring to look at him. I breathe in heavily. "Mr. Harrington. You might not like me, and you might think that all I care about is money, but that's simply not true. Because I love him for who he is, not what he is." I say moving my hand from his thigh.
There's silence all around us. Mrs. Harrington is smiling over at me, she must not be as bad as Mr. Harrington. "I don't believe you Miss Y/n, everyone has reasons for doing things. When money is involved it's never because they simply love one another." Mr. Harrington spits out. I nod, "Again Mr. Harrington you don't have to believe me. I don't care what you think of my relationship with Steve. You are not a part of it. Your son and I are happy together, though he most definitely deserves someone better than me I love him all the same." I feel Steve's hand on my thigh he's looking at me. I can tell from the peripheral of my vision that he's staring at me like he does when those pretty women come walking in.
"Steve your girlfriend needs to leave right this instance. I will not be disrespected in my own home." Mr. Harrington shouts slamming his glass down on the table. Steve stands up almost immediately like he knew his father was going to have an outburst. "Why Father?" "Paul just take a breathe love." "No Mother, Father is just pissed that someone loves me and it's not for my money that I don't want to be you. You hate that I'm not like you. I will not be trapped by you and your goddamn life. If I love this girl then that's just fine if I want to kiss this girl and bring her home flowers and tell her that she is so much more than I deserve then I will. And actually, this house the one that you haven't been in for months going on months belongs to me. You remember that, remember giving it to me. So it's the two of you that need to leave." Steve is seething, his hand wrapped around mine as he stands next to me at the dining room table.
"Steve, please." Steve's mother tries "NO! I'm tired of this bullshit. You guys are never here. You haven't been here for years, and when you are you shit on everything that I am. Well fuck both of you, so you leave." Steve shouts. His father scoots out of his chair and leaves while his wife follows closly on her heels. With the sound ofthe car rolling out of the drive way, and Steve breathing finally coming to a slow.
Everything hits Steve like a train. "I can't believe I just did that. Fuck." He mutters to himself dropping to his seat all over again. "Steve," I say softly resting my hand on his shoulder. "Oh hey." He says flatly. "Do you want me to leave?" I ask aware that maybe I'm simply not needed here anymore. That would be the sad part, but… "No please don't go... I don't want to be alone right now…" "Can I hug you?" I ask, he nods unwilling to speak anymore.
We sit there at the dining room table. Food is getting cold by the time Steve comes back to reality. "What you said that was good?" Steve comments wiping his face as he pulls away from the hug. "What do you mean Steve?" "You know saying all the stuff you said. It was nice to have someone pretend to care about me for just a little." Steve sounds so dejected. "Oh, Stevie. Look at me. Please" He doesn't. "Stevie, I didn't lie once to your parents. I… I do love you. I have loved you for a long time. I watch you all the damn time. The video store probably has rolls and rolls of security tapes of me just staring at you. Wishing that you saw me not every other girl who walked in. "What? Wait you think that I…" Steve mutters finally looking towards me.
"Steve."
"Y/n, I love you too ya know," Steve says softly grabbing my hands. "I wasn't pretending either. I was… you make my heart race and it's hard to think whenever you're around. Hard to… I guess that's why I would always try to flirt with those girls who came into the video store. I never noticed them though. It was and has always been you Y/n."
The smiles that grow on both of our faces. Makes our cheeks burn. "Can I do something?" Steve whispers as he inches closer and closer to my face. "Depends?" I say cheekily. "Oh shut up, and let me kiss you," Steve mutters rights up against my lips. I nod. He isn't the first kiss of my life, but he's the best kiss I've ever had. The one kiss that I always hoped for, wished that I could get.
Completed on: 06/08/23
Posted on: 07/31/23
The Adults- @yourfavdummy @mothermirkwood
