Canât You See Iâve Been Waiting For You?
Steve Harrington x Fem!Mayfield!Reader
Summary: Youâre convinced Steve has a thing for Robin, but he really just has a thing for you. 5.6k wc
Warnings & What to Expect: Slight angst, a dash of hurt/comfort, set in season 4, Max is kind of a jerk (I mean sheâs going through a lot yaâll), reader is head over heels for Steve - itâs mutual, reader is oblivious tho, Dustin being a slight menace (when is he not?), happy ending (& letâs pretend Max doesnât end up in a coma/trance đ€)
Masterlist If Interested!
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Steve Harrington was unfairly good looking all the time. The jeans that hugged his waist just right, the polo shirts whether long or short tucked in - snug around his biceps, Nike sneakers that always seemed pristine somehow, and the perfectly styled hair.
God, his hair. You wanted to card your fingers through the soft brown locks, tugging at them, desperate to watch him fall apart at your touch.
It was so unfair that he always looked like a Greek God, but it was even more unfair when you realized you had feelings for the man.
Not only were you stuck in his orbit all the time suffering over how hopelessly attracted you were to him, but you were also pretty sure that he had a thing going on with Robin Buckley.
Now if you asked Steve and Robin that? Theyâd freak out, assert they were just friends, platonic with a capital P. You almost believed them sometimes; mostly when Steve would turn those puppy dog eyes on you and you almost thought you had a chance with him.
Like earlier today, when Steve had grabbed your wrist, thumb stroking delicately against your pulse point; asking how you were holding up after learning your little sister likely only had 24 hours left to live, unless your friends figured out a way to stop Vecnaâs curse.
Or like last week, when you and the party had gone out to the local diner. The kids had practically scarfed down the shared fries, leaving you none and your meal hadnât come with any.
Upon seeing the disappointed look on your face, Steve had pushed his plate of the fried goodness towards you, claiming he wasnât hungry anymore when you knew heâd normally demolish his food whole.
There was also that time a month ago when you and Steve were in charge of getting the popcorn and snacks at the movies tor everyone. When the teens behind you in line had been a bit rambunctious and bumped into you, Steve was quick to place his hand on your lower back, guiding you just a bit closer to him. He hadnât taken it off until you were done ordering.
There was a series of things that Steve did that would forever be ingrained into your mind; the casual compliments heâd throw your way nearly on a daily basis, how he remembered you liked Diet Coke over regular, noticing when you went quiet - always the first to check in with you, or more recently letting you cry into his arms about the fact that your sister had been snarkier to you now than ever before.
So, yeah, you could believe they werenât secretly together when Steve treated you that way, but you mostly chalked it up to him just being a good guy - because Robin and Steve were around each other constantly, attached at the hip. Working together, hanging out together, and Steve had dragged Robin into you and your friends' world permanently.
Which, donât you get wrong, you loved Robin. She was hilarious, insanely smart, and fiercely cared about your friends. Dustin noticed these things about her too, and was constantly pushing Steve to go for it, which always hurt you more than you cared to admit. Why didnât Dustin think that you were good enough for Steve?
As much as Robin and Steve vehemently denied that anything was going on between them, you didnât want to get stuck in one of those situations where the guy had to choose between his best friend or girlfriend because he was secretly harboring feelings for the best friend.
So you kept your mouth shut, feelings for Steve tucked away inside of you. You were good at pretending.
No one knew how you truly felt, not even your own sister who was the most observant person you knew and could smell desperation from a mile away.
You had always been good about pretending in front of Max because you were the older sister. You had to be strong for her.
You had to be strong and pretend like it hadnât shattered your heart to leave your dad behind in California. You had to be strong and pretend like Neil and Billy hadnât scared the absolute shit out of you for their aggressive behavior. You had to be strong and pretend to be positive about the move to Hawkins even though it made you full of dread. That one wasnât just for Max, but for your mom too.
The move to Hawkins had indeed been hell on Earth like you assumed it would be.
It had been one bad thing after another. Max and you getting involved in a world of alternate realities. Billy being controlled by the Mindflayer, then sacrificing himself; dying in front of your eyes. Your stepfather up and leaving your mom afterwards, which caused her to spiral into drinking after having to get two jobs just to make ends meet. Moving into the trailer park which you knew people would judge you about. The cherry on top was finding out that this Vecna asshole had now made your baby sister his next target.
The one good thing to come out of moving to Hawkins? Steve Harrington.
Itâs why it was so, so unfair that you had these feelings for him and felt like you couldnât say anything about it to him.
Steve had become a constant in your life. He had protected you and your sister from Billy that night he came searching at the Byers house, had always given the two of you free ice cream when he worked at Scoops Ahoy, drove you to school because he knew you and Max thought the bus was disgusting.
Somewhere along the way he was no longer Steve; the guy you went to school with by day and fought monsters with by night. He became Steve; the guy you were totally hung up on; and not just because he was a total babe, but because he had this heart of gold that he didnât boast about, and yet it shined clear as day based on his actions for you, your sister, and the rest of the party.
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Steveâs currently on babysitting duty with you once again.
The two of you were watching over your sister, Lucas and Dustin while Nancy and Robin tried to figure out more about this freaky Victor Creel man, and the demon that had tormented his family years ago.
Your eyes trail over Steve, who was watching your sister like a hawk; never letting her leave his sight. His jaw was tense, a muscle there popping just slightly, brows drawn in as he watched her furiously writing at the desk across the Wheelerâs basement.
You were sitting on the couch, squished between Steve and Dustin. Your right leg and arm pressed against Steveâs left. Your heart hadnât slowed down since he had patted the spot next to you, inviting you to take a seat by him.
You werenât sure if Steve was making it his mission to completely invaded your personal space with the way he kept leaning into you, but you could get used to the feel of his body against yours.
You couldnât help it when you started taking advantage of looking at his side profile, as his eyes werenât on you. You may be good at keeping your infatuation with him a secret, but it didnât stop you from watching him whenever you had the chance to.
You were lost in gazing at the smattering of freckles creeping up from out of the collar of his shirt and up his neck. Your eyes continued to trace the lingering few of them that reached his face. You so badly wanted to brush each of them with the tips of your fingers and lips.
You were fascinated by the length of his eyelashes at this angle, watched as they fluttered each time he blinked. You move your eyes to the slight stubble above his upper lip, his perfectly kissable plush lips that you so badly wanted a taste of.
You loved watching how protective Steve got of the kids when danger was around the corner, but you especially loved watching his concern for your sister. It tugged at your heart strings, knowing that someone other than yourself had her back without argument.
âI know you guys are staring at me,â Max suddenly shares, shoulders tensing up. It quickly snaps you back into reality that you had just been gawking at Steve.
You force your eyes away from him, not wanting to be caught by the boys or Steve himself, cheeks flooding with heat. You let out a brief hum of noise, pretending like you had just been caught staring at Max like the rest of them.
âWhat sorry-,â Steve replies, grabbing the stress ball off the small table in front of you and tosses it up in the air. It causes the muscle in his right arm to flex, his tongue poking out in concentration.
Your brain nearly short circuits, and you try to pretend like you were busy looking along at the book that Dustin had grabbed when Max interrupted the staring fest the boys were indeed having.
âYou said you needed something,â Lucas tries to play it cool.
âJust hanging out,â Steve says, and you plead with the universe to make him stop throwing that damn ball into the air so youâre not tempted to watch him.
âHow you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I donât know,â Max sighs, standing up, stacking a bunch of envelopes in her hands. You continue to pretend to be interested in the book while she starts walking towards the group of you.
âYou can look at me now,â Max stops, and sighs in slight annoyance at how obvious you all are.
âThank you,â Dustin mumbles quietly.
âSorry-â Lucas and Steve reply, and Steve thankfully drops the ball back on the table.
âMax, what are you holding?â You ask her cautiously. Youâre worried about her. Sheâs been coiled in on herself, like a spring ready to snap at any and all times, refusing to let any of you in.
You can see her clench her teeth, but she loses her resolve. Passing out an envelope to each of you on the couch. You stare at the letter with your name printed on it in disbelief, already realizing that itâs a goodbye.
You also realize itâs an extremely inappropriate time for your heart to tighten at the fact that Steve received a letter from her too; finally understanding that Max loved Steve like a brother despite her frequent smart ass quips to the man.
âOh, and um, give these to Mike, El, and Will. If you can ever get a hold of them again,â She passes the rest of the letters to Lucas.
Steve and Dustin start to open up their envelopes, but yours is now crushed tightly in your hand. Head spinning over the fact that your sister thinks sheâs not going to make it out of this.
âHey, what are you doing? No donât, thatâs not for now. Donât open it now!â Max snaps at them.
âDonât- okay,â Dustin starts, âIâm sorry, what is this?â He finally gets out.
âYeah Max, what is this?â You echo, voice hard, eyes narrowing at her. Steve turns his attention towards you at the change in your tone, eyes flitting back and forth between you and Max.
âItâs, um, itâs a fail safe for after. If things donât work out,â She shrugs it off, like she hadnât just admitted she has accepted her death. Your mouth drops open at her words, standing up from the couch to talk some sense into her.
âWait, whoa Max things are going to work out-,â Lucas starts to plead with her.
âNo! I donât need you to reassure me and tell me itâs all gonna work out, because people have been telling me that my entire life and itâs almost never true,â She bites out, her eyes move to meet yours, her expression turning angry.
âIt's never true,â She spits out at you, and you swallow hard, throat constricting at her bitter words.
Your relationship with her hadnât been the same since Billy died. You knew she blamed herself, despite how many times you tried to convince her it wasnât her fault.
She wasnât the same girl anymore. No longer did she run into your room, giggling about something dorky Lucas had said to her. No longer did she ask you to braid her hair or paint her nails or watch a movie with her. No longer did she sit and talk with you for hours about anything and everything, now preferring her walkman and headphones over her older sister.
It sucked. It felt like losing your best friend, because as much as she was your sassy little sister, she was the one person you loved more than life itself.
You can remember holding her in your arms when she was born, and as you grew together, you swore youâd always shield her from the harshness of the world.
âMax,â You start, and fold your arms together, trying not to seem as upset as you are, âYouâre not alone in this. We are going to come up with a plan to protect you. I donât know how, but we will figure something out.â
Your words donât soothe her. You didnât really expect them too, considering she had just basically told you that your words of encouragement in the past had never meant anything to her.
âYouâre always trying to protect me, but guess what? You canât. Not this time,â Max shakes her head, her irritation growing by the second.
Sheâs nearly seething at this point, and you havenât seen her this upset since she used to make her gaming name Mad Max; nicknaming herself after all the anger stored in her heart from the shitty cards life had thrown at the both of you.
Max says the cruel words before thinking, âMaybe if you werenât so busy staring at Steve all the damn time because of your stupid schoolgirl crush on him, youâd realize Iâm grown up now. I donât believe in fairytale bullshit like you. I donât need you to pretend to be strong for me when I know youâre not!â
Your eyes grow wide at her throwing what you thought was a secret in your face. Of course you had been naive enough to believe that she didnât know you were into Steve. Just because she didnât say anything, didnât mean she didnât notice it.
Not only had she just revealed that very private information in front of him, but sheâd also just insulted your whole personality. You grit your teeth together, trying not to yell back at her, because as much as you wanted to explode on her for being a selfish brat right now, you knew that she was in so much pain mentally.
Steve watches you now, his lips parted incredulously at Maxâs words about you liking him. He watches as the blow lands hard. He watches as the tears start gathering in your eyes at your sisterâs sharp words.
The basement was suddenly suffocating, as you felt everyoneâs eyes on you. You refused to look at Steve, worried about his reaction. You didnât want to look at him and see him pitying you.
You needed air. You needed to get out of this situation. So you give her a short, curt nod, and then bolt up the stairs.
Steve immediately stands up, ready to follow you. Before he does, he puts his hands on his hips and gives a pointed look at Max.
âThatâs,â Steve starts, shakes his head, then sighs, âThat wasnât cool, Max,â He says softly to the girl, who already had regret written all over her face.
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You donât know where to go. You didnât visit the Wheelerâs house very often, but you knew Ted and Karen were still home with Holly somewhere, not inclined to leave the house due to the fact that they believe a serial killer on the loose in Hawkins.
You also didnât want to get stuck having a conversation with Mrs. Wheeler, though she really was lovely.
You just couldnât handle her bubbly persona right now when you felt like your heart had just been ripped out of your chest and stomped on by your sister.
You decide to slip out the front door before anyone sees you. You donât want to go too far, considering how even though you were beyond pissed and hurt by what Max had said, she was still doomed by Vecna, and you should be close enough to get to her if needed.
You catch sight of Steveâs burgundy BMW parked on the street by the mailbox. You walk over to it and try the passenger door where youâve found yourself sitting in the last couple of days because of everything going on. You pull, itâs locked; of course.
You carefully prop yourself up on the flat trunk of the car, feet resting on the lip of the bumper. Youâre not too worried about Steve being upset with you over it, as youâve seen him sit here himself quite a bit; typically when the group is trying to make a plan and decide whoâs doing what.
Your head falls into your hands, finally letting the tears flow freely now that you are alone.
You were extremely embarrassed at the fact that Steve had just heard that you watched him like an absolute weirdo.
It was awful knowing that he now knew you had a crush on him, when he so clearly wasnât into you.
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Unbeknownst to you, Steve had already made his way up the basement stairs, did a quick check of the main floor of the house, before realizing you must be outside.
He glanced briefly out the back, then the front and his heart jumped to his throat when he saw you perched on his Beamer.
Heâs nervous as hell to go talk to you. No one but Robin and Dustin knew it, but Steve was absolutely captivated by you.
He had been for a long time now, but never had the courage to bring it up to you. Dustin loved to tease him about it, purposefully bringing up Robin in front of you, trying to pressure Steve into just being honest with you.
You sort of intimidated him; you were this strong, capable, independent woman who protected the people she loved without fail or question. He was completely enchanted by it, but he wasnât sure if heâd measure up to you.
He didnât think he was in the same league as you, let alone have a shot with you. He hadnât been great at talking to girls in a while, and he didnât want to totally screw things up with you by making a fool of himself.
He had been pretending for so long that you werenât the girl of his dreams, but after hearing what Max had said about you being into him, he knew he needed to make a move before it was too late.
He slips out the front door of the house, briskly walking up the driveway to meet you at his car. You donât notice him approaching because your head is still in your hands.
When he gets closer, he can hear the tell tale sign of crying by the sniffling noises you're making, shoulders shaking gently. His heart breaks over seeing you in such a state.
Heâs not sure how to approach you without scaring you off, so he reaches out to your arm, fingers gently grazing over your warm skin.
âHey,â He whispers hesitantly to you, trying to get you to look up at him.
You go still at the sound of Steveâs voice and touch, groaning inside of your head. You couldnât catch a break could you?
You want to stay hidden in your hands, but know you need to put your big girl pants on and face whatâs surely about to be the most awkward interaction youâve ever had with him.
âHi,â You whisper back, head lifting from your hands, quickly wiping the tears off your face. You tuck your hair behind your ears and lean back to see Steve gazing at you already.
Heâs got this funny look on him. One you havenât seen before, and it scares you that you donât know what heâs thinking about. If you didnât know him, youâd call it adoration, but surely thatâs not the case.
âUm, can I-?â Steve doesnât finish his sentence, but he raises his hand towards your face making your eyes go wide. You give him a slight nod, not sure what he means.
When he gently curls a piece of your hair back behind your ear that you mustâve missed just moments before, you feel the tips of your cheeks burning.
He then trails that same hand to your chin, swiping away at some of the left behind moisture you had missed. He lets his hand linger there for a moment.
âIâm sorry,â You blurt out before you can help yourself, being around him like this starts up the word vomit, âIâm sorry, about what Max said about you. It was stupid, I think she was just talking in the heat of the moment and not realizing what she was saying. Iâm so sor-â Steve gently quiets you with his thumb brushing across your rambling lips.
God, what is this man doing to you?
âIs it true?â He asks quietly, leaning towards you now. Itâs like magnets being drawn towards one another. His feet are planted so close to you that the tips of your knees are brushing his thighs.
âIs what true?â You ask shyly, dropping your eyes to his lips and promptly lose concentration when his tongue darts out in a quick press to wet them.
When you flick your eyes back up to meet his, you notice his are already trained on your own lips. You swallow harshly, and think you might have to pinch yourself to make sure youâre awake right now.
Heâs never been this close to you before, and itâs kicking up a wild storm of butterflies in your stomach. Heâs still got one hand stroking your face, and he moves the other one to drop on your hip. His hand is heavy and holds you firmly.
You involuntarily let out a little whimper at the contact, making Steve grin cockily at you. Itâs the signal he needed to gain his self confidence back, nerves he was feeling before disappearing.
He needed to make sure that he didnât leave this conversation without officially making you his.
âOh, I like that noise coming from your lips, honey,â He playfully tells you, stepping even closer.
His leg nudges one of yours, and he settles himself fully in between your legs. Your lips part, gasping at the movement.
What in the world is happening right now? Had you somehow died and gone to Heaven without realizing it? Surely you had because the feeling of Steveâs legs between your own was devastating.
âYou still havenât answered my question, angel. I think you know what Iâm talking about; is it true?â Steve repeats himself.
You stare at him, at a loss for words. Your seconds away from throwing yourself at him.
Steve waits patiently for your response, but figures he knows how to get you talking. Since you hadnât shown him any resistance, he presses a kiss to the underside of your jaw, right below your ear.
Your eyes shut at the contact, another soft noise being pulled from you that you didnât even realize you could make.
âDoes it matter?â You stutter out, feeling like you're about to run out of oxygen.
âWhy wouldnât it, angel?â He says that damn pet name again, causing your head to swim.
Your hand reaches out to the blue bomber jacket heâs wearing, grasping onto the material to try to ground yourself in reality despite this unbelievable situation youâve found yourself in with him.
âBecause, youâre in love with Robin arenât you?â You decide to bite the bullet and just tell him, and Steve reacts like youâve just dumped a bucket of ice cold water over his head.
He rears back from you, eyes wide in disbelief. It would almost be comical if you werenât waiting on an answer that could absolutely shatter you right now; if he were to say yes.
Heâs gaping at you, clearly not having expected you to say that.
âW-what?!â He yelps out, squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head before continuing, âIs that a joke? Did someone tell you that?â
âNo one had to tell me, Steve. Itâs not a joke either. Itâs pretty clear you love her,â You shrug your shoulders half heartedly.
Heâs still looking at you like youâve just opened your mouth and started to speak to him in a foreign language. He tilts his head, lips pursing, mouth opening and shutting, trying to find the right words to say.
âOkay. Okay, sure, I love Robin as a friend, but Iâm not in love with her,â Steve replies, still in a state of shock at what youâve told him.
His eyebrows are furrowed a bit, creating a small dent in the skin in the middle of them. You desperately want to reach out and smooth it over, but youâre still uncertain about where you stand with him, about whatâs happening between the two of you right now.
âI can see youâre still silently debating inside that pretty little head of yours, arenât you? Can I prove it to you?â Steve questions when he sees you're still feeling doubtful.
âPlease,â You manage to choke out.
Steve doesnât hesitate, he presses another kiss to the spot below your ear, before trailing his lips down your jawline. Heâs taking his time, ravishing you with his mouth.
You tighten your hand thatâs resting against his chest, fingers still curled around the fabric of his jacket. Your other hand moves to rest at the back of his neck, playing with the tufts of hair that sit there.
Steveâs lips continue down to your neck. When he reaches your exposed collarbone, he gently nips at it, causing you to tug him closer to you, if thatâs even possible. His tongue presses against the skin that he just bit, and you swear you see stars.
He makes his way back up the other side of your neck that he hasnât touched yet, then drags his nose up your jaw and finally his mouth is just inches from yours.
He presses his lips to the corner of your mouth, teasing you, before parting his lips, still hovering above yours.
âJust kiss me already, Harrington,â You whine, tipping your head closer to him, and he laughs breathily against you.
âMy needy girl, youâve been so patient havenât you?â He quips, and before you can snap at him to stop toying with you, he finally presses his mouth to yours in a greedy kiss.
His pink lips are pressing against yours hungrily, both hands on your hips now, dragging you towards him so you become fully flush against him.
Steve knows what heâs doing, expertly swiping his tongue against your bottom lip, coaxing your mouth open so he can kiss you deeper. Youâre completely gone, dizzy with want for him.
Your hand slips further into the hair at the base of his neck and you tug at the strands there the way youâve wanted to for so long. Steve makes this irresistible noise from the back of his throat, causing him to break away for a moment.
You donât let him get far though, eagerly pressing your lips to his again not willing to let him slip away from you yet. You grow braver at the sounds of desire coming from him, letting your tongue dip into his mouth when he gasps for air.
You could stay here with him forever, drowning in this growing need for each other, but the moment is ruined when you hear the Wheelerâs front door slam.
You and Steve jump apart, but still have a hold of one another, breathing hard, glancing to see who just came out of the house. Itâs Dustin, hands on his hips like a disappointed parent.
âHey lovebirds!â Dustin yells, âWeâre giving you five more minutes to make out before you both need to get your asses back in here so we can ask you something.â He turns around to walk back into the house, closes the door behind him just as hard.
Your eyes trail to the front window, seeing Lucas and Max peeking at you and Steve from the living room window. You roll your eyes, but with no true malice, at the fact that theyâre always trying to get into your business.
Your lighthearted mood starts to fade at seeing your sister, knowing that sheâs the reason you had left the house in such a rush to begin with.
âThat little shithead.â Steve huffs a harsh breath out.
âHeâs totally gloating right now. Constantly bringing up Robin in front of you trying to - wait a second - heâs the reason you had that wild idea in your head, isnât he? Iâm gonna m-,â Steve breaks off when he turns his attention back to you.
He notices your deflated look, clearly not paying attention to what heâs saying, and thinking about the words Max had told you.
âHey, look at me, sweetheart,â He urges you. When you do, he cups your face with both of his hands, holding you steady.
âWhat your sister said back there, about you believing in fairytaleâs and not being strong? Donât listen to that,â Steve starts, cutting to the chase, âSheâs hurting right now. You know what they say about hurt people hurting people; not that it makes it okay.â
You bite your lip, nodding briefly, but your eyes well up with tears again at his words.
âI think itâs so, so attractive that you choose to believe in the good in this world. It doesnât mean you're living in a fairytale, it just means you want a life thatâs worth living, a life you deserve,â Steve says softly.
âAnd not strong?â He scoffs at the idea, âYouâre the strongest person I know, having to deal with all the shit that you and Max have gone through. Despite it all, you continue to show up for her, take care of her, even when you're on the receiving side of her wrath,â He gives you that charming smile of his, trying to comfort you with his words, and youâre nearly blinded by his beauty.
âGod, Iâm obsessed with you, Steve,â You admit, bringing one of your own hands up to cup his jaw.
He closes his eyes at the touch and hums briefly, turns his lips to kiss the palm of your hand, before letting his head rest against your touch.
âAre you,â You swallow, âYou sure youâre not in love with Robin? Because that would really, really suck for me.â
âIâm standing here, between your knees. I just had the best kiss of my life, with you, and youâre still asking me if Iâm sure that Iâm not in love with Robin?â He chuckles, shakes his head, and grabs your chin with his thumb and forefinger.
âSilly girl,â He chides you, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips this time around. Then his face grows serious, making sure youâre looking into his eyes before the next words come from his mouth.
âI promise you, I donât feel that way about Robin. I canât explain it to you, itâs not for me to share. But one day, I think Robin will tell you why it wonât ever be like that between me and her,â Steve tells you softly, eyes begging you to believe him.
You donât really understand what he means, but you trust him, and you trust Robin, so you decide itâs enough and the last of your hesitancy dissolves
âIf I knew you were gonna kiss me like that, I never would have pretended to not be carrying a torch for you. This feels so much better than pretending like I havenât wanted you this whole time.â You laugh quietly.
Taking him in freely like this, without it needing to be a secret feels almost like love, it must be love you think; though you know youâre not quite ready to say that just yet.
âIâd say canât you see Iâve been waiting here for you the whole time, but Iâm a pretty good pretender too,â Steve shares with you.
âIâve always wanted you, I want this, if youâll have me,â Steve says, starting to feel love sick on you.
You answer him with another kiss, and before the two of you can get lost in one another again, thereâs a clearing of someone's throat. You pull away reluctantly, and see Max standing there.
She looks uncomfortable, probably because of the position you and Steve are in against his car. He turns his head over his shoulder to see her there, and pulls away from you.
He grabs your hand to help you hop down off the car, hand sliding to your lower back to brush off the top of your jeans. Hand briefly gliding over your ass mischievously under the guise of getting the dirt off you.
âI guess our five minutes are up,â You joke, as you watch Dustin and Lucas walking up the driveway towards you.
âWeâll give you a moment,â Steve says, pressing a kiss to your temple, releasing you to usher the two boys back inside before they cause chaos.
You wait silently for Max to say something to you. She doesnât, instead choosing to inch her way forward, before slipping her arms around you. You melt into her hug, never able to stay mad at her for too long, arms holding her tight.
âI shouldnât have said those mean things to you. They werenât true. It just that Iâm-,â Max apologizes, and you fill in the blank for her.
âScared?â You ask gently. She sighs, nodding against you.
âI just, I know you want to protect me. You always have. Physically or emotionally, youâve done it since we were kids, but this feels heavier. Like the stakes are higher, and I donât want you getting hurt. I canât lose you,â Max confesses.
âOh, Max,â You donât know how to reply, knowing sheâs right. The stakes do feel higher this time around, and thereâs a good chance someone may not make it out of this.
âI canât tell you the outcome of this. But I promise, no matter what happens, Iâm going to be there for you. I meant it when I said youâre not alone in this,â You say after a beat of quiet. She nods silently again, holding you for just a bit longer.
âSo, Steve?â She asks you once sheâs pulled back, a smile forming on her face.
You roll your eyes and go to playfully pinch her cheek like you used to when she was younger. She swats your hand away from her, âI mean it looked like he was trying to swallow you whole.â
You laugh at her words, âWell I guess I have you to thank for that. You ratted out my secret! Luckily for me and you both, it turns out he feels the same way. What if he hadnât? And how did you even know that I liked him like that?â
âYou clearly donât see the way Steve has a staring problem for you, just like you have for him. Besides, sisters always know,â She shrugs.
âSo like how I know you obviously want Lucas back?â You tease, and a rare blush starts to form on her neck, confirming your suspicions.
âShut up!â She cries out, but you see the warmth in her eyes, âAnd speaking of, letâs go get the boys. Weâre making Steve take us on a field trip. Iâm not spending what could be my last hours on earth in the armpit that is Mike Wheelerâs basement,â She shudders at the thought.
You hate that that's even a possibility, but you take her hand firmly, reminding her that youâre there, and head back inside.
Steveâs already got his car keys ready to go in his hand, eyes lighting up when he spots you and Max coming back in, clearly having solved the issue.
âYou better treat her right, Harrington. I know a good lawyer,â Max points at him sternly, and Steve just smirks at the threat.
âWouldnât surprise me, Mayfield,â He replies, and pulls you into his side, refusing to let you go now that he has you.
âBesides, youâve got nothing to worry about. Iâve been waiting a long time for her. I wouldn't dream of screwing it up,â Steve gazes at you, about to lean in to kiss you and the teens around you immediately pretend to gag.
You giggle as Steve groans in annoyance, before leaning his head towards you, whispering, âAfter this shit show ends, Iâm taking you on a proper date.â
Itâs an assurance that youâre looking forward to. Youâve waited all this time for him, a little bit more time wouldnât hurt.
