The bat, the nerd and the crush
Steve Harrington x Dustin’s sister!reader
Summary: Steve helps Dustin’s older sister learn some basic self-defense, and the two of them end up growing a little closer in the process.
Word count: 655
Notes: no season 5 spoilers :)
Steve Harrington had faced demogorgons, demo-dogs, Russians, and one extremely dramatic Scoops Ahoy uniform… but nothing — absolutely nothing — compared to the way his stomach flipped every time you walked into a room.
Dustin’s older sister.
Awkward, nerdy, way too good at math, and somehow the hottest person alive without even trying.
Which was unfair. Truly.
“Okay,” Steve said, clearing his throat for the fifth time as he stood in the Byers’ backyard with a baseball bat slung over his shoulder. “Lesson one: stance. You need a good stance so you don’t, uh… fall. Or die.”
You snorted, pushing your glasses up your nose in a way that made his brain short-circuit. “Falling sounds more likely. Dying is dramatic.”
“Well, I’m trying to avoid both outcomes,” he said, flashing what he hoped was a confident smile. It probably looked more like a grimace.
The others were inside — Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will — arguing about which D&D mini belonged to who. That gave Steve a perfect window, even though he pretended this was purely educational and not at all an excuse to be near you.
“Alright,” you said, stepping closer. “Show me the stance.”
“Right.” Steve planted his feet. “So, you wanna be steady, knees bent, not too wide, but not too narrow, and—”
You copied him immediately. And — of course — looked way cuter doing it. Steve blinked.
“You’re… doing it really good,” he blurted.
You raised an eyebrow. “Doing it really good?”
“Oh my god,” he groaned under his breath. “I meant— you’re doing a really good job. Whatever. You get it.”
You giggled, and it hit him like a full-speed Vecna tentacle to the chest. Why was your laugh that cute?
“Okay,” he said quickly, desperate to recover. “Lesson two: swing.”
“Should I be scared?”
“No. Probably. Maybe a little.” He handed you the bat. Your fingers brushed his. He definitely did not squeak — at least he hoped he didn’t. “Just hold it like— yeah, like that. Uh— right. Now when you swing, make sure your arms— uh— stay loose. Not floppy loose. Focused loose.”
You stared at him. “Steve… what does that even mean?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered. “I panicked.”
You laughed again, and Steve wondered if creatures from the Upside Down ever died from embarrassment, because he was about to.
“Here,” he said, stepping behind you before he could overthink it. “Mind if I—?”
You shook your head, cheeks a little pink.
He placed his hands over yours on the bat, guiding your arms gently. You tensed at first — he did too — before relaxing into it.
“See?” he murmured near your ear. “When you swing, put your weight into your hips. Twist a little. Like—”
You swung, and the bat cut through the air perfectly.
Steve blinked. “Holy crap. That was… actually really impressive.”
You turned to him, smiling shyly. “Is that the official Steve Harrington approval?”
“It’s— yeah. Consider it stamped. Gold star. A+.” He nodded way too fast. “If a demogorgon shows up, you’d smash it to bits. Like— dust.”
“Wow.” You laughed again. “High praise.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re a natural. Plus you’re— uh— y’know…”
You tilted your head. “I’m… what?”
He swallowed. Oh no. No backing out.
“You’re… really cool. And smart. And, um…” He gestured vaguely at all of you. “Pretty. Like— really pretty.”
Your eyes widened. “Steve.”
“I said it!” He threw his hands up. “Too late to take it back.”
You stepped closer, barely hiding a smile. “Well… thank you. For teaching me. And for… that.”
He smiled, softer this time. “Anytime. Really.”
The back door slammed open.
“STEVE!” Dustin yelled. “Are you corrupting my sister?”
Steve sighed. “No! I’m teaching her how not to die!”
“Same thing!” Dustin snapped.
Beside him, you giggled quietly — and Steve decided he’d fight a hundred Upside Down monsters if it meant hearing that sound again.
