Summary: The gang are back together (mostly) and you and Steve are attempting to host a dinner party, if you could even call it that.
CW: very brief mentions of sex, stancy situationship, henderhop (should’ve been canon and endgame)
Based on an idea from @silly-little-love-lover in my comments. Hope you enjoy. If anyone has any request for this AU, please don’t hesitate to send an ask. I love bringing people’s ideas to life - V xx
Dad!Steve Harrington x Mom!Reader
The house was already warm and stuffy before anyone had actually arrived. The oven hummed and the smell of garlic filled the air whilst you moved between rooms, tasting, turning heat down, wiping down surfaces that quite frankly didn’t need it. Steve hovered nearby too nervous to get in your way when you’re on a mission (he’d learnt the hard way many years ago) and pretended that he wasn’t stealing pieces of bread and cheese from the cutting board everytime you turned around.
“Hey, I saw that!” you exclaimed, not even looking at him.
He grinned. “I’m just doing quality control, angel. we’ve got guests arriving soon and standards must be met.”
“The only standard that Dustin or Eddie care about is quantity and you are reducing that right as we speak.” His chewing ceased.
To top it all off and raise your blood pressure even more, Elizabeth burst into the kitchen wailing, asking where everyone was and when they’d be arriving. This was the third time in the last ten minutes she’d asked this.
“Do you hear something?” Steve joked, dryly.
Your oldest entered the room in a more composed manner, but stationed herself right on the seat closest to the window, adjusting the sheer curtains just enough so that she could watch the driveway. Responsible Julia, trying to hide how she was just as eager as her sister.
Charlotte lingered in the hallway, hands playing with her sweater sleeves rocking back and forward on the balls of her feet. She hadn’t asked if Eddie was coming. She didn’t need to, he always showed up. But still her eyes flickered to the front door every few seconds.
Bright headlights finally swept across the living room, replacing the warm cozy atmosphere with a sterile white glow.
Elizabeth squealed. Julia rose from her seat in a flash. Charlotte still remained fixed to the floor, but a small, glowing smile graced her features.
“It’s showtime,” your husband murmured.
Dustin tore in loudly without knocking, wrapping Julia into a tight hug that she pretended to protest but absolutely melted into. Jane followed timidly behind him, greeting you gently before Elizabeth began talking to her at a rapid pace. Nancy was next with. a bottle of wine clutched between two hands, Jonathan at her heels. They were on and off at the moment; you were actually struggling to keep up with them at this point.
“Please tell me you need some help,” she said immediately, shaking the bottle slightly.
Whilst the others filtered into the living room, catching up and embracing, you and Nancy lingered in the kitchen. She poured two generous glasses of red. You thought this must have been the first quiet moment you had had since you had risen from bed this morning.
“So,” you eased into it lightly. “How’s the situationship?”
The other woman huffed an unamused laugh into her wine. “You are terrible.”
You just stared, encouraging her to answer.
Nancy leaned against the counter, swirling her glass in thought. “We’re…good. I think. I mean sometimes I think I’m just waiting for something dramatic to happen because I’m so used to things being so complicated between us.”
“Butt is it boring?” You questioned gently.
“No,” she admitted. “It’s just calm. And I don’t know how to just be like that yet.”
“Calm can be good, you know? It means you don’t have to be so on edge all the time. Just don’t let it get boring.”
Nancy glanced towards the living room where she could see her “lover” laughing at something Dustin had said. Her frown softened. “He’s patient with me these days.”
“Well, that’s great,” you said brushing her arm. “If he ever isn’t, you know where to send him, okay?”
But before the conversation could begin to grow too serious, the front door flew open again.
“Where is she? Where is my darling niece?” Eddie questioned obnoxiously, not knowing what he’d just interrupted.
Charlotte didn’t run, but she moved quickly towards the commotion. Stopping infront of the man as his wild grin shifted into something softer. He crouched down to her level, wincing slightly. He and Steve had been grumbling about this a lot lately. You were all officially getting old.
He raised a small paper bag towards her, bowing his head. “For you, m’lady.”
Inside there was a pack of ten glittery gel pens that she’d been caught looking at the last time he had taken her out for one of their little dates. She gasped as if she’d just been handed a treasure chest.
Steve appeared behind you, cooing softly at his little girl.
Dinner went by with it’s familiar beautiful chaos; Elizabeth narrating everything, Dustin debating with her. Jane sitting just observing with a content smile. Charlotte retreating to Eddie’s lap when she was done with her food. He wasn’t, but he was content with resuming one handed. Julia helped carry dishes into the kitchen without being asked, using that usual subtle attentiveness she always had around you.
At one point, Dustin into some sort of realisation. “Wait, where’s Robin? She never misses stuff like this?”
Steve snorted at his alarming tone, “She called earlier. She’s had to stay back in Massachusetts. Apparently someone made a dramatic exit at their job, so she’s having to cover them.”
“She was very upset and expects a full recap over the phone from each of you.” you laugh.
Nancy shared a soft smile at the thought.
“She also said,” Steve added, “that I have to tell you word for word that she is ‘spiritually present with us all, but physically and literally oppressed by capitalism.’”
“That sounds exactly like her.” Dustin nodded in fake solemnity.
Eddie raised his glass of water, not drinking wine like the rest of you. He’s been sober for about four years now and it had done wonders for him. “To Robin Buckley. Sadly absent, but still leaving her mark.”
The whole table bust into quite giggles.
After dinner, chaos unfolded within the living room - Jane’s smiling away whilst talking to Julia, Elizabeth instigating a pillow fight, Dustin escalating the situation and Steve quietly reprimanding when it went too far. Meanwhile, Nancy and yourself could be found back in the kitchen getting a refill.
“She really fits in here, you know?” She was refer ring to Jane. Dustin and her had began seeing eachother, much to your and Steve’s surprise, about a month ago. Elizabeth told you how she thought they were perfect together.
Throughout your meaningless chatter, you caught Nancy’s eyes drifting from you to watch Jonathan across the room as he helped your youngest retrieve a pink pen that had rolled across the carpet.
“You don’t need him, Nance.” You approached it softly, “but you choose him every time. It’s different.”
She considered what you had said, then smiled faintly. “You always make it sound so simple.”
“Because it can be if you stop overthinking everything about it. Just let yourself be happy.”
Across the room, Charlotte and Eddie sat squished side by side on the couch with a small sketch pad. He didn’t try and constantly keep her talking like most people did, he just let her be. Existing beside her whilst she drew with her tongue hanging from the side of her mouth in concentration.
“So, what’s tonight’s masterpiece then?” he gently asked.
“Wow! Is he a friendly or terrifying dragon?”
He nodded along. “So he’s complex, I’ve got respect for that, sweetheart.”
She giggled at the pet name.
Nancy slipped out the room slowly as you felt Steve come up behind you, warm arms sliding around your waist as you observed the scene together. Julia and Jane laughing softly. Elizabeth mid ambush. Nancy relaxed and Jonathan quiet. Charlotte and Eddie safe and sound with eachother.
“Look at them,” he smiled.
As the night wound down and drew to a close, hugs and kisses were shared at the door. Dustin squeezed Julia even tighter than when he greeted her. Elizabeth wrapped herself around Jane’s legs as she patted her back carefully. Nancy pecked your cheek and promised another girly night soon. Jonathan thanked Steve for the invite sincerely.
Eddie was next, always last lingering at your home.
Charlotte held up a half coloured in glittery dragon proudly towards him. “I’ll show you next time when he’s finished.”
“It’s a date,” he beamed at her.
Steve clapped him on the back. “Thanks for coming man.” You both knew he’d be back in a few days, he never stayed away for long. Why would he when he only lived 10 minutes away and his favourite people were all here?
Eddie looked around at your warm, glowing house, the girls laughing, picture frames all over the walls - and his teasing expression softened. “Anytime.”
Later, when the house had finally stilled and gone quiet, you and Steve climbed in to bed together, both exhausted but in that satisfied, full stomached way that only came after a night like this. The sheets were cool and the room dim except for the soft glow casted across your bed from you bedside lamp.
Steve rolled onto his side and scooted towards you, sharing one pillow as you often ended up doing. He propped himself up on an elbow to look at you. “Right,” he said in a low voice as if he was going to tell you some secret information. “We need to debrief.”
You giggled quietly in disbelief. “Debrief?”
“Yes! angel, we just hosted a social gathering with some people we only see every few months. Of course there’s some developments.”
“Oh, are there?” you teased, sinking deeper into the pillow.
He rolled his eyes and nodded seriously. “Jonathan and Nancy?”
You smirked immediately, “I knew you were going to interrogate me about this.”
Your husband shuffled a little closer. “Did you see the way he was looking at her? It was like she was the only person there when they were in the room together.”
You grinned at his observation. “Well he’s always been like that, Stevie.”
“Yeah, but tonight it was so much worse. Like he was locked in. Henderson could have set something alight and he just wouldn’t have even noticed.”
You snickered under your breath. “To be fair, that’s just average Dustin behaviour, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.”
Steve ignored that. “And Nance,” he carried on, trying to keep his voice down to not wake any of your babies, “She pretends she’s all cool and casual about it, but she kept checking to see if he was laughing at her jokes.”
You rolled onto your side to face him. “You know she’s not used to things being easy. She’s waiting for it all just to blow up.”
His face softened a bit at that. “You think so?”
“I know so. She told me earlier when we were in the kitchen. She doesn’t trust how calm it is yet.”
Steve hummed thoughtfully, “and jonathan’s calm.”
There was a quiet pause as you both replayed the nights events in your heads. You brushed his cheek gently and he leaned into your palm like a puppy dog. He’s never stopped doing that.
“Well, I give it three months.” He exclaimed, a rough hand sliding lazily across your waist.
“Sorry…three weeks?” he joked.
“Shush, leave them be Steve. Don’t go meddling like I know you love to do, please. Just let them work it out themselves.”
“Okay, okay! All I’m saying is that he’s good at waiting and taking his time.”
You studied him for a moment, how the lamp light made his eyes look lighter. “You were like that.”
His expression softened. “Well yeah, I guess? But I didn’t want calm. At least not at first.”
You reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes and off of his forehead. “We just got used to it.”
“Yeah,” he whispered, “it turns out calm is pretty great huh?”
“You gonna tell Nancy that?”
“Absolutely not,” he gawked. “Publicly, I am staying out of it. But in private I am full on judging all of it. I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
“They will.” You rested your forehead against his, gently.
“And if not,” he added, “we’ll just invite them to many more dinners and do the whole forced proximity thing.”
“You do know they willing see eachother and are actively sleeping with eachother, Steven?”
“Well yeah, but a little strategic hosting won’t hurt.”
You shook your head fondly at him. “You are impossible, Mr Harrington.”
“Well.” He said softly, “you married me.”
You just smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He could still fluster you after all these years. “Best decision I ever made.”
He pulled you closer under the blankets, arms wrapping around you fully now, your gossip dissolving into a comfortable silence. The house was still, your girls asleep down the hall, but echoes of laughter lingered in your mind.
“Goodnight angel,” he murmured into your hair.
Wrapped up in warmth and shared secrets, you drifted off together knowing that the next dinner would bring you a whole new book of stories to whisper about in the darkness.
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