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stranger things ● forever pt 7 ● s. harrington

warning

{ multi chapter } single mom / canon related female reader with 3 year old daughter, some baby talk but hopefully not overbearing, petnames and nicknames (princess, etc), robin / barb pairing + all the things surrounding that -because the 80's were hard for lgbqt-, steve's parents are the actual worst, esp his father, fluff, time jumps vary with each chapter, female reader related to a canon character ( Robin Buckley's cousin) in use / heavily characterized female reader

word count + prev.part

pt 6 is << here >> if you need to catch up

5756 words

summary

“If we’re gonna live with Steve..” she goes quiet. Thinking carefully over the words she needs to use to ask her question because you and Steve have been working with her on speaking and words lately and she’s a very smart little girl. She smiles to herself and speaks up, “Does this mean he really is my daddy now? Do you love ‘im?”

“Yes, I love him. But sweetie, this is a little more complicated than you think, okay?” you answer, words dying out.

taglist + shoutouts

<< taglist >> if you're here for eddie,gareth -or other characters, please let me know and I'll not tag you in Steve.

@allelitesmut @caravelofthesun @chaoticcancer @dylanwritesgood @eddiemuns0nl0ver @eddiemunsonspantschain - it finally let me tag you again bb! feel free to ignore! @just-a-blue-nerd @mysticalavenuecheesecake @slyisbehindyou @spaceconveyor and @tbmunson -bestie, bae, babeeee.. this story would not have ever seen the light of day without you, ilysm and you mean the world to me, thank you so much for letting me whine/vent/tear my hair out over this -and all the things!!

special tag to @emilyhampton1 because your ask made my life and I thought I'd tag you.

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

“It’ll just take a few minutes.” Steve tells you as he gets out of the drive seat of your car and jogs up the walkway, disappearing into his parents house to grab the documents he needs to finish signing the paperwork on the apartment. You watch as the door closes behind him and Stevie speaks up quietly. “Mama?”

“Yeah, cupcake?”

“If we’re gonna live with Steve..” she goes quiet. Thinking carefully over the words she needs to use to ask her question because you and Steve have been working with her on speaking and words lately and she’s a very smart little girl. She smiles to herself and speaks up, “Does this mean he really is my daddy now? Do you love ‘im?”

You rub the bridge of your nose and sit there for a minute or two thinking about the best way to explain your living situation to your daughter. Because she’s a damn smart kid but she’s just a kid. You want to explain it in a way she can grasp. Without misleading her or lying to her or getting her hopes up.

“Sweetie..” you start, falling silent again for a pause to think about phrasing very carefully because this is a delicate situation. And she’s already so attached to Steve. She’s not the only one but you’re trying to push down your own attachment because that’s not the important thing. Stevie is what’s most important.

“Mama.” Stevie’s waiting, leaning around the back of your seat to try and look at you.

“Yes, I love him. But sweetie, this is a little more complicated than you think, okay?” you answer, words dying out. Stevie nods. “C-o-m-p-l-i-c-a-t-e-d.” she sounds out the word, struggling just a bit. “What’s that mean?”

“It means it’s not easy.” you answer, turning a little in the passenger seat to look at your little girl. “When you’re an adult, sweetie.. You’ll understand more, okay?” you promise, smiling at her. “For now, this is what I can tell you.. I do love Steve. And if you want to think he’s your daddy, you can, baby. As long as he’s okay with it. If it bothers him, you have to stop.”

“Pwomise.” Stevie smiles a little. “He said it won’t ever bother ‘im.”

“Sweetie, that doesn’t mean it won’t one day.” you rub the bridge of your nose and take a deep breath or two, glancing at the fancy stained glass panes at either side of the front door of his parents house.

The house was nice. Big windows in the front and a sloping drive. Expertly manicured lawns. It was the kind of house you’d have killed to grow up in when you were a kid, bouncing from shitty apartment, to strange uncle’s houses, to rundown trailers all over the place because Jenna didn’t like staying in one place too long for most of your childhood.

“Where is my real one?” Stevie asks quietly and you fill with dread. Take a few shaky breaths and for a long pause this time, you’re quiet. Trying to parse out what she’s old enough to know and what can wait until she’s later. This is the question you’ve been preparing for since the day you left the hospital with her and you’ve been dreading it in equal measure.

“His name is Nick, cupcake. But he wasn’t a good person and he didn’t love us. I didn’t love him, either.” you admit quietly. Stevie’s sitting back in her car seat now, staring out the window at Steve’s house. After a few seconds, she speaks up. “I don’ wanna know him.”

You take a deep breath and nod, smiling at her. “And you don’t have to, sweetie. I promise.”

“Fank you.” Stevie smiles at you and you laugh softly. Glancing back at the door to Steve’s house because it’s been a while and he’s not coming out yet.

CONTINUED

“Son, we need to have a talk. Right now.” his father’s stern voice shatters his one-tracked train of thought and Steve looks up from digging through the file cabinet to find everything he might need and setting it to the side in a pile.

“If this is about packing, hire someone.” Steve answers calmly. His father grumbles under his breath, annoyed. Steve can’t find his medical folder and given what he wants eventually, it’s kind of necessary to have, so he pushes past his father, going to search for his mom instead.

Not that she’d be any more likely to know where his medical information was at, but on the off chance she might… Steve wanders into his parents bedroom to find his mother sitting quietly, staring at a baby photo of him that sat on her vanity gathering dust for years.

“I can’t believe you’d hide a grandchild from me. From us. We’re your parents, Steve.”

Steve’s brow raises and he rolls his eyes because he almost knows exactly where this is heading. And given the time crunch he’s under, it’s the last thing he wants to deal with because if either of them pushes just a little too hard today, he’s going to explode.

“And you let that poor girl.. The mother of your child, Steve. You let her fend for herself while you’re all over town with that girl Nancy?” his mother shakes her head in disappointment. “After all the times you’ve heard your father and I fight about him.. The affairs..” she goes quiet, wincing a little as if she’s pained by what she thinks and this is just enough to push Steve a little closer to that anger that’s been stewing inside and building for most of his life by now.

His father’s leaned in the doorway when he turns to walk out.

“We need to have a talk. Sit.” James nods to the seat at his mother’s vanity table. Steve’s jaw clenches and he goes to step around his father instead of sitting as he’s been told. James towers over his son and commands quietly, “Sit down. You’re not leaving until we’ve talked.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about.” Steve answers, his own firm voice that of course, his father does not like hearing. It’s backtalk to the man. It’s disrespectful and most of the time, it’s the fastest way to push James Harrington right over the edge to anger. But Steve doesn’t care now. He hasn’t cared in a while.

“Oh, but we do.. Whats this I’m hearing about you fathering a child? And then you keep it hidden from us? Probably because you know we’d disapprove of the young woman.” and the clench of his father’s jaw tells Steve that young woman is anything but what he wanted to say and Steve’s fists clench. He chuckles and it’s a dark and bitter sound. “Debra, I’m guessing.”

“It doesn’t matter who told us, Steve. Answer my question. Is it true?”

Steve laughs and rubs his chin thoughtfully. Every part of him wants to tell them it is, because it’s kind of obvious they’ve already decided on their own and nothing he says beyond this point will matter. Every part of him wants to tell them that he doesn’t care if they approve of you or not, you’re the girl that somehow, sooner or later, he’ll be starting a life with. Forever.

Before he starts to answer, his father goes that final step in pushing Steve straight over the edge with his anger. James Harrington chuckles and shakes his head. “I’m going to take your silence to mean the answer is obviously yes.” he looks at Penelope, watches her face go from anger to hurt and then disappointment. “How could you, Steve? You see how your father is…” and Steve shakes his head, "I didn't. Stevie isn’t mine.. but if she was..if I had, I'd have been a better father than him." Steve is furious, he's done mincing words.

James gives his wife an annoyed look. “It’s because we coddled him, Penelope, don’t you get it? Giving him everything a kid could ever want. He’s never had t’ do without a day in his life. He’s never had to struggle and now he’s spoiled. Lazy with a mediocre and worthless job. And he doesn’t want to do better.”

“Right.. Coddling means abandonment now, I guess?” Steve blurts it out before he can stop himself and he steps up into his father, making himself taller. “Since I’m such a failure and a disappointment.. How about I make things easier on both of you.. I’m moving out.” he smirks as he says it, watching his mom gape and immediately speak up, - “ You’re not mature enough to have a family. You’re not mature enough..” she trails off and Steve continues, “You can have your stupid cards and the fucking BMW is parked at the video store. I’ll drive it over later. Neither of you even have to think about me anymore.” as he throws the keys at his father’s feet and takes out his wallet, throwing the credit cards down onto the floor too.

“Son..” Penelope’s trying to speak up, she’s trying to get father and son calm again so they can all talk rationally but then she sees the pain and anger in her son’s eyes. And the coldness in his father’s eyes. And she thinks about how lately, all she can do is replay all the things she wishes she’d done as a mother. How hurt she was to find out her son didn’t trust her enough or care enough to come to her when he landed himself in the situation her friend Debra seems to think he’s in.

How she wants to fix everything. Be a mother to her son and a grandmother to this grandchild that’s been kept from her. She wants to make things right.

,, Maybe it’s too late.” the thought comes and she flinches, not just because Steve and his father are shouting, shoving each other back and forth in anger, prompting her to step between the two just so they stop before it goes too far.

But it goes too far because it was always going to. Steve’s been left alone, made to feel like he’s not good enough, made to feel unworthy of love in any capacity for so long that he’s just fucking done. When his father shoves him, his anger gets the best of him and he takes a swing at the old man.

James stands there gaping, holding his jaw as he shakes in the anger he’s seething in. Then he smirks. “Get out.”

“My pleasure, asshole.” Steve’s jaw flutters as he says it. Penelope speaks up. “Not yet.”

Steve’s gaze settles on his mother and he tugs at his hair, taking a shaky breath or two to calm himself. “Why not? You both know everything.”

“Son..” Penelope swallows hard. “I wish you’d just listen to reason. You’re not mature enough to–” she’s trying to be as delicate with the words as she can but she’s worried. Scared for her little boy and she just wants to better understand everything.

“Stevie isn’t mine.. Yet.” Steve mumbles. “When I have a family, don’t worry. I won’t bother letting either of you know.” and he takes a long and deep breath, pausing to mull over what else he wants to get out of his system. “I was mature enough to leave alone all the time. I was mature enough to cook my own meals. Do whatever bullshit errands that lazy asshole wanted before you two came back for a day or two between trips.” Steve glares at his father and then sighs, shaking his head, “I was mature enough to have exactly two weeks to recover from nearly dying.. And not just once, Mom.. Twice..” he reminds her, “One of those times you couldn’t even be bothered to answer the call when I got Dustin’s mom to call you. I didn’t even call the last time because I knew neither of you would give a damn..” he rubs the bridge of his nose, “I’m mature enough to be given a deadline to move out. I think I’m mature enough to have a kid.. Or anything else I want.” he chuckles bitterly, “But thanks for your motherly concern, Penelope.”

James steps up to his son, glaring. “Apologize to your mother right this instant.”

“Or what? You’re getting your shitty car back, James. And I gave you all the cards back. I don’t need ‘em. Don’t need either of you either. I’m fine.” Steve steps up to his father, fist clenched at his side. “Mail me my medical records.. Or don’t, I’ll call somebody and get the name of my doctors and shit when I need ‘em. I got everything I needed to finish signing paperwork for my apartment.” he smirks at his father, angry and defiant and done giving a shit about stepping on the toes or tiptoeing around with his parents. “Anything else to say, James? Wanna try to hit me again? Tell me I’m a disappointment?”

His father steps back a little and Steve rolls his shoulders and laughs. “I won’t bother either of you again. I’m not steppin foot back in this house after I drop your stupid fucking car off later this afternoon. I’ll figure out how to get around.”

And Steve shoves right past his parents, letting the front door to the house slam shut and rattle as it does. Penelope breaks down, sobbing so hard she’s shaking as it hits her just how badly everything has just gone.

She realizes just how much of a mistake she’s made in life when she looks over at her husband and she doesn’t even see a hint of remorse for anything. Not even a shred of regret for the way they chose to parent their only child.

“I’m leaving you, James. I.. I can’t pretend anymore. I finally realize I married a cold-hearted jackass. Have fun being free. I’ll call a cab when I’m packed.”

“Penelo-” James starts to call out to her as she goes upstairs and slams the door to their bedroom but her name dies on his lips because honestly, he’d be a lot farther in life by now if he hadn’t knocked up his summer fling and been forced by his own parents to do the right thing and marry her. He hasn’t loved her in years and now that she’s leaving, it feels like a weight’s been lifted. Now that he doesn’t have to deal with his useless son, he feels free.

And it feels so good.

CONTINUED

You can tell something is wrong with Steve by the way he rushes out of the house and down to your car, getting into the drivers seat wordlessly. Even Stevie picks up on it.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, scout?”

“You otay?”

Steve takes a deep breath. He can break down later on. When he’s got a few minutes to himself away from you or Robin or Dustin or Stevie. Then he can deal with what he’s just done and how he feels about it.

Or this is what he tells himself. Until he locks eyes with you as he pulls away from the curb of his parents old house and starts to drive away. “Steve, what’s wrong?” - and maybe it’s the softness in your gaze, maybe it’s that sweet and quiet little drawl that sounds so concerned.. Worried about him.

Whatever it is, Steve just kind of takes a few wavering breaths and plasters on a weak smile. “Tell you later.” he mumbles so that you can hear him. Stevie repeats her question because he didn’t answer it and she’s worried too. He plasters on a slightly better weak smile to look back at her when he pulls to a stop at the sign on the end of his block. “Yeah. I’m okay. Everything is okay.”

Stevie nods. “We go home now?”

Steve chuckles. “Not for a while yet, scout..” and you smile, stealing a look at him, answering Stevie with a soft laugh. “We don’t get to move in until the 3rd of July.. Remember when I told you that was, cupcake?” you ask and Stevie giggles. “Next week?” she asks.

“Yeah! Good girl, you’re so smart!” you smile even brighter.

The apartment complex comes into view and you share a look with Steve. As your car pulls to a stop in front of the office, you take a deep breath. Looking over at him again. “You’re absolutely sure you wanna do this..”

“I want to do this.” Steve repeats. “What about you?”

You nod, a smile too big when you answer. “I want to do this too. And we already know each other, we’re friends. It’s going to be fine, Steve.”

Steve almost leans into you just a little too close. He almost just goes for it and kisses you but he reminds himself that he’s trying to take things at least a little slow. Let you realize that you can trust him and he’s not going anywhere. That he wants to be with you and he loves you both more than he can put to words already.

Instead of kissing you like he’s tempted to, he raises a hand, brushes some hair away from your forehead. Then he smiles at you. “So we’re doing this.”

“We’re doing this.” you take a deep breath and smile back.

CONTINUED

You’re more than a little angry at Steve’s parents because their heads are apparently so far up their own asses that they can’t see what an amazing guy he really is. And he’s your best friend, -also the man you’re in love with, and when he starts to tell you and Robin everything that happened when you had to stop by his parents house earlier that afternoon, you and Robin share a look.

“Steve.. Are you sure you’re okay?” Robin asks, leaning against her best friend’s side. “I mean, are you absolutely sure you’re fine? Because that was.. A lot.”

You move to sit closer, leaning against his other side. “It was.” you mumble, resting your head against his shoulder as he shrugs and laughs it off as if it’s nothing. You look up at him in concern. “It’s okay if you’re not okay, Steve.” you and Robin both say it at the same time.

Stevie wanders in from her nap, rubbing her eyes. You hold out your arms to her and she comes over, settling into both your lap and Steve’s until she’s fully awake.

“I feel really good, actually. Like.. If I’d known I’d feel this good after saying all that earlier, I’d have said it the first time they didn’t care enough to show up at the hospital.”

Your brow raises. “They left you.. Sitting in a hospital? What the hell?” and Robin smiles to herself as soon as she looks at you and sees just how angry you are after hearing what Steve’s just said. “It was after the Starcourt thing.. Right? Because you tried to call from the payphone. And you told me they were probably just sleeping. I remember.”

“Yeah.” Steve answers, resting his chin against the top of Stevie’s head. Smiling just a little more because having you and Robin with him right now feels a lot better. Stevie leans up against him and yawns. “We go play?” she asks, looking from you to Steve and then over at Robin with big begging eyes.

You nod. “Course, cupcake. Hey.. we can go to the splash pads they opened at the park.”

Steve nods. “Yeah, that’s on the way back from James and Penelope’s house anyway. I told him I’d bring him his shitty car back.”

“Good idea.” you mutter, holding his gaze. “We’ll figure something out.” and you don’t realize just how much what you’ve just said means to him. There was no hesitation, there was no second to think. There wasn’t any of that.

Robin laughs softly to herself. And when Steve gets up to go grab himself a soda from the drink machine in the break room, she looks at you. Starts to hum the wedding march all over again with a smirk. You stick out your tongue and flip her off before a dreamy sigh leaves your mouth. “In a heartbeat. If he asked.. Since you’re going to give me shit either way we go.” you feel lighter. Confessing the way you feel to Robin and your daughter is.. It takes away the constant urge you have to just blurt it all out to him and risk blowing everything up completely.

Robin gapes for a second and then she’s smirking and oh so smug. “I knew it!”

“The thing is, Robin.. We both know it’s not going to happen. If all I get is the chance to be his friend, I’ll live with that.” you lean your head back against the wall and laugh at yourself, shaking your head as you watch your daughter color in her Strawberry Shortcake coloring book. “I’m down bad, okay? And like.. It’s not just.. It’s everything?”

“Awww.. it’s so sweet.” Robin teases. Eyes glued to Barb when the bell over the door jingles and Barb steps through it, shaking off the raindrops in her hair and on her maroon raincoat. “Hey! How’d it go?”

“We move in next week. On the 3rd.” you smile. And you nudge Robin. “Stop staring and do something already, oh my god.” as you pull yourself up off the floor where you’d been sitting. “I’m gonna go get a drink too.”

You make your way into the back room and spot Steve lightly punching the drink machine. And even though you know it’s probably not a good idea -especially not for you, not with the way you feel about him and how touching him will be torture for you later when you’re alone and you can’t stop thinking about how his body feels against yours or under your hands- you slip your arms around him and hug against his back. “Steve, it’s okay. It’s gonna be fine. They needed to hear it.”

Steve’s breath hangs in his throat because you’re melted against him and it feels so good. Too good. He turns to face you and this means you’re now hugging against him chest to chest. He slips his arms back around you and leans into you heavily. “It just pisses me off.”

“I know.” you mumble, soft and sweet as you finally pull yourself together enough to look into his eyes. “I know, Steve. But they did deserve it. They’re the ones who abandoned you over and over.”

He nods. “Yeah. They definitely did that.”

“We’ll take your car back on the way to the park later.”

“Shit.” Steve palms his face. “I threw the keys at him earlier. And I don’t know where the hell the spare key is anymore, I think it’s up in my room.”

“Okay, so you can call from here and tell him where it is. Tell him if he wants it, get it himself.”

Steve takes a deep breath. Smirks just a little. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Steve goes off to find a phone to call his father and tell him to pick up the car for himself if he wants it and you lean heavy against the soda machine, pulling yourself together. Robin wanders in and leans next to you, taking some deep breaths of her own and you look at her, concern in your eyes. “What’s up?”

“I uh.. I almost kissed her. I was this close but then Mrs. Fletcher came in just as I was leaning in. Fuck!” Robin takes a swing at the machine and you laugh softly. “Screw what anyone else thinks. And Mrs. Fletcher’s half blind anyway, I doubt she saw anything.”

“But if she did..”

“Robin, stop trying to panic. Everything will be fine.”

“Not if she’s not.. You know.. Like me?” Robin throws up her hands and you grip her upper arms gently. “Calm down, woman. Take a few deep breaths. Look at me, okay?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the way you feel. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Yeah, well.. Tell that to those kids over in the next town that got jumped outside the bowling alley there. Tell that to every church billboard sign outside.”

You shake your head. “Oh my god, stop having a meltdown. Just.. Relax. Breathe. I’m telling you, Robin.. All that matters is you and her. Okay? Okay.” you laugh softly as she nods and takes several shaky breaths. “She was just.. She’s so good with Stevie it does things to me when I watch them coloring or playing, aghhh.. Fuck. I’m in love with her and it’s driving me crazy.”

Barb is frozen in the doorway, staring at Robin.

“Oh no.” you mumble quietly, looking from where Barb stands to your cousin. “Robbie?”

“She just heard me.” Robin mumbles and her stomach twists in knots.

“Mhm. You two need to talk, okay? I’m going out front with Stevie. Talk to her, holy shit.” you disappear out the door, leaving the two of them to stand quietly.

But the silence doesn’t last long at all. Barb steps into the breakroom and lets the door bang shut softly behind her. “Finally.”

Robin’s brow raises as Barb makes her way over, stepping up into her. Robin’s back connects with the soda machine in a soft smack as Barb places a hand on her hip and the column of her neck and rests her forehead right against Robin’s. Laughing softly. “I’ve been wanting to say the same thing..” she pauses, swallowing down a lump in her throat and fighting off a swarm of butterflies that suddenly fill her stomach, “And I’ve been wanting to kiss you since the day Nancy introduced us I was just.. Y ou know how hard it is, right? To be like this?”

Robin nods. Melting herself into Barb as her hand raises, carding fingers over Barb’s scalp. “I love you, B. And I don’t care who says it’s wrong or we’re wrong and I can’t like.. I can’t fight it anymore.”

“I love you too, Robbie.” Barb responds, their mouths crashing against each other, the tips of their noses banging against each other’s nose as Barb’s hand clutches the front of Robin’s favorite black shirt and she uses her grip to pull Robin into her completely. The kiss deepens, both girls seeing stars as it comes to a gentle end and they’re left to stare at each other and take it all in.

“Do you want to go to the drive in with me later? And not just as friends.. I want to hold your hand and I wanna feel your head on my shoulder. I wanna lay my head in your lap and stargaze after.” Barb mumbles softly, Robin giggling and turning red in the face as she’s so flustered for once that words completely fail her. “I can’t believe this is really happening, I.. I tried to plan so many times in my head how I’d tell you.”

“You can make it up to me.” Barb teases gently, a hand raised to caress Robin’s face.

“I will. I promise. As much as you want, as long as it takes.”

CONTINUED

“If you want the car, it's parked outside Family Video.”

“You’ll bring it to me, Steve.”

“If you want the car, James, you’ll come get it.” Steve flips off the phone and slams it back down on the cradle and you look at him in concern. Stevie’s coloring at the desk nearby and Steve steps up into you, squeezing your hips in his hands. Because you make him calmer. You make him feel better.

And right now, that’s what he needs.

Stevie slips out of the chair and wanders over, holding up the coloring sheet she’s just finished to him. “I make you picture.”

He smiles. Takes a few deep breaths and scoops her up so that she can show him the picture.

The cab pulls to a stop outside the video store and Steve tenses up all over. You're staring up at him in concern. "Everything okay, Steve?" you question.

"That's my mom. And I didn't think either of 'em would show up this quick." he laughs and the sound is bitter. "It's the car, they're getting something, of course they're gonna show up this time." the hurt and sarcasm in his voice is enough to make you completely forget your normal reservation and reach down, letting your fingers mesh with his as he takes a few deep breaths.

Robin and Barb wander out trying to straighten themselves up and when Robin recognizes Steve's mom, she gives him a concerned look. "Steve?"

"It's okay, Robbie." Steve is shrugging as if it's nothing but he's watching his mom try keys and stop as if she's holding back tears. He feels like shit but everything he said needed to come out because everything he said is the biggest reason he's struggled so long. Its the reason he had such a hard time letting go when he shouldn't have.

Then his mom looks up and right at him. Lingering in front of the store like she wants to come in but she doesn't dare. She manages a weak smile when she sees him with your daughter in his arms and the way you've stepped as close as you can to her son…like you want to protect him and you love him. Her mind is eased and maybe she stands there long enough to realize that somehow, entirely on his own, her son grew up. Became so much more mature than she could have ever hoped.

And she longs to go inside, to say something before she leaves town on her own for a while, but she wants to give him time before she reaches out. She needs to work through everything for herself too. And it's selfish but she wants to give her son time to cool down. Because he was honest but the harsh words stung just a little too much and right now, she can't handle it.

Steve doesn't see her watching but you do. And it only makes you step a little closer. Squeezing the hand beneath yours. "Hey..it'll be fine. Screw them."

And it's easy for you to say. So easy. Too easy. But you know it kills him. He's sweeter. So much sweeter. More sensitive. It's the whole reason you love him.

Watching him deal with this kills you. And there's only so much you can do. ,,but I can do something." the thought comes.

"Steve.. it'll be okay. It's okay not to be okay." you mumble quietly. He shrugs. "I'm fine. I said what I needed to."

Stevie puts her arms around his neck to hug him and he lets her, laughing quietly. Robin looks from Steve and the way he's standing so close right now, to you as she mouths, "Your turn."

And she's not wrong. You love him. The one thing that stops you is knowing he deserves better.

CONTINUED

" There's been a small change of plans, I am terribly sorry to do this on short notice, but we'd like the things on this list kept separate from the other things in the house. They need to be taken to this address." Penelope Harrington is calm and smiling as she charms the moving company in the same way she charmed the owner of the apartment complex her son will be moving into soon.

It's not nearly enough but she hopes it's something to help the two of you start out. She slips out the letter she's spent all afternoon writing and pushes it towards the clerk. "I'd like this to be put in one of the boxes too."

"Yeah, alright. All this is gonna cost ya eighty extra." the young clerk tells her and she slides some money across to him. "Thank you for doing this."

CONTINUED

"Okay, where the hell are we going?" Steve's laughing as you lead him down to the duck pond at the park. "Steve, it's called a surprise." you answer, leading him by the hand.

Nancy leans against the trunk of a tree behind the two of you and she's laughing to herself. She'd come to say goodbye but watching you with him feels like she's intruding on an intimate moment so she turns and walks away.

You gently push him down to a sitting position on the old comforter. Then you lean into him and raise the scarf you had tied over his eyes and when he sees the Enzos takeout container, he doesn't know what to say. Or do, this is a first for him. Normally, this is what he'd do.

As you're raising the scarf up, you can't resist the urge to gingerly just barely caress his cheek. His breath hangs and he has to fight to keep himself in control of his emotions.

"I, uh.. you had a bad day. I-i.. I wanted to do something." you explain, wishing that you could just do it already, say and do what you want to so badly.

Steve bites his lip as he gets lost in your eyes, going quiet. You're staring right back. "Hope your hungry because I smelled their pasta and I may have went crazy." -it's an attempt to make conversation without it being awkward.

"You didn't have to do this.."

"I know." you shrug, "Wanted to." you laugh softly as you look over at him. "Are you really okay, Steve?" you question, gazing at him in concern.

He shrugs. "Kind of. I've had a long time to get used to it."

"To what?"

"Being alone." he shrugs. You reach out, gently gripping his jaw. "You're not, y'know. You have Robin.. those kids, they adore you.." you go quiet. "Stevie loves you. And you're my friend too, Steve."

You wish you could just get the nerve to say what you really mean. Both of you sit there quietly. You shift to lean against him and speak up quietly. " Least we won't turn into our parents."

Steve nods in agreement and chuckles quietly. "That's true."

He slips an arm around you and it pulls you into his side a little better. "Thank you..for this."

"I couldn't just do nothing. I could tell it was bothering you." you admit, going quiet.

And if he thought he was falling head over feet before, he was wrong. He's falling even more in love now, blown away by you.

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