What Do You Know About Love? — Steve Harrington
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Female!Reader
Summary: Steve and Y/N get paired up to work on a project about ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Inspired by this song)
A/N: originally i wrote this for a friend and it involved another character from a completely different fandom because she’s obsessed with the song ‘what do you know about love?’ from the frozen broadway musical... but i loved how it turned out so i decided to change a few things up and make it a stevexreader fanfic! enjoy (: feedback is greatly appreciated
Y/N had to fight the urge to not groan when she was paired up with Steve Harrington for a literature project, contenting herself with only a roll of eyes. She couldn’t be sure if the world was somehow out to get her or if her teacher only wanted to be a dick and ruin her perfect track record in that class by pairing her up with the boy who clearly didn’t give a fuck about his grades or getting any work done.
And even if, by a miracle, Steve had read ‘Romeo and Juliet’, she doubted he’d want to discuss love at that moment. Everyone in school knew about the painful breakup he had gone through with Nancy Wheeler just a couple of months ago and, even if she didn’t know the details, she could only guess it stung to see her walking hand in hand with Jonathan Byers. Anyway, ever since that had happened, Steve Harrington didn’t seem quite much like the person he used to be, looking sadder and more reserved. Y/N would normally feel bad for him, but not at a moment where his moping self could potentially jeopardize her grades.
“Have a discussion about ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Steve Harrington? Yeah, like that’s going to happen.” she muttered angrily under her breath while she stabbed a random page of her notebook with her pencil.
Y/N was rebelling the only way she knew how — by acting completely clueless and ignoring the task at hand. If Steve really wanted to get anything done, than he would have to be the one to come to her, not the other way around.
Y/N glanced at her wrist watch and saw that she still had 40 minutes until the bell rang, then she settled comfortably in her chair and laid her head over her hands on the table, deciding she might as well catch up on sleep while she waited to go home.
Not 15 seconds later, Y/N heard someone cough right above her. She, already preparing her speech to the teacher about how the students should be able to choose if they wanted to do a project alone or not, raised her head and came face to face with Steve Harrington staring down at her.
“We’re supposed to do this together, right?” He asked in a cool voice, and Y/N couldn’t help but feel impressed at his ability to genuinely seem like he did not care about anything. Trying to appear as nonchalant as he seemed to be, she just nodded and moved her stuff out of the way so he could sit.
He settled down next to her and they sat quiet in a somewhat awkward silence. Y/N cleared her throat. “Have you read it?”
“I know the story.” Steve answered simply, shrugging and tapping his fingers on the table. That was the only indicator that Steve felt even the slightest bit uncomfortable or nervous with the situation they were in.
“That’s kind of cryptic.” Y/N attempted to joke, chuckling and glancing at him.
“Is it?” He questioned with a stoic expression. “It doesn’t matter if I read it or not, I know the story and it’s ridiculous.”
“How come?” Y/N urged on, happy she managed to get out some sort of opinion out of him.
“Romeo and Juliet died because of a stranger they just met.” Steve snickered. “It’s probably the most stupid way to die ever.”
“I think it’s way deeper than that.” Y/N reasoned with him. “Besides, they weren’t strangers.”
“I bet Juliet didn’t even know Romeo’s foot size.” Steve said, the tiniest bit of sarcasm showing on his voice.
“Foot size doesn’t matter!” Y/N cried out, turning her body fully towards him.
“But knowing a man before you die for him? Kinda does.” He said challengingly, copying her position. Y/N felt proud of herself seeing him get worked about their discussion. Even if she wasn’t anyway close to him, it felt good to see him get back some of that old ‘King Steve’ fire on his eyes.
“I think you can trust your gut when it comes to love, it’s the only thing that has no complications in life.” Y/N told him matter-of-factly.
“You scare me.” Steve interjected and Y/N rolled her eyes again. “And you’re also completely wrong, trust me, I’d know.”
“I’m not! Some people can tell when true love starts.” Y/N continued on.
“Some people read way too many romance novels.” He teased and narrowed his eyes at her.
“Hey, I like those.” She said, taking a leap and nudging his shoulders with hers. “Some people simply know, Steve. Stop being such a skeptic.”
“And some people are taken in by curly locks and princely looks.” Steve chastised jokingly.
“You say that as if you don’t spend at least 20 minutes everyday on that hair of yours.” Y/N answered, bringing her hand up to poke at his hair. “Why is it so stiff?”
“Don’t touch it.” Steve then leaned away from her touch, a somewhat playful pout on his lips. Neither of them mentioned the the spark they felt when Y/N accidentally moved her finger through Steve’s face, but, if his blushing cheeks were any sort of indication, Y/N knew he had felt it too.
They both stayed silent for a few seconds, both confused as to what had happened. Steve then cleared his throat and turned once again to her. “All I’m saying is when you go to climb a mountain, you don’t just jump to the top.”
“You can’t compare mountains to love, Harrington.” Y/N retorted, still feeling the tiniest bit numb for some reason, which annoyed her endlessly. Sure, she found Steve attractive. Every person in their right mind would find Steve attractive, but that didn’t mean she should be feeling that way just because she brushed the tip of her finger through his face. Especially when there was just no way for them to ever get involved romantically, not when their lives were the complete opposite of each other.
Steve might not be on the top of the school social hierarchy anymore, but he was still known by everyone. Y/N had always been more quiet, keeping a close and loyal group of friends, and focusing on her grades. The odds of them seeing each other as any more than a person they went to school with were slim to none.
“Love's not an easy climb, you have to take your time.” Steve explained his theory, narrowing his eyes at Y/N but still visibly unaware of how flushed she was feeling at that moment.
“They’d get love their whole life, that was their plan.” Y/N answered him, not even sure if she was making sense anymore. She was now just trying to get her mind to focus more on Romeo and Juliet, and less how smooth Steve’s skin felt.
“That’s not a plan.” Steve chuckled out. “Love is not a thing you simply get. It takes work, and tears, and all sorts of other painful things. Honestly, Y/N, use your brain a little.”
That made Y/N’s mind come to a complete halt. She didn’t like how Steve was talking to her as if she were clueless. Besides, what could he possibly know about anything he was talking about? The only time she had ever seen him show love for someone was for Nancy, and look how that had turned out. Y/N might not have as much experience as him, but she still had had her fair share of silly high school boyfriends. Besides, the number of dates you went to or people you hooked up with didn’t measure your knowledge. How could Steve Harrington possibly know anything about true love?
“What do you know about love?” She spat out angrily before she could stop herself.
“I could ask you the same thing.” He said in response, blinking at her calmly. “It seems like you only know the stuff they put in cheesy romantic books.”
Y/N downright gasped at that point as if Steve had just insulted her family heritage. “You’re a fucking asshole, Steve Harrington.”
“I’ve been told worse, Y/L/N.” Steve chuckled at her. “Are you seriously this hurt about what I’ve said?”
“You’re a piece of shit.” She tried again, and maybe this time she said it a little too loud. All of a sudden, the whole class was looking at them. Y/N was mortified, while Steve, in true Steve Harrington fashion, sported a shit eating grin.
“Ms. Y/L/N, did I hear you correctly?” The teacher said from his table, looking sternly at her through his reading glasses. “Because if you are really insulting Mr. Harrington, I’m gonna have to send you to the principal’s office.”
Y/N snapped her head to the teacher, and started opening and closing her mouth like a fish gasping for air, not a sound coming out of it. Throughout all her years in school she had been very careful not to get in trouble and, of course, Steve had to ruin it all.
“She was talking about the character Tybalt, not about me.” Y/N suddenly heard from beside her. She turned her head to Steve again, amazement suddenly feeling up her chest. She did not like one bit how Steve could make her go from flushed to angry to amazed in only a matter of seconds.
“Ok, then. But next time around, Ms. Y/L/N, choose your words carefully, please.” The teacher said and went back to grading papers.
Y/N didn’t even hear him, too busy staring shamelessly at Steve. When the boy in question turned to face her again, she found herself starting to giggle at the absurdity of the situation where Steve Harrington saved her ass from getting in trouble.
Steve stared back for a few seconds before cracking a tiny smile and shushing her. “You’re gonna get us in trouble again, Y/N.”
Y/N then managed to quiet down her giggles, but the grin in her face didn’t fade as she looked at the corners of Steve’s mouth turned upwards. She had never seen him smile like that and she didn’t know what it meant. What she did know was that she wanted to see it more often.
“Thank you.” Y/N told him softly, but genuinely. She hoped that would make Steve not let that smile go.
“I guess my first impression about you might be wrong.” Steve responded, confusing Y/N all over again.
“And I guess you’re nice?” She said, though it sounded more like a question. “It’s good to know I can trust you.”
“The question still remains, though.” Y/N continued after a few seconds of comfortable silence between them. “What do you know about love?”
“I think you might have to find that out.” Steve said, his stoic expression suddenly coming back.
He turned to face his notebook, but Y/N wouldn’t let herself be fazed by the invisible wall that he put up anymore. That smile had to have meant something.
“Well, that should be interesting.” She said confidently, focusing on stabbing a page with her pencil once again. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get anything more out of him just yet, but she’d for sure try again. What she didn’t see was how Steve’s eyes lighted up the tiniest bit at her words, hope filling his chest for the first time in a long time.