summary: you and steve are headed to graduation. heās feeling emotional and sappy, and more than ready to share the secret you've been harboring with your kids
wc: 1.1 k
warnings: discussions of marriage, steve being a sap, the kids bullying steve as always
a/n:
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āBaby, you look fine, I promise.ā Steve groaned, continuing to tug at his tie. You stepped in front of him, gently moving his hands away. āI need you to take a deep breath with me, please.āĀ
Steve leaned his head back, gaze settling on the ceiling. His chest began to rise and fall steadily underneath your arms. You adjusted his tie, smoothing it down to lay flat against his shirt. āItās a big day,ā and despite his huffing and puffing, his voice was soft.Ā
āThe biggest.ā you nodded, smiling up at him. Your kids were graduating today. You wound your arms around Steveās middle, resting your head against Steveās chest. His heart sounded faster than usual, and you squeezed him tighter. āThey already did the hard work, Stevie. Todayās the victory lap, right?āĀ
Steveās arms wrapped around you, his cheek resting on the top of your head. āYeah, honey,ā his voice was soft and gentle, and slightly more sure than it had been earlier.Ā āWe worked hard for this.āĀ
You laughed, but he wasnāt wrong. You had spent a lot of time helping Max catch up on things, attending meetings with the school when her mom wasnāt able to make it and pleading her case for graduation. She was so bright, and motivated to catch up, it seemed hateful to hold her back. Ms. Kelly had agreed, citing that keeping her in a place that held so much trauma was not in her best interest. It took what felt like forever, but she was walking across the stage today and you couldnāt be prouder.Ā
Steve had shepherded the kids to school faithfully, making sure to leave early so he would have time to set up his classroom for the day before the first bell. Your kids werenāt the only ones who found a safe haven in his classroom, but you were biased in your opinion that they were the best of the best.Ā
āWe half raised a valedictorian, baby.ā Steve sighed into your hair.Ā
All you could do was grin. He was so proud of his kids. Not exactly because you saved the world together, though that was a plus. He was just proud that they loved each other, that they made it this far, and that they still had a long way to go. It wasnāt something either of you took for granted.Ā
āGood practice, right, Stevie?āĀ
Steveās arms tightened around you, pulling you closer. āPerfect practice, honey.āĀ
āDid you get the bouquets?ā your voice was mumbled from being squished so close.Ā
āYeah, angel. But you know theyāre all gonna whine about it.ā Steve was under the impression that they either wouldnāt want the attention or wouldnāt want to be seen with a big bundle of flowers.Ā
āThey always make fun of your flowers, angel. You sure they would want their own?ā
āI think theyāre making fun of you, my love. Not so much the flowers.āĀ
āWhy would they be making fun of me?ā Heād asked incredulously, his face cartoonishly shocked.Ā
āThey always make fun of you.ā Youād respond, fond despite your words. Heād wanted to fight with you over it, but you were placing small kisses underneath his ear, and that always distracted him.Ā
āI think theyāll surprise you, Stevie.ā You couldnāt see, but you were sure he was rolling his eyes.Ā
āI got the flowers, honey. Promise.āĀ
āAnd you made sure-āĀ
āBaby,ā Steve had your face in his hands. His eyes were wide, insistent. āI followed the instructions. Sunflowers for Max, no carnations because-ā
āTheyāre hideous.ā You both finished at the same time.
āRight, right. I know, angel. Iāve got it.ā You knew what you really meant was I've got you.Ā
Steveās hands fell to the sides of your neck, down your arms before taking your hands in his. The path he traced was careful, like you were fragile. He knew you could take care of yourself, heād seen you prove it several times over. But still, you were the most precious thing in his life, and he was going to act like it. Heād seen what an apathetic relationship looked like more than once, and heād never want that for you. And now that he was in a position to do something about it? You were doomed to a life of tender, loving care.Ā
His thumb found the ring, snug on your left hand. He rubbed across the band a few times before slipping it off gently. He kissed your bare finger, before carefully taking off the chain he wore snug around his neck. Your wedding ring made a satisfying click when it landed against his.Ā
Youād snuck off to city hall a few towns over last month. Signing the papers in secret with Robin as a witness- and sheād done a surprisingly good job of keeping that to herself. You would have a big, beautiful wedding that everyone would travel back to Hawkins for eventually. Youād wear a big white dress and Steve would cry before you came through the chapel doors. But for now, you just wanted to be each otherās. You would tell everyone later, after the ceremony and their graduation parties wrapped up.Ā
You gently took the necklace from him, clasping the chain behind his neck. You tucked the rings under the collar of his button down, patting them gently over his shirt.Ā
Steve caught your hand with his, settling it over the rings. āStill think heās gonna cry?ā
You grinned. āWe caught him crying in the kitchen over the lasagna I made last week.āĀ
āHoney, it was a really good lasagna.ā He said it in such an earnest way, you had no choice but to laugh.Ā
You patted his cheek, smiling. āThank you Mr. Harrington.āĀ
Steve turned his head quickly, managing to kiss your palm before you could pull away. āMrs. Harrington?ā his voice had your favorite sparkly quality to it that made your toes curl in your boots. āItās my absolute pleasure.āĀ
āYouāre gonna make us late!ā You laughed, pulling away gently. Steveās arm caught you around the waist, holding you steady.Ā
āOne more, for luck.āĀ
You rolled your eyes, but gave in anyway. One more, for luck.Ā
Steve grabbed the bouquets off the table, checked his pockets for his keys and held the door open for you. You slipped your hand in your purse quickly, checking for your travel pack of tissues. You hoped one would be enough. For all your joking about Dustin crying when he finds out he missed the wedding, you knew that the valedictorian speech heād run by you the week before was going to get your husband first.Ā
rewatching Mamma Mia! and just. itās so perfect in itās imperfection. people are sweating and their hair is messy and the makeup is minimal and the older people have wrinkles and also look hot and the costuming is chaotic and perfect and the actors were a little tipsy and they mess up lines and arenāt always perfectly on pitch and some of them are clearly not singers or dancers but they look like theyāre having so much fun and I really believe that theyāre on a greek island thatās the site of Aphroditeās fountain and god itās just a perfect movie.
