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My Dad Is Probably Gonna Kill You | Steve Harrington x Fem!Hopper/Byers!Reader

SUMMARY: You and Steve Harrington have been dating for six months now, and he’s yet to come over to your chaotic home or meet your parents. Celebrating the Fourth of July, your mom suggests letting him come over, to which you object, but Steve insists. Little does he know, your dad doesn’t want him anywhere near his home. Too bad he’ll have to learn the hard way.

WARNINGS: Fire by accident, firework blows up on someone (Eddie #hisfault), mentions of a bad home life from Steve, Hopper low key giving Steve death threats, reader and Steve makeout, suggestive diction at the end, I’m a sucker for Hopper!reader sue me, I think that’s it idk

A/N: Fun fact, when I was a kid a firework tipped over and went off in my garage which was exactly where I was standing, hence the firework blowing up on Eddie scene is born :)

WC: 8.6K

Main Masterlist!

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Fireworks boomed and echoed in the distance as Steve’s Beamer turned onto your somewhat busy street, a colorful myriad of bright flashes already erupting into the pink and orange sky as the sun began to set.

The summer air was warm and crisp, smelling like a mix of sulfur and gunpowder from all of the fireworks going off that evening.

Your knee bounced up and down as your shaking fingers played with the hem of your shorts.

You were nervous, and rightfully so.

Steve Harrington, your boyfriend of six months, was about to come into contact with your crazy ass family.

They knew of him, of course, you talked about him all the time. So much so that your siblings were annoyed. They met him before, but your parents hadn’t yet.

On top of that, your family weren’t the only people home.

Your little brother and sister’s annoying little friends were there, as well as your own annoying friends.

It was bound to be a shit show and you were sure of it.

Steve glanced over at you, noticing how you had gone quiet, jaw tight. He rested his hand on your knee and when he did, you jumped slightly, relaxing when you realized it was only him.

Steve chuckled at your reaction. “You know, usually in this type of situation the guy is the one who’s supposed to be nervous. Not the girlfriend with a big family.”

You sighed, closing your eyes.

Your mom insisted on you inviting Steve over for the Fourth of July, and you weren’t going to. You planned on doing something small with just Steve with the addition of maybe your friends and older brother.

Perhaps you’d all go to the fair, or light fireworks at someone else’s house, go swimming at Steve’s, or do just about anything else but be at your own nightmare of a house.

However, the universe had other plans because one fateful night you were half asleep, curled up on the couch with Steve at his place when you let it slip that your mom wanted him to come over.

And ever since then, Steve was open to the idea. He didn’t turn down your other plans per se, but he reassured you that he wanted to meet your parents and spend time with your family to celebrate Independence Day.

“It’ll be fun,” he said that night.

For days, you’d been trying to come up with an excuse to not let him come over, because he just didn’t get it.

Your family was fucking crazy.

But, that was all in the past, because the fact of the matter was that he had just parked his Beamer in front of your house behind one of your friends’ van.

Which…now come to think of it, you didn’t want him to be around your friends either.

At least the one with the van who was equally as insane as your family members. In fact, he blended right into the nut house that you called your own home.

You rubbed the temples of your head, sinking into the seat of the car. “Steve, I think we should just go somewhere else,” you said.

Steve frowned, disappointment blooming in his chest. “What, why?”

You finally opened your eyes, sitting up and turning to him. “I already told you, you don’t wanna meet my parents, especially not with everyone over.”

Steve had already met your brothers and sister long before you two started dating. Steve knew Dustin Henderson very well therefore he knew Will and El very well by association. Your other brother, Jonathan, went to high school with the two of you so of course he knew Steve.

Your parents on the other hand had yet to meet Steve.

And unfortunately, Steve was about to meet them with everyone over, who you knew would make the experience twenty times worse than it should’ve been.

Steve’s expression softened. “Honey, I already told you I wanted to meet them, no matter how many people are at your house.”

“And I’m telling you that you definitely don’t,” you said. “Honestly, if you set foot out of this car, my dad will probably shoot you.”

That was something you left out.

Your mom wanted Steve to come over.

Your dad?

He did not.

Steve’s eyes widened as he assumed you were exaggerating, because surely the Chief of Police wouldn’t shoot a young man.

Surely…

Steve reached for your hand and squeezed it. “I promise I want to meet them,” he reassured you. “No matter how crazy your family is when they’re all together. I think it’s super cool you have a big family and all.”

Now your expression softened.

Steve’s parents were never around and that was apparent due to his empty house. The poor boy was always alone in such a large home that he only wished could be filled with love.

It was only natural he wanted to be around your entire family so badly, especially on a holiday in which he never got to celebrate much growing up.

You sighed again, nodding slowly. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Steve’s lips pulled into a crooked smile. “I won’t even need the warning.”

He leaned in over the center console and kissed your lips gently. Immediately, you melted into the kiss, suddenly forgetting about all the likely trauma the two of you were seconds away from enduring.

Steve had that kind of effect on you. An ability to drag you out of your own mind and focus on something else and you loved it.

You loved him.

His finger brushed under your chin as you pulled away, his nose bumping yours gently, a small gesture that made you smile.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he murmured, the tip of his nose grazing yours again. “We’re gonna be okay.”

Your face flushed pink as you looked up at him through your lashes. “You’re the one I’m worried about,” you half joked, half admitted.

Steve chuckled, pecking your lips one more time, his fingers on your chin moving to the back of your neck. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I thought you said your parents liked me?”

Your mom loved him.

Your dad?

You weren’t so sure.

You pulled your lips into a tight line, squeezing his hand. “Yeah, something like that.”

Steve’s brows rose as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Wait, what do you mean something like-”

Suddenly, his words were cut off because something slammed up against the passenger side door making you yelp and your body jolt.

You turned to face the window where you found Dustin Henderson giggling with a sparkler in one hand, the palm of his other against the glass. “You two should’ve seen your faces!” he exclaimed.

Steve snapped his finger like a disappointed mother. “Hey! Get your damn hand off of the glass I just washed my car!”

Dustin retraced his hand with an eye roll and yanked on the door handle. “Unlock the door and come out, dude. Stop flirting.”

Steve groaned loudly and rolled the windows up all the way before turning the car off and unlocking the doors.

As soon as he hopped out of the car, Dustin opened your door with a smile. You undid your seat belt and put one leg out the car and froze when Steve spoke up.

“Dude!” Steve exclaimed. “That’s my job back up.”

Steve placed the palm of his hand right on Dustin’s face, pushing him out of the way. “Hey!” Dustin yelled, voice muffled against Steve’s hand.

You stared at Steve as he gently kicked your leg back into the car, shutting the door in your face.

He turned around and cleared his throat, turning back around again and opening your door with a smile, offering you his hand.

You laughed at his antics, taking his hand into yours as you climbed out. He shut the door and locked it, coming face to face with an irritated Dustin.

“Was that necessary?” he asked.

Steve glanced to the side, then back at the dying sparkler in Dustin’s hand. “Obviously.”

Just then, El and Will came running down the driveway, Will with extra boxes of sparklers, one dropping onto the sidewalk, and El with two little boxes of street chalk.

“Found extra sparklers!” Will chirped, joining Dustin’s side.

El huffed, holding up the cardboard boxes of chalk. “And chalk in the garage!”

The two finally looked up, noticing you and Steve standing side by side.

“Hi, Steve,” El said with a wave.

Steve smiled. “Hey, El. Will.”

Will shifted awkwardly, tugging the sparklers closer to his chest and the boxes started to slip from his grasp. “My dad is probably gonna kill you.”

No hi.

No hello.

Just…his dad was gonna kill him.

Steve cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck.

You gave Will a deadpanned expression. “Really? Can’t you at least try to make our family seem normal when I’m introducing my boyfriend for the first time?”

“Eh,” Will shrugged. “Steve already knows El and I. At least he thinks we’re not batshit crazy unlike dad.”

El rocked back on her heels. “Steve sneaks us into the movies and gives us free ice cream.”

“Unless your name is Dustin Henderson,” Dustin grumbled, his sparkler dying of light.

“Dude, you want free stuff all the time,” Steve argued.

“So do they!”

Steve faltered with a scoff. “Well- That’s- You know what I- Because…because-”

“B-b-because,” Dustin mocked. “What? Because they’re your girlfriend's siblings so they deserve more free stuff than anyone else?”

Unfortunately for Steve, Dustin was right. Steve always treated El and Will like royalty because if he was kind to them, he would make a good impression on them, meaning they’d be more than ecstatic with him as your boyfriend.

And it worked because they adored Steve, even though they sometimes treated him like he was their own brother, picking on him, messing with him, and telling you nonsense just to embarrass him.

Will laughed, nudging Dustin. “Don’t be jealous.”

Dustin rolled his eyes and as if right on cue, Max, Lucas, and Mike came waltzing out of the house.

“I stole Eddie’s lighter!” Lucas shouted from the front porch, holding it up as if it were some kind of trophy.

Max and Mike hand hands full of sodas, Max rolling her eyes at her boyfriend’s actions.

The three joined the rest of you on the sidewalk, Max and Mike handing out drinks to their friends.

Mike scrunched his nose, eyeing Steve. “What’s he here for?”

“The party,” El said as if it were obvious, because it was.

Max hummed, cracking open her soda. “Good luck, buddy. Chief might kill you.”

Lucas winced dramatically, covering his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “Yikes!” He looked up at Steve who looked like he wanted to sink into the pavement. “First time meeting the parents?” he asked. “It sucks, especially meeting the dad.” He placed his hand onto Steve’s shoulder. “I would know, as this information is coming from a real man,” he said, placing his other hand against his own chest.

Max scoffed. “What man?”

Lucas removed his hand from Steve and turned to his girlfriend. “Me!”

“I don’t see a man.”

“Ouch! Damn!”

Steve looked absolutely petrified and in his mind, he was wondering what the hell he got himself into.

He assumed you were being dramatic when talking about your dad, but now the kids spoke about him like he was some kind of urban legend, destined to hunt down and murder Steve Harrington.

You grabbed his hand, rolling your eyes as you walked past the kids. “Let’s go.”

You dragged Steve up the driveway and of course you couldn’t get away without one last comment or so from the kids.

“Do you prefer wooden or metal coffins?!” Will asked.

“Not too late to back out, bud!” Dustin warned.

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the last of Steve Harrington we ever saw,” Lucas said, hands on his hips as he shook his head, watching you two stand in front of the door.

El frowned, watching as you spoke to Steve, presumably to calm his nerves because he was running both of his hands up and down his jeans. Neither of you had gone inside yet, standing on the porch. “I feel bad,” El said.

Max shrugged. “I don’t. This is hilarious.”

“Won’t be funny if the Chief does kill him and then we can’t get free movies anymore,” Mike sighed.

Max smirked, watching Steve shake his head and you pace back and forth, talking with your hands. “Kinda wish we could see it all go down.”

Will smiled with amusement. “Wanna spy?”

Lucas groaned loudly, holding up his lighter. “Guys, do you have any idea how long it took me to snag Eddie’s lighter? That’s like robbing the Louvre without getting caught.”

Dustin nodded in agreement. “He has a point. I wanna light sparklers.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Would you guys rather play with sparklers like children, or watch the Chief kill Steve Harrington front row and center?”

Mike winced, tapping his chin. “Second option does sound kinda enticing…”

El sighed, motioning to the door. “Guys, look at them. That is so sad.”

Now Steve was leaning his back against the pillar on the porch, squeezing the hair at his scalp. The poor guy looked like he was about to throw up, and whatever you were saying appeared to only be making it worse.

You said something else to him, something that the kids couldn’t hear due to how far away they were, and when you did, Steve visibly gagged, leaning forward and putting his hands on his knees, head dropping.

“Jesus,” Dustin breathed out. “I’ve never seen him like this, what the hell is she saying to him?”

Lucas’ nose scrunched. “No idea, but these sparklers need lighting.”

Max groaned loudly, throwing her head back. “Fine let’s light your stupid sparklers.”

“Yippe!”

You rushed over to Steve, patting his back gently. “No, no, no,” you said softly. “I didn’t mean it like that. You’re gonna be fine.”

Steve looked up at you with worried eyes. “You just said your dad told you if you brought me over here on his favorite holiday and ruined the night for him, he’d end up in prison!”

“He was joking! I…I think he was…”

“Oh my God!”

“But that’s beside the point! The point is-”

Just then, the front door creaked open and you both glanced up.

“This must be Steve!”

Your mom was at the door, completely caught off guard by you and your boyfriend hanging out on the front porch. “How are you guys?” he asked cheerfully, pulling you into a hug.

Steve stood up straight and smoothed down his clothes, praying that his hair looked nice.

“Good,” you said with a smile, pulling away. “Mom, this is Steve, my boyfriend. And Steve, this is my mom.”

Your mom was bubbling with joy as she moved over to pull Steve into a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

Steve smiled, suddenly feeling more at ease, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s nice to finally meet you too, Ms. Byers.”

Joyce pulled away and waved at hand at Steve. “Oh, please,” she said. “Just call me Joyce, you make me feel old calling me Ms. Byers.”

Steve laughed and nodded.

Your heart fluttered finally seeing the two meet, but your heart dropped just a second later.

“Why don’t you two come on in and I’ll have you meet Hopper.”

Steve’s expression fell, his face going pale. “Wh- Huh?” he trembled.

Joyce nodded, motioning for you guys to follow her inside. “Yeah, come on in!”

Steve gave you a scared look and you just looked away, already knowing this was a terrible idea.

You followed your mom in, Steve behind you. He shut the door and when he did, it felt like sealing his own death sentence.

Music bumped softly inside the house, though the chatter was low since all the kids had gone outside.

“Oh, your friends are here, honey,” Joyce said, and as soon as she did so, you believed it.

“Fuck this stupid ass game!”

Crash!

“Eddie, dude!”

“You cheater!”

“That’s an accusation!”

“No!”

Eddie was standing in the living room, hands on his hips and a game board flipped over on the other side of the coffee table.

Robin rolled her eyes and held her hand out. “Give me the five dollars!”

“No! You cheated!”

“Are you seriously that broke that you can’t afford to give me five dollars?”

Nancy was smirking, looking between the two. Beside her on the floor, Jonathan sat, shaking his head.

“I don’t wanna play anymore!” Eddie whined like a child.

“Good. We’re done anyway ‘cause you lost.”

Eddie threw the last of the game pieces off of the coffee table and turned around to storm out. He stopped in his tracks when he saw you, Steve, and Joyce standing like deer in headlights watching him lose his shit over Candy Land.

He jumped up, running over to you. “Hey! You’re finally here!”

“Are you seriously pissed off over a kids game?” you asked.

“I’m pissed off because Buckley cheated.”

Robin raised her hand from the floor, sitting up straight to see you over the couch. “Did not by the way!”

Eddie turned to you, shaking his head and lowering his voice. “Totally did by the way.” Eddie glanced up and finally noticed Steve beside you, and when he did, his eyes widened. He lifted his finger, pointing at him as he turned to Joyce. “He’s gonna meet Hopper?”

Joyce nodded with a smile.

Eddie looked back over at Steve who at this point was sweating bullets.

“Yeah, that’s rough,” was all Eddie said before going back into the living room to pick up the game pieces, not bothering to reach into his wallet to get Robin her money.

Robin mouthed a ‘Good luck’ to Steve. Nancy slouched back looking away while Jonathan had the audacity to mimic slicing his own throat, earning a nudge from Nancy.

Now Steve really thought he was going to die in that house.

Your mom led you both outside to the backyard where awful singing filled your ears, smoke from the grill infiltrating your nose.

He was clearly in a good mood and it was about to get ruined any minute now.

You and Joyce ended up in his line of sight first. Sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose, some corny apron tied around his waist that you and your siblings got him for father’s day.

He immediately smiled, motioning for you guys to come over. “Look who finally showed up! You know, I was actually-”

Hopper froze, dropping his spatula onto the grill. It bounced off of the grill and landed onto the ground with a loud clang.

His face fell, lips parted slightly. He slowly moved the sunglasses off of his face, blinking about five times before shutting his eyes as if closing them and opening them again would make his nightmare disappear.

He opened his eyes again and…

Surprise!

Steve Harrington, his oldest daughter’s boyfriend, was still standing there.

You cleared your throat awkwardly, motioning to your boyfriend who looked like he had a red dot aimed right at his forehead. “Dad, this is Steve…you know…” you trailed off, voice weak as you noticed the way his jaw tightened. “My uh…he’s my uhm…boyfriend…”

“Yeah, I know,” Hopper said, giving Steve a death glare.

You and Joyce shared a glance as Steve swallowed hard.

Steve almost tripped over his own two feet as he walked over to Hopper, catching himself before he did. “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” he said, sticking his hand out.

Hopper yanked his hand, Steve staggering as Hopper gripped his hand harder than necessary. “Nice to meet you too,” he said, though it sounded far from sincere. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Steve raised his brows, hearts in his eyes. His entire demeanor quickly shifted from nerves to something else. “Wait, really?”

“Oh yeah,” Hopper said. “She won’t shut up about you.” Steve smiled, glancing over at you, your face burning up in embarrassment.

“Which is exactly why I’m worried,” Hopper said sternly, making Steve look back at him with that fearful expression. “Because I swear I’ll kill you if you even dare-”

“Dad!” you shouted at him at the same time Joyce gasped and yelled, “Hopper!”

Hopper ignored the both of you, still gripping Steve’s hand tightly. “You got a job?” he asked, already beginning his first round of interrogations.

Steve nodded profusely. “Yes, sir.”

It was an awkward silence as Hopper raised his brows, waiting for Steve to elaborate. When Steve didn’t, Hopper’s annoyance only grew. “Where?”

“Oh!” Steve exclaimed and blinked, realizing that Hopper wanted him to be more specific. “At Scoops Ahoy.”

Hopper narrowed his eyes at Steve and scoffed. “Scoops Ahoy?” he repeated, as if the words left a bitter taste on his tongue. “You really work at Scoops Ahoy?” Steve nodded, eyes wide. “That’s not even a real job,” Hopper decided almost instantly.

You pressed your brows together, throwing your hand up as if to say ‘What the hell’ without really saying it. “What are you talking about? It’s the ice cream place in the mall.”

“Oh I know what it is,” Hopper said, staring at Steve. His words only made you more confused, but when he spoke again, you couldn’t help but to feel bad for Steve.

“You make, what?” Hopper went on. “Three bucks an hour?”

Steve swallowed hard, praying that Hopper would at least let his hand go. “Yes.”

Hopper pulled his lips into a tight line. “That’s nothing. You’re broke. How can I know for sure you’re good enough for my daughter when you make the same amount of money a child makes doing chores?”

“Dad!” you yelled at him again, hoping he would stop.

“I told you not to bring him over here!” Hopper boomed, finally letting go of Steve’s hand who winced. “Now look! My night is ruined!”

“Hey!” Joyce lectured him. “Apologize, that’s so rude, Hop.”

Hopper sighed, shaking his head. “Whatever, my bad,” he grumbled. “I’m trying to cook here so, get lost.”

As soon as Hope turned around, his burgers on the grill burst into flames.

“Goddamnit!” he shouted, grabbing a towel and smacking the grill. “Get him out of my sight!”

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You and Steve ran back inside, trying to not piss your dad off even more.

He ended up blaming Steve for the food catching fire.

Steve was now even more worried because your dad seemed to hate him more than anything. You and your friends stood in the kitchen as Robin told an exaggerated story, earning mumbled ‘blah blah blah’s’ from Eddie.

Steve was leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest as his eyes stared at the tiled floor.

You nudged him with your shoulder and he blinked, looking over at you with a smile. “What’s up?” he asked.

You rocked back on your heels smiling back at him. “Wanna see my room?”

You wanted more than anything for Steve to be comfortable and you figured giving him a brief house tour would take his mind off of your psycho dad.

He nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

You grabbed his hand and walked about two steps away before Jonathan stopped you. “Where are you guys going?”

“I’m gonna show Steve my room,” you said.

Jonathan quirked a brow. “Uh…dad’s gonna kill you.”

“Good thing you’re not gonna let him find out,” you said, your brows rising. “Right?”

Jonathan groaned, never one to break sibling code. “Yeah, whatever. I’ve got you.”

You smiled and dragged Steve out of the kitchen and up the stairs, your mom outside talking some sense into your dad who was still ranting about Steve.

Eddie sighed, leaning against the counter. “They’re so cute.”

“They’re disgusting,” Robin gagged.

Nancy turned to Robin. “Huh?”

Robin gave everyone a ‘really?’ look. “Guys, she’s gonna show him her room? You guys can’t be that dense.”

Jonathan gagged loudly. “Gross, Robin! What the hell?!”

“It’s true!”

Jonathan shook his head adamantly. “No. I know my sister, she’s not like that.”

Upstairs, you led Steve down the hallway, his hand still in yours. “That’s Will’s room,” you said, pointing from door to door. “There’s Jonathan’s and that one is El’s. Which makes this one mine,” you said, stopping in front of the door.

Steve’s eyes scanned the framed photos on the wall, one catching his eyes.

He let go of your hand and walked over to it, pointing it out. “Awww, you were so cute.”

You cringed as he looked at your baby photo on the wall. “Oh, so you don’t think I’m cute anymore?”

Steve’s eyes widened. “What?! No! I didn’t mean-”

You giggled. “I was joking, relax.”

“Sorry,” Steve chuckled, shaking the jitters from his hands. “Your dad just scared the crap out of me.”

You sighed. “I tried to warn you.” You opened the door to your room, motioning for him to go inside to which he did. You followed and closed the door behind you.

Steve looked around, a small smile on his face as he saw the room you made…well, you.

Printed photos clung to the walls, small action figures on the shelves, and one too many stuffed animals resided on your bed. It was essentially what Steve had always imagined your room to look like. It was as if your entire personality and interests covered the room top to bottom.

He tapped his finger against a photo on your wall, one of you and your siblings on a beach in California. You were all incredibly caught off guard, your hands in the middle of shaping a sand castle with Will.

“Aww,” Steve cooed before turning around and grabbing a stuffed animal from your childhood off of your bed.

He plopped down on your bed comfortably as if he owned the place, holding up the stuffed animal. “You sleep with all of these?” he asked.

You shrugged, sitting on the edge of your bed beside him. “No,” you lied, though your smile gave it away.

Steve laughed, his thumb brushing over your cheek. “You’re so cute.”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh now I am?”

“You’ve always been.”

Your face warmed up as you looked away, lips curving upward. Even after six months his compliments made you incredibly nervous.

Steve glanced down at your stuffed animal, his smile faltering slightly. “I kinda wish your dad liked me.”

You turned to him, expression soft. “He’s just…” you trailed off, trying to find the right words. “I don’t think he actually dislikes you. In fact, I’m sure he likes you a lot.”

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“No, no, no, Joyce! I hate that kid! I swear I hate him more than anything!”

Hopper was still pacing in the backyard, very pissed off about not only the burnt food, but the fact that Steve Harrington was in his house.

Joyce sighed, following Hopper as he collapsed into one of the chairs beside the pool. “You don’t mean that,” she said, sitting on the chair across from him.

Hopper dropped his head, running a hand through his hair. “I do. I don’t like him,” he adamantly insisted.

Joyce tilted her head slightly, eyeing Hopper. “You don’t like him or you don’t like the fact that your little girl isn’t so little anymore?”

Hopper slowly looked up at Joyce and sighed, shaking his head with a soft laugh. “You know, when she was little she’d tell me that she’d never be with a boy because boys were gross. And now she’s much older and as a damn boyfriend and…” he trailed off, glancing over at the pool. “I don’t know. I guess I never realized how much she was growing up.”

Joyce’s expression softened. “I get it, but like you said, she’s grown up and now we have to too. Besides, Steve’s a good kid. We should honestly be glad she’s with him instead of some other bum.”

Hopper chuckled, shaking his head. “He is a bum, he works at Scoops.”

Joyce rolled her eyes. “You know, back in the day you worked at the damn gas station making way less than that. You barely had enough money to take me out.”

“That was a different time,” Hopper defended himself. “The cost of living has gone up so they pay these kids a fortune just to get by.”

Joyce scoffed. “So now he makes a fortune?”

“Oh, yeah,” Hopper nodded. “Three bucks an hour? That kid has enough money to spoil my daughter and treat himself.”

Joyce laughed, reaching to hold Hopper’s hand. “What do you say you be nice to him and actually make him want to come back over? I’d prefer my future in-laws to actually enjoy visiting our home.”

“Nancy likes coming over,” Hopper said, earning a stern look from Joyce who was silently telling him to be serious. He groaned, throwing his head back. “Can I have some time to mentally prepare? Maybe after I finish cooking the food he made me burn?”

“Fine.”

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

The sun had fully settled by now, fireworks going off in the neighborhood.

You and Steve were still cooped up in your room, your boyfriend too terrified to come out and accidentally cross paths with your father.

Though, it would only be a matter of time before someone found you both to come outside for fireworks.

You were sitting on your bed beside Steve, playing with a rubix cube while he laid on his back, mindlessly flipping through a comic your brother left in your room.

You were rambling on and on about a story you’d told him a million times, but he didn’t mind. He’d listen to you talk about paint dry if it meant listening to the sound of your voice.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at your door. Steve shifted slightly, worried that it was your dad.

But when you said ‘Come in’, and your mom revealed herself instead of his worst nightmare, he immediately felt more at ease.

“We’re all headed outside to light some fireworks,” Joyce said. “You two should come.” She immediately noticed the hesitation in Steve’s expression. “I promise Hopper will be nice,” she tried to reason.

And so, Steve took her word and the three of you went downstairs and out the front door to the driveway.

The kids were still messing around with sparklers, Max even going as far as to chase Mike with one, threatening to catch his hair on fire.

The two ran right past you, Steve, and your mom, Mike booking it down the street with a shriek equivalent to that of a little girl, and Max hot on his tail.

Dustin was in the middle of a probably illegal science project. He had a small ground firework box cracked open as he tinkered with the inside.

Lucas was about to light a firework off on the driveway, but Eddie yanked it away, scolding him and telling him it needed to be lit in the street and not two steps away from the house.

El and Will were sitting on the driveway, drawing with the chalk.

Will had drawn the most hyper realistic dragon you had ever seen and was in the process of blending the chalk out with his fingers while El had drawn little hearts and an American flag.

Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan popped open a few lawn chairs while Hopper sifted through the boxes of fireworks.

Dustin glanced around, making sure no one was looking before sealing off the firework box he was messing with.

He stood up, cleared his throat, scratched the back of his neck, and walked over to Hopper. “I think you missed a box, Chief,” he said casually, handing it over.

Hopper took it and eyed the box momentarily. “What’s this piece of tape?” he asked, pointing to the corner of the box.

Dustin shrugged. “Not sure. I found it like that.”

Hopper hummed and added it to the pile, Dustin silently having his little victory.

Hopper then rounded everyone up, telling them to get ready for his own special firework show.

You sat in a chair in between Steve and Jonathan. Lucas, El, Will, and Dustin, sat on a blanket in front of you.

Will looked around, turning back to his friends. “Where’s Mike and Max?”

Just then, footsteps stomped over, followed by Mike’s heavy breathing. He stopped in front of the blanket, hands on his knees. “Lucas!” he breathed out. “Get your psycho girlfriend!”

Lucas looked up at Max who had a dead sparkler in her hand. He shrugged. “My girlfriend could never do any wrong.”

Before Mike would further argue, Hopper made everyone shut up and sit down, so he could start lighting off the fireworks.

He started off small, lighting off a little waterfall one in the street, hues of purple and pink filling the street.

Robin yawned, complaining about wanting to see something better.

Eddie stood up, walking over to the boxes and grabbing one. “Can I light this one?” he asked.

Hopper rolled his eyes. “Fine, but I’m not liable for any injuries.”

Eddie grabbed the lighter from Hopper, scoffing as he set the firework down. “Please, it’s not that hard to light off these baby fireworks of yours.”

Eddie lit the tip of the box off, standing up and backing away slowly. “See? Easy peasy-”

Just then, the box tipped over in the middle of the street.

Eddie’s face quickly dropped. “Oh shi-”

And with that, the firework went off, exploding right on him as he screamed and ducked, a bright flash of red coating the metal head, ash falling into his curly hair.

Your face landed in the palm of your hand as you shook your head.

Hopper rolled his eyes while Lucas and Dustin laughed, pointing fingers at Eddie.

Joyce seemed to be the only one concerned, rushing to go check on him.

“Easy peasy, right?” Robin mocked, earning a glare from Eddie.

Hopper lit off a few more fireworks, banning Eddie from partaking in the act.

Your head rested on Steve’s shoulder as you watched a few of the street fireworks go off.

Steve’s hand held yours as he smiled, kissing the top of your head.

The small act went unnoticed by everyone except for Hopper who had glanced up at the perfect time to see it.

“Harrington,” he said, making Steve jump like a child getting in trouble. “Come light some with me.”

You shared an uncertain expression with Jonathan, both of you terrified that Hopper was about to kill Steve with an explosive.

Steve got up, letting go of your hand and joining Hopper on the sidewalk.

Hopper handed him a long stick of a firework, an aerial one that was definitely illegal.

“Wanna light this one?” he asked with a small smile. “It’s pretty cool.”

Steve scratched the back of his neck. “I dunno…” he trailed off. “Are you gonna arrest me after?”

Hopper sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not,” he said, clearly annoyed. For the first time he was being nice and Steve thought it was malicious intent.

“Okay…” Steve said with uncertainty.

Hopper tossed him the lighter, motioning for him to do it.

Steve looked between the lighter and the firework awkwardly.

Hopper sighed. “What? You too scared?” he teased.

Steve’s shoulders dropped a little. “No,” he said.

“Then what’s the problem?” Hopper asked. “Light it. I mean, if you don’t want to, that's fine too.”

Steve swallowed, eyes not quite meeting Hopper’s. “It’s not that. It’s just, I don’t know how,” he admitted, voice low enough for only Hopper to hear. He slowly glanced up at him. “My family and I never really did stuff like this,” he laughed dryly, motioning to your entire family and friends. “My dad wasn’t ever really around anyway, so I don’t know how to do this.”

Hopper stared at Steve for a moment, and it must’ve been a moment too long because now Steve felt like he should’ve never said anything at all.

“It’s stupid,” Steve scoffed. “I’ve figured out how to do other stuff on my own, I think a dumb firework will be fine.”

Hopper sighed, sticking his hand out. “Give me those.”

Steve’s heart tugged a little, immensely regretting telling Hopper what he did. He handed over the fireworks and lighter.

“Alright,” Hopper said, holding the firework in one hand and the lighter in the other. “Watch,” he instructed. “You wanna hold the firework like this because you need to have control over where it goes. It goes into the sky. Not my house. Not my lawn. And definitely not my family. Got it?”

Steve’s eyes lit up, excitement coursing through his veins.

For the first time your dad was treating him like a proper son in-law.

“Got it,” Steve nodded along.

“And you’re gonna light it right here,” Hopper went on. “When you do, make sure it’s angled properly because you’ll have a few seconds before it goes off. It’ll shoot out with a slight recoil, kinda like a gun. You’ve handled a gun before, right?”

Steve shook his head with wide eyes.

“Jesus Christ, kid,” Hopper sighed. “I’m taking you to the shooting range tomorrow.”

Steve’s brows rose. “Wait, really?”

Hopper nodded. “Yeah. Do you want to?”

Steve nodded quickly, a bright smile on his face. “Yeah! Yeah, I’d love to!”

Hopper tried to conceal his smile. While he had two sons, neither of them were into going to the shooting range for hours on end just to fire guns. They thought it was the stupidest way to pass time.

And not even his girls cared. El hated the idea of handling a gun and you just simply didn’t care.

But now he could take his son in-law to fire bullets at targets for hours.

Hopper narrowed his eyes. “Let’s see if you can light a firework first. This is a test.”

He handed the firework and lighter back over to Steve. Steve nodded and angled the firework up at the sky properly. He lit it just as Hopper had instructed and ensured it was headed to the sky and not the house.

Within seconds, the firework shot out of the tube, headed to the sky.

It went off, hues of red, white, and blue filling the sky as the sound boomed across the neighborhood.

Steve smiled and turned to Hopper who nodded in approval.

“That was cool!” Steve exclaimed. “Can I do another one?”

Hopper chucked. “Sure, kid.”

“Hold up!” Dustin stopped the two guys, grabbing his science project firework. “Light this one.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, looking between Dustin and his firework box. “What is this?”

Dustin blinked. “Uh…a firework?”

“You light it then.”

“No!” Dustin said quickly and loudly, making everyone go silent and stare at him. He shifted awkwardly. “I- I mean…It would be better for you to.”

Hopper rolled his eyes. “Just light it so he’ll shut up. It’s a stupid little street firework, it doesn’t do anything crazy.”

Dustin smiled at Steve before he finally caved in and picked it up.

Dustin went to sit back down as he bubbled in excitement.

Steve set the firework down and lit it, backing away.

The flame burned down the entire wick.

And then…

Nothing happened.

Nothing at all.

“And you wanted him to light that so badly because?” Max asked.

Dustin simply smiled and everyone looked at the firework box as it seemed to be faulty.

“Three…two…” Dustin counted down, under his breath. “And…one. Boom.”

Just then, three or four fireworks shot out of the box into the sky, going off with booms that made car alarms go off in the distance.

About five more shot out of the box and exploded in the air, all in red, white and blue.

You swear the ground shook beneath you. El and Robin covered their ears, the booms going off sounding like bombs.

Hopper looked at the sky in disbelief, everyone in shock by how many fireworks were coming out of the small box. You would’ve thought it was a firework show at the fair.

The air smelled like gunpowder and the booms echoed for minutes on end. You would’ve thought the U.S. was fighting to regain its independence.

It finally stopped and you all slowly turned to Dustin with your jaws dropped, wondering how in the hell a young teenage boy managed to pull off something incredibly illegal.

Dustin inhaled slowly, a smile on his lips. “Smells like freedom.”

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

You had all run out of fireworks, and when Dustin offered to simply make some more as if it were a batch of cookies, you all shut him down.

It took about half an hour for the echoing sound of car alarms to die down and about twenty phone calls for Hopper to convince the rest of his work partners that they didn’t need to scour the entire town and arrest the criminal who was responsible.

What had died down since then was the party.

The kids were outside in the front yard still, messing around.

Your friends and parents were inside, eating and hanging out in the living room.

Meanwhile, you and Steve were sitting on the edge of the pool, your feet in the water.

Steve was sitting criss crossed beside you, watching as your feet gently kicked in the pool.

“You know,” he spoke up. “Your dad’s not that scary after all.”

You smiled, turning to face him. “Why? ‘Cause he let you light a firework and didn’t arrest you after?”

Steve laughed. “Exactly,” he agreed. “My old man never taught me how to do anything like that before. In fact, your dad is taking me to the shooting range tomorrow.”

You raised your brows. “Oh, really?”

You were shocked that Hopper had agreed to do such a thing because just a few hours ago he was calling your boyfriend broke.

Steve nodded. “I think we’re headed on the right track.”

“Unless he kills you there as a cover up.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “Wait, do you think it’s actually a cover up?!”

You giggled, shaking your head. “I’m joking. It’ll be fine.” You glanced away, blinking. “…I think…”

Steve shook his head, leaning in to peck your lips. “I hope he actually likes me, because then your whole family finally would.”

You smiled, face flushed. Will and El loved Steve, treating him like he was their actual brother. Jonathan liked Steve more than he’d ever admit. If you were happy, he was more than happy. Joyce adored Steve before she even met him. The way you talked about him left that effect on her.

And as for your dad…

He wasn’t fond of you having a boyfriend at all.

But he realized that Steve wasn’t going away any time soon, so he decided that he should get to know him before assuming he was a total dud like most guys your age.

“I’m glad they do like you, because I like you a lot.”

Steve smirked, nose just inches from yours. “Oh, yeah?”

You nodded with a hum.

“Tell me all about it then,” he teased.

Your face warmed up even more than before. “You’re so annoying, Harrington.”

“Love you too,” Steve said before leaning in and closing the space between you and him.

His lips landed on yours, slowly moving in a rhythmic pace that made your head spin.

You melted into the kiss with a soft hum, tilting your head a little more to deepen the kiss.

The crickets chirped around you, fireworks echoing in the distance, the moonlight hitting your faces just right, and his soft lips sent jolts of electricity through you.

You brought your hand up to cup his face, and he hummed against your lips, his hand moving to rest against your thigh, his thumb grazing up and down your exposed skin.

Steve bit your lower lip gently, making you whimper softly, and your heart skipped a beat when his tongue ran against the spot his teeth just collided with.

Steve sighed as he kissed you deeper, a little softer and more sensual this time.

You went but to pull him closer but-

“Ahem.”

You both jumped back and when you looked up and saw your dad, you almost fell into the pool.

He just caught you making out with your boyfriend, which wasn’t exactly a crime, but it was Jim Hopper.

It was a crime.

Your face was red with embarrassment while Steve was contemplating drowning himself in the pool.

“Can I talk to Harrington here?” Hopper asked rather calmly.

You glanced over at Steve who shook his head subtly, his wide eyes on you.

“Promise not to kill him?” you asked.

“I’ll try my best,” Hopper deadpanned.

You sighed and stood up, taking your feet out of the pool. Steve was silently cursing himself as he watched you walk away. You walked over to the patio door and dried your legs off on a towel.

You gave Steve a sympathetic look before heading inside where Jonathan dragged you into a very intense game of cards with him, Nancy, Eddie, and Robin.

Hopper sat down beside Steve, staring into the house through the windows, which was exactly where Steve was looking.

You were sitting on your knees at the coffee table in the living room, setting a card down that made Robin throw her head back.

“You really like her, huh?” Hopper asked Steve.

Steve nodded, a smile creeping up on his face. “A lot.”

It was quiet for a beat.

“Look,” Hopper began, tone stern but almost paternal. “I care about her a lot. She’s my first girl and as her dad, I want to protect her with all I’ve got.” He turned to Steve who finally looked up at him. “I know she has to live and learn on her own and she’s going to have tough times in her life, but I don’t want to see her heart broken. Especially not over a dumb guy. You’re not a dumb guy, right, Harrington?”

Steve shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’ve been dumb when it comes to a lot of things in life, but never your daughter.”

Hopper nodded, noticing the way Steve spoke with such seriousness.

He meant every word.

Hopper glanced back into the house, watching as you yelled at Eddie, pointing a finger at him as he pushed the deck closer to you, clearly trying to make you draw more cards.

He smiled softly, looking back over at Steve. “For the record, I don’t think you’re broke.”

Steve blinked. “Thanks…?”

“Don’t let it get to your head.”

“It definitely won’t.”

Hopper patted Steve’s back gently. “I guess now would be the time for me to get to know you,” he said awkwardly. “So uh…” he trailed off. “Got anything you want to confess?”

Steve quirked a brow. “Not really. I kinda get the feeling you want to lock me up.”

“I do, but Joyce would kill me and I’m more scared of that woman than anything else.”

Steve laughed, a real laugh instead of a nervous one because he was scared of Hopper.

He finally eased up and began to talk to Hopper about work, which bled into talk about his family and personal life, which then led him to talk about what he hoped his future would entail.

He had a few ideas for his future, and each one contained you in it which made Hopper smile despite himself.

They had been talking for almost an hour when you cracked open the patio door, sticking your head out. “Can I have my boyfriend back now, Dad?”

Hopper chuckled, groaning as he stood up. “I guess so.” He walked over to the patio door as you walked back outside. “No more kissing outside my pool,” he said, looking between you and Steve. “Understood?”

“Whatever,” you sassed as Hopper walked back inside, leaving you and Steve alone.

You walked over to where Steve was sitting, taking a seat beside him. “You two were talking for a while.”

Steve nodded with a smile. “He’s actually not psycho. We talked a lot and I get the feeling that he actually likes me.”

You smiled happily, surprised that the night wasn’t a shit show. “I’m actually really happy, Steve.”

“Me too,” Steve smiled.

You glanced at the pool, then back to Steve. “Wanna swim with me?”

Steve sucked his teeth. “I would, but I only have my regular clothes.”

You shrugged as you stood up. “So?”

Steve rose to his feet. “You’re gonna swim in regular clothes too?”

“Oh no,” you laughed. “I’m changing into a bikini. You can swim in that.”

Steve smirked. “As much as I would love to see that, baby, that seems a little unfair,” he said mischievously. “I think you should have to swim in regular clothes too.”

Your eyes widened as he took a slow, calculated step towards you. “Nuh huh. Don’t you dare.”

Steve tried his best to look clueless, but his smile told you he knew what he was doing. “What?”

You stuck your hand out when he got too close, taking a cautious step back away from him.

But he was quick.

He grabbed your wrist, yanking you closer to him which made you yelp. He picked you up, arms wrapped around your waist as you yelled at him to put you down.

“Put you down?” he asked, giggling like a child.

“Steve!” you scolded him.

“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “I’ll put you down…in the pool.”

“Harrington!” you shouted.

And before you knew it, he tossed you into the pool with a splash, jumping in right after.

The water was somehow somewhat warm, the perfect temperature on your skin.

You both swam back up, cutting through the water, hair and clothes now soaked.

You gasped for air as Steve laughed. You swam over to him, pushing him back as you threaded the water. “What the hell!”

Steve smiled, his hands wrapping around your waist from under the water, pulling your chest flush against his. “I thought you wanted to swim?”

His hair was dripping, a few stray pieces clinging to his forehead in a way you had yet to see before.

He looked cute, especially with his loopy smile.

“Not with my clothes on,” you said, rolling your eyes.

“Take ‘em off then,” Steve fired back. “I’ll wait.”

You gasped loudly. “Gross! You pervert!”

Steve laughed, leaning in to kiss you, humming as his lips met yours.

You smiled against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer to kiss him deeper.

Steve smiled and groaned when you bit his lower lip as payback.

Your noses bumped as you kissed, arms pulling one another as close as possible.

Your hand moved up to the back of his head, squeezing his soaked hair as he moaned into your mouth, making your heart flutter.

A firework went off and you gasped, the sound catching you off guard. You pulled away and looked at the sky, seeing the last reminiscence of a firework sparkling.

Another one went off, then another, and another.

Clearly someone nearby had quite a few illegal fireworks, and they were giving you and Steve the perfect show in your own backyard.

“Woah,” you breathed out when one full of your favorite colors illuminated the night sky. “Did you see that one?”

Steve smiled. “I did.”

And somehow, the night you had been dreading became the night that was highlighted in your relationship.

Your parents met Steve, and your dad actually ended up liking him.

You couldn’t believe it but Steve made it out alive and wasn’t brutally murdered when caught making out with you.

The night ended with you and Steve floating on pool noodles, watching the sky get overtaken by colorful flashes of light, and not having to worry about one thing.

How your dad would react to meeting him because it was over now.

Neither of you knew it, but inside the kitchen, Hopper was speaking very highly of Steve to Joyce, and telling her that he was excited to have a new member of the family.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

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