The ost “the first lie” plays when Nancy and Jonathan share their first kiss and then a remixed version of it called “the first I love you” plays when Eleven says I love you to Mike for the first time and it’s just so romantic I wanna SCREAM
99 out of 100 times, kid goes missing, the kid is with a parent or relative. What about the other time? You said, “99 out of 100.” What about the other time, the one?
I’m so happy to finally get to show everybody this particular commission! This was done for @emotionaldaisy ’s DBD themed wedding! We worked on it for months to make everything as perfect as we could, and may i say i loved the final result so much! Gotta say i almost cried seeing it printed out, it’s an unbelievable feeling to think my art is hanging on someone’s wall, even more that it was featured in someone’s WEDDING
Thank you so much for the opportunity, care and trust on my work throughout the whole process, it was a big pleasure
If you liked my work, you can order your own art! Check out my commission info sheet!
Summary: You’re finding it harder and harder to resist Steve.
A/N: Part two ya’ll! I’m pretty proud of how this turned out. I know it’s A LOT shorter than part one but I think I like it like this. I appreciate everyone’s feedback and support - I love hearing from you guys! :D Keep telling me what you guys like or don’t like, I love it.
Not my gif, credit to the owner
Monday morning rolled around and you were still all torn up.
Steve had really screwed everything up, and despite the fact he called to apologize, you were still angry. You were angry at him for not controlling his temper, you were angry at Tommy for being such a jackass, but mostly you were angry at yourself for letting your guard down. You knew better than to let Steve in, to fall for him. Yet here you were, having spent the entire weekend thinking about him, and you felt like someone had ripped your whole body in half.
You found Nancy and Jonathan before class, standing by their lockers. “Hey, Y/N,” Jonathan said. You handed him his coat, which you’d forgotten to give back Saturday night.
“You doing okay?” Nancy placed a hand on your shoulder, and you nodded. “I feel so awful about Saturday- all your hard work.”
They didn’t know about Steve and what almost happened in his car before the dance. “Yeah.” You said, pushing down any feelings you may have had about it. “But it’s fine. It’s over. No use crying over spilled milk.”
“You sound like my grandmother,” Jonathan teased, bumping you in an attempt to cheer you up. You smiled at your friends gratefully.
“Thanks for giving me a ride home, by the way,” you said, holding on to the straps of your backpack.
“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t abandon you at Homecoming from Hell. That’s what friends do, Y/N,” Nancy said, and the two of you smiled at each other.
“Plus, I doubt Steve could even drive. Did you see that black eye Tommy gave him?” Jonathan asked. Nancy smacked his shoulder. “What?” He asked in defense.
“It’s fine,” you said, shaking your head. “I don’t care. He was just a homecoming date, right?”
“The two of you seemed pretty close before everything hit the fan,” Nancy pointed out, debunking your thesis.
Your cheeks got red. You opened your mouth in protest, but you noticed Nancy and Jonathan weren’t looking at you anymore. You followed their gaze, turning around to look at the end of the hallway. There Steve was, walking in through the double doors and looking around. Looking for someone.
Looking for you.
His stupid, idiotic, handsome face was all torn up. He had a black eye, and his upper lip was all busted. A cut on the side of his face. He looked like someone had set him on fire, and you couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Your heart started racing again, like it always did when you saw him.
And then he saw you, across the crowded hallway, and you panicked. And just like Sunday morning, you ran. You darted in between Nancy and Jonathan, and pushed past all the people gossiping, feeling your eyes fill up to the brim with tears because you were so confused, so hurt and angry and fluttery and you hated it. You hated Steve for making you feel this way. You just ran and ran until you went outside, in the cold, not even caring that it was freezing and you didn’t have a coat. You finally stopped under the bleachers by the track to catch your breath.
Breathing heavily and feeling all the panic rise and fall in your chest, you sunk down into the gravel, shoving your backpack off your shoulders and burying your face in your hands. Hot tears fell down your cheeks, and you obsessively wiped them away, refusing. Not admitting they were there.
Why were you so emotional? Why did Steve make you feel so strongly? Why did you constantly feel like you were in an alternate dimension around him, and why did it scare you so much?
You didn’t know how long you’d been sitting there, but you snapped back to the present when you heard footsteps crunching in the gravel. You moved your hands from your face and saw Steve, standing with the sunlight right behind him, holding your coat in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.
“Y/N? Are you okay?” He joined you on the ground, sitting next to you and placing your coat on your shoulders.
You wiped your face again. By this time your tears had stopped. You looked at him - god, Tommy had really done a number on him. It made you angry to think of someone hurting Steve’s face like that. Steve’s face was like a precious piece of art. To see it all torn up was… heart wrenching.
Instead of answering his question, you asked him one. “Does it hurt?” Your voice was small and soft and vulnerable. And you hated it but you were too tired to care.
Steve shrugged. “It did at first, but now not so much. Only stings when someone touches it. Killer headache, though. Like, absolutely killer.”
You tangled your hand in your hair, biting your lip for a second. You didn’t say anything.
Steve presented the bouquet of flowers to you. “These are for you.” Petunias and baby’s breath. “I’m really sorry, Y/N. About everything.”
You took the flowers, and looked at them for a few moments, contemplating your options. Your eyes flickered from the flowers to Steve, then back again. You were tired of all this inner conflict, arguing with yourself and giving yourself reasons not to give in. It was okay not to have self-control sometimes, right?
You took in a deep breath, and looked at Steve again. He was staring at you, waiting for you to do something- say anything. “I never asked you to defend me.” You said quietly, running your fingers over the petunia petals.
“I-I know,” Steve said, inching closer so your hips touched his. He was warm and his body was magnetic. “I know you didn’t. But I… I had to. Tommy was being such an asshole, and he pissed me off, and-“
“Why do you care what people say about me?” You cut him off, your voice still quiet. You didn’t sound angry, just confused. “I know we had that… that moment in the car, but you don’t know me. Your Nancy’s ex-boyfriend. You’re a popular senior on the basketball team with a big reputation and-“
“I like you, Y/N,” Steve cut you off, chuckling slightly. “Why does it have to be more complicated than that? I think you’re smart and beautiful and really cool, and maybe I don’t know you very well, but I know enough.”
You stopped, realizing your breathing was heavy again. “But Nancy…?”
“Nancy and I are fine. We’re friends. We had a relationship and it was an important part of my life, but it’s been two months and I don’t miss it. I’ve moved on, and so has she. Can’t you just give in a little? I know you feel something too.”
He was right, and you hated that he was able to read you so well.
You felt this big lump in your throat. You knew that if you tried to talk, you’d just burst into tears again. So instead you moved, shaking the gravel, and buried your head in Steve’s chest. His arm wrapped around your shoulders and you felt warm and safe, and all that panic faded away. “You’re right,” you said, speaking into his chest, your voice muffled like on a bad radio. “I do feel something.” You lifted your head slightly to look at him, and so he could hear you better. “I do, and it scares the shit out of me, Steve.”
“What are you so scared of?” He asked quietly, his other hand brushing your hair out of your eyes.
“I-I don’t know,” you mumbled. “Getting hurt, I guess. Screwing things up with Nancy. Falling for you and you turning out to be exactly like they said you were.”
“I’m not that guy anymore,” Steve said, looking into your eyes. “I’m different now, and for the better. We’ll take things slow, if that calms your nerves.” You nodded, and a small smile rose to his lips. “Yeah? So you want to…? You want to give this a shot?”
You nodded again, and the smile on his face grew twice in size. “I promise we’ll take it slow then, yeah?” he reassured you.
You bit your lip, sitting up so your head was parallel with his. “Maybe not too slow.” You whispered, leaning forward and finished what you started Saturday night. Your lips met his, soft and slow, and your arms wrapped around his torso. The two of you held each other and kissed for a few moments, breathing each other’s air and letting your hearts beat as one. Finally you pulled away, an inevitable and unstoppable grin on your face.
“Wow,” Steve said, breathless. You nodded.
“Yeah,” you agreed.
A/N: If anyone wants to draw that last scene I would LOVE to see it. I have no artistic ability but I want to see your interpretations. What are your favorite lines from this and part one? I love hearing stuff like that and fan art would be amazing! Also, if you want me to tag you in any future parts, inbox me! I will ONLY be tagging people who inbox me on it.
Summary: You’re in charge of homecoming but you don’t have a date.
A/N: OK, honestly I’m so proud of this you guys. It was like ten pages on a google docs. I hope you like it. I know a lot of people want a part 2 to twist of fate, and that will most likely happen pretty soon! But I want to do this as a series as well so we’ll see. Anyway, hope you all like it. I love the feedback, by the way, so tell me what you think!
Gif is not mine, belongs to the owner.
The sound of the phone ringing woke you up. Startled, you ran a hand through your hair and looked around before registering where you were. Home. In bed. Things were normal again, right?
Wrong. It was two a.m and the phone was ringing. Why did your parents agree to get you your own line? You quickly flicked on your bedside lamp and then picked up the receiver. “Hello?” You mumbled barely coherently, slowly sitting up in bed.
“Y/N?” It was Steve. You could tell by the way he pronounced your name. Just slightly different than everyone else did. Like it had more meaning coming from his mouth.
You let out a long yawn. “Yeah, Steve. It’s me. What’s going on? Why are you calling me at-“ you glanced over at the clock on your night stand. “Two thirteen in the morning?”
“I haven’t been able to sleep at all,” he said, and you could hear the tiredness in his voice, all groggy and deeper than usual. “Let me apologize. Let me make it up to you. I fucked up, okay-“
“Fucked up is putting it lightly,” you cut him off, your words sharp like daggers. “I don’t want to talk to you about it. Especially not now.”
Steve sighed on the other line. You could almost picture him running a hand through his hair. You hated that you knew him that well. “Go to sleep, Harrington,” You said, and didn’t wait for a response before hanging up the phone.
You tried to go back to sleep but your mind kept drifting back to a few days ago, when everything starting going to shit.
It had started on Monday.
You had been sitting at lunch with your two best friends, Jonathan and Nancy. You and Nancy had been really good friends since you moved to Hawkins back in November. When she started going out with Jonathan and you got to know him, the two of you started getting along really well - in a platonic way, of course. It was always the three of you, and though you knew Jonathan and Nancy liked have couple alone time, they also enjoyed hanging out with you. It was nice not being the third wheel even though you totally were the third wheel.
“So you’re telling me that you think Cyndi Lauper is better than Joy Division?” Jonathan asked, looking at you in disbelief, and, frankly, disgust.
“No, that’s not at all what I’m saying,” you said, sharing a glance with Nancy. “I’m saying that I think kids at the homecoming dance will like Cyndi Lauper better than Joy Division. I personally love Joy Division. But it’s an acquired taste, Jonathan. You have to admit that.”
You had all sorts of papers sprawled out on the table in front of you. You were in charge of planning the homecoming dance this year, and the set list was one of the most important aspects. You had to make sure to play stuff everyone would want to dance to. Otherwise they would just leave the dance. And while you loved Jonathan’s taste in music, it was not the same stuff everyone else liked.
“I thought you weren’t going to go,” Nancy pointed out. You nodded in agreement.
“Well I wasn’t. But I started to maybe consider it if Y/N was going to play Joy Division,” Jonathan defended himself.
“One song,” you said, scribbling something down on your list. “And you have to stay until the end.”
“Five songs,” Jonathan tried to negotiate.
“I have to play what everyone else wants to hear, Jonathan,” you rolled your eyes. “Two songs. Final offer.”
Jonathan just rolled his eyes and frustratedly stabbed a green bean through his fork. “Whatever,” he mumbled as he shoved the food in his mouth. Nancy hit him on the shoulder.
“Be nice,” she said, and he made a face at her. “And we’re going to the dance. Y/N is putting in a lot of hard work to make it fun. Plus, you look cute all dressed up.”
“God, you guys are adorable,” you said sarcastically. “Like really, my heart can’t take it anymore.”
Jonathan swallowed and shook his head. “Whatever, Y/N. You’re gonna be in an even mushier relationship someday, and you know what? I’m going to make fun of youwhen that happens.”
In response, you mimed shaking a magic eight ball, and turned it over to see the answer. “Hmm, outlook not so good, Byers.”
Nancy snickered.
“Why do I always feel like the two of gang up on me?” He asked even though all three of you knew the answer.
The subject of you not having a boyfriend was not addressed again until later that week, on Wednesday. You and Nancy were on your way to biology II, admiring the posters you spent all last night slaving over to advertise for homecoming.
“They really do look great,” Nancy said, smiling over at you.
You were proud. They did look great. People were paying attention to them. Your hard work was paying off. As you walked into bio, you passed a poster that said Do you have a date yet?
“Do you?” Asked Nancy as you set your books on the desk.
“Do I what?” You asked, not picking up on it.
“Do you have a date yet?” She quoted the sign, sliding down into the desk.
You shook your head. “No,“ you said casually, shrugging your shoulders. “I was just going to go by myself.”
Nancy looked at you like you were an idiot. “What?” You asked, furrowing your brows.
“Unacceptable!” She exclaimed, banging her hand on the desk for emphasis. It was then your turn to look at her like she was an idiot.
“It’s perfectly acceptable,” You retorted, opening your textbook to the chapter you were on. “Girls go to dances alone now, it’s fine.”
“No, I want you to have a date- hey, what about Steve?”
“Steve Harrington?” You said, nearly choking on your own saliva. “As in your ex-boyfriendSteve Harrington?”
Nancy scoffed. “We ended on good terms. We’re still friends.” She waved off the detail like it was nothing.
You didn’t feel the same way.
“I can’t do that. That’s too weird.” You hadn’t actually met Steve before- seeing as you moved to Hawkins just after he and Nancy broke up. You had seen him before, and knew abouthim, but never held a conversation. He was in the grade above you, and sporty and popular. He wasn’t in your circle and you certainly weren’t in his. Plus, he was your best friend’s ex - talk about weird. And he-
“I can see the gears turning in your head, Y/N,” Nancy interrupted your thoughts, and you snapped back into reality. “It’s not like you’re getting married to him. It’s just homecoming.”
“How do you even know he needs a date?” You asked, hoping that point would end the conversation.
“He told me he wasn’t going because he didn’t have one.” Nancy said, and when you looked at her weird, added. “We’re still friends. We talk every once in a while. What? Is that weird?”
“DoesJonathan know about this?” You asked, hoping to switch subjects. Nancy caught you in the act.
“Yes he does, and he’s fine with it. He and Steve are on relatively good terms, too, so stop trying the change the subject. You’re going to the dance. With Steve.”
And before you could protest any longer, the bell rang and class began.
You were hoping that Nancy would just forget that whole discussion never happened, but by the time lunch rolled around that same day, it was still the hot topic.
“So you’re going to the dance with Steve?” Jonathan asked, a teasing smile on his face.
“No, I never agreed to th-“
“Yeah, she is,” Nancy said, cutting you off. She looked at you sternly. “You’re not going to homecoming without a date, Y/N. That’s lame.”
“How do you even know he wants to go with me?” You asked, crunching down on a baby carrot in frustration.
“I guess I don’t,” Nancy said, biting her lip. She looked around the cafeteria. “But there he is now-“ she pointed, then shouted her next words, “Hey, Steve!”
The long-locked king of the basketball court whipped around, raising a brow in Nancy’s direction. He finally spotted Nancy waving him down, and sauntered over to the table, a cheeseburger from the lunch line in one hand. “Hey Nance, Byers.” He greeted each of your friends, then looked at you. “New girl.”
“This is Y/N,” Nancy said, nudging your foot under the table. “She started in like November, right?”
“Yep. November,” you said, nodding in agreement.
“Well, then I wish you a two-month late welcome to Hawkins,” Steve said, smiling at you in a friendly manner. You met his smile, but yours was awkward and forced, not charming and natural like his. He took a bite of his burger.
“Thanks,” You said, smiling. He was nice, but you didn’t want to go to homecoming with him. First of all you barely knew him, and secondly, no matter how many times Nancy insisted it was alright, it was still weird to you.
Nancy jumped in after a few moments of deafening, painful silence. “So anyway, Y/N needs a date to homecoming. You said you needed one too, right Steve?”
You gave Steve pleading eyes, as if you were begging him not to go along with this. You had accepted the fact that Nancy had weaseled her way into the situation and there was nothing you could do to stop it. But maybe there was something Steve could do.
Steve didn’t catch on to your hints. “Yeah, I do need one.” He looked from Nancy to you. “Did you want to go with me? Just as friends, of course.”
“Yeah, as friends,” Nancy added.
Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve all stared at you and you definitely felt the peer pressure. After a sharp inhale, you smiled unwillingly at Nancy. “Fine.” You looked back up at Steve, who was mid-burger right then. “Sure. Yes. I will go with you. As friends.”
So the plan was made. The homecoming game was Friday night, and the dance was Saturday night in the gym. While most girls in Hawkins would be spending Saturday getting their hair done, doing their nails, and last minute touch ups on their dresses, you would be helping decorate the gym and coordinating everyone else who was helping out. The dance started at seven, and you planned on being done decorating at five, which gave you a solid hour to get ready before dinner with Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan at six. Steve was going to pick you up and take you home. Talk about stressful.
While you were kind of irritated with Nancy, you also felt rather grateful towards her. She found you a date for homecoming, and she had been right. Girls who went alone were lame.
You spent all Saturday stressing out about streamers and balloons, and then sped home to get ready for the dance. The boys’ basketball team had won the game the night before, thanks to Steve, the team captain. You had gone to the game with Nancy (Jonathan had stayed home because he was a loser), and you remembered watching Steve running down the court. Once or twice, you could have sworn he looked right at you after making a basket. Why did your heart race when that happened?
Anyway, after decorating Saturday morning and afternoon, you went home and got ready, curling your hair as fast as you possibly could and rushing through your makeup routine. You had this gorgeous dark blue dress with black polka dots on the bottom hem and shoulder pads, you felt so cool with it on. So you wore that and some cute shoes. Seeing as it was January and freezing outside, you also slid on a coat.
Steve pulled up to your house at six on the dot, and rang the doorbell. You ran past your dad, who insisted on answering, and cut in front of him to open the door. “Hi,” You said, slightly out of breath. Steve looked really nice. Sport coat, dress pants. Your heart was racing again and you begged it to stop.
He opened the car door for you and brought you flowers, and was a total gentleman during dinner. It was so strange. From what you knew of Steve, he was a good guy, but Nancy must have been leaving out some kind of detail. Though she claimed she only broke up with him because she loved Jonathan more, you knew there had to be something wrong with him. So you were cautious and you looked for it. So far, nothing.
“So you were working on the decorations pretty much all day, huh?” Steve asked. You were in the car with him now, driving from the steakhouse to the school.
You nodded, fiddling with your wrist corsage. “Yeah, it was a miracle we got done before five. But it looks really good, I think. I’m excited to see it in full effect.”
“You like stuff like that? Planning events and organizing and decorating?” He asked, turning the radio down to a low hum so that the two of you could talk.
“Yeah,” you said, smiling at the thought. “Yeah, I do. I’m not a hundred percent sure yet, but I think I want to be a party planner or an event coordinator when I graduate. Could be fun.” You were both quiet for a beat. “What do you want to do?”
“After I graduate?”
“Yeah, you’re a senior, right? Do you have any ideas?”
Steve was silent. You looked up at him and saw he was shaking his head. “No, I really don’t. To tell you the truth, I’m kind of freaking out about it, too, because I… I have to figure something out, like, now, right?”
You could tell it was a touchy subject. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt,” You offered him a playful smile. “But you’ve still got some time.”
“We graduate in June.”
“Yeah, but you could take a year off. Do some travelling, self-discovery. Figure out who you are and what you want. No one is saying you have to know right away.”
“My dad is,” Steve said, turning into the school parking lot. “He wants me to have a plan, to know exactly what I want to do and where I want to go to college and where I want to live and who I want to marry and where I want my dead body buried. He’s nuts.”
You frowned slightly, and noticed that he was getting worked up over it. He put the car in park, and you placed your hand on his on the center console. Sparks shot through your veins, and you turned your head to look into his eyes. They were this deep, endless brown. Like a forest you could get lost in forever. You couldn’t help yourself. You wanted to get lost forever.
“Y/N…” Steve’s voice was low and unsure, and you could feel it. You felt the same way- unsure. But at the same time…
It felt so right.
“Steve…” Your voice paralleled his, and you felt his breath on your skin. Goosebumps. You leaned in slightly, knowing what was about to happen, and letting it.
His lips touched yours for half a second before there was a loud BANG on the windshield. Instinctively, you pulled away, looking through the glass to see Tommy H, supposedly one of Steve’s friends, laughing at the two of you’s startled expressions. Like, cackling. Ridiculously.
Your face turned bright red, and you all of a sudden felt really embarrassed and uncomfortable. So you took in a sharp breath, and opened the car door despite Steve’s protests. “Jesus Christ, Steve. If you’re gonna put the moves on a girl you should do it somewhere more private!” Tommy was shouting as you got out of the car. You felt red-hot humiliation light up your face, and turned on your heel to go inside.
“Tommy, why are you such an asshole?” You heard Steve say, but you didn’t turn back. You heard the car door shut and footsteps running towards you.
Steve had caught up with you. “Y/N, I’m sorry, okay? He’s just an idiot, and I-I didn’t mean for-”
“I know,” you stopped walking, turning to face him in the freezing cold. You’d left your coat in his car. “I know you didn’t mean to. It’s fine, okay? I’m just embarrassed, and I’m freezing, and I want to go inside, okay?” Your voice was shaky and on the verge of tears. You couldn’t believe Tommy had seen the two of you, and your almost moment. He was going to tell everyone about it, wasn’t he? God.
“Okay, yeah. Let’s go in.”
The gym looked amazing. You were so proud of all your hard work. The theme was Starry Night, so there were silver streamers and balloons all over the place. The art club had worked on a really pretty backdrop for the pictures, and it all just looked so good. Everyone seemed to already be dancing, and you could help but feel happy, despite all that drama in the parking lot, that people were having a good time.
“Wow, Y/N, this looks incredible,” You heard Steve say as you walked in. He placed a hand on the small of your back, and you let him.
“Thank you,” You felt the mood change, and you were grateful for it. Steve was really sweet, and you wanted to enjoy this night with him and your friends. This whole night was your baby- you’d organized and coordinated the whole thing and you really wanted people to enjoy it.
You spent the next hour or so dancing with him and Nancy, dragging Jonathan in as well. It was fun, and for once in your life you started to feel accepted, like you belonged there, on that technicolor dance floor with these people. Your friends. You were actually a part of this little group, and you liked it. For a moment, you even imagined what it would be like to be with Steve. It made you feel all warm and happy.
A slow song came on, and Steve asked you to dance. You nodded, and his hands found your hips. Your two bodies melted into one, swaying in time to the music. You were breathing the same air as him and you had no complaints. You closed your eyes and took it all in. Nothing could ruin this. Nothing at all.
“Looks like good ol’ King Steve found himself a new whore.”
Well, maybe that could.
You opened your eyes to see Tommy H and his girlfriend, Carol, pointing at the two of you and laughing. Your face got bright red and you took a step away from Steve, frowning.
“Hey, shut up, Tommy. Why can’t you just stay out of it?” Steve retorted, his face growing hard and stern.
“We just wanted to see you and the New Nancy,” Carol chimed in, and Tommy laughed. It was clear they were buzzed.
People were starting the stare, and you felt a lump start to grow in your throat.
“Just go away, before I have to do something we’ll both regret.” Steve threatened.
You jumped in, stretching an arm to block him from doing God knows what. “Steve, it’s fine-“
“No, it’s not fine,” Steve interrupted, looking down at you then back at Tommy. “He’s an asshole and he needs to learn his lesson.”
By this point everyone on the dance floor was staring, watching with anticipation.
“What are you gonna do ‘bout it, Harrington? You’re too big of a pussy to defend your new little slut.” Tommy taunted. “Hell, I-“
That was when Steve launched himself at Tommy, tackling him to the ground and throwing a hard punch. The crowd gasped, and all of a sudden kids started cheering “Fight! Fight!”
Tommy and Steve rolled around on the ground, each throwing punches and kicks and shouting at each other, and you stood there, heart racing. What were you supposed to do? You didn’t ask Steve to defend you- you weren’t his girlfriend.
They rolled around and eventually ran into the snack table, knocking the whole thing over. Punch and cake slices and chips flew everywhere, and some kids even cheered. The snack table collided with a cardboard pole holding up a bunch of streamers, and soon all your pretty stars began raining down, until your Starry Night turned into a meteor shower.
Two teachers eventually broke the fight up, and dragged both Steve and Tommy away to be lectured or punished or whatever.
“Oh, my god,” you muttered, watching all your hard work crumble around you. You were filled with absolute rage. Your eyes filled with red-hot tears, stinging as they ran down your face.
Nancy and Jonathan found you in all the chaos, and dragged you out of there before you screamed at someone. You were outside, walking with them towards Jonathan’s car, silently crying.
“Where’s your coat?” Nancy asked, an arm around you comfortingly.
“Steve’s car,” you managed to sniffle out, running a hand over your face. You were shivering, so Jonathan took his off and gave it to you. Thank god you had your friends, because you probably wouldn’t have been able to make it home.
Jonathan and Nancy drove you home and you sat in bed, still in your dress, staring at the wall and replaying all the events of the evening. You and Steve almost kissed. You and Steve dancing and holding hands, and he was so sweet until he ruined everything. You’d never asked him to defend you, never asked him for anything. He was trouble and you knew it the whole time. Why couldn’t you have just listened to your instincts? Because now here you were, sobbing and screaming into a pillow because you couldn’t decide if you were angry or heartbroken
It was six a.m. You had only slept a little. Forgiving Steve was on your mind, but you couldn’t decide if you wanted to forgive him or if you just wanted to go back to the car, and kiss him for real.
You threw on some tennis shoes, sweatpants and a hoodie, and snuck out the back door. You needed to do something- laying in bed crying about it wasn’t helping a damn thing. So you jogged down the street and when that didn’t help, you kept going. Your hair was still curled and your makeup all smudged - you looked like a melted clown - but you didn’t care. You just needed to think.
So you ran, and you kept running. Most people were in church or at an early breakfast or even still asleep, and you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You just kept running.
Finally, you stopped to catch your breath, in front of some random house. You took in the scenery for a moment, and realized you recognized the car in the driveway. Steve’s. And for a moment you thought maybe you were supposed to end up here.
But you shook the stupid thought away and you kept running.
Summary: After years of silence, you and your ex-best friend Steve start talking again.
A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Stranger Things fic, but I just had to write it, yanno? This will probably be a series if the first part gets a good reaction. Gosh Steve is so dreamy. Drop requests in my inbox if you have anyyy. I LOVE FEEDBACK, so gimme some!!!!
Also, gif belongs to owner.
You had been Steve Harrington’s across-the-street neighbor your entire life. You grew up riding bikes with him up and down the street, swimming in his pool on hot summer days, and sneaking out after bedtime to tell scary stories and catch fireflies. You were inseparable for the longest time- your parents and his even joked that you’d grow up and get married one day.
But Steve was a year older than you, so when he moved on to middle school while you were still in fifth grade, you grew apart. It wasn’t heartbreaking or anything- it happens. Kids grow apart. By the time you caught up with him in high school, his reputation as King Steve had been built. He was popular, dated all kinds of girls, captain of the basketball team, and had parties nearly every weekend his parents were out of town.
You weren’t like that. You hated big parties. You thought the concept of getting sloshed and screaming all night was idiotic (though you’d never done it before). You focused on your schoolwork, joined the school newspaper and yearbook staff. You and Steve didn’t run in the same circles hardly at all. Occasionally you’d chat in the hallway, but it was never anything important. You interviewed him once for an article regarding the basketball team. He stopped by with a casserole for your mom from his mom. Nothing crazy.
Last you’d heard, Nancy Wheeler had dumped him, after nearly a year of going out, for Jonathan Byers. But it didn’t make any difference to you. You had no feelings for Steve.
But then your car broke down.
“Radiator’s shot,” Said your father after hanging up the phone from his call with the mechanic. You stood in your living room, arms crossed in frustration. You had barely made it home from school today before your car sputtered out and died in the driveway. “Paul says he can’t get the parts for another two weeks.”
You frowned and let out a sigh. Your mom, who stood next to you, placed a hand on your shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, sweetie,” She said, then looked at your father. “So how is she going to get to school then, Rob?”
“I can’t take her,” Dad replied - you hated it when your parents talked to each other like you weren’t in the room - “I have to be at work at 7:00.”
The three of you stood there in silence for a moment, all thinking, until your mom spoke up. “Oh, I know! I’ll ask Joanne if Steve can take you!” She grabbed the phone and dialed before you could even say anything.
“Wait, Mom,” You said while she waited for Mrs. Harrington to answer. “Don’t- that’s embarrassing. Steve doesn’t want to drive me to school. He’s-”
Your mom put a hand up to silence you.
“Shh. It’s not like it’s a huge inconvenience, Y/N,” she said, “He lives across the street. You go to the same- Hi, Joanne!” Mom’s voice went up an octave when Mrs. Harrington answered.
Your cheeks turned red just listening to one end of the conversation. You and Steve hadn’t had a real conversation since you were eleven years old. He didn’t want to roll up to school and have you, literally the biggest dork in the world, get out of his car.
These dark thoughts proceeded as your mom continued her conversation, and after a minute or two, hung up the phone. You and Dad looked at her expectantly.
“She says Steve would be delighted to take you to school. See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.” She said.
“Delighted?” you repeated incredulously.
“Well, maybe I flourished a little,” She admitted, grinning like there was nothing wrong at all. “Anyway, he’ll be out front at 7:30 tomorrow. He has basketball practice after school until five, so you need to sit in the gym until he’s done so he can come get you.”
“What-”
“Y/N, he’s doing us a real favor by driving you back and forth. You can wait. It’ll give you some time to do your homework, read, whatever. You’ll be fine.”
Shit.
It was January. School had been back in session from winter break for about a week, but it was still freezing outside. You stood out at the edge of your driveway all bundled up- heavy coat, gloves, scarf, hat, etc, at 7:30, waiting for Steve to come get you. It was so cold you could see your breath when you exhaled.
Where was he?
Finally, a car pulled up to the curb, and the passenger’s window rolled down, revealing good old Steve Harrington with his hands on the wheel. He looked at you, all bundled up, and raised a brow. “You look… warm.”
You got in the car without a reply. You had no intention of making any conversation with Steve- he was just giving you a ride. There was no reason for awkward small talk- this was nothing but temporary, neighborly favor. After buckling up, Steve pulled off. The air was stiff between the two of you, and there was nothing you could really do about it, even if you wanted to. The plan was to power through the World’s Most Awkward Car Ride, then move on with your day. After thirty seconds of agonizing silence, Steve finally turned on the radio. Thank god, you thought, leaning your head against the back of the car seat. The music helped - gave you something else to focus on.
That first car ride was completely silent until you arrived to school. As soon as Steve put it in park, you grabbed your backpack off the floor and rushed to get out. “Hey, wait,” he said abruptly as you started to stand up. You looked at him, eyebrows raised. “Practice gets over at 5. Meet me back here then, yeah?” You nodded, then without another word, got up and went inside.
School was a blur. All you could think about was Steve. You convinced yourself it wasn’t for any other reason than you being traumatized after that awkward car ride. You convinced yourself it couldn’t be for anything else. You tried to focus on your assignments and note-takings and projects, but it was difficult. Your mind kept going back to Steve, and how awkward the ride home was going to be. You hated your car for breaking down.
After the final dismissal bell rang, you reported to the gym to sit and watch Steve’s practice. You made yourself as comfortable as possible on the hard wooden bleachers, opening your calculus book in your lap and starting your homework. A few minutes later, the team strolled out of the locker room, all shorts and shirtless, goofing off the way teenage boys do. The coach called their attention, and started off with drills. You would look up every once in awhile, but for the most part just focused on your schoolwork.
About a half an hour later, you had all your homework done, and nothing to occupy your time. In your rush this morning you’d forgotten to pack a book or your Walkman, so basically you were forced to watch their stupid practice. They were doing some sort of shooting exercise, passing the ball to each other and running up and down the court, taking shots and other basketball terms. It was all very boring, but it was all you had. You kept your eyes on Steve, finding it kind of endearing how into it he was.
“Hey, Harrington, looks like the president of your fan club decided to show up,” You heard one of the other boys shout during a water break. The boy pointed at you, and a handful of others laughed. Your face turned slightly red, and you looked down, trying to ignore them.
You heard Steve’s response. “Shut up. I’m giving her a ride home- don’t be a dick, Jacob.”
The practice ended, and you waited in the hallway outside the locker room. He walked out after a few minutes, his long locks slightly wet from either a shower or sweat- you couldn’t tell.
“Hey, Y/N,” He said, slinging his bag over his shoulders. You gave him a thin-lipped smile, and the two of you started the walk to his car.
“So what happened with us?” He asked after a few minutes of silence.
“What?” You asked, furrowing your brows. He opened the door for you, and you walked out into the brisk cold.
“You know, us,” He repeated, looking over at you. The wrinkles in his forehead were adamant and demanded an answer. “We used to be really close, Y/N.”
“Yeah, when we were, like, eight,” You said, shrugging. “Now we’re not. You went off and did your whole thing,” You made a gesture with your hand. “And I did mine. No one said we had to be best friends forever.” You offered him a small smile in condolences.
Instead of dropping it, Steve stopped in his tracks. “Wait,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “What ‘whole thing’?” He asked, mimicking the gesture you had made. Was he offended?
“I mean…” You trailed off. “I don’t know, your thing, you know? The whole popular, dating girls, going to parties thing. I don’t know.” You kept walking and Steve followed you.
“And that’s why we stopped being friends?” he asked.
“I guess so,” You said, shrugging again like it was no big deal. And it wasn’t, right? And why was Steve so adamant about finding out what happened? Why did he care so much?
The two of you trekked up the little hill to reach the parking lot, and Steve’s car sat there, waiting for the two of you to get in and end this little adventure. Steve didn’t say anything, and neither did you. Nor did either of you make any move to get in the car. You just stood there, by the passenger’s door, looking at him while he was looking at you.
“Well that sucks,” Steve said after a while. You looked at him, puzzled. “It does, it sucks,” He went on. “I wish you would have said something. I thought you were mad at me or something. I missed hanging out with you, Y/N. Now I feel like I don’t even know you anymore.”
“Yeah, well, we’re different people,” You said rather blatantly. Steve looked at you like he was slightly offended. “Well, we are,” you pointed out, getting in the car. He followed your movement. “You’re the jock with the history and I’m…” You trailed off, hands hovering over the seat belt.
“You’re what?” Steve prompted you to finish. He put the keys in the ignition.
“And I’m not like you, Steve.” You said, buckling in and refusing to look at him the rest of the way home.
The next morning Steve was at your house a half-hour early, and rang the doorbell about a thousand times until you answered it in your pajamas - a tank top with no bra and an old pair of your dad’s flannel pants. “What?” You demanded, arms crossed over your chest and bed head blowing from the freezing air creeping its way inside. You had literally just woken up five minutes ago, and ‘morning person’ was not on your list of attributes.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Steve grinned, his hair blowing in the freezing cold air. You step aside so he could walk in, mostly so you could shut the door. “I”m going to take you to breakfast. Go get dressed.”
“What?” You repeated, eyebrows furrowing so deep you almost struck oil. “No. I’m not going to breakfast with you.” You flat-out refused. Mornings were for coffee and contemplation, not going to breakfast with boys you barely knew anymore.
“Come on, pretty lady,” He teased, flipping a fly-away piece of your hair. You took a step back. How was he so cheerful? First of all, it was seven in the morning, and secondly, you had been kind of harsh to him the night before. He should be furious with you, or at least passive-aggressive. “Let me take you to breakfast. I’m not going to stop talking until you agree to it. Did you watch the basketball game on TV last night? Wow, those Los Angeles Lakers are pretty basket-tastic, huh? I just made up that word just now, it’s a combination of-”
“Fine!” You exclaimed, your eyes growing wide. He grinned again. “Give me five minutes. You’re such a child.”
He took a seat on a chair in the foyer, and you rolled your eyes before marching back upstairs to your room. Quickly you changed into a sweatshirt and jeans, put on a thin layer of makeup, and pull your hair into a ponytail.
You walked back downstairs to find Steve no longer sitting- instead, he was looking at the pictures on the wall in the living room. He was looking at one of you and your old dog, Trixy, before she died a few years ago. You were a freshmen in that picture, kneeling next to the dog in the backyard. Steve hadn’t noticed you standing in the doorway yet, so you took a moment to just study him. He was so different now. You thought he was cool, smooth King Steve. You’d thought for years that he was really intimidating, completely opposite from the boy you played house with growing up. But maybe now he was reverting back to that little boy. Maybe now he was coming down from his rebellious teenager phase and learning how to see good in things again. It was weird looking at him like this- he didn’t know you were there so it was like seeing an animal in its natural habitat.
You cleared your throat after a few moments, and he turned around, cheeks slightly flushed. “Ready?” He asked, taking his keys out of his pocket and twirling them around his finger. You nodded.
“I guess,” You muttered, following him out the door.
You thought he was going to take you to Benny’s (which reopened over Christmas - someone had bought it and it wasn’t nearly as good) or that one restaurant downtown. But then Steve started driving towards the Interstate, away from town. “Where are we going?” You asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Steve looked over at you for a moment before moving his eyes back to the road. “I’m taking you to breakfast,” He said, like there was nothing weird about the fact that they were leaving town.
“No, you’re abducting me,” You retorted, looking at him like he was a psychopath. “We can’t leave town to get breakfast, we’re going to miss school.”
“You don’t think I know that, Little Miss Honor Roll?” Steve glanced over at you again. Why did your heart race a little faster when that happened? “We’re not going to school, genius.”
“I didn’t agree to that,” You said, crossing your arms over your chest. “Turn the car around, Steve. I can’t skip.”
“Yes, you can,” He insisted, smiling at you for a second. “For once in your life, give in to a little peer pressure, yeah?”
You rolled your eyes. “What are you going to say when they call our parents?” You asked.
“They won’t,” He said. “I called the school twice - pretending be either of our fathers and said we were sick. They won’t be expecting us today- I like that sweatshirt, by the way. Your dad go to IU?”
“No, I want to though,” You said, glancing down at the Indiana University logo on your sweatshirt. You shook your head, realizing he was getting you off topic. “You pretended to be my dad on the phone?”
“Yeah, wasn’t hard.They should really be careful, someone’s going to abuse how easy it is to fool the receptionist one of these days.”
“You’re an idiot.”
He drove to Terre Haute, which was a bigger city about twenty minutes from Hawkins on the highway. You listened to the radio on the way there and didn’t talk much. It wasn’t nearly as awkward as it was yesterday. And you actually felt… comfortable. It was strange, but seemed kind of natural, actually. You and Steve. Hanging out like you used to. Well, not exactly like you used to, because you weren’t eleven anymore. But similar.
Steve picked this little diner near a truck stop area and you found a little table in the corner, sitting across from him and looking at him studiously. He was so weird. Did he hit his head?
“So, you’re not mad at me?” You asked after the waitress took your drink order. Steve looked up from his watch. “About last night?” You pressed. “I was kind of a bitch.”
“No,” He shook his head, his hair bouncing along. “You weren’t a bitch. You were honest. And it didn’t kind of hurt, but at the same time, it was refreshing. Not many people just give it to me straight, you know? Sometimes I feel like people are walking on eggshells around me so much and I just like it when people are just straightforward and honest.”
“Right,” you shook your head. He really was an idiot. You didn’t know how to talk to him. “So this isn’t just some plot to get me alone so you can murder me?”
“Nah,” Steve shrugged, flashing you a thin-lipped smile. “I just wanted to hang out with you. Yesterday made me realize how much I missed. How much I missed and how much I missed you.”
“Missed me?” You repeated, feeling your heart start to thud. “That’s dumb. You didn’t miss me. We were just kids then.”
“You were my best friend for like ten years, Y/N,” Steve said. “I missed you. Yeah. I did. Deal with it.”
The rest of breakfast was catching up. He told you how he got into basketball and asked you questions about the school newspaper and what you were interested in. He said what he was interested in and talked about his breakup with Nancy and how it never actually happened. She’d never even said anything to him about it, just started dating Jonathan like nothing even happened with Steve. You felt bad for him, but he seemed like he was alright now. He was laughing and making jokes and being a goofball. And you started to agree with him - you missed him. And that scared the shit out of you.
