SIX NUGGET
DadSteve Harrington X Mom!fem!reader
Summary: Steve can finally take that trip with the love of his life and their six long-awaited children.
Words: 2.5K+
Warnings: Post ST5, six children, adorable and well-behaved kids, cute, romantic Steve is definitely a girl dad and of course a little boy dad, mentions of places in the United States, funny, family trip, Steve being a lovely and kind dad, I gave names and personalities to all the kids and I hope don't get lost hahaha.
Author: English is not my first language, so please excuse any spelling, grammar, and slang errors that may appear in the story. My profile is open for story requests: Formula 1 drivers, Eddie, and now Steve Harrington.
MASTERLIST
They grew up together amidst boring classes, impromptu meetings, and an intimacy that never needed to be explained aloud.
And when the world began to crumble with monsters hurtling through impossible crevices, they were already side by side.
At home, between battles, there were nights when exhaustion weighed more than fear: makeshift bandages on the kitchen table, nervous laughter at being alive once again, Steve pacing back and forth with that almost exaggerated care, as if he had been born to protect everything he loved.
It was the same during those chaotic days of 1984 and 1985 when Hawkins needed to be rescued. Again.
Steve was always attentive, always placing Y/n behind him without even realizing it, as if his body reacted before his mind. She observed this with a mixture of tenderness and disbelief, finding it curious how, amidst absurd creatures and shattering realities, Steve Harrington managed to seem so stable. So at home.
Hawkins and the children were in danger again.
It was 1986, and while he drove the trailer along roads that seemed too long, the crew was behind him, ready for another battle, and Y/n sat beside him. It was there, almost without warning, that Steve began to talk about the future. Their future.
He spoke of the six children with such naturalness that it seemed as if he already knew them. He talked about traveling across the United States on vacation, putting everyone in a trailer, spending a week on some California beach, and teaching the little Harringtons to surf, even though he himself wasn't very good at it.
Y/n laughed. Not because the dream was absurd—but because it was madness to imagine herself in the middle of that scenario. Steve had a paternal instinct stamped on his gaze and the way he cared. And her? She considered herself the least maternal person in all of Hawkins.
And then time passed.
They faced interdimensional monsters, traversed other worlds, and survived the kind of thing that should have broken anyone. And, surprisingly, life went on.
And as promised, one, two, three... SIX little Harringtons.
Each child arrived with their own light, their calm personalities, their laughter spreading throughout the house. Steve fit into that role as if it had been tailor-made for him: father of a girl.
But of course, he was also the father of a boy, who was kind, attentive, intelligent, and all his own.
That's when Y/n understood. The dream had never been just Steve's.
Amidst that noisy and unlikely family, between backpacks left in the hallway and tight hugs before bed, she realized that the future spoken of inside a trailer had become real, and having six Harringtons had become her dream too.
It was his happy dream.
Six little Harringtons...or seven, since she had the original one too.
At the moment, Steve was driving the trailer, Y/n was sitting beside him, legs crossed as she glanced at the map, and in the back, seated on the benches and around the table, were their six little children.
She let out a low laugh, remembering what Steve had said years ago. He glanced at her again, curious about the smile that kept appearing.
"You've been smiling for about five minutes... A few dollars for your thoughts, come on!" Steve leans in and gently pats her thigh.
Y/n chuckled softly, first shaking her head, then turning slightly around, observing the six little ones scattered around the trailer. Backpacks on the floor, snacks on the table, endless strands of hair, and smiles on their faces. The whole scene seemed too peaceful to be real.
She turned her gaze to Steve.
"I was remembering something you said. Years ago, in a trailer very similar to this one..."
Steve frowned slightly, alternating his gaze between the road and her. "Hm... that sounds dangerous."
Y/n to them.
"You said you were going to have six children. That you were going to put them all in a trailer and go traveling across the United States. We'd arrive at a beach in California and you'd teach them how to surf."
He smiled slowly, proudly. "And I was absolutely right."
"You seemed so self-assured." Y/n smiled. "And I thought you'd lost touch with reality."
"I prefer to call it a vision for the future," Steve replied. "I've always been a guy ahead of my time."
Y/n let out a loud, amused laugh, making the children look at her for a moment. She rested her head on the backrest, still smiling at her husband.
"And now look at you. Driving a trailer, six kids in the back, map in my lap... It's almost like you planned it all."
"I planned it!" Steve replied, serious for a split second. Then he smiled. "I just didn't plan how much you'd tease me about it."
"Stop it, I'm not teasing you!" She throws the map at him and he laughs. "I'm just saying that I love all of this and that I'm happy it's becoming a reality."
Y/n smiled and Steve exchanged a loving glance. Before he could respond, the voices behind them began to overlap, several attempts to speak at the same time, the volume gradually increasing. Steve looked up at the rearview mirror.
"Okay, who's starting a rebellion back there?" Steve asked, but no one paid any attention, which made Y/n chuckle softly.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Anne, the oldest, clapped her hands firmly, immediately drawing her siblings' attention. "One at a time. There are so many of us! Let Martin speak first. He's the only boy."
Steve and Y/n exchanged a knowing look, smiling.
"Hey!" Martin complained immediately, crossing his arms, but smiled knowing it was important enough for his sisters to make him say his idea first.
Steve tilted his head slightly, smiled, and looked at his wife.
"The guy is outnumbered and still gets priority," Steve said, and Y/n laughed again.
Martin glanced at his father in the rearview mirror, and Steve smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
"That's exactly it, my boy!" Steve replied. "Being the only boy among five girls is like... a superpower."
Martin nodded and went back to talking to his sisters. Y/n laughed, putting her hand to her forehead. While they listened to the children's chatter and little ideas in the back, Steve smiled to himself, completely full of himself and with love in his heart.
Anne was the oldest and this was reflected in the calm way she observed everything around her. She had a natural sense of responsibility, attentive, as if she were always making sure that balance was maintained.
Stella and Harper, the twins, were more alike in their tranquility than in their appearance: one always more reflective, the other more curious, but both with that silent connection that needed no words.
Mabel had a constant sweetness, the kind of child who seemed to transform any environment just by being there, always nearby, always present.
Martin was affectionate, proud of his unique place among his sisters, but gentle, caring, as if he instinctively understood that strength had nothing to do with noise. And of course, he was his mother's little boy.
Ivy, the youngest at 4 years old, observed everything with attentive eyes, quiet, secure, comfortable in her own world, as if the entire trailer were her favorite place on the planet.
Y/n looked back once more, feeling the good weight of that scene. Six little Harringtons. And, in the front seat, the first of them. Steve, focused on the road, smiling like someone who always knew exactly where he wanted to go.
And then, suddenly, she felt something gently tugging at the sleeve of her coat. She looked to the side and there was her youngest daughter, with curly brown hair, chocolate-colored eyes, and a smile identical to her father's.
"Hi, honey. Is something wrong?" Y/n asks sweetly, adjusting the hair clip in her daughter's hair.
Ivy shakes her head. "No, I just wanted to ask if it's much further from California."
Steve and Y/n looked at each other and smiled.
"Honey, we've been in California for about six hours now," Steve replies, looking at his daughter, whose eyes widen.
"Are you sure? Where's the beach?"
Y/n laughed and Steve too.
"Honey, not all of California is made up of beaches. And it takes a while to get there, but it's not far, okay?"
Ivy nods and leaves, but then two identical heads appear right behind his seat.
"How little, Dad? Hours or minutes?" Harper asks, and Stella nods in agreement.
Steve looks at them and smiles, ruffling their hair, making them laugh.
"Mom, look what Dad did!" Stella approaches and her mother fixes her hair.
"Almost there, Harper. I think about 40 minutes until we reach the first beach."
"Wow, we're almost there!" she says excitedly, and Steve laughs. "Thank you, Dad!" She kisses his cheek and goes back to her seat, which makes Steve smile.
But of course, it didn't stop there. There were still children to ask their questions. The next one to approach was Mabel, who was trying to tie her bracelet on her wrist, but couldn't.
"Dad, can you help me?" She approaches Steve. "Oh, sorry, I forgot you were driving..." Mabel smiles shyly and approaches her mother, which makes Steve laugh loudly.
"That's alright, next time daddy will help you. Okay?"
Mabel smiles and nods. "Are we there yet?"
Steve nods. "Yes, a few more minutes."
"Great!" Mabel smiles and then leaves.
And then Anne appears, leaning against her mother, making Y/n smile and fix her hair as well.
"Something on that little head of yours?" Y/n asks, and Anne shakes her head.
"No, I just have a bit of a headache..."
Y/n nods, then opens the glove compartment, takes out the medicine bag, and hands a pill and a bottle of water to her older daughter.
"Here, sweetie, have a drink and lie down for a bit. We're almost there," Y/n said, already anticipating the answer to the question she knew was coming.
"Thank you, Mom!" She kisses Y/n's cheek and leaves.
And then, the last one appears, smiling as he places a hand on his mother's shoulder and looks at the road with a manly posture.
"Ah, there's my boy!" Steve smiles and Martin puffs out his chest, cute and theatrical, making his parents laugh. "I know your question, champ!"
Martin stares at his father, his eyes wide. "You know?"
Steve smiles, nodding. "You're going to ask how long it will take us to get there."
Martin's eyes widened even more. "How did you know?"
"Hmm, fatherly instinct."
Steve smiled and Y/n let out a little laugh beside her. The truth was that every half hour, that same question was repeated six times, each time with different tones and childish voices. And it was always the same answer from Steve: calm, sweet, and gentle. He wouldn't trade it for anything, even if it meant answering the same question six times.
"How long?" Martin asks, and Y/n smiles.
"About 40... 30 minutes." Steve replies, looking at his son and pulling his baseball cap down, making him laugh and adjust it.
"We're pretty close."
Y/n and Steve nod. Martin then approaches his mother, gently nudging her arm.
"Mommy, can we have cake?"
Y/n agrees with a smile. "Sure, let's go, little nuggets."
She gets up and then automatically everyone knows it's snack time. Again. And then each one gets a piece of cake, while they talk over each other about the last prank they played.
Steve watches the scene in the rearview mirror and out of the corner of his eye, feeling an immense warmth in his chest.
He watches Y/n move gracefully through the cramped space of the trailer, balancing the cake plates while the children surround her. His gaze upon her is filled with quiet adoration; he notices the patience with which she listens to their confused stories and the way her face lights up with the children's laughter.
For Steve, she is the center of gravity of it all. He feels like the luckiest man in the world for having transformed that rough draft of a dream into such a vibrant and lively reality.
Time passed, and they were getting closer and closer to their destination.
As soon as they arrived, there was no need to even warn them, since Ivy was the first to notice the sea through the window.
"LOOK AT THE SEA AND THE SAND!" She shouts, making the rest of her siblings come closer to her at the window and look at the scenery.
The trailer was parked at the edge of the beach, and Steve began handing out surfboards to each of his sons. He spoke calmly, explaining the details of positioning, how to paddle, when to balance, giving small demonstrations and, of course, explaining the dangers of getting out.
The children listened attentively, each trying to absorb everything their father said, looking at him with that mixture of concentration and excitement.
Anne, the eldest, tried to imitate the movements even before stepping into the water, while Stella and Harper watched their sister and tried to copy her, giggling softly at each attempt.
Mabel moved closer, absorbing every word, mentally repeating the steps. Martin tried to imitate his father's mannerisms with that amusing seriousness of a boy who was the only one among so many sisters, but he and Mabel found it too difficult and decided to play with the ball.
Ivy, for her part, was busy on the sand, not interested in surfing. Her small hands were shaping castles, delicately placing shells on the towers, completely absorbed in her own world.
Y/n remained on the sand, sitting on a towel, observing the scene with a tender smile. It was impossible not to get lost in that picture: Steve in the center, giving attention and care, ensuring that no child was left behind, that each one was safe and happy.
After a while, he approached and sat down beside her on the sand. Y/n rested her head on Steve's broad shoulder. He didn't need to say anything; he simply felt the sweet weight of her presence, the familiar warmth that filled the space between them, while still keeping his eyes on the children and a hand caressing her back.
Suddenly, a strong wave came and hit Anne, Harper, and Stella, who were surfing, knocking them all into the water at once.
"MERCY!" Steve cried out in despair, his eyes wide with worry.
He quickly stood up and started running towards the girls, while Y/n laughed at her husband's dramatic expression. Before he could reach them, they gave him a thumbs-up, laughing uncontrollably as they reached the sand.
Steve stopped, placing his hands on his knees and panting, and Y/n couldn't help but laugh louder. Ivy, who was nearby, looked at him, smiling with those big, chocolate-colored eyes.
"Daddy, let's play sandcastle?"
"That's it, sandcastle..." Steve nodded, raising his arms in a gesture of general command. "RIGHT! EVERYONE PLAYING IN THE SAND HERE NEAR IVY! NO MORE SCARES IN THE WATER!"
Anne and the twins laughed, running out of the water and back onto the sand, while Steve looked at each child, making sure they were all safe, all the while Y/n laughed and moved closer to them.
