#stephen sanchez

You had stared in shock at the grotesque image that fateful night on the start of Spring Break, before you had bolted out the door and dry heaved into the grass.

You had stumbled back inside the trailer somehow to get to the phone. You had called your Uncle Wayne before the police; in a panic about what to do. He had told you to get the hell out of there after calling the cops and to wait for him to get out of work to talk to any of them.

A neighbor had graciously allowed you and your Uncle to stay with them that night. The next day when Wayne went down to the station for some further questioning about Eddie’s whereabouts, Steve and his gaggle of friends had shown up to the trailer park. They were looking for you upon your brother's request, who was now on the run from the law; and you had seen the look of quiet interest in Steve’s eyes for you.

Given that you were Eddie “The Freak” Munson’s younger sister, boys rarely looked at you. They looped you in with your brother’s ridiculous reputation. While you loved him fiercely, you couldn’t help but wonder what your social life would look like if you weren’t associated with him by default. You often found yourself being looked down upon with disdain, or the butt of some joke from ignorant jocks.

Which meant you ignored the looks Steve was giving you at the time, and threw yourself into the nightmare you had found yourself in. You surely thought things couldn’t get any worse after watching Max being lifted into the air, bones cracking, and hearing Lucas’ screams for her. You were proven wrong when Steve had dragged Eddie’s body into the stolen RV.

You had felt like you were in a trance watching the scene unfold in front of you. Dustin was sobbing uncontrollably, and Nancy and Robin were trying to press blood soaked fabric to the wounds on your brother’s body. You had watched helplessly, wordlessly, unmoving as your brother just barely clung to life.

“I need you to snap out of it,” Suddenly, hands were gripping softly at your neck. It was Steve, leaving behind bloodstains on your skin, forcing you to look at him.

“We need to get him to the hospital now. You need to pull it together and be there for him. We need you. You can’t quit on me now, Sunshine,” Steve had said urgently to you, calling you that sweet nickname that had slipped from his lips the moment he met you; he hadn’t stopped calling you it since.

Steve’s firm tone had caused you to get a move on, doing what you could to keep Eddie breathing.

In the aftermath of the chaos, the doctors by some miracle had managed to stabilize Eddie, and you were left behind in the waiting room of Hawkins Memorial.

Steve hadn’t left your side the whole time, sitting in the chair next to yours. He had a hand planted steadily on the top of your knee, sensing the touch was helping you stay calm despite the situation.

He had tried taking his hand away at one point, and you had clamped your hand down onto his so tightly that Steve knew it might leave behind bruises. But he didn't mind, willing to sacrifice his comfort, willing to be in some pain if it meant that you were okay.

As the night turned to day, you had finally looked at him, really looked for the first time; and saw that the look in his eyes as he stared back at you meant that you weren’t getting rid of Steve Harrington anytime soon.

****************************************************

“When are you going to put that man out of his misery?” Eddie asks you one day, interrupting the best part of the story you’re lost in.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” You hum out a reply, unwillingly looking up from your book.

“Harrington? You know, the dude who’s obsessed with you,” He quirks an eyebrow at you, plucking the book out of your hands.

You huff in annoyance at his antics, reaching up, trying to swipe the book back from him.

“It’s not like that between me and Steve,” You try to keep your tone even, the lie coming out smoothly. It was definitely like that, but you were a little afraid to admit that Steve was sweet on you. You had only ever been burned in the past, and it would be devastating if the same thing happened with Steve.

You swat at Eddie’s hands, and he finally lets the book fall into your lap.

“You sure he knows that? I mean, it’s pathetic, really, the way he follows you around like a little lost puppy dog,” Eddie smirks, taking a seat across from you. He kicks his feet up on the coffee table, pushing your own off and you roll your eyes at him.

The new trailer that the government had set your family up in was nicer than the last one. Though, if it were up to you, you’d be in a permanent home in Forrest Hills, milking the government for everything they had. After all, they owed it to your brother for letting him take the fall for the deaths last spring. Your Uncle Wayne on the other hand was just happy to have the two of you back home, and thankful that his nephew’s name was cleared.

Jim Hopper had to do some serious damage control when he came back from the dead to reverse Eddie’s image as a serial killer.

“Steve’s just a friend,” You emphasize, lying through your teeth and you both know it. You watch as Eddie crosses his arms in disbelief. The long sleeves he has on rise just a bit, and he winces slightly at the movement. The scaring he has is significant, and even though it’s been months, you know the deeper lacerations and new skin growing back still bothers him sometimes.

Eddie scoffs, “You realize the guy is totally whipped for you. I find it horribly disgusting now that I also consider him one of my good friends.”

“Seriously, Eddie. Give it a rest, will you? Steve doesn’t want me like that and he never will,” Your stubbornness gets in the way of your feelings.

“Mhmm sure, and I didn’t almost die last year,” He jokes, but you don’t find it funny. His self deprecation is still there, though it lands a little differently now after all that he’s been through.

“Sorry,” He winces at the look on your face, knowing how you feel about him saying shit like that, “It’s just, it’s a little depressing. Watching the two of you dance around your feelings for each other when you could be perfectly happy together.”

“And when did you become the love expert? Or, Cupid for that matter?” You stare at him, surprised that he’s pushing the subject like this.

“Well, since I almost died. It changes your perspective on things,” He shrugs, and you can tell he means it this time, not joking in the slightest.

“I also tried telling Steve that Nancy was in love with him, but clearly I was steering him in the wrong direction,” Eddie laughs a bit awkwardly.

You remember that conversation clearly, having been stuck in the middle of the group after going through the gate in Lover’s Lake. You weren’t quite friends with Nancy and Robin yet, but you didn’t want to walk alongside Steve and your brother either. You had taken one look at Steve’s shirtless body, at the trail of hair traveling below his navel, and you’d been plagued with thoughts about touching him there. You certainly didn’t need drool forming if you were stuck walking next to him, having to stare at his beautiful body.

Your brother was always a loud mouth, and it was easy to overhear him tell Steve to go after Nancy again. You knew it was stupid, but it stung. You had sort of thought Steve’s lingering eyes on you the past week had meant that he was intrigued by you. But what did you know? No one had ever expressed fascination towards you before.

The doorbell rings, shaking you from your thoughts. You hop off of the couch, starting to collect your things.

“Ah, speak of the devil himself,” Eddie grins at you, crossing his legs.

“He’s taking me to the bookstore, Eddie. In case you forgot, I don’t have a car,” You deadpan, starting to actually get a bit agitated that he won’t drop it.

“Uh huh,” He nods, “And tell me dear sister, is that before or after he takes you out for coffee, holding every door open for you, and calling you Sunshine?”

“Oh, fuck off,” You snap, pushing at his legs and slinging your bag over your shoulder.

“Have fun with Stevie,” Eddie tauntingly says as you head to the front door.

You open it, heart trilling nervously as you take in the sight of the man in front of you.

Everytime you look at him, you can’t help but believe that God has favorites, and he definitely took his time with Steve.

His pretty brown eyes meet yours, and it’s frustrating, really, how magnetic he is. Being in his presence was effortless. Not only was he insanely attractive, but he was sweet and charming, and albeit dorky sometimes, but it worked so easily on you.

“You ready, Sunshine?” Steve grins at you, tilting his head towards the Beamer parked in your front yard.

True to Eddie’s word, within the first five minutes of seeing Steve, he called you Sunshine, opened up the passenger door of his car for you, and already had your coffee order sitting in the cup holder.

You knew they were signs that Steve was interested in you, but it was hard to believe in them, when you didn’t have anything else to compare to.

****************************************************

“Remind me, what are we looking for this time?” Steve calls over to you from the aisle next to the one you’re in.

“I told you twice already, Kathleen Woodiwiss’ newest release,” You round the corner to show him an example of what her covers look like.

“And why can’t we ask someone for help again?” Steve whispers teasingly to you, watching as you become a bit shy at his words. Damn him. He knows the answer, but he’s just trying to get a rise out of you.

“Her work can be a bit, um, mature,” You force out, looking at him from under your lashes. Steve’s pink lips lift in a smile at that, and you can’t help but gaze at him as he cocks his head at you and leans closer.

“How mature are we talking here, Sunshine?” He’s so close that you feel the warmth of his breath in your space. You inhale deeply, and he smells like a mix of the coffee he’d had earlier, the mint he’d popped in his mouth afterwards, and the signature cologne he spritzed himself in. It makes your head fuzzy and your mouth water.

You force your eyes away from his lips, and stutter out, "Never, never mind that. I’m telling you Steve, she’s actually a really good author. Maybe you should give reading a try sometime. I mean, maybe not her books specifically, but I think you might like Larry McMurtry’s work.”

“Yeah, yeah, maybe,” Steve mumbles out, but he’s not really paying attention to your words. He's staring at your lips since he’d just caught you looking at his. He clears his throat and tries to change the topic.

“Tell me. Why do you like this author so much?” He asks, genuinely curious.

You shrug your shoulders, body turned back towards the shelves as you let your pointer finger trail the author’s last names, “She’s written some of the best romance I’ve ever read.”

“I mean, I get that, but wouldn’t you rather live out those experiences than just read about them?” Steve presses, leaning his back against the shelves, trying to get you to pay attention to him. He’s hoping you’ll pick up on the hint he’s trying to put out there.

“I suppose I would, but when you don’t have much experience, I guess it’s more enjoyable to read about instead. There’s less pressure,” You share honestly with him, casting your eyes back on him. He’s close again, and you see his eyebrows lifting in shock.

“What do you mean by that?” He asks you, confusion written all over his gorgeous face.

You laugh sarcastically, “You do know I’m a Munson, right? I’m not exactly desired after.”

Steve’s mouth drops open at that, incredulity evident in his expression. You’re a little flattered by it, but he can’t be serious, can he?

“Come on, Steve. You have to know that being Eddie’s sister means I don’t exactly have the same experiences that you have,” Your voice turns a little defensive.

“Are you telling me you’ve never-,” He starts, but you cut him off, growing tired of this embarrassing conversation.

“Never had a boyfriend? Never kissed anyone? God, Steve, not that it’s really any of your business but, yes. Well, I guess if you count kissing Daniel Davids in the 6th grade, but I don’t,” You grimace, turning around, walking further into the alcove at the end of the aisle. It’s a small area, tucked into the back of the store.

Steve follows you, hot on your heels.

“You haven’t kissed anyone since middle school, Sunshine?” He asks, voice mixed with enough skepticism to make you cringe.

“You don’t have to say it like that, Steve,” You snap, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

“Hey, woah, I’m not judging, Sunshine. I’m just a little surprised, is all,” Steve tells you gently, grabbing at your elbow to get you to face him again.

“Why? It’s not like you ever noticed me in high school,” You bite out, throat constricting tightly.

Steve visibly flinches at that, and you feel guilty for being snippy with him.

“I’m sorry, Steve. That was uncalled for,” You apologize and his hand that’s on your elbow slowly moves down and curls to the base of your back.

You swallow hard at the contact, eyes glancing around the store quickly, but no one’s around to see the intimate touch Steve’s just graced you with.

“Belive me, I was an idiot in high school, Sunshine. You wouldn’t have wanted me to,” Steve grins crookedly at you,

“Are you kidding me? Everyone wanted you to notice them. Even girls like me,” You whisper nervously, afraid of how he’ll react to your admission.

“And what about now? You want me to notice you still?” He whispers back, moving closer, crowding your space.

You gulp as you watch his eyes glance from your lips before flitting back to the stunned expression on your face. You’re not used to this type of attention on you; it’s startling, and you stumble back a bit until you hit the bookshelf behind you.

Steve follows you, one hand still pressed firmly to your lower back, the other shoots out to rest his arm on the shelf by your head, successfully caging you in between his arms. You let out a small high pitched noise at the movement, causing a grin to spread across Steve’s lips.

“Now?” You ask breathlessly, realizing you hadn’t answered his previous question. His nose skims the edge of your jaw, and he murmurs out a sound of encouragement, lips hovering over your skin.

“Use your words, honey,” He breathes out, the hand that was on your back slipping up to your neck, and he tilts your jaw up, trying to get you to look at him. The pet name is all you need to cave, crumbling like sand.

“I want you, Steve,” You pathetically whimper out, and at your words Steve’s pressing dizzying kisses along your jaw, traveling up to the base of your ear, and back down to your neck.

Steve gently knocks one of his knees against your thigh, and then proceeds to slot his leg between yours, pushing himself closer to you, and his lips continue to map your skin. When his mouth is just inches from yours, a flashback rears its ugly head to the front of your mind.

It’s Tommy Hagan, laughing in your face after he was close to kissing you at a party years ago.

You panic at the memory, and push at Steve’s chest, head turning swiftly so his lips miss yours, landing clumsily against your cheek. You desperately start to pull away from Steve’s hold, knowing you wouldn’t be able to handle his rejection. He lets go of you immediately, stepping back to give you space.

You bite down hard on your lip trying to stop tears, and the silence stretches heavily between the two of you.

“It’s okay if you changed your mind, I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for,” Steve says tenderly, and you want to die at how sweet his words are.

“It’s just, do you want me too? I need to know this isn’t a game to you,” You say timidly, your insecurities leaking out.

“You know I’m not like that, don’t you? I would never pretend with you,” Steve says, hurt laced in his voice that you’d believe otherwise.

You shake your head quickly, not wanting him to be upset, “I know you’re not like that, Steve. I’ve just never been someone’s first choice like this.”

Steve’s hands resume their earlier positions, and he looks intently at you, “Screw whoever made you feel less than that.”

You respond silently, hands slipping tentatively down to hold onto his trim waist. This time it’s you pulling him close, and Steve hesitantly tries again. He leans towards you, gaze dropping to your lips, getting closer to closing the gap between you two.

When his lips are just brushing yours, he confides quietly, “Just to be clear, I want you, Sunshine. I wanna know every part of you.”

Steve takes his time with you, in no rush, not wanting to scare you off. His lips move leisurely against yours, and he’s getting quite handsy; threading one hand through the hair at the back of your head, holding on tightly - the other now grips the back of your thigh.

Your heart is pounding, and you’re breathing unsteadily every time you break for a quick gasp of air; which Steve is reluctant to give you. Each time his lips part from yours, it’s not long before his mouth is back on you.

Steve is practically melting into you at this point, and you feel your body being pushed against the bookshelf. The grip he has on your thigh is strong enough to lightly lift your leg off the ground, and it dangerously brings your hips closer together each time he pulls a bit too hard.

Your own hands have moved from his waist, one finding purchase in the vest he’s wearing, the other thrown loosely over the back of his neck.

When Steve works your lips open, the feel of his tongue on yours has you gasping out a sound of desire. He responds with a delicious hum from the back of his own throat, the noise vibrating against you.

You can’t believe this is happening, and even though it’s not perfect because you haven’t kissed anyone like this before, it’s certainly bewitching kissing Steve Harrington. Your skin feels like it’s on fire, pooling from a place deep inside of you. You’re aching, and Steve’s like sweet relief.

You have a few mishaps; nose brushing too hard against his or your teeth clack occasionally, accidentally biting his bottom lip. You’d be embarrassed by it if Steve didn’t act like each mistake was the cutest damn thing he’d ever seen. He’d pull back just the slightest, and laugh affectionately, guiding you back to a rhythm.

“There you go, Sunshine,” He praises when you become a bit more confident at his assurance.

You’re sufficiently lightheaded, and when your head accidentally knocks back against the shelf, a book topples over, clattering to the ground. The noise alerts the lone cashier at the front of the store, and you and Steve stare wide eyed at each other at the sound of her footsteps.

“You might want to find another place to make out if you’re going to risk ruining the merchandise in the process,” The girl quips, shoving by you to grab the fallen book and gives the two of you a sharp look.

“And we also have cameras, by the way. It’s not like you’re in a public place or anything,” The cashier tells you bluntly, before turning her back and heading towards the front of the store.

You drop your mouth open at her words, and you worriedly turn to Steve. He’s got a similar look on his face, and when the two of you make eye contact, you’re suddenly both in a fit of giddy giggles at being caught.

Your forehead drops to the crook of his neck, “God, I can never show my face here again.”

“That’s definitely my fault, Sunshine,” Steve says a little bashfully.

“We should leave before we piss her off further,” You laugh, pulling your head back, seeing that Steve’s already looking at you with an expression of adoration. It causes your heart to kick, butterflies swarming in your stomach at being looked at in such an intimate way.

“Why? You already thinking of kissing me again?” He grins teasingly at you.

“It’s kind of hard not to, Harrington,” You smile back.

Steve’s eyes shine with delight, reaching out to cup your jaw, and presses his lips against yours once more. You get a little too excited at the press of him against you again, and you have to pull away when you realize you’re being just a bit too rough.

“Sorry,” You whisper out, but Steve just eases you back to him, taking the lead in showing you how to kiss him unhurriedly.

Steve exhales heavily when he breaks the kiss and gives you a devilish look when he says, “Don’t apologize, Sunshine. We’ll be experts in kissing each other in no time, I can promise you that.”

The two of you make a beeline for the exit after the cashier pretends to have a coughing fit, clearly on the verge of kicking you out.

“Eddie is going to lose it,” You say once you're on the sidewalk, suddenly remembering all the hell he was giving you earlier today.

“Oh, shit. You think he’ll be cool with us?” Steve says, stopping short at your words.

“He’s um, he’s got a bet going on with Dustin for when you’d make a move on me. So, yeah, I think he’ll be cool,” You confess to him.

“Those assholes,” Steve shakes his head in amusement, before throwing an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in to kiss the tip of your cheekbone.

You lean into his embrace, and find yourself nearly in hysterics again when the bookstore sign flips from open to closed by the girl inside, and glares at the two of you, making a show of locking the door.

"We should get out of here," Laughter bubbles out of you at the sight.

Steve puts your hand in his as he drags you to his car, “I’m sorry we left without getting what you wanted.”

You smile mischievously, “Believe me, I got exactly what I wanted.”