#steve's problem

“I know you’re all just so upset about not getting paid out, but I would like to remind you that Steve wants six kids, so-“

“Not anymore,” Steve says, trying to find the walkie that’s probably shoved between diaper boxes. Dustin had gotten upset that you and Steve never responded, which made Steve and Dustin get in a fight about how Steve had a newborn and can’t always take the calls about stupid shit. 

Because the truth was, Oliver had been a nightmare for you and Steve. He didn’t sleep, he was having a hard time latching, and James decided he was going to become an absolute menace. You were able to take a break from the diner, but you couldn’t afford childcare so you were sure you weren’t going back. Steve did his best when he came home, but he had gotten a new job that he absolutely hated but made more money. And he had been torn apart by watching you in labor. He wasn’t sure how anyone ever did it more than once, and he sure as hell didn’t want you to go through it again.

“There’s always next time!” Dustin is so gleeful that you think you are going to just punch the kid when you see him again. 

“Shut up!” Lucas yells into the walkie, and you can’t help but agree. You’re still trying to get Oliver to just eat a little bit so you can put him down and get ready. You’re supposed to be going to the Wheeler’s tonight for Thanksgiving, but at this point you want to tell Steve to just tell everyone you’re not coming. You’re exhausted, could fall asleep now if you tried, and you can’t even remember the last time you showered. Everything feels like a monumental task, and you have to keep your kids alive too. Not to mention the laundry, cleaning the house, cooking. You could have never managed your family in the trailer, but at least it was easier to clean everything. 

“You’re just mad because-“ Finally Steve finds the walkie, and through some sort of divine self control he does not throw it to the ground and crush it under his feet. He takes out the batteries and puts them on a high shelf, because James wants to eat everything, then takes a deep breath. 

“What have we gotten ourselves into.” Steve asks softly, hand over his eyes, and you wonder if he already has a migraine. Oliver finally latches, and you could cry in relief. You lean back in your chair, and of course James runs through, screaming at the top of his lungs. Steve grabs him and lifts him up, and you smile as they are the exact opposite of each other - Steve with no shirt, James with no pants. 

“It’s time for you to get a bath.” Steve says, and James pouts. 

“No!” He yells, and Steve raises his eyebrows. You frown, because of course your son has decided to throw a fit now. He’s got the ‘terrible two’ energy for sure.

“Yes. Unless you want to go see Max all stinky.” You smile a little at this; you discovered recently that James has a huge crush on Max, and you and Steve definitely use this to your advantage to get him to do anything. 

“Okay.” James grumbles, and the two of them head to the bathroom so James can get cleaned up. Once Oliver is done eating they’ll give him a little bath too, but finally he’s calm and you feel a little at peace. 

You enjoy the silence for as long as you can, until Oliver moves his head and decides he’s done. You can hear Steve in the back, talking and singing to James. You hear him get out of the tub, and you take Oliver to the back so you can start a bath for him too. 

But Steve has already done almost everything, set up the baby bath and ran a small bit of water. You almost cry with the three month old in your arms, and try to pull yourself together. If you start crying now, you think you may never stop crying. 

~

On the way to the Wheeler’s, your heart starts to race. The boys are quiet; they love being in the car and driving around. But you haven’t hung out with your friends since you had Oliver, and when you met them James had been much older. You were way better adjusted. What would happen when you showed up and looked a mess? 

“Hey,” Steve put a hand on your thigh, eyes still focused on the road even if it was clear his attention was now on you. “What’s goin’ on?” He asks softly, as if he’ll break the spell that keeps the boys entertained. As if anything could do that when they’re in the car. 

“Nothing.” You smile and grab his hand, because you do not want him to know that you’re struggling. This is your second time, you’re supposed to have it together. And Steve has been such a champ, working and being an amazing dad, and you can barely handle being a mom. 

“I know it’s not nothing.” He looks at you when he stops at a red light, and you know he’s seeing right through you. 

“I’m just thinking.” You shrug, as if it’s no big deal. Steve frowns. 

“About what?” 

“About how your light is green.” You smile as he jolts, the car behind you honking. He moves forward, his attention once more divided. 

“You know you can always talk to me. I am always here for you. I mean, we have two kids, I don’t think anything is off the table anymore.” He says, and you feel marginally better at this. Of course Steve will always be there for you. He was there through the late nights with James. He lived in the trailer with you. He didn’t leave when things got rough with Oliver, and he’s not leaving now. 

“I love you.” You tell him, heart almost exploding with emotion. He grabs your hand, squeezing it. 

“I love you too.” 

~

“Steve and Y/N, do you copy?” Dustin asks through the walkie, even though he knows that at this point if you haven’t responded you either aren’t home or you took the batteries out of your walkie. Dustin thought he had hid it well last time, but maybe you went through diapers faster than he thought. 

“Dude, why don’t you just call them? They have a phone now.” Mike says. Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin have all said that no drinks will be opened until Steve and Y/N get here. And once they get here, the kids will be in charge of James, because apparently he has been driving his parents insane. 

“They never answer.” Dustin shrugs, and Will rolls his eyes. Dustin had requested his mom have Thanksgiving lunch instead of dinner, since it was just the two of them, and Lucas would be joining as soon as the dinner was over (even if he had to sneak out).

“They’re probably on their way.” He says, being rational when Dustin didn’t want to. 

“I doubt anyone would notice if we took a beer.” Mike tells them, and they all turn to see the adults standing around the drinks. 

“I think they might notice.” Dustin says, and Mike mocks his face, annoyed at being treated as a child after all this time. They’re all almost old enough to drink, but the adults don’t care about that at all. 

“They have two kids. Maybe they deserve the first drink.” Will pipes in again, and Dustin screws up his face. 

“That was their choice! I didn’t chose to be the babysitter.” He argues, and Mike can’t contain his laugh. 

“I think Steve said the same thing about you.” Before Dustin can argue back and start a fight, you and Steve are coming through the door. 

“Fucking finally.” Dustin says, heading to the drinks when the adults begin to crowd around. 

“Oh, he’s getting so big!” Nancy croons as she looks at Oliver, and you give a small smile. Steve had entertained both the boys while you got ready, and you feel more like yourself than you have since you had Oliver. 

“James!” Max says from behind Robin, and James lights up, immediately pulling himself from Steve’s hand and going toward her. You follow everyone into the Wheeler’s house, and put Oliver’s carrier down. Just as you’re about to crouch, back aching, Steve puts his hands on your shoulders and starts massaging. It feels so nice you straighten, leaning into the touch and closing your eyes. 

“I got him.” Steve tells you, and you nod, turning and giving him a brief kiss before almost running right into Joyce and Karen. 

“You look so amazing,” Joyce tells you, her voice laced with sincerity that makes you want to cry. 

“Here’s a drink.” Karen holds out a cup for you, and you stare at it for a moment, confused. You’ve never even met Karen, but she seems very nice.

“I’m breastfeeding.” You tell them, pushing the drink away slightly with a frown. 

“Well, don’t feel pressured, but we got you formula. In case you wanted a night for yourself.” Karen’s words rattle in your head, and you blink as you take this in. Joyce, who you’ve met a handful of times, and Karen, who you have never met before tonight. They did this for you and your baby.

“Okay,” You accept the drink, because you have no idea how to ask them why they would this for you. Why they would go to all this trouble. “Thank you.” You say, and they both smile, genuine, big smiles. 

“Y/N!” Robin calls, and you turn to see an open spot on the couch between her and Robin. You’re frozen for a moment, but your eyes meet Steve’s and everything melts away. He’s smiling, holding Oliver like he was put on this Earth to do that. He winks at you, and that’s all you need to walk to the couch and sit between the girls. 

“So, how’s life with a baby and a helper? Better than last time, I’d imagine.” Robin just jumps right in, and you take a large gulp of your drink, because you do not want to explain to your friends that it’s actually so much harder, that you barely even talk to Steve and you’re still worried he thinks he dived in a little too fast. 

“Oliver is much different than James was.” You land on, looking at the baby in Steve’s arms. He’s asleep now, thankfully, because if he wasn’t he would be crazy. He doesn’t like sitting still, and he loves to scream at everything. 

“How so?” Nancy asks, and you sigh. 

“I’m lucky. James was such a calm baby. He was okay as long as he was near me. But I feel so out of my depth with Oliver.” You tell them, and they nod, as if they understand this. 

“You know we’ve been waiting on your call to come help you.” Nancy tells you, and you snap your head over to her. 

“What?” You ask, searching her face. She’s genuinely smiling at you, and you’re confused all over again. 

“Did you think that we lied to you in the hospital?” Robin asks, and you vaguely remember them promising to come help you out whenever you need right after you had given birth. You frown, trying to force out a laugh. 

“Well, yeah, but everyone offers that stuff. I didn’t think that you guys would actually want to come spend your days off with two screaming children.” You tell them honestly. Nancy grabs your hand and you turn back to her. 

“We meant that shit. If you need us to hold the baby and watch James while you and Steve sleep, we’re there. If you want to hold the baby, we can do laundry or the dishes or anything you need. We are here for you.” She tells you, and Robin puts a hand on your knee in solidarity. 

“I-I don’t know what to say.” You admit, tears pooling in your eyes. 

“You don’t have to say anything right now. You just have to call us when you need us.” Robin leans in, holding you close, and Nancy does the same. 

“I’ve never had friends like this.” You whisper, letting one tear fall as you take a deep breath, the girls still keeping their arms around you. 

“You do now.” Nancy tells you, and you fully believe her. Because her mother just gave you a drink and made sure that your baby would be taken care of. And right now, as you fight back tears, you’re watching Joyce and Karen offer to take Oliver and feed him, a full bottle already made and it’s too much. 

“I can do that.” You pull away from the girls, throat so close to being too tight to speak. You watch as the two mothers turn to you, frowns mirroring on their faces. 

“We know you can,” Karen says softly, and you blink confusedly. “But you don’t have to. You can relax, at least for tonight. We raised five kids between us, we can handle one for a couple hours.” She smiles, and you can’t help the tear that falls down your face as you stare at them.

“Babe, are you okay?” Steve stands, hand going to your back. You can’t even nod, because you have never been treated with this much love and respect. You don’t know what to do with it. 

“You can feed him, if you want. We won’t kidnap your baby.” Joyce says with a hesitant smile, and you shake your head, because you truly do want a break. The kids are all playing with James, despite the drinks in their hands, and you, for the first time in you don’t know how long, have nothing to do. 

“The winner has arrived! And he brought pie.” Eddie yells as he comes through the door, and the kids all yell, which worries you for a second that James will get startled. But he joins in on the screaming, and when Oliver starts fussing Karen puts the bottle to his lips and he calms immediately. You’re a little lost, so you down your drink and then let Steve lead you over to the front of the house to get another one. 

“Are you alright?” Steve asks again, and you nod as you refill your drink. You take a long gulp, then look at him. 

“I have never had this kind of support.” You tell him, and you watch as his face crumples. 

“I didn’t have it for a long time. You know about my parents,” He trails off, and you lean against the table, reaching your free hand out to touch his face. “The fact that we have it now,” He doesn’t finish this sentence either, and you nod, letting him lean his forehead toward your own. The two of you stand like that, enjoying your first moment without the kids screaming at you since Oliver was born. There are still the sounds of The Party arguing, Eddie telling the others about his pie and Karen cooing over Oliver. It all seems to be outside of your bubble and in slow motion, and you lean your chin up to press your lips together. You’ve missed this kind of kiss, the kind that wasn’t a hello or goodbye but just because, an I-love-you-so-much-I-can’t-contain-myself kiss. It’s glorious, everything you’ve been missing, and you press your body closer to Steve as he puts his hand on your hip. 

“Oh my God, you guys live together! Pack it up!” Dustin cries, and as you part slowly from Steve you almost turn to hit Dustin. 

“Dustin! What is your damage?” Robin smacks his shoulder, and he at least has the decency to flinch. 

“What? I don’t want to see that all night. And they’re scarring poor James.” You look over to see James happily playing with his favorite person, Max, and you feel more irrational anger build up. 

“Can you not just leave us alone for three goddamn seconds?” Steve asks, and Dustin rolls his eyes. 

“Fine. We can do the cashout now and leave you alone, I guess.” He pulls out his wallet, filled with cash from the babypool, and you scoff. 

“That still has to do with us! Ya know, considering we’re the ones who made the thing you bet on.” You take a long drink of whatever’s in your cup, trying to calm yourself down. 

“Should have entered it then.” Dustin shrugs, then walks over to Max. You inhale sharply, about to tell off the little punk, but then Steve’s hands are back on your shoulders, massaging them so smoothly that you have no choice but to relax into his touch. 

“He’s not worth it, babe. Trust me, he’ll never see the light.” Steve tells you, and you manage a small laugh before turning in his arms, letting him hold you. 

“Do you think we’ll win the Babypool next time?” You whisper, face resting against his chest as his hands gently rub up and down your back. He pauses as you talk, freezing. 

“Next time?” He mutters, pulling back to look down at you without separating. You blink slowly, feeling the alcohol - you haven’t had any in over a year. 

“What happened to your six nuggets?” You ask, and Steve melts a little in your arms. 

“I thought we had our hands full with two.” He tells you, and you shrug as you lean up and kiss him again. 

“We do. But maybe we can lean on our support system a little more.” You look around at the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, playing with James, and the moms fawning over Oliver. When you look back, Steve is smiling, eyes watery in a way that scares you slightly. “What? Do you not want more kids?” You guess, pulling away. But Steve holds on tight, shaking his head. 

“You’re back.” He whispers, hands gripping you tightly. You frown, confused. 

“What does that mean?” 

“After you had Ollie, I was so worried you were never going to escape your head again. I didn’t know how to help you. But now you want more kids, which, we need to seriously talk about, because I don’t know if I can watch you go through that again, babe-“ You just pull him close, putting your head against his chest and holding him tight. Maybe you had retreated in on yourself after Oliver, but you had Steve to fall back on. And you are so thankful for that. 

“It’ll be okay.” You tell him, and ofr the first time ever, you well and truly believe that. 

And then Oliver cries. 

You pull away, going to him as Joyce and Karen try to calm him down. “It’s okay, don’t you worry,” They’re telling you, but you can’t help the way your heart is lurching with every cry that comes out of Oliver’s mouth. 

“It’s okay, thank you guys for taking him this long.” You smile, and they smile back, handing over your baby. Steve his behind you, one hand on your back. You turn to him, feeling lighter than you have in  awhile but still worn down. “I’m gonna take him to a quiet room.” You say, and Karen jumps forward. 

“The guest room is right over there, on the first floor.” She smiles, and you nod, thanking her again. Steve rubs your back as you move away, keeping his steps in time with yours. 

“Should I stay with you?” He asks, and you shrug. 

“You don’t have to. You can go hang out.” You don’t want to make Steve stay with you; you’re used to these sort of things. Missing out because your son is overstimulated, or because you need to feed him or he needs a nap. 

“Hey, he’s my son too. I’ll be there.” Steve opens the door to the guest room for you, and you go in completely shocked still that you aren’t alone. How you keep forgetting, you have no idea, but every time it shocks you how many people care about you, care about your sons. 

“So, another baby.” Steve says as you put Oliver on the bed. You realize you don’t have a bottle, and you can’t breastfeed because you’ve been drinking. Just as you turn around, Steve is there, holding the bottle with a smile. You take it, relieved, and sit next to Ollie as you place the bottle in his mouth. He’s too little to hold it up, but he tries, his little hands grasping greedily at it. You smile, then look back at Steve and remember what he had just said.

“Do you still want more kids?” You ask, looking back at Oliver. If you’re being honest, you don’t know if you want more kids. If Steve had asked you this morning, you would have told him to sleep on the couch until further notice. But you needed this reminder of your support system, of Steve’s love and devotion, to put things in perspective for you. 

"You scared me with Ollie, I won’t lie.” Steve chuckles, sitting down on the other side. He looks so much like Steve, but his nose has the same little curve as James’. His mouth has the same smile. His eyebrows curve the same way. It makes your chest tight, to realize that you hadn’t completely messed your life up with one mistake. You may have even improved it. “But that dream of six kids, of having a basketball team with just our family and going camping every summer? I can’t say it’s dimmed just because Ollie has a set of lungs.” You chuckle, smiling at your son who kicks his legs as if he can understand. “It’s ultimately up to you, though. I would never put you through something you don’t want to go through.” Warmth rushes through you at this, and you breathe deeply as you think about what exactly you’re going to tell Steve. It’s quiet in the room, the only sound Oliver’s suckling, and you finally look up. 

“I think you would be a great girl dad.” You say quietly, and watch as Steve’s eyes widen slowly. 

“Can I be honest?” Steve whispers, and you nod, heart racing at the revelations revealed today. Not everything will change, and it won’t be sudden. But you know you need to rely on others more, and you intend to do just that to get Baby #3 on the way. “Can we start right now? Because you’ve never looked hotter.” He says it so sincerely, and you laugh even as your cheeks heat. You lean over Oliver, just like you leaned over James the first time you kissed. And when you think about it, you’re pretty sure it was in this house, in this room. How insane time is. 

~

After dinner is served, and Steve had gotten you a plate so you could eat alone for the first time since you had Oliver. Karen and Joyce had taken him back, and then Robin and Nancy had taken him while the moms ate. Steve had fed James, who was starting to get tired. So tired, in fact, that not even Max’s premise could keep him from going off the edge. He was done, and it was about to be everyone’s problem. 

“I think we’re going to head out.” You tell Nancy and Robin, taking Oliver back. They frown, standing up to hug you. 

“My mom loves Oliver so much. Please use this to our advantage and have her watch him so we can go out soon.” She says, and you smile. You need to go out with them desperately, to have time away from the kids, and you’re going to do this before you and Steve have another kid. 

“Also,” Robin starts, grabbing your shoulders. “We need to talk about the wedding. I know you’ve been busy, but we know that you want to get married before you have any more kids. So, that needs to be soon.” She smiles, as if she can see right through you, and you chuckle, thanking them both. 

“I promise, we will go out more. And if I ever need any help, I know exactly who to call.” You grin as they both hug you around Oliver, and you feel so full you could practically burst. 

You and Steve say the rest of your goodbyes, until you finally get to the door, where Karen and Joyce are waiting with hands full of food containers. 

“These are for you guys.” Karen smiles, and you can only blink. 

“We can help take them to your car.” Joyce says when neither you nor Steve answer. Steve nods, and he carries James as you carry Oliver to the car. He puts James in, then takes Oliver from you. You turn to Joyce and Karen, confusion still running through your mind.

“Why are you guys doing all this for me?” You ask, watching their faces fall slightly. They had bought formula, and taken care of your baby, and now they’re giving you their food. You didn’t deserve any of this. 

“Honey,” Joyce says, putting the containers on the ground. Karen follows, the two of them stepping closer to you. “This is what mothers do for their daughters.” She says it so simply, so matter of fact. Like there is no question, no arguing. 

You burst into tears, right there in front of the Wheeler house on Thanksgiving.

//

"Oh," Eddie doesn't know what to say, this much is obvious. She knew that he wouldn't be the greatest comfort, but he is her only option. "Are you happy about this?" He seems more awake as he closes the door, and she pushes a hand to her forehead.

"I don't know." She whispers, finally letting all her emotions rise to the surface. "I love Steve, and I love James, but I'm so afraid." She feels the tears fall, knows Eddie is freaking out now.

"Steve doesn't know?" He asks, and she shakes her head, breath hitching as emotion swells in her throat.

"When I told Henry I was pregnant with James, he told me there was no way he could be the father. He called me a whore. He said I was lying when I pleaded with him, told him he was the only person I'd ever been with," The memory is almost too much, as she remembers her mother crying and shaking her head in disappointment, her father yelling that she had five minutes to grab what she needed and leave. She sees Henry sometimes, when he comes home for the holidays from his fancy job in the city, but he acts like he doesn't know her. She thinks it hurts worse than if he had looked at her with disgust.

"Y/N," Eddie goes quiet, walking forward to put his hands on her shoulders. "Steve isn't like that. He loves kids. He loves James like his own. He wants a lot of babies, trust me. He'll be happy about this." She knows Eddie's telling the truth, but the tears won't stop.

"I don't know what I'd do if he left." Y/N whispers, because she hasn't known Steve for long but she knows she can't go back to not knowing him. She loved Henry, but her love for Steve is different. Steve is a man in every sense of the word, someone who takes care of her and her baby and she knows he was trying to keep it a surprise but he's saving money to move out. She knows he'll be happy about a baby.

But her brain still replays the creation she's imagined of him looking at her in disgust, of not wanting a baby of his own, of leaving her and going back to his parents.

"If that happens, which is won't, then I'll move in and marry you and we can pretend it's my kid. You may have to go through the heartbreak, but you'll survive it. The town won't know the difference, and you won't be alone. I promise." Eddie pulls her into his chest, and she smiles slightly through her cries.

"But Eddie, you're gay." She says into his shirt, and he just shushes her while petting her hair as she laughs.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not in love with me then, isn't it." He pulls away, wiping her face.

"What about James? If Steve leaves, he'll be so confused." She cries, fresh tears falling. Eddie sighs.

"Steve isn't going to leave. And I think you know that too." And she does. She's glad she went to him.

But she still doesn't tell Steve right away.

~

The first time there's a party, Y/N knows she can't show up without alcohol. So she brings margaritas, hopes she can grab some water behind everyone's back, and tries to still her racing heart as she enters Jonathan and Nancy's new place. Max is watching James for the night, and Y/N knows this is the perfect time to tell Steve. But she doesn't have the nerve on the drive to the party, and she doesn't want to think about if it goes bad and she has to go through this party not knowing where her and Steve stand.

And she hasn't confirmed that she's pregnant, just that she's missed two periods.

She pours herself a margarita with a smile, cheers, then goes to the kitchen without drinking the actual alcohol and pouring it down the drain. She's about to start refilling it with water when someone sneaks up on her.

"What're you doing?" Robin is at the door, frowning as she watches Y/N pour the margarita she usually loves straight down the drain.

"I, uh, saw a fly." She excuses, and she knows it's a shoddy excuse. Robin doesn't buy it one bit.

"Uh-huh." Robin walks into the room, smile on her face, and Y/N can feel her heart drop to her stomach. "Are you sure you're not pregnant?" She doesn't know how Robin saw right through her, but she has.

"Please don't tell Steve!" Y/N begs, and Robin's smile drops.

"What?" She whispers, and the guilt sets in.

"I haven't told him yet." The emotion rises in Y/N's throat as Robin's jaw drops.

"Haven't told who what?" Nancy asks as she walks in, and Y/N and Robin spin with guilty looks.

"Y/N's pregnant!" Robin blurts, and Y/N turns to her friend with a look of betrayal.

"Robin!" She cries, and Nancy smiles with her hands over her face.

"Oh, this is so amazing! James is so precious, and Steve is such a great dad. I hope it's a girl, and maybe Jonathan and I will get married soon and if we do our babies can-"

"Steve doesn't know." Robin can't help herself, and Y/N can feel the anxiety start to mount in her chest.

"What? Why not?" Nancy comes fully into the room, and Y/N finally feels the tears fall. Both her friends wait patiently for her, hands on her arms and comforting her.

"Last time I was pregnant, the father immediately left the moment I told him. I didn't even feel as strongly for him as I do for Steve. I haven't even known him that long, we've only been actually dating for six months and I have no idea how he would feel about having his own kid so young with a girl who lives in her trailer." Y/N sniffles at the end, and then is shocked when both of the women take her into a hug.

"Oh, Y/N," Robin starts, rubbing her back. "Steve is so in love with you, I don't think there is anything you could do that would make him not like you. He's so in love with you and James, and he wants a lot of kids. Trust me, he won't care about any of the stuff that dumbass did." Y/N nods and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"You don't have to tell him now, but trust us when we tell you that he will be over the moon." Nancy tells her, and they all give one more squeeze before letting go.

"Now, get your water, and we'll all pretend it's a margarita, and maybe you can even fool Steve into thinking you're drunk." Robin smiles, and they all chuckle as Y/N fills her cup.

"They have at home tests now, if you want us to do one with you." Nancy informs her, and she thinks this sounds much better than finding out on her own again. She's not alone, no matter what happens; she has to remember that.

~

Two weeks later, she still hasn't told Steve.

"It's a thirty minute waiting period, and if you are pregnant the color will change." Nancy reads the back of the box that she bought a couple towns over, and Y/N nods. They're at the Wheeler's house for a get together with the whole crew, and Y/N is sure that she is already showing no matter how much Robin informs her that no one can tell, even if they're looking. But she thinks maybe Steve can tell, even if he doesn't say anything.

"The good news is, you won't have two under two." Robin tries to joke, because James' birthday is coming up. It's insane to think that it's been a whole year of knowing all these people, of her life changing to become a village of friends helping raise her baby. She knows that this baby will be even easier, because she'll have Steve and all their friends, but she can't help the anxiety that comes with telling him.

"What are we gonna do for thirty minutes?" Y/N asks as they all stare at the test she's just peed on. Nancy shrugs, looking at the others.

"We can just leave it in here and go back downstairs. This is my bathroom, so no one should be in here." And this is good enough for Y/N, so they all go downstairs and pretend to be interested in whatever the kids are talking about.

Everything is fine until the downstairs bathroom is taken, so Mike goes upstairs to Nancy's bathroom and sees the test sitting on the sink. His eyes bulge out of his head, and he immediately has to gather the rest of the party.

"Nancy is pregnant." Mike whispers to Dustin, Lucas and Will, because El and Max refuse to be taken away from James.

"What?" Dustin screams, and everyone looks over. Dustin laughs slightly before smiling to try and cover, going back to their huddle.

"How do you know?" Will asks.

"I found a pregnancy test in her bathroom." Mike confesses, and they all are quiet for a moment.

"Are you sure it was positive?" Lucas finally asks, and Mike's mouth opens as he thinks about it.

"Mike!" Dustin complains, and Mike scoffs as he rolls his eyes.

"I don't even know how to read those!" As they bicker, Y/N, Robin and Nancy sneak back upstairs, and none of The Party notices.

"Maybe we shouldn't say anything." Will suggests, and Lucas nods.

"We don't know if the test was positive or negative, so we should probably keep it to ourselves. If it's positive, she'll tell everyone soon enough, and if it's negative she won't." Lucas tells them, and they all nod in an agreement.

"So, do we wanna take bets?" Dustin asks, and they all nod enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Y/N, Robin and Nancy are staring at the positive pregnancy test, silent as they wait for someone else to break the heavy air.

"I mean, we already knew this, right?" Robin finally says, and Y/N nods, looking at the other two finally ripping her eyes from the test.

"How am I gonna tell Steve?" She asks, and Nancy laughs as she goes to hug her friend.

"I promise you, he will be so excited." She whispers, and Y/N can only nod as Robin gasps.

"I have an idea!"

~

And yet she still hasn't told him a week and a half later when she stands with Steve and James outside of the Byers residence, and she knows at this point she is showing. Steve hasn't said anything, because he would never comment on her weight, but she also knows it isn't fair to keep this from him. She just doesn't want to break this bubble, this 'before'.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Steve asks, because she's been tired and throwing up and she thinks if Steve had ever been exposed to a pregnant person before now he'd know what this is.

"Of course." She smiles and knocks, one hand holding James' as he is in a stage where he refuses to be held.

"Steve! Y/N!" Joyce opens the door, and Y/N smiles. This is the first time she's met Joyce, and the woman seems so inviting Y/N can't help but accept her hug. "We've heard so much about you and your boy." Joyce looks down to see James curling toward Steve at the notice of a stranger.

"James, this is Joyce." Y/N introduces, but James lets go of Y/N's hand and grabs onto Steve's leg with his whole body.

"Dada," James' voice is scratchy, and Y/N isn't sure why James is so scared of meeting a new person.

"This is Will's mom. You remember your friend Will, right?" Steve kneels down to James' height, and Y/N smiles at the two before looking up at Joyce.

"He's usually not like this, I don't know why he's upset." Y/N tells Joyce, but then jolts when James runs into her, sniffling like he's about to cry.

"Mama!" He cries, and Y/N frowns as she picks him up.

"He's probably just tired." Steve says, and she just nods as she walks into the house.

"Dinner's almost ready." Joyce says, and Hopper gets off the couch and comes to greet them.

"Nice to meet ya," The large man says, and Y/N is pretty sure this guy used to be the chief of police. "Steve talks about you a lot."

"Alright," Steve shoves Hopper with a smile. Her heart races, because he doesn't even dispute it like most guys would.

"I'm Y/N." She says, fighting the pain in her back as she shifts James. "This is James."

"Oh, I've heard even more about James." Hopper smiles at the kid, who uncurls himself just a little bit.

"Let me take him, I know your back is hurting." Steve is so observant, she's really not sure how he hasn't figured out she's pregnant yet. She hands James over and then looks toward the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go see if Joyce needs any help." She smiles and walks in just as Joyce is opening up the oven.

"Do you need any help?" Y/N asks, but then Joyce is grabbing the chicken out and she can smell it and Oh God-

She runs to the sink and throws up, because she can't make it anywhere else. She coughs, and then turns the water on and turns toward Steve and Hoper, who seem to not have heard her.

"Are you alright?" Joyce's hand is on her back, and she turns back to the sink, breathing deeply.

"I'm so sorry." She whispers, because she just met Joyce and her she's throwing up in her sink. "I'm fine, I promise." She tells her, smiling and cupping some water to swish in her mouth and then to drink.

"I'm going to ask something, and you don't have to answer," Y/N knows before the words are out of Joyce's mouth. "Are you pregnant?" Y/N blinks, because she doesn't know how to answer. She doesn't know how Joyce knows if Steve doesn't.

"Is it that obvious?" She asks with a shaky smile, and Joyce's jaw drops a little.

"Oh, honey." And Y/N breaks. Joyce wraps her in her arms, and Y/N realizes how much she misses her own mother. When she had told her mom she was pregnant, she had been thrown out for getting pregnant outside of marriage. And sure, she had just met Joyce, but this embrace is so motherly that it gives her all the right feelings. "I know I don't know you well, but I do know Steve. He has taken care of our kids since he was still in high school, and there is nothing he wouldn't do for them. I know he will be the best father." She lets go and they turn toward the living room, where Steve is sitting on the floor with Hopper, playing with James.

"He already is." Y/N says, one hand on her stomach that has only just started round out and somehow Steve hasn't said a word.

"Sometimes they surprise us," Joyce says quietly, a small smile on her face. "But Steve being a good dad? That was never a surprise."

~

It's late when Steve gets home a couple days later, and she's sure it's because Keith made him reshelve every single video before he left. Robin wasn't working today, and work is always worse without her. Y/N would have gone and visited, but she was too busy freaking out in the small trailer. James was playing with his toys, and she knew the second the lock turned he would be up and screaming.

"Dada!" He yelled right on cue, and Y/N stood as her heart pounded so bad she wanted to throw up. She doesn't know how she would survive it if Steve rejects her, because just the thought makes her head spin.

"Hey, buddy!" Steve swings James up the way he always does, even after long days when she knows he's tired. James laughs and shrieks in delight, and she takes a moment to realize how big James has gotten since she first met Steve. They're planning his second birthday together, train themed because he loves trains right now. Steve already knows he wants them all to have matching outfits, the same way Y/N and James matched last time.

"How was work?" Y/N asks, leaning in close to give Steve a kiss. James is tugging on Steve's shirt, begging for attention, and Y/N debates being so obvious about the shirt the baby's wearing that she's practically buzzing.

"Fine. Keith was a dumb dumb, but," Steve has started using baby talk ever since James' favorite word became 'shit,' and Y/N always finds it funny.

"Keith is always a dumb dumb." She finishes for him, and he nods with a smile, kissing her again. James screams this time, demanding attention, and Steve gives in immediately.

"Alright, alright, why don't you show me what you've been building." He says as he puts James down, who runs over to his blocks. It's agony as she waits for James to turn, for Steve to notice the shirt, but she ends up having to watch them clean up the toys for five minutes before Steve actually realizes that the shirt is new and says something important.

"Hang on," Steve grabs James' arm gently, turning the child toward him so he can read the shirt. It says 'Best Big Brother' on it, and Y/N can feel her heart in her throat as she watches Steve take it in. "Is this a hand me down?" He asks, and she shakes her head. Steve's face lights up, and he goes to her without a second thought.

"I'm pregnant." She whispers, tears in her eyes as he grabs her face. He's already got wet cheeks, and she can't believe she was afraid to tell him when he kisses her and then pulls her into a tight hug, then turning toward James. "You're gonna be a big brother!" He says, and James has no idea what this means, but he smiles as he teeters toward his parents, joining their hug through Steve lifting him up.

"I love you so much." Steve says, kissing her forehead and holding her with one arm, James in the other. "I love our family."

Later that night, as they lay in bed, he puts a hand on her belly, under her shirt feeling it up and down.

"Is it okay that I want this to just be between us for a little bit?" He asks, and she squeezes her eyes closed as she tries to figure out the best way to break the news.

"Yeah, so, everyone already knows." She frowns, and Steve pauses.

"What?" He sounds hurt, and she turns to him, his hand slipping to her side.

"Well, I went to Eddie first, because you weren't home and he was right there. And I wasn't sure if I was actually pregnant. And then Nancy and Robin found out, and made me take a pregnancy test, and then Joyce found out because I threw up at her house last week." She explains, and Steve blinks in the darkness. "Also, I know you're saving money for us to move out."

"Anything else you'd like to open up to me before I can surprise you?" Steve asks, and she thinks.

"No, the pregnancy thing was the biggest." She nods, frowning when Steve reaches over to his bedside table and grabs something. "What're you doing?"

"Everyone except you know about this." He smiles, and she leans back to see him fully.

"What does that mean?" She gets her answer quickly when he lifts his hand, which is holding a ring. It's simple, because they're poor, but it's the symbolism that counts.

"It doesn't have to be marriage." He says, taking her silence as a bad sign. "It can just be a symbol to show that I love you, and I'm not going anywhere." He takes a deep breath, and emotion wells in her throat. "I know it was hard for you to tell me you were pregnant because of what happened last time. But I promise you, this is one of the best moments of my life. I have never been so happy."

"Steve," She feels tears fall down her face, letting him grab her hand and slip the ring on the finger wedding bands go on. He holds her hand still, bringing to his face to kiss her fingers.

"I love you, and I love James, and I love our family. I don't know if you know this, but I've always wanted kids. Like, a lot of kids. I was always babysitting Dustin and them, and I guess my parents not being there made me long to change that." He's word vomiting, and she just lets him. "I know you're the one who has to have the kids, but I want six. Or as many as you want." He amends when he sees her eyes widen.

"Let's see how we do with two." She tells him with a smile, and he nods, pulling her close and kissing her.

"You were wrong, by the way." He says, and she frowns as she leans back. The moonlight hits his hair perfectly, and she takes a mental picture. "I'm not just saving up for us to move out. I'm saving up for a house."

"What?" She asks, tears in her eyes once more. When she first met Steve almost a year ago, she would have never imagined that she would be pregnant and moving into a house within a year. But she's so happy, so thankful for Steve.

"I love you." He whispers, kissing her forehead and grabbing her close. She falls asleep on her favorite pillow, Steve's chest.

"I love you too." She muttered, closing her eyes and dreaming of her new life.

~

"You promise you didn't even tell Robin?" Y/N asks as she carries a box of sheets and blankets into the house. Steve didn't let her carry anything heavy, despite the fact that she told him she moved into the trailer on her own six months pregnant and she was barely four now.

"Babe, I promise this is the best kept since you got pregnant." He's carrying boxes that will go in their kitchen, and they split off to put everything down before meeting back up.

"That was a terribly kept secret! Everyone knew!" She argues with a smile, and Steve just smiles back.

"Which is why this one is better." He says, kissing her softly in their brand new kitchen.

Well, brand new to them.

The house was old and small, only two bedrooms and the kitchen attached to the dining room without even a post in the middle. But it was perfect for them, perfect for James, who was spending the day with Joyce and Hopper, and for the new addition, who was slowly making their presence known as time moved faster.

"It even comes with a phone!" Y/N says, looking at the wall between the kitchen and the living room that had a phone hooked onto the wall, quite possibly the newest addition to the house. It was thankfully fully furnished, and Y/N had begged Steve not to tell her if this was because the previous owners had died.

"No one knows our number, no one knows where we are, James is with Joyce and Hop," Steve grabs at Y/N's hips, and she giggles as she lets him pull her close. "I say we make the most of this time." She can't help but shake her head, because of course with their new house being a mess and her already pregnant, Steve wants more.

"Steve, there aren't even sheets on the bed." She whispers, as if there's anyone around to hear them.

"The couch looks pretty comfy." He suggests, and she rolls her eyes fondly.

"As fun as this sounds, someone was an overachiever and planned James' birthday party here in a week. We have to get unpacking." She pulls away from him and looks at all the boxes they have to get started on before James comes home and takes over all their time.

"Fine," Steve groans, going over to the first box and opening it up. Y/N stands there and watches him; this man who listens without questioning her, who saved up to get them a house, who took in her kid like his own.

"I love you." She says, tears springing to her eyes. Steve snaps his head up, walking back to her quickly.

"Hey, why are you crying?" He asks, hands on her face to try to comfort her.

"I just love you so much." More tears are at her eyes now, and she knows it's her stupid pregnancy hormones.

"I love you too, don't cry." He pulls her to his chest, but she starts sobbing, and he's panicking slightly. "You can't cry in our new house. I forbid it." Steve tells her, and she laughs slightly.

"I don't think that will work very well." She admits, and he pulls away to see her face.

"Maybe not." He wipes her tears from her cheeks, then kisses both of them. He kisses her forehead, her nose, and then finally presses a kiss to her lips. "I love you. I hate to see you cry."

"It's your fault I'm crying." She says with a smile, pointing down at her belly. Steve throws his head back and sighs, then puts a hand on her bump and kisses her again.

"First of all, it's never my fault you're crying." He whispers against her lips, then presses himself against her to try to quiet her rebuttals.

"Steve!" She finally gets out, but she's laughing now, and he's trailing kisses down her neck, and she thinks maybe the couch is more comfortable than it was 5 minutes ago.

~

"And to think, last year Y/N and Steve were sharing a cig pretending they didn't have feelings for each other." Dustin has a beer in his hand, and Steve doesn't have the energy to fight him on this one. Y/N had been up all night throwing up, despite the fact that she was supposed to be over that stage now. She's exhausted, and Steve can tell she's fighting sleep as she sits on the pool chair, the coverup she had over her swimsuit not doing much to hide her bump at this point. James was screaming and playing with Jonathan and Nancy, who looked like they were two seconds away from wanting a kid of their own.

"I think you're the one who interrupted our first kiss, actually." Y/N shoots, and Dustin pulls a face as he looks into the distance as if this exact scenario didn't happen a year prior.

"No, I think that was Eddie, if I can recall-"

"Dustin, you're going to get kicked out." Steve says tiredly, walking over to Y/N with a bottle of ginger ale. He sits next to her on the chair, letting her lay against him.

"Okay," Dustin snorts, rolling his eyes. He goes to bug Eddie though, knowing that Y/N and Steve are not the ones to mess with today.

"How're you feeling?" Steve asks softly, pressing a kiss to her head. She shakes it slowly, sitting up slightly to take a sip of the ginger ale before laying back against him.

"If I had been this sick with James, I don't know how I would have gotten through it alone." She tells him, and his heart pangs at the thought of her having to do all of this alone with James. It's been hard enough, moving and working and James being in his 'Terrible Two' phase with both of them, but Steve hates to imagine her going through pregnancy by herself. She moved into a trailer six months pregnant, she gave birth and raised James, she worked full time, all on her own.

"You don't ever have to again." He says against her head, kissing her one more. She shifts against him, curling up and soaking in the moment of just the two of them.

"Mama! Dada!" James screams as he toddles over to their chair. They sit up to greet him, and James pokes a hand into Y/N's bump. "Baby!"

"Yes," Y/N laughs, and so do the few of their friends that are around watching. "That's your baby sibling. Do you want a brother or a sister?" She knows he doesn't understand any of this, but she loves the way he smiles and screams and Steve has to grab his arm when he gets too excited and goes to hit her.

"Babababa." James is just making noise, of course he doesn't quite understand, but it's cute anyway.

"We should make a babypool!" Eddie says, and a couple of their friends nod and raise their drinks.

"Really? Betting on a baby?" Robin asks, and Steve can't help but give a smirk.

"Come on, Rob, it'll be fun." Steve says, feeling Y/N lean against his arm.

"Can I put my money down for girl?" Nancy asks, and Dustin already has a pen and paper.

"You can, but you're gonna lose when it's a boy." Mike says, and everyone waits for Dustin finish scribbling before they're all yelling at once.

"It's a boy, James even said." Eddie takes a swig of his beer, but Robin shakes her head.

"No way, Steve was put on this earth to be a girl dad." Robin shrugs, which causes Steve to smile as he closes his eyes and listens to everyone argue.

"And you think this is their last kid? Two boys first, at least, because this baby isn't gonna be a girl, the baby of the family will be." Max smiles, and everyone keeps arguing as Dustin writes it down.

"Wait, are they sleeping?" Dustin finally asks when looks up, seeing Y/N asleep on Steve's chest and his head dipping back on the chair, mouth falling open.

"Until you have to deal with a toddler and pregnancy, you can't talk." Nancy says, leading James away from his sleeping parents. Everyone follows, and El takes the bottle from Y/N's loose grip and pulls a blanket over them.

"I think the baby is going to be a girl." Lucas says from the kitchen, and Y/N smiles as she cuddles into Steve. She was only half asleep, but she'll take the extra nap.

"I love you." She whispers as she falls asleep, but Steve is already completely out.

//

"Steve," Y/N whispers, putting the photo and the camera down. She reaches over to shake his shoulder, because she doesn't want his back hurting even more. "Come back to bed." She watches as he unravels himself from James, who squirms before going back to sleep. She watches him for a moment, makes sure everything's okay, and then helps Steve back up onto her bed - or their bed? Could she call it their bed now?

"James woke up." Steve mutters, and Y/N looks at the clock. It's early in the morning, but early enough to go back to sleep. The perfect time.

"You did great." Y/N told him, kissing his cheek before laying against his chest. It's her favorite pillow, and Steve doesn't mind because he likes her pillow more than the spare one.

"Mhm." He nods, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead in a loose version of a kiss.

This life is perfect.

Until it comes crashing down and suddenly Y/N is at her lowest, lower than when she first found out about being pregnant.

It starts with James crying, and Y/N realizes pretty quickly he has a fever. She calls out of work, not able to leave his side. Steve picks up on the house chores, which makes Y/N almost melt if she had the bandwidth to care about anything but her baby. He washes the dishes, takes out the trash, does the grocery shopping and makes food. She lets him feed her while she rocks James the few times he's actually asleep.

"Today is day three." Steve tells her, and she just nods. If she looked up, she'd notice he has dark circles under his eyes that almost match hers, but she is too busy watching the rise and fall of James' chest. His mouth is open, nose stuffed. 

She is terrified.

"I should take him to the hospital." She says, about to cry herself. She's so tired, and she would do anything to take this pain away from her baby. She doesn't understand what happened, because they hadn't been around anyone who was sick. She had always been so careful, never wanting to cause her baby harm. This had to be her fault. She must have missed something.  

"I can drive you. We can go now if you want." Steve offers, and nods, starting to stand. She'll go in these stained, old, gross clothes, and she hopes there's something quick that can be done to help James.

"Yeah, let's go," She stops talking because James is shaking in her arms, eyes rolled back. "Steve," She has no idea what do, and she knows Steve won't either but her mind can't think.

"Let's go to the hospital now, come on." Steve seems freaked out, scared like Y/N but able to keep himself calm.

"What's going on?" She starts crying, holding James as tight as possible. He stops shaking, but her heart doesn't calm down. She wants to throw up and scream and somehow trade places with James. She feels so helpless, holding her baby as he breathes deeply through his mouth.

"We're gonna be okay," Steve leads her out, both of them without shoes. Y/N doesn't even have socks, but she can't feel the dead grass under her feet, only her baby in her arms. Steve helps her into his car before he runs around to his side, sliding in and starting the car as quick as possible.

"I think he's okay now, I don't know what happened." Y/N can't tear her eyes away from James, who is crying now. She doesn't want to put him in his carseat, even as Steve speeds out of the trailer park and onto the road. He's safe in her arms.

Luckily, the hospital isn't that far, and they pull up in record time. Y/N hops out of the car, looking over at Steve.

"I'll go park the car. I'll find you. Go!" That's all she needs, shutting the door and running into the ER.

~

Y/N lays in the hospital bed, James laying next to her sleeping. They've given him medication, told Y/N the seizure was only because of his fever and that they'll give him medicine but he'll get better eventaully.

None of that made Y/N feel okay.

Steve sits in the chair in the corner of the room, arms crossed as he watched Y/N smooth James' hair. She felt guilty that he was here, for pulling him into this whole mess. She felt her throat begin to tighten.

"I'm sorry." She whispers, looking up and over at him. He furrows his brows as tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "You can go home if you want." She doesn't even know what her words are supposed to mean.

"Hey," He gets up off the chair and moves to the bed, resting his arms on it to be close to her. "It's okay. Everything is alright. James is okay, it was just a scare. We are okay." He grabs her hand, and it breaks her. She starts crying harder, and then Steve gets on the bed, holding her around James just like he did the night they first kissed. That night wasn't that long ago, but Y/N thinks it might as well have been years.

"This is all my fault." She says quietly, shaking as the sobs rack her body. "I'm a terrible mom and a terrible friend." She tells him, and she truly means it. What kind of mother lets her kid get this sick? 

"You're an amazing mother. The best I've ever seen. And a great friend. I'm not just saying that." Steve struggles to get out, not sure what to say. 

"But ever since I came into your life, all I've done is mess everything up." She whispers, sniffling and trying not to wake James up. "Your parents kicked you out, Steve. And I have a baby. You shouldn't have to take care of him when I can't." She cries softly. Her eyes are closed, and nothing happens for a moment.

Then Steve reaches out and wipes her tears.

His hands are soft against her cheeks, and she keeps her eyes closed so she doesn't ruin it. They breathe silently, and she sniffles back her tears until Steve has dried her face.

"I wanted to leave." He whispers, and she finally looks at him. His eyes look sad in a way she hasn't seen before, even though they've had the discussion of him leaving his parents house multiple times. "My dad was a terrible father. And my mom wasn't much better. Before recently I didn't understand how parents were supposed to be. But you've taught me what to do. I know today was scary. But you can't push me away now. I'm staying because I chose to, not because I don't have another option."

She wants to say she loves him, but it feels like it's too much, so she reaches over and kisses him, James in the middle, just like their first kiss. She thinks it may be her favorite way to kiss ever.

"When we get home, our home, I'll go get groceries and make dinner while you clean the house and James naps. We'll get our shit together." He rubs her back and kisses her forehead.

"Stit?" James grumbles, because of course he had woken up, and Y/N glares at Steve.

"I'll get ice cream on the way too."

~

"So, what are you doing for Steve's birthday?" Robin asks. It's been a couple weeks since James went to the hospital, and he's feeling much better now, so Y/N and Steve were both excited to finally see the rest of the group. The adults are all at Eddie's, the kids at Y/N's. The doors are open at both, and Y/N is standing on the porch watching to make sure James is alright even though Max assures Y/N she's watched babies younger than James.

Y/N told Max she's more worried about Dustin.

"Steve's birthday?" Y/N repeats, pulling her gin and tonic from her lips. She hadn't heard anything from Steve about his birthday, which made her realize she didn't know when Steve's birthday was.

Check in the bad girlfriend column. 

"Yeah?" Robin asks, sipping her drink with a smile. "It's next Monday. I thought you would have plans, since he hasn't told me any." Y/N's heart drops.

"Monday?" She whispers, turning to look at Steve. He's laughing with Eddie, beers in their hands. Y/N feels the need to smoke a cigarette.

"Did Steve not tell you his birthday?" Robin asks, and Y/N shakes her head, walking inside. Robin calls after her, but she pretends like she doesn't hear, downing her drink and setting the cup down on a table. She knows where Eddie keeps her cigarettes, so she walks past everyone and into the kitchen, grabbing a cigarette and walking out to the small porch.

Steve didn't tell her his birthday.

Why didn't he tell her? They've had a busy month, sure,  but his birthday is important. Not everything can be about her all the time. She feels like shit.

"What's goin' on?" Steve is suddenly behind her, hand on her back as he stands close to her. She looks over at him sadly, handing him the cigarette. Every time she's had one, she shares it with him when he's around. She lets him take a long drag, and then she turns to him. She feels his hand move from her beck to her hip, and she tries not to let it distract her.

"Why didn't you tell me your birthday is in a couple days?" She asks, not breaking eye contact. To his credit, Steve doesn't try and act like he doesn't know what she's talking about. He doesn't look around and try to figure out an excuse. He keeps staring, even as he sighs. 

"James was in the hospital a couple weeks ago and we just got back to normal. I didn't want to stress you out and I knew you would want to do something." He tells her, taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Because I care." She whispers, putting a hand on her on his chest. "We're all okay now, we can celebrate your birthday." She puts the other hand on his face, rubbing her thumb across his face.

"We don't have to." He tells her, putting the cigarette out and letting his other hand fall to her waist.

"Steve, come on. It's your birthday." She's sure his parents always belittled his birthday, so she wants to make sure he has an actual birthday party. "Tell me what you wanna do, and I'll take care of it." She leans against him, trying to get him to agree, but he shakes his head.

"I just want-" He doesn't tell her what he wants, because all the sudden the kids are all screaming. Y/N and Steve only make it half way across the grass when Dustin appears, holding two pictures in one hand and James in the other arm. Max and Lucas pop up on the other side, and they all clamber out of the trailer.

"What happened?" Y/N asks as she meets them, taking James into her own arms. Dustin lets her, but his face has a wide smile that matches the other kids, all of which who have started piling out. James seems to be fine, happy even with all the yelling.

"Watch this!" Lucas yells. Y/N expects James to startle, but he must be used to the noise because he squeals.

"We were trying to teach James our names, and then we were quizzing him on yours," Max starts, pointing at the pictures. The first is Y/N in the hospital with James right after she gave birth. A nurse had taken the picture, and it was the only one she had with both of them for months. She smiles at the picture. "Who's that?" Max points at Y/N, and James kicks his legs into Y/N.

"Mama!" He squeals, and Y/N kisses his forehead. He's been saying 'mama' for months, but it's still cute.

"Who's this, James?" Dustin asks as he moves the pictures to reveal the first picture of James and Steve; the one of James on Steve's chest. James looks so young Y/N wants to cry, even though it was just a couple months ago. She's studying the picture so closely she doesn't realize what James says.

"Dada!"

Everyone is quiet, heads snapping to Steve. Y/N's jaw drops as James continues to babble "dadada" and then wiggles to get out of her arms. She lets him down to the ground, her mind racing. Of course Steve being in James' life would be amazing, but she hasn't talked to Steve about this. They've been so busy, she's honestly forgotten about it. She watches as James toddles over to Steve, grabbing the leg of his pants.

"Dada?" He asks, and it breaks Y/N's heart. She can't ask Steve for this. She knows he said he chose this, but he can't say that he honestly chose an entire lifetime. She wants to know how James knew what that means, but clearly her son knows who it should be associated with.

"Steve," She starts, not sure if she should pick up James or not. She watches as Steve reaches down and grabs James up, turning so his back is to the kids and James can see them all. He's facing Y/N as the kids start to scream in happiness. Y/N watches as Steve clutches James, tears starting to leak from his eyes. She can see how much this means to him, and she doesn't want to take this moment from him. But he reaches a hand out blindly for her and she doesn't waste a second taking it. He pulls her in tightly, James in between them, just like it always is.

"I love you." She tells him, looking at him. She watches him blink some tears away, then kiss her softly.

"I love you both." He whispers, hanging on even tighter. She slots her head into his neck and keeps her arms around him. "So much."

Someone takes a picture, and Y/N knows it's going to be in a frame on the highest shelf for the rest of her life.

//

"She's not forty." Eddie let out a chuckle, giving Steve a look. Ever since Nancy had undoubtedly shut him down forever and fully committed to Jonathan, Eddie had tried to give Steve advice, trying to get him a wife and not just a date. Steve took his advice with a grain of salt, because Eddie was the one who told him Nancy was still in love with him while she was dating Jonathan.

"Again, didn't see her face. I was just curious." Steve shrugged, watching Nancy and Robin raise their eyebrows at each other. Steve wanted to groan and stomp his feet like a child, because he was so sick of everyone being so involved in his love life.

"Just wait till the morning. She's a real looker." Eddie threw him a wink as he grabbed the VHS, running to the small TV shoved in the corner. Steve's parents had been home since the 'earthquakes' that shook Hawkins, so his house was out of the selection for their movie night. Steve had been spending all his time in between everyone else's houses, because he couldn't stand his parents constant nagging and talks about leaving. He had told them before going to Eddie's that he would rather live in the shed out back than move anywhere with them, to which they both rolled their eyes. His father had told him that he hoped that 'stupid video store you just had to work at' wasn't destroyed, because Steve was on his way to being completely cut out. Steve had just walked out to his car, wishing he could afford to never come back to his lonely house.

"Are you sure your TV works?" Nancy asked, watching Eddie smack the side of it. No picture showed up, so Eddie hit it a couple more times while Robin groaned.

"We should have just endured my stupid house. It's not like it smells much worse than Eddie's." She complained. Her house always reeked of weed, her parents major suppliers in Hawkins. Robin had already began to look for apartments with Steve, knowing her parents were ready to leave the scene as well.

"Even the kids would have been worth it at mine." Nancy commented, causing Eddie to take a deep breath.

"Shut up!" He yelled, silencing them. He gave a final knock on the TV, and miraculously the movie was suddenly playing on the screen. The group cheered, grabbing their snacks and sitting squished on the couch as they intently watched the movie. They had only made it half an hour when there was a knock on the door.

"I got it." Eddie groaned, as if this wasn't his trailer. The rest just continued watching the movie.

"Eddie," The girl on the side said when the man opened the door. That made the trio on the couch immediately snap their heads to the open door, which was blocking their view of Eddie and his visitor. What girl was at the trailer this late? Steve checked his watch, and okay, it was only eleven, but still, he was sure that Eddie didn't have a girlfriend. He was actually pretty sure Eddie wasn't completely into girls, but Robin had told him that no matter how much they both got that vibe, they were not to ask Eddie.

"Y/N," Eddie greeted. The three on the couch looked at each other, but none of them seemed to recognize the name. "What can I do for ya?" Steve wanted to groan, because why couldn't they just watch the movie?

"Do you have any milk?" The girl - Y/N - asked, sounding tired and embarrassed. Eddie sighed, walking back into the trailer.

"I take it James isn't happy?" Eddie questioned, going to his fridge. Y/N stepped in, looking a bit nervous.

"Nope." Y/N shook her head, and Steve made an educated guess that this was Eddie's hot neighbor. She was definitely a looker, as Eddie said, but she looked dissolved. Her hair was piled on her head, her shirt loose and stained. She was wearing sweatpants and no shoes, and Steve wondered who the hell James was and why he wasn't happy. "Fucker even tried to hit me-" Y/N didn't get the rest out before Steve was standing.

"Woah!" He yelled, startling Y/N, who he assumed hadn't realized him and the girls on the couch. "Who the hell is hitting you?" Steve didn't even know this girl, but he knew that abuse was a serious problem, even if no one ever did anything about it.

"My child," She deadpanned, looking at him with wide eyes. He blinked, because of all the people he thought James could be - her brother, dad, stepdad, uncle, boyfriend - child had never crossed his mind. She couldn't be much older than Steve, and so far none of his friends had even had a pregnancy scare. Except Carol, right before his fall from grace, but it was more a joke than an actual problem she had to deal with.

Steve suddenly felt like a normal adult. His past experiences with the Upside Down, having to be the protector while being friends with children had made him feel pulled apart, like a kid who had gotten his youth stolen. But Y/N's casual mention of having a child, of needing milk to feed a human being that she was responsible for not because she had accidentally gotten caught up in a super natural disaster, it made his head spin.

He sat, his cheeks burning. His ears rang as he watched Y/N grab the milk from Eddie and quickly run out the door, back to her trailer.

"A looker, right?" Eddie teased as he sat back down.

"She has a kid," Steve numbly whispered, and Eddie just shrugged.

"I thought you wanted a bunch of kids." Robin elbowed him, and he elbowed her back.

"She's probably taken, dumbass. She can't make a baby on her own." Steve tried to focus back in on the movie, but he had missed too much and now had no clue what was going on.

"Deadbeat dads are all the rage, nowadays." Eddie muttered, and Steve just rolled his eyes.

"There's no way her baby daddy left her." He scoffed, and Nancy just sighed.

"A lot of guys aren't ready for that commitment." She licked her lips as she debated saying something else. "Of course the man gets a choice."

"Her son is the cutest." Eddie sat back on the couch, grabbing a handful of chips and shoving them in his mouth. "If I were his dad, I would never be able to leave him." Why did that make Steve want to see him more?

"Does she come over often?" Steve asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"Steve just wants a head start on that Harrington brood." Robin teased, which made Steve's cheeks heat up.

"I just met her!" Steve cried out, tired of the relentless teasing.

"I'll invite her over soon. Sometime when the three of you can get to know each other." Eddie winked, and Steve just rolled his eyes.

"I hate you all." Steve sat back, arms crossed and pouting like a child.

"I bet you do." Eddie said simply.

~

It was only a week before Steve saw Y/N again.

He heard a scream, one that definitely belonged to a child. He turned to see Y/N, baby James in one arm, wet clothes in the other. Steve had gone to Eddie's to pick up Dustin and any of the other kids who needed a ride from the club that had continued in Eddie's backyard.

"No, we can't hold those," He heard Y/N patiently say, trying to wrestle the fabric out of his small hands. He let out another scream, flailing his arms. "If you would just let go, this could be done much quicker." She explained in a soft voice, using her hand to try and pry his fingers from what he now realized was a bra.

"Hey," Steve was calling out, running over to her before he could even think. "Do you need help?" He asked, looking anywhere but the bra that Y/N and James were fighting over.

"Yes," He had meant that he was going to help hang her bra, and the rest of her clothes in the basket laying on the grass, but she simply handed him the baby without a second thought.

"Oh," He said under his breath as he took the small child in his arms. James was probably about a year old, give or take a few months. Once Y/N had both her hands free, she quickly rid James' hand of the bra strap and hung it up. She went back to the basket, grabbing another article of clothing and hanging it.

"I know you meant the clothes," She said, not even looking at Steve as she worked. He looked at James, the two of them staring at each other. "But honestly I needed a break from holding him and I don't want you touching my panties." She smirked as he finally snapped his head to her.

"How did you know I wouldn't," He couldn't finish the sentence, because really, what else would he have done if he had been given a baby.

"I've seen you at Eddie's picking up his weird little kids plenty of times." She confided, going back to the laundry basket and moving further down the line. "I didn't know you'd be that good with a baby, though." She paused to smile at Steve holding James, who was just staring at the older man with lips parted and wide eyes.

"I'm just holding him." Steve muttered, but he flushed at the fact that Y/N thought he was good with her baby.

"And he hasn't made a peep since you've had him." She returned to her work with a satisfied smile on her face. He looked down at James, watching him hit Steve'schest and let out a small scream. Steve furrowed his brows.

"That's nice." Steve muttered, shifting to hold James more comfortably. James began to babble, hand grabbing Steve's shirt and shaking his small fist, pulling Steve's shirt away. "Oh really?" He asked, acting like James was saying the most interesting thing. James opened his mouth in a scream, making Steve raise his eyebrows. James threw his head back and then went forward, his mouth landing on Steve's shoulder, a couple small teeth digging into Steve's shoulder.

"James!" Y/N had just finished hanging the laundry when she looked over to see James holding tight to Steve's shirt, gnawing on his shoulder. She went to grab the baby, who screamed as she tried to grab him.

"It's okay," Steve said, thumb rubbing the back of James' onesie. He was enjoying holding James, enjoying the feel of the small baby in his arms. "It's fine, honestly. I need to do laundry anyways."

"He's teething, so it's been difficult." Y/N said, sighing as she went over to grab the laundry basket. "Do you wanna come in? I made some cornbread, and I need someone to taste test it." She's inviting him in. The most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on was inviting him in. He was holding her baby, who was drooling all over the shoulder of his shirt.

"I have to pick up my," His words drifted off, and not only because he wasn't sure what to call Dustin. His best friend? His brother? He wasn't sure. He was also thinking about all the times that Dustin was annoying, all the things he could say to excuse the fact that he was going to be so late to pick him up. Dustin wiping his shoes on the inside of his car, arguing with him for no reason, calling him dumb and making fun of everything Steve chose to do, jumping over the counter and knocking down all the tapes Steve had just stacked.

Of fucking course he was going to taste test her cornbread. Dustin could wait for a couple minutes.

"Actually, I love cornbread." He said, walking forward to open the door to her trailer for her. He held James tightly in his other arm, but the kid was koala gripping him.

"Steve!" He heard as Y/N walked through the door. He turned, James still in his arms, and saw Dustin walking from around the back of Eddie's trailer. They must have finished.

That little shit.

Steve gave him a look, one that said fuck off, and then walked all the way into the trailer.

~

"Does Steve have a kid?" Dustin asked. He was half joking, because he was pretty sure he would know if Steve had a kid. But Steve was holding that baby, who was gripping his shirt like his life depended on it, and then walked into the trailer after a girl. He had even given Dustin the special fuck off look that he only used when he was flirting with girls.

"Not that I'm aware of." Eddie smirked, cleaning up the table. Nancy had picked Will and Mike up as soon as they were done, Lucas went across the street to Max's, and the older members of the Hellfire Club had gone inside Eddie's trailer to get a beer. Erica and Dustin were supposed to go home with Steve.

"He just walked into that trailer holding a baby." Dustin pointed at the trailer next to Eddie's, and other two looked over.

"Oh, that's Y/N's." Eddie said, going back to cleaning. "It was probably her baby." As if that would explain everything.

"Why was Steve holding it then?" Erica asked, arms crossed in her sassy way.

"Do I look like a mind reader?" Eddie sighed, stuffing everything into his bag and then looking at the kids. "Look, she's a nice girl. Really hot. Let Steve get to know her a bit while you go to Max's." He didn't want them at his trailer, because the second he was inside he would be lighting a blunt.

"And watch her and Lucas suck face?" Dustin complained. He was sure he'd rather barge in on Steve and Y/N.

"Yes." Eddie glared at Dustin, somehow knowing where his train of thought was going. "If I see you walk into Y/N's trailer, you're going to sit a watch through the entirely of the next campaign." He threatened. Steve was his friend, and he knew that Y/N and him would get along. He just needed to make sure the two's selfless attitudes didn't get in the way. Steve would do anything for these kids, and Eddie knew that even if he grumbled about it Steve would let Dustin crash his date. Eddie also knew that Y/N would never even think about going on a date without her baby.

Shit. Eddie was going to have to babysit sometime.

"Okay, okay," Dustin raised his hands, clearly getting the memo.

"You don't go into that trailer!" Eddie yelled at them, walking into his trailer. "Don't even look at it!" Dustin flipped him off as him and Erica walked to Max's trailer.

"He looked so at home with that baby," Erica muttered as they crossed the road.

"He's gonna fall in love." Dustin sighed.

~

"It's my mom's recipe." Y/N muttered as she put on oven mitts and opened the oven, grabbing the tin out of the oven. "She made it the night I found out I was pregnant." Y/N smiled slightly, a sad kind of smile. As Steve looked around the small trailer, he realized it was filled with mostly baby stuff. There were no pictures hanging, no decorations. There was a pile of baby clothes on the couch, a small stack of baby books and a half full bucket of toys.

"It smells amazing." Steve said, letting the sweet bread fill his senses. He watched Y/N cut the bread out of the tin and put it on a plate, and then cut two pieces. She began to butter the bread, and then James pulled on his shirt, screaming.

"James loves cornbread." Y/N said, grabbing the plate with the cornbread pieces and putting it on the counter. "You can put him in the high chair right there." She pointed at the high chair that was next to the counter, and Steve gently put the baby in. Knowing he was going to get fed, James let go of Steve and gave an excited noise, one that made Steve's heart melt even if he hadn't known the kid for that long.

"Your mom makes the best cornbread." Steve said as he took a bite. It crumbled around his lips, and there was a little too much butter, but the bread was amazing. It could have been burnt and he would have said that it was the best thing that's ever touched his tastebuds.

"Oh, I think he knows." Y/N laughed, breaking off some of her cornbread and putting it on James' tray. So many thoughts were going through Steve's head.

Where is James' father? What kind of idiot leaves not only the most beautiful girl but also the cutest child? Where are her parents? Did they leave her? What kind of parent leaves their child?

He asked none of this, because that would be wrong. But as he realized he had to leave, telling Y/N he had to pick up the kids, one question stuck with him.

Was he ready to date a girl with a kid?

~

"Dustin thought James was your kid." Eddie told Steve a couple days later.

"You're joking." Steve said, taking a sip of his beer. He seriously couldn't believe Dustin actually thought that.

"No," Eddie smirked, taking a hit. He checked the clock, because his master plan had to come into action.

"That kid." Steve shook his head.

"Speaking of kids," Eddie said slyly, knowing that Y/N and Nancy and Robin would be at his trailer soon. "I invited Y/N tonight." Steve almost spit his beer out.

"Nice," Steve said through his coughs. "And she's bringing James?" Steve wanted her to bring James, because his heart melted every time she looked at her baby with so much love.

Shit, he's only met this girl two times and he has feelings already.

"No, no, Max is supposed to babysit." Eddie smirked, because he had come up with this master plan. Steve just nodded, which made Eddie confused because he had done this so that Y/N and Steve could have alone time.

"That's nice of Max." Steve said. Before he could say anything else, Robin was rushing into Eddie's trailer, filling the space with her happiness and her excited nature.

"I've got us the best movie!" She yelled, Nancy following with a smile. "It's new, so new I'm surprised they had it!" She was shoving the movie into Steve's face, and he just smiled and shook his head.

"Wow," He told her, letting her fall partially on top of him and begin babbling about it.

"Remember when we were drugged and we went-"

"You were drugged?" Nancy questions, her and Eddie giving each other a look of shock.

"-movie theater and watched that one movie about that guy who went back in time and fell in love with his mom but that meant he would never exist-"

"Hold on," Nancy tries to stop Robin's rant, but it seems she's not listening.

"-had to make sure his parents fell in love and then he came back to the present - oh! It was called Back to the Future! That was it! Yeah, so this movie is the second one." Robin held up the VHS case, and they all just stared at her.

"Based on that alone, I don't think I want to watch the second movie." Eddie finally let out a chuckle, taking a sip of his beer.

"Can we back up a minute?" Nancy asked, blinking rapidly as a sign of her head churning. "You two were drugged? And then you went to the movies and watched this movie?"

"They seriously made a second part to that shit?" Steve swears he told Nancy about this, so he doesn't answer her.

"Is there anyway we can back the fuck up?" Eddie asks, but before Robin or Steve can explain the door slams open and a baby is crying.

"Max is sick and James won't stop crying so I was wondering if you have ice? We go through ours so quickly and I think he's teething." Y/N rushes out. They all stare, except for Steve who gets up and goes to Eddie's freezer, grabbing ice.

"Don't they make toys for this?" He asks the tired mother, who's eyes look ready to droop at any moment.

"I live in a trailer park, city boy. Ice works fine, as long as we hold it against his gums so he doesn't choke." Y/N says, taking the ice from Steve and holding it to her baby's mouth. He stops screaming and looks at the group with wide eyes.

"You look tired." Eddie raises his beer to her, and she rolls her eyes.

"I think teething is worse than newborn stage." She tells the group, sighing as James puts a tiny hand to her wrist and sucks on the ice.

"You should rest." Steve takes James from Y/N's arms, holding the ice to his gums. She smiled gratefully and kissed James' head.

"Thank you so much, Steve." She way she whispered his name made his heart race. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before walking to the bedroom, not caring about the fact that it was Eddie's.

"Oh, Steve's a goner." Robin said softly so that Y/N couldn't hear when she shut the door.

"He's been a goner ever since he set eyes on her." Eddie smirked, but Steve was staring at James, who was sucking on Steve's fingers that held the ice and looking up at him with the biggest eyes Steve has ever seen. He cannot imagine a world where someone would give this kid up. This sweet, cute baby who Steve already loved.

"Head over heels." Nancy smirked, and Steve finally looked up at them.

"I have a problem." He muttered, eyes wide.

"Ya think?" Robin smirked.

//

In her haste to get up, she trips over something - someone - Eddie. He groans as she falls to the ground, letting out an 'oof' as the wind gets knocked out of her. He tuns and goes straight back to sleep - did he even wake up? - and she scrambles to get up and open the door, going through the short hallway to see Steve on the couch. She's about to shake him to wake him up, ask him where the fuck her child is, when she sees how he's laying. 

He's sprawled on the couch, one arm above his head. His mouth is open, and he is lightly snoring. One leg is off the couch and the other is laying off the end. And on his chest is James, one hand clutching Steve's shirt and the other stuffed in his mouth. Steve has one hand on James' back, and both boys look like they could stay asleep for 12 years. 

Y/N sees a camera on the counter and she grabs it, not willing to let this moment go. She lifts it and takes a picture, smiling as it pops out of the top. She watches as it develops, longing bursting through her even though the exact moment is still playing out in front of her. 

James stirs on Steve's chest, but before she can grab him Steve's eyes shoot open and his other hand goes to James. She quickly sets the camera to the side and pockets the photo, watching as Steve blinks slowly and smacks his lips together as he wakes up. James puts his hands on Steve's chest to sit up, looking at his mom and letting out a cry. 

"Oh," Y/N laughs, going to pick her baby up as Steve stretches, neck popping. "Thank you for taking him. I haven't had that much sleep in awhile." She watches as Steve smiles at her tiredly. James lets out another cry and Y/N sighs.

"I had to break into your trailer in the middle of the night to grab a bottle and diapers." He tells her. 

"Shoot, I didn't even think about that. I usually don't sleep for that long, I thought I would wake up before he needed anything." She feels embarrassed that Steve went into her messy living space and had to change her baby. She'd had a couple close friends babysit for an hour or two, but she'd never have someone take care of her baby like that. 

It felt nice. 

"Don't worry about it. We had a fun time. He only cried once, and it was at your place." Steve leans over and grabs Clover, the small tan bear that James could hardly bear to be separated from that justice fallen from his grasp while he slept. 

"Thats why I didn't wake up." She looks at James, who is babbling as if he's gonna tell her all about his and Steve's night. "I'm sure you had fun with Stevie." Y/N tells him, blinking when he screams. 

"I take that as a yes." Steve hopes the blush rushing to his cheeks isn't that obvious. 

"Thank you so much, Steve. You're a life saver." She reaches in for a hug, letting James squeal in between them. 

"Anytime."

~

"Hey, where does Steve live?" Y/N had called Eddie, which was strange because she lived a literal 3 second walk to his trailer. 

"Uh," Eddie blinks, not sure what to answer. "Is there a reason you want to stalk my friend?" 

"I'm not stalking!" She laughs, but Eddie is still confused. "I made him a cake." She says it quietly, and his eyes widen. 

"Y/N," He starts, trying to think of what to say. "Why did you bake Steve Harrington a cake?" How is Steve Harrington pulling Eddie's hot neighbor? 

"He took care of James all night last week. I need to do something nice to thank him." She says it as if its so obvious, and Eddie just nods. 

"Uh, I can give you his street. You know what his car looks like, and he doesn't have work today so he's probably there with the kids or something." At his words Y/N's heart races a little bit, because Steve is just so good at taking care of children and she finds it so, so hot. 

"Okay, that's fine." Y/N tells him. She almost drops the phone when he answers.

Steve lives on the rich side of town. He lives on the opposite side of her.

"You there?" Eddie asks when she goes silent. 

"Yeah, sorry. When is he coming to yours, Ed?" She asks. She doesn't want to know just how rich Steve is.

She's weird about money. She works at the diner, where James plays in the playpen that she spent way to much money on and the owners graciously let her keep James there. She barely makes enough to live at the trailer park and pay for James' things. What was she thinking, making Steve a cake? 

"Tonight." Eddie smirks. He'd like to give himself the credit for getting Y/N and Steve together. He knew they would be perfect together, because Y/N's hot and nice and has a child, which is basically Steve's type, and Steve is nice and great with kids, which is basically all Y/N's ever wanted.

So yeah, he's gonna take the credit for this one. 

"You should come over." Eddie smirks. "And before you say anything you can bring James." He knows her main excuse is James, and that for some reason she's backing away from him. 

"He's just going to be loud and probably ruin everyone's time." She tells Eddie, and sighs when James yells. 

"Well Steve clearly doesn't care." Eddie knows he's pushing it. 

"I'll think about it." She whispers before hanging up. 

People should just call him the matchmaker.

~

"Where the hell is Steve?" Eddie asks after Robin shows up and Steve isn't immediately following. Robin furrows her brows as Nancy walks through the door, holding a bag of snacks and booze. Jonathan follows, a small bag of weed in hand.

"He called and told me he was already here." Robin says, confused because when she looks into the small trailer Steve is nowhere to be found. 

"He hasn't showed up." Eddie turns to let Robin in, who goes to check the bathroom and Eddie's room as if he was lying. 

"What the hell," Robin mutters. Eddie looks around, concerned. He hadn't heard from Steve, and he didn't know why he told Robin that he would be here when he hadn't even talked to Eddie about that. He was starting to worry when he looked out the window and spotted Y/N's trailer, and right behind it a beamer stuck out. 

"I know where he is." Eddie announced, smirk on his face as he turned to the rest of the group. They all stared at him expectantly as he paused for dramatic effect. "Isn't it obvious? He's at Y/N's." 

~

Y/N was covered in everything from flour from the cake to spit-up from James when she opened the door and saw Steve, standing there in his probably expensive clothing and even more expensive cologne. 

It was all she could think about. She knew it was wrong, and she tried to think about how Steve had taken care of James all night, how he had even thought to grab Clover. She thought of the polaroid on her end table next to her couch. 

"Steve," She sounded breathy and Steve was already head over heels for her. 

"Hey," Oh God, he forget how to flirt. The most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen and he was going to blow it. "I was on my way to Eddie's and I thought I'd stop by." He told her with a small smile. 

"So you're not exhausted from the other night?" She turned to open the door wider. He looked tired, and she knew that he was probably still trying to catch up after sleeping on the couch and waking up in the middle of the night for James. 

"I just don't sleep well." He said as he walked into the trailer. "I came by to see if you needed any help before tonight. Eddie told me you were coming." Of course he did. 

"I actually really need to take a shower? James is sleeping, so it shouldn't be too bad. Thank you so much." She practically rushes to the bathroom, so excited to be able to take a long shower. Well, not long, but long,  but much longer than the two minute showers she'd had to take while James played on the bathroom floor. 

Once she felt like a new woman, she walked out to see Steve sitting on the couch, staring at the picture she had taken at Eddie's. 

"This is adorable." Steve told her, smirking. She felt herself flush at the fact that Steve found the picture. 

"I thought so too." She said, sitting on the couch next to him. She yawned, which caused Steve to yawn in turn. They smiled at each other. 

"Maybe we could watch some TV before going to Eddie's." Steve suggested, knowing that all he wanted was sleep. This would do though. At least they would be resting. 

"Good idea." She reached for the remote. "We just have to be quiet, because I might kill you if James wakes up." She's only half joking, so Steve smiles. 

"Fine by me." He says, shrugging. 

Five minutes later, they're both passed out on each other. 

And that's how Eddie and Robin find them when they walk in after their knocks go unanswered. Steve looks uncomfortable, his back against the couch and his legs still in sitting position, but his mouth is open and he's snoring. He's got an arm around Y/N and the other under his head. Y/N is laying practically on top of him, legs curled up with a peaceful smile resting on her face. 

"You've gotta be joking." Robin says softly, blinking at them. Of course they were taking a nap. 

"Are we surprised?" Eddie asks, and the two simply shake their heads and leave Y/N and Steve to their nap.

~

"Why didn't you tell me his birthday was tomorrow?" Steve looks hurt as he follows Y/N across the lawn to Eddie's, holding James so Y/N can hold the bottles of margaritas and the diaper bag. James squeals as if he agrees, which makes Y/N roll her eyes.

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?" She had only told Steve because he saw the presents hiding in the shower, small boxes nicely wrapped. When he asked, Y/N nonchalantly told him that James' party was tomorrow because that's when his birthday was and Steve was welcome to come, she was making a cake-

"You should have told me sooner!" He argues as they walk up the steps.

"I thought Eddie would've told you." She shrugs, kicking the door so someone will open it.

"Well, don't you look like the perfect family." Robin is already intoxicated as she leans against the door, smirking at Steve.

"Did you know James' birthday is tomorrow?" Steve asks as he follows Y/N into the house. Robin snorted.

"Yes, Eddie told us last week." Nancy raises her eyebrows, because they all remember why Steve hadn't heard about it - the two had fallen asleep in Y/N's trailer instead of going to Eddie's. They had woken up sore, Steve moving Y/N to the bed before driving home, smiling like an idiot the whole time.

"Well no one told me!" Steve slaps his free hand against his thigh, causing James to slap his hand against Steve's chest.

"Oh my God, it is not that big of a deal!" Y/N has already poured herself a marg and put the diaper bag down in the corner. "If you have to work it's fine! It's his first birthday, he is not going to remember it." She takes a large gulp of her margarita - more like multiple gulps - and Steve puts a hand to the middle of his eyebrows.

He looks like such a dad.

"How am I supposed to get him presents?" Steve asks finally. Everyone stares for a second until Eddie louts out a loud laugh. It startles James, who lets out a cry and reaches for his mom. She frowns and lets out a small sigh, taking her baby and shushing him as he cries against her chest. 

"Steve, he's one!" Eddie yells, making James let out another cry. 

"Maybe don't yell." Y/N takes another big drink of her margarita while bouncing her baby. 

"What does he want? What do you need?" Steve ignores everyone and looks straight at Y/N, who lets out a sigh. 

"You can bring a fruit salad." She tells him with an eye roll, putting James down on the ground as he starts to wiggle. 

"I need to bring something else." Steve kneels down and grabs Clover out of the diaper bag, making a face at James as he gave the baby the stuffie. 

"You don't. I'm telling you right now that you can just bring yourself and that is fine." Steve shakes his head at Y/N's words, grabbing the beer that Eddie handed him.

"You think I'm gonna come to a party and not bring a gift?" Steve stands and crosses an arm while taking a sip of the beer. 

"Oh my God." Y/N's margarita must be done because she refills it. "Steve, if you don't come here tomorrow I will go to your house and force you to come here. And James is not going to give a shit if you have a present, as long as you're here." 

"Shit!" When James screams it, everyone turns to him. Y/N takes a deep breath. 

"This is your fault."  She looks at Steve, who is covering his mouth to hid his smile. 

"How is it my fault!" He asks, eyes wide.  

"Stop asking stupid questions." She is drinking her margarita like it's water while everyone else is still on their first drink.

"Maybe you should smoke some?" Jonathan suggests, earning the dirtiest look from Y/N. 

"Around the baby?" Nancy smacks Jonathan's arm and rolls her eyes, taking a drink out of her red solo. 

"Oh my God," Eddie rolls his eyes and downs his whole beer. 

"Can I bring alcohol to James' party?" Robin asks. Steve scoffs. 

"Robin, Jesus," He rolls his eyes and leans against the counter, next to Y/N. She leans against him, and his hand goes to her waist. Robin and Eddie shared a look, but neither of them were drunk enough to comment. 

"It's a valid question!" Robin defends. 

"Yes, it is alcohol friendly." Y/N tells them with a smile. She leans further into Steve as she takes another drink. James gets tired of playing with Clover and tries to make a break for it to Eddie's room, Steve shifts his weight to put a foot out, stopping James from going any further. He sits back and looks up at Steve, wide eyes looking betrayed. 

"What do you want for your birthday, hm?" Steve leans down and picks James up again, who screams and puts his hand in his mouth, chewing. "Maybe some teething toys." He pulls James' hand out of his mouth and lifts his eyebrows as James scrunches his face and lets out a cry, legs kicking. Steve struggles to keep his beer from toppling where it's pressed against the baby.

"That was so mean." Y/N frowns dramatically, grabbing a piece of ice from Eddie's fridge. She placed it on James' gums, and the baby immediately began sucking on it. 

"I cannot right now," Robin took Eddie's beer and chugged it, leaving Eddie to stare frozen.

"I need another margarita." Y/N turns and lets Steve hold the ice for James as she pours another large cup. 

"Oh, it's gonna be a fun night." Eddie grabs another beer and pops it on the counter. James grabs the ice from Steve in a swift move and lets out a scream as he throws it on the floor. Steve just stares before switching his beer to his free hand and downing it. He accepts fresh one from Jonathan, who had gotten up to refill his own drink, as James cries. 

"I think he's just tired." Y/N sighs, putting her drink down and grabbing James from Eddie's arms. "We shouldn't have brought him here." The way she says we makes Steve go a little dumb for a second. All he can thinking about is the fact that she thinks of him and her and James together - like a family. He would never say it out loud, because he's sure she doesn't mean it like that, but he's already run with the idea. All he's wanted since he realized his parents were never getting any better was to have a family of his own, his people that he could take care of. 

"Just put him to bed in my room." Eddie flicks his hand toward the back of the trailer, and Y/N blinks. 

"Your sheets would give my child twenty-seven different diseases." Y/N talks over James' cries, which are just empty cries from his tiredness. Jonathan starts coughing when a spurt of beer goes up his nose from laughing. Eddie rolls his eyes. 

"I just washed them!" Even James became quiet at that. No one believed these lies. "Okay, I know how it sounds, but I promise I did! Go check!" Y/N shares a look with Steve, and they both walk to the back room to see what they're dealing with. 

"I was not expecting this." Y/N says when she finds Eddie's bed unmade but clean. 

"He's probably having someone over soon." Steve chuckles as she lays James down. She sighs as she begins moving the pillows to create a barrier so James doesn't roll off the bed. 

"I didn't bring a bottle." She whispers, soothing the space between her baby's eyes. James goes from being wide awake to being slightly sleepy, but it doesn't work as quickly as Steve has seen his bottle work. 

"I packed one before I left. I think Eddie has some milk." Steve gets up and leaves quickly, and Y/N isn't sure if it's the alcohol or Steve that makes her heart warm. 

"Do you wanna know a secret, James?" She whispers, leaning in close. James kicks his legs and babbles some gibberish, smiling at his mother. "I think I like Steve Harrington." She smiles as he giggles. 

"Eef!" He repeats, and it doesn't sound anything like Steve but she laughs anyway. 

"What're we laughing at?" Steve comes back in with a bottle, and as Y/N sits up James gets excited, kicking his legs and waving his arms, excited for the bottle Steve was holding. Steve shakes it a little bit as he sits on the bed, handing the bottle to James. The baby drinks it quickly, his eyes closing. Y/N and Steve stay quiet as they wait for James to fall asleep. 

"You can go out there. I'll wait for him to fall asleep." Y/N whispers as she cards her fingers through James' short hair. 

"We're in this together." Steve puts a hand on her knee, and she melts into the touch. She looks up at him, and in that moment she wants to push Steve on the bed and kiss him senseless. Before she can do anything, James lets out a hiccup and they both look at him. He's asleep, the bottle laying discarded on the side. 

"Thank you." She says when they both exit the room, carefully shutting the door. She thanks God they don't have the money to buy one of those fancy ass noise machines, so James will likely fall asleep fine with the party going on. He's fallen asleep to worse in the trailer park.

"Anytime. I meant it." He tells her, and she knows her cheeks are heating. They were already warm from the alcohol, but this is worse. She needs another drink. 

"At least now we can hang out without a kid interrupting everything." She grabs his hand in a bold moment, and she watches his face blush as he squeezes it and smirks at her. 

"For the record," Steve says as he picks up her red solo cup to give to her, his beer in his other hand. "I'm okay with your kid interrupting us." There's music playing as he takes her free hand to pull her into him, ignoring the laughs and jokes from the others who are sprawled in the small living room. 

"You don't mind it?" She asks as she lets him place her hand on his chest, his own going to her waist, just a little bit lower than modest. 

"Not one bit." He shrugs as he says the next part. "But I am glad to have you all to myself at last." She leans closer and tucks her head into his chest, because otherwise he would see the stupid look on her face. 

Oh yeah, she's head over heels for him. 

~

When Steve shows up, Y/N's heart races, and not just because of the tight ass jeans Steve is wearing. He's carrying about five presents, ranging from huge to a small gift bag, and a bowl of fruit salad. 

"Steve Harrington," She starts, James on one hip and a probably alcoholic drink in a pineapple cup in the other. Her trailer is decorated in beach themes, a table with drinks and food and different color pineapple cups on the table. James has a small pineapple cup that's blue, matching his white shirt and blue overalls, the outfit being topped off by a blue hat with blue sunglasses. 

He looks adorable. 

The only thing better than James' outfit its Y/N's. She's matching him, blue sunglasses and all, her own blue hat a baseball cap with a Hawaiian flower on it. Her pineapple cup matches the colors of a normal pineapple, the only one to have done so. 

"Robin and Nancy got me all the decorations." Y/N smiles, distracting Steve from the sunglasses and hat Robin puts on him. Nancy throws a lei over his shoulders before he even knows what's going on. 

"Why didn't we just throw this at my pool?" Steve asks, setting his gifts down on the apparent gift table and puts the fruit salad on the food table. 

"Seef!" James calls. Y/N lets out a laugh as he reaches his short arms over to Steve. 

"That's better than 'eef.'" She tells Steve, his face all smiles as he takes James. Steve tickles the infants stomach, who giggles and squeals. 

"I didn't know you had a pool." Y/N goes to make Steve a drink, picking the large blue pineapple. This is not technically a lie, as she didn't know for sure. She had a pretty good idea, however. 

"You never asked." He smirked as he took the drink from Y/N's hand. He took a sip and almost coughed. "A bit strong, don't ya think?" 

"Well, you're three drinks behind!" Eddie yells from his trailer, carrying two six packs of beers and a present. "And the kids are coming soon." 

"What kids?" Steve asks, taking a larger gulp. 

"I invited your kids." The way she says it makes Steve's heart light, his kids. 

"I made Jon take them so I could start on the drinks." Nancy raises her pink pineapple, and Robin clinks her purple one against it. 

"We told them the start time was half an hour later so we can make a dent in the alcohol!" By Robin's laugh, it seems they have made a dent in the alcohol pretty well. Steve drinks more of his drink. 

"Steve could you come help me get the pack-n-play from inside? That way James can sit in it and we can play some games." She smiles as Steve hands James off to Robin, who is making grabby hands with the one not clutching the drink. The two walk up the steps and into the trailer, their sunglasses pushed to their forehead.

"What're you doin'?" Steve asks as Y/N rifles around her kitchen drawers. 

"What you think I invited you in just for that stupid old thing? I tug that shit with me to work and back everyday." She smiles as she pulls out the cigarette and a lighter. Steve smirks. 

"They're gonna realize even if we only smoke one each." He says, but he's moving toward her. 

"That's why we're sharing one." She smiles as she pops it in her mouth and lights it, taking a drag before handing it to Steve. He takes a hit, thinking shortly about shotgunning with her, however Y/N turns toward the open window and sticks her head out, blowing the smoke. Steve smiles as he presses up against her to let the smoke out. They take a few more hits, almost reaching the end of the cigarette before someone catches them. 

"You idiots." Eddie pokes his head around the trailer, and Steve has to lean uncomfortably to turn around. 

"Go back and babysit for five more minutes!" Y/N giggles, and Steve turns toward her and smiles. 

"I hate you guys." Eddie leaves, which means he doesn't see the moment Y/N's eyes venture to Steve's lips, the moment they both lean in slightly, foreheads bumping. 

"Steve!" Of course Dustin interrupts, and Steve hits his shoulder against the windowsill as Y/N accidentally hits her forehead against him. 

"Fuck," She mutters as her sunglasses fall to her nose.

"That little shit." Steve slides back into the trailer as Y/N follows, him going to grab the pack-n-play and her putting the cigarette out while pushing her sunglasses back up. 

Oh God, she almost kissed Steve Harrington.

She takes a deep breath, fanning at her face with Steve's back turned, before she grabs both of their drinks and follows him out. 

"He is so tiny." Y/N sees El smiling at James, who is blinking at her with wide eyes. He's never been around this many people, and Y/N knows that soon he's gonna scream. She makes herself and Steve another drink - spiked punch, her favorite - and hands it to him before grabbing James from Max's arms. She nods her head hard to make the sunglasses fall and deposits James into his pack-n-play, smiling as Steve comes out of the trailer with Clover and a couple other toys. 

"Hey, what're you drinking?" Dustin asks Steve as he looks over the drinks on the table. 

"If I catch you with even a drop of this, your ass is grass." Steve grabs a coke from the ice chest and shoes it at the kid. "That goes for all of you little," Steve trails off as he hears James squeal, remembering last night when James repeated the one word he shouldn't. 

"You're no fun." Max frowns as she grabs a coke. 

"We're not kids anymore." Mike crosses his arms like a child, crossing his point. 

"You're always gonna be kids." Jonathan smirks, finishing off his beer. 

"Henderson, you're going to be a kid until you're married and have kids, alright." Steve cuts him off, rolling his eyes but still catching Y/N's quick flinch. "Poor choice of wording, I'm sorry." Steve tries, taking a long swig of his drink from the straw. 

"It's alright, I get it." She smiled. She did get it. Times may have changed slightly, however they hadn't changed enough for her to be accepted by everyone. 

"I didn't mean it like that." Steve tries again, but Y/N just shakes her head. 

"It's fine." She knows he didn't mean it. She knows it's just the way Steve views the life cycle. 

God, she was a fool. Steve probably wanted to start fresh, wanted to have his own kids after being married. 

"It's not," Steve moves closer to make it a more private conversation. Everyone begins to start talking in groups, and Eddie begins trying to set up a way to play music outside and not blast it from his trailer. "I swear I didn't mean it like that." He feels like shit for chosing his words so poorly. Before Y/N can respond, James is screaming and she's rushing to him. It seems he's just hungry, so she decides it's time for presents so they can get right on to cake. 

"Can you grab a chair from around back?" She asks Steve, who nods and grabs one. He sets it down next to the presents, and everyone gathers around. 

"Thank you guys for coming." Y/N smiles at her friends, heart beating with love. "I'm so lucky that I live next to someone with such great friends." She jokes, looking at Eddie. He raises his bottle to her as everyone laughs and insists they're all friends. 

James isn't helpful with opening the presents, trying to chew the wrapping paper at every chance he gets. Steve is luckily quick enough to get it out of his mouth, but this makes James angry. Everyone got the cutest gifts, like the clothes Nancy and Jonathan brought to the baby guitar Eddie proudly gave. The kids got cute figurines and bath toys, and she'd opened a couple of Steve's gifts - teething toys. She almost cried when she opened them, asking Steve to put them in the freezer right away. When he got out, she was opening the largest present - a cute little kitchen that she can put in her living room so James can pretend to cook. Y/N was glad the sunglasses hid her teary eyes. 

"You didn't have to do this." She tells Steve as everyone begins helping with the cleanup. 

"Of course I did." He turns to James and smiles, tickling his stomach. "Anything for my family."

Oh yeah. She's head over heels alright.

//

"It's actually much easier than living alone." She admits, looking over the table of drinks.

"Really?" Robin sounded so genuinely shocked it made Y/N look up.

"Yes? She answers, turning to face her friend. "Why wouldn't it be? We have two sets of income, two pairs of hands to help with James." She leaves out the part where it feels nice to have someone care for her and her son. "And it doesn't hurt to have a man in the house in my neighborhood." She adds quietly, almost ashamed to admit it. Before Steve moved in, she had been so terrified some nights of a break in that she would barely sleep, getting up to check every lock multiple times. Now, she didn't worry as much, knowing that Steve could protect her and James.

"Sounds more like you're married." Robin said offhandedly, and if Y/N was drinking something she would have choked. Instead she just scoffed, trying to school her face as her cheeks heated.

"The society we live in, hey?" Y/N mutters, turning back toward the drinks. She decides on some eggnog that she had seen the kids drink, ladling it into her cup. She brings it to her lips and tries it, noting a unique - but not bad - taste. She's never tried eggnog before, but she likes it.

"You're tellin' me." Robin ladles herself some eggnog, taking a large gulp as they turn to take in the rest of the party. Y/N sees Steve arguing with Dustin in the corner and decides to go out on a limb.

"Does Steve ever," Her confidence fades halfway through the sentence, not sure if Robin would tell her best friend about what she was going to ask.

"Talk about you? He never shuts up, actually. Especially now that you live together." Robin answers, and Y/N tries not to think about the fact that she just implied that Steve talked about her before they were even living together.

She thinks that Steve enjoys their living arrangement as well, even though sometimes she can't help but think about the fact that she had took him away from a life of luxury and basically holed him away in a trailer park. The single time she brought this up, Steve shushed her and told her he liked this life better. He had told her that he wouldn't go back even if his parents offered. That was the night that he had come clean about what his parents had done to him, how they had neglected him his whole life and how they were probably gonna move anyway.

"Like the eggnog?" Robin asks as Y/N takes another sip.

"Yeah. I've never had it before, it's good." She brings it to her lips once more.

"I spiked it." Robin says it so nonchalantly that this time Y/N does choke on her drink, putting it down on the counter as she struggles to breathe.

"That's good." Y/N nods, wiping her mouth. She's glad she brought James' overnight bag, because there's no way she's leaving now. He screams just then, as if her thinking of him somehow made him aware that he had not seen her in an hour.

"I don't know how you dod it." Robin mutters as Y/N rushes over to her baby, who is crying like he's been hurt. It scares her, because usually when he cries like this he has been hurt, but when she gets there it seems, he's most likely tired. She looks over his body while he cries, his little fists holding tight to her shirt.

"I can put him to sleep if you wanna keep talking to Robin." Steve offers, but Y/N shakes her head as she stands with James in her arms. She stumbles, not enough to actually fall, but Steve still grabs her. "Or maybe we should all just go home." She's just going to pretend that him saying that didn't make her want to melt into a puddle on the ground.

"Robin spiked the eggnog." Y/N mutters as they walk away. Steve's eyes widen.

"Henderson!" He yells, scaring James. Dustin chugs the rest of his drink before Steve can yell at him more, but James' cries pull Steve away from the teen and back to Y/N and her son.

"I feel bad you're always leaving your friends to help with James." She admits as she goes to the extra room that everyone had agreed could be theirs. Y/N and Steve hadn't slept in the same bed yet, and she's not sure if Steve's going to leave before they go to bed or if he'd be willing to share a bed. She thinks Steve likes her in the way she likes him, but she has a kid and she's sure that Steve could do better.

"I like helping." He says, putting the pack-n-play they had brought up. James was very fussy tonight however, and the second Y/N put him down he screamed. He usually wasn't this angry about going to bed, so Y/N checked his diaper.

"Maybe he doesn't like being in a new place?" Steve suggests when Y/N leans back against the headboard, James in her arms. He's quieter now, sniffling as he squirms in an effort to stay awake.

"He went to bed so easily at Eddie's a couple months ago." She says, breathing deeply when Steve got up and turned the light off. "He's gonna be awhile if you wanna go back out there." She says quietly, turning her face to see him when he gets on the bed next to her.

"How many time do I have to tell you we're in this together?" He asks, and she's glad he can't see her face in the dark. She puts James between them and lays down, letting James grab onto his own feet and play with them. He'll eventually tire himself out.

"I just don't understand." She's barely speaking, trying to keep the noise down so James goes to sleep soon.

"What's not to understand?" He puts a hand on James' belly to rub it and calm him down.

"I'm not a normal girl. I'm not going to be able to give you what you want. I was barely able to live in the trailer park before you came and helped. I have a baby, and he's never going away." She wasn't sure why she was explaining this as if Steve didn't know, but she couldn't help herself. It was quiet for a minute, the two of them just barely able to look at each other in the darkness.

"I hope not." Steve finally says, scooting closer to her. She scoots close to him, sandwiching James in the middle. "I don't want a normal girl. I don't want you any way that you aren't. I don't like you in spite of you being a mother, I like you because you're a mother. An amazing one." Y/N moves to hide her tears, not wanting to admit that Steve's words have hit her in a place she's never felt before.

Steve, unfortunately, doesn't understand this.

"Shit, was that too much? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He's leaning up, which makes James roll slightly to him. "I'm so sorry, I only-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence because Y/N has pushed herself up, careful of James, before pressing her lips to his. He's shocked for a second, but he quickly puts a hand on her face to angle her into a deeper kiss. She gets into it, forgetting that her baby is right in between them until he screams. Y/N chuckles as she pulls back, laying back down as James giggles before yawning.

"You're tired, love." Y/N tells him, and he scrunches his nose.

"That make two of us." Steve yawns, settling back into the pillows.

"Yeah," Y/N agrees, laying her head down. She's just resting her eyes while James falls asleep, then she'll go out and party with her friends. She's just resting her eyes because James had been up all night teething.

She's just resting her eyes for awhile, and then her and Steve will talk about what that was. 

//