#strang

Instead of dealing with it, we ignored it. We planned to not tell anyone about us. It actually hasn't been that hard. Mike was focused on maintaining his long-distance relationship with El. Nancy was focused on the school paper.

Plus, we worked together so we didn't have to sneak out to be together. We just covered it with work. We took turns bringing or picking up lunch for each other. When one of us was working and the other wasn't, we stopped by. Date nights were nights that we had to do inventory or had a late delivery.

The only person who knew was Robin. She caught on after a week of us constantly switching shifts so we could work together. She didn't like the idea of keeping a secret, but it only took her seeing one of our lunch dates to keep our secret.

I was in the middle of restocking the candy when I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist and start kissing my neck. It was 11 o'clock on a Wednesday. Weekdays weren't very busy.

"You should know," I teased as he continued to make out with my neck, "my boyfriend is grabbing something from the back room and he's gonna be pissed."

"Oh?"

"Yep," I smiled as Steve turned me toward him. "My boyfriend is hella protective."

"Is he?" Steve continued to play along as he pulled me closer and slid his hands down my back.

"Mmhmm," I hummed. I moaned when he reached my ass and squeezed it. "And he has an extremely short temper."

"I do not," he defended himself. I sent him a look that made him laugh. "Okay, fine. I have a short temper. Especially when it comes to someone messing with my girl."

Steve glanced around the empty shop and turned back to me with a playful smirk on his face. I knew exactly what he was going to do, but before I could tell him not to do it, he did it.

He leaned down and kissed me. I knew we shouldn't be doing this at work, but I didn't care. Ever since Steve and I started dating, things have felt easy. Except for the lying to everyone we love part.

We didn't bother to break the kiss as Steve moved us to the back room. He leaned down and picked me up, putting me on the table.

"Steve," I moaned against his mouth, "baby, the store."

He broke the kiss and moved to my neck. He kissed up my neck until he got to my ear. "The store has only been open an hour," he said against my skin. "You know that no one ever comes before 3 o'clock. Plus, it's Wednesday. So, game on."

I gasped when he roughly pressed his lips back to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in between my legs. He grabbed my right one and massaged my thigh as we continued to make out.

Steve broke the kiss and went back to kissing my neck. I moaned as his lips started pushing my v-neck lower. I arched my back, throwing my head back as he got as close to my chest as he could.

"What the shit?!"

We gasped, pulling apart when someone yelled. We looked over to see Mike frozen in the doorway.

"Mike," I stuttered. "I can explain."

"Wow," he said, glaring at me. "Wow, Y/N. I never thought you'd betray your family."

Before I could say anything, Mike turned around and ran out of the store. My eyes burned as I tried to figure out what to do.

"You okay?" Steve whispered.

"This is bad," I mumbled. "Really bad, Steve."

"He's just surprised," he tried to make me feel better. "Give him some time. He'll calm down."

* * * * *

Steve was wrong. Mike didn't calm down. As soon as I got home from work, Mike was gone. He spent the entire week at Dustin's. Every time I called, Mike refused to answer. Steve even tried to go over to Dustin's house but Dustin told him that Mike didn't want to talk.

I went to work at the end of that week exhausted. I ignored Robin as I walked into the back and put my bag in my locker. I closed it and leaned my forehead against it.

"Hey, you," Steve whispered as he walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "How are you?"

"Horrible," I said, my voice breaking. "Mike still won't talk to me. Dustin and Lucas can't talk to me because Mike won't let them."

"Have you talked to Nancy?"

"No," I sighed. "But I heard Mike telling her the night he found out. I didn't hear her response."

"Y/N. . ."

"We should get back to work," I said, pulling out of his embrace. I went through the rest of my shift with my stomach in knots. While restocking the kid's movies someone walked up to me.

"Welcome to Family Video," I recited. "What can I do for. . ."

I cut myself off when I turned around and saw Nancy fixing her shirt. "What are you doing here?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I figured we should talk," she said lightly.

"Look," I started even though I had no idea how to finish this.

"Let me go first," she cut me off. "I'm okay."

"You're what?"

"I'm okay with you and Steve dating," she continued. "Steve and I were over long ago. We're just friends and if you care about him then I support you guys."

I didn't know how to respond. Instead of saying anything, I wrapped her in a hug. She laughed as she hugged me back.

"You're really okay with this?"

We pulled out of our hug and saw Steve walking out of the back office. Nancy looked between me and him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "Besides, it's clear that you guys are a better couple than we ever were. Plus, you make my sister happy. How can I be upset?"

"Thanks, Nancy," Steve sighed. He sent me a wink before heading to the front desk to help a customer.

"Hey," Nancy said, lowering her voice. "Mike is being stupid, okay? He just needs to calm down."

"I guess," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. "But how long will that take?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "He wasn't too happy when I dated Steve. And with you now dating him. . . Mike is just confused and angry that you kept a secret. Give him time."

Later that night, Steve was in the back accepting a delivery. I was checking the returns for damages. Suddenly the bell above the door rang.

"Sorry, we're closed."

"We need to talk."

I looked up to see Mike standing in the doorway. "Hey," I said under my breath.

"I'm sorry about the other day," he forced out. "I didn't love that Steve and Nancy were together and then I found out you had started dating him. It was weird but. . . I talked to Steve."

"Wait, what?"

"Steve came by the house the other day," Mike explained. "He told me that things were different between you two. He promised me that this was for real."

"So you're okay?" I asked slowly.

"Yes," he nodded. He quickly added, "As long as I don't have to see or hear anything."

"I promise," I chuckled. "Thank you, Mikey."

Mike hugged me before leaving. I started chewing on my bottom lip as I wondered what Steve could've possibly said to my brother.

"You okay?"Steve asked as he walked back into the store. I turned around and ran toward him. He laughed as I jumped into his arms.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?"

I pulled out of our hug and looked up at him. "Mike stopped by," I explained. "He said you talked to him. I don't know what you said to him, but thank you."

"Of course," he shrugged as he moved some hair out of my face. "It was killing me that you were struggling so much. I couldn't have my girl blaming herself."

"Thank you," I whispered again. I bit my lip before forcing myself to confess to him. "I love you, Steve."

Steve leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine. I tightened my arms around him as I kissed him back.