summary: she’s a girl with a plan, a bad attitude, and absolutely no interest in hawkins or anything it has to offer, but hawkins, as it turns out, has plenty of interest in her. OR in which veronica henderson did not ask for any of this. any of it. and yet
a/n: you asked, i delivered. this whole thing started with a one shot i posted on tumblr HELL HATH NO FURY and apparently you people wanted more — so here we are. a full fic on wattpad. because of you. you're welcome and also this is your fault. i hope you thoroughly enjoy every single word of it. please like, share, and leave comments because they genuinely mean everything to me — spam them, i actually love it <3.
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VERONICA HENDERSON was not your girl next door. Well — she was, technically. She grew up right there in Hawkins, Indiana, same as everyone else, breathing the same flat Midwest air and suffering through the same bad radio stations. But Veronica was not like everyone else, and she had spent the better part of her life making sure people understood that.
She was sharp. She was difficult.
She had a hockey stick, ( which she'd never once used to actually play hockey, but whatever ) and a very specific look she gave people who wasted her time — and she was not afraid to use either.
The only things she cared about, in no particular order: her brother, her sleep, getting out of Hawkins, and not dying. Which, as it turned out, was going to be significantly harder than it sounded.
And then — STEVE HARRINGTON.
Of course Steve Harrington. Because apparently the universe had a sick sense of humor, and it decided that the one person who would crack her open like a geode was a former King of Hawkins High with great hair and genuinely catastrophic puppy dog eyes. She didn't mean to fall for him — she really didn't — and he didn't mean to fall so completely, so helplessly, so embarrassingly for her.
And yet. Here we are.
Two people who had no business loving each other the way they did . . . doing exactly that.
HAWKINS had secrets. Big ones.
The kind that lived underground and breathed wrong and had too many teeth. The kind that swallowed people whole and left their families with nothing but unanswered questions and a government cover story that didn't quite fit. The town had a way of doing that — pulling people in, chewing them up, spitting them out changed. Or not spitting them out at all.
Veronica had always been smart enough to know that something was off about this town . . . she just didn't know how deep it went. Nobody ever does — not until it's too late.
And she hadn't planned on being part of any of the royally fucked up bullshit. Turns out, Hawkins didn't much care about her plans.
Love, monsters, secrets, and a small town that refuses to stay quiet. What could possibly go wrong?
if you spot any grammar or spelling mistakes feel free to point them out, constructive criticism is always welcome. however, if you're going to bitch and abuse this fic . . . just don't read it. simple as that. this is a safe space, for everyone, and i'd like to keep it that way. now — i am already so in love with veronica henderson and i think you will be too. (Also, comment if you wanna be added to any and all Steve Harrington one-shots that I post)
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Could you please do a Gareth x fem! Reader headcanons? I would like the reader to be shorter than gareth, like she's 1.49-156 (you can choose) and gareth canonically is 1.73, I feel like he would be a little shocked from being taller than you because he's not that tall😭😭
Anyways thanks if you do it💞
thank you so much for requesting ♡ I hope you enjoy it
Gareth x short fem!reader
He loves loves loves being able to hug you and have his head on top of yours
Especially if y’all are with his friends and he can just hug you into him
Sitting on his lap is a must for him
Even if Gareth isn’t the tallest he’s average height so finding someone below average makes him feel needed
Like if you need anything off the top shelf he is grabbing it for you
If you’re upset with him he’ll purposely put your most used stuff higher up so you have to ask him for help
He does this even when you aren’t upset he just likes helping you
If you’ve seen the videos of people putting balloons on their short friends that would be Gareth to you
At the fair, he immediately buys a balloon and ties it to your wrist or backpack whatever he has to so he doesn’t lose you
He always puts you in front and guides you to where y’all are going so you don’t get separated
He won’t always lean down to kiss you just push your buttons
He’ll make you stand on your tippy toes to reach him
Loves when you pull him by his shirt for a kiss
Or if you haven’t seen each other in a while standing on your tippy toes with your arms wrapped around him to kiss him while he picks you up to spin you
Let’s not forget just running and jumping on him and forcing him to hold you
Cuddling with him he loves being big spoon and just holding you close to him and sleeping like that
it's so comforting to hold and protect you
if there's ever a threat he puts you behind him
him sitting while you’re standing to kiss
He loves that
Because he knows the second he stands up you’re short again
Gareth would 100% call you fun-size
I don’t make the rules it's true he told me himself
Piggyback rides >>>
Also getting on his shoulders to feel tall
he would hold you up at his height so you could see the difference from his line of sight compared to yours
carrying you doesn’t matter how just him picking you up and walking off
his jackets and shirts >>>
He loves how his clothes look like dresses on you
His hellfire shirt specifically he loves
When you sit on his lap he can see over your shoulder
This comes in handy when he teaches you how to play the drums
If you guys are watching movies together laying in between his legs and just his arms surrounding you
The head kisses and him leaning down to whisper in your ear while watching the movie
Totally holds stuff over your head so you can't get it
Hugging him would be top-tier
One he’s a teddy bear
Like why would you not want his arms wrapped around you
Two you get to rest your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat
If your shoes give you extra height he’ll laugh to himself when you take them off and you shrink
If you join him for dnd your characters a dwarf
(yes he helped you make your character sheet) (also please don’t come for me I don’t know much about d&d)
Honestly, Gareth is the perfect tall boyfriend for you
He’s not overly tall but he's the perfect height for you
All I have been doing is writing songs. All songs about broken fucking hearts. Yes my heart was broken, but it was more about the heart I had broken by my stupidity. I felt like I came in the dark of night and stole something that wasn't mine. I had Stolen her heart but she had stolen mine as well. That's all it was just two stolen hearts.
Midnight Thief
(Verse 1)
Sneaking through the shadows, in the dead of night
A heartbreaker on the loose, stealing love at first sight
With a glint in their eye, they strike without a sound
Leaving broken hearts scattered all around
(Chorus)
Midnight thief, stealing hearts with ease
Leaving a trail of shattered dreams and memories
No one can resist the pull of your dark art
Midnight thief, tearing love apart
(Verse 2)
Whispers in the alleys, tales of love gone wrong
The midnight thief dances to their tragic song
They move through the night like a ghostly wraith
Leaving behind a trail of heartbroken faith
(Chorus)
Midnight thief, stealing hearts with ease
Leaving a trail of shattered dreams and memories
No one can resist the pull of your dark art
Midnight thief, tearing love apart
(Bridge)
But one day the tables will turn, the thief will fall
Their stolen treasures will mean nothing at all
For in the end, love will conquer all
And the midnight thief will meet their final call
(Chorus)
Midnight thief, stealing hearts with ease
Leaving a trail of shattered dreams and memories
No one can resist the pull of your dark art
Midnight thief, tearing love apart
(Outro)
So beware the midnight thief, with their dark allure
Their reign of heartache will not long endure
For true love will rise, strong and unbroken
And the stolen hearts will be awoken
I couldn't stop. It's the only way I could keep myself sober. I got help. I went to rehab. While in rehab I started to write. Maybe all these songs are all the same. I don't know. I also don't care. It was a way to get it out and to help keep me sober. I wanted to apologize but I didn't know how. I didn't know if she would accept my apology. I had a good feeling she wouldn't. I sent her flowers every week for the past six months. I didn't expect her to call or write. I don't expect her to forgive me. I just want to show her that I'm working on myself. I'm working to clean myself up and keep it that way. Or at least I'm trying to.
Bloodstained Souls
(Verse 1)
In the shadows of the night
Where the demons take their flight
Whispers of love turn to spite
Stolen hearts in the pale moonlight
(Chorus)
Bloodstained souls in the dark
Torn apart, leaving their mark
Forgotten love, a broken heart
In the symphony of metal sparks
(Verse 2)
Crimson tears fall like rain
As the echoes of pain sustain
A metal heart, a soul in chains
Forever haunted by love's disdain
(Chorus)
Bloodstained souls in the dark
Torn apart, leaving their mark
Forgotten love, a broken heart
In the symphony of metal sparks
(Bridge)
Rage and sorrow intertwine
In the power of a screaming mind
Lost in a world so unkind
Stolen hearts left behind
(Chorus)
Bloodstained souls in the dark
Torn apart, leaving their mark
Forgotten love, a broken heart
In the symphony of metal sparks
(Outro)
In the echoes of the night
Where the darkness takes its flight
Stolen hearts forever ignite
In the flames of metal might.
I saw her the other day, walking in town. She was so fucking beautiful, it took my breath away. She always took my breath away. I realized that I haven't felt that in a long time though. I haven't felt that feeling she always gives me. That feeling where your heart skips a beat or two or five. It feels like it stops completely. I feel like I'm floating on air and time feels like it stops completely. I look at her and everything disappears.
I fucked that all up though. I was also high or drunk or both. I was also too fucked up that it started to disappear because the drugs and alcohol numbed everything. She's the only thing in my life besides my music that makes me feel anything. I always said that if I made it big that I would never end up like every other rockstar out there. I said I would never let fame get to me. I wouldn't get caught up in drugs, not with how easy it would be to get them whenever I wanted them. That didn't turn out well for me. It didn't go well for any of us.
Eternal Betrayal
(Verse 1)
In the shadows of the night, a darkness creeps
A sinister plot from within, a love asleep
Promises broken, lies spoken, hearts torn apart
Betrayal's curse, a venomous dart
(Chorus)
Stolen hearts, bleeding in the night
Echoes of deceit, screams out of sight
Eternal betrayal, chains that bind
Lost in a maze of anguish, losing our minds
(Verse 2)
Whispers of treachery, a silent storm
Betrayed by an angel, once thought to be warm
The fire in our souls now turns to ice
A shattered dream, a twisted device
(Chorus)
Stolen hearts, bleeding in the night
Echoes of deceit, screams out of sight
Eternal betrayal, chains that bind
Lost in a maze of anguish, losing our minds
(Bridge)
Beneath the veil of shadows, we search for light
But the darkness consumes us, the end in sight
A symphony of sorrow, a dirge of pain
Our stolen hearts, forever stained
(Chorus)
Stolen hearts, bleeding in the night
Echoes of deceit, screams out of sight
Eternal betrayal, chains that bind
Lost in a maze of anguish, losing our minds
(Outro)
In the realm of broken dreams, we stand alone
Haunted by the echoes of a love now gone
Stolen hearts, forever entwined
In the cruel embrace of eternal betrayal's bind
One day I will get her back. I will show her that I can change; that I have changed. I will prove to her that I can stay clean. That I can turn my life around. That I can be good for her and take care of her. Treat her the way she deserves to be treated. I took advantage of her love; of her heart.
Today was the day Eddie's band would be preforming in the Hawkins High School Talent Show. He'd honestly been looking forward to showing his peers the right kind of music, that he believed everyone should be listening to, Metal.
You would lie if you said you weren't scared for him, being bullied, harassed and called the school freak by your peers doesn't seem like the perfect crowd to be performing for. However you had full trust in Eddie and his ability to shut down anyone who opposed him since he already held his own. Whether that was by his weird yet, interesting sense of humour or by running if they were seriously gonna kick his ass.
Since you can't fight an entire basketball team for him by yourself you decided to stay out of it. If he would end up running away, you were always there to comfort him and remind him he's not any less of a man for running. In your mind it was the logical thing to do, one man against a team of highly active bullies was a recipe for disaster.
...
You got off the bus and watched everyone fill into the school. Nerves were eating at your insides as you walked over to the school doors, following along everyone to the auditorium. Deciding to sit down next to Dustin, he looked over at you and smiled as he greeted you "Hey y/n! Are you excited? Eddie's been waiting to show off his guitar playing skills for a while, tonight's the night." He reminded you. Nodding at him you bit your nails in anticipation while shaking your leg nervously looking towards the stage.
God please let Eddie be okay you thought.
"Please welcome Corroded Coffin!" The student announcer said walking off stage as the Curtin dropped. Dustin and the other Hellfire boys started to shout for them. Your heart almost shot out of your chest looking over at the stage, lights started flashing back and forth and the only thing we could see was their shiny instruments reflecting off the light.
Gareth started to play his drums lightly almost making the crowd wait in anticipation. All the sudden the lights lit up the stage and the whole band started to play one of their songs. You looked at people in the audience, they held no expression and were just talking amoungest themselves. You looked at the stage and seen Eddie, and even if it was only for a minute you relaxed and watched him play his guitar.
Amazement was the only way to describe what you felt seeing Eddie play his heart out on stage each night. Your stomach would always do a flip everytime you would catch a glimpse of the smirk on his face directed over to you when he catches you staring. Blushing you looked down at his fingers again still very much focused on him and his talent.
All the sudden high pitch screams were heard from the audience. All the females stood up and practically threw themselves onto the stage as Eddie played a riff to one of their popular songs. You felt like you were watching the first Elvis performance when the girls thirsted for a piece of forbidden fruit they didn't know they wanted before. However this time, the boys of the school were also into the music as they shouted and jumped up and down at the band now joining in with Eddie.
You watched them with wide eyes, confused at first but then you were shocked and the nerves were no longer there as you realized that it wouldn't just be you, Dustin and the other Hellfire boys screaming for them as they finished. Wow, they actually did it, they changed this boring crowd into a metal loving audience.
"Isn't this amazing!" Dustin yells over at you over the music. Nodding and beaming at him you hugged him in excitement and jumped up and down at the music with the crowd. Singing along to the song with the rest of Hellfire boys, you realised no one knew the lyrics but you, The Hellfire boys and The band but it didn't matter. Corroded Coffin had won over the school and maybe now the club wouldn't be such outsiders and be called freaks from now on. Probably not but one can dream, let's just enjoy the moment you thought.
Their song ended and the boys bowed and the Curtin fell down, everyone went back to their seats. You and Dustin watched the rest of the show as the rest of the Hellfire boys including Eddie were slowly making their way back. Looking back, you seen Eddie being swarmed by girls being more than friendly asking for autographs and pictures. Feeling a pang of jealously in your chest, you tried to shake it off reminding yourself that Eddie wasn't yours and even if it felt that way to you, he could still do what he wants.
Being the closest girl to Eddie and him being quite over protect of you, you kind of felt there was something there but maybe he only thought of you as a sister. Seeing him next to those girls made you realize that maybe he would be better off with one of them instead of you. With those thoughts in your head you turned back around and shifted uncomfortably your seat as you finished watching the other performers.
A bit later you felt arms wrap around your shoulders from behind. Looking down, you see familiar tattoos. Eddie you thought. "Hey guys like the show?" He says smiling between the two of you. "Yeah it was amazing, your guitar solo was insane." Dustin says in awe looking at Eddie for a moment before going back to talk to Mike.
All the sudden, you felt Eddies warm breath against your ear sending goosebumps all over your body. "What about you, Hmmm?" He grins from behind you. Trying to shrug the feeling off, you focused on the stage in front of you "It was good as usual."
"I seen you looking at me, did you like what you seen?" He said with a glint of playfulness. Turning around you shoved him playfully "knock it off." He holds his hands up in surrender mode and laughs lightly.
"It's alright princes, no need to get defensive. I liked the attention." He admits smiling. You felt exposed as he called you out but you stood your ground "yeah, I'm sure you did and those girls over there gave you plenty of it."
"Hey, you're not mad at me are you?" He asked sounding concerned as he leaned closer. "No." You spoke flatly crossing your arms. Dustin looked over at you questionably and you gave him a glare as if to say what are you looking at?
He quickly looks away as Eddie leans back in his seat "Good cause one of them actually gave me their number and she wants to go out Friday." He says nonchalantly smirking as you turned to look at his cocky expression. Getting up you walked out of the theater, decided you couldn't sit there and hear him talk about it anymore or deal with his teasing.
Eddie gets up and follows you as he murmurs shit a few times to himself trying to catch up to you. Walking out of the school he grabbed your wrist. "What!" You yell at him causing him to release your wrist and step back cautiously. Softening your voice you continue "I'm sorry I- just." You sighed and ran a hand through your hair. "I just don't want to hear about you and whatever girl you're seeing okay."
"Why?" He asks genuinely concerned about your sudden outburst. Looking away you responded "I can't." You held back tears as you begin to walk away again. But before you could do so, he pulled you into a hug and rubbed your back comfortingly. Trying to pull away, his hold only strengthens around you. Wrapping your arms around him you cried into his chest.
After a few minutes, he pull away and he rested his hands on your forearms looking down at you. "Please, tell me what's wrong." Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes getting ready for whatever impending doom awaits you after you confess.
"Listen, Eddie. I have a crush on you and before you say anything, I just want you to know I don't expect you to feel the same way. No one ever does. However, I just wanted you to know this so that before you go on that date, you know you have me as an option- not that you'll choose me over her seeing as that she is clearly the better looking option. I also understand if I made things weird by suddenly confessing and you don't wanna be friends with me anymore-"
Eddie takes you by surprise and kisses you passionately. It was warm and gentle, as he moved his lips effortlessly on top of yours. You stood like a deer caught in head lights trying to register what was happening. Slowly melting into his kiss, you kissed him back swearing that your lips had a mind of their own. It was your first kiss and even though you weren't sure what to do, your body reacted for you. After a minute or two he pulled away and smiled at you "You're right, I don't want to be your friend anymore." You looked at him with question and a bit of concern.
Did he not like the kiss? Was that a goodbye kiss? Oh no you ruined it, you ruined everything thing. You started to think maybe you should've kept your mouth shut. He doesn't feel the same way you thought, how could he? He was just teasing you like he always did. Nothing more, nothing less.
"I wanna be more than friends, I wanna be your boyfriend, your soulmate, your lover and your bestfriend. I just wanna be yours." You stared at him in disbelief, no one had ever responded to you like that usually when you have a crush they say they don't feel the same, or they're not looking for a realtionship right now even though you seen them flirting with other girls.
But not Eddie he was standing right in front of you confessing his love and being totally open. "but what about..." You looked down at yourself and then looked at him in the eyes again. "What about, what?" He genuinely looked confused as to what you were talking about.
You thought you were dreaming when you heard him say that. No guy has ever seen past your weight before. So, it was was safe to say you were shocked when you heard his response and if possible, you felt even more inlove with him. "What about my size, I know I'm not skinny and I don't have thin thighs or a flat stomach, how could you love me when you have perfect girls falling at your feet."
Eddie furrows his eyebrows and sighs "First of all, I don't care about you're size. You're beautiful the way you are, and to be honestly I don't see why people judge other people for that when it has nothing to do with who they are on the inside-not that you're any less attractive on the outside babe." He smirks and winks at you.
"And second of all, you know that girl who I said wanted to hang out with me and get my number?" You swallow hard and nod as you look away, it still kind of hurt imagining him with another girl. " Well, I gave her a fake number. I'm not interested in her, I haven't been interested in another girl since you've joined Hellfire." He admits with no shame. You blush at his confession and smile over at him.
"Really?" You say softly. He nods smiling as he takes his hair and puts it over his mouth. He stands back and reached for your hand."Y/n Y/m Y/l will you give me the honour of being your boyfriend?" Eddie says bowing."Yes." You say smiling at him as he kisses your hand.
He looks up at you and asked "Can I hug you again?" You nod as he puts your arm around his torso and engulfs you in a huge hug. "You're so cute when your jealous, did you know that?" Huffing you glare up at him "kidding, kidding. I'm just kidding babe." He says giving you an award winning smile as he pulls you in tighter rocking you back and forth when he notices you try to squirm your way out of his grasp.
A/N: I know it's been awhile since I promised plus size Eddie Munson stories to you guys but they're all just in my drafts waiting for me to edit them properly. Here's one I wrote a bit ago.
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In which Marguerite Hargrove finds comfort, love, happiness, and peace in her neighbor, Eddie Munson.
An Eddie Munson x Hargrove!OC
Do not copy or plagiarize any of my work.
Warnings: Canon Stranger Things Violence. Drug use. Suggestive material. Language. 18+ material will be marked. Eddie Munson. I feel like he can be a warning by himself.
Back to Main Masterlist
Started: 10 June 2022
Finished: 26 July 2022
Part I
Prologue
Chapter 1- 9pm
Chapter 2- Old cologne, weed, and stale beer.
Chapter 3- Food is truly the way to a woman's heart
can i get a steve harrington blurb where it’s just domestic fluff. i haven’t seen enough of it lately and i NEED. something like waking up with him in the morning or maybe doing household chores together? either way, thank you :)
Waking Up | Steve Harrington Blurb
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
i hope this is what you were looking for my love <3
At this point of dating, you should be used to your presence in Steve’s bed every morning. But you weren't. You hadn’t ever gotten used to his soft, sleepy, smiles he gave you every morning. No, in fact, you still weren't over the way his eyes would slowly drift open, as he searches for your arm or body to hold on to. You would never get used to the fact that the first thing he wanted to do when he awoke was kiss you, even with morning breath.
You loved waking up beside Steve.
This morning was no different, the sun had seeped through your cream curtains, giving your entangled bodies an ease of warmth.
You awoke before him, finding yourself softly nestled into his own body, back to his chest, his lower arm wrapped around your waist gently.
Untangling yourself from his grasp slowly, you turned to face him. Your hands trailing up his chest gently. You smiled to yourself when you studied his sleeping features as his chest rose and fell steadily, he looked so calm.
You let your eyes fall closed, allowing yourself to listen to his quiet breathing.
After a few minutes of chasing his breathing patterns with your own, you felt a shift, his body began to move.
You opened your eyes after a few moments of his body shuffling around, meeting his sleepy eyes that were already on you.
“You’re awake?” he questioned softly with his raspy morning voice. His eyes shone in the ambient morning light, a small smile crept its way up to his face the longer he looked at you.
“I’ve only been awake for a few minutes,” you whispered quietly, not having it in you to speak at full volume, “How’d you sleep?”
Steve hummed in response, pulling your body back up against his, your face against his chest. “I sleep well every night I sleep next to you sweetheart.” He held you tightly to his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around your shoulders and neck. Leaning down to your comfortable form, he gave the top of your head a kiss, “Look up for me princess.”
You wiggled around in his hold, looking up to him. He put a hand on your lower jaw and gave you a deep, loving kiss. You melted into him, your body going absolutely numb. Your mouths moved slowly together, a long and slow kiss.
You pulled away breathless, your own eyes meeting his. Smiling at Steve with a flush of pink on your cheeks, his hand traced your jawline gently. As if you were a fragile piece of glass art, strictly labeled ‘Do not touch.’ and Steve was the artist, admiring his beautiful piece of fine art.
“You’re so beautiful,” He whispered. From the bottom of his heart, he truly believed you were the most agonizingly gorgeous person in the world. He never imagined to be with a person as stunning as you.
To Steve, waking up next to you was a dream, a fantasy almost.
You blushed at his words, your eyes traveling down to your hands that laid on his chest, “Thank you Steve,” you hushed.
With your quiet flustered words, Steve took it upon himself to batter your face with kisses. From eyebrows to chin, small little love pecks.
You laughed softly, the tickling of his lips causing you to squirm from Steve’s grip, he only held you tighter.
“Don’t leave me just yet sweetheart,” Steve hummed, resting his jaw on the top of your head, holding you closer than ever.
Tw: alcohol consumption, drug use, smut if you squint, bad writing.
AN: this is my first fic so be nice if you point out mistakes lol. I also didn't edit this, oops. I have more parts of this fleshed out if this picks up, so send me an ask telling me what you think, or to be added to a tag list.
I originally wrote this as an !oc so if I missed anything while trying to change it to reader let me know. New ro reader inserts 🥲
I stood outside of Tina's house, leaned against the brick siding as I dug around in my jacket pocket for the lighter I swore I had stuffed in there.
I let out a string of profanities upon realizing it was not in my pocket and probably lost somewhere inside. I huffed in annoyance and was fully prepared to walk home at this point when a similar string of frustrated profanities pulled my attention towards the side of the house where a familiar voice was rounding the corner.
Steve Harrington stalled when he saw me leant against the house, an appogy falling from his lips. "Oh, shit. Sorry Y/N, I didn't know anyone was back here." His voice was a little shaky and higher pitched than usual, signaling he was upset about something. He started to back track, moving backwards and running a hand through his already messy hair, about to leave me alone again.
I waved him over, the joint still balanced between my lips. "No worries. Got a light or somethin?" I asked, offering to share if he could get it going. He looked like he could use it. In the dim light coming from a open window on the side of the house I could see his puffy red rimmed eyes and hear the slight sniffling coming from him.
He was upset.
He fumbled around in his own jacket pocket before procuring a silver lighter with a slight grin. He stepped over and handed me the lighter as he matched my stance, leaning against the side of the house. I took a moment to light the joint, taking long drag before passing it over to one of my oldest friends. "So, what's wrong?" I asked, lifting a brow as he took the joint from me, groaning at my inquiry.
"Dude, everything. It's just not my week." He began to open up, telling me about the current Nancy situation and the Billy basketball situation and the bad English grade situation. He looked defeated, especially the shitty part about Nancy, less so about the basket ball thing, and even less about the grade.
I let out a low whistle, taking the joint back from him. "Bummer." I offered softly, my smile even softer. Steve was a good guy underneath all that King Steve bullshit, and I knew he really loved Nancy, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see he was pretty torn up about it.
He hummed in agreement. "Yeah, It sucks. Ever been down in the dumps like this?" He asked as he took the now shorter joint from me, bringing it to his lips. He watched me as I shoved my hands under my arms in attempts to warm them up. I had worn a stupid playboy bunny outfit, matching with a couple of my friends and I regretted it the longer i stood out here.
I kicked the dirt under my shoe, shrugging. "Yeah, once." I answered with a breathy sigh. A half smile pulled at my lips as I recalled the gut wrenching heart break I'd suffered at the hands of Jason two months ago when I found out he'd been hooking up with Chrissy Cunningham while he was supposed to be meeting me for a date. "It sucks, but it gets better." I reassured him with a gentle smile, hoping it made him feel a bit better.
He passed me the almost out joint before digging in his pocket for his car keys. "Wanna get out of here? I have beers at home and the rents are out of town." He offered, an invitation I hadn't received in quite some time.
I thought it over for a minute, absent-mindedly looking towards the house party where my friends were dancing inside. "Yeah, let's go. I'm cold and I have more weed at home." He smiled a bit wider at the thought of having a pitty party at home in private instead of unfront of all of Hawkins high.
The drive was short, and as soon as we were parked I skipped over to my house next door to retrieve the goods and change into something warmer before meeting Steve out by his pool, using the gate on the fence that separated our yards.
He had an ice chest drug out, his feet propped up on it as he lit a cigarette between his teeth.
I plopped down on the other end of the pool chair, pulling the bag and papers from my hoodie pocket, along with the bottle of vodka I'd cracked open earlier in the night before the party.
It was several hours, one bottle of vodka, and two joints later and Steve and I were laying side by side, smushed into the same lounge chair staring at the sky, a thick quilt from inside draped over the both of us. Steve had just finished spilling his guts on the truth about Barbra, what had happened to that will kid, and what the upside down was and the monsters that lived within it.
At first I thought he was pulling my leg, but I realized he wasn't once he looked towards the pool with a haunted expression, and then started talking softer like someone might hear his confession and book him on the spot.
I wasn't sure what to say, so I didn't say anything for a while. I just laid there with my head touching his looking at the stars absorbing all the information he dumped on me. I cleared my throat after a moment and spoke once I decided on what I wanted to say. "So, you tried to kill it with a baseball bat that Dustin Henderson hammered a bunch of nails into?" I just couldn't get the mental imagine out of my head of how that played out.
Steve scoffed, "Out of everything I just said that's all you retained?" He nudged me with his shoulder, a dazed look in his eyes before returning them back to the sky.
I sighed, shaking my head, "No, I retained all of it..." I began to trail off, "That part just seemed less traumatizing honestly." I whispered, trying to picture the monster he described. I shivered imagining the rows upon rows of teeth.
Steve hummed, sounding spaced out like he was stuck in his head. "You know you can't tell anyone. I was swore to secrecy by the government, they'll kill you if you tell." He was definitely drunk, that I could tell from the way he talked during the whole story, but his tone was different now, a little scared. "Thats why I had to tell you out here, pretty sure my house is tapped or something." He mumbled, wiping a hand across his face.
I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat, pretending like that didn't freak me out. "Don't worry, lips are sealed." I reassured him that I wouldn't talk about it, but part of me wished he didn't dump all that on me.
The other part of me wondered how he was holding all that inside in the first place. I snuggled closer into his side as the wind picked up, my nerves quelled for the moment as he rested his head against mine.
"Why did we stop hanging out?" He slurred softly, eyes not leaving the sky, "We used to be so close Y/N." He sounded sad almost, but mostly just drunk.
I sighed again, thinking about the complicated last two years. "I dunno, Steve. We just- people grow apart sometimes." I kept my tone soft, careful to tiptoe around his already bruised feelings about his very recent break up. "We never quit being friends, we just got closer to other people, it's okay and normal." I reassured him, turning my head to look at his side profile.
He tucked his other arm under his head, adjusting on the chair we were almost falling out of now. "Yeah, I guess." Was all he said before he fell silent for a long moment, swallowing hard before his next set of words hung in the air. "I didn't want to grow apart from you, though."
My breath caught in my throat at the softness of his words and how he shifted next to me, turning on his side under the warm quilt. The truth was I didn't want us to grow apart either, but when I started seeing Jason last fall he made it very clear I was not to hangout with Steve, or anyone else.
He studied my face, I could feel his gaze on me but I wasn't ready to turn towards him, his face was much to close to mine to be able to hide what I was thinking or feeling. "Was it because of jason? Or me and nance?" He asked gently, his warm hand skimming up my thigh, resting on my hands that were interlocked together on my stomach.
The sudden contact made me turn to look at him, my resolve on not talking about it faded as I took in the way his hair flopped over his forehead and into his eyes that were red rimmed and blown out from the drugs and alcohol. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing my eyes back to his and away from his bottom lip that was pouted out.
"Jason." I whispered, tongue darting out to wet my lips. I didn't miss the way Steve's eyes lost focus on my own at the action.
I tried to clear my head, squeezing my eyes shut. "He, uh, He didn't like how close we were. He was threatening to put you in your place or break up with me so I just... quit coming around." I admitted, unsure now that was ever the correct choice.
Steve hummed, eyes ghosting down to my lips ever so quickly, but not unnoticed by me. "Jason is a punk, and wouldn't have got far with that." He mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Plus, it would have probably deterred him from doing what he did to you if he knew I was still in your corner." He sounded a little pissed off at the thought, which sent a tingle of something down my spine. Pride, maybe delight thinking about it.
I giggled at it, at him, and turned over on my side to face him. The hand he had holding both of mine slipped away, ghosting over my waist as his arm coiled aroind me, pulling me closer towards him as I almost teetered off the edge of the lounge.
The quick movement had me pressed against his chest, foreheads touching and legs tangled together. It felt too comfortable and normal, reminding me of the countless nights spent like this last summer.
He studied my face for a moment, hand moving from my waist to tuck stray curls behind my ear. "I think about that night all the time." His voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes never leaving mine. "It was the best kiss of my life." He finished, the softness in his voice melted all the resolve I had.
I let out a sigh and leaned into his hand, big warm and as inviting as I remember it being. I didn't trust myself to say anything that wouldn't get me in trouble, I already felt the familiar pull in my chest and the desire to fall back into an old pattern. Steve moved slowly, his hand anchoring behind my ear and pulling me towards him as he dipped his head ever so lower as he pressed our mouths together in the softest of kisses.
Just like I remembered him.
It was soft, doting, the kind of kiss you wrote in your diary about. The explosion of tingles from his hand on my face and his lips against mine was mesmerizing. I kissed back, pressing into him just a tad harder, encouraging him on.
His soft kisses grew fevered, more urgency behind them as he shifted. His hand left my face and returned to my waist, the other one slipping under and between the gaps in the plastic chair to spray across my upper back, holding Me impossibly close.
The kiss was gradually building, soft pecks to more pressure, to quicker and faster. I couldn't resist the urge to flick my tongue out against his lips, gently asking for him to kiss me harder.
He complied, deepening the kiss but still letting me take the lead, letting me guide the kiss into a gentle and slow make out session to rival anything I've ever seen on TV.
I finally pulled away a few short kisses later, needing to breathe and cool down before I suffocated. Steve didn't mind, he just rolled, pulling me under him just slightly as his hand on my face pushed my jaw upwards to press soft kisses against my neck. "I should have never let you go out with Carver, you could have been mine all this time." He grumbled, not letting up on the soft presses of his mouth against my skin.
I relaxed into it, sighing as the thought rolled over me.
His. His girlfriend.
Wait-
His girlfriend.
"Steve." I breathed out a warning as I came to my senses, my hands moving to his sides, trying to ground myself back to reality and not dream land where he was mine.
He let out a deliciously soft groan hearing his name, totally not letting up and only taking that as encouragement as his lips parted, kisses becoming wet and sloppy now.
My body betrayed me, head falling back into his grip and eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. A soft whimper blew past my lips as I pulled together all the resolve I had in my body and pushed him roughly, remembering why this was a terrible idea brought me back to reality.
He lifted off me, his eyes confused and a little hurt looking as he started to ask me what was wrong. "Y/N, I'm sorry! I thought you wanted too- I mean you were kissing me and-" I shook my head, sitting up on my elbows as he shifted off me, halfway falling off the pool lounge.
I tried to steady my breathing, my mood shifting from perfectly content to wildly embarrassed. "Nancy." I breathed out, running a hand through my hair as I tried to push back the guilt washing over me.
Steve's eyes widened, his lips pink from my lipgloss fell into a small "o" shape, realization fanning across his body.
I struggled to find my next words, going for a sentence this time and not just one word. "I don't want to be your rebound and hook up with you when you're sad drunk about your ex girlfriend, it hasn't even been 6 hours." I grumbled, suddenly a little angry at myself for letting him con me into this position.
He immediately apologized, "You're right, that was a dick move wasn't it? I'm sorry Y/N." He half smiled, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else still as his gaze dropped back to my lips.
I rolled my eyes and pushed him all the way off me, standing up. Just as I was about to turn away his hand shot out and grabbed hold of my bicep, he tugged me back into his chest. "And I don't want you to feel like a rebound, okay? That's not what any of that was to me." His brown eyes locked on mine and he let his hand fall into mine, locking our fingers together. "Seriously, y/n! You're more than that to me, you know that." His voice was soft and tender, begging me to believe him.
I let out the harsh breath I'd been holding at his confession and leaned into his chest. "I know, but figure out what's going on between you and her before you decide to kiss me again." I instructed, pulling away from him before I decided not to.
I turned on my heel and walked through his yard and through the gate onto my own, feeling better with distance between us.
It was well after midnight by the time I got out of the shower and got in bed, head reeling as I touched my fingers to my lips.
