Summary: The gang are back together (mostly) and you and Steve are attempting to host a dinner party, if you could even call it that.
CW: very brief mentions of sex, stancy situationship, henderhop (shouldāve been canon and endgame)
Based on an idea from @silly-little-love-lover in my comments. Hope you enjoy. If anyone has any request for this AU, please donāt hesitate to send an ask. I love bringing peopleās ideas to life - V xx
Dad!Steve Harrington x Mom!Reader
The house was already warm and stuffy before anyone had actually arrived. The oven hummed and the smell of garlic filled the air whilst you moved between rooms, tasting, turning heat down, wiping down surfaces that quite frankly didnāt need it. Steve hovered nearby too nervous to get in your way when youāre on a mission (heād learnt the hard way many years ago) and pretended that he wasnāt stealing pieces of bread and cheese from the cutting board everytime you turned around.
āHey, I saw that!ā you exclaimed, not even looking at him.
He grinned. āIām just doing quality control, angel. weāve got guests arriving soon and standards must be met.ā
āThe only standard that Dustin or Eddie care about is quantity and you are reducing that right as we speak.ā His chewing ceased.
To top it all off and raise your blood pressure even more, Elizabeth burst into the kitchen wailing, asking where everyone was and when theyād be arriving. This was the third time in the last ten minutes sheād asked this.
āDo you hear something?ā Steve joked, dryly.
Your oldest entered the room in a more composed manner, but stationed herself right on the seat closest to the window, adjusting the sheer curtains just enough so that she could watch the driveway. Responsible Julia, trying to hide how she was just as eager as her sister.
Charlotte lingered in the hallway, hands playing with her sweater sleeves rocking back and forward on the balls of her feet. She hadnāt asked if Eddie was coming. She didnāt need to, he always showed up. But still her eyes flickered to the front door every few seconds.
Bright headlights finally swept across the living room, replacing the warm cozy atmosphere with a sterile white glow.
Elizabeth squealed. Julia rose from her seat in a flash. Charlotte still remained fixed to the floor, but a small, glowing smile graced her features.
āItās showtime,ā your husband murmured.
Dustin tore in loudly without knocking, wrapping Julia into a tight hug that she pretended to protest but absolutely melted into. Jane followed timidly behind him, greeting you gently before Elizabeth began talking to her at a rapid pace. Nancy was next with. a bottle of wine clutched between two hands, Jonathan at her heels. They were on and off at the moment; you were actually struggling to keep up with them at this point.
āPlease tell me you need some help,ā she said immediately, shaking the bottle slightly.
Whilst the others filtered into the living room, catching up and embracing, you and Nancy lingered in the kitchen. She poured two generous glasses of red. You thought this must have been the first quiet moment you had had since you had risen from bed this morning.
āSo,ā you eased into it lightly. āHowās the situationship?ā
The other woman huffed an unamused laugh into her wine. āYou are terrible.ā
You just stared, encouraging her to answer.
Nancy leaned against the counter, swirling her glass in thought. āWeāreā¦good. I think. I mean sometimes I think Iām just waiting for something dramatic to happen because Iām so used to things being so complicated between us.ā
āButt is it boring?ā You questioned gently.
āNo,ā she admitted. āItās just calm. And I donāt know how to just be like that yet.ā
āCalm can be good, you know? It means you donāt have to be so on edge all the time. Just donāt let it get boring.ā
Nancy glanced towards the living room where she could see her āloverā laughing at something Dustin had said. Her frown softened. āHeās patient with me these days.ā
āWell, thatās great,ā you said brushing her arm. āIf he ever isnāt, you know where to send him, okay?ā
But before the conversation could begin to grow too serious, the front door flew open again.
āWhere is she? Where is my darling niece?ā Eddie questioned obnoxiously, not knowing what heād just interrupted.
Charlotte didnāt run, but she moved quickly towards the commotion. Stopping infront of the man as his wild grin shifted into something softer. He crouched down to her level, wincing slightly. He and Steve had been grumbling about this a lot lately. You were all officially getting old.
He raised a small paper bag towards her, bowing his head. āFor you, mālady.ā
Inside there was a pack of ten glittery gel pens that sheād been caught looking at the last time he had taken her out for one of their little dates. She gasped as if sheād just been handed a treasure chest.
Steve appeared behind you, cooing softly at his little girl.
Dinner went by with itās familiar beautiful chaos; Elizabeth narrating everything, Dustin debating with her. Jane sitting just observing with a content smile. Charlotte retreating to Eddieās lap when she was done with her food. He wasnāt, but he was content with resuming one handed. Julia helped carry dishes into the kitchen without being asked, using that usual subtle attentiveness she always had around you.
At one point, Dustin into some sort of realisation. āWait, whereās Robin? She never misses stuff like this?ā
Steve snorted at his alarming tone, āShe called earlier. Sheās had to stay back in Massachusetts. Apparently someone made a dramatic exit at their job, so sheās having to cover them.ā
āShe was very upset and expects a full recap over the phone from each of you.ā you laugh.
Nancy shared a soft smile at the thought.
āShe also said,ā Steve added, āthat I have to tell you word for word that she is āspiritually present with us all, but physically and literally oppressed by capitalism.āā
āThat sounds exactly like her.ā Dustin nodded in fake solemnity.
Eddie raised his glass of water, not drinking wine like the rest of you. Heās been sober for about four years now and it had done wonders for him. āTo Robin Buckley. Sadly absent, but still leaving her mark.ā
The whole table bust into quite giggles.
After dinner, chaos unfolded within the living room - Janeās smiling away whilst talking to Julia, Elizabeth instigating a pillow fight, Dustin escalating the situation and Steve quietly reprimanding when it went too far. Meanwhile, Nancy and yourself could be found back in the kitchen getting a refill.
āShe really fits in here, you know?ā She was refer ring to Jane. Dustin and her had began seeing eachother, much to your and Steveās surprise, about a month ago. Elizabeth told you how she thought they were perfect together.
Throughout your meaningless chatter, you caught Nancyās eyes drifting from you to watch Jonathan across the room as he helped your youngest retrieve a pink pen that had rolled across the carpet.
āYou donāt need him, Nance.ā You approached it softly, ābut you choose him every time. Itās different.ā
She considered what you had said, then smiled faintly. āYou always make it sound so simple.ā
āBecause it can be if you stop overthinking everything about it. Just let yourself be happy.ā
Across the room, Charlotte and Eddie sat squished side by side on the couch with a small sketch pad. He didnāt try and constantly keep her talking like most people did, he just let her be. Existing beside her whilst she drew with her tongue hanging from the side of her mouth in concentration.
āSo, whatās tonightās masterpiece then?ā he gently asked.
āWow! Is he a friendly or terrifying dragon?ā
He nodded along. āSo heās complex, Iāve got respect for that, sweetheart.ā
She giggled at the pet name.
Nancy slipped out the room slowly as you felt Steve come up behind you, warm arms sliding around your waist as you observed the scene together. Julia and Jane laughing softly. Elizabeth mid ambush. Nancy relaxed and Jonathan quiet. Charlotte and Eddie safe and sound with eachother.
āLook at them,ā he smiled.
As the night wound down and drew to a close, hugs and kisses were shared at the door. Dustin squeezed Julia even tighter than when he greeted her. Elizabeth wrapped herself around Janeās legs as she patted her back carefully. Nancy pecked your cheek and promised another girly night soon. Jonathan thanked Steve for the invite sincerely.
Eddie was next, always last lingering at your home.
Charlotte held up a half coloured in glittery dragon proudly towards him. āIāll show you next time when heās finished.ā
āItās a date,ā he beamed at her.
Steve clapped him on the back. āThanks for coming man.ā You both knew heād be back in a few days, he never stayed away for long. Why would he when he only lived 10 minutes away and his favourite people were all here?
Eddie looked around at your warm, glowing house, the girls laughing, picture frames all over the walls - and his teasing expression softened. āAnytime.ā
Later, when the house had finally stilled and gone quiet, you and Steve climbed in to bed together, both exhausted but in that satisfied, full stomached way that only came after a night like this. The sheets were cool and the room dim except for the soft glow casted across your bed from you bedside lamp.
Steve rolled onto his side and scooted towards you, sharing one pillow as you often ended up doing. He propped himself up on an elbow to look at you. āRight,ā he said in a low voice as if he was going to tell you some secret information. āWe need to debrief.ā
You giggled quietly in disbelief. āDebrief?ā
āYes! angel, we just hosted a social gathering with some people we only see every few months. Of course thereās some developments.ā
āOh, are there?ā you teased, sinking deeper into the pillow.
He rolled his eyes and nodded seriously. āJonathan and Nancy?ā
You smirked immediately, āI knew you were going to interrogate me about this.ā
Your husband shuffled a little closer. āDid you see the way he was looking at her? It was like she was the only person there when they were in the room together.ā
You grinned at his observation. āWell heās always been like that, Stevie.ā
āYeah, but tonight it was so much worse. Like he was locked in. Henderson could have set something alight and he just wouldnāt have even noticed.ā
You snickered under your breath. āTo be fair, thatās just average Dustin behaviour, it wouldnāt be out of the ordinary.ā
Steve ignored that. āAnd Nance,ā he carried on, trying to keep his voice down to not wake any of your babies, āShe pretends sheās all cool and casual about it, but she kept checking to see if he was laughing at her jokes.ā
You rolled onto your side to face him. āYou know sheās not used to things being easy. Sheās waiting for it all just to blow up.ā
His face softened a bit at that. āYou think so?ā
āI know so. She told me earlier when we were in the kitchen. She doesnāt trust how calm it is yet.ā
Steve hummed thoughtfully, āand jonathanās calm.ā
There was a quiet pause as you both replayed the nights events in your heads. You brushed his cheek gently and he leaned into your palm like a puppy dog. Heās never stopped doing that.
āWell, I give it three months.ā He exclaimed, a rough hand sliding lazily across your waist.
āYouāre ridiculous!ā
āSorryā¦three weeks?ā he joked.
āShush, leave them be Steve. Donāt go meddling like I know you love to do, please. Just let them work it out themselves.ā
āOkay, okay! All Iām saying is that heās good at waiting and taking his time.ā
You studied him for a moment, how the lamp light made his eyes look lighter. āYou were like that.ā
His expression softened. āWell yeah, I guess? But I didnāt want calm. At least not at first.ā
You reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes and off of his forehead. āWe just got used to it.ā
āYeah,ā he whispered, āit turns out calm is pretty great huh?ā
āYou gonna tell Nancy that?ā
āAbsolutely not,ā he gawked. āPublicly, I am staying out of it. But in private I am full on judging all of it. Iām sure theyāll figure it out.ā
āThey will.ā You rested your forehead against his, gently.
āAnd if not,ā he added, āweāll just invite them to many more dinners and do the whole forced proximity thing.ā
āYou do know they willing see eachother and are actively sleeping with eachother, Steven?ā
āWell yeah, but a little strategic hosting wonāt hurt.ā
You shook your head fondly at him. āYou are impossible, Mr Harrington.ā
āWell.ā He said softly, āyou married me.ā
You just smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He could still fluster you after all these years. āBest decision I ever made.ā
He pulled you closer under the blankets, arms wrapping around you fully now, your gossip dissolving into a comfortable silence. The house was still, your girls asleep down the hall, but echoes of laughter lingered in your mind.
āGoodnight angel,ā he murmured into your hair.
Wrapped up in warmth and shared secrets, you drifted off together knowing that the next dinner would bring you a whole new book of stories to whisper about in the darkness.
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