tbmunson

[tbmunson]

take care of yourself! drink plenty of fluids and please be kind to yourself. You are loved!

🥺🥺🥺

Literally thank you so much. Kind words go a long way. 🤍

[tbmunson]

Obviously I haven’t posted in well over a month. Things have been a little rough for my mentally lately and I have made the decision to step back for a little while. I know that you guys are expecting a part 4 of Escape or anything from me but it’s just not happening right now. I’m sorry to disappoint anyone but I need to get ahead of this mental low that I’m going through.

Hopefully you understand and I thank you for that. 🤍

[tbmunson]

Escape - Gareth Emerson x Reader pt.3

Summary: Your spot on the cheer team is threatened by the fast spreading news of your new relationship. Some people aren't as accepting as others.

Warnings: 18+ smut, oral, mentions of parent passing away, fluff.

Word Count: 5,527

Notes: I thank you guys again for your patience. Between normal life and unexpected events, it's a little harder to find time to sit down and write. Thank you all for continuing to support this story.

Taglist: First and foremost, my number one support, @ashes-writing. Thank you so much for everything. @depressedacidtest @nana90azevedo @alanamarie @lizzziekatt @m3ndacious @nighttwingg

You and Gareth had finished a decent portion of the paintings, not quite half, but more than a quarter, when the doorbell rang.

“Who’s that?” Gareth asked, looking up at you from the canvas.

You shrugged and sat your brush down. “No idea. Could be the guys if they tried to find us at your place.” You answered, stepping towards the door.

Gareth followed quickly, hugging you from behind as you stopped at the door, which made you laugh.

You pulled the door open as you looked up at him only to be met with a high pitched and disgusted “Ugh!”

You rolled your eyes and leaned back against Gareth. “What, Tiffany?” Your tone was flat, unwelcoming.

“Natalie called me to tell me about that little scene in the slum garage and I needed to talk to you about it, but in your house? Really?” Her face was scrunched, making her look more like a witch than she usually did.

“My boyfriend isn’t allowed to hug me?” You fake pouted, resting your hand on his arm. You raised your eyebrows and tilted your head, waiting for her response.

“Boyfriend! Boyfriend? Are you kidding me?” She was screaming, hands clenched into fists that were shaking by her side.

You nodded in dramatically. “Yeah, boyfriend.”

“Absolutely not! Cheerleaders don’t date freaks!” She shrieked, making you roll your eyes

“Then I’ll turn in my uniform Monday morning, unless you’d like me to go grab it right now.” You offered, pointing to the stairs.

“I- uh- wait.” She held up her pointer finger and thought for a moment. You were the best at stunts on the team, and one of the three that could do serious acro that were left. The team couldn’t afford to lose you. “No. You can stay on the team. Just don’t sit with the freak brigade on game days.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Obviously you can’t afford to kick me off the team or you would have, so I think I’ll sit where I’d like, when I’d like, wearing what I’d like.”

Tiffany’s chest rose and fell with deep, harsh breaths as she glared holes through your head. “You’re fucking lucky you’re talented because if you were anyone else you would be gone.”

“You’re fucking lucky I actually like cheering because if I didn’t you’d be shit out of luck. Now. If you don’t mind, get off of my porch and don’t come back.” You were ready to pounce and show her exactly how you felt about her after all these years, but you knew better.

Gareth’s hands fell to your hips where they had rested most of the day and he soothed you, rubbing his thumbs over your skin to calm you. “That was so fucking hot.” He mumbled into your ear as Tiffany stomped away towards her car.

The guys turned on the street and saw Tiffany’s car in your driveway before seeing her yank the door open with the most sour look.

“Wonder what happened?” Grant asked before seeing what was happening at the front door.

You had turned yourself around and pulled Gareth down for a kiss, tongue licking over his bottom lip while he backed you up against the doorframe.

“No fucking way!” Jeff yelled before making a quick turn into your driveway.

The guys piled out, clad in all black, which pissed Tiffany off even more. “Fucking freaks!” She yelled out of the window as she started her car and slammed it into reverse.

Jeff flipped her off as they ran up to the door. “It’s about time!” He called out, breaking the kiss.

“When I’m right, I’m right.” Eddie smirked, making you roll your eyes.

“Fuck off, Eddie.” You laughed, letting an arm drop from around Gareth. “You don’t get credit for this.”

“Yeah, Greely does, actually.” Grant said, holding up a bag for you. “We all got you something, by the way.”

Gareth raised his eyebrow as you took the bag.

“You guys didn’t need to get me anything.” You said, opening the bag.

“Shut up and take it out, Princess.” Eddie urged, watching you closely.

You pulled the heap of black fabric from the bag and unfolded it. “Oh, my god!”

“Dude! That’s sick!” Gareth added, looking at the white lettering.

“You’re our biggest fan. And you’re really cool. It’s the least we could do.” Jeff smiled as you took in the new Corroded Coffin t-shirt.

“You guys are the best!” You squealed, taking a turn to hug each of the boys. “Thank you, again, for not writing me off with people like Tiffany and the bitch brigade. You guys are the best.”

The boys couldn’t help but smile. “It was Grant’s idea. The shirt.” Jeff stated, nodding his head to the bassist.

“Yeah, but we all went in on it so I can’t take all the credit.” The boy blushed lightly as being called out by his friend.

“Well it was a very sweet idea. Thank you, again. Why don’t you guys come on in? It’s warm out here.” You waved the boys inside and made sure to close the door behind them.

“This is a nice place.” Eddie said as he looked around at the pristine white walls and light wooden floors.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t feel very homey to me. My parents aren’t into the whole displaying memories thing.” You replied, leading them into the sitting room. “I’ll go clean up the studio real quick. I’ll be right back.” You headed towards the stairs and Gareth followed, grabbing your hand as he walked up with you.

“They adore you, you know.” He smiled, squeezing your hand as you topped the stairs.

You grinned and looked back down at the three guys who made themselves at home on the couches that hadn’t been sat on in who knows how long. It felt more like home than it ever had. “I adore them too, but not as much as I adore you.” You replied, standing on your tiptoes to give him a quick kiss.

He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. He watched you move with nothing but happiness on his face and that was enough for you.

Once the two of you cleaned up the mess and stopped the stereo you grabbed the tray you’d brought up earlier and returned downstairs. “I made sandwiches earlier, which you guys are welcome to.” You announced before setting it down on the coffee table.

The boys reached for the food and Eddie asked “So what exactly was that bitch here about?” In reference to Tiffany.

You explained the situation, including the fact that they needed you and didn’t have a say in a single thing you did anymore.

“I will never understand how people like her work. What makes her think she can control someone’s personal life?” Jeff asked, laying back against the couch with a couple of the grapes from the tray.

“Everyone rolls over to her because they’re scared of her. I’m done with that shit, you know? I’m tired of being what everyone else wants me to be. If that makes me a freak, then I’m proud of that.” You sighed, relaxing into Gareth’s side.

“Welcome to the Freak Brigade, Princess.” Eddie smirked as he snatched the last sandwich. He filed the name away, deciding that would be a good name for the Corroded Coffin fan base.

“It’s a pleasure to have you.” Grant added, peeling the cover off of the sleeve of Oreos.

Gareth kissed your cheek and smiled down at you. “You could have joined us at any time.”

“Gross.” Eddie mumbled, hiding his laugh behind the sandwich.

You rolled your eyes and rested your head against the back of the chair. “Jealousy is ugly, Eddie.”

The boys all laughed and fell into conversation about the campaign that was set to kick off the following Thursday, the last one for most of the club.

You mindlessly played with Gareth’s hair as you listened to them talk animatedly, more enthusiastic than any of the other people you’d hung around talked about anything.

“Do you know how to play, Princess?” Eddie asked, drawing you out of your own head.

You shook your head and chuckled. “Dustin gave me a rundown yesterday at lunch, but I don’t think I could compete with you guys.”

Gareth squeezed your thigh, noticing how your body reacted to him for the first time. “I’ll teach you, help you out if you wanna join in on the campaign.” He smiled, digging his fingers in a little deeper as he watched you.

“Yeah, that would be great.” You were biting back any noises that wanted to bubble up your throat and swallowing them back down.

“Great, Dustin and Will can help you with a character sheet. Those two are little geniuses when it comes to… just about anything actually.” Eddie laughed, noticing but ignoring the tension between you and Gareth.

“Great. I’ll draw their, uh, their characters as payment.” You replied in an attempt to clear your brain as Gareth’s hand gently slipped up and down your skin, driving you crazy in the best way.

“Great.” Eddie replied, laughing a little.

“Oh, Gareth, I was supposed to show the girls some acro. We should probably head down in a few, hm?” You knew if you were to sit here for another five minutes you’d just jump his bones in front of everyone.

“Right, right. Why don’t you go get changed and me and the boys will wait for you here?” He offered, not wanting to seem like he was dying to get into your room.

You nodded and kissed his cheek before getting up to run up the stairs.

“Gareth, you just teased the fuck out of her.” Eddie stated, moving to stand.

“Yeah, I thought she was going to take you right here.” Jeff added, grabbing the now empty tray to take into the kitchen for you.

Gareth chuckled and looked towards the stairs. “Can you blame me? I’ve only wanted her for the last fourteen years of my life.”

“I overheard Tiffany the other day saying how she hasn’t, you know. So don’t push too hard. Might scare her off.” Grant said in a whisper, making sure you wouldn’t be able to hear him.

Gareth nodded, wondering if you’d been waiting for him. He waited for you for so long, until last year he just couldn’t take it anymore and he convinced himself you’d never give him the light of day. He ended up messing around and hooking up with the senior girl in Hellfire that year, which he kind of regretted and was kind of happy about. He knew what he was doing and he’d be able to please you, but on the other hand, he would have loved for you to be his first.

You came back down in a pair of practice shorts and a tighter t-shirt with your hair in a ponytail. “Ready?” You asked, slipping your sneakers on at the foot of the stairs.

“Yeah.” Gareth smiled, reaching out for your hand, which you gladly let him take.

The sight was a little funny, four guys dressed in all black walking you down the street wearing a pale pink top and white bottoms. It definitely caught the attention of some of your neighbors who gave you a strange look.

Gareth restrained himself from touching all over you as you walked. The outfit left very little to his imagination and he was definitely imagining the rest. At least until he heard his sisters all your names and start running towards you.

“Are you gonna show us tricks now?” Clara asked, reaching up and taking your hand as Lori tried her best to climb into Eddie’s arms to tell him about her competition.

You nodded and bent down to pick her up. “I sure am, lil bit. How about I show you a back handspring?”

“Mrs. Amy is supposed to teach my class that soon!” Lori said, turning in Eddie’s arms.

“I can show you how and you can impress Mrs. Any next time you go to class.” You winked, earning a squeal from the girl.

“Alright, so I’ll show you first and then I’ll break it down for you and help you. I don’t want you to try it by yourself just yet because we don’t have a mat and I don’t want you to get hurt, okay?” You emphasized as you handed Clara off to her favorite bandmade, Grant.

The girls nodded and watched you closely, cheering you on with the boys.

“How many can you do in a row?” Lori asked as you walked back over.

“I can do five.”

“I wanna do five!” Clara yelled excitedly, making you and the boys laugh.

“Let’s start with getting one down, then we can work on multiples.” You replied with a smile. “You guys ready to try that?”

“Yeah!” The girls wiggled themselves out of the arms holding them and followed you.

You looked up at the boys and nodded to the garage. “You guys can go hang out. I think us girls have it under control out here, right?” You really just didn’t want them to get bored, standing around watching a couple of letting girls jump around.

“Yeah! Us girls got it out here.” Lori said sassily, making everyone laugh again.

“Alright, Princesses. We’ll get out of your way.” Eddie bowed dramatically before walking towards the garage.

Gareth stepped over to you and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. “Let me know if they get to be too much, Doll.” He squeezed your hip and watched the blush that spread across your face.

“They’ll be fine. We’re not going to do too much.” You rested your hand on his arm and gave him one more kiss before letting him follow the boys.

“I thought you said you weren’t his girlfriend.” Lori pouted, feeling like she may have been lied to.

You dropped down to your knees in the grass. “He wasn’t last night. He just asked me today. You know what that means, don’t you?” You asked, brushing some hair out of her face.

“What?” She asked, still pouting.

“That means that I get to come over and play with you guys all the time.

Clara gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with her hands. “Promise?”

“Pinky promise.” You held out your pinky for each girl to take the turn.

“Yay!”

After about half an hour the sun began to set and you had both girls doing back handsprings, with you spotting them of course. You were getting ready to call it quits when Gareth’s mom walked outside.

“Would you girls like some lemonade after that practice?” She asked from her spot on the porch.

“Mommy! Y/N is the best girlfriend Gareth ever had!” Lori yelled, making your face flush, which wasn’t that noticeable considering you were already red faced from the work and heat.

“Girlfriend?” She asked curiously, like she hadn’t seen her son kiss you earlier from her spot at the kitchen window.

“Yes ma’am. As of today.” You replied, walking with the girls up to the porch.

“Please, call me Gwen.” She smiled, handing you a cold glass full of lemonade. “He’s had a thing for you for a while, you know.”

“I’ve had one for him too. Probably since we were Lori’s age.” You admitted, taking a seat in one of the rocking chairs, which appeared to be an open invitation for the girls to crawl into your lap.

“Trust me honey, I used to catch the two of you looking at each other from down the street. I think you two were the only ones who didn’t know.” She chuckled before scolding the girls for climbing all over you.

“Oh, no, they’re fine. I had to tell Gareth that a hundred times in the last two days.” You laughed as Clara yawned, evidence that she hadn’t taken a nap today.

“They talked about you all day today, telling me how you were the funnest person ever and how nice you were to them.” Gwen said, then added, “Thank you for teaching them a new skill and spending time with them. That last girl Gareth had hanging around wasn’t… gifted when it came to kids. That was one of the reasons they broke things off. He never left her alone with them.”

You couldn’t stop the bitter chuckle that came out of you. “She wasn’t my biggest fan either. I think she wrote me off with the rest of them.” You hugged the girls a little closer as sleep began to take hold of them.

“I didn’t like her.” Lori mumbled with her eyes closed, making both you and Gwen laugh.

“I don’t think Gareth did either, much.” Gwen sighed, standing to grab Clara. “It’s bedtime my sweet angel. I’ll come back and get Lori.”

“I’ll take her up. I did it last night.” You said, standing with the girl on your hip.

“Gareth made you take her up?” Gwen questioned, eyebrow ticking up like she was ready to tell her son off.

“Gareth won't make me do anything I don’t want to do, I promise.” You assured her as you followed her in.

Gwen laughed and nodded. “Good. You tell me if he starts and I promise you it won’t last long.” She nodded with a look that was sweet but also serious. That’s when you knew that you loved her.

“I promise you I will.” You smiled, following her up the stairs. “Goodnight lil bit.” You cooed to Clara before walking through the open door across the hall. “And goodnight to you too, baby doll.”

“Goodnight my other angel.” Gwen said softly from the door.

“Night mama, night Doll.” Lori mumbled, making you laugh a little as you pulled the blanket up.

“Doll?” Gwen asked as you closed the door behind yourself.

“I guess she heard Gareth call me that earlier.” You chuckled, following the woman down the stairs.

Gwen smiled and her eyes watered a little. “That’s what Gareth’s father called me before he passed away.”

Your stomach turned, realizing the weight the simple name carried. “Oh.” You weren’t sure what to say.

“He doesn't call anyone that, so you’re special.” She took your hand in hers and gave it a gentile squeeze.

You smiled and squeezed hers back. “He’s special to me too. Now that I have him I’m scared to lose him.” You weren’t sure why you were admitting that to his mother, but it felt right. Safe. More than you could say for your own mother.

“You’re welcome here anytime, Honey. I know your parents are gone a lot so if you need to be around people, don’t be shy.” She patted your hand, a silent assurance that you won’t lose her son.

“Thank you.”

Gareth opened the door and looked at the scene, smiling a bit. “Trying to embarrass me, mom?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Not at all. Don’t accuse your mother of things.” You answered, walking over and hugging him. “Lori spilled the beans about us, by the way.” You smiled up at him as his arms fell around you.

“Well, at least that part is over with.” He kissed your forehead as glanced at his mom who nodded back at him. “Lets go to the garage with the guys, hm?”

You nodded and turned back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gwen.” You smiled at the woman before walking out of the door with Gareth.

“What did you guys talk about?” He asked, keeping you as close to his body as possible.

“Nothing.” You replied with a sly smile. You leaned up and kissed him as he opened his mouth to argue. “Don’t worry about it. I promise it was nothing you need to be concerned with, okay?” 

“If I pretend I’m still worried about it will you kiss me some more?” He smirked, stopping you next to the garage.

“If you want a kiss, just ask for it.” You ran your hands up over his chest, one coming to rest on his shoulder and the other resting on the side of his neck.

“That’s all it takes?” He asked, holding your hips and squeezing them.

You nodded as his face came closer to yours.

“Can I kiss you, Doll?”

You nodded again and pulled him into you.

His lips moved with yours and his hands dipped lower to rest on your ass before squeezing, eliciting a moan which he swallowed before pulling back. “Is that too much?” He asked, remembering what Grant mentioned earlier.

You shook your head and pulled him back down. “We could do more.” You whispered against his lips.

Gareth tensed a bit but kept going. “Have you done more?” He asked after a moment.

“No. I didn’t want to give it up to any of those meatheads. Greg begged for it, but I wouldn’t touch him with a fifty foot pole.” You replied, twisting some of his hair in your fingers. “But I want you to have it.”

Gareth groaned and grabbed your ass again. “Shit, baby. Of course I want it. I just don’t wanna rush you.”

“I wouldn’t offer it if I wasn’t sure.” You kissed the corner of his mouth and then his lips. “My house is still empty.” You whispered, lips ghosting over his.

He groaned again and pulled you off of the side of the garage. “Hey boys, uh, we’ll be back later.”

“Should I ask?” Eddie quirked a brow, looking between the two of you.

“Nope.” You answered as Gareth gently pulled you towards your house.

“Oh, they’re about to fuck.” Eddie stated as he plopped the joint between his lips to light.

“Should we leave them some?” Jeff asked, grabbing one of the other joints.

Grant shrugged and watched Gareth grab your ass as you walked. “I don’t think they’ll be back.

You unlocked the door and pulled Gareth up the stairs with you. You stopped to open the door to your bedroom but Gareth turned you around and pushed you up against said door.

“If you want to stop, tell me. I promise I won’t be mad.” He ran his hands up and down your sides, bunching your shirt up a bit so he could touch your skin.

“I promise I’ll tell you.” You replied, craning your head to capture his lips in a kiss.

He smiled and kissed you slower than before but it was so much more powerful. His tongue pushed gently into your mouth as his hand reached for your door knob. Once he had it open he nudged you gently into the room and pulled away from the kiss to look around.

“What?” You asked, following his eyes.

“It’s different from what I thought it would be.” He replied, scanning over the darker art you had displayed.

“Spend a lot of time imagining what my bedroom looked like?” You joked, smiling at him.

He nodded and pulled your body into his. “I was expecting pink and frilly and cheer trophies. Maybe some pom poms hanging around.” He chuckled, taking one last look.

“Yeah? Bet you were hoping for pretty pink panties hanging off the top of the laundry basket too, huh perv?” You laughed as you sat down on the edge of the bed.

He glanced over to the basket and back to you. “Maybe. But I’ll settle for the black ones.” He smirked, bending to lift the lacy fabric up.

“I wore those last night.” You shrugged, biting your lip gently.

Gareth dropped them back down and walked over to you, pushing you back gently to hover over you. “What kind did you wear today?” He gripped your hip, with one hand while the other held him up.

“Why don’t you find out?” You asked, reaching up to his shoulder and pulling him down for a kiss.

He groaned into the kiss, his hand slipping from your hip to your core, making you moan. “Someone sounds needy.” He chuckled as he started kissing down your neck. His hand slipped back up your body, peeling your shirt up.

You sat up a bit to aid him in removing the garment, unhooking your bra while you were at it before falling back to the bed.

“You’re beautiful.” Gareth whispered before leaning back down to pepper your chest in kisses. His hand that wasn’t holding him up ghosted up your stomach before grasping one of your boobs, giving it a light squeeze.

You moaned out, bringing your hands to push through his hair.

“You liked that, huh?” He asked, looking up at you with a smile.

You nodded, breathing heavily.

He smirked at you again before taking one of your nipples into his mouth, licking and nipping lightly on it. He could get off on just watching you squirm beneath him. Once he moved on from your nipple he slipped off of the bed to settle between your legs. “You soaked all the way through to your shorts baby.” He rubbed your thighs as he spoke.

“There was nothing to soak through.” You said, looking down at him.

“Hm?” His brows furrowed.

You chuckled and pushed yourself up on your arms. “Take them off.” You nodded to the shorts.

He reached up and gently pulled them down, only to be met with your bare, glistening pussy. “Fuck, been without panties all day?” He asked, warm breath fanning over you.

“Yeah, just hoping you’d notice.” Your words were breathy, almost silent.

“Been this wet all day too?” He asked before kissing the inside of your knee.

“Started when I watched you practice. I’ve been trying to be good.” You drew your bottom lip between your teeth, savoring the flavor of Gareth that lingered there.

Gareth kissed further up your left thigh, pulling back just before he reached your core. “Trying to be my good girl?” He asked before kissing the inside of your right knee and starting up.

“Yes, Gareth, fuck. Please.” You begged, watching him come closer and closer to where you were dripping.

He groaned as he wrapped his arms around your thighs, digging his fingertips into the soft skin. “You sound so pretty when you beg.” He had no other choice but to give you what you were asking for.

His tongue glided up your delicate folds, he moaned at the taste of you.

You let out a strangled whine, causing him to pull back.

“Don’t try to hold back to pretty noises, baby. Let me hear it, yeah?” He dipped back in, licking over your clit and reveling in the moans you released. It was animalistic in the best way, driving him to continue.

He unraveled one of his arms from around your leg and teased your entrance before gently pushing it in.

Your moans came out louder as the pleasure registered, only to be amplified by him adding another and curling them, reaching farther than your own fingers ever could.

“C’mon, baby, I know you're close. You’re squeezing my fucking fingers.” He mumbled into you, sending vibrations through you.

“Close, ‘M close.” Your breathing was rapid, moans spewing from your throat as the coil in your core snapped, Gareth’s name falling from your lips at full volume.

“Good girl, good girl.” He mumbled as you slowly came down from the high as he gently rubbed your thigh.

You looked down at him and reached out, trying to grab him. “Please.” You pouted, opening and closing your hand.

He smiled softly at you and was by your side in seconds. “What is it, pretty girl?” He ran the tips of his fingers up and down the side of your face as he waited.

“More.” You whispered, rolling onto your side to face him.

“More?” He raised an eyebrow. “More of what, baby?”

“You. More of you. All of you.” You pouted, hand resting on the side of his neck to pull him to you. You kissed him, tasting yourself on his tongue.

He pulled back after a moment, pressing a kiss to your nose then forehead. “Yeah? Get up to the top of the bed, okay?”

You nodded and pushed yourself further up the bed as you watched him stand, pulling his shirt over his head and unbuttoning his pants. “So pretty.” You mumbled, watching him shed his layers until he was fully exposed to you.

“If you wanna stop, tell me. I promise I will.” He smiled, crawling up to settle between your legs.

“Okay.” You admired the way the lamp in the corner highlighted the high points of his face. You felt seen, needed more than desired. “Gareth.” Your voice was low, soft, you weren't sure he heard you until he hummed back. “I love you.”

His mouth went dry and he looked down at you. A hundred thoughts raced through his mind, all of them involving you and the reasons why he knew what he said next was true. “I love you too.” He bent down to kiss you again, gently, like you were made of glass and he was scared to break you.

You felt the truth behind his words in the way he was so careful, taking his time, making sure you were okay. Your mind only fell from the kiss when you felt him press against you, slipping through your folds. You gasped.

Gareth pulled back and looked down at you. “You’re okay baby. I’ve got you, okay?” He stopped all movement, waiting on you to respond.

“I know. I’m okay.” You replied, hips twitching a bit, anxious for his next move.

He nodded, finally positioning himself at your entrance. “I’m gonna go slow, geet you all nice and stretched out. You gotta tell me when you want me to move.”

You nodded, but were shocked at his tutting. “Use your words, baby.” You moaned at the sound of his lust filled voice.

“Okay.”

He kissed your forehead and pushed into you slowly stretching you open inch by inch. “Feel so good baby, shit.” He thought he may bust early because of how tight you were, but he kept his control, only shuttering once he was fully inside of you.

You waited a moment, soaking in the feeling, before you looked up into his eyes. “You can move now, please.”

Gareth chuckled darkly, his fingertips skimming over your cheek. “So fucking polite.” He dragged himself out slowly and pushed back in at an equal pace, watching your body react to him until you were begging him to go faster.

You were a moaning mess of pleasure, unsure of how you’d ever be able to anything other than be in bed with Gareth. There wasn’t a coherent thought in your head, let alone coming out of your mouth as he began slamming into you at a delicious pace.

His hand slipped between your bodies and rubbed circles over your clit as he watched your face contort in ways he hadn’t seen before, ways that he needed to see again and again.

Your fingernails dug into his back, his scalp, the bedsheets, anything you could find to remind you that you were still on Earth.

“You’re close baby, I can feel it.” Gareth whispered into your ear as you tightened around him.

You nodded, unable to form a simple ‘yes’ in response.

“Give it to me. I know you can. That’s it, good girl.” Gareth’s hips sputtered as you came, white hot pleasure soaking both of you as he followed you over the edge, filling you with him.

There was a long moment of silence where the two of you recovered before you spoke. “Do you really love me?” You asked, turning to face him.

He half smiled, reaching his hand out to you. “I have loved you since our first day of elementary school when you came over and shared your 64 pack of crayons with me because I only had 24. You told me that wasn’t enough colors to be creative, so we made these two awful looking blobs with all 64 colors. That’s the day I knew I loved you.”

You giggled, wrapping yourself around him. “I knew I loved you the next day when I was on the swings by myself and you came over and told me that I was your best friend and best friends don’t swing alone. You pushed me so high I thought I was flying.” You smiled before pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“We’re so stupid.” He chuckled, shaking his head. He continued when he saw the curious look in your eyes. “We’ve been in love with each other since we were four. We were just to dumb to say anything. We could have been happier a lot sooner.” He smiled, pulling you into his body.

“Yeah, I guess we are pretty dumb, worried about what the other would have said. I’m glad I have you now. You’re not going anywhere.” You replied, drinking in the feeling of his skin on yours.

“Same goes for you, Doll. Same goes for you.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead and held you while you drifted to sleep.

#stranger things #gareth emerson #gareth the great #Gareth Emerson x reader #Gareth Emerson x cheerleader reader #Gareth Emerson x fem!reader #Gareth Emerson fluff #Gareth Emerson smut #Gareth Emerson fan fiction #Gareth Emerson escape #Gareth Emerson fan fic #stranger things fan fiction

[tbmunson]

The first episode of season 5 is called The Crawl. It better be Eddie crawling out of the upside down.

1 year and it's amazing to see that we're still just as delusional. Eddie Munson survives team going strong.

[tbmunson]

Escape - Gareth Emerson x Reader pt.2

Summary: You attend Corroded Coffin's practice and feelings are confessed.

Warnings: Talks about diet, talks about absentee parents... A little steam but not much, yet.

Word Count: 5,619

Notes: Honestly this is less slow burn than I intended, but we're not there yet. Thank you guys for your patience in my writing. I'm a perfectionist and I like to make sure everything is done right

Taglist: @depressedacidtest @nana90azevedo @alanamarie @lizzziekatt and of course @ashes-writing Bestie you are the love of my life. Thank you so much for always being there and helping me. You're amazing.

1 / 2 / 3

Once you’d gotten up to your room last night you did as you promised and called Gareth. Though it had been a short conversation, you learned a little more about him, like he actually enjoyed watching his sisters and he volunteers to watch them on Friday’s because, and you quote, “I’m their best friend, they don’t need some random teen that doesn’t know or care about them to watch them.” That line made you smile a little.

Gareth picked up on how much you enjoyed watching his sisters too and that made it harder to convince himself that you were too opposite and it would never work. Once he hung the phone up by the kitchen door he went up to his room to get ready for bed. His eyes went immediately to the pile of clothes at the end of his bed. More specifically, the pale pink bra. He stood frozen in the doorway of the room, just looking at it. Many thoughts raced through his head, the most prominent being you’d been in his shirt without a bra on for the last hour and a half, as if his previous fantasy needed anymore fuel. He let out a shaky breath and stepped over to the heap, debating on what to do with it. The perv in his brain told him to pick it up, keep it, and never give it back. You left it after all. The rational part told him to fold your shirt, put it in his chair, and hide the bra under it so he wasn’t tempted to let the perv part win.

He went with the second option, although the feeling of the silk and lace between his fingers had the perv side going insane. He still put the bra into the folded cotton and went to bed.

Gareth was woken by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door. He knew his parents took his sisters to Lori’s gymnastics competition in Indianapolis so he wasn’t sure who it could be. “Yeah?” He called out, which was answered by the door swinging open and a smug looking Eddie walking in.

“How was your date, Emerson?” He quirked a brow as he walked across the room to sit in the chair.

“Whoa! Don’t sit there!” Gareth jumped up and made it over to the chair to move your clothes from it.

“I sit on your clothes all the time in that chair.” Eddie rolled his eyes at his friend and finally sat down.

Gareth settled at the end of his bed and held the neatly folded fabric up. “Not mine.”

Eddie’s brows raised but what dropped his jaw was the bra falling out of the cotton. “Dude! Did you guys..?”

Gareth scrambled and grabbed the item in question before shoving it under his comforter. “No! No, we didn’t. She uh, she helped give the girls a bath and got splashed. I gave her one of my shirts.” And he knew he shouldn’t have said it because as soon as the words left his mouth Eddie’s face split into the biggest grin Gareth had ever seen.

“You gave her the Crue shirt, didn’t you?”

Gareth turned so red that he was practically glowing like the neon signs around town.

“Didn’t you?” Eddie prodded, leaning closer with the most shit-eating grin he’d ever had.

“Stop talking, Ed.”

“I knew it!” Eddie yelled as he pointed and pushed himself back into the chair excitedly, his boot clad feet stomping the floor repeatedly.

“Fuck off. Where are Jeff and Grant? Aren’t we supposed to be practicing?” Gareth stood and walked over to his closet.

“We’re supposed to be practicing at 12. It’s 11.” Eddie pointed to the alarm clock on his side table.

Gareth groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “Then why are you here?”

“Gareth, I'm nosy. And more than that, I like to prove I’m right. I told a certain someone we were practicing today and that she should come by.”

As if on cue the doorbell rang, signaling someone’s arrival.

“I hate you.” Gareth grumbled, getting out of bed again. He opened the door and just about had to pick his jaw up from the floor.

You stood there in the shirt he’d given you last night, only now there was a knot tied in it just above your belly button. You’d paired it with a pair of jean shorts that were cut dangerously high and a pair of white sneakers. What caught his attention the most was the red plaid bandana wrapped around your head to keep the baby hairs that fell out of your bun at bay. It was the same red plaid of his battle vest. “Morning, sleepy head.” You smiled, lightly glossed lips shining in the sun.

“Morning.” He replied almost breathlessly.

Eddie came up behind him and smirked. “Nice shirt, short stuff.”

You beamed and looked down. “Thanks. Gareth let me borrow it. My mom won’t let me have one because Crue is ‘unholy’ or some shit.”

Gareth couldn’t see your eyes roll due to the sunglasses on your face, but he knew they had by the tone in your voice. “You actually listen to them?” He was surprised to say the least.

“There’s a lot that you don’t know about me. I’m more than short skirts and pom poms.” You reached out and patted his chest as you stepped into the house, brushing your body with his as you did so.

Gareth tried, he really did, to keep himself at bay. He was unsuccessful. “I need to go shower. Eddie, entertain, please.” He was pleading, which gave Eddie an ungodly amount of satisfaction.

“Yeah, of course.” Eddie’s face was taken over by a shit-eating grin.

Gareth groaned and walked away. He regretted giving you the shirt and even more so, asking Eddie to hang out with you because who knew what he was going to say.

“Eddie, what am I doing here so early? He obviously just woke up.” You asked as you settled onto the sofa.

Eddie shrugged, sprawling himself over the recliner. “Figured I’d give you two some extra time together. Get to know each other more, for the project, of course.”

You knew he was lying, or at least not telling you the full truth. You thought about calling him out on it, but you also didn’t want to be wrong, let alone have Gareth hear that you liked him. “Thanks, buddy.” You replied sarcastically, rolling your eyes.

The two of you sat silent for no more than a minute before you spoke again.

“Can we smoke later?”

“The Princess of Hawkins partakes in the devil’s tobacco?” Eddie raised a brow at you, honestly stunned at the request.

You laughed and shook your head. “Never have, but I think it’ll be fun. I hear it lets your true self out and I kind of want a reason to get some heavy shit off of my chest.”

“Gonna let your secrets spill, Princess?”

“I don’t have secrets, just things not everyone knows.” You replied, picking at your nails before looking up to Eddie’s smirking face. “Grow up Munson. You’re not right about everything, okay?”

“But I’m right about this.” He replied, pushing himself to stand so he could walk into the kitchen. “Can I get you a drink?”

You rolled your eyes and got up to follow him. “You’re smug, you know that?”

He laughed as he grabbed two cups from the cabinet. “I can afford to be smug, Sweetheart.”

“Just don’t say anything else about it.” You rested your elbows on the counter and watched Eddie scoop the ice into the cups.

“So, I’m right and I can’t say anything about it.” He pretended to think hard about it before speaking again. “Fine, but you're both stupid and blind.”

“You really know how to make a woman swoon, don’t you Munson.” You pushed off of the counter and grabbed one of the cups. “It’ll happen if and when it’s supposed to. Don’t meddle in it.”

“I won’t, but it’s so obvious, just so you know.”

“What’s obvious?” Gareth walked into the kitchen scrubbing his head with a faded blue towel.

Eddie glanced at you before looking at Gareth. “The Princess's crush.”

“Munson.” You glared at him, eyes squinted in a way that dared him to say another word.

Gareth nodded and walked through to drop the towel in the laundry room, leaving you to glare at Eddie until he returned. “Well, that’s her business.”

“See!” You more or less yelled, glad Gareth wasn’t going to press for details.

Eddie rolled his eyes and jumped up on the counter as he mumbled something about “blind and delusional” under his breath.

It was your turn, again, to roll your eyes.

Gareth walked back out and rested against the counter as he looked between the two of you. “Well it looks like you two had a great time. Scowling is usually a good sign right?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, frown turning up into a smile and eyes lighting up. “Yeah, absolutely. He just thinks he’s right all the time.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Doll.” Gareth chuckled, sending you a smile that made you melt.

Before anything else could be said the front door swung open and the two other members of Hawkins most metal band walked in.

“My men! We ready to get started?” Eddie asked, drawing all of the attention to himself.

Grant and Jeff share a confused look which made you laugh a little. It was obvious that they hadn’t expected you to be sitting on the kitchen island with Gareth leaning next to you.

Gareth, who gained bravery by his friends' presence, pushed himself up and rested his hand on your thigh. “Ready?” He asked, giving it a quick squeeze.

You swallowed down the whimper you wanted to let out and nodded.

Gareth gave you another squeeze before offering you a hand to help you down, which you took before mumbling a small “Thank you” to him. He rested his hand on the small of your back to lead you to the detached garage where their practice was held. “There’s a couch if you wanna sit.” He nodded to the old floral couch that had no doubt been in the house previously.

“Thanks, Gare.” You smiled as you stepped away from him. You settled onto the couch as he and the boys took their places to start practice. You watched Gareth twirl the drumstick in his hand and subconsciously squeezed your thighs together, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Eddie.

“So I think we can start with the cover of Live Wire. Yeah?” Eddie looked around as the boys nodded in response.

You loved that song, it was the one you played and danced to alone every time your parents were out. You bobbed your head and mouthed the words along with Eddie but your eyes stayed on Gareth, watching the sweat glisten off of his cheeks and nose and how his hair bounced as he headbanged along.

Gareth felt your eyes on him the whole time which encouraged him to do his best to impress you, making this one of the best practices they’d had in a while.

Once practice was over and they started packing up Eddie watched Gareth walk over to the couch, pick your feet up and sit with your feet in his lap. Gareth rested his hand on your shin, rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin. “I think you’re our good luck charm, Princess. These fools haven’t made it through a practice without a fuck up in weeks.” Eddie smirked, carefully carrying his guitar case out of the garage.

“I’d be happy to watch you guys anytime.” You replied before turning your attention to Gareth. “You were amazing, Gare. Watching you is fun, the way you get so into it. Like nothing else matters. That’s passion.” You wanted to tell him how attractive it was, but you held off on that for the moment.

“Thanks. I love it. It gets the emotions I don’t know how to express out in the open somehow.” He squeezed your leg, something you could get used to for sure.

You giggled and sat up to scoot closer with your legs still over his lap. “That’s really deep. I’m glad you have a way to express everything on the inside. It gives me an idea for our project.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” He reached over with his other hand and tucked a loose hair behind your ear.

“Well, I think most people are going to just do something that shows the other person. I think we should do ours to show we’re the same, but we present differently. Like on the outside you’re this scary metal head that’s into the dark and scary stuff and doesn’t care about anything but on the inside you’re sweet and funny and caring. And I’m the opposite. On the outside I’m all sunshine and rainbows and happiness but on the inside I like all the same dark and scary stuff you do. So I propose that we do paintings. Mine for you would be dark around the edges and as it fades into the middle it gets lighter and happier. And yours for me is the opposite. I’ll be all dark on the inside but it gets lighter and brighter as you go out.” You explained, waving your hands and changing your face in ways that Gareth thought was absolutely adorable.

“That sounds really great. We could do actual rainbows for the color and fade it all into each other and use the whole scale from lighter pastel shades to the darker ones.” He replied, hand resting on the side of your thigh close to your knee, far enough down to be respectful.

You squealed and threw your arms around him. “That’s genius. I was thinking we would just use our favorite colors but that gives it so much more depth! Like every color provokes an emotion and no one feels the same all the time. I just know ours is going to be the best.” You hadn’t even realized that in the process of hugging him you had drug yourself more into his lap, in turn making his hand slide up your thigh. When you did realize it, you made no move to separate or create any kind of distance.

Gareth didn’t either, he instead looped his free arm around your back to keep you close. “You’re the genius, Doll. You came up with the idea, I just built on it.”

You looked up at him and smiled before resting your head on his shoulder. “Stop it. I’m not good at taking compliments.” You mumbled before hiding your face in his neck.

He chuckled and rested his head on yours. “Hey, the truth is the truth.” It’s all he could think to say that wasn’t over stepping any imaginary boundaries that might be set.

The two of you were so wrapped up in each other that you didn’t notice Natalie’s car driving by or the way she was watching you cuddle up to Gareth. But Eddie noticed. And he watched her drive by, flipping her off when she noticed him. 

“Well, Princess, looks like your cheer buddies are gonna hate you on Monday.” He stated as he walked into the garage, seeing what Natalie must have seen to cause the twisted look on her face.

You lifted your head and dragged one of your arms from around Gareth’s neck. “Fuck ‘em. There’s five weeks left in the school year and I’ll never see those uppity bitches again.” You replied with yet another roll of your eyes. It was one of the habits you’d picked up from the cheer team and the only one you didn’t mind. Attitude could be a great asset.

“Whoa, Princess, those are some really mean words. Didn’t know you were so angry.” Eddie teased lightly.

“I’m just sick of being told what I can and can’t do. Who I can and can’t hang out with.” You sighed, resting your head once again on Gareth’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be, Doll.” He pulled you the rest of the way into his lap and held you as the other two members joined you in the garage.

“What’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Jeff asked, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

“My parents will be getting home with the girls soon. They’re gonna throw a fit to show me the routines so I’m stuck here. You guys are welcome to stay and hang though.” Gareth said, resting his chin on your head. The scent of your shampoo was intoxicating to him.

Grant and Jeff shared a look. 

“Yeah I think we’ll go hit up the mall for a little bit and come back later. You coming, Ed?” Grant asked as Jeff fished the car keys from his pocket.

“Yeah, but we’ll come back for Princess’s first smoke sesh tonight.” Eddie said as he reached out to flip the hoop in your ear.

You raised your hand and flipped him off, which caused Gareth to laugh a little.

“Sounds good.” Gareth then looked down at you. “You staying or going?”

“I’ll stay. I’d love to see the girls and we can start on the project since we have an idea.” You replied with a smile before turning your attention to the other guys. “You guys are really great, by the way. Like I know the people I hang out with are assholes to you so I’m thankful you didn’t just write me off with them.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. You stopped them from coming after us more times than we can count. We knew you weren’t like them.” Jeff said, twirling the keys around his finger.

“Yeah, you hung with who you did for survival. It’s not like you were the one chasing the freshmen down in your car.” Grant stated, which caught your attention.

“I’m sorry, what? Who chased them down in their car?”

The guys shared a look, one that said he probably shouldn’t have said that. “Jason, Andy, and I think Tiffany and Natalie were in Jason’s Jeep last week and the freshmen were biking home.”

You nodded, deep in thought about what exactly you would say come Monday morning practice. None of it was pretty.

“I think on that note, we’re gonna head out.” Eddie clapped his hand over Grant’s shoulder and the three of them walked off towards Jeff’s car.

“You didn’t tell me about that.” You said softly, turning to look at Gareth.

“I know, but the kids didn’t want anyone to know. It hasn’t happened again, and if it had I promise I would have told you. The kids were embarrassed, I think.”

You nodded and moved to stand, only Gareth’s grip on your hips tightened and he pulled you back down, making you giggle a bit. ”Gare, we gotta go get the painting stuff.”

His arms wrapped around you, keeping you pressed to him. “I know, but this is really comfortable.”

You couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, Eddie had been right. Maybe Gareth did like you. Maybe it would be okay that you liked him. You laughed when he buried his face into your neck and relaxed into him.

The two of you stayed like that for a moment, thoughts buzzing around your heads about the other.

You ran your hand down his arm before you slipped your fingers through his. “You know once the girls get here we aren’t going to be able to go.” You hummed into his ear as you squeezed his hand in yours.

“I know. They’re gonna take you away from me.” He mumbled into your neck. He felt the way your lips morphed into a smile against his ear. “But I bet you like them more, huh? It’s not like you cut up my food for me last night.” He teased, snuggling into you a bit more.

His voice vibrated against the sensitive part of your neck causing you to sucks in a fast breath, which he didn’t miss. “I would have fed it to you if you'd have asked.” You moved so your lips were against his ear. “I’d do anything if you asked.” You smiled, hoping more now than ever that Eddie was right and not just saying it.

Gareth picked his head up and looked down at you. “All I have to do is ask, hm?”

You nodded and opened your mouth to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of a car coming into the driveway. “Well, looks like we missed our opportunity for a quick escape.” You chuckled, moving just enough to get off of his lap and settle next to him. You didn’t miss the pout on his face when you moved.

He laughed at the joke and watched the girls run from the car, yelling about how Lori’s team won their division and showing off her sash.

“Ooh! You look fancy with that, girly. Why don’t you show me your favorite trick!” You beamed at them.

Lori took her sash off and handed it to you before showing you back walkover.

“Wow! That was perfect, baby doll! What about you, lil bit? Are you in gymnastics?”

Clara perked up at her new nickname and nodded before she did a cartwheel.

“You guys are so good. You’re way better than I was at that age.” You smiled as they climbed onto the couch.

Gareth watched you with pure adoration.

“Can you do tricks?” Clara asked, looking up from her spot on your leg.

You smiled and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. “I actually can. I do gymnastics on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. It helps with cheerleading.” You replied, watching the girls' faces light up.

“Can you show us something? Please!” Lori asked, latching onto your hand.

As much as you would have loved to, the jean shorts you were wearing were so tight, you thought you wouldn’t be able to move properly. “I can’t right now because I’m not wearing the right clothes, baby doll. But when Gareth and I get back from the supply store, I’ll show you a few things. I promise.” You held up your pinky to her.

She wrapped hers around yours and smiled. “Okay!”

Gareth slipped his hand behind your back and rubbed his thumb up and down the exposed skin between the shirt and your shorts. “Why don’t you guys let us go ahead and go so we can come back faster? Huh?”

“Okay bubby!” Clara said, sliding down from your lap and reaching out for her sister's hand, which Lori took.

“We’ll see you guys in a little bit!” You called after the girls as they made their way inside.

Gareth, against his better judgment, wrapped his arms around you and settled his chin onto your shoulder. “You’re so great with them. They love you.” He said in a low voice that sent chills down your body, which he noticed and smirked at.

“I love them too. They’re the sweetest kids.” You replied, resting your hand on his.

“I love them, but I can’t wait to have my own, you know?” His hand subconsciously rested on your stomach for a moment as he pulled his hands back.

You watched him stand up, lost for words for a moment as images of Gareth and your kids playing in the yard swam through your head. “You want a big family?” You asked, taking his hand that was waiting.

He nodded, letting you pull yourself up. “Yeah, four or five, maybe more. There’s just something about taking care of another person, showing them how to be people that gets me.” He looked down at you, a soft smile on his face. “What about you?”

You nodded, resting your hands on his shoulders to keep yourself up. “Yeah, I want a huge family and a job so I’ll always be around. My parents are always gone on business and I never get to see them.” You explain, with a bit of a somber look.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother one day. Any kid would be lucky to have you, Doll.” Gareth instinctively wrapped his arms around your body and rocked you a bit.

You buried your face into his neck and fought the urge to kiss the skin under your lips. “Thanks, Gare.” You slowly pulled away from him and smiled. “You ready to go?” You asked as you gripped his hand in yours.

“Yeah, Doll. Let’s go.”

***

Once the two of you finished gathering the supplies you decided to go back to your place to paint since it would be quiet.

“So, the spare office is my studio. Upstairs, end of the hall to the left.” You said as you opened the door. “I’ll grab us some snacks and bring them up.” You smiled as he looked around.

“I’ll go get set up. See you in a bit.” He almost stepped up to kiss the top of your head, but he caught himself. He went up the stairs and into the room you’d directed him to. Paintings and drawings hung around the room. He took time looking at each one, stopping on a pencil drawing of him. He smiled, knowing that you’d looked at him long enough to draw him.

You made your way into the room with a tray of small sandwiches, grapes, and a sleeve of Oreos. “It’s probably not the best combo, but it makes my brain work.” You followed his eyes and blushed. “Oh, um…”

Gareth turned and smiled at you. “It’s really good. When did you do it?” He reached out and took the tray for you.

“Last year, chemistry. I finished an exam early and the way the light was hitting you was perfect. I’m sorry if that’s creepy.” You cringed a bit, clutching the Oreos tighter.

“It looks great. You got my good angle.” He said, looking over at you.

“Thank you.” Your voice was small, timid.

“What’s wrong?” He stepped over and put his hands on your upper arms.

You scanned the floor and shrugged. “I guess I’m just not used to people telling me my art looks good. When I was a kid I’d show my parents and their response was usually ‘That’s nice honey.’ and then they would go back to whatever they were doing. It’s just different I guess?” You explained, bringing your eyes to finally meet his. “Plus, I don’t want you to think I’m some weirdo for drawing you.”

Gareth couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped at your last comment. “I’m flattered you decided to draw me. You have a real talent for this stuff, Doll. You just have to find the right people to appreciate it.”

You smiled up at him and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Thank you.” Everything inside of you was telling you to kiss him, but you stopped yourself.

“Any time, sweet thing.” He couldn’t have stayed like that for hours, your body pressed against his, your scent lingering around him.

“C’mon, let's get started on these canvases.” You smiled as you hesitantly pulled back.

He nodded and let go of you to empty the bags filled with tubes of paint, brushes, and palettes.

“Do you mind if I put on some music? It helps me focus.” You looked over at him from next to the small stereo.

“Yeah, go ahead.” He was organizing the tubes so that it matched the color wheel, making it easier to grab what was needed. He was a little shocked when Quiet Riot started playing through the speaker. “She just keeps getting better and better.” He mumbled as he watched you bob your head to the beat as you began setting up the canvases on easels.

“Come on, feel the noise. Girls, rock your boys. We’ll get wild wild wild.” You sang under your breath as you measured the canvas, looking for the exact middle. When you marked it, you worked your way around making lines that lead from the middle to the edge, to make sure the brush stroked wouldn’t look wonky and crooked. When the lines were done you grabbed an Oreo and marked where the colors would fade into one another and transition from darker to lighter.

Gareth sat back and watched you, deciding that he would marry you on the spot if you would have asked. The focus on your face, the attention to detail, the mumbling of one of his favorite bands, even the Oreo that was between your lips and you figured your next mark, it was all driving him crazy in the best way.

“Do you want me to mark yours too?” You asked, peering over at him to see him leaned against the desk with his arms folded over his chest, eyes on you.

“Uh, yeah, if you want. It’ll probably be better, like if we want them the same, you know?” He was nervous that you’d just caught him staring, you didn’t seem to mind as you agreed and went to work on the second canvas, following the marks from your own.

Once you’d finished you walked over to the desk and grabbed one of the sandwiches. “Lunch break, then we’ll get started.

Gareth chucked and grabbed one of his own. “Good, I thought you were just going to have Oreo’s for lunch.”

You laughed and shrugged. “Wouldn’t have been the first time. My diet isn’t the best.” You replied with a smile.

“Mine either. Honestly, last night was going to be pizza, not that Benny’s is any healthier, but that’s on you.” He joked, making you roll your eyes.

“Fine, next time I’ll bring salad and water.” You replied with a teasing smile.

Next time. You wanted there to be a next time. “You can bring whatever you want as long as you come back.” He replied before popping a grape into his mouth.

“I’ll come back anytime you want me to.” You don’t know what made you brave enough to say it. Maybe it was the fact that it was just the two of you, or maybe it was because you were tired of keeping your feelings at bay and you just wanted to know how he felt.

“You could live there if you wanted to, I wouldn’t mind. I know the girls wouldn’t either.” He reached over and grabbed your hand, which you took and let him pull you close.

“You mean that?”

“Yeah, Doll. Can I be honest with you?”

You nodded and looked up at him.

“I like you. A lot. I have for a really long time. I’m sorry if that makes this weird.”  He looked down at your hands that were intertwined with his.

You smiled and let go of his hands, which scared him until he felt your hands on the side of his face. “Thank god. I was gonna go crazy if you didn’t feel the same way.”

His eyes darted up, looking at you, trying to figure out if this was some joke. “Are you serious?”

You rolled your eyes and pulled him to you. “I’m serious.” You whispered, your lips brushing over his.

He grabbed your hips and pressed his lips to yours, savoring the feeling of the kiss along with your hands slipping down his neck and around him, bringing him closer to you.

You felt his tongue lick across your bottom lip, prompting you to open your mouth at the same time his hands slid around your hips and settled into the back pockets of your jean shorts. You whined into his mouth when he squeezed the fat of your ass.

He pressed kisses down your jaw and onto your neck before latching on at the base and leaving a mark that wouldn’t be easily hidden.

“What are you doing?” You asked, words coming out in a rushed breath.

“Making sure everyone knows your mine.” He answered as he pulled back to examine the mark.

You reached up and smiled when your fingers slid over the tinder part. “I thought they would get it when they saw me kissing you in the halls, but I can go for this too.” You giggled, letting that hang drop down to his chest, the other arm was still hooked behind his neck.

“Yeah? So you wanna be my girl, officially?” His hands migrated from your pockets to your sides, thumb running over the exposed skin. 

You nodded and moved to stand on your tiptoes to give his nose a kiss. “Yeah, I do. I always have.” You replied.

“Honestly, I didn’t think that I’d thank Mr. Greely for anything, but I think he deserves a gift or something.” Gareth stated, taking your hand from his chest and slipping his fingers between yours.

“Yeah, I think he does.” You smiled, laughing as Gareth used his hold on your hand to spin you around. “What are you doing?”

“Just seeing what my girl looks like all the way around.” He answered, scanning over you with a satisfied smile.

“Your girl. I like the way that sounds.” Your hand rested on his hip and your eyes flickered between him and your hand. “We would get started, yeah?”

Gareth nodded, mouth gaping open. He was shocked when you pulled away and walked over to the canvas. “Oh, right. Yeah. Let’s do… that.” He took a few deep breaths and followed you to his so you could explain your vision for the pieces.

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[tbmunson]

Part 2 of Escape is going up tonight. If you haven’t already, please go in my ask box and let me know if you want to be added to the tag list! If you commend on the original post for Escape you have already been added!

#stranger things #gareth emerson imagines #Gareth Emerson #gareth emerson stranger things #gareth emerson fan fiction #gareth emerson fan fic #gareth emerson fluff #gareth emerson smut

[tbmunson]

happy one year to this video that absolutely altered my brain chemistry in an irreversible way

[tbmunson]

So. Good news. Work has actually been really slow for once so I’ve had time to focus. New chapter of Escape coming out in the next couple of days.

#stranger things #Gareth Emerson #gareth emerson headcanons #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson stranger things #gareth emerson fan fic #gareth emerson smut #gareth emerson fan fiction #gareth the great

[tbmunson]

This was emotional bestie omg. I love it. Ilysm 🤍

stranger things  ● forever pt 7  ● s. harrington

warning

{ multi chapter } single mom / canon related female reader with 3 year old daughter, some baby talk but hopefully not overbearing, petnames and nicknames (princess, etc), robin / barb pairing + all the things surrounding that -because the 80's were hard for lgbqt-, steve's parents are the actual worst, esp his father, fluff, time jumps vary with each chapter, female reader related to a canon character ( Robin Buckley's cousin) in use / heavily characterized female reader

word count + prev.part

pt 6 is << here >> if you need to catch up

5756 words

summary

“If we’re gonna live with Steve..” she goes quiet. Thinking carefully over the words she needs to use to ask her question because you and Steve have been working with her on speaking and words lately and she’s a very smart little girl. She smiles to herself and speaks up, “Does this mean he really is my daddy now? Do you love ‘im?”

“Yes, I love him. But sweetie, this is a little more complicated than you think, okay?” you answer, words dying out.

taglist + shoutouts

<< taglist >> if you're here for eddie,gareth -or other characters, please let me know and I'll not tag you in Steve.

@allelitesmut @caravelofthesun @chaoticcancer @dylanwritesgood @eddiemuns0nl0ver @eddiemunsonspantschain - it finally let me tag you again bb! feel free to ignore! @just-a-blue-nerd @mysticalavenuecheesecake @slyisbehindyou @spaceconveyor and @tbmunson -bestie, bae, babeeee.. this story would not have ever seen the light of day without you, ilysm and you mean the world to me, thank you so much for letting me whine/vent/tear my hair out over this -and all the things!!

special tag to @emilyhampton1 because your ask made my life and I thought I'd tag you.

other links

masterlist  ● steve's masterlist  ● about + rules

“It’ll just take a few minutes.” Steve tells you as he gets out of the drive seat of your car and jogs up the walkway, disappearing into his parents house to grab the documents he needs to finish signing the paperwork on the apartment. You watch as the door closes behind him and Stevie speaks up quietly. “Mama?”

“Yeah, cupcake?”

“If we’re gonna live with Steve..” she goes quiet. Thinking carefully over the words she needs to use to ask her question because you and Steve have been working with her on speaking and words lately and she’s a very smart little girl. She smiles to herself and speaks up, “Does this mean he really is my daddy now? Do you love ‘im?”

You rub the bridge of your nose and sit there for a minute or two thinking about the best way to explain your living situation to your daughter. Because she’s a damn smart kid but she’s just a kid. You want to explain it in a way she can grasp. Without misleading her or lying to her or getting her hopes up.

“Sweetie..” you start, falling silent again for a pause to think about phrasing very carefully because this is a delicate situation. And she’s already so attached to Steve. She’s not the only one but you’re trying to push down your own attachment because that’s not the important thing. Stevie is what’s most important.

“Mama.” Stevie’s waiting, leaning around the back of your seat to try and look at you.

“Yes, I love him. But sweetie, this is a little more complicated than you think, okay?” you answer, words dying out. Stevie nods. “C-o-m-p-l-i-c-a-t-e-d.” she sounds out the word, struggling just a bit. “What’s that mean?”

“It means it’s not easy.” you answer, turning a little in the passenger seat to look at your little girl. “When you’re an adult, sweetie.. You’ll understand more, okay?” you promise, smiling at her. “For now, this is what I can tell you.. I do love Steve. And if you want to think he’s your daddy, you can, baby. As long as he’s okay with it. If it bothers him, you have to stop.”

“Pwomise.” Stevie smiles a little. “He said it won’t ever bother ‘im.”

“Sweetie, that doesn’t mean it won’t one day.” you rub the bridge of your nose and take a deep breath or two, glancing at the fancy stained glass panes at either side of the front door of his parents house.

The house was nice. Big windows in the front and a sloping drive. Expertly manicured lawns. It was the kind of house you’d have killed to grow up in when you were a kid, bouncing from shitty apartment, to strange uncle’s houses, to rundown trailers all over the place because Jenna didn’t like staying in one place too long for most of your childhood.

“Where is my real one?” Stevie asks quietly and you fill with dread. Take a few shaky breaths and for a long pause this time, you’re quiet. Trying to parse out what she’s old enough to know and what can wait until she’s later. This is the question you’ve been preparing for since the  day you left the hospital with her and you’ve been dreading it in equal measure.

“His name is Nick, cupcake. But he wasn’t a good person and he didn’t love us. I didn’t love him, either.” you admit quietly. Stevie’s sitting back in her car seat now, staring out the window at Steve’s house. After a few seconds, she speaks up. “I don’ wanna know him.”

You take a deep breath and nod, smiling at her. “And you don’t have to, sweetie. I promise.” 

“Fank you.” Stevie smiles at you and you laugh softly. Glancing back at the door to Steve’s house because it’s been a while and he’s not coming out yet.

CONTINUED

“Son, we need to have a talk. Right now.” his father’s stern voice shatters his one-tracked train of thought and Steve looks up from digging through the file cabinet to find everything he might need and setting it to the side in a pile.

“If this is about packing, hire someone.” Steve answers calmly. His father grumbles under his breath, annoyed. Steve can’t find his medical folder and given what he wants eventually, it’s kind of necessary to have, so he pushes past his father, going to search for his mom instead.

Not that she’d be any more likely to know where his medical information was at, but on the off chance she might… Steve wanders into his parents bedroom to find his mother sitting quietly, staring at a baby photo of him that sat on her vanity gathering dust for years.

“I can’t believe you’d hide a grandchild from me. From us. We’re your parents, Steve.”

Steve’s brow raises and he rolls his eyes because he almost knows exactly where this is heading. And given the time crunch he’s under, it’s the last thing he wants to deal with because if either of them pushes just a little too hard today, he’s going to explode.

“And you let that poor girl.. The mother of your child, Steve.  You let her fend for herself while you’re all over town with that girl Nancy?” his mother shakes her head in disappointment. “After all the times  you’ve heard your father and I fight about him.. The affairs..” she goes quiet, wincing a little as if she’s pained by what she thinks and this is just enough to push Steve a little closer to that anger that’s been stewing inside and building for most of his life by now.

His father’s leaned in the doorway when he turns to walk out.

“We need to have a talk. Sit.” James nods to the seat at his mother’s vanity table. Steve’s jaw clenches and he goes to step around his father instead of sitting as he’s been told. James towers over his son and commands quietly, “Sit down. You’re not leaving until we’ve talked.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about.” Steve answers, his own firm voice that of course, his father does not like hearing. It’s backtalk to the man. It’s disrespectful and most of the time, it’s the fastest way to push James Harrington right over the edge to anger. But Steve doesn’t care now. He hasn’t cared in a while.

“Oh, but we do.. Whats this I’m hearing about you fathering a child? And then you keep it hidden from us? Probably because you know we’d disapprove of the young woman.” and the clench of his father’s jaw tells Steve that young woman is anything but what he wanted to say and Steve’s fists clench. He chuckles and it’s a dark and bitter sound. “Debra, I’m guessing.”

“It doesn’t matter who told us, Steve. Answer my question. Is it true?”

Steve laughs and rubs his chin thoughtfully. Every part of him wants to tell them it is, because it’s kind of obvious they’ve already decided on their own and nothing he says beyond this point will matter. Every part of him wants to tell them that he doesn’t care if they approve of you or not, you’re the girl that somehow, sooner or later, he’ll be starting a life with. Forever.

Before he starts to answer, his father goes that final step in pushing Steve straight over the edge with his anger. James Harrington chuckles and shakes his head. “I’m going to take your silence to mean the answer is obviously yes.” he looks at Penelope, watches her face go from anger to hurt and then disappointment. “How could you, Steve? You see how your father is…” and Steve shakes his head, "I didn't. Stevie isn’t mine.. but if she was..if I had, I'd have been a better father than him." Steve is furious, he's done mincing words.

James gives his wife an annoyed look. “It’s because we coddled him, Penelope, don’t you get it? Giving him everything a kid could ever want. He’s never had t’ do without a day in his life. He’s never had to struggle and now he’s spoiled. Lazy with a mediocre and worthless job. And he doesn’t want to do better.”

“Right.. Coddling means abandonment now, I guess?” Steve blurts it out before he can stop himself and he steps up into his father, making himself taller. “Since I’m such a failure and a disappointment.. How about I make things easier on both of you.. I’m moving out.” he smirks as he says it, watching his mom gape and immediately speak up, - “ You’re not mature enough to have a family. You’re not mature enough..” she trails off and Steve continues, “You can have your stupid cards and the fucking BMW is parked at the video store. I’ll drive it over later. Neither of you even have to think about me anymore.” as he throws the keys at his father’s feet and takes out his wallet, throwing the credit cards down onto the floor too.

“Son..” Penelope’s trying to speak up, she’s trying to get father and son calm again so they can all talk rationally but then she sees the pain and anger in her son’s eyes. And the coldness in his father’s eyes. And she thinks about how lately, all she can do is replay all the things she wishes she’d done as a mother. How hurt she was to find out her son didn’t trust her enough or care enough to come to her when he landed himself in the situation her friend Debra seems to think he’s in.

How she wants to fix everything. Be a mother to her son and a grandmother to this grandchild that’s been kept from her. She wants to make things right.

,, Maybe it’s too late.” the thought comes and she flinches, not just because Steve and his father are shouting, shoving each other back and forth in anger, prompting her to step between the two just so they stop before it goes too far.

But it goes too far because it was always going to. Steve’s been left alone, made to feel like he’s not good enough, made to feel unworthy of love in any capacity for so long that he’s just fucking done. When his father shoves him, his anger gets the best of him and he takes a swing at the old man.

James stands there gaping, holding his jaw as he shakes in the anger he’s seething in. Then he smirks. “Get out.”

“My pleasure, asshole.” Steve’s jaw flutters as he says it. Penelope speaks up. “Not yet.”

Steve’s gaze settles on his mother and he tugs at his hair, taking a shaky breath or two to calm himself. “Why not? You both know everything.”

“Son..” Penelope swallows hard. “I wish you’d just listen to reason. You’re not mature enough to–” she’s trying to be as delicate with the words as she can but she’s worried. Scared for her little boy and she just wants to better understand everything.

“Stevie isn’t mine.. Yet.” Steve mumbles. “When I have a family, don’t worry. I won’t bother letting either of you know.” and he takes a long and deep breath, pausing to mull over what else he wants to get out of his system. “I was mature enough to leave alone all the time. I was mature enough to cook my own meals. Do whatever bullshit errands that lazy asshole wanted before you two came back for a day or two between trips.” Steve glares at his father and then sighs, shaking his head, “I was mature enough to have exactly two weeks to recover from nearly dying.. And not just once, Mom.. Twice..” he reminds her, “One of those times you couldn’t even be bothered to answer the call when I got Dustin’s mom to call you. I didn’t even call the last time because I knew neither of you would give a damn..” he rubs the bridge of his nose, “I’m mature enough to be given a deadline to move out. I think I’m mature enough to have a kid.. Or anything else I want.” he chuckles bitterly, “But thanks for your motherly concern, Penelope.”

James steps up to his son, glaring. “Apologize to your mother right this instant.”

“Or what? You’re getting your shitty car back, James. And I gave you all the cards back. I don’t need ‘em. Don’t need either of you either. I’m fine.” Steve steps up to his father, fist clenched at his side. “Mail me my medical records.. Or don’t, I’ll call somebody and get the name of my doctors and shit when I need ‘em. I got everything I needed to finish signing paperwork for my apartment.” he smirks at his father, angry and defiant and done giving a shit about stepping on the toes or tiptoeing around with his parents. “Anything else to say, James? Wanna try to hit me again? Tell me I’m a disappointment?”

His father steps back a little and Steve rolls his shoulders and laughs. “I won’t bother either of you again. I’m not steppin foot back in this house after I drop your stupid fucking car off later this afternoon. I’ll figure out how to get around.”

And Steve shoves right past his parents, letting the front door to the house slam shut and rattle as it does. Penelope breaks down, sobbing so hard she’s shaking as it hits her just how badly everything has just gone.

She realizes just how much of a mistake she’s made in life when she looks over at her husband and she doesn’t even see a hint of remorse for anything. Not even a shred of regret for the way they chose to parent their only child. 

“I’m leaving you, James. I.. I can’t pretend anymore. I finally realize I married a cold-hearted jackass. Have fun being free. I’ll call a cab when I’m packed.”

“Penelo-” James starts to call out to her as she goes upstairs and slams the door to their bedroom but her name dies on his lips because honestly, he’d be a lot farther in life by now if he hadn’t knocked up his summer fling and been forced by his own parents to do the right thing and marry her. He hasn’t loved her in years and now that she’s leaving, it feels like a weight’s been lifted. Now that he doesn’t have to deal with his useless son, he feels free.

And it feels so good.

CONTINUED

You can tell something is wrong with Steve by the way he rushes out of the house and down to your car, getting into the drivers seat wordlessly. Even Stevie picks up on it.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, scout?”

“You otay?”

Steve takes a deep breath. He can break down later on. When he’s got a few minutes to himself away from you or Robin or Dustin or Stevie. Then he can deal with what he’s just done and how he feels about it.

Or this is what he tells himself. Until he locks eyes with you as he pulls away from the curb of his parents old house and starts to drive away. “Steve, what’s wrong?” - and maybe it’s the softness in your gaze, maybe it’s that sweet and quiet little drawl that sounds so concerned.. Worried about him.

Whatever it is, Steve just kind of takes a few wavering breaths and plasters on a weak smile. “Tell you later.” he mumbles so that you can hear him. Stevie repeats her question because he didn’t answer it and she’s worried too. He plasters on a slightly better weak smile to look back at her when he pulls to a stop at the sign on the end of his block. “Yeah. I’m okay. Everything is okay.”

Stevie nods. “We go home now?”

Steve chuckles. “Not for a while yet, scout..” and you smile, stealing a look at him, answering Stevie with a soft laugh. “We don’t get to move in until the 3rd of July.. Remember when I told you that was, cupcake?” you ask and Stevie giggles. “Next week?” she asks.

“Yeah! Good girl, you’re so smart!” you smile even brighter. 

The apartment complex comes into view and you share a look with Steve. As your car pulls to a stop in front of the office, you take a deep breath. Looking over at him again. “You’re absolutely sure you wanna do this..”

“I want to do this.” Steve repeats. “What about you?”

You nod, a smile too big when you answer. “I want to do this too. And we already know each other, we’re friends. It’s going to be fine, Steve.”

Steve almost leans into you just a little too close. He almost just goes for it and kisses you but he reminds himself that he’s trying to take things at least a little slow. Let you realize that you can trust him and he’s not going anywhere. That he wants to be with you and he loves you both more than he can put to words already. 

Instead of kissing you like he’s tempted to, he raises a hand, brushes some hair away from your forehead. Then he smiles at you. “So we’re doing this.”

“We’re doing this.” you take a deep breath and smile back.

CONTINUED

You’re more than a little angry at Steve’s parents because their heads are apparently so far up their own asses that they can’t see what an amazing guy he really is. And he’s your best friend, -also the man you’re in love with, and when he starts to tell you and Robin everything that happened when you had to stop by his parents house earlier that afternoon, you and Robin share a look.

“Steve.. Are you sure you’re okay?” Robin asks, leaning against her best friend’s side. “I mean, are you absolutely sure you’re fine? Because that was.. A lot.” 

You move to sit closer, leaning against his other side. “It was.” you mumble, resting your head against his shoulder as he shrugs and laughs it off as if it’s nothing. You look up at him in concern. “It’s okay if you’re not okay, Steve.” you and Robin both say it at the same time. 

Stevie wanders in from her nap, rubbing her eyes. You hold out your arms to her and she comes over, settling into both your lap and Steve’s until she’s fully awake. 

“I feel really good, actually. Like.. If I’d known I’d feel this good after saying all that earlier, I’d have said it the first time they didn’t care enough to show up at the hospital.” 

Your brow raises. “They left you.. Sitting in a hospital? What the hell?” and Robin smiles to herself as soon as she looks at you and sees just how angry you are after hearing what Steve’s just said. “It was after the Starcourt thing.. Right? Because you tried to call from the payphone. And you told me they were probably just sleeping. I remember.”

“Yeah.” Steve answers, resting his chin against the top of Stevie’s head. Smiling just a little more because having you and Robin with him right now feels a lot better. Stevie leans up against him and yawns. “We go play?” she asks, looking from you to Steve and then over at Robin with big begging eyes.

You nod. “Course, cupcake. Hey.. we can go to the splash pads they opened at the park.”

Steve nods. “Yeah, that’s on the way back from James and Penelope’s house anyway. I told him I’d bring him his shitty car back.”

“Good idea.” you mutter, holding his gaze. “We’ll figure something out.” and you don’t realize just how much what you’ve just said means to him. There was no hesitation, there was no second to think. There wasn’t any of that. 

Robin laughs softly to herself. And when Steve gets up to go grab himself a soda from the drink machine in the break room, she looks at you. Starts to hum the wedding march all over again with a smirk. You stick out your tongue and flip her off before a dreamy sigh leaves your mouth. “In a heartbeat. If he asked.. Since you’re going to give me shit either way we go.” you feel lighter. Confessing the way you feel to Robin and your daughter is.. It takes away the constant urge you have to just blurt it all out to him and risk blowing everything up completely.

Robin gapes for a second and then she’s smirking and oh so smug. “I knew it!”

“The thing is, Robin.. We both know it’s not going to happen. If all I get is the chance to be his friend, I’ll live with that.” you lean your head back against the wall and laugh at yourself, shaking your head as you watch your daughter color in her Strawberry Shortcake coloring book. “I’m down bad, okay? And like.. It’s not just.. It’s everything?”

“Awww.. it’s so sweet.” Robin teases. Eyes glued to Barb when the bell over the door jingles and Barb steps through it, shaking off the raindrops in her hair and on her maroon raincoat. “Hey! How’d it go?”

“We move in next week. On the 3rd.” you smile. And you nudge Robin. “Stop staring and do something already, oh my god.” as you pull yourself up off the floor where you’d been sitting. “I’m gonna go get a drink too.” 

You make your way into the back room and spot Steve lightly punching the drink machine. And even though you know it’s probably not a good idea -especially not for you, not with the way you feel about him and how touching him will be torture for you later when you’re alone and you can’t stop thinking about how his body feels against yours or under your hands- you slip your arms around him and hug against his back. “Steve, it’s okay. It’s gonna be fine. They needed to hear it.”

Steve’s breath hangs in his throat because you’re melted against him and it feels so good. Too good. He turns to face you and this means you’re now hugging against him chest to chest. He slips his arms back around you and leans into you heavily. “It just pisses me off.”

“I know.” you mumble, soft and sweet as you finally pull yourself together enough to look into his eyes. “I know, Steve. But they did deserve it. They’re the ones who abandoned you over and over.”

He nods. “Yeah. They definitely did that.”

“We’ll take your car back on the way to the park later.”

“Shit.” Steve palms his face. “I threw the keys at him earlier. And I don’t know where the hell the spare key is anymore, I think it’s up in my room.”

“Okay, so you can call from here and tell him where it is. Tell him if he wants it, get it himself.”

Steve takes a deep breath. Smirks just a little. “Yeah.  That’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Steve goes off to find a phone to call his father and tell him to pick up the car for himself if he wants it and you lean heavy against the soda machine, pulling yourself together. Robin wanders in and leans next to you, taking some deep breaths of her own and you look at her, concern in your eyes. “What’s up?”

“I uh.. I almost kissed her. I was this close but then Mrs. Fletcher came in just as I was leaning in. Fuck!” Robin takes a swing at the machine and you laugh softly. “Screw what anyone else thinks. And Mrs. Fletcher’s half blind anyway, I doubt she saw anything.”

“But if she did..”

“Robin, stop trying to panic. Everything will be fine.”

“Not if she’s not.. You know.. Like me?” Robin throws up her hands and you grip her upper arms gently. “Calm down, woman. Take a few deep breaths. Look at me, okay?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the way you feel. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Yeah, well.. Tell that to those kids over in the next town that got jumped outside the bowling alley there. Tell that to every church billboard sign outside.”

You shake your head. “Oh my god, stop having a meltdown. Just.. Relax. Breathe. I’m telling you, Robin.. All that matters is you and her. Okay? Okay.” you laugh softly as she nods and takes several shaky breaths. “She was just.. She’s so good with Stevie it does things to me when I watch them coloring or playing, aghhh.. Fuck. I’m in love with her and it’s driving me crazy.”

Barb is frozen in the doorway, staring at Robin.

“Oh no.” you mumble quietly, looking from where Barb stands to your cousin. “Robbie?”

“She just heard me.” Robin mumbles and her stomach twists in knots.

“Mhm. You two need to talk, okay? I’m going out front with Stevie. Talk to her, holy shit.” you disappear out the door, leaving the two of them to stand quietly.

But the silence doesn’t last long at all. Barb steps into the breakroom and lets the door bang shut softly behind her. “Finally.”

Robin’s brow raises as Barb makes her way over, stepping up into her. Robin’s back connects with the soda machine in a soft smack as Barb places a hand on her hip and the column of her neck and rests her forehead right against Robin’s. Laughing softly. “I’ve been wanting to say the same thing..” she pauses, swallowing down a lump in her throat and fighting off a swarm of butterflies that suddenly fill her stomach, “And I’ve been wanting to kiss you since the day Nancy introduced us I was just.. Y ou know how hard it is, right? To be like this?”

Robin nods. Melting herself into Barb as her hand raises, carding fingers over Barb’s scalp. “I love you, B. And I don’t care who says it’s wrong or we’re wrong and I can’t like.. I can’t fight it anymore.”

“I love you too, Robbie.” Barb responds, their mouths crashing against each other, the tips of their noses banging against each other’s nose as Barb’s hand clutches the front of Robin’s favorite black shirt and she uses her grip to pull Robin into her completely. The kiss deepens, both girls seeing stars as it comes to a gentle end and they’re left to stare at each other and take it all in. 

“Do you want to go to the drive in with me later? And not just as friends.. I want to hold your hand and I wanna feel your head on my shoulder. I wanna lay my head in your lap and stargaze after.” Barb mumbles softly, Robin giggling and turning red in the face as she’s so flustered for once that words completely fail her. “I can’t believe this is really happening, I.. I tried to plan so many times in my head how I’d tell you.”

“You can make it up to me.” Barb teases gently, a hand raised to caress Robin’s face.

“I will. I promise. As much as you want, as long as it takes.” 

CONTINUED

“If you want the car, it's parked outside Family Video.”

“You’ll bring it to me, Steve.”

“If you want the car, James, you’ll come get it.” Steve flips off the phone and slams it back down on the cradle and you look at him in concern. Stevie’s coloring at the desk nearby and Steve steps up into you, squeezing your hips in his hands. Because you make him calmer. You make him feel better.

And right now, that’s what he needs.

Stevie slips out of the chair and wanders over, holding up the coloring sheet she’s just finished to him. “I make you picture.”

He smiles. Takes a few deep breaths and scoops her up so that she can show him the picture. 

The cab pulls to a stop outside the video store and Steve tenses up all over. You're staring up at him in concern. "Everything okay, Steve?" you question.

"That's my mom. And I didn't think either of 'em would show up this quick." he laughs and the sound is bitter. "It's the car, they're getting something, of course they're gonna show up this time." the hurt and sarcasm in his voice is enough to make you completely forget your normal reservation and reach down, letting your fingers mesh with his as he takes a few deep breaths.

Robin and Barb wander out trying to straighten themselves up and when Robin recognizes Steve's mom, she gives him a concerned look. "Steve?"

"It's okay, Robbie." Steve is shrugging as if it's nothing but he's watching his mom try keys and stop as if she's holding back tears. He feels like shit but everything he said needed to come out because everything he said is the biggest reason he's struggled so long. Its the reason he had such a hard time letting go when he shouldn't have.

Then his mom looks up and right at him. Lingering in front of the store like she wants to come in but she doesn't dare. She manages a weak smile when she sees him with your daughter in his arms and the way you've stepped as close as you can to her son…like you want to protect him and you love him. Her mind is eased and maybe she stands there long enough to realize that somehow, entirely on his own, her son grew up. Became so much more mature than she could have ever hoped.

And she longs to go inside, to say something before she leaves town on her own for a while, but she wants to give him time before she reaches out. She needs to work through everything for herself too. And it's selfish but she wants to give her son time to cool down. Because he was honest but the harsh words stung just a little too much and right now, she can't handle it.

Steve doesn't see her watching but you do. And it only makes you step a little closer. Squeezing the hand beneath yours. "Hey..it'll be fine. Screw them."

And it's easy for you to say. So easy. Too easy. But you know it kills him. He's sweeter. So much sweeter. More sensitive. It's the whole reason you love him.

Watching him deal with this kills you. And there's only so much you can do. ,,but I can do something." the thought comes. 

"Steve.. it'll be okay. It's okay not to be okay." you mumble quietly. He shrugs. "I'm fine. I said what I needed to."

Stevie puts her arms around his neck to hug him and he lets her, laughing quietly. Robin looks from Steve and the way he's standing so close right now, to you as she mouths, "Your turn."

And she's not wrong. You love him. The one thing that stops you is knowing he deserves better. 

CONTINUED

" There's been a small change of plans, I am terribly sorry to do this on short notice, but we'd like the things on this list kept separate from the other things in the house. They need to be taken to this address." Penelope Harrington is calm and smiling as she charms the moving company in the same way she charmed the owner of the apartment complex her son will be moving into soon. 

It's not nearly enough but she hopes it's something to help the two of you start out. She slips out the letter she's spent all afternoon writing and pushes it towards the clerk. "I'd like this to be put in one of the boxes too."

"Yeah, alright. All this is gonna cost ya eighty extra." the young clerk tells her and she slides some money across to him. "Thank you for doing this."

CONTINUED

"Okay, where the hell are we going?" Steve's laughing as you lead him down to the duck pond at the park. "Steve, it's called a surprise." you answer, leading him by the hand.

Nancy leans against the trunk of a tree behind the two of you and she's laughing to herself. She'd come to say goodbye but watching you with him feels like she's intruding on an intimate moment so she turns and walks away. 

You gently push him down to a sitting position on the old comforter. Then you lean into him and raise the scarf you had tied over his eyes and when he sees the Enzos takeout container, he doesn't know what to say. Or do, this is a first for him. Normally, this is what he'd do.

As you're raising the scarf up, you can't resist the urge to gingerly just barely caress his cheek. His breath hangs and he has to fight to keep himself in control of his emotions.

"I, uh.. you had a bad day. I-i.. I wanted to do something." you explain, wishing that you could just do it already, say and do what you want to so badly.

Steve bites his lip as he gets lost in your eyes, going quiet. You're staring right back. "Hope your hungry because I smelled their pasta and I may have went crazy." -it's an attempt to make conversation without it being awkward.

"You didn't have to do this.."

"I know." you shrug, "Wanted to." you laugh softly as you look over at him. "Are you really okay, Steve?" you question, gazing at him in concern. 

He shrugs. "Kind of. I've had a long time to get used to it."

"To what?"

"Being alone." he shrugs. You reach out, gently gripping his jaw. "You're not, y'know. You have Robin.. those kids, they adore you.." you go quiet. "Stevie loves you. And you're my friend too, Steve."

You wish you could just get the nerve to say what you really mean. Both of you sit there quietly. You shift to lean against him and speak up quietly. " Least we won't turn into our parents."

Steve nods in agreement and chuckles quietly. "That's true."

He slips an arm around you and it pulls you into his side a little better. "Thank you..for this."

"I couldn't just do nothing. I could tell it was bothering you." you admit, going quiet. 

And if he thought he was falling head over feet before, he was wrong. He's falling even more in love now, blown away by you.

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington x buckleyadjacent!fem reader #steve harrington x singlemom!fem reader

[tbmunson]

On the Outside.

a masterlist.

Main Story

1994 | 1995

Side Stories

Love You to Death | Kissed by a Rose | Ode to My Family | Man in the Box | Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)

Extras

Running

Book Cover by @themarvelous-mrsmunson

Bear

Eddie Art

Winter 1996

Eddie Thinking About You in Prison

Eddie likes the Lights On

Hot For Teacher

Bounce

The L Word

Blurb Requests Masterlist

Pregnant Sex with Eddie

Eddie Comforting You

[tbmunson]

hi!! i really dont mean to overstep or anything but i really loved your gareth fic and i look forward to seeing more of it🥺 i also saw that you had a surgery recently so i wish you a fast recovery💕 take care

Thank you so much 🥺🥺 my brain has been everywhere lately and it’s hard to focus but I know where I want it to go now so I’ll be posting the next part soon 🤍

[tbmunson]

#fan fiction #fanfiction #fanfic #fan fic #original character #stranger things fan fiction #stranger things #stranger things smut

[tbmunson]

🥺🥺🥺🥺 Steve is her dad.

stranger things ● forever pt 5 ● s.harrington

warnings

[ multi chapters ] your daughter calls Steve daddy + baby talk -cannot stress enough that she's 3 and she's still grasping speech and language but like.. writer doesn't want to overdo it so... yeah. robin and barb and robin trying to muster up the nerve to make a move -it's not fun having to hide your true self and being gay back then was not a picnic so.. angst about that. heavy sexual tension/physical attraction (mutual, duh), swearing, things seem like they're moving fast but there is a good time lapse between each part so.. yeah. having a kid written by a person who does not... female reader with female parts / a connection to Robin and a past/personality + an adorable lil kid.

word count + prev. part

5452 exactly

part four <- can be reached by clicking.

summary

“It’s not!” you’re laughing. But there’s this small part of you that cannot deny that lately, since you and Steve have gotten closer and opened up to each other more, there’s something different between you.

He’s more touchy. He teases you more. You caught yourself flirting with him on more than one occasion because you couldn’t resist doing it and it happened before you could catch yourself. There’s the way you seem to lack a sense of boundaries when he’s around.

And Robin isn’t wrong, you’re starting to find it really hard to resist just going for it.

“Everybody hasn’t noticed because it’s not like that.” you insist.

taglist + shoutouts

<< taglist here >> just click & add ig. if you're here for gareth/eddie or other ST men, lemme know and I won't tag you on this.

@allelitesmut @tbmunson - bestie ilysm omg i hope you're having a great day!! @chaoticcancer @caravelofthesun @dylanwritesgood @just-a-blue-nerd @eddiemuns0nl0ver @slyisbehindyou @spaceconveyor

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

FIVE

“ She told me she wishes he was her daddy.” you’re munching on some french fries from Wendy’s as you watch Steve and Stevie down at the pond, feeding the ducks together. Steve has Stevie sitting on his shoulders and you can hear her laughter as it echoes through the park.

You can’t stop staring. Your eyes roam freely. You tell yourself that if you can’t be with him, you can stare as much as you like but honestly, you’re not stupid. All you’re managing to do is torture yourself every single time you wind up doing it.

Barb laughs softly and Robin snickers at the faraway look in your eyes as they glue themselves to Steve’s body all over again. You’ve been stealing glances a lot more lately. 

You got so caught up in it when everyone met to hang out at the pool two afternoons ago that you nearly face planted the door to the women’s restroom just because he went off the high dive, answering a dare that guy across the street who works as a lifeguard gave him.

“Pick your jaw up off the table, woman.”

You jump a little, broken out of your daze by your cousin’s teasing so you flip her off. The two of you share a look and while Barb is busy grabbing herself a soda from the vending machine nearby, you smile at your cousin. “You need to do something, okay? Who cares what anybody thinks? Screw them. And I don’t see aunt Janet being as horrified as you have yourself believing she will be. Now grandma Ethel.. Possibly. But she clutches pearls at everything, Robbie.”

“You do something and maybe I will. You’re the older one. Lead by example.”

“Robin..” you sigh and shake your head, taking another bite of your double cheeseburger. Groaning at the taste as it fills your mouth because you haven’t really eaten anything today. It’s been busy at the office.

In a desperate bid to change the subject because you’ve told your cousin so many times exactly why you can’t just  throw caution to the wind and the more you have to tell her, the more convincing her arguments are as to why you can -and should, do that very thing are starting to become.. In a desperate bid to get off the current topic and on to a new one, you speak up.

“I think I might have found an apartment. We can go look at it later.. If you wanna come with me?”

“You and sparkles should stay with mom and I longer.” Robin shakes her head. Pouting a little. “I don’t wanna lose my little buddy.. Or you and our nighttime talks. C’mon, it hasn’t been that bad.”

“It hasn’t. But I need to stand on my own again too. Like.. I know this is putting a huge strain on aunt Janet as far as money goes. And if I’m living in my own place, it won’t be as bad. They just gave me a raise and more hours.”

Robin’s still not thrilled, but she nods. “Yeah, okay. But you’re still stuck with me, woman.” “Duh.. We have a blood pact. Remember?” you laugh and so does she. “Where is the apartment?” she asks after a second or two. You’re distracted, watching Steve and Stevie again, he’s pushing her on the swings now. “Hm?” you ask as you take a sip of your vanilla Frosty.

“Woman, oh my god.. If you don’t do something it’s going to drive you insane. And lately, whenever you two are around each other, the air’s almost heavy enough to choke somebody. Everybody notices it.”

“It’s not!” you’re laughing. But there’s this small part of you that cannot deny that lately, since you and Steve have gotten closer and opened up to each other more, there’s something different between you.

He’s more touchy. He teases you more. You caught yourself flirting with him on more than one occasion because you couldn’t resist doing it and it happened before you could catch yourself. There’s the way you seem to lack a sense of boundaries when he’s around.

And Robin isn’t wrong, you’re starting to find it really hard to resist just going for it.

“Everybody hasn’t noticed because it’s not like that.” you insist.

Barb laughs as she slips down onto the bench right next to Robin and hands her a Tab. “Okay, am I allowed to call bullshit? Because that is exactly what you’ve just said is… Total bullshit. Everybody’s noticed it, ___.”

“There’s nothing to notice! We’re friends.” you insist.

“Friends don’t look like they’re a second away from kissing each other, ___. Which is exactly what you two looked like the other night when we all went to see that movie together at Starcourt.” Robin is patient when she says it. Laughing as she remembers turning to find Steve dragging his thumb over the butter smeared on your cheeks. Or later, finding you leaned against him, the two of you and Stevie whispering back and forth as you all stared up at the screen and shared popcorn from the same mega sized bucket.

Or even later, when the crowd leaving the theater as the movie ended got so thick that Robin watched as Steve pulled one of his patented Harrington moves out, resting his hand against the small of your back as you all wandered out.  

She’s annoyed that neither of you are willing to budge but it’s oh so painfully obvious.

“Even Eddie’s asked if you have something going on! And Eddie, he’s practically the most oblivious guy on Earth!” Robin insists, throwing up her hands in exasperation as you calmly shake your head no and insist all over again, “He’s not into me like that. I’d know it if he were! Body language expert, remember?”

“My ass you are.” Robin grumbles, the two of you flipping each other off as your laughter dies away.

“Where’s the apartment?”

You cringe a little because you know your cousin well enough to know that when you tell her it’s over that one bar on the wrong side of town, she’s not going to be thrilled. And honestly, you’re not either.

But you refuse to keep burdening your aunt and you know it’s putting a strain on her  having two more mouths and more of a mess to keep up with. You help as much as you can. And you really love being there, you just know that you need to stand on your own again.

“Okay, there’s a teeeny flaw with the place.”

“I’m not liking it already.” Robin’s shaking her head, taking a sip of her  soda after she’s opened the tab. 

“It’s over that bar on the way out of town. The owner.. He uh.. He came in to the office for a consult and he mentioned that he was going to open up the empty units and start renting them out. He told me if I did all my own repairs and stuff he’d knock it off the rent, too. And he’s only charging like… I think he said 400 a month for a two bedroom?”

“Absolutely not. Do you know how often the cops are called to that place? And Eddie’s band, they played there once, said there was a brawl in the middle of their set so bad that an ambulance had to be called.”

Barb speaks up. “Wasn’t Steve looking at a place, Robbie? And it’s near the school. It’s one of the two that the guy who owns the Post just opened up and completely remodeled.”

You give both of them a playful dirty look. “Mhm, like it’s not obvious what you’re getting at.” you laugh as you finish off your Frosty. “I’d fold like a deck of cards if I had to live with him.” you’re doing it again, staring at him openly as you fan yourself with a stack of napkins. “And it’s not even like.. Okay, he’s fucking gorgeous, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not even why I fell in the first place.” you nod to the way he’s waiting on Stevie at the end of the big spiral shaped slide on the playset, “Its the way he is with her. It’s the way he treats everybody.. Like.. I can’t explain it but god, it just turns me on.”

“Because he’s a good guy. He has changed a lot since high school. But anyway, why not look at the place Steve is looking at? You guys are getting to know each other and you’ve gotten to be really good friends.” Barb’s looking at you, giving you a smirk that only makes you stick out your tongue at her. “I just told you why, B! If I live with that man, I will fold like laundry.”

“That’s kind of why she suggested it. One of you needs to, jesus.. The tension is getting to the rest of us outside the little bubble the three of you have formed lately…” Robin laughs and shakes her head. “So stubborn. Why keep fighting it? What if it ends up being amazing? I mean, you said it yourself. He’s good with her. He’s good to you.. To everyone, actually. Why not just go for it?”

“What if it completely blows up though?” you counter, biting your lip. “I can’t.. I won’t put her through what Jenna put me through.”

“Speaking of.. She called last night. I dunno what she said to Mom but Mom exploded. It was great. She told her she was the worst mother to ever exist and hung up. Told her to call back when it wasn’t about something she wanted or something she needed.”

“She didn’t even ask about Stevie.” you guess, frowning and rolling your eyes when Robin’s look confirms it. You shrug. “It’s her loss. We’re fine without her.”

“Definitely.” Robin agrees, reaching out to steal some of the fries you have left.

“Will you guys just come with me to look at the place? Please?” you ask them both, giving them a pleading look.

“Fine.. But I’m not gonna like it.”

“And I agree with her.”

You laugh and slip off the bench, making your way over to where Steve and Stevie are by the swings again. Stevie loves the swings. The day before, you brought her to the park and she refused to leave until she’d spent at least an hour swinging. An hour that you happily obliged because one day, she’ll be older and you already know that you’re going to miss this.

You take advantage of every little moment you’re allowed because they’re moments you won’t ever be able to get back.

CONTINUED

“Daddy! Higher! My feet almost touch clouds!”

When she says it, she’s giggling. Her eyes squeezed shut against harsh afternoon sun. Smiling so big that it’s probably ten times brighter than the sun itself. Steve is frozen and at first, he doesn’t know how to respond.

All he knows is that when she calls him Daddy, he finds himself wishing that it wasn’t just an accidental slip-up. That he really was her father. Because that’d mean he got both of you, all to himself for the rest of your lives. If it were true, nothing would make him happier.

The swing comes back down, Steve catches it and brings it to a stop. "Higher, huh?" he laughs as he locks eyes with you because you're standing nearby, watching. He's gazing down at Stevie now and he chuckles. "Dunno if it's a good idea, scout." 

"Pwease?" She's begging and it's adorable. He still can't decide what to do about her calling him Daddy, so for the time being, selfish as it might be, maybe he just pretends that he is. And that she's his little girl, the two of you are his girls.

Everything feels better, he notices, when he pretends like it's true and he acts like it's true. He doesn't feel as alone until later on when he actually is alone and the realization sets in all over again.

A brunette nudges you in your side, nodding to Steve as he pushes your daughter in the swings.

"Hi."

"Hey." you turn your attention to her after calling out to Stevie not to hang the way she is off the swing. "Something you want?"

"Is Steve her father?"

You shake your head. Smile fading a little. One, because you're pretty sure her entire reason for asking has everything to do with her interest in Steve and this makes you just a little jealous and two, without even realizing it, you were kind of imagining what it might be like if things were totally different. If Steve was actually her father. If the two of you were together.

"She called him daddy. Just now." the brunette states. "Either he is or he isn't." and she's pretty sure he's no, after all they were close friends, there's no way he could've hidden something this massive from her and Tommy. And she likes to think he wouldn't have attempted it, either. But the little girl calling her best friend daddy did make 

"He isn't. Closest thing she's known t' one though."

"She looks like he did when we were all kids." and it hits Carol that she hasn't actually introduced herself yet. She laughs quietly and palms her face. "I'm Carol. Steve is an old friend. The two boys on the slide are mine." she points out her sons and you smile. Stevie is racing towards you and you drop, holding your arms out for her as Steve jogs over behind her, laughing. 

Carol watches as you scoop up the little girl and cover her face in noisy kisses. Steve is staring at you, oh you can bet she picks right up on that. And she's thinking about the way you were all soft eyed and staring as he pushed the cute little girl on the swings just now.

,,this is what he deserves. He needs to find the confidence he had in high school and just go for it already because the air is so thick between them I cannot breathe." 

"Carol."

"Steve." she smiles, giving him a thumbs up as she nods to you and Stevie. Steve raises a brow because usually, Carol is nothing if not a harsh critic of anyone he dates or shows interest in and it only doubled down after things ended with Nancy.

"What's her name?"Carol's attention turns back to you and she's smiling. Curious, with the strong feeling that Steve is definitely falling hard and fast for you because he's gone into protective mode without even seeming to realize. She knows because he's stepped closer to you and Stevie as if to shield you both. 

"Stevie." you answer. She smiles, nodding towards the slides again. "Tommy and Hunter."

Carol makes her way over to the slide where her sons are and Steve gives you an apologetic smile. "She wasn't like…rude or anything, right?"

But you're distracted, between what she revealed to you about Stevie looking a lot like Steve and Carol revealing that Stevie called Steve daddy, you have a lot on your mind at the moment.

Steve repeats his question and you smile, you shake your head no. "No, she wasn't."

You're just wondering.. how did Steve react to your little girl calling him Daddy? 

And more importantly, how should you react to it?

CONTINUED

"Yeah, I don't like this place." this is said by Steve who offered to come over and really look at the little two bedroom apartment you were told about earlier in the week. Robin speaks up next. "What is that smell?" and Barb asks the same question. "I'm agreeing with them."

"It's not that bad." You're wandering around the empty space. It's bigger and brighter than your old apartment. And considering it's over a bar, the floor is so thick that barely any noise seeps up through worn hardwood flooring. "It's bigger than the last one."

" I just don't think this is a good idea, __." Steve repeats. The door lock isn't the best but honestly, that's the least of the things he's noticed. He can tell you're determined but so is he. "There's other places, ___. Maybe we should look at em before you decide anything."

"Yeah, I'm going to agree with the dingus here."

"I'm agreeing with Robin. And Steve."

You're not entirely sold on the place either but you're determined to find something soon. You've never been the kind to wear out your welcome and you're just so used to doing everything alone that you don't know how to take help when it's offered.

Or this is what both Robin and your aunt keep telling you.

"Okay. Alright. I'll look a little more." you promise the three of them. Stevie stirs in your arms and buries her nose down in your neck. "Mama, somethin stink."

"We're leaving now, cupcake." you laugh softly. "Good. Smell make me wanna barf." she grumbles. “Don’t wanna live here cos it stinky. Like old cheese. Feet.”

All of you wander out, Robin and Barb getting into Barb's car and after you've fastened Stevie into her carseat, you get into the passenger seat of your Mustang. Steve's driving like he usually offers to whenever everyone goes out together lately and you decide to take your car. As he merges in traffic, he speaks up. "You'll find somethin better."

"Not at that price. And it's two bedrooms."

"There was a murder in the alley behind the place..this guy I know..Jim..he worked the scene. I think it was like..my junior year?"

"Oh. Yeah, I didn't know that."

"People don't talk about it a lot." Steve answers. "That place is dangerous. Just trust me."

You nod before you even realize you've done it. You, the headstrong and argumentative, stubborn one. You, the one who always does whatever she wants whenever she wants. And when you realize that you're just going along now, you're stunned to a state of silence. 

He pulls into the spot next to Barb's Volvo and kills the engine and nods to the car seat in your back seat. "She's out."

"She sleeps so well when she goes for a ride." you tell him as you quietly pull open your door. As you're unfastening her seatbelt, she looks up at you all groggy from her nap. "Wan' daddy t' carry me."

Your breath hangs and you're frozen. It was fine when she'd do this, call him that whenever it was just you two. You usually just gently remind her that she can't blurt it out and she needs to call him Steve or Mr.Steve. But she's just done it all over again right in front of him.

Steve is about to speak up and say something strictly because he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, and he figures you're about to anyway. But then, instead of saying anything, you turn to him with an apologetic smile. "I keep telling her she can't do it when we're not alone, that you might not like it."

As he starts to realize what you're getting at, he's stunned speechless. The implication that she's done this before..that she does it a lot when it's just the two of you and the further implication that you're okay with it.. the smallest glimmer of hope is in bloom and the wheels are turning in his mind. 

"I got her." he reaches out to take Stevie and she wraps little arms around his neck and yawns because she's beginning to wake up. "Good nap, wasn't it?"

"Mhm." Stevie answers. "Now I sooooo hungry."she giggles. You gape at him. "How is it she's not a little grouch right now? She's a grouch waking up for me?"

Steve shrugs. Smirks a little as he pulls open the door to the diner just in time to come face to face with Nancy, Jonathan and Jonathan's friend Argyle as they come out with grease stained bags. Upon seeing him, Nancy is kind of frozen, definitely shocked to see Steve with a little girl in his arms and even more shocked that she's seeing just a hint of the side he opened up to her when they were together.

,, everyone kept telling me he met someone. They all said he was finally happy again. And that weird rumor that he had a kid and somehow nobody knew.. I can see why it started."

"Hey Steve."

"Nance. Hey. You haven't left yet?" and it's honestly no an act to make her think he's okay this time, this is what shocks him most. He's honestly just been so busy lately, he's been so preoccupied with fighting the nightmares, the mess Vecna left in his head when he was done with him and since the end of April, his feelings and the attachment he's forming with Stevie and you that honestly, he hasn't given her a whole lot of thought. Lately, he's given her none at all and when this hits him, he's more than a little shocked. 

"We leave next week.. Monday?" she looks to Jonathan as if she's not sure and he smiles and nods. "Yeah. Monday…hey, we're having a get together with everyone this weekend. You guys should come." Nancy looks from Steve to you as she says it. Her gaze lingers on you just a little longer. Taking in the way you’ve molded yourself right against Steve’s side and you’re standing just a little taller. As if to protect him.

Steve starts to say no. But between the tension you're picking up on and you'd die before admitting it, the slightest bit of jealousy and anger you feel upon meeting the ex girlfriend, you speak up before he gets a chance. "We can if you want to, Steve. It's up to you." you’re trying to act as a buffer. 

Pretending things between you and Steve are more serious. More intimate than they actually are all while coming to the realization that his ex girlfriend is a very good and clear reminder as to why he’d never willingly settle for you. Nancy’s beautiful and she’s got this good girl look about her. Not to mention, her life is together and yours, well.. You make yourself stop thinking too hard and picking yourself apart before you get too deep into doing it.

His brow raises. And he tells himself there's no way, you can't be jealous, but there's just something about the way you melt into his side just a little more..and of course, the tiniest hint of mischief in those beautiful eyes of yours as you look up to hold his gaze as you're doing it, as if you do it all the time. He chuckles. "We'll try, Nance. I'm not promising anything."

"Mama, can you take me to bathroom?" Stevie speaks up, reaching for you. "Wait for you inside?" you ask Steve, glad your daughter needs to use the bathroom because the more you stand there, the more you compare yourself to his ex. The more you tell yourself there's no way he'd just settle for you and your jealousy -as well as the knee jerk reaction it caused just now, are pointless.

You go in with Stevie and Steve is left to stand there. This is made further awkward when Jonathan steals a kiss before walking away to Argyle's van. This leaves the two of them alone.

Nancy laughs. 

"What?" Steve raises a brow.

"She really likes you. A lot. Robin said it was obvious but wow.." Nancy smiles up at him and keeps laughing, " You feel something too. Didn't almost dying teach you anything, Steve?"

Steve blows out a breath and shifts his feet. "Yeah."

"So do something! You could have your dream life. Don’t you want that?"

He nods.

She fluffs his hair and goes to step past him, pausing for a few seconds. "You'll be okay.. i.. I was worried about you after…you know.. I just want you to be happy. Like me." and with a smile, she's gone. Rushing over to the van just as the rain starts.’

 Steve lingers for a minute, trying to figure out where she came to the conclusion that you like him as much as she seemed to think. Mulling over the advice she gave that he didn't ask for.

You're sitting in the booth with Robin and Barb, feeding Stevie fries as you watch the two of them outside but try to make it seem as if you're not. And of course, Robin picks right up on it and clears her throat. You nod to them. "Yeah, if that's not a reminder of why I need to ignore the way I feel…" you muse as you take some fries for yourself. Barb and Robin share a look and then they're both looking at you.

"What? You see her! She's a knockout and she's got her life together."

"She really doesn't, though." Barb speaks up, laughing to herself. Robin agrees. "You need to stop ignoring it and do something about it. What happened, huh? You used to be the brave one?"

You laugh and roll your eyes. "Yeah, when it comes to dumb stuff. Emotional risks have never been my thing."

"The fact that you sit here so confidently convinced that he doesn't feel the same way when everyone knows that he does. I can't. You're the single most stubborn.." Robin laughs and Barb laughs with her, slipping fries out of the shared tray between them.

Steve wanders in and as he makes his way over to the table, Barb nudges Robin and leans in, whispering against her ear, "Okay, whatever Nance said to him… he's looking more like King Steve right now than he has in a really long time.."

"Maybe he's finally going to do something." Robin adds, nodding in agreement. Your breath hangs in your throat when instead of grabbing a chair and pulling it to the booth like usual, Steve seats himself in the space beside you. As his designer cologne envelopes you and your sides brush, you need to go pull yourself together. "I'll be right back."

You hurry to the bathroom and when Robin peeks in a few seconds later and sees you visibly flustered, trying to pull yourself together, she doubles over laughing and steps inside. "You okay?"

"I, uh… never better?" you're trying to pull yourself together because the way he looked at you when you locked eyes before you rushed in the restroom to cool down.. you can still feel it's effects. And the scent of his cologne surrounding you, the way he sat down and got as close to you as he could get.

It's all combined to do a number on you.

"You're in for it now." Robin muses,  giving you a smirk. She knows something you don't, of that, you're certain.

"Huh?"

Robin shrugs. "Oh trust me. You'll figure it out. Especially if what I think is about to happen actually happens."

"Context?"

"Oh no.. no, because if I do that, you won't believe me."

"Seriously?" 

"As a heart attack."

CONTINUED

Your red Mustang pulls to a stop in the driveway of your aunt's trailer. Stevie is sleeping in the back, in her car seat and as Steve kills the engine and holds out your keys, he closes his hand around yours when you reach for them. Steps as close as he can and when he does, your breath promptly hangs in your throat.

"If Stevie calling you that earlier…if it bothers you.."

"It doesn't." Steve looks over at you, "does it bother you?" and for a few seconds, he's searching your face for something..any indication that Nancy..Robin, Dustin and even Billy, that they're all completely wrong.

He doesn't find that. Instead, what he actually finds is just enough for the flimsy bit of hope to grow just a little more because you're looking up at him and . You're unfastening Stevie from her car seat and he gets out, holding your aunt's front door open for you as you walk through with Stevie asleep on you. 

You can feel the air getting thicker. Something is different. It's not bad, only intense. So intense you almost feel like you can't breathe. 

,, I have to be imagining it. This is just wishful thinking because i want to let it happen so bad that it's driving me crazy." 

"You're sure it doesn't?" you question, tilting your head to look up at him and he chuckles quietly, shrugging as he answers, " I actually like it. If it bothered me at all, I swear I'd say something. Are you sure it doesn't bother you?" and then he steps closer. Pushes open the bedroom door for you as you step inside to put Stevie to sleep for the night. " It doesn't. If it did I would have stopped her the few times she's said it when it's just the two of us." you answer, looking up at him. Holding his gaze and God help you, squirming just a shade when it feels like he's looking deeper at you as he does the same. 

"See you tomorrow." he finally manages to pull himself out of his daze and the temptation to touch you is so strong that he clenches his hand at his side.

You fall back into the bed beside your sleeping daughter and take several very shaky deep breaths.

CONTINUED

The whole drive across town to his parents empty house consists of him having the mother of all internal dilemmas. Instead of going home, he winds up at Dustin's house.

Dustin raises his window and gives Steve a concerned sleepy look. "Something wrong?"

Steve immediately starts the pacing as soon as he’s climbed through Dustin’s window. And rambling as he paces. And when Dustin figures out what's causing his best friend to pace a hole through his bedroom floor, he's snickering about it. 

" She does it like all the time, man. You're just noticing Stevie calls you daddy?"

"Today is the first time she's actually said it to me directly." Steve answers, gaping as Dustin's statement sinks in. "Wait..she's done it in front of you then?"

Dustin nods to the chair at his desk and Steve sinks down to sit. "Yeah. She actually started like..a week ago? Two, maybe?” Dustin yawns and smiles, falling silent for a few seconds before picking up where he left off, explaining the situation to Steve as Stevie explained it to him, “ This girl in her daycare group named Sadie has her convinced that if she picks her dad then whoever she picks automatically just..is. I tried t' talk to her but she's stubborn and she plugged her ears, started to hum. She said her mind was made up. That even if she couldn't tell you, she still knew and that was okay with her. She was afraid you might be mad so her saying it directly to you man.." Dustin pauses, rubs his eyes as he chuckles quietly, "That's huge."

Steve's chuckling too. "Yeah, the uh..the stubborn thing, that’s like 1000 percent her mom." he drags a hand through his hair. "I saw Nancy earlier. We talked. Well, she talked. I thought I'd have more to say but I didn't."

Dustin nods. Looks up at Steve in concern but Steve shrugs. "It's over. It's been over. I get it now."

"Okay, so what about ___?"

Steve rubs his chin as he thinks about it. He knows he can't keep fighting it, not with everything he's either accidentally overheard or he's figuring out only just now. He wants to fight. He wants to win.

"I'll figure it out. The uh.. the letting Stevie call me daddy thing though.. that won't mess her up, right?" and he wants to laugh at himself, he's asking a literal teenager for advice right now but…Dustin Henderson is the second person he trusts the most in the world. Robin Buckley is the other person and he's definitely going to bounce all of this off her tomorrow.

Because he's determined that this time..this time the ending he wants most in the world is absolutely going to stick.

"No? Why would it? Her father is some asshole who didn't even want her to be born, man. If anything, it's clearly for the best this way, Steve."

Steve nods quietly. "To not fucking this up, right?"

Dustin grins even brighter. "You're finally going to do something then?"

Steve takes a shaky breath and laughs quietly. "I think so, Dustin. I have t' try or I'm gonna lose my fucking mind."

#steve harrington #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington x single mom!reader #steve harrington x buckley!cousin reader

[tbmunson]

Steve 🤍🥺

stranger things ● forever pt 4 ● s.harrington

warnings

[ multi chapter ] angst - so much internal angst, past traumas / dealing with the fallout, robin's falling in love with Barb / struggling with how and whether to risk it all and come out, you/reader have a 3 year old so.. dad!steve and baby talk because your kid is still grasping the art of talking.

reader/you is female with female parts + appearance, a 3 year old named Stevie. reader/you are also the cousin to Robin Buckley. reader/you also has a past, your own traumas and personality. this is self indulgent and i do not apologize, not even a little.

word count + prev. part

pt 3 <- can be read by click.

4549 exactly.

summary

Barb's car pulls to a stop behind Steve's car and Robin's entire face lights up. "And that's my cue. Hey.." Robin looks from you to Steve, "Why don't you guys hang out tonight?"

You know perfectly well what she's up to. From the way Steve shuffles his feet, you can safely assume he knows too. He starts to beg off, protest, do something because he doesn't want to impose. And he's just about to when you speak up. "I don't mind..Unless you don't want to, Steve?" he's shocked that you're saying it, he wasn't expecting it. 

He chuckles quietly. "Yeah. I'd like that."

taglist + shoutouts

taglist is here <- click to add yourself. if you're here for gareth/eddie or other ST men..lemme know.

@allelitesmut @caravelofthesun @chaoticcancer @dylanwritesgood @eddiemuns0nl0ver @just-a-blue-nerd @jaydaaasworld @music4life42 @slyisbehindyou @spaceconveyor & @tbmunson bestie ilysm and i'm so happy to have you to bother you with my weird ideas you're amazing omg.

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

FOUR

Stevie is coloring quietly. You're flipping through channels on the TV and unwinding after work. The faintest echo of the car door as it slams outside of the trailer has you turning to look out the window of the trailer. Steve's car is sitting in the driveway and as soon as Stevie realizes, she's making her way to the door. You slip out of your seat and pick her up, wandering out into the yard.

You tell yourself it's just so you can let Stevie see Steve but deep down, you know it's not only that. You're not prepared to admit it to yourself but there it is. The truth.

Steve is leaned against the driver side of his car and he's twisting his keys around his finger as he talks to Robin. Stevie climbs down from your arms and runs over, hugging against Robin's legs. Robin picks her up and lets her get comfortable and you lean against the side of Steve's car. Just close enough that the side of your body brushes right against his. Steve glances over at you. 

"How's the job going?" he asks.

You laugh. "Today was long. So long. I think I sorted paperwork and files until I thought my eyes were gonna bleed." you open your eyes and give a tired smile. "The good news is that Stevie seems okay in their daycare so far. I think she's even made a friend."

Steve chuckles quietly. "That's good."

Stevie scrambles down from Robin's arms to tug at Steve's pants legs. Steve bends down, scooping her up and she nuzzles her face into his neck, yawning. "I tired. Played wit other girl today."

Steve chuckles. "You did, huh?"

"Mhm. Had fun." Stevie yawns again. "I missed you and aunt Wobin."

Barb's car pulls to a stop behind Steve's car and Robin's entire face lights up. "And that's my cue. Hey.." Robin looks from you to Steve, "Why don't you guys hang out tonight?"

You know perfectly well what she's up to. From the way Steve shuffles his feet, you can safely assume he knows too. He starts to beg off, protest, do something because he doesn't want to impose. And he's just about to when you speak up. "I don't mind..Unless you don't want to, Steve?" he's shocked that you're saying it, he wasn't expecting it. 

He chuckles quietly. "Yeah. I'd like that."

You smile at him as Robin and Barb drive away and you make your way up the 3 steps into the trailer. As he goes to step inside, he rubs against you to pass through the doorway and your breath hangs.

So does his but you'd never know it. He manages to play cool, smiling at you as he stands inside your aunt's trailer with your almost sleeping daughter in his arms.

"So.. are you hungry, Steve?" you ask the question because if the air gets any thicker between you both you will lose it.

"I could eat." Steve chuckles quietly as you close the front door behind you. You step up to him to take Stevie so you can lay her down and let her nap because the lady over the daycare for your new job mentioned that she hadn't gone down for a nap today.

"I'll take her." Steve mutters quietly, and you nod. He follows you to the bedroom and places Stevie on the bed. You tap his shoulder to hand him her blanket and when he turns, it puts you body to body. "Sorry, I.." Steve mutters and you smile. "It's okay."

He takes the blanket from your hands, putting it over Stevie.  You lean down, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she sleeps. Then you leave the room with Steve closing the door just enough that the tv doesn't interrupt her late nap.

"I think I'm gonna order a pizza. Is there a certain one you prefer, Steve?" you ask as you walk over and pick up the phone to dial.

"Not that picky." Steve answers, lingering in the end of the hall. You're slinking around the kitchen and twisting the phone cord around your finger as you place the order and at one point you pause in front of him and tilt your head, staring up at him. 

" Everything okay?" you mouth the question, tilting your head slightly as you look up at him in concern. He manages to make himself nod and you try to stop yourself but you place your hand on his chest, continuing to gaze up at him in concern because you're remembering the day before, when he had that nightmare and you happened to witness. 

" Yeah, that's ___. At 12 Forest Hills Road." you hang up after telling your address and as soon as you have, you step closer to Steve. "Steve.."

"Yeah?"

"It's okay to not be okay." you mumble. 

He nods. Tries to give a convincing smile and you shake your head, stepping closer. Closing the miniscule amount of space that remains between you both as your breath hangs in your throat. "I'm sorry." you step away just a little and when you do, Steve misses the contact. And the realization has him up in arms. If he thought it was just going to disappear, it’s not. And being alone with you like this is only going to make the way he’s starting to feel and get way too attached way too quick so much harder to fight.

The two of you wind up sitting down on the sofa, close but not too close. You hold the remote out to Steve but he shakes his head. You turn off the television and he tears his eyes off the screen to look at you.

"I want to get to know you."

"I'm boring." Steve insists, shaking his head. Laughing quietly. “I am.”

"Somehow, I doubt that, Steve." you smile a little. He smiles too and he nods. "I am, though. But I wanna get to know you too."

"Ask me anything." you laugh softly. "I mean it. Anything."

"Anything,huh?" Steve rubs his chin. "Favorite food."

You laugh. "I don't even think I have one..maybe shrimp scampi, there was this diner in Shreveport, ugh..they made the most amazing shrimp scampi. Okay, your turn." you look at him and he laughs. 

"Spaghetti.. my mom hired this nanny once that made the best homemade spaghetti sauce." Steve is smiling to himself.  You smile. "I prefer to make my own if I eat spaghetti. I uh…ate it a lot as a kid? And my mother was the worst cook." the smile fades just a little. Just enough that Steve senses family might be a sore subject with you like it is for him. 

"Mine doesn't cook." Steve admits quietly. And there's just something about the look on his face when he says it..you just know without asking that his mom and your mom might be similar.

"I dunno if my mom ever learned to cook or not." You shrug as you say it.

"You lived with your dad?" Steve asks, curious. Robin didn’t mention her aunt much at all and the handful of times that he’s heard her mention the woman, it was always with the slightest hint of irritation and disgust. So he’s just hoping that maybe you lived with your dad, that your parents were split up or something.

You shake your head. "Don't know the guy. And I haven't seen Jenna since I was 17."

Steve grimaces. And when he sees the slightest hint of a hurt look, he speaks up quietly. "You don't have t' talk about it."

"It's okay. It's not a big deal anymore." you shrug again. "She threw me out."

Steve's jaw clenches and he sighs, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. It was better that way. And Stevie saved my life anyway, I was..a totally different person at 17 than I am now at 20."

It hits him exactly what you're getting at and he can't help but feel angry. Angrier than he should. He barely knows you, after all. But he's angry that from the sound of it, you went through everything all alone. And he's also in awe, it's telling him you're strong. Very, very strong. It also bothers him because no one should have to go through everything you have all alone.

"My parents weren't ever around. Made for some killer house parties but sometimes.." Steve goes quiet, "it's too quiet? And all I ever do anymore is think. And overthink." his words die away and he shrugs as if it’s nothing. 

"My brain won't shut down either." you admit quietly. You've moved closer to him on the sofa because the way he's just opened up to you… you can tell that what he's admitting now is only scratching the surface. And now that you're both talking and opening up…you almost feel connected. It's harder to shut out all the little things about him that caught your attention to begin with.

That slope you're on is getting more and more slippery.

Your eyes catch on the red scar circling his neck and you try not to stare too long or anything. Your hand raises, fingers gingerly brushing against the healed wound and you rush to snatch them away as soon as you realize what you’ve done.

You remember what Robin told you, the story behind how he got it. Steve shifts the way he’s sitting a little because he wasn’t expecting the little touch and now that it’s gone, he kind of misses it, but he’d die before admitting it.

“Robin, she uh.. Told me what happened in March.” you stammer out and then you go quiet. Steve tenses a little. He shrugs and he mumbles something you can’t quite make out. 

“You’re really brave, y’know? I think I would’ve died like a thousand times over.” you mumble quietly because you can’t think of anything else to say. Your words die away and you look down for a few seconds. 

The pizza you ordered thirty minutes ago has finally arrived, the delivery person is knocking at the door of your aunt’s trailer. You use the arrival of food to slip off the couch. Distract yourself before you’re dumb enough to touch him again because you want to and you want it badly.

You pay for the pizza and close the door behind you, turning around puts you body to body with Steve. You’re beginning to realize exactly why you’ve been attempting to limit yourself from one on one time with him because the air is thick again, you can’t breathe. And instinctively, before you can stop it from happening, you’re stepping up into him, the pizza boxes in your arms keeping space between you both.

It’s space you don’t want, but space, nonetheless.

Steve reaches out, taking one of the pizza boxes. Your head tilts and you’re lost in his eyes. Staring and quiet. Lost in thought.

Steve can’t take the building tension so he turns and walks into Robin’s kitchen to place the hot pizza box in his arms onto a counter. You follow behind him and do the same. Steve opens one of the boxes and grabs a slice and so do you. 

And as the two of you stand in the kitchen, quietly eating your slices, the tension grows just a little more. Especially when you step closer and all the space between you both vanishes because you’ve raised to your toes to wipe away some pizza sauce from the center of his bottom lip. As your thumb rolls across the surface of his bottom lip, Steve’s breath hangs in his throat and he coughs a little because he nearly chokes on the bite of pizza. 

Both of you are desperate to steer the conversation back to lighter topics in a way, but it also feels so good to get some of the stuff that’s been said out in the open. Especially for you, because until now, you really didn’t have anyone to say some of these things to.

And Steve’s still thinking heavily about what you admitted to Robin.. That you could love him. The more the two of you talk like this, the more tempted he is to fight for that. To try and make you love him. The more he wants to let himself love you.

But it’s all so fast.

Enough to make your heads spin.

Brown eyes catch on pizza sauce smeared at the corner of your mouth and Steve’s hand raises before he can stop it, the pad of his thumb rolling over the saucy stain. Your breath hangs and you swallow hard, locking eyes with him.

“Favorite color?” Steve asks after a few seconds.

“Red. You?”

“Yellow.. No,no.. Dark blue.” Steve chuckles and the sound dies away after a second or two. 

“Stevie told me you played basketball.. In high school?” you mutter, tilting your head as you look up at him. Steve chuckles, shrugging. “I wasn’t that great or anything.”

“I doubt that, Steve.” you’re doing it all over again, stepping closer. “I used to take dance.. There was this old woman who lived like… two shotgun houses down from Jenna. She was kinda like a grandma to me? She taught me a little ballet. It’s been years since I tried t’ do any of it.” you admit. “I was a cheerleader for a little while.”

Steve chuckles, gazing down at you. He steps just a little closer too. Somehow, he pictures it easy, a younger version of you doing ballet. Then cheering. 

“I can see it.” he admits, going quiet.

“Stevie.. She acts like she wants to do ballet when she’s a little older. Guess I’ll see about it when that happens.” you take another bite of your pizza and you’re looking up at him all over again. A teasing smirk as you tell him, “I bet you had girls all over you in high school.” and you want to die as the remark leaves your mouth because you did not mean to say it out loud, it just slipped out.

Steve laughs and shrugs. “None I really liked… I mean there was one girl.” he goes quiet. Winces just a little. “And I thought maybe we’d have a shot again.” he shakes his head and shrugs. Trying to pretend it doesn’t still sting a little.

And he immediately decides to turn the remark around on you. “I bet you had a ton of boyfriends.”

You laugh and take a bite of your pizza, shrugging. “I didn’t uh.. Do the whole boyfriend girlfriend thing. Kind of a serial dater.” you go quiet. Swallowing down the bite of pizza you’ve just taken as you admit quietly. “The only guy I attempted to get serious with was Nick. He’s Stevie’s father.” you rub the bridge of your nose as you take another bite, “That was a huge mistake.”

Steve grimaces. “Sorry.”

“Oh no, no. It’s totally fine. I am perfectly capable of admitting I was an idiot.” you wipe some of the pizza sauce and grease off of your mouth and Steve’s eyes are drawn to it as you do. You laugh  quietly. “Stevie’s never gonna know him. He didn’t want anything t’ do with either of us after he found out I wasn’t getting rid of her.”

Steve’s fist clenches at his side. “Seriously?”

,, At one point.. Before you grew the hell up, man.. You might’ve been the same way.” the thought comes but it’s quickly replaced with the reminder, no, no you wouldn’t have.. Because you’ve always wanted a huge family. To make up for the way you had t’ grow up.”

You nod. “Mhm. His name’s not attached to her like.. At all.I just didn’t fill in the space on her birth certificate. They pushed me to just put a name down but I refused. I’d rather not have to deal with him ever again and this way, I won’t have to.” you go quiet for a few seconds. “I’m dreading the day she starts t’ ask questions. Because I don’t want to lie to her but I know the truth would kill her. I’m hoping she won’t.”

Steve nods.

You laugh softly. “Okay, this one is lighter. It’s funny. I didn’t actually settle on a name for Stevie until a few months ago? I called her Lily or Nicole for the first two years. I.. Everything was overwhelming at the time and I was too busy worrying about how I’d even take care of her so like.. It hits me as I’m giving birth to her that I don’t have a name picked.” you laugh a little, shaking your head all over again. “So I tell the nurse I’ll fill everything out with Lily Nicole but I might change it later and I need forms to do that. So she gives me the forms and I put them up. It was always in the back of my mind that I wasn’t keen about the name, or Nicole for her middle name. So, I’d always just call her bug or peanut, a little nickname.”

“Lily’s pretty.”

“Right? But it didn’t suit her, not at all. I don’t think she liked it either.” you laugh and continue, shuffling your bare feet against the floor where you’re both standing. “Then, a few months ago, I’m driving Stevie to my friend’s place so I can go in to work. And I hear The Chain on the radio. Stevie loves this song, mind you. So I called in sick, went back to my apartment and tore it apart to find her paperwork. I filled it all out and stuck it in the mail so I could change her name to Stevie Robin.”

Steve chuckles quietly. “That’s actually kind of awesome.”

You smile. “Thank you.”

As the thickness begins to build in  the silence all over again, you speak up quietly. Stepping close to Steve before you can stop yourself. “Whoever this girl was, Steve..She’s the one who’s going to miss out.”

Steve shrugs. “Doubt it.” - and he’s being honest because Nancy went from admitting that she didn’t feel like she was sure about being with Jonathan to leaving town with him soon. And it bothers him. Maybe not as much as it did at first, but it does still sting. 

“From where I stand, yeah.. She really will. I mean.. You seem like a really nice guy. And my daughter loves you to pieces.”- you feel like you have to say something because he looks like it hurts him and this bothers you a lot more than it really should.

,, and I’m starting to get attached myself. Which is scary, dangerous for me to even be contemplating.” that thought comes racing to the front of your mind but you don’t dare say it. You can’t.

“And Nick sounds like an asshole. You’re better off without the guy.” Steve blurts it out and as soon as the words leave his mouth, the thought pops into his mind ,, if I were him, I never would’ve made her go through all this alone.”  and he tries to shove it down and bury it but he just can't. 

“You’re not wrong there. Not even a little.” you agree. And you lean forward to take another slice of pizza from the box as Steve does the same, your sides brushing. You give him an apologetic smile and he laughs, shrugging. Laughing harder as the cheese from your slice tries to slide away from crust and you dangle it over your mouth to try and pull the cheese off. 

You flip him off playfully.

He does it right back. And then his eyes fix on the tomato sauce on the corner of your mouth and he really focuses on it, leaning into you to drag his thumb over the corner of your mouth to wipe it away. You barely bite back a whimper but you do exhale and it’s shaky. 

“Pizza sauce again.” he states quietly, giving a little bit of a smirk, “You’re kind of a messy eater, you know that, right?”

“Bite me, Harrington. Like you’re not.” you tease him right back as you lean into him, wiping away a sauce smear on his lip. 

As the conversation dies away, Steve reaches for the remote and turns on the tv and you settle in closer to him, both of you getting caught up in an episode of Magnum PI. 

Stevie wanders in at some point, slipping up onto the sofa and balancing herself on both your laps as she nibbles on a slice of cheese pizza that you take out for her. And when you look over again about an hour later, she’s completely on his lap and they’re both asleep, Steve with his head thrown back against the back cushion of the sofa and Stevie with her head against his chest.

And everything feels good. Like it’s as easy as breathing. But as soon as that thought comes, you shove it out again because you can’t give in. You’re too afraid.

Steve wakes up because he can feel someone moving around in his lap. At first, he’s confused and then he remembers where he is. And then he catches sight of the way you’re even closer to him now, your head on his shoulder right next to Stevie’s. Stevie’s starting to wake up but she’s fighting it a little. Whiny. She latches onto his body and grumbles about how tired she is and Steve chuckles quietly. “You want me to take you to your mom’s room?”

“Pwease. But don’t wake up mama. She finally sleep.”

“Finally?” Steve questions, concerned brown eyes settle on your sleeping form as he wonders what Stevie means.

Stevie nods. “She can’t sleep sometimes at night.”

“Me either, kid.” Steve admits, carefully slipping his jacket under your head for a pillow as he slips off the couch to carry Stevie to her room. As he tucks her in and makes sure there’s a pillow on either side so she hopefully doesn’t roll off the high bed, she raises her arms, making grabby hands at him so he leans down and she hugs him again. “Night, Steve. Can y’ come back more? Pwease?”

He laughs quietly. “Yeah.”

As he makes his way out of the bedroom, you’ve slipped off the couch and you’re stretching. The way you raise your arms reveals just the slightest hint of ink peeking up from the way your shirt comes up with the movement and your jeans dip down enough. He tears his eyes off the hint of hidden ink and meets your sleepy gaze.

“I had fun tonight, Steve.”

“So did I..” Steve’s stepped even closer before he can stop himself. You bite your lip as you stare up at him, a hand raised to give the front of his hair a little fluff. “I’ll see you again.” he promises and you smile, nodding. “I’ll hold you to that.” you answer as you walk him out to his car.

 As he drives away, you stand in the doorway, watching until the red of his cars taillights fade from view completely.

Then you wander back into the house and lock the doors, turn off the tv and go to your room, flopping down into bed. Stevie rolls over to put her little hand on your cheek.

"Mama?"

"Yeah, cupcake?"

"I wish Steve was my daddy. I like him a lot."

You take a deep breath and pull her closer. "Me too, cupcake. Me too. But it's not that simple."

"Wish it was." Stevie yawns out as she begins her usual self soothing fall asleep method of playing with your hair. Just as your eyes are getting heavy again she speaks up. "I think he likes you."

"Sweetie, shh.. time for sleep." you coax. She snuggles a stuffed bat she came home from Family Video with earlier in the week against her little body and soon, she's snoring quietly. 

But for you, your minds too full. And when you finally do drift off at last, it seems like minutes later, it's morning and Robin is flopping down beside you after floating through the door of her bedroom.

"Hey.. remember when I said there was something I needed to tell you?"

"Yeah..wait, does this have anything at all to do with how happy you are around Barb?"

Robin's giggling fit answers your question and then she's quiet. "You and Steve are the only people I've told. And like..the more time I spend with her, the more comfortable I get and then I remember I have this huge secret. What if I tell her and it's a huge disaster? I can't just confess my feelings but I wanna and it's driving me crazy."

"I have a feeling it'll be anything but a disaster, Robbie. Body language expert, remember?" you give a sleepy grin as you reach out and stroke your cousins hair. "I thought she was about to kiss you the day I left Stevie with you guys at the video store."

Robin is thinking hard. To distract herself, she turns the topic of conversation to you. "How'd it go with Steve?"

You sigh. And she can see the dreamy look on your face. Then your frowning. "Kind of like torture when you get attached to someone you know you can't have.."

"Why couldn't you?"

"Robbie.." you sigh and yawn. "I'm not going to put her through what Jenna put me through. Besides.. pretty sure Steve is not looking for a situation like mine, Robbie. He's 21. Doubt he wants to get all settled and shit. And I'm not going to turn party girl either. I did my time as the Buckley family wild child. Kind of burnt out on it." 

Robin laughs and you raise a brow. "What? It's true and you know it. I don't wanna hold him back."

"Do you know what he actually does for fun?"

"Well, no.." you answer. "What's he do?"

"He hates parties. His typical night is to go home and eat nuclear food. He probably goes out two times a month now? And it's just to see our other friend Eddie and his band play."

"Oh."

"He's burnt out on it too. A girl who works the salon next door has been trying to slip him her number since like…January and he just walks away every time."

You nod. " You have to stop making it too easy to fall for him, Robbie. I'm a mess. He deserves way better."

"You're scared, in other words." Robin is teasing, but it bothers her that you even think the way you do about yourself.

"Terrified. I didn't even feel the way I do around him when I was so 'in love'" you air quote the phrase and roll your eyes as you say it, "with Nick."

"Thats.. a huge deal."

"It is. But I've gotta fight it."

"You don't, though." Robin insists.

You laugh softly. 

"Where did Stevie get the bat?"

"Steve won it for her while we were waiting for our lunch order earlier this week."

And her telling you that…it only makes it just a little harder to resist him.

#steve harrington #steve the hair harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x fem!buckley cousin reader #steve harrington x fem!reader

[tbmunson]

🥹🥹🥹

stranger things ● forever pt 3 ●  s. harrington

warnings

{ multi chapter } mentions of nightmares / trauma associated with what Steve's lived through + the way his absent parents fucked up with him, kept vague. reader has a 3 year old & was a teen mother, so mentions of reader having a past and her own not so great home life, 3 year old uses baby talk ( because your kid is still mastering the art of talking ), barb and robin + being queer in the 80's and everything that goes along with that, mentions of alcohol/smoking, kind of a slow burn?, angst oh my godddd, so much angst / internal angst.

reader/you are female + were born female; you have female parts. reader/you are also the cousin of robin buckley. reader/you have a 3 year old daughter named stevie + a very specific past/backstory and personality. this is another self indulgent thing and i'm not sorry about it at all.

word count + prev part

part two <- can be reached by clicking the bolded.

2407 words exactly.

summary

-- Robin nods, agreeing with you. Sinking to sit in the aisle with your back against the shelves, you laugh quietly. "I could love him, y’know?" you go quiet after admitting it. "If I wasn't so afraid and I didn't know already that he'd never be happy. That's why I can't really say much when he's around. Because if I get closer I know exactly what will happen. And i.. Stevie can't have the same childhood I did. Getting attached to people and then they're gone."

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here. if you'd like to be added, click the bolded. if you're here for gareth/eddie + other ST men, let me know.

@allelitesmut

@caravelofthesun

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@jaydaaasworld

@music4life42

@slyisbehindyou

@spaceconveyor

@tbmunson - bestie.. babe. babessss. ilysm and i'm so glad you didn't talk me out of writing this one, idk what i'd do without youuuuu. have some awkward fluff hehe.

other links

masterlist ●  steve's masterlist ● about + rules

THREE

The water is suffocating, it's sucking him down and the harder he fights, the faster he sinks. As soon as he hears that all too familiar evil laugh, he goes slack. And he tells himself that it's not like it'll matter anyway but then the dream takes a turn. Sunlight streams down, breaking through dark water. Bringing laughter along with the bright light. 

And he's ascending but just as he's about to get a hand above the surface, a tendril snakes around his body, pulling him all the way down.

He wakes up in a cold sweat with the gentlest touch to his shoulder as you plead with him, "Steve. Cmon, Steve, wake up. Please?"  and he wishes that he could disappear as soon as he realizes that you've just seen the whole thing.

You pull your hand away because he's glaring. "Sorry, it's just..Nevermind. Nothing." your words die away because he sounded so scared and angry all at once and you are worried.

By the time Steve realizes how he must have looked at you, angry and glaring, you're wandering the aisle of the video store to try and find Robin  so the two of you could go to lunch together like you planned. 

You round the corner of the horror aisle and spot Robin stocking shelves.

"Is Steve okay?" you're asking because despite it being none of your business at all, you're worried about him and you do care about him. "He was having one hell of a nightmare just now, Robin..what exactly happened to him when you guys had to do all the stuff you had to?"

Steve starts to step out and apologize for the way he reacted to you gently trying to wake him up. But he hears you and Robin talking so he waits instead. And listens, even though he knows he shouldn't. 

"His nightmares sound.." you go quiet, shaking your head as Robin nods in agreement. "Yeah. Like yours. Now you see how I felt two nights ago."

"Sorry, I just.." you trail off, shaking your head. "I'm worried about him." And you take a deep breath. "How bad was it?"

"I don't know. He won't tell anyone. Not even me. But I'm worried too." Robin admits. "I want to get to know him, I mean Stevie, she never really gets close to anyone this quickly. And there's everything you've said about him, I just.." you take a shaky breath. 

"He doesn't hate you." Robin says it and you nod. "He's just really distant. With everyone and we're all trying not to let him pull away."

You nod. "I know how that goes."

Robin nods, agreeing with you. Sinking to sit in the aisle with your back against the shelves, you laugh quietly. "I could love him, y’know?" you go quiet after admitting it. "If I wasn't so afraid and I didn't know already that he'd never be happy. That's why I can't really say much when he's around. Because if I get closer I know exactly what will happen. And i.. Stevie can't have the same childhood I did. Getting attached to people and then they're gone."

You're staring at the chipping red polish on your nails and Robin speaks up quietly. " Yeah, I get it."

"But watching him go through that just now killed me. Guess cos I know what was happening because it happens to me too. And it's hard because I can't do anything." you lean your head back, resting it on the shelf behind it. " I could but I'm terrified of what I know will happen because everything I've been told or that I've seen out of that man is more than enough reason to make me want to love him."

"Yeah. I know how you feel. It's a different type of love for me, but I really do love him. Even when he's being a complete dingus. It's so hard not to push, to try and let him open up on his own about what happened in March."

Steve can barely hear the two of you back and forth in the end of the aisle but he does manage to hear the exact second you launch into a long ramble about how you could love him and it scares you and most importantly, how that’s exactly what’ll happen if you’re not careful and that's why you're a little quieter and distant around him and upon hearing you admit what you just have plus the little bit he overhears after it has him stepping out of sight, he has to pull himself together. And he feels bad, listening in on what you were both just talking about.

He leans against a  wall to pull himself together. He's trying to figure out what to do with what he's heard but he can't because the second he thinks he's come up with something, all he can hear are Vecna’s taunts. Reminders that sooner or later, you'd find better and leave. Vecna’s still in his mind now even though everything ended months ago.

But he's floored that you even feel that way and said all those things to begin with. And he's wishing he hadn't overheard because now, thanks to the fact that he's the best when it comes to getting in his own way lately, he has to live with what he knows. He has to live with it or he has to find a way to muster up the courage to do something.

He sees you and Robin up at the counter. Robin calls his name and his head snaps up.

"What?"

"C'mon, dingus. We’re going to the food court in Starcourt today because they finally opened the Wendy's stall."

Steve starts to object but he happens to find himself gazing up at you. And when he opens his mouth, the polite refusal he intended to give is not what comes.

,, if I have to blame anything I'm gonna blame her eyes. The way she just looked at me makes me think I'd do anything she wants. And I'm fucked."

"Yeah." Steve manages a smile and glances at the hand you're holding out as if you want to help him up. He grabs hold of your hand but pulls himself up, letting you think you did.

The three of you make your way out of the video store after he's flipped the sign to Closed and locked it down for the next hour.

"You wanna drive, Steve?" the question catches him by surprise and when he takes your keys from your hand, your hand closes around his. It's soft warmth and the way its so much smaller than his own has his breath hanging in his throat for a few seconds as he stares down at you. "I can." he finally answers, the two of you laughing quietly and making Robin smile to herself because of it.

"Hey, we can get our food and go to the park." you make the suggestion because somehow you just don't think Steve is up for dealing with loud noises and lots of people for very long. You know you could be wrong but after what's just happened -and knowing how you feel when the same happens to you, you care too much and you want him to feel relaxed. Safe. So that maybe he can come out of his own head a little.

"Maybe the ducks at that little pond won't try to ambush us like they did when we took Stevie for McDonalds the other day." Robin laughs softly and shakes her head as you laugh too and glance at Steve because he snickers quietly. "What happened?" he asks, gazing at you. A deep stare. You try to form words and at first they don't come. Finally, after staring back at him as he drives your car, you're able to answer. "She just wanted to share her fries and she wound up getting a huge flock. I think it scared her because she shrieked and took off, nearly knocked me and Robin over when she tried to climb both of us to hide."

"Oh no." Steve is laughing. You're laughing too and you don't seem to notice when your laughter dies away at the same time but Robin does. And she smiles to herself all over again.

CONTINUED

You're sitting on top of a picnic table, watching your cousin and Barb, the girl you suspect Robin has feelings for as you finish off your fries. You assumed that Steve might have wandered off, there were some teenagers playing basketball over at the basketball court so when he speaks up right beside you, it takes you by surprise and you nearly choke on a fry. Steve reacts quickly, strong hands hitting you on the back right between your shoulder blades until you cough up the piece of food.

"Sorry, I.. thought you heard me when I walked up." is uttered sincerely as he seats himself on the concrete tabletop close enough that your sides brush just barely. It's enough that you can feel the slow burn of a lazy white heat as it settles over you entirely. You shrug. "It's okay, i..I figured you were still over by the courts watching those kids play."

"One of 'em needs t' do something because their sexual tension is killing me." you mumble mostly to yourself and hope that it's low enough not to be heard. But Steve chuckles and takes a bite of his burger as he nods in their direction. "I told Robin just 't go for it. Screw everyone and everything else."

You nod. Steve is back to staring at rough and massive hands with the overwhelming urge to bring up what he overheard back at the video store but somehow he just barely stops himself.

There's ketchup right in the middle of his bottom lip and you're fixated on it. So much so that you lean in before you can stop yourself, dragging the pad of your thumb over the spot to remove it. He tenses up and you're assuming it's because he doesn't want to be touched so you mumble an apology and he wants to kick himself. 

Because he wasn't always like this. And if he were still King Steve, if he were totally unaffected by his parents, by Nancy, by Vecnas games in March, he'd have already laid it on real thick with you.

Especially when now, on top of all the other shit in his mind, he keeps hearing you tell Robin in that sexy dreamy little voice that you could love him if you weren't so afraid of what might happen if you let yourself.

,, its more than anyone has ever said and she barely knows you. Go for it. At least try." this is immediately countered with, ,, and then she'll actually do it and realize you're not enough or she can do better. Or you'll do too much and do it too fast and you'll lose her too. And Stevie. And it will kill you when that happens." 

"Thank you." you have to say something, the silence is thick and it's suffocating you as you sit beside him wanting so badly to be brave. To let go. See what happens. But knowing that you can't and you shouldn't because of it all goes to hell then you're no better than your own mom and you'll only hurt your little girl.

"For what?" Steve asks turning so that he's looking directly into your eyes. You smile. "For being so sweet to her, she doesnt.." you pause and rub the bridge of your nose, "it's always been just the two of us but she never meets a stranger and I." you pause to breathe. You ramble.

 Its cute to him. Also something he's used to because Robin does it often but he doesn't mind at all. 

"I always worry she's gonna meet a mean person. I don't want her sweetness destroyed." you go quiet. And somehow, despite not even hinting at it, Steve knows that when you say it that this is what happened to you when you were a kid.

Maybe it's why you're afraid to let go and love him now like you were hinting to Robin that you could back at Family Video.

,,  I can't just do nothing. I refuse to wake up in ten years and still be the same miserable and lonely bastard I am right now. Shutting down isn't gonna do anything but make everything worse.." he tries to bury the thought but it won't be buried. It is countered by the replay of everything Vecna's torment pointed out to him.

But.. it won't just go away.

"She's a sweet kid. I'd never do anything to hurt her." Steve looks you in the eyes as he says it and you can't help but feel pinned by warm brown eyes. And he isn't just looking at you, it's deeper somehow. It's a way nobody's ever looked at you before. You can't help but fidget, body on fire all over. You can't help but do the same right back.

"I know." you mumble quietly.

"I've uh…I've had a lot on my mind lately… if I've seemed like an asshole when you're around." Steve mumbles after a second or two. When he can finally form words again and he’s managed to pull himself out of your eyes.

"Yeah. It's totally fine. I get it." you answer and then you go quiet. “Me too.” you admit, taking a few fries into your mouth. Chewing thoughtfully. “Moving from Louisiana to Indiana was.. One hell of a nerve-wracking decision.” you laugh quietly, gazing over at him. ,, he smells so good.” the thought comes out of nowhere as the scent of his cologne fills your nose. 

"Wanna start over?" Steve asks, grinning at you. You laugh and nod. 

"I'm Steve Harrington." he introduces himself.

"I'm __ __. It's nice to meet you, Steve." You're staring hard at him and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it until the sudden appearance of Robin and Barb brings the two of you out of the lingering gaze.

Robin locks eyes with you and nods at him as if to urge you to go for it and you bite your lip, mouthing back that you need time. He does too. 

But the more you think about it, the more tempted you are.

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fic #steve harrington imagines #steve the hair harrington

[tbmunson]

Literally dying. I’m so giddy over this bestie wow.

stranger things ● forever, pt 2 ● s.harrington

warnings

{ part 1 } <- can be found by clicking. everything else I've started will be updated asap. this just grabbed hold and i had to lean into it, that's why there are two updates for it in one day.

Angst, hurt comfort, internal angst (because reader/you and Steve apparently love to overthink fucking everything), baby talk (your kid is 3. she's still grasping speech.), so much dad!steve fluff omg, robin has a crush and might get the girl, (Barb. it's barb and i am fully prepared to die all alone on this hill.), small town judgment and rumors and shit ( if curious.. this has both to do with eventual Robin/Barb and also bc stevie, in my mind, looks like she could be steve's actual daughter bc drama ), huge changes to seasons 1 thru 4 (Everyone but Jason lives, Max is not in between life or death, Billy's brush with death has redeemed him.. slightly, starcourt is rebuilt, the portal to the upside down is closed PERMANENTLY), vaguely hinted at that Vecna may have mentally tortured Steve and it may have gotten in his head a little when Vecna 'attacked' his mind in my version of events for this, alcohol/smoking mentions, eventual filth (probably gonna have Steve's known breeding k*nk front and center, fwiw.), swearing, arguing, roommates trope eventually, slow burn (as slow as I can tolerate tbh ), reader has not had a very good life prior to Hawkins, ( more will come on that later trust me )

Reader/you are Robin Buckley's cousin. Reader/You was born female and you identify as female with female parts and a 3 year old daughter named Stevie and reader/you have personality + a past and backstory. This is self indulgent and I do not apologize.

word count

5302 exactly. I uh.. got carried away.

summary

“Okay, but.. For whatever reason, she’s attached to your friend. It might get annoying, Robin.” you point out after turning your attention back to the television for a few minutes and having a little more time to think about it.

Robin thinks what you’ve just said is hilarious and she’s doubled over laughing as she pauses to look at you and shake her head. “You don’t know Steve. Trust me. This will not get annoying for him. And anyway,” Robin rolls onto her stomach and looks at you, “He likes her.”

aka, the one in which Robin -and Steve also Barb watch Stevie while you try to interview for a job.

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here. if you wish to be added click the bolded part to be taken to it. if you're here for eddie/gareth or other guys from ST and don't want to be tagged please let me know.

@allelitesmut

@chaoticcancer - just wait. my heart was also like ahhhh.. writing these two parts. I really hope you like this, thank you for reading!

@caravelofthesun

@dylanwritesgood

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@music4life42

@slyisbehindyou

@spaceconveyor

@tbmunson bestie. babe. babesss. i had to do this okay? we needed it. and i proceeded to go ham. oopsies.

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

TWO

You must've put in an application at every place imaginable all over town. It's been a week and the phone lines have been silent. You're starting to wonder if you'll get any callbacks.

"Will you relax? Someone will call, okay?" Robin speaks up from the doorway of her room. You sink down to sit on the bed. "I'm seriously having my doubts."

"They will." Robin is unwrapping a bomb pop and holding it out to Stevie. Stevie takes it and climbs up onto your lap. You grimace at her reddened shoulders from an afternoon spent in the kiddie end of Hawkins pool and she leans back against you as Robin leans forward to hit play on yet another movie Steve Harrington rented for your daughter. Tonight it's Alice in Wonderland and as the opening credits roll, you're surprised to find yourself wondering what he's doing at the moment. It's a thought quickly buried as deep as you can.

As Alice finds herself in Wonderland on the television screen, your aunt's landline rings and you slip off the couch so Stevie goes to sit in Robin's lap. Until she remembers the glittery 'picture' she drew earlier and goes to get them both because she's made one for Steve too, a little thank you for being so nice to her when she knows she might be annoying at times.

"Who's this one for?" Robin asks, looking at the squiggles, circles and squares covered in glitter and drawn in vibrant red marker beneath. The purple glitter is falling off the page, settling on Robin’s bed. 

"Steve. I make him dragon. Only he doesn't breathe fire, he breathes toasts."

Robin laughs and smiles. "I see that. I'm gonna put mine right here. On my bulletin board." She hugs Stevie again and Stevie is hugging back, playing with her hair.

"'Kay!" Stevie laughs, looking up at Robin. “I like Steve. He’s sooooo nice.”

“Oh you do, huh?” Robin laughs again. Stevie nods. 

You wander back in and Robin speaks up. “Well?”

“That was the secretary job I applied for? I’m a ‘risk’ but they’re willing to give me a shot?” you’re still a little shocked because when you applied for the secretary position at some office in town, they were literally the last stop. You didn’t think they’d even look at your application, let alone hire you. “They want me to come in for face to face interviews tomorrow.”

Then it hits you. Your aunt Janet has to work. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I can’t, Robin.. Your mom has to work.”

“And?”

“And, I can’t take Stevie. I also can’t leave her alone.” you bite your lip as you mull it over.

Robin speaks up. “I’ll take her to Family Video with me. I’ve got a shorter shift tomorrow and it’s gonna be slow as hell anyway.”

“Robin…” you eye her warily.

“I’ll take her.” Robin repeats, firmer. “It’ll be fun. Won’t it, Stevie?” Robin gazes down at Stevie. “A little help here?” she asks, fluffing Stevie’s hair. Stevie is nodding. “Please, mama? I be so good.”

“Okay, sweetie, but aunt Robin is working. You have to be a good girl.”

Robin laughs. “Relax. She’s an angel.” she looks over at you and now both of them are begging.

“Okay, alright. Fine. The second I have money again I’ll pay–” you start to tell Robin you’ll pay her but she’s already shaking her head. “You’re not. I wanted to do it.”

“Okay, but.. For whatever reason, she’s attached to your friend. It might get annoying, Robin.” you point out after turning your attention back to the television for a few minutes and having a little more time to think about it. You’re grasping at straws because you’re already seeing Stevie form a little bit of an attachment to Robin’s best friend slash co-worker and you’re just so afraid that sooner or later, the novelty is going to wear off for the guy, leaving your little girl heartbroken and missing something she’s never actually had and most likely never will.

A father.

Robin thinks what you’ve just said is hilarious and she’s doubled over laughing as she pauses to look at you and shake her head. “You don’t know Steve. Trust me. This will not get annoying for him. And anyway,” Robin rolls onto her stomach and looks at you, “He likes her.”

“Yeah. Now, in theory, when he only has to deal with her a few minutes here and a few there. A whole day with her underfoot is different.” you take a deep breath. “I’m just..”

“I get it. You don’t want Stevie to get too attached.” Robin mumbles quietly, nodding in agreement. “You need the job, right?”

“Well, yeah, I’d like to find an apartment sooner or later. I’d like to be able to do things for Stevie..” you trail off, letting the rest of your sentence go unsaid. Because Robin knows exactly how awful your mom was now, the two of you had a really long talk recently. You finally told her everything that’s been going on, full honesty. Instead of letting her believe everything was fine like you’d done before.

Robin nods. A grim look on her face as she shakes her head. “I wish you’d told me and Mom everything way sooner.”

“I didn’t want you guys to worry.” you answer, going quiet. “Okay, alright. Don’t let her annoy him, please?” you give Robin a pleading look and Robin nods. “I’m telling you though,” she insists, “Stevie is not annoying to him. Like… not even a little.”

“Robin.” you laugh and shake your head. “He’s probably got an image or something.”

“Yeah, as a giant dingus.” Robin states, laughing. “I know what you’re thinking. Just stop overthinking already, okay? Steve Harrington is a good guy. He’s not going to treat her like dirt because she’s three.”

You blow at damp strands as they fall down into your eyes. “I just.. She’s never really like.. Attached herself to a person like this before.”

“Could have everything to do with her mommy being stingy.” Robin teases gently, laughing as she looks up at you. Stevie wanders back in with a yogurt cup and spoon. Robin reaches out, pulling her up before you even get the chance. “Guess what, sparkles?”

“Yeah?”

“Your mom finally gave in. We win. You can come to work with me tomorrow.” Robin and Stevie share a laugh and Robin takes Stevie’s spoon and takes a bite of yogurt for herself. “We can watch movies all day.”

“Yay!” Stevie claps her hands together in excitement. “Will my fwiend be there?”

Robin laughs softly. You tense up slightly. Look at your daughter with a soft smile as you warn, “Sweetie, you don’t need to bother him too much, okay?”

“Otay.” Stevie nods. But she has no intention of listening because she likes being around Steve. He’s nice. Really nice. And he gives her piggyback rides sometimes. He tells her stories about dinosaurs and some weird thing called basketball that he used to play and really likes a lot. He showed her how to tie her favorite purple sneaker earlier when he dropped off her aunt Robin after work, because her shoe was untied and he said he didn’t want her to fall on her face.

CONTINUED

The morning comes too early. And it’s off to a not so good start. You’re rushing around because you forgot to set an alarm the night before, and the button’s popped off the only ‘suitable’ shirt you own for an interview.

Stevie’s missing her shoe and she can’t find her current favorite stuffed animal, a stuffed husky that Robin won out of the claw machine outside of Big Buy when they went in to pick up groceries for your aunt Janet. So she’s upset. Robin spots the shoe and holds it up. “Aha! I knew it was in here somewhere!”

“Fank you!” Stevie throws her arms around Robin’s neck. Robin grabs the hair brush from her dresser and motions for Stevie to sit in front of her. You laugh. “She’s tender-headed.” you warn as you flip over your own hair and try to make something out of the wild and thick mess of curls you have going on now, no thanks to your old reliable blow dryer quitting earlier. You’re in the midst of scrunching your hair to create a more defined curl pattern when Stevie wanders over, bending down to look up at you through a curtain of hair. “Mama! Mama, your skirt dirty.”

“Shit.” you say it without stopping to think and just as Stevie looks as if she’ll repeat it, you tack on quickly, “Mommy didn’t mean t’ say that, cupcake. You’re still a baby. That’s an adult word.”

“I know.” Stevie answers, giggling. “It sound funny.”

“It’s not, though.” you smile at your daughter and laugh softly. “You’ll let your aunt Robin braid your hair but you won’t let me? I might cry.”

“Don’t, mama. It’s just aunt Wobin do it better!”

You pout a little, flipping your hair over to stand and look in the mirror. Robin notices the stain on your skirt too and nods to your aunt’s room across the hall. “My mom’s got a suit or something? I think?”

You nod. After digging through your suitcase, you happen to find a modest -and totally shapeless, t shirt style black dress, you grab that and rush down the hall into the bathroom of the trailer to change. 

“This looks like I’m wearing a trash bag. If I wind up working at this place I’m gonna have to get dressier stuff.” you wrinkle your nose at the thought. Because it’s money you don’t want to have to spend, but if you could luck into getting this secretary job, you’d be thrilled because it’ll be more money than you’ve ever made at once before.

And the job actually has insurance.

Robin’s friend Barb pulls to a stop outside and Robin’s giddy, laughing and smiling as if she could float. She drops a quick kiss to Stevie’s head and hugs you, lingering in the doorway. “I’ll see you in a little bit!”

You laugh and nod. “Yeah!”

After Robin’s gone, you scramble some eggs and squeeze an orange to make some juice for Stevie and as she eats ketchup covered scrambled eggs and a piece of fried ham, you try to finish getting ready.

You hate the shapeless dress, it’s one of your least favorite articles of clothing and even adding a belt to it doesn’t do anything to make it look better. You laugh at yourself in your cousin’s full length mirror on the back of her closet door and you toss the belt at your open suitcase on the bed. “Just get it over with. You’re probably not getting the job anyway, they said you were a risk to hire.”

Stevie’s sitting on the floor watching you. “We go, mama?”

“Yeah, we should get going,cupcake. Turn off the tv.”

Stevie pushes the button to turn off the television atop the dresser at the foot of Robin’s bed and you scoop her up,carrying her out. As the two of you walk out of the trailer, the girl with red hair is outside skateboarding again.

Stevie gives her a wave and the redhead waves back, quick to turn back to her skateboarding. The muscular blond with the mullet is leaned in the open door again, you can feel him staring. When he grins at you, cigarette smoke billowing out of his mouth, you manage a stiff wave and turn your attention to getting Stevie fastened into her car seat.

It’s a hard pass on the guy for you. He’s exactly the type of guy who fathered Stevie when you were 17. You are not going down that road again. And as you slip into the driver seat, a thought pops up out of nowhere. Surprises you a little when it does.

,, he’s not as handsome as Steve Harrington, either.” and as soon as this thought rises, you’re quick to shove it back down.

He’s definitely not an option.. You know, if you were even considering anything. The last thing any guy your age is going to want is to get a package deal and you’re just not willing to settle for anybody who won’t love and cherish your little girl as much as you do.

As you drive into town, you hum along with the radio, watch as the tree lined blacktop turns to buildings and houses. You pull to a stop in the parking lot of Family Video right around the same time that Robin and her friend Barb are pulling to a stop. You watch as Barb leans in closer to your cousin and you smile softly to yourself.

Robin mentioned someone in her letters around Valentines Day. You’re wondering if Barb might be the girl she mentioned. You hope so, because the way Barb looks at your cousin when she’s not looking is the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen with your own eyes, hands down. Robin spots you as the two pull away from their super close conversation and she grins brightly, waving.

As Robin and Barb wander over, Stevie’s already grumbling as she fusses with the way her upper harness in the seat likes to hang up. “I just wanna get out! Stupit buckle.” as she fumes and keeps trying to work with it, you lean over and unfasten it. Gently caressing her chubby little cheeks as you look into big brown eyes. “Mama will be back later to get you, alright? Be a good girl for aunt Robin.” you go quiet, adding a second later, “And don’t bother Steve so much when he’s working, please?”

“But mama..”

“Stevie Robin..” you using her first and middle name has the  desired effect, but she’s pouting and not happy about it. “Otay! I try not to bother him! But if he wants t’ play, I not stop him.”

You laugh softly and press a kiss to her hairline. As Robin opens the door and scoops up Stevie, she’s laughing. “Ready for a big adventure, sparkles?”

“Uh-huh!” she laughs and smiles, hugging against Robin. One of her braids is already trying to come undone. You smile at Barb. She smiles back as she reaches for the old backpack you use to keep everything Stevie needs inside when you have to leave her with sitters and you fight down the usual guilt that comes rushing up when you’re thinking about just how well used that backpack is by now and how it means you hardly get to spend any time with your daughter like you always dreamed you would when you were little.

The time your own mother refused to spend with you.. Unless, of course, she took you along with her to try and ply single men by playing the single mom who needs sooooo much help card. 

“She’ll be fine, ___.” Robin’s gentle teasing and the reassuring grin she gives you has you nodding. Smiling at her even though leaving Stevie with them while you go off for an interview is the last thing you want to be doing.

You’d rather be spending all day with your little girl. Making a blanket fort in the living room of your house. Making crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as you both lie around, you reading her book of Grimms fairytales to her. Cuddling. Until the man you love comes in from work, where you’d have a nice home cooked meal, not something frozen or canned or even burned beyond recognition.. The life you didn’t have and always longed for as a kid.

,, you really need to accept the fact that this is your reality. Unless you want to turn into her, parading an endless string of faceless and nameless ‘uncles’ in and out of your life, always leaving you hurt and confused when they were gone and she was mean and bitter all over again.” the thought comes and you shove it out.

You watch as the three of them disappear into the video store, door banging shut behind them. And then you put your car into drive and pull out, merging with traffic. Journey is playing on the radio so you hum along and you hope it’ll distract you from a full to bursting mind. You’re just focused on doing your absolute best at this interview. Because you have to get money coming in somehow.

CONTINUED

Steve’s flipping through the channels on the old tv set that sits down on the counter out of sight. His legs are reclined and he’s just.. Fighting the urge to pass out from exhaustion.

To say sleeping through a full night since March has been a struggle would be a gross understatement. It’s been literal hell on Earth for him because every time he starts to doze, he can feel the earth rumbling beneath him. The sensation of free falling and then a hard thud as he connects with solid. And then he can hear Vecna’s evil laugh all over again. The way Vecna forced him to watch his worst fears and deepest secrets play out in front of him just to torture him. He had to watch everyone move on and leave him behind. He had to watch as his parents just went on with life as normal after his ‘death’, totally unaffected. He had to hear every single dark thing he’s ever thought or felt but never given a voice to, on repeat. 

It’s not until his alarm’s going off every morning that the torment stops as Comfortably Numb starts to play and brings him rushing out, into another long day.

It was the same this morning and yet somehow, it wasn’t. Because Robin let it slip that Stevie was going to spend the day with them while you were interviewing at one of the offices in town for a secretary position. And somehow, knowing the little girl was going to be around to distract him all day just made things a little better.

She’s eating gummy bears that Robin and Barb stopped at the gas station in town to buy her as she makes her way over to him and motions for him to pick her up. “Tell me more about baske..About the game.” Stevie asks, holding out her bag of gummy bears to Steve as she smiles. “I wanna play too.”

Steve chuckles.

“Hang on, little bit.” he reaches for the remote, “Maybe there’s a warm up game on or a replay.” he flips through stations until he finds the channel he’s looking for. “That’s basketball.” he nods to a replay of an old Bulls game. “I used to play in high school.”

Stevie’s eyes fix on the television and she holds the bag out to him again. Steve takes a handful of gummy bears and pops them into his mouth as he arranges Stevie on his lap a little better. 

As this is happening, Barb nudges Robin. “I never thought I’d see this happen.”

Robin laughs softly and nods. “Me either. From what __ has told me, Stevie doesn’t meet strangers though.” she shrugs, “Does he seem off to you too lately? And it’s gotten a little more obvious since Nance and Jonathan left town.” 

“It has.” Barb admits, leaning against Robin slightly. Not enough to be obvious or invateRobin’s personal space but enough that she can feel the slight weight of the other girl and just..be close.

She wishes she could be so much closer. But she doesn’t know how to even begin telling her.

Robin feels her cheeks burn at the slightest hint of contact and she bites back the smallest whimper threatening to break free. She forces herself to pull together and calls out to get Steve’s attention. “Dingus, don’t get her into sports!”

“Looks fun!” Stevie is grinning and she’s turned herself to face Steve. “Open your mouth.” Steve opens his mouth as the little girl’s asked and Stevie tries to toss a bear in but she misses. The blue gummy bear settles on the front of his new polo shirt and he picks it off, eating it.

The bell over the  door jingles and Robin glances over to see who it is.

“Harrington! Yo! Dude!” Billy’s calling out Steve’s name as he wanders the aisles to search for his former enemy turned friend. He finally gives up the search and stops in front of Robin and Barb. “Either of you seen Steve or do I need t’ go over and drag his broody ass outta bed again?”

“Right here, Hargrove, jesus.” Steve speaks up. Billy nearly chokes on the gum he’s chewing as he sees Steve sitting behind the counter with the cute little 3 year old daughter of the hot mom living across from him and his stepsister and her mom in Forest Hills. “You stealin kids now, Harrington?”

“I came t’ him.” Stevie sasses, leaning in against Steve just a little. Steve laughs and shrugs. Robin speaks up. “Yeah, he stole her from me! It took two hours to convince her mom I’d be able to watch her today when she went in for the interview. He’s had her since Barb and I got here.”

“You get her all the time, Robbie.”

“And? She’s my sparkles.” Robin argues back with Steve playfully. Billy chuckles. When he spots the game on tv he laughs to himself. “Girls don’t like that sh–”

“Mama said that’s adult word.” Stevie warns, giving Billy a very stern little look. Billy snickers. “It is, huh?”

“Mhm.”

Steve looks up at Billy. “She wanted to watch it, actually.”

“I did!”

“Anyway, what’d you want?”

“You’re comin with me tonight, dude. Munson’s band’s having a gig at the new bar. Told him we’d go.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Fuck no. No you don’t, Harrington. I’ve got tomorrow off, I’m not gonna waste th’ night sober.”

Steve grumbles but shrugs. “Not like anything else is going on. Okay, fine.”

“I guess you can drive the Camaro because I’m not gonna be seen in the grandma mobile.” Billy smirks, he’s purposely being a shit now, hoping that maybe if he just keeps treating Steve like the way he treated ‘old Steve’ it’ll eventually piss Harrington enough to bring out just a little of the fight and spunk that’s been gone completely since March.

He’s really worried about Steve. He figured him out fairly easy right after he hit Hawkins their senior year. So he knows that walking out of the station with Eddie to his waiting car after everything played out in March.. Seeing the girl he wanted to be with more than anything reunite with a guy she claimed she ‘wasn’t sure about anymore’ when they looked like they’d reconnect. Billy knows this killed Steve.

And then there’s the whole Vecna thing, something Steve absolutely refuses to talk about with anyone. Even Robin, his best friend.

Billy just doesn’t want to see Steve go down the path he’s been down already.

“You loud.” Stevie mutters, giving Billy a dirty look as she leans against Steve’s chest and nods to the little television set. “We watch baske..” she gives up, “the ball game.” and Steve chuckles.

“Bas-ket-ball. C’mon, try it.”

“It’s big word! I 3.”

“And you’re really smart for 3, Stevie. C’mon, try it.” Steve coaxes.

With a little grumbling, he gets her to attempt sounding out the whole word. When she finally says it, she’s laughing and smiling, clapping chubby little hands together. “I said it! Aunt Wobin! I said it!”

Steve laughs. “You did.”

Billy snickers. “Try this one, shortstuff.. C-a-m-a-r-o.”

Stevie gives him a blank look and places a hand on her hip. “What that?”

Billy gestures to his haphazardly parked car outside the store and grins proudly. “The best car ever.”

“Uh uh! My mama’s car is best.”

Robin and Barb laugh. “Oooh.. a three year old just burned you, Hargrove.” Barb taunts and Robin laughs, " How'd that feel, Billy?"

“Shut it, both of y." Billy grumbles. "I'll be over at 9, Harrington. You're going if I have t' drag you."

"I said I'd go. Jesus." Steve gives Billy a dirty look. The guy has gotten it in his head lately that he's gonna make it his daily goal to find ways to annoy Steve.

Billy leaves and Stevie scowls at the door before looking up at Steve. "He's loud. It scare me."

Steve smoothes a hand over her hair. "He does, huh?" he looks down at Stevie and smiles, "I'll tell him to calm down, 'kay?"

"Fank you. I gonna go to aunt Wobin now. But I come right back." Stevie slips off his lap and makes her way over, instantly picked up by Robin. As she sees the movie Gremlins, she reaches for it and Robin laughs. "Sparkles, they don't stay fluffy the whole movie."

"Why not?"

"Because someone fed them after midnight." Barb answers, laughing. "Did you get tired of watching the basketball game, bub?"

"No. Just wanted to come t' you for a while."

CONTINUED

The afternoon is dragging by for him. Hardly anyone's come in since 9 that morning and the pattern seems destined to continue. Then there's a steady drizzle from a surprise afternoon storm as the rain drops pitter patter against the stores tin sheet roofing. Robin and Barb went to get the four of them some lunch and Steve flips the sign on the door from open to closed.

Stevie is asleep in his chair at the circular desk, huddled into a jacket he kept in back in case the store got too cold. The bag of gummy bears is dangling from her fingertips and about to settle on the floor when he decides maybe she'd be more comfortable on the couch in the office besides the break room.

But he's so damn tired, the 2 to 3 hours he's been getting a night since late March, those are catching up to him. He tells himself he'll just sit there and read a magazine while she naps but it turns into him laying down too, on the opposite side of the couch. And at some point, Stevie wakes up, comes over to where he's laying and crawls onto the couch with him, laying on his chest with her little arms around his neck.

This is how they're still sleeping when Barb and Robin come back a few minutes later. Barbs the one to find them and with a finger to her lips, she gestures for Robin to come to the door of the office. Robin peers in over Barb's shoulder, smiling to herself.

"Hang on. I actually think I have my camera with me out in the car." Barb hurries out to go get the camera and Robin stands in thr doorway watching the two of them sleeping on the old leather sofa. "___ is totally wrong in thinking Stevie is going to annoy Steve and I think this is exactly what he needs right now."

After Barb takes the picture, she and Robin decide to put the fast food they picked up for Steve and Stevie into the microwave and just let them sleep.

You make your way in, a brow raised at the silence. You're still processing the fact that somehow, you impressed the office interviewing you so much that you got the job. Robin grabs your wrist and practically pulls you to the office in back so you can see the way Steve and Stevie are sleeping on the couch.

"I hope she didn't bother him all day."

"She didn't. They crashed while we went to pick up food. Steve hasn't been sleeping at all and I think Stevie playing with Will when he came in with the other kids earlier tired her right out." Robin smiles, "by the way, Steve's kids have adopted her.. well, Max, she's still warming up to her but..pretty sure if you want a sitter all you have to do is say so."

"Steve's kids?" you question, brow raised. This leads to Barb and Robin sitting you down in the little break room and as they tell you everything, from the start to what’s only just come to a close -hopefully for good, as of March, you're gaping. “You..He.. Oh my god, why did nobody stop it? Like.. they had to know, right?” you’re looking at your cousin in concern and if you thought Robin Buckley  was a badass before, you really believe it now. Because all she does is shrug it off as if it were nothing. 

"The running joke is that Steve's kind of adopted them all..because we've been through so much." Robin goes quiet. Weighing how much she can tell you without you freaking out on her. Even thinking about the insanity she’s been through the past few years is still a lot for Robin to get her own head around, let alone try explaining it to someone else. 

"Wait..back up." You're trying to process it all, from secret government science labs to these kids -and their teenage counterparts, including Steve and Robin, having to fight as if they were in a war just to save the town. Robin can see you freaking out so she explains quickly, "Billy,Dustin Eddie and Steve saw the portal close because Eddie almost didn't make it up. That nightmare is over now, thank God."

,, well, you think to yourself, now I'm really fucked when it comes to finding a reason, any reason at all to keep from getting feelings for the guy." and of course, this is quickly overruled by one thought.

He's in the prime of his life. He probably wants to enjoy that. He probably doesn't want you and all your baggage plus your daughter. And thankfully, this is just enough, for now, to keep you from letting yourself get in too deep. 

Steve wanders in with Stevie on his hip and his hair sticking up everywhere. Stevie has never liked waking up before she's ready so she's got her sour face on. Steve hasn't said a word to anybody, he possibly hasn't noticed the three of you sitting at the table in the break room or the way you're staring hard right now yet.

He heats up Stevies food and then his own and when he turns around, he finds himself being watched intently by the three of you.

You smile at your daughter. Everything Robin's just gone into detail to tell you comes rushing back and in light of it, you decide that maybe he needs this. Maybe it's okay to let her seek him out until he says otherwise.

"Did you have a nap, cupcake?"

Stevie is still yawning. Steve sits her chicken nuggets down on the table and Stevie climbs into your lap to eat them. "We did, mama! And we watched movies and this boy came and he gived me crayons!" Stevie digs in the old and faded backpack until she finds the crayons that Will gave her earlier.

You laugh softly. 

"How'd the thing..the interview go?" Steve asks, locking eyes with you as he bites into his own double cheeseburger. 

"How did that go?" Robin asks.

" I got the job. And they're willing to let me bring Stevie if I need to." You smile. 

Steve is staring. And as you smile, he feels himself smile too because there is just something beautiful, something contagious about your smile that he can't help but do it too. 

"That's great!"Robin hugs you and you both laugh. 

"I start tomorrow. I'm working in the mornings, so open to 2?" 

You're excited. Maybe everything will finally start to go better for you and your little girl.

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington x single/former teen!mom!reader #steve harrington x yn #steve harrington x buckley!cousin fem. reader

[tbmunson]

So. Effing. Cute. Omfg.

stranger things ● forever ● s.harrington

warnings

{multi series}, angst, huge changes to s4 / past canon (nobody died but Jason, starcourt's rebuilt, max isn't almost dead, the portal is PERMANENTLY closed now), single mom/ former teen mom reader, baby talk -in moderation.. your daughter is 3, she's just really starting to grasp speech so.. yeah.. eventual filth -probably featuring Steve's known breeding k*nk, eventual roommate trope, mentions of robin's struggle with her sexuality + maaybe robin gets the girl here (Barb. i'm dying on this hill, sorry), typical small town judgmental bullshit, found family, mentions of past injury/violence (because they didn't beat Vecna and close the portal without being unscathed in some way), kind of a slow burn, unapologetic fluff, mentions of smoking / alcohol..

<- reader/you are a female. with female parts. and a child that you've had since you were 17. and a past / clothing and appearance that all tie into this. reader/you have a personality, backstory and past. you/reader's daughter Stevie is 3/4, give or take. this is yet another self indulgent thing and again, i am.. not sorry. nope not at all.

word count

2727 exactly. this is the first part to this.

(( am fully in the grips of a mighty need for dad!steve.. and..eventually.. giving him his dream life. ))

summary

--- you're robin's cousin and you need a new start for yourself and your 3 year old daughter, Stevie Robin. -named after Stevie Nicks and your cousin, ofc- and this brings you to Hawkins.

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here. if you want to be on it -because it is the only way you'll get tagged, click the bolded. if you're here for gareth/eddie + other content, please let me know you don't want to be tagged in this or any of my steve works.

@allelitesmut

@caravelofthesun

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@music4life42

@spaceconveyor

@tbmunson - bestie. babe. ilysm. this is for you. for us. i really hope you like it and idk what I'd do without you to talk to -and possibly annoy, lmaooo.

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

ONE

"Okay, aunt Janet said it's a right turn. Across the street from Big Buy. It's a big sign, I can't miss-" you grumble as soon as you realize you've done just that.

"Mama! Mama look!" your daughter is giggling in her car seat, she's pointing to the park on her side of the street and you pull in.

"We play?"

"No, sweetie. Maybe later, 'kay?" You smile at her and reach out, smoothing her shaggy bangs behind her ears. "I've gotta trim your hair later."

"No!"

"Yes." you laugh, pulling your Mustang out into traffic and merging with it. Your daughter is eating the fries you got her on the way into town. "We live here now, mama?"

You nod and smile. "Yeah."

"Aunt Wobin? She live here too?" Stevie has her little head tilted, staring at you with big eyes. You laugh and nod. "Yeah baby, she lives here too."

Your daughter is so little. So sweet and she's so happy. For her, this has been one big and happy adventure and you're satisfied to keep it that way. She's too little to go through what your own mother -Robins aunt, put you through before finally throwing you out. She doesn't know that you're silently freaking out right now because this is a huge risk you're taking.

The video store Robin works at for the summer comes into view with only 1 car, a brown BMW, parked outside. "I thought Robin was working." you wonder as you turn the engine off and slip your feet back into your shoes.

"Mama. Shoes."

"Good girl." you nod, slipping out of your seat to shut the door with your hip. You make your way around to your daughters side of the car and open her door, leaning into the car to unfasten Stevie and attempt cleaning her up and putting her shoes on before you go inside. 

As you do this you're totally unaware that your being watched. Steve's leaned in the door, arms folded. And he’s trying hard not to stare at you but his eyes are moving up your body slowly. As you straighten to full height, he swallows down a lump in his throat and clears it. 

Grin in place as he really takes you in. Your little girl is the most adorable kid he's seen, like her mom, he thinks to himself as he hears the little girl with light brown hair and freckles call you Mama.

He's thrown for a loop because you look as old as he is. 

"Is Robin Buckley here?" you ask after a few seconds. He's wondering if maybe you're not the cousin she always finds a way to slip into conversations lately, but he shoves the thought that follows this wonder down deep, ,, if this is ___, she's beautiful. took my breath away, honestly." because the thought is dangerous and it's one he refuses to allow himself to even begin entertaining.

Because the second he does even attempt entertaining anything lately, his time trapped in Vecna's mindscape comes rushing back and he can hear it all again on repeat. And it hurts, it makes him bitter, it makes him angry all over again.

Steve's hand raises and rests against the back of his head. He smiles at you and nods. Tries to answer your question but the words get hung in his throat. You're both standing in the doorway, nearly body to body and he takes a deep breath, getting frustrated with himself because he's so distracted by you and your adorable little girl -and a dream that he's been trying to forget about lately because he doesn"t even know if it should happen anymore and he's trying to be okay with that fact- he can't think straight let alone speak properly.

He nods. "She's uh..she's inside. In back, I think." he finally manages to answer, biting back a groan as your soft body brushes against his as you work your way into the store. 

"Robbie! Hey!" you're calling out to your cousin as you stop in front of the circular counter in the middle of the store and switch your little girl from one hip to the other.

Your little girl is playing peek a boo with him and he's laughing and it's probably the first time he has in weeks at this point. "You're a cutie, yeah." He's smiling at Stevie and she reaches out for him, dropping the purple stuffed alligator in the process. Steve bends to pick it up and he hands it to her. She gives him a gap toothed grin, "Fank you, sir."

He laughs. "What's your name, huh?"

"I Stevie Robin."

Steve feels that yearning tug at him and he shoves it down. Hiding the pain at his own thoughts, he smiles at your daughter. "I'm Steve."

"Mama! Mama!"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"He Steve. Kinda like me!" she giggles, turning her gaze to Steve as she adds in awe, "Pretty Steve."

You're torn between blushing and laughing. Then you make the mistake of really looking at Steve. And it hits you, you're wondering if he's the same Steve your cousin Robin is talking so much about all the time.

Your daughter isn't wrong, not even in the slightest. You tilt your head slightly and you're taking him in. From the shaggy hair that hangs over his forehead and covers one brow to the way he's got his hand resting on his head calls attention to that hand. By the time you reach his eyes -and immediately get lost in their warmth and depth, you're fidgeting a little. But then you're staring at his mouth, from the perfectly formed cupids bow to the thickness of his lips. His shoulders are broad, biceps fight against the restraint of a beige polo shirt.

If this were the version of you you used to be, before Stevie, before the way her father ripped out your heart, you're absolutely sure you'd be in prime flirt mode right now. But you're not. And your life is totally different now. You have Stevie, she comes first.

The thickening tension is shattered by your cousin Robin and not a second too soon. She's racing towards you with open arms and you find yourself and your daughter being squeezed til you almost can't breathe. The hug breaks and the two of you are laughing and happy and Robin pulls away to look at you as she lets out a long whistle. You shake your head and laugh. "I thought you two weren't coming in until next week!"

You laugh quietly. " The uh..my apartment got broken into. And then my boss pissed me off and I quit. It was now or never, so here I am."

"Your apartment got broken into?" Steve is gaping. You nod. "It happens."

"It shouldn't." Steve answers, staring down at you and Robin clocks it immediately. 

She's been talking about him to you a lot -and vice versa, because after his speech in the RV, she started to casually mention you in conversation to him a little more too- . She does this hoping she'd make you -or him, at least a little curious, especially since the night she got a 2 am drunken call from him in which he went on this tangent about how bitter watching everyone start their lives was making him. Then he confided something to her that blindsided her with just how perfect he might be for you.

He wants a family. He needs people to take care of. He really needs to be taken care of in return because Robin knows him like the back of her hand at this point and she knows he's a good man. 

She knows that you're dying for the same, it's all you've ever talked about, especially all the times your mom would hurt, use, lie to or turn her back on you, disappointing you over and over. 

"Yeah, well.." you mumble, eyes locked on his. "Just glad Stevie was with a sitter and I was picking up a shift at the bar down the street."

"Yeah." Steve mutters. Your voice is soft, a sweet and lazy drawl he could listen to for hours and as soon as this one comes to mind, he's rubbing the back of his neck.

Stevie reaches for him. You start to object but Steve takes her into his arms and smiles, acting as if it's nothing. As he takes her around the little store, you can finally pull yourself together just a little. Robin clears her throat. "That's Steve Harrington, by the way. My best friend. Well, my other best friend." she gives you a soft grin. You hug her and as the hug breaks you laugh softly. "I named her after you and Stevie Nicks."

Robin is speechless, gaping at you as if she might just cry. Then she laughs softly, nodding to the way Stevie is just content to be carried around by Steve. You laugh softly. Tear your eyes off the two because it's concerning just how easy it is to let your imagination run wild. "She doesn't meet a stranger."

"She takes after her mommy." Robin teases as she watches you watching Steve with your daughter. "Nick was an asshole. He didn't deserve either of you."

"Fuck Nick." you mumble, tearing your eyes off of Steve and the way he's so good with Stevie because if you don't..it's a slippery slope. Robin's caught you though and she can't help but smile to herself. She clears her throat. "You're staying with us, right?" 

"Yeah…aunt Janet, she told me to take as long as I want but I'm gonna try to get on my feet as quick as I can."

"No, take your time."

"Robin, trust me..you think that now but trust me.

 You want me to do it quick."

Steve chuckles as Stevie finds the Disney aisles. "You like Disney, huh?"

"Some. Love Bambi." Stevie answers politely as she rests her head against his shoulder and yawns. "I show you gator."

She raises a little arm to show Steve the dark purple alligator she's been carrying the whole time. "He my fwiend." 

"Oh he is,huh?"

"Mhm. Where mama an me lived before.. there were real ones!" her enthusiasm makes Steve laugh. "You like alligators?"

"Mhm! An fruit bats."

Steve laughs. "What about dinosaurs?"

"T rex!" she's giggling and when she holds on tighter to him, his heart melts. And the oh so familiar longing ache is back. Made worse this time by the fact that Nancy, the girl he held out hope to have it all with, she's finally moving on. Moving away, leaving Hawkins with Jonathan and while Steve is happy for her, it's killing him because he's realizing that there's a good chance that his dreams might not come true. 

Nobody chooses him. Nobody ever wants to stay. He's never enough.

"Where did you live before?" he asks and she smiles. "New.." she pauses, little cheeks puffed as she thinks.

"I hafta ask my mama."

"Okay." He's laughing. "Let's go back over to her? Are you ready?"

She's giggling because he's giving her a piggyback ride. You laugh quietly and nudge Robin, nodding at him as he carries Stevie over to you on his back. 

"Oh she's in love now." Robin laughs and you laugh along with her. Steve stops in front of you, letting you take your daughter off his back. And as you do so, your fingers graze against muscled shoulders and you suck in a breath. You step away, letting Stevie settle on your hip.

"We should probably go. It looks like there are people coming. " you nod to a group of teenagers approaching, some on bikes and a girl on a skateboard.

Steve nods. "Yeah. I'll uh.. I'll see you around." and without another word, he grabs his cigarettes, tells Robin he's going on a break and he's gone, vanished out the door at the back of the store. You're staring.

Robin speaks up. "He's had a really rough time lately."

As you say your goodbyes to Robin, one of the boys that comes in is calling his name, searching the store. Robin nods to the door. "Out there, dingus."

You leave with Stevie, going back to your aunt and Robin's trailer to drop off Stevie with your aunt so you can go out and look for jobs because you're determined to get settled in as quick as you can.

CONTINUED

"Steve? Are you okay?"

Steve doesn't answer Dustin, he only shrugs. Thumps his cigarette onto the pavement. "I'm fine,kid."

"You're not."

"I am, Dustin."

"I know you're not. Just talk to me." Dustin coaxes but Steve shakes his head, refusing. "Just a long day."

"Who was Robin hugging goodbye when we came in?"

"___. Her cousin and her cousins kid, Stevie."

Dustin grimaces because suddenly, he knows exactly what's wrong with Steve right now and it has everything to do with something Steve admitted when they were all preparing to face Vecna in March. 

He saw Stevie just now, got reminded of his dream. The one he's giving up on. The one Vecna used against him when he tried to take over Steve’s mind during the whole thing. The one Steve goes above and beyond not to talk about, especially lately.

"Stevie.. like in Stevie Nicks?" Dustin chuckles as he asks, glancing over at Steve.

Steve shrugs. "Didn't ask. I uh..kept my distance. Let Robin and __ talk. I walked Stevie around the store a little."

"Yeah she yelled at Max that she had a pretty skateboard." Dustin smiles. “She’s a cute kid.”

"She using the dinosaur one again?"

Dustin chuckles. "Yeah. Said the deck is fucked on her favorite one. She said Billy ordered a new one but it won't be in for like.. six weeks because it was on backorder or something.. I still can't get over Billy Hargrove not being a massive prick anymore, man." Dustin laughs and the sound dies away as he gazes at his best friend. Noting the dark circles under his eyes. The way he's quieter. Less outgoing lately, he's started to spend more time alone than he does with nearly all of them. Dustin's worried that something's really wrong with Steve because Steve isn't like this. At all. So he's trying to stick close. Eddie keeps telling him he needs to. That they all need to. Says Steve is struggling with heavy shit.

"Stevie likes dinosaurs. 'S what she told me anyway." Steve thumps the cigarette pack against his palm again. "I'll be fine, Dustin."

"You're my best friend. I'm gonna worry." Dustin responds, tapping a sneaker against the pavement. 

"You don't need to. I'll be fine, Henderson. Just realizing I wasted a lot of time up to this point. Did I really think she was gonna come back one day?"

Dustin puts an arm around Steve. "You loved her, man. Hope isn't a bad thing."

Steve shrugs. "Kind of is when you put it all in one person or thing. But it's fine. If Nance can move on.." He goes quiet, laughing at himself. Dustin speaks up. "You should too…right?"

Steve shrugs. "Somethin’ like that. I'll get around to it. It’s not exactly top priority anymore."

There's nothing like facing down what you think will be your death and beating it to put life into perspective. He knew hope for his dream with Nancy Wheeler was gone when he and Eddie Munson walked out of the station following a long interrogation on zero sleep just in time to see Nancy reunite with Jonathan. The way she looked at Jonathan.. it stung. But it woke him up and now.. he's just going to close this chapter in his life. 

He pulls himself off the pavement and makes his way back inside with Dustin. 

,, Maybe you don't give up on your one dream.. maybe just stop trying to seek it out and see if it'll come to you." this thought is conflicted by another,   just don't bother. You're not enough. When Vecna tried to get in your head, he did have a few good points."

CONTINUED

Stevie goes bolting out the door as soon as she sees Robin get out of the passenger seat of Steve's car. After she hugs Robin at least four times, she wanders over to Steve's side and he opens the door. Stevie climbs into his car to sit and Robin laughs to herself as she watches. 

The little girl is staring at the fading red scar that circles his neck and she knows she shouldn't. She knows it's rude but she's curious. And maybe she's a little afraid that whatever happened to cause it hurt her new friend. Little fingers raise and rest against the raised flesh. "Ouchy."

Steve chuckles and nods. "Yeah."

"When mama kisses my ouchies, they always get better." Stevie gazes up at Steve intently. "Mama sleep." Stevie mumbles after a few seconds. 

"Yeah, Robin told me how far you two drove."

"Was fun. Mama took me t' parks. And this huge rocking chair."

"Stevie?"

"She's over here, Robin." Steve calls out to his best friend. Then he remembers the movie he rented under his account so Stevie could watch it. He reaches over into the seat and holds it out to the little girl to be rewarded by her, flinging her arms around him and thanking him. Then she holds up a stuffed t-rex to him. "You have? He protec." 

"You should keep it." But she's shaking her head and she gives him this cute little frustrated look as she gestures to the neck scar he's been really self conscious about lately. "So that won't happen again. Please?"

Steve takes the t-rex and pulls himself out of the driver seat. "C'mon. I'll give you a piggyback ride to Robin, okay?"

Across the road, Max Mayfield is seeing all this and smiling to herself. "Maybe everything will be okay."

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