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“ You don’t love me?”
“It’s bull. Shit.”
That one word cut Steve’s heart into a billion pieces. Never did he ever think the woman he loved so deeply could hurt him so fast. All he could do was turn and run away.
He hadn’t realized it, but as he ran out, forcing back tears, he accidentally passed his close friend Y/n on the way out. She was attached at the hip with the newly dubbed “King of Hawkins High”, Billy Hargrove.
Billy was a straight dick, and Steve had only just met him mere hours before. Y/n frowned seeing Steve sprint out of the party alone, and she rushed out after him. “Steve! Hey, Steve! Where are you going?”
He tossed his hand back at her dismissively as he walked faster to his car. She caught up with ease and grabbed his hand, “Hey… what’s wrong?” she asked gently. He looked at her and took his sunglasses off, revealing his glossy brown eyes. Her heart fell, “Steve, oh God… what—?”
“Nancy,” he said simply, looking away ashamedly. He never let anyone see him cry, even Nancy, or Y/n — his closest friend since middle school. “She said we’re bullshit. And she said she didn’t love me.”
“Steve…” Y/n didn’t know what else to do, so she moved in and hugged him tightly. He was stunned, but eventually moved his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers as he hugged her back. He felt his heart flutter from how close they were, and how cared for he felt.
“Do you want me to stay with you? Go with you back home? I’m sure Amari wouldn’t mind me going home with you,” Y/n said. Steve nodded lightly, sighing as he pulled back reluctantly. “I’d really appreciate that, honestly.”
And without even realizing it, that was the first night he saw his best friend differently. As they laid on his couch and watched a bad comedy movie together just to try and lift his mood, he looked at her differently.
I never noticed how her eyes light up that much whenever she giggles… Or how silky her hair looks. Or her freckles in the shape of a paw print on her right upper cheek. Or…
…
. . .
Oh shit .
Once Steve started to get over Nancy, he realized his heart was tugging towards another woman — Y/n. But the only problem was…
She had just begun dating Billy Hargrove. Yuck. What happened to standards???
Everything with them seemed to have been going fine, until the first phone call happened.
You call me up
It's like a broken record
Saying that your heart hurts
That you'll never get over him getting over you
And you end up crying
And I end up lying
'Cause I'm just a sucker for anything that you do
“God, Steve, it hurts so fucking bad!” she sobbed on the other end. “He wasn’t even really flirting, but it hurt so bad seeing him just basically throw himself at her! Like fuck, it was like I wasn’t even there!”
Steve’s blood boiled as he gripped the phone tighter, “Why are you still with him??”
“What?”
“Why are you still with him? That’s horrible, he’s fucking cheating!” Steve said. Y/n let out a soft cry, “It’s because I love him, and I know he loves me, it’s just… he’s not used to it. He’s trying to break old habits, I guess…? I don’t know.”
Steve sighed heavily, staying silent for a moment as he shifted on his bed. “…If you love him, then try and talk to him. Make it work.”
She sniffled, “…okay. I’ll try that. Thanks Steve, I really appreciate it.”
And when then phone call finally ends
You say "Thanks for being a friend"
And I'm going in circles again and again
“Thanks for being a great friend to me, Stevie.” Y/n smiled and hung up the phone, wiping her tears. Steve sighed heavily as the call ended, “That’s me. Steve the friend Harrington…” he groaned, flopping back on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling and grunted, “Bullshit.”
I dedicate this song to you
The one who never sees the truth
That I can take away you hurt
Heartbreak girl
Hold you tight straight through the daylight
I'm right here, when you gonna realise
That I'm your cure?
Heartbreak girl
Steve would be straight up lying if he said he didn’t think about what it would be like the day she finally realized that he was everything she needed, and more.
He often laid awake imagining what it would be like if he were able to kiss you, be the one to hold you all night long into the morning, be the one to give you his everything… but here he was, stuck at home, while fucking Billy Hargrove got it all.
I bite my tongue
But I wanna scream out
You could be with me now
But I end up telling you what you wanna hear
But you're not ready
And it's so frustrating
He treats you so bad and I'm so good to you, it's not fair
Steve swore he was going to blow up on her any second now if she kept this up. Every few weeks she’d call Steve crying about how horrible Billy was being again. The guy clearly had no sense of a proper committed relationship, and it was reflecting negatively upon Y/n, and it was starting to wear her down.
Steve’s heart ached for her every time he heard her cry over a guy that was as pathetic as Billy. He knew damn well that he would never make Y/n feel this way for any reason if he was her boyfriend. But no, it was Billy. And Billy clearly didn’t care a s much as he claimed to.
“Steve, I just… I don’t know how to get through to him. I love him so much.”
“Just dump his ass and be with me instead!” is what he wanted to say, but “Take a step back, and talk with him tomorrow expressing all your worries and fears. I’m sure he’d understand” was what came out instead. Steve wanted to shoot himself when he realized he just told her exactly what she wanted to hear again, which would only pull her further away from him!
And when the phone call finally ends
You say "I'll call you tomorrow at 10"
And I'm stuck in the friendzone again and again
“Thanks, Steve… You’re a great friend to me. I don’t deserve you. I’ll call you tomorrow at 10, okay?” she blew a kiss into the phone, and it rang dead again. Steve slammed the phone against the wall in frustration and collapsed against the wall, his biceps holding his body up as he let out a frustrated yell against it.
“This is so not fucking fair.”
I know someday it's gonna happen
And you'll finally forget the day you met him
Sometimes I'm so close to confession
I gotta get it through your head
That you belong with me instead
“If you’re calling to rant about Billy again Y/n…” Steve warned, recognizing the tone in her voice. He stayed silent for a minute as he waited for her to speak, but she never did. “Y/n, you know I love you. But You can’t keep doing this shit to yourself. He’s a horrible guy to you! You deserve someone kind, gentlemen like, someone who will protect you and not hurt you, someone who won’t take their anger out on you, someone who won’t flirt with others just to piss you off or prove a point… someone like… like…”
Y/n was silent, then spoke up. “…Like who, Steve? … You?”
Steve swallowed, thinking for a moment then sighing. “Yeah. Like… like me.”
Fuck, what am I doing?!
“But I— I know you’re with Billy. I respect that! I just… you deserve someone like that, yeah. That’s all I meant.”
Steve’s face was beat red and he sighed heavily. “Listen. I gotta go. Just think about what I said.” Steve hung up the phone and cursed under his breath.
She truly was a Heartbreak Girl, and didn’t even know it…