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“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.”
“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.
As if Steve didn’t already feel like shit for confessing and slipping up so easily, what stung more was the fact that she was now barely speaking to him.
It had been a week since they last spoke. Steve was beginning to go crazy. She wasn’t answering any of his calls, it was as if he really fucked up.
Why did he have to slip up?? Did he really just ruin such a long, important relationship in his life because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut? Jesus, he was a mess.
”Steve, are you even listening?” Dustin groaned, tugging on his older friend’s jacket sleeve. Steve blinked and looked over at his younger friend, who he felt like he adopted as his own kid at this point.
“What?”
”You’re not listening, are you? Damn it, I was so far in, now I’ll have to start all over!”
”No! God, no no it’s fine! I listened! Then you uh, fireballed Lucas on accident right—?” Steve bullshitted. Dustin blinked unamused, “You just made that shit up. I was talking about school, dumbass, not D&D.”
”Well forgive me, I’m a bit preoccupied,” Steve grunted, shaking his head at the kid. Max and Lucas had walked into the pizzeria they were going to all have lunch at. Steve tensed at the sight of Max — praying to God she wouldn’t mention Y/n at all.
”Preoccupied with what — Y/n?” Dustin asked. Steve let his head fall from his hands to the table with a loud think as he groaned loudly. Max eyed the table suspiciously as she sat beside Lucas, “What about Y/n…? Have you guys seen her lately?”
“No? Why, is she okay?” Dustin asked, confused between Max’s question and Steve’s exaggerated reaction to the simple name of his best friend, and half time babysitter to the Party.
”I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in almost a week. I know that she broke up with my brother recently, which was weird…”
This perked Steve right up. He furrowed his brows at Max, “How did you know…?”
”Did you hit your head that hard and forget who my jackass older brother is?” Max scoffed. “He hasn’t stopped bitching about it. I’m honestly kind of sad, she seemed really good for him, now he’s all kinds of angry.”
Max replied simply. She looked up from the menu over at Steve and it clicked in her head. She smirked, “Why?”
”Just… haven’t heard from her either, that’s all.” Steve murmured, turning away.
Max leaned against the table, her elbows resting against it as they held up her head, “Did you have something to do with this, Steve?”
Steve blinked, shaking his head no. “No? Why would I have something to do with their breakup? I don’t even like her like that!”
”You’re a horrible liar, Steve,” Lucas grumbled as Mike, Eleven, & Will arrived to the table.
”Isn’t that obvious?” Mike commented, sitting down with his Party members.
”Steve did something and now Y/n & Billy broke up, and Steve won’t cop to it,” Max shrugged. “I didn’t do shit, okay Maxine? Would you fucking drop it?” Steve suddenly snapped at them. The kids all shut up, feeling bad.
Max simply sighed, “Steve… I’m not mad. All of us know you’ve been crushing on Y/n for literally so long. She was too good for my brother, anyway. He didn’t deserve her. You do.”
Steve stayed silent. No way a freaking 13 year old just told him that. He sighed heavily, running his fingertips through his hair nervously. “I mean… alright, fine I… I told her she didn’t belong with him. She belonged with me. But then I chickened out, and hung up, and she hasn’t spoken to me in a week, and I think I fucked up. Bad,” he suddenly word vomited to the kids.
Nobody said anything until Eleven spoke up. “Go to her. I’m sure she’d understand.”
Steve looked over at El and nodded, letting out a shaky breath, “I don’t think she wants to speak to me, El, but thanks.”
”Y/n!” Max suddenly shouted. She stood up quickly and waved them over, smiling brightly. Y/n had just walked into the pizzeria with her best friend Amari Sinclair, who was Lucas’ older sister. Lucas helped Max wave them over and they started to walk over, clearly not noting Steve at first.
Steve’s eyes widened and he started cursing under his breath, trying to grab his things. Y/n walked over smiling, “Hey kids! I didn’t realize all of you guys were here!” She moved over and leaned over Max’s chair. “Hey cutie. Sorry I haven’t been around a lot,” she frowned. Max smiled, knowing why she hadn’t been. “I get it. Funny though, Steve and us were just talking about you!” Max pointed to the frenzied Steve across the table. Y/n noticed and felt sad, but forced a smile, “Hey, Steve…”
He froze in place, giving up on his escape as he smiled. “Ladies. Hey— uhm… What are you doing here?” Steve stammered. Y/n giggled lightly, “Lucas invited Amari, and Amari invited me.” she noticed his frantic state and frowned, “Steve? You alright?”
”I’m… I’m fine,” Steve forced a smile. “Can we talk…?”
Y/n shrugged, “I guess…” Amari sat down by her brother as Steve and Y/n stood up, walking outside.
The air felt cool against Steve’s skin, a harsh contrast to how hot he felt from being so flustered. Y/n leaned against the wall, looking at him. “What?”
”Uh.”
Steve felt at a loss for words. She didn’t exactly seem angry with him, but didn’t seem to be the happiest with him, either. How the hell was he supposed to read her? She furrowed her brows, waiting for a response.
“I heard about you and Billy.”
Her expression fell. “Oh. Yeah, uhm. It’s fine. I’m getting over it.”
She kicked her feet against some pebbles, looking down at the ground.
”I know how that feels. Trust me,” Steve frowned, moving to nudge her gently with his shoulder.
”Well, I mean, he was a fucking prick, just like everyone said. But when you’re in love I guess that means nothing, right?” Y/n shrugged, trying to be more optimistic about it. Steve chuckled, nodding, “Yeah — I’ve had my fair share of those.”
Y/n giggled lightly at his response, then glanced back up at him. He looked scared. “Steve is there something else you’re not telling me?”
He let out a shaky breath. Did she just… not remember him practically throwing himself at her on the phone?
”I mean… I. I wanted to apologize, in case I made you break up with him because of what I said a few nights ago. That’s not what I meant at all, and I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t’ve said anything at all.” Steve ran his fingers through his hair nervously, chewing at his bottom lip.
Y/n stayed silent, watching him. “…So, you’re saying you weren’t trying to say you liked me?”
Steve stammered fast, his cheeks bright red, “I— I didn’t say that!” he defended. “I mean… okay, so what if I did say I liked you? I mean, think of this from my point of view! I’ve liked you for almost a year, and lost my shot to Billy fucking Hargrove of all people — and then to top it all off, you only seemed to have called me recently when you were crying about how horrible he’d treat you! I would never do that to you! I would never hurt you the way Billy would, because I’ve been in love with you for so long! And you deserve everything good that he could never give you. And I got jealous, okay… I was jealous.” he stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking down, “…jealous because I knew you would never be mine. So, yeah. I’m sorry if I made you break it off. I mean that. I don’t know what came over me.”
Part of Steve was relieved he got it all off his chest. The other half? Was fucking terrified.
He hadn’t noticed her smile grow by the second as he spoke to her.
”Steve… why did you wait so long to tell me this?” Y/n asked softly. He looked up to see her smiling brightly, her cheeks flushed red, “I had no idea you felt the same.”
”The same—?!” His eyes widened as he realized he might finally have his shot. “Uh, yeah! I’ve liked you since 8th grade!”
He gawked at her confession — 8th grade?! She’s liked him that long, and he’s already graduated!
”8th grade?! Y/n, why didn’t you say anything!” Steve snapped in surprise, his heart hammering in his chest.
”You we’re too busy chasing after girls to even give me a second glance. Then when you started dating Nancy… I gave up. I decided to try and move on. And that’s when I met Billy,” she explained. She moved from the wall and walked up to Steve, grabbing his hands.
Steve looked down at her fingers and just laughed, shaking his head, “God, I’m fucking dense, aren’t I?”
”Yeah. Yeah, just a bit, Harrington,” Y/n giggled. She looked up at him, her cheeks a soft red as she moved closer to his body, “You’re lucky you’re handsome.”
”And you’re lucky you’re beautiful…” Steve murmured, looking down at her. He moved his hand to cup her cheek, smiling brightly. “I guess… since we’ve been waiting so long… it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I kissed you?”
Steve swore he thought he saw her shudder from his words. She nodded, and he leant down and kissed her deeply.
His hand cupped her cheek as his free hand slinked around her waist, pulling her flush against his body.
He gently stroke her cheek with his thumb as they smiled into the kiss.
Eventually, the couple broke apart for air, both breathless and giggling, smiling messes.
”So… if you’re doing okay, would you want to be my girlfriend finally?” Steve asked gently, his hand still on her cheek. She grinned and nodded excitedly, “Uhm, duh?!” she got on her tippy toes and basically flung herself against him to kiss him passionately.
Little did they know, from inside Max had snapped a photo that exact second, capturing the moment that the two dumbasses finally confessed their love for each other, and made it official after all those years.