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Fuckinglevi - Levi Is Fucking
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More Posts from Fuckinglevi
Skater Eddie! - I wanted to give him a crop top but how then would he tuck his shirt into his boxers?
I Wonât Stand By - Part One
(Steve Harrington x Female Reader)
Summary: Steve has always been worth more. And you wonât stand by and watch him get his heart broken again. He needs to know.
Warnings: Language, pining, unrequited (or are they?) feelings, heavy on the angst, happy ending⊠eventually.
Pairings: Steve Harrington x best-friend!female reader
A/N: After I made this post, I started thinking heavily on Steve, Nancy & Stancy, a little more than usual. And I just feel like I needed to write this and channel some energy into it, as it basically took on a mind of its own (we heavily into Steve, okay? Heâs consuming me). Itâs going to have one more part to it (which Iâve already outlined). Itâs thick on the angst, but itâll have a happy ending, I think? I tried some different stuff with Steve and his reactions, so I hope yâall like it? Lemme know â€ïžđ
âAre you stupid?â
Youâd never insinuated, nor had you ever called Steve anything that would suggest he was ignorant, and you had known him since elementary school. You never made him feel like anyone else could, by a joke or an offhand comment, usually a backhanded compliment. But as he sees you standing under the entryway of the Family Video â three lunches in your hand, your neon pink windbreaker covered in rain drops, eyes steady in their focus on him and Robin â heâs never felt more like his IQ is non-existent.
Robin looks briefly confused, tapping her purple painted nails on the cheap wooden counter, unsure where to look. However, her mouth opens before she can stop it. âHey, whatâs going on? Is that a ham croissant I smell?â
Youâd laugh if your lungs werenât full of a scream that youâre sure is about to rip itself free. Your heartbeat is thumping so hard against your ribcage that itâs echoing all around your chest, playing ping pong. Steve opens his mouth to speak, starting to shift his posture enough that he can work himself around the counter to get to you. He canât stand to see you this upset, especially at him. You donât let him come within an inch of your trembling form, afraid that youâll say things you canât take back, or youâll vomit your breakfast all over his green vest.
You want to berate yourself for the way he looks struck, physically recoiling as if to console himself. His sneakers stop on the rug youâre standing on, your wet loafers drenched and dripping. Nike and leather. You canât take how good he smells, the way that it always greets you with a hug, but instead, you walked into his conversation with Robin about his upcoming date with Nancy. He really meant it, he saw her as his future, he never got over her, and now that sheâs realized what she lost â she wants him back.
Steve is about to call a code for backup, when you decide to say something, stepping around him, paper bags full of food clenched and wrinkled in your vice. You damn near spit the words, tone laced with acidic venom. âWhy would you do this to yourself?â
His chest aches with the bitterness of confusion, a hunger to understand thatâs clawing at his throat and attempting to seize his tongue. Heâs fumbling for words and that seems to fuel your excitement. Robin, meanwhile, her irises widen, eyes darting back and forth between the two of you. It's a simple & soft, âOh, shit.â As she watches your feelings unfold in real time, understanding.
You throw the sacks onto the counter, Robin barely able to catch them before they can slide off, and you turn back, right as Steve shakes himself clear and attempts to meet you. Your finger jabs into his chest, breath getting caught in your throat. He bites his tongue when he sees your sclera is flooded with unshed tears. You know if you blink that itâll all be over for you. How can you convey how youâre feeling?
Even if you werenât ass over elbow for the guy, you still wouldnât want him back together with Nancy Wheeler. She might be your friend too, but you were there for Steve. You saw everything he had to go through, and even though you didnât leave his side, he was still dealing with their relationship and monster land â alone, trapped in his head. It wasnât until he graduated that he was able to let go of each mental blockage that she and the whole situation caused him to put up (enough so), and truly let you in. She didnât share his goals and Steve deserved better than a relationship that seems like nothing more than pure nostalgia.
Neither of them should settle. They are still vastly different.
Fuck, you really need to scream. Your chest is heavy with it, weighted. Youâre sinking, choking on oxygen, your body rejecting it. Panic.
Steve practically begs Robin for help, jaw unhinged and tongue slicking across his lips. He tries to find something to say â anything. You roll your eyes and the tears finally salt your lash line, cooling and burning. âActually, you know what? Fuck this right now!â
And if customers didnât just come in, the little bell dinging and electrifying your anxieties â youâd have run right out the front door. But you do the next best thing â your only other option. You dart for the family labeled restroom in the back. Steve doesnât even have to ask, Robin nodding her head. âGo. I got this.â
~*~
You curse yourself for not locking the door, for Steveâs thoroughly kind behavior (why canât he just be an asshole and make this easier?). Youâre practically bent over the sink, sobbing quietly into the fluorescent expanse, and you hear the door open and close. His cologne invades your senses â all delicate traces of woodsy spice. His freshly laundered clothing, even his minty breath from the spray you know he carries in his back pocket. Itâs slow motion when you meet his concerned stare in the mirror.
His large palm clasps over your shoulder, wrist watch catching in the light. He turns you, but you find solace in the tile flooring and your loafer covered toes. His fingertips, ever-so gentle and calloused, filter beneath your chin â tilting. You try to look away but itâs a pointless effort. Steveâs brown is pitched high in an attempt to understand, to relate.
Your torso wants to give in and collapse, legs dead and heavy, stuck to the floor. Your mouth is dry, but your throat is wet with tears. Itâs suddenly Tinaâs Halloween party all those years ago, and youâre holding Steve as heâs crying, showing himself like you had never seen before. Your nose wrinkles into a scrunch, you reach up to swat his hand away. He catches your wrist with his other, and shakes his head, thumbpad caressing the healing cut on your cheek, even a month later it still remains.
When you went to battle with Vecna and the four of you were attacked by his little tentacle hive minds, youâd gotten the sharp end of one to the face. That very fear settles in his stomach at the memory, sloshing about with the gnawing worry over whatâs currently going on with you. He tucks a strand of hair back behind your ear, a line of goosebumps shrouding your arms like invisible sleeves. His voice is so gentle with concern that you choke on an outright whimper.
âTalk to me, honey. What happened? What did I do?â
To a fault, this man is too good for anyone. And thatâll be his ultimate downfall. Thatâs enough to push on your anger, because youâre already riding the inevitable tidal wave of heartbreak, just waiting for the water to drown you. You donât try to move his hold on you, youâre more than smart enough to know that he wonât budge if he doesnât want to. You force yourself to talk to him, voice wavering and weak, and the word puke releases. âThatâs the problem, Steve. Itâs not what you did, but what youâre going to do to yourself by going back to her.â
âWait, so you heard me and Robinââ
âI heard you in the RV, I heard you in the fucking upside down, and yes â I just heard about your stupid fucking date.â
He shakes his head, thumb tracing over your healing wound, a brief look of guilt flickering, his voice hoarse and tired. âSo thatâs why you think Iâm stupid then, huh?â
âDo you remember when you cried all night after Tinaâs party? When you spent money on flowers for her, or lost your entire friend group? Yeah, they were assholes, but you gave up everything because you thought something was wrong with you, that you needed to change.â
Heâs briefly glancing at his own shoe wear, an audible swallow heard from him. How could he forget that night? He couldnât stomach the word bullshit for months after.
You continue, unable to stop if someone duct taped your mouth shut.
âYou dealt with torture, with trauma, with being cheated on. You became a more mature person, but that doesnât mean you were ever an awful boyfriend, Steve. And now that she and Jonathan have grown apart, now that sheâs seen you â it doesnât make it okay for her to decide that youâre suddenly worth something again.â
He knows youâre right. Fuck, he can feel your statement carve itself into his every internal organ. He canât disagree, he canât fight you, because he fought with himself one too many times since Nancy destroyed him. His pride wants to argue, wants to blame himself, defend her, but he also knows you. And he knows youâre not taking shots at Nancy, nor are you trying to hurt him.
Youâre surprised at how calmly youâre able to articulate yourself. You keep going. He needs to know.
âWe were all kids when everything happened, and I donât blame her for dealing with her own shit. Iâm not excusing how she treated you. But I understand, and I love her. I just know that she doesnât want the same things you want, Steve. Itâs like youâre both trying to fit pieces into a mold that was never meant to work together, past what it was in the first place⊠So Iâm fucking begging you, donât do this to yourself.â
His hand drops, far too quickly than youâre ready for. His back falls against the door, his tresses dusting his forehead. Your body feels as if itâs been paved into the asphalt, unprepared for what he says next. âAny reasons other than that?â
âSteveââ Your voice wobbles.
âNo, youâve made yourself clear. Me and Nance? Bad idea â I got that.â
âItâs because ââ
âWhy? Thereâs more to it than what youâre telling me, I know there is. Donât fucking lie to me!â Youâve hit that spot in him, that wounded pride. Heâs lashing a bit, arms crossing over his chest, biceps flexed beneath his white t-shirt.
âBecause, I..â Your sentence topples.
He inches forward. âBecause you what? Talk to me!â
Does he realize? Maybe he has an inkling, maybe heâs pushing it. You arenât able to decipher, your emotions swirling, everything becoming too much all at once. Your instincts fly out the window, shattering glass, heart catching on your throat as it leaps out of your mouth and floats into the room. You lurch forward and grab Steveâs cheeks, his stubble tickling the backs of your fingers â and you press your lips to his.
Heâs stiff at first, arms remaining tight and bound together. Youâre crying, salting his mouth slick. He tastes like peppermint and coffee, with a hint of that creamer youâve gotten him hooked on. His mouth is soft, becoming pliant. He begins to kiss you back, but itâs for a fraction, yet itâs there. His nose nudges yours, bumping, your lips parting with a smack as he uses his hands (arms uncrossing), to pull you away, cradling your face.
Heated, like a syrupy honey, he talks to you. Heâs got it this go around. âWhy didnât you tell me that this was going on?â
You go to leave him, he wonât dare let you. His hold tightens, index finger rubbing along your cut. Your eyes flutter closed, fresh tears dowsing the raw skin of your cheeks. The moisture pours over Steveâs fingers.
âDonât.â Itâs him who is begging, chained undercurrents cutting into the depth of his voice. âPlease donât cry.â
The way that he strokes you, his grazing thumb soothing your cut, like youâre right back in the underworld and he almost died twice over seeing you hurt. He swipes at your tears, trying to wipe them away, but they blotch. More keeps coming. Youâre dangling over that precipice of an anxiety attack that he can also sense. Like heâs coddling a wounded deer, Steve pulls you closer, bringing his lips to your forehead â pressing, voice gravelly, mouth moving away to utter, âCome here. Stay right here.â And helps you rest in his arms, your head sliding beneath his chin.
Whatever you attempt to say, it comes out as gibberish whimpering. Steveâs own chest cavity is scorched, throat blazing, eyes misty. You find solace in his broad physique, nose at his sternum. Heâs confused, so many things running through his head, that it fucking aches at the base of his skull. Your cherry lip gloss-flavored kiss lingers, making him think of things he thought were just passing feelings for you a while ago.
Thereâs many things he wants to say, but his brain has a case of coward, working him into a settled question instead. âHow long?â
âEveryday since Iâve known you, I think.â Itâs an automatic whisper, a ghostly caress of your broken voice, but he still hears your answer.
Heâs nodding, an annoyance filtering, a sadness. How could you not tell him something like this? All those nights you shared, talking about everything. Heâs been more vulnerable with you than heâs been with anyone in his entire twenty years. This, he has to call you on.
âIn all of the time youâve known me, have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?â
Still buried in his embrace, you shake your head no.
âIs it â do you⊠Shit.â He isnât sure how to phrase it, not wanting to make an ass of himself, the word also scaring the hell out of him.
He gets his answer, thankfully â when you speak. âDonât ask me if I love ââ You cut yourself off briefly, before adding on, ââ just⊠donât, okay?â
His lids close, a sigh escaping. Holy shit, you love him. Someone else loves him, his best-friend is in love with him. And he could never see that? He talked about sex with other girls, about Nancy.
And not once did you ever stop him or act like it wasnât alright. You hyped him up, you were always there to boost his spirits and his ego. He feels like a total asshole. His previous sigh has you shaking your head, especially after he lets out a quiet âIâm sorry.â
You break off his embrace, finding a hold on his forearms, squeezing. âSteve, look at me.â You find your courage again.
He complies immediately, rich hazel catching, nearly stealing your breath. You clear your throat lightly, inhaling through your nose to relax yourself. Steveâs hands are still on your face â unrelenting. âThis thing with Nancy, itâs not even because of how I feel, not completely. Youâre more than some trophy husband, youâre more than some minimum wage video clerk, even though I think your jobs have been pretty fucking cool.â His softened gaze dips off and he chuckles himself into that cheekily, familiar grin.
âPlease donât do this to yourself again, Steve. You deserve better than this. You always have. Youâre the fucking heart of our group, donât you understand that? Fuck the thumps on the head, fuck nostalgia. Iâve never stopped seeing what a good man you are, even when you used to be a bitchy jerk sometimes.â
He laughs again, music to your ears that gets you to stop crying briefly. You slide your fingers along his bare arms and heâs thoughtful, pausing, wanting to look away from you. Because what heâs going to say, he canât bear the expression on your face. He just wishes, he almost begs the universe that Nancy hadnât brought back her bullshit and confused him. And you kissed him and released a bunch of things heâd pushed away, things he didnât even know existed.
Someoneâs going to get hurt and he thinks it should be him, but as heâs gentle with you, fingertips splaying down the sides of your neck, heâs brought back down to the messy reality heâs a part of. âIt wasnât resolved on my terms. Honey, I have to try. Canât you see things from my perspective, please understand?â
You decide instantaneously what youâre going to do, your ribs aching at the sudden drop in your heart rate, your throat feeling like itâs swollen to twice the normal size. Your hand leaves his wrist, combing the hair off his forehead â memorizing every mole and freckle, his cupid's bow, his jaw, those hauntingly warm eyes. He thinks youâll get it, that youâll stay. And you do get it, but the latter? Youâre eerily firm, new tears seeping out, flooding your vision, making him a blurry silhouette.
Itâs gonna be bad, he can feel the twisting in his gut. He tries to say something, beginning a reason. You cut him off. âI need you to understand that I canât stand by and watch this. I care about you both, but you canât ask me to watch you two try and sweep everything under the rug, and you canât expect me to watch if your heart gets broken. I wonât watch you fall apart again. I canât do it, Steve.â
âWhat are you saying?â He sounds pained, like youâd socked him in his stomach. It sure fucking feels like it. Even the tip of his tongue is aching, his own vision becoming cloudy. âHow do you even know things wonât work?â
âIf they do, then great. If sheâs your person and thatâs what was meant to happen, I hope it works for you.â If heâs happy, you mean that. But you just donât think he deserves this, he deserves more, despite your feelings. And thereâs some things that you just know.
He straightens himself against the door when he sees you reach around for the handle. He shakes his head and tries to keep your touch. You drop it, tears dripping off your lashes and onto the cheap flooring below. âLet me leave, Steve.â
âNo, not happening.â
âDonât do this.â
âYouâre my best-friend, I canât just be without you.â
âYou have Robin. You can handle this.â
âI donât wanna fucking handle this,â he lashes out, stepping forward and cupping your cheeks, making you look at him, his touch searing into your skin, âI want you.â
âSteve.â Youâre a little heavier in your command, pulling his hands away, impulse leading. You lift onto your tippy toes and permit yourself a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
His breath is choppy, a sudden heat leveling off the room, his nose bumps, sliding off your peck, his lips crashing into yours. You kiss him back with everything in you, mouths wet and tear stricken. Heâs crying too, everything wet, spit stringing as your lips separate.
âI really hope it turns out to be what you want.â You pant your sorrows against his mouth, drinking him in â seeing. Youâre falling, abandoning emotions and nearing sobbing territory.
Steveâs hands drop as you say this and it gives you the leverage you need to leave him alone in the bathroom, one last pleading cry from him cut off as you close the door behind you. You keep your head down and you walk through the store alone, its popcorn and candy coated scent striking you. You only stop when youâre at the counter and Robin has a piece of her sandwich pinched between her fingers, a pitiful look on her face as she sees your tear-stained features. She doesnât get the chance to ask you anything, not before you request, crushing her heart into pieces. âMake sure heâs okay. Heâs gonna need you.â
And your presence is gone in mere seconds, that bell signifying something much more than anyone was ready to comprehend. You make it to your car, rain pouring around you, right as Steve leaves the bathroom pinching his nose and sniffling, watching you from the window. You donât break down, not until youâve driven away and found somewhere to pull over.
OverâŠ
// Eat me paragraph //
Fill In the Cracks
(Steve Harrington x Gender-Neutral Reader)
Synopsis: There's no way someone like Steve would love you. It's only a matter of time before he forgets you.
Warnings: Self-deprecation, feelings of unworthiness, angst to fluff, language
Word Count: 2016
A/N: In celebration of 500+ followers, here is my Steve fic you voted on! Admitted, this is not the original one I had in mind, but one I thought of this idea, I couldn't stop. I hope you enjoy it! And thank you to those who have supported my writing. I'm truly blow away by your kindness.
Watching Steve flirt with every woman who enters Family Video may kill you. Not because he sucks at itâgod, heâs such a dork, all faux suave and big eyes. You donât know how any woman could turn him down. You fluster just from witnessing it.
No, youâll end up six feet under because he never flirts with you.
Itâs pathetic how you crave his attention when nothing will ever happen between you.
Still, you wait for the moments when his eyes turn to you. The ones where he throws you a smile or pulls you in for a hug. Heâs always so warmâŠ
He has this unbelievable ability to make you feel safe. And you canât recall a time that's ever happened.
But it doesnât matter how you feel.
Steve will never give you the looks you want. Or the flirty smiles. Or the relationship heâs constantly seeking out.
Youâre only you.
âI should really get a new sign,â Robin sighs loudly, shaking you from your thoughts. âThe board would already be full.â
Youâre thankful sheâs distracted with teasing Steve, or else she may notice how you zoned out while she was talking.
âYeah, yeah, I get it,â Steve says. âI suck.â
You try to give him the best sympathetic smile you can muster, but you know it doesnât reach your eyes.
His head tilts slightly, but Robin pushes the cart toward him before he can say anything.
âItâs your turn to stock. There are some new tapes in the back,â she says.
He rolls his eyes but takes the cart without complaint and walks to the back room.
Robin leans her elbows on the counter and raises an eyebrow.
âYou okay?â
âWhy wouldnât I be?â you ask.
âYou just had to watch that.â She gestures to where Steve had stood. âGranted, it was bad. Iâm sure it wasnât fun.â
âI donât get what youâre talking about, Robin.â Surely she doesnât knowâŠdoes she?
âIâm talking about your massive crush on a certain employee here,â she says. âAnd Iâm not talking about Keith or me.â
You bite the inside of your cheek. âHow didâŠHow did you know?â
âYou looked like a kicked puppy when he started talking.â Her tone is gentle as she levels you with a look.
You fiddle with your fingers. âItâs not like it matters.â
âWhat doesnât matter?â
You meet her gaze, and she really has no idea what youâre talking about.
âHow I feel,â you whisper. âIt doesnât matter.â
âOf course, it matters.â She matches your volume. âIf you like him, you should tell him.â
You shook your head. âAnd embarrass me? Make everything weird between us? No.â
âThatâs assuming he doesnât feel the same,â she says.
âHe just got done flirting with another woman. In what world does that mean he likes me back.â Thereâs a slight tingle in your nose, and you blink a few times before the tears can come.
âMaybe heâs thinking the same as you are: he doesn't want to make things awkward.â Her tone is reassuring and hopeful. Her heart is in the right place, but you know better.
âCâmon, Robin, itâs not like Iâm anything special.â You say it as if itâs obvious. âIâm not the type of person guys give a second look, let alone love. Iâm justâŠIâm just here.â
Her brow furrows. âWhat do you mean youâre âjust here?ââ She doesnât give you room to respond. âYouâre my best friend! Do you think anyone else could put up with me?â
âWhat about Steve?â You raise an eyebrow in challenge.
âSteve is Steve. But you are my ride or die.â She levels you with a look. âDonât give me any of that âIâm unlovableâ crap. You are the kindest, most considerate person I know! You literally fight monsters and have saved every one of our assesâmultiple times!â
You open your mouth, but sheâs on a roll.
âAnd as for those guys youâre referring toâfucking dumbasses. If they canât realize how amazing you are, then fuckâem. WellâŠnot really. But you know what I mean!â
You feel a little awkward that you caused her to say all that, but mostly, youâre touched. And your feet are carrying you over to her before you can register whatâs happening.
You pull her into a hug, holding back tears.
âThank you,â you whisper.
âAnytime,â she says, wrapping you in her arms. Like the action alone will convince you of her words.
You both slowly separate, her hands resting on your shoulders.
âWe all love you. Youâre important to us. And if you ever need reminding, tell me, okay?â she asks.
You nod. âOkay.â
â
Steveâs chest hurts.
He heard everything.
Heâs in the back, ready to come out with more videos to stack when he hears you talking to Robin.
And all he wants to do is burst out and make you realize how wrong you are.
How could you think youâre forgettable?
How could you think youâre unlovable?
Especially when heâs right here? When heâs completely gone for you?
He wants to kick himself for flirting with that girl and everyone before her. He should have just told you how he feels.
He nods along to Robinâs reassurances, urging his agreement to somehow ease your mind.
He has to do something.
You deserve the world. You deserve to know how much he values youâhow much you mean to him. That he returns your feelings.
Just the thought of being with you sends his heart skyrocketing. He would think heâs dreaming if it werenât for how you spoke about yourself.
After your conversation ends, he waits ten minutes before emerging from the back.
He throws you a smile, your words still echoing in his head. And as he shelves tapes, he decides itâs finally time he tells you.
â
You hang around Family Video until Steve clocks out. Tonightâs your weekly pizza and movies. And despite your little confession with Robin, youâll never rob yourself of alone time with Steve.
You watched two movies and ate half of the pizza when you took a break to stretch your legs.
Steve sets up in front of the sink, and you grab a dish towel without a word. An additional part of your ritual.
You can tell by the way he moves somethingâs bothering him. Heâs been off all night.
In these quiet moments, you know youâll get an honest answer.
âDo you need to talk about something?â you ask, drying the first plate.
He doesnât glance at you or indicates he even heard you. Just scrubs the nonexistent sauce from the dish.
You run the towel over the plate again, so youâre not standing there looking at him, so youâre not pressuring him to tell you.
He hesitates a second before he speaks.
âI heard you earlier,â he says, washing the dish in his hand. âWith Robin.â
You freeze mid-swipe, your conversation flashing through your head. Then continue just so your hands are doing something.
â...And?â
He wouldnât bring it up if he didnât want to fight you on it. You know him too well. Steve is sweet, too sweet for his own good sometimes. You never wanted him to know your feelings.
â...Why didnât you tell me?â he asks as gently as ever. He couldâve been settling your fears.Â
He couldâve been telling you he loves you for years.
You shrug as if you donât know, putting the plate away.
He sighs when you donât elaborate.
âYou arenât forgettable.â He turns to you. âYou could never be.â
You let out a humorless laugh through your nose. âTell that to my friends from kindergarten. Or elementary school. Or maybe the ones from middleââ
âI will never forget you. I donât care about those dickheads you called friends. Itâs their loss.â His jaw clenches. âYou matter to all of us.â You matter to me.
You donât let his words penetrate. You canât because once you do, he's bound to leave. So, you swing the hammer and embed another nail in the wall.
âLike I havenât heard that before,â you whisper, eyes closed, waiting.
You can hear his hands form fists, his teeth grind, and you want to hide. Away from his anger, his disappointment.
But when he speaks, his tone isnât angry. Itâs soft, disbelievingâŠ
âŠheartbroken.
âI don't get why you think youâre so hard to love.â
You swallow, still avoiding his gaze. If you look at him, your floodgates will break.
âBecause I am,â you whisper. And you canât help how refreshing your honesty is. Itâs addicting. âWho in their right mind would love me?â
What sorry, self-sabotaging, blind person will ever love someone as flawed as you? How could anyone see any value in all your cracks and chips?
Broken things are thrown away. Love doesnât come to something past its prime.
âI do,â he says. âI do. Everyday.â
Your brow furrows, mind coming to a screeching halt.
He canât be serious.
Heâs reassuring you. Saying he loves you as a friend. Nothing more.
Because Steve Harrington can do better. So, how could he love you?
âIâve loved you for a long time now. And itâs been the easiest thing Iâve ever done.â He swallows, unnerved by your silence.
He waits, knowing he may have ruined the best thing thatâs happened to him. But he had to tell you. You have to know that youâre everything to him.
You finally, finally meet his eyes. Theyâre watering, and he wants to take you in his arms and protect you. But the last thing he wants is to scare you, to push himself on you if you donât feel the same.Â
âDo youâŠDo you mean it?â you whisper, desperation clear in your tone. You're too fragile to care.
âOf course I mean it.â He steps toward you. âIâve meant it for the past two years.â
Your eyes widen. âYears?â You barely get it out.
He nods. âJust waiting for you to realize.â He can feel the energy shifting. Youâre out of your head. âDidnât know Iâd have to spell it out for you.â He huffs good-naturedly
You breathe out a laugh of disbelief. âOf course, youâd have to spell it out! How the hell was I supposed to know you love me?â
All those girls come to both of your minds. It makes him sick.
âIâm a coward,â he says.
You tilt your head as if to say, âNo, youâre not.â
He only shrugs, a fond smile on his face. âYou always tease me and ask if I have my eye on someone. And Iâve never lied to you.â
âYou also never asked anyone oââ You slowly realize what he means. âMe?â
He nods. âYou.â
You're silent long enough that it makes him nervous. But all you can think about is how much time youâve wasted not being with him in the way you want.
âSo there you go, not unlovable.â He rocks on the balls of his feet.
And itâs that nervousness that makes you realize you have yet to respond.
âI love you, too, Steve.â And once again, honesty is addicting.
âReally?â He grins, all big and bright.
You nod, a shy smile on your face. âReally. Iâd have to be crazy not to.â
He carefully takes your hands, dragging his thumbs over your knuckles, memorizing your softness.
âSo I love you. You love me. Is it safe to say youâre officially mine?â He bites his lip. You want to pull it free.
âI think so,â you tease. âUnless you want to wait another two years.â
He shakes his head frantically, though the smile is still there. âNo, no, definitely not.â He clears his throat. âSoâŠcan I kiss you now?â
Heâs already leaning in, too eager to care if heâs coming off too excited.
You hum softly, meeting him halfway.
Itâs everything you imagined it would be. Soft and warm, a minty sweetness from that spray Steve keeps in his pocket, and gentle. As he always is with youâlike youâll shatter if he presses too hard. But you want to break this time because he will help put everything back together.
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