#frostandflamesfanfic

[frostandflamesfanfic]

Made With Love (Steve Harrington x Reader)

Made With Love (Rated T)

Request?: Technically YES (say thank you to @bakerstreethound, everyone)

Pairing: Husband!Steve Harrington x Wife!Henderson!Reader

Word Count: 3.2k+

Warnings: Brief infrequent language with a slight innuendo; Reader is also AFAB (a female at birth) due to mention of pregnancy

Summary: For Stevemas Day 10; After getting married, you and Steve started to move into his parents' old home. Upon packing, you come across some of Steve's old belongings. When more of these creations keep popping up, you come to discover your husband has a bit of a surprise for you. What happens when it turns out you have a surprise of your own?

The first experience you had with Steve’s new hobby happened shortly after you moved into your new home. Well, your new home, his old one. Once the two of you officially tied the knot, Steve’s parents allowed their son to take ownership of their home. In actuality, it had taken a lot of convincing to get them to feel comfortable moving into a smaller place on the outskirts of Hawkins. For months, your husband needed to go back and forth packing and unpacking boxes of yours and theirs. 

It was a lot of work, but he wouldn’t have changed it for the world. The end result was the two of you finally have a place to call your own. You finally had somewhere to settle down and have the family you both laid awake for hours imagining. 

You were home. 

One night when you were unpacking boxes, you came across some of Steve’s old things. Before the house, your shared apartment was incredibly small, just cozy enough for the two of you to cuddle on the couch to watch tapes from work and go to bed together every night. Most of your belongings had either ended up stashed in boxes in the closet or in your mother’s garage until you had found a more permanent home. Sure, you had to share space with your younger brother’s mad science lab, but at least your stuff was safe…relatively speaking. 

You hardly remembered seeing this box prior to the move and curiosity was a temptress. As you flipped open the lid, a smile fluttered against your face when you noticed a soft knitted blanket nestled atop other trinkets. You reached in to pull it out and found yourself immediately wrapping it around your frame. It was a mishmash of pastel colors: blues and greens and purples all intertwined by the softest yarn you had ever felt in your life. You assumed it was a gift to Steve from his grandma, Eleanor Louise Harrington. 

When you were dating, Steve would tell you the most wonderful stories about the woman who was always there for him. She would be in charge of watching over him whenever his parents were out of town at a young age, which was more often than not. Grandma Eleanor was the reason little Steve loved the holidays. She’d always make it special for him, whether it was reading the Twas the Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve or teaching him to make her special gingersnaps for Santa. When she passed away when he was thirteen, Steve had needed to learn the hard way how the world wasn’t always made of the magic Grandma Eleanor helped him believe in.

It wasn’t until he met you that his Christmas spirit slowly started to make its return. 

You placed the blanket back in the box and set it on your husband’s side of the closet. Even though you had already peeked inside, you didn’t want to invade the remainder of his privacy. For the rest of the day, your gaze would lock onto the box and a smile would fall upon your features before you kissed Steve for being sentimental. Now, Steve himself didn’t understand just why you were being so affectionate, but there was one thing he knew for a fact: he would never refuse kisses from the love of his life. 

⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ 

Your second encounter occurred a few months later, once the winter chill began to set in. You had been waiting in Hawkins High’s parking lot behind the wheel of your husband’s treasured BMW for your brother to barge out and demand entry into the passenger’s seat. Steve had decided to take on another shift at Family Video in order to have a little extra cash for holidays, so you volunteered to pick Dustin up from school.

“It’s alright if you need to use the heat, babe,” Steve had called out. “It’s cold out there. Don’t need you turning into a popsicle before Christmas!” 

“Good thing I have you to warm me up when I get back,” you teased with a smile and a wink, fingers snatching up the keys from his left coat pocket. 

“A husband’s job is never done, is it?” Steve gave a rather dramatic sigh.

As you made contact with the cold metal, your hand brushed something else much softer. You frowned as you reached deeper inside the pocket and pulled out a grey knitted glove. It was slightly misshapen but made from soft yarn, similar to that of the blanket still stashed away in your shared bedroom. Without thinking, you raised it up into the air in question toward your husband. 

“Think I might steal these,” you called out and grabbed the matching mitt from his pocket before you head out the door toward his car. 

A knock on the passenger window snapped you from your thoughts. As you turned your head, you noticed Dustin waving at you with a frown on his face. “Can you open the door?” his muffled shout questioned. “I’m freezing my nuts off out here.”

His naturally curly hair looked matted as he yanked off his hat: a red knitted trapper. “Jesus,” he continued to ramble as he tugged on the seat belt across his form. “Where were you?! It has to be like negative ten outside.”

“I’ve been waiting out here for the last thirty minutes!” you argued. “I was starting to think you had gotten a ride from someone else.”

“I mean where were you just now? I was knocking on the window for at least five minutes.”

Oh, whoops. “Sorry.” You reached over the center console to adjust the heat and turn up the radio. A smile formed as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” began to play over the speakers. “Guess I got a little bit distracted.”

Your brother scoffed. “I’ll say,” he muttered. “Get married and all of a sudden, you and Steve hardly ever pay attention to us anymore. Do you guys ever take a breath from sucking face or is that just around me?”

“Dustin!”

“Fine, fine!” Dustin held his hands up in mock surrender. “Can you just drop me off at Mike’s? We’re supposed to be planning this oneshot for when Will finally gets back home.” 

There was a pregnant pause that lingered throughout the car as you shifted gears and started the trek to the Wheeler’s residence. You felt Dustin’s eyes on you the entire time. His mouth opened and then shut a few times, as though he was preparing to ask you something and had decided against it. 

“Something’s different about you,” he mused. You felt his stare on you, much more focused than before. In your peripheral, you noticed he was squinting now. “Did you get a haircut?”

“...No?” you shifted self-consciously in the driver’s seat. Your brother was the Sherlock Holmes of the family, detective extraordinaire. Great for uncovering interference from the Upside Down, not so much when it comes to getting involved in your personal life. “And will you stop staring at me like that?” You waved a free mitten-covered hand in his direction. “It’s freaking me the hell out.”

“Oh, he gave you a pair, too!” Dustin noted with a grin. “They’re a lot better than his first try, aren’t they?”

You frowned and risked a quick glance in his direction before you returned your gaze to the road ahead. “What?”

“The gloves! Steve gave ‘em to you, right?”

“Not exactly,” you explained. “I took them from his coat. What do you mean they’re better than his first try?”

The car returned to silence once again. 

“Dustin?”

Silence. A quick look over toward your brother revealed he had suddenly become interested in the fresh piles of snow against the side of the road. Nose wrinkled, you shook your head and pulled into the Wheeler’s street. Unfortunately for Dustin, mystery solving was in your genetics, and this was one question you wanted answered.  

⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ 

“Babe?” you called out as you walked into the foyer of the house that evening. When you had taken Steve’s car from work, you had left him yours in the parking lot. You were surprised to see it back in the driveway once you arrived home after dropping Dustin off. Your stay had been much longer than you anticipated, with Nancy trying to make plans to finish Christmas shopping with you later in the week since she was home from Boston. 

“Shit,” came the faint hiss of your husband’s voice from the living room. As you started to make your way toward the sound, you heard him clear his throat. “You’re back early, babe. I thought Dustin wanted to go to the mall to do some shopping.”

“Uh, no. He needed us to drop him off at the Wheelers. Something about some campaign they’ve been planning for Will,” you said with a frown. “Why is it so dark in here?”

As you flicked the lights on, you couldn’t help but blink at the sight before you. There was your husband perched in one of the armchairs you had gotten from your mother. He was wearing his wire-framed glasses, a side-effect of a few too many blows to the noggin over the years. Half a blanket was draped over his knee, pooling onto the floor below. As you walked closer, you noticed two large metal sticks in his hands. They were twitching as he stared over at you owlishly with wide eyes. 

“Did you…make this?” you whispered almost far too quietly as you knelt down to lift up the edge of the blanket. Running your hand along it, you smiled at the soft yarn’s texture. It was a beautiful blanket with its blend of purples, orange, and yellows. The pattern reminded you of your favorite time of day: sunset. When you started dating, you used to drag Steve to the top of Walker’s Mountain to watch it almost every night. To most people, the setting of the sun meant the end of another busy day. To you, though, it was a reminder of how you survived another day no matter what evils may have been against you. 

“Uh, y-yeah,” Steve stuttered. “It was mostly me.”

You tilted your head to look up at him. “Mostly?”

“Well, Virginia helped. Marge, too.”

“Marge? Virginia?” An amused smile tugged at the corner of your lips. “Something I have to be worried about, honey?”

“No!!” your husband was quick to exclaim. “No, no. They’re just…”

“Just…?”

A sigh escaped Steve’s lips as he set the knitting needles down into his lap. He leaned forward to ghost his lips against your hairline. “Look,” he said. “I’ve uh, I’ve been going to the community center between shifts at the store on Saturday. There’s this class they host– more like a club.” He hesitated, glancing between you and the blanket in his lap. “They teach you how to knit.”

You smiled. “So you’ve been learning to knit?” 

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s actually been…nice, you know? Helps give me something to do. I don’t feel as helpless as I used to. It’s more peaceful than anything.”

“You know I wouldn’t tease you for this, right?” you asked, hands reaching up to gently cradle his face. Your heart strained at the thought of Steve being afraid of getting judged by you for what his father would have considered a so-called woman’s hobby. “I think it’s great you’ve found a hobby.”

“What?” Steve asked in shock. “No- no, that’s not why I was- oh, shit, babe. Did you think I didn’t want to- oh, no. That’s not it. I was going to tell you!” He chuckled a bit and sighed, lifting up the unfinished blanket in his lap. “I, uh, I just didn’t want to until I finished this.”

“Is this,” you started, “for me?”

Your husband nodded and used one hand to smooth out the knitted material. “I know how much you love sunsets,” he said quietly, “and I know we missed a lot of them with everything that went down over the years. I thought this might make up for it.”

You practically melted into a puddle from your kneeling position on the floor. Without another word, you bounced up as pressed your lips to his, ignoring the awkward feeling of his frames as they pressed into your face. “I love you,” you breathed out as you broke apart. 

“I love you, too,” Steve was quick to reply. “I just didn’t want to jinx myself and mess up this surprise, you know?”

You smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I get it,” you soothed. “But, uh, I think you might need to make a few adjustments to it.”

Steve’s face dropped. “Is something wrong with it? Do you not like it?!” he fretted. “Oh God, I knew I should have picked another pattern–”

“Babe,” you interrupted. “That’s not what I meant.”

“What?” 

Hiding a smile, you reached across his lap to smooth out the blanket. You absentmindedly started to trace shapes into it as you glanced up at him. “It’s a beautiful blanket, Steve,” you said slowly. “But I think it’ll need to be a little bigger.”

Steve furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “This should be plenty big for us to use on the couch.”

“For right now, yeah,” you chose your words carefully. A knowing smile threatened to stretch around your lips and you had to fight the urge to let it show. “But I don’t think that’ll be the case in a year.”

Steve followed your gaze lower down your body, resting upon your abdomen. You couldn’t help it. A risked glance back up at him told you his brain was slowly putting the pieces together. “Are you-” he asked, eyes snapping up to meet yours. “Are you really?”

When your smile finally broke free and you nodded, your husband all but threw his unfinished product across the room and pulled you into a heated kiss. As you threaded your fingers through the hair on the back of his neck, you felt his lips curl into a smile against your own. His fingers danced their way under the hem of your shirt and pressed themselves against the skin of your stomach. He let them linger there for a moment before he released you on his lap.

“I was going to wait until Christmas to tell you,” you admitted, “but I just couldn’t help it. Especially when you were being as sweet as this.”

Steve laughed, a genuine one that sent butterflies soaring within your stomach. Your heart swelled at the sight of pure happiness which radiated off of him in waves. “That little shit was right,” he said between chuckles. “Knew I should have listened to him.”

You rolled your eyes. Leave it to your little brother’s observational skills to almost ruin the moment.  

⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ 

One year later, you sat on the couch with Steve’s sunset blanket across your lap and two little babies asleep in your arms. It had been a long and eventful year, but you wouldn’t have traded this moment for anything. This year was Amelia and Emery’s first Christmas as part of your little family and you couldn’t be happier.

Yes, you and Steve hardly had any sleep the night before, thanks to last minute preparations between the screams of hungry twins. Yes, you were already exhausted despite only being fully awake for two hours. Yet this was the moment you had been dreaming about for twelve months. You weren’t so much as going to blink if it meant risking losing a moment of this special day.

A few moments later, Steve slid onto the couch beside you with two mugs of hot chocolate in hand. As much as you would kill for a real caffeine hit, you couldn’t resist the alluring smell of melted chocolate and cinnamon. Your husband placed his mug on the coffee table and reached for Em so you could take the warm beverage from his other hand. 

The two of you enjoyed the peaceful sounds of cooing four-month-olds paired with the soft hum of Christmas carols played over the radio for a while. As you leaned against your husband, he pressed a kiss to your temple and gently tapped your side – a signal to adjust your position. He placed a sleeping Em into the portable crib you had brought downstairs the previous evening before doing the same for Amy. 

“Sorry,” he apologized with a meek smile. “I would’ve let them sleep there, but I have something for you.” He walked over to the tree and picked up a small box wrapped in candy cane patterned paper. When he came back to the couch, he set it atop the blanket on your lap and moved to sit down with an arm draped over your shoulders. 

“I thought we said no gifts for each other this year,” you mused. “It was just for the girls.”

“We did,” Steve agreed with a nod. “I mean, technically I didn’t break that promise. It’s not anything big, I promise. I just…I thought you might like it.”

You shot him a questioning glance before you used your fingers to delicately tear at the wrapping, being incredibly careful not to wake the sleeping children nearby. When you opened the box, a small gasp escaped your lips. Inside, wrapped in a cocoon of white tissue paper, were two small Santa hats. Knitted in a yarn as red of holly berries, both hats were adorned with a fuzzy white pom-pom and trim around the brim. When you lifted them out of the box, you began to tear up. At the brim of each hat was a series of embroidery of your daughters’ names: Amelia Robin Harrington and Emery Louise Harrington.

Overcome with emotion, you immediately turned to look at your husband. Steve was already looking down at you, concern etched on his features. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked, voice shaking slightly. “Do you not like it–”

 Just like you did twelve months ago, you silenced his ramblings with a kiss. This time, it was one of pure unadulterated love. You clung onto his blue and white Christmas sweater for dear life. Tears of happiness pricked at your eyes as you ran a hand against the side of his face. When you broke apart, you sent him a teary smile. “You really are amazing, Steve Harrington,” you whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he answered almost immediately. 

You turned your attention back down to the little hats in your lap and glanced over to the portable crib that held your sleeping angels. You knew it would be a struggle to keep the hats on for long, but you hoped it would at least last until Jonathan arrived with his camera later on in the evening. 

This was by far the best Christmas you had ever had and deep down you knew this was only the beginning. You smiled fondly to yourself as you thought about all of the other Christmas Days your little family would have for the rest of your lives. It had been a tough journey to get to where you were, but you wouldn't have changed a second for the world because you and Steve found your family… 

…and that's all you could ever want or need.

============

Author's Note: I'm not crying, you are. No seriously, I had so much fun writing down this idea after receiving this through an ask by the amazing Ace. I got to explore the early days of Dad!Steve and learn more about his life with the reader a bit along the way. My only frustration is I couldn't keep this fic as gender neutral as I would have liked, but I'm still incredibly happy with how it came out.

We're only two fics away from the end of Stevemas. How are we liking the event so far?! If you enjoyed this fic and want to see more like it on my blog, make sure to leave a comment, tag a friend who you think might like it, and reblog this post! Likes are appreciated, but it's these other interactions that really help spread the word about my writing and motivate me to keep creating content like this for you all to enjoy! If you want to keep up to date with the last few days of Stevemas or want to see more of my work in the future, maybe consider giving my blog a follow, too! I promise I won't spam you too much with promoting other writers' amazing works :)

Until next time, my little sparks <3

Taglist: @bakerstreethound, @theelmgrove

[bakerstreethound]

For As Long As I've Loved You

My lovely friend @frostandflamesfanfic sent in a title a while back and I posted what I would write based upon said title, yet tumblr ate my response and wouldn't show up in the tags accordingly. So, here's a repost in case you missed it.

It features scenarios with Steve Harrington x reader and Jesper Fahey x reader because they both fit this title so well. I hope you enjoy!

Alright this has Steve and Jesper written all over it. Let's say childhood friends to lovers to exes to lovers again or something along the sort. With Steve you've gone off to university leaving him behind, same with you and Jesper, he obviously went his own way and became Kaz's right hand man.

But tons of angst and resolving the problems of "oh wow, hey I actually liked you but was terrified without you when you left I decided to distance myself from others/wallow away and find an outlet for my pain."

Steve would be soft and romantic when he confesses this and cue the rain falling on him and you take him back to your apartment to get dry clothes and he finds you stole his old sweatshirt in the closet and was like "Huh, I wondered where that one went." Cue you snuggled up in the hoodie and him holding you as you watch a favorite film, a bowl of popcorn and snacks next to you. Before you asks yes there's so many kisses to make up for lost time of course!

Now with Jesper, we know he's suave so he's so baffled when you cross paths again and he wants to hold you, he can't sit still in the chair in Kaz's office causing a glare to cross the gang leader's face to the point he kicks Jesper out. "You clearly have something else better on your mind than all this coin, Jes," Kaz taunts, leaving a bewildered Jesper gaping behind the closed door then he scowls, stomping down the stairs to get out of the Slat to his favorite gambling table of the Crow Club.

Cue you bumping into him, and you dart down the street and up to the roof, almost slipping cause heck you're terrified what would you say? It was stupid to see him again, right? But what he doesn't know is you're running from Pekka and got stabbed so when he sees you crumble in an abandoned alleyway, he remembers how it felt he almost died had Kaz not saved him. He could save you, and save you he did, pulling you into his arms almost on the verge of unconsciousness and barged into his room, yelling for Nina to help him.

Then when you wake up, you see Nina, her and Jes had one too many drinks and you're enveloped in the smell of him and wearing his coat. "I'm so sorry love, they won't hurt you any longer. You're one of us, now." Like you always have been, and you smile, and he kisses your hand later joining you in bed and you make up for the years with a lot of kisses.

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Merry christmas, love! I know this year has been absolute chaos and craziness, but so proud of you for continuing to persevere and continuing to encourage each and every one of us this holiday season <3 Hard to believe we've only known each other for less than a year -- I guess time flies while simultaneously stretches on at times lol Here's to an amazing and better 2023! (have a benedict to celebrate the season!)

Sending jolly holiday solicitations, my dear, along with gratitude for your kind words! I hope you will enjoy the days and weeks ahead--for each season has it's pleasures🌟🎄❄️--and that you'll never be lacking for inspration.

Thank you for being in my corner through this prolonged difficulty; it's support and encouragement such as yours that has helped me to hang on, through both my real world challenges and the riddiculousness of being trapped in shadow ban prison.

Cheers to better things that we're both sure to discover in the coming year!

[starks-hero]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite three fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💙

aw thank you for sending this El <3

I'm really proud of The Eyes of the Beholder series. It was a mash up of two of my favourite things, mcu loki and mythology, and I'm really proud of how it turned out :) Smoke and Mirrors and dream a little, dream of me are definitely two of my other favourites

[annesthaeticc]

….you know I have to do it.

“is that my shirt?” + sherlock/reader

I mean, have you SEEN this man’s shirts?

Congratulations on 500+, love!!! You deserve every single one of those 💙💙

hiya ellie!! thank you so so much for being a part of this little celebration!! it's such a lovely prompt and i had a good time writing it!! i hope you're having a fine day/night! sending u lots of love <3

(you can check it out here)

[goldencherriess]

hey! You! Send this ask to twelve blogs to let them know that you love them ✨❤️ (by the way, this means you're very loved too!!!)

💙💙 thank you for all of your support and for being such an amazing person!

No, thank you! You're really sweet xx

[munsonluhvr]

HOW TO FAKE IT (MINI SERIES) (PART 2)

contents: the weekend trip to the cabin has arrived and Tina has an agenda planned to challenge you and Steve's 'relationship'... word count - 6k

notes: fully believe this is not my best work; I had a ton of homework that had me distracted so those who are reading chapter - please come back for part 3 I promise it's going to be much better lol.

installments: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

taglist: @frostandflamesfanfic

It surprised you how easy it was to convince your parents to let you go to the Cunningham’s family cabin; word had got back to your parents that you and Steve made your debut as a couple at the party several days ago. To say the least, they were thrilled. 

Your parents have always loved Steve, finding him the most trustworthy male in Hawkins to be close friends with their daughter. On multiple occasions they had suggested you and Steve should date but you always shook your head, grimacing at the idea. Now they finally have their wish. 

You stand on the side of your bed, folding your pants into your duffle bag. Your mom sits on the bed beside you, folding your few shirts into your duffle bag as well. “Do we need to have the talk?” Your mom asks, glancing over at you. “It’s nothing to be afraid of, we aren’t those religious people who think sex is bad, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to-.“ 

“Mom,” you say, interrupting her. “I don’t need to have the talk; I took physical education class.” 

Your mom laughs softly, shaking her head. “Just be safe.” 

A few hours later you stand on your porch, duffle bag in hand, waiting to see Steve pull up. The Cunningham’s cabin is two hours away, up north in Indiana. The cabin, according to Steve, is on a lake, in a small resort area. You wonder to yourself how many people will show up and how vicious Tina plans on being. Your head already aches and you haven’t even left yet. 

Moments later, Steve’s car pulls up, the passenger window already rolled down. “There’s my gorgeous girlfriend,” Steve yells, his signature sunglasses covering the top half of his face. 

You wince. “Don’t yell like that,” you call back. “I don’t want the neighbors to hear.” 

Steve puts a hand on his chest. “Ashamed of being seen with me already?” 

You give Steve a fake smile, opening the car door. You get in, shoving your bag in the back seat. “If I was ashamed I wouldn’t be sending my ass up a river to stay at Chrissy Cunningham’s cabin, with Tina there, for you.” 

Steve presses the gas, sending the car lurching forward. “And that is why you are the ultimate best friend.” 

You hum, strapping your seatbelt on across your chest. “What would you do without me?” 

The two hours it takes to get to the cabin flies by quickly due to Steve insisting on developing a detailed game plan for the weekend. 

“We need to make it believable but also leave from for Tina to get jealous.” Steve says, glancing over at you. Beside him, you’re in the passenger seat watching Indiana farms pass by.

“I feel like we’re doing a pretty good job doing that so far; Tina looked like she wanted to kill me when she invited us to the cabin.” 

Steve laughs. “She really does not like you, and she’s never been afraid to show that.” 

“No, she hasn’t and that’s the best part of this arrangement. Dating your best friend who Tina was always threatened by to make her jealous? Brilliant.” You say, glancing at Steve. A strand of his hair dangles on Steve’s forehead, the sun streaming into the car window and dancing across his freckled face, illuminating his soft features. 

Steve changes the subject briefly, noticing how he’s passing several exits on the highway. “Look at the map really quick, I want to make sure we’re going in the right direction.” 

 Eventually, you make it to the Cunningham’s cabin, multiple cars already parked on the gravel driveway. The cabin is set back, hidden from the road by rows of tall, bushy trees. The house is big, a classic cabin style, the largest house on the street. Even from the end of the driveway, you can see the blue water of the lake that outstretches for miles behind the cabin. 

As Steve pulls in, you notice several people lingering at the side of the house: your housemates for the weekend. When Steve parks, retrieving yours and his bags from the back seat, Tina saunters over, greeting only Steve. Casually, as if she and Steve never broke up, Tina throws her arms around Steve. “I’m so glad you made it,” Tina says, playing into her innocent act. While she hugs Steve, she looks over his shoulder, staring you right in the face. You offer a small, innocent smile. It’s only two days you have to be here, you remind yourself. 

After greeting Tina and the others who are spending at the weekend too, Chrissy, Jason, and some of the basketball players with their girlfriends, you make it into the side entrance of the house. 

“Nice place, Cunningham.” Steve says, taking his sunglasses off to look around the house. The inside of the house is grand, large wood furniture stretching towards the ceiling. The entrance leads directly into the kitchen, showcasing large, shiny kitchen appliances that sit on the island that’s settled in the middle of the room. It’s a beautiful home, you hate to admit. 

“Your room is over here,” Chrissy says, Tina close behind her, as they guide you and Steve to a room on the first floor. Down a short hallway, you crowd around the entrance of the bedroom. You peer in, seeing a single bed placed under a window. “You and y/n can stay in here.” Chrissy says to Steve.

You swallow hard, letting your eyes look around the room. There is a dresser in the corner, a small, plush chair adjacent to the bed. Everything starts to connect: you and Steve are expected to share a bed. 

You glance at Steve who’s already looking at you. He offers you a half-hearted smile, realizing the same thing. “This is great, we’ll put out stuff away and meet up with you guys in a second.” 

Chrissy leaves promptly but Tina lingers, analyzing you and Steve as you stand in the bedroom. After a second, she leaves. 

“Don’t worry, I can sleep on the floor, and you can have the bed.” Steve whispers to you, unzipping his bag to unpack his things. “They’ll never know.” 

You stay silent, unzipping your bag too, beginning to unpack your own clothes. For the first time you feel concerned, questioning if you can pull this fake dating scheme off with success. Steve, sensing your hesitation, comes behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders. He squeezes lightly. “We got this.”

Minutes later, you’re back in the Cunningham’s enormous kitchen, Steve retrieving a beer from the fridge and handing it to you. The other house guests are scattered across the kitchen and backyard, mingling together. Steve slings an arm over your shoulder, guiding you to a chair that’s adjacent to the kitchen, just over the kitchen’s boarder into the dining room. Swiftly, Steve pulls you back onto his lap again, the end of his chilled beer resting on your leg. You loop an arm around his shoulders, your legs dangling off the side of Steve’s legs. You both sit together, watching the small group mingle around the kitchen. 

In the days between the party and earlier today when you left Hawkins for the cabin, you had some time to think. You had begun to notice how your body physically reacts to Steve’s touch, the way your mind whirls every time a new set of eyes rest on you and Steve. You have this feeling again now, just as Steve plays his part as a loving boyfriend by placing a kiss on your jaw. You smile, glancing at him briefly. 

At first you just attributed to the mindset that you had engrossed yourself with dedication and devotion. You were pretending to be Steve’s girlfriend, convincing Hawkins High that you and he have been together for months, just secretly. Steve was also committed to making your false relationship believable, always attentive with calling you sweet nicknames, gazing at you lovingly when he introduced you to his other friends, or letting his fingertips drag across your skin. Every time it made your mind buzz, enough to make you wonder why you are feeling such ways.

The next phase of denial you enter is just attributing all your feelings to being so close to Steve. You have been best friends for as long as you can remember, always tied to each other’s hip. You had inside jokes, nicknames for each other, a permanent spot at each other’s family dinner table. You were each other’s dates to dances, you never had to ask, you just knew Steve would show up at your front step in a tux. You knew each other so well. When Steve started having girlfriends started to the mix, you never felt displaced. Steve went through girls constantly, as if there was a never-ending revolving door of them; yet each one respected you and Steve’s friendship and made sure to always make space for you. That is, of course, until Tina. 

You’re brought out of your thoughts when a shrill voice echoes across the kitchen. “Steve, you’re the tallest one here, can you lend me some help?” Tina’s voice says from around the corner.

Steve taps your legs, signaling for you to move. You stand up, allowing Steve to get up from his seat. He hands you his beer, moving across the kitchen to help Tina. “I’ll be right back,” Steve says to you with a smile. Steve leaves you alone, and as you sit back in the sofa chair, you miss the subtle warmth of Steve underneath you. 

After a few minutes, Steve hasn’t come back and you stand up, feeling the need to socialize and not sit alone in the corner. You weave through Chrissy and Jason who stand on one side of the kitchen island. Some basketball players, and their girlfriends, stand on the other side of the island. “Nice of you to join us, y/n.” Jason says, glancing at you as you walk by. 

You smile meekly. “What are you all up to?” 

“Actually,” Jason says, leaning on the countertop. “We were wondering about how you and Steve started dating.” 

“Oh, you know.” you say, simply. “Best friends that finally acknowledged they liked each other; no story really.” 

The group laughs, eyeing you curiously. The chatter continues around you, leaving you to listen to the back and forth. Down the hallway, however, you hear a set of laughs that takes your attention away. In the reflection of the class doors that lead to the driveway, you see Steve and Tina leaning against the banister of the stairs. Steve reaches out, pawing at Tina’s arm, a simple touch of affection. A pang of jealousy hits you and you’re startled by the feeling. The reality of the game you play with Steve washes over you again as you watch him and Tina flirt, knowing there’s nothing you can do about it because that’s the whole point of you and Steve dating in the first place – getting Tina back.

For the first time, you consider how Steve and Tina’s subtle, but not really, flirting is perceived by the other houseguests. As Steve has attempts to make Tina jealous, allowing himself to flirt with her or let her eye’s linger on him, did everyone really think you were stupid enough to not notice? What you hadn’t signed up for when Steve asked you to fake date him is to look like a fool and you hated to think that Steve’s actions were making you seem like a dumb, oblivious, person and girlfriend. And that thought really pissed you off. 

“Let’s play a game.” Tina says, clasping her hands together. The group eight of sit around the living room, you and Steve sitting next to each other on the large, retro couch. His arm is around your shoulder, and you squirm underneath his touch. Across the living room, Chrissy sits on a loveseat, Tina and the rest of the group scattered around the floor. You couldn’t get your mind to stop thinking about Steve in the hallway with Tina. 

Jason laughs, a beer in his hand, as he seats himself next to Chrissy. “A little childish, Tina, don’t you think?” 

Tina shakes her head. “Not at all, we need a little fun. Let’s keep it simple; truth or dare.”

“Sounds fun,” Tina’s boyfriend says supportively. 

Tina offers a smile to her partner, appreciating his support. “Great, I’ll start – someone ask me.” 

“Okay, truth or dare, Tina?” Chrissy asks, leaning over to look across the room to Tina. 

“Truth,” Tina says. You have the urge to roll your eyes, but you suppress it, watching as the game begins to unfold in front of you. Instead, your clasp your hands together, squeezing your palms together.

“What is the worst mistake you’ve made?” Chrissy says after contemplating for a minute. 

Tina looks across the room at Steve, her eyes lingering on him for just a minute. You know she wants to say it’s breaking up with Steve. To some extent, the plan of fake dating Steve is working, Tina showing her jealousy and curiosity about you and Steve’s relationship; so, you should be happy. But you feel an unsettling feeling, one that makes you feel confused about everything happening around you. 

After a second, Tina takes her eyes off of Steve and looks back at Chrissy. “Definitely getting that haircut sophomore year; it was such a popular hairstyle and as soon as I got it, it went out of style.” Everyone is the room laughs, including Steve, and you smile half-heartedly. “Okay, who’s next? How about you, Steve?” 

“All right, I’ll give it a go.” Steve says, his body leaning into you more. From his movements, you smell his cologne radiating off of him, the familiar smell offering some comfort. 

“Truth or dare?” Tina asks, cocking her head to the side.

You don’t know if you want Steve to pick truth or dare: both could be dangerous options.    

“Dare.” 

Tina smiles, her eyes settling on you. “Kiss y/n; I don’t think any of have seen you guy kiss yet.” 

Your body freezes, every muscle becoming rigid. You’re terrified for a lot of reasons: one reason is because you have never kissed anyone before which is a truth not even Steve knows. The second reason is that you’re about to be forced to kiss Steve, your best friend, and you have no idea how you feel about that. 

“Yeah, Harrington, give your girl a kiss. No need to be conservative here, we’re all friends.” Jason says, gesturing towards where you and Steve sit with his hand that grips his beer bottle. 

“Is that really necessary? We just aren’t big participants in PDA.” Steve says, laughing nervously. 

“Now’s your chance.” Tina says, her eyes landing on you. 

Steve angles his body towards you, you wonder if you feel his hands tremble. You angle your body towards him as well, your knees touching. Steve looks at you, his eyes going to your lips. You’re really about to kiss Steve – in front of everyone. 

Steve scoots closer to you, his hand reaching out, his hand cupping your face. His fingertips brush your face, your skin buzzing at the sensation. Your muscles go from rigid to limp, your head becoming lightheaded. Before Steve leans in, he gazes at you briefly, letting his thumb brush your cheekbone. Then, he leans in, and you follow his lead, leaning in to let your lips meet his. 

You thought it’d be a short kiss, just a small peck, but it’s anything but. Steve’s mouth moves rhythmically in yours, the feeling of his plush lips against yours causing a small tornado to brew in your stomach. The smell of Steve’s cologne that was comforting a few seconds ago was now overwhelming to you, numbing the surrounding environment – the people that watch you. Steve’s lips are sweet, the beer tinting the flavor of his mouth. 

It feels like you have been kissing Steve for hours, though it most likely was only a few seconds. You pull away, breaking you and Steve’s point of contact. He leans in further, following your mouth as you pull away, but Steve realizes what he’s doing and backs away.

 Steve clears his throat, leaning back on the couch. “See, we kiss,” Steve says. Similar to you, Steve’s mind draws blank after blank, his mind whirling with a set of emotions that confuse him. He finds himself enjoying sharing a kiss with you, noticing how his mouth followed you as you pulled away. He hopes you didn’t notice that. 

You look at the small group of faces that watched you, small smiles on their mouths. Tina, however, has her arms crossed, her lips puckered with discontent. 

“I felt like we should have given you privacy, that was intense.” Jason says, laughing. “What else do you guys do in private?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “All right, All right, let’s move on.”

“Y/n, your turn.” Tina says, adjusting in her seat. “Truth or dare?” 

“Truth,” you say, not wanting to see what type of dare Tina would have in store for you. Turns out, though, that her truths are far much worse then any dare. 

“Did you and Steve get together right after he and I broke up? I mean you were his best friend and around us all the time. Were you just hoping we’d break up so you can have him all to yourself?” Tina asks. The room goes silent. 

You sigh, knowing this was waiting for you all along. “Of course not, Tina. We got together after you and Steve had broken up and it was clear you were getting back together.” 

Tina hums, crossing her arms across her chest. “For some reason, I just don’t believe that. It’s such a coincidence that two best friends got together so close after a breakup – I mean surely he was still thinking about me when he together with you.” Tina says, glancing at Steve. “Are you sure you’re not a rebound?” 

“Tina-“ Steve says, but you hold up your hand, ready to meet Tina.

“I just don’t get why you care so much, Tina? Aren’t you the one that broke up with Steve to immediately date someone else? Are you sure that’s just a coincidence or were you plotting that while you were still dating Steve?” You say, knowing you questioning Tina, in front of her closest friends, was getting dangerously close to her most vicious point. 

Tina laughs, shaking her head. “Oh, y/n. You sit there with Steve acting so innocent like the perfect little girlfriend, but little do you know everything Steve does for you know, I taught him. He probably still calls out my name during sex.” 

You jaw clenches, the sounds of people snickering fill the silence in the room. Steve is still, completely motionless beside you, listening to you handle your own against Tina. He feels sick, his stomach twisted is regret. Steve thinks about how he never should have gotten you involved in this.  “I think you give yourself too much credit, Tina, Steve has most certainly moved on.” 

“All right you two, that was definitely more than one question, Tina.” Jason says, interrupting you and Tina. You let your back relax against the couch, feeling the heat in the room creep inside of you. 

Steve puts his arm around your shoulders, acknowledging the tough situation Tina had just put you through. He squeezes your shoulder. Watching Tina attempt to embarrass you, in front of everyone, made Steve question what he was doing attempting to get Tina back in his life. He knew Tina’s personality is bland, her only joy in life coming from tearing other people down - for what? Suddenly, loses his motivation to get Tina back – he just wants to take you and he home. 

“Let’s go,” Steve whispers to you, beginning to stand up off the couch. He reaches out, grabbing your hand in his. “We’re going to hit the hay early tonight; we’ll see you in the morning.” Steve says to the rest of the group. Everyone mumbles goodnight, their eyes watching you and Steve move out of the room. They pick back up where they started, Chrissy up next to pick truth or dare. 

“Steve don’t sleep on the floor. Just get in the bed.” You say, listening to Steve whimper as he lays himself on the hardwood floor. You hear him pause. “Really? It’s so uncomfortable down here.” He says, leaning up to look at you on the bed. 

You nod. “Just don’t touch me, we aren’t that close.”

Steve laughs, placing his pillow on the bed next to yours. You move yourself back, letting Steve maneuver himself into the bed. The mattress dips under his weight, his warm body laying close to yours. For a few minutes you lay in silence, watching the darkness stream through the shades of the window. Shadows dance across the ceiling, your eyes watching as you listen to the crickets that chirp in the dark of the night outside. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve says, breaking the dark silence. His arm brushes against yours. “Tina was vicious today and I didn’t stop it.” You shake your head, looking at Steve from the corner of your eye. “Don’t apologize, I knew she some sort of plan against me.” 

“Still,” Steve says, meeting your eye contact. Steve’s glance turns into a gaze, holding your eye contact. In your stomach, you feel a flutter. If someone told you Steve would be the one to check things off your boxes – giving you your first kiss or sharing a bed with a boy; you’re sure you would have told them they were out of their mind. You break your eye contact, looking back at the ceiling. 

Beside you, Steve lets his long fingers slither against the back of your hand, picking yours up to rest against his. Steve outstretches your hand, comparing the size of it to his large hand that dwarfs yours. “You’re so small and delicate.” 

You laugh, looking over at yours and his hands. “You’re just noticing our size difference now?”

Steve interlaces his fingers with yours, enveloping yours hand with his. He squeezes your hand gently. “Fake dating you has allowed me to realize things about you I ignored when we were just best friends.” 

“Don’t get soft on me, Steve.” You say, although the flutter in your stomach grows more intense. 

Only one day left. 

The day at the Cunningham’s cabin starts bright and early; Jason bangs on you and Steve’s bedroom door, jolting you out of Steve arms, which is wrapped around you, holding you against his body. You and Steve glance at each other, mutually agreeing not to speculate how you both ended sleeping in such a position. 

“Steve and y/n, up and at em’ lovebirds! Meet us by the water in five.” Jason yells, the sound of his voice pounding in your head. It’s too early to yell. 

Quickly, you and Steve throw on lake appropriate outfits, turning each other’s back to one another, providing as much privacy as you can, considering the circumstance. 

You’re halfway out the back door of the house when Steve grasps your forearm. “Hand,” Steve holds his hand out to you. “Gotta make it believable, babe,” Steve says, overemphasizing the nickname. You smile, taking his hand, though you have a funny feeling inside of you – something you can’t put your finger on.

“There they are!” Chrissy says, extending her arms over her head. Chrissy’s feet were already in the water, Jason beside her. Tina glances at you, offering a fake smile, though she trains her eyesight is aimed at you and Steve’s hands that are intertwined. 

“Here we are,” Steve says almost unenthusiastically. You can tell his socialization level is beginning to bottom out. 

“Drinks are over there,” Jason says, pointing towards a cooler several feet away. “We’re thinking of playing volleyball and swimming. I’ll get the floats out of the basement later.” 

Steve looks over at you. “Volleyball or swimming?” 

You shake your head. “I think I’ll just sit for now.” 

Steve frowns, but nods, letting go of your hand. “Okay, I’ll sit with you-“ As Steve speaks, Jason calls his name. “Steve, come play a round of volleyball with us.” You look towards Jason, seeing Tina, Tina’s boyfriend, and Jason stand on the volleyball court. “We need a fourth.”

Steve looks over at you. You smile, gesturing towards where Jason. “Go, I’ll be fine.” Steve nods, his eyes lingering on yours, before he jogs away towards the volleyball court. 

You continue towards the beach chairs, noticing Chrissy is already sitting in one. “May I join you?” you ask, sitting down in the chair beside her. 

“Not a fan of volleyball?” Chrissy asks, looking over at you. 

“Not a fan of anything physical,” you say, letting your legs stretch out in front of you. The lake has rough sand, but you let your bare feet dig into it. 

Chrissy laughs. “I feel the same way, I always get lightheaded. My exercise is cheer and that’s about it.” 

You smile, glancing at Chrissy. You never truly interacted with Chrissy, her crowd is much different than yours, the two groups never interacting. You had heard good things about her, always kind and sweet to everyone. You always wondered if she was as fake as Tina, considering they were close friends, but you find the rumors are true – she’s incredibly kind. 

You’re about to respond to Chrissy but cheers from the opposite direction pull your attention away and towards the sound. You watch as Steve and Tina, who are on the same side of the volleyball net, high-five, Tina squealing with excitement. You lean back against the webbed beach chair with a soft huff. 

“That’s got to be tough,” Chrissy says. “Tina is trying too hard to be friendly with Steve post breakup. I told her to leave you two alone, but she won’t listen.”

You toss an uneasy smile at Chrissy, opting to look directly in front of you at the lake. “Oh, it’s okay. I’m not worried.” 

Chrissy cocks her head to the side, not believing a word you say. “Your face says otherwise. I’m sure she’ll get bored, I mean she has to, Steve is so into you.” 

You frown, whipping your head to Chrissy. “W-What?” 

Chrissy turns away from you, positing herself to look straight ahead, her arms dangling off the arms of the chair. She, too, outstretches her legs in front of herself, her legs seemingly going on for miles. “The way he looks at you, it’s so obvious.” 

You swallow, digesting what Chrissy is telling you. Steve? The way he looks at you? Chrissy must be wrong, any look that Steve gives you is purely because you’ve been friends for what feels like decades, and you might as well be the same person – Siamese twins even. 

You’re silent for a long time, the noise of other neighbors coming out from their house to be lake go-ers for the day filling the silence.  Your mind is in a whirl as you’re deep in thought, thinking about Chrissy’s comment, and you jolt when Chrissy places her hand on your forearm. “Come on, let’s go into the water.” 

The lake behind Chrissy’s house is huge, from where you stand you can see the houses that peek out from the trees around the lake. The lake must be miles and miles long, boats saunter across the water, those who occupy them dancing to the radio together. Though the lake is only accessible to those who own a house, the lake is big enough, and deep enough, to need a lifeguard. A very cute lifeguard in fact. 

You and Chrissy stand knee deep in the lukewarm lake water, watching small fish swim between your legs. You chat with Chrissy, finding out that she’s much more easy going then you thought she’d be. The day has passed by quickly, the morning turning into the afternoon with little transition. After a little swimming, you and Chrissy begin to walk down the length of the Cunningham’s property, the edge of her home right where the lifeguard stand is.

A whistle blows, the sound cracking, signaling the whistle should be retired soon, interrupting you and Chrissy’s conversation. “Ladies, looking that good is certainly a swimming hazard. Back on the shore, please.” You and Chrissy look at each other, giggling at the lifeguards comment. 

The lifeguard is beautiful; his torso is bare showcasing his toned upper half and strong muscles. He has dark hair, his short locks framing his face perfectly. Freckles are dashed across his face, a boyish smile on his mouth. He moves, with ease, down from his stand, making his way over to where you and Chrissy stand, only a few inches from the shore. 

“I’m Blake,” Blake, the lifeguard says. “And you two are?”

“I’m Chrissy,” Chrissy says, clasping her hands in front of her. “And this is y/n.” 

Blake looks at you, his eyes lingering. “Y/n, you’re awfully beautiful.” 

You smile, your face flushing at the compliment. “Thank you, Blake.” 

“Chrissy!” Jason yells from far away, their volleyball game concluding a bit ago. “I need your help getting the floats from the basement!” Chrissy glances between you and Blake, then jogs off towards the shore, leaving you and Blake alone. You should have realized how not mentioning to Blake that you had a boyfriend, Steve, might look to Chrissy but in the moment you didn’t care. Why couldn’t you have a little fun on this god forsaken trip? 

“Just here for the weekend?” Blake asks, bringing you back into the conversation. 

You nod, softly crossing your arms in front of your scantily clad chest. “Yeah, with some friends.” 

Blake nods, his eyes grazing down your body. “That’s too bad, the hot ones always have to leave.” 

Later, you’ll realize that Blake is not your type, and how his gives player vibes, but in the moment, you just want to have fun leaving the ideas that Steve looks at you a certain way or the weird flutter you felt last night as you laid with behind you. 

You just want a distraction from it all.

Where you stand with Blake, you have no idea that Steve is watching. Steve is perplexed on what to do as he’s blinded with raging emotions. He’s pissed; the tall, gorgeous lifeguard standing beside you, his eyes taking every inch of your bare skin. For a moment, Steve doesn’t even consider what everyone else who’s staying at Chrissy’s cabin thinks as they glance with curiosity at this stranger interacting with you, Steve’s girlfriend. Steve wants to do nothing more than punch the lights out of this guy, bruising his eyes that visually violate you. Steve watches for a few minutes, you laugh, you reach out touching this lifeguard’s arm. Steve can’t take it any longer when you turn around and the lifeguard looks right at your ass, shamelessly. 

Steve stalks over to you and Blake, his feet moving him quick. “Y/n!” Steve calls, making it over to you and the male in seconds. “There you are babe; I’ve been calling you.” Nonchalantly, Steve places his arm over your shoulder, interrupting you and Blake’s conversation. Steve offers Blake an innocent yet threatening smile as he nudges you along. You squeak as Steve begins to rush you away. You don’t even get to say bye to Blake. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Steve whispers to you when you’re far away from Blake, guiding you away from the water. “Flirting with that asshole in front of everyone, you’re supposed to be my girlfriend, remember?” 

You’re pissed too, Steve ruining your only chance to experience joy on this trip. “Sorry, I’m just trying to have a little fun. You can flirt with Tina all day long, in front of everyone, but I can’t flirt with some random lifeguard?” 

Steve snorts, his grip tightening around your shoulder. “I’m not flirting with Tina; I was just playing volleyball with her. You heard Jason, they needed a fourth player!”

You hum, attempting to shrug your Steve’s arm off your shoulder. “This sucks Steve, this has gone far beyond just getting Tina back. She has it out for me, last night was proof, and I’m just looking like a stupid, oblivious girlfriend as you sneak around with Tina, and I’m just supposed to not notice?” 

Steve hustles you past the group of teens that surround the firepit in the middle of the backyard, bringing the beach chairs from the lake and onto the grass. They all stare, your argument moving from whispers to loud enough that they can catch glimpses of your argument. 

“Keep your voice down,” Steve says. Steve moves you onto the porch, opening the sliding glass and pushing you into the kitchen. “You’re going to blow our cover.”

Outside, the day begins to dim, the sky turning a dark blue color. The little bit of light outside illuminates the room enough for you and Steve to maneuver around the kitchen island. “You already did that Steve! By flirting with Tina so carelessly. You want to flirt with Tina? Fine. But you don’t have to do it in front of everyone and make me look stupid.” You march into yours and Steve’s designated bedroom, passing him on one side of the island in the process. Steve follows you. 

“Y/n,” Steve says with a sigh. “Look, I’m sorry. Okay?” 

You’re covered in lake water, the dry feeling that clings to your body makes you know that you should shower before getting into bed, but there’s no place you’d rather be then under the sheets. You lift the bedsheets up, climb into the bed. “I don’t care, Steve, Whatever, it’s fine.” 

Steve stands in the doorway, watching you turn into a lump under the sheets. Although you’re arguing, he finds himself smiling. “I mean it, I’m sorry.” 

“I mean it, I don’t care. Just go back out to the party and your beloved Tina.” 

Steve is amused but mostly frustrated - for two reasons. For one, wasn’t this the whole point? Making Tina jealous so she’d come back to him? Maybe you had a point about making you look stupid, but he thought you and he were on the same page, understanding the same game plan of Tina becoming his girlfriend again so you two didn’t have to fake dating. Second, Steve hated it when you and he fight. You never did – the last time was when you were 14 and Steve had seen a movie with his friend when he said he’d see it with you first (you were pissed, to say the least) - and he hated that the first fight in a long time was over Tina. 

“Fine,” Steve says, turning on his heel. “Be that way.” And Steve disappears around the corner. You’re sure Steve is going to come back, apologize profusely, but you give up that hope when you hear the sliding door close shut behind him. 

As he sits on the beach chair around the campfire, next to Tina, Steve’s mind begins to drift away, thinking about his reaction to seeing you and the lifeguard. Why had he gotten so mad? I mean, wanting to physically harm a guy that was flirting with you was a bit much, surely. He acknowledges to himself how he didn’t like seeing you flirt with someone, another male drinking your body in, and he wonders what that confession could mean. Does he have a thing for you, and it took being in a fake relationship, at Chrissy Cunningham’s cabin, seeing you flirting with a lifeguard, for Steve to realize that? All Steve could think about, while his friends laugh and roast marshmallows together, is that he wanted to be under the sheets with you, your small body curved against his – and that scares the shit out of him. 

It's going to be a long ride back to Hawkins. 

[french-vanilla-in-the-clouds]

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞!

𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔! 𝑮𝒆𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒚!

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐎𝐍𝐄: Head over to your camera roll. The last celebrity or fictional character saved to your gallery is your Valentine's date --- oh! what a cutie! 💗

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐓𝐖𝐎: Sneak a peek at my Valentine's Date scenario chart! Here's how it works: Choose the first letter of your first name, your birthday month, and your star sign to reveal the ins-and-outs of your romantic getaway! 🥀

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄: Share the deets and share the love! Tag any lovely moots or followers that you think might get a kick out of this! Cheers! 🥂

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄! 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓!

I'll go first...

Okay... the Governor and I are headed to Vienna to catch a show at the theatre and I'll be gifted a love letter! I love this man to bits but I'm expecting a double cross... ❤️🥀

moots, assemble! *no pressure, of course!*: @starstruck-loner @goldencherriess @astudyinlaura @lumosouls @misaverawrites @selcouthangel @asherloki @baby-bloos @thespiritoflife @lydiablack-m @starryeddie @andthevillainshallrises @bakerstreethound @silverdaydreamer @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @classickook @lucywrites02 @stupidthoughtsinwriting @blogthebooklover @imeternallylove @fictional-hooman @waiting-for-cas-to-save-me @amplifyme @frostandflamesfanfic @mindibindi @foxmulderlovebot @space-helen @inlovewithfictionalcharacters666 @paperheartsarts @aephereal @christinasyellowflowers @natti-ice

[agent-tempest]

My favorite fanfics!

Loki Friggason [Marvel]

Dancing in the dark (with you between my arms) by @holymultiplefandomsbatman [Fluff]

Paper rings by @cherryrogers [Pure fluff]

Back in your arms by @sarahscribbles [starts angsty but happiest fluffiest ending]

Remus Lupin [Marauders Era]

I don't want them. I want you by @theemporium [Fluff, Marriage, Drunk!Remus]

You are in love by @starstruckmoony [fluff]

Red by @jamespottersdaisy [Banter, fluff]

Gold Rush by @jamespottersdaisy [pure fluff]

Hiccups and hijinks by @dreaminginpastels [Plus-size!Reader, fluff, mutual pining, mentions of insecurity and self-doubt]

Jealous Prof!Reader by @turvi [Fluff, wife!Reader]

Let me help by @jamespottersdaisy [bad mental health, eating disorder?, angst]

Remus saying "I love you" to the for the first time by @theemporium [xReader, pure fluff]

Remus taking care of Drunk!Reader by @theemporium [Potter!Reader, Drunk!Reader, Soft Remus]

Remus being soft only with reader near fullmoons by @lizard-onawindowpane [Pure fluff]

Calm after the storm by @earthgirl616 [enemies to lovers, swearing, kissing, mention of blood and wounds]

Pinky Promise by @jamespottersdaisy [Pre and Post Moon!Remus, Remus and reader have a fight]

Our Band Part 1 Part 2 by @wzrd-wheezes [Marauders Band AU, Barista!Reader]

Kaz Brekker [Grishaverse]

Deadly fever by @webslinger-holland [mentions of severe illness, mentions of traumatic childhood, mentions of needles and bloodletting]

Book Club by @rainydaymiscellaneous [fluff, Kaz is in love]

There was this boy... by @mcntsee [Fluff]

Schon by @mcntsee [Kinda ooc Kaz, kaz is ok with y/n’s touch. Stabbing, blood, killing]

Peter Parker [TASM]

Worth Saving by @fettuccin-e [Hurt/Comfort]

Sirius Black [Marauders Era]

I think he knows by @theemporium [potter!reader, fluff, James being a Mood]

Words that slip through by @padfootagain [Fluff, tiny bit of Angst(?)]

For your family by @padfootagain [Fluff, Arrange marriage trope, Soulmate au]

Forced by @sirisuorionblack [Fluff, Arrange Marriage trope, toxic household]

Sirius wants a hug, but doesn't know how to ask by @gtgbabie0 [Fluff, touchstarved Sirius]

Everything has changed by @once-upon-an-imagine [Fluff, Lupin!Reader, Jilly Wedding]

Sirius being jealous of a cat by @theemporium [fluff, jealous!Sirius and *in steve's voice* Language]

A cozy rainy night with Sirius by @theemporium [pure fluff]

James Potter [Marauders era]

Stop flirting with the nurse, it's embarrassing by @perpetuallydaydreaming [Fluff, Siri & Pete being melodramatic]

First Impressions by @jackie5656 [Fluff, Descriptions of assault and attempted assault]

Just to Kiss by @chrryhrt [Frat!James x Reader, Idiots to lovers, friends to lovers, small mention of alcohol]

Regulus Black [Marauders era]

Coward by @sirisuorionblack [Hurt/comfort, Arrange marriage trope, acedemic rivals]

Moon Boys [Moon Knight, Marvel]

Jake Lockley- Cucumber face mask and fist of vengeance by @wysteria-clad [Fluff]

Jack Lockley- dlz by @ichorai [Angst, mild fluff, marriage au]

Marc, Steven and Jake- Clumsy by @marvelsswansong [fluff]

Marc, Steven and Jake- Secret Identities Part 1 Part 2 by @bensolosbluesaber [Fluff, reader is an Avenger]

Benedict Bridgerton [Bridgerton]

Matchmakers by @siempre-bucky [fluff]

Not for him by @iwritefandomimagines [Platonic!Anthony playing matchmaker, Fluff, slight angst]

Second son by @fayes-fics

Druig [Eternals, Marvel]

Druig x Reader by @siempre-bucky [fluff]

Stephen Strange [Marvel]

July 19th by @frostandflamesfanfic [Fluff, Strange being a dad to America]

[frostandflamesfanfic]

Everyone Has a Talent (Jesper Fahey x Reader)

Request: No (self indulgent)

Pairing: Jesper Fahey x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: Nothing except a very flirtatious Zemeni sharpshooter

Summary: Here in Ketterdam, you've finally found a home. Even though it's chaotic, you love your life. You love your friends. When walking through the city to deliver a message for the one and only Kaz Brekker, what happens when you catch your best friend flirting with himself in the mirror?

As you walked through the streets of Ketterdam, you couldn't help but let a flicker of a smile spread across your face. The Barrel could be overwhelming at times, but it was home. You had arrived here at the lowest point of your life; you were orphaned, tired, and hungry. It didn't help that you were also down on your luck. The only way you were able to have a meal in your stomach was when you could afford to swipe scraps from neighboring carts and shops.

You found yourself at the front stoop of the Crow Club a few weeks after your arrival. At first, you thought you had gotten caught for lifting a few kruge from a lady's bag in an attempt to afford some real food. The next thing you knew, you were escorted to the back room awaiting a conference with the Bastard himself. Somehow you had managed to convince both Kaz Brekker and Per Haskell that you were worth the risk. They offered you a deal: five years of service and enough kruge to tide you over to wherever the next adventure took you -- no strings attached. How could you possibly refuse?

You had been working with the Dregs ever since. At some point, you even managed to prove yourself useful enough to be trusted on heists. The night Kaz totally didn't "relocate'' Jan Van Eck's prized De Kappel, you were there. You had run the surveillance during the job. It wasn't the most glamorous of responsibilities, but it still gave you a feeling of purpose. There were times that you would be called upon by Kaz to put together last-minute disguises to take on another job. Although that was incredibly infrequent.

Still, you couldn't complain. Kaz hadn't just given a roof over your head and a steady income; he had given you a family, too. You had started to grow closer to some of the Dregs after a few missions. Jesper Fahey (Kaz's overly flirty and gangly sharpshooter) and Inej Ghafa (Kaz's prized Wraith and...investment?) were two individuals you shared particularly close connections with. You would spend many nights keeping watch and waiting for new shipments to enter the Ketterdam docks. Conversation was bound to happen. At least, with one of them, anyway. Inej mostly kept to herself, only speaking when absolutely necessary.

Jesper was different, though. The two of you would use the time to catch up on what was happening in your lives, commiserating over how dead-ass broke you were, and for you to pester Jesper about his gambling addiction. It didn't matter what you talked about or what job you were on. You just enjoyed being together. One of your favorite conversations in particular was a game you would play. You would plan out these exotic days of adventure for when you could finally leave the busy city and explore. When Jesper had found out you wanted to travel, he encouraged you to save up for a trip.

"You never know when your last day may be," he insisted. "You deserve a trip, love. Treat yourself when this is all over. Just don't forget about us little people."

You'd be lying if you said you hadn't imagined what would happen if you brought Jesper along on your travels. What would your lives look like? Would your dynamic still be the same or would it be different? Would you start a life together? It wasn't that the thought scared you. It was quite the opposite, really. The idea of having a real- an actual life- with Jesper brought a smile to your face every time you thought about it. You just didn't know how he felt about it.

=  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =

As you continued your trek, you turned into an alcove where you found your best friend getting lost staring into a side mirror. Jesper was pretending to be some sort of suave gunslinger. Which, while he technically was, it never hurt to see him practice. He always looked so calm and so cool. The thwip of the weapons being removed from the holsters and placed back moments later was almost relaxing. You couldn't allow yourself to get distracted, though. You had a message and you were quite attached to the fingers Kaz had threatened to remove should you not find Jesper.

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" you began, a smirk tugging at the corner of your mouth.

Jesper grinned back at you through his shiny reflection. "What can I say?" he remarked. "When something looks this good, you need to stop and appreciate the true art."

A laugh escaped your lips. "I can't tell if you're flirting with yourself or the mirror."

"Couldn't it be both, love?" The Zemeni sharpshooter turned around and shot you a wink. "What's the problem with a little self-love?"

"It's a problem when it's distracting you from the task at hand."

"And just what might that be, love?" Jesper moved to place his revolvers back in his holster, resting his hands lazily on top of the handles. He loved those weapons more than life itself. You'd seen him play with them when he was bored, anxious, or plain fidgety. Which, needless to say, was always. It mesmerized you to watch him spin the weapons as if they were mere children's toys. Back and forward, round his index fingers...Saints, the things those hands have done…

You cleared your throat and shook your head to clear your thoughts. Can't afford to get distracted, you reminded yourself. The blush flashing across your cheeks almost caused you to hide. "Uh, Kaz needs you," you somehow managed to get out.

"He always needs me." It was meant to be a casual careless statement, but you could sense the subtle presence of pride laced in his voice. "I think he could spare a few minutes."

You stood there in silence for a minute, unsure of what to do next. The right thing to do would be to go find Kaz. But you and Jesper rarely had time together outside of heists…

"Come here."

You blinked. "What?"

Jesper gave you a small smile and pointed to a spot on the ground beside him. "I said come here."

You shoved your hands deep in your pockets and shrugged. "I'm fine right here, thanks," you responded. "What's the problem?"

"I want to show you something." He was determined when he wanted something. You had to give him that. You were surprised when he sighed and grabbed your arms, gently pulling you closer to the mirror. Jesper pointed to the mirror. "Look."

"Okay...that's me?" You were now confused. "What's wrong?"

Jesper gestured with his hands. "You look tense," he remarked. “Make a face at it. Just do something to relax."

"How can I relax?! I tried, but there's just too much to do!" you exclaimed in a bitter huff. "You make it look easy. What's the secret?"

Your friend made a little show by leaning down as if he was about to whisper in your ear. You had to repress a shiver as his breath fanned against your cheek. He was so close right now, his chest pressed against your back. It was an intimate feeling, but you had to stop yourself before you made a mistake that ruined everything. "Afraid it's a trade secret, love," he mused with a dramatically hushed tone and wink. "It's just yet another Jesper talent."

"I just wish I even had a single talent."

This confession seemed to surprise Jesper, whose eyes widened slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that," he said. "You have a great number of talents."

You gave a small shrug. "I make clothes and I hide in the shadows," you relented. "Nothing as groundbreaking as shooting a guy's hat off from twenty feet."

"Actually, it was twenty five, but..." Jesper caught himself when he recognized your giving him a steely glare. He cleared his throat. "That's besides the point. I'm sure we can find something for you." Suddenly, his dark complexion shone with an unexpected glow. "I've got it!"

You watched in the mirror as he reached into his holster and pulled out one of his prized mother-of-pearl encrusted revolvers. The cold metal was a shock against your skin as Jesper pressed the weapon securely in your palm. "Try this. I will have you know that if you break it, I may need to reconsider this partnership." Even though his tone was serious, you knew Jesper was joking...possibly. "Now, here. Spin it like this...now like that..."

The two of you spent the next twenty minutes practicing revolver spins in the alley mirror. There were a few times where you would end up losing your grip on the gun, but Jesper was standing right by you to make sure it wouldn't be too detrimental to the design. You were so engrossed in the lesson that you almost didn't notice how much your smile had grown from before. Your cheeks had a tint of pink against them due to Jesper's close proximity, but you knew it would fade in a second. You just wanted to enjoy this moment.

When you finally managed to get a full series of rotations, you jumped for joy. Without thinking, you quickly pulled Jesper into a kiss. It was a short-lived moment, but the contact set off a bushel of butterfly flutters in your stomach. "I'm so sorry!" you were quick to apologize. Kissing your best friend was one thing, but your coworker? That was a whole other set of wrong. "It won't happen again."

"...Why not?"

You froze, eyes locking onto Jesper's grey hues. "What?"

"What was so bad about kissing me?" he asked. "I didn't think it was half bad."

He liked it? your mind asked you. That's certainly surprising. "Well," you tried to explain. "We do work together."

"I do think I'd be able to exhibit control, love. You on the other hand..." Jesper held up his hands in mock apology, which only had a well placed smack sent in his direction. “Ow! Don’t hit me!”

"I can kiss you! I don't have a problem with it." You really needed to think before you spoke.

Before you could run away, you felt Jesper's hand graze your left cheek. You could feel the stingingly cold metal of his colorful rings. His fingers were calloused, yet soft after all his work in the Club and the field. "Then how about we try that again?"

Surprised, you nodded silently and his lips were over yours once more. The two of you stayed there for as long as possible without losing oxygen. The only problem with that was you never heard Kaz approach with his cane. "Jesper," he said. "We need to go. Now." Kaz paused for a moment. "And tell your kissing pal that when the two of you are done, they're needed to collect some coin from the vault."

With a sigh against your lips, Jesper pulled away. "Right away, boss," he replied.

"This better not affect your performances," Kaz warned. He then nodded and limped away with his cane clutched tightly in his hand. It was just you and Jesper again. Alone. In the alleyway.

"Well, love," Jesper apologized. "I hate to kiss and run, but I"m afraid I'm needed." He pecked your cheek quickly before shrugging on his coat. It made your cheeks flush again. "We'll continue this when I get back, yeah?"

You could only wordlessly nod in agreement, causing him to give a curt nod as well. "Good." He began to walk away. "Oh, and by the way," he said in a louder tone. "I do think we found your talent."

===============

Author's Note: Okay, so hi. I completely disappeared from the writing circuit forever ago and still haven't completely come back. I wrote this fic almost two years ago when I first got into the Grishaverse fandom. It is posted on my AO3 if you want to see it in its former glory, but I felt it was high time to upload it here. When I found this in my docs, I was kind of surprised at how I captured his character, but I didn't hate it??

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of my writing again. If you did, please drop a like and reblog this fic so I know whether or not to bring back my favorite cheeky guy again. I hope to be back to writing some fic soon, as I'm taking a creative writing class this semester in uni, so the ideas should be flowing again!! Make sure to follow so you don't miss a thing -- we're so close to 500 followers, which is insane to me. Can't tell you how grateful I am for each and every single one of my fellow fandom people <3

[bakerstreethound]

for the fake fic title challenge! “For As Long As I’ve Loved You” ☺️

Alright this has Steve and Jesper written all over it. Let's say childhood friends to lovers to exes to lovers again or something along the sort. With Steve you've gone off to university leaving him behind, same with you and Jesper, he obviously went his own way and became Kaz's right hand man.

But tons of angst and resolving the problems of "oh wow, hey I actually liked you but was terrified without you when you left I decided to distance myself from others/wallow away and find an outlet for my pain."

Steve would be soft and romantic when he confesses this and cue the rain falling on him and you take him back to your apartment to get dry clothes and he finds you stole his old sweatshirt in the closet and was like "Huh, I wondered where that one went." Cue you snuggled up in the hoodie and him holding you as you watch a favorite film, a bowl of popcorn and snacks next to you. Before you asks yes there's so many kisses to make up for lost time of course!

Now with Jesper, we know he's suave so he's so baffled when you cross paths again and he wants to hold you, he can't sit still in the chair in Kaz's office causing a glare to cross the gang leader's face to the point he kicks Jesper out. "You clearly have something else better on your mind than all this coin, Jes," Kaz taunts, leaving a bewildered Jesper gaping behind the closed door then he scowls, stomping down the stairs to get out of the Slat to his favorite gambling table of the Crow Club.

Cue you bumping into him, and you dart down the street and up to the roof, almost slipping cause heck you're terrified what would you say? It was stupid to see him again, right? But what he doesn't know is you're running from Pekka and got stabbed so when he sees you crumble in an abandoned alleyway, he remembers how it felt he almost died had Kaz not saved him. He could save you, and save you he did, pulling you into his arms almost on the verge of unconsciousness and barged into his room, yelling for Nina to help him.

Then when you wake up, you see Nina, her and Jes had one too many drinks and you're enveloped in the smell of him and wearing his coat. "I'm so sorry love, they won't hurt you any longer. You're one of us, now." Like you always have been, and you smile, and he kisses your hand later joining you in bed and you make up for the years with a lot of kisses.

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Me again! sorry to hear you’re having a crap day 😕 Here’s a lovely blue dot and a picture of Strange to help you feel less alone.

Now, smile. Doctor’s orders!

Ahhhhhhh- were you the Blue Dot Nonny from the other night? *HUGS* I loved that Ask!

Great minds must think alike - because I just booked myself a ticket to see the Man himself in Multiverse of Madness tomorrow afternoon! He never lets me down; always provides the comfort I'm in need of.

Plus, he may very well give me the extra oompf I need to finish chapter three of Gardenias. Especially as it's the smutty-smut-smut that I've been struggling to complete; it needs to be, um...picture perfect, after all, to do My Muse the justice he deserves.

[asgards-princess-of-mischief]

Last Updated: 2024-02-04

Disclaimer: I am not the author of these stories, just sharing my favourite BBC!Sherlock Holmes stories. Find the authors' links below. If you want your work removed, message me privately.

Legend: 〔E〕 ⇢ Erotic/Steamy | 〔F〕 ⇢ Fluff | 〔A〕 ⇢ Angst/Hurt 〔M〕 ⇢ Minor Angst/Hurt | 〔C〕 ⇢ Comfort | ♥︎ ⇢ Established Relationship | 𑁍 ⇢ Pregnancy/Children | 🚫 ⇢ Content Warning

✑ Make Me￨Prt. II￨Prt. III by make-me-imagine • 〔F〕 •

❆ A Night at the Opera by french-vanilla-in-the-clouds • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "It's Christmas Eve on 221B Baker Street, and though everyone is celebrating at the flat, [you leave] the party early after receiving a mysterious text from Sherlock."

❆ Christmas by bitternessismyname • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "You love Christmas and want yours and Sherlock's first [Christmas as a couple] to be special; [however, your boyfriend insists on] being a Grinch."

❆ Christmas Party, the by prettyxlittlexwriter • 〔F〕 •

Summary: After your blows you off, Sherlock offers to escort to your office Christmas Party. As it happens the detective is an excellent date.

❆ Darling It's Cold Outside by starks-hero • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "A snowstorm falls over London and you're left trapped at 221B with Sherlock. It doesn't sound all that bad, but keeping Sherlock entertained poses as a challenge."

❆ Holmes' Home by generallynerdy • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "A drunk Sherlock had the genius idea of taking you, his girlfriend, to the infamous Holmes home for Christmas."

❆ Making Time by prettyxlittlexwriter • 〔F〕 •

Summary: {…}

❆ Merry Christmas Sherlock by writingliv • 〔F᜶A〕 •

Summary: "Sherlock craves your attention and a bet may just do the trick."

❆ Mistletoe by lykaonimagines • 〔F᜶C〕 •

Summary: "When an argument finds Sherlock and [you] under [the] mistletoe… in the center of Scotland Yard, [you take] the moment to spite Anderson... and maybe for some other reasons too."

❆ Mistletoe Test, the by frostandflamesfanfic • 〔E᜶F᜶A〕 •

Summary: "It's your first Christmas at Baker Street and you're determined to make it the best one ever. When [John] tries to warn you about [Sherlock's] aversion to the holidays, you start to see a whole new side to the consulting detective. Will it affect your friendship?"

❆ Shopping Sherlock by spilledkauffie • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "Sherlock realises he may have met his match… in Christmas shopping by his fiancé until he finds the perfect gift."

❆ Snow Angels by make-me-imagine • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: It's the first snow and you drag Sherlock outside to play in the snow with you.

❆ Where Are the Mistletoe? by pinkthink • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "Although your relationship with Sherlock is still relatively new and he still has a lot to learn about how people interact with one another, the two of you are beginning to understand each other better, even if Sherlock did believe that he should attach mistletoes so that he could kiss you whenever he wanted."

❆ A Case of Mistletoe & Presents by bakerstreethound • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ A Thousand Wishes by bakerstreethound • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ Can I Hold Your Hand? by geeks-universe • 〔F〕 •

❆ Cuddles and Unruly Curls by bakerstreethound • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ Cute Together by writings-of-a-british-fangirl • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ First Snow of December by writings-of-a-british-fangirl • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ I'll Find You by imaginesbyella • 〔F〕 •

❆ Sidewalks of London by french-vanilla-in-the-clouds • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ Surprise Presents by dyns33 • 〔F〕 •

❆ Winter Wonderland by bakerstreethound • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ Drinking Sherlock's Spiked Punch… by theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

❆ Christmas at 221B Baker St… by strrvnge • 〔F〕 •

❆ Christmas Shopping w/ Sherlock… by geeks-universe • 〔F〕 •

See Also: Navigation || BBC!Sherlock Master Index

Authors: @bakerstreethound || @bitternessismyname || @dyns33 || @french-vanilla-in-the-clouds || @frostandflamesfanfic || @geeks-universe || @generallynerdy || @imaginesbyella || @lykaonimagines || @make-me-imagine || @pinkthick || @prettyxlittlexwriter || @spilledkauffie || @starks-hero || @strrvnge || @theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction || @writingliv || @writings-of-a-british-fangirl ||

[lykaonimagines]

Give Me The Reason - Defender!Strange x Reader

Paring: Defender!Strange x Sorcerer F!Reader 

Word Count: 4,221

Description: After a year of Stephen constantly prioritizing his work, Y/N finally hits a breaking point in their relationship. 

Request: Defender or Main Stephen based on “Give Me The Reason,” by James Bay.

Requested by: @frostandflamesfanfic​ 💙

Other Things: Same couple as Affections and Wardrobe Mixup, early in their relationship/pre-marriage. Can be read separate to both of those. Angst to fluff.

Warnings: Some swearing. Angsty, but with a happy ending. Breakup/get back together. Alluding to depression. Mildly suggestive at the end.

Masterlist

“I know the universe full of people is important Stephen,” Y/N seethes, angry tears running down her cheeks. “But I thought I at least ranked somewhere in the top fucking five most important things to you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course you matter to me,” he snaps back.

“Then why am I always last? Not every problem in the entire universe is your duty to fix,” her fists clench and unclench. “Duties to Kamar-Taj, the Sanctum, and the Defenders I understand, but everything broken in the universe is not your problem.”

“We all have to make sacrifices in the grand scheme of protecting our universe and the multiverse Y/N. I’m putting my life on the line every day, and you just have to deal with me not being around as often. It’s hardly that big an issue compared to an entire planet being wiped out or multiverse beasts pouring into our universe.”

“So my feelings aren’t valid to you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Yes you fucking did. My feelings and issues aren’t as important as the big important missions you have. All I have to deal with is you not being around as much as I would like huh? Try spending weeks on end constantly checking your phone just hoping to see a text. Just one little sign that the person you love is even alive. But every time there’s nothing there. Night after night alone, clutching a t-shirt to your chest and crying into your pillow because you’re certain this time was the time. The time they won’t come back. Hitting call again and again and getting voicemail. Then finally you come back, toss some things on the dresser, give me a kiss, then race off to Kamar-Taj for days where you still barely say a word to me.

“And you just seem to conveniently forget I’m the one picking up all the classes you have to miss teaching last minute in addition to my own. I’m the one everyone is coming to with issues because you’re off wherever the fuck you are. Defenders calling me up asking for you and when you’ll be back, and if I can be the one to drop by the help them with something. Other Masters coming to me to ask for permissions or questions on things because some how I fucking became your second and secretary.”

“No one asked you to do any of those things, I certainly didn’t,” he snaps out, turning his back to her with his arms crossed. “You can’t blame me for you choosing to take on extra duties and worrying about me.”

“Choosing to worry about you Stephen? Are you serious right now?” She grabs his shoulder to turn him back toward her but he fights against it. “I worry about you and take all all these extra duties to hold things together because I love you, and I know you’re out there risking your life. But if you really don’t give a fuck why am I even bothering then?”

“I was asking that question myself.”

Going silent, she wipes roughly at the tears running down her cheeks and presses her lips into a tight line, “Fine. I won’t any longer. Goodbye Stephen.”

Staring at the fireplace in front of him as he hears her footsteps fade away, flinching at the amount of force behind the slamming front door.

Rubbing his temples, he drops himself into a chair and sighs heavily when he hears the sound of new footsteps approaching.

“That was incredibly stupid Strange,” Wong says and sets a cup of tea next to the sorcerer. “Her tone sounded rather final.”

“I don’t have time for relationships anyways,” he mumbles and unwraps his armguards. “It was foolish to get involved with her at all. I don’t have time for that nonsense.”

“‘That nonsense’ is a woman that loves you. Despite the fact you’re constantly gone, that you don’t realize half the things she does for you, and speak to her like that,” he states matter-of-factly. “Being Sorcerer Supreme doesn’t mean you can’t devote any of your time to people you care about. You’re still a human being separate to the title.”

“I don’t have time outside of the title.”

“Because you always insist that it’s you going out to solve every problem that could easily be handled by a Master, or that isn’t even our problem in the first place. You always have to be the one handling it.”

The familiar phrase causes a frown to spread across Stephen’s face, “Maybe it’s just who I am Wong.”

“I think you could learn to work on that, but you do what you see fit,” Wong says before heading toward the hall he came from.

“I’ll speak with her tomorrow at Kamar-Taj,” he groans at his friend.

-

Three months.

Three long months since Stephen let Y/N walk out the front door of the sanctum after their argument. And three months since any of them had seen or heard from her.

He’d assumed even though she was cross with him, that she would still go to Kamar-Taj for her own duties. And other than the Sanctum, it was the only place he could think she would be staying. But according to every person there he asked, she hadn’t been back since she left with him that day.

He decided to give her one week to calm down. After a week she had to come back. She had classes to teach. She was a sorcerer, she loved what she did. She simply needed a break.

After a week of hearing nothing, he’d tried to call and found he went to voicemail after one ring. Attempting it with Wong’s phone, he got the same result. Time and time again with each phone he asked to borrow, just one single ring then voicemail.

So he texted her. Near the beginning just asking where she was, why she wasn’t reporting for her duties. And as weeks passed and the panic raised in his chest, the more frantic his messages got. Begging her to let him know she’s safe. To just acknowledge his message. But nothing.

After one month of nothing, he started calling all the contacts he could think of that might know where she went, that might have heard something. Not a single one had heard anything.

As he continued his search for her, how much she really had done for him also became blatantly obvious. The mission reports piled on his desk. Classes taught by himself and her had to be covered. His office seemed to be a revolving door parade of questions. His phone also seemed to be constantly pinging or ringing with something.

Between trying to complete missions, run Kamar-Taj, run the Defenders, teach, handle paperwork, answer questions, and continue his search for her; he rarely found time to sleep. Or eat. Or anything else.

By the time the third month rolled around, the man staring back at him in the mirror looked hollow. His eyes looked sunken in, the bags under them a permanent fixture on his face. The skin there now more taunt than before, his facial hair grown out in a thoughtless mess, and his hair dull and barely managed. The typical shiny hair sleeked back into a neat ponytail rarely saw a brush at that point. He ran his fingers through the mess each morning and shoved it into a messy ponytail or bun before tugging on his boots and trudging off to his office at Kamar-Taj.

While medically he knew his heart still beat the same; it felt like it beat sluggishly in his chest. Slower and slower each passing day since she walked out of his life.

He had his duties, the masters. his students, the Defenders. Yet he felt empty. Like he had nothing left.

Taking a seat at his desk, he pulls out his phone to once again send her his daily text.

“I’m sorry. I love you… please come home. Even if you don’t want me. Just come back to Kamar-Taj. I just need to know you’re safe. I just need to see you.”

Tapping to send the message, he switches over to his photo album app, quickly tapping the folder of pictures of them. She’d made it on his phone while he was busy one day. At the time he hadn’t thought much of it, why he’d need an entire album on his phone of just photos and videos of them. But it now became the main battery drain on the device with how often he flicked through the photos.

It was the sweetest torture. Reliving the happy memories, all the moments he took for granted. And knowing he was the reason there wouldn’t be anymore.

Stopping on a photo, he slides his thumb across it wistfully. It was a completely average day. Nothing magical, nothing multi-dimensional or multi-versal. They’d just gone for coffee and a walk in Central Park.

But it was a beautiful day, free of worry and responsibility. Just the feeling of her hand in his.

He’d taken the photo himself, stopped at a crosswalk he’d pulled his phone out and pulled her to his side. She wasn’t even looking at the camera, but even in the photo he could see the way her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and laughed. He’d forgone the ponytail that day and the wind had kicked up, making a flurry of hair in their faces as he tried to take the photo.

Both of them smiled and looked exceedingly happy for a simple day off and a bad hair day in the wind.

When was the last time he’d even taken the time to do something like that with her? He racked his brain for an answer, but couldn’t seem to pinpoint their last date. Even just a casual one.

Their lives had revolved around work for nearly the past year. Maybe he’d grown too comfortable? Seemingly he’d stopped trying to win her over and let himself slip into just working constantly at some point. Even their quick moments in his office had dwindled to nearly nothing before she had left.

Swiping past the picture, a video of the two of them dancing in the refrigerator light late at night starts to play. She’d filmed it on her phone, setting the device on the counter as they giggled and he spun her around the Sanctum kitchen in their pajamas. At some point she swiped the phone from the counter and pointed it up at his face as he swayed them around.

Her laugh coming from behind the camera, “I loooooove you Stephen.”

“And I looooove you Y/N,” he responds, sticking his tongue out and making a silly face at the camera.

Her laughter as the video ends makes his heart ache. It was a beautiful sound, and he realized it had been far more than three months since he last heard it.

Setting his phone down on his desk, he finally feels the tears he’d been holding back begin to drip down his face. Swiping through the pictures in the album quickly, he chokes back the sob rising in his throat. The last photo he even had of them was dated almost nine months ago. How hadn’t he noticed what was happening until it was too late?

A loud knock on his door tears him from his thoughts making Stephen turn his chair away from the entrance and attempt to wipe his tears away, “Yes? Who is it?”

The door creaks open with the sound of footsteps approaching his desk, “Message for you sir.”

“Which is?”

“Master Y/L/N wanted me to inform you that she’s handling her class today, you need not worry about it.”

Spinning back around in the chair quickly, he slams his hands down on the desk and stares the apprentice down, “Master Y/L/N? You are entirely sure of that?”

“Yes sir, she arrived fifteen minutes ago and asked me to bring you this message,” the young man’s eyes widen in surprise at the Sorcerer Supreme’s reddened eyes and tear-streaked cheeks.

“Where is she right now?” he demands, standing from his desk.

“Getting prepared for the class in the courtyard with the other masters I believe,” he responds dutifully and tilts his head. “Are you ok sir?”

Rounding his desk and nearly knocking the apprentice over, he rushes out of his office heading toward the outskirts of the courtyard training grounds. His eyes quickly scanning over the group of masters in the center, his chest tightening as he sees her.

A smile on her face as she talks with her fellow masters, spinning a practice staff in her hands.

As a bell tolls, they separate and she heads to her corner of the training grounds, her students excitedly cheering for her return.

“Settle settle,” she chuckles as they all get back to their starting positions. “It couldn’t have been that bad with me gone.”

“You’re the best combat teacher,” one apprentice shouts confidently. “And I’ve been practicing like crazy, you have to see where I’m at now!”

“I look forward to seeing where each of you are now,” she smiles and looks at each of her students. “I’m thinking we’ll pair you all up, and you can each show me what you got?”

As the students scatter into pairs, Y/N begins to circle around them, giving tips and compliments on their forms and technique.

Stephen quietly slid down the wall of the building behind him to take a seat nearby her class, his eyes glued to her as she taught. Fearing that if he looked away even for a moment she’d disappear again. Just her voice alone soothing the ache in his chest.

He needed to speak with her. But how does he even approach her? After their last conversation… they clearly were no longer together. And he’d been an absolute ass.

He was still technically her leader. He could easily approach her with duties for Kamar-Taj, but that just felt wrong. He couldn’t ignore everything that happened.

In what seems like minutes, the next bell tolls signaling the end of the hour long session. Pulling himself to his feet as the student exit the courtyard, he slowly makes his way toward her. Pausing a few feet away as he realizes two other masters had come over to speak to her, he shifts awkwardly and fiddles with his arm guards.

One of the masters glances up to see him, and leans over to say something to the master beside him. Both nod farewells to Y/N after a moment, one sending him a reassuring smile.

“Are you just going to stare at me all day?” She calls out after they’re out of earshot.

Cringing uncomfortably, he finally steps toward her, “I was starting to think you wouldn’t come back.”

“Yeah well-” she begins angrily before turning toward him. Her eyes widen and the words die on her tongue as she looks him over.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to start this with another fight,” he says softly, his hand still fidgeting with his arm guard.

Sighing heavily, she takes a few steps closer to him and scrutinizes his face, “What have you done to yourself?”

“What?”

“You look awful,” she responds with a frown.

“Apologies.”

“Don’t apologize for that!” she snaps and rubs her temples. “Did you need something?”

“Would you be willing to talk?”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”

“More extensively, in my office,” he explains.

She frowns and continues to look him over before nodding, surging ahead of him as she heads for his office.

After they both slip into the room, he closes the door behind them and walks toward the front of his desk.

“I had planned on just being very professional with you,” she mutters and crosses her arms. “Sorcerer Supreme, yes sir, here’s the reports. Already broken that.”

“I’m happy for it,” he admits softly. “Anger is better than indifference.”

“Is it?”

“Means you didn’t just forget about me.”

“No, that’s your job. To forget my existence.”

Stephen flinches at her words, hanging his head sadly, “I deserved that.”

“You did. Now what did you want to say to me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’ve already said that. For nothing that you should actually be apologizing for.”

“For everything,” he insists quietly. “I’m sorry for everything.”

“Vague as shit, and not helping Stephen.”

“You’re number one,” he finally admits. “It took me too long to realize that. You’re the most important in my life, and I wasn’t treating you that way. You deserved so much better than I gave you.”

“Don’t,” she responds, turning away from him. “I don’t want to hear things we both know you don’t mean.”

Going around her to face her again he reaches out slowly to tilt her face up toward his own, her eyes finally meeting his, “I mean it. I know I have a lot of responsibilities and things I’m doing, but you, you’re the only thing that really means something to me. Our relationship is the one thing that I wasn’t doing because I felt I had to, the only thing that I desperately want. The only thing that keeps me going.”

“You broke my heart Stephen.”

“I… I know. I don’t have an excuse,” he sighs. “I could make up thousands, but there’s no excuse for what I’ve done. I was an idiot and I didn’t realize how much this meant to me until too late. How much you mean to me. You tried to tell me and give me a chance to fix things, and I spoke to you terribly.”

“Y-you don’t even have time for me,” she retorts and tears her chin from his grasp, turning slightly away from him.

“I’ll make time, I can delegate more. I can stop chasing everything. Just… give it one more try. Give me one last chance. Please.”

“Give me one good reason why I should give this another shot?” she asks as her head turns to search his face. “One reason I should overlook a year of being ignored and you speaking to me that way.”

Sinking to his knees in front of her, he takes her hands in his and swallows hard as he looks up, “Because I love you, I can and I will treat you far better than I did. I can’t give any better reason than that. That I love you desperately, life without you is dull and miserable. I want you, I need you in my life. ”

“How do I know I can trust what you’re saying?” She asks softly, her own eyes blinking away tears.

“You… don’t,” he admits after a moment. “You have to trust that I’ll do what I’m saying, and I’ve done nothing to make you trust that I will.”

After a few moments of silence he points toward his desk, “Look at my phone.”

“Your phone?”

“It’s on there, I left my office as soon as I got your message and forgot about it. Just look at it,” he presses, releasing her hands as she takes a step toward the desk.

Carefully picking up his phone, her face softens as she looks at the screen, “A picture of us?”

“I was going through the album you made me,” he says. “I do it every day. I want to make you that happy again, I want us to be that happy again.

“I do too,” she admits slowly, her thumb swiping through the pictures in the album as a small smile graces her lips. “We did look very happy.”

“We were that happy.”

Setting his phone back down, she turns around and steps toward him, cupping his jaw in her hands as she looks down at him, “Why aren’t you taking care of yourself?”

He shrugs gently as he nuzzles into her palm, grateful for her touch, “I haven’t cared to. Duties and looking for you have taken all my time. I can’t sleep in that bed without you unless I’m on the verge of passing out. I haven’t felt hungry, only been really eating when Wong forces food at me I suppose.”

Her thumbs stroke gently over his cheeks before releasing him and gesturing toward his desk, “Go sit in your chair.”

Nodding at her stiffly, he climbs to his feet and crosses the room, sitting back in his chair as she circles around him.

She bends down to slide open his bottom drawer and pulls out a brush then slips his hair tie from his hair. Running the brush through his hair, she stops a few times to carefully untangle a knot with her fingers

“We need to get you a new conditioner, and get you eating a normal diet again,” she comments as she starts to massage his scalp gently. “It’s a crime against humanity what you’ve done to your hair, really.”

“We?” he asks hopefully.

“Picked up on that part huh?” she chuckles and drops her fingers from his hair to lean his chair backwards until he’s looking up at her. “I might be willing to give us a chance again… on certain conditions.”

“Which are?” he asks as he looks up at her.

“If you talk to me like that again, I’m done. If you don’t actually listen to me telling you how I’m feeling and just dismiss me, I’m done. If within a year, I don’t see you actually making the effort to disperse things, delegate tasks to the other masters and Defenders, take care of yourself, and take care of our relationship, I’m done. And I don’t mean just for a few months. From now on. I don’t mean you have to drop all your work for me, I understand you’re busy. But you have to stop doing everything yourself. If you don’t think you can do those things then I don’t even want to start again.”

“I can do that, I will do that,” he responds firmly, nodding up at her as she leans in closer to him.

“And I’ll tell you things bothering me sooner, admittedly I waited until I was at a breaking point.”

“So am I yours again?” he asks quietly as she smirks down at him, her hands cupping his cheeks.

“You tell me Stephen, are you mine?” She presses several soft kisses along his jaw as he groans in response.

“Completely and totally,” he sighs as his eyes drift shut and she presses kisses to both his eyelids. “Kiss me, please.”

“What am I doing now then?” She teases, pressing a kiss to the edge of his mouth.

Her fingers thread back through his hair, giving it a rough tug and pulling a groan from his lips in response and causing him to shift in his seat.

“Someone’s desperate,” she adds as she strokes her thumb along his bottom lip.

“You’ve been gone for months,” he whines, sticking his tongue out to run across her fingertip.

Tilting him back further, she grips his chin tightly and hungrily presses her lips to his. Her lips move against his roughly as his hands reach up to hold her own head in his hands, desperate to feel her further in some way.

Her fingers gently tug at his hair again, a small gasp parting his lips enough for her to flick her tongue against his own and swallow the groan that follows.

Pulling back for air, Y/N chuckles at the whimper leaving Stephen as their lips part, “I guess you did miss me.”

“More than you could ever imagine,” he admits as his tongue lazily runs across his lips, sending a chill up her spine.

“As much as I’d enjoy taking you apart here in your office, I believe we both have some work to take care of first,” she says as she slips from his grasp and deftly smoothes his hair back into a ponytail and wraps his hair band back around it.

“I thought we were taking more time for us, less time on work,” he grumbles unhappily, reaching out to grab her wrist.

“Oh I thoroughly expect that, but we both each have a class left to teach, I’d imagine you have some kind of meeting, and I need to inform everyone that I’m back,” she answers as she reaches for his other wrist and pulls him up from his chair.

Slipping in closer to her, he immediately wraps his arms around her waist and presses his hips into hers as her eyes darken a touch, “You want to leave me like this all day?”

Reaching her hand up to pat his cheek, she smirks at him, “Consider it as motivation to finish on time tonight.”

Grunting in response, he presses his forehead to hers, “You’ll be at the Sanctum tonight?”

“I was planning on going back to our bed if that’s alright with you?”

“Not only is it entirely alright, I insist,” he says and presses a kiss to her nose. “But fair warning, once we’re in the Sanctum tonight, I don’t intend on letting you go until tomorrow.”

“Who said I intended on going anywhere? Sounds like exactly where I want to be Strange.”

----

Stephen Taglist (Defender Edition): @stephenstrangeaddictions @ironstrange1991 @gaitwae @geeky-politics-46 @elicheel @frostandflamesfanfic @tokoyamisstuff @singhfae @jotaros-bara-tiddies @kon-pan-16 @stanny-uwu @ohchoices @typical-bistander @hunterofshadows04 @evelynrosestuff @asgardianprincess1050 @pop-rocks-and-skittles @namethathasnotbeentaken @peachywoong  @valeriegreyy @floralover1 @cumberbitch @lightmeuplivly @lucimorningst4r @bluebear142077 @strangeobsessed  @bymoonlightfics @strangeions @sherlux @qhbr2013 @lovingly-unlovingme @Benedictcumberbitch @vereon @strangeobsessed @veryladyqueen​ 

There’s a link to a Google form to fill out if you’d like to be tagged, on my pinned Channel Navigation post and on my Masterlist! Makes sure I don’t miss your comment, and lets you opt out of certain things if you’d like :)

If I’ve tagged you in something you didn’t want to be tagged in (certain variant, a warning you aren’t comfortable with, etc) just message me and I’ll make a note on my sheet to make sure you aren’t tagged in anything like that again.

[annesthaeticc]

Anneeeeeee!!! The new navigation posts look AMAZING! I’m also realizing there are a few fics of yours that I’ve missed???? Oh this definitely doesn’t fly. Time to go on a binge tonight 🙃

EEEEEELLLLL!!! helloo!! omg thank you so much!! i'm glad u like it!! (and it's definitely okay hehehe) i hope you have a wonderful time bingeing. there'll be more coming very very soon! ❤️

hope ur having a wonderful night!! sending you hugs!

[mischiefmanaged71]

The Love Hypothesis - Stephen Strange

Stephen Strange X FEM! Reader

Prologue , Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, Chapter Thirteen, Chapter Fourteen, Chapter Fifteen, Chapter Sixteen, Chapter Seventeen, Chapter Eighteen, Chapter Nineteen, Chapter Twenty, Chapter Twenty-One, Chapter Twenty-two

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