Joe Keery Imagines Vol. 2

The Bookworm and The Basketball Player - Steve Harrington

"You okay with running the cash register?" Steve asked as I joined him behind the counter. "We got a shipment of new movies. The boxes are heavy so I figured it'd be easier for me to lug them around and unpack them than it would be for you."

"Okay," I said, picking at my nail polish.

"Not that you're not strong," Steve said quickly. "I just don't want you getting hurt while lifting and moving boxes around the store. I didn't mean to come off as sexist, Y/N. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I chuckled. "I didn't take it that way. Thanks though."

"Thanks?" He stuttered.

"For watching out for me," I said as I patted him on the shoulder and walked to the storage room to grab another box of candy.

When I walked back out, Steve was focused on unloading a box. I walked over to the counter and started putting the candy away. I moved on to checking in yesterday's returns. After I finished, I started putting them back on the shelves.

"Oh shit!"

I looked up in time to see Steve drop a box, instantly holding his back. I ran over and gently put my hand on his back.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said through his teeth. I glanced around to see the store empty.

"Come with me," I said. I grabbed his hand and kept my other hand on his lower back.

"But the store," he said, trying to hide his pain.

"Is empty," I finished. "Come on. The movies can sit alone long enough for us to make sure your back doesn't get worse."

He didn't argue as I led him to the employee lounge in the back. I helped him sit down and ran to the fridge.

"What are you. . ." He didn't finish his question because he tried to sit back.

"There's an ice pack somewhere in here. At least, I thought there was," I mumbled as I tried to find it.

"Since when have we had an icepack back here?"

"Since Robin kept dropping boxes on everyone's feet." My heart jumped into my throat when he laughed. I turned around with the ice pack in my hand but froze when Steve was suddenly right in front of me.

"Y/N," he whispered.

"What are you. . ."

He grabbed the ice pack out of my hand and tossed it onto the nearby table. He then grabbed my hands in his and intertwined our fingers.

"I heard you and Robin."

"You heard us?" I asked, not understanding. "I don't. . . You heard us when?"

"Yesterday," he answered causing my heart to jump into my throat.

"Yesterday," I said slowly. My eyes widened when I realized what he had heard. "Oh."

Steve stepped closer to me, his face inches from mine. I held my breath as he leaned down and delicately pressed his lips to mine. I let go of his hands and wrapped my arms around his neck as we deepened the kiss.

I broke the kiss when Steve let out a pained gasp. "I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I was getting you ice to help your back."

I let go of him and ran to the table. I quickly grabbed the ice and went back to him. He smiled at me as he grabbed my hand, moved it around his body, and placed the ice pack and my hand on his back.

"Much better," he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Suddenly his smile dropped. "Y/N, can we talk about your conversation with Robin?"

"What about it?" I asked, looking away from his eyes. Steve used his free hand to lift my chin.

"The part where you thought that I would never be with someone like you," he said, his hand still holding my chin. "And the part where you said that there was nothing Robin could say to convince you that you're exactly the kind of girl I'd go for. Or the part where you listed off things you like to do, assuming I wouldn't like to do them too."

"I just. . . I can. . . I can't really explain," I finally got out. "But I'm not wrong. Why would our school's basketball star want to be with the school's bookworm?"

"Because he knows that she's so much more than that," Steve whispered. "And because she doesn't know the truth."

"What truth?"

"The truth that a certain basketball player often spent his lunches watching a certain bookworm who always spent her lunches sitting in the library by the window with her nose stuck in a book. Every. Single. Day. And the truth that the same basketball player wished he would've had the guts to ask out that bookworm. Or the truth that the only reason he didn't ask her out was because he never thought the bookworm would want to date someone with his low grades."

"Or the truth that the bookworm has a major crush on the basketball player even with his low grades," I blurted out.

Steve smiled as he pulled me closer. "Or the truth that the basketball player has a major crush on said bookworm."

Steve leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I smiled against his lips as I kissed him back.

"Y/N? Steve? Where the hell are you guys?"

"Crap," I whispered as we broke the kiss.

"We should go out there," Steve chuckled.

"You should stay here," I corrected. "I'll go handle Robin and the store."

I started to walk out, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back into his chest.

"Before you go back," he said, "I need to ask you something."

"Okay," I said, trying to push down my sudden nerves.

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"Are you. . ."

"Yes," he chuckled. "The basketball player wants to buy the bookworm dinner and listen to her talk about her latest book and vent about the newest and worst movie adaptation of a beloved book."

"For the record," I said, my voice dropping, "the bookworm would be willing to sit and watch a basketball game with the basketball player just so she could spend time with him."

Steve was about to kiss me again but Robin came bursting through the door.

"There you two are," she sighed. "What the hell are you doing back here? Why is no one watching the store? Why are you holding the ice pack like that?"

"Steve threw out his back moving boxes," I said as I finally let go of the ice pack and wrapped my arms around myself.

Robin looked between the two of us with a knowing smirk. "Ohh," she elongated. "Gotcha. Well, I'm gonna go cover the store. You two. . ."

"Robin," Steve warned. "Shut up."

"Sorry," she chuckled. She sent me a wink and turned on her heel. Steve and I turned toward each other and laughed awkwardly.

"So, date tonight, bookworm?"

"Tonight works, basketball player."