I was nodding to my music, editing my essay when something hit my window. I stood up and looked down. I laughed when I saw Steve sitting below my window, leaning against his car, with a large notepad.
Come here.
I sighed, slightly rolling my eyes as I grabbed my notepad from my desk and wrote back.
Can't. Studying.
He shook his head and wrote on his.
I really need to talk to you.
That note scared me. I nodded before quickly heading downstairs. When I got outside, I jogged to the side of the house where Steve's car was parked.
"What was so important that you had to. . ."
My breath got caught in my throat when Steve turned towards me. His face was covered in blood.
"What happened to you?" I gasped. I gently cupped his face in my hands and looked at his wounds.
"Come with me," I said as I let go of his face and grabbed his hand, pulling him with me.
"Y/N," he sighed, trying to pull his hand out of mine.
"My parents are gone for the weekend," I explained as I continued to lead him inside. "Besides, my mom would freak if she saw you like this. She'd insist on taking you to the hospital."
"Y/N," he tried to interrupt me.
"I know," I sighed. "I know you hate them. I won't take you to one, but at least let me do what I can."
He finally stopped resisting and let me lead him upstairs to my bathroom. He sat on the toilet while I did as much as I could for him. I washed off the blood and didn't notice him staring at me strangely until I started cleaning the cut under his eye.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," he said under his breath. I ignored his quizzical gaze as I finished cleaning the cut.
"Try not to make too many facial expressions for the next few days," I said. "At least until the cuts have begun to heal over."
Steve didn't say anything. Instead, he watched as I cleaned up. When I was done, he stood up and grabbed my hand. Before I could say anything, he led me to the other room. We sat on the couch, neither one of us saying anything. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?"
"Y/N," he sighed, but I cut him off.
"What happened, Steve?"
"It's nothing."
"You showing up on my doorstep, covered in blood and bruises, is not 'nothing'. So tell me. What happened?"
When he didn't answer, my anger built. "Steve," I said, trying and failing to calm down. I sat up and turned towards him. "What happened?"
"Y/N," he sighed. "Please, just drop it."
"My best friend shows up at my house beaten to a pulp and you want me to drop it," I scoffed.
"Please," he said again. "Let it go."
My anger was building and I didn't bother to try and stop it as I scooted further from him.
"I don't want to let it go. And as your best friend, I shouldn't. What I should do is chase this son of a bitch down and run him over with my car for what he did to you!"
"It was Billy," he finally said.
"Billy," I said through my teeth. I grabbed my keys and was about to storm out but Steve jumped up and grabbed my hand.
"Y/N," he whispered. "Please don't."
"Why?" I asked through my teeth as I turned towards him. "He deserves it."
"Y/N," Steve sighed.
"Why would he do this to you?" I asked.
"I don't know," he shrugged. "It's Billy."
"So? That doesn't give him the right to do this to you and get away with it. I mean, what kind of guy thinks he can just beat someone up for no reason. . ."
"It wasn't for no reason," Steve said, cutting me off.
"What do you mean?"
He looked down at his hand still holding my wrist. He slowly slid his hand down my arm and intertwined our fingers. When he still didn't say anything, I broke the silence.
"Steve, who started the fight?"
"I did," he sighed.
He hesitated before finally pulling me back to the couch. When he looked up at me, my heart did flips.
"Why?" I asked.
"He was going off and I couldn't control my anger," he sighed, sounding completely defeated. "What else is new?"
"What was he going off about?" I asked, ignoring his last comment.
Steve mumbled something, not looking up at me. His hesitation confused me even more.
"Steve," I said gently. "What was Billy saying that led you to start the fight?"
He sighed before finally looking up at me. The look in his eyes told me everything.
"Me," I whispered. "He was talking about me, wasn't he? That's what made you so angry."
He didn't say anything, but I already knew that I was right. I slowly pulled my hand out of his hold and ran my fingers through my hair. I stood up, nervously wiping my hands on my pants.
"You shouldn't have done that," I said softly.
"Y/N. . ."
"No," I cut him off, quickly turning towards him. "You shouldn't have gotten into a fight with Billy over me."
"He was saying. . ."
"I don't care what he was saying, Steve, you still shouldn't have fought him."
"But. . ."
"I know you're protective of me and I love that about you, but that's no reason you should fight. Whatever he said about me wasn't worth it."
"It was to me," he said harshly. He took a deep breath, making sure he calmed down before continuing, "Y/N, he was saying these things to piss me off. He knew what buttons to push."
"That still doesn't mean that you should punch him."
"To me it does," he countered. "You are my best friend. We've known each other since we were little. I can't stand by and let someone run their mouth about you. Especially when everything they're saying is wrong."
"But fighting?"
"You're worth fighting for," he shrugged.
"No," I said, my anger returning. "I don't care what they're saying about me. Promise me you won't start another fight over what someone says about me."
"I can't promise that."
"Steve. . ."
"No," he cut me off as he stood up. "I can't, and I won't, promise that I'll stop fighting. Especially when it means standing up for you."
"But I'm not worth it!"
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"I will always stand up for you!" Steve yelled.
"Why?!" I yelled back.
"Because that's what you do when you're in love with someone! You stand up for them. No matter the cost."
"When you're in what?" I asked, my breath getting caught in my throat. I slowly stood up. Steve's eyes widened like he just realized what slipped out.
"I mean," he stuttered. He looked at me deeply in the eyes before sighing. "It's true. I'm in love with you, Y/N. I've always been in love with you."
"What about Nancy?"
"I wanted to love her," he shrugged, "but only because I wanted to fall out of love with you."
"Did it work?"
Steve closed the gap between us and gently reached up, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I held my breath as his hand lingered.
"It didn't," he whispered before gently pressing his lips to mine.
I let out a soft moan as I immediately started kissing him back. The longer our lips touched, the deeper the kiss got. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist. Steve broke the kiss and gasped in pain.
"I'm sorry," I panicked. I took a step back, pulling out of his embrace. "You're hurt and I. . . I'm sorry, Steve."
"It's okay," he soothed as he grabbed my hands and pulled me back into his chest, instantly wrapping his arms around my waist.
I smiled as Steve leaned his forehead against mine. My butterflies went crazy as he breathed me in. I felt my heart skip a beat as he whispered something I've only ever dreamed he'd whisper to me.
"I don't regret that kiss. I would never regret kissing you."