A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song Drops of Jupiter by Train. Reader is Eddie's little sister/built-in best friend. It's set a few years after season 4, so Eddie obvs lived. I hope you all enjoy it.
Steve's knee had been bouncing anxiously as he waited for you to show up. Ever since he had properly met you for the first time, a couple of years back, you'd had this unique ability to send his entire soul into chaos, just by existing. He'd always tried telling himself that it was a coincidence. There was no way that a single person could completely reframe the way you saw the world, especially not just a friend. But, a couple of months into your friendship, he'd realised that coincidences didn't happen as often as they seemed to. Whenever you were around, he felt lighter, like he was just floating through life without a care in the world. He felt like nothing bad could happen because you were right there with him. And yet, he hadn't been able to get the courage to tell you.
And then, 6 months ago, when he was just finally getting to a point where he felt like he could confess his love for you, you'd announced that Eddie and the band were leaving town for a while and that you were going to go LA with them.
It had been like a sucker punch to the gut, but despite the stomach-churning fear that started building at the mere idea of you not being around 24/7, he'd plastered a smile onto his face. It was clear that you were excited at the prospect of getting out of Hawkins for a while. After all, you'd spent ages telling Steve all about the travels you wanted to go on when you finally saved up the money.
He let out a soft sigh, his head falling back against the couch. 6 months was a long time and he couldn't help but worry that maybe you'd realised how plain he was, now that you'd been to California and met all the wannabe rockstars that Eddie tended to gravitate towards. Hell, maybe you'd come back with some long-distance boyfriend. Shit, there was a chance that you'd come back and decide that Hawkins wasn't somewhere you wanted to be anymore. You could up and move out to LA full time, or-
A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts and he scrambled up to his feet, brushing the wrinkles out of his sweater as he jogged over to pull it open, finding you grinning at him on the other side.
"Stevie," you cried out, jumping at him a little too enthusiastically, wrapping your arms around him in a tight embrace that almost took him off of his feet.
After a moment of hesitation, Steve's arms shifted to hug you back, giving you a quick squeeze before pulling back to look down at you. "You're back," he told you, watching as a bubble of laughter slipped out of you.
"Duh," you teased, shoving him as you pulled away to move into his house, dropping down onto his couch and immediately shuffling through the collection videos he'd rented last time he'd gone into Family Video. "Oooh," you yelped, holding up Roadhouse for him to see. "I love Patrick Swayze," you added, turning it back around to smile at the actor on the cover.
"Of course you do," he chuckled, snatching it out of your hands as he moved to sit at the other end of the couch.
Your brow furrowed slightly when he sat down. "Aren't you going to put it on?"
He shook his head, dropping the case between you on the couch. "Nope. Wanna hear about California," he told you, watching as you kicked your shoes off, pulling your feet up under yourself on the couch.
"It was good," you hummed, reaching out to take the tape, only for him to slide it out of your reach.
"Good? You were gone for 6 months and all you can give me is 'it was good'?"
You let out a soft sigh. "I mean, it was fine," you murmured, shrugging slightly. "I think it's a little overrated, to be honest," you pressed on.
"What?"
You shrugged again, turning to face him fully. "The weather was great and the people were awful," you explained softly. "Everyone is trying to convince you that they're the most important person in the room and it's just tedious, you know?"
He raised an eyebrow at you, waiting for you to give him the real reason that you hadn't liked California.
"It was fine," you repeated. "But you weren't there, so it kinda sucked," you added, watching a small smile grow on his lips.
"Yeah, it kinda sucked here too," he confessed. "Everything kinda sucks without you," he murmured, his cheeks tinting red as you shifted to sit on your knees.
"Is it bad that that makes me happy?" you hummed, nose wrinkling up as you considered your own question.
He shook his head. "Not even slightly," he answered softly, lifting his hand as if he was going to touch you, only to let it drop back down to his thigh, awkwardly playing with a loose thread on his trousers. "I really missed you," he murmured, feeling you shuffle closer to him. He startled when you took his hand in yours, giving it a light squeeze.
"You know, Eddie worked it out in like 3 days?"
Steve's head shot up to look at you, brow furrowed in confusion. "Worked what out?"
"Well, he got all shitty with me, because I was being so mopey, and you know how he gets when he wants to know something-" You paused for a moment, clearing your throat. "He had me confessing to liking you before I'd even really realised that was why I was in such a foul mood," you pressed on, watching his expression soften. "He told me to tell you that he'll beat the shit out of you if you mess me around, though," you added, a little half-smirk pulling at your lips.
"I wouldn't ever mess you around," he hummed, lifting your joined hands to press a kiss to your knuckles.
"Good," you uttered, using your free hand to lift his chin, and pressing a kiss to his lips.
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