"Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie. It's mom", came a soft voice from the other side.
My parents were always on a business trip, I never even got a chance to spend time with them on holidays because of their business events. I haven't talked to them since two months, so hearing my mom's soft voice after a long time made me very happy.
A joyful smile took over my face,
"Mom?! Ohh my God, I haven't heard your voice since months! I miss you so much!!", I exclaimed.
"I know, honey. I missed you too", she chuckled.
"So, me and your dad has been planning to visit you on our break..."
"What?! Seriously?! That's great! When are you guys coming?!"
"We're gonna get on the flight by tomorrow, so I guess we'll reach in two days"
"I can't wait to see you and dad, mom!!", I cheered.
"Me too, honey!!", she chuckled.
"Hey, It's getting late for our meeting, sweetie. See ya soon?"
"Okay mom! See ya!", I said as she hung up.
[THREE DAYS LATER]
A car pulled up in front of my house as I sprinted towards it, my parents got out as I tackled them into a hug.
"Hii sweetie", my dad chuckled.
"I missed you both so much", I mumbled.
"We missed you too, honey", my mum replied.
I got their bags and we entered the house, I made them lunch to eat after their long tiring trip. We were eating and having conversations about their business, my studies and stuff.
Suddenly, my mom looked up and asked.
"How is your boyfriend, Y/N?"
I looked up at her and frowned in confusion.
"M-My boyfriend?"
"Yeah, you told us you had a boyfriend", my dad said.
I blankly stared at them for a second before speaking up.
"Ohh, yeah, uh, my boyfriend. He's...umm, doing great", I pursued my lips, forcing a smile.
She squinted her eyes at me before smiling,
"We want you to invite him for dinner tonight so that we can meet him", my mom said, getting up and collecting the dishes from the table.
I was zoned out, thinking for a valid excuse for almost a minute.
"Y/N?"
"Y-Yeah, umm, sure"
"What's wrong, sweetie?", my mom asked.
I cleared my throat and got up,
"Nothing, I am just a little tired, I need some rest"
"Okay, hun", my mom smiled as I got up from my chair and excused myself. I went upstairs to my room and paced for half an hour, thinking for a solution.
I was getting nervous, the problem was, I didn't have a boyfriend. I had told my parents I had one but it was just a white lie, it was a conversation I had been avoiding, I wasn't ready to face the pressures and expectations that came with having a partner and I wanted someone who would love me truly; I had bigger dreams than that and I wasn't ready yet for any serious relationship.
I paced in my room, when an idea struck my mind. I grabbed my phone and dialed Steve's number.
Steve was my best friend, the one person I knew I could count on. But there was something else too-he stirred emotions within me that I had long kept buried, a secret crush that I feared would ruin their friendship. I had feelings for him but I was afraid of getting rejected and also of losing my comfort person.
As the phone rang, my heart raced, butterflies stirring in my stomach. Finally, Steve answered.
"Hello?"
"H-Hey, it's Y-Y/N", I said, trying not to sound too shaky.
"N/N, hey! Everything okay?", he asked.
"C-Could you do m-me a favor?", I gulped.
"Yeah?"
I took a deep breath and continued,
"Uhh, so y'know I lied to my parents that I have a boyfriend. And, umm, they're here to visit me, a-and they want to meet my boyfriend"
There was silence on the other line as I continued,
"So, umm, can you, uh.... pretend to...."
This was getting embarassing, he was my best friend and I felt so awkward.
"Nevermind, I'm sorry", I sighed, brushing it off.
"Hey, don't be sorry. It's okay", he said, softly.
"No, Steve. I lied to them and now I really don't know what to do", I sighed, rubbing my temples.
"It's okay, uh", he hesitated for a moment but spoke up.
"I'll help you..."
My eyes widened, I felt a bit relieved.
"Really?"
"Yeah", he breathed out.
I let out a sigh of relief,
"Thank you so much, Steve. You have no idea what this means to me"
"It's okay, sweetheart", he chuckled.
I smiled,
"Can you come by 8?"
"Yeah, sure", he said.
"Thanks, Steve. I owe you, seriously", I said as I let out a sigh of relief.
"As I said, don't mention it"
"So, my shift's starting soon and I need to go. See ya at 8?"
"Okay, see ya", he hung up.
I plopped on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
I was getting nervous, thinking about how awkward will it be after all of this ends, I kinda regretted to ask Steve, but I had no option. Yet, I was still excited, I have feelings for Steve and even if we're pretending to be together, I didn't know how to feel about it, I am feeling a bit happy but nervous at the same time. It's just complicated...
It's gonna be such a long evening......
○•°○•°○•°○•°○
I climbed down my stairs and glanced at the clock,
'7:45'
"Hey, sweetie. When will he reach?", my mom asked, setting out the plates.
"Anytime now", I mumbled.
She smiled, nodding her head. I sat on the couch, anxiously bouncing my knee as I waited for Steve to show up.
Around 15 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I nervously got up and opened the door.
My breath hitched and my stomach erupted with butterflies as I Iooked up at him, he was wearing the red sweater I liked, his perfectly combed soft hair and the scent of his cologne. I swear this man looks like a prince!
"Hey", he smiled.
"Hii", I mumbled, still looking at him in awe.
I don't know why but I still felt awkward and bad, it felt like I was using him or something.
"Look, it's okay if you don't wanna do this. I am sorry for dra-"
He cut off my ramble,
"Heyy, it's okay. I got this", I breathed out, nodding my head.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna go in and turn on my Harrington charm, y'know I am so handsome, they'll believe me", he joked. I giggled at his antics, gently hitting him on his chest.
He let out a genuine laugh, I couldn't help but stare at him. He was so dangerously gorgeous-
"So, can I come in?", he smiled, interrupting my thoughts.
"Yeah, yeah", I said, stepping aside to let him in.
As soon as he stepped inside, my parents welcomed him with open arms, their excitement palpable.
"Hello, my dear!!", my mom smiled, giving him a small hug.
"Hi, Mrs. L/N"
"Ohh, please, call me M/N. We're not too formal around here", she smiled.
Steve smiled back, nodding his head. He turned to my dad, holding his hand out for him to shake.
"Hello sir, myself Steve. Steve Harrington"
"Steve Harrington, Y/N speaks highly of you. It's nice to finally meet you", my dad smiled, shaking his hand with Steve.
Steve glanced at me with a smile before turning to my dad,
"Thank you, Mr. L/N. I've heard a lot of great things about both of you as well"
"Let's sit and talk", said my mom, gesturing at the dining table.
We sat on the tables and had dinner while conversing,
"How did you two meet anyway? Y/N didn't exactly give us all the details"
"Well, we were partnered up for a school project, then we became close friends. We just clicked from there", he said, looking at me with a smile.
I nodded my head with a smile, it just felt like a dream.
I was so happy that my parents approved of him, but a part of me wanted this relationship to be real.
Steve kept talking with my parents and soon got all familiar and comfortable with them. He made a great impression on my parents, I was literally so thankful of Steve.
It was a splendid evening - dinner went smoothly, laughter and conversations filling the room. For the first time in a long while, I felt at ease, the weight of expectations lifted from my shoulders.
Soon, it was time for Steve to leave, he stood up, ready to leave.
"I had a really good time, thank you so much", he said, bowing respectfully.
"Well, Steve, you've certainly made a great impression on us already. We're happy to see Y/N with someone so kind and genuine", my mom smiled.
"Absolutely. You're welcome in our family anytime, Harrington"
"Thank you both so much. That means a lot to me," he smiled before glancing at his watch. "Uhh, I need to head off. I'll surely come to meet you both soon"
"Yeah, of course. We'll be leaving for our business in 2 weeks, you're welcome to come for dinners", my mom offered.
"Sure, ma'am", he nodded.
Steve greeted them and walked to the front door, I followed behind him till the main door.
He turned to me with a smile and whispered,
"See, I told ya"
I looked down at my feet, unable to hide my flushed face.
"Thank you", I whispered.
"Don't mention it"
He looked over my shoulder, I turned to follow his gaze to see my mom looking at us with a genuine smile on her face.
My cheeks turned warm as I turned back to look at him, when suddenly I felt his warm hand on the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine. I felt his warm breath fanning against my face before I felt his lips connect on mine.
My eyes widened but I relaxed into his touch, he pulled away after a moment, his cheeks flushed.
"Uhh, I....I'm just gonna go, see ya", he stuttered.
"See ya", I said, unable to hide the small smile that appeared on my face. I was literally a blushing mess.
He left, getting in his car and he drove off. I stood there in awe, placing my fingers on my lips, reminiscing the feeling of his soft touch.
I shut the door and walked back in my house, my mom came up to me and hugged me.
"We're so happy for you, sweetie. Steve's a good guy, he truly loves you, now we don't have to worry about you anymore", she smiled.
I hugged her back,
"Thanks mom"
I gave her a small smile and went up to my room, just as I entered, my telephone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Steve", that voice made me blush again.
"Yeah?"
"Look, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just... I was pretending....", he sighed. "I just hope it doesn't make things awkward between us"
"No, no, not at all. I understand, it's fine. You didn't make me uncomfortable. Don't worry about it, Steve", I said, way too quickly than I wanted to.
"Okay", I could hear the smile in his voice.
"See ya tomorrow, night"
"Night", I smiled.
I plopped on the bed, burying my face in the pillow and squealed.
I was loving my life at the moment, but I knew this won't continue for long. I loved him and I wanted this to be real. But I knew I can't, the feelings would ruin our friendship. I had to convince myself that this thing between us would only last for two weeks. But as I processed all the things that happened today, it wasn't helping my feelings either. I couldn't help but fall deeper for him every damn second......
○•°○•°○•°○•°○
Steve came for dinner everyday, I was so happy to see him. He always complimented me infront of my parents, the forehead and cheek pecks and the hugs he gave me made me blush so hard, I wasn't able to control my feelings anytime soon.
Soon, it was time for my parents to head back to their business trips.
Steve offered to give them a ride to the airport, they were very happy and couldn't be more impressed by him.
We reached the airport, Steve helped my parents with the luggages and they were about to leave as their flights were gonna take off soon.
"Take care, sweetie", my mom said, hugging me.
I hugged her back,
"You too, mom. Give me a call when you reach"
She nodded, giving me a kiss on forehead. She turned to Steve, giving him a small hug.
"Take care, Steve. It was very nice to meet you", she said, kissing his forehead.
His face softened as a big smile appeared on his face,
"Thank you so much, ma'am. It was very nice to meet you too"
My dad gave a small hug to me and Steve,
"Take care of my daughter, Harrington. I trust you with her"
"Of course, sir, I will. You don't need to worry about her", he assured.
My dad smiled, nodding his head.
The announcement started, they bid their goodbyes and headed off to the flights.
We got in his car and drove to my house, as we reached. We plopped on the couch, letting out a sigh of relief.
After some silence, I turned to Steve. He was staring up at the ceiling. As I looked at him, I got nervous. I wanted to let out my feelings, I wanted this to be real. I couldn't hold my feelings anymore. Yet, something still scared me. Maybe I am gonna ruin our friendship or turn it into something more.
I stared at him and eventually snapped out of my daze as look of concern plastered on his face.
"What's wrong?", he whispered, his brows furrowing as he sat up straight. He scooted closer to me, taking both of my hands in his.
I didn't noticed tears brimming in my eyes, ready to pour out.
I looked at him as he waited for me to say something, I took a deep breath. It's now or never.....
I looked down at our intertwined eyes, my gaze not daring to meet his.
"S-Steve, I need to talk to you about something i-important", I said, my voice cracking and shaky.
"Sure, sweetheart. What's on your mind?", he asked, softly.
I gathered all of my courage before speaking up,
"Ever since we started pretending to date, I've realized something...", I muttered.
I looked up at him, observing me as he waited for me to continue.
"I've been hiding my true feelings from you", I confessed, shutting my eyes closed as I pulled my hands away from his touch, immediately missing the sense of his warmth.
After a moment of silence, I looked up at him to see his eyes widen with surprise, as he leaned in slightly.
"What do you mean, Y/N?", he frowned.
"I mean...I-I'm in love with you, Steve. I don't want to pretend anymore. I want to be your girlfriend for real. It's so hard for me to pretend, these two weeks felt like a dream, Steve. I've never been much happier......I-I just needed to let it out. It's totally fine, if you don't feel the same. I just felt the need to let it out", I rambled.
I looked up at him, his expression shifting from confusion to clarity, a warm smile forming on his face.
"Y/N... I can't believe you're saying this, because... because I love you too", he said, a small smile taking over the surprised look on his face.
My eyes widen in shock, the tears turning into tears of joy.
"You... you love me?", I repeated.
"Yes, Y/N. I've loved you all along. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you", he said, intertwining our fingers again as his gaze turned to our hands.
We both sat in a brief moment of silence, taking in the weight of their confessions.
"I can't believe we wasted so much time pretending when we could have been together for real"
"I know, Y/N. But let's not focus on the past," he said, sincerely. "What matters now is that we both feel the same way about each other"
A very big grin took over my face as I nodded, the butterflies in stomach erupted. It just felt so unrealistic.
Steve laughed, softly.
"I guess we don't have to worry about pretending anymore. We can just be ourselves", he gently wiped away the tear that rolled down my cheek.
"I love the sound of that", I grinned, scooting closer to him. He cupped my cheek as I wrapped my arms around his neck. We leaned in and connected our lips together, we pulled away, unable to wipe off the smile on our faces.
He stared at me with lovey-dovey eyes, making me blush hard. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, making him chuckle.
"I love you so much", he whispered, pecking the skin of my neck..
I smiled, closing my eyes, feeling his warm embrace around me.
"I love you too, Steve"
_________________________________________
It's been days since I posted imagines, I have been wrapped up with my school work, my tests are approaching and stuff and everything is like a literal mess.
I know this imagine is very rushed, but I'm trying to write detailed imagines as quick as I can. Hope y'all understand ♡
Also, I would like to thank y'all for 10K reads, and I noticed that this book crossed 10K and reached 11K in a day!
It's seriously like the biggest achievement for me, thank you so much y'all, I love you guys so frickin' much! 😭🤧❤️
New stories coming soon!
Thanks For Reading!
Lots of Love,
TheDarkBlackWolf ♡