you were resting your head on the palm of your hand during your lit class. rather than listening to your teacher, you stared blankly ahead. occasionally shifting your head to watch steve who was a couple seats to your right.
you recently broke up and it has truly affected you. however, he seemed to be okay. you were glad he was, but a small part of you hoped he'd be upset over the break up.
you had been together for about six months. even a relationship that didn't last too long felt too real and too true. it felt different compared to any others. the way steve quickly became a huge part of your life was hard to forget. it was hard for you to let go. you sighed and continued to feel down for the rest of the day. however, you tried your best to not show it.
—
you looked through your locker hoping to find the right materials for your last class. as you searched, you sensed a presence that was not there before. without moving your head, you turned to stare at the person.
"are you okay, y/n?" he asked, shifting from one foot to the other. he had his hands in his pockets and a small, sympathetic, smile on his face.
you closed your locker and smiled sadly. "i'm okay, jonathan. thank you for checking in on me," you told him honestly. you were glad he cared enough to ask. you weren't all too close to him, but you knew a lot of him.
"hmm, im not sure i believe that all too much," he looked at you suspiciously. you couldn't help but smile sheepishly at the floor.
"i'm okay really. im just overwhelmed." you sighed and rolled your eyes for dramatic affect.
"well, 'just overwhelmed', i am jonathan. i'm here if you need anything," he had a genuine smile across his face. "plus, i sort of really want to get to know you more. we should hang out some time."
you giggled at his dad joke. you were just about to thank him when an arm wrapped around your neck. jonathan's mood changed instantly.
"hey babe. whatcha doing?" steve's grin was pointed towards jonathan. he then turned your head to the side just enough for him to be able to kiss your lips.
you didn't know what to do. your stomach was jolting at the interaction between steve. after the surprise kiss, you stood silently. you only stared at jonathan, not sure what to say.
jonathan pursed his lips and sighed. "i'll see you around, y/n. seriously, consider my offer." he turned around and walked the opposite direction from which he came.
finally, steve removed his arm from you and faced you. "what was that?"
ah shit, here we go again. you furrowed your eyebrows and pushed him slightly. "what is the matter with you! you cant just ignore me for days and then suddenly appear and kiss me."
"why was he talking to you?" he asked completely ignoring your outburst.
"people talk to people, steve . . . and why should it matter who i talk to? i can do whatever i please."
"this . . ." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "this is why it's so difficult to be with you, y/n!"
"why? because i won't let you control me? i love you steve, but i was not and am not your puppy. and remember that i broke up with you! for this same reason. you think you can control me like you can everyone else. well guess what? you don't have me wrapped around your little finger. i'm not your toy."
steve sighed feeling defeated. he ran his hand through his hair and leaned against the lockers. "you're right. i'm really sorry, y/n."
you had expected to hear another argument. so, you were surprised to hear an apology. "i'm sorry, what?"
"i'm truly sorry, y/n. it's not you who is difficult, it's me. i just . . . you know that before you i didn't really date. i've always had control over every aspect of my life. so, knowing that you could get up and leave at any moment is honestly very frightening." he looked into your eyes and sighed. he stared at the ceiling, "i let you consume every inch of my being. i've let you see things no one has ever seen. i loved being able to share a part of me with you . . . i hate that i genuinely tried to move on to someone else."
it was crazy to hear such a genuine message coming from steve. although you had helped him become more open with his emotions, it still surprised you for him to be so honest and raw about what he was feeling. once he mentioned another person your heart dropped ten inches below the ground.
"i know what you're thinking. i'm such a dick. i tried to, but it wouldn't work. they weren't you. i craved every inch of you. no one else could ever make me as happy as you have. i'm so sorry that i drove you to thinking that breaking up was the best thing to do. you don't understand how much it broke me to hear those words come out of your mouth. i didn't show it then, but the second i left, i broke down. i don't cry for people y/n," he slowly reached for your face. he placed a thumb on your cheek. "i should've said this sooner, but i am sure of it now. i am truly, madly, deeply in love with you."
you heart swelled at those words. steve harrington loved you. the boy who no one thought was capable of loving anyone but himself was confessing his love for you. before you could react in any way, you had to make sure he knew that he had to respect you. "you can't keep trying to control me, steve."
"i know, baby. i swear i won't from now on. i know that it's not healthy. also, you um . . . he looked at the ground, a blush forming on his face, "you don't have to say it back. i just want you to know how i feel about you."
"i love you, steve."