Joe Keery Imagines

Secrets Hurt-Steve Harrington

Do you ever get the feeling that someone is lying to you?

Steve and I have been dating for almost a year, but lately, something has changed. We were the typical high school couple. We'd tell each other everything and we were constantly together. At first, we were that annoying couple. Now, he seemed to be drifting apart.

He's been making up excuses, canceling dates last minute, sometimes not telling me he couldn't make it. Instead of spending all his time with me, he was spending it with a group of kids. Whenever I asked him why he suddenly started paying attention to them, he just shrugged and said he was trying to be nice.

Something else that's changed is he seems to be getting in a lot more fights. I tried to ask who he was fighting but he continued to tell me not to worry.

I walked out of school, instantly heading towards Steve's car. I faltered for a second when I saw him leaning against the hood of his car. I cleared my throat, tightened my arms around my books as I picked up my pace.

"Hey," I greeted. "Did you skip last. . ."

My question got stuck in my throat when he looked towards me. His face was bloody and he looked like he got the crap beat out of him.

"What happened?" I panicked. I dropped my books and ran to him. I gently grabbed his face and examined it. My heart sank when I saw numerous cuts and bruises, all of them bleeding.

"I'm fine."

"Don't!" I cut him off. I glared at him before shaking my head. "Steve, I'm only going to ask you once. Who did this to you?"

"It looks worse than it is," he tried to explain.

"No," I cut him off again. "Steve, tell me what's going on. What's really going on."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," I said, my voice breaking. "You've been keeping something from me for months."

"Y/N," he sighed.

I took a step back, pulling away from him before he could grab my hands.

"I can't do this anymore," I whispered.

He looked over at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"I just. . ." I stuttered.

"Y/N," he said quickly. He tried to reach for my hands, but I took another step back. "Please don't say what I think you're going to say."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I cleared my throat as I slowly leaned down and grabbed my dropped school supplies. "Steve," I sighed, "I feel like your lying to me."

He opened and closed his mouth, struggling to tell me the truth. I shook my head, tears building up in my eyes.

"You can't even admit it."

I quickly turned on my heel and started running away from him as tears streamed down my face. I could hear him calling out to me, but that just made me run faster.

"Y/N! Please, come back! I'm sorry."

* * * * *

When I ran into my house, I went straight upstairs. Steve started calling my house, but after the third time of me not taking it, my mom figured it out. I stayed in my room all night and did my homework. Instead of forcing me to come downstairs to eat, my mom brought my dinner up to my room.

The next morning, Mom came in to check on me. She sighed when she saw me still in bed. She walked over and knelt next to my bed. She smiled as she reached up and ran her fingers through my hair.

"How about we take a sick day today?" She asked. "We can go shopping, get lunch, get our nails done?"

"I have a test on Monday," I mumbled.

"So?" Mom chuckled. "It's Friday. Let's play hooky."

"Mom," I groaned as I covered my head with the blanket.

"Y/N," she sighed, the tone of her voice changing. "I don't know what happened with you and Steve but there's nothing wrong with taking a mental health day. You need it, and I need some Mother-Daughter time."

I slowly pulled the blanket off my head. I looked up at her and smiled. "There's my girl," she whispered.

"Give me ten minutes."

After getting ready, we did everything my Mom said. We went to the mall, bought things neither one of us needed, grabbed lunch, got our nails done. For a few hours, I didn't think about Steve.

When we got home, Mom went back to her normal routine while I cuddled up on the couch and read a book. I jumped when someone knocked on our front door. Barely thirty seconds later, the knock repeated but this time more forcefully.

"Y/N?" My mom called from the laundry room. "Can you get the door, sweetie?"

"Got it!" I called back. I put my book on the coffee table before heading towards the door. I wasn't prepared for what I found on the other side of it.

"Steve?" His name got caught in my throat when I opened the door to see him standing there.

It's only been less than a day since I walked away and he had changed so much. There were bags under his eyes, his shoulders looked slumped, and even his hair didn't have its usual "Steve fluff".

"Can we please talk?"

* * * * *

Steve and I went to our favorite hiking trail. Whenever we needed to be alone or one of us needed to vent, we always drove out here. Usually, we hiked up the mountain and sat at our favorite picnic table, but this time, Steve didn't get out of his car.

I waited patiently for Steve to open up. Once he finally did, I couldn't believe what he was saying. After Steve finished explaining everything, I felt a little lightheaded.

It was crazy. Missing people. A large creature. The Upside Down. It was so crazy it had to be true.

"There it is," he sighed. "All of it. I swear that's everything that's been going on. I didn't mean to lie to you. I just. . . I thought I was protecting you. We've lost people and people have gotten hurt. I couldn't let that happen to you."

I cut him off by leaning over and pressing my lips to his. I felt him let out a sigh of relief before he grabbed my face and deepened the kiss. Our lips immediately moved in sync. When neither one of us could breathe, Steve broke the kiss. Instead of pulling all the way back, he leaned his forehead against mine.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you," he whispered. "I thought I was protecting you. I didn't mean to push you away."

"It's okay," I whispered. He smiled at me as he reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering on my cheek.

"Wanna go for a walk?"

We were quiet as we hiked up the mountain with our hands intertwined. When we got to our usual table, we sat on the bench, with our back to the table, as we looked at the view. I sighed as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," Steve said quickly. I sat up and turned towards him.

"No more lies," I said as seriously as I could. "Please, Steve. The next time something big happens, I want to help."

He opened his mount to object but I cut him off. "I know you said you want to protect me, but I can't sit back knowing you're putting yourself in danger and not at least help. I want to be right by your side, fighting whatever crazy thing you fight next."

Steve leaned down and pressed his lips delicately to mine. He broke the kiss and smiled down at me.

"I promise," he whispered. "Next time something supernatural comes to Hawkins, we'll fight it together."