Joe Keery Imagines

Family Nerves-Steve Harrington

Requested by KingJax2

People in Indiana can be incredibly judgmental. They'll pick on you for the car you drive, your grades in school, what you do on the weekend, and your parents.

That last one is why I eat lunch alone in the woods across from our school. When I was three years old, I was adopted by a wonderful couple. This isn't why I eat lunch alone. The real reason is that I was adopted by two wonderful men.

Inclusion hasn't really made it to Indiana yet. Every once in a while, the bullying would get too much. At first, the hatred was aimed at my dads. But when I got to middle school, the hatred turned to me. Ever since then, we've started constantly moving from town to town. The summer before my senior year, my dads and I moved to Hawkins.

It was the same in Hawkins as everywhere else we've lived. People aren't blatantly rude. Just your basic stares and whispers. Kids at school have been told by their parents to stay away from me.

Everyone has stuck with it. Well, almost everyone. Everyone except Steve Harrington.

On the first day of chemistry, we were paired up as lab partners. It started off with me doing most of the work. Then it turned to innocent flirting. Steve was the only one at school who didn't treat me like I was a freak because of my dads. Then again, he didn't know. 

"So, Y/N, I was thinking," Steve said as I finished mixing the chemicals for our assignment, "are you busy this weekend?"

"Just some chores I need to do for my. . . parents."

"Want any help?"

"No," I said a little too quickly. "You don't need to do that."

I cleared my throat and went back to reading the instructions. I could feel his eyes on me but I tried to ignore it.

"Well, we could do something after," Steve continued. "There's this great burger place that just opened up. We could go get dinner and then maybe hit that new comedy movie that came out last weekend."

"Wait," I said under my breath as I looked back up at him. "Are you. . . Like a date?"

"Yeah," he shrugged with the smile that had every girl in school swooning. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

I opened and closed my mouth, unable to make words come out of it. I wanted nothing more than to go on a date with Steve. Suddenly, I thought about the moment Steve came to pick me up. What would he do when he found out I was raised by two dads? Would he be rude like everyone else? Would I lose the only friend I had?

"I can't," I stuttered. I quickly added, "This weekend. But maybe next weekend?"

Steve smiled at me, making my heart do flips. "Next weekend sounds great."

* * * * *

"I'm excited about our date this weekend," Steve chuckled a week later.

My stomach dropped. I guess I didn't hide it well because Steve instantly saw it. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

"I just. . . I forgot. . . My grandparents are coming into town," I stuttered to find an excuse. "I'm so sorry, Steve. My parents reminded me about it this morning. I can't believe I forgot. I am so so so sorry."

"It's okay," he smiled. "We'll just do it next weekend."

"I'm really sorry, Steve," I sighed, the guilt building up. He let out a soft chuckle as he grabbed my hand. I held my breath as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.