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ashes-writing · 1 year

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stranger things ● forever ● s.harrington

warnings

{multi series}, angst, huge changes to s4 / past canon (nobody died but Jason, starcourt's rebuilt, max isn't almost dead, the portal is PERMANENTLY closed now), single mom/ former teen mom reader, baby talk -in moderation.. your daughter is 3, she's just really starting to grasp speech so.. yeah.. eventual filth -probably featuring Steve's known breeding k*nk, eventual roommate trope, mentions of robin's struggle with her sexuality + maaybe robin gets the girl here (Barb. i'm dying on this hill, sorry), typical small town judgmental bullshit, found family, mentions of past injury/violence (because they didn't beat Vecna and close the portal without being unscathed in some way), kind of a slow burn, unapologetic fluff, mentions of smoking / alcohol..

<- reader/you are a female. with female parts. and a child that you've had since you were 17. and a past / clothing and appearance that all tie into this. reader/you have a personality, backstory and past. you/reader's daughter Stevie is 3/4, give or take. this is yet another self indulgent thing and again, i am.. not sorry. nope not at all.

word count

2727 exactly. this is the first part to this.

(( am fully in the grips of a mighty need for dad!steve.. and..eventually.. giving him his dream life. ))

summary

--- you're robin's cousin and you need a new start for yourself and your 3 year old daughter, Stevie Robin. -named after Stevie Nicks and your cousin, ofc- and this brings you to Hawkins.

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here. if you want to be on it -because it is the only way you'll get tagged, click the bolded. if you're here for gareth/eddie + other content, please let me know you don't want to be tagged in this or any of my steve works.

@allelitesmut

@caravelofthesun

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@music4life42

@spaceconveyor

@tbmunson - bestie. babe. ilysm. this is for you. for us. i really hope you like it and idk what I'd do without you to talk to -and possibly annoy, lmaooo.

other links

masterlist ● steve's masterlist ● about + rules

ONE

"Okay, aunt Janet said it's a right turn. Across the street from Big Buy. It's a big sign, I can't miss-" you grumble as soon as you realize you've done just that.

"Mama! Mama look!" your daughter is giggling in her car seat, she's pointing to the park on her side of the street and you pull in.

"We play?"

"No, sweetie. Maybe later, 'kay?" You smile at her and reach out, smoothing her shaggy bangs behind her ears. "I've gotta trim your hair later."

"No!"

"Yes." you laugh, pulling your Mustang out into traffic and merging with it. Your daughter is eating the fries you got her on the way into town. "We live here now, mama?"

You nod and smile. "Yeah."

"Aunt Wobin? She live here too?" Stevie has her little head tilted, staring at you with big eyes. You laugh and nod. "Yeah baby, she lives here too."

Your daughter is so little. So sweet and she's so happy. For her, this has been one big and happy adventure and you're satisfied to keep it that way. She's too little to go through what your own mother -Robins aunt, put you through before finally throwing you out. She doesn't know that you're silently freaking out right now because this is a huge risk you're taking.

The video store Robin works at for the summer comes into view with only 1 car, a brown BMW, parked outside. "I thought Robin was working." you wonder as you turn the engine off and slip your feet back into your shoes.

"Mama. Shoes."

"Good girl." you nod, slipping out of your seat to shut the door with your hip. You make your way around to your daughters side of the car and open her door, leaning into the car to unfasten Stevie and attempt cleaning her up and putting her shoes on before you go inside.

As you do this you're totally unaware that your being watched. Steve's leaned in the door, arms folded. And he’s trying hard not to stare at you but his eyes are moving up your body slowly. As you straighten to full height, he swallows down a lump in his throat and clears it.

Grin in place as he really takes you in. Your little girl is the most adorable kid he's seen, like her mom, he thinks to himself as he hears the little girl with light brown hair and freckles call you Mama.

He's thrown for a loop because you look as old as he is.

"Is Robin Buckley here?" you ask after a few seconds. He's wondering if maybe you're not the cousin she always finds a way to slip into conversations lately, but he shoves the thought that follows this wonder down deep, ,, if this is ___, she's beautiful. took my breath away, honestly." because the thought is dangerous and it's one he refuses to allow himself to even begin entertaining.

Because the second he does even attempt entertaining anything lately, his time trapped in Vecna's mindscape comes rushing back and he can hear it all again on repeat. And it hurts, it makes him bitter, it makes him angry all over again.

Steve's hand raises and rests against the back of his head. He smiles at you and nods. Tries to answer your question but the words get hung in his throat. You're both standing in the doorway, nearly body to body and he takes a deep breath, getting frustrated with himself because he's so distracted by you and your adorable little girl -and a dream that he's been trying to forget about lately because he doesn"t even know if it should happen anymore and he's trying to be okay with that fact- he can't think straight let alone speak properly.

He nods. "She's uh..she's inside. In back, I think." he finally manages to answer, biting back a groan as your soft body brushes against his as you work your way into the store.

"Robbie! Hey!" you're calling out to your cousin as you stop in front of the circular counter in the middle of the store and switch your little girl from one hip to the other.

Your little girl is playing peek a boo with him and he's laughing and it's probably the first time he has in weeks at this point. "You're a cutie, yeah." He's smiling at Stevie and she reaches out for him, dropping the purple stuffed alligator in the process. Steve bends to pick it up and he hands it to her. She gives him a gap toothed grin, "Fank you, sir."

He laughs. "What's your name, huh?"

"I Stevie Robin."

Steve feels that yearning tug at him and he shoves it down. Hiding the pain at his own thoughts, he smiles at your daughter. "I'm Steve."

"Mama! Mama!"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"He Steve. Kinda like me!" she giggles, turning her gaze to Steve as she adds in awe, "Pretty Steve."

You're torn between blushing and laughing. Then you make the mistake of really looking at Steve. And it hits you, you're wondering if he's the same Steve your cousin Robin is talking so much about all the time.

Your daughter isn't wrong, not even in the slightest. You tilt your head slightly and you're taking him in. From the shaggy hair that hangs over his forehead and covers one brow to the way he's got his hand resting on his head calls attention to that hand. By the time you reach his eyes -and immediately get lost in their warmth and depth, you're fidgeting a little. But then you're staring at his mouth, from the perfectly formed cupids bow to the thickness of his lips. His shoulders are broad, biceps fight against the restraint of a beige polo shirt.

If this were the version of you you used to be, before Stevie, before the way her father ripped out your heart, you're absolutely sure you'd be in prime flirt mode right now. But you're not. And your life is totally different now. You have Stevie, she comes first.

The thickening tension is shattered by your cousin Robin and not a second too soon. She's racing towards you with open arms and you find yourself and your daughter being squeezed til you almost can't breathe. The hug breaks and the two of you are laughing and happy and Robin pulls away to look at you as she lets out a long whistle. You shake your head and laugh. "I thought you two weren't coming in until next week!"

You laugh quietly. " The uh..my apartment got broken into. And then my boss pissed me off and I quit. It was now or never, so here I am."

"Your apartment got broken into?" Steve is gaping. You nod. "It happens."

"It shouldn't." Steve answers, staring down at you and Robin clocks it immediately.

She's been talking about him to you a lot -and vice versa, because after his speech in the RV, she started to casually mention you in conversation to him a little more too- . She does this hoping she'd make you -or him, at least a little curious, especially since the night she got a 2 am drunken call from him in which he went on this tangent about how bitter watching everyone start their lives was making him. Then he confided something to her that blindsided her with just how perfect he might be for you.

He wants a family. He needs people to take care of. He really needs to be taken care of in return because Robin knows him like the back of her hand at this point and she knows he's a good man.

She knows that you're dying for the same, it's all you've ever talked about, especially all the times your mom would hurt, use, lie to or turn her back on you, disappointing you over and over.

"Yeah, well.." you mumble, eyes locked on his. "Just glad Stevie was with a sitter and I was picking up a shift at the bar down the street."

"Yeah." Steve mutters. Your voice is soft, a sweet and lazy drawl he could listen to for hours and as soon as this one comes to mind, he's rubbing the back of his neck.

Stevie reaches for him. You start to object but Steve takes her into his arms and smiles, acting as if it's nothing. As he takes her around the little store, you can finally pull yourself together just a little. Robin clears her throat. "That's Steve Harrington, by the way. My best friend. Well, my other best friend." she gives you a soft grin. You hug her and as the hug breaks you laugh softly. "I named her after you and Stevie Nicks."

Robin is speechless, gaping at you as if she might just cry. Then she laughs softly, nodding to the way Stevie is just content to be carried around by Steve. You laugh softly. Tear your eyes off the two because it's concerning just how easy it is to let your imagination run wild. "She doesn't meet a stranger."

"She takes after her mommy." Robin teases as she watches you watching Steve with your daughter. "Nick was an asshole. He didn't deserve either of you."

"Fuck Nick." you mumble, tearing your eyes off of Steve and the way he's so good with Stevie because if you don't..it's a slippery slope. Robin's caught you though and she can't help but smile to herself. She clears her throat. "You're staying with us, right?"

"Yeah…aunt Janet, she told me to take as long as I want but I'm gonna try to get on my feet as quick as I can."

"No, take your time."

"Robin, trust me..you think that now but trust me.

You want me to do it quick."

Steve chuckles as Stevie finds the Disney aisles. "You like Disney, huh?"

"Some. Love Bambi." Stevie answers politely as she rests her head against his shoulder and yawns. "I show you gator."

She raises a little arm to show Steve the dark purple alligator she's been carrying the whole time. "He my fwiend."

"Oh he is,huh?"

"Mhm. Where mama an me lived before.. there were real ones!" her enthusiasm makes Steve laugh. "You like alligators?"

"Mhm! An fruit bats."

Steve laughs. "What about dinosaurs?"

"T rex!" she's giggling and when she holds on tighter to him, his heart melts. And the oh so familiar longing ache is back. Made worse this time by the fact that Nancy, the girl he held out hope to have it all with, she's finally moving on. Moving away, leaving Hawkins with Jonathan and while Steve is happy for her, it's killing him because he's realizing that there's a good chance that his dreams might not come true.

Nobody chooses him. Nobody ever wants to stay. He's never enough.

"Where did you live before?" he asks and she smiles. "New.." she pauses, little cheeks puffed as she thinks.

"I hafta ask my mama."

"Okay." He's laughing. "Let's go back over to her? Are you ready?"

She's giggling because he's giving her a piggyback ride. You laugh quietly and nudge Robin, nodding at him as he carries Stevie over to you on his back.

"Oh she's in love now." Robin laughs and you laugh along with her. Steve stops in front of you, letting you take your daughter off his back. And as you do so, your fingers graze against muscled shoulders and you suck in a breath. You step away, letting Stevie settle on your hip.

"We should probably go. It looks like there are people coming. " you nod to a group of teenagers approaching, some on bikes and a girl on a skateboard.

Steve nods. "Yeah. I'll uh.. I'll see you around." and without another word, he grabs his cigarettes, tells Robin he's going on a break and he's gone, vanished out the door at the back of the store. You're staring.

Robin speaks up. "He's had a really rough time lately."

As you say your goodbyes to Robin, one of the boys that comes in is calling his name, searching the store. Robin nods to the door. "Out there, dingus."

You leave with Stevie, going back to your aunt and Robin's trailer to drop off Stevie with your aunt so you can go out and look for jobs because you're determined to get settled in as quick as you can.

CONTINUED

"Steve? Are you okay?"

Steve doesn't answer Dustin, he only shrugs. Thumps his cigarette onto the pavement. "I'm fine,kid."

"You're not."

"I am, Dustin."

"I know you're not. Just talk to me." Dustin coaxes but Steve shakes his head, refusing. "Just a long day."

"Who was Robin hugging goodbye when we came in?"

"___. Her cousin and her cousins kid, Stevie."

Dustin grimaces because suddenly, he knows exactly what's wrong with Steve right now and it has everything to do with something Steve admitted when they were all preparing to face Vecna in March.

He saw Stevie just now, got reminded of his dream. The one he's giving up on. The one Vecna used against him when he tried to take over Steve’s mind during the whole thing. The one Steve goes above and beyond not to talk about, especially lately.

"Stevie.. like in Stevie Nicks?" Dustin chuckles as he asks, glancing over at Steve.

Steve shrugs. "Didn't ask. I uh..kept my distance. Let Robin and __ talk. I walked Stevie around the store a little."

"Yeah she yelled at Max that she had a pretty skateboard." Dustin smiles. “She’s a cute kid.”

"She using the dinosaur one again?"

Dustin chuckles. "Yeah. Said the deck is fucked on her favorite one. She said Billy ordered a new one but it won't be in for like.. six weeks because it was on backorder or something.. I still can't get over Billy Hargrove not being a massive prick anymore, man." Dustin laughs and the sound dies away as he gazes at his best friend. Noting the dark circles under his eyes. The way he's quieter. Less outgoing lately, he's started to spend more time alone than he does with nearly all of them. Dustin's worried that something's really wrong with Steve because Steve isn't like this. At all. So he's trying to stick close. Eddie keeps telling him he needs to. That they all need to. Says Steve is struggling with heavy shit.

"Stevie likes dinosaurs. 'S what she told me anyway." Steve thumps the cigarette pack against his palm again. "I'll be fine, Dustin."

"You're my best friend. I'm gonna worry." Dustin responds, tapping a sneaker against the pavement.

"You don't need to. I'll be fine, Henderson. Just realizing I wasted a lot of time up to this point. Did I really think she was gonna come back one day?"

Dustin puts an arm around Steve. "You loved her, man. Hope isn't a bad thing."

Steve shrugs. "Kind of is when you put it all in one person or thing. But it's fine. If Nance can move on.." He goes quiet, laughing at himself. Dustin speaks up. "You should too…right?"

Steve shrugs. "Somethin’ like that. I'll get around to it. It’s not exactly top priority anymore."

There's nothing like facing down what you think will be your death and beating it to put life into perspective. He knew hope for his dream with Nancy Wheeler was gone when he and Eddie Munson walked out of the station following a long interrogation on zero sleep just in time to see Nancy reunite with Jonathan. The way she looked at Jonathan.. it stung. But it woke him up and now.. he's just going to close this chapter in his life.

He pulls himself off the pavement and makes his way back inside with Dustin.

,, Maybe you don't give up on your one dream.. maybe just stop trying to seek it out and see if it'll come to you." this thought is conflicted by another, just don't bother. You're not enough. When Vecna tried to get in your head, he did have a few good points."

CONTINUED

Stevie goes bolting out the door as soon as she sees Robin get out of the passenger seat of Steve's car. After she hugs Robin at least four times, she wanders over to Steve's side and he opens the door. Stevie climbs into his car to sit and Robin laughs to herself as she watches.

The little girl is staring at the fading red scar that circles his neck and she knows she shouldn't. She knows it's rude but she's curious. And maybe she's a little afraid that whatever happened to cause it hurt her new friend. Little fingers raise and rest against the raised flesh. "Ouchy."

Steve chuckles and nods. "Yeah."

"When mama kisses my ouchies, they always get better." Stevie gazes up at Steve intently. "Mama sleep." Stevie mumbles after a few seconds.

"Yeah, Robin told me how far you two drove."

"Was fun. Mama took me t' parks. And this huge rocking chair."

"Stevie?"

"She's over here, Robin." Steve calls out to his best friend. Then he remembers the movie he rented under his account so Stevie could watch it. He reaches over into the seat and holds it out to the little girl to be rewarded by her, flinging her arms around him and thanking him. Then she holds up a stuffed t-rex to him. "You have? He protec."

"You should keep it." But she's shaking her head and she gives him this cute little frustrated look as she gestures to the neck scar he's been really self conscious about lately. "So that won't happen again. Please?"

Steve takes the t-rex and pulls himself out of the driver seat. "C'mon. I'll give you a piggyback ride to Robin, okay?"

Across the road, Max Mayfield is seeing all this and smiling to herself. "Maybe everything will be okay."

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve the hair harrington #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington fic #<- my writing ● steve harrington #<- warnings | angst - swearing - single mom reader. reader was a teen mom too - see full warnings above #<- warning | female reader - female parts / clothing / personality and backstory. reader is borderline OC in that she's Robin's cousin.#-- if you want your dad!steve fix this is gonna be that. if you're into found families this is also definitely that.

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