Stranger Things Imagines

ROMANTIC: Steve [1] - masc!reader (he/him)

"You know, it's really not that funny," Steve said, putting his hands on his hips and his face slightly burning red from embarrassment. Robin had just put down another tally mark, as he had failed to pick up a date with another pretty girl.

"Oh, no, you're right," she agreed, nodding with her bottom lip barely puffed out, almost as if she was pouting. "It's hilarious."

"Well, I don't see you getting any guys," he fired back. The smug look was wiped off her face and transferred itself onto Steve's. "Ah, don't like it when someone points out that you can't snag someone, do ya?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't need a guy." She put the whiteboard back, and before closed the tiny doors, she turned back to Steve, who was still looking at her angrily. "And there's another customer, dingus."

Steve quickly turned around, ready to serve another customer. "Hello, my lad—" He cut himself off as his eyes scanned over you. "You're... not a lady."

"No, I'm not," you said with a short laugh, putting your hands in the pockets of your jacket.

Steve was still scanning his eyes over you. He examined your clothes, which was the usual style that you wore out to do random stuff; then his eyes scrambled over to your face. After taking a quick glance at your hair, his eyes locked onto yours, and it seemed like he couldn't look away. His face, which had started to whiten from his embarrassment, was starting to heat up again.

"Uh — what would you like to eat?" He shook his head vigorously. "Well, not that we have options. I mean, which flavor? Of ice cream. But you knew that, obviously. We're in a ice cream..." He paused, then swooshed his hair over in a nervous twitch while resting his other hand on the counter in front of him. He looked up at you. "What would you like?"

"Y/F/IC," you said, a grin that you tried so hard to maintain widening on your face. You knew Steve from high school (known as "King Steve" or "Steve 'the Hair' Harrington" according to what kind of people you hung around), but he was never the type of guy to get flustered by other guys. Well, not until now.

He scooped your ice cream, put it into the cone, and handed it to you. "There you go," he said, a nervous smile playing along his thin lips. A worried expression shot across his face. "You wanted a cone, right? No cup?"

"Who wants a cup?" you joked. "I always get cones."

"Right, right." You've never seen a person look more relieved. He, yet again, ran his fingers through his hair. His demeanor from when he was talking with Robin than when he had to serve you was entirely different. It was obvious.

"Bye, Steve," you said easily, despite your crush on him, for you were comfortable with your attraction in guys. You had finally gotten used to looking at them and knowing that not only might you be jealous of them, but you may also be jealous of their girlfriend. Sure, there may be some confusion still as to why you, of all people, like the same gender and couldn't be like everyone else and just like girls, yet you found that there was no need worry about it. All you knew is that liking a guy is going to happen, whether you like it or not, and it didn't matter if anyone else was okay with it, because you were.

"B-bye... Wait! I don't know your name," he called after you.

You turned your head back, answered, "Y/N," then left. You felt his gaze on you as you left Scoops Ahoy.

You figured Steve didn't know about his attraction to men, but after that interaction, you were positive that he had some things to figure out. You had some hopes, too: That he'd accept himself, and maybe even accept feelings towards you, but that was stretching it. Maybe you were just his awakening, simply an attraction yet no feelings.

But maybe not.