I Like You Lots (Steddie)

Chapter 10

A/N; pls listen to If I Tremble by: Front Porch Step

It's what I have on repeat for this chapter. I'll even link the playlist for this book here, this song's on there: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3UEjXWq3R7T6EY3r7UwptQ?si=8f44b9e719f94750

TW; suggestive situations/banter, anxiety

"Can we count this as a date?" Steve smiles at me, with a look in his eyes like he's up to something. "Why? So I have to sing to you tomorrow? Sneaky, Harrington." He smirks and finishes eating his fries. "I mean.. Could you blame me?"

"I'm not even that good." I roll my eyes, leaning back in my chair. "I highly doubt that. I've heard you singing before. Just.. not on your own. I wanna know."

"Relentless." I shake my head. "You won't sing to your boyfriend?" His smile melts me.

Boyfriend. My boyfriend. Steve is my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend.

What the fuck. My heart can't deal. He's got me wrapped around his fingers. So easily. It was like it was just something he could do, without any thought behind it. The man could literally take my whole heart and I would thank him.

"I guess we can count this as a date. What's the plan for tomorrow anyway?"

"And why would I tell you that?" He lifts an eyebrow, making a curious face.

I don't know maybe to make me less nervous that he's going to do something mad cheesy and I might die. You know. Simple things. But that of course would be too simple, he had to make my life vastly more complicated. Him and his stupid smile and his perfect face.

"Because I hate surprises?"

"You're going to have to get used to that. I like surprises."

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, not at all." He grins widely at me. Why's he gotta be so cute? Like I can't even argue with him... how's that fair?

"Let's go home?"

"Home?" His eyes squint slightly and there's a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Stop it. Yes home, my house." I stick my tongue out. We're not moving that fast. I know he's just messing with me but now I've started to think about how nice that would be. To share space with him? See him every morning? I'm getting ahead of myself...

We get home, and it's nice to just be one on one with him again. Steve tosses a backpack he was carrying onto my couch. I'm thinking he brought some clothes to change into this time. I grab some pajamas to change into, tossing Steve some as well. I go to walk into the bathroom, and Steve stops me. "Wait..."

"Wait?" I look up at him, confused a little. "Yeah.. let me.. help? Tell me if I overstep." He leads me over to the bed and has me sit down. "What are we doing?" He smiles, and shakes his head. "Arms up." What? Why? I do it, and he pulls my shirt up and over my head, watching my face carefully. My heart beats a little faster. It's the first time he's seen me like this. His fingers softly run over each of my scars on my chest. I'm honestly speechless. I can't even get words to come out. Steve then pulls my pajama shirt on for me, kissing each cheek once he gets my comfortable shirt on. "Now lay back a little."

I nod and follow, leaning back and he helps slip my shoes and jeans off, leaving a trail of kisses from my thighs to my knees, and pulls the shorts I grabbed on for me. I can't get coherent thoughts to process. I'm just trying to breath.

He then stands up and grabs my clothes. "Go crawl into bed. Okay? Get comfortable."

"I..Okay." He comes back out of the bathroom changed and I'm assuming he put my clothes into the hamper for me? He crawls up next to me pulling me close and running his hands through my hair and down my back, then repeating the motion. I'm dizzy, but not in a bad way? Like my head is full of fog again, my eyes feel heavy. Dreamlike. Was he... taking care of me? "Comfortable?" I nod and push my head closer onto his chest, and wrap my arms around his middle. "Good. Tell me how you're feeling?" I feel his fingers twisting my curls.