𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬

FORTY-FIVE: a sorry pizza.

    

     AFTER GRABBING SLUSHIES and tons of chips and other snacks from the 7-11, James now drops off his sisters and his brother off at Mike's place where they were having the movie night in the basement. "Do I have to pick you guys up after?" James asked and Sara turns to the car, sipping her cherry soda. "Nope. El says Lucas can drive us home." She says and James furrows his brows at her.

"Then why'd we drive you guys?" He asked and Sara shrugs. "Dad told me to ask you. And I'm guessing it was because he doesn't like how much time you're spending with Steve." She said then peered at the other man sitting in the passenger side seat. "No offence." She says and he just simply nods. "None taken..." He murmured, glancing away.

"But... honestly, I really don't care because you seem happy. You should try and show dad that." She said and the older Hopper sighs. "When did you get to become so grown up?" He asked, crossing his arms and she chuckles. "Over the four years you've been at college." She says and he just smiles, "have fun. With your friends. Okay?" He says and she nods. "And you have fun too." She giggled, walking away and joining El and Will who've been waiting for her halfway down the driveway leading to the Wheeler family's garage.

James turns to look at Steve once his siblings were inside the house. "Wanna do something else than cuddling at my place? God knows my dad will still ask me to keep my door open even if I'm 21 already." He says and the Harrington chuckles. "I--I actually think it's better I head home." He says and James frowns. "It's nothing personal, you know, from my dad, he's always a hard-ass and... he's just protective." He explains and Steve nods softly.

"Yeah, I know... really, I just wanna be alone." He says and James glanced away, driving off to head to Steve's house which wasn't really far and when they got there, James turns to his boyfriend again. "I love you, you know that, right?" He asked and Steve looks over. "Yeah. Of course, and I love you too." He smiles sweetly the way he always does and James nods before looking away.

"I just think we should give your dad space and time... it seemed like he wasn't expecting us to get together and with the history I have with your family, it might be best, you know?" He says and James just quickly nods, looking around then back at his boyfriend, smiling.

"Yeah, I know, Stevie..."

Except what James nor Joyce even knew was Steve and Jim both knew how alike they really were... especially after Steve's time in AA meetings and trying to get better, because Jim was his sponsor during that time. And those were not good times. Steve would say the worst things ever straight to the man's face everytime he fell off the wagon, that he pitied Steve, or that he hated Steve secretly and was laughing at him behind his back.

Steve's never apologized and Jim's never brought it up, because James was right, that was the thing about alcoholics, they never apologize properly for what they've done or said. But guilt wracked Steve to his core that night as he took a shower, did his whole night routine and stared up at the ceiling.

He needed to give a proper apology to Jim, because even after he broke the man's step-son's heart, he was still forgiving enough to help him out with sobriety. It kind of made him feel even worse realizing he was keeping it from his boyfriend the reason why Jim was so unapproving of their relationship.

So the next day, Steve showed up to the Byers-Hoppers home with a pepperoni and cheese pizza which he knows is Jim's favourite through James. "Hi Mr. Hopper." He said when the door opened to the man and then cringed a bit at the usage of Mister and Hopper in the same sentence, everyone who isn't his close family calls him Hopper. "Hey kid..." Jim said and Steve sighed quietly, holding out the pizza towards the man. "Here's a sorry pizza."

Jim gestured him in and they sat at the table, drinking non-alcoholic beers. "Don't they make the prices higher for these than regular beers?" Steve asked suddenly and the man nods, biting into a pizza slice. "Yes, they do." His voice comes out muffled and Steve glances down. "Honestly my sobriety isn't going well since I graduated, I drink beer here and there, but still, that isn't a 100% sober, right?" He glanced up and Jim shakes his head.

"No, still sober as long as you don't go on week long benders or have to have alcohol in your system to function correctly." He says and Steve sighs. "If... if what I said all that time ago, to you, about yourself and your family, I'm sorry. I take it all back, I was--" "drunk? Kid, I'm the king of bad drunken words. I--I probably said worse shit to James and Sara than you ever did, it took a lot of work and time for me to fix it..." He says and Steve just frowns.

"But they forgave me anyway... and I forgive you. Okay?" Jim says and Steve glanced up. "Then... why are you constantly sticking your nose into mine and James' relationship?" He asked and the eldest Hopper is taken back by this, looking down. He fidgets with the can in his hands and shrugged slightly.

"I guess... because something Joyce said to me once is true. You're a lot like me, and I guess I've been projecting." He sighed, looking up and Steve frowns. "A lot like you?" He asked and Jim nods. "Except you're dealing with your 20s way more better, I was a very bad alcoholic at that time and I use to think it was living life on edge or being badass or something, like being free, but I was literally wasting money for alcohol and not being sober enough for... whatever I had with Diane at the time." He says and Steve sighs, looking down.

"So, I read the whole thing wrong, I thought you didn't like me but--" "it's myself I don't like." Jim sighed and raised his drink, taking a sip. "But I do genuinely think James seems happy with you. I mean, you're the only one he let stick around longer when he was in the hospital after what happened to him... you're practically the first person he calls everytime he wakes up, he talks about you none stop and he showed you his book. Not even I got to ever read that." He says, gesturing to himself.

"You... really think so?" Steve asked a bit happy, smiling and Jim nods. "Maybe he's your Joyce, and you're his Hopper." He chuckled and Steve raised his brows. "What?" He laughed and Jim shrugs. "Something Joyce said, she said you remind her of me a lot and I can see a lot of similarities in Joyce and James too since I first ever knew Joyce." He says and Steve nods, raising his head a bit.

"Are you sure he's not her actual son?" He asked and he just laughs. "I think... it's just that thing when you love or look up to someone so much, you kinda mock their habits, like when Joyce and I got together, she use to hate loud chewers and now she does it without even noticing." He says and Steve grimaced. "Right..." He says quietly.

"The sentiment is cute... but I don't know if it's a compliment or insult to be told I'm like you." Steve says and the two laugh because Jim could tell he's joking. After finishing up their pizza and beer, Steve points towards the staircase, "is James in his room?" He asked and Jim nods. "Yeah, he's sort of been laying in bed all day, all holed up, not doing anything. Even when I asked him out to brunch, he didn't budge. Not sure what's wrong." He said and Steve frowns slightly at that.

"I'll go check on him..." He says and headed up the stairs. In James' room, the Hopper was laying in bed, under his duvet with a cold wash cloth over his face, so Steve hesitantly knocks on the wide open door. "Mom, I'm not in the mood." Came from James and Steve furrows his brows. "I'm not your mom." He says and then the wash cloth was flung off his face as he quickly sat up. "Oh... sorry." He said and Steve pointed at his bed.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah... shut the door too."

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

authors note
the fact i'm so much like steve.
i hate it. why am i like steve? like in canon-wise, specifically, i relate so much. it's genuinely so sad at this point 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂