Stranger Things - Imagines (Book 2)

Steve Harrington X Alt!Reader - Girl All The Bad Guys Want

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song Girl All The Bad Guys Want by Bowling For Soup. Reader is described as being alternative, but I won't be going into a ton of physical details. Sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I hope you all enjoy this one.

Steve wasn't exactly sure when his crush had started forming. Sure, he'd always thought you were pretty, even back when you were both in Pre-K, when you had a gap in your front teeth and constant paint splotches on your dungarees, but something had definitely shifted since then. You weren't exactly the same sweet, innocent girl you'd been back then anymore. But God, somehow, you'd only gotten prettier as you'd both grown up.

Yeah, he'd definitely been crushing on you for longer than most people would deem normal, but who could really blame him? You were one of the most stunning people he'd ever met and the attitude you wielded like a weapon was something else entirely. Of course, he wasn't the only person who had noticed you. 

As soon as Billy had started at Hawkins High, Steve had known that he'd end up with an interest in you. All the guys you'd ever dated were basically the same douchebag with a slightly different exterior, and Billy definitely fell into that category without even trying. So, when Steve had spotted Billy hanging around your lunch table, he hadn't been that surprised. 

"You know, staring at people is kinda rude," a  voice uttered, making Steve jump slightly, sitting up straight at the realisation that he'd been caught red-handed. And then, he'd turned to find Eddie Munson hovering next to his table, grinning from ear to ear. 

Well, shit. Eddie was one of your best friends. You'd practically been inseparable since you were toddlers. And he'd just caught Steve pining for you from the other side of the cafeteria like some total loser. 

"I wasn't-"

"Yeah, you were," Eddie interjected, slumping down into the seat next to Steve. "She's hot. Everyone stares at her. But you've got it bad, haven't you?"

Steve swallowed down the lump in his throat before giving a short nod. "Not that it matters. Hargrove staked his claim the second he set eyes on her."

Eddie released a sharp snort of laughter, shaking his head, but when Steve didn't laugh with him, his expression shifted, brow furrowing with confusion. "You're kidding, right?"

"He's always hanging around her-"

"She thinks he's an asshole," Eddie pressed on. "Fucking hates his guts, but he has this weird idea that she's just playing hard to get." He shrugged slightly. "I think he just doesn't want to admit that his personality makes him hard to want, huh?"

"She doesn't like him?" Steve uttered, still looking a little confused as he risked a glance over to where you were sitting, catching you right as you rolled your eyes at whatever Billy was saying to you. 

"Think she's had enough bad experiences with guys like him to last her a lifetime. She's into something a little less rough these days," Eddie hummed, before letting out a soft sigh. "I tried telling her you were into her months ago and she told me I was an idiot. Guess she never caught you staring."

Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat, opening his mouth to protest before faltering. 

"Relax, Dude. I'm not here to torture you or anything. I'm just bored of all the pining." Eddie shook his head slightly. "Y/N's a great girl and you seem like a decent enough guy. And to be completely honest, she's scaring off all the hot girls at concerts because they assume she's my girlfriend or something."

Steve released a small snort of laughter at that last comment, and then he cleared his throat. "You think she'd say yes if I asked her to go to the movies?"

"Yeah," Eddie hummed. "But going to the movies is a shit first date. Take her to the arcade or something. Somewhere that you can actually talk to each other." 

With a nod, Steve started gathering up his stuff, glancing down at a confused-looking Eddie. "No time like the present, right?" he uttered, watching a small smile spread across his unlikely friend's face. 

"Right," he agreed with a sharp nod. "Go get her, Tiger."

Steve was halfway across the cafeteria before the doubt started setting in. This could all be some elaborate trick to make him look like an idiot. Eddie could easily be in league with Billy, setting him up to make a fool of himself in front of the entire school. But before he could really consider changing his mind, his eyes landed on you. You'd offered up a small smile and all of his doubts had disappeared. 

"Hey," Steve hummed, standing beside your table and swallowing down the lump in his throat. "I was wondering-"

"We're talking here, Harrington," Billy bit out, glaring past you at Steve with a face like thunder. 

You let out a disgruntled sigh. "Oh my God. Just ignore him, I know I do," you uttered. "What were you wondering?" you pressed on, leaning your elbow on the table as you smiled up at him. 

He cleared his throat slightly, shifting awkwardly on the spot. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the arcade this weekend," Steve pressed on, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. "With me," he added, watching as your smile grew slightly. 

"Just you and me?" you hummed softly, biting down on the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from splitting your face open with a bright grin. Steve nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"What the fuck? You won't let me take you out, but you'll go out with that fucking idiot?"

Your smile dropped from your face. "You never actually asked me out," you corrected, spinning in your seat to glare at him. "And even if you did, why would I want to go out with a self-obsessed asshole like you, anyway?"

"Fucking Bitch," he spat, getting to his feet a little too quickly for your comfort and making you flinch slightly. 

Steve was putting himself between the two of you before he even knew what was happening, his eyes fixed on Billy to monitor his movements. It was only when he felt your hand gripping the back of his shirt that his shoulders dropped slightly.

"It's fine," you breathed out, glancing back to find Eddie hightailing it across the cafeteria to join you. "Ed's been waiting to deal with him for weeks," you added, tugging on the back of Steve's shirt to move him away from the table. The two of you left the cafeteria in silence, walking through the halls until you reached your locker. "I really do want to go to the arcade, by the way," you finally uttered, sending him a soft smile. "It'll be fun," you added, watching as Steve nodded. 

"I'll pick you up, yeah?" You nodded your agreement. "Saturday at 3?"

"Perfect."

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