My hero ☆ Steve Harrington

chapter 13

Julia sat on the back deck with a cigarette in her hand. She sat there enjoying the night sky, ignoring the loud music mixed with obnoxious, drunk teenagers laughing.

Steve plopped himself next to her, and bluntly stated, "Nancy doesn't love me." Julia coughed on the inhale she took, putting the bud out next to her.

"What makes you say that?" She asked her breathing becoming normal again. "She had too much to drink. She said everything's bullshit. I'm bullshit. I'm pretending everything's fine." His voice cracked in the middle of his sentence.

Steve reached and held onto his girls hand, trying not to cry in front of her. " Apparently we pretend that everything is great. Like we're in love. I asked her if she doesn't love me, but it's all just bullshit."

He stammered on a majority of his story. The two sat there for a minute before she stood up, grabbing his hand again.

She told him to drive to her house, she couldn't since she had a few drinks. They sat in silence, Julia was worried about how Steve was feeling right now.

Steve knew she was thinking about him, he gently rested his hand on her thigh. Her stomach felt like there was a whole cage of butterflies, fuck butterflies she had a whole zoo in her stomach.

She rested her hand on top of his, her fingers lightly cupping his. They remained that way until they pulled up to her house. Her mother had gone out to get more cat food, so the house was empty.

Steve sat on her bedroom floor, a blank look on his face. She sat down next to him, wrapping her arm around him. It pained her to see him so hurt.

She wish that Nancy hadn't had any alcohol at all. She wished she could say the right things to make him feel better. But she can't, if she tries she'll some how revel her feelings for him. She can't do that, especially at a time like this.

They sat there, side by side for about an hour. Her fingers guiding themselves through his hair, his fingers tracing small shapes on her thighs. "Hey Jules?" Steve looked up at her, "hm?"

"I love you." She gave him a toothless smile, "I love you too." Steve admired the chocolate color of her eyes, he gently held the side of her cheek, rubbing his thumb along a small trail of freckles.

Julia realised how close they were, "Okay, here's what we're going to do." She sat up, "first I'm gonna change, you can too if you want, you're clothes are in the closet. And second we're gonna star gaze cause we both love that shit."

Steve grinned up at his best friend, admiring how she looked. He stood up and grabbed her by both hands. He took in the details of the freckles across her cheeks. The way her eyelashes were naturally long. How when she smiled she had small dimples. "Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?"

It was a random question, but he felt like she hadn't been told enough how beautiful she truly was. "Not a lot, but thank you Steve." She walked away, her face flushed brighter than the light in her room.

Steve went into the bathroom to change as Julia changed in her room. They rejoined, both of them in comfortable pajamas.

They climbed through her window into the backyard, bringing a large blanket, and two pillows with them. They laid the blanket across the grass, placing the two pillows underneath their heads.

The two laid down, their hands already intertwined, the stars shining brighter than Julia has ever seen. "Do you think she meant it? I mean, she was drunk." Julia asked, her eyes on a plane that slowly flew by.

Steve sighed, "drunk words are sober thoughts." Julia didn't know what to say after that, so she remained silent.

"I'm so lucky to have you as my best friend." She turned to the boy, his head lowering to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I'm so lucky to have you as my best friend." She returned, giving him a thankful smile. She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, her lips lingering there for a bit. As she pulled away, Steve rested his forehead against hers.

"You, Julia Henderson, are the only person in Hawkins, no the only person in the world, who truly understands me."

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She tangled her legs with his, throwing her arm around his chest, he rested his cheek on her head.

Taking in the smell of her lavender shampoo, he smiled to himself enjoying the time he got with her. They remained like that for a few hours until they decided to head back inside.

They threw themselves on her bed, continuing their cuddle session. They laid there, talking about their favorite memories they had since they first met.

"I remember we were in the cafeteria, and this kid Greg tried to trip me with my tray of food. But you were in front of me, and you caught me from falling. And you were so mad at him cause he was always picking on me. So you grabbed the applesauce off his friends tray, opened it and poured it down his shirt and on his head."

Steve laughed at the memory as he remembered one of his own. "There was that one time in 9th grade, and there was this girl I think her name was Stephanie. You, me and a few others were at the mall. She was flirting so hard with me and I was so annoyed. So you pretended to be my girlfriend, and she was so mad. She kept trying and didn't believe us, so she asked us to kiss and we did." Julia blushed when he mentioned the kiss, it was only a simple peck to get the girl away, it worked, but it also fueled her feelings for the boy.

Steve continued telling stories as Julia slowly began falling asleep. Her head nuzzled into the crevice of his neck, her soft breath tickling his skin.

He realized she drifted asleep, but he just held her there. He couldn't help but feel this feeling in his stomach. He felt this electricity between the two that kept drawing him back to her.

He wants to protect her. Wants to show her how a real man should treat her. He wanted to give her the world, but he was just another teenager.

He kissed her forehead, and mumbled against her skin, "You have no idea what you're doing to me Julia Henderson."