Stranger Things - Imagines

Steve Harrington X Bestfriend!Reader - Live Like You Were Dying

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw. For this one, Steve and Reader have been best friends since they were little kids. I hope you all enjoy it.

You'd been close to tears when the bats had finally given up on their attacks, your eyes scanning over Steve, unsure of where to land. His stomach was pretty torn up and he would definitely have a scar. He'd have bruising around his neck, you were almost sure of it. His mouth was covered in blood too, and your stomach churned as you tried to figure out whether it had come from him or from the bat he'd ripped apart. 

His eyes flickered over to you, full of sheer terror, and your breath caught in your throat. You had almost lost him. He had almost been killed and if you and the others hadn't followed him through the gate into the Upside Down, there was a good chance you would never have seen him again. That thought alone was enough to leave you a little lost, floundering on the spot as you searched for something to say. 

"Steve," you murmured, quickly moving to hold him up as he stumbled forward, your arms slipping around him. "We need to get out of here," you threw out to the rest of your group, your eyes never once leaving his face. "Shit," you breathed out a little more quietly, your eyes darting down to the bloody expanse of his abdomen. 

"It's not that bad," he told you, leaning into you a little heavier as you helped him walk towards the cover of the woodlands. 

You shot him a warning glance. "Well, it looks pretty damn bad," you bit back, shaking your head. "We need to cover it," you added, silently very thankful when Nancy took over as first aider. 

Steve immediately grabbed for your hand, his grip surprisingly tight given the circumstances. "Don't leave," he uttered, wincing as she wrapped his wound. 

"I'm not going anywhere," you reminded him gently, petting his head lightly. There was no way you were going to ditch him like that. After almost an entire lifetime of friendship, you couldn't imagine ever letting him be alone in a situation like this. "I'll be right here."

*Time Skip*

The walk over to the Wheeler's place had been pretty slow going. But between making sure that Robin wouldn't go missing up ahead and that Steve, who'd spent most of the journey being talked at by Eddie, didn't fall too far behind, you were keeping your mind pretty busy.

Nancy had lingered at your side, the two of you seemingly the only people who could keep a normal walking pace for longer than a couple of minutes. 

But once you were inside, some of the anxiety that you'd felt about being in the Upside Down had faded. You knew the Wheeler house, and even in this twisted, manipulated version of it, it was still a little soothing to be somewhere you recognised. 

Steve had lingered downstairs when Nancy had led the others off in search of her guns, and you'd been quick to hang back too. There was a good chance that the blood loss and the shock from the attack could leave him a little loopy, and Robin's comment about Upside Down rabies had sent you into a bit of a worry spiral too. So, you stayed close, watching him carefully as he wandered around the entryway. 

"I think I almost died," he murmured, glancing back at you for a moment, seeing your frown deepen slightly. You were staring at him so intently, your head leaning at a curious angle, and he couldn't help but think about how pretty you were, even now, when you were half-soaked from your dip in Lover's Lake and covered in dirt. "If you guys hadn't followed me-"

"I would never have let you just get dragged off," you interrupted. "I wouldn't have just left you alone like that," you pressed on. In his entire life, he'd never heard you sound so serious before, and the expression you were wearing matched your words perfectly. You were worried about him, more worried than you'd ever been before, and it was really starting to show. 

He nodded slightly, clearing his throat. "Eddie said you didn't even hesitate; just threw yourself straight in after me," he told you. "Which, as sweet a gesture as it was, was fucking stupid," he reminded you. "You didn't know what was happening and you put yourself in danger-"

You rolled your eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "Yeah, because if it were the other way around you would've stayed on the boat, right?"

"That's not the point," he told you, shaking his head slightly. 

You hadn't realised how close he'd been getting until he reached out, taking your hand in his. "What do you want me to say, Steve? That I can't stand the thought of ever having to live in a world without you in it? That I would put myself in danger a thousand times over again to make sure you were safe? That I-"

Steve leant in, silencing you with a gentle kiss, his nose nudging yours as he pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes. 

"You lost a lot of blood," you reminded him, your hand resting on his chest. "So, I'm just going to assume your brain is a little fuzzy right now-"

"It's not fuzzy," he interrupted, placing his hand over the top of yours, keeping it trapped to his bare chest. "My thoughts have never been clearer," he pressed on. "I have been in love with you since before I even knew what love was and I have wasted so much time trying to hide that. And If I had died today, I never would've told you."

"Oh," you murmured softly, your tongue darting out to wet your bottom lip as you searched for something to say. 

He nodded slightly, leaning in to rest his forehead against yours. "You remember that time we drove all the way to Indianapolis to get that Duran Duran album you wanted?" You nodded your answer. "On the way back, you were singing along to Rio and I have never been so happy in my life. You were just the prettiest thing I had ever seen," he confessed. "Thought I was going to lose my mind from how hard I had to try to stop myself from kissing you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely," he reiterated. "And at the Winter formal when we were in 8th grade, you kissed my cheek when I came to pick you up and I'm pretty sure my entire mind malfunctioned. Pretty sure your dad saw me blush, too."

"Shit," you murmured softly. "My mom is never going to let us live this down," you breathed out, watching as his brow furrowed in confusion. "She always told me that we should just get it over with and become a couple, and I always told her we were just friends because I assumed you didn't like me back-"

Steve let out a soft snort of laughter. "Good to know I've got your mom's approval," he teased. 

"Yeah, as if you ever doubted that. I'm pretty sure Mom likes you better than she likes me," you uttered, letting out a sweet chuckle. "She spoils you and you aren't even her kid-"

Steve cut you off with another kiss, his hands cupping your face gently as you smiled into the kiss. "I love you," he breathed out, his lips still so close to yours that you could feel his words fanning across your face. 

"I love you too."

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