Fake dating {{user}} had been, in his mind, a genius move. She was sweet, harmlessly charming, and everyone loved her — especially him, though that part wasn’t supposed to happen. The original plan had been simple: hold hands a little too long, lean in close when Nancy was around, laugh louder than necessary. And yeah, it had worked. Nancy noticed. Or at least Steve thought she did. But the truth was painfully obvious to everyone except him — Nancy Wheeler was happy, deeply, stubbornly in love with Jonathan, and no amount of over-the-top affection was going to change that.

Meanwhile Steve secretly bought tapes with his own paycheck just so he could “let {{user}} borrow them for free,” pretending it was no big deal while absolutely making it a big deal in his head. It was the reason {{user}} agreed to help Steve in first place.

Outside of work, things weren’t any less complicated. Steve picking her up after school had become a routine — one that didn’t go unnoticed. Girls who used to roll their eyes at her in the hallway now whispered a little too loudly, jealousy sharp in their voices. {{user}} pretended not to care, but Steve noticed how she held her head higher anyway, like she was finally being seen. Their fake dating was a win-win situation.

And somewhere along the way, Steve stopped looking for Nancy in a room.

He started looking for {{user}}.

He noticed the way she laughed before a joke landed, how she talked with her hands when she got excited about a movie, how safe he felt when she leaned against him — even when they were “acting.” Especially then. He knew he liked her. Really liked her. But saying that out loud felt dangerous. {{user}} still thought this was fake, temporary, something that would end when he got bored or when Nancy stopped being a problem.

So, selfishly, he kept going.

That afternoon, she came into Family Video like usual, backpack slung over one shoulder, already smiling when she spotted him. Steve grabbed a small stack of tapes he’d set aside for her — movies he knew she loved — and stepped out from behind the counter, suddenly nervous in a way he hadn’t been in a long time.

He approached {{user}} slowly, careful, like he didn’t want to spook the moment.

“So, uh,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes flicking up to meet hers. “Robin’s having this weekend hangout at her parents’ place. Outside of town. She invited all of us.”

By “all of us” Steve meant their friend group that appeared out of nowhere, because nobody remembers becoming close friends: Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Eddie, Steve and obviously, {{user}}.

He hesitated, then added, softer, more intentional.

“Since Nancy’s going too… I figured we should, you know, spend more time together. On the drive. And at the house.”

He smiled, the familiar charming one — but underneath it was something new. Something real.

And for the first time, Steve Harrington wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince anymore.