HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1984.

     JONATHAN FINALLY REALIZED THAT Theresa was missing, frantically running outside to find her.

Thankfully he did find her, one arm over Steve's shoulder as she giggled uncontrollably while they walked to his car.

"Steve, Tess!" Jonathan hurried over, Steve turning to him.

"Oh, hey man," Steve greeted, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "I'm gonna take Tess home. She's– yeah."

Theresa looked up at him, then over at Jonathan. "He thinks I'm drunk," she slurred, laughing again. "I'm not even that drunk, I'm just tipsy–"

"Come on Tess," Steve said with a sigh, guiding her around to the passenger side. He looked up at Jonathan who was still standing there contemplating what to do.

"Don't worry about it, dude," Steve reassured, opening the door. "I'll make sure she gets home safe."

Jonathan was torn, but he finally gave in. He trusted Steve enough now that he would do what he said he was going to, so he simply nodded.

"A-Alright. Thanks."

Steve nodded back, shutting the door once Theresa was inside. Jonathan watched them leave, checking the time on his watch. At least he could go home now.

In Steve's car, Tess would not stop talking. She kept turning the radio to different stations and screaming the words of every song at the top of her lungs. Steve knew she was not in her right state of mind, but he was still a little entertained. She was cute.

"You're not gonna remember any of this," he muttered to himself, laughing softly.

Theresa grew quiet as she looked at him for a long period of time, suddenly lunging at Steve and attacking his face with kisses.

"Tess!" he shouted, swerving on the road while she fell into a fit of laughter. She turned her body so that she was laying on her back, her head in his lap. Tess looked up at Steve and continued to cackle, Steve shaking his head with a sigh.

"Jesus Christ, you're gonna get us killed."

She smiled innocently, reaching up to mess with his hair. "I love your hair."

Steve tried to remind himself that she was drunk, but he still felt a blush come across his face. He glanced down at her, trying to focus on the road.

"Thanks. I like yours too."

Theresa stared up at him in silence for a long time, her smile dimming ever so slightly.

"I think I love you."

Steve did almost crash this time, blinking a few times to make sure he heard her correctly.

"W-What?" he choked out, pulling into the driveway of her house.

Tess sighed. "I love you. I love your stupid face and your stupid jokes and you."

He put the car in park, his heart nearly thumping out of his chest. This couldn't be real.

"Come on, Tess," he finally managed to find his words, Theresa sitting up as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Let's get you inside–"

"But– don't you love me back?" she responded, poking her bottom lip out.

Steve sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Yes, I do. Now stay right there, I'm coming around to help you out."

Theresa sat there with her hands in her lap while Steve got out and hurried around to the passenger side, trying to figure out what he was going to do. Steve's hands were trembling as he helped Tess out of the car, hooking an arm underneath her and the other around the front of her abdomen.

"Come on, let's go," he heaved, Theresa starting to bubble with laughter again. She was one of those drunks.

"Oh my God!" she said suddenly, looking up at him so quickly it startled him. "I should've told everyone I was 'Mother Theresa.' That would've been so funny."

Steve only shook his head, guiding Tess up the front steps of her house. He was praying dearly to God that Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair had already gone to bed and would not come out as they walked in the house.

"Okay, we've got to be super quiet alright?" Steve said in a quiet voice as he inched the door open.

Tess nodded with an extremely serious face. "Super quiet," she whisper-shouted.

He crept inside and did not hear or see anyone, so Steve continued to lead Theresa upstairs to her room. She bumped into the wall at least three times, falling into a fit of laughter while Steve pleaded with her to keep quiet. They finally made it to her room, Tess collapsing on her bed. Steve ran a hand through his hair, having calmed down some since the love confession from Theresa. His mind was still racing, though.

Steve pulled her heels off, Tess rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

"Thanks Steve," she mumbled, reaching out for his hand without warning.

He stopped, standing there and having no idea what to do. Theresa just stared at him, slowly running her thumb over his hand.

"You're welcome," he softly replied, gently squeezing her hand.

She finally let go of his hand, sighing dramatically. "Do you have to go?"

Steve rubbed his nose. "I-It's probably best that I do."

Tess placed her hands over her stomach, adjusting her head on her pillow.

"I want you to stay."

He pulled his lips in, beginning to wonder how bad of an idea this was. It was possibly even more of a bad idea than having sex with her in the bathroom at the party.

But he caved in. Steve pulled off his jacket, then both of his shoes, and walked to the other side of the bed to lay down beside her. Theresa rolled over, settling into him as she laid her head on his chest.

He stared up at the ceiling, one arm wrapped around her as her eyes became heavier. It only took a few minutes for Theresa to begin softly snoring.

Steve could not sleep at all. He stayed up, gazing up at the fan while listening to the rhythmic breathing of Theresa. He knew in this moment, with a bursting feeling in his chest, that he was in love with Theresa Sinclair. Absolutely, undoubtedly, hopelessly, head over heels in love.

"What are you doing to me, Tess?" he questioned aloud, the girl moving slightly with a soft whine.

She was not awake though, Steve moving his head down to look at her. She was beautiful, and she was invigorating.

And Steve Harrington was completely screwed.

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     WHEN THERESA WOKE UP THE NEXT morning, she had a piercing headache.

Rolling over, Tess frowned as she saw a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water sitting on her nightstand. She quickly sat up, rubbing her head. Only bits and pieces of the night before were in her memory. The last thing she remembered was being with Steve in his car.

And that was when everything else came flooding back. Most of it, anyway. Just the pivotal moments, like Billy dragging her out of the house and her almost getting into his car, and then Steve showing up and taking her with him instead.

He had saved her from God knows what.

"Tess!"

She jumped, startled as Erica burst into her room and placed her hands on her hips.

"We're gonna be late for school!" Erica snapped, looking down at the untouched medicine and water on Theresa's nightstand.

"And take your medicine, I put it out for you for a reason." Erica rolled her eyes, walking back out.

Theresa furrowed her eyebrows, glancing back over at the aspirin. How the hell had Erica known?

Nonetheless she dismissed it, popping two pills and hurriedly jumping in the shower. Her costume reeked of alcohol, her makeup from last night completely ruined. She hoped she did not make a fool of herself. Tess supposed she would find out at school.

After she got dressed, Theresa rushed downstairs and grabbed her keys, saying, "Lucas, Erica, let's go!"

They both rolled their eyes, standing up from the dinner table to grab their things. Tess quickly kissed her mother on the cheek, then her father as well.

She got her siblings out to the car, not even giving them time to buckle their seatbelts before she was pulling out of the driveway.

"So did you have fun last night?" Lucas asked in a taunting tone, Tess giving him a sideways glare.

"You're gonna be doing the same thing in a few years."

"Going to parties and drinking alcohol?" Lucas made a face. "No way."

Theresa sharply turned her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "I never said I was drinking alcohol."

"We heard you when you got home last night," Erica casually stated from the backseat.

She felt her face slightly burning. Tess dismissed it, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. If I find out either of you say a word to mom and dad, you're dead. And I'm not joking. Six feet in the ground, dead."

She dropped both of them off at school, then driving over to the high school. Theresa had to find Jonathan, so maybe she would get a clearer explanation of what had happened last night.

As she walked inside, Tess started for her locker when she was joined by Jonathan.

"Hey, did you make it home okay last night?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "Hell if I know. I don't remember anything."

Tess stopped at her locker and opened it, Jonathan chewing his inner lip as his eyes scanned down the hallway.

"You might wanna talk to Steve, then," he suggested, Theresa slowly turning her head to him.

"...Why?"

Jonathan scratched his head warily. "I– I let him take you home last night. Please don't be mad, I trusted him enough so–"

"I'm not mad," Tess cut off, shaking her head. "Okay, well maybe I'm a little mad, but it's fine. I'll just... go talk to Steve."

He was not in first period, which concerned Theresa a little. She kept ignoring Billy's glances from across the room, hoping he would not try to approach her. She knew what his intentions with her were last night, and the fact that he was going to try and take her God knows where while she was drunk unsettled her.

It was not until the fourth period of the day that Steve finally showed up, Theresa sitting on the bleachers in the gymnasium with hopes that she would find him.

And she did, watching Steve talking amongst some of his friends on the basketball court. Of course he shows up for gym class, she thought. Then, Billy walked out of the locker room. They were playing shirts and skins, so Billy had no shirt.

Theresa was about to stand up and walk down there when the P.E. coach blew his whistle, signaling for the game to start. Steve took the basketball and began to dribble it between his hands, Billy guarding him. She paused, wondering if now was a good time. So she figured she would wait a few minutes, maybe after Steve's team scored a few points.

But it seemed that Steve's team was not doing as well as they usually did, because Steve seemed to be struggling. Especially with Billy on his ass at all times, clearly bothering Steve. Theresa could tell that the tension was thick between them. And that may have been her fault.

Just then, Billy stole the ball from Steve and tripped him, Steve busting his ass on the court. Tess' mouth fell open, covering it with her hand.

She decided that now may have been a good time to try and grab his attention, so she got up and walked down the bleachers.

"Steve!"

He stopped, turning to her with a confused frown. She raised a hand, giving a small wave.

He sighed with reluctance, following her outside of the gymnasium. Steve had been dreading this talk, because he had no idea what he was going to tell Theresa. That she confessed her love for him while she was drunk? Steve didn't know if she would believe it.

They stopped in the alleyway between buildings, Steve wiping his sweaty face with a towel.

"Where have you been?" she asked warily, tilting her head.

Steve licked his lips. "I-I came in late today. Kinda had a– a hangover."

"Tell me about it," Tess replied, rubbing her forehead. She looked back up at him, trying to decide what to say. "Um– Jonathan told me... that you took me home last night. I just wanted to say– thank you. You didn't have to, especially with the way I acted toward you last night. I was being a bitch. A-And... I'm sorry."

Steve quickly shook his head. "No, you don't have to apologize. I was being a dick to you, too. I-I'm sorry for calling you a whore. If you remember that."

Theresa laughed a little, glancing down. "Yeah, I remember," she replied. "I remember everything up until about... the time that we left the bathroom."

He felt the back of his neck grow hot, trying not to visibly blush as he thought about that. Theresa dropped her head, shaking it with a smile.

"Just– tell me that I didn't do anything stupid."

Steve's smile faded a little, knitting his brows. "Um... no. Just– typical drunk stuff. You mentioned something about being called 'Mother Theresa', so there's that..."

Tess began to chuckle, meeting his eyes. "Mother Theresa? Oh, I can't believe I brought her into this."

He placed his hands on his hips, laughing with her. Steve wondered if he should have told her then, told her everything.

"Well," she drew in a breath, "if that's all there is then I'll let you get back to your game–"

"Wait."

Steve reached out for her hand, pulling Theresa back. She looked up at him, a crease forming in her brow.

"What?"

He hesitated again, the words seeming to be caught at the edge of his throat.

"I-I don't know how else to say this other than to just say it, a-and I hope you believe me. Um... you said– you said that you love me."

Theresa narrowed her eyes at him, unable to tell if Steve was joking or not.

"I said what?" she questioned, halfway laughing.

Steve was completely serious, though. "You said that you love me, and my face, and my stupid jokes. And my hair."

Theresa's smile began to fade, realizing that he was not kidding. She felt her mouth run dry, swallowing as her eyes darted to the ground.

"I-I was drunk," she finally replied, brushing him off. "Everyone says stupid shit when they're drunk."

Steve glanced down, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah. You're right. I just– thought you should know."

Tess could feel her heart pounding, suddenly feeling nauseous. Had she really been drunk enough to tell Steve she loved him?

Just as she was about to say something else, one of Steve's teammates ran out of the gymnasium door.

"Harrington! Dude, we need you man! That douchebag's killing us, let's go!"

"Alright–"

"Come on!"

Theresa turned her head back to Steve, making eye contact with him for a prolonged moment. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she was scared to say.

"Go kick Billy's ass, alright?"

She gave him one last smile, walking away.

Steve watched her, running his hands through his hair.

Maybe she just isn't cut out for love, he thought.

notes.
the way i am FEEDING y'all with these updates, can you tell they're my current obsession?

someone mentioned to me how exile and illicit affairs by taylor swift perfectly fits tess & steve's relationship, and now it's all that i can think about 🤩 not to mention that i literally sobbed while listening to fine line over the scene where tess tells steve to stay with her

and it'll have sm more meaning when theresa finally tells him that she does, in fact, love him. y'all idk how much more angst i can put them through bc i just want them to be together so bad. but imma keep dragging it out until it all blows up and we get the most angsty, heated love confessions scene of all time

anyway i'm really fucking soft for them rn, and if what everyone has been saying about steve in season 4 really comes true, i am going to END IT ALL. not even joking bro like that shit's deadass not funny

how do you think theresa and eddie will interact?