Pairings: Nancy Wheeler x Fem!Harrington!Reader - [as always, reader is adopted!]

Requested: Can I get a Nancy Wheeler x Reader in which the reader is Steve's sister and comforts her after Nancy and Steve break up? Thanks!!

A//n: As always, yall are related through adoption cause inclusion <3 also this started as a fictober from LAST year and I picked it up again and just put in a different prompt and already this ask was old. So this request is like at least 3 years old oml im sorry. Lmao i mean,, hey that's my thing. I may usually take an ungodly amount of time but unless I specifically seek you out and tell you I've given up your request, I get it done eventually💀💀💀💀

Warnings: implied smut, but not really since I'm a terrified ace 🤙

Fictober Day 22: "no promises"

Gif Credit: hauntingofblymanor on tumblr

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Being the sister of King Steve Harrington was in no way boring, he made sure of that. Ever since you were welcomed home in diapers, you clashed at every turn. Everything was a competition, every meal at the dinner table was a fight to the death for the last plate of food, and fridge space was sacred territory to earn. It was neither your fault or his of course, but your father's; Mr. Harrington. A rather cold man, with unflinchingly rigid rules and standards for his children.

And yet, despite this and against all odds, you and your brother were shockingly close. The universe seemed to push you two together no matter how much you tried to stretch apart, and by the time you guys reached high school, you both stopped trying.

You were there when Steve attracted the attention of Tommy Hagan and Carol Perkins and the rest of Hawkins High with his basketball skills. Girls started noticing him, the scummiest of guys would try to saddle up with you to get closer to him, or vice versa. Not that you let it go anywhere.

You were there, watching hopelessly as your brother's new craptactular choice in friends sucked him into this weird douchey bubble of popularity. This dragged you in by association but you never gave the nauseating duo the time of day or anyone else for that matter.

And you were there when Nancy Wheeler, an admittedly adorable and frustratingly sweet sophomore came into the picture. She had taken to your brother quite quickly as he had her, much to your frustration. You didn't quite understand it at first. Why it infuriated you so. Every time she became a blushing, giggling mess around Steve and not you.

And it wasn't until that fateful November night on your back porch that things began to change in many different ways. The unforgiving autumn air clashed with the tepid temperature of your pool creating an eery blanket of steam that floated across your backyard. The air wreaked of chlorine and cheap beer, and breaking through were the echoes of Carol Perkins's shrill laugh and your mother's stereo blasting Modern English's I'll Melt With You.

Your parents were out of town for all the wrong reasons and instead of getting a nice quiet night in you were stuck as a sixth wheel at Steve's little party. You sensed Nancy's friend Barbara Holland was having just as much fun as you were, so you tried to make nice but it didn't take. She seemed much too sour from how Nancy was acting and you suspected she didn't quite trust you yet given your status and affiliation with the boy who was stealing away her best friend. So you stopped trying. And much to your surprise, your eyes found Nancy more and more as the night stretched on.

And your heart sank into your stomach when she disappeared upstairs with your brother.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

You were there once more when Steve began to doubt Nancy's loyalty. When Tommy and Carol began to feed your brother's head with lies that turned him into someone you didn't recognize.

You were there to smack some sense into him when you found what he and his 'friends' had graffitied on the Hawk Theater.

You were not there when Steve reflected on your words, recalling how miserable he had been since he had welcomed these people into his life. And you weren't there when he told Tommy and Carol off, ditching them to apologize to Nancy and Jonathan.

When he rushed to the Byers house, still bruised and bloodied as he pounded his still raw and bleeding knuckles on the front door, the person he least expected to answer the door was Nancy.

"Wait-- Nancy? W-what are you doing here?"

His eyes flew past her shoulder, doing a double-take, and then bulged when he saw the boy he had come to apologize to, was handing a giant knife to his sister.

"Hey-- Woah, woah-- wha...?"

"Steve, get out." Nancy seethed. Her voice was low and demanding, a fierce expression on her face that hid the fear in her eyes. "Now."

Steve shook away whatever idea was burrowing into his head, knowing he didn't have any room to mess up with her again.

"You know what? I don't care, I just-"

"Steve--"

"I just, I messed --" he hit the doorframe repeatedly in frustration with himself. "I messed up! I messed up!"

Had it been any other day, you would have been proud of what your brother was doing here and now. Just as much as you'd be a little bit crushed when you saw Nancy visibly softening, only a little given the circumstance, at his apology.

"I just, I wanna make things right,"

Unfortunately, Steve had a knack for poor timing these days. He only picked the very moment you and your new friends had just summoned an inter-dimensional monster to wise up and do the right thing.

Better late than never, you supposed, given he turned out to be a huge help in the long run. Pretty damn decent with a bat though, and you turned out to wield some pretty mean kitchen knives.

You'd think monster hunting with your new gang would be a one-time deal. Nope. Cause guess what?

Yet again, you were there when the monsters returned with a vengeance. It didn't start all at once, not as much it had the first time around.

It had been smooth sailing for months. At least, for Steve and the girl you feared you had fallen in love with. They had reconciled, and while you were happy Steve was back to his old self, and that the two were happy, well... Is it so mean to say they were maybe a little too happy? You definitely could have done without the late-night visits. It always involved last-minute walks around the block on your part when things got a little too fun and it only shattered your heart when it happened.

You were there -- unfortunately-- when their activities ran a little longer and it was too cold to go for a walk. You'd have the TV blasted at full volume, the only indication they had finished was when Nancy came down in your brother's tee-shirt and boxers to get a glass of water or a little snack.

Her cheeks would flush an adorable pink, and she'd do that stupid cute thing where she grinned bashfully at the floor. And despite her shyness, and your discomfort with everything going on you two would almost always end up talking long into the night about anything and everything.

She'd go on about some teacher she had been trying to please at school, and you'd laugh from where you sat next to her at the breakfast bar, and say to her something about how to survive whatever hellish class she was in. Then you'd go on about college applications and how much pressure your dad was putting on you and Steve to be the best, and in turn, she'd smile and jump at the chance to help. She'd then confide in you about her growing guilt with Barb's death, and you'd cup her trembling hand and tell her you'd be happy to help in any way.

Cause you were, just as much as she was to help you. Nights like these became more and more common, and as they did, you allowed yourself to notice she was spending less and less time with Steve. You became the rock - her rock and it tore you up how happy you were to have that privilege.

She was there. She was there when you realized you had completely fallen for Nancy Wheeler.

And you were there when she fell out of love with your brother.

As the anniversary of Barb's death crept closer, you could see the toll it was taking on her. Any mention of Barb or even anything her mind could connect to her late best friend sent her into a panic attack. Poor Steve wanted to do anything and everything to help her, but he just didn't know how. You tried to convince yourself you were doing this for Nancy's sake, and you weren't being a selfish girlfriend stealer but you just knew. You just knew how to make Nancy better - how to help her.

You were there.

You were there when it happened. Nancy came to you, stiff as a board and eyes drifting out into the distance as she tried to collect herself. And when you asked her what was wrong, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder she burst into tears and swallowed you in a hug.

She and Steve had gotten into another fight, and by the sounds of things, they were over. You hated to say you had seen this coming, maybe because you knew on some level you had secretly, selfishly been hoping for it. Or maybe because the more time marched on from that horrible night, the less they saw eye to eye. The guilt of Barb's death was something you feared would eventually destroy her.

You were there to pick up the pieces.

"Nance, you're being too hard on yourself,"

"But I'm not, Y/n!" She wept, picking her tear-stained face up from her palms to look at you. She swayed slightly under your touch, your arm tucked over her back and rubbing circles across her shoulder blades. "That night, she told me - she asked me to leave with her and I didn't. I could have been there, I could have stopped-"

Another heavy and sudden sob escaped, interrupting her own words and you sternly shook your head.

"No, Nance, you just don't know that. You don't know that, okay? Listen to me," surprised by your sudden shift in tone, she quieted, her wide eyes peering up at you and making your heart skip a beat. "Yeah, alright. She asked you to leave with her. She even told you told she didn't want to go, right? But you didn't, and you did. And you can't change what happened but, was it your fault that monster was loose?"

"...no, but--"

"Did you know it was out there when you told her to leave? Or that it even existed?"

"Of course not, but--"

"But nothing, Nance," you plead, your tone begging and hand laid delicately on her forearm. Begging her to see the Nancy you saw, hoping by some chance to pull her out of the pit you were beginning to fear you'd lose her to. "You never intended-- you never could have predicted what could have happened. Fight or not. And, you should have your best friend here with you today. But you don't, and that is something I can't make better, no matter how much I want to,"

Nancy sniffled. She hastily swiped at her nose and leaned into your embrace, dropping her head on your shoulder as you two sat together on a bench in the park.

"What happened sucks. But you know what? As terrible as it sounds, some good things came out of that night too,"

She gave you a pathetic scoff and peered up at you with puffy blue eyes. "Like what?"

"Well," you began, your eyes drawing out of the park. Autumn was quickly settling in, the very trees around you set ablaze in color. The wind picked up and carried a breeze that swept over the two of you, prompting you to draw her in closer to your side which she eagerly accepted. Keeping an eye out for any prying ears, you kept your voice low as you continued. "For one thing, if you hadn't gone looking for her you probably would have never found out about the Demogorgon. At least, not in time to learn about it and warn the others. We wouldn't have been able to team up with Jonathan and it might have been there waiting for the chief and Joyce when they went for Will. And,"

"-they might not have made it back,"

"And Jonathan might not have his little brother. Or his mom..."

There was a beat of silence. One carried away with the sound of a child laughing not too far in the distance as his older sister chased him into a pile of leaves.

"But we don't know that. That's all... speculation."

"Maybe. But it's something to think about." You say, gently prodding her knee with your own to grab her attention. "You know what else might not have happened?"

Nancy took a deep inhale, welcoming every prick of sensation the cold air brought to her lungs as she propped her chin up on your shoulder. You considered it a victory when you realized she had stopped crying. "What?"

"We might not have become so close,"

To your surprise, a tiny chuckle broke loose. "Yeah right,"

"I'm serious," you smirk, giving her knee a gentle and playful nudge with your own. "Saving the world tends to bring people together,"

"I would have found my way to you one way or another," she says mindlessly, eyes lost in the trees as she hugs your arm for warmth. But you were looking at her now, your heart skipping a beat. It seemed only now to have hit her, and she can barely look you in the eye before erupting into a blush and shaking her head. "I mean- you know..." her smile fell at what she said next, taking yours with it. "with Steve and I..."

"Right,"

Just like that, everything changed. The spark of playfulness that had just begun to kindle was snuffed out and left in you both in the cold. Her relationship with Steve had just ended. She didn't need you swarming around her dead relationship like some vulture, and neither did your brother. You loved them both. And you couldn't ever bring yourself to force anything.

The thought to leave was tempting. And the beginnings of an "It's getting late" were jumping off your tongue when Nancy Wheeler changed everything a second time.

"You're right though,"

Her eyes were wide and glassy but a firey force of determination burned bright within them as she clung to you like a life preserver. Her voice was tight and rushed like she was ripping the bandaid off before she could even register any more potential heartbreak that might follow. But she knew she had your permission to continue when you relaxed back into the bench, your concerned gaze fixed intently on her. A very vulnerable, two-inches tall Nancy who was summoning all her courage into getting through the next few minutes unscathed. A Nancy who was only just now fully embracing a side of herself she had been pushing back, a confession not only to you but to herself.

"It wouldn't have mattered," she mutters in realization. Another sniffle tore through the silence left in hesitation, neither of you sure if it was due to her crying or the crisp weather. "I still would have spent my days with Steve. I still would have... thrown myself into his world. Blindly. And it would have been fun - it would have been... exciting," she smiles bitterly at herself and shakes her head, unable to meet your eyes.

Tears spill from her eyelids, racing down her pinkened cheeks and this time she doesn't wipe them away. It isn't until she regathers the courage to return your gaze that she clears the path for more with the quick swipe of her hand.

"but I still would have been lonely. I still would have been living this perfect, hallow life. I still would have been left feeling..." her eyes wander in a haze, lost for words until she notices your breath twirling in the air as it turned to steam. "cold."

You looked down at your hand when you feel her own reaching sadly for yours. You let her take it, watching as her fingers entwined themselves with yours; searching out your warmth and giving you what little she had.

"And I still would h- I still would have found myself awake most nights. Wondering when I'd get the excitement back. Wondering if I'd get that warmth. And I still would have found my way downstairs and," the corners of her lips hooked into a small smiled at your intertwined hands. "and I still would have found it. I still would have kept coming back. Every night. Cause you were there. Cause those late nights in the kitchen with you were more exciting, more thrilling, more warm than anything I had with Steve. And I was... terrified. Terrified to admit that--"

Another laugh broke loose faster than the last, cutting off her own words. It was bitter and victorious all at once; like she had finally triumphed over something heavy inside her. And she had.

"that all this time I had been with the wrong Harrington."

Her eyes were on your lips in the seconds it took you to entangle your hand in the back of her hair and guide her forward into a long-awaited kiss. You could feel her shock at first, but your heart melted and exploded all at once when you felt her kiss you back. Her first instinct was to pull you close; her hand reaching for the nape of your neck only to pull back along with you at the sudden contact of her cold hand meeting your skin.

Her forehead rested against yours as you both broke apart, allowing the lingering heat of the kiss to fill your hearts. No, not heat. It was warmth.

"I-I'm sorry," she says, pulling herself - even her icy hands - away from yours and glancing up at your neck.

You quickly shook your head.

"No, no. Don't be sorry, I'm the one who--" it was your turn to scoff at yourself, and you did so shaking your head. "who just kissed you. Hours after your relationship fell apart. With my brother." You closed you eyes and let out a harsh sigh.

"Hey," Nancy eased, gently pulling you away from planting your face in your hands. "It wasn't like that and you know it. I'm..." despite the pain lingering in her heart for Steve she couldn't deny what she felt with you. "I'm glad you did."

You felt it again. Her fingers traced the back of your hand, asking permission to lace within yours and you gladly gave it. The two of you held onto one another like a lifeline, and when she looked deep into your eyes it was only confirmation every word she had spoken was true. And your heart soared.

"I'm willing to see where this goes if you are," she said, and again you felt your heart shatter and melt all at once with guilt and pure joy. For so long this was all you had wanted. This was all some twisted wish fulfilling itself at the cost of Steve's happiness. At her's. The thought of her having second thoughts down the road was a whole other door you didn't dare open. You opened your mouth to speak your concerns but she had already beat you to it. "But I think we should take things slow. I don't want to risk whatever this could be. And... I need to focus on other things right now. But I don't want to do any of it without you."

A single streak of that warmth was now leaking through and racing down your cheek and reaching your smiling lips. All you could do was nod.

"I'd really like that,"

It was the first time all day she had shown you a real, genuine, toothy smile. And it was her turn to pull you in for a kiss. It was soft and sweet and reminded you of her.

Pulling away, you took the opportunity to rest your head on her open shoulder. Not moments after, you felt her head rest over yours in turn and you drew in on long, shaky, blissful breath,

"You know eventually he will find out," and released an uneasy sigh. "I don't know what I'll tell him."

"We can tell him together. When we're ready."

"And if he doesn't take it well?"

"It will definitely take him some time," she says, and you feel her head shift on yours. She was looking back down at your intertwined hands. Not in doubt but reassurance. "I mean, hell, I'm gonna need some time... But it's Steve. I can see him staying mad at me, but never you. You're too important to him." You smiled at that. "But I have a feeling we're all gonna be just fine, we'll figure it out,"

You gave her hand a thankful squeeze as you sat in comfortable silence. It was always common between you two. Even on the nights you two had sought each other out. And like your brother, your horrible sense of Harrington humor and timing kicked in.

"As long as there are no late-night talks between the two of you," you quipped without thinking. You winced, hoping she had detected the total playfulness in your tone, directed only at the complicated history the two of you were currently weaving.

The split-second silence would have frightened you had it not been for the slight movement of her laughing. "No promises,"

Biting back your smirk, you softly elbowed her and she laughed at your soft, 'ah hush,'.

And as your laughter slowly faded away to wistful simpers, both your eyes simultaneously fell to your intertwined hands. Releasing your hand, she opened her palm to reveal a long jagged scar, and watched as you mirrored her actions to reveal your own. They were the scars left from the night you, Nancy, and Jonathan had summoned the Demogorgon. The day Will Byers was found - the day Will Byers came back to life.

The first night Nancy truly realized. You were there.