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1
Stefano Ellio Harrington was born in an Italian household.
It was something that most, if not anybody knew about him.
His parents were out of town a lot, his dad had just gotten started running his business and his mother was a musician and so she happened to be on tour a lot. She decided to keep her maiden name for her stage name, it didn’t bother anybody.
But where did that leave little old Steve?
At home with his Italian grandmother, all the time. She had immigrated to the United States not too soon after Steve was born. She refused to speak anything other than Italian to him, saying that he needs to learn his culture young and that he would learn English in school like all the other little kids.
Not only that but she refused to call him anything other than Stefano, while she developed the nickname Steve his name stayed the same for her.
And so as Stefano-Steve made his way into 8th grade the smile on his face was bruising but he couldn’t stop. He was glad that he was able to even make it this far, he knew when he got home that his Noona would have a cake with candles in it because she tended to celebrate every small event.
It’s why he loved her.
They were sitting in class, English class to be exact. With Italian being his first language, Steve tended to think in a mix between the 2 and as a result his notes reflected it. Il compito per il fine settimana è scrivere un saggio sul chapter 21 del book.Assignment for the weekend is to write an essay about chapter 21 of the book.
Okay, maybe it was a little more of English mixed into the Italian but you get the point. Steve through in 2 languages all of the time, and sometimes one tends to slip out. “Capitolo 21, l'ho già letto?” Chapter 21, did I read that already? He mumbles to himself with the end of the pencil in his mouth. The kid next to him, Timmy H who he had been friends with since kindergarten gives him a look before going back to his work.
The girl that sits on the other side of him whom Steve couldn’t put a name to was bliss hung as if he had said the dirtiest thing in earth. When she noticed he was looking at her she winked. “I’m not sure what you’re saying but you can call me anytime.” Steve didn’t know what was up with her but he was starting to regret his “romantic” his language sounded.
He knew about the “Romance languages” to him it was just his he spoke. Like the word grass meant grass Che cosa meant Che cosa (what). He never understood the “romantic” part of his language. Maybe it was the way the words rolled off of his tongue that English speakers weren’t used to.
But everyone seemed to think he was flirting in some way when he was just thinking out loud.
For the rest of the class Steve tried to keep his thoughts to himself, he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. Steve Harrington was many things, but he was never one to lead someone on.
He had gathered his books when the bell rang and he waited for Tommy to do the same because he didn’t want to walk to his next class alone. Tommy rushed to shove his things in the bag and they walked together to their next class since they happened to share a schedule. Steve wasn’t sure if his parents payed the school to do it but he was glad.
Steve Harrington had a lot of friends so to speak, a lot of people saw him as a friend or wanted to at least. But Tommy had known him since diapers almost, he was the only one Steve even hung out with after school.
“I know you have that Harrington charm but leave some girls for the rest of us.” He nudged Steve in the side which made him laugh. “Not my fault that they’re attracted to my amazing hair.” Tommy laughed and just like that they were at their next class. The teacher had figured it who the friends were and she separated them from each other but they weren’t too bothered by it.
If he really wanted to he could get his parents to fix it but he didn’t want to be the douce with money who abuses it and so he left it alone.
Class came and went and then Steve and Tommy were getting onto their bikes bing joined by Tommy’s girlfriend Carol who Steve didn’t know much about. Steve was standing on one foot while looking through his bag. “Ho la sensazione di aver dimenticato qualcosa. Sono sicuro di averlo fatto... cos'era?” I have a feeling that I forgot something. I'm sure I did...what was it? That made Carol look up, Steve didn’t even know he was mumbling.
“Either you’re speaking tongues of you are actually speaking another language.” She seemed amazed and with the demographic of Hawkins it wasn’t surprising. Nobody knew more than one language except the occasional passerby. At most, they had to learn Spanish just so they could pass. After that all of the knowledge that was in their heads just disappear.
Tommy took the liberty of explaining like he had done many times before. “It’s Italian, he picked it up from his grandmother, you can ignore it. Most of the time he doesn’t even know he’s speaking it.” The only served to make Carol more interested. “Really? That’s fascinating actually, so what language do you think in? Wait, don’t tell me. English right? Or if you learned Italian first then it would be Italian right?” Steve got on his bike and they started to ride in the direction of the movies.
“It’s a mix of the two, that’s why most people can’t read my class notes.” His grandmother wanted to make sure he got the full experience. She taught him how to read and write in Italian and she always made sure that she had Italian books on hand.
Story tales , classical literature, cook books, she made sure they were all in Italian. Most everything in their house was.
Every book on the shelves were either Italian or schoolbooks save for the dictionary that his father always kept there and upgraded every 3 years.
So now only 2 people knew, Steve wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing considering that Carol just seemed so infatuated whenever he veered off and spoke anything other than English. He was never ashamed of his language, but it felt weird when somebody was watching him and waiting for him to speak as if it were a party trick.
2
Speaking of parties, Tina’s party was not too far away. It had been a fast 2 years and somehow Steve was already a sophomore in high school. He had managed to get a beautiful girlfriend named Nancy Wheeler and he was completely infatuated with her. He knew it was cheesy but he started to write love letters for her in Italian, he planned on giving it to her at some point.
He was thinking more at their wedding but that through that been shout down immediately. “Matrimonio? Dov'è la mia testa in questo momento?” Marriage? Where is my head right now? He chuckled a little to himself, his arm around Nancy at while they sat in the movies. She looked at him and the smile on her face was questioning. She tilted her head a little and Steve felt his heart swell.
Nancy Wheeler.
He managed to get his hands on Nancy Wheeler, the perfect girlfriend and person. The best person that he’s met. Tommy was a little upset for some reason but Steve didn’t want to ask him why because he thought it would make it worse. His best friends since childhood being mad at him made his heart swell in the wrong way. And so he didn’t want to think about it.
He just wanted to think of the beautiful girl in front of him.
“What?” She asked in a soft voice as she didn’t want to yell over the movie. Her smile was glued onto her face and her bright blue eyes took a deeper color in the dim light. Steve’s smile was stuck on his face. “Nothing.” She seemed to take that as an answer and she went back to the movie with her heart thumping and irregular beat.
The way the words rolled off of Steve’s tongue had her feeling ways that she hadn’t before. Maybe it was the thrill of hearing something different for once. She heard English almost all her life and that wasn’t too boring but the way Steve was speaking had her almost pulling him out of the theater.
Later that week Steve invited her to a party, this wasn’t too long after Barb’s “disappearance” that Steve was trying so hard not to remember. His Noona had moved back to Italy because her sister insisted that they needed her. Turns out her brother had gotten sick, Steve was hoping that he was okay. But it was like ever since she left everything erupted into chaos.
Barb was gone there was no donut about that and now he was wondering who was next.
They dressed up for Halloween for the first time in years and they went to the party. Nancy had gotten butt fuck drunk and dropped a bomb that Steve was neither expecting nor appreciated. “Like we’re in love?” His hand ran through his hair, it was a bad habit, he knew but he couldn’t stop.
“Gesù, proprio quando pensavo che le cose non potessero andare peggio.”Jesus, just when I thought things couldn't get worse. Nancy looked like she was trying to glare at him but since she was drunk it was more of a pout. “Don’t try that on me, talking like that won’t make me change my mind.” Is that what this was about? Did she think that Steve was trying to win her back? Did she want him to chase her? He was getting mixed signals and he didn’t know how to react.
“It’s bullshit.” Words never hurt so bad.
It was like a steak through his heart. He walked out of the bathroom, he knew that he needed to get her home and try to forget about all of this. He knew that she would but those words would repeat in his head for years to come. He was looking for where he sat his keys down when he spotted Jonathan Byers standing with a cup in hand.
“You got a car Byers?” Jonathan seemed to be shocked that he was even talking to him. He looked around for a second like there was another person that was supposed to be there. He straightened up a little. “Yeah.” Nancy had followed him and was now wrapped around his waist while she leaned heavily on him. “Get her home.”
Steve had noticed that they had been hanging out a lot and he knew that the Byers boy had feelings for her that was no denying and with the way that she looked back at him it’s clear that at least one thing wasn’t bullshit tonight.
Jonathan looked from Steve to Nancy and then back again. He took in Nancy’s flushed face and he nodded. Steve saw them stumble out of the door together and normally he would be jealous but now he just couldn’t bring himself to care. “Cazzate. Questo è tutto ciò che sono.” Bullshit. That's all I am.
He knew the words sank into something deeper that he didn’t want to talk about.
He went to the punch and took a cup. Just then he felt and arm go around his shoulders and when he looked to the side he saw Tommy leaning on him. It was clear that he was a little tipsy but other than the blush on his face he seemed pretty sober.
Steve drank quickly. “What’s the matter Stevie? I haven’t seen you this down since your Nana moved.” Steve shrugged as he refilled his cup. Then Tommy seemed to freeze, he looked around and then he looked back at Steve, or well Steve’s hands. “Where’s Nancy?” Steve’s shoulders slumped after that.
“È con Byers. A quanto pare sono una stronzata.” She's with Byers. Apparently I'm bullshit.
After being friends with Steve for so long Tommy caught most of that. It seemed like Steve’s inner translator was off but that was fine. “Why the hell is she with that weirdo? Do we need to teach him another lesson? That creep.”
Tommy took the cup from his hands and took a sip before handing it back. Steve looked down at the cup in his hands before downing all of it. “Non le piaccio più Tommy, non sono sicuro che l'abbia mai fatto.” She doesn't like me anymore Tommy, i'm not sure if she ever did. Tommy’s face was a little pinched as he looked at Steve. “No way man, what makes you think that? For all we know she could just be drunk and stumbled up to him. You know what? I’ll go find him, we can clear all of this up.”
He refilled Steve’s cup and was about to lead him away when Steve stopped him. “They already left. I told him to drive her home.” Tommy paused. “Why the hell would you do that?” Steve didn’t know if it was because he was getting drunk but he heard a little bit of triumph in Tommy’s voice. He could he hearing things.
Steve shrugged. “She said our relationship was bullshit, it’s obvious she liked him more than me. Funziona.“ It works out. “No it doesn’t Steve. You can’t let people walk all over you.”
Steve downed some more of the punch and now he could really tell why Nancy got drunk so fast. “Perché importa comunque? Era fuori dalla mia portata.” Why does it matter anyway? She was out of my league. They were stumbling around the house until they got out back so they could get fresh air.
He grabbed Steve’s shoulders and made him turn to face each other.
“Don’t talk about yourself like that Steve, if anything you were out of her league.” Steve looked at Tommy, really looked like he hadn’t before. The freckles on his face we prominent, Steve always had been a little jealous because somehow he was able to pull it off. His hair was fluffy, not as good as Steve but it was still nice. His eyebrows were full but still soft.
And his lips—no. It’s just the alcohol talking and the heartbreak. He will not think about Tommy, his best friend, like this. Friends didn’t think of friends that way, he was sure. And besides that he liked girls. Almeno lo pensava. At least he thought so.
But if he was going to say anything then it would not be when he was drunk. But the filter was gone, he knew his face was flushed and Tommy looked a bit more sober than him. Tommy seemed to notice when Steve’s gaze went to his lips because he did the same and then Steve wasn’t so sure if the blush on his face was from being drunk or something else.
Tommy seemed to think for a second before he shook his head. “Stavi pensando a qualcosa?” Were you thinking about something? Steve knew he was getting close, like closer than a friend should be close but he couldn’t stop. The strings of alcohol were controlling his limbs and he was but a mere puppet.
His head was tilted and he was right in front of Tommy. Their lips were almost touching but not quite. “No.” Steve knew Tommy was lying. “Really?” Steve pushed foreword first and really someone should have taken him home. But as his lips touched Tommy’s everything he was thinking dissipated. And for a second Tommy was kissing back hesitantly but then he pushed Steve off softly.
“You’re drunk Steve. You don’t know what you’re doing.” Steve’s eyebrows creased. “Non ti piaccio?” You don't like me? For a second Tommy didn’t say anything but then he pulled Steve into a hug. “I do, but let’s be honest, you’re not going to remember this tomorrow. All you’ll know is that Nancy broke your heart and you found a rebound in the same day.” Steve knew there wasn’t any venom to his voice but he still felt a little hurt.
Steve leaned back from him to look him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry Tommy. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Tommy seemed to accept that answer and then he started to tall about this amazing plan that he had it get back at Nancy. All the while ignoring the hurt in his heart that he was so close to having what he wanted, but he ruined it because he didn’t want to be hurt when Steve admitted that he really didn’t know what he was doing. That it was all a mistake.
Carol was the least drunk and she ended up being the one to drive them home. They all stayed at Steve’s house for the night for him to sober up.
Steve slept wrapped around Tommy and Tommy didn’t push him off. If anything his arms tightened to enjoy this moment, there wouldn’t be another like it.
He explained his plan to Carol and she laughed. It was going to be great, they would go to the movie theater with spray paint and…
3
Steve wasn’t sure how the got into all of this.
He wouldn’t say that he was bad with kids, his mom’s side of the family was huge. He could go to Italy every summer to visit them and with him being one of the older kids he was usually left with the smaller kids while the adults talked.
So you could say that he had a little practice with it, but nothing in this scale.
The movie theater prank didn’t go so well and Steve wanted to apologize because it was a bit of an asshole move but when he went to her house he ended up getting dragged away by a 12 year old and the next thing he knows he’s walking on some train tracks with a bucket of meat in hand and he’s telling a 12 year old about his secret hair products.
It’s something that he would never share with somebody but he just felt like talking to the kid and the kid was really listening. King Steve, is what they called him and for now he was okay with it.
And then he had seen a lot of shit that he wouldn’t ever be able to scrub from his brain because it was so stuck deep inside.
And then Billy Hargrove, that redhead from California was very hotheaded. And he bashed Steve’s head in the floor before his sister managed to knock in him out. When Steve woke up he was out of it.
“Stiamo andando da qualche parte?” Are we going somewhere? Dustin’s was shushing him but he was sure that they were moving. “Steve’s awake?” He heard Lucas talking from the front seat. “Did he say something?” Max sounded a little stressed in the front seat and Steve was confused as to why. “Perché ci muoviamo?” Why are we moving? They all looked up at each other.
“Maybe it’s worse than we thought.” Dustin was trying to keep Steve’s focus on him while Mike mumbled to himself. “Stop talking, I’m trying to focus.” Max from the front still sounded stressed and Steve was beginning to worry. “Perché andiamo così veloci?” Why are we going so fast? He tried to sit up but Dustin kept trying to push him back down.
Soon they arrived at the tunnels and Steve was a little more focused. But his translation filter from brain to mouth didn’t seem to be working at the moment.
They had lit something on fire and they were in and out. He was sure that Dustin had gotten hurt there the Demodogs ran by them but he wasn’t sure what to do other than hold onto him.
When they got out the headlights brightened and then they went dim.
“Dustin stai bene? Stai fermo, sto cercando di controllarti.” Dustin are you okay? Stay still I'm trying to check on you. Steve’s hands were in his cheeks and he kept turning his head. Dustin swatted his hands off and Steve started to check on the others. When he concluded that there was nothing wrong with them he managed to get them all in the car and back to they Byers’ home.
They didn’t say much but everyone knew that Steve had a concussion, it wasn’t hard to tell. He managed to fall asleep without much of a hassle but Hopper did keep waking him up to check that he wasn’t in a coma.
4
Even during the end of the world, Steve couldn’t control his brain to mouth filter.
He was standing in front of Eddie Munson, freak of school form how he remembered him. He was just was Steve had last remembered him if not for his hair being a little longer.
Eddie was a little on edge around him but he loosened up to him when they started to get closer. Not by choice but in order for survival. That’s when Eddie would notice the small mutters that everyone else had learned to ignore. Like when Steve was at skull rock and they were trying to think of a plan.
“Questo è molto più difficile dell'ultima volta.” This is much more difficult than last time.
The words flowed from Steve’s mouth and Eddie wondered what they meant. Robin was too far to hear it and everyone else seemed to be focused on what they needed to do. They had to prove Eddie innocent which was a task in itself.
Dustin seemed to figure something out when Steve muttered again. “Oh no, sta ballando.” Oh no, he's dancing. And once again Eddie was a little entranced by the way the words spilled out of his mouth, like it was second nature.
He knew a lot about Steve Harrington, a lot. But nobody knew that he was bilingual.
The way he said the words made him feel warm inside, and some other places as well.
They managed to get there through the water gate. Eddie was walking side by side with Steve when Eddie decided to say something. “So..you speak another language.” He said it like a fact but it came out as more of a question. Steve looked up from where he was watching Robin in front of them.
“Yeah, I guess.” He looked back foreword and kept walking. “And nobody else has noticed?” Steve shrugged. “They noticed. They just don’t know what I’m saying.” Eddie nodded and kept walking. “Well, what are you saying?” Steve paused for a second before he kept walking. “Nothing really, just thinking out loud.” The vines were really annoying because they couldn’t look up for too long. Hive mind and all that.
“So you don’t notice when you’re doing it?” Steve shrugs again. “It just slips out.” Eddie nodded again and he wasn’t sure why he was doing it so much because Steve wasn’t looking at him so it wasn’t like he would know.
“What language is it? I was thinking Spanish but it sounds a little different.”
“It’s Italian.”
They walked in silence for a second longer before Eddie had a bit of a bright idea. “Can you say something in Italian?” Steve didn’t stop walking. “Why?” Eddie shook his head. “Why not?” Steve tilted his head at that. “What do you want me to say?” He almost tripped over a vine. “Anything, I don’t know man.” Steve thought for a second.
“Se usciamo vivi da qui, voglio baciarti.” If we get out of here alive, I want to kiss you. Eddie listened for a second before he turned to Steve. “That sounded highly sexual, what does it mean?” Steve snorted. “Apparently everything sounds sexual in any language but English.” He kept walking. “It mean that I hope we all get out of here.” Steve knew that it was a lie but at least Eddie didn’t.
That’s all that mattered.
Eddie laughed. “That’s a little grim but I’ll take it.” Steve laughed with him and they kept walking. Steve was looking at him and when he thought Steve wasn’t looking then Eddie would do the same. He wondered what Steve had really said. It had been clear that he was lying about the translation.
Eddie wondered if he said something mean or something really nice. He hoped to was something nice because from what Dustin had told him about Steve, he was different from who he used to be. And he trusted that kid with everything.
They had managed to get out, but Steve never acted on his words. He was too scared that he would chicken out and end up doing something dumb.
5
Steve was ready to sleep but he was left tossing and turning around in bed. Everyone was back in Hawkins and apparently Hopper was alive the whole time. Like usual his house was empty and his parents had been gone for about 6 months, they didn’t call or leave any notes and Steve was starting to think that they wouldn’t come back.
He did get phone calls from his Noona every day and he was great full for that because at least he had something to look forward to at the end of the day. Hopper had been worried about him. Saying things about wanting to check on him being home alone and asking where his parents were. Steve didn’t know what to say and he didn’t answer when Hopper asked.
And so it was a night like any other, it was about 7pm and the phone had rang. Steve ran to pick it up she put it to his ear. “Hello?” He could hear his Noona greet him from the other side. They talked like usual, he got to say hi to his cousins and then they talked some more. It was how it had always been. His Noona hung up because she was going to go gardening and Steve laughed and went to make some food.
He didn’t know what to get because there was so much in the house. His parents had been sending money and they would continue to as long as he kept his job. He could live off of the money they send in a month alone, who else could say they had a $5,000 allowance?
That’s when he heard a knock on the door. “Per l'amor di Dio.” For the love of god.
He abanded what he was doing to go to the front door. He was expecting Dustin with something about a campaign or Eddie coming over to smoke or something.
What he didn’t expect is Hopper to be standing in the doorway. The man had eased himself back into the police force and reclaimed his sheriff position. Steve tried not got sigh. “Your parents home?”
Steve didn’t want to answer but he knew he needed to. “Look, I’m not a kid anymore Hop. I’m 19, I can take care of myself.” Hopper still looked a little upset. “I’ll take that as a no.” He walked inside and he started to look around. There was food and there was furniture in the places they had always been. The house was clean because Steve had used his spare time to keep it that way.
Hopper had came back out down the hall and he looked at Steve. “Kid, where are your parents?” Hopper had known them in high school. The rich kids, and the guy who had gotten his girlfriend pregnant in sophomore year. Her parents had taken care of the baby until she finished school and everyone was a little jealous that she was still able to live her life.
She went as far as to be a big star, rich and famous.
And her son stood right in front of him. Eyes to the floor like he was expecting something. “I don’t know where they are. But it doesn’t matter. Like I said, I can take care of myself.” Hopper looked at the young boy, the boy who had been taking care of himself since high school and possible earlier.
“Non è un grosso problema. Lo faccio da anni, penso di averne il controllo.”It's not a big deal. i've been doing this for years, i think i have the hang of it. Hopped paused. “What did you say?” Steve looked up at him. “I’ve been doing this for years, I know what I’m doing.” He then opened the door and Hopper saw himself out. Steve then went to the counter and rested his forehead against it. He couldn’t keep living like this.
In all honesty he would be fine if people kept asking him if he was okay. He didn’t need help.
He knew what he was doing.
+1
Robin spoke a lot of languages, this is a a fact that Steve knew. But somehow he always forgot that the list included Italian. And he spoke it around her ALL the time. Or maybe he just never noticed when she slipped into it.
They would be stacking tapes and then she would suddenly say something like, “Questo film dovrebbe assolutamente essere classificato come R. C'è così tanto sangue che ho quasi vomitato.” This movie should definitely be R rated. There' so much blood i almost puked. Steve would never notice the change and he would respond in Italian.
Robin may have been conscious that she was doing it but she knew that Steve had no idea that he was doing it.
They had been sitting in Steve’s house because that’s where the kids insisted that they should have movie night. Steve had gotten up to get more popcorn. “Puoi portarmi dell'acqua mentre sei in piedi?” Can you get me some water while you're up? Robin asked him absentmindedly and Steve paused.
“Vuoi che ci metta del ghiaccio?” Want me to put some ice in it? She thought about it for a second. “No.”
Everyone was looking back and forth between them and even after Steve left they were starring. “You can understand him?” Dustin was the first to ask and Robin looked a little confused. “Well yeah, I told you I speak a few languages.” Dustin shook his head. “Yeah, but I thought Steve was just speaking gibberish.” Robin looked a little shocked.
“Oh come on you can’t give him a little more credit?” Dustin shrugged.
It wasn’t much later that Robin and Steve were talking again.
Steve looked at Eddie for a second and he blushed before he looked at Robin and said something. She laughed at him and he said something else. She also looked at Eddie and he felt like he was the center of the conversation right now. But with the way that Robin was laughing it couldn’t be anything bad.
He looked at Steve, listened to the way the words rolled off of his tongue and he felt his face heat up. The way Steve spoke was just so clear and for some reason really sexual.
Maybe it was just his imagination.