𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲, steve harrington

━━━ # 𝟬𝟬𝟯 ( 𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 )

# 00. ACT THREE !

It had been the day of Steve Harrington's graduation when he finally, officially, asked Sadie Henderson out on a date.

Essentially, there wasn't any necessity to even ask - but just for the precision and actuality of a title, Steve had thought he should do - considering the fact they had spent most of each week since the events that occurred at the end of November together.

Sadie had gotten him a Valentine's day gift, despite her hatred of the over exaggerated holiday; an actual record player that was several years older than some of the vinyls he owned - they had seen it when Steve got his road trip to New York; Sadie had some scientific competition there that he didn't really understand and as Claudia had to look after Dustin and had several shifts scheduled during the day of, she trusted Steve enough to take her up there for the weekend which gave them time for a competition and exploration of the many boroughs.

She was there when his parents did return after the arrival - or lack thereof - his college applications, windows open and ready for him to climb in and curl up in her arms, knowing there was no way for him to fix his parents' bad mood that ensured awkward home life and shoutings at as though he was a little child. And she was there when the nightmares came, and they came far too often than he dared to admit, and he was always there when he woke up in the middle of the night to a curled up ball of a girl beside him, morning the losses of those she loved.

Sadie was there for him as he was for her; that was never changing. She had needed time and he willingly granted it to her, instead spending months gaining perspective on what had occurred, what they had fixed and babysitting.

They had babysat a lot. Mike, Holly, Lucas and Erica and newly; El. Max now that Billy was off her back - although she wouldn't tell him that it was Steve too, only Sadie, because somehow she didn't think that would end well. In fact, they spent so much time together it greatly differed from the amount of time spent apart, which really couldn't be counted at that point.

Evenings studying and preparing for tests, weekend afternoons spent by the pool despite their knowledge of the events that had happened within it. Mornings were spent in a hazy daze, sun peeking through the checkered curtains or glinting off the many trophies stacked by the window, casting silhouettes onto the floor below.

And so, Steve had asked her out. He felt like he should, really, and that feeling only grew when he saw her sitting alongside Dustin and his grandparents and mother - the only one of his parents who could be bothered to turn up after the mess that was his path for the next year. So he did, and suddenly his summer of working long hours on a Scoops Ahoy in the new mall seemed all the more easier, because she had gotten a job at the Orange Julius around the corner, and something seemed so natural about the alternating cars coming to a spot in the parking lot and making their way inside, spending breaks with Robin and the taster spoons of ice cream.

It was... perfect, in a word, although the heat in Hawkins that summer was beyond unbearable and it seemed that something strange was happening there, something that shouldn't be happening - someone that shouldn't be there at all.

And, to top it all off, it all seemed to be happening beneath Starcourt Mall and the monster that had haunted Will Byers for two years was threatening to break through once more.

❛ EASY AS AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE,
EVERY DANCER GETS A LITTLE HURT ❜