𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍; steve harrington

FIFTEEN

His eyes softened, crinkling at the edges. His confused smile dropped into the most subtle of frowns, his prior tenseness at the mental image of the supposed monster in Dustin's basement relaxing into a puddle of awe. He wanted to reach out and hold her and tell her everything would be alright, even if it was something he couldn't promise. He wanted to give her the world, give her what she truly deserved, because seemingly, he was the only one who could recognise it. He looked at her, and saw it. He looked at her and saw everything he could possibly need.

"Of course," he said quietly, the wind slowing between them. His eyes flickered down to her lips, before he cleared his throat and forced himself to glance away. "Come on. Dustin's gonna get mad."

Aven blinked, swallowing her thoughts, before forcing a soft laugh and following him. "Yeah . . . yeah, he will."

They rounded the corner, looking further down the yard to see the shadow of a familiar teen waiting for them impatiently. "Is that you guys?" His voice asked, shouting through the dark. Steve shook his head with a quiet laugh, causing Aven to send him a look and a soft slap to the shoulder.

"Yes, Dustin," she said with a sigh, walking in front of Steve as she walked across the lawn. She dodged a rogue piece of bologna Dustin had used to lure Dart out of his house earlier.

Steve whistled as he followed the girl, mindlessly swinging his bat through the air. Aven and Dustin stepped aside as the older boy approached the locked door. Dustin stepped back cautiously, eyes wide, while Aven let out a breath and rubbed her arms to try and get rid of the chill tickling her spine. The air turned into a cloud of freezing fog.

Steve leant forward slightly, head tilted towards the locked gates, before letting out an annoyed sigh and shooting a look back at Dustin.

"I don't hear shit," Steve mumbled as he pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and switched it on, letting the light shine directly into the younger teenager's eyes. Dustin quickly moved his hand up to dim the sudden brightness.

"Steve," Aven scolded as Dustin groaned in retort, swatting at the light in an attempt to make it go away. Steve shot her a look filled with incredulity, shrugging his shoulders innocently. Her expression fell into a deadpan look. "Drop the light."

"No."

"Steve. Give it to us."

He held back a roll of his eyes. "Why?"

"Because I said so," she shot back.

He let the flashlight drop into Dustin's open hands. "That doesn't mean-" the girl was cut off by the younger boy shining the light into Steve's eyes. She quickly snatched it out of his hands as Steve shouted a curse. "-you can do it! Jesus, you two are like little kids."

Aven ignored the look they both sent her before she urged Steve to go back to the basement doors. He sighed but gave in, forcing the two standing away from him to quieten while he banged his bat against the metal. Nothing happened. He banged it louder. He banged it twice. Still nothing."

"Give him the keys," Aven said quickly to the boy beside her before Steve could complain about a lie once more. Dustin rummaged through his pockets before pulling it out, throwing it to the boy by the doors. Aven stepped closer after the older teen had caught it and unlocked the chain restricting the doors. He threw them open.

Dustin peered down the basement as Aven shined the flashlight down the grey steps, leading into nothing but darkness. "He must be further down," Dustin suggested, trying to swallow his fright. Steve shot him a look of disbelief before taking a few slow steps down the staircase.

"Here, hold this," Aven said as she gave the flashlight to Dustin before following after her friend. Immediately, as if he could sense her presence, Steve whipped around with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, trying to keep his voice quiet. Aven looked up at him with furrowed brows.

"What does it look like?" She whispered back. He bit the inside of his cheek, eyes flicking between each of her own.

"Go back. You could get hurt," he said in a plea. Aven didn't pick up on his tone.

"So could you," she mumbled. "I saw that thing. I'm not letting you go alone."

Steve tilted his head, arguments forming in his head, but he ultimately sighed. He sent her a strong glance, hoping she wouldn't object entirely. "Fine but . . . just stay behind me. And close to me. Hold my shirt."

Aven furrowed her brows, her face scrunching up with confusion, before she reluctantly gave in with a hidden roll of her eyes. "Fine," she mumbled, watching a satisfied expression wash over his face with triumph. Steve turned around, holding his bat out.

The further in the pair went, the tighter Aven held onto the back of Steve's shirt. She bunched it, the darkness encasing them becoming too much. She could no longer see his fluffy hair, or the rusty nails on his extended bat, or her very own fingers. She swallowed her fears.

Steve pulling down on the light in the centre of the basement scared the girl. She shot him a look he didn't see, as he was far too distracted by something else entirely.

He picked up a crumbled, mushed up, soggy shred of skin with the end of his bat. The two teens watched with disgust as the familiar slime dripped off the end of the greying material. Aven shuddered, to which Steve responded with a smirk before teasingly holding the skin out in her direction.

"Steve!" She shouted as she stumbled back, eyes wide and hands held up in warning. "I swear to you, I'll kill you."

"No, you wouldn't," he said softly, his voice a mere whisper as he laughed and let the skin fall back to the ground. "Dustin, get your ass down here!"

While Dustin was descending the stairs and Steve was studying the skin on the floor, Aven's eyes locked onto the wall behind him. She slowly walked past him, catching his confused attention. She stopped in the way of his sight, blocking his view of the gaping hole in the wall.

"That's what it was doing," she said, mainly to herself but the others heard her clearly. Dustin and Steve shared a look before approaching her, peering over either of her shoulders. Dustin gasped, while Steve's gaze hardened.

"You heard it?" Steve questioned with furrowed brows, leaning back as she turned around. She subconsciously moved away from the seemingly never ending hole.

"I heard something. It scared the living life out of me," she muttered as Dustin stepped closer to the tunnel. "Be careful."

Steve sighed, watching the younger boy examine the hole. "It was Dart," he whispered.

The older boy scoffed. "No shit."