TECHNICOLOR - stranger things.

xiii. EPILOGUE

"this is ridiculous." richard carmichael muttered once his daughter was out of earshot.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

steve harrington had been waiting at the bottom of the steps for his girlfriend to come down so that they could begin her birthday celebration.

"she's been so out of it. the only thing that she manages to do every other day is to go see max, which is good but steve...i'm worried for her..." susie carmichael looked up at her sister's boyfriend.

steve nodded, he knew how spaced out his girlfriend had been.
"don't worry, suse. wendy's one of the strongest people that i know and she is gonna get through this. i'll talk to her today, all right?" he gave susie carmichael a reassuring smile as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"okay." susan nodded.

if there was anyone that susie trusted to get through to wendy, it was steve. he knew wendy like the back of his hand, and their years of friendship proved that they could mend any problem together.

"i'm ready." steve and susie heard, causing them to look towards the stairs.

wendy carmichael descended down the stairs, she was wearing a short sleeve baby pink and white striped shirt with blue denim shorts. her white tube socks were peeking out from the top of her high top converse. steve felt a smile creep onto his face as he looked over her hair—she had taken the front two pieces that framed her face and made tiny braids. for the first time in two weeks, wendy had managed to recapture her youthful glow.

"hey beautiful," steve stepped forward, giving her a quick kiss. "happy birthday."

wendy wrapped her arms around him tightly. the night before, she had a nightmare but she refused to call steve because she needed to know that she could get through her night terrors on her own. steve's eyebrows furrowed at the intensity of which she clung to him but he didn't mind, he hugged her back.

"let's go," she said once she pulled out of the embrace. "bye suse, i should be back by..." wendy looked at steve for an answer.

steve harrington looked down at his watch—it was currently two thirty. he sighed and began to think before looking at susan carmichael.
"she'll be back by midnight." he nodded.

"midnight?" wendy questioned once her and steve finally left the house. the couple got into steve harrington's car and he nodded.
"i have...a lot to do, and you have a lot to say so..." his voice trailed off as he started his car.

"oh also, look in the back seat." steve said, nodding towards the back of his car. wendy did as told, and her eyes widened.

"steve!" she gasped as she pulled the bouquet of roses from the backseat. she pulled off the card that was taped to the front of them. it was in a yellow envelope addressed 'wendy'.

"can i open it?" she asked, glancing over at her boyfriend.
"yeah of course." steve nodded.

wendy opened the envelope carefully, she already knew that she would be taking this with her to college to read on the nights that she missed steve.

"happy bi—"
"no, no, don't read it out loud. i can't hear myself get that emotional again." steve shook his head as he continued to drive, he didn't look from the road.
"fine, fine." wendy agreed.