𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 ⟿ s. harrington

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐲

LIES AT LOVER'S LAKE

☀︎

MARCH 1986

THE SUN HAD FALLEN BEHIND THE HORIZON AS NIGHTTIME GREETED THE GROUP. Reefer Rick's house had been tucked away in the woods, right up against Lover's Lake for the perfect hideaway. It was beautiful against the nightly glow of the moon. Everything about it caused Alex Henderson and Steve Harrington's hearts to ache. Memories overwhelmed them as they looked beyond the house and out towards the lake.

Everything about it reminded them of each other. They were reminded of those nights they would disappear from all their friends in need of an escape just for those two. Sitting on the shore of the lake huddled against each other to protect them from the chilly breeze of the nights they would steal kisses from one another, not resisting the urge to fall ever so far in love.

It was hard to believe that those nights could be so long ago. Now it was as if they were strangers to each other, feeling that spark of love but unable to act on it. It didn't help that as they walked up to Rick's house, their hands had brushed up against each other's and they were forced to resist the unintentional desire to hold on to one another.

Dustin had broken that urge as he grew eager in his search for his friend Eddie. He hadn't realized that sigh of disappointment that broke between Steve's lips as Dustin stepped between the two. As he passed, Alex's arm jerked forward, bringing her back to the reality that her purpose for being here was not simply to fall in love again, but to find out what happened between Chrissy Cunningham and Eddie Munson.

Rushing ahead of the group, Dustin took control in search of answers. Pressing his finger to the doorbell, Dustin turned back, waving the group along to come to join him and his eagerness. The only two willing to meet his demands were Alex and Steve, moving fast to get to his side and peek in the windows for their own view.

Alex squinted her eyes through the darkness inside as she reached out towards the front door and beat her fist against it. Pulling his eyes off the door, Steve shifted his eyes between the Henderson's and saw the urgency they held onto when it came to Eddie Munson. Before he never would have batted an eye at Eddie and now he was afraid he was growing jealous that the people he cared for the most in this world were so focused on him.

Shinning his flashlight at the two, Steve attempted to break up their urgency in getting to Eddie. "Okay, well, that's settled. I guess he's not here."

Ignoring him, Dustin began to pound louder as he called out to him. "Eddie! It's Dustin! Look, we just wanna talk okay? No cops, I swear. We just wanna help." His way of brushing off Steve had felt like a jab to his heart. Dustin tended to jokingly have an attitude toward Steve Harrington, but this time it felt different. Steve's eyes turned back to the window, willing to help, but his mind stayed on the thought that the reason Dustin cared for Eddie so much was because of Alex. Just as he gave Steve attention when he knew Alex had liked him.