ruby's body ━━ steve harrington

016. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦

Mike starts shouting at Hopper in the next room. Ruby doesn't know what exactly Eleven is feeling, but she looks hurt. So, for the first time in her life, Ruby swallows her own anger, and moves forwards, to comfort Eleven instead.

"So, uh, who did this... makeover...?"

"A friend," says Eleven, with a smile. A friend of mine would not make me wear that.

"You know," says Ruby, and grins. "When this is all over with, I'm taking you straight to Indianapolis, and we'll get you loads more clothes."

Eleven seems into it.

Ruby steps backwards, to let Eleven's friends greet her. She's trying to contain herself, to stop herself from showing her anger. Tears of anger gather in her eyes, and she tries to blink them away before anyone notices, but Steve catches her gaze. "I'm fine," she mouths at him, so Eleven doesn't notice. He pulls her into a hug.

Steve holds her, tightly. Ruby squeezes her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. She won't show that she's pissed off. This is what being a big sister is. If she wants to actually be there for Eleven, she has to pretend things are OK sometimes, when they are not. But Steve hugging her helps massively; he rests his head on top of hers. She feels safe.

After a while, Ruby hears Joyce talking to Eleven in the kitchen. Ruby and Steve were sat down, on the sofa, next to Jonathan and Nancy. The four sat in silence. Steve's knee was bouncing up and down, like it always does when he's nervous, and Ruby, without a thought, puts her hand on top of his.

"You opened this gate before, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you think if we got you back there, that you could close it?"

Ruby gets to her feet, slowly making her way to the kitchen. Her dad reappears at the same time, and she gestures for him to come with her.

"The lab," Hopper tells Eleven. He stands next to Ruby, as if keeping an eye on her. "It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs."

Dustin chirps, "Demodogs."

Hopper sighs. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Demodogs," Ruby says, rolling her eyes. "Like, demogorgon and dogs. He made it up."

Dustin grins. "Because it sounds pretty badass!"

Hopper frowns. "How is this important right now?"

"It's not," Dustin says, his smile fading.

Eleven looks up at Hopper. "I can do it."

"El, there's too many—"

But Eleven interrupts. "I can do it."

"Even if El can, there's still another problem," says Mike. "If the brain dies, the body dies."

Max frowns. "I thought that was the whole point."

"It is, but if we're really right about this..." Mike trails off, looking away. Ruby realises that he's looking in the direction of Will's bedroom. "I mean, if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayer's army..."

"Will's a part of that army."

"Closing the gate will kill him."

Joyce looks up. "He likes it cold."

Ruby's eyes light up, and she moves forwards. "The thing possessing Will?"

Joyce nods. "It's what Will kept saying to me," she says, and she starts to walk towards Will's bedroom. Ruby follows her, her brows furrowed, an idea brewing. "He likes it cold. We keep giving it what it wants."