ruby's body ━━ steve harrington

030. 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭

Secretly, she wishes her grandpa was still alive. He was an ass, sure, but he'd know what to do, to kill this thing, to make her stronger. She knows the Mind Flayer was lying, when he said that her grandpa faked his death, but still. It didn't stop Ruby from floating in her bathtub, surrounded by salty water, an eye mask keeping the light out. She didn't find anything — all she saw was a Coke can, sitting on someone's kitchen table — but it was comforting, to entertain the idea of Martin Brenner, back again, helping his granddaughter.

It's the Monday now. Ruby's yet to leave the house, all of Hawkins flooded with national newspapers claiming the town to be cursed. It's not cursed, it's me, Ruby thought, before she unplugged the TV. The phone kept on ringing, too, with Hawkins locals sending their condolences about her dad — and her auntie, too, once that news broke. By Saturday night, Ruby's house had a constant stream of callers... By Sunday night, the telephone was ripped off the wall.

She thought about El, as she yanked the telephone from the cord. Ruby uses her powers more than she realises, she couldn't imagine losing them. She's spent her entire life running from her powers, and yet here she is, finally giving in. She'll accept the traumatic childhood, checking over her shoulder, terrified her monster was going to grab her. She'll accept the past couple years, constantly saving random teenagers getting involved in this shit. She never wanted it, but this is her life. Her mess to sort out. Alice, at long last, is accepting Wonderland.

... She doesn't know how she's going to do this, though. She thinks about breaking back into the lab, and seeing if she can find any info on that guy that ran the place after Grandpa. What was his name? She just remembers last year, when they interrogated herself and Steve over something Nancy and Jonathan were up to...

OK. She remembers threatening to kill him, when he suggested Steve would get hurt...

Speaking of.

Ruby hadn't moved from the couch all weekend — except to pee and hunt for her grandpa and destroy electronics reminding her of her monstrosities... and eat a couple of Pop Tarts — so she's seen neighbours knock on the door, wanting to share heartfelt sentiments. This is why she's been sitting in darkness, so they can't see her, glaring and hoping they'll go away. But, this time, she watches her boyfriend walk up the porch, holding red roses.

Ruby sighs. This is it.

She gets to her feet, hoping she doesn't look too awful. She opens the door, and forces a smile. Steve looks awkward, too. It's not for the same reason she feels awkward (or maybe it is? Maybe he's had the same thought? God, why does that upset her?), but still.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," he says.

She steps to the side, to let him in. He walks past her, and hands her the flowers, which she wishes she didn't have to accept; awkwardly, she settles them down on the closest surface, the old display table underneath the telephone (well... where the telephone was.)

But, she catches a glimpse of his wrist, noticing the cast on his forearm. Her brows furrow — but he's spotted the telephone, ripped off the wall, sitting in the middle of the floor.

"Why did you...?" he begins.

Ruby looks around uncomfortably. "Too many calls," she says. She returns her focus to the cast on his arm, and points at it. "What...?"

"Oh." Steve shuffles, awkward. "It's from the other night..."

"From the guards?" she asks. She didn't remember him acting like his arm was hurt...

"No, uh..." And he trails off, like he doesn't want her to know.

Ruby feels her stomach sink, already knowing the answer. "Did I do that?"