Don't Blame Me ➵ Steve Harrington

sixty two

Dylan glanced around the room was relieved to see the bewildered looks on everyone's faces, not only her own.

"Okay," said Dustin, after a few moments of silence. "So if we were to perform the spell, with adequate resistance, in theory, the electricity could flow through them with less impact, right?"

Dylan still didn't like the sound of being electrocuted on a whim.

"Right," said Erica. "And we'd only have to do it once. At least by game rules—you can shift up to eight people at a time, if they are all in contact—for example, linking arms."

"I mean..." Nancy's face looked appalled and horrified. "Are we forgetting this is extremely risky? Is it worth the risk of almost dying to regain a few memories?"

Dylan wanted to pipe up and agree but she couldn't say a word. She glanced at Steve and he was already looking at her.

There were glimmers of something and a warm feeling in her gut when they locked eyes. Was what was forgotten worth dying for?

She instinctively wanted him near her. She could feel Jonathan's body heat radiating on her back but his closeness sparked nothing, not like it had days prior. His weird, newfound effect on her dissipated into nothing, as long as she kept her gaze fixed on Steve.

Dylan couldn't recall ever being a romantic. In fact, she could never recall ever being jealous either—not over a man—she'd been plenty jealous over other things, like popularity, losing a pageant, clothes, concert tickets... all that superficial stuff.

Despite her last vivid memory of Steve Harrington being a recollection of a deep, burning hatred and betrayal, she couldn't feel anything resembling the sort as her eyes washed over him. Not even from the first moment she saw him again, falling at her feet onto a dingy mattress. Seeing him actually made her feel lighter, calmer, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach like she was a girl with a prepubescent crush. There was a burning hot feeling though, not directed at him exactly, but at the fact that he was so far from her and so close to Nancy. And the concern he showed to her as Vecna pulled her into the Upside Down, and the coddling he did when she made it out—ugh! Her fiery gaze was set on their hands, intertwined as Steve pulled Nancy to her feet. He didn't drop his hold when she stood, instead he repositioned, tangly their arms to steady her.

Dylan assumed this was jealousy, the romantic kind.

She weighed her options—memory loss or possible death—and she thought about them heavy. It bothered her, a lot, not knowing where or why she was having such strong feelings for the man across from her, and it bothered her even more to know, if she could never remember the history of why he stirred up such feelings, and he couldn't remember either, that he might end up with Nancy by default.

Perfect little Nancy who was smart, witty, beautiful, and most of all, still in Hawkins.

Dylan was uncomfortable and confused but was comfort and clarity worthy of risking her life?

"I need to know what's real," said Steve. Dylan wasn't sure if she had even heard him or if she was watching him so closely she could read his lips moving. "I'm starting to remember but who's to say what's real and what's not? Which one of us actually remembers the truth?"

Dylan held back a small grin, inexplicably pleased that he was willing to take the risk to remember. It made her think that maybe he was feeling as strongly as her—it even made her feel less disgusted by his and Nancy's tangly embrace.

"Not everyone has to do the spell, right? I can do it alone if no one else wants the risk," Erica nodded in confirmation. "OK. That's what we'll do then."

"Are you sure?" Nancy dropped his arm and took a small step away from his side. This brought Dylan more inexplicable satisfaction. "If you do it alone, you'll be the only one who remembers everything if it works. Won't you feel alone?"

Steve shrugged.

"I'll do it, too." Dylan blurted out, not thinking it through. But she also didn't regret it once it was said.

Nancy's head snapped over to Dylan, concern etched on her features. Nancy then tipped her head upward, no doubt looking at Jonathan for reassurance. By the way his body was now pressed further into Dylan's back, Dylan could guess he had a similar expression etched on his own face. Nancy and Jonathan, they were always the more logical ones, it was their nature to think things through.

Jonathan placed a firm grip on her shoulder. "I think we should give it the night to sleep on. We shouldn't jump the gun, this is serious."

Dylan shrugged.

"All I know," sighed Steve, "is I can't think straight. We're trying to keep everyone safe, plan a battle, stop Vecna, and I can't focus because something feels wrong... how can I help like that?"

The room fell silent then there were murmurings of their next steps. Not about the plane shift counter spell, but the upcoming battle with Vecna. Nancy and Jonathan seemed to want to talk about anything else, Robin had even fallen into an awkward silence instead of her typical awkward rambling.

"Phase one... we meeting Erica at the playground..."

Nancy said and then someone else said something back.

Dylan wasn't paying attention.

She wasn't a leader, more of a reluctant team player, just as she had been in every near-death experience plot each year prior. She knew someone would fill her in later.

Dylan wasn't sure how discreet she was being, but she slowly inched her way across the room to be nearer to Steve, not wanting to be entirely obvious.

Steve sensed her presence and subtly turned away from the game plan being designed in front of them to turn to her instead.

"I'm with you," she told him as quietly as possible that she could still be certain he would hear her. "I don't need to sleep on it."

He smiled, one of those big wide grins he did, that  Dylan couldn't remember seeing in a long time—though something inside her told her she had.

"Good," he mouthed, then turned again.

Dylan's mind was made up and while she couldn't logically explain her choice, she knew that she would choosing whatever Steve did.

Wow what's wrong with me. Almost 2 years of hiatus... it's not my fault, alright? The show being on hiatus gave me writer's block so blame the Duffer Brothers. Also, please ignore the science involving electrical currents because I just needed to make the D&D spell make some sort of sense in real life. OK! Love you, bye xxxxx