Legendary | s. harrington (18+)

chapter five

"Nancy?" Steve nods, his voice split with heartbreak.

"She doesn't love me, Eve." Evelyn sighs.

"Oh, god." She purses her lips, slowly guiding her eyes back to the lights in the distance. She doesn't know what to say so for a while she doesn't say anything. She frowns, chewing the inside of her cheek. Eventually as he coughs out his tears, Evelyn looks in his direction.

"She's drunk, Steve." Evelyn tries to say, "Emotions are high - wait until tomorrow and talk to her. Speak with her properly." Steve shakes his head. He feels like the world is collapsing in on him and Evelyn has no idea what to do. She hates seeing people in pain. But hates it more when she can't help. "And if it's true..." Steve's face turns to Evelyn's, his breath hitching and she feels instantly bad for mentioning the possibility. "If it's true, then-then, that's her mistake. She isn't meant for you, even if you really thought she was. You'll find someone better, someone real." There is another silence and through a shaky sigh, Steve finds the strength to speak again.

"Have you ever been in love?" He takes off his glasses wiping his red eyes quickly and placing them back on - hoping it were too fast for her to see. Evelyn cradles the beer in her hands, staring at it. She hadn't yet touched it.

"No," she chuckles, shaking her head. "No, I haven't." Her advice feels cheapened.

"Not once?" Steve was saying, "Not ever?"

"Maybe once at home, when I was about eight. But it was a silly crush on some boy in a different class and honestly I don't even remember his name." She laughs a little and then shrugged. "You will be okay, you know, Steve. Whatever happens." She pauses, nibbling her lip, "You'll survive it. You've survived every other bad day so far." He takes a second to listen to her words and then looks towards her, feeling better when the subject changes.

"Where are you from, then?" Eve smiles,

"1800's England, apparently." She says, as he motions to the accent gripping her words, "What about you?" Steve laughs, throwing his head back and Evelyn smiles, having distracted him even if momentarily from his tears.

"How come you moved here, then? Was it a job or something?" Evelyn's eyes moved from Steve to the horizon.

"No," She hesitated, "My parents died in a car crash." Steve sucked in the air around them, how had he never asked her? "So I moved in with my uncle and my aunt." She wraps her lips around the rim of her bottle for the first time, sipping the beer. "We had argued." She mused, shrugging. "They were upset. I don't even remember what it was about anymore." Steve swore, biting his lip. When he looks at her, understanding why she'd rushed to stop his teary-eyed self from climbing into his car, her eyes are on her lap.

"I'm so sorry, Eve." She looks at his face with an incredulous stare. In her confusion she smiles gratefully, and speaks as if slightly shocked.

"Thank you." But then she shrugs, "But it isn't your fault." She chuckles again and shifts where she's sat, playing with the lopsided hem of her Princess Leia outfit. He couldn't understand how she was so endlessly thoughtful, thankful even. He's never known her to say a bad word about anyone. Not knowing what to say for a while, Steve remembered having seen her the previous morning and with an amused scowl he moved to face her.

"How do you know Henderson, then?" Eve's face lit up, and Steve felt relieved having moved on.

"Dustin?" She gushed, "I help out at the A.V club sometimes. Mr Clarke - the guy who runs it you know tall and lanky with a moustache, dark hair-" She motioned over her head mimicking his hair as Steve nodded, "He asked me because I get along with the kids. I work in the Palace too." She added, "The arcade?" Steve said that he knew it, "So I see them most days to be honest." She sips at her beer again, "I used to babysit Will too - Will Byers? Yeah, him. Started two years ago, but I'm round their house that often now you'd think they adopted me. So you can imagine how often I see the boys." Steve nods, chuckling into his beer.