part eight
After Steve convinced the group to let him go home to change, they ended up back at Hawkin's High to help out in any way they can.
There were stalls upon stalls, fire brigades, ambulances, anyone who could help, was there. As much as Daphne hated the town that held up pitch forks for Eddie, it was somewhat comforting that everyone was pulling together like this.
Dustin and Robin grabbed a box, with Daphne diving in for the last one, although Steve placed his car keys in his back pocket, reaching over the girl and practically ripping it from her finger tips.
"Hey," Daphne scolded, glaring up at the boy, "I don't need help."
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if made you carry a box in there empty handed?" Steve shrugged, closing his boot with one hand, and Daphne's stomach jumbled as her mouth turned up a goofy grin. "What?"
"Boyfriend?" She cocked her head to the side, practically skipping next to him as he rolled his eyes and turned towards the school.
"Yeah, I mean," He started to stutter, "Well, we're dating, right? So I guess—"
"Steven Harrington, I would be honoured to be your girlfriend," The brunette almost sang, "I always wondered what it would be like to date King Steve,"
"Been thinking about me a long time, have you, Henderson?" He teased, holding the door open for the girl with his free hand as she dipped underneath his arm and into the sports hall where everyone was set up.
"I wouldn't want to inflate that hair of yours," Her lips pursed into a tight smile, just as she bumped into Robin in front of her. "Dude, what—"
"This is awful," Robin sighed as she looked around, police against posters where people were reporting others missing, hospital beds set up with patients lined around, some hooked up to drips as they all wait patiently. "Come on, donations are there."
The four slowly walked up to the stand, placing the boxes on the table for the volunteers to take.
"Hey," Robin smiled, "uh, so, these are blankets and sheets," she tapped the box in front of her, "and— and some clothes," she gestured to Steve's box, "and some kids toys."
"Wow, it's already so organised, we appreciate that," the woman smiled at them.
"Yeah, that was me, they didn't help, like at all," Daphne rambled as the three glared at her.
"Shut up, dude," Dustin gritted at her, her eyes widening as if to tell him she's done nothing wrong.
"Do you want a tax receipt for it?" The woman asked.
"A what?" Daphne glanced to Steve, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Uh, no, I don't think we need one," Robin answered confused, "Thank you, though,"
"Is there— I dunno, anything else we can do here?" Daphne chirped up again, glancing around, "Looks like there's a lot to do, and we'd, uh, like to help,"
"We would?" Steve leant towards her and asked under his breath.
"We would." Daphne glared at the boy, who nods.
"Yeah, we would." He clears his throat.
Daphne and Steve are put to work organising clothes into categories of women, men, girls, boys and infants. The girl couldn't help but laugh as Steve started to fold things completely backwards, the confusion knitted onto his eyebrows as he glanced over to how others were folding.
"Really, Harrington? You've never folded a tee?" She smirked as she whizzed through a couple at a time.
"I just hang them up," he shrugged, a small smirk resting on his lips. Daphne couldn't help for her grin to grow at him, her chest heaving with adoration.
"You're so cute." The older Henderson hummed, focusing back on the clothes in front of her.
"Yeah, because that's how I want you to see me," he tutted, hand on waist as he leant against the table. "I'll have you know, I'm a man."
Daphne tried to hold in her laughter as she watched how serious his face was, pointing to himself with those eyebrows raised, waiting for her response. But only scoffing when she finally burst into laughter.
"Wait, no, I'm sorry," Daphne almost wheezed through her giggles, "Yeah, you're totally the man,"
"Yeah, convincing," He rolled his eyes, turning back to his pile as she slinked her arms around his waist.
"You're such a man, Harrington," she purred in his ear, his eyes snapping up at the sound, the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention. Daphne knew what she was doing.
"Don't say shit like that in public," Steve hissed under his breath, pulling her into him as she but her lip to hide her grin.
"I don't know what you mean?" She looked up to him doe eyed and he had to shake the very inappropriate thoughts from his head. But it was cut short as Daphne's eyes wandered to Robin on the other side of the room, currently making PB&J sandwiches next to Vickie from band. "Steve!" She swatted him, forcing him to turn his head.
The boy couldn't stop the small smile twitching it's way onto his mouth, this time his hands snaking around Daphne as she slyly glances between the clothes she's folding and them.
"She's gotta be into her, right?" Daphne asks as Steve places a small kiss on her temple. "They just vibe."
"They vibe?" His eyebrows clench in confusion.
"Yeah, like me and you, we vibe, bounce off each other, like that." She shrugged, Steve sucking in a breath as he laughs lightly. "What?"
"You're just, you're something, you know that, right?" He grins, Daphne's eyes lighting up at the somewhat compliment.
"You're something too, Harrington," she bounces her hips off his lightly, the pair completely enthralled in their new relationship despite the carnage going on around them.
Daphne and Steve continue to fold their clothes, light hearted banter filling their space as they do, Daphne glancing up every now and then to see her best friend with the biggest smile on her face, but also seeing Dustin talking to a man over the way. She didn't know who that man was, but with the tears forming in Dustin's eyes wondered if the man had something to do with Eddie, and she felt her chest tug.
He was being blamed for everything that happened to this town. So much so that she had to bite her tongue every time someone mentioned his damn name around her, as she knew it would be followed by murderer, cult and satan worshipper.
Steve knew, though, his hand would wander towards her every time he seen her stiffen up, watching as her feet started to twitch and her jaw grit as she was readying herself for war with someone.
But they both knew they had a bigger war coming.
And it was that thought that overcome them as the sky started to dull to a grey, confusion falling on everyone's face as the lights dimmed around them. Thunder rumbling from the sky above.
"Steve?" Daphne felt her throat tighten, his hand gripping around hers as they both stare ahead to the darkening windows in front of them.
Steve cautiously stepped forward, Robin's eyes snapping to the pair as they did, slowly edging their way to the window to see what looked to be snow falling from the sky. Of course, they knew it wasn't snow. They knew it wasn't anything to do with the weather at all. It was Vecna. The Upside Down merging its way into Hawkins.
A thick dread overcame Daphne, writhing through her like a tsunami. Although, this was different, she had felt this before. She had felt this with Vecna. And it wasn't until the chattering around her turned into an echo, and that she could no longer feel Steve's hand, did she realise exactly what this was.
She wasn't here anymore, in Hawkins that is, and it was different. As she turned around to see she was completely alone, she was in the Upside Down. And it wasn't Hawkins being merged with it. No, she was actually there. Because she could remember the thick air that coated her, the cold nipping of the stuffiness to her cheeks, the overwhelming feeling of death.
"H-hello?" Her voice was small, probably because the fear was kickstarting her adrenaline. She didn't understand how she was here, she couldn't feel Vecna around her, and she would know, his presence was overwhelming.
"Steve?" She felt a stray tear fall from her eyes, "Robin?" She whispered, "D-Dusty?"
But her head whipped around at the footsteps approaching her, the fear almost freezing her to the spot she was in. She couldn't work out whether she was completely delirious, but she was sure she recognised the silhouette stalking towards her and her breath caught in her chest. It couldn't be, could it?
"You, Daphne Henderson, are a total butthead."