"I want to go back to California someday. Hawkins isn't for me." Billy said with Charlie's head on his lap. They were in the deep parts of the woods where no one would find them.
Billy was sitting leaning against a giant tree. Charlie had his eyes closed.
"You can once you graduate. Just don't forget about Lil ol me." Charlie smiled.
"Will you come with me?"
Billy asked suddenly. Charlie opened his eyes.
"Not forever and only if you want to. I want show you remains of a time when I was happy."
Billy smiled sadly.
Charlie took his hand and kissed his palm.
" I will go anywhere with you, if it makes you happy."
"If you are with me, I will be happy anywhere." Billy replied.
Charlie opened his. He didn't register where he was for the first few seconds. Then he remembered that he went to Tina's party. He saw Billy kissing someone else. They fought. And they were over. He got drunk...the rest is a blur.
Charlie sat up. His head was pounding. He felt sick and nauseous. And he looked around and realization dawned on him. He was at Steve's house.
In Steve's room.
On Steve's bed.
The door opened and revealed Steve Harrington. He was holding a cup. He smiled at Charlie.
"Morning. Coffee?"
He walked in placed the cup on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. He placed the back of his hand on Charlie's forehead and cheek.
"What are you doing?" Charlie asked.
"Just checking if you're sick."
"I'm hungover."
"No shit." Steve muttered, a ghost of smile on his lips. Charlie stared at him. Their eyes locked and neither dared to look away.
"Good thing I brought coffee." Steve cleared his throat and handed Charlie the cup.
He took a few sips.
"I didn't know you made coffee this good." Charlie commented in a raspy voice.Steve looked away.
"No big deal. It should help with the head ache."
"Thank you....for last night."
Charlie said, placing the mug on the table.
"It's alright. What happened exactly?"
"Nothing.... I got drunk at a stupid high school party." Charlie shrugged.
"You cried. Like really cried. And you said something about Hargrove."
Charlie looked away.
"I don't want to talk about it. Just.... whatever there was between me and him is over now."
Steve nodded. Charlie asked suddenly remembering.
"Wait...I didn't see Nancy with you last night, how did she get home?"
"Probably with Jonathan." Steve scoffed. The Hopper frowned.
"Steve?" Charlie begun.
The burnette looked at him. It's been so long since he said his name like that.
"I guess we broke up. Because she doesn't love me and I'm bullshit, our relationship is bullshit...."
And Steve said everything. Everything Nancy said. Everything that's been brewing between them for so long. Charlie listened silently.
"You're not bullshit." Charlie said firmly. Steve just looked at him.
"yeah?"
"I'm sure she didn't mean it. And it doesn't matter anyways, because you are not bullshit." Charlie spoke like he couldn't believe Nancy would even think that.
And he couldn't. Steve Harrington was a horrible person but he changed for the better. He literally forgot about his own heart break and brought Charlie home and was there for him.
"No matter how you were before, right now, you're one of the most selfless people I know."
Steve sighed. Hearing Charlie say those words made Nancy's accusations and his breakup million miles away.
"Thank you." Steve whispered.
"You should take a day off."
"No I really can't. I've missed way too many classes already." Charlie sighed.
"Okay...then you should just get ready here. You can borrow my clothes."
"No that would be..."
"Just get ready and come down for breakfast." Steve cut him off and exited the room.
Charlie smiled to himself. He took a long shower. He decided to wear his own jeans and one of Steve's shirts. When he went downstairs, Steve was setting the dining table. He looks up to see Charlie in his shirt.
Steve stops dead. Charlie always leaves two top bottons undone and he can't help but stare.
"Eyes up here, Stevie boy." Charlie smirked walking over.
Steve flushed bright red and looked away.
"Blue suits you." Steve muttered. "Come on, foods getting cold." he immediately walked to the table.
They both sat down in silence. Steve's knee was bouncing up and down. He was unusually nervous around Charlie. Something about Charlie waking up in his bed, wearing his shirt and eating the breakfast he made felt right to him. Too right.
Steve's train of thoughts were interrupted by Charlie's laugh. He looked at the Hopper with a curious gaze.
"What's funny?"
Charlie shook his head, looking amused.
"Just thinking about how King Steve is having breakfast with the resident psycho of Hawkins High. Who would've thought?"
He laughed again. Steve can't help but smile too. Charlie's smile was contagious. It was beautiful, Steve wished he could see it more often. He looked stunning when he was smiling.
"Well I'm not king Steve anymore. I'm just Steve now." Steve replied.
"I like just Steve a lot better than "the king of Hawkins High" Steve."
They shared a genuine smile before continuing breakfast.
Steve drive Charlie to school. Whole time neither of them spoke a word. Too busy with their own thoughts. In the parking lot, the camaro was already there. Charlie's heartbeat raised.
"You Okay?" Steve asked.
"Yeah... I'm fine. Thanks for the ride."
"You should stop thanking me so much. Are you gonna talk to him?"
Charlie didn't reply. He stared ahead.
"No. Are you gonna talk to Nancy?"
Charlie asked. Steve sighed.
"I don't know, should I?"
"Yes, you should. Just talk to her."
Steve nodded. Charlie hesitantly placed his hand over Steve's and squeezed.
"And if you need to talk, I'm here." he said.
"Yeah same."
They parted ways. Charlie moved as if in a trance. He went to his locker, got his books and walked to class. He sat in the back and stared blankly at his book.
He momentarily looked up to see Billy walking in with Tommy. H who had a bruised jaw and a black. Charlie's contribution obviously. The blonde locked eyes with Charlie looked at him coldly and turned away.
He ignored the pain in his chest and burning sensation in his eyes. He tried not think about the party or anything before that. That might just be the most painful half an hour of his life.
Next was P.E and this may not surprise you, Charlie hated it. He sat on the bleachers, ready to watch, the most eligible athletes of Hawkins high go at each other's throat for once and not his.
It was skins VS shirts. And Billy without any hesitation took his shirt off. Charlie had to look away momentarily to compose himself. When he looked back, both Billy and Steve were looking at him.
Charlie gave Steve a thumbs up and the brunette beamed. Billy's jaw clenched. Charlie's headache had made a re-entry. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them.
Billy was being a little too aggressive and Steve was definitely falling short. This only made his headache worse. Then Billy scored. Everyone cheered and the blues eyes snapped to the bleachers. Charlie pointedly didn't look at him.
"Steve" Nancy Wheeler's voice made everyone turn in her direction. Steve looked at her then at Charlie and walked out with her.
Charlie watched him go, still feeling Billy's stare. The Hargrove simply owned the shirts. They were winning and Charlie didn't have the patience to keep watching. He got up and left.
He went to the parking lot for a smoke and only minutes later, Steve joined him. Charlie wordlessly passed his cigarette to the boy.
"She couldn't say it." Steve said and Charlie stared at him.
"I asked her if she loved me and she couldn't say it."
"I'm sorry." Charlie didn't know what else to say.
"So I guess it's official now." Steve rubbed his face.
Charlie was about to speak but a sudden pain shot through his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and hissed. He felt some liquid drip from his nose.
"Charlie your nose is bleeding." Steve exclaimed. He took out a kerchief from his pocket and gave it to the other boy.
"What the fuck?" Charlie cursed as he wiped his nose.
"You should see a doctor, not a school nurse, a doctor. We could go now." Steve suggested
"Yeah.. No. It's fine."
"I don't think random nosebleeds are fine."
"It's not random, I wasn't supposed to drink last night." Charlie spoke sheepishly.
"Since I'm on prescription drugs - Anti-depressants. And I just took an ibuprofen for my headache."
Steve glared at him, with his hand in his hips.
"Really?"
"Yeah...just don't tell my dad. I just need a good night's sleep and I will be fine."
"If you say so..." Steve agreed hesitantly.
Later that day, Charlie bumped into Nancy. Actually he was looking for her. She looked...tired. The guilt of Barb's death physically weighing her down. The two walked for a while without saying a word to each other.
"You look like shit." Nancy deadpanned. Charlie chuckled good-naturedly.
"Not all of us can drown a jar of alcohol infused punch and show up the next day looking like a diva, Nance."
Nancy looked at him curiosly.
"You, Charlie Hopper, got drunk at a stupid high school party?"
Charlie didn't answer at first. He leaned against a wall. Nancy stood looking at him.
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked seriously.
"No. I'm drowning in guilt and my own lies."
Nancy answered without hesitation.
"What are you gonna do about it?"
"I'm going to find way to fix the mess I've made."
"When you do, let me know. I will do anything for you, anything."
Nancy smiled. She leaned next to him.
"I know I can count on you."
After a short while, Nancy asked the question that was bugging her.
"I saw Billy with someone else. Did something happen?"
Charlie almost winced and Nancy regretted being so blunt.
"We're over. I mean there was nothing to be over."
Charlie shrugged, as if it didn't feel like someone ripped his heart right out of his chest.
"You're good with that?"
"Yeah..I guess it's heartbreak season."
The two shared a smile and went on. They met with Jonathan and assuming the two had a lot to talk and that he had to get home early, Charlie bid his goodbyes.
Hopper sat Charlie down and gave him a long lecture about discipline and responsibility. But in all honesty Hopper was just worried. Later that night, Hopper was the one to put El to bed, because Charlie was down with a sickening headache. But he still got out of bed and went the El's room and leaned against the door frame. Hopper was telling her about his mother.
The word made Charlie's throat tighten. It's been so long since he had seen his mother. But she was never the kind of loving, caring and supportive mothers you hear about. She was all that to Sarah and only Sarah. She was rather cold and distant to Charlie. And then she left him.
Charlie would honestly give everything to have a mother like Joyce Byers. A mother who would go to the end of the world for you and fight the unknown. But he would never have that.
Hopper saw Charlie at the door and the distant look on his face.
“I thought I asked you to take rest.” Hopper said snapping Charlie put of his thoughts.
“I am here to say good night to El.”
He walked over to the bed and kissed El on top of her head.
“Good night El.”
“Good night Charlie.” El smiled. Charlie smiled back walked back to the door.
“Good night dad.”
“Goodnight and off to bed.” Hopper said.
Charlie lied down trying to ignore the pounding in his head. He felt a lightening shoot through his brain and a liquid dripped from his nose. He touched it and it was blood.
Just a side effect of drinking while on medication.
Charlie tried to convince himself.
But there was nagging feeling at the back of his mind. An unknown dread. Something was horribly wrong.