Dustin and Steve sat in the Hendersons living room as Charlie called every possible number in Hawkins. His dad hadn't been to the station that day. No one at the Byers was answering. He was beginning to lose all hope.
Charlie sat with his head in his hands, trying to control his breathing. Dustin and Steve looked at each other. Neither of them knowing what to do. The phone rang startling all of them. Charlie picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey kid." said the voice on the other side.
Charlie sighed with relief. His throat tightened. When he tried to speak, nothing came out. Tears clinged to his lashes.
"Charlie, are you there?"
"Yeah, yeah... I'm here." his voice was sqeeky.
"It's okay. I'm fine. I'm at the hospital with Will. Are you alright?"
Charlie swallowed thickly and sniffed before answering.
"I'm fine. Everything is fine. I just...nothing. You had me worried."
"Yeah me too. But I will see you soon. Okay?"
"....okay...." Charlie replied meekly.
They both paused. Both of them thinking about saying the same thing. Something they both haven't said to each other in a long time.
"I love you, kid." Hopper finally said. Being at the brink of death and knowing the threat that loomed over his son, he knew the may not always get a chance.
"I love you too." Charlie said without hesitation.
The trio were on the road again. Charlie hadn't said a word. Steve and Dustin were stuck between wanting to speak but too afraid to freak Charlie out further. Especially since the boy kept flinching at every passing shadow and sound.
They parked the car by the side of the road and walked into the jungle, making a trail of meat on their way. Charlie and Dustin walked ahead and Steve was a little behind.
"Why did you keep it?" Charlie asked Dustin.
"I thought it was cool." Dustin replied but Charlie knew there was more to it.
"Dustin."
"Okay, I wanted to impress this really cool new girl in my class." Dustin sighed.
"Max?" Charlie raised a brow.
"Yeah. How do you know her?"
Charlie didn't answer. He looked away, getting lost in his own thoughts again.
"Alright, so let get this straight..." Steve started. "You kept this thing, knowing it was dangerous, to impress a girl you just met?"
"Alright, that grossly oversimplifing things." Dustin said, matter of factly.
"Why would any girl like a nasty slug anyway."
"An interdimentional slug. Because it's awesome."
Charlie wished Stev would just leave it alone. The constant talk of the creature was making his stomach turn.
"Well even if she liked it, which she didn't..." Steve went on.
"I.. I just.. I don't know. I just think you're trying too hard."
Charlie glared at him. Steve met his gaze for second, immediately turning away.
"Well not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?" Dustin said.
"It's not all about the hair man. You know with girls, you just have to act like you don't care."
Steve said. Charlie mentally groaned. But he kept quiet.
"Even if you do?" Dustin questioned.
"Yeah, exactly. It drives them nuts."
"Then what?"
"Then you just wait until...uh..until you feel it."
"Feel what?"
This wasn't going well. Charlie was starting to get pissed off.
"It's before the storm, you know. You can't see it, but you feel it." Steve's eyes shifts to Charlie. "Like an electricity."
Charlie pointedly doesn't meet his eyes.
"Like the electromagnetic field, when the clouds..." Dustin began and Charlie snorted.
"No no no no. Like... Like a sexaul electricity."
This time Charlie groaned audibly.
"He's twelve." Charlie said to Steve.
Steve shrugged it off.
"When you feel that, you make your move."
"That's when you kiss her?" Dustin asked.
Charlie yelled a quick no.
"Woah woah, slow down Romeo. Okay some girls, they want you to be aggressive."
"And Nancy?" Dustin asked.
"She's different." Steve said watching Charlie carefully. The Hopper boy had a faraway look.
"Look Dustin," Charlie started.
"Not to contradict King Steve's Greta advice on how to woo girls. But if you really like this girl, you're gonna have to show it."
Steve scoffed but Dustin listened. They stopped walking.
"If you care about someone, you need to show. Not just girls, anyone. People need to know they are loved. It could save them, sometimes it could even save their life. Think about it."
Charlie then kept walking without looking back. He kept a considerable distance, entirely blocking out the conversation between the other two.
Steve looked at Charlie longingly. He was mad at him but seeing him so vulnerable and drained made Steve's heart clench. Charlie on the other hand was numb. Besides the constant pain in his whole body he couldn't feel anything else. There was no regret of losing Steve to a misunderstanding. He thought it was better for Steve of he didn't get involved in all the chaos Charlie brought with himself.
"Fabregé Oraganics." Steve said and Charlie glanced back.
"Use the shampoo and the conditioner when your hair is damp not wet. You do four puffs of Farrah Fawcett spray."
"Farrah Fawcett spray?"
"Yeah and if you tell anyone I told you this, your ass is grass." Steve warned.
"You're dead, Henderson. You understand?"
Dustin nodded. Charlie suppressed a smile, his eyes softening.
They walked a distance and the three decided to take a break. Charlie leaned against a tree. A heat was rising in his body.
He was sweating and his head started to grow dizzy. His head hit the tree with a thud. Steve glanced at him.
"Hey, you okay?" He walked up to the boy.
Charlie couldn't answer. His vision kept blurring in and out. He swayed in his feet and Steve held his waist to keep him steady. The taller boy clenched Steve's jacket in his fist. The sharp pain in his head gave way to more blurry and flashing images.
Will.
Hospital.
Vines.
Fire.
Someone was burning the vine with fire and Will was screaming. Will's screams echoed in his ears.
"Make it stop!" Charlie kept muttering.
"Tell them to stop!" he said louder.
"What are you saying? Charlie?" Steve tried to anchor Charlie to look at him.
Just as the pain had started, it had dulled. Charlie panted heavily. Steve wiped the blood from under his nose.
"This is like Will's episodes, isn't it?"
Dustin asked. Steve glanced at him for a second before turning his attention back to Charlie.
"Will is in the hospital. It's all too complicated. Just whatever I'm feeling, he's feeling it too." Charlie explained
"Why?" Steve asked.
"I don't know. Will is somehow connected to the upside down. And I'm too. Until we've destroyed it, this isn't going to stop." Charlie spoke gravely. Then his eyes met Steve's worried ones.
"And I will never be free."
"Don't say that okay? We'll figure this out, you're going to be fine." Steve said to Charlie who just shook his head.
Charlie didn't believe he could be fine ever again. Everyday he only got worse, upside down or not. People he cared about left him without a second thought. They just came into his life, made them think they cared and left.
The three of them walked to a ground of wrecked cars and buses. The decided to set the trap there. Their attention was caught by Lucas Sinclair and Max Mayfield standing only a little away from. They waved and Charlie and Steve saw Dustin's expression sour.
Dustin and Lucas walked away from the rest to discuss something. Max waved and greeted Charlie, more warmly than ever before. They used to see each other a lot when Billy and Charlie were sneaking around. Max always kept the attitude around Charlie but she was nevertheless glad to have him around. Because he seemed to make Billy less of a jerk. She had noticed that Charlie and Billy weren't around each other anymore and the blonde had been a lot more aggressive and distressed.
"I thought you were way too cool for these nerds."
Charlie said to Max.
"You have enough cool points for all of them." Max shrugged earning a smile from Charlie.
"Why thank you, Maxine. What did I do to deserve this?"
"You had my asshole step brother on a leash. That's cool enough in my book."
This statement made Steve glance at them and Charlie looked down with a sad smile.
"Had being the key word." Charlie spoke gravely.
"What happened anyway?" Max tried to sound casual though she was very curious to know. Charlie actually made it seem like Billy was a person with heart and soul. Now everything was back to square one.
"Call the boys. We have work to do." Charlie quickly dismissed the question and moved away from the redhead.
He wasn't interested in thinking about the past. Especially not his past with Billy. Deep down he was still hurting. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he missed the beautiful blue eyes of the Cali boy more and more everyday. What a fool he was to think it would last.
Steve approached him and Charlie almost jumped.
"You're head clearly couldn't be in another dimension. You Okay? No headaches or nosebleeds?"
Steve asked, there was no mockery or anger in his voice or manners.
"You sure you care?" Charlie asked. Steve looked away.
"I wasn't running off with Billy." Charlie said suddenly. Before Steve could say anything, Charlie held up a hand and went on.
"You are not going to interrupt me. Steve, this is bigger that you think. There's thing from upside down inside my head, that won't let me sleep. It's got Will and yesterday I had to take a ride from Billy to the Byers because my goddamn jeep broke down."
Charlie took a deep breath to control himself and continued.
"My dad almost died last night. I knew something was wrong, because this monster in my head tells me, or shows me. He wants me to feel helpless. He wants me to know he's hurting everyone I love and that I'm powerless against him. And when anyone does anything to upset him, he hurts me and he hurts Will. My dad survived and if I'm lucky I would be dead before I could see the worst of this. But I won't go to my grave, knowing that you hate me."
His voice quivered and broke but he cleared his throat and finished his words.
"I don't know if you believe me or not but I had to tell you. You're important to me. And I do feel something for you, whatever I had with Billy doesn't erase my feelings for you. It won't ever erase my feelings for you."
Steve stared at him processing everything. Charlie didn't wait for an answer or an apology or anything. He had said what he had to. Now if Steve was going back to Nancy and if she wished the same, he would be happy. Because he valued Steve's happiness and he could only wish for it to be with him.
Steve, Charlie and Max work on majority of the trap. Lucas and Dustin were spending their time talking until Steve scolded them and asked them to help as well. Charlie only conversed with Max the whole time. His mood looking considerably better, as it always was around kids. His headache was still there but the voice in his head was quieter.
Charlie tried not give away his discomfort of the sun and Max didn't bring up Billy again. For they liked each other's company. Max reminded Charlie of himself, because he knew how it was to grow up in chaos. And Max wondered, what, someone as kind as Charlie, ever found in Billy Hargrove.
"You're not half as bad as I thought at first."
Max said as they sat down when the sun was down.
"I'm glad you don't hate me, really." Charlie smiled.
"So you two really fought one of those things before?" She asked the older teens.
"Yeah, me, Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler set a trap for it and did a ritual sacrifice and all." Charlie said, showing her the scar on his palm.
"And you're like totally, 100% sure it wasn't a bear?" She asked again.
"Jeez, don't be so stupid. It wasn't a bear." Dustin came out of nowhere.
"Why are you even here if you dint believe us. Just go home."
Max stood up.
"Someone's cranky. Way past your bedtime?" she then climbed up.
Charlie just glared at Steve, who was looking proudly at Dustin.
"That's right, just show her you don't care."
Steve said smiling.
"Yeah but this is just being plain awful."
Charlie huffed.
Steve just winked at him and Dustin saw this.
"Why are you winking at Charlie, Steve? Stop."
Dustin went to the other corner and sat there. Steve moved closer to Charlie, shoulders touching.
"I'm sorry. I shouldnt have jumped into conclusions. I'm really, really sorry." Steve said in a low voice for only the two of them to hear.
"It's alright. But maybe... Maybe you should consider apologising to Nancy."
Steve stared at him.
"No. It was stupid. She doesn't love me and I don't either."
"But you did."
"And now I don't." Steve sighed and turned his head to look at Charlie. His face was beautifullly illuminated by the moon light.
"You're not going to die. I know you're thinking that and that's why you want me to go back to Nancy. But I won't do it and you won't die." Steve said confidently.
"You don't understand..." Charlie spoke, his sound barely a whisper.
"He's not going to stop and he will never let me go." The pain and exhaustion was evident in his words. He was so close to giving up.
"We'll stop him and you'll be free." Steve tried to convince him. Charlie just shook his head not looking at Steve.
"and then maybe you.... You would let me take you on a date?"
Steve asked sounding a little nervous. The Hopper laughed a little. It wasn't loud but it was real.
"Yeah...a date. Sure, I guess." Charlie said, almost believing it for a second.
Steve looked at Charlie, whose eyelids were closing on their own. The burnette carefully tucked his arm under Charlie's head and slowly pulled him to his chest. The other, without a word, fell asleep on Steve's chest. He had been so drained for the last two days and the comfort of Steve Harrington's arms was a sweet caress in all this destruction.
But their peace only lasts so long. About twenty minutes in, there was a growl close by. Charlie jumped up. Steve rubbed his back, managed a smile and went to the window. There was nothing but fog out there.
"You see him?" Dustin asked. Steve shook his head.
"Lucas, what do we have?" Dustin yelled to Lucas, who was son too of this bus with binoculars.
"I got him. Ten oʼ clock." Lucas yelled back.
"There he is." Charlie said beside Steve.
Dart, as Dustin calls it, was sniffing around like a dog. It wasn't coming anywhere near the bait.
"Why isn't he taking the bait?" Steve asked.
"Maybe he isn't hungry." Dustin suggested.
"Or maybe he's tired if cow." Steve said decisively and proceeded to take his bat. He was about to head to the door but Charlie grabbed his arm.
"You are not going out there."
"It's just one... Demodog."Steve replied.
"Well I'm coming with you." Charlie picked up his axe.
"Charlie..." Steve begun.
"It's just one demodogs, bubs."
Charlie shrugged and went to open the door as Steve stood confused about the new nickname. But he soon followed Charlie out. There were both ready with their weapons.
"Come on buddy. Humans taste better than cats." Steve cooed. Charlie smirked.
"I bet you do."
"Not the time, yeah." Steve gulped.
"Steve, Charlie three oʼ clock!" Lucas yelled and Charlie turned around to spot another Demogorgon.
Then another. And another. There surrounded.
"Guys, abort! Abort!" Dustin shouted from the door.
One Demogoegon pounced on them and they jumped to opposite sides. Charlie manged to block another one that jumped on top of him with his axe. But the creature manged to bite into his shoulders. Charlie grunted in pain. Steve yelled his name and struck it with his bat.
They both ran to the bus and the kids closed the shut behind them. The demogorgons started to claw at the door. One made it through and Steve started to beat it with his bat.
"To the back." Charlie instructed the kids, ignoring the pain in his bleeding shoulder.
Max stood near the stairs looking upwards and started screaming.
Charlie pulled her behind him and got his axe ready. But Steve came in front of them. Suddenly the demogrogons attention shifted from them to somewhere else. And it jsut sprinted.
They all sighed collectively.
Steve went outside again while the others stood at the door. He looked around. There was no sign of the creatures.
"Why did they just leave?" Lucas questioned.
"Maybe Steve and Charlie scared them off."
Dustin opted.
"No, they're going somewhere." Steve said looking back.
Charlie leaned against the door, holding his injured shoulder. Steve came back to them and helped Charlie down. Charlie took off his jacket and t shirt. Steve examined the wound. Max covered mouth and Lucas covered his eyes.
"That bad?" Charlie asked and the two kids tried to act normal.
"I think... Um I think there's a tooth in there. We need to get it out." Steve said carefully trying not freak out Charlie and trying not to freak out himself.
"Hey Henderson, get something like tweezers okay. And Sinclair get me some water. Max, tear this for me." He instructed the kids.
They all obeyed immediately and Steve turned back to Charlie. He placed a hand on Charlie's cheek and their eyes met.
"Hey, it's going to hurt, okay? But I'll make it quick."
Steve looked like he was abou to cry.
"Okay. You know, we won't get that date, if either of us die trying to kill an interdimentional slug turned dog - demogrogon hybrid." Charlie smiled.
Steve couldn't share the humor and amusement. He was way too worried for Charlie's life right then.
The kids brought everything they were asked to. Steve pour some water on the wound and Charlie hissed.
"Sorry, just a little longer."
He then proceeded to clean the blood, so he could see the tooth better. Pulling it out was the hardest part. Charlie cried out in pain. None of the kids dared to look. Steve cleaned it the best he could and wrapped it in torn pieces of t shirt.
"We'll get some real first aid as soon as we can." Steve assured Charlie who was breathing heavily. He looked as if about to faint.
Steve cupped his face and looked into his eyes.
“Just keep looking at me, alright? Yeah, you're okay, it's okay.”
"Stay with me. Here drink this." Charlie gulped down the water that Lucas handed him. And Steve held his face in both hands again. There faces were close as Steve tried to keep Charlie awake.
"Stay with me, Lee. I'm here. Just focus on my voice."
"Did you just call me Lee ?" Charlie aksed in breathy voice. A ghost of smile on his lips.
"Yeah. I did."
"I like it." Charlie smiled for real now. Steve smiled back.
“You're going to be fine.”
And Charlie believed it.