Steve awoke with one of the biggest headaches he'd ever had. One of those ones where you had to close your eyes and scrunch your face up to bear the pain, all while pressing your hand to your throbbing scull in hopes that somehow that'd help.
And when he finally felt the wave of pain subside, he allowed his heavy lids to wrench open, only to see that he was somewhere other than his bed room. Confused, and now heavily on guard even to the point of forgetting his head ache, he braced himself on whatever he had been laying on in the exact way Billy had left him in. Only to realise that, whatever he had been sitting on, was not his bed, but a tomb stone.
Shocked, he launched himself off of the tomb stone, then turned to face it. He squinted, as a fog had surrounded him and he had only noticed then, trying to read whatever the stone said. And when he finally could make out the names, his heart sank.
Dustin Henderson, the first one read, and Steve had to gulp the knot in his throat down; he really didn't feel like crying.
He then was able to make out the rest of the kids' names and tears, despite his efforts to hold them back, began to spill down his cheeks. A part of him didn't want to believe his eyes, as he had had so many other terrible dreams, but what was right in front of him took over his sense of reason.
Fear crept up his neck like his body knew something was about ton happen so he snapped his head upwards and whipped it this way and that, trying to find the root of the goose-bumps that had sprouted over his arms.
His wide eyes drank in a source of light just off in the distance, blurred by the fog, so he began to walk towards it; his legs bent slightly as he walked and his fists at the ready. But the closer the got to the light, the further it drifted into the expanse.
So Steve did the only rational thing he could think of, and ran.
He pushed himself closer and closer until he was able to catch up to the glow enough that the fog had dissipated. His eyes wide with wonder, and his heart burning with pain, part of him believed that what was happening was all too real and that the kids had died under his care.
"Hello?" Steve said, noticing the way his voice sounded as if he were under water, but kept his intent gaze upon the light.
It had halted, now that Steve was close enough, and a figure similar to one he had seen in another dream emerged just enough that it's features were hidden by it's shadow.
"W-who are you?" Steve asked, he was desperate for answers.
A low and odd sound came from the figure before it finally spoke, "You have been here before".
Anger.
Anger was all Steve felt all of a sudden. His friends were dead and all this thing had to say was that?!
"Listen prick, you tell me what the fuck is going on!" Steve said, angry tears pricked at his eyes again, threatening to spill over. His fists shook at his sides because all he wanted was his kids to be alive and answers, was it too much to ask?
"I see you are upset," the being said gently, aware of Steve's compromised state, and began moving towards the boy. "And while I understand, I cannot tell you who I am or where this is".
Steve scoffed, "You're so full of shit. My friends are dead and your busy playing Guess Who?"
A chuckle erupted from the being chest, making Steve's already simmering blood to boil over. Steve could feel his whole body shake now, with such intensity that it felt like the being was shaking his shoulders.
"Steve!" a voice cried out from where the tomb stone had been, and it caught his attention immediately.
But as soon as he was about to turn to run to the voice, a blinding light took over every one of his senses and the shaking became more and more overwhelming.
Steve panicked, yelling in fear, as he had never felt something so jarring. It was like being in a car accident but not being able to see anything going on around you, and Steve began to feel out of control; a feeling he classically wasn't a fan of.
"Harrington?" a male voice spoke so close to his face, making Steve's eyes fly open, and all of a sudden he was back in his room, now splayed out on the ground by his bed.
Jonathan and Nancy knelt beside him, worry evident on Nancy's feminine features, and deep concern in Jonathan's eyes. Steve had never told anyone of his nightmares, and for these two to have seen it happen in real life made him want to disappear.
But there was something more important than what his peers thought about him, "A-are the kids okay?!" he asked Nancy loudly, leaning up into her personal space, making her lean back slightly and her boyfriend gently lay a warning hand on his shoulder.
A picture of the tomb stone burned in Steve's mind, all he could think about the blood on his hands, and the kid's lives, and he didn't think he'd ever get over it.
"Everyone's okay, Steve," Nancy paused, digging deeper into his petrified expression. "But...are you...okay?" She had seen him scared before, but not like this. He had faced his own demise and had never looked as distressed as he did at that point.
Steve let out the air he had held in his lungs. The kids were safe, "Yeah, shit, I'm okay. Just a bad dream is all".
Jonathan snorted, "that's some dream if it has you yelling and flailing off the bed".
Nancy shot a warning glance at her boyfriend before regarding her ex once again but with a more gentle approach, "It's nearly noon, we have a plan still right?"
Steve slowly nodded, remembering that they were going to go to Hop's cabin that day, and began to push his torso off of the ground only to lean against his bed frame. The three sat in silence, anxious about the day ahead of them.
"Oh come on Harrington!" Dustin cried as they pulled up to Steve's house and into the garage. He was squashed between a grumpy looking Mike and Eleven, as Steve had annoyingly split them up after they were late to the car due to a silly little make-out session. "Why do we always have-tuh sit back and watch you do all the fun shit?"
"First of all, watch your mouth young man," Steve said and turned in driver's seat to point at the boy as if he were his son. Dustin rolled his eyes in response , "and because you little shits are under my protection as per the Police! So shaddup and do as I say".
"Oh brother," Mike groaned beside Dustin. "It's not like we haven't done this before, and wouldn't it be better to have El help? I mean...she is all powerful".
"Look I'm not fighting with you kids about this," Steve sighed, unbuckling his seat belt and wrenching his car door open. "If Hop found out that you kids were involved as much as you'd like to be, not only would he chop my damn head off, but he'd put you all on house arrest".
Plus, Steve thought to himself, I can't let them get in harms way...I can't lose them.
Again.
The four of them made their way into Steve's house and the kids plopped down onto the sofa, just as soon as two more vehicles pulled up to the house.
The door bell rung and Steve felt an unnatural feeling bubble in his belly. As if he were about to meet the president, bungee jump into the Grand Canyon or something, and it continued to simmer even as he made his way to the door.
The handle was electric as he grasped it, making him flinch, and when he opened the door he was more than nervous as Lucas and Max sped past him and into the living room. He didn't miss the small and private smiles that pulled at their lips as they glanced at him while shouldering by.
Steve inhaled, then looked upwards to be face-to face with Jonathan and Nancy, then exhaled. He knew Billy was there too, he could feel it and he could see his car parked behind Bryer's car, but he couldn't bring himself to look for him.
Steve remembered enough about the night before to know something had happened to Billy and him, but he had been way too drunk to recall exactly what. All he knew was Billy had stormed out after pinning Steve onto his bed, but why he had disappeared in such a flurry of anger had left Steve feeling bare and self conscious.
"Hey," he said, moving out of the way so they could go into the house.
"Hey Steve," Nancy said as she walked past him, her gaze locked onto his and something in them told him that she knew something he was hiding. Something about him and Billy that he hadn't wanted anyone to know.
So Steve tore his eyes from hers and looked out to where he finally saw Billy, dressed in his signature Jean jacket, tight Levi's, and chunky boots; a sight Steve never knew he liked so much until now.
Warmth bloomed over his cheeks, making him look away, anywhere but him. And it was only until the smell of cologne and smoke invaded his senses, did he register Billy had approached him, and only then did he finally regard him.
"Hargrove," Steve began, as he shoved his hands into his own pockets. The air was awkward, and he knew that the other's had hushed in order to listen in. And suddenly he envied the carpet for being where he wished he could vanish to.
Billy drew in a slow and calculated breath, one that made his almost bare chest rise slightly , his hair a curly mess, "Harrington".
It was one word.
One that made Steve's mind go blank, and his lips tingle as if he were having an allergic reaction. Billy looked confidant and arrogant on the outside, but Steve could tell by the way he flared his nostrils and tapped his boot on the pavement on the front step, that he was nervous.
And so was Steve.
"Well y'gunna let me in or just stand there staring at me," Billy cut the silence like a sharp knife, diverting any anxiety into impatience, his change in mood giving Steve whiplash.
But he pushed himself against the front door so as to let the Californian brush by, sending electricity through every one of Steve's nerves and firing out of his pores. The two kept eye contact as Billy passed him, but it was broken when Billy shook his head like Steve had said a bad joke, then turned to stalk towards the living room.
Steve let out a deep breath that he had been holding as if someone had blown smoke in his face, not wanting to indulge in Billy's scent, and shut the door. He soon joined the rest in the living room that was still somewhat of a mess since the party the night prior, but that was the last thing on his mind.
All eyes were on him, even certain blue eyes, and he could tell by the majority of them that they had been listening in on his and Billy's little 'moment', but he decided to ignore it the best he could.
"I don't like this Steve," Nancy spoke first, worry etched onto her face, her concern caught Billy's attention; he couldn't understand why she was so hesitant. And before Steve could respond, she kept talking, "For all we know, this could be a trap".
"Yeah, I know," Steve said as if to say 'duh'. "And that's why all of you are staying here and us three are going" he said and motioned to Billy, Jonathan, and himself.
"I understand that part, but are you a hundred percent sure it's Hopper leaving you those notes and not someone trying to trick you?" she was sceptical, always had been, and Steve could understand why, but this wasn't the time.
He wasn't about to waste weeks of mulling over possibilities and clear evidence just because he was worried that all of it was for nothing. Not only did he have no time for that, but he had also spent a great deal of time thinking of how much longer Jim Hopper could hold up.
Steve trusted Hopper more than he could ever trust another adult, he had been in his life more than his own damn parents, and he had a gut feeling. Once Hop had pulled him aside and told him that he trusted him too, he was grateful for protecting the kids like he did, and it had meant the world to him.
Determined, Steve stood a little straighter, squared his shoulders, and set his jaw, "I am a hundred and one percent sure".
Or so he hoped.
Billy was a tornado of emotions while the three oldest boys got to work preparing. Part of him was shaken how quickly everyone fell into motion, they clearly had done this enough times to know what to do, and the other part of him couldn't tear his eyes off of Steve.
With a maturely straight face, Steve directed the kids this way and that, telling them their roles and what to do in an emergency, all while expertly hiding the hint of fear he felt so no one else felt the same way.
He noticed the way his hands shook slightly, and way his bottom lip was being torn apart by his teeth, which was clearly a nervous tick.
He wasn't too sure how much Steve recalled from the night before, but came to the conclusion that he was probably too drunk to have remembered. And maybe acting as if nothing had happened would get Billy out of his head.
Billy had to chuckle, Steve truly looked like a mom in the moment, telling his kids to "shut it" or "'cuz I said, damn it!" and for a reason Billy didn't want to admit, he felt some sort of endearment towards him.
He had never had a strong and stable parental figure in his life, and it was a massive reason he struggled with his own anger and outbursts. But watching the way Steve protected not only the kids, but also Nancy, Jonathan, and himself was beyond what he could have hoped for.
He liked Steve, he decided right then and there while he watched the brunette point a warning finger at one of the younger boys, and not in the way boys should like each other. Billy had always been with women, and sure he still thought he was into girls, but Steve was different. He made Billy feel like himself, and Billy had this strong desire to protect Steve like he did for every one else.
But Steve was also a man of secrets, not in a malicious way, but in a he-thinks-he's-being-protective way; and Billy didn't know if he was patient enough to help him. Billy didn't even know if Steve felt like that about him, and he was too stubborn to ask.
He knew they had had moments, but he saw how Steve still looked at Nancy; it made him sick, and angry as hell. He had some form of envy towards her because she frolicked around while the gold-mine of men longed for her.
Billy watched as Steve scanned the room, looking at each individual face as if he'd never see them again, then as his lips pressed together as if he had something he wished to say but wouldn't-not to his kids.
Then after a long moment, where the chatter of the kids polluted the air, Steve's gorgeous chocolate eyes lifted to meet Billy's gaze. There was no emotion Billy could pin-point, but he could tell somehow that Steve had willingly let himself stare, as if Billy's existence was the very fabric that held him together in one piece.
Cheesy, sure, but true. It was as if Billy's attention was a safe harbour that Steve never wanted to leave. As if he looked away that he would drown. So Billy did something he almost regretted.
He smirked. One he'd flash at girls to win them over, and by the way Steve's eyes bulged out of his head, or the way he quickly turned this reddened face from him, Billy knew it had affected him the same way.
God he loved that feeling. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, if ever, and it felt so much more natural with Steve. It was much better than the feeling of pushing the boy around without his consent.
"Alright, let's hit the road," it was Steve who spoke as he lifted a back pack onto his shoulders, the nail end of his bat sticking out of it, looking ready for war.
The older boys piled into Steve's vehicle while the others watched on, and after getting situated, they sped off.
"I hate this," Nancy repeated to no one specifically but the kids turned to look at her worry stricken face.
A hand laid on her shoulder, it was Eleven, "I don't like this either, but I'm here to help". And for some reason her words managed to sooth Nancy's aching heart as the vehicle holding their three warriors vanished into the unknown.