Chapter Text
Steve takes the news poorly.
"Poorly" is probably an understatement. In his opinion, he's actually being pretty cool about this whole situation, all things considered.
How else is he supposed to take the news that his friends are abandoning him?
"What?" Mike cries, voice full of dismay. "You're leaving?"
"I know this is hard," Nancy says. Understatement of the century, Steve grumbles to himself. By her side, holding her hand, Jonathan nods. "But it's something we feel like we really need to do."
"Running off to hunt monsters? There are plenty here in Hawkins!" Mike throws his hands up. "You don't have to leave to do that!"
"Yeah," Will agrees from next to him. "Besides, where do you even go to look for monsters?"
"Steve, did you know about this?" Dustin asks, turning wide, accusatory eyes towards him.
Steve crosses his arms over his chest and works his mouth side to side. "No," he says. "And frankly, I agree. This is a dumb idea."
Nancy's brow furrows. "Steve!"
"What? It's true! What happens if you get hurt? Or lost? What if you die out there and nobody even knows where you are?" His jaw clenches. "Haven't you thought this through?"
"The risk is worth it," Jonathan says, loyal, stupid. "We could be saving countless lives, you know."
"There's nothing you can say to change our minds," Nancy says, glaring directly at Steve. "We leave June first."
Steve looks at the ground.
Nancy walks out, tugging Jonathan along with her.
"This is stupid," Eleven says morosely.
There's a chorus of agreement from the rest of the kids. They shuffle around the room, taking over Mike's basement now that Nancy's little "announcement" is over.
"I can't believe they seriously think they can just take off in Jonathan's car and go find monsters to kill. Are they crazy? Haven't we almost died enough times?" Lucas wiggles closer to Max. She leans her head against his shoulder. "I mean, it's insane!"
"Who's gonna protect them?" Mike says. "They can't just go off by themselves! Like Steve said, they could get hurt!"
The conversation fades into background noise. Steve can't listen anymore. All he can think about is Nancy getting hurt. Nancy dying. Nancy, trapped in the upside down, being slowly hunted, while Steve sits at home, totally unaware.
"I have to go," he says, and ignoring the loud protests, walks out.
"Okay, I don't understand," Robin says. "You're this worked up about a road trip?"
Steve huffs. "It's not about the road trip," he says. As Robin is a blissfully unaware outsider, he had omitted the parts about killing monsters, or why exactly they felt the need to go on the trip in the first place. "It's just- what if they get hurt. Or lost. Nancy doesn't think these things though. She just rushes in, and then she gets hurt. Who's gonna stop her while she's gone? Who's gonna make sure she's safe?"
"Uh, her boyfriend?" Robin says.
Steve glares. "Jonathan won't protect her. He encourages this type of thing! Reckless behavior. I swear, it's like they get off on the thrills!"
"Okay, so what if they do?" Robin says, pausing to scoop some ice cream into a cone. "I mean, maybe they just need to do some soul-searching! Get the adventure bug out before they come back home and pop out 2.5 kids and adopt a golden retriever, or something!" She passes the cone to the kid customer, who scampers off. "What's the big deal?"
Steve scowls, folding his arms across his chest. Raising her eyebrows, Robin makes a long "ooooooooh" sound.
"What?" He asks.
"This is because you're still not over Nancy, right?" She asks.
Steve's face burns. "What? No, it's- it's not like that! I just don't want her to get hurt, okay, I'd think the same about you!"
Robin grins, placing a hand on her chest. "Aw, I'm flattered, Harrington!"
"Stop," He groans, covering his face with his hands.
"Well, if you're that worried about it, just ask to go with them," she says. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"What's the worst that could happen?" He stares. "Hello, a three-month road trip with my ex and her new boyfriend? Are you out of your mind?"
"I thought you said you weren't in love with her anymore," Robin challenges, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "If you aren't, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Steve just stares at her, mouth slightly open, some half-baked protest dying on his tongue. He swallows. "Right."
"There you go, then." She shrugs. "Anyway, it's time for my break. You're on scooping duty." She takes the dumb sailor hat off her head and tosses it on the counter. "Good luck."
"And then, get this- she says I should just go with them."
"What? A three-month long road trip with your ex and her new boyfriend? Is she crazy?" Dustin demands from the backseat of his car.
"That's what I said!" Steve exclaims, twisting to look at him over the console.
"Hey! Eyes on the road!" Dustin yelps, and Steve turns back around.
"I dunno, it could be fun," Will says with a shrug from the passenger seat. Dustin and Steve fix him with twin looks of shock. "What? Maybe you'll like Jonathan more once you get to know him!" He picks nonexistent lint off of the seat below him. "And you're right, anyway. If anyone can stop Nancy from running into danger, it's not gonna be Jonathan. It's gonna be you."
They all sit with that for a moment. Faintly, over the radio, guitar starts playing.
Will perks up. "Wait, I love this song, turn it up," he urges, bouncing in his seat.
Shrugging, Steve obliges, reaching over and twisting the dial.
Darling, you've got to let me know...
Steve snorts. "Clash? You really are Jonathan's brother."
"Shut up," Will says, grinning. He taps his fingers along the dashboard to the music. "It's a good song!"
Should I stay or should I go?
"If you say so," Steve placates. He rolls down his window and lets an arm hang out as he turns down a street. "Alright, Henderson, this is your stop."
"Thanks for the ride home, Mom," Dustin says, grinning, and jumps out before Steve can respond.
Scoffing, Steve rolls his eyes. "Dumb kid."
Without his friends around to egg him on, Will's a quiet kid, so they spend the rest of the ride in relative silence, letting the radio play.
When Steve pulls into the driveway of the Byers residence, Jonathan's car is mysteriously missing. He tries not to think about that too hard.
Will hops out, and Steve turns the music back down. "Don't be a stranger," he calls through the open widow.
Pausing halfway on the path to the door, Will turns around, waving. "Bye Steve!"
Lifting three fingers back in a lazy salute, Steve throws the car in reverse and drives off.
The lack of another presence in the car dampens his mood. By the time he reaches his driveway, it's completely soured. The events of the day all come rushing back. Worries about Nancy, combined with Robin and Will's words swirl around to create a great big knot in his chest. He tosses his keys on the counter and runs a hand through his hair, sighing.
He goes up to his room without a word to either of his parents before flopping face-first into a pillow and groaning until his lungs give out.
Stupid messy relationship problems.
He rolls over, determined to clean up and sleep on it.
He'll feel better about it in the morning.
He does not feel better about it in the morning.
If anything, he feels decidedly worse.
He only has two days, now. Two days before Nancy leaves.
Potentially forever.
His heart weighs heavy in his chest, anchoring him to his bed. He stares at the ceiling, mind both empty and too busy.
He doesn't know how to feel. (Angry? Confused? Rejected? That last one's stupid- she had rejected him a long time ago.)
He stays in bed for a long time, longer than he normally would, willing the ceiling to magically solve all of his problems.
Downstairs, the phone rings, and Steve's mom answers. He doesn't move.
"Steve?" She calls. "It's for you! It's Nancy!"
Steve rolls out of bed and hits the floor. "Ow." He pushes himself up onto his elbows. "Coming, Mom!" He stumbles to his feet and takes the stairs two at a time, arriving at the bottom in record time.
"Still in your pajamas?" His mom asks, frowning.
"Mom," he groans. "I'm here, can I have the phone?"
"Fine," she sniffs, and passes it over. She wanders away, into the living room, and Steve lifts the receiver to his ear.
"Hey, Nancy," he says. "It's me."
"Can we talk?" She asks. "Over breakfast?"
Steve's heart pounds. Like a date, his traitorous mind whispers, and he stamps it out. "Sure," he says. "When?"
"Now, if you can."
Steve glances at the clock. "Sure. Be there in fifteen."
He hangs up and rushes up the stairs, tearing apart his closet before pulling on a polo and jeans. He walks into the bathroom, sprays a touch of Fara Fawcett in his hair, and brushes his teeth. He catches himself checking his smile in the mirror, and shakes his head.
"It's not a date," he says firmly, pointing at his reflection. "She has a boyfriend."
Then he skips back down the stairs and grabs his keys. "Mom, I'm heading out," he says over his shoulder, and closes the door before he can hear her response.
The drive to the diner is surprisingly fast, and when he parks, he doesn't know what to think.
Talk? About what? Maybe she was having second thoughts about her trip. Maybe she was here to say she was going to stay, after all. Now hopeful, Steve climbs out of his car.
When he steps into the diner, he spots Nancy in a booth near the back, a cup of coffee sitting in front of her. He beelines straight to her, sliding in the seat across her.
She startles, looking up from the cup. "Oh, Steve. Hi."
"Hi," Steve responds, smiling. "You wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, um. About that." She opens her mouth, then closes it, shaking her head. "Give me a second." She picks up the mug and downs the rest of her coffee in one go.
Steve raises his eyebrows. "Isn't that hot?"
Nancy ignores him. "Mike had an interesting idea," She starts, and Steve's heart sinks. "He said you should come with us." She steadfastly avoids eye contact, slipping a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Here's where she tells me off, Steve thinks, his stomach churning. She's going to tell me to fuck off for putting the idea in his head.
"I, for one, think it's a great idea," she says.
Steve blinks. "What?" He says, against his permission.
"I'd have to talk to Jonathan about it," she continues, oblivious to his train of thought crashing and burning. "But I think he'd like the idea, too. Three people is better than one, and we trust you. Besides, I think he'd really like the opportunity to get to know you better." She finally turns to make eye contact, eyes wide. "I'd like for you to get to know each other," she adds.
"But," Steve says, then stops. He rubs his face with both hands, mind spinning.
"You don't have to answer right away," Nancy says. "You still have two days."
"I know," he says. "I just- this is a lot. I mean, my job. My parents."
"I know," she echoes. She reaches across the table, grabbing one of his hands with both of hers. Steve looks up. Her gaze is so earnest and pleading- it hurts to look at. He looks back down, to where their joined hands rest against the sticky table. "Just promise me you'll think about it."
"Okay," he says. "I'll think about it."
Her blinding smile is worth it.
It's always worth it.
"Okay. Let me know, alright? I'll see you soon." She stands up and leaves, taking Steve's heart with her.
He waits to hear the bell tied to the door ring, then slumps, pillowing his face in his arms. "Fuck."
"She invited you? Without you bringing it up first?" Robin swings her legs as she speaks, thumping her heels against the cabinets underneath her. She whistles. "Dramatic. I wasn't expecting that."
"I'm pretty sure you shouldn't sit on the counters," Steve says. "It's gotta be some sort of health code violation."
She shrugs.
"Well, anyway, they're leaving tomorrow," he says, pacing in the small space they have behind the counter. "I'm supposed to just- decide whether I want to ditch my life for three months in 48 hours? What kind of fucked up proposal is that?" He gesticulates wildly while he speaks, pivoting to pace in the other direction. "I mean, she could have at least given me, like, notice. I have a job! I can't just up and leave!" Turn. Pace. "And that's not even considering how bad my dad would freak. He would totally freak."
Robin shrugs again. "Who cares? You're a big boy now." Her eyes follow Steve back and forth. "And you don't have to worry about work. I'll cover your shifts."
Steve stops to stare at her. "Robin, we work most of the same shifts. You can't run this place on your own."
Robin gestures to the empty room. "Yes, I can. And I'm sure they'll hire someone else to fill your spot, anyway. It's not like you're the backbone of the company, Steve, you scoop ice cream in a funny hat."
"Okay, you have a point," he conceeds. "But I just- I don't know. It's all so fast. I don't know." He rests his elbows on the counter, burying his face in his hands. "I don't know."
"Well, you wanted to protect her, right? Isn't this the best way?" Steve's watch beeps. "Look at that, your shift's over. Go home. Think about it. Call me when you decide."
Steve switches off his alarm and straightens up. "Okay," he says, echoing that morning. "I'll think about it."
And think about it he does, from changing out of the uniform to walking to his car and the entire drive home. He rolls down the window, letting the wind whip his hair every-which way, and thinks about it.
He's still thinking about it when he parks in his driveway.
He walks in the door, tossing his keys on the counter as he goes, and stops.
The silver keys wink at him, taunting. Daring.
He stares.
"Steve, honey, is that you?" His mother calls from the living room. "Are you finished with work?"
"Yeah," he says, still staring. "I'm finished."
On June first, he wakes up.
For a few, blissful moments, all is well. He's still trapped in the last few moments of his dream, a soft, pretty one, where Nancy held his hand and smiled.
Then he remembers.
He groans, rolling over to face the ceiling. His gray sweater rides up, and he pulls it back down, grumbling.
Turning his head, he stares at the stupid sailor's hat, sitting on his nightstand.
It fails to stare back.
He sits up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. As his feet meet the ground, he stares at them, thinking about his stupid, perfect life. He thinks about scooping ice cream and picket fences and 2.5 kids.
Then he walks to the phone, dialing a number he's had memorized for over a year.
"Hello?"
"Nancy," he says, gripping the receiver with both hands.
"I'll do it."