Wonderwall // Steve Harrington (COMPLETED)

27

They all spent the night in the Wheeler's basement so nobody was afraid and alone for the night. Delilah didn't fall asleep until they all woke up, her slumber had only lasted twenty minutes before she woke up sweating and crying. "It's okay, you're alright" Steve, who's lap she'd fallen asleep on said softly trying to soothe her the way he always had. She slowly sat up, he had his arms around her and she was hysterically sobbing into his chest. "It's not real, I'm here. I've got you. I-I-I've always got you" he said, in the same sort voice. He was regretting saying the second part but she burrowed her head further into his chest so his burning regret was replaced with relief.

"We're going to get this Vecna creep, okay ? He's not going to get you" he kept soothing as she eventually calmed herself down. Dustin had been watching it all unfold and his heart broke for her. She knew how totally and utterly in love she was but she couldn't be with him, not during the mess she'd been dragged into. She was days away from dying, that's what really scared Dustin. The thoughts of living without her. Not being able to tease her about her grades, go to her with his problems, eat cereal with her in the mornings, even fighting about the remote. "We need to solve this. Now" he said adamantly, he refused to see his sister in anymore distress.

"Okay, so we have a plan" Nancy announced once coming downstairs with Robin and handing Steve a Manila folder. Robin went straight to her best friend and wrapped her arms around her, it was the only way she knew how to help. She'd move mountains to help her, she'd take it all away and experience it herself if she could but that wasn't how the world worked. "Thanks to Nancy's newspaper minions, we are now rockstar psychology students at the University of Notre Dame" Robin explained as Nancy smiled. "I'm now Ruth"
"And I'm now Rose, Delilah is now Ronnie"

"Ronnie ?" Steve said in disgust as Dustin looked up from reading the file. "Jesus Ronnie, I'm surprised you weren't accepted to Yale with this GPA" he joked, anything to see her smile but she stayed still, trying to regulate her breathing. "Are you up for it, we didn't want to push you but didn't want you to feel left out" Robin said frantically as the girl shook her head. "I don't think speaking to some guy about how she's going to die is a good way to spend her afternoon" Steve said defensively as Delilah nodded. "Shut up Steve. I appreciate it but I think I'll sit this one out. I'll feel better with Max" she said truthfully as Robin nodded, she knew that would be the answer but wanted her to feel included.

They explained their plan, Steve said they had questions then stopped talking. "Wait a second, where's mine ?" he asked confused as Nancy sighed. It ended up with the four older teenagers going to Nancy's room to talk it out. "I'm not being the babysitter again" he said adamantly as the girl shook her head. "First of all, there not babies anymore and Max is in real danger. She needs people around her" she explained as Steve sighed. "I know, but why does it always have to be me ?" he asked as the girls face hardened. "Because this isn't just about Max. Your girlfriend is also in grave danger" she spat as the boy nodded. "She's not my girlfriend but I'm convinced"

Nancy Wheeler smiled at the first part of his sentence but Delilah was too numb to notice. Robin had dragged her over to root through Nancy's things and Delilah just watched as she did it. Usually, she'd be the first one to do it. "Holy shit, there's a little ballerina in here" Robin whispered while shoving the pink box with the little figurine spinning around in it into her friends face. "Academic scholar ? She's giving you an academic scholar vibe. Yeah" Steve said while pointing at the girl who could be so amused by the smallest things. "No but she will" Nancy said while holding up a pink frilly dress. "That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen" Delilah eventually said as Nancy scowled at her. "Oh please, tell me you're joking" Robin said unamused as Nancy handed it to her. She wanted to say no, throw it at her but Delilah was in danger and she'd wear a stupid, pink frilly dress if it meant Delilah would stay alive, Robin needed her a lot more than she'd ever admit.

They were back in the basement, Max was writing, she had been all night and the three boys were burning a hole in the back of her head. "I know you guys are staring at me" she finally said as they all pretended to act natural. "What, sorry"
"You said you needed something"
"Just hanging out"

"How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me or Lilah from Vecna, I don't know" she said before walking over with a stack of envelopes. None of the boys would look at her which annoyed her quickly. "You can look at me now" she eventually said before rolling her eyes at Delilah who nodded as if to say she understood. She handed an envelope to Dustin, Lucas and Steve before turning to her. From the look on Steve's face, he wasn't expecting one. "And you" she said while handing one of the gold envelopes to the older girl. "M-me ?" she asked confused, she didn't know what Max would want to say to her, her dying words but she felt proud to have one even though she'd probably never get the opportunity to read it.

"Give these to Mike, El and Will. If you can ever get hold of them again" she said while handing the last few envelopes to the boys, she still had one in her hand through. Delilah squinted to read it. Billy. The boy who'd been the main character in her nightmares for months alongside her father and Steve. It was like a television series that never ended, each getting their own episodes with enough screen time to last her, her whole nights sleep. Dustin went to open his which instantly gained Max's attention. "Hey, what are you doing ? No, don't. That's not for now. Don't open it now" she said frantically as Dustin repeated the word "don't" and nodded. The concept of the letters seemed pretty straight-foreword to Delilah when it wouldn't have nine months previous. She was getting smarter, understanding more because she was forced to mature and expand her knowledge due to the unforeseeable, haunting events of StarCourt mall.

"I'm sorry, what is this ?" he asked while waving it around. "It's self-explanatory" Delilah said unamused as he turned his whole body around to look at her. "To who ?" he asked, confused as she sighed. "Words she never said to be read only if Vecna strikes" she said slowly as Max nodded. "It's a fail-safe" she said as Delilah nodded. "I-I should look into that" she said truthfully as Steve shook his head. "N-no you shouldn't. Nancy and Robin will talk to Creel and fix this" he said defensively as she scoffed. "In what world ? Some old murderer is the answer to all of our problems ? I'm not a child Steve. I stopped believing in fairytale magic years ago" she ranted until she looked at Max's face, she couldn't have a mindset like that when an actual child was involved. "Sorry, headache, you know how I get" she lied, she wasn't in any pain.

"If we go to East Hawkins, will this still reach PennHurst" Max asked as Dustin nodded "Of Course", due to his curiously and tendency to tamper with electrical device, anything could reach anywhere. "Wait, why are we talking about East Hawkins ?" Steve asked as Delilah sighed. She'd seen the final letter, Max wanted to see Billy.

"No, no" Steve said adamantly as they all got up to go to his car. "Max. Max. Seriously. Im not joking. Im not driving you anywhere" he said, trying to insert some sort of authority that wouldn't get him anywhere. "If you think I'm going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheelers basement then you're out of your mind. So take me where I need to go or you're going to have to tie me down which is technically kidnapping of a minor and if I live to see another day Steve then I will prosecute" she ranted as Delilah smiled, the girl knew what she wanted and she was going to get it.

"No need, I'll drive you" she said through a nod as Steve shook his head. "No, no you're not" he said, confused as to why nobody was listening. "Then I'll leave you here and take her myself" she said with her arms folded as he smirked. "With what keys ?" he asked as Dustin, who had stolen the keys during the conversation tossed them to her. "Henderson ? You're supposed to be on my side. You hate Delilah driving" he said, annoyed as Dustin shrugged. "I'd rather die in a car crash then watch my sisters eyes be popped out of her head" he said honestly as Steve nodded. "That super-walkie of yours better reach PennHurst ?" he said as they all got in the car. She went to start the car but she heard the chimes again, based on Max not getting in, she heard them too. They didn't have long.