𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗬 // 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

014

It felt like we'd been falling for hours now, but on the bright side we'd worked out that we were actually in an elevator.. you know, from the fact that we were flying down at what seemed to be the speed of light.

We were still screaming when it finally stopped, toppling me over as I watched a small box threaten to fall on top of me, and I, weak as all hell, feared even the tiniest scratch at that moment, let alone a whole wooden box on my chest. But then the impact never came, I was on the floor and besides me laid Steve, wooden box on top of him instead.
Had he.. pushed me out of the way?

A blush fell across my cheeks, this is stupid Ruby it's just a box.. not like he took a bullet for you.
But still.. it was sweet, especially when he gave me that stupid smile he always does as my eyes locked with his.
"Dustin!" He screamed after our little moment, "can you get this thing off of me?"
I seemed to snap back into reality, "oh my god! Steve are you ok?"
He was up now, dusting himself off, "yeh- yeh! I'm good I'm good, just doing hero things you know?" He gave me a wink.
Steve Harrington gave me a wink. God if you told the me from two years ago she'd think you were crazy.

"Steve! Are you ok?" Robin was freaking out, which inevitably caused Steve to freak out again, "I am now that I know that RUSSIANS CANT MAKE ELEVATORS!!" He was chaotically screaming, hands gripping one of the boxes before he's rushing across the room towards the door buttons.
"I think we've established those buttons don't work," Robin points out, but Steve is clearly too stressed to care, "I DON'T CARE! THEY'RE BUTTONS! They have to do something."

I'm breathing slightly better now, looking around the room as the chaos ensues when I spot something and breathe out a small, "if we had a keycard.."
Robin nods along and Steve gives me a scrunched up, confused look, but my throat feel like that one sentence was enough for them, like all my words have run out, so Robin speaks, "it's an electronic lock, same as the loading dock, if we don't have a keycard it won't operate meaning-"

"We're stuck in here." The brunette tween angrily spouts from besides Erica, who speaks up next,
"Just so you nerds are aware, I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's - she always covers for me," the little girl points at us all as if she's lecturing us, "but if I'm not home for uncle Jacks party tomorrow, and my mom finds you four are responsible!" She rolls her eyes, "well let's just say she's gonna hunt you down, one by one and slit your throats."

Wow, Mrs Sinclair sounds like a bad ass.

"I DONT CARE ABOUT TINA-" Steve makes us jump with his outburst, "OR UNCLE JACKS PARTY!" He calms down slightly, "your mums not gonna be able to find us, if we're dead in a Russian elevator!"
The boy rolls his eyes, "plus you're not the only one who had places to be.." his words are sincere and for a moment I wonder if he's talking about himself, or me.
I shake it off, knowing Steve Harrington he probably had some date to get to.
But with the look he's giving me, full of empathy, something sparkly in his eyes, maybe I'm wrong.

***

It's probably way into the night by the time Dustin and Erica finally fall asleep on the cold floors of the elevator and not soon after, Robin's snoring in the corner as well.
I sit there against some shelves, knees against my chest and mind wide awake, despite my tired eyes.
Steve promised he'd stay awake to make sure we were all okay, that we all slept well, but I refused to sleep, despite how noble it was of him I wasn't going to let Steve stay awake all night. No, he had me to help him look over everyone.

I watched Dustin and Erica mumble in their sleep and felt my eyes soften. These kids were so young, they didn't deserve to die in such a stupid way.. stuck in some elevator for eternity. They were both so much like me and Robin when we were kids. Maybe that's why I couldn't let myself sleep when at any moment something could happen to them.

I heard a shuffle besides me and turned my head to see Steve now sat next to me, legs in the same position as mine but spread out for more space. I realised he was still wearing his silly little sailor uniform and chuckled slightly. That's gonna need a real wash when we're done.

There's a silence for a bit as we just sit besides each other, the feeling of his arm brushing against mine brings a flutter to my chest and makes me feel nervous but I ignore it, waiting for one of us to break the silence.
It's Steve that does first.

"So uh.." he shuffles, moving just enough that our arms aren't touching anymore and it makes me want to frown, "how long have you been.. um.."
I realise what he's saying quickly and for some reason, I answer, "since uh.." it's hard to get the words out at first, "since sophomore year.. I was.. I was friends with barb?"
His eyes widen slightly before he nods in understanding, "I never saw you with her?" Steve scratches the back of his head while he talks, focusing my eyes on the mole at the side of his neck, "we stopped being friends after middle school."

A sudden guilt flows through me, did I seem like I was blaming Barb? No, she was a good person and I felt some sort of responsibility to make sure people remembered her that way.

So before I could think I blurted out, "she wasn't the only reason of course but-" I had realised what I'd done, "I.. uh.." he was looking at me with those stupid intensely beautiful eyes, "people.. weren't.. nice back then?" It came out more like a question than an answer, I was so unsure of myself and so embarrassed that I'd dumped my stupid trauma on to Steve Harrington. 

"Or.. ever.." an awkward chuckle escaped my lips but Steve just copied my laugh and leant back, head turning to face me, so I did the same, eyes interlocked together as I tried not to stare at his lips.
"You know.. in a way I'm kind of glad I don't remember you."
Ouch.
Not what a girl wants to hear but thanks?

He was still looking at me, never moving his gaze, in fact I'm not sure if he even blinked. Maybe he thought I'd disappear if he did, after all, that's what I was thinking about him.
His eyes were sirens, sharp and alluring, so much that I nearly didn't hear what he said next.

"At least that meant I wasn't one of the bad guys for once."

He thinks he didn't say anything to me back then.
He thinks he finally, wasn't one of the villains in someone's story.

The awkwardness of the situation carved into me like stone and I felt the butterflies in my stomach replaced with a knot, tangled together.
All I could do was let out a small chuckle, to laugh through his obliviousness, "y-yeh! Ha.. uh, sure, yeh!"

Maybe he could sense the way I felt, or maybe it was just my tired eyes threatening to close, but after that he stayed silent, the only noise present was the sound of our breathing and the loud snoring from the other side of the room.

Yeah Robin really has to see a doctor about that, the noises she was making were just not natural.
I make a mental note to remind her.

I don't realise my eyes are shutting until I'm deep in thought.. and I don't realise I'm asleep until I feel my head hit someone's shoulder.