𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬~ˢᵗᵉᵛᵉ ʰᵃʳʳⁱⁿᵍᵗᵒⁿ (on hiatus)

--overprotective eighth graders

The gang stayed at the Henderson house that night, per the order from Steve and Alexis. Neither teen felt comfortable leaving Dustin alone, and Steve didn't feel comfortable leaving Alexis alone. He knew that Eric would be with her, but he had never dealt with anything like this before. 

They had all bunkered down in the living room. That way no one was out of Alexis sight for very long. Any time someone would get up, the blonde would turn her head just enough that she would see everyone in her peripherals. 

Alexis watched as her brother and Dustin slowly drifted off, the sounds of soft snoring coming from Eric. The most sleep Alexis got was five minutes here and there. Her mind always found a way to have her trapped in the hole from the year prior, always so close to being free before getting dragged away from Nancy and Jonathan. 

"Can't sleep?" The voice made Alexis jump slightly. It wasn't loud or scary, more so surprising. She didn't expect that anyone else would be up. She peered over her shoulder to see Steve leaning against the small doorframe that led the kitchen to the open living-dining area. 

"Yeah, never really dealt with interdimensional monsters very well," she told him somewhat sarcastically. She turned around and handed the teen boy a glass of water. 

"Thanks." They did a mock salute, both teens raising their glasses slightly before drinking it. 

"So, uh- Eric's in on this now?" Steve wasn't sure if this was the right thing to ask, considering it was three in the morning and neither of them had slept more than a collective twenty minutes. 

"Yeah. He, uh, he wasn't supposed to get mixed up with any of this but ya know. When your friend gives you a slug, you keep it." Steve shook his head with a slight chuckle. He knew that she was okay when he heard her soft giggle. 

That giggle. That damn giggle. Oh how that sound made his heart ache. It made his stomach flutter, his heart pound. It made a wave of pride crash over him knowing that he had caused it. 

His eyes flicked up to her face, only to catch her gaze. She had been staring at him the entire time. He felt embarrassed. He had been caught. 

"Reggie," the blonde blurted out. Steve's brows furrowed. Reggie?

"I- what?" Alexis chuckled nervously.

"His slug-demogorgon-thing. Eric named his Reggie." Steve let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief that he had no idea he was holding. 

"Just like the curly haired kid," Steve mumbled. 

"His name is Dustin. You should learn it. Dustin Henderson," Alexis had a slight scolding tone. She wasn't mad, she just didn't want Steve to know him as 'that curly haired kid'. 

"Yeah, of course. My apologies." Steve had a slightly disgruntled tone. 

"Wow, seemed like a big word Harrington. Didn't know you knew that one," the blonde girl teased. She knew he was smart. She reminded him of that every time he called himself dumb.

"I just so happen to know a bunch of big words," Steve jokingly retorted. 

"Oh really?" Alexis giggled. "Like what?" Steve looked so confident until that moment. He kept opening his mouth and then closing it, making Alexis laugh so hard it wasn't audible anymore.