𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗬 [steve harrington]

chapter 56

the lights
🎶 people watching - conan gray

They were walking through the dark woods toward Nancy's home, and Steve stood back and talked to Eddie alone.

"Eddie, hey, hey man," Steve said. "Uh, listen I just uh, I just want to say thanks, for saving my ass back there."

"Shit, you saved your own ass man," Eddie said."I mean that was a real Ozzy move you made back there."

"Ozzy?"

"He took a bite out of that bat? Ozzy Osborn? Black Sabbath? Bit a bats head off on stage?"

"Nope, no," Steve shook his head.

"It's very metal, what you did, that's all I'm saying," he explained.

"Thanks," Steve replied.

"Henderson told me you were a badass," he said. "He insisted on the matter, in fact."

"Wait, Henderson said that?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah, shit. Kid worships you and Blondie dude, like you have no idea," he answered. "It's kind of annoying, to be honest. You know, I don't even know why I care what that little shrink thinks but, uh, I guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't except the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him, not a douche? No way, no way man. That like defies the faces of all the laws in the universe, and my own personal Munson doctrine. Still super jealous as hell," he said, earning a laugh from Steve.

"I would've never jumped in that lake to save your ass, not under any, uh, normal circumstances. Nope, outside of DnD I am no hero. I see danger and I just, turn heel and run, or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week," he sighed.

"Give yourself a break man," Steve replied.

"Steve, the only reason I came in here was because those ladies, came in straight after you," he said, nodding to Izzie, Nancy, and Robin. "I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But blondie right there? She didn't waste a second, not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I don't know if you know this, but I used to sell Izzie weed—"

"Yeah I recently that found out," he laughed. "Didn't expect that from my Straight-A student girlfriend."

"I actually was totally in love with her," he said. "I can't believe I'm admitting this to you, but she's just got this spirit man," Eddie explained. "I even tried to ask her out once, but she said she had her eye on someone else. You were only sophomores then, but I'm pretty sure that was you. I'm not out to take her from you or anything, but I'm just telling you. Don't ever let that shit go."

Steve smiled. "I wasn't planning on it," he shook his head. He put his hand in front of Eddie's chest, stopping him. "But if you ever do think about going after her, just know—"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll kill me," Eddie said. "I know."

"Good," Steve nodded. Then, suddenly, the ground began to shake beneath them.

"Here we go again," Eddie fussed.

"Okay, second on my list of least favorite things, earthquakes. I'm already unsteady enough as it is," Robin said as she and Izzie held onto a tree. Nancy got up, running into the shaking woods. "Nancy?!"

"Where are you going?" Izzie shouted. "Nancy?"

Robin helped her up, and they went running after her. They found her, standing at the edge of the forest staring out on a raging red storm. Her house was just a little further in the distance. "Come on," Nancy said.

-

They walked through Nancy's house, and Izzie couldn't imagine seeing her own like this. "It might be time to get a maid, Wheeler," Robin joked.

"Come on," Nancy said. "I don't want to stay here longer than we have to."

They followed her lead up the stairs, but Izzie and Steve stopped when they heard a warped version of Dustin's voice. "Is that?"

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "It's Dustin."

"Is that even possible?" Izzie asked.

"I don't know," Steve shook his head.

"Do you think that if we can hear him, he can hear us?" Izzie asked.

The two began yelling at the shadows. Variations of his name, asking him to answer them.

"What are you doing?" someone said.

They whipped around, seeing Nancy standing there. "He's here," Steve explained. "Henderson that little shit he's here, he's like— he's in the walls or something. Just listen, listen." He paused for a second before hearing it again.

"Dustin!" Izzie yelled out. "Henderson! Answer me! Can you hear me?"

Then, the others heard it too. "Dustin!" they all yelled.

"Alright, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag," Steve sighed.

"Will found a way," Nancy said.

"What?" Izzie asked.

"Will, he found a way to speak to Joyce with the lights," she said, frantically trying to turn the lights on.

"Try the switch," Izzie suggested.

"It's not working, it's not working," she fussed.

"Guys, you seeing this?" Steve asked, referring to the glowing chandelier. It seemed to sparkle. Nancy touched it with her hand, and it was glowing brighter to her touch.

The others reached up, watching the fixture beam with light at their touch. "It's tickles," Steve remarked.

"It kinda feels good," Robin added.

"Does anyone know morse code?" Nancy asked.

"No," everyone said in unison.

"Wait, does SOS count?" Eddie asked. "Is that, is that good?"

He took their silence as a yes, and began to tap the code in the air.

Back in the real Hawkins, Erica was focused on the flickering lights. Dustin sat in front of her. "Are you even listening?"

"Yeah I'm listening, but, you said you followed Vecna through lights, right?" Erica asked, walking away from the table.

"Yeah why?" Dustin replied.

"Because I think he's here," Erica said, looking up at the light. Dustin, Blair, Torie, and Lucas stood up to look at the flickering light, and Dustin made a realization as he walked closer.

"S... O... S, hey, uh, remember when I said they're not stupid enough to go through watergate?"

"Remember when I told you they had to of went through watergate?" Blair quipped.

"I overestimated them."

i love making everyone be in love with izzie it's so funny