Surrender : Book Two // Steve Harrington X Reader

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

Matthew.
Twenty years later.

The sky danced with little gnats and bugs, the height of Summer rendering Hawkins swarmed with life and teeming with vitality. The sun was beaming down through the trees, casting shadows across the floor that danced in the wind. 

Matt always loved coming back here. It was home to him. 

He arrived in town about two hours ago and drove straight here - well, after stopping at a florist and graveyard, of course. He made the trip every year, sometimes, most of the time, more than once a year. 

A shrill sound cut through the air as his ringtone cut through the noises of nature. Matt pulled out his mobile phone, his dad's number sprawled across the screen, and he answered with a smile. "Hey, dad! How are you doing?" 

"Hey buddy. You make it to town okay?"

He doesn't miss the way his father ignored his own question, but that was his way a lot of the time. He had his good days, but there was always that emptiness in his eyes that he would try to hide behind his smile and hugs and warmth. Matt only recognised it because he held a similar grief himself.

His sisters had been so young when it happened that they had hardly any recollection of their sweet mother. But Matt remembered. He remembered everything. 

"Yeah, all fine. I'll be over soon, I'm just--"

"Seeing mom." Steve cuts off with a soft, amused chuckle. "I know, kiddo. Take your time. Is Mia with you?"

"She flew in too, yeah, but she headed right for the hotel." He told Steve, his lips curling at the mention of his now fiancee. Steve had no idea. They planned to tell him that, as well as the other good news, at dinner tonight. But his mom should know first. 

"Hotel? Psh, cancel that room and bring your stuff here. This house is too big with just me in it now, the company would be nice." Matt could hear the smile down the phone, and the yearning in his fathers tone. Since the girls moved out, dad had been on his own and was struggling to cope with the empty house.

"Okay. I'll bring everything when we come for dinner." Matt assuaged him, muttering a quick goodbye as he reached his destination. There, under the midday sun, was the marble headstone laid on its own with your name carved into it. It stood tall, etched with intricate designs and the statue of an angel stood atop it. It was a few feet taller than Matt, making him feel smaller, but every time he came it didn't get any less beautiful to him. You were his guardian angel.

His father had paid for its upkeep, keeping it clean and neat around the grave. There was no body beneath it; Steve had informed him of that long ago - and everything else. The truth behind your demise. And Ben's. This was planted at the spot that final gate was closed on the Upside Down forever.

Twenty years of peace.

Twenty years without his mom and brother.

Matt had stopped at the graveyard on the way here and visited Ben, but now it was mom's turn. He shuttered his eyes and breathed deep, the scent of the woodland filling his nostrils but he dug deep in his mind to imagine the smell of your delicate perfume. It was like vanilla and sugar, the most comforting thing he could imagine. He thought about your smile, your embrace, your laugh.

Some of his memories were distant, he was so young when you died, and he often wondered if some of them were made up, his mind filling in the blanks. But there were some that he knew were real. 

He dipped down to sit cross-legged in front of the grave, brushing off the dusting of leaves that sat in front of him, not caring about the thousand-dollar tailored suit he was wearing because he did this every time no matter what. He set down the bouquet, methodically fluffing the petals and organizing the flowers to look perfect. Just for you.