𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞; 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧; 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲

Song: Private Eyes by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Warnings: A lot of drama, swearing

Author's Note: This chapter mainly focuses on Hopper and Steve. A new character was introduced as well! Hoping to get back into writing!

The sun had not risen yet before Jo was showered, dressed, and out the door with Steve. As always, he interrupted her movements toward the car door to open it for her.

Shutting his door, Steve began down the road, adjusting the dark brown tie of his uniform as he pressed on the gas pedal and his car roared in response. Steve sped more than he liked to admit, going well over the speed limit on any straight road. 10 years after the events with the Upside Down had been more than enough to drive even the most loyal out of the nightmare situation. Rebuilding the broken buildings and streets had been a tough and languid task, but it looked like nothing had happened for the most part.

Jo glanced over at the man as the car roared through the streets. She grasped her seat belt in a white-knuckled grip, briefly closing her eyes in hopes of a respite from the high speeds.

Jo's eyes rolled with a hint of concern, her hand clasping onto his as she gazed out the window at the houses speeding by in a blur. "I thought you were supposed to be a role model, Harrington. Slow down." She urged, her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her hand squeezing his firmly. A lingering sense of worry knotted in her stomach.

Steve chuckled to himself beside her, slowly easing off the gas pedal. "As you wish. Wanna enjoy the ride, huh?" He teased her, lifting her hand to his lips for a playful kiss.

"Shut up or I'll have you pulled over for speeding." Jo retorted, her laughter filling his heart with joy. She rolled the window down to let out the imaginative tension between them that felt like a hand enclosed around her wrist, keeping her in place.

It weighed heavy on her, knowing that they might not be able to meet again like this for days at least. The sheer pull from his magnetic smile and excitingly foreign personality. All her time with men her age had convinced her that nobody in Hawkins was meant for her, Steve was a pleasant surprise.

Maybe she could convince her dad that she was staying with Robin every weekend.

Breaking the ice with Steve was difficult. Fruitless attempts at cracking through his flirtatious style of humor left her utterly disappointed at times of deepening conversation. Something like, "God, you look so fucking gorgeous today, should let me take that off for you, sweetheart." Though she loved that about him, it was becoming a real problem.

Though a doting lover was endearing, it posed a steep barrier in conversation.

"Hey, uh-." Jo started, her fingers tracing the rough scars on his hands for reassurance. "I know we said we weren't going to tell anyone at the station, but what if we told Robin?" With that, Steve began to speak in protest. She squeezed his hand yet again to gain a piece of attention back.

"She's going to be pissed that I kept this from her. Personally, I'd rather rip the bandage off now. It's just Robin. How bad could it be?" Jo's voice trailed off, a hint of sadness in her tone as Steve just sighed.

Sharing their secret would alleviate the heavy pressure from her chest that she had been carrying all the time. A secret this big, she thought, could not possibly be kept between two people.

Why was Steve so reluctant to tell his best friend?

Steve pulled up to the stoplight with a hard stop. Jo's body pressed against the seat belt as the car slowed, her hair gently waving forward. "If we tell Robin, the rest of them will know eventually." Steve's gaze was fixed on the road ahead, his jaw clenched as if he were physically holding back his words. Robin had a bad habit of gossiping, and what he was saying was technically true. Word would spread like a wildfire.