CONNECTION |steve harrington x oc| BOOK 4

chapter 5- Benny's

Steve and Phoebe drove the familiar backroads of Hawkins as the radio hummed in the background. This is how they spent most of their dates; maybe grab a bite, a drive through town and mysteriously end up at Skull Rock, and then slink back home in the early hours of the morning. Phoebe had gotten questions about Steve's dating capabilities when they first went public, mainly other girls wanting to know just how good of a kisser he was or if the lack of romance was the same as former trysts. Phoebe had always known how soft Steve really was. Heart on his sleeve, not caring who could see it. A lot changed after his freshman year. He struggled in high school without most of his younger friends, especially Phoebe, and was publicly shamed by a junior girl who laughed at him in the hallway for wearing a rose pinned to his shirt for Valentine's Day. Phoebe had actually made the rose pins for her and her friends' party, but insisted that Steve wear one when he told her he didn't have anything red or pink to wear to school. 

"It's a holiday, you have to at least year the colors if you won't dress up." Thirteen year old Phoebe had lectured him as he stood in her room on the eve of Valentine's while she tried on multiple different dresses instead of doing homework. She would never forget how his face lit up when she held out the homemade pin. She didn't say anything when she saw it tucked away in the back of his nightstand a few months ago, but it made her heart soar. It was a long, slow road to get him back to that after Nancy. He still wasn't fully himself in the same exact way. Phoebe never minded the Skull Rock dates. They always had a good time and she was never one to care about how much money went into those kinds of things-it's the thought behind it that counts. 

The highway curved towards the lake as they passed the old burger diner, Benny's. It had once been a lively little shack and everyone loved Benny. He would open early for lunch so the old cronies who wanted to go fishing everyday could get a bite before sitting on the lake for hours, and he often stayed open late on nights like tonight so kids could have somewhere safe to be away from home. It was tragic when he died a few years ago. Originally posed as a suicide, but they soon learned that it was the people from Hawkins Lab when they found out that El had stopped there after her initial escape. Benny had no family and it's highway address made it less popular with the in-town crowd so the building had been abandoned. Earlier this year it had become the party spot for the jock crowd. Phoebe wasn't surprised at the amount of cars she saw parked around the old building as she and Steve drove past it, and she rolled her eyes. 

"You okay over there, you've been quiet."

"I still can't believe the police haven't done anything about Benny's." She huffed crossing her arms. "Benny was such a good guy all those years, and then he gets murdered. And then people don't even have the respect to leave the place alone? It just bugs me. I wish..." She stopped herself. 

"Yeah, I know." Steve didn't have to say anything else, they both knew that they were talking about Hopper. The night of the fire, when Hopper was never found, Phoebe didn't realize how hard it would be without him around. She had really only known him under world ending circumstances, so when the world continued turning she thought it would go back to normal. As if that were even a thing anymore. She never realized just how big a part he played in everyday town life- seeing him at the gas station, his chief trucking rolling around the neighborhoods late at night. She often wondered if she had, subconsciously, substituted him for a father figure. Not quite the same way Eleven had, but close. He was one of the only strong male figures in her life, and was helpful. Saved her life on a few occasions, and her brother's. There was a strange sense of unprotectedness now that he was gone, almost like he was a safety net, ready to catch them whenever they fell. 

They soon reached the familiar makeshift parking lot and pulled into the space in front of a sign: Roane County Property- Lover's Lake 2 miles; Skull Rock 0.4 miles; Walking Trail 4 miles total . They both got out of Steve's car, a blanket in Phoebe's hands as Steve reached into the backseat.