Hey a new chapter is arriving. Has arrived. Whichever. It's time for the Party to see some of the weirdness and mom Steve is best Steve. Thank you again to my lovely reviewers, you guys are awesome.

Chapter 4:

Steve wasn't entirely sure how it happened. But he'd started spending a lot of time at Hopper's cabin. At first it had come under the guise of babysitting. Say what you will, but Steve knew he was a damn good babysitter. But sometimes Hopper was there and it seemed a little too frequent to just be babysitting. Not that Steve minded. He loved getting to leave his house for a reason.

Jane seemed to love having him over. Probably because he could do something as well. And he wasn't like the other girl she had met, Kali. It did make Steve wonder though. What the other kids with numbers were doing. He didn't ask. He liked the cabin though. He enjoyed his time with Jane, making her smile with the ice shapes. And he introduced her to real food, not the microwaved garbage that Hopper let eat.

Sometimes Hopper was there and Steve couldn't explain why he'd been summoned but he didn't argue. He cooked. Sometimes he cleaned because he could not stand the mess. Most of the time he spent explaining things to Jane. They'd look through Hopper's encyclopaedias if they didn't know something or ask the man himself. Of course, it was only a matter of time before those shitheads got suspicious. Steve was still spending time with Dustin, but not as much. And Jane still saw and talked to Mike, but not as much. So of course, Mike Wheeler turned up to Hopper's cabin late one day looking annoyed. Hopper was smoking and reading the paper while Jane watched Steve make a basic mac and cheese with added bacon.

"El?" Mike called. He marched into the unlocked cabin to see the unusual sight. "What are you doing here Harrington?" It wasn't that Mike didn't Steve, he didn't mind him. But the guy had dated his sister.

"What does it look like dumbass?" Steve grumbled, barely looking up from the stove. "I'm making dinner." Hopped have a half snort before stubbing out his cigarette.

"Could ask you the same question." Hopper said, giving Mike a look.

"I came to see El." Mike said with determination. Steve sighed.

"Great, Jane, set another place for your boyfriend." He teased. Jane nodded and pulled out some cutlery while silently telling Mike to sit down. Mike didn't ask and did as he was told. Two minutes later and hot food was being served on his plate.

"So, Michael, why'd you drag your butt all the way here to see Jane?" Steve asked in a teasing tone. Jane rolled her eyes and Hopper gave Steve a half grin as he shovelled down some food. Lord he loved the kids cooking.

"I haven't seen her in a while. Not that it's any of your business Harrington." Mike said firmly. He just wanted to talk to Jane, or El as he still called her. She would always be El.

"I saw you two days ago at four-three-zero." Jane said.

"I know." Mike said fondly. "I just... we haven't been hanging out as much." Jane's eyes widened.

"Sorry Mike." Jane said. "Am I being a bad friend?"

"N-no. Not at all El, I just miss hanging like we used to." Mike stuttered and Steve tried to suppress his snort. Ah young love.

"Oh. We can hang tomorrow." Jane said, giving Hopper hopeful eyes. Hopper stared at her before nodding. Mike grinned. There was a comfortable silence around the table as they ate.

"That was really good. I didn't know you could cook Harrington." Mike said, feeling stuffed. Steve gave a shit-eating grin.

"There's a lot you don't know about me Wheeler." He said, collecting the dishes and starting to clean. Hopper stood up and gave a helping hand before Steve shooed him to do the drying instead. Mike did not understand what was going on.

"El, why is he here?" He asked quietly. Jane stared at Mike. Friends did not lie to friends.

"He was looking after me and stayed." Jane said slowly. At one point they'd called it babysitting but Jane didn't like that.

"Oh. You can always come hang with me though. Y'know, if Hopper's at work." Mike said. Jane nodded.

"I like Steve." She said simply. Mike resented Steve for taking away Jane's attention. But he supposed that Hopped preferred an actual adult looking after Jane, even if it was Steve Harrington.

"I guess he's alright." Mike said, with a crinkled nose.

"Friend." Jane said with a nod. "He is like me." There was a shattering noise as one of the glasses Steve was holding turned to ice and broke. Jane frowned. She knew she wasn't supposed to tell people about Steve but this was Mike. And Mike knew about her and all the other stuff. Mike stared at Steve, open mouthed.

"Jane, what did we say about sharing things that aren't yours to share?" Hopper asked sternly.

"That I shouldn't." Jane sighed, bowing her head a bit. "Sorry Steve."

"S'okay kid." Steve said with a weak chuckle. "Figured they'd find out eventually." He looked at the shattered remains of the glass. "Sorry Chief. I'll get you a new one." Hopper patted him on the back.

"Don't worry about it Steve, it's just a glass." He said kindly. He couldn't accept anything else from the kid. He already cooked, and honestly Hopper was all the healthier for it. So was Jane. Hopper wondered when he'd effectively adopted a second child and if his past self could ever imagine that kid being Steve Harrington.

"Holy shit!" Mike exclaimed. Steve and Hopper looked at him.

"Okay nerdlord. I know this is all really confusing and that but I can't really explain it myself." Steve said bluntly. "I can freeze stuff and that's all I know about now."

"But you... it's not... I don't." Mike stuttered. "You were in that lab too?" Steve sighed.

"It's complicated." He said. "I don't remember a whole lot, and I'd appreciate if you didn't tell all the other shitheads. Do and your ass is grass." Mike frowned.

"But this is important." He said. "I mean we have a right to know." Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that those shitheads had dealt with a lot more, understood a lot more but the hell he was telling them all about this.

"I'm not unloading my personal crap on you guys. Look Wheeler just keep your mouth shut for now alright?" Steve asked. Mike's frown deepened but he nodded. "C'mon, I'll drive you home." They said their goodbyes, Hopper clapping Steve on the shoulder and El giving them both a quick hug. When they parked outside the Wheeler residence, Steve saw Nancy and Jonathan sharing a kiss.

"Uh Steve?" Mike asked, slightly scared. Steve turned to him to see Mike staring at the steering wheel.

"Shit!" Steve swore. His hands had frozen to the wheel again. "Don't crap yourself Wheeler, it happens sometimes." Mike gave him an odd look before bolting out of the car. Steve watched him go inside before returning to his own empty home.