Chapter VIII:

Talking in Your Sleep

Steve

Steve felt absolutely disgusted by what Dan had done to Robin. There were a couple of occasions in high school when a guy would brag about being forceful or even raping unconscious girls. When Steve was a freshman and sophomore, there were other guys who would speak up against them. Steve eventually became one of those who spoke out. He could not contemplate how someone could do that to another person. He hadn't been sure what to say to Robin but he felt compelled to comfort her. He had been apprehensive about touching her, fearing it would upset her, but he could tell she had needed a hug.

In the car, the tension had been palpable. Steve had attempted to say something several times but the words never escaped his mouth. He had noticed that Dustin was also struggling and decided to talk to him once they were alone. When they arrived at the Byers', Steve knocked on the door. After a few minutes, Joyce yelled for them to come in. After a quick look around, he determined that Joyce was the only there. "Where's everyone else?" Steve asked her. "They are all over at Mike's house, what are you guys doing here?" He looked back at Dustin and Robin before ushering Joyce into the kitchen.

"What? What is it?" she asked quietly but with great concern. "We went to pick up Robin for her date with Dustin and some asshole, he… was feeling her up, against her will," Steve whispered. Joyce put a hand to her mouth in shock, "Oh my, how awful. Did you call Hopper?" Steve nodded. "Yeah, the police were called and he was arrested." "Thank goodness," she uttered before calling over to Dustin and Robin. "Do you two want a glass of lemonade? Or water?" Dustin shook his head but Robin spoke up, "Lemonade would be great, thank you." Joyce sweetly smiled and nodded before searching for a glass.

While she made Robin the drink, Steve motioned for Dustin to follow him to Will's room. Once they were both in the room, Steve shut the door and asked, "Is everything okay? You've been very quiet." Dustin sat down on the bed and put a hand on his face. "I – ugh, I just feel so bad for making her upset." Steve put his hand on Dustin's shoulder, "It's not your fault. She was already in a fragile state and anything could have set her off." Dustin sighed, "No, it was what I said. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut." Steve patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Dustin asked, "Umm, Steve… why would he do that?" He was caught off guard by the question. "What?" "Why would Dan do that to Robin? Why would anyone do that to another person?" Steve thought for a bit, carefully considering his answer. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess there are different reasons, which all amount to being a bad person. I think that Dan did it because he took "no" as a challenge instead of an answer and because he thought he could get away with it." Dustin slowly nodded in acknowledgement of Steve's response.

Steve moved towards the door and placed his hand on the knob. "Do you think you are ready to head back out there?" Dustin took a deep breath before standing. "Yeah, I guess." They found Joyce and Robin on the couch, quietly sipping glasses of lemonade. Grasping for something to say that had nothing to do with Robin's assault, Steve blurted, "Do you know when Jonathon and Nancy will be back?" It took a second for his quick question to register. "Oh, they should be back tomorrow evening." Steve nervously drummed his hand on the side of his leg, trying to think of something else to say.

Finally he asked, "Joyce, have you ever been to New York?" "No, but I have a cousin who lives there. He was kind enough to let Jonathon and Nancy stay with him." "Oh, that's nice," Steve remarked, hoping that would end the discussion. However, Joyce's features became animated as she went on, "Yeah, my cousin – Keith – he's an artist. I guess creativity runs in our family. He lives in his studio, with his boyfriend." The way that Joyce had exaggerated the word 'boyfriend' while looking directly at Steve made him cringe. He hoped Robin and Dustin did not notice.

"A studio? Hopefully, Jonathon and Nance don't have to sleep on the floor." Steve attempted to deflect the conversation with some humor. Joyce laughed. "I'm sure he has a couch but probably not one that will fit two people, so who knows." Though he was in the process of moving on, Steve had to admit to himself that picturing Nancy and Jonathon sleeping together still made him uncomfortable. He tried to brush off the discomfort and continue the conversation. However, before he could say anything, Joyce spoke, "Oh, I wanted to tell you – and Dustin – that I heard from the lawyer today."

She continued, "He said that the Department of Energy wants to settle the case out of court. We are meeting with them next Tuesday." "Oh that's good. Hopefully, it will be a quick settlement so you don't have to deal with Lonnie any longer than necessary." Joyce nodded and was about to speak when suddenly the door opened and Hopper walked in. He kissed Joyce quickly on the cheek before asking, "Could you, Dustin, and Steve give me a moment with Robin?" Steve nodded in agreement along with Joyce and Dustin. The three of them went outside.

Joyce had brought her cigarettes out with her and began smoking one. "Can – could I maybe bum one of those off of you?" Steve asked her, trying not to let his desperation be apparent. She stared at him disapprovingly but after Steve pouted and gave his best puppy dog impression, she gave in. "Ugh, fine. I won't give you the whole lecture but you should be smart enough to know better." She handed him a cigarette and the lighter as Dustin scoffed. "Steve? Smart? That's actually the funniest thing I've ever heard."

Steve would have thought Dustin had been kidding if he hadn't been able to detect the vile bitterness in his voice. Hurt and not knowing what to say, Steve quickly lit the cigarette and handed the lighter back to Joyce before turning and walking towards his car. He could hear Joyce's reprimanding speech as he walked away. "Dustin Henderson, that was very rude! I never would have thought to hear such nastiness from you. You…" The rest of her words became faded as Steve seated himself in his Beemer and closed the door.

In the sanctuary of his car, Steve attempted to piece together why Dustin was pissed at him. Earlier, when they had spoken in Will's room, everything had seemed fine between them. He couldn't contemplate what had happened between then and now that would anger Dustin. After several minutes and after the car was filled with smoke, Dustin knocked on the window. Steve rolled it down and waited for Dustin to speak, instead he waved the smoke from his face and exclaimed, "Yuck!" After that appeared to be all Dustin was going to say, Steve sighed. "What do you want?"

"Can I get in? But make sure to roll all of the windows down." In response, Steve rolled his eyes and gestured to the passenger seat. When Dustin was in the car and the windows were down, he began, "First off, I'm sorry about what I said back there. You are not stupid." Steve shrugged. "Yeah, I probably am – " "No, you are not and I'm sorry if I made you think that you were. I was just mad." Steve glanced at him and tried to make out his features. "I don't understand. Did I do something?" "No, no." He breathed out deeply and continued, "It's not your fault. I – I think Robin likes you and after today, I think she might be in love with you."

Steve took a final drag on his cigarette and tossed it. "What? What are you talking about? Robin likes you." Steve was absolutely perplexed. "She does like me but probably just as a friend. Haven't you noticed that she is always staring at you?" "No, I've never noticed but just because she looks at me doesn't mean that she likes me. I'm sure you've got it all wrong, Dustin." He shook his head with obvious disappointment on his face. Before Steve could say anything else, Joyce approached the car window. She motioned for them to get out and head inside. He took a deep breath before exiting the car. He would have to continue the conversation with Dustin at a later time.

The two of them followed Joyce towards the house. Before they approached the door, she her head and whispered, "What is the creep's name?" "Ugh, Dan Kline." When she heard the name, Joyce stopped dead in her tracks. "He's not related to Roger Kline is he?" "Yeah, he is the mayor's son." Joyce scoffed and shook her head. "Of course he is. Dustin, honey, why don't you go ahead and go inside while I talk to Steve?" Dustin rolled his eyes but sulked into the house. Once the door shut behind him, Joyce turned to Steve. "Roger was a perverted asshole in high school too. He never… sexually assaulted anyone though, at least not that I know of. A lot of girls found him attractive but he was – is – an atrocious human being."

She spoke in a harsh whisper, "He was always trying to get me to sleep with him but I had enough sense to turn him down. It drove him crazy for someone to tell him no, he was persistent but so was I. I think I may have been the only one to say no, and I'm glad that I did. One girl broke up with him and he brought nude Polaroid photos of her to school and passed them around. She ended up moving. Another girl wound up in the hospital after she and Roger were in a car accident. She swore that he crashed on purpose and was trying to kill her. The police didn't believe her though. I hope that his son is not as lucky and has to pay for what he has done."

Steve nodded in agreement. "I hope so too." The two of them went into the house together. Hopper immediately addressed Steve, "So I understand you've promised to protect Robin from Dan?" Suddenly feeling quite self-conscious, Steve nodded. "They somehow were able to move up Dan's bail hearing to tomorrow, so he could be getting out earlier than we expected. We are going to try to get his bail denied, but with his father being the mayor it is likely that strings will be pulled. Are you prepared to uphold your promise Steve?" "Y – yes, of course." "Good. I'm going to have a patrol car at the house tonight and tomorrow but after that I'm going to count on you, Steve." He nodded in understanding. Hopper had Robin say her goodbyes before taking her home. Steve left soon after and he dropped Dustin off.

Billy

The nurses had told Billy that the doctors would probably approve his release when they made their rounds in the morning. He tried calling Steve to let him know but he never answered. Finally, he gave up and left him a voicemail. Billy tried to go to sleep but his mind was running rampant with insecure thoughts. It was light outside before Billy finally nodded off. After what seemed like 5 minutes of sleep, a nurse woke him. Two doctors came in and did a final evaluation, concluding that he was ready to go home. When the doctors left, a nurse gave him his paperwork and his clothes.

He had barely pulled on his underwear before there was a knock at the door. Not being shy at all, Billy had no qualms about answering the door semi-nude. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Steve on the other side. Steve quickly passed his eyes over Billy's form, which elicited a pink glow to appear on his cheeks. Billy chuckled, "It's nothing you haven't seen before." Steve eyes went wide and the blush deepened in color and spread to his neck and chest. He looked away but there was no hiding the huge grin on his face.

Billy had to bite his lip to control the urge to kiss Steve right then and there without regard to who might see. He inhaled and with a quiet intensity, he commanded, "Come in and shut the door behind you." The smile still hadn't faded from Steve's face as he did what he was told. As soon as the door clicked shut, Billy shoved him against it and kissed him. He moved from Steve's mouth to his flushed cheeks and chest, showering him with little kisses. Steve giggled. "What are you doing?" "You are so fucking sexy when you blush like that."

Steve looked away and his face turned bright red. "Shut up." Billy gently grasped his chin and forced Steve to look at him. "You are so goddamn beautiful. Don't let anyone – not even yourself – tell you otherwise. Understand?" Steve nodded before pulling Billy in for a kiss. He held onto Billy's hair with one hand and the other wrapped around his waist. Billy grabbed Steve's ass with both hands and thrust his hips forward. Steve softly moaned, muffled by lips, tongues, and teeth. His hand then slid down Billy's back and grabbed onto the waistband of Billy's underwear.

Steve tried to pull them down but only succeeded in getting them past Billy's ass. He squeezed one of Billy's butt cheeks as he grinded against him. Billy immediately felt the warming rush of blood to his cock. Steve smiled as he felt Billy's growing erection. His hand moved around and he swiftly removed Billy's dick from his underwear. Before he got any further, Billy quickly pushed Steve's hand away and stepped back. Frowning Steve asked, "What's wrong?" "If we go any further, there's no stopping it." Steve walked towards Billy. "And?" Billy put his hands up, effectively preventing Steve from getting any closer. "And I am supposed to be leaving. The nurses or whoever will be coming in to clean the room and I don't think they'd be too happy if they found us instead of an empty room."

Steve sighed. "Fine, but as soon as we get to my house, you are all mine Billy Hargrove." Billy grinned as he tucked his cock back into his underwear and finished getting dressed. As he passed his hand under Steve's arm to open the door, he whispered in his ear, "Once I am yours, what do you propose to do to me?" He did not give Steve a chance to answer as he turned the knob and swung the door open. Steve stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. "Coming, pretty boy?" Billy asked over his shoulder. Steve shut his mouth and followed Billy.

Steve tried to undress him as soon as they entered the Harrington residence. Wanting to savor every minute, Billy pulled away from him. Steve tried to pounce again but Billy stopped him. "Hey, let's slow down a bit." "What is it?" Though there was something on his mind, Billy told himself and Steve the same thing, "Nothing." "You just want to torture me, don't you?" Steve asked in a playful tone. Billy nodded before wrapping his hand around Steve's head and gently pulling him in for a kiss. Steve moaned, which was more of a groan, before biting Billy's bottom lip.

Billy shoved him and commanded, "Upstairs. Now." A sly grin spread across Steve's lips. He nearly ran up the stairs but Billy took his sweet time. By the time Billy made it to the bedroom, Steve was sprawled out naked on his bed. Billy chuckled while he stared at Steve and stroked his lips pensively. "I have an idea." He looked around the room and found what he needed. Before Steve could protest, Billy had tied his arms and legs to the headboard and footboard with shoelaces. "What exactly do you have planned?" There was a hint of fear rising in Steve's voice.

Billy smiled, sharp as a dagger. He antagonized Steve, slowly removing his clothing piece by piece. Steve squirmed and became red as his cock stiffened. Billy licked his lips and began to touch his chest, brushing his thumb over his nipple. He inched his hands further down his abdomen, passing over his taut muscles. Billy stared intensely into Steve's eyes as he stroked his dick. "Please," he quietly begged. "Billy, please. I want you so bad, just untie me." Billy ignored him and continued to touch himself. "Please!" Steve eventually shouted.

Billy was beyond amused. He stopped what he was doing and climbed into the bed next to Steve. He kissed him briefly, sucking his lip as he pulled away. Steve moaned and turned his hips towards Billy. "Pl-" "Shh. La patience est amere, mais son fruit est doux." "What does that mean?" Steve asked with intrigue. "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." Steve scoffed. "Eventually, fruit rots if its left untouched." Billy laughed loudly. "That's true." Steve smiled, his two freckles standing out on his rounded cheeks.

Billy brushed his finger over the freckles before leaning in to plant a kiss on them. "I love these two freckles," he told Steve. "I love this one too," Billy said as he kissed one of the freckles on his chin. "And this one," he referred to one on Steve's neck. Billy continued kissing the freckles all over Steve's body and declaring his love for each one of them. Steve was squirming and groaning with frustration the entire time. Billy giggled. "I didn't notice this one before. It is probably my favorite." He alluded to a freckle on the shaft of Steve's cock.

Billy first kissed it before he began to tease Steve with his lips and tongue. Billy closed his lips over Steve's cock until they barely brushed the warm skin. As he pulled his lips away, Billy allowed his tongue to flick out and graze the tip of Steve's dick. He could feel Steve shudder before he pleaded, "Billy, please, I can't take anymore of this." Billy simply shrugged and grazed his fingertips down the entire length of Steve's body. "Billy, fucking untie me right now!" The urgency and authority in his voice made Billy's cock throb.

He quickly untied Steve while he kissed him. After he was free, Steve climbed on top of Billy and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to make you pay for that." Billy taunted him, "I'd like to see you try." In response, Steve surprised Billy by flipping him over and pinning him down. "How does it feel with the shoe on the other foot?" He could feel Steve's erect cock against his ass. Without saying a word, Billy began to grind into Steve. He chuckled. "Oh? So you like it?" Billy did not answer but continued his movements with more vigor.

Steve put all of his weight on Billy, preventing Billy from continuing to thrust against him. With Steve's mouth against his ear, Steve whispered, "Do you want me to fuck you like this?" Excited, Billy quickly nodded and half begged, "Yes, yes please." Still holding Billy down, Steve wet two of his fingers before sliding them between their bodies. When the fingers met Billy's hole, he gasped, longing for them to enter him. Steve teased him, gently sliding the wet fingers across and around.

Finally, Steve began to ease the fingers inside of him. Billy moaned as he felt the ache in his balls to release their load. He was desperate to stroke his dick but Steve held both of his arms captive. He could have broken free of the grasp but he did not want to. Instead, Billy made small movements with his hips and focused on the sensation of his cock rubbing against the fabric of Steve's sheets. It was possible for Billy to finish like this but he wanted to cum with Steve's cock in his ass.

He halted his motions and the fingers were removed. Steve shifted his weight onto one side before spitting into his hand and wetting his dick. Billy felt him slide it between his cheeks repeatedly, slowly adding more pressure each time. Just when Billy thought that he was finally going to fuck him, Steve rolled over onto his back and lay next to Billy. Confused, Billy glanced over at him only to witness Steve jerking himself off. "What the fuck?" Steve laughed villainously. "I told you I would make you pay."

"Asshole!" Billy yelled at him before punching his arm. Steve stopped laughing and rubbed his arm gingerly. "Babe, that really fucking hurt." "You deserved it," Billy spat bitterly but then let out a sigh before pulling Steve close. He gently grabbed Steve's arm and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I'm sorry," he muttered before reaching for Steve's face. Billy softly caressed Steve's cheek before running his thumb over Steve's lips. After staring into his eyes, searching, Billy finally kissed him.

Steve attempted to get on top of Billy as they made out but Billy pushed him off. He reached for Steve's hand and placed it around his cock and he put his own hand around Steve's. Understanding, Steve began stroking Billy's dick and Billy did the same. At first they kissed, letting their free hands and mouths explore each other. When the pleasure became nearly too intense, Billy pulled away and simply gazed into Steve's eyes as he continued to jerk him off. He watched Steve as he moaned and bit his lip, Billy could tell he was close. "Fuck," Steve whispered in a breathy voice as he came. His hand stalled on Billy's dick and his mouth slacked open as his cock pulsated, spilling hot cum over Billy's knuckles.

As he recovered, Billy kissed his neck and chest. After a minute or two, Steve regained his composure and leaned over Billy. He slid down the bed and put Billy's dick into his warm mouth. Billy let out a deep moan as Steve sucked his cock. He had been so aroused from watching Steve orgasm that it only took Billy a minute or two before he was cumming down Steve's throat. Steve wiped his mouth and laid his head on Billy's stomach. They held onto each other in silence for a while.

"Billy, what kind of movies do you like?" The question had caught Billy off guard. "Huh? Oh – horror films are my favorite." "Ugh, that figures." Steve rolled his eyes. "What like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween?" Billy shook his head. "No, I prefer the classics. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Dracula, etc." "I think I've maybe seen one or two of those." "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is by far my favorite, you should watch it if you haven't seen it."

A toothy grin spread across Steve's features. "I'd love to, as long as we watch it together." "I don't think they would show it at the Hawk. That is one of the things I miss about California, there were movie theaters everywhere and there was this one that only showed the classics." "The Hawk shows older films during the weekday matinees, I could ask Robin – after a while." Billy nodded in understanding. Steve had filled him in, during their drive from the hospital to Steve's house, on what had happened.

In an attempt to get Steve to think about something else and to meet his own curiosity, Billy asked, "So, what movies do you like?" Steve looked away for a moment to think before looking back up at Billy. "The usual stuff I guess. Risky Business, Red Dawn, The Terminator, Jaws, etc." "That sounds a little… boring. C'mon what is your favorite movie?" He sighed. "Honestly? You have to promise not to laugh though." "Of course, I promise." "E.T." Billy raised his eyebrows and made an effort not to smile. "E.T.?"

"Fuck off, you promised not to laugh." He bit his lip, but Billy could feel a grin emerging. "I'm not laughing. It's a good movie… if you are 8." Steve hit him and Billy couldn't contain his laughter any longer. "Not everyone can like something obscure and cool like Dr. Calamari or whatever." Billy laughed harder, nearly crying. "It's Caligari." "Well, whatever. Fuck you." Billy grasped Steve's jaw and looked into his eyes. "You had your chance. You opted for revenge instead."

Steve laughed before giving Billy puppy dog eyes and asking sweetly, "No do-overs?" "That depends on what exactly the do-over entails." Steve kissed his way up to Billy's mouth. He gently kissed Billy, softly using his tongue. He pulled away before whispering, "What do you want it to entail?" A huge grin spread across Billy's face. "I want you to fuck me, of course." "Your wish is my command."

After Steve had fully executed his promise, he quickly fell asleep with his head resting on Billy's chest. Billy had tried to go to sleep but his mind was too occupied. Steve started to mutter in his slumber. Most of what he was saying was incoherent but then he mumbled, "Billy, Billy?" Amused, Billy replied, "Yes, Steve?" "I – I need to tell you something." "What is it?" "I love you." Billy was taken aback and his heart started to race. Billy told himself that Steve did not mean it, he was just dreaming. It meant nothing. Still, Billy could not shake the horrible feeling that what Steve had said in his sleep was true. What frightened Billy the most was that there was a part of him that wanted it to be true. And that same part of him thought that maybe, just maybe, he was in love with Steve too.

Steve

When Steve woke up the next morning, he found Billy sitting on the edge of the bed. He was turned away from Steve but after hearing the rustling of the sheets, he turned to face him with a look of worry on his features. "What's wrong?" Billy looked away and sighed. "I have to leave." "Why? Do you have to go to work?" "Huh? Oh, no. The construction company is being sued and the auto shop hasn't been busy so the boss told me I could take a week off."

"Why do you have to leave then?" Steve asked, confused. Billy still refused to look at him. "I don't want to be here anymore." His words hit Steve in the gut harder than any of his punches. "Why? What did I do?" Billy grumbled low in his throat. "You always make it about you. It's not about you or what you did. This is about me, you don't know anything about me and I don't know anything about you. All we do is fuck, which is great, but I just need a break. I need to check on Max and Susan. Okay?"

What Billy had said seemed disjointed. Though he was saying he just needed a break, his other words made it seem more permanent. Worried that if he asked questions or made any sort of complaint that Billy would indeed make their separation final, Steve agreed, "Okay." Without saying anything else and without even glancing Steve's way, Billy got up and left. Steve stared after him for a while, hoping he would come back and change his mind. Waiting was futile, Billy did not return.

Steve put the covers over his head and wallowed in self-pity. He was still sulking late into the afternoon when the phone rang. He was in no mood to answer it and the machine turned on. "Harrington, it's Chief Hopper. I wanted to remind you that you are supposed to be looking out for Robin starting today. Just in case you forgot because I had a strong feeling that you would…" Steve had jumped out of bed and got to the phone before Hopper hung up.

"Sorry, I slept in and I didn't even think about it." "Slept in? It's nearly 4 o'clock, Steve." "I know, I'm sorry. What's her address?" He knew from the street name that it was the trailer park. Steve dressed in a hurry and made his way over to Robin's. He walked up to the door and knocked. A scrappy looking man in boxers and a t-shirt answered, "Who the fuck are you?" With the man exhibiting obvious hostility, Steve dressed up his response, "I'm a civilian volunteer for Hawkins Police. I'm here to keep an eye on things, make sure that the suspect comes no where near Robin."

The man simply rolled his eyes and yelled, "Robin! Door!" The man walked away and left the door open. Steve stepped into the trailer, the scent of cigarettes and alcohol hitting his nostrils. Robin sheepishly made her way towards him, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry about all that." "Oh, don't worry about it. Was that your dad?" She rapidly shook her head before whispering, "No, thank god." Steve lightly chuckled before shifting gears to a more serious note. "How are you?" Robin's mouth twisted up slightly. "I'm okay, all things considering."

Sensing that she was uncomfortable in the current atmosphere, Steve suggested, "Would you like to get out of here?" A smile crept across her lips. "I would love to." Once they were in his car, Steve asked Robin where she wanted to go. She shrugged. "I'm sort of hungry, so somewhere with food?" "Yeah, I'm hungry too. How about Mo's? Then maybe we could go to the bowling alley afterwards?" Robin nodded. "Yeah that sounds good."

He couldn't get Billy off of his mind but tried to stay positive for Robin's sake. Steve knew that he had done something to piss Billy off but he did not know what. His thoughts were interrupted when they arrived at Mo's. They went inside and ordered two sodas before looking over the menu. "So, what are you thinking about ordering? They have the best burgers," Steve said in an attempt to make conversation. "I sometimes get the mushroom and Swiss burger… without the beef patty. I'm a vegetarian." "Oh yeah? That's cool, my friend Samantha is a vegetarian too."

"Really? I haven't met very many vegetarians here, just two of my fr – former friends." "She's the only one I've met. You should meet her sometime, she's great." Robin smiled. "Yeah, that'd be cool." Steve smiled back before continuing to look at the menu. It took him a minute before settling on what he wanted. The waitress came back and took their order. When their meal was brought out, Robin and Steve continued to have light conversation while they dined.

After they finished, Steve paid and the two of them walked over to the bowling alley. Neither Robin nor Steve was very good at bowling but they were both having a good time. The pleasant company and physical activity was helping Steve forget about what had happened earlier and he assumed it was doing Robin some good too. She was smiling, laughing, and making lots of jokes. Steve thought she was hilarious. After a couple hours, they decided it was time to leave.

"I don't think I'm quite ready to go home yet," Robin confided in the car. Steve sighed. "Me neither. Where should we go?" "There is somewhere that I like to go at night… but I don't know if I should say." Intrigued, Steve pressed her, "Why not?" "It's sort of, well… weird." Steve shook his head. "I promise you, nothing can shock me. I'm interested, please tell me." Robin smiled and took a deep breath. "I like going to where Hawkins Lab used to be." Steve raised his eyebrows. "Where they are building the new mall?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's finished and should be opening soon. There's just something calming about the spot, I'm not sure what it is. It's really nice to look up at the stars there too." It took Steve a moment to digest what Robin had said. Hawkins Lab, calming? Just thinking of the place nearly made him shudder. He kept it together though. "Sounds cool. Should we head there then?" Honestly, Steve would rather go anywhere else but he thought perhaps if he saw it from a different perspective, it would help him move on from the bad things that had happened there.

"Sure, as long as you want to." "Yeah, I haven't seen the mall yet even though my dad is opening one of his stores there." She seemed surprised, "Really? What kind of store?" Steve laughed, "Honestly, it's super lame. It's a nautical themed ice cream parlor." Robin chuckled. "Seriously?" He shrugged and told her, "Yup, the asshole is even making me work there when it opens in three weeks." He paused for a moment, the realization setting in. "Shit, that means he will be home next week to shoot the commercial for it." Not understanding, Robin gave a simple, "That sucks." Sympathetic to her lack of knowledge of his family dynamics, Steve said, "Yeah it does." He suddenly recalled that his father was still looking for a local teenager to star in the commercial. "Hey, would you like to make a couple hundred bucks?"

"Sounds too good to be true," Robin stated with justified skepticism. "No, it's for real. They want a local for the commercial and I can put in a good word to my dad so that you get the job." "Really? You would do that for me?" He nodded and told her, "Of course." She sat up straight and smiled. "Wow, thank you." The finally were nearing the mall. Steve was in awe of how massive it was. It was nearly twice the size of the old lab. "Damn, I didn't think it would be this big." "I know, right?"

Steve parked in the empty lot before they both got out of the car and lay on the hood. Robin was right; the stars were a sight to behold. He let out a sigh and exclaimed, "It's beautiful, but also frightening." Robin curiously questioned him, "Why's that?" "Well with all those stars, and there is even more than what we can see, there has to be other life. I know there is… and perhaps it's not even out there but there are stranger things that no one could even dream up right here on earth." Robin stared at him for the longest time.

Finally he asked her, "What? Are you shocked that someone like me has thoughts?" Robin put a hand on his arm. "No, of course not. It's just that I think the same thing and that surprises me, that I have something in common with Steve Harrington." He looked at her and quietly asked, "Why is that surprising?" She bashfully looked away. "I have just always thought of myself as an outsider and different from everyone else. Sharing a similar thought with someone as popular as you is something that I didn't think was possible."

Steve looked back up at the stars. "You know, I'm not popular anymore and besides, I never thought that I belonged in their group. I was terrified that eventually they would discover the real me and kick me out of their circle. Which, I guess, is what did happen." "Tell me about the 'real' Steve." He scoffed. "Basically, I'm an emotional wreck all of the time and I care about people more than they care about me." Robin's next words were barely audible. "I care about you." Steve turned and looked at her but before he could respond, Robin kissed him.