2- I'm Right Here

Summary: Dustin visits Steve at Family Video. Steve instantly knows something's wrong. Post S3. Enjoy!

Requested by: JustAnotherStrangerThingsFan12

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. If I did, we would have more Steve and Max moments.

Dustin wasn't having the best of days.

He forgot his lunch money at home and had to eat scraps from Lucas and Mike.

He had a really bad thought last night that he couldn't get out of his mind.

And worst of all they had to cancel the campaign because Eddie had the flu.

So yeah, what a great day.

Dustin had nothing to do after school, so he decided to visit Steve, it might help him with the nagging thought in his head.

When he got there, it was the Friday after school rush, so he browsed the isles, waiting for it to calm down.

Finally, it was not hectic. Dustin walked up to the counter where Steve and Robin were having yet another conversation about Steve's lack of movie knowledge.

The conversation came to a halt when Dustin walked up. They only noticed one thing.

He looked tired.

Like really, really tired. The kind of tire you look like when you stayed up all night.

Dustin never stayed up all night on a school night. Which meant one thing, he had a nightmare.

Nobody had said a word, but Steve and Robin seemed to be having a silent conversation. Dustin waited, just like any other person waited for them to be done.

What he had not expected was to have Steve grab his arm and haul him around the counter, towards the backroom, while Robin gave him a sympathetic look.

Soon Dustin was sitting in the backroom, with Steve facing him.

Before Dustin could even begin to comprehend what was happening, Steve asked, "Are you doing okay?"

"W-what? Yeah, I'm doing okay." Dustin answered, nervously.

Steve didn't look convinced. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Dustin knew that. He did, he really did. But it has been four months since Starcourt. He should have been having this thought 4 days after not 4 months. It had always been there, lingering in the back of his mind. He'd just never really thought of it openly before.

"Dustin?" Steve asked, snapping Dustin out of his thoughts. "You look like you've had a rough night."

Dustin sighed, leaning back into his chair.

"I didn't have a nightmare" he said, knowing what Steve was getting at. "I just woke up and couldn't go back asleep. Don't tell me that you haven't had the happen before."

Dustin was right. Steve had had that happen before. But there were times that there was a reason that he couldn't fall back asleep.

"Was there a reason you couldn't fall back asleep?" Steve asked gently.

Dustin didn't deny it. Instead, he looked at the floor.

"Dustin. Look at me." Steve firmly said. Dustin looked up with tears in his eyes. "Why couldn't you go back to sleep?"

Dustin said nothing for a few moments, a few tears slipping out.

Finally, he said something, "You could've died."

"But I didn't, Dustin, I'm sti-"

"No!" Dustin exclaimed causing Steve to stop talking. "No. Just... listen."

Steve nodded, letting Dustin speak.

"I don't know why, but last night when I woke up, it hit me. Right after the incident, I was thinking, you COULD'VE died, but you were right there. And for the last four months you have been right there. But last night it just got into my head, and it hasn't left. WHAT if you died? What if the Russians killed you? What would I do? How would I actually go through life? And I know you didn't die, that you are right here but I just... I don't know. I can't stop thinking about it. Just, I can't loose you Steve. I can't."

Dustin was full on sobbing. Steve pulled him into a tight hug.

After a few minutes, they pulled apart, Steve's hand still on Dustin's shoulder.

"Dustin" Steve started. "I really don't know what to say except that I AM right here. And I know that you just said that wasn't exactly enough but, let's pretend. Let's pretend that none of this Upside-Down stuff never happened and in some other miraculous way we became friends. You could still loose me Dustin. In a no monster world there are millions of chances that I could die. There just not so... obvious. Like getting killed by Russians is like, just like super dangerous and in the moment. But getting in a car crash is more settle. Like you do so many dangerous things in you daily life but there are things that are more obviously dangerous. But we still enjoy our lives and enjoy the moments that we have together. And Dustin? I. Am. Right. Here."

It was silent for a few moments. Until Dustin tackled Steve into another tight hug.

"Thanks Steve," he said muffled by Steve's shirt. "That helped."

"Really? I mean that wasn't the best comforting I've ever done. I mean I really said that I was going to die no matter what."

Dustin chuckled, coming out of the hug. "Yeah, it wasn't the best type of comfort... but in a weird sort of twisted way it worked."

"Well, good," Steve responded. "But Dustin, if you ever need to talk about this or anything else come find me. Okay?"

Dustin nodded, "Okay."

"Good, now it's almost the end of our shift, so how about you come over and we can watch a movie. Robin can come too if you want."

"Really? Sure! But I pick the movie, if you pick, we will have a real problem on our hands" Dustin teased.

Steve acted offended even though they both knew it was true.

So, that night Robin, Dustin, and Steve had movie night and enjoyed the time they shared together.

Because really, in a world with other dimensions or not, that's all we can really do.

AN: Hope you liked it JustAnotherStrangerThingsFan12! Announcement! My Archive of Our Own page it up! Happy Birthday Gaten Matarazzo two days later!