The upside down had made its way to Hawkins a few months ago. The group had gotten into a routine where everyday two of them would pair up and keep watch over Hawkins. The teams shuffled around and today it was Steve and Hopper's turn.

It's not that Steve didn't like Hopper, in fact he looked up to him, admired him even, but he was still a little intimidating.

It was a warm June night so they had the windows rolled down in the Chief's truck. He pulled out a cigarette and offered Steve one. Steve was tempted but he turned it down.

"How long has it been?" Hopper asked.

"What?"

"How long since you had a cigarette?"

"Almost 2 years." Steve smiled.

"You're better than me. I gave em' up in high school but after Sarah I got back into the habit. I think Joyce wants me to quit. She'll bum one from me every once in a while but I think that's why she wants me to quit." Hopper said with a smile looking at his lit cigarette. "I guess it's time to try again huh." Hopper said as he flicked the half done cigarette into the street.

"I quit for Nancy. She hated it too. Never bummed any off me though."

"So you and Wheeler gonna give it another try?"

Steve's head snapped around to look at Hopper. "Uh, no , no. That was... we ended things a ummm... a long time ago." Steve stuttered awkwardly.

"Uh uh."

"You know me and Joyce were together in high school. She was my first real girlfriend."

"Really?" Steve said not being able to picture Hopper and Joyce in high school together.

"Yeah. I was an idiot. All I cared about was football and sleeping around with every girl in school. I definitely didn't care about grades and I definitely wasn't looking for a serious relationship but Joyce, Joyce was different."

Steve nodded in understanding hanging on every word.

"For the first time in my life I wanted to straighten out. I fucked it up of course. Too young and too dumb to know what I had when I had it."

"Yeah, I get it." Steve sighed looking out the window.

Hopper noticed Steve's melancholic turn. "Well you're a lot smarter than I was kid."

Steve snorted a laugh. "You just insulted yourself more than you know."

"Kid, you've protected these… kids for years. You've saved all their asses and have taken on monsters from another dimension to do it. When I was your age I was lucky if I could get to school on time."

"Thanks but I still messed up with Nancy and I think I messed it up again."

"How?"

"I kind of told her I dream of marrying her and having six kids together." Steve winced looking down in embarrassment.

"Oh… well I'm sure it sounded better when you said it to her." Hopper tried not to laugh at the young man who clearly needed guidance.

"I said it in the upside down when she was still dating Jonathan." Steve said hand on his forehead in frustration.

"Well they broke up right? So something you said must have left an impression."

"I'm an idiot. I never should have said anything."

"Hey, don't make the same mistake I did. I stepped back. I let her go and I never should have. I wasted so much time because I was afraid."

"It's not just that though. She doesn't love me back. She never did." Steve said quietly.

"You know, over these last few months I've spent a lot of time with you kids and I've noticed a thing or two about all of you and kid, you'd have to be blind not to see she loves you."

Steve felt his face turn hot. Eddie had told him the same thing and that's when he told her his dream. Nancy didn't respond and never brought it up again so Steve dismissed Eddie's observation and tried to move on as if nothing happened. Now Hoper was telling him Nancy loved him too and he hated that it was getting his hopes up again.

"But she never said anything after I told her about the dream. It's been months. If she was in love with me wouldn't she have said something to me by now?"

"Look this is a Wheeler we're talking about. They're a different breed. Very stubborn and very much always in denial." Hopper said mostly talking about his experience with Mike.

Steve chuckled a little. "You're definitely right about the stubborn thing but I can't just tell her I love her again. I have to wait for her to say something first. Right?"

"Look Romeo. You two haven't dated for a few years right? So why don't you just hold off on the declarations of love and just ask her out to the movies or something."

Steve nodded. "Maybe you're right."

Hopper clapped Steve on the back. "Of course I'm right kid. I've been through all this!"

Steve smiled at Hopper in a much better mood now after getting all that off his chest.

Hopper smiled and shook his head in fond amusement. These kids and their drama would be the death of him.