Chapter Thirty-Five
Bigger Feelings
Veronica walked down the small hallway of Byers home and knocked twice on the worn-down door of Jonathan's bedroom. She could hear the soft rock music playing from the other side before it was slowly turned down. Sounds of shuffling could be heard over the music before the door swung open, a disheveled Jonathan on the other side. He sighed slightly with relaxation after noticing who was standing on the other side.
Veronica stepped back and let out a soft chuckle, "Having a bit of trouble?"
Jonathan rolled his eyes at her playful tone, before turning back into his bedroom, but leaving the door open for her. Veronica took a few steps into the familiar bedroom, "Running a bit late to get into work."
Veronica frowned, "Oh. I was going to come and ask for a ride to Steve's but...I don't want to make you even later."
Jonathan paused for a moment, and turning to her more, "Steve's? Again?"
Veronica looked at him confused "Yes, why...i-is that bad or something?"
Jonathan chuckled and shook his head as he grabbed his uniform shirt off the back of his chair. "No. It's not bad, just...weird that of all people you're hanging with is Steve Harrington."
As he spoke, Jonathan buttoned up his uniform shirt before walking around his room in search of his shoes.
"Steve's been a good friend. We've grown closer the last few months." Veronica paused, "Outside of Robin, I don't really have any other friends...' specially since someone spends all their time with their girlfriend."
Jonathan's shoulders sagged with a deep sigh, "I-I'm sorry. I know I spend a lot of time with Nancy, I don't mean to..."
"You like her a lot, I don't blame you," Veronica spoke.
From her tone and expression, Jonathan could tell that she was telling the truth. But he still couldn't ignore the ball of guilt that was forming in his gut.
"I don't think you blame me because you don't fully understand things sometimes," Jonathan spoke, "Not at your fault! Of course. But most people get angry when they are, uh, left behind by their friends because they are in love."
"You love Nancy?" Veronica questioned with her doe eyes becoming larger with shock.
"I mean...yeah," Jonathan laughed lightly with a smile spreading across his face.
Veronica leaned against the doorway again. "That just makes me happier for you, Jonathan."
"Thanks, Ron." Jonathan smiled down at her, caressing her cheeks softly "And I can take you to Steve, happy that someone is a good friend to you. Guess I should thank him for that."
"I think you two would get along if you spent some time together," Veronica shrugged her shoulders and the two head out of his bedroom and toward the front of the house.
"Now that...that is debatable." Jonathan chuckled
The moment the sound of the doorbell rang through the silence of the Harrington household, Steve rushed toward the front door and opened it quickly, seeing Veronica standing on the other side.
"You know you don't have to ring or knock anymore, you can come right in." Steve smiled as he stepped aside to allow her to walk through.
"I know, seems weird to just walk right into a house that isn't mine." She shrugged her shoulders.
Looking into the living room, Veronica was able to see the setup that Steve had created. Blankets sat stacked on one of the end cushions with snacks and foods filling the coffee table with VHSs sitting on the small end table.
"Wow, went all out for tonight?" Veronica smiled, turning toward Steve more.
He felt a warmth fill his chest at the sight of her smile, not being able to help a smile of his own spread across his own.
"Wanted to make sure that tonight was fun. We deserve a little fun do we not?" Steve smiled, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the living room more. "Now I have collected more movies for us, no scary ones, one I think that everyone should see at least once."
"What's the first on the dock?" She smiled and moved to take a seat on the couch.
"Risky Business, the girl at the video store said it was good and suggested it." Steve moved excitedly to the VHS player, before popping in the first tape.
"What is it about?"
"High-school kid left home while his parents are on vacation and all havoc ensues." Steve moved to sit down beside Veronica, throwing his arm over the back of the couch behind her.
"Now why does that sound familiar?" Veronica smirked, grabbing the bowl of popcorn. A cheeky smirk on her lips before she winked at Steve.
"Oh really?" Steve cocked a brow, "Very bold words. Watch the movie and then tell me if it's familiar."
As the movie played Veronica couldn't help but have her focus more on Steve than the film itself. Watched as the glow of the television lit up his face and made the shine in his eyes brighter. The sound of his laugh only made her happier and feel something she wasn't familiar with. The way she felt when with Steve Harrington was something she was truly still trying to figure out. All that she was able to understand what that he made her happy.
"Steve?" Veronica asked softly, her voice catching his attention to her. His dark brows pulled together in confusion as he looked at her. "H-How do you...um, know if you...love someone?"
Steve's brows shot up in shock, "Uh...I-I.." he let out a soft breathy nervous laugh. "Why do you ask?"
Veronica shrugged and fidgeted with the blanket laid across her lap, "Jonathan was talking about loving Nancy, and I don't know...was just wondering how one would know?"
Steve choked slightly on his drink at the mention of Jonathan and Nancy. Though his feelings for Nancy were gone and he'd moved on, it was still hard to hear at times. Reminders of how he once thought he was in love, only to see it was a mere infatuation.
"Well I'm not exactly the right one to ask," Steve spoke
"But you've had girlfriends right? Didn't you love any of them? Even Nancy?"
"My other girlfriends, no, I did not love them. Not even in the slightest. Felt something else for them," Steve cleared his throat. That only confused Veronica more, her face showing it clearly. "And with Nancy...there was something there. I care for her, deeply, but now looking back...it wasn't love."
"Oh," Veronica spoke with a bit of sadness.
Steve looked at her and watched as her eyes once again directed down to her lap.
"That wasn't the answer you were looking for?" Steve asked
"I don't know the answer I was looking for." She shrugged "I-I just...there are times where I feel something but can't place a word to it. So a part of me was hoping..."
Steve felt his heart stop and stomach twist as he stared at her. The two of them fall silent except for the movie playing in the background.
"What does it mean when the person you are with makes you happy? And you wanna spend your time with them, and trust them?" Veronica's eyes moved up to meet his. The innocence that shone through them caused Steve to soften slightly.
"That could be love. Also friendship." Steve sighed softly. "Who is the person that makes you feel this way, Ronnie?" She blushed, even in the slight darkness, Steve could see it. "Come on, we're friends...you can tell me."
Steve could feel that his heart was going to come out of his chest with the fierce wave of nervous nausea following soon after. He had been fighting to keep his growing feeling for Veronica secret to himself. Too scared to let himself feel again with another after everything that had happened with Nancy. He might've forgiven her for everything, but he was still hurt.
"I-I can't..."
"Why not? Do I know them?" Steve guessed. Veronica only turned from him more with a shy blush covering her face and chest more. "I do know them,"
"Steve..." Veronica set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, before standing and moving from the living room.
But Steve was close behind her as he followed.
"No. Come on, you can't be having talks of love and then run away when I start asking questions."
"I don't even know if that's what it is! I-I...I just...I don't know what's going on." Veronica laughed nervously as she spoke, walking into the kitchen.
"But it's someone I know?" Steve asked, moving to stand on the other side of the island across from her. A smirk spread across his pink lips and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. The longer Veronica stared at him the more her heart raced.
The blush was back, causing her skin to redden as he spread from her chest and up her neck to settle onto her full cheeks. "...Steve..."
"Is it Fred from third period?" Steve asked, starting off his list. But Veronica just stared at him with her doe eyes, "No...no, not Fred. Henry? Matthew?"
"...No, Steve..." Veronica shook her head.
"Eddie Munson? Is that why you saved him from Tommy?"
"No." Veronica spoke firmly "Eddie's nice but no."
"Jonathan?"
Veronica gagged and gasped in shock, "That's disgusting! He's my brother, Steve."
"Well, who else could it be? The only person you know is me or Robin." Steve shrugged his shoulders and stared at her.
But instead of refuting like before, Veronica stood there blinking at him and not saying a word. Her eyes moved away from his gaze and looked down with her lower lip being pulled in by her teeth. Steve straightened slightly as everything started to process through his mind.
Couldn't be me, he thought to himself, it has to be someone else.
"Steve, please...I-I..." Veronica opened her mouth a few times to speak, but nothing came out.
Instead, she moved to walk away from Steve again, but as she reached to pass him, his hand moved out and grabbed her bicep. Her steps stopped quickly as he pulled her around to face him again. Veronica let out a soft whimper and closed her eyes tightly.
"Veronica," Steve whispered, stepping forward as he caressed his hand along her cheek. "We're friends so you can tell me. I-Is it, Tommy or Billy?"
"No!" Veronica's eyes snapped open quickly and pushed out of Steve's arms, "Why would you even think that? After everything they've done to me, and you!? Steve...no..."
"Ok. I'm sorry." Steve frowned, reaching to push his hair out of his face, before placing his hands on his waist. "I just don't understand, we're best friends. We're supposed to talk. I talk to you about everything, why not this? What's wrong with this one thing?"
"Because it's you! Steve! It's you...I-I..." Veronica exclaimed
Veronica's eyes were wide as she stared at him and saw a similar expression on his face. Her heart leap into her throat as she watched him stand there in silence. After thirty seconds panic started to set in for Veronica.
She wasn't sure what to do.
She'd basically confessed to Steve she had feelings for him, unsure of what they were full of except they were bigger than friends.
And now Steve was just staring at her in shock.
Soon tears began to cloud her vision and her throat felt tight.
The next thing Steve knew she was no longer standing in front of him.
Veronica had used her powers to leave.
AN: Please leave a review with thoughts, comments, predictions, or whatever!