Steve tried to shove Dustin into the vent again. As he went to push him one more time, he felt something scratching inside his arm. Steve moved off the ladder, telling Billy to take a turn. Billy then told Steve there was no way in hell he was going to shove the kid by the ass into a vent.
While Billy, Dustin, and Robin discussed what the next move should be, Steve moved to the side to check his arm. The time to hesitate is through. No time to wallow in the mire. Try now we can only lose. And our love becomes a funeral pyre.
Whoever was writing to Steve had some pretty thoughts bouncing around their head. Hopefully, this person would find someone just as smart as them. They would fall in love and be the perfect couple. Steve rolled his sleeve down, moving back to the group.
"Steve, are we really going to find another child to help us with a Russian code?"
Both Billy and Robin were staring at him as he walked over. Steve looked over to Dustin who was nodding. There was a look in Dustin's eye that Steve recognized. It was a glint that told Steve Dustin had a plan that he was going to hate.
He shifted his focus back to Robin, "What?"
"Lucas has a little sister, you've met her," Dustin made a face, "She's here in the mall. We could get her to help. Who wouldn't want to be an American hero?"
"Alright kid, where is she?" Billy asked.
"Billy, we're not bringing Lucas' sister into this."
"C'mon Harrington kids got a point."
Steve watched as Dustin opened his mouth. He would never understand how Billy went so willingly with everything the kids wanted. As much as he pretended to be the toughest, biggest man in Hawkins, he was really just a softy. Even Steve was a better hold out and between Will and Dustin he was hosting sleepovers almost every week. The kids usually get him to make them breakfast too.
Maybe that was just how Billy was, with his blond hair and black leather jacket. The muscles that he so proudly showed off. It was just a facade he put up. From what Steve could tell about his home life, Billy had never been in a situation where he could show weakness.
The party was slowly chipping away at him. They were breaking down Billy's rough exterior, he'd even started talking more with Jonathon and Nancy. Billy was slowly making connections with everyone in their group, but Steve. If Steve was being honest with himself he wasn't comfortable around Billy. Logically he knew that he had been done being king anyways, but he still wasn't okay watching as Billy tore it from him.
"I say we find her," Robin voted.
Apparently, everyone but Steve had gone crazy. He might as well let them bring in baby Sinclair. Steve could tell no matter how much he argued Erica would be involved no matter what.
They found Erica sitting at the fountain in the mall. She forced Steve to make her three sundaes before she agreed to the plan. With Erica's help, they found an elevator that led underneath the mall.
The Russians Lair, as Dustin was calling it, reminded Steve of his house. As they walked through the elevator threshold he could feel how heavy the air was.
"Steve c'mon," Dustin ran past him.
Billy grabbed him before he could get much farther. He didn't say anything, just gave Dustin a look and let go. Surprisingly, that was all it took. Dustin waited for everyone to get off of the elevator before moving again. When everyone was ready they started walking down the hall. They walked until they found a small room, where people were speaking into radios.
That was when everything turned to shit. Steve and Robin got caught by the men, while Billy and the kids got away. After that, Steve and Robin found themselves being tortured by Russian soldiers. They were trapped in a room yelling about how they worked for scoops ahoy.
Everything surrounding Steve and Robin's time in the interrogation was fuzzy. All Steve remembered was Billy busting in and saving them and him and Robin talking in the bathroom. Sometimes he'll remember some details a little clearer, like when he and Robin fell trying to get a pair of scissors. Steve was glad the memory was fuzzy. Every night he had to check his entire house for monsters. No part of him wanted to know what he'd be looking for after being tortured.
Steve's memory clears up after puking in the bathroom. He remembered being chased by Officer Callahan through the mall. How the policeman moved was a clear picture in his head. Every movement had been unnaturally stiff.
The main thing that stuck with Steve was the look in his eye right before he sacrificed himself for them. It had been fear, but underneath the fear Steve could see the relief.
Now Steve woke up almost every night to dreams of the policeman being impaled by a monster. Callahan and Barb made sure he knew who had really killed them, every single night.
Steve hadn't told anyone, but since he'd found out about the Upside Down he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he could see the redhead begging for help. Barb was barely a blip on his radar before she'd disappeared. Now Callahan and Barb had found each other in his dreams. Together they made sure he knew his life wasn't worth theirs.
The last time Steve slept through the night was after the mall. Steve had been heading for his car when he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey, Steve! Wait," He turned to see Robin running toward him in her scoops uniform, "Can I go with you? Please?"
After that night he and Robin were inseparable. He tried to get her with chicks, and She was the only one he'd told about his soulmate. Robin disagreed with how he dealt with it, but never forced him to do anything. She told him it was his choice no matter how idiotic his decision was.