chapter forty-four , Steve Harrington is a Sappy Drunk...a Horny One too

a/n : IT'S BEEN TOO LONG!!!

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Steve did have a rager.

It was full of seniors, new graduates, and older graduates from previous years. Booze, drugs, and horny people. Even though, everyone was having a great time at the party, he wasn't exactly feeling it. He honestly didn't even want a party to begin with. He just knew everyone was expecting it from him. It was exhausting doing things that people thought was so 'Steve'.

Gus knew there was something bothering him, when she saw him drink his fourth beer. She tilts her head and lets out a small breath as everyone cheers Steve on. Gus walks over to Steve and lightly touches his arm. "Hey, Steve?"

Steve turns and his face lights up. "August! You guys, it's August. My girlfriend..." his words slur. Everyone cheers for Gus and she rolls her eyes. "All right, you guys have never cheered for me before, don't start now...dick riders."

Gus looks back at Steve. "Let's get you some water, okay?"

"You are so...good." Steve cups her face. Gus raises her brows, "And you are so...drunk." She grips his jacket. "Here." Gus grabs an empty cup and puts some water into it. She turns to see Steve leaning against his fridge, his eyes closed.

Gus inhales a deep breath.

"Steve, Steve! Take another shot!"

Gus turns on her heel and looks at the boy with freckles across his face. She stalks over to him, "Let me make this perfectly clear, Tommy. If you keep egging Steve on. Purposely. I will beat the shit out of you. Again." Gus places a threatening hand in his shoulder. "Got it?"

Tommy gulps. "Wh-Whatever..." he walks away.

Gus sighs, she turns back to her boyfriend and softly smiles. "Okay, Steve..." she walks over to him. "I need you to drink this, okay?"

"Beer?"

Gus softly giggles. "No. No beer. Just water. Drink it, okay?" She lightly grips his chin as Steve grabs the cup from her. "Good boy."

Steve giggles. He drinks the water and she raises her brows. "Slowly..."

Steve slows his slurps. Gus nods her head. "Okay, now...no matter what you hear. Keep drinking your water in here, okay?"

Steve nods his head, still drinking his water. Gus smiles, she turns on her heel and her smile drops. Fallon, Nancy, and Robin were talking in the corner, when Gus passed them.

"Uh, oh...she's scowling." Robin whispers.

"Hey, August?"

Gus turns to the three girls. "Yeah, guys. This party's over. It is so over."

The three girls turn to see Steve still sipping on his water, while stumbling.

"Oh, yeah. She's pissed." Nancy raises her brows.

Gus turns off the radio, receiving a wave of groans and boos. "Listen up, assholes!" She shouts. "If you're name isn't, Fallon Price, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, or Jonathan Byers. Get the fuck out!"

Nobody moves and Gus' nostrils flare.

"NOW!"

Everyone snaps into action and runs for any exit they could find. Gus let's out a breath. She then sees a brunette boy walking towards the exit. Gus sighs, she grabs his arm. "Steve, honey. This is your house, you're obligated to stay."

"Oh. Okay..."

Gus sits Steve on the couch and kisses his head. She turns to her friends and sighs. "Okay, so, uh...I have like a huge favor to ask."

"You need help cleaning?" Fallon asks.

Gus nods.

"Gus, we got you. Always." Robin shrugs.

Gus' shoulders slump, "You guys are the best."

"I will speak for everyone when I say...We know." Jonathan raises a hand.

Gus laughs softly. She then clears her and inhales, "Okay, let's get to work."

...

After cleaning up the house, the four teenagers left; leaving Gus to take care of a drunk Steve Harrington.

"Okay. Left foot up, baby."

Steve drags his left foot to the higher step. "Good—good. Now right foot."

Steve drags his right foot up. As Gus continued to encourage and direct Steve, he followed her instructions slowly but surely. Once they got to his room, he flopped on the bed. Gus pulls his sneakers off and Steve hums.

"You're too good for me."

Gus bites the inside of her cheek. "That's just not true." She exhales. "But I appreciate you..."

"August..." Steve props himself up on his elbows, connecting his eyes with hers. "You're fucking amazing."

"And you're so fucking good."

Gus raises her brows and her eyes begin to burn with appreciation. She already knew Steve thought so much of her. He never stopped adoring her in any possible way. Even then, it's always nice to hear it. Gus lays beside Steve and interlocks her fingers and lays them against her chest.

"We're good for each other."

Steve looks over at her and his eyes becoming teary. Gus pouts her lower lip, "Why are you crying?"

Steve takes a moment to look over her caramel-brown skin. His eyes shift to her hazel green eyes that caused his heart to jump. Every. Time. How was she able to accept him so fast?

"I just..." he trails off his words. His breathing heavies as he takes in Gus' image. She pulls her brows together. Steve leans forward and kisses her lips with a yearning that caused her core to heat up. Gus grips his jacket and gingerly kisses him back. He slides his hand under her shirt and hovers over her. Steve looks across her warm face and he inhales a breath. "August..."

Gus looks at Steve, noticing his flushed face. She cups his face and kisses him. Steve raises his hand up, brushing his hand against her chest. Gus inhales a shaky breath and exhales.

"Is this okay?"

Gus nods her head, "Yeah..." she brushes her thumb across his lower lip. "You okay?"

Steve nods his head, he leans down and kisses Gus once again. This time, there was more hunger behind the kiss and it causes Steve to groan from the sudden force. Gus' breathing hitches and her body begins to tingle. "Steve..."

Steve interlocks their fingers and raises one hand above her head. He kisses her sharp jawline, causing a chill to shoot down her spine. She arches into him and her body begins to grow hot. "Steve, ple—"

Steve's body grows heavy and he practically flops his entire weight onto the girl. Gus grunts and she tilts her head back. "Aw, what the hell?" She runs a hand up his back. "Steve?"

"I...I lobe you..." he slurs his words.

Gus pulls her brows together, unable to hear what he was trying to say. But deep down she knew. It was just something she forced herself to push away. She then lets out, a defeated breath. "Okay, okay...let's get you on your side."

Gus gently rolls Steve off of her. She then lays him on his side with a trashcan near him. Gus let's out a heavy huff and lays next to him. She keeps her eyes on the back of his head and a smile ghosts her lips. Her heart couldn't stop fluttering over the fact that she was able to take care of Steve. And a certain part of her mind shouted in triumph as she lulled to sleep, with a hand over Steve's waist.

I got the boy.

☆

Steve remembers everything that happened last night.

Unfortunately. He remembers being on the verge of tears. He remembers his parents not being there for his graduation and Gus having to practically pull him away from the alcohol.

Gus took care of him. And apparently she wasn't stopping her acts of kindness, because when he walked down the stairs; he smelled French toast.

Steve looks at the short-haired girl and his breathing hitches when he sees her wearing his Sesame Street graphic tee with a pair of shorts she had forgotten here. Gus turns around and she smiles. "Morning!" She then covers her mouth. "Morning..." she whispers.

Steve chuckles, "Good morning." He walks over to her. "You stayed over?"

Gus shrugs, "Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you didn't sleep on your back and you know...die."

"Well, thank you for that." He kisses her head. "Not just for not letting me die, but thank you for everything."

Gus presses her lips into a small smile. "You don't have to thank me, Steve. I'm your girlfriend."

"Besides, do you remember Tina's party?" Gus shudders thinking about all the alcohol she consumed that night. "You took care of me."

"Think of it as me paying you back." Gus grips his shirt and kisses his lips. Steve grips her waist and kisses her back. Gus wraps an arm around his neck. "You know...you're horny when you're drunk."

Steve's face becomes beet red, which causes Gus to laugh. "Shut up. No, I'm not." He looks away from her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What are these then?" Gus points at her neck that hard two dark markings. Steve's face becomes even hotter. "Shit, I'm sorry."

"Oh, please." Gus rolls her eyes. "That was some good action. It made my week."

"So, me graduating wasn't exciting enough?" Steve tilts his head down at her.

Gus hums, "Not everything's about you, baby..." she kisses his lips. "Now on a completely unrelated note...You wanna tell me what was up with that drinking last night?"

"Can't I celebrate my graduation?" Steve snorts.

Gus raises her brows, "You can..." she sits on the counter, her shorts slightly riding up. She stares at him with soft eyes. "But I also know you. And last night was not you." She tilts her head. "What's up?"

The confident facade was something Gus could always see through. It caused the entire act to drop immediately. His eyelids slightly fall. "My parents didn't show up."

Gus presses her lips together and she exhales through her nose. "I know..."

Steve leans his back against the counter where Gus was sitting at. Gus runs a hand through his hair. A defeated breath leaves his lips. "My mom said she wanted to come, but my dad said it was a waste of time."

"Well, it wasn't a waste of time."

"Gus—"

"We all showed up for you, Steve." Gus speaks. "Because we care so much about you."

"You're worth it." Gus' eye soften. "And I'm sorry to say this, but if your own parents can't see that...they don't deserve you."

Steve's stomach tightens which causes his chest to tighten. Gus watches his eyes start to grow teary and he leans forward, laying his head in the crook of her neck. She raises a hand and slides it into her hair. Gus gently comforts him.

"What would I do without you?" Steve whispers faints her skin.

Gus softly chuckles, "Get blackout drunk and not have French toast for breakfast."

Steve raises his brows, "I didn't even know you could cook." He looks at the her.

"I know." Gus hops off the counter. "That's because I like it when you cook."

Steve deadpans which causes Gus to shrug. "What? I use my powers to save everyone's asses and you cook. That's a fair trade."

"Why would me cooking be a 'fair trade'?"

Gus hums, "Food is one of my love languages, Steve."

There was a point in time when Gus' relationship with food wasn't a positive one. Gus was grateful for how patient Steve was with her. She leans forward and gives him a chaste kiss on his neck. "And a little head every now and then wouldn't hurt."

Steve laughs which causes Gus to laugh as well. He touches the small of her back and pulls her into a warm embrace.

"Are you not hungover?" Gus softly speaks into his neck, forcing a chill down his spine.

"Guster, I am a professional."

"That's nothing to be proud of." Gus hums.

Steve chuckles, "Fair..." he looks down at her. A small snort escapes him and then he chuckles.

"I can't get over how short you are."

Gus' eyes slightly widen and she strains her neck. "Oh my god, Harrington." She presses her knuckles against his chest. "I am going to kill—"

Steve pulls Gus towards him, his lips attacking hers. Gus inhales a deep breath and quickly kisses him back. He slides a hand up her back and cups her neck. Steve takes a step forward, pinning her against the counter. Gus sucks in a sharp breath and slides a hand under his shirt. He kisses her jawline, then her neck.

Steve grips her thighs and slides his hands up her legs, gripping the waistband of her shorts. Gus' lips ghosts over his. They both stare at each other for a moment, breathing each other in. Neither of them talked about what happened last week at Gus' place. It felt as though, if the couple did talk about their miscommunication in sexual intimacy; things just wouldn't be the same anymore.

"You're..." Steve trails off his words. Gus could see the gratuity in his eyes. But she also saw how his face had begun to grow light pink from his embarrassment over how he acted last night. The girl softly smiles and kisses his cheek. "I know." She softly speaks.

Steve lets out a breath of relief but there was also a deep appreciation for the girl in front of him.

He takes Gus' hand into his. "Question..."

Gus softly hums.

"Did you only make pancakes or—"

"I made hash browns too." Gus says, smiling.

Steve mirrors her smile, "I love hash browns."

Gus raises her brows and her heart jumps from the smile across Steve's face. "I know you do."

☆

"Huh..."

"Huh?"

There's a beat of silence that causes Robin's stomach to drop.

"Fallon!"

"Okay, okay. Hang on." Fallon giggles as she grabs the mirror and hands it to Robin.

Robin looks in the mirror and inspects the makeup on her face. Fallon watches as Robin goes through some kind of inner turmoil with her makeup. The curly-haired girl shifts. "So...what do you think?"

"I think...that..." Robin exhales a sharp breath. Fallon pouts a lip, "You don't like it."

"I like it. I swear." Robin quickly speaks. "It's just not me." She bunches her shoulders.

Robin shifts her eyes to the pink blush across her cheeks and the red lipstick. She looks back at Fallon, "I'm not confident like you, Fal. I can't just...wear red lipstick and not care about what people say."

Fallon softly laughs. She closes her compact mirror and laughs harder. Robin watches as Fallon laughs for a moment. Fallon sits next to Robin, her knee touching hers. "You think that I don't worry about what others say about me?"

"Well...yeah." Robin shrugs. "You're perfect, Fallon."

Fallon's face heats up and her back straightens. A small laugh escapes her lips. "Yeah, well...that's what I think about you, Robin."

Unlike Fallon's face, you could tell when Robin's started to heat up. Her face became beet red. "I'm not perfect."

"Neither am I." Fallon presses a hand against her abdomen. "But, what I'm trying to say is...I care about what people think about me. All the time."

"I'm just a really good actor." Fallon chuckles. "And I know that if I do give them the satisfaction of worrying about what they think...they win."

"And you hate to lose."

A smile forms on her lips. Robin knew her so well.

"And I hate to lose." Fallon nods with confirmation.

Robin chuckles, she looks back at the mirror. Fallon bites her lower lip, her eyes on the side of Robin's face. "How about we try something else? Something you'd like?"

Robin's heart begins to flutter. "Yeah..." she meets Fallon's eyes in the mirror. "Yeah. I'd like that."

...

"El, doesn't want to watch Magnum P.I. tonight."

Hopper looks at her, "Okay, then I guess it's just us tonight." He sits on the couch with the bowl of ice cream.

Gus makes a face, which causes Hopper to pull his face back. "What? Why'd you make that face?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Gus sighs. "Normally, Ellie's the one who stops us from arguing."

Eleven decided that she wanted to skip Magnum P.I. Friday to hang out with Mike in her room. Now it was just Gus and Hopper. Normally, Gus and Hopper would end up in loud debates over the show and Eleven would be the one to settle them. But without her there, what were they going to do?

"We can argue without Eleven being here."

Gus presses her lips together, "Right...sure." She flops onto the couch and sighs. Gus turns the tv on and grabs a spoon. She goes to scoop some ice cream out of the bowl Hopper was holding, but he pulls it back.

Gus looks at him, "What?"

"This is mine."

She softly chuckles, "Hop, come on. We've shared ice cream before."

"No. You've shared ice cream with me." Hopper states. "Never the other way around."

Gus cranes her neck forward out of disbelief. "Hopper—"

"I've never asked you to share your ice cream—"

"You've never asked but you do make passive comments that make me feel like I should share my ice cream with you." Gus' blood begins to boil.

"What? That's not true."

"Not true?!" Gus' voice booms. "Are you serious, right now?!—"

"Hey!"

Gus and Hopper turn to Eleven's door and see Mike standing there. "Would you guys mind being a little quieter—"

"Shove it up your ass, Wheeler!" Gus snaps.

"Shut the hell up!" Hopper barks.

Mike lets out a frustrated breath and goes back into Eleven's room. Gus and Hopper look back at each other. Hopper let's out a small breath and holds the ice cream out to her. Gus bites the inside of her cheek and smiles.

"Thanks." Gus says, eating some of the ice cream.

"Eh. It's the least I could." Hopper sighs. "You have given me a fair share of your ice cream."

Gus laughs and looks back at the tv, so does Hopper.

☆

"Wait, you're going too?"

Sofía softly smiles, "Yeah! Ms. Wallace said it was okay." She shrugs. "And she said she wanted to, I guess, splurge on me."

Gus chuckles, "Right on, man!" She high fives Sofía. "You and Ms. Wallace are like an official mom and daughter."

Sofía giggles, "Thanks, Gus."

Gus looks at the group of kids and watches as they all just sit there talking to their significant other. The girl slumps her shoulders, "You guys..."

They all look at the girl. "What?"

"Sofía just said she's leaving for the summer." Gus raises her brows. "And you guys didn't even flinch."

They all look at Sofía, whose face was becoming red.

"Oh, Sof. We're happy for you, seriously—"

"Guys, it's fine." Sofía waves a hand. Gus squints her eyes and leans back. She forced herself to keep her mouth shut. Gus knew that the kids were drifting apart. But to the point where they wouldn't pay attention to what Sofía was saying? It pissed her off. But Sofía didn't want Gus saying anything about it. Sofía hated confrontation.

Sofía looks at Dustin and smiles. "I'm just happy to be spending the summer with you." She grabs his hand.

Gus smiles softly, "Guys, I want to do something for your guys' last day."

"Really?!" All the kids look at each other.

Gus looks at the kids with her brows pulled together. "I was talking about Sofía and Dustin. Since they're the ones leaving." She clicks her tongue. "Sorry."

Gus wasn't able to say anything about the kids being dismissive over Sofia's news—fine. But she sure as hell was going to make them feel bad about it.

Gus slaps her hands against her knees. "Now! We'll figure out a day to take you guys wherever you want before you leave, okay?" She stands up. "So, what's up? Can I get something to eat or...?—"

"We were actually about to leave." Mike stands up with Eleven's hand in his.

Gus quirks a brow out of annoyance. "Of course you were..." she wipes her mouth. "Okay, well, is anyone else leaving—"

"We are." Lucas and Max stand up. "We're going to the arcade with..." they look at the other couple. Gus looks at Dustin and Sofía who were timidly smiling. She rolls her eyes playfully, "Get out of here."

All the kids run up the stairs laughing. Gus let's out a harsh breath and slumps her shoulders. She then looks to the side and sees Will sitting there. She presses her lips into a small smile. "You want a burger or something?"

Will nods his head, "Wanna play D&D?"

Gus deadpans, "Is that even a question? I've already got a whole campaign ready!"

...

"I think a job at Starcourt would be cool."

Fallon looks over at Robin. "Really?"

Robin meets Fallon's brown eyes and she pulls her brows together. "Yeah. Why is that so shocking?"

Fallon shrugs, "I don't know, I figured you'd want to work at a bookstore or a movie store." She tilts her head. "Just anywhere that wouldn't require a lot of people around you."

Robin smirks, "You know me pretty well, huh?"

Fallon quirks a brow. "I would hate to brag, but yeah. I do." She lightly nudges her leg against Robin's.

Robin swallows from the sudden pressure of Fallon's leg against hers. "What about you? Are you interested in Starcourt mall?"

"I mean...I've thought about it." Fallon hums. "I also know school's coming faster than I realized and I need to start making money for myself."

Robin sucks in a small breath. "It's gonna be weird not seeing you everyday." She looks to her side and meets Fallon's eyes.

Fallon softly smiles, "Who knew you would become so attached to me."

Robin squints her eyes, "Me?" She then scoffs. "Do you remember when I hated you and you joined band to become friends with me?"

"I told you, I liked the acoustics!"

Robin grabs Fallon's hand. "Fal, I need you to listen to me and listen to me well."

Fallon keeps her squinted eyes on Robin's.

"No one believed you."

Both girl's keep their eyes on each other, not breaking eye contact. Fallon was trying to see if Robin would crack, but she was getting nothing. "You're lying."

Robin clicks her tongue. "Nope."

Fallon tilts her head to the ceiling and lets out a breath. "Oh god, so they all knew I had a further motive?"

"Well, you joined band during your senior year." Robin shrugs. "And band is usually for the school's pariah."

Fallon huffs, "I hate that. People should be able to like what they like with you judgement."

"If only it were that simple." Robin's smiles saddens.

Fallon's chest tightens and she swallows. Both girl's had the same unspoken weight on their shoulders. The urge to tell the other was powerful, but their fear for the other's reaction was far more stronger.

Fallon looks down at their hands still interlocked and her heart flutters. Robin notices Fallon looking down and she follows suit. Her mouth drops open from seeing their fingers intertwined and her face gets hot.

"I..." Robin quickly pulls her hand from Fallon's. "...need to get home." She stands up and swallows her nervous lump.

"A-Are you sure?" Fallon's eyes follow Robin as the bob-haired girl moves for the door.

The hand that was holding Fallon's wouldn't stop shaking. Get it together, Robin.

"Yeah—yeah. My mom probably wants me to help her make dinner." Robin stuffs her hands into her pockets. "I should go, Fal."

Fallon purses her lips, "Oh, well. I'll see you later then?"

Robin keeps her eyes on Fallon's soft ones. Fallon herself was also shaking from the small moment of them holding hands. But she was trying to keep it under wraps. She couldn't let Robin know it bothered her. And she was doing it well.

"Yeah." Robin clears her that. "Yeah. I'll see you later..." she pulls the door open and quickly leaves the room.

Fallon's soft expression twists into a sad one and her stomach is left feeling twisted in knots. It was exhausting keeping her true feelings for Robin under wraps. But it was even more exhausting keeping who she truly was from the world.

☆

"I told you, you should've brought a jacket."

Gus grumbles and rubs her arms. "And I told you, you should've got your car checked before something happened."

Gus points at the heater, "Something happened." She hisses.

Steve softly snorts. Since they've been dating, Steve's noticed that Gus uses her anger as an intimidation tactic. It worked for everyone else but Steve. He knew her anger towards him wasn't harmful.

And he especially couldn't be scared while she has a red nose and a small sniffle that's paired with her pout.

"Winter came so fast." Gus huffs. "And this car bullshit made it come to me faster."

"Okay, I'm sorry—I'm sorry." Steve reaches in the backseat of his car and grabs a blanket. He holds it out to her. Gus looks at the blanket then back at Steve with a pout. Steve lightly shakes her favorite blanket of his. Gus softly scoffs and grabs the blanket. She pulls her knees toward her chest and wraps the blanket around herself.

"Thank you." Gus softly grumbles.

Steve laughs and pulls Gus into his side. "No problem, Guster."

The couple stay like that for a moment, the only thing being heard was the wind against the car and the light music playing on Steve's radio. Steve and Gus always found themselves on the edge of town in his car when they wanted to be alone. It was their spot. The thought of the two of them sharing something made Gus' heart flutter.

Gus' eyes catch sight of a light flying across the night sky and she gasps. "Holy shit! Did you see that?!" She leans forward, out of Steve's grip. Steve follows her lead and leans forward. "What was it?"

"A shooting star." Gus exhales with a smile across her face. "I've never seen one before."

"Well, did you make a wish?"

Gus' shoulders relax, "I already have everything I want." She keeps her eyes on the sky. "My life feels kind of complete if I'm being honest."

She looks at Steve, noticing the boy already looking at her. Gus pulls her brows together and a small bit of laughter escapes her lips. "What?"

Steve cups the side of her neck, awe flickering in his eyes. "You are so beautiful."

The brunette's smile lessens and her jaw goes slack. Gus sucks in a small breath and her stomach flutters. Gus leans toward the boy, connecting their lips. Steve's heart jumps into his throat, but he kisses Gus back. He touches the side of her neck and pulls her close. Gus crawls over the seat and straddles Steve's lap. She slightly pulls her lips away from his and inhales a soft breath. Steve does the same, his breathing becoming heavy. Gus takes her jacket off, suddenly feeling her entire body heat up. She turns back to Steve and he hasitly kisses her once again. Gus immediately kisses Steve back, their teeth clanking against one another. Gus slowly moves her hand to the side of Steve's seat and pulls the lever, causing the seat to fall back.

A small grunt leaves Steve's lips. Gus slides a hand under his shirt and chills run across his body. The brunette kisses Steve's jawline then his neck. Steve's hands start to get sweaty.

"Uh, August?"

"Yeah?" Gus quietly hums. She pulls away from him and meets his nervous brown eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good--just wondering if...this is going where I think it's going."

Gus presses her lips into a small. "I mean...yeah."

"In the car?"

Gus shrugs her shoulders. "Why not?"

"Wouldn't this be your first time?" Steve asks.

Gus nods her head, "Yeah, but seriously I don't mind--"

"Well, I do."

Gus raises her brows and slightly opens her mouth. "Oh." she sits up.

"August, I'm sorry, I just--"

A tap at the window is heard, causing the two teens to turn their heads. Gus tilts her head to the car ceiling and she sighs. She rolls down the window, "Hi, Officer Callahan."

"Gus! What are you doing here? It's late."

Gus slightly opens her mouth. "Just...taking a nap." she shrugs.

"You uh, missed a few buttons, kid."

Gus looks down at her flannel, noticing it was slightly unbuttoned. Her face heats up and she starts to button her shirt up. Callahn looks into the car and sees Steve still laying down. "Hi--hey, officer Callahan."

"Harrington." Callahan nods. "You two shouldn't be up here doing...whatever this is."

"Oh, don't worry, Callahan. Nothing was going to happen anyway." Gus gets off of Steve's lap and sits in the passanger seat with a huff. Steve readjusts his seat so he was now sitting up and he looks at Gus. "I'm sorry. But, you have to understand--"

"You two have to understand that this can't happen again." Callahn speaks, knowing the couple forgot he was there. "I don't need Hopper on your case and I sure as hell don't need him on mine."

Gus holds up her hands. "It won't happen again, Callahan. Sorry."

Callahan gives them a small nod before walking back to his car. Steve lets out a small breath before glancing over at Gus. Her arms were folded and her face was turned in the opposite direction of him. "Gus—"

"Hopper probably wants me home right now." Gus softly speaks. Her face was hot. All Gus wanted to do was crawl into a hole and disappear. Steve lets out a small breath. He could feel his stomach twist out of guilt. He didn't mean to embarrass her. And he most certainly didn't mean to hurt her feelings.

Steve starts the car and pulls away from the edge of the town.

☆

Hopper was expecting a quiet night in. Mike had just left and Eleven was getting ready for bed. He hadn't heard anything from Gus, so he assumed that she was staying at Fallon's tonight.

That's until he heard Gus' voice on the front porch.

"Gus, I'm sorry—"

"You have nothing to apologize for." Gus chuckles. "It was my mistake to think that you'd be attracted to me."

"What—"

"Am I ugly?" Gus cuts Steve off.

Simultaneously, Eleven and Hopper peak their heads out of their doors and look at the front door. They then look at each other. Eleven raises a brow at Hopper and he lets out a grumble. "I've got it..." Hopper fully emerges from his room.

Gus keeps her arms folded as Steve rambles.

"Listen, I know it doesn't make sense right now." Steve keeps his hands on Gus' arms. "But the reason I haven't been wanting to take things to the next level is because—"

The door swings open and Gus throws her head back. "No!"

"Yes. Gus, get inside."

"Hopper, he was just—"

"I don't care. We're trying to sleep and you two..." Hopper points between the couple. "Are annoying the shit out of us. Get. In. Side."

Gus squints her eyes. Steve looks between the father and daughter, her anger was no longer aimed at him. A part of Steve should've been relieved, but he didn't want to leave Gus here thinking he wasn't attracted to her. That wasn't the case at all.

"Harrington."

Steve looks at Hopper and he swallows from the hard look across his face. That was definitely the "time for you to go" face.

"August, can I explain to you tomorrow?" Steve asks, he shivers from the cold wind brushing against his neck. Gus' nose was red from how cold it was, but there was also a heat in her face from this whole situation.

Even though she was frustrated, the girl's face softened for Steve. "Yeah, of course."

Steve softly smiles, "Great. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Gus presses her lips into a small line. She walks inside the house leaving Hopper to continue glaring at Steve. Hopper points at Steve, "I told you what would happen if you hurt her—"

"I'm not trying to." Steve forces out. "I'm really trying to make this relationship be perfect."

"Not every relationship is going to be perfect." Hopper grumbles. "Even the healthiest relationships have issues. But they communicate and explain why they're having issues. That's why they're healthy."

Steve's brows furrow.

"And as of right now, you and Gus? Are far from healthy."

Steve's jaw goes slack. Before he could ask for anymore advice, Hopper shuts the door in his face.

━━━━━━━━━━

words : 5464