Steve Harrington had his hand on Christine Wheelers back, both of their breaths heavy as she bent over by a tree.  They had both underestimated the hike, the hill, and also how out of shape they both were. Christine hadn't done much over the winter, but Steve had played basketball, and  he was rather surprised by how physically  unfit he had fallen during the month since the season ended.

"Fuck! Give me the water." Christine ordered, the girl holding her hand out to Steve as she held onto the tiny tree for dear life. She had been fine when they started at the bottom, but her breakfast and lunch had decided to make another appearance  when she made it halfway up the hill. Steve pushed the bottle into her hand, his other one rubbing up and down her back as he waited for her to be done. She stood up, his hand not falling as she chugged the water, trying to get the taste out of her mouth. She unzipped her coat as she drank the water, pulling it off and throwing it to the ground for a second. Steve reached down, picking it up and holding it, his hand finally dropping from her back as he stepped in front of her.

"You feel better?" Steve asked, his face red and sweaty from the hike still as his hands went to his hips. She held up a finger, swishing water in her mouth and then spitting it out before letting out a long breath and then looking up at him.

"Yes."

"You wanna just go back?" Steve suggested, wanting her to say yes. It was cold, he was tired, and he was almost sure they wouldn't make it up the hill by sundown. Christine however did not look too keen on his suggestion, her nose scrunching up as she shook her head.

"Absolutely not. We're all the way up here, might as well finish."

"You literally jsut threw up." Steve said, gesturing towards the tree with a disgusted face. Christine pulled her coat from Steve hand, quickly putting it back on and shaking her head at him again.

"Exactly so everything's out of my system. Let's go." She said, pushing him with her shoulder and starting off past him. She regretted it deep in the back of her head but she hated quitting. Steve watched her as she walked for a few moments, the boy letting out a sigh as he looked down at the ground. "You got a mint or something? Maybe a ti- dude come on!"

Finally he gave in, sighing one more time for good measure before dropping his hands and walking after her. She smiled as he rejoined her, her eyes narrowing as he stared down at the wet trail. There had been snow there hours before...it was almost fully melted on the trail, the sides of it still covered.  Christine put her arm through his, linking their elbows and smiling up at him as they walked.

"What? I need the extra help." She said when she took in the look on his face, her eyes dropping to his lips and his chin as she said it. Steve thought she looked adorable in her winter hat, it was red, complimenting the color of her cheeks at the matching coat. The fluffy white ball on the top made him smile, she looked absolutely hilarious and yet enchanting at the same time. The best part about the entire moment was the redness of her nose, he thought it was so cute. He also noticed how their attire complimented each other. Christine in a dark red and Steve in a deep blue. He thought that people that passed them would think they were a couple without a doubt, they definitely would.

He thought about them being a couple for a moment, his eyes moving from the side of her determined face to the  muddy footprints in front of him. He could picture it. Waking up next to Christine instead of Nancy, seeing her beautiful smile, hearing her laugh. He loved the idea. He could imagine kissing her, he could imagine it quite nicely because he had been trying to do it for awhile now. He looked at her again, his eyes going to her frost bitten lips and then to the mud again. He could imagine it.

He supposed it would be tender, and that her lips would be soft. He could almost anticipate the way it would make him feel, the way he would crave more. She was alluring, there was no doubt he would want more. He could imagine touching her skin, he had done it before but never in that way, never in the way he was thinking of. He could imagine tracing his finger up the beautiful curve of her hip, his fingertips getting lost in the silkiness of her skin. He could image running this fingers through her hair, smelling it, the intoxicating darkness of it making him look at her again. The mud welcomed his eyes a third time and he closed them for jsut a second, trying to expel the image from his head that he was having. He needed to stop getting his hopes up. He needed to stop thinking about her this way. He need to stop.

"Are you even listening to me?" Christine said, pulling Steve fully from his fantasies and making him looking over at her.

"You were talking?"

"You're a dick." She contemplated walking away from him for a moment but she couldn't walk any faster than she currently was. She rolled her eyes, looking ahead and seeing a wonderful sight. "Oh! Steve. The top! It's the top!" She cried, her finger shooting out to point at it.

His face brightened as they both realized, their paces picking up only slightly so they could get there faster. When they were finally at the clearing Christine realized that their timing was almost perfect. The sky was starting to crack, and she could see the orange starting to break through.

"I can't believe we made it." She whispered as the orange flooded the sky.  Steve nodded at her words, pulling her by the wrist closer to the edge of the clearing. She smiled at him one last time before she was lost in the view, her eyes widening in absolute wonder at the sight.

The sun was welcoming to look towards, the orange and yellow stark and glowing. Christine felt as if this view was speaking to her, something was being said. She stared out as the sky melted, feeling that familiar feeling that you get deep in your stomach when you realize you're meant to be somewhere. Her hand slid out of his grip on her wrist and instead she just closed their fingers together, the sensation making Steve's head turn from the unmissable sight.

He was stunned by the way the sun touched her, the whole that it painted her orange and red and made her glow. He studied her profile for awhile as she looked out at the sight, the boy unable to pull his eyes from her. She was devastatingly interesting, he found something new to look at every second he gazed at her. He wanted  to touch her like the sun had, to see her literally in a different light.

"This is beautiful. But we're never doing this again." Her voice sent flutters through his body and he cursed himself for how much he wanted her today. He nodded so that she wouldn't find his staring suspicious, but Christine was turning her head to look at him, and now she too was staring.
"What?"

As she waited for his answer she noted how soft he looked painted in gold, how serene he looked when he was far from home and happy and carefree. She noted how his eyes held a hopeful look in them and how even the way he had carried himself in the past few days had set him apart from regular Steve. He was different when he wasn't worrying. He was whole.

"The sun—you—you're beautiful." Christine felt her heart physically stretch and shake when he said this, her eyebrows furrowing and her face scrunching up with some disbelief and shock. She was beautiful?

"Alright shut up." She chuckled out, Steve smirking as he saw the way her cheeks somehow got redder. He looked back out at the glorious view and he figured a moment like this could be life changing, for the right kind of person. He looked back at her, the girl who was rejoining him at his side after she had momentarily stepped away. He pulled her closer, unexpectedly for both of them, Christine feeling shocked as Steve felt sure. He started to get closer to her face, the girl realizing he was going in for a kiss. Just at the last possible moment she got frightened, frightened of her feelings and what kissing him would mean. So she lifted her hand that was filled with muddy snow and smashed it into his face, Steve's mouth opening in shock and humor as she looked at him in shock at what she had done.

"I'm so sorry! I- I panicked. I'm so-"

"Dead! You're so dead." Steve finished her sentence, brushing off the rejection and instead launching forwards to grab her. He bent down, pushing his shoulder into her stomach and preparing her for what was about to happen. She yelled out as he lifted her over his shoulder, the few others on the trail looking over and smiling warmly at the two. She slapped his back a few times, Steve smiling out towards the sun again, taking one last look at all of its beauty and glory, and then starting his descent...with the screaming girl in his arms.