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( HAWKINS, INDIANA 1983 )
ACT ONE: CALL ME A PRINCESS BUT I GET
WHAT I WANT AND I WANT YOU!
⤷ CHAPTER SIX  ⎯  THE MONSTER

WHEN A BEATEN STEVE HARRINGTON SHOWS UP AT YOUR DOOR WITH A PACK OF COLA, most would let him in without hesitation.

           Artemis Kline is not most.

           When she pulled open the door, she expected to see a reporter interested in her father's mayoral campaign or one of her mother's friends that wore too much makeup. She was not dressed like she usually was. Especially to see her crush and friend, Steve Harrington, leaning on her door frame with his head hung low in shame.

           Instead of a welcoming greeting and allowing him to rush into the bathroom, silence consumed the pair. Stray winds brushed past the porch's chimes, the metal tubes clinking against each other creating soft symphonies. The calming, almost nostalgic sound alerts Steve to look upon his childhood friend.

           His pudding brown eyes shift from the cold, concrete stone up to where her signature red hightops meet her frilly socks, before continuing up her tan and bare legs. He kept going upwards, hoping to find the fabric of denim jeans, but there was nothing but a faded white t-shirt hem that began at the mid of her thighs.

          "Are you going to explain why you're here, or are you gonna keep starin' at me?" She asked with a certain degree of anger in her voice. Steve instantly lifted his chin, feeling embarrassed that he was caught looking at his childhood friend in that way.

           He groans in misery as the blood from the cuts on his face shift and drips through the weakened skin. He's unable to fully move his eyes because of the enormous amount of pain and swelling happening all at once. For a moment, he notices how her face softens, a quiet, fearful gasp caught in the back of her throat, her hands hesitating to reach him.

           Steve looks at her once more, recognizing that the oversized shirt is not just anything, but the one he got from the Def Leppard Pyromania 1983 USA Tour almost a year ago. The exact same one he thought he lost, but it's been here all this time.

          "Is that my shirt?" He asks, using his free hand to slide off the door frame and pinch the vintage fabric off the girl's shoulder.

           His fingers graze through some of the golden waves as he teasingly pulls upwards. The bagginess instantly disappears as it is caught on her bountiful chest and the hem raises dangerously high— almost exposing everything the Princess of Hawkins has to offer.

"Y-Yes, Steve! Stop it!" Artemis laughs as her cheeks flare up in embarrassment. Her hand finally reaching out and grabbing his the zipper to his dark jean jacket, before pushing his hand and body away. "You don't remember, givin' it to me?" She asks, looking up to meet his downward gaze.

"You're lucky I could even remember your address," Steve squints in pain, shaking his head as his hand returns to his side. Brown curls fall from his forehead, sticking to the splattered crimson above his left brow. "Gosh, my head is pounding."

"You definitely deserved that, you know." The blonde counters, pulling back her hand and crossing the arms over her chest. "I'm just surprised someone did it before I could."

Steve begrudgingly nods, licking his bottom slowly. He tries to feel out how really bad his scab is, but accidentally tears the top-layer off. Hissing at the sting, a bitter tangy taste of metal forms on his tongue, he sighs in pain. "I know."

"Do you?" Artemis questions, finally leaving the safety of her living room corridor floorboards and venturing out onto the concrete steps.

"Cause I waited hours at that God-forsaken library surrounded by ogling freaks and nerds!" She yells, startling the boy with the outburst so much that he drops the pack of coca-colas.

She ignores his pleas and 'shits,' stepping over the cans and the dark sugary liquid seeping from the cardboard box. "All for you to blow me off and have me walk home alone!"

"Alone, Steve!" She yells even louder, not caring about who would see or the rumors that could run rampant about the mayor's daughter being scantily-clad, arguing with another boy.

             She's been there, done that.

"That kid," she points off to the side of the bruised boy, her sea breeze eyes threatening to shed some salty tears. "Is dead because he went home alone!"

"I know, Artemis," Steve sighs, taking another broken pummel to the chest before grabbing the blonde's arms and walking the hysterical girl back to the safe confinement of her doorframe. His tall and lanky body blocking any view a nosy neighbor might see, leaving her pretty, petite figure for his adoring eyes only.

"And then," Artemis relaxes in his hold, sniffling at bit as she looks up at him with glossy, frightful eyes. "And then, there was this.." she hesitates, how knowing it sounded completely crazy, "this guy"—

—"Wait, guy? What guy? Did he do something?" He pesters, his voice dropping to a soft and caring tone. His fingers hook around her smooth skin, bringing her closer to his body warmth as another gust of wind sends chills up their spines.

             "No," she firmly dismisses any fears and drastic worries. She steps away from Steve's comforting embrace, getting mad at herself for going back to him so easily.

             The blonde shakes her head, quickly wiping away any tears escaping from her glassy complexion. "No, he just totally creeped me out. He followed me for a while, but I lost him. Thank God."

              Artie chuckles darkly, before breaking eye contact and looking down at her shoes. "I couldn't see his face. I.." she hesitates, nibbling on her bottom lip, worried that him of all people wouldn't believe her. "I mean there wasn't"—

             —"Hey, look at me." Steve interrupts for a second time, his pointer finger reaching out and pressing under her chin. He lifts her head, forcing her to look at him once more. His voice soft but demanding, his eyes flickering to her parted cherry-chapstick lips. "You can tell me anything, you know that right, princess?"

            Artemis blinks in awe, her eyelashes fluttering as she catches a sly glimpse at how close his lips were. "Whatever. It's stupid, forget it," she pulls her chin away from his hand, her body illuminating with an annoyed aura. "It doesn't even matter anymore because I'm here and alive and still fucking pissed at you."

          "You're right, I'm sorry." Steve agrees, dropping his hand and stuffing it into the dark jacket pocket. Cursing at himself for not apologizing sooner, punishing himself for the teasing and the touches— lustful actions she would never reciprocate so why is he even trying?

           Besides he's in love with Nancy, so there's no reason he should be acting this way. Right?

           "I know." The so-called princess shrugs, urging for the quote-unquote King of Hawkins High to drop the douchebag act and return to being the knight in shining armor she always pictured him as. "Go on."

           "Listen, I came here to apologize. I did blow you off the other night and for that I'm sorry. I've been actin' like a dick lately, and, and I know that's shouldn't be an excuse but"— A dry scoff followed by a sarcastic hum cuts off his rambling.

             Looking at a disappointed face, questionable eyebrows raised high in the air, he immediately changes his words before the sentence was completed.  "An-And it's not. Of course, it's not. I wasted your time and I failed my quiz. I fucked up with you, with Nance, and I- I shouldn't be here. Just forget it."

             He finishes his sob story with a tired sigh, knowing that he should be on a drive trying to clear his head. But his heart went to Artie, and he always followed his heart. No matter how guilty or troubling it caused him to be.

             Turning around, he starts to walk back towards his BMW, mumbling out another regret, "sorry about the soda."

             Sighing through her nose, Artemis rubbed her sleepy eyes and sweaty skin, knowing that she will regret this decision either way. She could either watch him leave and ultimately go to Nancy without spending time with her.

             Or, they could have a moment like they used to. Before high school, before Nancy Wheeler, before puberty and sexual tension that grew thick between them. Back when they used to be childhood friends, and not just the tutor and the tutored.

             "Steve?"

             "Yeah, Artie?" He instantly turns on his heel with a lopsided smile plastered on his swollen face. As if he was waiting for her sweet and caring voice to rope him back in.

             She smiles back, running a hand through her messy bed-head, while the other waves at him to come back. He chuckles to himself, almost giggling in excitement when he races back to the girl.

             And before she could say anything, he scoops her into a big bear hug. Somewhere between a yelp and a laugh, Artemis couldn't help but hug back. Carefully, she pressed her heart against his chest, allowing for her chin to rest on his shoulder.

             She missed him. She missed this.

             His arms wrapping tightly around her waist, careful and respectful not to reach for anything else below. Steve tried his best not to tear open anymore cuts and scrapes, he didn't want his ideal girl covered in blood. It would ruin her perfect face.

             As he settles her back down, the pair has finally entered the Kline family home. The front door slowly swinging to a close until it's the brunet teenager who shuts it with his foot.

             Artemis pulls away, Steve's arms still draped on her hips but she doesn't seem to care. "Who do I have to thank for knocking some sense into you?"

             "Jonathan Byers," he rolls his eyes, slightly wincing and flinching as his left eye had begun to go stiff and burn from the bruising flesh.

             Artie laughs in disbelief, knowing that losing a fight— much less to a pretentious creep like Jonathan Byers has severely beaten up his ego. Steve whines, saying something along the lines of 'my pain is not funny.'

            "Come on, you big baby," she grabs his hand, failing to ignore the sexual lightning coursing through their burning veins. She pulls him through her hallway, taking him to her personal bathroom. "Just try not to get blood on floor. My mother will kill me."

☾✧

fez speaking!
i <3 the skinny love bastards

peep the "guy" artie saw . . .
not human babe ur not going crazy.

also there's gonna be somewhat
DD/LG vibes throughout this story,
because daddy issues is APPARENT
in the eighties,, holy shit. i mean,
artie's literally "princess" sooo.. &&
no one is seriously calling anyone
daddy— ew. (ok only once or twice ;))

please remember to vote and comment!
love you all <3