𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗬 [steve harrington]

chapter 40

Fall 1985
see you later
🎶 see you later - jenna raine

Izzie had packed all her bags. She was set to drive out to California today. She only wished it didn't mean leaving behind everyone she loved. She wished on every star that Steve could come with her, but that just wasn't happening. At least, not today.

She had said her tearful goodbyes to Blair and her parents, and now she was driving her car full of boxes to Steve's house. This was the part she was dreading. Long distance. Everyone told her it would kill her relationship, she refused to believe it. She and Steve were different. Right?

Her heart sunk as she drove into Steve's driveway. It was something she had done a million times, but this time, it was different. It wasn't a hello. She wouldn't be seeing him again until break, and the weight of those months were starting to settle. It took everything in her just to walk up to the door, to face him. How could she see the look in his face and not stay? How? She knew there was no way she could stare into his pleading eyes and still walk away.

She took a deep breath in, swallowed her tears, and stepped out of the car. She knocked on the door, trying to hold herself together. But when the door opened and Steve's face appeared, she couldn't pretend. She fell apart, falling into him. He wrapped himself around her, finally letting himself shed a tear. This was the first time he had cried in front of Izzie, and he hated every second of it. "I can't do it." She mumbled.

Steve shook his head. "You have to. This is your dream, and I'm not standing between that."

Izzie wiped a stray tear, looking up at him for any reason to drop everything and stay. He would kill for her to stay with him forever, but he would never forgive himself if he was the reason Izzie didn't do what she needed. "We talked about this. Your gonna go to Berkeley, and I'll be here waiting. And when you're done with school and I've got enough money I'll follow you and we'll live together in our beach house. We'll have our dog, and Dustin can visit. All the kids can, even Blair. We're gonna be okay."

Izzie took a deep breath. "We're gonna be okay." She nodded.

"And I'm gonna call you, I'm gonna call you so much your gonna want to throw your phone away." He chuckled. "I promise."

"I love you." She smiled.

"I love you too." He replied, pulling her in for one last kiss.

The two had moved closer to her car, and she felt like her world was caving in. What if they come back? They always do, she needed to be there. "Steve if it happens again-"

"Izzie don't worry about that." He interrupted.

"No. We do this together, remember? So call me. Please, I won't let you do it alone."

"I'll call you. I promise." Steve assured. "And I'll be in touch with Byers. We have a deal, he's looking out for you and I'm looking out for Nancy."

Izzie shook her head, laughing at how the boys did the exact same thing she and Nancy had done. "Well Nancy is watching you too. So are Victorie and Blair."

"Try not to miss me too much?"

The blonde sighed. "You know I could never do that. Try not to get kidnapped?"

Steve let out a saddened laugh. "I'll try."

"I know that we promised we wouldn't say the word goodbye." Izzie sighed. "So, for now, see your later?"

"Yeah." Steve replied, his voice cracking slightly. "See you later."

"Thank you, Steve, for everything." The blonde said softly as she sat on the car.

"Always." He nodded. "Before you go, I have something for you." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small gift wrapped in green. Izzie took it from him, ripping of the wrapping paper to reveal a cassette tape labeled steve and izzie volume 2.

A tear dropped from her eyes as she looked up at him. "It's perfect."

"See you later?" He said, wiping a tear from her face.

"See you later." She said with a teary smile, pulling the car out of the driveway.

The drive out of Hawkins was the hardest.

She drove past Hawkins High and memories of those four years played before her. Fights with Steve in the Cafeteria. Attending his basketball games in the gym. Accepting her diploma, third in her class. It was all so surreal.

She drove past Tina's neighborhood, and she thought of Halloween. The night she had met Blair, the night Blair had met Billy. She thought about her fight with Nancy, and how Steve was there for her afterwards.

She drove past the Byers, and she thought about the night she first encountered the upside down. She thought about the night a year later. The night she first kissed Steve.

When she saw the sign that read "Leaving Hawkins" she knew it was the end of an era, for now at least. She would be back.