Love Is A Battlefield (A Stranger Things/Steve Harrington Fanfiction)

Chapter Eighty-Eight: Home Sweet Home

We decided to leave the car at Skull Rock and cut through the woods to get back to Lover's Lake in order to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. 

It was dark by the time we got there, and sure enough, the Compass started going crazy the closer we got to it.

"Something's happening." Dustin commented, running ahead excitedly.

"Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin!" Eddie called.

"I think we getting close!" He called over his shoulder. Eddie ran up behind him, grabbing his shoulder.

"Watch your step, big guy."

If Eddie hadn't stopped him, Dustin would've walked right into Lover's Lake. I nodded.

"You know, sometimes I hate being so smart." I said sarcastically, hiking my dufflebag up on my shoulder and turning to look at Steve. 

"Yeah...sometimes I hate you being so smart too." I stuck my tongue out at him before turning to look at Eddie.

"Hey Eddie," I called, "Do you remember where you stashed that boat?"

He nodded, leading us over to a small, clearing area and pulling the tarp off of the motor boat that had been in Reefer Rick's boat house. He and Steve got down on the ground behind it and started pushing it towards the water.

"Easy, I-" Eddie set it down with a clunk, splashing water on Steve, "I said Easy man."

"Sorry." They both held the boat in place and Steve turned around, holding out a hand to Robin.

"Here you go."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna do that." She opted to putting her hands on top of each of their heads, using them as leverage to step into the boat. "Thank you."

"Yeah, that works too."

Eddie climbed in next, followed by Nancy, who gratefully accepted his hand as he helped her into the boat.

"Wheeler."

"Thanks."

I walked past Steve, dropping my bag  in the bottom of the boat and climbed inside on my own, sitting down on one of the benches. Dustin tried to board next, but Eddie held out his hand.

"What you trying to sink us?" He asked. "This thing holds four people, tops, plus Riley's duffle bag, which is basically the size of a person."

"If we end up in the Upside Down, you'll be thankful for this Duffle bag." I shot back.

"Its better this way, ok?" Nancy told him. "You guys stay here with Max. Keep an eye out for trouble."

"You keep an eye out." Nancy narrowed her eyes at him and he made a face in return. "Its my gosh dang theory."

"Actually its my theory," I pointed out, "You only figured out the compass part."

"You heard Nance." Robin told him.

"Who put her in charge?"

"I did."

"Yeah, I seconded, we had a whole meeting about it with Parliamentary Procedure and everything, looks like you missed it." I stated.

"This coming from the girl who literally led the charge into the Mind Flayer tunnels." Dustin argued.

"Mind Flayer Tunnels and the Upside Down are two completely different animals," I told him, standing up in the boat again, "And if you won't listen to Nancy then you're going to listen to me, and as our Upside Down Vet, you're not stepping foot into that place unless I say so, is that understood?" He sighed and I held my hand out. "Compass."