ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴀꜱᴛꜱ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ☆ ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇ ʜᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ

024 .

[December 3rd, 1983]
024.  he came back

Annabelle was standing at the porch to the house, her hands were shaking, her breath uneven and the rain mixed in with her own tears. She kept trying to regulate her breaths, waiting for the front door to open - that felt like an eternity but was only a minute or two.

When the door finally opened, revelling the Harrington boy, his smile soon turned into a frown when he saw the look on her face. "Annie?" seeing her shaky demeanour, he quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her into the house and out of the cold and rainy December day before closing the door behind him.

"What happened?" Steve asked with concern and worry, holding onto her shoulders as he bend down a little to her eye level.

"He came back." Her voice was small, using the back of her hand to wipe across her nose and she sniffed.

"Who came back?" the boy was quick to think back to the Demogorgon. "Annie, you need to tell me who?" even though he voiced sternly, he was panicking inside, going over any and every scenario.

"M-my dad." Her breath picked up and his eyes softened ever so slightly, knowing she wasn't in immediate danger. "He-he just... I came home and he was just, there. Like nothing ever happened. He didn't even acknowledge about Edwin." Steve pulled her into her into a hug, rubbing up and down her back in a comforting manner. Annie's tears soaked through his shirt but he didn't seem to mind.

"They started yelling a-and... I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry. I shouldn't." She shook her head, pulling back from her friend. "I shouldn't be here. I-I just had nowhere else, Ste."

Steve looked into her eyes, letting a soft sigh fall from his lips. "It's fine. You can come over whenever. I mean it." he smiled. "Why don't you stay the night. I'll give you some dry clothes to change into. We can watch a movie after?"

Annabelle shrugged back to him, looking down. The boy sighed and grabbed her hand, making her follow him up the stairs and into his room. Reluctantly, he let go of her hand and walked over to the dresser to pull out a yellow sweatshirt and some sweatpants, both way to big for her small frame but passed them to her nonetheless.

"Here." She smiled back to him and grabbed the pile, setting it on the bed. "I'll, um, I'll be outside." He nodded to her, stumbling over his words.

Annabelle pulled her drenched jumper over her head, not realising Steve was still in the room, freezing as he saw her start to get changed in his room. He knew he should leave, but the boy was so mesmerized over the girl.

The blonde grabbed the yellow sweatshirt, pulling it over her head. Steve didn't realise what he was doing. Once second he was leaving the room, the next he was taking strides over to his friend, stopping in front of her. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes but before Annie could speak, Steve cupped her cheeks, leaning down and connecting his lips with hers.

The sudden contact took Annie off guard. The same time Steve had just realised what he did. Pulling back, he cached his breath, looking to Annie with his chest rising and falling with his heavy breathing. Steve was just as shocked at Annie was.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that." He stuttered, stepping back. Annabelle just looked to him in shock. The realisation then hit her. Her best friend just kissed her... when he's already in a relationship. Stepping back from him, she turned on her heel and rushed out his room, down the stairs.

Steve was quick to run after her. "Annie!" He called. "Annie please! It's late. Just - just stay here. I'll take you home. Annie!" But he didn't get a response as the front door slammed shut in front of him.

"Fuck!" The boy yelled, letting his head hit the front door. He just ruined a friendship. Not even that, but he messed up everything with Annabelle and Nancy. He was dating Nancy, not Annie. Even if his relationship was slightly rocky, he was still together with the brunette girl in a way, just not fully confirmed after the events at the Byers home. It's not like Annie kissed him back anyway, she was too in shock over his impulse decision. What the hell happened?