FAMILIAR ↳ STEVE HARRINGTON

sixty-eight.

Christine awoke with a gasp and a cough, the girl rocking back and forth briefly as she gripped her ribs. She grimaced in pain, the girl gritting her teeth as she tried to find the strength to get up. She noticed that Mike and Max were still on the ground, Christine rolling over and pushing herself up onto her knees. She sat like that for a moment, the urgency hitting her when she realized El was gone. She used the pipes on the wall to pull herself up the rest of the way, her knees swaying as she felt like the ground was rocking beneath her. There was a deafening ringing in her ears and  a terrible new pain in her chin, Christines fingers lifting to touch the tender spot. She pulled her hand back and was met with blood, her mind filling with the memories of Billy kicking her in the face. Christine pushed off of the wall that was holding her  up, the girl staggering off down the hallway and towards any door that could get her out of there. She needed to get to El, however she could.

She fell on her way to the door, the girl seeing insane sparks of light from the Scoops Ahoy. She heard pounding footsteps behind her, Max and Mike coming to help her up, the three of them making it out into the food court.

The sight in front of them was terrifying, El on the ground, Billy facing the monster who was roaring back at him. An arm burst from the monsters mouth, Billy's arms connecting with it as he held it back with all of his strength, the boy yelling as he did so. They all gasped, surprised by his heroism and his defending of Eleven, the very person he was after.

More arms sprouted from the monster, digging their claws into Billy's side, the boys strength giving out as they ripped into his flesh. The all gasped, tears springing to Christine eyes as she just couldn't tear them away from the scene. Billy was brought to his knees, the creature shrieking with a finality as its mouth opened. A yell ripped form Billy throat, the man showing his resilience in the face of death.  A final arm burst from the creatures mouth, stabbing Billy right through the heart.

"Billy!" Max screamed from beside Christine, the arms detaching from his body and the boy slumping to the ground. Max watched on in pure terror, not a moment to spare before the creature screeched, something clearing happening to it as it writhed in pain.  It fell to the ground with a big bellowing clang, dead.

Mike ran to El, checking to see if she was okay as  Max began to walk warily towards Billy, Christine stumbling over to where she was. By the time she got there Billy was gone, Christine dropping to her knees and pulling the girl into her arms.  Max collapsed into her chest, Christine holding her head as the younger girl gripped her shirt.

"I'm sorry Max. I'm so sorry." She said into her hair, the girls sobs breaking her heart in half. She looked  at the body of Billy Hargrove, feeling such deep sorrow for him and for Max, the girl unable to take her eyes off of him.

El tapped Christines arm, the girl turning to look at her with big mournful eyes. El gestures towards Max, Christine nodding and pressing and squeezing the girl one more time before letting El take over. Mike helped Christine up, the girl giving him a thankful look as she heard pounding footsteps running towards her.  Military soon stormed into the mall, medics and firefighters coming towards the group and leading them out of the mall. By the time they got everyone outside Christine was in an ambulance, the men starting to close the doors as they planned to take her to the nearest hospital because of her clearly broken ribs and constant shallow breathing.

Christine felt tears in her eyes as everything hit her, the girl feeling all the pain at once, physical and emotional. Her chest ached like no other the second she was alone, and she really hated being alone. The ambulance doors shut, Christine left to herself in the back of it, her eyes closing briefly as she thought back on everything that had happened.

"Wait! Wait!" Christine heard from outside of the  ambulance, her eyes reopening in pure hope as she heard the familiar voice. "Just wait!  Who's in there?! Let me- move! Let me ride with her! Let me— shit!"

The ambulance doors were soon ripped open, Steve Harrington staring at the girl with concern and  worry and absolute relief that she was okay.  He pulled himself into the ambulance, the boy running to her side as the paramedics mumbled and closed the ambulance doors, neither of the teens really caring  about anything other than each other at the moment.  Steve reached down, scooping the girl into his arms and let out a relieved breath as all his worry and hurt melted away. He hadn't been able to see her when she was down at the bottom.

"Ow! Jesus Christ! Steve get off!" She said, the boy jumping back from her, his hands gripping her biceps as he looked down at her. His face was overcome with worry and concern, his eyes filled with an apologetic look and his fingers gripping her skin for dear life.

"Don't ever do that shit again! You hear me! Don't! Ever!" Steve spit out, Christines lips turning up into an impossible smile as she let out a painful laugh. His words reminded her of their last run in with the Mind Flayer, when he had risked his life and she had said something along the same lines as those.  Steve's face dropped as she laughed, the boy shaking his head as he also dropped his hands, clearly realizing she didn't take him seriously. "Oh I'm worried about you. So funny. Right."

"No it's not funny. It's not. It's sweet." Christine said, looking back up at him with a knowing look. Another thought infiltrated her mind and she raised an eyebrow at him, her lips lifting with another smile.    The pain, trauma, terror, and anxiety melted away, and it was just Steve and Christine, finally. He gave her a questioning look, the girl opening her lips to speak. "So you love me huh?"

Steve's face flushed as she said it, the boys hand lifting to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked away from her. His face scrunched up into confusion and he began to mumble, the boy not knowing what to do about this now that she had brought it back up.

"Did I- I mean did I really- did I say that? I don't remembering saying that. I mean maybe in a...you're my friend and I lo-"

"No Steve it's okay. I know what you meant." Christine said with a knowing smile, her hand traveling up his arm and to his cheek. She pushed herself up with a few painful grunts, Steve scolding her as she did so but still feeling his nerves eating away at him. She finally was sat all the way up,  the girl leaning forwards and getting awfully close to Steve's face. He sucked in a terrified breath at the fact that this was finally going to happen,  they're really finally going  to give in. Just as their lips brushed together the ambulance hit a bump, the two of them braking apart. Christine and Steve looked at each other, both of them bursting into some kind of laughter at the fact that the universe had intervened. Christine sat back now, gripping Steve's hand and giving it a squeeze before giving him a hopeful smile, one that he would never forget.

"I love you too."