0 0 2 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹𝟹: 𝙳𝚘𝚗𝚎

Thunder crackled overhead, the sky a mess of blue lightning that streaked back and forth like firing neurons. The glowing rift overhead continued to grow, slicing through stars and brightening the night sky but neither Steve nor Sarah gave it any mind. They were more focused on each other. 

"I--I'm still a little confused," Steve confessed, his eyes locked on Sarah's. "Why exactly are you out here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," Sarah replied with a raised brow but a smile that was still just as strong. Her hands wrapped tightly around her shoulders as a stray breeze blew by and her body shivered. Now that all the adrenaline had worn off, she could feel her body again and all that came with it; the pain, the chill, the fatigue. 

"Why don't you get in the car? It's cold out," Steve offered, his finger clicking the button to unlock the doors. Sarah quickly rounded the car and scrambled into the passenger seat, shutting the door and the chill behind her. 

"So...Why are you out here?" Sarah asked, turning her head to look at Steve inquisitively. "Doesn't this road lead out of Hawkins?"

"Quinn told me," Steve answered bluntly. "Everything. About how she was a subject at Hawkins Lab and about how she was responsible for killing Mark. About how she lied to me, used me. I didn't know how to absorb it all so I went for a drive and well...now I'm here."

Sarah sat back in her seat, staring forward out the windshield at the darkened woods surrounding them. A mix of emotions washed over her; relief that he knew the truth but shame that she had played a hand in his pain. After a deep breath she said, "I'm sorry, Steve. It's my fault that you got sucked into all of this. Again."

Steve's head whipped around to look at Sarah. "Don't you say that."

"But, Steve--" Sarah began to say when Steve cut her off with a firm shake of his head.

"Stop, just stop. I don't want to hear it. I won't hear it. I won't accept any apologies because you have nothing to apologize for. Understand?" Steve raised his eyebrows, daring Sarah to argue with him.

Sarah opened her mouth to do just that when she realized that Steve was right. She had carried this guilt with her for all of her life, this shame that she was some harbinger of torment. But she was done with that, she was done with it all. There was no room for it in her happy ending. "Understood," Sarah answered with a smile.