Hargrove's Secret (Steve x Y/N)

Chapter 6

     "El! Y/N!" Mike yelled. They ran over to us. "What's wrong?" He asked her.
      "My leg.." she started. I felt it too. Steve ran to my side and held me up.
      "Shit- check her ankle and her side." Nancy instructed. He took the gauze off my leg.
      "Holy shit!" He exclaimed. "I might need some backup!"
      Max walked over and checked my side. Same thing. I felt something move. Max jumped back in shock.
      "Holy shit! Holy shit! Okay, uhm," she exclaimed. I screamed in agony. Steve grabbed my hand.
      "Keep them talking! Keep them awake!" Jonathan yelled. He ran to a nearby kitchen and came back a few minutes later with 2 spoons and 2 knives.
      "Alright. Here's what we're gonna do." He said, placing a spoon in my mouth. He moved to my side. I felt a hot knife cut into my skin. I screamed. He put his fingers in the cut and removed the first thing. It was small, but like the thing we had fought earlier.
      "Can you do that Nance?" He asked. I didn't even notice Nancy watching. She nodded.
      He ran to El. Nancy cut into my leg. I screamed again, holding Steve's hand tightly. I screamed again as she put her fingers in my leg. I felt tears streaming down my face.
      I spat the spoon out. "Stop!" I yelled "Let me try!"
      She stopped. I used my power to get it out myself. I screamed as it fought to stay in. I could tell El was doing the same time. Glass broke all around us. Suddenly, it flung out. I used my power to crush both of them, then finally relaxed on Steve.
      "I got you." He said. I wiped my nose.
      "Oh, God!" I screamed.
      "You're okay. You did it. Good job. You did great, okay? It's over for now." He said.
      I nodded. I stood up with his assistance and he walked me over to the fountain. Everyone followed. I wasn't listening for most of it. But I did hear them talking about closing a gate and cutting the brain off.
      "Wait.." I said. "If we close the gate and cut the brain off.. won't that.. kill everyone who's a host?" I asked.
       "Not necessarily..." Mike said.
      "But we don't know for sure? I mean that was the logic with Will, so it must apply here, right?" I asked.
      "That would make sense." Robin said.
      "No." I said. "Not until we get it out of him!" My words started to turn into a yell.
      "Y/N! There may not be a choice." Mike yelled back. "Don't be stubborn about this. The guy's an asshole."
      "You know nothing about him! That is my brother! I refuse to let him die!" I yelled, sitting up. "No. No I won't allow it. We find a way to get it out of him first!" I yelled. I stood up and walked off. I walked into Scoops Ahoy.
      I walked into the back, and just cried. I couldn't lose him too. I wouldn't. It wasn't going to happen. I paced. I felt my heartbeat raise. I stood against a wall and screamed.
      Steve walked in. "Hey.. I'm sure we'll find a way to save him, okay?" He said. "We'll try our hardest to save him."
     He sat next to me. "I can't lose him, Steve." I said. "He's all I have left of her.." He wrapped his arms around me.
      "Come on.. we should get back out there." He said, helping me up. We walked back out.
      "Alright, we're going to the highest point in Hawkins." Dustin said to Steve.
      "Alright, let's go." He replied. We started to walk out.
      "Wait! We need Y/N." Nancy said. "It's safer this way. Billy is after us, not you."
      I looked at Steve. "I'll be okay. You be safe out there, okay?" I said.
      He kissed me. "Always. I love you." He said. "Be careful."
      "I love you too." I replied. He ran towards the door and I walked back to Nancy and the others.
      "I'm sorry.." Mike said. I nodded.
      Joyce walked over to me. She gave me a hug. "I'm so sorry.." she said. I smiled at her. "Stay safe.. okay?" She said.
      "Yes ma'am. You too." I replied.
      "We should probably go." Mike said. Jonathan helped me walk out to the car.
      They helped me and El in the back. The everyone loaded in. The car wouldn't turn on. They popped the hood. Just then, headlights turned on. Billy.
      "Back in the mall!" Nancy yelled. El and I were helped back in and we ran. Well as fast as we could. Mike called 'Scoops Troop'.
      Nancy pulled a gun out. I winced. I limped back over to the fountain. I watched El rummage through trash a few minutes later. She was testing. Something was wrong.
      A minute later, I felt my spine go cold. The glass started to crack.
      "Nancy!" I heard Mike yell. We ran under a ledge as the monster crashed down. Dustin yelled over the radio. The monster crushed it. We had taken cover. Half by the car, other half in a little stand nearby. The monster walked around, looking for us. It threw something.
      "If we go now, we'll make it." Mike whispered.
      "Not with them being injured." Max replied in a hushed tone.
      "There's another way. Through the Gap." El said.
      We took off for it. Something was knocked over as we walked in. It heard the sound. We hid behind shelves. I could hear it get closer. Then, a loud sound rang elsewhere. It ran to it. We ran through the Gap door and ran for the exit. I heard gunshots.
      "Billy.." I mumbled.
     We walked through a gate, but Billy was there. We ran back inside. We jogged through the hall, trying to make it back.
     We made it to the end of a hallway. Max walked out and tried to talk him back. He knocked her out. Then Mike. Then he knocked me down and took El. I stumbled to my feet and slowly followed. It took me triple the time it took him. I heard fireworks going off.  I ran. I made it. I watched as the monster tried to attack El.
      I used my powers to throw it's arm away from her. It went for me next. I was thrown into a wall, and an object was thrown on my legs. I heard a snap, but I didn't care. I crawled.
      Fireworks went off. I saw Billy falling in pain.
      "Billy.." I started. "Billy!" I yelled. He managed to stand up and walk toward me. He grabbed me and threw me down with Eleven. "Billy.. please." I said.
      He continued to act in pain, but was able to get over me. I saw his memory.
      I heard Eleven. "Seven feet.. you told her the wave was seven feet." She said, explaining a memory to him. He loosened.
      "She wore a hat... with a blue ribbon. A long dress with a blue and red flower. Yellow sandles covered in sand." She said. "She was pretty. She was really pretty. And you.. you were happy." He moved to her. She touched his face. I felt hot tears coming down mine. She was describing my mother.
      Billy sat up. He stood in front of us. I watched and crawled away.
     "Billy.." I said. He was sacrificing himself.
    I was too far away to save him.
      "Billy!" I yelled as it attacked him. I heard him scream in agony. "No!" I yelled. "Please! No! God no!" I ran toward him. I didn't care anymore. I held his hand. He smiled at me.
      "I'm sorry.." he said.
     "No.. there's so much I have to tell you.. please... please.. no.." I cried.
       The monster dropped dead.
      "Billy.." I said again. I touched his face. I screamed. "Billy! Please!" Nothing else mattered. I hugged his body. I held him. "Please no.." Max walked over to us. She sat next to us. I looked at his lifeless face. Eleven held Max.
      Steve ran to me. "No!" I yelled as he pulled me off of his lifeless body. He was gone. Really gone. I lost him.
       He hushed me, holding my head close to his chest. The only thing I felt was pain. From my leg, from losing Billy. From it all. I felt one other thing. That was warmth. His warmth. He made it just that little bit better. And that was good. I was happy with just a little bit better.
People came in with stretchers. I clung to Steve. I had to be torn off him. I was examined. They determined my leg broken, and the cuts awful. They put me on a stretcher and carried me out. When Steve wasn't right next to me, things got worse. There was no warmth. No release. Nothing. Just pain.
They loaded me into an ambulance. No one came with me. They were all getting checked on themselves.
That was the last thing I remembered before waking up there. There was a cast on my leg. I sat up slightly.
"Hey.." Max said.
"Hey." I replied. "Are you okay?" She nodded.
"A few bumps on the head, but I should be okay." Max said.
"What about everyone else?" I asked.
"El obviously had her cut, Steve was beat up pretty bad, but everyone else seems to be okay." Max said. "One more thing.. Hopper didn't make it out." She said.
"Oh."
That was when Steve came walking back in.
"Hey." I said. He smiled and sat next to me.
"I'll leave you two alone." Max said, with a smirk.
She walked out of the room.
"Are you okay?" He asked me. I nodded. "Good."
"They gave me drugs, man. I think I'll be good for awhile." I said.
The nurse came in. "Hello there. I just need to do a check up." She said. She ushered Steve out of the room.
"You can check on your girlfriend after I'm done." She told him.
He stayed right by the door. I knew, because he tapped the door every so often.
      "Those drugs should be wearing off, and once we make sure you're stable, you're free to go. Of course, your Father will have to sign the paperwork." She said.
     I nodded. She checked my leg, my cuts, and asked a few questions. When she was done, she walked out of the room. Steve walked back in.
     He sat on the side of the bed and held my hand.
My father showed up about an hour later. He looked like a mess.
"Alright, I got all the paperwork done, now we just have to get you." He said. His face was red. He had been crying.
Steve and the nurse helped me use my crutches outside. My father walked behind us.
Steve opened the car door for me. "I'll see you later, okay?" He said.
"Okay." I replied. He smiled and shut the door. My father got in. Susan and Max were there as well.
The car ride was quiet for the most part. When we pulled into the garage, my father helped me out. He didn't say a single word. Once I walked through the door he sat in the living room. He was no doubt, going to drink his sorrow away.
      He did it for Mom. He'll do it for Billy.
   Max helped me get to my room.
     "How are you doing?" She asked.
     "Fine.." I replied. "I just.. wish I could have done something." She sat next to me.
     "I know." Max replied. "But this isn't your fault. Billy made his choice, okay? He sacrificed himself to save you and El. He died a hero." Her voice got a little hollow.
     She elevated my leg for me. I smiled at her.
     "Get some rest." She said. She walked out of the room.
      Being alone made things worse. It finally hit me. Billy was gone. I would never see my brother again. I needed him. I needed my brother.
      I barely moved over the next 24 hours. I hadn't eaten. I hadn't done anything. I just.. stared. Max tried to come in to console me. El came in early in the morning. Susan brought me dinner, breakfast, and lunch. I tried to pick at a dinner roll, but my stomach refused to take it.
      I had barely slept. I wasn't crying, I just had this empty pit inside of me.
      At around 3pm, Steve came in.
     "Hey." He said. I didn't look. I just kept staring. "Y/N..." He sat next to me on my bed. He then laid next to me and grabbed my arms. I finally looked at him. "There she is."
     I wrapped my arms around him. He held me. I held back my tears.
     "It's going to be okay." He said. "It's all over. And Billy is okay now.. he's okay." The tears started to overflow. I sniffed. "Look at me." He said.
     I looked up at his face. He smiled. "My pretty Y/N." He said, wiping away my tears.
     "Steve.." I said, choking on my tears. His face became even more alert. I knew he was listening. "I don't think I'm going to be okay." I told him. "I lost him. The only thing I have left if her." I felt my cheeks get hot and wet.
     "You will be. Time will pass.. you'll get better. I'll help. I promise." He said. "Go to sleep now, then when you wake up, we'll get something to eat, okay?"

     It had been a week since Billy had died. I walked down the hallway, passing his door. It wasn't fully closed when he left last. Something must have blown it open. I walked in. I sat on his bed.
      I laid back on it, soaking in his scent. The smell of cigarettes, his cologne, and just him in general. No one had entered his room since he died.
      I walked to the kitchen and got something to eat. I looked at Dad who was passed out on the sofa. He had been taking Billy's death horribly. I think he felt guilty.
      I sat next to him. For a minute, I couldn't see my Father. The man who had caused me so much pain. I saw a broken man. A man who felt like his world was crumbling. A man who looked sad. I covered him with a blanket. If he was going to be passed out, he may as well be comfortable.

       It had been three months at this point. I finally left the house after two. My first stop was Billy's grave. I went there everyday after that. Always bringing him something. I could always feel his eyes on me. Sometimes, I could have sworn I saw him. I thought I was going insane.
      I sat down on his grave. I placed a rose on his headstone.
      He spoke to me. I could hear his voice, and I felt him sit next to me.
      "It's not your fault." He said. I looked at him. He gave a comforting smile, then faded away.
      I was going insane, but seeing Billy again made going insane worth it.
      I walked home that evening. Steve was sitting in his car in front of my house. I tapped on his window.
      "Come on." I said. I started walking in. He followed behind me.
       My father was passed out again. I walked into my room and sat on my bed. Steve followed.
"Hey, you okay?" He said. I smiled.
"Yep." I replied. I laid down. It was 7pm.
"You know..." he said, running his fingers up and down my arm. "I love you."
"I love you too." I replied. "Hey, did you get the Byers and El a gift? I was supposed to but I forgot."
"Yes. Yes I did." He said.
"It doesn't feel real. They're leaving tomorrow. They're moving." I said.
"You're leaving too, you know." He replied.
"Only for a month. I still don't really want to go.." I said. Susan had paid for me to take a trip to Florida. She thought it'd be good for me to get out of Hawkins.
"That's so long." He replied. "I don't know if I'll survive." He made a dramatic pose.
I smacked his chest. "You better not." I said laughing.
"Robin and I have that interview tomorrow, do you want to come, or just meet at the Byer's place?" He asked.
"We can just meet there." I said.
"Okay." He replied. He laid down and moved me toward him. I put my leg over him and sat up, straddling him. "Whatcha doing there, Hargrove?" He asked, sitting up.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I am going to miss you." I said. He smirked.
      "You know, I might miss you just a slight bit less if.." he started.
      "Would you now?" I said, giggling.
      "Yes I would." He said again.
      "Well then we can't. I want you to miss me the same amount." I said, getting off his lap and standing up. "Now close your eyes, I'm going to change."
       I'm 90% sure that man peeked.
      He held me as I drifted off to sleep. I dreamt of Billy that night. I dreamt that we were back in California. It was more like a memory than something new. That was nice. I needed that memory