It Takes Two to Survive

Chapter 43

Will didn't think that this night could get any worse. He knew about bad nights, the nights he spent in the Upside Down, the nights of panic and fear after being possessed by the Mindflayer and all of the tortured nights after that, yet, despite all of this, this night seemed to take the cake.

Max had nearly died. Dustin had nearly died. And Steve was losing his cool.

Not in a way similar to Lonnie losing his cool, but in a way similar to Will's mom. It was as if all of Steve's emotions, emotions that he held so tightly, hid from the world, was finally breaking through, all at the same time, leaving a shaking, sobbing mess behind.

Will wasn't sure if anyone noticed, but he did. From the backseat he watched as Steve's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his facial expression scrunching up and his eyes blinking rapidly, as if he was trying to push back tears. His chest heaved ever so slightly, with choked sobs or raw emotion Will didn't know.

Dustin opened his mouth, and Will shook his head rapidly, trying to tell him to stay quiet without saying a word at all. He knew that Steve wasn't in the mood to talk.

But Dustin didn't see him, and that was all it took for everything to get worse.

"Steve, about Jason一"

"Don't!" Steve yelled, raising his voice like never before, "Just be quiet, Dustin! What were you thinking? I told you to stay back!"

Dustin seemed to melt into his seat at the words, his eyes wide. "Steve, I一"

"No! I'm talking right now, Dustin! You could've died! You would've died if I wasn't there!"

"But you were!" Dustin yelled back. "You were there so I knew that I would be safe!"

"That shouldn't matter! You listen to me in situations like this, okay? I might not have been able to reach you on time! I can't bring people back from the dead, Dustin!"

Lucas and Max's eyes were wide, and Will had no doubt that his was, too. Steve had never blown up like this. Ever. Something was so, so wrong.

The dam was breaking, and Steve appeared to be caught right in the rush of water.

"I had it handled Dustin! I had it handled! Now who knows what's going to happen? They know about my powers now, and I'll be shocked if they don't hunt me with pitchforks!"

Tears began falling out of Steve's eyes, and he pulled to the side of the road, putting the car in park. He seemed to have trouble breathing, and he wrapped his stomach with his arms, gagging.

Dustin put his hand on his shoulder. "Steve? Are一are you okay?"

Steve took in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I 一shouldn't've...I..."

He threw open his door, getting caught on his seatbelt that he quickly escaped from, stumbled to the ground and heaved, crying and puking at the same time. Will rushed outside, shocked by the cold weather and Steve's reaction, but knew that he needed to help. So often Steve had been there for them, now it was time for Will to return the favor.

Will leaned down onto the street beside Steve, rubbing his back reassuringly and pulling Steve's hair away from his face.The smell of vomit reached his nose, yet Will didn't back away.

"Let it out, Steve, just let it out. You're okay. We're okay."

Steve's whole body shook, his eyes wide and panicked, and Will distantly wondered when he had cried this hard last. When he had last felt so much pain. When he had been so scared.

Steve began to pitch forward, and Will held him up, muttering reassurances that he hoped would help the older teen.

Eventually Dustin joined them outside, helping hold Steve up as he cried. Dustin's own eyes shined with tears, and Will was sure that Dustin was scared for Steve, too.