Alone, No More (Harringrove)

Chapter 13//Butting Heads

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update:(   Check out my insta @ coffeeisbetterwithbaylee . Thanks <3 

Dear Steve Harringon,

The vacation has been nice, so far. I know I said I'd write to you in February, but I just couldn't wait another week.

I most likely will be gone another month and wont be able to write again, but would you let my daughter and Mike know how I'm doing? Hoping Jane hasn't wrecked our place since I've left, but would you check for me?

Anyway, hope to see you soon!

Love,

Jim

Steve stared at the letter with wide eyes, soaking up as much information as he could. What was just a simple letter, held so many directions and orders, that Steve felt overwhelmed.

He understood first and foremost that he needed to talk to Mike and El, ASAP. Maybe now the three of them could exchange information and get somewhere closer to finding Hopper. He couldn't help but feel nervous to bring the kids into this, that's why he'd chose to exclude them this whole time, but he trusted Hopper. 

Another thing he zeroed in on was that Hopper asked him to check how his house was. Steve knew Eleven had been staying with Mike since her father's disappearance, and wondered if Hopper knew as well. And maybe that's why he asked Steve to check on the house.

Maybe there was another clue there?

At lunch, he decided to talk to Mike and Eleven, and maybe have them over to talk after school. It was Wednesday and he didn't have practice that night.

"Hey Mike," Steve nudged the curly hair boy who had been listening in on Dustin and Lucas' debate at lunch.

Max had leaned over, in between the the other two boys who shouted at each other from across the table. Eleven remained enthralled in the duel in front of her. Jon and Nancy had chosen to stay inside to study and escape the chilly January air.

"What's up?" Mike asked, in a hushed tone. His dark eyes focused on Steve's knuckles cracking on the table; a nervous tick Mike had expressed he hated.

"Well...I don't know how to say this...but I got a letter from Hop," He said, almost whispered to the boy, hoping he wouldn't be angry.

Mike looked at him now with wide and serious eyes. No emotion crossed his face, only an air of shock radiated from him.

"Holy shit," Mike whispered to himself, looking down at his own hands that remained folded on the picnic table.

"Language, Mike," Steve chastised him through a sigh. He couldn't hold it back, and Mike couldn't hold back the eye roll in response. 

"El will want to hear of this," the young boy stated, looking around him, making sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Maybe can we come over tonight? There's no D&D tonight".

Steve nodded watching Mike catch Eleven's eye, her eyes narrowed, suspecting something was up. She looked at Steve and gave him a knowing smile, one that was both serious and hopeful. Steve didn't fully understand her powers, but he knew that she was capable of picking people's mind. 

He had noticed, on multiple occasions, how she and Mike would just look at each other and somehow communicate. He had felt it before-the way her presence had invaded his thoughts-it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. 

But she tried not to do it much, as she knew it freaked people out, and he was grateful she hadn't tried to do it prior to Hopper giving him permission to talk to the kids; for all he knew.