wild one - steve harrington

car crash

'The Mind Flayer... it built this monster in Hawkins. To stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world.' Mike began explaining, as they all sat with each other to catch everyone up to speed. Steve stood near Max, Roxy right in front of him, leaning back as his arms linked around her stomach. Every few seconds, Roxy's hand that was latched onto his arm would squeeze tighter, scared she wouldn't have him with her. Steve pressed a kiss to her temple, wishing they could go back in time to a day they had no problems and they were free to simply exist. 

'It almost did. And that was just one tiny piece of it.' Nancy added, gravely. 

'How big is this thing?' Hopper asked. El was resting on him, and he had a protective arm around her. For people who only met a few years ago, they've got one of the best parent-child relationships. Roxy thought, smiling at first, before shivering at the thought of Billy. She forced herself to push it out of her mind for now. 

'It's big.' Jonathan told Hopper, and they all murmured in agreement. 'Thirty feet, at least.' 

'Yeah. It sorta destroyed your cabin.' Lucas spoke up, and Roxy rolled her eyes. 'Sorry.' He whispered.

'Okay, so, just to be clear...' Steve started, shifting his weight. He adjusted his grip around his girlfriend, holding her tighter. 'This big, fleshy spider thing that hurt El... it's some kind of gigantic weapon?'

'Yes.'

'But instead of, like, screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made it's weapon with... melted people.' Steve said slowly, hesitant to say it out loud. 

A grave look was shared amongst the group. Although somewhat knowing what they were up against, this was the first time Roxy was forced to understand it. Understand what it was, and what that meant. She shook her head and blinked harshly, refusing to imagine that was Billy's end. She wasn't going to let him be a part of that. He was too important for her to lose, and she knew if that was what became of him, she wouldn't bring herself to kill it. 

'Hey, you okay?' Steve whispered to Roxy, noticing she had tuned out their conversation. It took Roxy a bit of time to even want to pay attention to what Steve had asked, not wanting to face the fact she was not okay.

'I don't know what to tell you. I just don't'. Roxy hushed back to him, not able to find any words. She was angry, upset, and completely out of control over the situation. 

'Come here.' Steve ushered her away from the group, to sit by a shopfront with a flickering light. 'Talk to me. Whatever it is, we'll shoulder it together. Or, if you want to not talk, we can not talk. I'm here for you, Rox.' 

'That doesn't mean I can just lose him!' Roxy hissed, lashing out. She immediately regretted it. This wasn't who she wanted to be anymore. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Steve. I'm so scared. I've never not had him in my life. I've never not had a brother. I love you for being here, and I love you for making sure I'm not alone without him. But I'm so scared he's gone, because I don't think I could ever get over that. I wouldn't'

'He's not gone. If anyone can get through to him, it's you. And honestly, that's what I'm scared of. That you'll do something, and I'll lose you.' Steve put a tender hand on Roxy's face, causing her to look at him. 'You are everything to me, and not being with you is so much harder now that I know what's been really going on. I'm with you now.' Steve kissed her slowly, desperately. He tried to pour all of his feelings into the kiss, tried to show Roxy how much he needed her. How much he couldn't bear to lose her, if it came down to Roxy or Billy. 

Roxy took and reciprocated the kiss, showing just how much she loved Steve. As unlucky the situations they found themselves in, they had been so lucky so far. She couldn't afford to lose either one of them, as they were everything she had. But she thought maybe, just maybe, they could afford to lose her.

Roxy knew that if she went down, maybe Billy didn't have to. Or, if they both had to die, maybe everyone else would be okay. Maybe Steve would be okay. Maybe Max would be okay. 

Pulling away from Steve and looking at him with sorry eyes, her resolution made up, and Steve looking at her with worry and love, they heard another commotion from the group. Murray sped over to the group waving papers in the air, seemingly very proud of himself and his urgency at his discovery. They made their way over, Steve unwilling to let go of Roxy's hand. Looking at her absent expression, he had a sense of pre-heartbreak at what she may be willing to do. 

'Okay, this is what Alexei called The Hub. Now, The Hub takes us to the Vault Room.' He explained, pointing at the diagrams he laid out. Steve seemed to show signed of recognition, looking briefly at Robin. 

'Okay, where's the gate?' Hopper asked. Take a shot every time someone opens or closes a gate in Hawkins, Roxy thought.

'Right here.' Murray pointed to the floorplans. 'I don't know the scale on this, but I think it's fairly close to the Vault Rom. Maybe fifty-feet, or so.'

'More like five-hundred' Erica scoffed. Roxy quickly grew fond of her rudeness. 'What, you're just going to waltz in there like it's  Commie Disneyland or something?' 

Roxy suppressed a laugh. Erica reminded Roxy of herself around that age. 

'I'm sorry, who are you?' Murray asked Erica, who responded matter-of-factly.

'Erica Sinclair. Who are you?'

'Murray. Bauman. Even Murray seemed intimidated by the sheer confidence.

'Listen, mister Bunman, I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, but I've been down in that shithole for 24 hours. And with all due respect...' Erica turned to the group 'you do what this man tells you, you're all going to die.'