You and Steve Harrington have this thing.

It’s not official. It’s not even defined. If anyone asked, you’d both say you’re just friends. Friends who kiss sometimes. Friends who can’t seem to stop ending up in the same bed after a night that went sideways.

It’s not supposed to mean anything. At least, that’s what you tell yourselves.

It started after everything that happened in hawkins — the blood, the nightmares, the silence that followed when the world didn’t end, but somehow felt like it had. You both needed a distraction. Something human. Something familiar.

So you found it in each other.

It was supposed to be comfort, a way to forget for a while. You’d show up at his door after a bad night, after a panic that felt too loud in your chest, and he’d let you in without asking why. You’d crash on his couch, or he’d come to yours, and before long it stopped being about sleeping at all.

It’s not that you’re in love. Not officially, anyway. But sometimes it feels close. Too close. You aren’t even dating.

The others have noticed — Robin gives you that knowing look every time you and steve show up late to the group, your hair still damp, his shirt inside out. Dustin asks questions you both ignore.

Now it’s different. Now, it’s messy. You fight. a lot. Stupid things — jealousy, distance, who’s pulling away first. Well, mainly you. You pushing him away when things get a little to real, and him confusedly going along with it. You’ll say something sharp, he’ll say something sharper. You’ll both storm off, only to end up tangled together again hours later, apologies whispered into each other’s skin.

You’ve both lost count of how many times it’s happened. You hook up, stop talking for days, pretend it’s over — until it isn’t.

Either way, it’s the only thing that feels real anymore.

Because you both know it’s only a matter of time before it happens again.

It was another one of those days. Waking up, having another conversation, you pulling away before leaving. Leaving him once again confused. A feeling he was too used to.

Then when you’d been told Holly Wheeler was missing, you’d all obviously gone to the meet-up spot before being put off into groups. The group being Steve, You and Dustin. Which always seemed to be who you were paired with, maybe once you’d like to be paired with Lucas, El and Mike, or Robin and Will, but no.

You three had gone to the upside down. The usual black vines taken over the walls and floor. None of you knew Holly wasn’t there.

You walked quietly, making sure not to try catch either boys eyes to start a conversation she didn’t want. But you could still feel Steve’s gaze on the back of your head.

Dustin, ever not picking up on awkward silence was filling it by making small talk, to which Steve half assed replies to.