Archive of Our Own

Jonathan breathes into his hands and rubs them together, fighting off a chill as he looks back at Steve and Nancy.

"Got everything we need?"

"Looks like it," Steve looks around and takes a quiet breath, careful not to make much noise. "What did Hopper say we were lookin' for again?"

Jonathan shrugs, "He just said to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Well, guess it wouldn't be the first time we've had nothing to go off of--"

"Shhh," Nancy warns, frozen as she plants herself in the mud. "Did you hear that?"

Now they all sit in similar fashion, too freaked out to make a move. 

Steve clutches at the strap of his backpack, nervous now in his approach. 

Right on cue though, another weird gurgling sound happens, and Nancy moves her hand towards her side. Ready to pull out her rifle to shoot at a moment's notice while Jonathan moves for the walkie at his. 

Another moment passes silent, before a frog croaks and makes itself known as it hops pass them. 

They all sigh in relief, once they take a minute to catch their breath.

"...We really need therapy."

Steve scoffs breathless, "You're tellin' me."

Jonathan looks like he's mulling it over, as he turns his axe around in his grasp. "You think they'd give us a discount if we all went together?"

Nancy shrugs. "Don't see why not. Saves them having to reserve three rooms."

Steve laughs, if only to shake the sudden nerves he's got at the suggestion. "Are we actually considering this? What, like couples therapy--"

"Why not? They don't have to know the truth."

When she says it like that, Steve finds no reason to dispute her. So he nods, feels his face turn hot-- and keeps going. 

He spares a glance over at Jonathan, just to see if he can gauge Jonathan's feelings on it from body language alone. Other than the fact that he's refusing to meet his eyes, and is instead looking down at the ground-- Steve figures it's nothing. 

---

They decide it's probably best to scout the area more carefully while they watch eachother's backs.

Steve tries small-talking to make the time go by faster, which at least makes Jonathan and Nancy less likely to shoot a tree from their nerves.

Neither of them seem ready to let down their guard, but even they know that it won't do them any good to get frazzled in the face of danger.

 
"And then she said, 'No Dingus,'" Steve says, mimicking Robin's voice, "There's no way lightning strikes twice with that shit. As if I would lie to her about that sort of thing!"

"I meannnn," Jonathan starts, "She's not entirely wrong."

Steve doesn't seem entirely impressed with that answer. "Whose side are you on Byers?"

Jonathan laughs, "I didn't want to pick a side in the first place! Besides, I didn't say you were wrong. I'm just sayin' that she kinda has a point."

"Kinda has a point my ass." Steve scoffs, kicking at a pebble on the ground. "She's always got points. She's got points on points,"

"Steve," Nancy starts, softer as he puts her focus on him instead of the trees. "We're both on your side. You know that, right? Robin has shit she's good at, sure. She's knowledgeable, yeah, but so are you! You're out here with us because you're capable. Not just because you've got a mean swing and a pretty face."

Steve can't help himself when he grins, "Still think I've got a pretty face?"

Nancy seems to stumble for a moment, and he wishes he could see her face. "I-I didn't think that was up for debate at this point."

Jonathan laughs, harder than he meant to as he slips and says to Steve as well, "Yeah. Sort of an understatement don't you think?"

Now it's Steve's turn to look at the ground as he laughs. "You guys are funny, really. We're in the middle of a mission, and you decide it's a good time to boost my ego."

"When is it ever a bad time?" Jonathan points out, bumping Steve's side. "Can't let the monsters get inside our heads, you know? Gotta find something to hold onto in the meantime."

"Yeah," Nancy says, bumping into him as well. "And if that means-- god forbid stroking you ego," she teases, "Then so be it."

It definitely seems to do the trick, making Steve lighter in his steps.

---

"Are we sure we're going in the right direction?" Steve asks, already wishing for this night to be over.

"Hopper said to just keep going straight," Jonathan says. 

"How can you tell we aren't just going in circles?"

"The compass hasn't failed us yet." Nancy says without hesitation, showing the guide in her hand.

"I'm just surprised that he left us with nothing to go off of. Not even some intel on the creature we're fighting? Do we even know what we're fighting? Or is this just going to be one of Brenner's goons again--"

Jonathan groans. "God I hope not." 

---

More time passes, as they card through the fog and darkness. 

They don't seem to get anywhere with their search, until something eventually gives and they see a row of streetlights down the pathway.  

"...In the middle of the forest?" Nancy says, puzzled.

"Maybe someone was too lazy to take down their Christmas lights?" Jonathan offers. "Maybe there's a cabin up ahead and we're headed towards someone's property."

Steve shrugs, "Could be."

Realizing they've all paused to consider the situation, Steve speaks up. "Not like we can turn back now." and that seems to propel them to keep going, more on edge then they were a moment ago.

---

As they approach the area, they check to see if someone's set up any bear traps along the way now that everything's all lit up.

Right when they think it's safe to continue, some of the lights above their heads start to flicker. Sort of like they did back at Jonathan's house all those years ago. 

Steve and Nancy can't help but look back, and Jonathan pales. "...Maybe it's just a coincidence? Power's gone out before."

Nancy doesn't seem convinced. "Remember the last time the power went out?"

Wincing, Jonathan concedes. "Fair."

They wait a moment, just to see if maybe it was just some freak incident they can move on from. 

Sudden as it comes, they do hear a pop, and then a sizzle sound. Like when one of the wires snap off a transformer. 

When they look up, they do see that a few of the lights have gone out, but otherwise nothing happens.

"...Should we keep going?" Steve offers after a beat.

Even in the dark they all nod, and then keep walking.

Not a minute in though, Steve and Jonathan look over at see fire flickering above Nancy.

"Shit--" Jonathan frets, "I think some of the sparks caught in your hair,"

"What?!" Panicking she tries to pat around her hair in hopes of extinguishing it. It's hot, but she'd rather singe a couple fingers than have to smell burning hair the whole night.

After a while it does go away... but it doesn't stop flickering as the flames float above her instead. 

"Jesus--"

Both guys scramble to grab their coats, hoping they can smother it with that. 

They try it, but instead of getting rid of it it just... phases through the fabric. 

Nancy tries to shake it off but the flame remains, now having moved past her shoulder as it sluggishly starts to circle around her.

And as if things weren't bad enough, a few more follow in its footsteps, slowly approaching her with the same intent. 

Other than the fact that it clearly looked like fire, Nancy doesn't feel anything other than a slight heat where they skim over her arm.

All of it has Jonathan and Steve at a loss for what to do.

Another handful arrives in the same fashion, but instead of picking Nancy as their target: they move towards the other two.

They try to wave them away as well, but it's fruitless once the flames carry on with their rituals.

Weirdly enough the flares don't seem hostile, not when they're just hovering over their heads. 

Jonathan gets the feeling that maybe, just maybe-- he can reason with them. 

"Uh... hi?" Jonathan tries, and the wisps do flicker at him like they understand the gesture and move to float in front of his face. 

Knowing it's a lost cause to do much else, Steve follows suit. Greeting them like they were old friends. 

They seem harmless enough, Steve thinks, watching one of them move through his hair. Maybe they aren't so bad after all. 

And the longer he looks at them... the sooner something becomes clear. 

"...Will o' Wisps."

"What?" Jonathan says, confused as he still keeps his focus on the flames. "What's a Will o' Wisp?"

"Dustin was tellin' me about them a while ago. They're some, character from the kid's games. They're some sort of, ghost that lures people to their doom and shit."

"Like a siren?" Jonathan tries, feeling his blood turn cold. 

"Kinda yeah."

Growing impatient, Nancy asks, "Did he tell you anything else?"

"Not really. All he mentioned was to 'approach cautiously'."

"Great." Now freaked out, Nancy tries to shove them away. "You don't think this is what Hopper wanted us to watch out for..."

Steve considers it. "Could be. They don't look dangerous though." he watches as a couple of them move through his fingers, "...They're kinda cute, for monsters. Maybe they're lost like us,"

At that, the floating orb's demeanor changes. Morphing from this orange tint into a bright blue color as they start to circle around them like an animal would.

"Okay... lot less cute now."

One of the flames that card up Nancy's arm clings tighter, coming up towards her ear like it's trying to tell her a secret. 

Hmmm... I sense some concern. You still worry whether you've changed for the better, don't you? Sure, your friends accept you, but does that sit right with you... Holding all that power? They've given it to you, willingly-- and sure you haven't taken advantage of it yet, but who's to say you won't in the future. I can tell it eats away at you... at that little part of you that can't.

Let.

Shit.

Go. 

--

Jonathan's wisp follows suit, carding up his arm and goading him in his head.

You seem... stuck. Stuck in this town. Stuck in limbo, stuck in the same shitty situation no matter where you go. You're afraid if you don't cling to those closest to you, then you'll be left in the dust. Am I right? I'm right, aren't I--

---

Steve's voice on the other hand chuckles in this light yet unnerving way. Like he remembers Tiffany Crawford's would in the back of his math class.

The familiarity doesn't help him any, especially once he feels this searing heat in his ear. 

Typical rich boy. Boring life. Shitty parents. How does it feel, knowing that your parent's love is conditional? It's sad, really. Even still, you're afraid of failure. Afraid of them knowing you're a failure. 

You're afraid of disappointing those friends of yours to, aren't you? What do you have to offer them in the grand scheme of things. Money? You should know better by now, Harrington. You'll never have enough to cover up the fact that you were an asshole, whether you meant to be or not. 

 --

Words still ring in their ears as the flames continue to spill their vitriol. Right up until there's nothing left but this sick feeling in the pits of their stomachs. 

It's not like they haven't heard it all before. 

Steve in particular remembers the taunts Carol and Tommy would throw around. They held the same pain, the same bite.

Honestly, he really had hoped that his days of having to deal with them were dead and gone. 

(Apparently not.)

The flames would continue to burn, and there was nothing the three of them could do about it aside from waiting it out. 

Steve might've been used to it, but when he looks over at Nancy and Jonathan, he sees they're not dealing with it nearly as well. 

It would've been fine if it was just him, if he was the one shouldering the burden. But now that they're involved too, there's this sharp pain in his chest that won't go away. 

Fires had to go out eventually, right? 

Right?

Steve almost doubted his own words, but then a minute passes, and he notices then that the worst he felt now was this sharp ringing in his ears. Along with some blind spots in his vision from where they were before. About five blotches in his line of sight that don't fade for a good while. 

He rubs his eyes like that'll help and checks his surroundings again. Swears he still hears their mocking laughter... or he's just losing his mind. Both options seemed plausible right about now.

"That wasn't just me, right? That happened just now."

"Unless we're all going crazy, yeah," Jonathan laughs, but it's this half-heave like he just ran up a hill. 

Nancy still clutches her head though, holding strong like she always does even when Steve notices the tears streaming down her face. 

"That was awful." she admits while rubbing her shoulder, "You guys alright?"

Both guys nod, but Steve adds, "Regretting coming out here, but yeah, yeah I'm good."

"Good," she smiles through the pain, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "Now that that's over--" 

Steve interrupts, "Why would you jinx us like that--"

"We should find shelter."

Jonathan balks. "Wait, are we actually staying out here?" 

"Just for a little while longer. I know it's out here. If we just keep following the path--"

"We believe you." Jonathan clarifies, reaching out for her hand. "It's just, we've all been driving ourselves crazy looking for this thing, and--"

Nancy holds his hand in hers and gives him this look. It's patient, but there's a pointed edge to it that spells something out that Jonathan seems to pick up on immediately, even as he grins and turns sheepish. 

"Right, never doubting you again."

Steve's about to ask what that was all about, but then he thinks better of it and leaves it alone.

"Now come on," Jonathan offers before they all go deeper into the forest.

Fear simmers below the surface in Steve's chest-- still afraid they'll run into their hot-headed new friends again-- but he shoves that aside for Nancy's cause, same as Jonathan. 

He hopes whatever they find is worth the trouble of almost getting killed. 

Not that he hasn't gone in headfirst for either of them before, but maybe someone else would have chocked that up to fool's bravery. That's what Hopper called it before when Steve had gotten a second opinion about it. And maybe he was right. Maybe it was only adrenaline that had him hurtling towards danger half the time. For that small chance that they could all come out the other side okay. And when he puts it like that, Steve can't help but feel like he's onto something. Feels like he has a case that might hold weight for once.

Now if he remembers it after everything's said and done, he'll be in good shape. His memory hasn't been the best lately, but what else did he expect between all the hits to the head he's been on the receiving end of. 

Had to work with what he had, right? It's that same resourcefulness that has him gripping a bat of all things and swinging away when the monsters would show up.
Or that summer he slammed his car into Billy's when he saw him coming for the kids. For Nancy and Jonathan. (Steve nearly forgot how red his vision got in that moment.)

Would Steve have done things differently if he knew the outcome? Maybe. 

Or maybe he would have done the same exact thing over and over again.

He's knocked out of his musings by Nancy alerting them of a bright light up ahead.

Steve decides then that he'll put a pin in it for later, as he follows the determined duo over a log towards the unknown.

---

"I swear, if it's just more of those wisps--"

"Wait, look." Nancy points ahead, undeterred as they follow her. 

What they end up finding at the end of the path is definitely something, as they're met with a wall covered in fire. One that extends far enough out that they can't tell where one side ends and where the other begins.

"... You're kidding me." 

"You're the one who mentioned more wisps," Jonathan teases as he shrugs off his jacket against the sudden heat. 

Steve turns towards Nancy, "What should we do now?"

"...I think we should wait."

"Wait for what? Something else to happen!--"

A sharp boom shatters the peace, and pain cuts straight into their heads again. Same as the wisps caused, but much louder and way less relenting as they were. 

Then a voice makes itself known in their heads. You think you can just run away from your fears, huh? Think that's worked out for you so far?" 

--

There's a moment in time where the air feels crisper. Colder. Steve swears he hears his ears pop, and then a slight shriek follows that. 

Other than feeling terrified he's relatively okay, but when he looks up at the other two, there's something very wrong. He can tell by the vacant look in their eyes. 

"Um... guys?"

Another second passes, and they fall limp to the ground. 

"Shit!" Steve immediately falls to his knees, shaking their shoulders. Tries to check their pulses like Nancy taught him to a while back.

He feels Nancy's pulse, if faintly along with Jonathan's. Their skin feels very clammy, which raises his concern even more. 

"What the fuck..." he mumbles under his breath, "Guys, guys!--"

Their eyes shoot open at his call, but instead of the colors he's used to, their filled in with this glowing orange. Steve can't manage to look at it for long, so he focuses on a spot in the ground. 

Slowly as if possessed, they lift themselves up on their own, and stand to face the wall again, this time very glazed out. 

"This is not happening." Fear runs up Steve's spine, moving him towards the walkie at his side. 

"Dustin, are you there? We're in deep shit, and we need back up now." 

All he's met with is static, but he still tries anyway. "Hello? Dustin, anyone please say you copy!--"

Where there was fear a few moment ago turns into confusion when he feels the walkie heat up in his hand. He shouts, throwing it down on the ground and when it clatters to the dirt, a flame moves out from under it.

It's silent for a moment, so he jumps when he hears someone in his ear, 

About time you showed up.

---

There's a patch of grass not a few feet in front of Steve that slowly catches on fire, and from that-- blooms this huge burning visage that nearly blinds him. As it rises off the ground it expands, flickering towards him.

Same as the creatures before though, it stops in front of him and opts to float in mid-air.

Steve sits frozen, wondering why this thing doesn't just attack him already. 

Unlike before, there's a pull to this creature. One that unnerves Steve to his core.

With no time to filter himself, his thoughts slip. "Didn't think wisps came truck sized..."

He's tightlipped after he says it. He can't help but regret the fact that his last words are going to be some dumb joke.

But when he's met with silence, he starts to get impatient. "What the fuck even are you?"

... You had it right the first time, kid. No need to get hostile.

Steve's left feeling confused over why the creature's trying to talk this out. But when he looks over at Jonathan and Nancy, and sees the wisps orbiting around them again as they stare vacant into nothing, his blood boils at the thought of playing along.

"Oh?" Steve laughs, feeling deranged once he looks back at the giant wisp. "I think I have every reason to be hostile. Your crew knocked out my friends, and I' m supposed to just let that slide!--"

Calm yourself. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm merely... observing you guys.

Steve grits his teeth, "You must feel pretty brave, thinkin' you can say shit like that."

If you'd ever let me get a word in edge-wise, the voice sighs, you'd hear my side of things. 

"Who says I care about your side of things?"

You should, or I'll have to do this the hard way.

The flames around his friend grow in size, circling even faster than before as Steve hears that head-splitting screech again. Just as it did before, it comes close to bringing him to his knees.

Steve gulps, biting down on his cheek and willing his hands to stop shaking as he realizes he can't exactly brute force his way out of this.

Ready to listen? Good. I'm gonna lay it out for you, short and simple. We're bored. All we're trying to do here is pick apart your brains, in a manner of speaking. Purely metaphorical. We'll barter with you for your time if that's what it takes. 

Steve sighs as he's forced to go along with his logic. "Why do I get the feeling that there's more to it that you're not tellin' me."

The voice chuckles. Guess there's something underneath all that product in your hair after all. 

As soon as the words leave the wisps mouth, Steve feels his eyelids start to droop, and his limbs grow heavy. Everything in him seems to slow down, and he can't seem to find the strength to fight against the feeling for as fast as it comes. So instead, he falls limp, as he tumbles to the ground.

Don't worry, you won't come out of this empty-handed.

-----

Steve wakes up out of it groggier than he was before. Only thing he remembers last is passing out. 

Once the fog dissipates, all he feels is this warm sensation across his forehead, and a bright light he can feel behind his eyelids. Bright enough that he doesn't bother opening his eyes.

Oddly enough, he's... comfortable standing here like this. If he had a better place to rest his head, he could see himself falling asleep right here. Like all those times he would when he'd go to the beach as kid and pass out in the sand.

And just like that, any semblance of peace he feels is shattered by the same annoying presence in his head from before. 

If he had the strength he would groan, but instead he rolls his eyes. "All a part of your plan?"

The same irritating voice chuckles low in his ears, "Maybe. Now, if you could open your eyes--"

"And go blind? Forget it!"

"I'll make it worth your while."

"...How?" 

"I'll let you and your friends go, no questions asked."

Steve allows himself a moment to hope, but then he bites. "I still think you're full of shit. What do you have to gain from letting us go?"

"I don't have much to gain from keeping you here either."

Steve nearly growls, "Then why keep us here at all? This is bullshit! All of it." 

There's something deeply unsettling about the situation in his eyes. The fact that the monster is far too easygoing, and yet it still manages to be terrifying. There's a quiet power that it holds, he can tell that much. Even when Steve's positive that if it's anything like the other wisps they ran into-- this guy's nothing more than some old geezer that likes gossip and couldn't leave well enough alone.

"Your attitude's gonna get you nowhere, Harrington."

His heart seizes, but at this point he doesn't bother questioning how this thing knows his name and decides to just roll with it. 

"Who exactly are you? Just so we're on the same page here."

"...You're lucky I’m in a giving mood. Name's Lofas."

"...That's it? No 'God of the underworld, Fearmonger of All' type shit?"

"You're a pretty ballsy kid, I'll give you that. I can see why your friends choose to stick around."

What the fuck does that mean, Steve thinks. Though, a part of him wonders why he's even arguing with this thing in the first place. If it's something as simple as show and tell, he can work with that.

So he faces the wall, and nods. "Okay. Show me."

--

When Steve opens his eyes, he fights the urge to close them against the brightness.

Once he adjusts, he realizes the roaring fire in front of him shifts around and becomes more animated. Sort of like a tv screen when it comes to life, it starts painting images across the canvas, some of which Steve starts to recognize. 

It clicks as he watches it, that these are all moments in time that he hasn't let himself think about. At least not for a good while. 

Some are old regrets, some shift to a totally different spectrum. Some are so obscure and hard to tell what they come from, that it's hard to put an emotion to them without doing it an injustice. 

There's bits and pieces of his childhood. That time he got his first car. The time he scrapped his knee so bad when he was seven that he had to get stitches. That fight he had with Billy. (He could blame the wisps all he wants, but a part of him knows that the closest he's gotten to going blind would have been the plate he got to the head.)

Familiar or not, they come across as random when they're all shoved together rapid fire like this. 

Besides that, Steve tries his best to piece things together. Clearly he's being thrown into this for some reason, right? Why couldn't the wisp just tell him in a way that he could actually understand? Why did he need to parse every moment in his life together into a coherent string when half of it didn't even make sense to himself half the time. 

He gives it room to breathe and swish around in his mind, as the flames add strokes and lines. He figures the longer he lingers on it, the more things will start to make sense.

Images continue to move around and swirl in pool of reds and yellows, feeding into more recent memories that eventually swim to the surface.  

He seems himself and Nancy, back when they were still together. Not a care in the world aside from coordinating their outfits for this party they were supposed to go to. It leaves him feeling fuzzy, this moment from a time gone past.

He remembers how... important stuff like that was to him. When the most he would let himself sweat over was some bad grades and some stern talking to’s from his old man.

Regardless, he takes the memory for what it is and lets the simplicity take him back to a different time.

Something nags at him though. Right in the back of his head when his vision focuses in on a detail in the background.

Barb.

He's just quick enough to see the moment when the redhead starts to walk over towards them... and the moment she must've decided against it when she spots Tommy and Carol in the corner-- and then turns back towards the safety of her locker.

He doesn't blame her in hindsight. If he could've afforded to back then, he'd do the same thing. 

Find any reason he could to avoid those two idiots when he could. They may have been old friends of his, but there's none of that fuzzy feeling left in him when he considers what a friend actually is. Not when he knows he's found much better in Jonathan and Nancy.

Still, the memory soaks in, and all he's left with is this feeling of regret that he didn't bridge the gap himself. Get to know Barb more past some stupid one-sided opinions.

It nags at him, long after the memory fades to ashes.

--

"... What was that all about?" Steve asks, snappy as he hopes the wisp is still there to hear him out. 

...I didn't show you anything you haven't already considered yourself.

"Cryptic much?" Steve feels a sudden pinching heat on his arm and grins. "Alright, maybe you're onto something here."

Steve homes in on his feelings, and takes his memory of Barb into deeper consideration. More than he's really allowed himself to up until now.

"...I don't know what I'm supposed to do about shit I can't make right. Barb's gone," Steve sighs, "And I'm stuck feeling like I didn't do enough. I guess I just, wish I had a second chance, you know? To let her know that I'm sorry. Not just for Nancy's sake, but for my own."

There's a very long pause, before Lofas says anything to that.

...You needed closure that you never got. That can weigh heavy on anyone.

Steve feels Lofas sigh in his mind, and it reverberates in the same heavy way that he feels right now.

You know you torture enough souls Steve, Lofas jokes, And you start to get some perspective. Everyone's stuck with regret, doesn't matter who it is. You could've been a saint in a past life, and you'd still have something you feel you need to atone for.

Steve nods, looking down at the ground.

Point is... I don't think you need to wallow and dig your own grave. That won't help anyone, much less yourself. You really think this 'Barb' wanted you gone that badly?

"M'sure it wouldn't have hurt." Steve grins to himself, appreciating how blunt he knew Barb to be in the time that he knew her. Could see where Nancy might have got it from.

Maybe so, Lofas grants, But at the end of the day, I don't think Barb would have got any real satisfaction out of it. Everyone's got to deal with their grief one way or another. It's how you carry it that really matters.

Steve let's it soak in and allows himself to take those words to heart.

Words that seem like they might hit close to home. 

Feeling bold, but still erring on the side of caution, Steve asks, "You have any regrets, Lofas?"

Oh plenty, Lofas says, amused, but we don't have time to get into it.

"Well, I'm all ears if you end up changing your mind." Steve offers, now looking up at the stars.

Lofas decides to pay the kindness forward, and thinks hard about his next words and how he wants them to come out.

...Your burdens don't make you, kid. You're working towards something even bigger than yourself, try not to forget that. Keep that in mind, the next time you fret over whether you're good enough. In fact, I'm sure those friends of yours don't want to see you raking yourself over the coals like this either.

Steve raises a brow. "Jonathan and Nancy?" He feels a nodding sensation in the back of his mind. "What makes you say that?"

It's... just a feeling.

"Hmm, didn't take you for someone that leaves things up to chance," Steve jokes. 

Lofas laughs, you’d be surprised.

... I, did say you wouldn't come out of this empty-handed. Believe it or not, I used to be a man of my word, so.

"What are you talking abou--" And just like that, Steve's out like a light again. Lulled in by this peaceful warmth once more.

---

Knowing how this all goes by now, Steve doesn't hesitate to open his eyes and stare ahead at the flame-covered wall in front of him. Just like the times before, it spins it's stories in slow motion.

Fire licks against the surface with such clarity that Steve almost reaches out. Just to see if what he's seeing is real or not. 

Logically he figures that there's a fifty-fifty chance of this being some sort of illusion, but still. It doesn't stop the impulse to reach out and lay his palm against the wall anyway.

He's expecting this searing heat, but it's... warm. Pleasant. Like dipping into a bath that's had a second to cool down. 

The next images the wisp feeds are different from the rest. Different in tone, different in color. 

Instead of the warm orange it was before, it's melted into a cool blue. It's a little easier on the eyes for Steve, and that helps him immerse further into it. 

He sees Jonathan and Nancy first, holding hands as they walk. He doesn't recognize the place, but he figures it has to be Hawkins, if he's going off of how rural it looks.

Like they usually are, they seem lost to the world. Exchanging secrets, laughing at each other’s jokes. Being perfect together as they fall into place.

Least here they looked safe and well rested. Not a care in the world. 

It's not at all unfamiliar, the feeling that fills Steve's chest and has him smiling without meaning to. 

Steve wishes he could join them on the other side. Imagines that if he could press down hard enough, glass would give way and shatter at his feet. 

And yeah, there was a time in his life, short as it was-- where the sight of them together was unbearable.

Not a lot's changed since then... aside from the fact that instead of creating distance, Steve wants to bridge the gap. Same as he did that night when he took a bat to the Demogorgon for them.

There's a lot of warmth there, he realizes. A level of care he hadn't given much credit to until now.  

Before he's able to fully let himself process that, he sees them approach someone, and all he can see so far is shapes that form together into a silhouette.

From the outside looking in, they seem nice enough. 

Relaxed posture, hands moving through their hair with an obvious practiced flair. A pride that offsets a clear need for validation. If Steve didn't know better, he could've sworn something was oddly familiar about the stranger. The image shifts, and his breath hitches as it dawns on him why.

Steve's hand shakes under the glass, but he keeps hold. Eyes wide as he takes everything in. 

It's him alright, wrapping his arms around their necks as he holds them close with their faces all smushed together. Smiles clear as day. Like space doesn't register as a term in their vocabulary. Like nothing short of the end of the world could come close to separating them.
It takes him longer to realize than he'd like to admit that this wisp is just... reflecting old, fond memories back at Steve. To what end he doesn't know, but he chooses to enjoy it nonetheless. 

Hours could've passed, and Steve feels like he's been looking in the lenses of a View-Master this whole time. 

Moments thread and suture in his mind, until it's made clear how happy the three of them are together. How close they've grown in regards to each other without realizing it.

It's nice to see the whole picture as it's happening.

Outside of the scene, Steve grins so hard that it starts to hurt. It's a pain that's entirely welcome, and he's sure now that these moments will stick in his brain for a good while, whether he wants it to or not. And he does want it, wants them. Fully and with everything he is.

Maybe that old coot was onto something.

Took you a bit, but you got there eventually. Good on ya kid.

Before Steve can try and formulate a response, something snaps back into place and the flames disappear. He blinks, once, then twice, not expecting his vision to be as good as it is after staring at the base of a fire for God knows how long. 

He realizes that his hand is still on the wall and pulls it back to his side when he feels the cold cobblestone under his fingertips. 

There's no way that was all an illusion. Everything felt so real, and-- ...wait.

"Jonathan? Nancy," Steve starts shaking their shoulders again, trying not to panic as he hopes that this time they'll come to no issue. 

There is a moment though, where he considers that maybe his words to the wisp fell on deaf ears. That maybe it won't keep up its end of the deal. 

Nice one Harrington. he says to himself, You make a deal with the devil, this is exactly what you get--

"S-Steve," It's meeker than he's used to, but Steve would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Nancy, you're okay--"

Not far behind is Jonathan, who makes himself known with a deep exhale as he slowly lifts himself off the ground and sits crisscross.

Nance shakes herself out of a daze, needing to make sure he's okay. "Hey, careful,"

"Yeah Byers," Steve adds, "Take it easy. We'll still be here when you're ready."

Jonathan smiles, then groans as he grips the side of his head. "Did I hit a rock on the way down--" 

"Think I did to," Nancy chuckles, soft as she lifts one of Jonathan's hands to her lips. "Least we're still in one piece."

"By the skin of our teeth, yeah," Jonathan jokes warmly, moving that little bit closer into her space. 

For whatever reason, those words start to resonate with Steve as something clicks into place in his head. He's not sure how to explain what he's feeling, but then again, that seems to be the case more often than he'd like to admit. 

How many close calls had it been now between the three of them? How many times did he push his body to the breaking point until he screamed? How many more times was he gonna let the moment slip by without him until he lost his mind.

He didn't know the answer to any of it... but he did know that he didn't want to wait until he found out and it was too late. 

He feels tears rolling down his cheeks, but he doesn't bother hiding it from them. 

He's done hiding it.

"Hey," They both say, sharing looks of concern. "Are you okay?--"

They're not prepared for the impact when Steve pulls them in and buries his face in their shoulders. 

A long exhale follows, and then a quiet surrender. "I'm just glad to have you both in my life."

Jonathan and Nancy look at each other over his shoulder, equally stunned but with smiles on their faces.

"We're happy to have you in ours, Steve," Nancy says earnestly as Jonathan nods and buries his head into the crook of Steve's neck, and she lays hers on the other side.

They feel Steve shake after a while and tears spill over their shoulders, and they follow suit as they rub his back, staying on the cold muddy ground with him until his breathing evens out.

Steve clears his throat and lifts his head, muttering out an apology for getting their shirts wet.

Nancy looks around, still groggy from earlier. "What about the wisps? What happened to them."

"Eh," Steve smiles, "I don't think they'll be bothering us anymore."

Jonathan definitely has something to say to that. "I don't know if I'd be making that claim with our track record."

Nancy grins while putting a hand over Steve's on his knee. "Well, then I vote we at least bring more backup next time."

Steve laughs with his whole chest and takes the olive branch. "Sounds perfect."

Jonathan holds a hand to Steve's shoulder, to show he's there as well right along with her. 

Steve doesn't have the words right now to express how grateful he is, so he smiles and hopes that it's enough. He knows they deserve more, but he refuses to half-ass it and blurt it out until he's ready. 

"We should start heading back," Steve offers, dusting off his pants, "Before they start wondering where we are." 

"Yeah, probably should." Even for as sure as Jonathan sounds, he hesitates with Nancy as they opt to stare at Steve for a little longer until they realize themselves and walk on.

All of which does nothing to help Steve in his resolve. 

So, before he can overthink it, he shoves his bat in his backpack, and runs over to catch up so he can takes their hands.

He half expects them to say something about it. Call attention to it. But instead they just tighten their grip, and swing them as they walk.