[ god, it's so corny, but he laughs, and it makes her heart swoop, and she barely has a chance to recover from it before he's leaning her back, then pressing in for that kiss. there's a brief "oops" feeling that comes along once she feels her fingers threading loosely in the hair at the back of his neck, keeping him close, because this isn't what slow looks like, she thinks. she's pretty sure. but, y'know, it could be argued that kissing the hell out of him now will make it easier to chill out for the rest of their long weekend together. y'know. like- this will totally be enough.
by the time she's caught her footing again, then slooowly brings herself properly upright out of the crazy cute way he dipped her, she realizes that the idea of one kiss being able to sate everything she's feeling right now is total bullshit. but she can try? they can try. they should try. probably. right? she almost manages to sneak in a quiet- ] Hi. [ -against his lips before they've actually stopped kissing, but it comes out as a muffled hhhm that just makes her laugh ] Hi. [ her hand slides down to settle against his chest, starts to fuss with the zipper pull of his jacket almost immediately. she has too much energy, like the anticipation of him getting here still hasn't worn off, somehow. ] I missed you. [ did she just lightly push against his chest as she said that, like she actually might be miffed at him for it? maybe. ]
[ It's-- well, kissing her is amazing, sends an uproar of feelings through him, the kind that starts in his chest and spread to his fingertips, his toes. They've got a week together, and Steve wants it all to be like this, giddy thrills and needy kisses. But. Fuck. But they're not really supposed to be acting like this, not supposed to be stupid in love and desperate for the meeting of their mouths. He thinks they should probably talk about their baseline, maybe should agree to be more than... whatever they are. It's so hard not to kiss her again, not to direct the two of them into some dark corner so he can have his way with her. ]
I missed you too.
[ Steve says once his mental faculties begin to collect themselves. There's a reason they've been trying to do this the "right" way, and he needs to at least try and stick to that. So he straightens up, ignores the heat in his cheeks and just coils his arms around her in a tight hug. He lets his cheek rest against the top of her head, breathes in the smell of her shampoo. ]
Should we... [ His sentence is rudely interrupted by the growling of his stomach. ] Wanna get food somewhere? I'm kind of starving.
[ her heart isn't quite hammering in her chest, but now that he's hugging her so tight, she can definitely feel the way her heartbeat's noticeably picked up in tempo, which- m'kay. time to chill out, calm down, be cool about this. because yeah, it's been a few months ( three months and twelve days ) since she had to fly back here for spring semester, so of course she's missed him, but their clocked phone calls and his genuinely sweet, earnest letters definitely helped alleviate that. but it's honestly more than just that. she's let herself connect the dots between those letters, and the letters from her mom, and the ones from robin, stringing together a loose timeline of everything she's missing out on. new jobs, new neighbors, new teachers, new hobbies, new friends.
holly has a solo in one of the songs that the second graders are singing as part of their spring concert, and it's only six lines long, but she's been practicing every day, and nancy won't be back in hawkins in time to see it. and once a week, the house gets invaded by rowdy teenagers because somehow the wheeler house became the meeting place for d&d session again, but karen says she doesn't mind it, because she's just glad mike and the boys are ready to play again at all. mike still can't talk about what happened to eddie, or why hellfire had to disband at all, without getting angry about it, but with eddie finally back on his feet, they've all been able to feel better about playing again. robin writes letters the same way she tells stories and explains her ideas - three pages long and at least five side-notes on each. but nancy can actually hear it in her voice, so she ignores the part of her brain that wants to edit it all down and powers through every run-on sentence.
it's a little like torture when she stacks them all up, but she has to do it, because maybe she doesn't necessarily miss living in hawkins, but she knows how fast things can change, and the thought of falling behind on the lives of the people she loves is much worse.
and having steve here in boston with her now has made it very clear to her, very quickly, that she's felt a lot lonelier than she realized, too. she's made new friends, she's engaged in the student life, she's been making an effort. this has been her dream since the minute karen explained to her that she can actually go to school to learn how to be a journalist, so she definitely hasn't let her homesickness get in the way of experiencing absolutely every part of it. but up until right now, she hadn't realized how she's almost felt- isolated? like this dream life in boston doesn't actually exist in the same reality as her life in hawkins. the only real overlap so far has been the two mortifying times she woke up from a nightmare screaming, when the girl who lived across the hall banged on her door until she let her in. nancy confessed that she has pretty bad nightmares sometimes ( understatement ), and her new friend tried her best to reassure her by emphasizing that she just had to remind herself that it wasn't real, but just a bad dream. except... it was real? but she couldn't tell her that, so. yeah. isolating.
so nancy presses her face to his chest and holds onto him just as tight, doesn't move until she hears his stomach complain ] Oh, noohoho. [ she half smiles, half pouts as she picks up her head, her hand moving to settle over his stomach for a second, but then she nodnodnods ] Yeah, of course we can. There's about a dozen options around this whole area, and four of my favorites are actually down- [ she points ] that street, which is where we need to go to get to my apartment anyway. [ a beat, but then she's squeezing his arm, where at some point her hand moved to hold onto him, just above his elbow ] Oh! I know exactly where I want to take you. Bartley's, it's perfect. They've got burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, bottomless crinkle fries - [ their favorite ] - and! I get a student discount there. [ she bends to grab his dropped suitcase, holding it up for him to take ] Sound good?
[ There are times when Steve feels like he's failed somehow, still being in Hawkins. It wasn't the life his father had laid out for him, no Ivy League school in pursuit of a law degree, no picture perfect white picket fence with two-point-five kids sort of affair. But somehow, after traveling across half the country to be with Nancy, he's glad he hasn't left, glad he can still easily see the people she can only be with through letter.
Most of all he's glad to just be with her, doesn't mind the distance despite the fact that he hates it. Because he wants to be there when she has those nightmares, when she's feeling lonely. He's glad that she's chasing after her dreams, even when it takes her so far from him. From their home, for better or for worse. ]
That sounds great.
[ She could have suggested anything, the most run down place in all of Boston, and that would have been alright. Steve smiles as he reaches to take his suitcase from her, leans close to press a kiss to her cheek. They make the short walk to Bartley's hand in hand, trading sweet small talk back and forth. Just catching up, talking about the little things. How she's got a professor that always sneezes, about how his foreman has the biggest mustache he's ever seen.
Before he knows it they're seated at a little table, with burgers and onion rings and bottomless crinkle fries laid out between them. Steve stretches out his legs beneath the table, lets his ankles lock with hers. He just wants to keep touching her, okay? Nothing wrong with that. ]
So, how's the big city treating you? [ He asks as he swirls a fry through a mound of ketchup. ] Bet you can barely remember small town life by now.
[ That would really be for the best, wouldn't it? ]
[ nancy definitely knew before today that she was thrilled to finally introduce steve to this new part of her life, but what she didn't realize was that it was going to make her feel a whole lot more than just enjoying his company, and having fun while showing him around and catching up. the thing she's getting caught up on is that half an hour ago, she was missing him, and she was missing home. but now, sitting here, that line is sort of... blurred? they haven't actually talked about hawkins much at all yet, but that heavy weight of homesickness already feels more tolerable. also, the slight urgency of wanting to show him every part of boston she's fallen in love with, the urgency that had her planning out their whole week in advance - with backup plans if needed - is taking a back seat, too. because it's already stopped feeling like wow! steve is in boston! crazy!, and more like of course steve's in boston, why wouldn't he be here? what took him so long? like, technically he's just visiting, right? practically a tourist! but it feels like he's... not.
but that's all a little too heady to contemplate the meaning of when she's sipping her cherry milkshake and slowly pointing and flexing her feet between his, just to be annoying.
and she's wondering if he's been nudging the smaller fries with the crispy edges to the side of their basket intentionally, because he knows she likes those the best, or if it's just a happy coincidence. ]
It's actually treating me a lot nicer than I thought it would, to be honest. It took a little while to get used to it - everything is a lot closer, and louder, and faster than things are back home - but I think I've finally found my stride, yeah. [ she pauses to pluck up the exact fry that steve was clearly about to reach for, and then even steals a dab of ketchup from his side, too. ] Mm, I don't think I've forgotten anything, but if I did, I'll just follow your lead. [ she grins, but then shakes her head ] Nah, I'm pretty sure I haven't forgotten anything about Hawkins. I think about you guys all the time. Possibly too much, considering how much time I spend imagining all the things I'm missing out on while I'm here. [ ... meh but that's a downer, isn't it? so she puts on a dreamy expression, even sighs and leans to put her chin in her hand ] All those missed opportunities to visit you at work just to say hi and blatantly check you out. Tragic.
[ Only Nancy could get away with snatching away with the exact fry he had been reaching for without issue. (Which, okay, is definitely not true, because a sad eyed pigeon could have taken it from him without protest.) But there's something about it, a little silly, a little flirty, that it manages to make his heart wobble in his chest. He's definitely still listening, but he's definitely also thinking about leaning across the table to kiss her, to find out if her lips taste more like ketchup or milkshake in this moment. But Steve remains on his best behavior, focuses on his food and not missing out on what she's saying to his day dreams. ]
That's great, Nancy. [ If she has to be so far away, she should at least be enjoying her time, finding her niche, her stride. Though he still isn't especially enthused about the fact that he needs to hop on an airplane to see her, but if she's happy here, he can cope. ] You're kind of missing out, actually.
[ He gives her a little grin across the table as his fingers toy nervously at his napkin, betraying the confidence that he's trying to display. At least he can be somewhat sure this is true, because construction work means he's a little more toned and tanned than she's previously seen him. And yeah, maybe he does look good when he's hauling around construction materials. ]
I can try and replicate the experience for you while I'm here, if you want.
[ she can hear it in his tone, that same sense of- longing, almost, that she's been feeling in her chest since she got back. or, honestly, since she hugged him tight and felt him rest his cheek against the top of her head the same way she was nosing at his chest, before heading towards the gate for her boston-bound plane. just a tiny bit, hidden very convincingly behind that's great. she almost says something, almost apologizes, but steve's always been good at moving the conversation right along.
although it makes her eyes widen at first, because she's still caught up on missing out on everything that she doesn't realize he's only talking about the last part she added. not until he smiles like that, and her eyes nearly light up. it's partly because the topic is pulling her out of her slight downswing, but if he takes it solely as a sign of her enthusiasm for a recreation, she's not about to specify. ]
Oh, yeah? [ the corner of her mouth quirks up, and her feet stop fussing between his in favor of just rubbing the toe of her shoe against the heel of his, because yeah, she's definitely flirting now. it's hard not to. this feels more and more like a date as the minutes tick by, and maybe her gut should be telling her to pump the breaks to talk about that, but all it has to offer is a small swarm of butterflies fluttering about. she does notice his little tell, the way the corner of his napkin might be worn thin if he keeps it up, but it's a peripheral observation. her eyes are too busy giving him an exaggerated once-over of the view she has of him from the table, up. ] I don't even have a toolbox at my apartment, but we'll have to figure something out, because there's no way I'm letting the good city of Boston get a peek of you like that before I do. [ a beat ] Plus, I'd really rather not risk the chance of any of my classmates witnessing the way it's almost certainly going to make me lose my shit. I'd like to at least try and preserve a little of my dignity, out in public.
[ At this point, Steve is pretty sure this all can be considered a date, and well, why shouldn't it? This is what they've been dancing around ever since she left, and the fact that they've fallen so easily into it now, well-- that should say a lot, shouldn't it? But Steve's in no rush to try and put names and labels to things, is all to content to just exist in the moment that has her stealing french fries and nudging the toe of her sneakers against his. ]
Well, don't worry about that. [ Steve's laugh is bashful and boyish. There have definitely been changes to his body since they've last seen each other, but he only feels aware of them now. His body suddenly feels a little larger, a little more muscular, all because he's now being seen through Nancy's gaze. ] Put a shirt on me and I'm not much different than your average joe.
[ And that's sort of the point, he thinks. To just be normal and unassuming, to just blend in. Nancy just has a way of making him feel special, feel seen. That feeling is easy to lean in to right now, fills him with what is surely a false bravado. ]
Let's finish eating first, hm? Then you can lose your shirt.
[ her reaction to "average joe" is almost immediate, and there was no stopping it even if she had realized what her face was about to do before it was doing it. but mostly she just looks confused - still smiling! but her eyes narrow and her head tips to the side just so. it's tricky though, because it's not as if she was expecting him to be cocky about it?? he's much more humble than she remembers him ever being way-back-when, but it's just-
she just? doesn't. understand. how he doesn't? understand?
hm. but. well. okay. okay, yeah. she's not about to argue it, at least not right now. later maybe, yes. later definitely, actually. ]
Yeah, alright. [ she looks down at her burger, as if that could really hide her holy-shit-i-have-the-biggest-crush-on-him smile when he's sitting across from her at a table that just fits their shared food, but like! an attempt's been made. but then she's peeking up at him again from through her lashes ( and her somewhat grown-out bangs ), and it's game over anyway. her smile goes all out, and it's enough to make her laugh, shake her head. she takes a bite of her burger, just to force herself to stop being an idiot ] Mmh- Oh. So, I know you're probably completely exhausted from your flight, and we can go back to mine soon, I promise, but there's this park that's only a couple blocks over that I totally love, it's probably my favorite spot in the whole city, so I want to show you. [ a beat ] -- But I mean, we can always go tomorrow if you need some time to relax first. Seriously. Because it's really pretty at sundown, too? But it.. gets kind of cold. So. [ another beat ] I know it's sort of cheesy, it's just a park, but - [ it means a lot to me and you mean a lot to me so being there with you sounds really fucking perfect ] - Yeah. I've already added it to our to-do list.
[ It's true that Steve is feeling more exhausted than he lets on. There's just something about traveling that manages to suck the life out of him, though the food is definitely helping. He thinks that even if he was tired to the point of collapse he would still mange to find a way to get to the park that she's talking about, if only so he could watch her face light up from being there.
But as it stands, he's not feeling too terribly tired. The food and the milkshake have lent some of his strength back to him, and he doesn't think he'll mind a walk over to the park she's speaking about. Especially because, well, it sounds a little romantic, and that has always sort of been his thing, for as reluctant as he's been to admit it. ]
I don't mind checking it out tonight. [ Anything but, really, and Steve finds himself trying to clear his plate just a little faster. ] As long as you're up for it. So, park, then your apartment? That sound good?
[ really perfect, actually. nancy takes a well-timed sip of her milkshake as soon as he agrees to making the park detour, and- okay, she's pretty sure he would have said yes even if he was about four seconds from falling asleep on the spot, but still! she's very excited that he wants to go. and she's banking on taking a sip through her straw being enough to hide her doofy smile, but it probably isn't work as well as she hopes.
and maybe their waitress noticed that they're talking less and eating faster, because a moment later she's approaching their table with a check in her hand, and nancy has her student id at the ready, with a couple bills folded behind it. what? she comes here pretty often. any protests from steve are met with a quick shake of her head, and an insistent "nope! too slow. you can get lunch tomorrow, promise."
nance takes the rest of her milkshake to go, happily sipping away as they make their exit, and she reaches for him as soon as they're back outside, fingers wiggling until they're laced up with his again.
it actually doesn't take very long at all to actually get to the park, even considering that she slowed her usual city-walk pace just a bit. it's just- everything's so pretty? they call it magic hour for a reason. by the time they're starting down the familiar cobblestone path to her Favorite Spot, everything is orange and pink and soft and radiant, and as soon as she finishes her shake, she tugs him over to the nearest garbage can so she can toss her empty cup ( because obviously letting go of his hand is not an option ), and immediately tucks her newly freed hand around the bend of his elbow. does it instantly make them look like happily married grandparents going on their usual stroll, instead of a cute college couple enjoying a new city together? maybe!!! but she likes being able to hold onto him this way, and press her nose against his arm whenever she wants to hug him even closer, pretending she's colder than she really is. it's not subtle, but she's not really trying to be.
and to be fair, she thinks the detour was totally worth it. the view from the bench she usually commandeers as her reading spot really does have a great view, somehow situated between two blocks that show off how just city boston really is, but not so cluttered that it feels claustrophobic, and the sun is setting just to the left, with a well-placed building blocking out the harsh brightness while still allowing the warm glow to outweigh the shadows, for now.
sharing this particular view with him feels just as good as she thought it would. he's the first person from home to sit in her favorite spot with her, and it feels- completely natural? while also feeling so damn significant. ]
[ The conversation dies down in the comfortable sort of way, as they both focus on finishing up so they can get out of here and onto the next thing. It helps that the food is as good as Nancy had promised, and Steve is the sort of hungry that only arises when travel is involved. He's so focused on his food that he almost doesn't notice that Nancy goes to pay. But that stupid, silly, chivalrous alarm bell goes off, and despite all his protests Nancy is having none of it. Steve might just be the slightest touch pouty as he finally relents, mumbling about how he's getting the next one, and the one after that.
The hurt of not being able to pay is quickly soothed by how pleased Nancy looks with herself, and just a little bit by the way her lips wrap around the straw of her milkshake. It shouldn't be as enticing of a sight as he finds it but-- well, he likes it, so sue him.
He's got his suitcase still clutched in one hand while his other finds hers again, feeling the cool press of her palm to his. Their entwined fingers fight against the New England chill. If he's thinking at all about the cold, that thought is swiftly overwritten by the sight of the park, and the feel of her sneaking her freed hand into his arm. He leans a little bit more against her at that, the two of them not so subtly leaned together like collapsing walls. Oh, to collapse into Nancy Wheeler. ]
Is it? [ Steve sounds a little dreamy, as though her words have just roused him from sleep. He's been looking down at her more than he has the park, and he finds he's not too embarrassed by that. ] I mean, yeah, it is. [ Brilliant save by Steve Harrington. ] Feels like I'm looking at a postcard or something.
There probably is a postcard with this view. There should be, at least.
[ or maybe she's just biased. either way, that's her truth, and she's sticking to it. but the thought comes and goes fairly quickly, because she didn't miss the shift in his tone, the way it almost sounded like he was dozing off right there on the spot. or maybe he was just ridiculously distracted. or maybe she surprised him by finally speaking up, after their walk over here had been so comfortably quiet. all of the above? maybe. either way, she looks down at their joined hands with a little smile, rubs her thumb against the side of his index finger. an almost dormant sort of muscle memory kicks in, has her seeking out a spot that was always sore from hours of swinging a baseball bat. ..the kind without nails. she frowns when she feels a callus there, because... shouldn't that be healed by now? but no, duh, not with his new job.
it probably just looks like she's fidgeting, might even feel that way to him too, but she's just! being affectionate. in a way that also happens to be helpful, maybe, the same way it used to help when she'd rub slow circles with the pad of her thumb in that spot, way back when. whether it looks like fidgeting or not, it still makes something warm flutter in her chest. ]
I'm really- Oh. [ she actually wasn't expecting him to be watching her, so when she picks her head up to talk to him and nearly bumps his face with her nose, her oh ends up sounding a little silly, startled ] Hi. [ she smiles, tries to will away the blush she can feel along the tops of her cheeks, but no such luck. damnit.] What? [ it sounds more flustered than accusatory, but obviously there has to be a reason why he's looking at her. as if she hadn't just spent a solid two minutes just staring at their hands. whatever. it's a fair question!! ]
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by the time she's caught her footing again, then slooowly brings herself properly upright out of the crazy cute way he dipped her, she realizes that the idea of one kiss being able to sate everything she's feeling right now is total bullshit. but she can try? they can try. they should try. probably. right? she almost manages to sneak in a quiet- ] Hi. [ -against his lips before they've actually stopped kissing, but it comes out as a muffled hhhm that just makes her laugh ] Hi. [ her hand slides down to settle against his chest, starts to fuss with the zipper pull of his jacket almost immediately. she has too much energy, like the anticipation of him getting here still hasn't worn off, somehow. ] I missed you. [ did she just lightly push against his chest as she said that, like she actually might be miffed at him for it? maybe. ]
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I missed you too.
[ Steve says once his mental faculties begin to collect themselves. There's a reason they've been trying to do this the "right" way, and he needs to at least try and stick to that. So he straightens up, ignores the heat in his cheeks and just coils his arms around her in a tight hug. He lets his cheek rest against the top of her head, breathes in the smell of her shampoo. ]
Should we... [ His sentence is rudely interrupted by the growling of his stomach. ] Wanna get food somewhere? I'm kind of starving.
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holly has a solo in one of the songs that the second graders are singing as part of their spring concert, and it's only six lines long, but she's been practicing every day, and nancy won't be back in hawkins in time to see it. and once a week, the house gets invaded by rowdy teenagers because somehow the wheeler house became the meeting place for d&d session again, but karen says she doesn't mind it, because she's just glad mike and the boys are ready to play again at all. mike still can't talk about what happened to eddie, or why hellfire had to disband at all, without getting angry about it, but with eddie finally back on his feet, they've all been able to feel better about playing again. robin writes letters the same way she tells stories and explains her ideas - three pages long and at least five side-notes on each. but nancy can actually hear it in her voice, so she ignores the part of her brain that wants to edit it all down and powers through every run-on sentence.
it's a little like torture when she stacks them all up, but she has to do it, because maybe she doesn't necessarily miss living in hawkins, but she knows how fast things can change, and the thought of falling behind on the lives of the people she loves is much worse.
and having steve here in boston with her now has made it very clear to her, very quickly, that she's felt a lot lonelier than she realized, too. she's made new friends, she's engaged in the student life, she's been making an effort. this has been her dream since the minute karen explained to her that she can actually go to school to learn how to be a journalist, so she definitely hasn't let her homesickness get in the way of experiencing absolutely every part of it. but up until right now, she hadn't realized how she's almost felt- isolated? like this dream life in boston doesn't actually exist in the same reality as her life in hawkins. the only real overlap so far has been the two mortifying times she woke up from a nightmare screaming, when the girl who lived across the hall banged on her door until she let her in. nancy confessed that she has pretty bad nightmares sometimes ( understatement ), and her new friend tried her best to reassure her by emphasizing that she just had to remind herself that it wasn't real, but just a bad dream. except... it was real? but she couldn't tell her that, so. yeah. isolating.
so nancy presses her face to his chest and holds onto him just as tight, doesn't move until she hears his stomach complain ] Oh, noohoho. [ she half smiles, half pouts as she picks up her head, her hand moving to settle over his stomach for a second, but then she nodnodnods ] Yeah, of course we can. There's about a dozen options around this whole area, and four of my favorites are actually down- [ she points ] that street, which is where we need to go to get to my apartment anyway. [ a beat, but then she's squeezing his arm, where at some point her hand moved to hold onto him, just above his elbow ] Oh! I know exactly where I want to take you. Bartley's, it's perfect. They've got burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, bottomless crinkle fries - [ their favorite ] - and! I get a student discount there. [ she bends to grab his dropped suitcase, holding it up for him to take ] Sound good?
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Most of all he's glad to just be with her, doesn't mind the distance despite the fact that he hates it. Because he wants to be there when she has those nightmares, when she's feeling lonely. He's glad that she's chasing after her dreams, even when it takes her so far from him. From their home, for better or for worse. ]
That sounds great.
[ She could have suggested anything, the most run down place in all of Boston, and that would have been alright. Steve smiles as he reaches to take his suitcase from her, leans close to press a kiss to her cheek. They make the short walk to Bartley's hand in hand, trading sweet small talk back and forth. Just catching up, talking about the little things. How she's got a professor that always sneezes, about how his foreman has the biggest mustache he's ever seen.
Before he knows it they're seated at a little table, with burgers and onion rings and bottomless crinkle fries laid out between them. Steve stretches out his legs beneath the table, lets his ankles lock with hers. He just wants to keep touching her, okay? Nothing wrong with that. ]
So, how's the big city treating you? [ He asks as he swirls a fry through a mound of ketchup. ] Bet you can barely remember small town life by now.
[ That would really be for the best, wouldn't it? ]
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but that's all a little too heady to contemplate the meaning of when she's sipping her cherry milkshake and slowly pointing and flexing her feet between his, just to be annoying.
and she's wondering if he's been nudging the smaller fries with the crispy edges to the side of their basket intentionally, because he knows she likes those the best, or if it's just a happy coincidence. ]
It's actually treating me a lot nicer than I thought it would, to be honest. It took a little while to get used to it - everything is a lot closer, and louder, and faster than things are back home - but I think I've finally found my stride, yeah. [ she pauses to pluck up the exact fry that steve was clearly about to reach for, and then even steals a dab of ketchup from his side, too. ] Mm, I don't think I've forgotten anything, but if I did, I'll just follow your lead. [ she grins, but then shakes her head ] Nah, I'm pretty sure I haven't forgotten anything about Hawkins. I think about you guys all the time. Possibly too much, considering how much time I spend imagining all the things I'm missing out on while I'm here. [ ... meh but that's a downer, isn't it? so she puts on a dreamy expression, even sighs and leans to put her chin in her hand ] All those missed opportunities to visit you at work just to say hi and blatantly check you out. Tragic.
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That's great, Nancy. [ If she has to be so far away, she should at least be enjoying her time, finding her niche, her stride. Though he still isn't especially enthused about the fact that he needs to hop on an airplane to see her, but if she's happy here, he can cope. ] You're kind of missing out, actually.
[ He gives her a little grin across the table as his fingers toy nervously at his napkin, betraying the confidence that he's trying to display. At least he can be somewhat sure this is true, because construction work means he's a little more toned and tanned than she's previously seen him. And yeah, maybe he does look good when he's hauling around construction materials. ]
I can try and replicate the experience for you while I'm here, if you want.
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although it makes her eyes widen at first, because she's still caught up on missing out on everything that she doesn't realize he's only talking about the last part she added. not until he smiles like that, and her eyes nearly light up. it's partly because the topic is pulling her out of her slight downswing, but if he takes it solely as a sign of her enthusiasm for a recreation, she's not about to specify. ]
Oh, yeah? [ the corner of her mouth quirks up, and her feet stop fussing between his in favor of just rubbing the toe of her shoe against the heel of his, because yeah, she's definitely flirting now. it's hard not to. this feels more and more like a date as the minutes tick by, and maybe her gut should be telling her to pump the breaks to talk about that, but all it has to offer is a small swarm of butterflies fluttering about. she does notice his little tell, the way the corner of his napkin might be worn thin if he keeps it up, but it's a peripheral observation. her eyes are too busy giving him an exaggerated once-over of the view she has of him from the table, up. ] I don't even have a toolbox at my apartment, but we'll have to figure something out, because there's no way I'm letting the good city of Boston get a peek of you like that before I do. [ a beat ] Plus, I'd really rather not risk the chance of any of my classmates witnessing the way it's almost certainly going to make me lose my shit. I'd like to at least try and preserve a little of my dignity, out in public.
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Well, don't worry about that. [ Steve's laugh is bashful and boyish. There have definitely been changes to his body since they've last seen each other, but he only feels aware of them now. His body suddenly feels a little larger, a little more muscular, all because he's now being seen through Nancy's gaze. ] Put a shirt on me and I'm not much different than your average joe.
[ And that's sort of the point, he thinks. To just be normal and unassuming, to just blend in. Nancy just has a way of making him feel special, feel seen. That feeling is easy to lean in to right now, fills him with what is surely a false bravado. ]
Let's finish eating first, hm? Then you can lose your shirt.
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she just? doesn't. understand. how he doesn't? understand?
hm. but. well. okay. okay, yeah. she's not about to argue it, at least not right now. later maybe, yes. later definitely, actually. ]
Yeah, alright. [ she looks down at her burger, as if that could really hide her holy-shit-i-have-the-biggest-crush-on-him smile when he's sitting across from her at a table that just fits their shared food, but like! an attempt's been made. but then she's peeking up at him again from through her lashes ( and her somewhat grown-out bangs ), and it's game over anyway. her smile goes all out, and it's enough to make her laugh, shake her head. she takes a bite of her burger, just to force herself to stop being an idiot ] Mmh- Oh. So, I know you're probably completely exhausted from your flight, and we can go back to mine soon, I promise, but there's this park that's only a couple blocks over that I totally love, it's probably my favorite spot in the whole city, so I want to show you. [ a beat ] -- But I mean, we can always go tomorrow if you need some time to relax first. Seriously. Because it's really pretty at sundown, too? But it.. gets kind of cold. So. [ another beat ] I know it's sort of cheesy, it's just a park, but - [ it means a lot to me and you mean a lot to me so being there with you sounds really fucking perfect ] - Yeah. I've already added it to our to-do list.
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But as it stands, he's not feeling too terribly tired. The food and the milkshake have lent some of his strength back to him, and he doesn't think he'll mind a walk over to the park she's speaking about. Especially because, well, it sounds a little romantic, and that has always sort of been his thing, for as reluctant as he's been to admit it. ]
I don't mind checking it out tonight. [ Anything but, really, and Steve finds himself trying to clear his plate just a little faster. ] As long as you're up for it. So, park, then your apartment? That sound good?
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[ really perfect, actually. nancy takes a well-timed sip of her milkshake as soon as he agrees to making the park detour, and- okay, she's pretty sure he would have said yes even if he was about four seconds from falling asleep on the spot, but still! she's very excited that he wants to go. and she's banking on taking a sip through her straw being enough to hide her doofy smile, but it probably isn't work as well as she hopes.
and maybe their waitress noticed that they're talking less and eating faster, because a moment later she's approaching their table with a check in her hand, and nancy has her student id at the ready, with a couple bills folded behind it. what? she comes here pretty often. any protests from steve are met with a quick shake of her head, and an insistent "nope! too slow. you can get lunch tomorrow, promise."
nance takes the rest of her milkshake to go, happily sipping away as they make their exit, and she reaches for him as soon as they're back outside, fingers wiggling until they're laced up with his again.
it actually doesn't take very long at all to actually get to the park, even considering that she slowed her usual city-walk pace just a bit. it's just- everything's so pretty? they call it magic hour for a reason. by the time they're starting down the familiar cobblestone path to her Favorite Spot, everything is orange and pink and soft and radiant, and as soon as she finishes her shake, she tugs him over to the nearest garbage can so she can toss her empty cup ( because obviously letting go of his hand is not an option ), and immediately tucks her newly freed hand around the bend of his elbow. does it instantly make them look like happily married grandparents going on their usual stroll, instead of a cute college couple enjoying a new city together? maybe!!! but she likes being able to hold onto him this way, and press her nose against his arm whenever she wants to hug him even closer, pretending she's colder than she really is. it's not subtle, but she's not really trying to be.
and to be fair, she thinks the detour was totally worth it. the view from the bench she usually commandeers as her reading spot really does have a great view, somehow situated between two blocks that show off how just city boston really is, but not so cluttered that it feels claustrophobic, and the sun is setting just to the left, with a well-placed building blocking out the harsh brightness while still allowing the warm glow to outweigh the shadows, for now.
sharing this particular view with him feels just as good as she thought it would. he's the first person from home to sit in her favorite spot with her, and it feels- completely natural? while also feeling so damn significant. ]
It's pretty, right?
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The hurt of not being able to pay is quickly soothed by how pleased Nancy looks with herself, and just a little bit by the way her lips wrap around the straw of her milkshake. It shouldn't be as enticing of a sight as he finds it but-- well, he likes it, so sue him.
He's got his suitcase still clutched in one hand while his other finds hers again, feeling the cool press of her palm to his. Their entwined fingers fight against the New England chill. If he's thinking at all about the cold, that thought is swiftly overwritten by the sight of the park, and the feel of her sneaking her freed hand into his arm. He leans a little bit more against her at that, the two of them not so subtly leaned together like collapsing walls. Oh, to collapse into Nancy Wheeler. ]
Is it? [ Steve sounds a little dreamy, as though her words have just roused him from sleep. He's been looking down at her more than he has the park, and he finds he's not too embarrassed by that. ] I mean, yeah, it is. [ Brilliant save by Steve Harrington. ] Feels like I'm looking at a postcard or something.
[ How poetic. ]
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[ or maybe she's just biased. either way, that's her truth, and she's sticking to it. but the thought comes and goes fairly quickly, because she didn't miss the shift in his tone, the way it almost sounded like he was dozing off right there on the spot. or maybe he was just ridiculously distracted. or maybe she surprised him by finally speaking up, after their walk over here had been so comfortably quiet. all of the above? maybe. either way, she looks down at their joined hands with a little smile, rubs her thumb against the side of his index finger. an almost dormant sort of muscle memory kicks in, has her seeking out a spot that was always sore from hours of swinging a baseball bat. ..the kind without nails. she frowns when she feels a callus there, because... shouldn't that be healed by now? but no, duh, not with his new job.
it probably just looks like she's fidgeting, might even feel that way to him too, but she's just! being affectionate. in a way that also happens to be helpful, maybe, the same way it used to help when she'd rub slow circles with the pad of her thumb in that spot, way back when. whether it looks like fidgeting or not, it still makes something warm flutter in her chest. ]
I'm really- Oh. [ she actually wasn't expecting him to be watching her, so when she picks her head up to talk to him and nearly bumps his face with her nose, her oh ends up sounding a little silly, startled ] Hi. [ she smiles, tries to will away the blush she can feel along the tops of her cheeks, but no such luck. damnit.] What? [ it sounds more flustered than accusatory, but obviously there has to be a reason why he's looking at her. as if she hadn't just spent a solid two minutes just staring at their hands. whatever. it's a fair question!! ]