Chapter Text
The newspaper crinkled under Dustin's hands as he flipped through its pages with what Steve could only describe as barely contained enthusiasm. The younger man was hunched over the table inside Steve's camper, one leg propped up against his chest while the other bounced along to the music playing on the radio in the kitchen. He scribbled away at his notebook every few moments as if it were one of his school books.
Steve had found himself propped up on the couch on the opposite side of the small living space, chowing down on a cheese sandwich he'd made for lunch. He'd made a plate for Henderson, but he was too preoccupied to notice its presence sitting beside him on the table.
“So,” Steve mumbled through a mouthful of food, only pausing a moment to swallow before he finished his sentence, “instead of going up to the lake at Willow Bay for a relaxing summer break with your best friend, you'd rather chase after some missing person's case?”
Dustin eyed his friend over the top of the newspaper, rolling his eyes a moment later as if making the last-minute decision to become some kind of two-person mystery machine was the most obvious choice in the world and Steve was the one being ridiculous.
There goes my relaxing summer break…
“Steve, this isn't just any missing person's case!” He stood up suddenly, shifting his way around the little camper table and shoving the newspaper into Steve's hands. He nearly dropped his sandwich in the process.
“Hey, man! Watch what you're doing—”
“Look at this picture! And the description? Isn't it odd to you?”
Dustin tapped his finger against the photo of a little girl. Her hair came down just past her ears, and freckles speckled across her cheeks and nose. The description below the picture said she was ten years old, had just celebrated her birthday in May, and was a redhead.
“Aspen Harper was last seen at her local grocery store with her mother, Abigail Harper. She claims her daughter had been right by her side before a sudden power outage plunged the store into darkness. Once the lights turned back on, her daughter was gone.”
Steve read aloud, feeling a tinge of familiarity that was unsettling in the worst ways.
“The evidence is right there, Steve! A power outage, and a kid goes missing? It just sounds a little too familiar, don't you think?”
Steve stared at the newspaper for a while longer, eyes darting between the article and his friend’s intense stare.
“What, you think this has something to do with the Upside Down? With Vecna? That's not even possible—we destroyed it all, remember? Set off a bomb and hightailed our asses out of there.”
“Yes, that's true, but you can't just ignore the facts! Even if it's not the Upside Down, it could mean something… What if there's a facility—like Hawkins Lab—doing similar experiments on kids like El?”
Steve looked up at Dustin with uncertainty. “Okay, let's slow down a little here.”
Steve stood, bringing his plate with him to the tiny kitchen and shoving the paper plate into a garbage bag hanging on the handle of a cupboard.
“One power outage and a missing girl doesn't automatically mean anything—”
“The power only went out for a few moments. And the moment the lights came back, she had vanished. No one just disappears that quickly, at least not a human.” Dustin enjoyed interrupting Steve mid-sentence, a quirk that never failed to get under his nerves. Miraculously, though, Steve was feeling forgiving.
They were only a few days into their road trip, and it was the first time they'd seen each other since Dustin's Christmas break back in Hawkins. He didn't want to ruin the fun by putting a damper on what was apparently a very exciting, and potentially dangerous, situation—no matter how far of a stretch it appeared to be.
“Okay, so let's assume that this girl is part of some secret lab experiment. What is your plan exactly?”
Dustin paced back and forth, though it was more of a shuffle in the tight space of the camper. “I've already mapped out a plan. And it starts with the mom. She lives not far from Willow Bay, and we can ask the locals if they've seen anything odd going on around town.”
Steve leaned back against the counter, arms folded over his chest as he watched Dustin's ramblings.
Damn it, the kid was committed.
With a resigned sigh, Steve looked down at the carpeted kitchen. “Nine times out of ten, you're usually right, so let's give it a shot.”
Dustin paused mid-ramble and smiled from ear to ear.
“Don't look too happy, Henderson, there's a little girl missing,” Steve pointed out, but he couldn't help but grin back at him.
Even after all the death and danger they had faced, Steve felt an undeniable buzz of energy at the thought of diving into the unknown.
“I knew you'd agree. Let me grab the map and show you—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're not going anywhere until you eat that cheese sandwich I so lovingly prepared for you like half an hour ago!”
He shooed Dustin back into the seat and snatched the newspaper out of his hands. Henderson grunted but obliged, noting a quick ‘thank you’ before diving into the first bite.
Steve rolled his eyes, grinning as he looked down at the photo of the little girl. She had a big toothy smile that had Steve wondering what the happy occasion was for the picture and what she might be dealing with right now, and that was a depressing thought. Whatever might have happened to Aspen, supernatural or otherwise, he hoped it had a happy ending.
---
The engine roared to life as Dustin climbed into the passenger side of Steve's Chevy, a cassette tape from their drive the night before already blasting over the speakers.
Opening up the glove compartment, Dustin pulled out the maps and unfurled them to reveal their journey, which he had carefully marked with a red pen.
“So if we merge onto I-65 North here, it should be a pretty straightforward drive to Willow Bay. We’ll get there in about…three hours.”
Steve buckled into the driver's side and adjusted the volume of the music; the heavy metal was enough to rattle a migraine this early in the morning. His watch informed him it was only nine o'clock, but any morning without coffee and one of Eddie’s old mixtapes was too early to be awake.
Dustin normally kept the volume high whenever Steve, against his better judgment, let him drive at night. It wasn't often that they chose to have late-night cruises, but there were generally fewer people on the road, which meant less possibility for disaster due to Dustin's driving.
It wasn't that the younger man was incapable of driving; it was just that Steve had a hard time trusting anyone in one of his vehicles. He'd dealt with far too much from Dustin and all his friends back in Hawkins to let anyone even near the steering wheel.
Well, until Henderson begged him to give it a try at the start of their road trip only a few days ago.
Still, even with the occasional night drive, they fell into their roles easily during the day: Steve at the wheel and Dustin navigating.
Steve felt himself yawn as he pulled out of the truck stop they had parked at the night before. The road stretched out before them, feeling both daunting and exhilarating at the same time.
“So I was doing some brainstorming last night after you went to bed—”
Dustin started off strong, like he always did, jumping right into his plans as if there had been no pause in the first place.
Did the kid ever get any sleep?
“So I don't know exactly where Abigail Harper lives, but I bet if we ask around at a local diner or bar, there's bound to be someone who knows where she is,” Dustin readjusted the map before placing it in his lap and settling back into his seat, his arm resting comfortably on the dashboard in between them. Steve shot a glance in his direction and could almost spot the hints of a smile trying to stay hidden on his lips.
“It's smaller than Hawkins, so the probability that someone knows where she lives is much higher,” Dustin said in a matter-of-fact tone that Steve couldn't help but grin at, impressed by the confidence he held.
“Sounds like a solid plan,” Steve added, drumming his fingers along the top of the steering wheel and humming in thought. “Don't you think people will find it a bit odd that we're asking questions? We don't exactly look like investigators.”
Dustin just shrugged. “You have too little faith, Steve. With my intellect and your charm, we'll get by just fine.”
“Charm?” Steve questioned, scoffing a little too dramatically. “I haven't had much charm since high school.”
Dustin opened his mouth to respond but seemed to choke on his words for a split second before retorting, “Okay, fine. With my charm and intellect, we'll do just fine. You can be the brawn.”
Steve just rolled his eyes. “Hey, I may not have as much smarts as you, but I've got a little intellect somewhere in here.” He tapped a finger to his temple and glanced over at Dustin for a split second before returning his eyes to the road.
“Okay, whatever you say, Harrington,” Dustin said, the exasperation clear in his voice. “Let's just play it cool, and you'll be surprised how open people can be if you play your cards right.”
Dustin then continued with his plan, and all of the possible theories he held about what they were looking for. Steve listened quietly, watching the traffic ahead and periodically looking back at Dustin to ask questions.
When it hit around an hour and a half into their drive, Steve turned off the freeway and pulled into a small gas station. It was pretty quiet, only two other vehicles were fueling up. Dustin climbed out of his seat and wrapped around the front of the truck.
“Want any snacks?” he questioned, walking backward toward the storefront while looking at Steve.
“Surprise me!” he called back, watching as Dustin flipped around and disappeared inside.
It didn't take long for him to finish filling up the Chevy, but as he stood there waiting, he took in the small breeze in the air and looked out over the mostly empty horizon of soft green hills and the occasional car on the road nearest the gas station.
It was odd how something as simple as a smelly gas station could hold so much peace in the air. He always marveled at how lucky he was to have survived such an odd experience. As much as he wanted to help Dustin uncover some crazy conspiracy, he didn't like the thought that the peace he was feeling on their road trip could end in disaster.
The gas pump clicked off, jostling Steve from his calm contemplation. He fished out twenty dollars from his pocket and meandered his way into the storefront. Doing a quick scan, he spotted an older man at the front desk restocking cigarettes behind the counter. Dustin was nowhere to be found, which might have been cause for concern, but Steve knew the frozen burritos they ate the night before might have caused some troubles. He tried not to chuckle out loud at the unfortunate thought.
He gave a small wave to the cashier and placed the twenty on the counter.
“I got a twenty for pump three.”
The cashier slowly stood up straight from where he was organizing the shelf of cigarettes. He looked very tired, avoiding eye contact even as he got to work on the register.
With the sound of the bell above the door, Steve noticed a young couple making their way into the store, both giggling and bumping into each other.
“Oh, come on, Johnny, stop trying to scare me!” she shoved him playfully.
“I ain't trying to do anything! I swear, ever since that kid's been back, he's been acting weird. It's creepy as hell.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the candy aisle.
“Looks like your total is seventeen-fifty today,” the cashier muttered, pushing up his coke-bottle glasses. Steve slid the cash across the counter, though his attention had shifted.
The register dinged as the old man counted out the change. Steve snuck another glance at the couple.
“Those are all just rumors. How would you feel if you went missing for three months, and when you came home everyone thought you were a freak?”
“But he is! Something's changed in him, babe. It's like he's not the same person anymore. It's… freaky. I bet those experiments everyone is talking about are real.”
The girl rolled her eyes and picked out a bag of candy to shove into her boyfriend's chest.
“Okay, fine, but when your little prank at the party goes wrong tonight, I'm not covering for you!”
“But you will come to the party tonight, right? My family is out of town all week—”
Steve felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around and found the exasperated old man with his hand out.
“$2.50 is your change, sir.”
He accepted the cash with a quiet thank you, giving him an apologetic grin. It seemed Dustin was right on cue; the bathroom door in the back swung open, and the college student was quickly picking out a few sweet treats along the aisle as he made his way up to the register. He shimmied around the couple, who had switched the topic of conversation to some rom-com they'd watched the night before, hardly of any interest to the nerd squeezing past them, oblivious to the story he'd missed.
“Before you say anything, I'm sorry I took so long, you know how those burritos—”
Steve was the one to interrupt him for once. “I think I've found ourselves a lead in your theory, Henderson.”
Dustin stared up at Steve with raised eyebrows. “What are you talking about? What kind of lead?”
Steve noticed the cashier was looking at them now, a peculiar expression on his tired features. He pulled at Dustin’s sleeve and moved them to the corner of the store near the frozen section, keeping his voice low.
“I overheard that couple—they're throwing a party tonight, and I think we should go.”
Dustin looked between the couple and Steve, not appearing very convinced. He adjusted the bags of candy he held in his arms.
“You're joking, right? What makes you think I want to crash some high school party when we have some real—”
“It's not just a random party. It sounds like they're inviting someone who was recently missing. They said he's been acting weird ever since he's been back. Even something to do with experiments.”
Dustin paused, quietly contemplating as Steve waited for a response.
“What do you think? It might mean something. It could be worth a shot to check it out.”
Dustin nodded. “Okay, let's give it a go. Where is this party?”
Steve faltered. “I don't know—they didn't exactly say.”
“Did you talk to them?”
“What? No, I just overheard them. It'd be weird for a grown-ass man to approach two teenagers about a party they're throwing.”
“Why not? Use it to your advantage—offer to buy them beer or something.”
Steve made a face, and Dustin started to laugh. “Come on, use that old high school charm of yours. There has to be something hidden in there.” He reached up and poked Steve in the chest.
“Why can't you do it? You're at least closer in age. It makes more sense.”
“Do I look like I can offer them beer? They're not gonna let two randos crash their party unless we can give them something in return.”
Steve sighed deeply, noting the somewhat pleading and also pleased expression that came over Dustin's face. Was it really necessary?
At this point, the couple had just finished paying for their snacks, and as they headed toward the door, Dustin nudged Steve's shoulder.
“Come on! You're losing your chance!”
Without thinking too hard about what he was doing, Steve strode over to the couple.
“Uh, hi there!”
They paused near the door, both looking over their shoulder to cautiously eye Steve.
“...hello?” the girl said cautiously, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“Can I help you?” the boyfriend, Johnny, questioned.
“Well, I couldn't help but overhear something about a party tonight?” The couple looked at each other for a split second but didn't respond. Foolishly, Steve continued.
“You see, my friend and I—” he looked over at Dustin, who waved happily, “we’re new to town, and I thought, what's a better way to meet new people than to go to a party!”
“Uh…how old are you?” the girl questioned.
Steve suddenly lost his awkward smile for a second, but he quickly bounced back, laughing suddenly.
“Old enough to buy you beer,” he added with a wink, immediately regretting it, doing everything in his power not to run out of the store and disappear, leaving Dustin behind in a cloud of dust.
Johnny looked over at Dustin for a second, then back at Steve.
“So you're saying you'll buy us beer just to come to my party?”
Steve nodded, leaning against a display case as casually as one could. He faintly heard Dustin's barely contained laugh behind him.
“You're not a cop, are you?”
Steve blinked. “Why would I—” He paused, backtracking. “Listen,” he grew quieter, leaning in ever so slightly.
“I’m not a cop, just a concerned friend for my buddy. You see, he's been going through a rough time lately—recently diagnosed with cancer, actually—and he's never been to a party before.”
The girlfriend seemed to soften, a quiet “aww” on her lips. Steve peeked over his shoulder to see Dustin had shifted his attention to paying for his candy.
“So if you can help out my friend, I'll get you all the beers you want.”
---
Steve and Dustin pulled out of the gas station and back onto the road in complete silence. The radio played quietly through the speakers as Steve tried to think of something to say.
Dustin hadn't said a word after Steve had managed to get the party information from the couple. The girlfriend, named Jessica, had been more than willing to agree, despite the skeptical frown from her boyfriend Johnny. She even went as far as to rush over to Dustin and apologize for how sad and depressing his life was, giving him a tight hug.
Now, the supposed cancer patient was staring out the window in complete silence.
Steve wracked his brain for some way to start a conversation, but he kept coming up short. He couldn't tell if Dustin was mad at him for coming up with some lame story, or if he was just moping because now he had to pretend he had cancer to a group of teenagers at a house party.
“Listen, man, I shouldn't have said you had cancer, but I panicked! What else was I supposed to do? I told you all my high school charm went down the drain years ago—”
Dustin erupted into a fit of laughter, doubling over in his seat with his arms around his stomach.
“Steve, that was hilarious! Cancer? I can't believe you said that.” He reached out and playfully slapped Steve on the shoulder. “That was absolutely perfect, and now we have something to look into. It's not too far from Willow Bay either.”
Steve tried to hold back the sheepish smile on his lips as he looked over at his friend laughing beside him, relief washing over him as he realized Henderson wasn't upset.
“It wasn't that funny,” Steve countered, still holding back his own laughter. “I just offered alcohol to minors—not exactly my finest moment.”
“You've given me beer countless times,” Dustin stated factually, and Steve groaned uncomfortably.
“Yeah, but at least that was just the two of us, in the camper or at my apartment. This is a huge party. There could be more than just beer there.”
“You're acting as if you didn't do all that stuff in high school too.” Dustin rummaged through his bag of treats and opened a box of Milk Duds.
“It wasn't what it was cracked up to be. I promise, you're missing out on nothing.” Steve stated firmly, grimacing at his former younger self.
“Honestly, if I had spent my school years playing Dungeons & Dragons, maybe I would have been happier.”
Dustin stared at Steve in shock, quickly scoffing.
“Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington playing D&D? Now that'd be a sight to behold.” He tossed a few Milk Duds in his mouth and then offered some to Steve.
“I don't think you'd like it very much. Maybe just focus on sports.”
Steve accepted the Duds and popped one into his mouth. “Hey, never say never! I'm a changed man! Maybe I would like it!”
“I highly doubt that. Just as I highly doubt myself ever playing basketball.”
Steve hummed quietly, a spark of a thought forming in his mind.
“Well, let's prove it then.”
Dustin looked up in question as Steve grinned.
“Teach me how to play Dungeons & Dragons.”
The nerd seemed to be short-circuiting because he didn't respond for a few moments. Steve watched the road quietly, tuning into the music as Dustin shifted in his seat and leaned into the armrest between them.
“You'd really want to learn how to play?” Dustin asked quietly. Steve stole a glance at his friend, noting the softness in his eyes. Taken aback by his reaction, Steve hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded.
“Yeah, man, of course.”
Dustin appeared to be speechless. Steve didn't think that was possible.
“But if I like it, that means I get to teach you how to play basketball!” He pointed a finger at him, keeping one hand on the wheel.
“Are you up for the challenge?”
Without hesitating, Dustin smiled and nodded. “I suppose it's worth a shot. Though statistically unlikely, who knows? Maybe all five-foot-five of me could make it to the NBA.”
Steve chuckled at the thought of Dustin becoming a professional basketball player while he rolled dice for days—a funny image. But if he was being honest, he liked the idea of Dustin teaching him to play. It was such a huge part of his life, and Henderson referenced it on a daily basis. Maybe it was time for Steve to actually see what all the fuss was about.
If anything, it would make Dustin happy, and he enjoyed seeing that side of him. Especially after the years of pain he had endured.
Every smile was a luxury that Steve was lucky to witness and he couldn't wait to see more as they continued on their road-trip.
It had only just begun.