Chapter Text
Hopper wasn't expecting Dustin Henderson to burst through the door to his office at 8PM two weeks after El closed the gate to the Upside Down. Here he was, panting because he probably biked all the way here.
"Steve is missing!" Dustin shouts. What? Dustin barrels on, "Me and the rest of the party went to his house to check on him after Billy beat his face in, but he wasn't answering his door so we... uhm... pretend I didn't say this okay? We found an unlocked door in the back and we went in and he wasn't there!"
"Slow down kid, he probably just went to the store or something," Hopper tries. Nothing Dustin said seems all too worrying (except the breaking and entering part).
"But his car is there!" Dustin whines.
"He could've just gone for a walk?" Hopper tries again to calm the kid down. It's not working.
"Please just help us look?" Dustin begs.
And Hopper agrees because he went through the Upside Down shit too. Because he was there when Will vanished and watched how it affected everyone. Because he's a little worried too because he's not sure Steve has had anyone to lean on.
So he gets up, gets in his police cruiser, and starts to drive off. Dustin gets in the passenger seat without asking.
"Henderson-" Hopper starts, but he's cut off.
"Just drive."
Hopper does. He drives all over Hawkins until there is one place left. Hopper pulls up to the quarry not knowing whether he wants to see Steve at the top.
"Steve?" Dustin whispers, like he can't believe what he is seeing.
Steve is sitting at the edge of the quarry.
"Stay in the car Henderson," Hopper demands.
"But-"
"I said stay," And Dustin goes quiet for the first time since he burst into Hopper's office.
Hopper gets out and carefully aproaches the boy on the ledge.
♤♡◇♧
The night sky is cloudy and completely devoid of stars.
Steve stares down at the water far below him and tries to think of a reason not to lean forward and let himself fall off the edge. He can't think of one.
Nancy doesn't love him. Probably stopped loving him the second he stopped being 'King Steve' because there's nothing good under the mask he hides behind. She's with Jonathan now. She didn't even have the courtesy to officially break it off before running off with someone else.
His grades are failing. He can't think. He can't keep up with classes because all he can think about is how much his head hurts and how the words swim on the page in front of him. He's given up.
His parents never liked him. He's always alone. When they do talk to him, they make it known how much of a burden he is.
Billy won't stop shoving and hurting. Everyone he used to be friends with follows suit.
He doesn't sleep. He barely eats. He barely drinks anything other than his fathers alcohol.
His mind is made. He starts to lean forward...
Strong arms wrap around him pulling him back. Further and further and devastatingly far from the ledge. Far from the end of his misery. He fights and hits but the arms don't let up. The arms finally let go and he whips around to see who kept him from freedom.
Hopper towers over him and he has fear in his eyes. More fear than Steve saw in them when they were facing literal monsters from hell.
"Harrington please think about what you're doing, please calm down," Hopper says, but its not gruff or loud, it's quiet. It's horrified.
"Fuck you!" Steve spits, and he hits Hopper in the chest as hard as he can manage, "I was so close! Fuck you Hopper!" But it devolves into incoherent screaming and babbling and Steve collapses. Hopper catches him and just holds him and he cries.
Hopper wraps his arms around Steve, and Steve clings to his jacket and sobs. Hopper just lets him. He sobs and sobs and he's vaguely aware that he's exhausted and lightheaded and his limbs feel like lead.
Eventually the sobs taper off. Steve looks up, his face puffy and wet. There, in the sky, is one star. Just one. He thinks it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
He thinks Hopper is saying something, but it's all muddled. He's so tired and weak. He feels glued to this very spot.
He's so tired that he doesn't even fight it when the world fades to black, blissfully taking him from the waking world.