[ in another time, at another date, in another place, steve might have realized why she would have thought this was weird. once upon a time she was billy hargrove’s kid sister and the target for his insane wrath, one of dustin’s close friends and at some point lucas’ girlfriend, and one of the kids. it had been that simple when dustin and max had showed up at family video, and it had been that simple for everything that followed. maybe it would have been weird before then, too, but the last thing steve remembers is not being sure that max was even going to survive.
that was nine months ago. so, whether or not max might have thought it weird, steve was going to freaking hug her. and thankfully max doesn’t make it weird, instead pressing her cheek against his chest. he’d have held her there for another second or so if she would have let him, but she pulls away from him soon after. ]
And you’re okay? [ she pulls away from him and pulls her arms across her chest and steve let’s her go, if only so he can have the chance to look her over. ]
I got here a little while ago, it’s…it’s complicated, but. [ but- that’s when he realizes where they are, and how there are locals who are definitely watching this whole thing go down, and steve suddenly really doesn’t want to do this in front of everyone. so instead he glances over his shoulder, his hand reaching for her elbow gently. ] C’mon, let’s walk and talk.
[ he doesn’t want to think about how he looks in her eyes - the way his hair is a bit longer, a bit different. the mottled scars that are scattered across his skin, remnants of the sores and lesions left behind by their last event. there’s a short sword at his hip and a crystal necklace around his neck and- god, he looks nothing like he did before, does he?
but he’s still him, he’s still steve, and she has to be able to see that. ]
It’s…real. Definitely real. But weird as hell. [ he leads her out of the main square, down one of the paths that heads off to the farmsteads. it’ll be quieter out here closer to the woods. ] What’s the uh- what’s the last thing you remember? Before all this?
screams and cries and throws up
that was nine months ago. so, whether or not max might have thought it weird, steve was going to freaking hug her. and thankfully max doesn’t make it weird, instead pressing her cheek against his chest. he’d have held her there for another second or so if she would have let him, but she pulls away from him soon after. ]
And you’re okay? [ she pulls away from him and pulls her arms across her chest and steve let’s her go, if only so he can have the chance to look her over. ]
I got here a little while ago, it’s…it’s complicated, but. [ but- that’s when he realizes where they are, and how there are locals who are definitely watching this whole thing go down, and steve suddenly really doesn’t want to do this in front of everyone. so instead he glances over his shoulder, his hand reaching for her elbow gently. ] C’mon, let’s walk and talk.
[ he doesn’t want to think about how he looks in her eyes - the way his hair is a bit longer, a bit different. the mottled scars that are scattered across his skin, remnants of the sores and lesions left behind by their last event. there’s a short sword at his hip and a crystal necklace around his neck and- god, he looks nothing like he did before, does he?
but he’s still him, he’s still steve, and she has to be able to see that. ]
It’s…real. Definitely real. But weird as hell. [ he leads her out of the main square, down one of the paths that heads off to the farmsteads. it’ll be quieter out here closer to the woods. ] What’s the uh- what’s the last thing you remember? Before all this?