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Steve knew that the only reason that his parents were home is because they didn't have any work to keep them away. Steve knew that they had been desperately searching for something to keep them away. Steve knew they hated Hawkins even though that is where their only son was. So this is why he ignored them when the came home once in a blue moon but he was feeling really sick and had never had to deal with it so he didn't know what to do. He never really got sick, unless you include his countless hangovers from the days of "King Steve" and when he was little.
He considered calling Joyce Byers seeing as everyone became a little closer, like a family, after the battle of Starcourt but ultimately decided against it because he knew she was busy moving into a bigger house with Hopper and El. He considered just sleeping it off but that plan soon failed as he couldn't stop coughing, sneezing or vomiting long enough to actually sleep. He only saw one solution and that was to instill the help of his parents, or at least his mother.
"Mother." He says when he finds her in the kitchen washing some dishes.
"Oh honey, you sound awful." She says.
"And looks it too." His father says from where he sits in the dining room finishing his lunch.
"I think I'm sick." Steve says even though he didn't think he'd have to.
"Oh, poor thing. Go take a nap" His mother says.
"I've tried." Steve whines.
"Do not whine or take that tone with your mother." His father says despite the very evident lack of attitude in Steve's voice.
"Sorry." Steve mumbles.
"Don't mumble" Steve's father says as he gets up from the table and begins walking to his study.
"Well, I'm not really sure what else to tell you. Brenda always took care of you when you were sick." Brenda was their old house maid that watched Steve when he was younger, he was practically his mother until she was fired because his father said he was too old for a babysitter.
"Okay." He says before walking back to his room and rolling his eyes.
"Well that conversation got me nowhere." He says to himself as he flops onto his bed. He had almost fallen asleep before Dustin called over the radio.
"Steve. Over."
"What?" Steve asks after cursing and stumbling over to his desk where his radio lay.
"What?" He asks again after a minute.
"Oh sorry, were you done? I couldn't tell because you didn't say 'over'. Over." Dustin sasses from the other end.
"Don't be a shit or I'm not gonna do what you ask. Over." Steve says knowing Dustin wanted something.
"Can you give me a ride to the arcade? Over."
"No I'm busy. Over." Steve lies to not bring to boy into a panic.
"You owe me after I got you out of dinner with your parents last week. Over."
"Listen, I'll owe you double. Over."
"No, it doesn't work like that. Over."
"Dustin, I'm really busy. Over."
"Steve, please. I can't stand to be at home anymore. My mother is smothering me after Starcourt. Over."
He knows he shouldn't have agreed but how could he leave Dustin, who was like his younger brother, all alone and miserable.
"Be there in twenty. Over." He turns off the radio and begins to get dressed in clothes not drenched in sweat.
He almost thinks his parents will stop him because they knew he was sick but soon remembers that they don't care about him when he walks out without even a goodbye. He doesn't care though. He accomplishes the short drive to Dustin's house with only feeling like he needed to vomit once. He honks his horn once and Dustin runs out.
"You look like shit."
"Gee thanks, good to see you too." Steve says after he finishes a coughing fit.
"Your parents give you something?" Dustin asks as he feels Steve's forehead and wincing at the temperature.
"No." Steve says swatting Dustin's hand.
"Okay, we're going to Joyce's and Hop's. She'll take care of you." Dustin says.
"No, we're going to the arcade." Steve says putting the car in drive.
"I'll call Hopper and make him come get you if you don't drive there yourself." Dustin says pulling out his radio.
"Blackmail is illegal. But I'm fine, so let's go to the arcade." Steve says irritated, his head had begun to hurt and he did not have time to argue.
"Hop. Over." Dustin says into his radio.
"Dustin. stop. I'll drive." Steve says. The only thing more embarrassing than being sick would be being sick and having someone come pick him up.
"Thank you." He says before telling Hopper they were coming over and that Steve was sick. It was then that he realized Dustin didn't know where the Byers and the Hoppers now lived, he could drive around aimlessly.
"Do you know how to get there?" Dustin asks.
"Yeah." Steve begins to drive to the gas station. "Gotta get gas first." He knew it was cruel but he could always leave Dustin at the gas station, five minutes from his house, and then wouldn't have to waste gas.
"Go in and get some candy." Steve says with the change from the twenty that he had used to buy gas. He pumps the gas and was putting the car into drive when Dustin opened the passenger door.
"Were you going to leave me?" Dustin asks.
"No."
"Liar."
"Listen, your house is five minutes away. You would have been fine."
"That's still a shitty thing to do."
"Yeah well, telling on me to Hopper was a shitty thing to do too."
"But your sick."
"Yeah, and he and Joyce are trying to move in."
"I don't think they'll mind helping you."
"Whatever, can you just call them and tell them we aren't coming over and I'll get my parents to take care of me."
"They let you walk out of the house looking like this so I'm not gonna trust them to look after you."
"They weren't home when I left." Steve lies.
"Yes they were. They never leave your house unless they're leaving Hawkins."
"They were out, on a walk."
"Steve, start driving or I'll call Hop again and this time I'll tell him you aren't coming over."
So driving aimlessly it was then. He begins driving around, making turns at random so Dustin doesn't notice a pattern.
"We should be there by now. Will told me it was only ten minutes away from my house."
"Well he was wrong, it's on the outskirts on town. Hop doesn't want El in the center of everything." And that was true. He wanted another cabin in the woods but they couldn't find one big enough.
"Hop. Over."
"Dustin, what the shit?"
"You're lying."
"What kid? Over."
"Steve doesn't want to come over because he doesn't think it's important for him to be taken care and that you moving in is more important. Over."
"Asshole." Steve says.
"Listen kid, if you aren't here in ten minutes I will personally come and get you and make you ride in my car and Johnathan will drive yours back. Over and out."
"I hate you." He tells Dustin before making a sharp turn.
He makes it to the Byers- Hopper house in eight minutes and sees Hopper standing on the porch with his arms crossed.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
"Hop, leave him alone. Look at him, poor thing." Joyce says walking out and pulling Steve inside and leading him to the couch.
"Sick." Eleven says from the floor where she and Will are drawing.
"I'm fine."
"No he isn't!" Dustin chirps, although worry is clear on his face.
"He'll be fine after some medicine and a few days rest." Joyce says with a motherly pat to his head before rushing off to get medicine.
"How long have you been sick?" Hopper asks.
"Just yesterday and today." Steve says.
"And you didn't come before?"
"Your busy moving, I didn't want to add anything to your to do list."
"Your more important then putting away clothes and making an aesthetic for the house."
"We see you as family, don't think twice about coming to us for help." Joyce says as she hands Steve some medicine.
"We don't have to talk about it anymore right now, just get some rest kid."
Steve falls asleep on the couch surrounded by his family and warmth rather than the cold he experienced in his own house.