Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty-One: Be Careful

(The Battle Of Starcourt Mall, Pt. 3)

***

The plan was formed right after Hopper promised a car Dustin and Erica could use.

Hopper, Murray and Aunt Aco as backup would head into the base to destroy the weapon and close the gate, while Dustin and Erica—with Steve, Robin, Valerie and, presumably, Rowan—would be going to Dustin's Cerebro to navigate, while everyone else went to Murray's safe-house to hide from the Mind Flayer's human-flesh-monster until the gate was closed and it was dead. A solid plan, one everyone agreed to.

And yet, Rowan had one problem with it.

As Steve accepted the keys to the car Hopper had given them, he turned to her and saw her still standing in the centre of the mall.

"Graveswood, you coming?" he asked.

Rowan shook her head. "No. I... I need to be here, Steve."

"You're not seriously going back down there," Erica said, her voice flat but she looked genuinely worried, as everyone looked at her, confused. Steve, meanwhile, looked shocked and hurt.

"No. I'm not going back to that fucking place as long as I live. I need to be with the kids and Nancy and Jonathan. I need to be with my brother," Rowan explained.

"Rowan—" Dustin started, but Rowan interrupted, "I'm not leaving him again. Not with this thing still fucking alive and kicking."

That ended any argument, as Dustin looked at her and nodded before he turned away to head to the entrance, Erica doing the same. Robin mouthed, Be careful, and Rowan nodded, before her best friend turned away, too.

Valerie, meanwhile, marched up to her and said lowly, "I know you're there for Al or El, but protect Cami too, okay?"

"I can protect myself, Val!" Cami shouted from behind Rowan, but Valerie only said again, "Protect her, Rowan."

"I will, Val. I'm gonna protect her and the other gremlins," Rowan promised, voice grave.

That seemed to be enough for Valerie, and she rejoined the others, leaving Steve.

"Are you gonna make some plea for me to come with you guys?" Rowan questioned, but Steve shook his head.

"No. I understand. He's your brother," Steve said. "Just... stay safe, okay?"

"Have you met me, Harrington? Staying safe is all that I do," Rowan deadpanned, and a smile grew on Steve's face. Rowan's face grew serious, and she murmured, "You stay safe, too, Harrington."

"Don't worry, I always do," Steve said, and now Rowan was smiling. "But I will. Promise. Not gonna be safer than this."

"Same with this," Rowan affirmed. She bit her lip. "So..."

"See you after this is over?" Steve finished.

"Yeah," Rowan whispered.

Steve looked at her, then he pulled her into a hug. Rowan returned it, holding Steve tight—like if she held him, they wouldn't be separated even if they had to because Steve needed to be with Dustin, Erica, Valerie and Robin and Rowan needed to be with her brother and Nancy and Jonathan and the gremlins, because they'd always fought the Upside Down together, under Christmas lights and in foggy junkyards and inside vine-choked tunnels, they'd never been separated until now, and now Rowan didn't want to see the man who'd won her heart walk away if it was going to be the last she ever saw him, because just as she malfunctioned when Alistair or Aunt Aco were gone, she was malfunctioning at the thought of Steve being gone, that it was worse than what she felt when her family was gone because Steve had taken a piece of her heart Rowan hadn't known she'd given him and it felt like she'd stopped breathing when he was gone.

But it couldn't last. They were needed in different places. And they would meet again.

Steve broke the embrace first, his eyes lingering on her face—like he wanted to commit it to memory—before he turned and started walking away.

Rowan watched him, her heart tearing itself in two, before she knew what she had to do. "Hey, Steve?"

Steve turned. "Yeah?"

The way his face looked, under the blood and bruises, solidified her decision. That if she never saw him again, Rowan couldn't let herself live if she didn't let Steve know how she truly felt about him.

Marching up to him, she stood in front of him, hesitating for only a second, the world blurring out, as Steve stared down at her, their height difference never so stark until now, his brown eyes that Rowan loved and got so enchanted by looking at her in confusion and a flicker of hope.

"Rowan?" he whispered, voice unusually husky.

Rowan didn't answer.

Instead, she grabbed that ascot and pulled Steve down—right on her lips.

Steve's eyes widened, whether from the shock of the kiss Rowan initiated or that she was actually kissing him, but he didn't pull away as Rowan kissed him. And that kiss, kissing lips that tasted like blood and vomit and the faint taste of something uniquely Steve...

God, now Rowan knew what the movies and books and what everyone around her was telling her about.

Kissing Steve was like a fireworks explosion. Kissing Steve was like a strike of lightning. Kissing Steve was like tasting her favourite food or watching her favourite horror movie. Kissing Steve was like a storm in all its glory. Kissing Steve was like kissing home.

Kissing Steve was nothing with lust or desire—Rowan didn't think she would be capable of it, even if she tried.  Kissing Steve was something deeper, something more encompassing, than that. Kissing Steve was filled with what Rowan felt she was incapable of for a long time.

Kissing Steve was like kissing with love.

The kiss ended as suddenly as it started. Rowan pulled away, lips swollen and breath coming back into her lungs, as she stared into the eyes of a still-stunned Steve. Looking at him, she whispered, "Be careful."

Now she turned to go, but her wrist was captured.

She looked back, seeing Steve looking at her with those brown eyes she loved, that rebellious curl he could never tame that Rowan realised she always wanted to twirl around her finger hanging down in front of those brown eyes, as he said, "Hey, Rowan."

"Yeah?" she breathed.

He pulled her closer, tilting her head up, eyes locking, time frozen and drawn out.

"Can I?" he whispered.

Rowan breathed out, "Yes," before Steve's lips were descending onto hers again.

It was deeper, much more deeper than hers had been—years' of experience of kissing other girls. And yet Steve kissed her like she was his first kiss, his lips exploring hers, taking the time to learn the shape and taste of them, committing them to memory, like she was doing the same. He pulled her in closer, and Rowan let him, hands sliding into the thick strands of his hair, tugging his head down to hers, letting her mouth capture hers—because even though he initiated the second kiss, she had taken control, and Steve let her, a breathy sound slipping from him as he held her tighter, pressing her against him, as their lips melded together, imprinting the other's shape onto them. And yet Steve was gentle with kissing her, kissing her with care, wth reverence.

Kissing her as if she was something to be cherished, to be worshipped. Like she was a queen, an empress, a goddess, and he was her adoring devotee.

Like their first, their second ended as quickly as it began—too quickly, Rowan found herself thinking. And yet Steve held her face in his hands—they had migrated from the small of her back to cup her face sometime—like he might kiss her again, eyes dark and so, so brown, cheeks flushed, lips red and slightly swollen and parted, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath again, and yet he looked happier than she had seen him look in a long time. A happiness she also felt.

"Be careful, too," he murmured.

Rowan nodded.

Steve didn't smile or say anything. Instead he pressed his lips against hers again—nothing like their first and second kisses, a chaste peck of lips than a true kiss. But it held a promise—that he would come back, that she would come back, and they would try this thing out between them, that more kisses, more everything, was in their future after this was all over.

And when Steve pulled away, Rowan kept that promise inside her heart that belonged to Steve, as Steve kept that promise in his heart that belonged to Rowan.

"Finally!"

They jumped, turning to see Dustin, beaming, obviously elated that Rowan and Steve had stopped denying what they felt. Next to him, Robin and Valerie looked similarly euphoric, while Erica only smirked. Rowan didn't need to look behind her to know everyone—including her brother—must be looking or thinking the same, with the exception of the adults.

God, when she told Eddie and Chrissy...

Looking to Steve, Rowan took his hand, squeezing it. Saying everything.

Be careful. Stay safe. Come back to me.

Steve squeezed hers back. Saying everything back.

Then they let go and Steve was walking back to where his group waited—Dustin with a grin on his face—as Rowan watched him go.

When they left, she turned back to the others, making herself remember what they had to do, why she was here.

Time to save the world again.

***

"Bottom lock, second-to-top lock, third-to-top lock, top-lock," Rowan heard Murray say to Nancy and Jonathan—obviously instructing them on which locks his massive ring of keys corresponded with. Rowan smirked, rolling her eyes, before she turned back to Aunt Aco and Alistair, the humour fading as worry came to the surface. A look at her brother told her he felt the same.

"You guys are gonna be okay. You'll be far away at Murray's, and you have your powers. If that thing comes—" Aunt Aco said, but Rowan interrupted, "We know. But I'm not worried about us. I'm worried about you."

"I'll be fine. Better me down there than either of you. You need each other" Aunt Aco assured, smiling as she stroked their hair back.

"Yeah but we need you," Alistair said, voice cracking, tears in his eyes as Rowan nodded. "We're always gonna need you."

"I'll be fine. I'll come back, okay? Just promise me you'll both stay safe and protect each other and the others," Aunt Aco said, giving them a look even as her eyes glistened.

"We will. Just as long as you stay safe, too," Rowan returned.

"I will, kid," her aunt murmured. "God, you've both grown up so much. When did you two grow up from those little kids who needed me?"

"We're still those kids, Aunt Aco. We're... we're always gonna need you," Rowan said, the words half-choked with her own tears. 

"Just come back," Alistair whispered.

"I will, kids. I promise. Now, c'mere," Aunt Aco said, her own voice trembling, as she pulled Alistair and Rowan into a hug. They held her tight, as Hugin wormed his way in to join the hug. All of their little family hugging for, hopefully, not the last time.

When they pulled back, Aunt Aco gave a watery smile and pressed a kiss on Rowan's forehead, then Alistair's as she ruffled his hair and stroked Hugin's head, the raven giving a caw that almost sounded watery, before she rejoined with Murray and Joyce.

Rowan looked at Alistair, who looked at her.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. She'll be okay, and we'll be okay. I'm not gonna let it hurt you, or El, or Will, or Max and Cami and Mike and Lucas," Rowan promised.

"I know. I'm not gonna let it hurt you either, or El. Or Will," Alistair returned.

The siblings smiled, and hugged each other.

When they pulled away, Alistair noticed Will was alone, and the two headed off somewhere private to talk. As they did, Rowan went over to Max.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," Max returned, but she was quiet. And Rowan knew why.

"He's not gonna find us, and lead that thing to us, okay? And if Hargrove does, I'm gonna kick his ass again. Not gonna let anything happen to any of you," Rowan vowed, and that made Max look at her, a flicker of her old self returning.

"I know," she said. Something candid and vulnerable entered Max's face as she went on, "I know you will, because you treat us like we're also your siblings, not just Al. And I... I wish it was true. I wish you and Al were my sister and brother instead."

"Max Mayfield, you were already my sister the minute Aunt Aco gave you a ride and we sang The Chain together, okay?" Rowan said firmly. "You're my sister just like Al is my brother. It doesn't matter we aren't related by blood, we are sisters. And that is never going to change."

Max looked at her, eyes wet, before she smiled and hugged Rowan. Rowan returned the hug, hugging the girl that just like El she saw as a sister.

When they pulled apart, Rowan went to find her brother—only when she did, she had to keep her jaw from dropping.

There, in a little gap between two stores, was Alistair and Will, the latter pressed against the wall, kissing.

Rowan gaped, before she smiled. Finally.

She decided to let them be, have the privacy of sharing their first kiss, of finally confirming the love they felt for each other at last—just like she and Steve did—but as she turned, she saw Cami also notice the pair kissing. And as Cami saw her ex and his crush kiss, her lips curved up in an ecstatic smile.

When Cami noticed her, she mouthed, Took them long enough.

Rowan nodded in agreement.

Now, she wondered if Robin and Valerie were the next to share a kiss before they saved the world tonight.

Both girls let Alistair and Will be, rejoining the rest of the group. There, Mike asked, "Where are Al and Will?"

"Don't worry, they'll be here. They're just... talking," Cami lied, both Rowan and Cami sharing a secret look.

Yeah, Will and Alistair were talking alright.

True to word, Will and  Alistair came back, trying to hide the evidence of sharing their first kiss.

"Hey guys," Alistair greeted, while Will smiled. "We're leaving?"

"Yeah," Mike affirmed. Her brother nodded, serious again, as he joined Mike and Max to help El up and to the car. As they did, Rowan stayed with the rest of the group, waiting until the quartet hobbled over to them.

When they did, they turned to the entrance while behind them, the adults prepared to descend into hell.

And hopefully end things once and for all while keeping El out of the Mind Flayer's grip until it was dead.

And if they couldn't?

Then Rowan would protect her brother, the girls she saw as sisters, the boy her brother loved and gone through too much, Cami, Mike and Lucas, and Nancy and Jonathan. No matter what.

***

AHHHHH STOWAN KISS!!!!! ROWAN REAFFIRMING TO MAX SHE IS HERS AND ALISTAIR'S SISTER IN ALL BUT BLOOD!!! ALISILL KISS!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I was SO EXCITED to write this chapter for all of these! I had so much fun writing Stowan's first kiss AT LAST!!! (and then their second), and the found family-ness of Max, Rowan and Alistair (and Aunt Aco because she sees Max as another niece), and the background Alisill kiss!!!! AHHH

 But, now that we have this calm out of the way... time for the storm >:)

Next chapter will be soon!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!