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Nancy Wheeler was nothing if not tenacious. One way or another, when she set her mind to something, there was very little she couldn't accomplish. If she could take on interdimensional creatures, SATs, and two difficult breakups well before she was nineteen, she knew she could very well handle something as simple as being quarantined for the next week, or however long the stubborn virus she caught insisted on staying in her system.
Winter had come to Hawkins, Indiana, and with it came the seasonal illnesses– none of which seemed to care that she couldn't afford to be sick with patrolling duties and teaching Lucas Sinclair how to shoot something other than a slingshot. Thus, she was stuck inside what felt like a bubble of her own misery and boredom.
Her parents had taken Holly to Chicago to spend time with extended family and left Mike under her supervision. It didn't take much convincing for Mike to leave her side and stay with the Sinclairs when he got the chance, as much sympathy as he had for his sister's condition. The fact that the Sinclairs got a new Nintendo system from their grandparents as an early Christmas gift certainly didn't factor in, he assured her halfheartedly before leaving her behind.
Despite her many protests that she was fine, neither Hopper nor Joyce wanted Nancy to be out and about in the woods with a gun while sick, and they definitely didn't want whatever she had to spread to the rest of the group or themselves.
Between her state and the fact that her parent's flight had been delayed for the next few days due to an unexpected blizzard, Nancy found herself home alone on Christmas Eve, mulling over whether or not she wanted to microwave another bowl of Campbell's chicken soup for dinner or if she had it in her to dig through the freezer to find something slightly more festive to treat herself with.
Knowing she was too exhausted to trust herself with making sure she could stay awake and alert enough to work the stove or oven, she resigned herself to the can opener in the same moment she heard the doorbell ring, followed shortly by a melodious knock.
As she set the can of soup down, Nancy hoped and wished for the impossible and that somehow her mother found a way to get home for the holidays. It was technically just another day on the calendar and she didn't want to complain or make her mom feel worse than she did, but Nancy hated the idea of spending Christmas home alone.
Opening the door a crack, Nancy was shocked to see none other than Steve Harrington standing on her front porch with a brown grocery bag in his arms, a gust of wind blowing his dark brown hair as he gave her a forced half-smile while looking her over. She knew she looked like shit. She also knew that the one time he ever told her she actually looked sick was during her junior year, to which she proved him right by puking on his shoes after a pep rally. So Steve wisely avoided ever saying anything of the sort again.
"You're not supposed to be here," she pointed out as a way of greeting, focusing on his eyes instead of the way his emerald green sweater fit his shoulders snugly.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Nance," Steve retorted, rolling his hazel eyes. "I got my flu shot, so I'm not really worried about your sniffles."
"So did I," Nancy protested, crossing her arms over her chest. "Won't the Chief be pissed you're here?"
"I sort of avoided all that when I talked with Mrs. Byers about it instead." Steve tapped his foot against the door, casting Nancy a sidelong glance. "Are you really gonna make me stand out here in the cold on Christmas Eve, or are you gonna invite me in?"
Truly not wanting to be alone on Christmas, combined with the fact that it was actually nice to see Steve after several days without and having no good excuse to call and check in, Nancy fully opened the door as a silent invitation to the Wheeler home.
"Jesus, I almost forgot how grumpy you can get when you're sick," Steve teased with a wink, setting the grocery bag on the coffee table in the front living room.
They had spent Christmas Eve together before, just three years prior, and it was a very, very different image than what was happening now. The house had more or less remained the same, with the exception of some furniture changes, Steve thought to himself as he looked over the photos on the mantle.
"Why aren't you at home? Doesn't your mom usually have a big Christmas party tonight?" Nancy asked in a much less pointed tone than before, picking up the can of ginger ale she had been working on and taking a sip. She couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed at how messy the living room was since she had begun camping on the couch the minute she got her first wave of aches and chills.
"Hmmm?" Steve shook his head, blinking away his shock at Holly's latest school photo and how big she had gotten since he last saw her. "Oh, my parents are in Vermont with some friends this year. I didn't really feel like leaving Hawkins was the best idea with everything that's happened lately, you know? Plus, I get paid double at Family Video for working this week."
The thought of leaving town while people still might need him was enough to make him stay behind, even though his mom had last minute tickets faxed over to his work just in case he changed his mind.
"Hmm…" Nancy knew family time was a touchy subject for Steve, so she didn't press him for further questions as she sat herself back onto the couch.
"What's in the bag, Santa Claus?" She asked, tapping at the paper.
"You say that like it's a joke," Steve murmured, shaking his head with a small smile as he lifted a tin container from the bag and handed it to her.
"Santa Claus wishes he could get his hands on Grandma Deirdre's recipe."
Nancy thought she could cry from happiness when she lifted the lid and the familiar smell of sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon wafted into her face.
"I can't take all the credit," he admitted, grabbing a cookie for himself as he sat down next to Nancy. "Can you believe my mom actually shipped these bad boys over last night?"
Thanking her lucky stars that she didn't have a stomach bug, Nancy bit into the cookie, closing her eyes as she did so. She knew it likely looked dramatic, but it was the first bite of Christmas she had all week and it was spectacular.
"You're a lifesaver," she smiled, turning to face him. "But you should at least sit over on the chair or something. I'd feel bad if you got sick because of me."
"If you start hacking and sneezing on me, I just might. However, I'd feel bad if you spent Christmas Eve alone, so I plan on getting comfortable." Steve waved a hand in dismissal. As cheesy as it was, he smiled at the fact that Nancy was concerned for him and his well-being, regardless of the fact that she looked like she hadn't had a decent night's rest in a week and definitely could use some sunlight and warmth.
"It's not like you need to entertain me or anything, Nance. I remember my way around here."
As selfish as it was, she didn't have it in her to tell him to go home or that he should be spending Christmas with his family or at least with Dustin's family instead. She didn't want to be alone, and Steve was good company.
"It's… It was sweet of you to come," Nancy thanked properly, sitting up a bit straighter despite the aches in her back protesting. "I actually got you a few cassettes, but I didn't have the time to wrap them yet. Nothing big. I just thought… Anyways, they're hidden on the top shelf in the coat closet if you want to grab them."
With a nod, Steve rose and headed to the closet to retrieve the gifts. He and Nancy were… Well, they were exes, obviously, and they were friends, but there was something there. There would always be something there between them, but he wasn't planning to knock on that door again– not for a while, anyways. He laid his heart out for her months ago before they went into battle, and that was that. She hadn't verbally rejected him and they hadn't spoken about it since, so he couldn't squash his everlasting hope that only burned brighter every time she smiled at him or their hands brushed while they walked together on patrol, or–
" REO Speedwagon's Hi Infidelity ," he began reading off the cassettes she bought for him, and Nancy was grateful he couldn't see her blush when he raised a brow at the selection that definitely featured romantic ballads. " Journey's Escape, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours … These are damn good albums, Nance."
He tried, and failed, to not overthink that of all the albums she could've chosen, she chose those three specifically. The memory of dancing with her to Journey at his junior prom and lifting her in the air to make her scream and laugh made him grin from ear to ear.
"Merry Christmas," Nancy said softly, wrapping a blanket over her shoulders, her voice bringing Steve back down to earth.
"Merry Christmas," Steve returned, setting the cassettes on the coffee table next to his bag. He knew he would definitely be listening to the tracks on repeat.
"Okay, so, don't laugh, alright? I knew you were sick but I didn't know how bad, so I brought some stuff…"
"What kind of stuff?" Leaning forward, Nancy tried to sneak a peek into the bag.
"We both know I'm not exactly a chef, but…" With a sigh and shrug, Steve pulled out a loaf of Wonder bread, a package of cheese, a jar of tomato soup, and two store-bought slices of banana cream pie. "Bon appetit."
"Grilled cheese? You're making grilled cheese?" For the first time in days, Nancy truly smiled a beaming smile. It wasn't her mother's glazed ham or maple donuts, but it was still an offering from the heart and definitely better than the soda crackers and noodle soup she had been living off of.
"I didn't forget the most gross important part," he promised, lifting a jar of sliced pickles at last. "Still your favorite, right?"
Nancy coughed a laugh, rolling her eyes at Steve's jab. "It's delicious and adds crunch," she protested, raising her hands in surrender.
"Uh-huh…" Steve grimaced a smile, not at all convinced. The new guy Argyle also had her convinced that pineapple belongs on pizza, so he knew better than to get into a food debate with her.
"Well, you sit tight and I'll whip this up for us in two shakes, alright? Don't freeze while I'm gone, either. You look like a little white popsicle."
" Wha –" Nancy started as Steve headed for the kitchen. Having caught sight of her reflection after her long, very hot shower earlier, she knew Steve wasn't exaggerating.
To be honest, grilled cheese and soup sounded better to her system than a full Christmas spread. It was something comforting, something familiar and dependable and were some of the few things she felt like she wanted even while feeling like shit.
It was nice having Steve around, she thought, as she listened to his whistling and the sound of butter sizzling on a pan. He was better company than most. Even though he liked to tease her a bit, he was a better caretaker for her than most would be under the circumstances. He somehow knew that she needed someone and had shown up, but didn't hover or coddle her.
Her brain was tired of thinking after a few minutes, so she grabbed the grocery bag to see if anything else was hidden. There was. At the bottom of the bag, Nancy pulled out an unopened bottle of cold and flu syrup, two VHS tapes, and a wrapped gift.
"You brought me medicine and movies?" She asked, unable to raise her voice very loud. Steve was halfway right. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was beyond thoughtful.
"You weren't supposed to–" Steve started, calling back to Nancy. "I just saw your loverboy had a new movie out, so I figured you might want to see that. Who knows, maybe Tom Cruise will have some special healing powers for you? Hell, if that doesn't work, I picked up that Christmas movie everyone loves. What's it called again?"
"It's a Wonderful Life," Nancy answered, looking over the back cover. She used to watch it with her Nana every year when she was little, but hadn't seen it in years since her Nana relocated to Florida for better winters.
After another minute or so, Steve dished out soup and sandwiches for the both of them, cutting Nancy's grilled cheese in half when he remembered how small her hands were. It definitely wasn't the Christmas feast he thought she deserved, but it was something warm for her belly that wouldn't hurt her throat going down.
"Not too shabby, huh?" With a wide smile, Steve brought Nancy's dinner to her first before quickly retrieving his own. His sandwich, of course, had no pickles and remained unsliced.
"Thank you," Nancy said earnestly, leaning forward to let the aromatic steam from the bowl of soup hit her face. "I mean it. This is– thank you, Steve. You pretty much saved my Christmas."
Though she still believed it was in his best interest to go back home before he caught whatever bug she had, Nancy wasn't going to attempt to send him away again. His presence, and what he did for her, meant the world to her. She had needed the help, but she didn't know how to ask. Steve, as she had come to remember and found herself relying on in the past months, made it a habit of showing up when help was needed. For her and for everyone else.
"I mean…" Despite his smile turning cocky, Steve couldn't hide the blush that crept up his cheeks. "Henderson said Mike told him you were still going to be alone and everything tonight. I couldn't let that happen, could I?"
Turning her head to fully face him, Nancy watched as Steve sat next to her with comfortable familiarity, lifting her feet up and setting them on his lap as he settled himself. He was warm, and his pink cheeks told her he was feeling sheepish at what she said in contrast to the bold moves he made.
"Okay, I promise it's taste tested if that's what you're worried about. It's actually pretty damn good soup," Steve insisted, drinking a spoonful from his own bowl so Nancy could see for herself.
"It's not that –" Nancy started, rolling her eyes at the dramatic flair as she pulled a wrapped gift from Steve's bag and placed it on the table, the tag with her name on it in black sharpie. "It's heavy."
Steve nearly choked on his soup in surprise before remembering who he was dealing with. Nancy had grabbed the movies, so it only made sense she found the gift he'd halfway talked himself out of bringing for her.
"It's not that heavy," he countered, weighing the wrapped box in one of his hands before giving it back to Nancy.
"You didn't have to get me anything," she insisted, thumbing over the shiny foil bow at the top.
" You got me three things," Steve reminded her, which would've made Nancy blush herself if she weren't feeling so ill. "This is just one thing."
Friends got each other gifts, Steve kept telling himself all month long while the gift sat in the back of his car. He didn't want to make it a big thing, but everything they did for each other felt almost like a dance when everything they needed to say to each other filled the air around them like a balloon about ready to pop.
"Thank you," she murmured, placing the weighty package in her lap.
"You don't even have to– Go ahead and open it, Nance. It's all yours." Sitting back, Steve rubbed at his nose in a nervous habit he had ever since he was a child.
Pushing the dinner he made for her to the side of her priorities, Nancy tore the wrapping paper to reveal the small cardboard cube-shaped box. Without further ado, she lifted the lid to see the top of a glass ball filled with liquid.
"Oh, wow ," she breathed, not noticing Steve shifting beside her as she removed the snowglobe from the box, going quiet for a brief pause when she recognized the skyline of the cityscape under the fake snow.
"How– when did you–?" She asked, looking over the Boston harbor and skyscrapers under the glass.
"Do you like it?" Steve narrowly avoided her questions. He didn't want to say he had been coming up short on what he wanted to give her up until a month ago when he spotted the snowglobe at a neighbor's moving sale and they ended up giving it to him for free when they saw him take a liking to it.
"It's perfect." Nancy had opted to defer Emerson for a year in hopes that they would defeat Vecna and rebuild Hawkins by then. She couldn't live with herself if she left everyone hanging when she was able to help, but that didn't mean she didn't sometimes wish that she could be in Massachusetts, fulfilling one of her dreams.
"I just thought that maybe since you're not in Boston right now, it doesn't mean we can't bring some of Boston to you. Maybe that's a little silly…" Gulping, Steve finally caught eyes with Nancy and saw they were brimming with tears. He wanted so badly to hug her, so he did the next best thing he could think of and placed a hand on her back, rubbing small circles with his thumb.
The scene was very different from the first Christmas they spent together, but neither of them would trade one for the other.
"It's not silly." Nancy spoke in a clearer voice than she had used before, clearing her throat as she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt once the snowglobe was set back on the coffee table. Steve's hand on her back felt incredible to her tense muscles, so any second thoughts about their proximity left her mind completely. "None of it's silly. I mean it– thank you. For showing up tonight, for everything."
"I hated the thought of you having to spend Christmas all alone, even if you're sick." Steve didn't think of himself as any kind of savior, but he knew he had to do something for her.
"Thank you again for the food and the gift," Nancy repeated, finally taking a bite of the grilled cheese.
"It's the least I could do." As long as Nancy was relaxed at his touch and wanted him there, he figured he would keep his hand rubbing her back.
"Can I ask you something? You can say no if I'm being silly. It won't hurt my feelings," she reiterated.
"Sure?" The word formed around Steve's mouth tentatively. "Go ahead. Shoot."
"I'll probably fall asleep to anything we watch," Nancy admitted, pausing to dip her sandwich into the soup and nibble at it. "Are you– Would you still be here when I wake up?"
Steve's hand stilled at her back as his breath caught in his throat. "Uh, yeah. I mean, if you want me to. I'll stay as long as you need– or want– me to."
"It is Christmas tomorrow," she pointed out. It was still hard to believe that he would rather spend his holiday stuck on a couch with her passed out and sick next to him, even though she herself didn't want him to leave. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why, though.
"I'll be here whenever you wake up," he promised, grateful that it was the one day the video store would be closed for the week, so he wouldn't have to worry about calling in last minute.
"Yeah?" Hope filled her voice.
"I'll be here," he repeated, squeezing her shoulder with an earnest look in his eye.
Nancy trusted Steve at his word and found a comfort with him being there by her side that she hadn't felt in a long time. Sick or not sick, spending Christmas with him and all his thoughtfulness and care meant more to her than her heart knew what to do with yet.
She knew she could figure all that out when she woke up, and that he would be there when she did.