Work Text:
Late at night. Bills and papers clutter on the table. Dustin sits hunched over, soda in hand, groaning in exaggerated despair. Across from him, Steve leans back in a chair, arms crossed, smirking.
Dustin: "You know, Steve, being an adult sucks. Like, really really sucks. Nobody tells you how much of paperwork there is."
Steve grinning widely: "Paperwork? Please. You fought monsters from another dimension. Paperwork is like a child's play for you Henderson."
Dustin rolling his eyes: "At least monsters were straightforward. You hit them hard enough they go down. Bills? They just keep coming back. Like a fucking undead."
Steve mock serious: "Sounds like you need a bat with bunch of nails in it."
Dustin snorts: "Oh don’t worry I still have your bat."
Steve laughing loudly:" Our bat. Legendary weapon. Should’ve put it in a museum. "
Dustin leaning back, nostalgic: "You know what I miss? Being a kid. Running around Hawkins, thinking the biggest problem was whether or not the arcade had new games. Or if Mom packed the wrong snacks."
Steve laughing: "Yeah, you were all about snacks and science projects. And yelling at me when I didn’t understand half of your nerd shits."
Dustin grinning: "Admit it—you loved it. Babysitting us, driving us around the town, you only pretended like you weren’t having fun."
Steve showing a mock offense: "Fun? I was risking my perfect hair and reputation every time I hung out with you shitheads."
Dustin smiling softly: "But it was fun. Even when things got terrifying. We were kids, and somehow it all felt like… an adventure."
Steve nodding:"Adventures feels better when you’re young. You don’t think about consequences. You just fight, laugh, and keep going."
Dustin sighing and blankly staring at the bills: "Now it’s just… consequences. Rent, jobs, relationships. No monsters, just responsibilities. And honestly? I’d take the Upside Down over taxes any day. "
Steve grinning: "Spoken like a true Henderson."
Dustin resting his chin on his hand: "And jobs… don’t get me started. Every day feels like fighting a monster from boring hell, except the monster is spreadsheets and deadlines."
Steve leaning back laughing: "At least monsters had weak spots. Try hitting a deadline with a bat maybe that will work."
Dustin laughing: "Don’t tempt me."
Dustin quietly mumbles: "Relationships are the worst. You think you’ve got it figured out, then suddenly you’re “too much” or “not enough.” And you’re left wondering if you’ll ever find someone who actually gets you."
Steve softly teasing: "Hey, you’re Dustin Henderson. You’re supposed to be too much. That’s like the crown jewel of your charms."
Dustin half-smiling: "Easy for you to say. You were always the cool one."
Steve gasps in mock shock and with gentle tone: "Cool? Me? I was a fucking jock with great hair and terrible grades. But you... You’re the genius who saved the world. Don’t sell yourself short."
Dustin voice softening: "And friends… God, it’s hard to keep up. Everyone’s busy. Jobs, families, children and all that stuff. We used to be inseparable. Now I’m lucky if I get a text once a month."
Steve gently says: "That’s what life is. People drift. Doesn’t mean they don’t care. You’ll always be connected. You’re a family."
Dustin humming in nostalgia: "I miss it. The Party. The late nights. The chaos. Even the fear. At least we were together."
Steve smiling faintly: "You carry it with you. Every laugh, every fight, every memory. That’s the adventure that never ends."
They sit in silence for a moment, the weight of nostalgia hanging between them.
Dustin quietly says almost a whisper: "You know, sometimes I wish we could go back. Just one more night in Hawkins. You, me, and the Party. Fighting monsters, eating Eggos, laughing like an idiots."
Steve softly, almost as if begging: "You have to let go of the past, Dustin. You can't keep bringing me here every year."
Dustin freezes, the words hitting harder than any hit. He looks across the table-Steve's smile is steady, but something about it feels final.
Dustins voice breaking: "...Yeah. I know."
He raises his soda can like a toast, but the clink meets only empty air. The chair across from him is vacant. Steve Harrington isn't really there. He never was. Dustin sits alone in his apartment, smiling through tears.
Dustin whispering to himself, finally acknowledging: "You're not really here, Steve. But you'll always be with me."
And then-so faint and so loud at the same time, carried on the air like memory itself-comes a whisper.
"Love you too, kiddo."
Dustin closes his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. The room is silent, but the warmth of that voice lingers, as if Steve's love will never fade.