*It hasn't been truly edited, so just notify me if you see any mistakes. This is my first Stranger Things fic. Enjoy!

It's all over… It's all over… It's all over…

Nancy repeated it in her head; the only thing that kept her tethered to the real world. Her body was covered in sweat, she smelled horrible, her muscles ached. And yet, she was fine, physically at least. Nancy Wheeler had faced demons and darkness and she was alive and she absolutely kicked ass.

Fuck yeah.

Nancy didn't go to school for a couple days, she was still human- the past events still shook her. Instead, she warmed a thermometer in her tea, showed it to her mother and stayed at home. Karen Wheeler smiled with confusion, obviously sensing something wrong with her daughter, but had simply patted Nancy's head.

Nancy found herself staring at her ceiling, it all seemed too safe to compare from what had occurred just a couple days prior. Her eyes trailed to the photos with her and Barb. Nancy blinked, not wanting to think of her best friend.

Tap Tap Tap

Nancy bolted upright immediately, looking at her curtained window in wonder. Who would ever-?

Tap Tap Tap

Nancy picked up a sharpened pencil from her desk and tiptoed her way to the window. She raised her right hand, viciously pointing the pencil at the window, and ripped the curtain open.

She was, of course, faced with Steve. Of course, she should have known.

Nancy sighed, opened the window and stepped back. Steve didn't ask for entrance and rolled his way into her room. There was a time when Steve Harrington tapping on her window would have made her swoon. Now it was awkward and a little annoying.

Steve straightened his shirt, an air of King Steve still ran through him.

"Hey Nance," he announced, plopping himself on Nancy's bed.

"Steve," Nancy replied slowly. She opened her mouth, closed it, and watched as Steve gave a small chuckle at her attempt to form another response to his arrival.

"What? What are you doing here?" Nancy decided on asking.

"Well," Steve stretched his legs out, "Besides saying 'hello' I thought I might bring over some homework from school."

"Okay? Where is it?"

"Oh yeah, see I haven't gone to school either."

"Steve!"

He held his hands up in surrender. "But uh, Nance… Seriously, how are you?"

Nancy rubbed her hands together, sitting down on her floor. "Honestly? The rush of it is kinda gone now. I'm surprised, mostly. We made it out alive, and I'm happy for Joyce, Will, and Jon-" she paused, looking at Steve for a second, she had winced. "Jonathan," she finished.

"Same," Steve replied lamely.

"Are you alright? You got pretty banged up," Nancy declared, pointing at Steve's bruises and cuts that ran down the sides of his face. No Demogorgon could have done that. An asshole though, now they were great at throwing punches.

"These? These are battle scars. Mano a mano fight, which I so won."

"You mean, Max won," Mike had already recounted the story with much gusto. To quote, Mike had called Steve a "legendary, ass-kicking boss," which made Nancy smile.

"Max just slammed a bat a couple times, no biggie,' Steve chuckled. Nancy smiled back.

"I am so sorry,' Nancy cut in.

"What? Nance, ya got nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes, I do! You said that you loved me!"

"I did," he said, nodding. "I still do, Nance. But you not loving me doesn't give you any reason to apologize. I'm sorry for being a dick."

"Aw, shut up Steve! I- I had a feeling for someone else while going out with you! I led you on, and I was such a bitch at the party-"

"Nance, you're not a bitch, don't ever think that you are either," Steve reprimanded. "And I knew, deep down I knew that you loved Jonathan too."

"I don't-"

"Nance."

"Fine," She did mouth 'I'm sorry' in his direction, which caused Steve to place his hands on his hips and glared her down. Surprisingly, it was the same look her mother had given her when she was 7 and had 'accidentally' eaten a whole tub of ice cream.

It was too funny, she laughed.

"What?"

"Okay, now I'm sorry, it's just- When did you become such a mom?"

Steve gasped, his mouth gaped open. "A mom? A mom? A MOM? A. Mom. A mom. A mom?" Steve straightened his back and looked completely abashed. "Nancy, I cannot believe you have the audacity to say that to my face, in my house," he pointed his finger at her condescendingly and lowered it as he saw Nancy laugh.

"Shut up," he muttered.

"Jesus, I never thought that it took a few kids to transform King Steve into a mother hen!"

"I am not a mother hen! Don't call me that! Look, could a mother hen battle a dickhead… and win?"

"She could if she was protecting her chicks."

Steve wrinkled his nose. "To quotes the genius here, 'this is bullshit.' "

"Now that is low."

"Guess how I felt when you said that!" He paused, presumably wondering if he had overstepped.

Nancy, however, grinned. "Yeah."

"So, when will you go back to class?"

"Probably when my mom forces me to," Nancy admitted. "Maybe I'll pick up my chem homework though."

"Where's your brother?"

"Mike?"

"No, Ted."

"Mike is at Will's."

"Hmm. And the other kids?"

"Probably also at Will's." Nancy sighed at the silence that pursued. "Hey, actually I need to thank you for keeping Mike, and everyone else safe. I mean, truly thank you, Steve."

"Nah, it's cool Nance. Those lil' shits aren't too bad, actually. I actually feel like I could lend my Kingly expertise to them. Especially Dustin."

"No!" Nancy declared, startling Steve. "Dustin is mine!"

"Do I need to ring up Jonathan…?" Steve replied, smiling.

"Dustin is my protege, my favorite of the party. Choose another one!"

"Uh, sorry but shouldn't your brother be your favourite?"

"Mike?"

"Ted, dumbass."

"Screw you, Harrington."

"I know."

Nancy's cheeks burned. "This is awkward."

"Yeah," Steve sighed. "It is." He ran his hand his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I should go," he jumped off her bed.

"You can stay if you want, Steve."

"Nance, I'm cool. I gotta go anyways, might've left the house unlocked."

"Okay."

Steve crawled through her small window, prompting Nancy to add, "You could have just gone downstairs, you know."

"This way is cooler."

Nancy placed her hand on the window, ready to close it as Steve looked in with one final wave.

"Hey," Nancy called out as Steve was about to jump down.

"Yeah, Nance?"

"Why'd you come, Steve?"

He shrugged, but responded, "I had to make sure you were okay." And with that, he jumped down.

She stood, aghast for a few seconds. That was unpredictable, caring, and ultimately heartwarming. That was Steve Harrington.

Nancy closed the window.