Steve did not want to sleep through more of the day, but he could barely stand. He didn't have much choice but to stay where Robin put him. The electrolyte solution had helped in the short term, but it wasn't doing much to keep him going.

"Welcome to home sweet home, until the government tell us we can leave," Robin said after she'd made sure he didn't take a header while changing his shirt. "This is my bed, not that I've had a chance to use it yet, but you're allowed to sit on it too."

He gave her a smile and took up the offer, when she jumped on and patted the spot next to her. It took more effort than he was willing to admit, but he did manage not to just fall into her. He counted that as a win.

Sitting next to Robin on the cot with his back against the wall, he knew he wasn't going to last long, but he was determined to stay awake as long as possible. Will was sitting between Dustin and Mike on a similar cot against the side wall while Lucas was just kind of hovering in the vicinity. Will seemed to be doing a little better than him, but didn't look completely with it.

At least the one thing he had to be thankful for was his head wasn't killing him this time.

"Eat," Joyce said, handing Will and then him large paper bags. "That is doctor's orders."

"Thanks," Steve said, wondering when Joyce had got those doctor's orders, while doing his best to summon up the energy to open the bag.

"Give it here," Robin said with a sigh, taking it from him before he could protest.

She opened it and handed him a can of sofa, before digging around and pulling out a sandwich, a huge bag of trail mix with large chocolate chunks in it, and two oranges.

"No fair, you have chocolate," Robin complained, but more significantly just placed the trail mix in his lap.

"I'll share," he promised before taking several large gulps of the soda.

The flavour of root beer hit his tongue, at which point he realised he hadn't even bothered to check what it was.

"How're you doing, Will," he asked as he decided to go for the sandwich first.

If he had someone else to focus on it was easier than just convincing himself to keep his eyes open.

"Could do with a nap," Will replied and yawned.

"Food first, nap afterwards," Joyce said, hovering close to her youngest.

Steve wasn't paying much attention because the sandwich was covered in clingwrap, and it was really hard to find the edge. Clingwrap was bad enough on a good day, but with his eyes half closed if was nigh on impossible.

"Seriously?" Robin asked, snatching it out of his hands as he failed for at least the sixth time.

"Focusing is hard," he whined at her tone.

"You're pathetic, you know that right?" Robin told him.

"I got dragged into a weird dark place by our psychic supergirl and lost a significant amount of blood via my nose," Steve retorted, "I think I have a right to be a little pathetic."

"I don't think we got dragged," Will said from where he was munching on a handful of trail mix.

"What do you mean, Will?" Joyce asked.

"It wasn't like being forced into something like the mind-flayer," Will said in a thoughtful tone. "I think El unconsciously showed us how to get in and we took it."

"You looked like you were being dragged when you hightailed it out of the mess," Dustin pointed out.

"No, Will's right," Steve found himself agreeing as Robin handed him his sandwich. "That was more knowing something was wrong and wanting to fix it. There was no compulsion."

He shared a look with Will.

"Like if you saw a hurt kitten by the side of the road, you'd need to go and help it," Will said with a nod.

"Only our kitten can kick the butt of interdimensional bad guys," Steve confirmed with a small smile.

Comparing El to a kitten was giving him some cute mental images.

"Yeah, really big claws," Will added with a small laugh.

Steve saluted Will with his sandwich and bit into it.

"Warn us if you're going to do it again," Robin said.

"Yeah," Dustin agreed and pinned him down with a glare.

"Didn't really know what was going on this time," Steve defended himself. "And El's awake now, so it's not like it's going to happen again."

He looked to Will for backup and the kid hummed in vague agreement, but seemed more interested in his bag of nuts, fruit, and chocolate.

~*~

Despite his earlier convictions, Steve had managed to fall asleep on Robin's shoulder after demolishing the sandwich and half the trailmix. He woke up to find he was still leaning against Robin, and they were both wrapped in a blanket, even though Robin was very much awake.

"You're counting cards!" Mike all but yelled at Dustin and Steve realised what had most likely dragged him from dreamland.

"Don't be dumb," Dustin replied, "it's Go Fish."

"Seriously?" Will said, looking between his two friends. "Mike, just drop it and make your play."

The fact Will looked much brighter and very much more awake than Steve remembered made him wonder how long he had been asleep.

"What did I miss?" he asked, lifting his head off Robin's shoulder and rubbing his eyes.

"Only the most cut-throat round of Go Fish I have ever seen," Robin told him with a smile. "They are on round two. I can't vouch for anything else, because I fell asleep too. How are you feeling?"

"Better," he replied. "Remind me to stay as far away from anything to do with powers from now on, I'm beginning to feel like Ripvanstiltskin."

Robin blinked at him for a moment.

"I think you mean Rip Van Winkle, Dingus," she told him in a fond tone. "Unless you're talking about spinning straw into gold and are holding out on me."

"Now that could be useful," he replied, giving her a smile back. "Is there any of that trail mix left?"

He was beginning to think he knew why El liked the high carb, high sugar food that was Eggos.

"Sure is," Robin replied, "but there might be a little less chocolate in it now. You did say you'd share."

"Always," he said as she reached over to her right and picked up what was left of the bag. "Thanks," he added as she gave it to him.

She also tossed him an orange that he nearly missed because, although Robin could throw a Molotov straight down Vecna's throat, apparently, she could still completely mess up launching a small fruit at the person sitting right next to her.

"How, how can you mess up such a short throw?" he asked in his best bitchy tone.

"Gotta keep those jock reflexes in shape somehow," she replied. "You should thank me."

"Oh quick, I must tell coach about this fantastic new training regime," he bitched back.

It felt fun and normal to exchange jibes with Robin. From the way she grinned at him, teeth and all, he figured she felt the same way. They probably would have continued if Lucas hadn't burst through the door at the same time.

"Max is awake," he announced to the whole room.

Max had been in a coma since their first encounter with Vecna, trapped half between his world and their own. El had only been able to contact her very briefly just before they planned the final confrontation. Max's body had been evacuated with the rest of the town to a hospital one town over, but her mind had stayed in Hawkins. That she was awake was fantastic news.

"How is she?" Dustin asked.

"They wouldn't give me any details," Lucas replied, "but Doctor Owens said she woke up soon after El killed Vecna, it just took a while for the message to get through. But guys, she's awake."

The boys abandoned their cards, and all piled onto Lucas to give him a hug. He'd been a shadow of himself since Max's sacrifice. Steve shared a grin with Robin after seeing the first big smile on Lucas he had witnesses in ages. Things were looking up.

When El and Hopper showed up for the evening meal in the mess with the rest of them, Steve was sure everything was almost over.