KAT

"DO YOU LIKE THIS ONE?" Kat pointed at a circular patch of blue.

"Yes," El said softly, trying hard to hold still as excitement buzzed from head to toe. She wiggled her shoes, dangled off the stool.

"Almost there. Just tilt your head back a little for me, yeah?"

"Mhm," El said, and nearly threw her head back of her hinges.

Kat laughed, placing one hand on her chin for stability before applying some dark blue eyeshadow on her eyelid, nearly up to her crease. El fiddled with the pink ribbon of her belt, small hair rollers dotting her scalp. 

"Do you want the purple and pink, too?" Kat asked, holding up the eyeshadow palette again. They were in Hopper's cabin, squeezed into the tiny bathroom with wooden walls. El was perched up sitting straight on the sink counter, the perfect angle for Kat's towering height. El also smelled like rosy green tea, the perfume Kat sometimes used. 

"Yes," El smiled eagerly, and Kat smiled back before blending the blue with the purple, the colors fading into a decent-looking transitonal tone. 

"You're looking great already, El, I barely gotta do anything," Kat whispered to her as she closed her palette, grabbing her Farah Fawcett hairspray. "Close your eyes,"

El complied, squeezing her wide brown eyes shut as Kat held one hand as a barrier. She stuck her finger inside the curl, quickly taking out the roller before hairspraying it in place. She continued doing it for the rest of her curls, forming a brown halo around the sides of her face. 

"Are you excited?" Kat murmured in concentration as she stuck a temporary bobby pin onto El's hair.

"I am, Mike will be there?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.

"Yep. Before I left the house he was searching all over his and my dad's closet for a 'better collared shirt' since apparently he decided the one he has from last year isn't good enough to impress you," Kat said. 

"I think it looks fine," El said.

"That's what I said! It's puberty," Kat sighed. "Can't wait until is voice is deep enough I don't have to hear him shrieking during his DnD games,"

"DnD is fun," she defended.

"Okay, okay. I retract that statement," Kat said, closing the lid onto her hairspray bottle.

"What are you going to do after you drop off Mike and Lucas at the doors?"

"Hopefully nothing," Kat chuckled. "I've got a job application form for Jazzercise I need to fill out,"

"Jazzercise?"

"Yeah. Working out to Jazz music," 

"Good luck, Katie," El murmured. She'd picked up on calling her Katie after watching Steve doing so.

"Thanks, and you too," Kat beamed. "Mike's gonna be mesmerized. You can open your eyes,"

El did so, twisting over to see herself in the sink mirror. An expression of childlike wonderment came across her round features, like the face Holly made a few years ago when a monarch butterfly landed on the tip of her skirt. El felt around her hair, touching it gingerly as if it might shatter within a moment. Beaming, she smoothed her skirt down.

"It's pretty," El said, turning to Kat.

"It is," she responded. "Come on, let's show Pop Hop,"

She held out her hand to El, which took it to jump down from the counter. They made the short walk to the living room, where Hopper was lounging on a fold-up chair, fully relaxed with no socks.

"Your daughter's ready," Kat said exaggeratedly, and Hopper whirled around. He looked at Eleven, and grinned with pride. His eyes, though a bit watery, had a bit more emotion in them as he looked at El's slight frame.

"Pretty?" El asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Pretty...damn pretty," Hopper chuckled as he moved forwards. "Nice job, Kathryn,"

"Thanks. I gotta run now, but this was really fun!" Kat said, wanting to get out of the rather emotional moment. "You look great, El, see you later!"

"Wait- cut in front of the Buick there," Mike said impatiently.

"Why?" Kat asked, unimpressed.

"Because!" Mike hissed.

"Jesus, okay, okay," Kat said, her eyes wide in disgust as she cut in front of the Buick, which flashed its car lights angrily at her.

"'Cause Troy and James are in that car," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

"Got it," Kat said as she glanced in the side mirrors. 

"Is it just me, or does it smell like men's body spray in here?" Nancy blurted out, her head placed against her fist as her elbow rested on the door handle. 

Their mother had all insisted on them dressing up, even Holly, to take their winter pictures. Kat had posed stiffly on the staircase, looking more like a Russian doll than a Barbie. She even made them all put their arms around each other while she took forever to take an 'all the kids' photo. Yet, Kat knew the reason why Nancy was acting like that was because she was volunteering with Jonathan, and she was, like always, nervous about it. And that made her extra snippy.

"Wait-" Kat took a deep inhale of the air. "It does. Lucas!"

"It's not me-" Lucas tried to defend.

"-After everything I told you, you wear body spray to impress Max?! What the hell, man?"

"My Dad made me do it!" Lucas protested weakly, and Kat rolled her eyes.

"See- I only help one of you guys to get ready, and the rest of you betray me," Kat sighed. "What happened to all the trust, huh? Advice I gave you?"

"Kathy, shut up," Mike said irritably. 

He really was going through puberty. Hell yeah.

They pulled up in the wide road leading to the Middle School, the ground wet with melted snow. People hurried inside to avoid the cold as Kat stopped in front of the cafeteria doors.

"Bye, Kat!" Nancy said, and leaped out of the car. She was supposed to be there earlier for volunteering, but, again, Mike had made her late.

"Alright, you two," Kat turned around from the driver's seat. "You go in there, don't look at anybody,"

"Nobody,"

"No one except El," Mike added.

"And Max," Lucas chimed.

"Exactly," Kat said. "Make them know you're interested. That's the biggie. Now, go have fun,"

She beamed at them, and the teens grinned back before clambering out of her Hornet with a few complaints of 'Mike, you stepped on my toe!' Kat would've laughed, before a familiar beeping sound came from behind, causing her to jump. Whirling around, she saw a familiar burgundy BMW.

"Move outta the way!" Steve and Dustin yelled from the former's car.

"Okay, okay!" Kat mouthed back, and drove forwards from her spot where she blocked the entrance. Though she caught a glimpse of Steve flashing her an apologetic look out of her rearview mirror.

The familiar feeling of tangible warmth and creepy-crawlies crept up from her stomach, and Kat could feel the butterflies take flight. Steve's helping you break down the Ice Queen, she reminded herself, and the creepy crawlies crawled back into the cold. She pulled into a parking spot, knowing Steve would be there soon. And indeed he was, for he soon parked alongside her and got out.

"Hey," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a silly grin on his square face.

"Hi," Kat smiled back, the lipstick on her lips stretching wide.

"Why- what're you all dressed up for?" Steve asked quizzically, pointing his hand at her ice blue puffy gown. 

"Family photos," Kat said, feeling rather foolish and overdressed.

"Nice," Steve snorted. "It, uh, makes you look pretty good,"

They began walking instinctively to the side of the building, grass squelching under Kat's casual sneakers paired with her otherwise fancy outfit. Yet Steve didn't seem to mind the potentially muddy grasswater getting on his white Nike's, as he walked closer to her.

"Oh, thanks," Kat said, surprised. "Your, um, sweater makes you look good, too,"

"Thanks," Steve scoffed lightly as they continued walking. And Kat meant what she said. He wore a thick red sweater the same color as his car, which blurred his chest yet hung gracefully off his shoulders, the baggy fit ending at the cuffs against his wrist. A thin black belt marked the end of where the sweater was tucked in.

"Aren't you cold?" Kat questioned at his lack of winter coat compared to Kat's double-layer shawl.

"Nah, summer weather sticks with me all year," Steve said, as they approached the Middle School playground, the familar swing set, slides, and play ponies stirring the now-familiar glee and adrenaline inside her. Steve broke into a slight jog that Kat had to speedwalk to to catch up on. 

"I don't believe that," Kat pressed. "It's freezing, how're you even alive?"

"Uh, time travel," Steve said flatly. Kat blinked in shock, his response being one of the least things she expected. "My dad used to say: Saba would time travel to the future. Like that movie coming out soon,"

"Okay," Kat said, unconvinced. Steve Harrington never failed to amaze and confuse her. "And how does that make you immune to the cold?"

"Actually, Ms. Ladybird, I'm very susceptible to the cold," Steve said, coming to a stop on the gravel of the playground. "Resistance comes with my assholeness. Inherited from my old man,"

Kat frowned at the mention of Steve's father, a touchy subject she knew he'd never bring up for no reason. Yet, Steve was busy swinging himself up the play set, using the plastic rock wall to clamber up, bumping his head in the same spots as before.

"Did something happen, Steve?" Kat asked, concerned as she followed him up the rock wall.

"Yep," Steve stuck out his lip in reluctant acceptance. "Actually, my dad suddenly decided that he's gonna live in Hawkins. Full time,"

"God," Kat said. "How do feel about that?"

"I guess I dunno," Steve scratched the back of his neck, leaning against the blue tic-tac-toe board. "But my mom on the other hand, boy, she loves it,"

Steve sighed, staring off into the distance as if waiting for Kat to reply. When she didn't because she wanted him to elaborate, he shot her a quick glance before continuing:

"My mom-" Steve said uneasily. "She's always been so...the word, the word..."

"Fickle?" Kat guessed.

"Yeah. Fickle. And now that she's finally gotten Dad to settle down, she'll hopefully get better, but I just- I feel like she's just so excited about Dad not leaving the two of us all the time that she's going overboard. D'you know she decorated the house for Hanukkah this year? She never decorates the house for anything! Not even-" 

Steve sighed impatiently, wringing his hands. Kat's eyes were wide in concern, disturbed by how much this affected Steve.

"Just- not even," Steve said, sighing as he turned his head away. He bitterly muttered the past part, the words barely audible in the night air. "Not even for my Bar Mitzvah,"

He shifted his posture in a slouch, covering the bottom part of his face with his hand in concealed sorrow. Maybe they were there before, but his golden-brown eyes gleamed with a faint layer of tearwater, though he quickly ran his hand through his hair and swiped his eyes swiftly, a gesture long-practiced.

"Steve," Kat said in shock. "I- That's horrible,"

"Yep. Makes me feel pretty damn shitty. And you know what's more horrible?" Steve drew in a heavy breath quickly. "The fact that he doesn't care about her. He left her with half a company to look after, and a fucking five-year-old to take care of when he left for New York, and now he's coming back. And she's all smiles, but he's just gonna ruin her life again. And again, and again and again and again, I just know," he choked out, stifling the incoming break in his voice with closing his mouth.

Kat murmured a shocked and sympathetic whisper before going, fuck it, and leaning closer to Steve. "Katie?" he'd said in vague surprise, as Kat reached over his sweater to bring him into a hug. He smelled like hairspray and honeycomb, but his pain loomed over it all.

"I'm so sorry that's happening to you," Kat whispered to him as she tightened her grip, knowing he was seeking reassurance over advice. 

"I, I-" Steve mumbled in vague surprise, before leaning his head against her shoulder. He inhaled a rattling breath that sent shivers of fright down Kat's spine, before continuing. "Call me crazy, whatever. But she's, she's so happy. She's so fucking happy about it, and she doesn't even know he's here to watch her crash and burn. That's- that's just all he ever does, just watches while you break. It's like- like she thinks the complete glory of a relationship is just one person not cheating on the other multiple times, and I'm just so fucking mad. I'm so mad, 'cause- just that she'll do all that for a guy like him and-"

He couldn't form the final words, though Kat knew what he meant. And not do anything for a boy like me. 

Kat felt rooted in her spot looking over the playground, the faint music from the Snow Ball nothing more than background noise compared to the shaky breaths of Steve Harrington. The intense pain he felt, it was unlike any other Kat had ever come in contact to, and it hurt her to see him like that. The smiling, joking boy she'd maybe fallen for a bit, didn't belong like this. Crying into the arms of a girl he maybe liked or didn't like, otherwise alone at school in December weather. It was so wrong, and Kat felt tears prick at her own eyes as she came into contact with the thought. A golden boy like him didn't belong in the ice. 

"I'm just so mad- I'm so fucking mad, I swear-" Steve choked shakily into the fabric of her shawl, his irregular breath causing a second crack in her Ice. She felt like a jagged sword was plunged from her shoulder, which only made her hold him closer. Steve gasped for air, like a bird found out of a frozen wasteland.

"It's okay, shh. You'll be okay," Kat murmured, placing one hand on the back of his neck, holding his head as well. "Here, listen to my voice, 'kay? C'mon, breath with me now. Let's breathe in, yeah. Listen to me. Inhale, now, one, two, three-"

Steve breathed in, though the fog in his voice blocked it a good several times. Kat could feel his lungs shake in his chest, each rattle like a dagger to her.

"Good, you're doing so good. Now, breath out here. Three, two, one," Kat murmured against his neck, his breath fanning the fur of her clothing. He still wasn't stable, and Kat could feel him shake all the way down to his feet, and she could feel the vibrations echoing from the thin boards of the playground set. Steve had one arm under her arms and near her ribs, and another on her waist. He desperately fisted the fuzzy material of her winterwear, breathing heavily. He made a noise, as if he was going to speak, but the words tangled as they came into air.

"You're almost there, you're doing good, just hold on for a bit; let's breathe in. Okay-"

"No," The word shuddered through Kat's mind like a lion's growl in an icy tundra. Steve clenched Kat's coat again, before bringing her into his hug. Kat jumped, the action of being thrown into someone's chest unfamiliar. Yet Steve Harrington was no stranger, as he grabbed onto her tighter and a few tears leaked out of his eyes, landing on a patch of skin near Kat's neck. 

The water was whisked away by the winds of wintertime faster than it had landed, yet more saltwater came in to drown the chilly storms. Kat could only murmur empty words of comfort, the bitter, sour feeling of not being in control eating away at her, and Steve's embrace both enlightened and burned her. 

Kat didn't know how long they held each other on the playground in Hawkins Middle School, but as the typical night snows began to fall, a few snowflakes skating over her lashes, Steve's erratic sobs finally subsided. He moved one of his hands to rub visciously at his eyes before gasping a little and returning his face to the neverending cold of Kat's arms, as the latter gently started to sway the two in a rhythm. 

In that moment, no part of her body called out for her to stop, and they matched the pace of the breeze, another chord in the haunting anthem of December.

━━author's note ━━

POOR STEVE LEMME CRY

it's important to steve that his dad's coming back, because he obv has a very emotional reaction that he's bottled up. and unlike kat, the 'breathing method' does not work with him because everybody processes trauma differently 🙂

also, steve being jewish is NOT my original idea, i saw a couple posts on tumblr tagged #jewish steve harrington, and i thought it was a nice idea to be inclusive. also every christmas there's a billion christmas decorations on sale and one (1) hanukkah section at every single store. so i wanted to be inclusive. i'm trying to incorporate steve's religious identity in his presence in this story, and i've done my research, but if there are any inaccuracies please let me know cause i am not jewish!