(Ep. 8: The Battle of Starcourt)

When Robin first found out that Gwen and Steve were dating, she was disappointed to say the least that the only girl who wasn't smitten by King Steve had ended up falling into his web of deceits.

It was the first day back from winter break and as expected, everyone was catching up on everything that happened over the course of two weeks. There were gossips on who made out with who, all while everyone flaunted their very expensive gifts.

Robin reached her locker, pushing a few of her classmates out of the way as she tried fading them out. She started putting the numbers of her combination when the halls suddenly turned silent. There was a moment of peace for the briefest second, only it was short lived when whispers started spreading like wildfire.

Curious as to what had everyone so captivated, Robin dropped the lock from her hands and squinted her eyes in the direction everyone was watching. She exchanged an equally confused look with one of her band mates, both not understanding what the sudden fuss was about.

That's when she saw the luscious locks of Steve "The Hair" Harrington peeking through the swarm of the crowd, only he wasn't alone.

He was with her.

Robin's heart somersaulted when seeing his arm around Gwen Henderson. The last she heard, Gwen was keeping her distance from him. She was avoiding making contact and had stopped insulting him. She started growing concerned that King Steve was finally getting through to her, except Robin was reading the situation in an entirely different way. From what it appeared, Steve did get to Gwen, but through her heart instead.

"This can't be real," her voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough for her band mate to hear.

"Seems the world has officially turned upside down," the redhead let out a laugh, hoping it would be enough to make the appalled creases on Robin's forehead disappear. When that didn't work, her smile turned downward and she started walking away.

Robin felt a wave of shame for the couple, because in what universe could she have imagined that the two people who hated each other would end up dating?

Her hands pressed into tight fists as her veins boiled in disappointment. All she could think of was how could Gwen have lowered her standards to date Steve goddamn Harrington? Why him out of all people?

She was certain he wouldn't treat her well considering what she heard last week at Moon's Diner. According to Carol Perkins - who wasn't the most reliable source - Nancy apparently broke things off with him to date Jonathan Byers. The reasons behind their breakup all led back to the Halloween party, which only made Robin regretful for not having attended as she would have loved to witness such a sight.

Robin simply figured that Nancy ended things from how much of an asshole Steve was. The fact that she went for the loner photographer said a lot, which only made Gwen dating Steve a whole lot more confusing, because why would she be with the guy that made their lives hell?

It didn't matter if she had noticed a change in him in the whole span of a year. Robin still remained distrustful and refused to believe someone as terrible as him had changed in such a short amount of time. Surely his douchebag tendencies must have remained and it was only a matter of time until he exploded and took Gwen down with him.

So for months leading up to the couple's graduation, Robin kept waiting for Steve to make a mistake. She wasn't proud of how much she was rooting against them and the fact that they were still together when summer break started made it twice as challenging to remain pessimistic.

When they started working together at Scoops, seeing how much they cared and loved each other was starting to change her mind. It sure didn't help that all three started becoming friends and she was left with nothing but support for them.

Turns out, Robin had been wrong and Steve did change. He wasn't that same asshole that made fun of her when she tripped down the stairs or talked smack about her and her band mates. He was better, he was selfless, kind, and overall, just a great person.

Never did she expect she would like Steve Harrington and actually root for his happiness. Just like she never expected to be at a jewelry store with him.

"I am way out of my comfort zone, so can you please tell me why you brought me here?" Robin places her hands into her pockets, swaying to the side as she follows him into the store.

Steve made his way past the glass counters, eyeing with curiosity all the jewels plastered around. "I need to show you something and I need you to be completely honest."

Robin laughs as she points her thumbs at herself, "Have you met me? When have I never been honest, dingus?"

He forms a gruntled sound before addressing the young man behind the counter. Robin trails behind and watches as the man hands him a dark velvet box and receives the payment from Steve. She's not stupid to not know that box must possibly hold a ring, but what she's not sure of is what his intentions are.

Steve pulls her to the side, his hands shaking and cheeks turning a bright pink. "What do you think of this?"

The box flutters open, revealing a silver ring with an emerald gem encrusted in the center with the smallest diamonds surrounding it. There was a choice between a red jewel or the emerald one, but knowing Gwen's favorite color is green, emerald seemed like the better choice.

"A ring?" Robin gasps and slaps her hand against her mouth before grabbing the box to inspect the ring in better detail. "This is beautiful, Steve, but-"

"But what?" His heart sinks at the simple word, worrying he made a mistake and ended up choosing the wrong one.

She shakes her head and leans closer, "I don't play for your team and you're with Gwen, so I can't accept this. It'd be wrong."

Steve frowns at her, covering his face with his hands before taking the box from her as she chuckles.

"No, you idiot. It's a promise ring," he states, shoving it gently into his pocket. "With her going back to New York tomorrow and us starting to get the hang of long distance, I want to give this to her as a promise we'll continue to remain together no matter what."

Robin smiles and for a mere moment, she swears her heart grew three more sizes. She never envisioned Steve to be the romantic and cheesy type, but apparently when you meet the right person, it just comes out.

"That's really beautiful," Steve smiles and nods at her words, relieved she's not finding this as too much, because if there's another opinion he values, it's his best friend's. "You guys are the most adorable couple in the world," the smile on her face becomes replaced by a deadpan look before she says, "You disgust me."

"Oh, shut up," Steve rolls his eyes and starts walking out of the store. He really can't afford to be bothered by his friend's words as all he wants to worry about is how he's going to give it to Gwen. He wanted to give it to her during dinner, but it doesn't seem proper with her family being there, and knowing how dramatic Dustin is, he's probably going to think it's a proposal and kick him out before he's able to explain himself.

"When and where are you giving it to her? Or are you playing the romantic card of doing it at the airport just seconds before she leaves again?" Robin jumps excitedly, her eyes beaming with joy at imagining her friend performing a romantic gesture in front of others. He might have been a terrible flirt when she and Gwen dared him to try and woo some customers, but when it came to his girlfriend, he was a master at it.

"I don't know yet. I'm still trying to decide because yeah, I was actually thinking of doing it at the airport," Steve saw it on a movie once and thought it was quite loving. He's just not sure if Gwen would like it, but hey, it's worth a shot.

"Do me a favor and shed a little tear please. It would make my whole year," she plops herself into the passenger seat, ignoring the glare Steve sends her as he starts the engine.

"Keep talking with that loud mouth of yours and I just might," Steve huffs, placing his arm behind Robin's headrest as he looks back and begins reversing before shifting his car back into drive.

"Oh, screw you, Harrington!"

"Look, can you just help me plan this out? I have no idea on how to give her this without making her think I'm proposing!" Steve grips tighter to the steering wheel, making a sharp turn that ends with Robin slamming her head against her seat. "What if she freaks out and dumps me? What if she takes it the wrong way?"

Robin groans as her hands run through her hair in irritation, "Just don't get down on one knee and if she starts panicking, just yell that it's a promise ring!"

"But..." he trails off as he searches for other reasons that appear rational. "What if she runs off before I get a chance to explain myself? I mean, do I really want to give her this in a public place or should I do it in private?"

Robin lets out a breath, "Stop freaking out, Steve! You know she's not going to run off and leave you hanging! It's pretty insulting that you believe otherwise, if I'm being honest."

She's got a point.

"So... airport then?"

Robin stares at the road in annoyance that he's getting too much into his head instead of being excited for this. "Go all out. That's all I got to say, and you better get your shit together before we get to our interview. You know Keith doesn't like you, so worry about that instead."

Right, their interview at the video store.

"Relax, Robin," Steve assures her. "It's just an interview for a video store. What could go wrong?"

__________________

Apparently, Steve's not the only one who thought of a promise ring.

With the help of Dustin, they helped pick out a very Steve-like ring. Of course, Gwen doesn't expect him to wear it since not many guys do, so she settled on getting a dainty chain so he could wear it like a necklace.

Not that she expects him to wear it either.

Gwen's been carrying it everywhere since picking it up at a jewelry store in Downtown Hawkins. She's not sure when to give it since dinner doesn't seem like a good idea considering her mother and Dustin would be there, and it's not like he can spend the night when Claudia's been adamant on making sure nothing serious happens - even though it already has.

Which leaves her at the Byers' home helping them pack for the sunny state of California. Seems it's not just her that decided on moving away, only now it's different since they won't be living here anymore. She's not going to be able to see them whenever she comes home for the holidays. It will be much harder now, which makes everything much more frightening on how fast things are changing.

"Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds!" Max and Lucas start singing in harmony, teasing Dustin on his song with Suzie that's making this moving process much more enjoyable.

"Wait, did we get that verse right? It's 'unfold behind the clouds'?" Max questions, popping her head through the mountain of boxes to get a better view of the curly haired boy.

"I'm pretty sure you're right," Gwen assures her as she tapes one of the boxes closed and starts heading out the door. "Ain't that right 'Dusty-bun'?"

Dustin rolls his eyes at her, leaning his head back in frustration as he brings his hands to cover his face. "You guys are completely butchering it. Can you please stop? And Gwen, don't ever call me that again. Only Suzie can."

She lets out a laugh, shaking her head at him before saying, "You can't expect us not to make fun of you when you sing for everyone, or did you forget we all had front row seats to your concert?"

"Exactly!" Lucas agrees, pointing an accusing finger at Dustin, who stares with a completely annoyed look. "Let's hear one more rendition."

"No," Dustin blatantly responds, rolling his eyes at them before attempting to ignore them.

"One verse?"

Halfway out the door, Gwen pops her head inside and says, "One more concert Dusty-bun?"

That's enough to send Dustin into a fit of irritation. He looks up at the ceiling, almost as if contemplating answering back. He's really regretting ever agreeing to singing with Suzie, but at least he managed to get Planck's constant, which is more than they can say.

"No, no way. It's reserved for Suzie's ears and Suzie's ears alone!" he retorts, hoping it's enough to silence the three of them for the day, only Max and Lucas start belting out the lyrics again.

"Turn around! Look at what you see!" Lucas does a little dance, pointing his fingers at his friend while clapping the rhythm of the song. "In her face, the mirror of your dreams!" Dustin flips him off, waving his fingers all around before placing his hands against his ears.

Gwen starts laughing uncontrollably that it feels as if her lungs had been punctured. She tries her best to contain herself knowing her brother would return the favor when Steve comes over for dinner.

She places a few boxes into the moving truck, gently moving her hand back since her fingers still hurt despite having made a quick recovery. It seems time really does heal all wounds, physical at least.

"Look what I found!" Jonathan runs out of the house holding an old camera that Gwen's able to recognize as the one he had in 7th grade. She remembers how devastated he was when he lost it, claiming his best work was in there and how some wannabe photographer might release it and take credit for it if they find it.

Gwen helped him save up for a new one and even placed some of her own money without him knowing, only it didn't work since he caught her putting various bills into the piggy bank.

"You owe me $700 then!" she playfully shoves him before grabbing the camera to inspect it more closely. It's surprisingly in pretty good condition considering all the time it's been buried under who knows where. "Where did you even find it?"

Jonathan rubs his neck anxiously as his eyes start avoiding her since he really doesn't want to admit where it's been all this time. "Umm, it was..." he swallows hard and leans his back against the moving truck, "It was under my bed."

Gwen snorts, not surprised at all. Seems he panicked for nothing since his camera happened to be right under his nose... well, under him if she wants to be specific. "And you called me an idiot for suggesting to look under your bed."

She shakes her head at him and hands him the camera back, but he surprises her by placing it back into her palm. "You keep it. Something to remember me by."

"Come on, you know I can't forget you even if I want to," she teases, rolling her eyes at his ridiculous belief that she could ever brush him off. "You need to keep it. You said it has some of your best work."

Jonathan turns silent for a split second as he recollects his words. He wasn't lying when saying them, but he's unsure of how to continue without revealing how he used to be in love with her. "And it is, but..."

She notices his reluctance, which only makes her more curious as to what this camera holds. "But what?"

He lets out a shaky laugh before saying, "It's mainly just pictures of you."

Gwen's brows cinch together, "Why would you waste your film on me?"

Jonathan takes a deep breath, "Because you're my best work. You always have been."

She stares at him in pure astonishment, remembering how she knew of the crush he had on her, but just never told him. "You really thought my frizzy head and annoying personality was your best work? You seriously need to raise your standards, Byers."

He smiles and nods agreeingly, "Maybe you're right. You were pretty weird back then."

Gwen scoffs lightly and steps forward to punch his shoulder, "You're one to talk, or should I remind you of everything you did-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," he interrupts, running his hands through his hair in embarrassment at the sudden memories.

The pair turn silent as they stare at the vacant house filled with memories. From spending every waking moment together, it never occurred to them that there would ever be a time where they drift apart. Seems getting into relationships can cause that.

"You better not do anything stupid in California," Gwen warns him and raises her finger in an authoritative way. "Don't do any hard drugs, don't drink too much, and most certainly, don't you dare lose contact with me."

Jonathan immediately pulls her in for a hug. He holds her head close to his like they used to do when they were younger and tries his hardest not to lose it in front of her, knowing she would never let him hear the end of it.

She shakes her head, forcing herself to smile to prevent herself from crying. She's never been good at goodbyes, especially when it comes to the people she loves. Mainly coming from the overthinking part of her that believes she'll lose them the second they're not together anymore. Saying goodbye feels like the end of everything, and even if they promise to keep in touch, life gets in the way and before you know it, you'll never hear from them again.

"No matter how far we are, we'll always be together," he tells her, embracing her even tighter with no intentions of letting go. "You're my best friend. No matter the distance, you will always be my person."

Gwen nods agreeingly and slowly raises her head to look at him, "Always and forever."

Jonathan smiles, "Always and forever."

"Alright, let's not get any more sappy. Go and find your girl," she pulls away and gently pushes him towards the house. He gazes at her with adoration before running back inside, leaving her with the camera on her palm. She's not sure what she's going to find there, but knowing how many years it's been, it can't be anything not cringeworthy.

Gwen walks towards the house, stopping halfway to get one last glimpse of the place she considered her second home for the longest. Lots of memories reside here. Both good and bad, but through it all, she wouldn't change them for anything. This had been the home of her best friend, of the person who accepted her right away, and didn't judge her for who she is.

And now, who knows when they'll see each other again?

Nearly about to enter, everyone started walking out. El jumped over the steps and immediately ran into Gwen's open arms while the others said goodbye to each other.

Goodbyes are never easy, especially when knowing things are definitely going to change, and the scary thing is, no one knows whether it will be a good or bad change. It all leads to taking a leap of faith, courage, and hope for the future.

That's all it takes and sometimes it's more than enough.

__________________

Steve and Gwen walk alongside each other toward the boarding gate. Hands interlocked, hearts on their sleeves, and eyes filled with nothing but love for the other. It was time to say their official goodbyes now that she was returning to New York and won't be back until the holidays.

Already having said goodbye to her friends and family, they waited in the coffee stand not too far from them. Robin hadn't been too discreet in keeping the secret of the promise ring Steve was going to give, so now, all of them were waiting impatiently for the scene to unfold.

"Can't I just sneak you into my luggage and take you to New York with me?" Gwen wraps her arms around his shoulders, their foreheads pressing against the other as he pushes her closer to him.

"Robin is going to kill me if I leave her alone," Steve laughs and places a kiss on her forehead before deciding it's time to give her the ring. "I- umm... I have something to give you."

Steve swallows hard as his hands start shaking while reaching into his pocket. It sure doesn't help noticing the excited gazes from Robin, Dustin, Nancy, and the rest of the kids as they stand further back to spy on them. He starts feeling more nervous now that he knows he has an audience, but if anything, he's more determined to do this perfectly.

Slowly, he pulls out a velvet box and opens it, revealing the ring he seriously hopes she loves. He continues shaking, but the second he looks into her blue eyes, any trace of unease vanishes. 

Gwen's heart skips a beat as she's left in grand awe at the most beautiful ring. "Steve-"

"It's a promise ring, meaning that we're not going to let anything change between us and we'll remain together," Steve places the ring on her finger and smiles when seeing the delight in her face. "Do you like-"

His words are cut off when she closes the gap between them and leans in for a kiss. He pulls her in closer by the waist to intensify the kiss even more, the world around them suddenly fading into oblivion. 

Gwen moves away and reaches into her pocket, "I got something for you too." She smiles at his lovestruck expression and becomes a million times more excited to gift him this ring. "Great minds think alike."

His eyes shine with ecstasy at how perfect their gifts had been. They'll be matching now, which makes everything better. He expects the ring to be the only thing, but she surprises him when she hands him a silver chain. 

"What's the chain for?" Steve asks as he admires the silver ring with an infinity encrusted in the middle while she places it on his finger. 

"I wasn't sure if you were going to want to wear the ring, so I got you a chain so that you could wear it as a necklace. Only if you want to, of course."

Steve's unable to hide the smile spreading across his face at how happy he is to be standing in front of the woman he loves. "Are you kidding me? Of course I'll wear it!"

Gwen stares into his beautiful brown eyes, feeling herself fall more for him. Her only regret is having wasted those years hating him, and even then, it was just her trying to forget the feelings she had before everything went south.

And now that everything is perfect, she has to leave and spend months away.

Steve cradles her face, his heart overjoyed with adoration for her as the tip of their noses bump against each other's. "God, I love you, and even though we're going to be apart for a while, my feelings for you will remain because you're my meant to be."

"It's you, it's me, it's us," she says and caresses his cheek before closing the distance between them even more. "I love you more than anything in the world. Never forget that."

He kisses her forehead, smiling so brightly that it illuminates the entire airport. "Even if I annoy the hell out of you?"

She laughs, nodding her head before saying, "Even if you annoy me."

Steve interlocks his fingers with hers, both of them staring at their rings before meeting eyes again. "Hmm, is that a promise?"

Gwen nods, entangling her arm around his shoulder as she stands on her tiptoes. Her voice is all but a whisper, "It's a promise."

Steve brings his hands to her back, slowly lowering them to her waist before taking her into his arms and capturing her in a kiss. Everything around them becomes forgotten as they can only focus on each other. The time, the place, the moment, nothing else matters but them.

They're not certain what the future holds, but they are certain of the love they feel for one another and will always have. Even when being miles away, there's assurance in themselves and only them.

"Flight 84, now boarding at gate 7 for New York," the intercom interrupts, separating them as they stare at the gate standing a few feet away.

Gwen presses her forehead against his, her voice is low when she says, "Until then."

Steve nods, raising her chin with his finger as he cups her face. "Until then," he repeats, his hand holding onto hers before kissing her one last time. He feels her pull away, leaving him completely broken when seeing the girl he loves now standing by the gate.

Gwen forces a smile to refrain from bursting into tears. She sends a gentle wave before looking back at the others as they wave goodbye to her. Taking a deep breath, Gwen whirls around with her head held high and hands her ticket over, slowly making her way inside without looking back.

"Goodbye Gwen," Steve says in a low voice and blinks away his tears as he admires his ring, wishing for everything to have remained as it was.

Author's Note

And that concludes season 3!
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapters and are ready for season 4!
So much prepared for Steve and Gwen & especially for her...

Also, thank you so much for 10k reads! Never did I think this many people would read my book so thank you so much!