Ringo Wheeler shouted through her sobs, angrily whipping the tears on her cheeks away with her fingers, before shoving her hands back underneath her armpits. Any semblance of intoxication had disappeared, and unfortunately with that, she was no longer protected from the bitterly cold winds outside.

Steve had raced after the blonde, thanking God he was an athlete or else he'd have been breathless by now. He shouted her name after seeing her, but by her reaction he gauged she didn't want to be comforted. None the less, he wouldn't leave her alone, outside at night.

"Come on," he pleaded, catching up to her side and frowning upon seeing her teary eyes and red cheeks. He hated seeing Ringo cry. She wasn't a person who looked embarrassing when she sobbed, more heart breaking.

"No!" She grumbled, her voice thick with emotion. "Go back to Nancy, I'll be fine."

"Hey, none of that," he spoke with a sigh, gripping her arm lightly and tugging her to the side, which effectively stopped her walk. Despite her resistance, Steve stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

She struggled against him for a few moments, sobs ripping from her throat before finally giving in and leaning into his touch. Ringo gripped onto Steve like a life jacket in the sea.

"What happened?" He asked in a soft tone, one of his hands soothingly rubbing her back.

"She's such a bitch, she doesn't know fucking anything," the blonde complained, voice muffled against his sweater. Her red-haired Daphne wig had been displaced previously, leaving her own hair on show, tied in a high bun.

"Don't say that," he hushed, "she's your family. You love each other."

"She didn't act as if she loved me tonight," her words slurred from crying, balling up his sweater in her fists. "She had the audacity to say that I'm 'oh so perfect'. Nancy's the one with the big house and the loving family, she's never had to worry about money, or whether or not they loved her. She doesn't get glared at when she walks down the hall. She even got the greatest guy to fall in love with her, and she didn't even feel the same."

Steve's eyebrows furrowed as she reached the end of her rant, more specifically the 'greatest guy' she was referring to.

"Wait a second, what-" he started to question, leaning back from the hug to look her in the eye.

"She actually brought up my dead dad. Can you believe that?" She started to chuckle, her emotions so heightened she barely sure of what she was saying any more. "Yeah, my dad's dead. The one who hated me for having naked photos of myself impermissibly posted all over school. He died a few months ago. But I'm the one with the perfect life?"

Steve stayed silent, merely offering himself as a shoulder to cry on, which was the only thing Ringo needed. There was no advice he could give her, he knew her too well for that. If he had suggested talking to Nancy, or tried to defend her and blame the alcohol, Ringo would surely flip on him.

"She literally had you wrapped around her little finger and she gave it up," Ringo's crying stopped, leaving a hoarse voice and damp cheeks in its wake.

Steve was sure his expression looked like a dead fish, wide beady eyes and gaping mouth. He couldn't quite believe what Ringo was saying, hoping she would continue but not wanting to take advantage of her clearly weakened state.

"Yeah, secret's out," she rolled her eyes, forcing a chuckle and letting go of him. "Little Ringo Wheeler has a big old crush on Steve Harrington. You can go ahead and let me down now, because I've already prepared for you to."

He was absolutely speechless, eyes raking her expression for any sign of deceit or humour. But he could find nothing - surely she couldn't have been telling the truth?

Steve had always liked to entertain the idea in his mind that, secretly, Ringo was as crazy about him as he was about her. That their friendship was only something to ease the appetite he had for her.

"You crazy girl," he finally murmured, shaking his head as a grin over took his face. Ringo mistook his words, and swiftly turned away to march home before he could see her beginning to cry again.

Realising this, Steve shot his hand out and clasped it around hers, using the surprise of it to twirl her back to facing him. Before she could realise what was going on, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Ringo was damned sure her heart had just missed a beat or two. She could have been having a heart attack, for all she cared. All that mattered was the fact that Steve, maybe possibly potentially, felt the same.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, rolling onto her tip toes so he wouldn't have to lean down so far. A random thought had come to her head as she moved her lips against his, the tip of his tongue poking out to brush against her lower lip.

Ringo was really glad she had a nose to breathe out of as well. Because she never planned to come up for air.

As cliche as it sounded, it felt as if his lips were made exactly to mould against her own. But she supposed, they were rather cliche themselves, weren't they?

When finally they broke apart, they kept their faces close together - breath intermingling and nose brushing against each other's. She could practically feel Steve's mouth lift into a grin, so contagious that her own followed. It was as if from one kiss, he had ripped away her dark thoughts and soothed her aching mind.

For now, at least.

"Wait," she gasped, breaking apart from Steve as if she had been electrocuted.

"What?" He pressed, eyes wide with worry.

"Nancy! I just kissed Nancy's ex-boyfriend!" Ringo panicked, running her hand anxiously over her hair and stopping when she remembered it was tied up. "Again!"

"Yes, you did," he smirked breathlessly, wrapping an arm around her back and dragging her forward to kiss her again. Ringo melted into his touch once more, hand coming up to cup his cheek.

They continued kissing for another minute, but it was Ringo to break apart again.

"What if she hates me for this?"

"Then we'll just tell her," he grinned, not a care in the world for anything other than the girl in front of him. "Together."

"No," she refused quickly, eyes downcast. "I'm not talking to her."

"That's fine, then," he shrugged, leaning in again. She pressed her hands against his chest, abruptly pushing him back. Steve opened one eyelid, inspecting her with a frown.

"No more kissing until I talk to Nancy!" She explained, the corners of her lips lifting in amusement as she turned around and started to walk again, leaving a wanting and needy Steve behind.

"But you-" he stammered, already longing to touch her again - to feel her body against his. "You said you weren't going to talk to her."

He sighed softly but followed after her immediately, wrapping his closest and around her shoulder and bringing her in close.

Suddenly she wasn't so cold any more.

✵

Saturday afternoon was in full swing, and Steve Harrington was on Ringo Wheeler's bed.

She was seated on her beanbag, of course, flicking through a magazine. Often, she would flick her gaze upward just to make sure the image was real, for the sight was one she never thought she would see.

Steve had arrived a half hour before to hang out, and it was a pleasant surprise to find that there was no awkward air between them. He merely sat on her bed, twiddling a rubix cube in his hands she had placed on her nightstand.

"Sorry I didn't go last night," he mentioned suddenly, directing his gaze from the frustrating cube towards her.

"Go where?" She replied confusedly, tossing the magazine to the side.

"Wheeler Family Friday?" He raised his eyebrows. Her confused expression falling and causing her to shake her head with a dry chuckle.

"I didn't go."

Steve sat up at the revelation, since the tradition had been established in the Summer the Wheeler kids had made a pact to never miss one.

"I didn't really wanna see Nancy," she shrugged in explanation.

"You two still haven't spoken?" He asked sensitively. It had been two days since Tina's party, and he guessed that wasn't long enough for Ringo to get over her qualms with her cousin.

"She hasn't called to apologise, and it's not like I'm gonna chase her."

"Maybe she doesn't remember?" Steve offered, but Ringo didn't answer. He decided to lighten the mood. "Well hurry up and tell her, I have to sit on my hands to keep them off of you."

She let out a quick snort of laughter, causing him to beam at the sound. Steve clambered off of her cot bed, shuffling towards the storage bin in the corner where he knew her vinyls were kept.

However upon reaching it, his eyebrows furrowed when he saw that it was completely empty.

"Hey," he called to get her attention, "did you move your vinyls?"

"Oh," she responded quietly, her cheeks tinting red as she swallowed harshly. "No, I sold them..."

"What? Why?"

"My mom... um.. she had a little trouble paying rent last week. Ryan Peterson in sophomore year said he's give me two hundred bucks for the lot of them so." Her revelation came quite embarrassing for her, especially when it was admitted to someone who was rather well off.

"Ringo," he sighed sadly, crossing back to plop himself into the beanbag beside her. "If you ever need money, you know you can always ask m-"

"Don't finish that sentence," she halted him, her finger in the air. Rather than look touched, it appeared to offend her. "We don't take charity."

"Alright," he nodded understandingly. "Did you really get rid of all of them?"

"Yeah.." she sighed, suddenly interested in picking at her nails - a classic sign Ringo was embarrassed and/or nervous.

"Even the Rumours album?" He questioned, shuffling sideways to wrap an arm around her shoulder when she looked as if she were about to cry.

"Yeah," she admitted, "I'm so sorry, Steve. I know you bought me that album, and how rude it was to sell it. Please don't be mad..."

"I'm not mad," he denied quickly, frowning that she was so worried he would have been. He pulled her sideways until she was closer, giving her a quick squeeze. "I promise. I completely understand, you don't need to apologise. I'm just sad, you spent half your life searching for that album."

"I know," she agreed quietly, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

The moment fell into a comfortable silence, that didn't last long. As Julia Wheeler, unannounced as always and unaware of Steve's presence, burst into her daughter's bedroom.

Her neutral expression quickly fell to suspicious, eyes zeroing in like a magnifying glass when she saw how his arm wrapped around her. Julia raised her eyebrows, clicking her tongue.

"What's this now? Did you and Nancy swap partners like line dancing?" She teased, leaning against the doorframe and crossing her arms over her chest. Her words and stance made Steve abruptly move his arm away, albeit reluctantly.

"Mom," Ringo whined dramatically, clapping a hand over her face.

"All I'm saying is I thought he was with Nancy!" She held her arms in the air in defence, backing out of the room with wide eyes. "Sheesh, can't ask a kid anything."

On her way back down the hall, she made sure to shout over her shoulder as a reminder.

"Keep that door open! I'm too young to be a grandmother!"

✵

"Steve?"

A feminine voice interrupted his basketball game, one that had suddenly become extremely intense as Billy Hargrove took no prisoners on the court. It wasn't even the voice of the girl he wanted to hear.

Steve nodded at Nancy, but she was not here to exchange pleasantries.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked briskly, her tone suggesting she had a problem. A chorus of "ooooh" sounded out from the men on the court, which Steve playfully rolled his eyes at.

Grabbing his towel from the bleachers, he followed after the small brunette until they reached a secluded area outside. When she was satisfied with the area she chosen, she whirled around, jaw set.

"What the hell Steve? Not only do you and Ringo not show up on Friday, neither of you can pick up a phone?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest crossly. "I was worried."

"I, personally," he began as he rubbed his towel around his neck, collecting sweat, "was just busy. Ringo however has a very good reason to ignore you."

"Are you serious?" She scoffed, eyes wide. Steve wondered if she were truly this heartless, but it became increasingly obvious that Nancy didn't recall what happened. "What did I do?"

"You really don't remember?" He asked in fascination, shaking his head. "Jesus, you really cant hold your drink."

"Spit it out, Steve!"

"So you don't remember having a conversation with her in the bathroom? The way you told her she was fake and everything about her was bullshit, because her dad died so she wasn't perfect?

Nancy didn't reply immediately, eyes wide and breaking eye contact out of shame. Her last recollection of the night was spilling punch on herself, followed by brief flashes of the inside of a car.

"Oh my god," she mumbled, suddenly - it had all made sense. And it was entirely her fault.

"You know what I think, Nancy?" Steve started, anger building inside when the image of Ringo crying crossed his mind. "I think you're bullshit. I think that you're the one who pretends everything's perfect, but really you're just sweeping everything under a carpet and hoping the dirt doesn't pile up."

Nancy was speechless at his words, the guilt taking over again. The first wave over Barb, the next over Ringo.

"I gotta go," he shrugged upon hearing his name called, not sparing her another glance.

Nancy leaned against the brick wall, breathing hitching as she worried about her cousin and their relationship.

✵