#No character tags on mobile; I'm sorry for the inconvenience!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

camaro-and-smokes · 1 year

Text

Is She For Real?

Chapter 16: I'm Flying Home for Christmas

Links to other chapters on tumblr on CH 1 >>

Read on AO3 >>

Tags: Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove, original female character Emma, emotional hurt/comfort, Christmas

Summary: It's 1999. Steve's about to fly back home from a work trip on Christmas Eve, but of course things aren't going to plan.

Author's notes: So, I decided to add the inevitable Christmas chapter :)

::::::::::

Steve had just gotten two chapters in the book he bought from a kiosk at the airport when the announcement came.

"Oh, come on!" he huffed when he heard that his name was mentioned among the ones denied boarding and should contact the ticket counter.

"Listen, all I'm interested in is getting to San Francisco sometime tomorrow. I don't even care about the time," he told the clerk at the counter. "I know that this is the worst time of the year, but if there's any chance..."

"Yes, I understand that, sir," she replied patiently. "But all the flights from this and the neighboring airports are fully booked until the day after tomorrow. The earliest flight to San Francisco I can get you on leaves on the 26th."

Steve rubbed his face with his hand. "I have a little girl at home. She's three, and I have missed every Christmas with her because I've been travelling for work over the holidays. If it was just me, I'd take the package and the hotel you offer and be on my way already. But I want to be at home tomorrow for her, not for me. Are you certain that there's absolutely no chance for me to get on any flight?"

"Sir, I understand that this is most inconvenient, and I'm so sorry that you can't get to your little girl. I checked the flights, but everything is booked full."

Steve sighed, defeated. "Ok. I guess I'll then take the offer of the hotel for two nights and the first flight out on the 26th."

Steve sat on the only empty seat he could find close to the counter and took out his mobile phone. This Christmas would probably be Emma's first. She would have any actual memories of - and he was going to miss all of it. Telling Billy about him being stuck in Chicago was one thing, he understood things like this happened. But breaking it to Emma, that he wouldn't be there on Christmas - his own heart broke for the thought alone.

"Hey, babe! Are you boarding yet?" Billy asked when the call connected.

"I wish. The flight was overbooked, and guess who was denied boarding."

"Well fuuuck," Billy sighed.

"Dadda, no cussing!" Steve heard Emma scold Billy with the tiny lisp she still had.

"Sorry, Emma!" Billy replied to her. "I've been talking about cursing with her a lot lately. It's a nasty habit. I don’t know where she has picked it up."

Steve snorted and smiled. "Yeah, where indeed, I wonder."

Hearing Emma's tiny voice and thinking that he was missing this step of her development, too, made Steve swallow hard to keep his emotions in check. Even though he was happy that his work made it possible for Billy to stay home taking care of Emma and they didn't need to touch the fund—his fund—they'd planned to keep untouched for her college, moments like this made him question if it really was worth it. He missed so much when he was away. He took a deep breath. "So anyway, I'm stuck in a hotel for two nights because the first available flight is on Sunday. Every flight is full."

Steve heard shuffling and a door closing.

"Sorry, I just had to come to another room. I don't want Emma to overhear anything accidentally. So, you're stuck there until Sunday?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. No way to get from here to anywhere until then. I already have a ticket though. The flight leaves at four in the morning, so I'm there first thing."

"This sucks ass. Emma has been so much looking for Christmas. And she hasn't talked about anything else today but you coming home."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I took her to see Santa in the mall to distract her, at least for a moment, and when he asked what she wanted most for Christmas, she said that she just wanted daddy to come home. I fucking choked at it and had to bite my tongue so hard it bled."

Steve could feel tears stinging his eyes, and he squeezed them closed. "I'm resigning. I mean it. This work has robbed me way too many important dates and development steps just this year alone."

”Babe, Steve,” Billy said softly, ”we’ll talk about it on Sunday. We'll come pick you up from the airport."

Steve couldn't say anything. He would've just burst into tears, so he just nodded and swallowed.

After waiting for a while, Billy spoke. ”Do you want to break it to Emma yourself?”

Steve took a few deep breaths. ”Yeah.”

Steve heard the door opening, and Billy calling for Emma to come to the phone.

The girl let out a high-pitched squeal and ran to the phone. ”Daddy?”

”Yes, firefly, daddy is here.”

”Dadda took me to the mall, and there was Santa!” Emma said.

”Really? Did you talk to him?”

”Yes,” Emma replied. ”He asked me what I wanted for Christmas.”

”Wow. What did you tell him?”

”Daddy to come home,” she answered after a moment of silence.

Steve couldn't hold back a tear falling on his cheek. ”Firefly, daddy wants to be with you tomorrow, but I can't.”

”But you promised!” Emma whined, clearly upset.

"Yes, I know I promised. Emma, do you remember when we talked about how daddy has to fly to get home?"

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Well, sometimes daddy can't fly. And now that happened. And daddy can't drive either, it would take too long. Daddy has to wait until the day after Christmas to come home."

”But you promised!" Emma replied with a sob.

Steve had to squeeze his fingers to his eyes to keep more tears from falling. ”I know firefly. I'm so sorry I can't keep that promise. But it's just one extra day! And we can then have our very own Christmas. You'll get presents on two days. How about that, my fairy queen?”

”But it's not the same!” Emma shouted.

Steve heard the receiver clang against the wall as Emma dropped it and stomped away, crying. With her short temper, Emma was definitely Billy's daughter, even though they weren't blood.

”Hey,” Billy said to the phone a moment later. ”I'm sorry, babe. She was just...”

”Yeah, I know,” Steve interrupted Billy. ”I was really looking forward to being there too.”

They spent a moment in silence.

”I'll call you again later from the hotel, ok?” Steve said.

”Yeah. Baby...it sucks, but it's just one day. I'll talk to her. I love you.”

”I love you too, firecracker.”

Steve stared at the phone in his hand. This had to be the worst Christmas ever. Missing it when it was just him and Billy—it was different. But missing it with Emma, who had visibly grown both physically and mentally from the last time he'd seen her every time when he stopped by home—he had missed so many steps with her and it broke his heart. And now having to break his promise of being home by Christmas after he'd specifically told her he would be home then.

”I'm sorry, but I couldn't but to overhear your call,” the elderly woman who was sitting next to Steve said. ”You missed your flight?”

Steve glanced at her. ”Well, kind of. The flight fully booked and because I arrived among the last ones, even though I was on time, they denied me from boarding. Two nights in a hotel it is. At least there's a proper breakfast tomorrow.”

"So, you have a daughter?" she asked.

Steve smiled. "Yeah. She's three." He let out a sigh. "I was supposed to be home for Christmas for the first time since we had her. She was really looking for it. And me too. But I guess there's Christmas again next year. I just hope that my work allows me to be home then."

"Oh, that's unfortunate. It's always double disappointment with small children. My husband used to travel a lot for work too when our children were small, and he missed Christmases as well. And then when he finally didn't have to travel anymore, the kids were already the age they didn't care for Christmas that much."

Steve nodded. "I probably have to start looking for new options for work so that this doesn't happen ever again. This is the—excuse my language—shittiest feeling ever."

"My husband used to say the same thing," the lady said compassionately. "He couldn't do anything to it, though. We had four kids, and he had a good health insurance through his work, so we didn't have any options, really." She paused for a moment. "If you can do that, you really should. Kids are small only for a limited time."

"Yeah... And we don't even know if we can have more kids."

"Oh? How so?" As soon as the lady had said the words, she must've realized what she had said, for she hurried to add: "Uh, I'm sorry, you don't have to answer. It was rude of me to pry."

"No, it's fine. We're not just your average pair who have kids. My partner is a stay-at-home-dad, and I try to do my best to allow him to do that."

"Oh. Well, I can imagine it is different for sure to have kids in that setting. Is your daughter yours or his?"

Steve smiled, happy for the distraction. "She...Emma is adopted." He took out his wallet and dug out a photo of Billy and Emma to show her.

Seeing the photo always made him smile. He had taken it when they had visited Hawkins the previous winter. Billy was holding Emma on his arm like a rag-doll. Both of them had the reddest cheeks, and they were smiling their widest smiles. Both of them were also snowy because Billy had just moments before thrown Emma into the high pile of soft snow he, Billy and Emma had collected together in the yard. Steve had pushed Billy into the pile next to the giggling girl because Billy had done that to her. And then he'd taken the photo after he'd helped them get up. And then, after taking the photo Billy had given Emma to him and he hadn't realized why, Billy had dropped a fistful of snow inside his jacket collar as a payback.

The photo was perfect, and he had ordered extras of it to have one in his wallet, one in his suitcase and one on his office desks at home and at work. Billy had laughed that they should get a professional photographer to take a photo of all of them together and put that on his desk—at least at work. But he had replied that the photo had what he had signed for and not for plastic smiles in a perfect lighting.

"Oh my, she's cute! And this is your partner?"

"Yes. We've been together for just a little over fourteen years now."

"He's very handsome. And so are you, but, you know..."

Steve laughed. "None taken. I know he's a catch. I'm lucky to have him."

"And he stays at home and takes care of your daughter? Like a stay-at-home-mother?"

"Yes. He's actually a really talented car mechanic who specializes in classic cars, but he has taken it as his job to make a decent human being out of our daughter now. I try to help the best I can, but I'm away a lot and yet he's doing such a stellar job that I can't but admire him." Steve smiled and ran his thumb over Billy's face on the photo gently. "He didn't have the easiest start in this world, but you couldn't tell that when you see him with her. It used to be me who kept things running, but now it's the opposite. With Emma...he practically raises her, makes sure she has everything she needs, he organizes all kinds of things for her to do, they have frequent play dates and he's obviously charmed all the mothers on our street with Emma because there's always someone willing to take her over if we want to go on a date or something whenever I’m at home." Steve paused. "He has a network of people willing to help and I do not know how large the network actually is," he added, laughing. "There's just always someone who he can call and get help. I bet, though, that he does the same for others too when I'm not around. Another thing I never knew he was capable of before we got Emma."

The lady looked at Steve, seeing the wide smile on his face. "You must love him a lot?"

Steve took a deep breath. "Oh yeah, I do. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. He's a handful though," he ended, making the lady laugh.

"Well, the best ones are, right?"

"Yeah," Steve replied, chuckling. "Too bad I have now two of them. But I wouldn't change anything. I love them to bits."

They were silent for a while.

"It must have made your life a lot easier to have those mobile phones?" the lady asked, pointing to Steve's phone that still was in his lap. "Being able to call from almost wherever, right? I suppose they work everywhere?"

"Well, they work where there's network available. So no, they don't work absolutely everywhere. Not yet, at least. But in most cities, yes. And I mostly travel between cities, so it's not an issue. And yes, it has made a difference, especially in the very beginning, when my partner wasn't yet fully trusting himself being able to keep Emma alive."

"He seems to have done a good job."

"Yeah. He's amazing. And Emma adores him, just like he adores her." Steve smiled. "And she's even so much like him and they're not even related but through adoption. Both hotheads, and emotional. We use a truckload of tissues a year."

"But that's not a bad thing at all! Where else you can show emotions but at home where it's safe to do so?"

"You're right. Well, Billy's childhood home wasn't safe, and he learned to show emotions only when he was with me. All my jacket pockets are full of tissues." Steve smiled again and took a tissue packet out of his pocket. "You never know with my hotheads when the tears fall, so I always come prepared."

The lady laughed. "You are a very devoted husband, I can tell. So, do you just talk on the phone when you're travelling?"

"Yes. Well, sometimes when I'm stationed somewhere for a week or two, my partner might send me a home video to watch. They make these videos where Emma presents her own show. It's dancing or singing, usually both, and then she always wants him to join. So then they goof around and dance and sing together."

Steve's face softened as he thought of the latest video he'd watched at home. He'd had a horrible jetlag and he couldn't sleep, so he'd been watching one of the latest home videos late at night. In the video, in between the dancing and singing and overall shenanigans, Billy turned the camera to himself. He smiled his widest smile, the one he knew was like kryptonite to Steve, and said: "Babe, if you're watching this alone at night, please come to bed, next to me. You don't have to sleep, just be with me. I miss you." Steve had acted at once, turned the TV and VCR off, walked upstairs and crawled into bed, curling around Billy. He hadn't been able to sleep, but he'd been close to Billy, trying desperately to pay back for all the times he hadn't been there.

Memory of that time made Steve's heart ache, and the lump that had melted a little over the chat with the lady returned to his throat. "It breaks my heart that I can't be with them on Christmas," he said with a cracking voice.

The lady looked away for a moment. Then she patted Steve's leg. "Listen. I suppose you're going to San Francisco too?"

Steve nodded.

"My children live far and they weren't able to come visit me this Christmas. They have their own things to do. And my husband died two years ago. Which is why I'm here. I was visiting a friend of mine who's in the hospital. I have no one at home waiting for me. But you do. I have a ticket for that flight, and I want you to have it. I could do two nights in a four-star hotel with full upkeep."

Steve looked at her, surprised. "But what about your...if you have a caretaker or your medicines or...I can't take your ticket!" he stuttered.

"Young man. There's no one who visits me often. I have enough tablets with me to last for another week. I'll manage more than better. But you need to be at home for Christmas. So, come, let's transfer the ticket to you."

She got up, leaned on her cane and started walking towards the gate with her roller bag.

Steve was stunned. He sat in his seat for a moment, but got over the initial shock of his luck changing, and finally followed her.

"Yes?" said the clerk on the counter.

"I'd like to volunteer to take the next flight so that this gentleman can get to San Francisco by today," the lady told her.

"Umm, we can't really just decide who gets the free seat..."

"Young lady. This man has an important job he needs to be doing tomorrow. Being a father. His little girl is waiting for him to come home after a long time of being apart. Are you sure you want to deny that from a..." she turned to Steve, who heard the discussion and just showed three fingers from his left hand to her. "...from a three-year-old? It's their very first Christmas together. He must get on that plane."

The clerk looked at her for a while, then at Steve, pondering. After a while, she sighed. "Alright. But don't you tell anyone on board I did this," she said as she exchanged the tickets for both the lady and Steve.

Steve looked at the ticket in his hand, still not believing what had happened. He looked at the lady, who he had helped to return to their seats to wait for an assistant to help her get to the hotel.

"I really don't know how I can ever pay back to you. Words seem so inadequate, and since you won't accept money... Allow me and my family at least take you to a dinner when you're back home."

"Well, I might just accept that," she said, smiling, and squeezed Steve's hand.

The last announcement for boarding sounded from the speakers above their heads a moment later.

"Well, it's time to get on the plane then. Have a very merry Christmas," Steve said and started towards the gate. He took his phone out and dialled Billy's cell.

Billy answered almost immediately.

Steve smiled. "Guess what, babe. I'm coming home tonight after all. The last call just came and I'm walking to the plane right now."

"What? How?"

"There was this elderly lady..." Steve said and turned to look back at the waiting area - and his heart fell.

There was a group of people around the lady, trying to get her to respond to their calls. Her head was hanging against her chest and all colour had vanished from her face.

"Babe? Is everything ok?" Billy asked when Steve didn't continue.

"Uh...I don't...I-I don't know," Steve stuttered. "The lady, she gave me her seat...I think she had a seizure. She's sitting unresponsive where I just left her. I walked away from her literally just five minutes ago."

"Baby, if there are people taking care of her... There's nothing you can do to help her. You're not a doctor."

"I know...I just...She gave me her ticket..."

"Babe, she gave you her ticket so that you could get home to us tonight?"

"Yeah, she did," Steve replied absentmindedly, his heart tearing into two for the need to see if the lady was ok and hurrying to the plane.

"Steve. She probably would've had the seizure in the plane if she was there. Now people can help her easier."

"I know..."

"Baby,“ Billy said softly. “Maybe it was her Christmas present to you?”

“Yeah.” Steve took a deep breath and turned around and walked past the gate, showing his ticket to the clerk. "Yeah, I'm coming home, firecracker."

"The best Christmas present anyone could give us, our family, babe. We'll be at the airport waiting for you."

The moment Steve walked through the doors to the arrivals hall in San Francisco, he spotted Billy and Emma. She was sitting on Billy's shoulders holding a red placate with Steve's name and hand-drawn reindeers and stars on it.

When she saw Steve, she started chanting: "Daddy! Daddy!"

Billy let her down and took the placate letting her to run to Steve.

"Hey firefly!" Steve said as he scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, daddy! Dadda missed you too."

"Did he?" he asked with a smile.

Emma nodded eagerly. “Daddy, I've been a really good girl. Do you think I will get a lot of presents?”

“Well, I don't know. That's up to Santa, isn't it?”

Steve walked to Billy, with Emma sitting on his other arm and pulling his flight bag behind him. Steve let go of the bag and wrapped his freed arm around Billy's waist, pulled him tightly against him, and gave him a kiss straight on the lips.

When Emma decided that his daddies showing affection to each other was enough—which was almost instantly—she grabbed Steve's cheeks and pulled his face away from Billy's, and hugged his neck tightly again. “I really missed you, daddy,” she whispered into Steve's ear.

“Yeah, I really missed you too, Emma.”

#harringrove #harringrove fanfiction #steve harrington #billy hargrove #stranger things fanfiction #billy hargrove redemption #is she for real #suometar writes #emotional hurt/comfort

1 note · View note