DON’T USE ANY OF MY WORK FOR AI OF ANY KIND!
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair Reader (she/her)
Childhood best friends to Lovers
You just wanted to be a normal teenage girl: annoying siblings, teen drama, even a crush on your charming best friend, but life has other plans when nightmares from your past come back to haunt you, plunging your friends and family into a world of fighting chaos and monsters.
Prologue
Season one
Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers and The Werido on Maple Street
Chapter 2: Holly Jolly, The Body, The Flea and the Acrobat, The Monster
Chapter 3: The Bathtub and The Upside Down
Season Two
Chapter 4: MADMAX
Chapter 5: Trick or Treat
Chapter 6: The Pollywog and Dig Dug
Chapter 7: The Spy
Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer and The Gate
Season Three
Chapter 9: Suzie, Do you Copy? and Mall Rats
Chapter 10: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard and The Sauna Test
Chapter 11: The Flayed
Chapter 12: E Pluribus Unam and The Bite
Chapter 13: The Battle of Starcourt
Season Four
Chapter 14: The Hellfire Club
Chapter 15: Vecna's Curse
Chapter 16: The Monster and The Superhero
Chapter 17: Dear Billy and The Nina Project
Chapter 18: The Dive and The Massacre at Hawkins Lab
hiii i love the way you write, could u do some cute moments between joe and reader with their baby boy?
awh this is SO sweet, dad joe has genuinely become one of my favourite things to write lately, so yes absolutely <3
i think i wanna make this one more like lots of little moments instead of one big plot? just soft domestic joe and tiny baby chaos pahah
tiny things
Joe Keery x reader
Summary: A collection of tiny moments between you, Joe, and your baby boy that slowly become a whole life together.
Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, minors DNI, no use of y/n, established relationship, parenting, domestic fluff (lmk if i missed anything)
W/C: 1.4k
Joe’s terrified of him at first.
In the deeply sincere way of somebody suddenly handed something impossibly tiny and precious and expected to keep it alive forever.
“Why’s he so small?” Joe whispers roughly six minutes after your son’s born.
You stare at him exhaustedly from the hospital bed. “Joe, he’s a baby.”
“I know, but-” Joe gestures vaguely toward the sleeping bundle in the nurse’s arms. “He’s, like… really little.”
The nurse laughs softly while bringing him over.
Joe immediately panics.
“No, no, I don’t-”
“You’ve got him,” you say gently.
Joe looks at you with pure betrayal. “You can’t say that with confidence when I’ve never held a newborn before.”
Still, he reaches his arms out eventually.
Carefully.
Tentatively.
Like somebody handing him live explosives.
Then the second your son settles against his chest, everything in Joe’s face changes at once.
Gone.
Every ounce of panic.
His entire body softens so fast it almost hurts to look at.
“Oh,” he whispers.
Your chest aches instantly.
Because suddenly Joe looks completely overwhelmed by love in a way you’ve never seen before. His thumb brushes carefully over your son’s tiny cheek while his eyes flick constantly over every little feature like he physically can’t believe this baby is real.
“He’s got your nose,” Joe murmurs quietly.
“He literally came out ten minutes ago.”
“And he’s perfect already.”
You think that might be the moment you realise fatherhood’s going to ruin Joe emotionally.
The first few weeks are mostly exhaustion.
Sleep deprivation.
Cold coffee.
Laundry.
Tiny cries in the middle of the night.
But underneath all of it sits something warm and soft and almost unbearably lovely.
You wake up one morning to silence.
Which immediately feels suspicious.
The flat glows gold with early sunlight while you shuffle sleepily into the living room still wrapped in one of Joe’s hoodies.
Then you stop.
Joe’s asleep in the rocking chair.
Your son’s tucked against his chest in one of those ridiculous baby carriers Joe spent three hours figuring out how to use because “the instructions were emotionally aggressive.”
Both of them are dead asleep.
Joe’s head tipped back awkwardly against the chair while one large hand rests protectively over the baby’s back even unconscious.
Your son’s tiny fist is tangled in the collar of Joe’s t-shirt.
Something in your chest physically folds in on itself.
God.
You don’t think you’ve ever loved anyone the way you love them.
Joe stirs slightly at the sound of your movement, blinking blearily up at you.
“…hey.”
“You fell asleep.”
Joe looks down immediately like he forgot the baby was there.
Then, softer, “Oh.”
You laugh quietly. “You say that every time.”
“He’s still kinda surprising.”
Your son makes a tiny sleepy noise against Joe’s chest.
Joe melts instantly.
Actually melts.
“Oh my god,” he whispers, horrified and emotional all at once. “Did you hear that?”
“You’re obsessed with him.”
Joe looks at you like that’s the stupidest statement ever made.
“Obviously.”
The first time your son laughs, Joe nearly cries.
Which would be less embarrassing if he wasn’t laughing at something objectively stupid.
You’d been trying all week to get a proper laugh out of him.
Funny voices.
Peek-a-boo.
Little toys.
Nothing worked.
Then Joe walks into the kitchen one afternoon holding laundry and accidentally smacks directly into the doorframe.
Not hard.
Just enough to make him yelp, “Jesus Christ-”
And suddenly your son bursts into hysterical baby laughter from his highchair.
You freeze.
Joe freezes.
The baby laughs harder.
“Oh my god,” you whisper.
Joe drops the laundry instantly.
“No way.”
He walks closer cautiously like approaching a nervous animal.
“Buddy?”
Your son looks directly at him.
Joe lightly bumps his forehead against the cabinet dramatically.
Another delighted squeal of laughter.
Joe’s face completely crumbles.
“Oh, I’m funny?” he says emotionally. “You think I’m funny?”
You’re laughing too hard to speak properly by this point.
For the next week, Joe keeps pretending to walk into things just to hear him laugh again.
It works every time.
By six months old, your son’s favourite thing in the world is Joe’s hair.
Which would be cute if he didn’t yank it with the grip strength of a grown man.
“Ow,” Joe says flatly one evening from the sofa. “Ow. Assault.”
The baby giggles happily from Joe’s lap while both fists remain tangled firmly in his curls.
You barely glance up from your book anymore. “He likes you.”
“He’s trying to scalp me.”
Your son gives another aggressive tug.
Joe winces dramatically.
“Oh my god, buddy. I need that.”
Still, he makes absolutely no attempt to move him.
If anything, he just shifts him higher against his chest while the baby continues grabbing fistfuls of curls with complete delight.
“You know,” you say casually, “most people would put him down.”
Joe looks horrified.
“He’s bonding with me.”
“He’s using you like a stress toy.”
Joe presses a kiss against the baby’s head anyway.
“Yeah,” he says softly. “I know.”
Around two in the morning, neither of you can figure out why he won’t stop crying.
You’ve checked everything.
Nappy.
Bottle.
Temperature.
Teething.
Nothing works.
Your son just keeps crying miserably against Joe’s shoulder while the kitchen glows dim and soft around all three of you.
Joe sways gently beside the counter, exhaustion written into every inch of him.
“You think he hates me?” he asks quietly after twenty straight minutes of crying.
You stare at him.
“Joseph.”
“I’m serious.”
“He’s a baby.”
“He’s a baby with opinions.”
Despite the joke, you can hear the genuine worry underneath it.
Joe’s been like this since the second your son was born. Every cry feels personal somehow. Like if he can’t fix it immediately, he’s failed.
You step closer carefully then, smoothing one hand gently down his back.
“Hey.”
Joe looks at you immediately.
“He doesn’t hate you.”
Your son hiccups sadly against his chest.
Joe’s whole expression caves in.
“I just wish I knew what he needed.”
The vulnerability in his voice nearly kills you.
You reach up carefully and brush tired curls away from his forehead.
“You know what he needs right now?”
Joe shakes his head slightly.
“You.”
Something soft breaks open across his face.
Then your son lets out one final sleepy sigh before settling suddenly against Joe’s chest.
Both of you freeze.
Silence.
Joe looks down slowly.
“…you’ve gotta be kidding me.”
You burst out laughing immediately.
“He just wanted cuddles.”
“I have BEEN cuddling him.”
Your son snores softly.
Joe looks deeply offended by this development.
Then quieter, staring down at him, “I didn’t know I could love somebody this much and still survive it.”
Your chest aches instantly.
You lean forward and kiss him softly beneath the dim kitchen lights while your son sleeps between you both.
Joe kisses you back carefully, one hand still rubbing absentminded circles against the baby’s back.
Never really stopping.
The first time your son says dada, Joe stops functioning properly.
“Dada,” the baby says proudly from the living room floor, surrounded by blocks.
Complete silence follows.
Joe stares at him.
Your son grins.
“Dada!”
Joe looks at you with genuine panic.
“Did he just-”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god.”
Your son claps for himself excitedly.
Joe looks seconds away from tears.
“You know he’s probably just making sounds, right?” you tease gently.
“No,” Joe says immediately. “He meant it.”
“Joe-”
“He knows me.”
You laugh helplessly while Joe scoops the baby straight off the floor and into his arms.
“Say it again,” he whispers hopefully.
Your son grabs his nose.
“Dada.”
Joe actually chokes slightly.
“Oh, I’m done for,” he mutters emotionally into the baby’s curls.
You don’t think you’ve ever seen anybody so happy.
Later that night, your son sleeps between you both in bed after refusing to settle in his cot.
One tiny hand curled into Joe’s t-shirt.
The other clutching your finger.
The room glows silver-blue in the moonlight while the baby breathes softly between you.
Joe’s been staring at him for nearly ten straight minutes.
“You okay?” you whisper sleepily.
Joe nods once without looking away.
Then, quietly, “Can you believe we made him?”
Your chest tightens immediately.
You look down at your son’s sleepy little face. Joe’s curls. Your nose. Tiny hands. Tiny breaths.
A whole person.
Made from both of you.
“No,” you whisper honestly. “Not really.”
Joe finally looks over at you then, eyes soft and tired and so full of love it almost hurts.
“I think this might be the happiest I’ve ever been.”
You kiss him softly in the dark before settling closer beneath the blankets.
Joe’s hand finds yours automatically over the baby’s stomach.
And somewhere between the quiet breathing, tangled sheets, and the way Joe keeps looking at both of you like you hung the moon personally, you realise this is probably what love’s supposed to feel like.
Summary: You pushed yourself further than you thought possible as all of you charged into battle to save Max and Hawkins as you knew it. All you could hope for was that everyone would make it through to the other side.
A/N: I can't believe we made it to the end of season four. It feels surreal to be so close to the end of this series. Also sorry for the long time between chapters. I wrote and rewrote several times until I got it to a place I'm truly happy with so I just hope you all enjoy!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: Broken bones, blood, major character death, mention of child death, mention of smoking/ smoking weed.
Chapter outfit (post Vecna/right)
WC: 7.2K
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
The sun had set, casting Hawkins in a blanket of darkness when you arrived at Eddie’s trailer. The six of you stared up at the gate with weapons strapped to your back and bags of unlit molotovs slung across your shoulders. Your hearts pounding in your chests, knowing that through that gate was the biggest battle you had yet to face and you knew that there was no turning back.
“Be careful.” Dustin begged Steve when he stepped on Eddie’s mattress to take hold of the sheet rope dangling between dimensions.
“Thanks, buddy.” Steve replied, placing a loving tap against the boy's chest. He tried to keep a strong front, but you could see the way his hands trembled when he reached for the rope. The images Vecna burned in his brain, flashing in front of his eyes and he knew he would never forget the feeling of falling through nothingness. “Here goes nothing.” Steve exhaled sharply.
“What does he want us to do, applaud?” Robin asked as the two of you stared up at Steve who shrugged nonchalantly at his action hero entrance to the upside down. “Don’t encourage him.” She was quick to grab your hands when she noticed you raised your hands to jokingly clap for your boyfriend.
“Alright, let’s go.” Steve called up to the rest of you after he moved a mattress under the rope to create a new landing pad in the upside down. You went up first, boosting off of Eddie's interlocked hands.
“Fire in the hole.” You announce before flipping between dimensions. You let out a slight grunt when you hit the mattress below you.
“I got you, honey.” Steve smiled down at you, holding his hand out to help you up.
“Thank you, love.” You smiled back, promptly accepting his help so that you could clear the space for the others to come through.
“Still pretty fun.” Robin chuckled as you helped her up so that the others could swiftly follow behind her.
Eddie was the last one through, sharing the same sentiment as your best friend when Steve and Dustin hauled him to his feet.
When you stepped out of Eddie’s trailer, red lightning cracked in the sky followed by booming thunder. The intensity almost felt like a warning to turn back. Not from your gut, but from Vecna himself, but it was too late. You were in too deep. Too much was on line and running was no longer an option that you were willing to take.
“Listen to me…” Steve began before your group separated. “If things here start to go south and I mean at all, you abort, ok? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep them busy for a minute or two while we take care of Vecna. Don’t try to be cute or be a hero or something, ok? You guys are just-”
“Decoys.” Dustin finishes, cutting off Steve. Despite the fact that you had all gone over the plan ten times over, Steve knew Dustin could be hard headed at the best of times, so he didn’t care how many times he had to say it for the boy to absorb the information. He can’t lose Dustin, especially with you and Max at the top two spots of Vecna’s incredibly long kill list. Losing his brother, his sister, and the love of his life all in the same day would break him to a level he didn’t think he could come back from. “Don’t worry. You guys can be the heroes, Steve.” Dustin tried to assure him with a joking lilt, but Steve’s words struck him deep when he saw the seriousness swimming in his eyes.
“Absolutely. I mean look at us. We are not heroes.” Eddie was quick to agree with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. Steve gave him a slight nod despite his fears not being fully quelled by their responses. You had to admit they didn’t make you feel too good either. You knew getting a lesson about ‘Not Playing the Hero’ from Steve Harrington was sort of like a vampire telling you to drink blood.
“Seriously though. Don’t. Do. Anything. Stupid.” You said, pointing between the two after every word. You also knew that you weren’t the best person to be giving this advice, but you just hoped that they listened.
“Hey, Mage?”Eddie called out when your group was about to depart.
“Yeah?” You reply, meeting his nervous eyes, before the hardened in determination.
“Make him pay.”
Every vine covered tree seemed the same as the four of you walked through the dark woods. Aside from the darkness muddying the details, the leafless trees, and the fact that the scenery was frozen three years in the past, not being able to use a compass only made things worse. You knew that it would hurt more than it would help considering it would hone in on the closest gate and take you even further from where you needed to be.
“I don't mean to freak anyone out but I swear we’ve seen this tree before.” Robin piped up, shining her flashlight on a tree that was wrapped in way more vines than the rest.
“No, that's impossible.” Nancy shook her head, walking up to the tree Robin was referring to in order to get a better look. The girl wanted to stay positive, but you could see it in the way her eyebrows slightly knitted together that she was beginning to think it too.
“It would totally suck if Vecna destroyed the world, cause we got lost in the woods.” Robin groaned as she turned in place trying to find anything that would signal that you didn’t just walk in a circle.
“We’re not lost, Rob. All this shit just looks the same.” You tried to reason but you weren’t completely confident in your assessment either, considering you had a sneaking suspicion that you had seen that tree before.
“How convincing.” She replied sarcastically before, breaking into a slight jog so that she could explore the space further.
“Robin, hey! Watch out for the vines! Hivemind, remember?” Nancy called, chasing after the girl who took off into the woods with seemingly little regard to the way she was stepping.
“We’re lost aren't we?” Steve looked over at you.
“Yeah, I think so.” You nervously chuckle.
“Great.” He sighed before reaching for your hand. “Is that me shaking or is it you?” He asked as he tightened his grip on your hand.
“I think it’s both of us.” You admit. “Are you ok? I mean none of this shit is ok, but, you know?”
“No.” He chuckled humorlessly before continuing. “I’ve been up for almost forty-eight hours and we have to kill a psychopath hellbent on destroying Hawkins. You?” He answered, squeezing your hand tighter.
“Do you want me to be honest?” You ask, too nervous to meet his eyes. Sensing your hesitancy, he began to glide his thumb gently against yours.
“Always, honey.” He softly replied.
“I know that this is the worst possible time to be doubting myself, but I’m scared to death that I can’t do this, Steve. What if I’m not strong enough. I mean I promised Max that I could save her life, but what if I can’t. What if he’s too powerful?” You finally voice the concerns that have been running circles in your head.
“You wanna know what I think?”
“Always.”
“I think he’s the scared one.”
“You don’t have to say that just because you're my boyfriend and you’re legally required to say that I’m amazing at everything I do.”
“I’m not just saying it, honey. I’m being serious. Just think about it, ok? Vecna’s been lurking in the shadows for years, because he’s scared of what you can do. I mean you’ve been destroying every monster he’s thrown at you. You were sending a message and you didn’t even know it. So don’t let this bastard get in your head. That’s what he wants. He wants you to be that scared little girl again and you’re not gonna give him that, honey. We are gonna kick the bastard's ass.” He asserted, with determination deep in his voice. He believed you could do anything, he just wished you could see it in you the way he did.
“Damn, love. When did you become such an incredible motivational speaker?” You ask, wiping your eyes with your sleeve.
“Well, it’s kind of a requirement when you’re team captain for two different sports.” He smirks proudly.
“Really? Is that why we didn’t win any championships?” You tease.
“You think you’re so funny, but you fail to realize that you were the one distracting my bench and distracting me from doing my job. My eyes were always on you Sinclair and my god, the problems you caused.” He shook head at you with a smile on his face, before pressing a soft kiss to the back of your hand.
“Hey guys!” Robin’s approaching voice called out through the trees. “Guys, I think we found the way out.”
The four of you stared up at the house that despite its run down appearance, still loomed heavily over you and struck fear in your hearts. You tried your best to stay as quiet as possible as you made your way up the porch’s noisy wooden steps.
All of you held your breath when the front door released an eerie creek when Robin slowly pushed it open. Your faces scrunch in a grimace, hoping that the noise didn’t alert Vecna.
Each of you slowly stepped over the threshold, contorting your bodies into uncomfortable positions to avoid stepping on the vines covering almost every inch of the walls and floors. It felt like you were playing the worst game of Twister with every step you took. Despite all the effort, the house began to rumble, throwing your bodies completely off balance.
Steve was quick to grab onto the back of your tactical vest to keep you upright while you kept a tight grip on Robin and she kept one on Nancy. The four of you forming a chain like a barrel of monkeys until the shaking stopped.
Once you were able to regain stable footing, you continued your careful ascent up the stairs until you finally made it to the attic.
Vecna was hovering above the ground, when you arrived. His body was supported by dozens of vines that held him up so that he could remain focused as he remote traveled. For a moment it was hard for you to believe that he was the orderly that made a shiver run down your spine every time his eyes were on you until you realized he now reflected the monster that always lived inside him.
“You got this.” Steve whispered his encouragement in your ear as quietly as he could manage before pressing a sweet kiss to your forehead.
“I got this.” You parrot, inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm your nerves. Don’t let me die. Make him pay. Don't let me die. Make him pay. Max and Eddie’s words began to echo in your head. You couldn’t let them down. This needed to end today.
You took a confident step forward, stretching out your arms and hardened your eyes at the monster in front of you.
Blood dripped from your nose as your hands began to pull against his tough exterior. The skin of his chest began to fray and tear as you forced your powers to burrow further into him. He remained unmoved in his trance until you cut too deep, your powers breaking through the superficial barrier. His icy blue eyes snapped open and a pained groan ripped through his throat as he woke back up in reality.
“Nine!” Vecna’s voice boomed when he found your steeled face staring dagger into him. “I’ve been expecting you.” He continued, fighting through the pain you were inflicting upon him, trying to remain as the biggest threat in the room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” You reply, stepping closer, refusing to let up on him.
“No, no. You’re just on time.” A devilish smirk crept across his face as he raised a hand to awaken his army of slithering vines. They swiftly followed his demands, wrapping themselves around you, forcing you down to your knees like you were about to have your head shoved into a guillotine.
Steve immediately sprung into action pulling the out axe strapped to his back as fast as he could to charge the man towering over you. He didn’t make it far before Vecna swiped a hand his way, throwing him into the closest vine covered wall. They immediately swarmed him at the contact, pinning him against the surface to immobilize him. On Vecna’s command, the surrounding vines gunned for Robin and Nancy, cutting any more attempts of your rescue off at the knees. Now the only thing the three could do as they struggled against the restrictive vines was watch in horror as Vecna loomed over you savoring the moment of your defeat.
“What are you waiting for you son of a bitch? This is your chance to kill me and have your revenge. This is what you wanted, right?” You seethed, looking up at him with gritted teeth.
“This is so much more than that. We need you for a bigger purpose.”
“We? Who the fuck is ‘we’?” You ask the question that has been rattling around in your brain ever since Steve mentioned it when recounting his experience with Vecna.
“You will meet him soon and he will show you the way he showed me. We can bring order to a lawless world that favors the weak.” He mused.
“Is that why you watched me? Why you followed me around like a fucking creep. You wanted to recruit me into your psychotic, destroying the world bullshit?”
“Do you think you living was a mistake? Did you ever stop to ask “Who left your door open?” ” He asked, kneeling down to your eye level to gently run the back of his disfigured and clawed finger down your cheek.
“I dont…i dont…” You tried to speak, but your brain felt like it was shutting down to save you from what it was piecing together.
“I did! I saw the potential. I could feel it from the moment we met that you are more important than you realize. You have a gift like me, that they sought to control, but we are different. WE can bring upon a new world that doesn’t seek to control us, but allows us the predators that we were born to be. Everyone in that lab held us back and they tried to keep us weak. They tried to keep you weak. That’s why I killed Five first. He was a distraction that tried to infect you with it. The worst part is that he didn’t see how weak he truly was even when he tried to save the others,”
“He wasn’t weak. He wasn’t a coward who hides in the fucking shadows and murders children and teenagers because his demonic overlord told him to. He was stronger than me and he was sure as hell stronger than you.” You spit as hot tears stung your eyes. Five was many things, but weak wasn’t one of them. He was brave and kind in an environment that punished those traits and you would not let this piece of shit tarnish the legacy of the boy who never got a true chance to live.
“No. He was a scared little ant that I took pleasure in crushing under my boot! And in due time you will see that the power you hold runs deeper than you could ever imagine.You will understand your true purpose and you will understand what he seeks to achieve, but for now, you will be shown but a taste, because Hawkins is about to fall and the world soon after but that will be of your own doing. You will bring its destruction and its rebirth. Here, today is only the beginning of the end.” He seethed at your refusal to hear the truth.
“I’m not helping you create anything you fucking monster!” You bite, your resolve hardening as anger, sadness, and resentment coursed through your body, fueling your powers as you rip yourself free from the vines restraining you. You were quick to throw one hand out at Vecna, sending him careening into one of the structural wooden beams that made a harsh crack under the impact of his weight. You rushed over to Steve, Nancy, and Robin, using your powers to easily rip them free from the vines encasing them. As soon as she was free, Robin scrambled to pull a molotov from her bag, ready to move into the last phase of the plan.
“Phase Four?” She asked.
“Phase Four.” Nancy agreed, cocking the sawed off shotgun she armed herself with.
“Let’s light this bastard up.” Steve nodded, whipping out his zippo to light the liquor soaked fabric dangling from the bottle in Robin’s hand.
The annoyed groan Vecna released as he stood to his feet turned to one of distress when the flaming bottle Robin threw with full force struck him in his chest. The impact sent him staggering back. Before he could gain his bearings, you threw your hand back out, slowly turning your tensed hand palm up, turning the bones in his arm with it. His eyes bulged as he yelled in pure agony when sickening snaps of his bones sounded. The pressure you applied didn’t let up even when his body began to ragdoll as Nancy began to fire shot after shot into his body. The impact of each bullet as well as the molotovs Robin and Steve took turns throwing, sent him staggering back. With every one of his back steps, the four of you advanced forward until he was back against a window. The next round Nancy fired at him, sent him stumbling back through the window.
With no regard for the hivemind under your feet, you all ran down the steps as fast as you could manage, flinging the rickey front door open.
The adrenaline high you were all riding on began to crash when you made it to the spot Vecna landed at, only to find a scorched patch of grass.
“This is not good. This is so, not good.” Robin began to panic as you snapped your heads around, looking for any sign of the direction Vecna could’ve possibly ran in.
“Spread out. We fucked him up pretty bad, he can’t be far.” You instruct the group, each of you fanning out across the lawn.
Before any of you could get too far, the loud unmistakable chime of a grandfather sounded from the house.
“No…no…no…” You repeated, immediately darting back to the house and up the porch steps, the others close behind you.
The four of you gathered around the chiming clock, watching it in absolute horror.
“Fuck.” Steve’s voice wobbled as tears began to well in his eyes. You all knew what it meant, but none of you wanted to be the one to say and make it real.
The crushing guilt immediately weighed heavy on your shoulders. You just became the next in a long line of those who broke their promise to Max Mayfield.
“Stay with me, Max. Stay with me!” You heard the voice of your brother faintly yelling. You weren’t sure if you were imagining it. Like your brain was trying to give you a sense of hope that would alleviate your guilt…then you heard it again.
“Erica, help!”
“Do you hear that?” You ask the fear stricken group.
“The chiming? Yeah, I hear it loud and clear.” Steve snapped, not necessarily at you, but at the fact that he too failed the girl he promised to protect.
“We need a doctor!”
“No, that!” You point out. “It’s Lucas.”
“Stay with me! Stay with me!”
“Oh, shit I hear it.” Steve replied when he strained his ears to find your brother’s voice amongst the loud chiming.
“Lucas!” You begin to shout, hoping that it would penetrate the other side. You rush towards the stairs, preparing to run up them until the ground began to violently shake.
You formed your stabilizing chain again, trying to keep yourselves on even footing. You thought that it would only last a few seconds, but when it began to stretch into what felt like hours, you had enough. Lucas’ cries and pleas for help was all you could hear. You needed to get to him and you refused to let the shaking house stop you.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Steve shouted when you ripped yourself away from his grasp, but the tunnel vision that consumed you didn’t allow you to hear a word you said as you raced up the stairs to the attic.
“Ok, I can do this. I can do this.” You encouraged yourself, ripping your bandana from your eyes before sitting down on the floor, trying your best to ignore the violent shaking and crack beginning to split through the attic.
“Baby, what are you doing?!” Steve asked, dropping to his knees in front of you. He brought his shaky hands to your face, forcing you to look at him.
“Saving Max.” You explain with a wobbling chin.
“Then let’s go. You can’t help from here.” Steve tried to reason.
“We’ll never make it back in time.” You shake your head. “If…if I can remote travel maybe…maybe I can do something.”
“How? You said you couldn’t do it. Plus there’s no radio or a bath to put you in.”
“I don’t know! I don’t know, but if I can somehow save Max, then I have to try!” You shout through tears. “You told me to believe in myself. You say that I’m this strong person who can do anything, and so that’s what I’m doing. I’m believing in myself right now because I don’t have any other choice!”
“Y/n…”
“I don’t have any more time to argue with you, Steve. I don’t know how long this is going to take, so just please get out with Nancy and Robin. I love you and I will find you guys after.
“I’m not leaving you, love.” He refused, shaking his head at the very notion.
“Then promise me that you will save yourself if this place starts to go under and I need you to know…I need you to know that no matter what happens I love you, ok?” You declare, resting your forehead against his. “Promise me!” You demand when he doesn’t speak.
“I can’t, honey.” You feel his head shake against your forehead.
“Please.” You beg softly, your weak voice finally breaking him.
“I…I promise.” He finally relents as tears spill down his cheeks. “Just please don’t make me.” He begged, pulling away to look in your eyes.
“I’ll make it as fast as I can.” You reply, placing a shaking hand over one of his that was cupping your cheek. The gesture being a silent affirmation that you would do everything in your power to not make this a ‘good-bye.’
“I love you more than anything, honey.” He proclaimed before placing a kiss against your lips that praying wouldn’t be the last one you ever shared.
Once you separated, you began to tie your bandan around your eyes. You inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to clear your mind and tune out the distractions around you.
“Steve?” You call out.
“What do you need, honey?” He asked, with a shaking yet soft voice.
“Just…just hold my hand.” You request. Steve was quick to interlock his fingers with yours squeezing it tight, giving you the extra comfort you needed. You knew you needed to be as calm as the eye of the storm in order for this to work.
Your body began to tingle as a feeling of weightlessness took over your senses. Steve tried his best to keep quiet when for you, but it became hard when blood began to flow from your nose like a faucet. He fought against every instinct in his body to pull you out, but he knew that by the way your eyes rapidly flicked back and forth behind your eyelids that whatever you were doing was working. You were close and he wasn’t sure if you’d forgive him if he severed the connection you were on the brink of forming.
Your clothes were soaked when you opened your eyes. You sat up slowly, realizing that darkness was all you could see. The shallow water under your feet sloshed as you stood up.
You made it! You fucking made it! Your celebration was short lived, knowing that your trip was for one specific purpose. You needed to find Max.
You began to call out the girl’s name, walking aimlessly through the darkness you weren’t quiet sure how to navigate.
“Max?!” You called out again.
Your ears perked up when you heard ragged breathing at the wet sniffling that came with tears. A hopeful smile broke across your face at the sign of life.
“Max?” You made your voice softer as you saw a hunched figure crying in the distance.
“Y-y/n?” You heard the voice you least expected.
“El?” You ask, picking up speed, jogging to the girl.
You sucked in a sharp breath as if you were punched in the gut when you approached, laying eyes on the sight that made the tears stream down her face. Lucas was weeping, squeezing the red head as tight as he could, as he pleaded for her to hang on.
“Help is on the way, just hold on.” He repeated, now running his hands up and down his upper arms as if he were trying to warm her up.
Your stomach twisted in knots as your eyes traced over Max. Her once blue eyes were now milky as blood poured from them and her limbs were twisted unnaturally. The images of the lab that would forever haunt your brain began to flash in front of your eyes.
“Is…is she..?” You stutter out through broken sobs as you kneel beside her. You of course knew the answer, but you just really, really wanted to believe that she wasn’t gone. El could only muster a nod, harboring that same fear as you, that saying the words would make it real.
“She can’t. No, no, no she can’t.” You shook your head as uncontrollable tears streamed down your cheeks.
“But I think…I think we can bring her back.” El spoke with tearful determination.
“W-what?” You ask, trying to and failing to stop your cries.
“Just follow my lead.” She instructed before taking a deep breath. You were quick to nod in agreement, ready to do anything you could.
You mimicked El as she reached out a hand, placing your shaking one next to hers on Max’s chest.
You followed every peak and valley of her breathing, your movements matching the others until it became hard to decipher where each of your powers began and ended.
Your eyes darted behind your lids as if you were connecting dying neurons, keeping them alive until something stronger could keep them together. That was all she needed, a spark to keep the fire lit.
You never released such a deep sigh when you felt Max’s chest rise to meet your hands. It was no extreme gasp of breath or a strong shot awake. It was a small sign of life that kept your hopes alive. You were ready to press further with El to give her the rest all you could, until you were yanked back into reality, your image in Max’s mind disappearing into a fog, leaving El to fair, bringing back Max on her own.
“What the hell?!” You began to berate him, but before you could finish airing out your grievances he was demanding you to run despite the fact that he was already dragging you along, giving you hardly any time to find your footing. “You told me to save myself, but you never told me not to save you!” He explained his behavior as you ran through the crumbling house.
“Oh, shit!” You exclaim when a fiery orange rift splits through the staircase, missing both of you by less than an inch. You grab Steve's vest, pulling back right before the foyers shaking chandelier would’ve come crashing down on him.
“Thank you, honey.” He was quick to show his appreciation for your actions before resuming the sprint to freedom.
“Come on! Come on! Come on!” Nancy and Robin shouted at the two of you when you crossed the threshold to the outside. When you made it to the porch’s third to last step, you decided to jump the rest of the way. A choice that saved your lives as the house finally sunk into itself, dragging the porch down with it.
“Jesus Christ! You idiots scared the shit out of me!” Robin berated you and Steve before flinging her arms around the two of you. “What the hell was that?!”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but it was for a good cause.” You explain, squeezing her back.
“What ‘good cause’ makes you do that?!”
“Max. I think El and I just saved Max.” You sluggishly reply, the exhaustion in your body beginning to catch up. Steve noticed it immediately. You tried to keep a straight face, but he could read it in your body language. You pushed yourself harder than you expected and now it was catching up with you.
“I got you, honey. I got you.” He was quick to assure you, wrapping one arm around your waist, while you slung an arm over his shoulder.
“El? How?” Robin was quick to question.
“Look, I’m as curious as the next guy, but we need to get the hell out of here before we get stuck in here.” Steve urged the group, when the ground somehow shook harder as the ground violently cracked in front of you, the fiery orange bursting through the seams.
“Agreed.” Nancy nodded at him. “We need to go, now!”
You knew something was incredibly wrong when you spotted Dustin hunched over something in the distance. He had no business still being down here. He was supposed to be a decoy and that’s all.
“Dustin!” Steve called out, causing the boy’s head to snap up. Your paces picked up, breaking into a full sprint to get to the crying boy. Your hearts sank and your throat went dry when you realized that ‘something’ was Eddie.
“What the hell happened, man?” Steve asked the boy, as the four of you kneeled down beside them, your eyes becoming glassy.
Dustin wanted to answer and tell you all about the heroic sacrifice Eddie made, but the words wouldn’t come. All he could do was weep over his friend.
“I’m so sorry…” You begin to weakly apologize to Eddie, staring into his dead eyes that used to be brimming with life. “I’m so, so sorry.” You continue, bring up a shaking hand to close his eyes and put him to rest.
“We can’t…we can’t leave him here.” Dustin finally managed to get out through his sobs.
“I’m sorry man, but there’s no way to get him through the gate and we need to go before that rift catches up with us.” Steve hesitantly broke the horrific news.
“No! I’m not leaving him!”
“We don’t have a choice, man!”
“Then leave me here!”
“No. No way. I hate to leave him here too, but we need to go before we get trapped in here too.” Steve spoke sternly, yanking the boy to his feet.
“No!No!No!” Dustin screamed in protest, trying to break free from the tight hold Steve was keeping on him.The tears brimming in Steve’s eyes finally fell as the boy continued to fight against with all the strength he could manage.
He hated to do this to him, but there were no other options. Even if you tried there wouldn’t be enough time to get Eddie through, especially without desecrating his body.
“I’m sorry.” Steve began to repeat to the desperate boy until Dustin finally collapsed into him, weeping into Steve’s shoulder and clinging onto him for dear life.
All of you knew that the upside down being Eddie’s final resting place was wrong. He deserved so much more. More love, more understanding, and more respect. He sacrificed himself for a town that would never see him fit to receive those things, but every member of the party knew without a shadow of a doubt that Eddie Munson was a fucking hero.
~Two days later~
Hawkins as you knew it was over. Entire blocks of homes fell through the cracks caused by the “earthquake” and dozens of lives were lost. Your small town had been rocked by a tragedy that its residents would never truly understand.
The military came in droves in order to provide relief. They were welcomed with open and thankful arms. Mothers and grandmothers even baked them cakes and pies as signs of appreciation if they were able to do so.
The community rallied together to set up a temporary shelter in the shared school gym.
You, Robin, Steve, and Dustin were quick to decide you wanted to volunteer, hoping that after your failed attempt to save the town, you could still help in any possible way.
Now you and Robin sat in Betsy’s trunk, chatting with Dustin as Steve helped Nancy load the last box of her donation boxes into the backseat.
“Did someone order pizza?” You heard Karen ask, as repeated honking caught your attention. Both you and Robin climbed out of the trunk to get a better look at the approaching dusty yellow van. You squinted your eyes out to read the red lettering plastered on the side of the vehicle. “Surfer Boy Pizza?” You read aloud, making all of your eyebrows knit in confusion.
“What the hell?” You continue as the van pulls up to park at the end of the Wheeler’s driveway.
Your confusion only grew when a boy with long flowing hair, dressed in loud pants climbed out the vehicle. Who the fuck is that? You thought until the van’s side door slid open, revealing Mike Wheeler followed by Will, El, and Jonathon.
The confusion on all of your faces immediately dropped, replaced by relieved and excited smiles.
Without another thought, you sprinted towards the group, El meeting you in the middle, throwing your arms around each other.
“You’re here! You’re fucking here!” You cheer, squeezing her tight.
“I’m here.” She parroted, burying her face further into your shoulder, missing the feeling. She missed you and the feeling of being completely understood.
“Is Max…is Max alive?” She asked, the thought weighing heavy on her mind for the past forty-eight hours.
“Yeah, she’s in a coma. They don’t know how long until she wakes up, but she’s alive.” You assure the girl. The doctors called Max’s survival “Nothing short of a miracle” not knowing that half of the miracle was standing in front of them and the other was floating in a pizza dough freezer all the way in California. The information made the pent up tension in El’s shoulder release as she blew out a big sigh of relief.
“Is this the one?” You heard an unfamiliar voice ask.
“Excuse me?” You asked, pulling away to look at the source. It belonged to the long haired boy that climbed out of the van before your friends.
“The other freaky mind chick Jonathon told me about?” He tried to clarify. “I’m Argyle by the way.” The boy introduced, holding out a fist for you to bump instead of a simple hand to shake.
“Cool…” You began, still slowly coming to the realization that you kind of liked the description of yourself that he gave. “I’m y/n and yeah, I’m the… freaky mind chick.” You continue, accepting the fist bump.
“That’s totally rad, dude.” He nodded with a dopey smile. “You know, I thought I had super powers once, but I was just really stoned.”
“Wow, that’s crazy.” You reply with an amused smile.
“I know, right? That’s why I only partake in Purple Palm Tree Delight now. It’s keeps me mellowed out, man. And I know we just met, but I think you could use some. You seem, like, super stressed out, dude. I have some in my van and I don’t mind sharing.” Argyle offered with a wide smile and wiggling eyebrows. Despite barely knowing the boy, he was quick to grow on you and you would’ve felt a little bad turning down his generous offer, so you accepted the sweet gesture for what it was.
“Sure, what the hell.”
The gym parking lot was packed when you arrived. A mix of volunteers, donators, and those who needed help walked into the temporary shelter alongside the four of you.
Your heart ached and guilt coursed through as you passed cot after cot occupied by friends and neighbors who lost their homes to the “earthquake.” The ache burrowed itself deeper when your eyes flicked over to the massive ‘Missing Persons’ board that was almost at capacity. You could feel the same guilt radiating off the others as they too looked around at the consequences of your perceived collective failure.
The harsh feelings didn’t begin to subside until you arrived at the donation table and were quickly greeted by the girl who had been assigned the position.
“Hi.” She gave you a soft wave.
“Hi.” You greet back as you each place your boxes down on the table. “We have some stuff that we hope can help. We have some blankets and sheets and some clothes and kid’s toys.” You state, pointing to each corresponding box as you described its contents.
“Wow. It’s already so organized. We appreciate that.” The girl mused as her eyes skimmed over the neatly folded clothes and blankets. Even the box of toys each of you contributed to had been filled as neatly as possible. You knew it wasn’t a requirement, but you also knew that they didn’t need the extra work.
“Do you want a tax receipt for it?” She asked, picking up her clipboard, prepared to jot down your information.
“No, we don’t need one. Thank you, though. But we were wondering if there was anything we could help you with. We know this place is crawling with volunteers, but we figured maybe a few more hands couldn’t hurt.” You inquired.
“I’m sure we can find something. We’ll take as much as we can get. Follow me.” She instructed, letting her lead you to your assignments.
You and Steve were put on clothes sorting duty. Both of you listened intently as the task supervisor explained all that entailed your roles.
“We’ve got infants, girls, boys, men, and women. We just need you guys to sort and fold, but keep any eye out for anything that is in too bad of shape. We don’t really want that. Pretty simple, right?”
“Yes ma’am.” Steve nodded.
“Thank you kids so much for volunteering.” She replied, giving you an earnest smile in appreciation.
“Of course.” You give her a slight nod before she scurried off to finish her original task.
“Stop staring, creep.” You bump your hip against Steve’s when you feel his eyes on you.
“I’m not staring.” He replied with a betraying smile dancing across his lips
“Yes, you are.” You grin.
“Fine, maybe I’m staring a little. It’s just that this feels kind of domestic, right?”
“How is sorting laundry in a shelter for a town that we kind of helped destroy, domestic?” You ask through a slight chuckle.
“Well when you put it like that it sucks the joy out of it. I just meant that I picture us doing this together not too far in the future. In our house. On our bed. And we’ll take turns doing that thing we like where one of us dumps all the warm clothes on the other when they’re fresh out the dryer…I can tell by the way you're grinning like an idiot that you’re thinking about it too.” He bumped his shoulder against yours.
“Yeah, I am and it’s annoying me that you somehow manage to make something as lame as folding laundry sound so amazing.” You reply, shaking your head with an uncontrollable grin as you pick up a bright yellow sweater from the basket. “Now, stop distracting me. I take my job as sorter/folder very seriously.”
“Well if I did that then I wouldn't be able to point out the love birds over there.” He replied, nodding his head towards the ‘food pickup’ table Robin had been stationed at.
“Lovebirds?” You ask following his line of sight. Your eyes grow wide when they land on her and Vickie having a conversation that easily flowed, accented by lingering stares between bouts of prolonged eye contact.
“No fucking way.” You finally get out, both of you watching her with proud eyes.
“Way. Like we said, who pauses Fast Times at fifty-three minutes and fifteen seconds?”
“People who like boobies.” You reply, mocking his voice.
“Exactly.” He chuckled along with you.
A comfortable silence settled between you and Steve as you focused back in on your assigned tasks. You were nearing the end of your basket, a mix of concerned voices caught your attention.
“Is that ash?” A woman asked as she walked to the windows
“It has to be.” Her husband reasoned, following his wife’s lead to the window.
“Mommy, it’s snowing.” A young girl squealed with a giddy smile as she looked up at her mother who kept their hand tightly clasped together as she too rushed to the window.
Despite being in your separate stations across the gym, the four of you still managed to find each other's knowing eyes. Without a word, each of you rushed to join the group of curious people trying to force their way outside to get a better look at the strange phenomenon.
All of your faces were cast up to the sky as a gray cloud darker than the rest began to roll in, causing the murmuring of the crowd grew louder as each person speculated about what it meant. Most of them chalked it up to the falling ash from the four raging fires the military finally managed to extinguish only a few hours ago. It was the most comforting option to believe in. Fires cause ash. It was a fact of nature that meant nothing special, because that’s what they hoped for. They hoped it was nothing because they weren’t sure if they could handle any more.
The four of you wanted to believe it as well, but the pits in your stomach that formed wouldn’t allow you to do so. You were burdened with the knowledge that it was a million times worse than any of the people standing beside you could ever imagine.
Vecna’s words were ringing true. This was only the beginning.
Summary: You fear for the worst when the worst night of your life is finally revealed to those that you love. You just hope that it's worth all the pain as you prepare for the biggest battle you've ever faced.
A/N: Prepare to be hit deeply in your feels. I once again hope you enjoy!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: Injuries, blood, dead bodies ( including children), murder, nightmares, canon-level violence, talks of pregnancy/the ability get pregnant
WC: 6.5K
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
Tears slowly rolled down Steve’s cheeks as he tried to describe the hell that he was dropped into. He fought through his dry throat and wobbling bottom lip to tell you about Vecna as a boy. How cruel he was as a kid. A disturbed boy that murdered his family like they were nothing to him. He viewed them as obstacles to his master plan. As impurities that needed to be cleansed from the Earth like everything else.
When he got to the lab, his knee began to bounce. That was when he stopped looking at you. Now that he knew the monster that haunted the halls you were trapped in, he wasn’t sure he could face you. The guilt you helped him fight so hard against was creeping up on him, like a chill running down his spine.
“He showed me the lab…” He began. The group’s eyes went wide as they snapped to you. You began to anxiously fidget with your fingers, no longer feeling like part of the audience. You now felt like the show. When you looked around the room, you saw the pity and the sympathy being aimed at you. You knew they meant well, but you hated it. You just wanted to be normal. It’s all you ever wanted, but when they look at you like that, you feel anything but.
“He showed me him getting tattooed by this old doctor guy. He gave him…he gave him a 001 tattoo. Just like…just like y/n and El’s.” Steve stammered out. The air was instantly sucked out of the room and it felt like a spotlight was being shone on you. You felt like you couldn’t breathe under all the attention. You shot up from your place on the couch and began to pace as your heart thundered in your chest and your mind raced like a car in the Grand Prix. He can’t be One!He can’t be! You tried to hammer into your brain, but you knew it was no use. You always tried to push the thought away, but you knew from the moment you met him that he wasn’t who he said he was. He wasn’t just some creepy orderly. He was far more sinister. The way he watched you. The way he studied you as if he knew something about you that you didn’t even know about yourself.
“W-what does he look like, Steve?” You ask as the tears stinging your eyes finally fall.
“I don’t know how to explain it. He was this fleshy dark monster thing. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Steve described, finally meeting your eyes.His heart ached watching the way your face contorted and your body began to tremble at his description.
“No, no, no. Not Vecna. Henry.” You clarify as you finally stop pacing. After reading your body language, Steve hesitated to answer. He could see that you were on the edge and that the tiniest gust of wind would push you over. He wasn’t sure if he could stomach being that gust. “Please, love. I need to know.” You pleaded when you sensed his hesitancy. You knew he was trying to protect you, but you needed confirmation of the storm that could be coming.
“He was blonde…had blue eyes. Nothing…nothing special I guess.” Steve stammered out. He immediately regretted it when let out a ‘Fuck’ and began to pace again.
“What does…what does that mean?” Eddie hesitantly chimed in to ask, feeling completely lost in the sea of information.
“It means I know exactly who Vecna is.” You replied, wiping your tears forcefully with the heel of your palm. “And it means this is all my fault.” You shook your head at yourself in guilt.
“Honey, how is any of this your fault?” Steve shook his head at the notion.
“Because…because I ran.” You answer, your eyes meeting Eddie’s wide eyed stare. “I…I have to tell you guys about the night I escaped the lab.”
You sat beside Steve on the couch, your hand squeezing his. You savored the feeling, knowing that this could be that last time you would experience it. How could any of the eyes on you look at you or love you the same after you tell them what you did, or rather what you didn’t do.
“It was the first time I had one of my nightmares. I woke up to the lab’s emergency lights flashing and my door was cracked open. I was scared out of my mind but I kept walking anyway. That’s when I saw…that’s when I saw the bodies in the hallway. The dead doctors and the scientists and the guards. The walls and the floor were covered in their blood. It was like I was walking through a horror movie. I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't. It was like my feet were forcing me to keep going… I walked to the rainbow room and…” You squeezed Steve’s hand so tight you thought you were going to break it as you fought to breathe. He brought his hand to your back, rubbing it in comforting circles. It was a gesture you weren’t even sure you deser.v.ed. “When I walked inside they were…they were all dead. He killed all the kids. Their bodies were…they were all contorted and it looked like they were crying blood. They were my friends and they were all gone because of that monster. He was covered in their blood, smiling like the fucking cheshire cat. When he saw me I thought I was next, but instead he just asked “What are you doing out of your room, Nne?” Before I could think I ran. I slipped on Five’s…I slipped on Five’s blood. Besides El, he was…he was my closest friend there and I had to step over him just to get away. When I made it to my room, I cried my eyes out. That’s when I actually woke up. I didn’t understand what happened. I just knew that it was gonna happen, like it was inevitable if I didn’t stop him. So I planned. I planned to kill him before he could kill us. He was an orderly so I faked a headache to get him alone. That’s when I attacked him. I was choking him. I could feel him dying. I was so close, then I got tackled to the ground. I don’t know how the guards and the doctors found us but they did. I kicked and I screamed and I told them what he was gonna do, I begged for them to listen, but they just wouldn’t. I almost broke free again and finished what I started, then I got the needle and the last thing I remember before passing out was the way he stared down at me, like…like he won…” You shook your head as if you could shake away the face that’s haunted your nightmares for years. You inhaled sharply, trying to sniff back your tears before you continued. “When I woke up from my sedation, my door was cracked and the emergency lights were flashing. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was happening and I couldn’t stop it. When I stepped into the everything was exactly the fucking same and I knew…I knew I couldn’t face him again. I couldn’t see them like that again. I couldn’t stomach it, so I ran. I stole a keycard from one of the dead guards and once I made it out the door, I just kept running until I got to Steve’s house. I left them all there because I couldn’t bear seeing it again knowing that I wasn’t going to wake up and things would be ok… I thought he killed El too. If I stayed I could’ve saved her. She wouldn’t have been stuck in there for so long. I could’ve…I could’ve done something but I just ran. That means all this death and destruction is because of me. All of this shit is my fucking fault. The kids in the lab, Will, Barb, Bob, Billy, Jack, everyone killed by the fucking mindflayer. Chrissy, Fred, Patrick… Hopper and Max. All of this shit is my fucking fault, because I ran.” You began to weep uncontrollably. The trailer began to shake as you curled into yourself, your head resting against your thighs, your tears soaking through your pants. Your breath hitched and your heart almost stopped when Steve let go of your hand.You were expecting it, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less. You expected everyone to step away and stare at you with a hatred that burned so bright that could rival the sun. You expected for Lucas and Erica to see you as a monster that stole their sister’s form. You never felt so unlovable.
What you hadn’t expected was Steve pressing you into him. One hand firmly placed at the back of your neck, the other against your back, letting you sob into his denim clad shoulder. You didn’t expect Lucas and Erica to pull you from him so that they could squeeze you tight enough to prove that you were way stronger than the person they thought you were. You didn’t expect Max, Robin, Dustin, Eddie, and Nancy to wrap their arms around the others so that they'd be hugging you by proxy. You didn’t expect for them to show that no matter how much they never needed to see you as a perfect superhero or a mage to be worthy of their love and understanding. They just needed you to be their friend, their heart, their sister. They just needed you.
“What happened isn’t your fault, love. You tried to warn them. You did your best to save them, but they didn’t want to listen. You were thirteen and you did everything you could. We don’t blame you for running. How were you supposed to know that he would become this?” Steve spoke as the trailer stopped rattling. He cupped your cheeks so that you would look at him so that he could wipe the tears that fell from your pretty eyes. He wanted to make sure that you could see the love and determination in his as he looked at the strongest person he’d ever met.
“And if you never ran he would’ve killed you too. We would’ve never had you back. Mom and dad were a wreck and it was hell for me and Erica. Everything felt so wrong without you. Home felt so empty.” Lucas reassured you, squeezing you tighter.
“And I think that you’re so focused on who you didn’t save to realize how many people you did. You saved this piece of shit town more than they’ll ever know. You saved us.” Dustin chimed in, his head popping over Lucas’ shoulder so that he could see you.
“You saved me, love.” Steve asserted, pressing a long kiss to your forehead. “ We are going to save this town one last time and we’re gonna get the hell out of here, but we won’t be running. We’re gonna be living. We’re gonna do amazing things and make amazing memories and do all the stupid shit we used to do just better, yeah?” Steve promised, pressing his forehead against yours.
“Yeah.” You reply with a breaking voice, finally letting yourself crack a slight smile.
“There she is.” Steve began to chuckle at the sight.
“Thank you guys for not hating me. It means a lot.” You sniffle looking at the group surrounding you. Your own little family. “Now, what else did Vecna tell you so that we can kick this piece of shit’s ass.”
Steve continued to relay what Vecna showed him. All the horrors he was planning to bring to Hawkins.
Now that you all knew Vecna was like you and El, it gave you more of an upper hand than you realized. There was no need to fight fair with this asshole, so knowing you and El’s weaknesses went a long way.
“When El remote-travels, she goes into this sort of trance-like state. When Vecna attacks, he’s up in the attic. His physical body is defenseless.That’s when we attack him and give him everything we’ve got.” Dustin presents.
“Defenseless? What about the demonic bats?” Steve asked, showing off the deep red ring around his neck. “I know that y/n can handle it, but if we want this bastard gone forever then she needs all the energy she can.”
“Then we’ll have to find a way past them. We have to distract them somehow.”
“And, uh, how do we do that exactly?” Eddie asked the room of upside down veterans.
“No idea.” Dustin replies, instantly deflating the man. “But I know that once we do, he doesn't stand a chance. It’s like slaying a sleeping Dracula in his coffin.”
“That all sounds good in theory, but there’s no pattern to Vecna’s killings. At least not one that I could decipher. We don’t know when he’s going to attack next.”
“No, but he seems to be a numbers guy. He leads and he plans with numbers, right? The four chimes. Four gates, four kills. I mean he was shoving it in our faces the whole time…” Dustin paced as he wracked his brain for more clues. “The clocks! I can’t believe we didn’t notice it before. It was staring us right in our goddamn faces.”
“What are you talking about, Henderson?” Steve asked.
“You, y/n, and Max have seen the same clock with the same time and what time was it?”
“9:11.” Steve answered, the image still fresh in his mind.
“Exactly…” Dustin reached for your arm, pushing your sleeve back. “Nine…” He pointed at your wrist. “Eleven.” He continued, pointing into the abstract to represent El. “He’s been telling us the whole time. It all leads back to them. Steve said that Vecna told him you and El need to try harder to kill him, so what if this is him gloating? Rubbing it in our faces. It was right in front of us, we just weren’t looking.” Dustin hypothesized.
“But the kills weren’t at 9:11.” Nancy argued.
“Yeah, but what if this one is? Clearly this is personal so what if this one is intentional. The fourth kill that opens the fourth gate. The one that destroys Hawkins.” Dustin replied.
“Ok, so we have the time, now we need to know who.” Robin nodded along.
“We do know.” Max chimed in, earning everyone’s attention. “I can still feel him, like I’m still marked. Like I’m still cursed.” She explains. “Maybe if I ditch Kate Bush and I draw his attention back to me, then we can distract him enough for you guys to finish him off.”
“Max. He’ll kill you.” Lucas piped up, shaking his head at her idea. He knew she was brave and strong, but right now he’s sure if this is her bravery or the voice that’s been pulling her away from the party, rearing its evil head telling her to do something she can’t take back.
“I’ve sur.v.ived before.” Max was quick to respond. “I can sur.v.ive again.” She asserted. “I just need to keep him busy long enough so that you guys can get into the attic so that y/n can rip him in half or crush him or explode his brain or whatever you want just…just please don’t let me die.” She looked at you and Steve with pleading eyes.
“We got you, kid.” Steve nodded, sniffing back the fresh set of tears threatening to fall. “We wouldn’t dream of it.
All of you gathered around Max’s small kitchen table. You watched as he presented his best option for obtaining every possible upside down monster killing machines you could think of.
“Check this out. The War Zone.” He pointed out the advertisement for the store in the Yellow Pages.
“Black powder, ammunitions, firearms accessories, government surplus.” You read out the ad’s main selling points. “Jesus.”
“I know. I went there once and it's huge. They’ve got everything you need for uh, well, killing things, basically.” Eddie replied.
“You think fake Rambo has enough guns there? Is that a grenade? I mean how is any of this legal?” She asked, looking at the gun wielding man front and center in the advertisement.
“Wasn’t a grenade your idea?” You ask.
“Yeah, but that’s when I thought it was from the cops, not from the equivalent of a fast food chain where you can buy a burger and fries. I mean it seems like this place is packed with enough shit to siege an entire city.”
“Well, lucky for us it is and this place is just far enough of out Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of any main roads, we oughta be able to avoid the cops and angry hicks.” Eddie suggested.
“Uh, if we’re trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to a store called The War Zone.” Erica voiced her concern.
“Normally I would agree little sis, but these are extenuating circumstances. We need to come at this asshole with everything we’ve got, so I think it’s a risk worth taking.” You reason.
“Yeah, me too.” Lucas nodded along.
“Sure, but is it worth the time? It would take all day to bike there.” Dustin explained.
“Who said anything about bikes?” Eddie asked, furrowing his brow.
“You got a secret car we don’t know about?” Steve chimed in from beside you.
“It’s not exactly a car, Steve.” Eddie slightly grimaced. “And it’s not exactly mine, but, uh…it’ll do.” He grinned mischievously at your boyfriend. “Hey, Red, you got a bandana or a ski mask, something like that?” Eddie asked, turning his attention to Max. The girl pursed her lips together as she looked up in thought until her eyes went wide when she remembered the relic in the back of her closet.
You weren’t sure if a Michael Myers mask was any less attention grabbing than Eddie just walking out as himself. You did have to admit it gave you a much needed laugh when you saw the way he just threw it on. The costume hair was wild and the flap meant to tuck into your shirt was out in the open with his own long hair peaking out from under the rubber.
Eddie led the charge, the boy peaking his head from the back of Max’s trailer as he swept his eyes across the park.
When the coast seemed clear, he motioned you forward, all of you cautiously jogging behind him until you arrived at your ride, which unfortunately turned out to be an older couple’s r.v.. Normally you would’ve felt bad, but you had lives to save here.
Eddie was the first one to boost himself through the window he slid open. You didn’t even need to be inside to know that he landed less than gracefully.
You quickly followed after Steve, his quick reflexes pulling you out of the way of Robin’s flying feet.
The four of you rushed to the front of the r.v. while the others pulled themselves through.
“Where’d you learn to do this?” Steve asked, peeking over Eddie’s shoulder as he snipped through wires he ripped from the ignition.
“Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire.” He explained as he twisted the wiring. “Now, I promised I would never end up like him, but you're gonna have to forgive me for this one, mom.” He finished as he continued his work.
“Uh, Eddie, I’m not sure that I love the idea of you driving.” Robin voiced her concern from behind Steve.
“Oh, I’m just starting this sucker.” He was quick to assure her. “Harrington’s got her. Don’t ya, Big Boy?” Eddie grinned mischievously up at him.
“Ah man, I can’t believe I never thought of that.” You lamented.
“I mean… you could still call me that.” Steve replied, glancing back at you.
“No, I can’t. It's tainted. It’s weird now.” You grimace, plopping down in the passenger seat.
“And thank god for that.” Robin replied in disgust.
“You guys ready?” Eddie asked, despite leaving no room for response as he connected two red wires together, the contact making sparks as the engine roared to life.
The back fire from the tail pipe immediately alerted the couple to your thieving.
“Hey! Open this door!” The woman yelled, banging on the door from the other side.
“Hey!” The older man’s gruff voice joined in as he harshly slapped the window.
“They locked the door!” The woman screamed back to her husband.
“Shit! Go!” Steve urged Eddie and Robin to the back as he jumped into the driver’s seat. “Everybody hang onto something!” Steve instructed the group. “It’s just a car. It’s just a car.” He mumbled to himself as he shifted it into drive.
“Drive, Steve! Drive!” Dustin’s screeching broke through the chaotic panic as you all scrambled to a secure place.
“They look pissed!” Max said as she watched the couple trying to jog after you, but it was no use. Steve was foot wad pressed all the way down on the gas, trying to get out of the trailer park as fast as he could.
“Well, it’s not everyday you lose your house and your car in one fell swoop.” Robin replied as she clung to the small couch she threw herself onto.
“Hold on! Hold on! Hold on!” Steve screamed his instructions as he hit a sharp turn to make it onto the road.
“That was kinda hot.” You look over at Steve , whose face broke out into an uncontrollable smile.
“Kinda?”
“Fine, it was really hot.”
“How’s it handle?” You ask, now that he seemed more settled in and in control of the vehicle.
“Well, considering the fact that this is a stolen house…” He shrugged.
“Better than Betsy? And be careful what you say because I will tell her.”
“Hell no. She’s definitely not better than Betsy…” He shook his head at the ridiculous statement. “But she’s not too bad.” He continued, looking around the small space. “You know how I’ve kind of always had a dream of a big family?”
“Yeah, but how big are we talking, ‘cause the only baby name I have on the board right now is Ruby.”
“Well, what if Ruby had maybe… five more siblings.” He mumbled the last part.
“Six kids?! You want us to have six kids?”
“Yeah, six little nuggets. And to be fair, we’ve had plenty of practice.” He smiled, pointing his thumb to the back.
“Listen, I love you so much that it would be easier to make a list of things I wouldn’t do for you and I’m sorry but having six kids is on that list.”
“What? Three boys and three girls. It could be great. And as far as the name thing goes we technically have three.”
“Three?” You raised your eyebrows at him.
“Yeah. Ruby, Steve Junior, and Y/n Junior. We just have to vamp the rest of them.”
“I don’t want to ‘vamp’ our kids’ names, Steve.”
“Well then what do you suggest?”
“I suggest that we only have two kids and we give them really good, well thought out names.”
“Only two? How about four?”
“Are you giving birth to two of them?”
“Three?”
“Deal.” You finally compromise. Steve quickly took a hand off the wheel so that you could shake on it like it was a gentlemen’s agreement.
“But think about it. In the summer, all of us could pile into one of these and just see the country, you know? The Grand Canyon or the Rockies. Maybe we could go to a beach town in California and like, learn to surf or something. We could even go to the cities. Take them to museums and all the tourist spots.”
“Yeah, and I can get inspiration from all the places we go. A collection inspired by Redwood and Yellowstone. Maybe Chicago or Boston or Detroit. I can picture it now.” You smile at him.
“See! It would be perfect.” You could tell that he was filled to the brim with excitement as you dreamed of your life together. “Like I said, we’re gonna do amazing things and make amazing memories.” He reached over to hold your hand. “And maybe they could stay a week or two with their aunts and uncles so that I can have you all to myself.” He teasingly wiggled his eyebrows at you until you laughed.
“You’ve got it all planned out, huh?”
“Yeah…and I know that things don’t always go to plan, but I think as long as it’s you and me, everything will work out.”
“Oh my god, Harrington. I thought I was done crying today.” You said as you felt your eyes begin to well.
“I’m sorry, honey…but just to confirm though, these are happy tears right?” He asked as you wiped your eyes.
“Yes, you jerk.” You lean over to lightly punch him in the shoulder.
“Hey, don’t punch the driver.” He teasingly chastised.
“Sorry, I thought I saw a Buggy.”
The War Zone was packed when you arrived. It seemed like everyone and their mother flocked to the store. All of them acting like they were shopping for torches and pitchforks to run Frankenstein’s monster out of town. Only instead of the misunderstood giant, they were gearing up to murder a misunderstood Eddie.
It was decided that Lucas and Dustin would stay behind in the r.v. to keep Eddie company and be your eyes and ears to the happenings outside the store.
The rest of you funneled into the store, the place stocked with an abundance of choice in weaponry. You easily agreed with Rob when she said none of this seemed legal.
“Jesus.” You sighed. “So much for avoiding angry hicks.”
“Let’s be fast.” Nancy voiced a sentiment that all of you had no problem agreeing with, as you broke into your own small groups.
“First order of business, let’s get you some shoes and unfortunately a shirt.” You said, placing your hands on Steve’s shoulders, pushing him along from behind.
“What do you think?” Steve asked, modeling the camo shirt and heavy fighter pilot jacket he found.
“I don’t know, give me a spin.” You demanded. You began to laugh when he turned then posed for you like you were a painter and he was your muse.
“How ‘bout now?” He asked, with a slight smirk.
“Yeah, it definitely works and the boots tie it all together.” You nod smirking back at him.
“Well, now that I can feel you undressing me with your eyes, let’s find Rob.”
When you found her, she was by the lighter fluid, scanning the shelves for the best options.
“How many of these do you think we need?” She asks when she hears the two of you approaching.
“I don’t know, probably five or six.” Steve surmised, beginning to load the cans into the cart.
“Hey, do you think you’d be good with a pick axe?” You ask her when you spot the nearby display.
“Rob?” You call out when you don’t get a reply. You were about to call again until you recognized the lovesick grin on her face as she watched Vickie spun a display.
“What are you gonna do? Just stand there and gawk?” Steve asked her as the three of you stared at the girl like a documentary crew watching an animal in its natural habitat.
“Shut up.” She mutters, never taking her eyes off the red head. Right as she was about to step forward and take the leap of faith, a blonde boy ran up behind the girl, wrapping his arms around her.
“Jesus! You scared me.” She chastised as she turned to face him.
“Woah, you gonna mace me with that?” The boy teasingly responds. Both you and Steve’s faces fall at the interaction. You look at each other before focusing back on Robin. Her breathing became heavy and her stomach turned when they began to kiss, the pair so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t realize the heart that they were breaking.
When Vickie finally felt the eyes on her, she quickly pulled away from her boyfriend. Her eyes shifting to the three of you. They widened like deer in headlights at the attention. They quickly softened in guilt and apology, but it was too late. Robin was already pushing through you and Steve to run away.
“Rob!” You called after her.
“Robin!” Steve followed as the two of you chased after her into a secluded corner of the store.
“Oh, Rob.” Your heart broke when you saw her bent over with her hands on her knees. The tears falling from her eyes created clean streaks as they cut through the grime of the upside down on her face. You didn’t hesitate to pull her into you, your hand rubbing up and down her back. She weakly wrapped her arms around you as she cried into your shoulder.
“I know we were joking, but I thought…I genuinely thought.” Steve stuttered out with saddened eyes. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for building up so much hope in her.
“Met too.” Robin replied, her voice muffled by your shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Rob.” You let out, your guilty eyes meeting Steve’s.
“Fuck…” She finally pulled away from you. “I don’t know why I’m crying, we have bigger shit to worry about.” She sharply inhaled, bringing the heels of her palms to her eyes to wipe the tears away. She tried to pretend like she was ok, but she was far from it.
“Don’t be sorry, Rob. I can stay with you while Steve finishes up for us. I got you.” You promised her.
“Yeah, yeah I got it.” Steve nodded along, taking off before she had time to argue.
“I thought…I really, really thought.” She shook her head at herself before dropping it back down on your shoulder, letting you rock her back and forth as she resumed crying.
“I know…I know.”
After leaving The War zone, Steve drove out to the field that was home to Dustin’s Cerebro.
You sat with Erica and Lucas in the lawn chairs you pulled from the r.v. as you constructed makeshift spears.
“Were you ever gonna tell us?” Erica asked you. She didn’t sound accusatory when she spoke, she just seemed almost hurt that you felt the need to hide something so monumental from them.
“No.” You swiftly reply, shaking your head. “I mean it’s some traumatizing shit and I didn’t want to burden you with all of that. I’m your older sister so I have to deal with my baggage. I’m supposed to be the strong one, you know?” You answer, looking between your siblings.
“Yeah, but this is kind of different. We didn’t know you were dealing with all this insane shit by yourself. We would’ve been more understanding or less annoying.” Lucas replied.
“I would’ve hated that. Special treatment from you guys would’ve just made things worse. I mean I was getting coddled enough by mom and dad. I mean I get it, but I felt like I was suffocating sometimes. I didn’t need any of that from you two. Your job is to be my annoying little brother and my annoying little sister. When I was in the lab that was the kind of shit I held onto. I would lay in my uncomfortable ass bed and think, ‘god I wish Lucas was here to tell me every last boring detail about his latest campaign or I wish Erica was here, shoving her toys in my face.’ ”
“But we could’ve helped you. If we knew about all of this then we could’ve been there for you. You wouldn’t have had to do this alone.” Lucas replied, reaching a hand out to rest on your shoulder.
“I just…I didn’t want you guys to think less of me. I couldn't take care of you because I was the one that needed help or even worse, be scared of me. If I lost you guys, I don’t know what I would do.” You confess.
“Level a city, maybe?” Erica jested.
“Yeah, maybe.” You lightly chuckle.
“We wouldn’t have thought less of you by the way and we definitely don’t now. If anything, you’re twice the sister we thought you were.” Erica assured you, leaning over to rest her head against your arm.
“Yeah?”
“A hundred percent.” Lucas easily agreed.
“And, we're gonna miss you by the way.” Erica continued.
“What do you mean?” You ask with furrowed brows.
“New York. We know you got into FIT.” Lucas explained.
“How?!” Your eyes went wide in disbelief.
“I might’ve snooped a bit and read your acceptance letter then sealed it back so you didn’t notice.” Erica confessed
“Oh my god.” You scoff, absolutely floored by the information. “Wait, you guys let me freak out for almost two days when you already knew?”
“It was Erica’s idea.” Lucas threw her under the bus.
“Judas.” Erica seethed, pointing at Lucas with narrowed eyes.
“Why?” You question.
“Because, we wanted to plan a little ‘sorry your stupid’ party if you got rejected.” Your sister answered.
“Erica.” Lucas chided her. “ She means we were gonna make you a cake and ask dad to buy balloons so that you would feel better.” Lucas clarified.
“You were gonna do all that for me?” Your eyes began to brim with tears at the gesture.
“Yeah. We figured it’s the least we could do considering all the shit you do for us.” Lucas explained.
“We wanted you to feel special, even if your dumbass couldn’t get in.” Erica chimed in, cracking a smile.
“Thanks, I guess.” You lightly chuckle with a slightly scrunched face. “I’m gonna miss this, by the way.” You look between them, reaching out to sling an arm around their shoulders. “I know I’ll only be a phone call away, but it won’t be the same.” You sniffled.
“Us too, but you deserve to get out of here. You and your sailor man.” Erica assured you.
“But just so you know, you’re still on the hook for free ice cream for life.”
“Obviously.” You smirk, pulling them into a hug made awkward by the chairs you were rooted in. “I love you idiots.”
“We love you too.” They replied, the frogginess in their voice easy to hear.
“Hey, uh, how are those spears going?!” You heard Eddie hesitantly ask from down the hill, splitting the three of you apart. In lieu of a verbal response, Lucas held his thumb up to him in positive affirmation.
“Flip that damn thumb around.” Erica furrowed her brows at Lucas causing his face to quickly drop.
“What?” He asked, looking between the two of you.
“Uh…it’s too loose.” You reply, quickly glancing down at his “spear”. When he still seemed confused, Erica ripped the materials from his hands.
“This isn’t some basketball where they blow the whistle when your shoes fall off.” Erica jested as she corrected his mistake.
“Ok, for the record, my shoes never fell off.” Lucas defended himself.
“For the record, it’s kind of hard for your shoes to fall off when you never get off the bench.” Erica shot back.
“And yet, you show up to every game.” Lucas retorted.
“I only go because she bribes me.” She paused her task to point at you.
“Really? I’m bribing you when you beg for a ride with me and Steve every game.”
“I’m surrounded by Judas’.” Erica threw her hands up in disbelief. “But I guess if I’m being honest, you’re still my brother. Just the facts.” She shrugged, picking Lucas’ spear back up.
“Yeah, you guys will do great without me and if you guys don’t mind I have a boyfriend and a best friend to bother.” You said, tying the last tight knot you needed to secure the hunting knife to the edge of the large stick you spent almost twenty minutes scavenging for.
The sun was setting when you finally finished preparing for the battle ahead. You piled into the r.v., those of you who would be fighting in the upside down were now clad in every piece of camo and protective gear you could afford. The jokes and plans for the future that filled the air when you first began the journey, were now silent as a new kind of fear settled over all of you. Hawkins as you knew it was hanging in the balance. It was no longer a battle against faceless monsters who ran rampant. It was against a man who had abilities someone as cruel as him should’ve never gifted.
Now as you pulled up to the Creel house to drop off Max, Lucas, and Erica, a chill ran down every spine in the vehicle.
“Are you sure about this, Max?” You ask one last time, knowing there was no turning back as soon as they entered that house.
“Yeah.” She nods. “I just want this asshole dead and if you fail, which I really hope you don’t, but if you do, just know that I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.” She threatened with a joking lilt to her tone, but the utter fear consuming her body was easy to see.
“I’m not gonna let that happen. I promise I will save you in any way that I can.” You squeeze her tightly.
“I really hope you keep it.” She mumbles into your shoulder. You knew she had an awful history with promises made to her that were never kept, but you just hoped that today would break that cycle. You hoped that you could rid the two curses that hung over her head.
When you released Max, you pulled Lucas and Erica into you. You hold them tight hoping that this wouldn’t be the last time. You knew the sentiment was shared when they squeezed you back with the same veracity.
“Look after each other.” You demanded.
“We will.” You felt them nod into your shoulder.
“I love you guys and no matter what happens never forget that.”
“We love you too. Just please come back.” Lucas pleaded.
“I will.” You tried to assure them despite the fact that you weren’t sure of yourself. With so much on the line, you knew there was that trading your life for theirs was possibly a decision you would have to make.
“Say it like you mean it.” Erica pleaded with tearful eyes.
“I’m coming back.” You asserted. “I’m coming back.” You repeat, pulling away to look between the two of them. “And I will see you on the other side.”
“See you on the other side.” They agree pulling you back in for another tight squeeze before stepping out of the r.v. Both you and Steve watched as they marched up to the dilapidated house. Lucas gave you one last wave ‘goodbye’ before crossing the threshold.
“You ready, honey?” Steve asked, now that the plan was now in action.
warning: modern au. no upside down, just romance. steve harrington read jane austen. flyers were harmed in the making of this fic.
summary: a comic shop and a bookstore open across the street from each other, which would’ve been fine if steve hadn’t decided it was war. between stolen flyers, accidental late-night bonding, and one very unfortunate copy of Pride and Prejudice, steve slowly realizes the annoying bookstore employee across the street might actually be ruining his life. romantically.
After getting fired from Family Video, Steve and Robin had expected rock bottom. What they didn’t expect was somehow landing on something…cooler.
The comic store wasn’t big, but it had personality—walls lined with bright, chaotic covers, stacks of plastic-sleeved issues catching the afternoon light, and the faint smell of paper and dust that somehow made everything feel important. It was the kind of place where people argued passionately about fictional universes like their lives depended on it.
And, apparently, it was the kind of place Steve Harrington thrived in.
“Okay, but you’re wrong,” Robin was saying for what felt like the hundredth time that day, perched on a stool behind the counter with a comic open in her hands.
“You cannot just skip Volume Two. That’s where the entire emotional arc like, everything happens.”
“I’m not skipping it,” Steve argued, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. “I’m just saying, hypothetically, if someone did skip it, they’d still get the gist.”
“They would not get the gist, Steve. The gist would be lost. The gist would be gone forever.”
A customer nearby snorted, quickly pretending to browse when Robin shot them a look. Despite the ongoing argument, the store was busy. Really busy. Busier than it had any right to be.
Turns out, Steve’s easy smile and ability to talk to literally anyone paired dangerously well with Robin’s intense, borderline aggressive knowledge of comics. People came in “just to look” and left with three issues and a mild identity crisis.
It was working.
It had been working.
Until—“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite capitalist icons.”
The bell above the door gave a lazy jingle as Eddie strolled in, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, already grinning like he knew he was about to be a problem.
Steve didn’t even look up at first. “You say that like we’re not barely making minimum wage.”
Robin snapped her comic shut. “Also, bold of you to assume you’re our favorite anything.”
Eddie placed a hand over his chest, wounded. “Wow. I come in here out of love and concern—”
“You never buy anything,” Steve cut in, finally glancing at him. “What do you want?”
“Okay, first of all, I’m offended. Second of all,” Eddie said, leaning casually against a shelf, “I’m not here to buy. I’m here to check on my struggling friends.”
Robin blinked at him. “We are literally doing fine.”
“Thriving, even,” Steve added, gesturing vaguely at the store.
Eddie hummed, rocking back on his heels. “Hmm. Are you, though?”
That got their attention.
Steve narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Eddie tilted his head toward the window, where sunlight spilled across the street—right toward the bookstore that had reopened just days ago, all polished wood and soft lighting and annoyingly aesthetic window displays.
“You haven’t heard?” Eddie said, voice dropping like he was about to deliver the plot twist of the century. “Rumor has it, the new bookseller and cashier across the street are…” he paused dramatically, “smoking hot.”
There was a beat. Then Robin slowly turned her head toward Steve.
Steve, already looking at her, raised an eyebrow. “I thought you liked pictures more than words.”
Eddie scoffed, pushing off the shelf. “Oh, I do. But I’m willing to expand my horizons.”
He started backing toward the door, pointing finger guns at absolutely no one. “Think of it as… character development.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Robin muttered, waving him off. “Go fall in love with a hardcover or whatever.”
Eddie grinned, already halfway out. “Don’t wait up. I might be in Middle-earth by tonight.”
The bell jingled again as he disappeared. Silence settled for approximately two seconds.
Then—“I’m kind of curious,” Robin admitted, not looking up from the counter as she flipped her comic open again.
Steve let out a quiet scoff, but his gaze had already drifted toward the window. Toward the bookstore.
“I mean,” Robin continued, “not in a weird way. Just… from a business standpoint.”
“Right,” Steve said. “Business.” Another beat. “They’re stealing our customers,” he added, more to himself this time.
Robin glanced at him. “We don’t know that for sure.”
Steve gestured toward the door. “Eddie literally just left to go cheat on us with literature.”
“That’s not what—”
“You know what I’m thinking?” Steve cut in, straightening slightly.
Robin didn’t even hesitate. “Steve, don’t.”
“I’m just saying,” he continued, already pushing himself off the counter, “a quick look wouldn’t hurt.”
“A quick look always hurts,” Robin said flatly.
Steve shot her a grin, the kind that meant he’d already made up his mind five seconds ago. “I’m going to spy a little.”
Robin groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Oh my god. You’re going to get banned from a bookstore. Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
Steve was already heading for the door, grabbing his jacket like this was some kind of high-stakes mission.
“Relax,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ve got charm.”
“That’s not how spying works!”
The bell jingled as he stepped out into the afternoon sun, eyes already set on the shop across the street.
Robin watched him go, shaking her head. “…we’re so losing this war.”
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Across the street, the bookstore smelled like fresh paper, coffee drifting from the tiny machine near the counter, and wood polish from the newly renovated shelves that still looked too pristine to touch.
Stacks of newly delivered books sat near the entrance in uneven towers, waiting to be sorted. Some still had opened boxes beside them, packing paper spilling onto the floor like abandoned clouds.
You crouched beside one of the stacks, flipping through titles and organizing them into piles. Fantasy to the left. Romance to the right. Literary fiction in the middle because apparently people liked being emotionally devastated on purpose.
A strand of hair kept falling into your face every time you reached for another book. You were balancing three hardcovers against your chest when the bell above the door jingled.
“Let me get that for you.”
Before you could protest, the weight disappeared from your arms.
You looked up to find Eddie Munson standing there in a denim jacket and a grin that usually meant trouble. He held the stack of books effortlessly, though one of them was dangerously close to slipping from the top.
You narrowed your eyes immediately. “What are you doing here, Munson?”
“Wow,” Eddie said, wounded already. “No hello? No ‘Eddie, your hair looks especially luxurious today’?”
You plucked the top book from the pile before he dropped it. “I’m serious.”
He followed after you as you moved toward the shelves, dramatically sighing the entire way. “Can a guy not peacefully browse literature?”
You stopped mid-step and slowly looked at him. Eddie cracked almost instantly.
“Okay, fine,” he admitted, lowering his voice as if confessing state secrets. “I’m here for Chrissy Cunningham.”
Your gaze flicked toward the register where Chrissy sat flipping through a magazine between customers, sunlight pouring across the counter and catching in her blonde hair.
Then you looked back at Eddie. “You’re pathetic.”
“I’m romantic,” he corrected.
“You’re standing in a bookstore pretending to read.”
“I contain multitudes.”
A laugh escaped you before you could stop it.
Eddie pointed triumphantly. “There it is! That’s the supportive energy I came for.”
You rolled your eyes and continued shelving books. “So what’s the problem?”
“The problem,” Eddie said dramatically, “is that I need an excuse to talk to her.”
“You could try saying hello like a normal person.”
“Absolutely not. That’s terrifying.”
You snorted softly.
Eddie leaned against the shelf beside you, lowering his voice again. “You said she likes fantasy stuff, right? Magical rings and swords and tiny guys with emotional baggage?”
“The Hobbit,” you corrected automatically.
“Right, that one. But last time I came in, it was out of stock.”
You hummed thoughtfully, fingers trailing across the spines in front of you until you found what you were looking for.
“Here,” you said, pulling out a copy and handing it to him. “And ask her if she’s more of a Baggins or Tookish type of person.”
Eddie stared at you. Then in the book. Then back at you.
“Oh, you are dangerous,” he whispered.
“It works,” you replied with a shrug.
A slow grin spread across his face.
“Oh, I could kiss you.”
“Please don’t.”
“Fair.”
Clutching the book to his chest like it contained the secrets of the universe, Eddie took one nervous breath before marching toward the register with all the confidence of a soldier heading into battle.
You watched him go, barely hiding your amusement as he nearly tripped over a display table on the way there.
From the counter, Chrissy looked up and smiled brightly the second she saw him. And just like that, Eddie forgot how to function.
You shook your head, laughing quietly to yourself as you reached for another stack of books completely unaware that, across the street, Steve Harrington had just stepped into the sunlight with every intention of spying on the competition.
Steve waited exactly thirty seconds after Eddie left before crossing the street. Not because he was nervous.
Just because—well. Okay, maybe a little because he was nervous.
He ran a hand through his hair for what had to be the fifth time that afternoon before pushing open the bookstore door.
A small bell chimed overhead.
Warmth greeted him instantly.
The place smelled like coffee and paper and something faintly sweet he couldn’t place. Soft music drifted through the store while sunlight spilled across wooden shelves lined with neatly stacked books. A couple sat quietly near the window reading together, and someone in the back laughed softly at something the cashier said.
It was annoyingly cozy.
Steve hated that immediately. Trying to look casual, he wandered toward the nearest shelf, pretending to browse while secretly scanning the store.
No sign of the “smoking hot bookseller.”
He picked up the first thick book he saw, flipping it open like someone who absolutely knew how books worked.
“You’re holding that upside down.”
Steve nearly dropped the thing. He looked up so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.
You stood on the other side of the shelf, arms crossed loosely against your chest, amusement dancing in your eyes. There was something sharp about your smile—not mean exactly, but definitely entertained by his suffering.
“Oh,” Steve said intelligently.
You raised an eyebrow. “Looking for something specific?”
“Uh,” he glanced at the upside-down book still in his hands before quickly fixing it, “nope.”
“Interesting.”
You stepped closer, tilting your head slightly. “Most people start with books they can actually read.”
Steve narrowed his eyes a little. And okay Eddie had severely undersold this situation. Because you were pretty. Annoyingly pretty. But worse than that, you looked at him like you already knew he was full of shit.
Which, frankly, felt unfair.
“I know who you are,” you said suddenly.
Steve blinked.
“You work at the comic store across the street.”
There it was, the rivalry.
Steve straightened slightly. “Yeah, so?”
Your eyes narrowed playfully. “Are you spying on us?”
“Spying?” Steve scoffed. “You’re the ones stealing our customers.”
You let out a small laugh. “Stealing?” You gestured around the bookstore. “Maybe people just prefer learning something useful.”
Steve gasped dramatically. “Okay, wow. That was rude.”
“You sell comics.”
“Comics are literature.”
“Mhm.”
“They are!”
You bit back a smile, which somehow offended him more.
Steve pointed vaguely at the shelves around you. “At least comics are interesting. Your books are just—” he grabbed a random hardcover dramatically. “words carved into dead trees.”
You stared at him for a moment. Then slowly nodded. “That’s actually the most comic-store-boy thing you could’ve said.”
Comic-store-boy.
For some reason, that got under his skin immediately. Steve glanced down at his watch. Robin was absolutely going to kill him if he stayed too long.
“Okay,” he muttered, stepping backward toward the door. “This has been… weirdly hostile. I’m leaving.”
You moved before he could reach the exit. Steve stopped short. You stood in front of the door with your arms stretched across it dramatically like some kind of bookstore security guard.
“Nope.”
Steve blinked. “What do you mean, nope?”
“You got caught spying,” you said simply. “That means you have to buy a book before you leave.”
His jaw dropped. “You cannot force people to buy books.”
“You’re not people,” you replied. “You’re competition.”
“That’s insane.”
“Thank you.”
Steve stared at you.
You stared right back.
A customer passing by glanced between the two of you with open interest before quietly disappearing into another aisle.
Steve looked at his watch again and groaned. Robin was going to give him the most unbearable ‘I told you so’ of all time.
“Fine,” he muttered finally.
Your smile came way too quickly, like you’d already known you were going to win. You walked over to a nearby display table, scanning the books for a second before pulling one out.
Steve squinted at the cover. “Jane Austen?”
“You seem like you need emotional development.”
“That feels personal.”
“It is.”
Steve took the book with deep reluctance and marched toward the register where Chrissy greeted him with a cheerful smile that made him momentarily forget his humiliation.
After paying, he returned to the door and held up the receipt between two fingers.
“There,” he said. “Happy?”
You examined the receipt dramatically before stepping aside. Then you opened the door with the sweetest smile he’d seen all day.
“Thank you for your purchase, sir. Please come again.” The sarcasm practically sparkled.
Steve pointed at you as he walked backward out the door. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
The bell chimed behind him as the door shut.
Steve stood on the sidewalk for a second, staring at the bookstore through the window. Then he looked down at the Jane Austen novel in his hands.
“what the hell is this?”
By the time Steve got back to the comic store, Robin was already watching him suspiciously from behind the counter.
“You were gone for twenty minutes,” she said immediately.
“I was gathering intel.”
Robin’s eyes dropped to the book in his hand. Then narrowed. “Why are you holding Jane Austen?”
“It’s evidence,” Steve defended.
Robin grabbed the book from his hands. “You bought a bookmark too.”
Steve froze. Slowly, he looked down. A floral bookmark stuck out from the top of the novel. “that’s not mine.”
Robin stared at him for one long second before breaking into the most evil grin imaginable. “Oh,” she said. “You’re so screwed.”
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The rivalry had officially escalated into something deeply stupid that lasted for over two weeks.
The Poetry Tuesday flyers outside the bookstore kept mysteriously disappearing, while the life-sized Marvel standee outside the comic store somehow ended up with its neck snapped backward in what looked like a very personal attack.
No one had proof but both of you knew.
The worst part? You’d actually caught each other in the act once.
Steve had just finished taping a bright red Comic Trivia Night flyer onto the lamp post between both stores when another flyer suddenly slapped directly over it.
He blinked.
Slowly turning around, he found you smoothing the corners of a cream-colored Poetry Tuesday flyer like you hadn’t just committed a crime.
“You cannot be serious.”
You glanced at him calmly. “Oh, hi.”
“You covered my flyer!”
“Well,” you said with a shrug, “Poetry Tuesday has better aesthetic appeal.”
Steve scoffed. “That thing looks like a wedding invitation.”
“And yours looks like a fast-food menu.”
Steve narrowed his eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And yet,” you replied sweetly, “our store keeps getting more customers.”
He was about to argue back when his eyes landed on the stack tucked under your arm. Comic Trivia Night flyers. His Comic Trivia Night flyers.
Steve pointed accusingly. “Oh my god.”
Your eyes widened slightly. “No.”
“You stole our flyers?!”
“They were taking up space.”
“You took like six!”
“In my defense,” you said, stepping backward, “your face was on them.”
“That’s because I’m hosting it!”
“Exactly.”
Steve immediately tried to grab the stolen flyers back, but you only laughed and ran off down the sidewalk, clutching them dramatically against your chest while he chased after you.
The two of you bickered loudly the entire time, accusing each other of crimes and sabotage while confused pedestrians watched you nearly crash into a mailbox.
Eventually, Steve managed to catch up, both of you tugging the flyers back and forth in the middle of the street like children fighting over a toy.
You burst out laughing, and for one terrible second, Steve forgot he was supposed to be annoyed because you looked bright and happy and…
“Oh my god,” you said suddenly, grin turning smug. “You’re losing focus.”
“I am not.”
“You totally are.”
Though Steve finally succeeded in snatching the flyers back triumphantly, his victory lasted less than five seconds before you calmly pulled one of your Poetry Tuesday flyers from his jacket pocket, exposing him just as badly.
Steve could only groan while you smugly pointed out that maybe both of you had been stealing from each other after all.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Robin crouched near one of the lower shelves, reorganizing comic issues for what looked like the third time next morning while Steve stood near the front counter watching through the store window suspiciously.
Across the street, you were fixing a crooked stack of hardcovers.
Steve narrowed his eyes. You narrowed yours right back.
“This is pathetic,” Robin said flatly without even looking up.
Steve scoffed. “Oh no. This is a battleground.”
Robin finally glanced at him. “You know normal people flirt, right?”
Steve tore his gaze away from the window. “Who’s flirting?”
“You,” Robin answered immediately.
“With who?”
Robin stared at him for a long moment. Then pointed dramatically across the street. “With the bookstore gremlin.”
Steve looked offended. “That bookworm girl?”
“Yes.”
“No way.”
Robin snorted. “Yeah, and I totally believe you.”
Steve ignored her, though his eyes drifted back toward the bookstore almost instantly.
Across the street, you were in the middle of reorganizing the romance section when Chrissy leaned against one of the shelves nearby, watching you with a suspicious smile.
“You know,” she started casually, “the guy who bought Pride and Prejudice was kind of hot.”
You slid another paperback into place. “Absolutely not.”
Chrissy gasped softly. “Oh, so you admit you remember him.”
“That proves nothing.”
“mmm.”
You sighed dramatically, crouching down to fix a crooked row of romcom novels. “He’s annoying,” you continued. “And dramatic. And weirdly defensive about comic books.”
Chrissy’s grin widened. “Sounds like your type.”
You looked up immediately. “Ew.”
“Okay, but,” she pressed, “you literally forced him to buy your favorite book.”
“That was strategy.”
“That was flirting.”
“That was business.”
Chrissy crossed her arms. “You recommended him Jane Austen.”
“Because he needed emotional development.”
Chrissy burst out laughing loud enough that a customer glanced over curiously. You pointed accusingly at her. “And for the record, he is not even remotely close to Mr. Darcy.”
“The fact that you compared him at all is very interesting.”
You opened your mouth, closed it again. Then grabbed another stack of books aggressively.
Chrissy looked entirely too pleased with herself. “Oh my god,” she whispered dramatically. “You like him.”
“I don’t.”
“You know his hair moves when he gets annoyed?”
Your silence betrayed you instantly. Chrissy practically screamed. “I KNEW IT”
“Keep your voice down!” A couple browsing nearby turned to look at you.
You forced an awkward smile before lowering your voice. “Whatever I do,” you muttered, straightening another stack, “is strictly for business purposes.”
“Your honor,” Chrissy said solemnly, “she’s gone.”
You threw a bookmark at her face. Chrissy caught it easily, still grinning. Then her expression suddenly softened into something suspiciously sweet.
“Sooo…” she started carefully.
You narrowed your eyes immediately. “No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m asking.”
“Yes, I do.”
Chrissy clasped her hands together dramatically. “Can you close tonight for me?”
You groaned instantly.“Chrissy.”
“Please?”
She hit you with the full puppy-eye routine, and honestly, it was insulting how effective it was. “You have a date with Eddie, don’t you?”
Chrissy tried to hide her smile and failed miserably. “…maaaaaybe.”
You stared at her for a long moment before sighing in defeat. “Okay, fine. But you owe me.”
Chrissy squealed happily before rushing over to hug you. “You’re my favorite person ever.”
“I know,” you muttered, though you were smiling despite yourself.
Chrissy grabbed her bag from behind the counter before pausing dramatically near the door. “Oh, and if comic-store-boy comes in while you’re closing—”
You pointed a warning finger at her immediately. “Get out.”
Still laughing, Chrissy blew you a kiss before disappearing out the door, leaving you alone in the warm quiet of the bookstore.
Outside, evening sunlight stretched across the street, and directly across from the bookstore window, Steve Harrington was already looking over.
It was nearly nine at night when the power finally went out. One second, the bookstore glowed warm and golden around you, soft music humming through the speakers.
The next, darkness. The entire street outside went black along with it. You stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
“Great,” you muttered into the dark. “Couldn’t wait another ten minutes, huh?”
The bookstore suddenly felt different without the lights.
Quieter.
Bigger somehow.
The moonlight spilling through the windows barely reached the shelves, leaving long shadows stretching across the floor between aisles.
You carefully stepped around a stack of books near the counter, trying to remember where you’d left your bag. Then the bell above the door chimed.
You froze instantly. “Hello?”
No answer.
Your grip tightened around the nearest object you could find. Unfortunately, it was an encyclopedia.
“I swear to god,” you warned, slowly moving through the darkened aisle, “if you don’t speak right now, I’m throwing this at your head.”
A laugh sounded somewhere nearby. Before you could react, you walked directly into something solid or someone solid. You startled hard enough that the encyclopedia nearly slipped from your hands.
“Relax,” Steve’s voice said quickly. “It’s me.”
A flashlight flickered on beneath his face from the phone in his hand, illuminating his features dramatically enough to make him look like he was telling ghost stories around a campfire.
You pressed a hand to your chest. “Jesus Christ, Steve.”
“Sorry,” he said, though he looked way too amused to mean it.
You narrowed your eyes at him. “Are you seriously here to spy during a power outage? That’s a new level of pathetic.”
Steve shoved one hand into his jacket pocket. “No, actually.”
The teasing faded slightly from his expression. “I saw you were still here alone.”
Something in your chest softened a little at that. “Oh.”
Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “So I just came to check.”
For a second, neither of you said anything. Thankfully, the darkness hid the small smile threatening to appear on your face.
“…thanks,” you said quietly instead.
His grin returned almost immediately, lighter this time. “See? I’m a decent person.”
You laughed softly. “Debatable.”
Steve gasped dramatically. “Wow.”
You set the encyclopedia back onto a nearby shelf before sighing again. “I can’t even close up yet. The register’s down until the power comes back.”
“That sucks.”
“Mm.”
Steve glanced around the dim bookstore before lowering himself to the floor between two shelves like he belonged there.
“Well,” he said casually, stretching his legs out in front of him, “Robin and I already closed half an hour ago.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Your point?”
“My point,” Steve replied, looking up at you, “is that I can wait with you.”
Your stomach did a weird little thing at that which was annoying. Trying to ignore it, you leaned against the shelf beside him—only to pause when something caught your eye.
The familiar floral bookmark sticking out from the pages of the book resting beside him.
You blinked.
Then slowly picked it up. “Oh my god.”
Steve looked up immediately. “What?”
“You’re actually reading Pride and Prejudice.”
His ears turned pink almost instantly. “YOU FORCED ME TO BUY IT.”
“You’re over halfway through.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
You flipped through a few pages before glancing at him again, unable to hide your amusement. “you folded the corners.”
“I ran out of bookmarks!”
“You literally bought one.”
Steve groaned, covering his face briefly with one hand. “Can you stop judging me for five minutes?”
“No.”
But you were smiling and Steve noticed.
His expression softened for half a second before he looked away too quickly. “It’s good, okay?” he admitted quietly. “The book.”
Something warm settled in your chest because it’s your goddamn favorite book. You crouched beside your bag near the counter, digging around for a moment before pulling something out.
“Wait here.”
Steve snorted. “Where exactly am I gonna go?”
Ignoring him, you returned holding a comic issue carefully wrapped in plastic.
Steve’s eyebrows lifted immediately. “Is that Moon Knight?”
“Eddie bought it for me,” you admitted. “He owed me a favor.”
Steve looked genuinely shocked. “You read comics?”
You sat down beside him on the floor, your shoulder brushing lightly against his. “I contain multitudes,” you said smugly.
Steve stared at you for a second. Then laughed softly under his breath.
And somehow, in the darkened bookstore lit only by the flashlight balanced between them, the rivalry suddenly felt smaller than it had before.
For the next hour, the two of you sat side by side on the floor between the shelves, quietly trading Pride and Prejudice commentary for comic book explanations while Steve held the flashlight steady so you could both read.
Outside, the town stayed dark.
But inside the bookstore, neither of you seemed in much of a hurry for the lights to come back.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The next morning, the rivalry was… different. Still there, technically.
But softer around the edges.
The flyers taped outside both stores now sat side by side on the lamp post instead of aggressively covering each other. No stolen advertisements. No destroyed standees. No suspicious acts of sabotage before noon.
Progress.
Though Steve absolutely refused to acknowledge the reason why. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he’d walked you home after the blackout last night.
Definitely not.
The comic store was quiet for once, sunlight pouring through the front windows while Robin reorganized the Marvel section with the intensity of someone defusing a bomb.
Steve sat behind the counter pretending to restock keychains while very obviously rereading the same paragraph of Pride and Prejudice for the third time.
The bell above the door jingled loudly.
“Well, well, well,” Eddie announced as he walked in grinning. “How are my favorite capitalist disasters doing today?”
Robin looked up immediately. “Someone’s in a suspiciously good mood.”
Eddie placed both hands over his chest dramatically. “Can a man not glow after romance?”
Steve grimaced. “Please never say that again.”
“Chrissy and I had a fantastic evening, thank you for asking,” Eddie continued proudly before pointing toward the shelves. “Now. I need every Moon Knight issue you have.”
Steve blinked. “you’re buying something?”
Robin gasped loudly from across the store. “Holy shit. Write this down.”
Eddie froze dramatically then slowly looked up. “Is that Pride and Prejudice?”
Steve immediately grabbed the book. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Robin’s voice echoed from the shelves. “It’s exactly what it looks like!”
Eddie stared at Steve with open delight. “Oh my god.”
“She forced me to buy it,” Steve defended weakly.
“You’re almost at the end,” Robin yelled back without missing a beat. Traitor.
Eddie leaned forward, squinting suspiciously at Steve’s face. “Wait a minute.”
Steve narrowed his eyes. “Don’t.”
“You like her.”
“I absolutely do not.”
“That was way too fast,” Robin called out.
Steve pointed accusingly toward the shelves. “Whose side are you on?”
“The hot bookstore girl’s.”
“Robin!”
Eddie looked between the two of them like he’d just discovered the greatest television drama of all time. “Oh, this is incredible.”
“There is nothing happening,” Steve insisted.
Eddie snorted. “Right. And I read books for the articles.”
Robin returned carrying a stack of Moon Knight issues in her arms before dropping them dramatically onto the counter.
“You missed it,” she told Eddie immediately. “They literally chased each other through the street fighting over flyers.”
Eddie whipped around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. “You chased her?”
Steve groaned. “Can we not make this sound weird?”
“You’re reading Jane Austen,” Robin replied. “Everything about this is weird.”
Steve opened his mouth to argue before realizing there was, unfortunately, no recovering from that. Eddie folded his arms smugly. “So when are you asking her out?”
Steve nearly choked. “I’m not asking anyone out.”
Robin flipped through the book thoughtfully. “So what are you gonna do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know.” Robin waved her hand vaguely. “The hand thing.”
Steve stared at her blankly. “What hand thing?”
Eddie suddenly started laughing before Steve could even finish the sentence.
“Oh no,” Eddie wheezed. “He hasn’t seen the movie.”
“The book got adapted into a film,” Robin explained way too seriously. “There’s this scene.”
Steve narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What scene?”
Eddie grabbed Steve’s wrist dramatically. “The yearning hand flex.”
Steve immediately yanked his arm back. “The what?”
Robin pressed a hand over her heart like she was emotionally overwhelmed already. “You know. After Mr. Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage and then walks away all tortured and in love—”
“She is not Elizabeth.”
“—his hand twitches because he’s so emotionally repressed.”
Eddie nodded solemnly. “Cinema.”
Steve looked between the two of them in complete disbelief. “You guys are making things up now.”
Robin gasped. “Oh my god, he would absolutely do the hand thing.”
“I am not doing a hand thing!”
“You already have the longing stares down,” Eddie added.
Steve nearly choked. “I do not longingly stare!”
Robin and Eddie both slowly turned toward the bookstore window across the street. Steve’s eyes followed automatically.
POETRY TUESDAY and COMIC TRIVIA NIGHT
The collision between Poetry Tuesday and Comic Trivia Night was, according to Robin, “a catastrophic failure in planning and basic communication.”
According to Eddie, however, it was “the greatest thing to happen to this town since mozzarella sticks.”
Both events had somehow ended up scheduled on the exact same night.
The comic shop was crowded with folding chairs, trivia cards, and aggressively passionate Marvel fans arguing near the register, while across the street the bookstore glowed warm beneath hanging fairy lights and handwritten poetry masterpieces taped carefully onto the windows.
The entire block buzzed with people wandering between both stores. And somehow, despite all the rivalry, neither business was losing customers.
If anything, both were thriving.
Steve stood outside the comic store taping up one last sign when Robin walked out carrying a stack of score sheets.
“You know,” she said casually, “normal people would’ve just moved their event.”
Steve scoffed. “Why should we move ours?”
“Because yours includes three grown men arguing about Batman continuity.”
“One of them cried, Robin.”
“Exactly my point.”
Before Steve could answer, laughter drifted from across the street. His eyes moved automatically toward the bookstore window.
You stood near the poetry section helping someone pick out a book, smiling softly while gesturing animatedly with your hands. Steve stared for maybe half a second too long.
Robin noticed immediately. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “There he goes again.”
“I literally just looked over there.”
“You looked yearningly.”
“I did not look yearningly.”
Robin snorted. “You’re one cardigan away from becoming a period drama.”
Across the street, Chrissy leaned over the bookstore counter watching you reorganize a stack of poetry books for the third time in ten minutes. Only on Tuesday night, when the bookstore was filled with signed poetry books from overseas.
“You know Steve’s been staring out the window for like five minutes, right?”
You didn’t even glance up. “Maybe he’s finally learning to read.”
Chrissy smiled knowingly. “You’re smiling.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
You immediately stopped smiling. Which only made Chrissy laugh harder.
The bell above the bookstore door chimed before Eddie walked in carrying three comic trivia flyers and an iced coffee.
“Well,” he announced dramatically, “the sexual tension outside is unbearable.”
You nearly dropped the stack of books in your hands. Chrissy burst out laughing immediately.
“Oh, thank god,” Eddie continued, pointing between you and the comic store across the street. “You both know it’s obvious now, right?”
“There is nothing happening,” you said too quickly.
Eddie hummed. “Interesting. Steve said the exact same thing.”
Your eyes narrowed instantly. “He talks about me?” Eddie’s grin widened slowly.
Chrissy actually gasped. “Oh, you walked right into that one.”
You immediately looked horrified. “Forget I said anything.”
“Too late,” Eddie sang.
Before you could threaten him properly, a confused older woman wandered into the bookstore holding one of the comic trivia flyers.
“Oh dear,” she said politely. “I think I’m lost.”
You glanced at the flyer in her hand before smiling warmly. “Oh! Comic Trivia Night is actually across the street.”
The woman sighed dramatically. “Thank goodness. My grandson signed me up for this and I don’t know the difference between a Batman and a Spider-Man.”
You laughed softly. “Honestly? Neither do I sometimes.”
From across the street, Steve noticed immediately.
He watched as you carefully walked the woman all the way to the comic shop entrance instead of simply pointing.
Robin followed his gaze again.
“You are down horrendous.”
“Can everyone stop saying weird things tonight?”
The bell above the comic store jingled as you stepped inside beside the older woman. The entire room somehow got louder and quieter at the same time.
Eddie leaned against a shelf smugly.
Chrissy appeared in the bookstore doorway across the street watching like this was live television. You looked around at the crowded comic shop before your eyes landed on Steve behind the counter.
“Well,” you said lightly, “looks like your little nerd convention survived after all.”
Steve crossed his arms. “Barely. We lost two chairs, and someone’s arguing that Superman would lose to Scooby-Doo.”
“That’s ridiculous,” you replied immediately. “Scooby would obviously win.”
Steve stared at you. Then laughed before he could stop himself.
The older woman beside you looked relieved. “Oh good. Young people understand each other.”
Robin made the loudest choking noise imaginable from behind the counter. Steve ignored her violently.
For the next hour, the bookstore and comic shop blurred together.
Customers bounced between stores carrying comics in one hand and poetry books in the other. Eddie somehow started recommending fantasy novels to customers despite barely reading. Robin aggressively explained graphic novels to unsuspecting poetry lovers while Chrissy sat near the register smiling like she knew something everyone else didn’t.
At one point, a college guy near the comic shelves scoffed loudly while flipping through a graphic novel. “These aren’t real books anyway.”
Steve opened his mouth immediately but you beat him to it. “Actually,” you said sharply, “graphic novels are literature.”
The guy blinked.
You crossed your arms. “The storytelling structure alone takes more effort than half the classics people pretend to understand.”
The entire comic store went silent. Steve stared at you like you’d personally hung the moon.
Robin looked emotionally devastated.
Eddie whispered, “Oh, they’re getting married.”
You heard him. “Eddie.”
“I’m just saying.”
Later that night, after most customers finally cleared out, Steve stepped outside carrying a box of leftover flyers under one arm.
The street had gone quieter now, lit by soft streetlights and the warm glow from both storefront windows. You sat on the curb outside the bookstore with your shoes kicked off beside you, looking exhausted.
Steve hesitated only briefly before walking over.
“You survived,” you said without looking up.
“Barely.” He dropped down beside you with a tired groan. “One guy tried to fight me over whether Batman could beat Godzilla.”
“could he?”
Steve looked offended. “Whose side are you on?”
You laughed softly, pulling your knees toward your chest.
For a moment, neither of you spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward anymore. Which somehow felt more dangerous.
Steve glanced toward the bookstore window before speaking again. “You know,” he said carefully, “I don’t actually hate bookstores.”
You looked over immediately. “Wow.”
“Don’t ruin the moment.”
“I’m just shocked you’re capable of growth.”
Steve nudged your shoulder lightly with his and neither of you moved away. “You know,” you said after a moment, “I didn’t think you’d actually read Pride and Prejudice.”
Steve looked down at his hands. “I started it because you forced me.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
“But…” He shrugged awkwardly. “I kinda get why people like it.”
You tried very hard not to smile too hard at that. “And?” you asked carefully.
Steve groaned quietly. “And now I’m emotionally invested in nineteenth-century people staring at each other.”
Your laugh slipped out before you could stop it. Steve looked over immediately. There it was again. That bright laugh that completely ruined his ability to think straight.
You noticed the way he looked at you this time, really noticed it and suddenly the air between you felt warmer than before.
“Oh,” you said quietly.
Steve blinked. “What?”
“Nothing…” but your voice sounded softer now.
From inside the comic store window, Robin appeared beside Eddie holding two sodas. Both of them immediately froze upon seeing the two of you sitting shoulder-to-shoulder outside.
Robin slowly turned toward Eddie. “Oh my god.”
Eddie looked emotional. “They’re having a sidewalk moment.”
Inside the bookstore, Chrissy joined them at the window carrying a broom. “Most ardently”
Outside, Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before speaking again. “For the record,” he muttered, “I look for your store first every morning now.”
You blinked.
Steve immediately looked horrified with himself. “That sounded less pathetic in my head.”
Your expression softened so fast it nearly hurt him. “You look for me?”
Steve groaned and dropped his face into his hands. “Please don’t make me repeat it.”
A smile slowly spread across your face. Not smug this time. Just soft snd warm.
“Oh,” you murmured again.
Behind the windows across the street, Robin physically grabbed Eddie’s arm.
“THIS IS IT.”
“I KNOW.”
Steve looked up carefully just in time to see you reaching into your bag. “What’s that?”
You handed him a book quietly. His eyebrows furrowed. Pride and Prejudice. But when he opened it, small notes filled the margins in your handwriting.
Tiny sarcastic comments.
Little jokes.
Favorite lines underlined.
Steve stared at the pages.
Then at you.
“I thought,” you said softly, suddenly looking strangely nervous, “you might want the annotated version.”
For once in his life, Steve Harrington had absolutely nothing smart to say. He looked down again until he reached the final page.
One sentence was written neatly near the bottom.
For the record, you’re still not Mr. Darcy.
…but you’re getting closer.
Steve read it twice.
Then three times.
When he finally looked back up at you, you were pretending very hard not to look nervous.
“You wrote in a book,” he said weakly.
You rolled your eyes instantly. “That’s your takeaway?”
“No, I just—”
Steve laughed suddenly, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“And yet,” you replied softly, “you keep coming back.”
The street fell quiet around you. Then slowly, carefully, Steve reached for your hand. Your fingers brushed.
And immediately afterward his hand flexed, you froze. Steve froze harder. Slowly, your eyes lifted toward his face.
“Oh my god.”
Steve groaned instantly. “Don’t.”
“You did the hand thing.”
“I hate you.”
Your grin widened. “No you don’t.”
Behind the windows across the street, Robin collapsed dramatically onto Eddie while Chrissy squealed loud enough for all four of you to hear.
Steve closed his eyes briefly. “…we’re never going to hear the end of this, are we?”
“Absolutely not,” you said, laughing as your fingers slipped fully between his.
And across the street, taped side by side beneath the streetlight, the Poetry Tuesday flyer and Comic Trivia Night poster fluttered quietly together in the night breeze.
issy talks: actually, i only wrote this as a background for my henderhop mini smau, soooo i really really do hope y'all like it.
Chapter 18: The Dive and The Massacre at Hawkins Lab
Summary: A trip into the Upside Down ends in a horrifying walk down memory lane that brings the group way closer to the truth than any of expected.
A/N: This chapter is massive, but I am so proud of how it turned out. It's a lot, but I really hope you enjoy!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
Chapter Outfit
CW: Injuries, blood, dead bodies, mentions of animal abuse/torture, mention of parental death/unspecified illness, absent parent, nightmares, terror, jealousy, canon-level violence
WC: 10k (sorry, again)
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
You felt bad for slightly forgetting about Eddie. After Dustin he seemed to trust you the most, considering you were his best bet of a cleared name. Plus becoming friends with a real life mage was an incredible opportunity he just couldn’t pass up.
Now after another grocery run to Bradley’s and another round of Hide From The Butcher, all of you were on your way back to Reefer Rick’s. You, Steve, and Dustin sat in the trunk, tearing through the extra snacks you brought for yourselves. You and Steve followed your tradition of kissing like ducks with the pringles before digging in.
“Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car?” Robin pleaded from the front seat. “Cause this is going to totally and royally suck.” She finished with a sigh.
“It’ll be fine, Rob.” You tried to assure her from the backseat, despite your own doubts. How are you supposed to kill this thing? What if you weren’t strong enough?
“I just can’t stand to see those doe eyes of Eddie’s break again. I really, really can’t.” She continued.
“At least he can drink himself into feeling better.” Steve spoke through a mouth full of pringles.
“That's what my mom does.” Max piped up, earning saddened eyes from you, Steve, and Lucas.
“How bout we give it a trial? “Hey Eddie. Uh good news first this time. We got you DUstin approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh yeah, and we found Vecna. Bad news is that he’s in that other darker, much scarier dimension, and the gate’s closed so we have no way of getting to him. He’s entirely shut us off, so basically we’re screwed. And I know you were already screwed, but now you’re doubly, triply screwed.” She rambled, her anxiety growing the further she went along.
“Maybe we don’t put it like that.” Lucas suggested.
“We’re one step closer to finding Vecna. That’s what we say. That’s what’s important.” Nancy stated matter of factly.
“See, Robin? A positive spin can make all the difference.”
“Oh shit.” Nancy let out slowly,spotting the news van as she pulled into Rick’s driveway. The scene was now swarming with passerbys, watching on with curious horror from behind the barrier put up by the police.
All of you scrambled out of Nancy’s car, using the news van to get a better look and to hear Chief Powell’s run down of the situation.
“...The Roane County line received a call a little after midnight reporting a homicide here on the lake. Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lover’s Lake about ten yards from the house you see behind me. It was there that we found the victim, an eighteen year old senior from Hawkins High, Patrick Mckinney…” You wrapped an arm around Lucas’ shoulder in comfort. You didn’t even need to see his face to know that he was hurting from the loss. “His limbs and his body were disfigured…” Images began to flash in your mind. Images you’ve been trying to forget for years. You didn’t want to believe it. The thought being too much to bear, despite the fact the idea had been gnawing at the back of your mind. You hoped that it could be anything but him, the one thing you couldn’t face. “There was an eyewitness on the scene, helping us to identify a person of interest. Eddie Munson. We encourage anyone with information to please come forward.” All eyes went wide, your hearts hammering in your chests as Powell held up a picture of Eddie.
“Oh man.” Steve sighed from beside you, worried eyes finding Dustin’s. “This is not good. This is really not good.” Steve continued.
“Dustin, can you hear me? Mage?” Eddie’s voice crackled through the walkie.
“Eddie! Holy shit!” Dustin whispered. “Are you ok?” He continued, all of you gathering around to listen in.
“Nah, man. Pretty goddamn far from ok.” Eddie replied.
“Where is he?”
“Where are you?” Dustin parroted Robin’s question.
“Skull Rock, Do you know it?”
“Uh, yeah. That’s near Cornwallis and-”
“Garret, yeah. I know where that is.” Steve cut him off, making his way to Nancy’s car.
“Hold tight. We’re coming. We’re coming.” Dustin assured Eddie, following behind your urgent group.
“Dude, I’m telling you, you’re taking us the wrong way.” Steve argued back against the boy, the pair had been going at each other, arguing about directions ever since you all stepped foot into the woods. Dustin had been set on following his map and compass opposed to Steve who had been moving on muscle memory.
“I’m positive. I checked the map.” The boy shot back.
“You do realize Skull Rock is a super popular make out spot, right?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Yeah, well it wasn’t popular until I made it popular…” Steve argued back. Unbeknownst to them, Nancy was behind them, rolling her eyes at their bickering.
The boys continued to argue while you hung back with Robin, the girl still hard pressed on her whole Nancy theory.
“I’m still noticing some googly eyes at Dingus, like she’s trying to relight a flame that’s been snuffed out.”
“Look, I tried to bring it up at the library, then you and your stupid big brain interrupted me.” You informed her.
“How? What did you say?”
“When you left, thank you by the way, she was being strange. Like she was annoyed with me, then she just blew up. She said she wasn’t in any real danger and that I should call Steve cause he would love to pick me up. I couldn’t hold it in anymore so I asked her if she was…”
“Jealous?”
“I wasn’t gonna say that.”
“Yes you were.”
“Well you planted it in my mind ok? I was trying not to think about it because we have bigger things to worry about but…”
“Oh my god, it’s infectious. Are you jealous too?”
“I’m not jealous, Rob.”
“Then what is it, because I saw the way it bothered you when Steve volunteered to go with her so…”
“I’m not jealous, ok?! I’m scared. I’m fucking scared.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know that I didn’t tell you everything about me and my powers and all that shit because trust me, it’s a lot. I mean not even Steve knows everything. I just…life has fucked me over a lot. I feel like I can never win or just be because something is always lurking in the darkness waiting to pounce to steal all the shit I worked so hard for. I mean it took me over five years to be “ok” and things were fine until I was finally happy then the upside down shit happened again. Then I’m with Steve and things are beautiful, then bam! secret Russian base and now… this shit takes the cake. I finally get my ticket out of here. Out of this shithole that has done nothing but torture me. Now all of a sudden Max is haunted by this creep, Eddie might go to prison and Nancy is looking at the love of my life like he’s the one that got away. I know Steve loves me and I love him, but what if this is the biggest down a peg kicking that I get. What if I lose everything because I can’t just have something good with no strings attached. I just…I don’t want to lose him, Rob. I’m tired of losing things and people and feeling like I can’t escape.”
“Ok…ok, breathe” She instructs. “Have you told Steve this?” She asked when you calmed down a bit.
“No, because I don’t want him to think I’m jealous. Because he’s gonna do this thing where he promises nothing will happen and he loves me and be the best boyfriend ever and it’ll only make things worse if something really shitty happens.”
“I know that I’m probably the worst person to say this but…I think you might be catastrophizing a bit…ok a lot. You’re catastrophizing a lot.”
“I know and that’s why I’m trying not to think about it. I have to stay focused on the bigger picture because if I think about it then I’ll spiral and if I spiral something really bad might happen. Like natural disaster level shit.” She nods despite the fact that she has fortunately seen it with her own two eyes.
“Ok. Yeah. Let’s think about something else. Something good…What about movie night when this is all over? We can make a watchlist, make Dingus pay for the pizza, the usual.”
“Ooo. I’m thinking our first watch should be Fast Times a-”
“Stop!” She chuckled, shoving you.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” You apologize through a chuckle, slinging an arm over her shoulder.
“You are so lucky that I love you.”
“The luckiest.”
“Oh my god, look at the love birds.” Robin cooed, not so subtly pointing to Lucas and Max who seemed to be having the most fluid conversation they’ve had in months.
“I know, I feel weird for staring, but it’s nice seeing them together again.” You smile.
“Bada bing, bada boom!” You heard Steve shout in the distance. “There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky, little face.”
“I don’t understand.” You arrived in enough time to hear Dustin whisper aloud his thoughts.
“Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can’t admit it. You just can’t admit that you're wrong, butthead.”
“Y/n? Do you see the way he talks to me?” Before you could reply, leaves loudly crunched under the weight of heavy feet, stealing everyone’s attention.
“I concur. You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead.” Eddie spoke, when he jumped down from his hiding place.
“Jesus, we thought you were a goner.” Dustin sighed in relief, rushing to hug him.
“Yeah. Me too, man.” Eddie sighed, patting the boy on the back.
You placed a comforting hand on Steve’s shoulder when you saw the way he grimaced at the interaction.
You gave him a slight frown, now gently rubbing your hand back and forth. He gave you a tight lipped smile in appreciation.
The group gathered around Eddie like he was Robin’s camp counselor telling a ghost story.
“When I got to the shore, I tried calling you guys, but, uh…my walkie was busted, man.” He explained between large gulps of water. “Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing I do now, apparently. I ran.” He threw his hands up, releasing a humorless laugh.
“Do you know what time the attack was?” Nancy interrogated him.
“Yeah, no, I…I know exactly what time it was. My walkie wasn’t the only thing that got soaked.” Eddie explained, tossing her his damaged watch.
“9:27.” She read off.
“That’s the same time our flashlights went kablooey.” Robin surmised.
“Which means what, exactly?” Steve asked.
“I think it means that that surge of energy that made our flashlights go kablooey, was probably Vecna killing Patrick.” You deduced.
“Well, we’re one more scary step closer. At least we know how Vecna attacks.” Robin nodded in understanding.
“Yeah, and where he attacks from.” Lucas continued.
“So now we need to sneak into his lair in the upside down and drive a stake through his heart.” Max supplies as if the solution would be as simple as she explained it.
“A stake? Is he like a vamp…? Is he a vampire?” Steve asked, trying to wrap his mind around the thought of a clock-making vampire wizard.
“It’s just a metaphor.” Max was quick to explain.
“A bullet should work on him, right?” Eddie asked the group before his eyes found yours. “Not that I’m doubting you, I just want to make sure this bastard is dead.”
“No, I get it. Plus I’m not complaining about extra help. We can chop his head off after just to be sure. I just can’t work any of my magic from here. At least we know where he is, we just have to get there.” You’re quick to agree.
“Hey, uh, Henderson’s not cursed is he?” Eddie asked, his eyes drifting to the pacing boy. Steve’s heart stops for a moment, only to be quickly relieved when he sees Dustin in his own world, pacing in deep thought.
“Cursed? No,no. He’s fine. Mental? Absolutely.” He replied. He couldn’t feel a little warm inside at the fact that he still knew more about Dustin than Eddie.
“BOOM!” Dustin cheers, making all heads snap to him. “Bada…bada…boom!” He pointed at Steve. I was right. Skull Rock was north.” His smarmy tone made Steve roll his eyes and cross his arms.
“Seriously? You’re serious?” Steve asked with raised eyebrows.
“Mmhmm.” Dustin hummed, wearing a proud smile.
“This is Skull Rock.” Steve frustratedly waved his hand in the rock’s direction.
“Mmhmm.”
“Ok, you’re totally, absolutely, a hundred percent wrong. Right now.”
“Yes.” Dustin replied, only mounting Steve’s frustration. “And no.” The boy continued.
“Oh my god.” Steve shook his head, running his hands down his face in an effort to calm down.
“This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers’. It was correct when we got in the car at Kerley, but it started to slip the further east we went. Now it’s way off. WHen I was leading us here, I wasn’t wrong, the compass was.” DUstin explained, flashing the tool for all of you to see.
“So you’re using faulty equipment. You’re still wrong.” Steve argued back.
“Except it isn’t faulty. Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?” He asked your brother.
“Uh…an electromagnetic field.” He quickly supplied.
“Yep.”
“I’m sorry, what does this have to do with finding the gate?” You ask with knitted eyebrows.
“Oh my god, you were too busy playing detective. I forgot you weren’t there. Ok, In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect towards that power. So either there is some super big magnet or-”
“There’s a gate.” Lucas finishes from his friend when the realization hits him.
“But we’re nowhere near the lab.” Nancy piped up.
“Sure, but what if somehow there’s another gate? Agate that we just don’t know about. It would have to be smaller and way less powerful.”
“Like a snack-size gate.” Robin shrugged.
“How? Why?” Steve asked.
“No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance and the last time we’ve seen anything like it, it was a gate.” The boy reasoned. “And I hope it is because then we’d have a way to get to Vecna.” The boy explained.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Steve called after the boy when he attempted to take off in the woods. “Where are you going?” His question stopped the boy in his tracks. “Eddie’s still a wanted man. We can’t just go for a hike in the woods.” Steve reasoned.
“This steel capsule might be the key to saving Max and Eddie. So, what say you Eddie the Banished?” He asked Eddie who had been trying to wrap his head around all the new information being dumped on him. He never expected it to be easy, but this was a monumental task.
“I say you’re asking me to follow you into Mordor, which if I’m being straight with you, I think it’s a really bad idea. But, uh…the Shire…the Shire is burning.” He slowly agrees, realizing that he’d be a sitting duck if he was left alone in the woods where anyone could find him. “So, Mordor it is.” He stands, wiping his dirty hands on his black jeans.
Dustin begins to jump in his spot, a wide smile spread across his face at the fact that what seemed to be a small step was now a massive, bigfoot sized step.
“What’s Mordor?” Steve asked, his fingers locking with yours as the group began to follow behind Dustin.
“It’s the realm of Sauron in Lord of the Rings. It’s actually a really good book.”
“Better than Sherlock Holmes?”
“Way better.” You chuckle.
The everchanging compass’ needle had made the endeavor longer than you expected. The needle’s constant spinning and stopping made following the path harder as the sun was replaced by the moon.
“Something’s happening. I think we’re close.” Dustin cheered when the needle’s spin became more chaotic.
“Watch your step, big guy.” Eddie reached out to grab the back of Dustin’s hoodie when he nearly walked straight into Lover’s Lake, his eyes laser focused on the device in his hand.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me.” You sigh, casting your eyes over the murky water, a light fog hovering over its surface.
“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
“Whenever the demogorgon attacked, it left an opening. Maybe Vecna’s the same way.” Nancy hypothesized.
“Well, only one way to find out.” Steve shrugged.
“Easy. I said easy, man.” Steve scolded Eddie as the pair attempted to push the boat back into the water without losing control over it.
“Sorry, dude.” He was quick to apologize, before getting a strong hold on the vessel to stabilize it enough for boarding.
“Here you go.” Steve held his hand out to Robin.
“I’m just gonna do that.” She ignored his hand, opting to use both boys’ heads as leverage instead.
“That works too.” Steve sighed, fighting the urge to push back and shake his hair out to return it to its former glory. Eddie stepped in next, holding his hands out for Nancy to take.
“Wheeler.” He called out, the girl immediately accepting the help.
“Your turn, honey.” Steve held his hand out for you. Ever the gentlemen, he placed a soft kiss to the back of your hand before letting it go.
“Thank you, Prince Charming.” You couldn’t help but smile at the small sign of affection.
“Hey, hey, hey. Are you trying to sink us?” Eddie held his hand out to stop Dustin when he realized the boy was about to make an attempt to climb in. “This thing holds four people, tops.” Eddie explained. A slight frown formed on your face when Dustin’s face dropped at the news.
“I think it might be better if you guys stay here and keep an eye out for trouble.” Nancy suggested. Your eyes immediately found Steve’s, his head shaking at the idea of staying back again. You gave him a subtle wink to prove you had his back.
“You keep an eye out.” Dustin shot back before mocking the face Nancy made at him. “It’s my goddamn theory.”
“You heard Nance.” You pipe up, knowing that the extra spot would need to be for Steve. “Plus we’re at maximum capacity.” You remind him. “Compass.” You stood to hold your hand out to the boy.
“Fine.” He huffed, throwing in some theatrics before placing it in your palm.
“Hey, there you go.” Steve tossed Dustin’s backpack into his arms, ridding himself of anything that would way him down.
“Ow.” Dustin whined as Steve pushed the boat all the way into the water, his foot dipping in as he stretched himself to climb inside.
“You said four!” Dustin huffed.
“I’m sorry. I promised!” You shrugged at the boy who was slowly shrinking as the boat floated away from the shore.
“Thank you.” Steve smiled, placing a quick kiss to your cheek. He didn’t love the circumstances, but he was excited that he finally got to do something other than sit in a basement and drive kids around all day.
“Bedtime’s at nine, kiddos! Miss you already!” Robin stood up to wave at three teens back at the shore.
Eddie and Steve had been paddling for almost five minutes as you stared down at Dustin’s compass with light provided by Nancy’s flashlight.
“Woah.” You mutter when the needle starts to spin nonstop.
“Woah.” The group parroted, the boys stopping their paddling to follow your gaze.
“What’s going on? Why’d you stop?” Dustin’s voice broke through the walkie situated in Robin’s lap.
“Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital aah!” Robin describes the best way she could.
“What the hell are you doing?” You look over at Steve when you notice him taking off his shoes and socks.
“Somebody’s gotta go down there and check it out. So, unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High Swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then it’s gotta be me…no complaints.” He pauses undressing to point at you for the last part.
“Steve-” He stopped you before you could get another word out.
“You promised.” He reminded you with raised eyebrows, beginning to stand to his feet, now that he was barefoot.
“Fine, but don’t die or I’ll kill you.” You look up at him pointedly.
“I promise you won’t get rid of me this easily. Just…” He began before slipping off his yellow sweater. “Hold onto this for me, ok.” He asked, handing you the soft fabric.
“Yeah…yeah…I’ll…”
“Oh my god, you pervert!” Robin smacked your arm when you trailed off your attention distracted by Steve’s toned back, staring at the smattering of freckles you’ve spent hours kissing.
“Ow!” You began to rub the injured area.
“Get a room next time.” She complained, shaking her head, neither of you realizing you weren’t the only one with wandering eyes.
“Hey, good luck.” Eddie piped up, handing Steve the plastic bag he wrapped a flashlight in.
“Thanks.” Steve replied, inhaling and exhaling big breaths to prepare himself for his plunge.
“Gross.” You heard Robin from beside you, plucking the cigarette from between Eddie’s lips and throwing it into the water. You wanted to distract yourself with the image of a cigarette smoking fish, but Steve was all you could think of.
“I love you. Don’t die.” You threaten again.
“I love you too and I wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll be back before you know it.” He assured you, placing a kiss to your forehead.
“Steve?” Nancy called out from behind him right as he was about to jump in.
“Yeah?” He turned around to face her.
“Be careful.” She smiled up at him. He gave her a slight nod before finally diving in.
“He’s gonna be ok, right.” Robin asked, both of you peering over to watch the shine from Steve’s flashlight die out into nothing the further he swam down. “Right?” She asked again when you didn’t respond, your eyes staying on the water.
“Time check?” You finally mumble out, every passing second feeling like a lifetime.
“Uh…closing in on a minute.” Nancy read from her watch.
“Come on, baby. Come on.” You whisper under your breath, your hand finding Robin’s who had been fidgeting since she lost sight of him. “I told you.” You look over at her with glassy eyes when you begin to fear the worst.
“Jesus Christ!” You yelp, bringing your hand to your chest when Steve finally breaks the water’s surface.
“I found it.” Steve informed all of you, treading in the water.
“You found it?” Nancy’s eyes widen, sliding to the boat's edge to look at him.
“Yeah.” He nodded, trying to wick the lake water from his eyes. “Dustin, you’re a goddamn Einstein.” Robin celebrated the boy through the walkie.
“It’s pretty wild. It’s more of a snack-size gate than a mama gate, but it’s still pretty damn big. ” Steve describes his findings.
“That’s great, Let’s get you back in the boat though, yeah.” You nod urgently, still on edge at the fact he was still in the water. You held your hand out for him, while Nancy tried to shift her weight to make pulling him in easier.
“Yeah, yeah. He agrees, reaching for the hand you held out for him. Before he could make contact, something pulled him down. His hands clung to the edge of the boat, fighting to stay anchored to the surface. He was able to pop up for less than a second of air before he was pulled back down.
“Shit!Shit!Shit!” Eddie began to panic behind you as Robin and Nancy screamed Steve’s name, but you couldn’t hear it. The world stopped for you the moment he went under. You stood to your feet with no concern for the boat’s stable nature, only thinking about Steve and how intent you were on killing whatever dragged him down.
“Y/n wha-” Robin began with wide eyes. She didn’t even have to stop you before you were in the water, swimming as fast as you could.
You ignore the stinging in your eyes as you swim with them wide open, looking for the gate. You were sure it was something that burst through the upside down to take him.
You swan down faster, despite your burning lungs when you found the glowing red crack on the lake’s floor.
You push your way through, flipping onto your back before landing on fleshy, tangled vines.
“Steve!” You scream, hoping he can hear you over the booming thunder and red lighting lighting up the dark sky.
“I’m here! I’m…AHHHH!” You hear him yell in pain. You ran as fast as you could, ignoring the sound of the squelching vines beneath your feet. “Help!” You hear him struggle to get out as he fought against the tail wrapped around his neck. Your throat went dry when you him not only being choked, but also being turned into dinner by the three of the creatures flying around.
“You might want to close your eyes.” You warn him when you reach him. He’s thankful he followed your instructions when he heard a pop, followed by warm liquid spraying across his face and body.
“I got you. I got you, baby.” You assured him as he began to cough. A red ring forming around his neck from the creature’s strong hold.
“Thank you.” Steve grunted as you helped him up. Once on his feet, he scrambled to grab the oar he had been using to defend himself before he got pinned down.
“Oh, shit! We’ve got company!” You yelled with wide eyes when you realized a swarm of more of those flying monsters were on their way.
“Duck!” Steve demanded, grabbing your shoulders and forcing you down right as one swooped right for you.
“On your left!” You heard Robin scream from beside you, smacking a bat away that neither of you saw.
“Where did you come from?!” You ask, popping the one she smacked like a balloon. Your darting eyes were quick to find Eddie and Nancy deep in their own battles with the bats.
“You didn’t think we were gonna leave you down here by yourselves, did you?” She asked, raising her oar in preparation for the next wave.
“Get it off of me! Get it off of me!” You ran towards a screaming Nancy who had been trying to rip the attacking bat off her back.
“I got it!” You throw your hand out, unfortunately spraying Nancy’s back in the bat’s sludge.
“Thanks.” She replied breathlessly, knocking away another bat with her oar. “Go to hell!” She seethed, bashing its small face in.
“Nice one, Wheeler.” You compliment, before running off to make soup of the three separate bats coming at Robin.
“Eat shit, asshole!” Robin yelled, stomping one’s head under her boot.
“Come on, you sons of a bitches! Come get me!” You screamed for their attention.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Eddie screamed when the bats answered your call.
“Just trust her!” Steve replied as he tore a bat apart. Half of it under his foot, the other half in his hand.
You outstretched hands stopped the large group of bats in their place. No matter how hard they fought, their wings and tails couldn’t wiggle free from your hold.
“What the fuck?” Eddie stared with wide eyes as he watched a blood run from your right nostril.
With a low grunt, you clenched your hands into fists, crushing the small bodies like Caprisun pouches.
“Jesus H. Christ!” Eddie screeched when you opened your hand again, making every tiny body fall from the sky.
“I told you to trust her, man.” Steve smiled proudly, patting him on the shoulder before making his way to you.
“That was amazing!” He wrapped his arms around you, squeezing you tight. “Are you ok?”
“Me? What about you?!” You pull away from him and begin to examine his torso that was littered in bites you weren’t fast enough to stop.
“Well, they took about a pound of flesh.” He surmised, looking down to examine his injuries with you.
“Oh my god! You’re back!” Your eyes went wide when you spun him around to get as close to a full examination as you could.
“I promise I’m ok, honey.” He assured you, bringing a hand to your face to swipe your blood away with his thumb.
“Do you think these bats have rabies?” Robin asked, examining the body of one of the dead bats.
“What?” You and Steve ask in unison.
“It’s just that rabies is like my number one greatest fear. And I think we should get you to a doctor soon because once the symptoms set in, it’s too late. You’re dead.”
“I agree.” You nod. “About the hospital. Not the rabies.” You clarify when you receive confused stares.
“Hey, hey. Uh…I know you can do that crazy bat killing thing, but that’s a lot right.” Eddie pointed to the next wave of bats that is definitely bigger than the swarm you just fought.
“Yeah, we need to get the fuck out of here.” You nod, knowing that if you run into more of the creatures that called the upside down its home, then you would need as much strength as you could muster.
“The woods! Come on!’ Nancy pointed towards the bank of trees in the distance.
The five of you crouched under Skull Rock, waiting for the swarm chasing after you would pass.
“Steve?” You whisper, looking back at him when you could hear him wheezing behind you.
“I’m ok. I’m ok.” He tried to assure you but neither of you were convinced. With his adrenaline crashing, he became aware of his body again. Every cut, scrape, and bite he endured hitting him all at once.
“No you’re not. It’s a blood bath down here.” You grimaced, eyes catching the blood oozing from his bitten up torso.
“What’s happening? Is he ok?” Nancy asked, both Robin and Eddie in tow.
“No, he’s…He’s losing a lot of blood.” You inform the group. “I just need you to sit down, love.” You turn your attention back to him, helping him slide down the jagged wall as gently as you could.
“Woah.” You heard Robin behind you, her voice trembling in fear when her eyes landed on his wounds.
“I know. I have to stop the bleeding.” You inform him, beginning to shrug off your jacket.
“Honey…honey wait. You love that jacket.” Steve stammered out at the sight of you ripping it apart to get a big enough piece of fabric to cover his wounds.
“I don’t give a fuck about the jacket. I care about you not bleeding out.” You spit back, frustrated that he cared about a stupid piece of clothing over his own life.
“I can buy a new one to make it up to you.” He offered.
“You can make it up to me by living.” You refuse. “This is probably gonna hurt like a bitch, ok?” You begin to speak like a nurse talking a toddler through his shot at the doctor’s.
“Mmhmm.” He hummed. “Just do it.” He continued through gritted teeth, leaning forward so that you could reach all the way around him.
“Ah…Ah…”He grimaced as soon as the fabric touched his wounds. His hand found your shoulder, squeezing it tight.
“I know. I know…I’m almost done I promise.” You assure him, securing the fabric around his waist.
“So…” Robin walked over, hoping she could distract Steve while you patched him up. “The good news is that I’m pretty sure wooziness is not a common symptom of rabies, but if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms, or start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me or something, then you should probably let me know.” She rambled.
“Robin.” He got out.
“Yeah?”
“I kinda want to punch ya.” He replied, making Robin let out a relieved chuckle.
“Sense of humor’s still intact. That’s a good sign.”
“Yeah.” Steve sighed, happy for the distraction.
Robin lightly bumped her shoulder against yours to assure you, before leaving the two of you alone again.
“Ok, how does that feel? Too tight?” You ask him before tying the fabric for good.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s good.” He assured you, his teary eyes looking down at you as you focused on treating him.
“Stop ogling the doctor.” You chastise him as you finish securing the knot.
“I’m sorry I can’t help it.” He smirked, when you flashed one in return. It quickly dropped when he realized it didn't match your eyes. “Hey, hey. What’s going on?”
“What’s going on? You almost died. You scared the shit out of me, jerk.”
“I told you, honey.You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He shook his head, his hands found your cheeks, pressing your forehead against his. “You’re stuck with me. No matter how many chomps those bastards take out of me.”
“I like that.”
“What? That I would be bat food?”
“No, you goof. I like being stuck with you.” You chuckle, placing a soft kiss to his cheek. “Now let’s go before Robin asks if you have rabies again.”
“Oh yeah, what’s the deal with that?”
“We watched Cujo and she hasn’t been the same since.”
“So uh, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?” Eddie asks, gazing as far as he could from his perch on top of a large rock formation.
“Pretty much.” You reply, helping Steve walk out from under Skull Rock.
“Wait! Watch out for the vines!” Nancy stopped Eddie before he could brazenly jump down. “It’s all a hive mind.”
“It’s all a what?” He asks, now worried that he put himself in a position he can’t get out of.
“All creepy crawlies around here. They’re all one or something. You step on a vine, you’re stepping on a bat, you’re stepping on Vecna.” Steve explained.
“Don’t touch it.” You gently smacked Steve’s hand away when he began to fiddle with his makeshift bandaging.
“Sorry, it’s just a little tender.” He explained, easing up on the fidgeting. Well, at least when you were looking.
“But everything from our world is still except for people, right?” Robin asked, knowing that her knowledge started with a secret Russian base and stopped with the Mindflayer.
“As far as we understand it, yeah.” You nod, watching as Eddie tried his best to get down from the rock without alerting the hive mind.
“So, theoretically we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up all the vines and shit guarding the gate so y/n doesn’t have to expend anymore energy in case we run into more scary as shit creepy crawlies, right?”
“Yeah, Rob. I’m sure Hawkins P.D. has grenades.” Steve scoffed sarcastically.
“I would rather just do it myself then walk all the way to the station. I mean that could take god knows how long. We don’t really have the luxury of taking a stroll across Hawkins.” You reason.
“What if we don’t have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have some in my bedroom.” Nancy piped up.
“You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns plural in your bedroom?” Eddie asked, utterly shocked.
“Full of surprises isn’t she.” Robin chimed in.
“Yeah, and she’s a great shot.” You compliment. Despite it all you couldn’t help but admit that the girl knew her way around a gun.
“A Russian Makarov and a revolver.” She listed.
“Yeah, she almost shot me with that one.” Steve spoke.
“Yeah, and you almost deserved it.” Nancy replied, smiling up at him, her gaze only breaking away when flying denim hit Steve in the face.
“For your modesty, dude.” Eddie explained.
“Thanks.” Steve replied. Before he got the chance to slip it on, the ground began to rumble and shake like you were standing at the epicenter of a magnitude 10.0 earthquake. Steve was quick to wrap an arm around you, pulling you into his chest. His other hand pressed against the rock face for further support.
Eddie did the same for Robin and Nancy, wrapping an arm around both of them, keeping his back pressed against the rock.
“Is…is it over?” Robin asked when the shaking finally stopped, worried that like with any normal earthquake, aftershocks would soon come.
“I think we’re-” You were quickly cut off when another sudden jolt shook the ground. “Good.” You finished when it passed.
“So…guns seem like a pretty good idea to me.” Eddie piped up, still a little scared to release the girls in his arms, especially considering Steve seemed nowhere near ready to let go of you.
“Yeah, me too.” Robin agreed.
“Good, then let’s get the fuck out of this shithole.” You sigh, feeling like you can finally breathe again.
“You know, you’re doing a lot for a super senior your brother and his friends have only known for seven months.” Eddie spoke, breaking the silence that had settled between the two of you as you walked in the middle of the pack.
“Shit…You heard that?” You grimaced, dropping your face into your palm.
“Kind of hard not to, man. I’m sure the whole school heard.” He chuckled.
“Sorry, I was just pissed at Dustin and Mike. What they did was totally fucked up.” You explain. “If it’s worth anything I said all that shit before I knew you. I’m not saying I would ditch my brother, but I guess making sure they don’t give you the chair seems pretty fair to me.”
“Jesus.” He chuckled at the morbidity. “I get why you were mad though. Lucas is a good kid and he’s great at DnD. Your sister too. Actually, better than good. She’s a goddamn beast, man.” He smiled.
“My sister, Erica?” Your eyebrows knit together.
“Yeah, well she introduced herself as Lady Applejack, but whatever.” He shrugged.
“Yeah…yeah that’s her. alright.” You smile.
“God, you Sinclair’s are something else.” He shook his head with a smile.
“We get that a lot.” You reply, the pride evident in your voice.
“Any chance you can spare some of that crazy confidence?” He asked.
“What do you need extra confidence for? A few days ago you were marching across the lunch table calling out every clique in the lunch room.”
“I know, but what you have is something different, man. One thing about me is that I’m a runner. I didn’t want to believe it before, but now it’s kind of hard to ignore. You, though, you’re no runner.”
“Uh…Yes, I am.” You were quick to dispute.
“You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”
“I’m not. I mean it.”
“Come on, dude. I mean from the way everyone talks about you and the way you jumped in after Harringon without a thought and the way you crush bats and shit. Nah, I don’t believe it.” He shook his head.
“You should…I…I ran once and it got a lot of people hurt and a lot of people died because of it. I figured the best I could do was to stop running because it’ll eat you up inside.” You look at the boy, who’s already looking back with big brown, scared ones.
“Does it ever stop?” He asked.
“Sometimes. I mean the highs are absolutely amazing and the lows…well you’re looking at it…” You throw your hands up to emphasize your surroundings. “But things are pretty good when I’m around my favorite people. Then there’s those nights when it’s all I can think about. Kind of like replaying an argument in your head and you finally think of the best comeback. I just lay there and think about all the what ifs. How different things could be if I just didn’t run.” You gave him a slight frown as you watched the gears in his head turn.
“And?”
“I’ll never know which life would be better, but for better or for worse I think I got a pretty good deal.” You smile, both of you turning back to look at your best friend and the love of your life. The former waved like a maniac while the latter shot you a smirk that never failed to make your heart race.
“Man, I want that.” Eddie mused.
“Steve and Robin? I’m sorry dude, but they're mine.” You shook your head.
“No, I mean I want to find people who complete me, you know. The kind of people who would jump into another dimension just to save you because they love you that much.”
“Well if it makes you feel better, you have like seven people doing that for you right now. Well I mean if the other dimension is prison cause I’m pretty sure harboring a fugitive is a felony and most of us are at least eighteen.” You chuckle.
“I appreciate it. Maybe if this all goes to plan I can make sure I keep the promise I made to mom before she died.”
“I’m so sorry, Eddie.” You frown.
“It’s ok, It was a long time ago.” He assured you as he shook the thought of her laid up in her hospital bed out of his mind and the subsequent the feeling of her grip loosening from his hand when the she flatlined that followed.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what was it?”
“She made me promise I wouldn’t end up like my old man. He’s been in and out of prison since I was a baby. He was even locked up when she passed. That’s when I moved in with my uncle. Did the shit my dad couldn’t. I just don’t want to let them down, you know.” He looked over at you with glassy eyes. He was almost surprised you seemed close to tears yourself. He never expected to unload all his baggage on someone, let alone offer him some form of help.
“Yeah…That’s why we’re gonna make this shit work. We’re gonna make sure you get out of here with the rest of us. We won’t let the world leave Eddie Munson behind.”
The Wheelers’ “house” was covered in vines when you arrived. More ash than you thought possible filled the space when Nancy pushed through the front door.
“Damn, Mrs. Wheeler. Redecorate much?” You joke, shining your flashlight around the dark space.
“Come on, I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.” Nancy prompted, the four of you quickly following behind her as she raced to her room.
“Hey, hey, honey.” Steve called for you.
“What?” You ask, trotting back down to the step he was on.
“Do you hear that?” Steve whispered.
“Hear what?”
“...That. Doesn’t that sound like Dustin’s voice?” He began to look around in every direction, trying to find the source.
“I don-” You could barely get your words out before Steve cut you off.
“Shhh! Just listen.” He instructed. You trained your ears the best you could, even holding your breath…until you heard it. Dustin’s passing voice. It was loud one moment then almost imperceptible the next. He was pacing you figured, most likely brainstorming with the others about what the hell they were gonna do.
“Dustin!” You began to call out. “Dustin! Can you hear me!” You began to shout, Steve following suit.
“Dustin!” He called out.
“Dustin!” You continued, not stopping even when you heard clamoring feet run down the rickety steps.
“Hello?! Hello?! Dustin!” Steve wandered around the breakfast table, trying his best to follow the boy’s presumed movement.
“What are you guys doing?” Nancy asked in utter confusion.
“Henderson’s here. The little shit in here. He’s like…in the walls or something. Listen.”
“Hey, I’m getting something in here!” You yelled out to your boyfriend, now followed by the others.
“That brings us to the question you first raised. How and why is there a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Dustin’s distorted voice hung in the air.
“All right, so either that kid can hear us or he’s being a total douchebag.” Steve shook his head, continuing to inspect the unnatural atmosphere of the Wheeler residence.
“Will found a way.” Nancy piped up.
“What?” Steve asked.
“Will. He spoke to Joyce through the lights.” She reminded him.
“Guys? You seeing this?” Steve asked, shining his flashlight on the overhead light Nancy attempted to flick on.
“Yeah.” You nodded, eyes narrowing in wonder when you noticed the light orange particles glowing around the chandelier. You reached out to touch it, feeling energy dancing across your fingers.
The group was quick to follow, each of you getting familiar with the dancing particles.
“It kind of tickles.” Steve observes, unsure if that's a feeling want to experience in the upside down of all places.
“Yeah, it kind of feels good.” Eddie continued, fluttering his fingers in the light.
“Does anyone know morse code?” Nancy asked the group, earning ‘no’s from each of you.
“Wait? Does SOS count?” He asked the girl. You lock eyes with Robin. Is he serious? You ask each other before flicking them to Eddie. “Is that…is that good?” He looked around for approval.
“Better than good. It’s perfect, man.”
After much trial and error, you were finally able to get in contact with the kids. The closest and most accessible gate for all of you was the presumed gate that formed in Eddie’s trailer.
“Goddamn.” Eddie stared up with wide eyes when he entered his “home.” The red light from the gate casted itself on your faces as you gathered around, waiting for the kids to arrive. “This is where Chrissy died. Like right where she died.” He explained, his throat beginning to tighten at the reminder.
“I think there’s something in there.” Robin grimaced when the small portal began to pulse and squelch.
“What the hell is that?” Eddie asked, squinting to get a better look at whatever was trying to force its way through.
Steve pulls you back as you all yelp when the barrier breaks, the red and slimy membrane bursting. Its color changing when it fell to the floor in a stomach churning splat!
Steve led the charge, inching forward to get a peak at whatever burst through.
“No way.” He let out when he peered through the gate, realizing that all of you were in the ceiling of Eddie’s trailer as he looked down at the kids.
“Hi!” Dustin waved, followed by Lucas, Max, and Erica.
“What the hell are you doing here?” You ask your little sister when you spot her.
“I’m here to save your stupid ass!” She shot back.
“Thanks, I guess!” You shout back.
“Holy shit, this is trippy.” Robin stared up in amazement.
“Bada, bada, boom!” Dustin cheered once more at the sight of your five relieved faces.
“Not quite sure how these physics work, but…here goes nothing.” Dustin huffed, throwing the blanket rope through the gate to the five of you.
“There we go. And if my theory is correct…” The boy began to tug at the rope to test its strength before letting go. “Uh…Abracadabra.” Smiles break out across the kids’ faces when the rope doesn’t fall.
“All right! Pull on it! See if it holds!” Dustin shouts the instructions up to you.
“This is the craziest shit I’ve seen in my life! And I’ve seen some crazy shit!” You heard the amazement in your sister’s voice after Robin’s pull test, held up.
“Guess I’m the guinea pig.” Robin volunteered herself to go first. If all went to plan then she would safely land on Eddie’s mattress below.
“Oh my god!” Robin exclaimed when her body reoriented when she passed into reality. “That was fun.” She finally cheered when she hit the mattress, finally feeling safe after hours of prolonged horror.
“All righi, I’ll go I guess.” Eddie shrugged when none of you jumped to go next.
“That was fun, shit!” He whooped when he flipped into his mattress.
Nancy was next to go, leaving only you and Steve.
“Before you say a goddamn thing, get your ass up the rope.” Steve stopped you before you could even say anything.
“You know me too well.”
“I do, now let’s go. Let’s get you out of here, honey.” Steve chuckled, lacing his fingers together to give you a boost.
“You know I can do it myself right.” You smile, grabbing onto the rope.
“I know bu-” Steve suddenly goes quiet. Your heart almost stops when you turn to find him standing motionless, his eyes rolled back into his head.
“Steve, hey! Baby wake up! Come on!” You begin to plead, slapping his cheek repeatedly to wake him up, but it wasn’t working.
“Hey!What’s taking so long?!” You heard Robin call, the girl sneaking a peak to check on the two of you despite Dustin’s insistence on staying out of the “landing zone.”
“Steve…Steve’s…he’s…Vecna’s got him!” You yell to the group, fighting to get the words out through your sobs.
“Wake up, please! Please! Open those big eyes for me, baby. Please!” You screamed bloody as the group scrambled in utter panic.
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” You heard Robin’s frantic voice assure you as she grabbed.
“You can’t go back down there, man. What if this is a trap or some shit and you have nowhere to land!” Eddie tried to reason with the girl, but she didn’t want to hear it.
“I don’t care! I’m not leaving them down there!” She grabbed hold of the rope, pulling herself through the gate once more. “Make room!”
She landed less than graceful on her way down, but she didn’t care. She just needed to be there with the two of you.
“I can’t lose him, Rob! I can’t!” Your tears flow freely.
“Steve!” She rushed over shaking his shoulders as the two of you pleaded for him to fight through whatever hell Vecna was putting him through so that he could come back to his family in one piece.
One moment Steve was waiting for you to climb up the rope, the next he was falling through utter darkness, feeling like there was no end in sight. His heart was thundering in his chest. He had to admit he was shocked when he landed in his bed.
“What the fuck?” He whispered to himself, quickly standing to his feet when he realized it was covered in thick black vines and the air was littered with smokey ash. He was still in the upside down. He was quick to realize. He climbed off his bed, rushing to look out the window. The sky was deep red, the remnants of the Creel house floating aimlessly. His eyes squinted, reading the 9:11 on the grandfather clock that passed by the window. Just like you and Max had seen. He knew it meant something.
“Ok, I need to get the fuck out of here.” Steve mumbled to himself, rushing to his bedroom door. Instead of running into his hallway, he instead ran out into the red wasteland he saw from his window. He stared wide eyed as he walked down the detached set of stairs of the Creel house.
“I see you’ve been looking for me, Steve. I see 009 has been looking for me. You were all so close to the truth.” A deep voice boomed, sending a chill down his spine. His breaths became jagged as he snapped his head around, searching for the source. “Did you ask her how old, blind, dumb, Victor was doing? Did he miss me? I’ve been meaning to check back in, but I’ve been busy.” Steve’s heart hammered when he found the bodies of Patrick, Fred, and Chrissy strung up on the fleshy spikes, littering the area. “So very busy.” The omnipotent voice continued.
“Jesus Christ.” Steve shuddered at the sight. He felt an unsure glimmer of hope when he found the restored door to the Creel house. He hated where he was. He knew he needed to get out, but he was concerned he would only bury himself deeper.
When he stepped through the door, the upside down particles were no longer floating in the air. It seemed…normal.
“What do you think?” A man asked as a woman and two children walked in behind him. Victor Creel and his family he assumed.
“It looks like a fairytale.” Steve’s suspicions were quickly confirmed when the smiling girl repeated the words you had retold earlier. He watched as the little girl ran up the stairs, immediately being chastised for the action by her mother.
“This is nice.” Victor sighed happily, wrapping his arm around his wife, staring off dreamily. He was a far cry from the man you, Robin, and Nancy had described.
Everyone in the house seemed so happy to be in their new home…excpet for the little boy. His somber face staring down at the floor.
“You won’t lose him ok, I’m here and we’re gonna get him out ok!” Robin assured you, trying to convince both of you that he was stronger than Vecna. That out of everyone he could make it through.
“Y/n! Y/n! What’s his favorite song?! We need his favorite song!” Dustin shouted above you, the boy’s face soaked in tears.
“Centerfold! Centerfold! He won’t stop listening to it!” You shout back, never taking your eyes from Steve.
“I don’t know if I have that man!” Eddie replied in a panic.
“Then find something! Anything!” You scream back.
Steve was beginning to understand as he followed the trip down memory lane Vecna/ Henry had laid out for him. A misunderstood little boy who unlocked powers that would become catastrophic in his hands. Who knew that torturing and mutilating animals wasn’t even on the top ten list of heinous shit he would go on to do.
“My mother somehow knew it was me and she despised me for it. She called a doctor. An expert, so she left me with no choice. No choice but to act. To break free.” He explained, showing Steve what he did that night. How he killed his own family like they were nothing.
Despite his plan for his father taking the fall, working, he didn’t account for the doctor his mother called. Doctor Brenner.
“Anything?!” Robin asked.
“Still looking!” Nancy screamed
“Look harder, Wheeler!” She yelled back, repeatedly slapping Steve as hard as she could. She would apologize for his bright red cheeks later if it meant he lived.
Steve was now in the lab, watching as a man in white hair tattooed the boy. 001. He read from the boy’s wrist. It made his heart break, realizing that the same had been done to you. This old piece of shit strapped you down, made you a number, made you part of his program. He kept you in the same place as this monster.
“When he realized he couldn’t control me, he tried to recreate me.” Vecna/Henry/001? Steve was no longer sure what to call him at this point. “He started a program. Others were born from me, but 009 is different. She’s not of me. She’s something else. She’s something we want.”
“We? Who’s we?” Steve finally spoke, still watching as the boy writhed in pain under the needle.
“I see you have a lot of questions, so take a seat, Steven.”
“You’re out of your goddamn mind!” Steve refused, running out of the room into the hall. His breath hitched when he found the walls smeared in blood, mangled bodies just like Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick’s lined the floor. It was horrific. Then he heard the screaming. The voices young and old, screaming and pleading for their lives from an entity they couldn’t see. They haunted his ears as he took off down the hall, searching for a way out. This first door he arrived at was boarded up. He pulled as hard as he could, fighting to tear them off.
“Come on…you son of a…bitch!” He grunted as he finally got one loose.
“Steven.” Vecna called for him down the hall. “What are you doing? It’s not time for you to leave.” Steve’s eyes went wide when he turned at the sound of Vecna’s voice. Nothing could’ve prepared him for what he would see when he turned around. A brooding man marched towards him. The only prevalent features on his face were his piercing blue eyes. The rest of him was burned away, the exposed under layer of his skin was gray and black, a loud squelch sounded under his feet with every heavy step he took. It was hard for him to believe that this was the little blonde boy.
Steve figured he still had the chance to make it out when he noticed Vecna’s slow pace.
“Now you’ve seen where I’ve been. I would very much like to show you where I’m going.”
Vecna’s words fell on deaf ears when Steve was able to break enough through to get to push open the wide double doors.
“Take a seat, Steven.” Dr, Brenner stood before him. His eyes glazed over, being operated like a vessel for Vecna.
Before he even had a chance to move, Steve was strapped down in a tattoo chair.
“Let go of me you piece of shit!” Steve yelled, fighting against the vines wrapping around him to keep him confined to the chair.
“That’s funny. 009 said the same thing.” Steve gritted his continuing to fighting, despite knowing Vecna was just trying to get a rise out of him with the comment.
“Don’t talk about her you bastard!” He seethed, even as Vecna himself towered above him.
“I want you…” Vecna leaned down to Steve’s eye level. “I want you to tell Nine and Eleven everything you see.” He demands before holding a clawed hand over Steve’s face.
“NO!” Steve screamed, trying to close his eyes to shut out the images of Hawkins burning, but it didn’t work. The chiming grandfather clock cutting in between images of gates opened from each of Vecna’s kills ripping open to destroy the town.
“Tell them that they should try harder the next time they attempt to kill me!” The words ripped through Vecna’s throat
Your world felt like it started again when Steve’s eyes rolled back into place. The rigidity in his body relaxed when he released a relieved gasp.
“Oh my god!” You pulled him into you, burying his face into his shoulder. You were sure you’re suffocating him but neither if you minded as you clung to each other. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” You assured him, soothingly petting the back of his head as he sobbed into your shoulder. ‘I got you.” You both cried. At this point not even the jaws of life could separate the two of you.
“He’s ok…he’s…he’s back!” Robin shouted up to the group as she wiped the tears from her face.
“I-I hate to break up a lover’s reunion but can I-”
“Yes!Yes! Get in here!” You extend an arm to the girl who was quick to accept rushing over.
“You scared that shit out of me, Dingus. She cried into his shoulder. He squeezed her as tight as he could with his single arm.
requested! thank you.
content: actress!reader, paparazzi, public attention, anxiety/nervousness
the first thing joe noticed when he stepped out of the car was the noise.
not music, not traffic, not the distant chatter of reporters spilling over one another behind barricades, but your noise. the kind that only existed around people like you. a wall of camera shutters clicking so fast they almost blended into static, fans screaming your name from somewhere beyond the velvet ropes, publicists moving with headsets and tight smiles while giant spotlights swept across the front of the theater.
your premiere. your night.
and somehow joe keery, a man who had spent years on stages with a guitar in his hand and entire arenas staring at him, suddenly felt like he’d forgotten how to exist inside his own body.
“you okay?” your voice pulled him back immediately. soft. amused already.
joe looked over and nearly made things worse for himself.
you sat beside him in the car, one hand resting against the leather seat, dressed in something dark and impossibly elegant that made you look less like a real person and more like someone painted into an old hollywood photograph. your makeup was subtle, your jewelry minimal, and somehow that only made you look more terrifyingly beautiful.
he blinked once. then twice.
“yeah,” he lied.
you smiled slowly, clearly unconvinced. “you look pale.”
“i’m always pale.”
“that’s true.”
joe laughed under his breath, rubbing his palms against his suit pants. “i think i forgot how red carpets work.”
“you literally do these all the time.”
“not yours.”
the words slipped out before he could stop them.
your expression softened immediately after that, something warm appearing beneath the polished movie-star composure you wore so naturally outside. joe had always loved that part most — the way the world saw elegance and mystery while he got to see the sleepy girl who stole his hoodies and laid on top of him while watching cooking shows.
outside, another eruption of screaming echoed down the street.
joe groaned quietly.
you reached over without hesitation, fixing the collar of his suit jacket with careful fingers. “baby, breathe.”
“i am breathing.”
“you’re breathing like someone’s chasing you.”
“they kind of are.”
you laughed softly at that, the sound small and genuine inside the dim car. joe felt his shoulders loosen almost instantly.
that was the problem with you. or maybe the solution.
either way, you’d always had this terrifying ability to calm him down just by looking at him.
“you know nobody’s really paying attention to you, right?” you teased gently. “this is my premiere.”
joe stared at you flatly. “that is objectively false.”
because the thing was — people did pay attention to him when he was around you. not because he was more famous. you probably had twice the recognition he did at this point. award-winning actress, critics constantly calling you the most talented performer of your generation, magazines obsessed with your elegance, the internet dissecting every interview you gave like scripture.
no, people paid attention to joe because of the way he looked at you.
he’d learned that accidentally.
it started with compilations online. tiny moments caught during interviews or award shows where he was supposed to be listening to someone else but was instead staring at you like you’d personally hung the moon in the sky. fans zooming in on the way his face softened whenever you spoke. tweets with millions of likes analyzing “joe keery’s inability to act normal around his girlfriend.”
which was unfair, honestly.
because you were the one making it impossible.
“ready?” your publicist asked through the cracked window.
you glanced toward joe one more time.
he nodded quickly, though his stomach still twisted itself into knots.
the second the car door opened, the world exploded.
flashes hit immediately. voices overlapping everywhere at once.
“over here!”
“joe!”
“y/n!”
“this way, sweetheart!”
joe stepped out first, then held his hand toward you automatically. you took it without hesitation, graceful even while climbing out in heels. the crowd somehow got louder after that.
jesus christ.
joe tried not to squint against the cameras. tried not to think too hard about where his hands were supposed to go. tried not to look as overwhelmed as he felt while you moved through everything effortlessly beside him.
you smiled for photos like you were born doing it. calm. composed. beautiful in that devastating kind of way that made entire carpets go quiet for half a second when you turned toward them.
joe leaned closer to you while photographers shouted directions.
“am i standing weird?”
your smile twitched instantly.
“no.”
“i feel like i’m standing weird.”
“you look handsome.”
“that wasn’t the question.”
now you were fully trying not to laugh.
one photographer yelled for you to pose alone for a few shots. joe immediately stepped aside, grateful for the brief escape, but then he made the mistake of actually looking at you.
big mistake.
you turned toward the cameras, lights catching against your earrings while flashes illuminated your face over and over again. there was something surreal about seeing the woman who fell asleep on his chest every sunday suddenly transform into this version of yourself. untouchable. cinematic.
joe forgot there were cameras on him entirely.
because you looked unbelievable.
and apparently everyone noticed.
somewhere nearby, a reporter laughed quietly. “he’s gone.”
joe blinked. “what?”
the woman grinned knowingly, motioning subtly toward him. “you’ve been staring at her for, like, two straight minutes.”
heat rushed instantly into his face.
“oh. cool.”
behind him, you finally glanced over toward joe again. the second your eyes met his, your entire expression changed. softer. realer somehow. like the version of yourself reserved only for him had slipped through the cracks.
joe smiled before he could help it.
the internet was going to have a field day with this one.
hours later, after interviews and endless photographs and afterparties crowded with actors and champagne and industry conversations neither of you actually cared about, joe practically collapsed into the backseat of the car beside you.
the door shut.
silence.
he exhaled so dramatically you burst into laughter.
“oh my god,” you said, turning toward him immediately. “you were more nervous than me.”
“i know,” joe groaned, dragging both hands down his face. “that was awful.”
“you did amazing.”
“i forgot how arms work halfway through.”
you laughed harder at that, finally kicking your heels off with visible relief before curling closer against him in the dim lighting of the car. joe wrapped an arm around your waist automatically, pulling you into his side.
outside the windows, the city blurred softly past.
inside, everything finally felt quiet again.
you tilted your head against his shoulder. “you know my favorite part of premieres?”
“what?”
“this part.”
joe looked down at you.
your makeup was slightly smudged now. your elegant composure gone. just you again. sleepy eyes, tired smile, fingers tracing lazy patterns against his suit jacket.
his chest physically ached.
“you know,” you murmured softly, “everyone online’s gonna be talking about how obsessed you looked tonight.”
joe snorted. “i am obsessed with you.”
“i know.”
“feels misleading to hide it.”
you smiled against his shoulder after that, and joe thought maybe every terrifying red carpet in the world would still be worth it if it always ended like this — the two of you escaping together while the rest of the world stayed outside for a little while longer.
Summary: With Max's life on the line, nothing was off the table, even if that means deceiving a distinguished psychologist and breaking into a house haunted by the horrors that occurred inside it's wall.
A/N: Long chapters are back! I figured I would combine these episodes considering The Nina Project is more focused and El's storyline. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to write the next few chapters!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
Chapter outfits: One, Two (left)
CW: Descriptions of death, brief mention of dead animals, brief mention of self harm/ suicidal ideation (not you), misogyny, spiders/arachnophobia , language, nightmares
WC: 8k
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
You, Robin, and Nancy had been brainstorming all night long after the rest of the group fell asleep. Stopping Vecna and clearing Eddie’s name already felt like a herculean task, but now that Max’s life was on the line, everything felt heavier. You needed to learn as much as you could about Vecna as fast as you could.
“What if we went straight to the source?” You suggest.
“What do you mean?” Robin questioned.
“What if we talked to Victor Creel? I mean who better to ask than the one to experience it.” You continue.
“How? Who's gonna let a bunch of teenagers just waltz in there and ask to speak to a man declared criminally insane.” Robin pointed out.
“What if we weren’t a bunch of teenagers. What if we could be college students or anything that makes us seem more prestigious? We could say we’re working on our thesis and we need to talk to Victor. I mean worst case scenario, we’re back here at square one and best case, we learn some vital information.” You surmise.
“That might work, actually. We could swing by the school again tomorrow morning. I still have the newsroom key. We can draw up some fake documents and just hope we can sell the shit out of this.” Nancy nodded along in agreement. Despite the argument between the two of you, she had to admit that this was the best option at the moment.
After coming back from the school the following morning, the three of you bounded down the basement stairs.
“We have a plan!” Nancy announced to the group. The boys who had been reading through copies of the Weekly Watcher that you printed before leaving the library, perked up.
“Yeah, thanks to this beautiful noggin…” Robin brought a finger up to tap against your forehead. “And Nancy’s newspaper minion, we are now rockstar psychology students at the University of Notre Dame.” Robin explained to the boys, each of them skimming through the folders of your new identities.”
“I’m now Ruth.” Nancy began.
“I’m Rose.” Robin went next.
“And I’m Ruby.” You finally introduce with a smile.
“Ruby?” Steve asked, surprised by your name choice.
“What? I like it.”
“I know, I just thought we were saving it for you know…the future.” We. He didn’t even catch it.
“It doesn’t mean I can’t use it now.” You shrug. If anything it means more to you now if things go according to plan.
“Nice GPA.” Dustin complimented when he read the 3.9 on Nancy’s resume.
“Thanks.” She smiled widely at his words.
“What’s the plan?” Lucas piped up to ask.
“We called Pennhurst Asylum, and told them we’d like to speak with Victor Creel for a thesis we’re co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics.” You began to explain, slightly grimacing at the fact your plan almost went up in flames.
“To which they said no.” Robin cut in.
“But we landed a three o’clock appointment with the director. Now all we have to do is charm and convince him to let us talk to Victor. Then maybe we’ll know enough to get rid of this shitty curse.” Your eyes wandered over to Max, who was sitting at the basement’s desk, seemingly writing a novel.
“Yeah, about that. We’ve been doing our Victor Creel homework and uh, we’ve got some questions.” Steve began.
“Yeah, lots of questions.” Your brother piped up beside him.
“So do we. We just hope that Victor can answer them.” Nancy agreed.
“Wa-Wait a second…Where’s mine?” Steve asked as he flipped through the three folders.
“Honey, you’re out of your mind if you think I’m babysitting again.” Steve complained as the three of you followed Nancy to her bedroom.
“You’re not babysitting, ok. The boys can handle themselves. This is about you keeping an eye on Max.”
“Oh my god, you have a Tom Cruise poster!” Robin squealed behind her, her wide eyes taking in anything and everything she could.
“That’s…old.” Nancy tried to defend as she looked through her closet. “Can you please not touch anything?!” She snapped as Robin began to pick up her knick knacks and riffle through her cassettes.
“I know this sucks, babe, but she won’t talk to the boys the way she talks to us.”
“What if I can help with this director guy though? I could, you know, turn. on. my. charm.” He punctuated with snaps.
“I know and deceiving an asylum director is on my top ten list of date ideas with you, but this is about Max right now and making sure she’s ok. And I promise that next time one of us gets a hunch or a lead or some other crazy shit, then you can do it. No questions asked, ok.” You assured him with honest eyes.
“Yeah…yeah.” He began to nod along. “For Max.” He agreed, knowing that in the end his mind would always be on Max if he tagged along. She had started to become like a sister to him the same way Dustin had become his brother. They bonded over the feeling of not having a place at home and finding that sense of family in people they never expected. They also had to admit that the Sinclairs did an absolute number on them.
“I’m holding you to that promise though.” He smirked, accepting your proposal.
“If it makes you feel better, you’re not really the charm we need.” Nancy cut in.
“How would that make me feel better?” He huffed, both of your eyebrows knitting together at the comment.
“Not like that.” She began, continuing to pick through her closet. “It’s just that I did a little digging last night and it turns out this Dr.Hatch is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Harvard visiting scholar. He’s a lifelong student of the world and if we’re gonna win him over then we have to convince him that we are too. That like him, we are academic scholars.”
“Holy shit, y/n. There’s a little ballerina in here.” Robin commented in amazement, showing off the small figure spinning as the twinkly music poured from the jewelry box.
“Ok, I know that I’m staying, but is she giving you an academic scholar vibe?” Steve asked, making the girl roll her eyes and slam the box closed.
“No…” Nancy immediately replied. “But she will.” She finished, holding up a pink button up shirt with a frilly collar.
“Oh, please tell me you’re joking.” Robin’s face fell.
“No. That goes for you too, y/n.”
“What?! Why me?” You throw your hands up.
“I just mean that you might want to go more…simple, maybe.”
“Simple?” You raise your eyebrows at the word.
“Yeah…It’s just that I don’t think this guy will understand your style is all.” She explained, now trying to find her own outfit.
“I’ll try my best, alright. I don’t have much ‘simple’ to choose from.” Of course you had more formal clothes, but almost nothing that didn’t illuminate your personality. It's just not how you’re wired.
“What do you think?” You asked Steve, modeling your outfit for him. You were still unsure about it. You knew that you looked fine, good even. Still you just didn’t feel enough like yourself, as your eyes landed on the vibrant blue heap of clothes on your floor that you originally picked out, but of course wasn’t simple enough.
“It looks like you're gonna pull me into your office and show me whose boss.” He smirked as his hands found your hips.
“One, we don’t have time for you to talk like that…” You began, a smile breaking across your lips. “Two, I feel more like a secretary than a boss right now.”
“Then you’re the sexiest secret I’ve ever met.” He compliments, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips.
“Mmhm…We gotta stop. Robin and Nancy are waiting.” You reluctantly pull away from him.
“One more?” He pleaded.
“No, because one will become five, then ten, then we’re never gonna leave.” You explain, knowing how this always goes.
“Ugh, fine…but can you hold onto this for later maybe.” He mumbled in your ear.
“Ew, you perv.” You smack his shoulder, letting out a light chuckle.
“I’m sorry, but you put the thought of you as a sexy secretary in my brain, now I can’t stop thinking about it.” He held his hands up as he defended himself.
Robin hadn’t stopped fiddling with her collar since the moment you saw her. Everything out of her mouth had been a complaint about what she was wearing, which you understood. The textures of different fabrics against her skin was driving her crazy and the fact that she couldn’t go two seconds without tripping over the incredibly short heels too small for her feet didn’t help.
“I can’t breathe in this thing, and I’m itchy. I’m itching all over.”
“It’s not all about comfort, ok? We’re academics.” Nancy chided her as the three of you walked up the long stretch of road to the main entrance of Pennhurst.
“Who are apparently coming straight from Easter brunch. Also, this bra that you gave me is really pinching my boobs.” She grumbled, beginning to pick at her clothes and adjust herself for more comfort without a care for subtly.
“Ok, could you just let y/n and I do the talking? If that’s even possible?” Nancy replied pointedly.
“It’s not only possible. It’s inevitable, because shortly I’ll be dead from strangulation.” She shot back, tugging on the frilly collar yet again.
“Stop pulling in it, you're gonna rip the collar.” You lightly smack her hand away.
“If I do, I’ll buy her a new one. I’m sure Nancy would prefer that to taking her blouse off of a corpse.
When you arrived, you were led to Dr. Hatch’s office. His wall was lined with bookcases, every shelf full to the brim with books and trophies of his achievements. The wall behind his desk was decorated with certificates and diplomas he’d spent decades earning. Nancy was completely right when she described him as a lifelong student of the world.
The three sparred glances at each other as the man sat in front of you scanned through the falsified documents you presented him.
“3.9, 3.8., 4.0. Very impressive GPAs, ladies.” He complimented,though you could hear the disdain in his voice. Sure you were lying, but it felt like you weren’t being believed just because you were women.
“And this is a recommendation from Professor Brantley.” You handed Hatch the letter you had been holding onto. In the corner of your eye, you caught Robin fidgeting once again with her collar, trying and failing to get comfortable.
“Yeah, I know Larry quite well, actually.” Nancy’s wide eyes met yours before, focusing back in on the doctor before he could sense the anxiety coursing through the three of you. “ You know what they say, ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’ ” He joked, receiving a polite chuckle from the three of you, hoping to butter him up a bit.
“That’s actually why we’re here. I mean we can only learn so much in a classroom.” You spoke in your customer service voice, making sure to maintain eye contact with the man who was holding the key to saving Max in his hands.
“Mmm…and I’m sympathetic to your struggle, truly. But there is a protocol to visiting a patient like Victor. You have to put in a request and then you have to undergo a screening process, at which point the board will make a decision.” Your faces immediately fell. You knew it was a high possibility that he would turn you down, but actually having the door slammed in your face was like a blow to the chest. “I can see you’re disappointed, but I’m more than happy to give you a tour of our facility. Perhaps you can even speak to some patients in our low-security wing.” Hatch looked between the three of you, his bias against women in this field clear in his tone.
“And we would love that. It’s just that our thesis is due next month.” Nancy replied, trying her best to keep the demure, academic facade up as if she’s not cursing this asshole in her head.
“And you’re out of time. Whose fault is that?” He replied coldly.
“Ours, absolutely. And I do apologize-” Robin, suddenly cut Nancy off.
“Don’t apologize, Ruth. Screw that.” She began. Both yours and Nancy’s eyes went wide, worried she was about to light the bridge that was already doused in gasoline. “The fact of the matter is that we did put in a request months ago and we were denied. Then we reapplied and were denied again. And coming here was our last-ditch effort to save our thesis, and I really…I can’t breathe in this thing…” Robin’s rant began to take a turn as she yet again fiddled with the collar she assumed would be her cause of death.
“Well, Rose, maybe you’d like to go outside and get some air.” Nancy suggested through gritted teeth, hoping Robin would leave the room and take her frantic and nervous energy with her.
“Maybe I should, Ruth…” She slapped the table before rising to her feet. “Because I’m starting to think this whole thing is a colossal mistake. I’m breaking out in a rash. My boobs hurt and to tell you the truth, Anthony. May I call you Anthony?” Nancy’s eyes found yours, begging you to make her stop, but you knew Robin almost always had a trick up her sleeve. ‘Trust her.’ You tried your best to subtly mouth as Robin continued to rant. “These aren’t actually my clothes. I borrowed them because I wanted you to take us seriously, because nobody takes girls seriously in the field. They just don’t. We don’t look the part or whatever, but can I tell you a story? 1978, I was at summer camp and my counselor Drew told me and everyone in Cabin C the true story of the Victor Creel Massacre, and little Petey Mchew, you know Petey, right, Ruby?”
“Of course I do.” You nod, knowing that Petey was actually Penny and that she was Robin’s first kiss.
“Little Petey Mchew started sobbing right there on the spot. I mean full on hyperventilating and all the other campers couldn’t sleep for weeks. And I couldn’t sleep either, but not cause I was scared, but because I was obsessed with the question ‘What would drive a human being to commit such unimaginable acts?’ Other kids wanted to be astronauts, basketball players, and rockstars, but I wanted to be you. I wanted to be you, so forgive me if I’ll now try anything in my power, including wearing this ridiculous outfit if it means I might get to speak to the man that ignited my passion and learn a little bit more about how his twisted, but let’s face it, totally fascinating mind works. So, yes, we don’t have the official paperwork, but don’t tell me that cry-baby Petey Mchew wouldn’t have gotten an audience with Victor in a matter of moments if he asked politely, because you and I both know that he would. So…ten minutes with Victor, that’s all I ask.” A silence hung in the air for a moment. Dr. Hatch’s face flashing a range of emotion. The three of you were at the edge of your seat, waiting with baited breath for his answer.
“Ten minutes. That’s all.” He finally replied. The three of you tried your best to contain your excitement and relief.
You followed behind Hatch the man informing his secretary of his brief absence. Robin held her hand out, earning a downlow high five from you as you smiled proudly at her. That’s what you loved so much about her. She was amazing at turning her ‘weakness’ into her superpower.
A guard was posted by the big door to the small wing of the asylum designated for maximum security patients.
“Do you think it would be possible to speak to Victor alone?” Nancy asked.
“Alone?” Hatch questioned, his hard exterior returning as he sauntered up to Nancy.
“I think that we would just love the challenge of speaking with Victor without the safety net of an expert such as yourself.” You explain, adding an extra layer of flattery. The three of you plastered on polite smiles, waiting for the man to hopefully give in.
“Yes, why not? You’ve caught me in a rebellious mood” He finally with a chuckle to cover the tinge of suspicion had returned. “And there’s something rather urgent I need to check on anyway, so…sure.” He continued. You could feel the sinking feeling in your stomach. You knew that he knew, you just hoped he hadn’t caught on to fact yet. “Keep a close eye on them.” He instructed the security guard. The three of you thanked Hatch as he scurried up the stairs.
“Follow me.” The guard commanded, finally unlocking the heavy door.
It felt like you were being led through a dungeon when you crossed the threshold. It had been cast in darkness, most of the brightness coming from the very dim yellow lights on the ceiling.
“Do not startle him. Do not touch him. Do not pass him anything. Stand five feet away from the bars at all times. Is that clear?” The guard instructed flatly.
“Yes, sir.” The three of you reply.
“Victor.” He called out to the man hunched over his desk. “Today’s your lucky day! You got visitors. Real pretty ones.” He smiled, your skin immediately began to crawl as his eyes looked between the three of you. “Must be in one of his moods. Have fun.” He finished when Victor still didn’t reply, the only sound filling the space had been his ragged breathing as his nails scraped against the desk’s hard surface.
A grimace grew on your face as you watched him. Not from fear, but from sadness. The small cell Victor was confined to had been his life. He hadn’t breathed outside air since he arrived. He didn’t get outside time or group therapy. He was essentially in solitary confinement until the day he died. It made you think about Eddie. If this didn’t work. If you don’t catch Vecna and when Eddie’s eventually found, he would end up in the same position. Cut off and alone. A man you could only speak through if you had the right paperwork. A case study for future generations to read and write about. To make him a part of their thesis.
“Victor, my name is Nancy. Nancy Wheeler.” She slowly and calmly introduced herself. Both you and Robin quickly followed after her, introducing yourself to the man.
“We have some questions.” Robin begins.
“I don’t talk to reporters. Hatch knows that.” His gruff voice finally spoke.
“We’re not reporters. We’re here because we believe you.” You assured him calmly, inching closer to the bars, hoping to bridge that gap and prove you’re not afraid of him. Robin followed your lead, walking up to the bars.
“We’re also here because we need your help, because whatever killed your family, we think it’s back.” Her words make Victor’s hand stop scratching the table. The man finally turned to face the three of you, all of your eyes growing wide with shock when they landed on his face. His own eyes deeply scarred and disfigured. You would’ve assumed they were sewn closed if it weren’t for the scarred whites in between peeking through to highlight that they were permanently closed with no help.
Nancy spent the next few minutes, quickly catching Victor up with the murders and the symptoms that came with the curse of Vecna.
“Does anything we’ve told you sound like what happened to your family?” Nancy asked. “Victor? I know this is hard, b-”
“You don’t know anything!” The man immediately lashed out.
“You’re right. We don’t know. That’s why we’re here. To learn and to understand.” You jump in hoping to calm him.
“We need to know how you survived that night.” Robin continued.
“Survived?” The man began to chuckle at the word. “Is that what you call this? Did. I. survive?” He questioned, threw his hand up to emphasize the environment. “No, I assure you, I’m still very much in hell.”
Victor went on to tell you his story. About how he and his family moved into a beautiful house. How everything seemed so perfect. A fairytale his daughter had described, despite the fact his son was still cautious. A smile had grown on his face as he reminisced on all the good that preceded the bad. The smile he wore quickly dropped into one of deep sorrow as he continued on. Things took a sharp turn after about a month. It started with dead animals of all kinds. Each of them clearly tortured and mutilated. The police chalked it up to wildcats, refusing to believe the man for the first time of many. Then came the visions and nightmares that haunted both their sleep and the daytime. They could never escape it. It was always there to terrorize them, like a lion playing with its food. That was until it got too hungry and began to bite.
They had been having dinner when it happened. The radio switched on, on its own, sending a chill down the family’s spine. Despite it becoming routine at this point, it horrified them every single time.
“It took Virginia first.” He sat down on his bed, beginning to wring his hands together in hopes that it would calm him down. “I tried to get the children out, to save them, but I was back to France. I was back in the war. It was a memory from when I thought German soldiers were inside. I ordered a shelling, but I was wrong.” Victor brought his hands to his ear as he could cut the noises bouncing around in his head. “This demon, it was taunting me. And I was sure that it would take me, just as he’d taken my Virginia, but then I heard another voice. At first I thought it was an angel and I followed her only to find myself in a nightmare far worse. WHile I was away, the demon took my children. Henry had slipped into a coma shortly after that and a week later he died. I tried to join them. I tried…” The man began to cry as he mimed stabbing himself in his eyes. “Hatch stopped the bleeding…He wouldn’t let me join them.” The man weeped despite the fact that nothing could fall from them. Victor finally collapsed in his bed, pulling himself into the fetal position, beginning to rock.
“Who was the angel you followed?” You ask. In lieu of a verbal response, Victor began to hum. The tune immediately caught your ears, your eyes widened in recognition. You could feel Robin and Nancy’s gaze shift to you as the melody echoed in his cell.
“What did your house look like Victor?” You ask, the connection beginning to form in your brain. “I know it’s hard Victor, but please.” You pleaded when he continued to hum as if Ella Fiztgerald was the guardian of his impenetrable safe place.
“Is he everything you hoped he would be?” Hatch interrupted, her voice carrying from the other end of the hallway. Your heads immediately snap over at the doctor swiftly approaching, another security guard marching behind him for extra muscle. “I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Brantely. Perhaps we should discuss it in my office while we wait for the police.”
Shit.
“You’re not listening. Our friend is in danger.” Nancy tried to plead with Hatch as he led you to his office. The three of you had been sandwiched between him and two security guards.
“Do you really expect me to believe anything you have to say at this point?” He shot back.
“Listen, you pompous asshole, our friend is in real fucking danger. She could die and if she does, her blood will be on your hands. Victor Creel is telling the truth and that truth could be the difference in saving her life. ” You seethed.
“Boo hoo. You can tell your little sob story to the police.” He replied, his tone laced with venom. Your eyes narrowed at his callus and dismissive tone. You began to breathe deeply, trying your best to calm down before you ruined the man’s prospect of having any more ‘extracurricular activities.’
When you finally made it outside, Robin leaned into you and Nancy. The outdoors creating enough noise pollution so that only the two of you could hear her whispered words.
“Victor said that the night of the attack, everything was on in the house, but he made specific mention of the music. The song you heard, which obviously means something. Think about it. Hatch said that music can reach parts of the brain that words can’t. What if that’s the key? It might be the lifeline back to reality.” Robin explained, both you and Nancy nodding along to her theory. It was all you had at this point and it would mean nothing if you ended up at the police station.
“Ok…um…” You looked behind you, now aware of the space between the three of you and the guards. “I think we could beat them.”
“What?” Both Nancy and Robin ask.
“To the car. We can totally outrun them.”
“Ok, but there is no way in hell I can run in these shoes.” Robin replied.
“Then take them off. We need to create as much space as possible, so on the count of three we’ll make a break for it ok?”
“Yeah. Ok.” The pair agreed.
“Alright…1… 2…3!” The three of you break into a sprint. Robin kicked off her shoes, the pair catapulting through the air.
“Cinderella, you lost your slipper!” You heard a patient call out. You couldn't help the chuckle that forced its way up as you ran past him.
“Come on, come on!” You urged Robin when you made it to the grassy ledge you had to jump down in order to take a short cut back to Nancy’s car.
“Oh my god!” She leaped down, joining you and Nancy. The frilly white socks Nancy had lent her were now stained with dirt and grass.
“We’re almost there, come on!” You latched onto Robin’s wrist when she showed signs of slowing down.
“Oh my god!” She huffed again, pushing herself when the car was now only a short field away.
You had all yet to catch your breath as Nancy frantically tried to unlock her door.
“Hurry up!” Robin urged the girl along, her eyes spotting the guards, hot on your tails.
“I’m trying!” Nancy shot back, finally getting the key into the lock. “Get in!” Neither of you needed to be told twice, flinging yourselves into the car.
“Get out of the car! Get out of the car!” The guards caught up. One pounding on the windows while the other tried to open the locked doors.
“Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!” Robin exclaimed, as Nancy peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the men in the dust.
“Y/n, where the hell are you?! This is a code red! I repeat, a code red!” Dustin screeched from the walkie, resting in the seat.
“I’m here! We copy!” You reply, your heart beginning to race again at the boy’s frantic voice.
“Holy shit. Finally! Please, please, please tell me you guys have this figured out.” You wanted to ask what was wrong, fearing the worst, but you knew every second counted if Vecna had a hold on Max.
“Music! We think it’s a life line back to reality. If he has her then play music!” You shouted the instructions. Robin had turned in the front seat, your worried eyes meeting the other’s.
“What kind?” He asked, already digging through Steve’s collection of cassettes.
“We don’t know! Try her favorite song!” You suggested, now catching Nancy’s worried eyes as she spared every glance she could at you in the backseat. A new tension had settled in the car. Not one of malice and annoyance, but one of sheer terror.
“Do you know it?!” He asked, hoping to narrow things down, though he was sure Duran Duran was not on her list.
“It’s uh… uh… Oh! Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill’. She's obsessed!”
“Thanks!” He shouted, digging until he found the copy Steve keeps in his car just for her.
“Wait, where are you guys?!” You ask
“Roane Hill Cemetery!” He shouted back.
“Why are they at the cemetery?” Nancy questioned, pulling a whiplash-inducing U-turn.
“That’s where Billy’s buried.” You explain, your leg now bouncing.
You felt absolutely useless, mounting guilt weighing on your shoulders. Maybe Steve was right. Maybe you should’ve swapped places. Maybe if you were there with her, Vecna wouldn’t be doing this to her.
The party was huddled around Steve’s car when the three of you arrived.
“Thank god.” You felt like you could finally breathe again when you spotted Max in Lucas’ arms. The hold he had on her was tight like he was scared she would disappear if he let her go.
“I’m ok. I’m ok.” She tried to reassure the three new worried faces on the scene.
“You scared the shit out of us, dude.” She said, finally relieved.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don't apologize, we’re just glad you’re ok.” You promised, saddened by the fact she felt the need to apologize just for surviving.
“Thanks to you guys. How did you figure it out?” Dustin asked you.
“We got to talk to Victor. When he got overwhelmed telling us about the night Vecna came, he started humming ‘Dream A Little Dream of Me’…” The group’s eyes went wide feeling the weight of the revelation. “And the doctor we talked to said that music can sometimes do what words can’t. We knew the connection had to mean something. We just hoped maybe it would hold Vecna off long enough until we can really get to the bottom of this.”
“Ok, we need to know everything Victor told you guys. Every detail that seems insignificant, any word that seemed like a mistake. Anything.”
Steve and Lucas were currently on ‘Max Watch’, the pair being the first to volunteer.
You had all decided that someone needed to keep an eye on the girl. Despite the fact that she and Kate Bush had become best friends over the past few hours, her headphones not coming off unless absolutely necessary. You still all knew that it was a bandaid to something that needed stitches, but it was all you had at the moment.
“Are you ok, man?” Steve whispered, trying not to disturbed the rest of you who had crashed after an exhausting day. Lucas had understandably been off ever since you left the cemetery. He was quiet, looking like he was running circles in his head. Steve caught it immediately, finally having time to ask now that they were as close to alone as they could get.
“Yeah, I just…I can’t stop thinking about what happened. She was just floating there and I couldn’t…I couldn’t help her. I told her that she could trust me. I said I would be there for her, but I couldn’t do anything. I thought I was gonna lose her. I thought I would never get to tell her that I love her again. I thought…” He fought to get his words out as his eyes began to well.
“I get it, man. I really do. I felt the same way you did. I still feel that way sometimes and I know it hurts…” His eyes drifted down to you, your head rested on his lap as you slept. “You think you can move mountains to protect her, then shit happens and you realize you can’t. You feel like you failed the person you love the most and that you ruined everything you’ve worked so hard to build together. That’s what I thought. It felt like I was losing y/n twice and it would be permanent. I mean who would give a guy like me a third chance?” He hadn’t even realized his thumb was lightly gliding across your cheek as he spoke.
“What did you do?” Lucas asked, his eyes finally breaking from Max to look at Steve.
“I realized all I needed to do was see her. We can’t fix them and hope they’ll stay just because we did. We have to prove that we love them even when they’re broken.”
“I do. I just want her to know that.”
“She does, man. I saw what happened after she fought off Vecna. It was you that she clung to. In that moment she wanted you more than anything else. She could’ve pushed away or ran off to be alone, but she didn’t.”
“Yeah, yeah she didn’t.” Lucas finally cracked a smile.
“That’s just how love works. You can’t control it, no matter how hard you try.”
“I guess so, man. Thanks.” He nodded along in agreement.
“Anytime, Sinclair.”
You jolted awake when you could hear the walkie crackling in the distance.
“Dustin, do you copy? Dustin, do you copy?” You made out Eddie’s voice when you were finally in reach of it. “Earth to Dustin.” Eddie called again when he got no reply.
“Hey, it’s y/n.” You reply in a low tone, hoping not to disturb the others.
“Oh my god, it’s the mage.” You could hear his smile through the phone, followed by a big sigh of relief. You had to admit you were taken aback at the nickname the party had given you and El years ago.
“Are you ok out there? Any visitors?” You ask.
“No, I’m just gonna need a food delivery really soon, unless you want me going out into the world.”
“Please don’t do that. You don’t have to threaten your arrest for some, dude. Just stay where you are and we’ll get to you as soon as we can, alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…um, could you pick me up another six-pack too.”
“Ye-oh, shit! I need to call you back!” You put the walkie down, giving Eddie no time to respond when you realized Max was gone from her place on the couch.
“Dustin!” You immediately try to shake the boy awake.
“Mm.” He began to stir.
“You’re supposed to be on Max Watch. You said you could handle solo duty.” You scolded him
“Yep, yep, yep. I can.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“Then where the hell is she?” You raised your eyebrows at him.
“She’s right there.” He pointed to the empty couch. “Ok, she was there a second ago. I swear I just dozed off for…an hour.” He finished slowly after checking his watch.
“Oh my god, I could kill you.”
“What’s going on?” Nancy stirred at the commotion.
“He lost Max.”
“He what?!” She sat up, now fully awake.
“Come on, we have to find her.” You were quick to your feet. The three of you bounded up the stairs, your eyes snapping around every corner in the house. A collective sigh of relief was released from the two of you when you found her at the kitchen table, drawing.
“Morning, guys.” Karen cheerfully greeted as she flipped pancakes on the stove. “Everything ok?”
“Yeah, mom. Everything’s great.” Nancy assured her mom, despite still being shaken up.
“I think it’s so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this.” Karen smiled.
“Could try sticking together at a different house for a change.” Ted grumbled, pulling his eyes away from the morning paper to stare daggers at Dustin.
Both you and Nancy tuned out their squabble to sit down next to Max, the redhead pulling her headphones down to give the two of you her attention.
“Hey.” She solemnly greets.
“Hey. How you holding up?” You ask, peeking down scattered drawings on the table.
“Fine, I guess. I just couldn’t sleep. People kept blasting music in my ears for some reason…” She joked knocking her shoulder with yours, cracking a smile for the first time in what felt like an eternity and you couldn’t help but smile along with her. “But Holly let me borrow some of her crayons. We’ve been having a fun morning, right Holly?” She spoke to the girl who had been consumed by her Lite Brite.
“Mmhmm.” Was all that Max got from her.
“Is this what you saw yesterday?” You ask, now focusing in on the dark nature of the drawings.
“I mean, it’s supposed to be. I thought it would be easier to draw it then explain it, you know?”
“Is that…?” Nancy’s question died on her tongue when her eyes landed on a drawing of Chrissy and Fred’s mangled bodies attached to a skull mounted pillar.
“Yeah. It was like they were on display or something and there was red fog everywhere. It was like a dream.”
“Do you think Vecna’s trying to scare you?” Nancy asked.
“With Billy? Yeah, but when I made it here, something was different. He seemed surprised, almost. It was like he didn’t want me there.” She hypothesized.
“Maybe you infiltrated his mind.” Dustin jumped in, now taking a seat at the table. “He invaded your mind, right? Is it that big of a leap to suggest you somehow wound up in his? Kind of like Freddy Krueger’s boiler room.” His face lit up with excitement.
“Freddy Kruger?” Holly asked from beside him.
“He’s this super burned up dude with razors for fingers and he kills you in your sleep.” He explained, making Holly’s face drop.
“Dude.” You drop your head into your hand.
“Dustin, seriously?” Nancy immediately chastised the boy.
“Sorry, It’s a movie. It’s not real.” He tried to assure the girl once he finally caught on to what he did.
“Wait, what if he’s right, though?” You perked up. “What if this place in his mind is the key to all of this shit? It has to be very important if he didn’t want you there.” You surmise, beginning to parcel through the photos.
“Yeah, it has to be somewhere in these incredibly vague drawings. Can you make that out?” Dustin asked, his eyes narrowing on one of them. Your eyes went wide, snatching the paper from him
“Shi-oot!” You quickly corrected yourself.
“What?” Dustin leaned closer.
“This is it! The door in my nightmare. Stained glass, red rose. This is exactly it.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Hand me that.” Nancy prompted. “I think I’ve seen this before.”
“What do you mean?” Dustin asked, watching as Nancy sorted through the pieces, folding them to fit into a bigger picture. “Look familiar?” She asked you when every paper was properly aligned.
“That’s Victor Creel’s house.”
The house was decrepit when you arrived. The beautiful blue exterior Victor had described was now a faded blue, covered in creeping vines. Its beautiful white trim is now dirty and withered from the weather termites. Every window had been boarded up, an action taken by the city when they condemned it decades ago.
The group gathered around the front door, watching as you raised your hand, pulling the nails from the wooden slat that had been fastened to the door to keep curious teens like you out.
“What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?” Steve questioned.
“We’re not exactly sure. We just know that this house is important to Vecna.” Nancy answered.
“It has to have clues in here somewhere. It’s no coincidence that y/n and Max both saw this place.”
“We don’t think he’s in here, right?” Lucas asked, shocked that no one else had raised the point.
“Guess we’ll find out, goober.” You reply, removing the last load bearing nail.
Steve’s hands found your waist pulling you out of the way when the slat fell with a thud, kicking up a decades worth of dust from the porch.
The front door no longer had its shine. The wood was warped and the vibrant glass was now caked in a mountain of dirt, its colors completely washed out.
“It’s locked.” Steve sighed when he tried to turn the knob. “Should I knock and see if anybody’s home?” He joked.
“No need. I found a key.” Robin smiled, picking up a brick from the porch, throwing it through the glass. The group jumped back immediately at the sudden noise.
“Jesus, what the hell, Rob!” Steve let out, his eyes flicking from the broken glass then back to her.
“You know I could’ve just opened it, right?” You stated the obvious.
“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” She shrugged with a smile.
The seven of you inched into the house, the floorboards creaking under almost every step.
“Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill.” Lucas joked when he tried to flick on a table lamp.
“Where’d everyone get those? Where’d you get yours, babe?” Steve asked, now realizing you all had your own flashlights.
“Do you need to be told everything? You’re not a child.”
“Mmhm.” Steve narrowed his eyes at the boy as he handed him his backpack.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, back pocket.”
“That kid has such an attitude problem.” Steve complained.
“I know. I think it’s in his tone.” You nodded along.
“Exactly.
“Hey guys. You all see that, right?” Max asked, her flashlight shining on the grandfather clock decorating the hallway, earning a chorus of agreement.
“Is this the clock you guys saw?” Nancy asked, earning nods from you both.
“I mean, it’s just a clock…right?” She inched forward so that she could get a better look. “It’s just a normal old clock.”
“Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks? Maybe he’s like a clockmaker or something?”
“I think you cracked the case Steve. A clock-making demon is haunting your girlfriend’s dreams.” Dustin sarcastically replied, making Steve roll his eyes at him.
“The answers have to be here somewhere. I know you’re gonna hate me saying this, but maybe we should split up.”
“Dude.” Robin threw her hands up.
“I know, but we have a lot of ground to cover.”
“Y/n’s right. Let’s just stay in groups of two, alright.” Nancy jumped in. Steve’s hand found yours, leaving no room for any other options.
“Let’s catch ourselves a wizard.” Steve’s hand immediately reached for yours, choosing you before Robin had the chance to pull you away.
“What are you doing man?” Steve asked, realizing that Dustin quickly followed behind the two of you as you made your way to the stairs.
“I’m following my partners.” Dustin smiled at the two of you.
“Ugh, come on, man.” Steve sighed.
“Was that a sigh?”
“No, I did not sigh.” Steve lied,
“Why’d you sigh?”
“Because we’re always partners and I just want to spend a little alone time with my girlfriend.” He confessed.
“Alone time? What could possibly be romantic about this? Is this a fun date idea to you?”
“Well, we’re already having a date at Pennhurst so-”
“Actually, we might want to switch up our plans.”
“Why? What did you do?” Dustin asked.
“We might’ve got caught lying then ran from some security guards after they called the cops on us.” You admitted to the boys.
“Oh my god. I’m dating a criminal.” Steve chuckled, shaking his head.
“Did you guys find anything?” You ask when you bump into Robin and Nancy.
“Nothing yet. We ju-”
“Did you hear that?” You cut off Nancy, immediately following the sound. You creeped out the room, picking up your pace when you found Steve freaking out in the hall.
“Woah, woah, woah! Calm down.” You jog up to him, your hands finding his shoulder in an attempt to ground him. “Are you ok?”
“It’s a spider.”
“Oh my god.” You jump back immediately.
“It’s a black widow.”
“Ehhh.” Your face scrunched up in disgust as you stepped away.
“It’s ok, I got it off…just don’t go in there.” He slammed the door he just came out of.
“Ok…I just…oh no.” Your hand flew up to cover your mouth.
“Oh no? What’s oh no?”
“You have some…webs caught in your hair.”
“What?! Get them out.”
“What if it’s in there. Black widows kill people.” You grimace.
“I got it off, I promise.”
“You’re not acting like you got it off!” You shot back, noticing his tense shoulders.
“I swear I did. I just need you to get the webs out, honey.”
“Ok, just give me a second.” You finally agreed, knowing that he would do this for you in an instant.
“Alright, I think I got it all.” You sigh, flailing your hand in the air to loosen the hold the webs had on your hands.
“You know if there is a spider in there, you’re never gonna know till it lays eggs and the babies spill out.” Robin spoke in a creepy voice to freak both of you out.
“Dude.” You playfully shove her, making sure to wipe the web's remnants on her jacket in revenge.
“What’s wrong with you?” Steve asked as a shiver ran down his spine at the thought. “She’s got problems.”
“I know, but we love her.”
“Yeah, I guess. You know what they say. The obvious things are not what people observe or sorry…what they don’t observe or…” You raised your eyebrows in confusion as he butchered whatever he was trying to get out. “uh…Sherlock Holmes.” He finished with a childish pout.
“What?” You began to laugh at the jumbled phrase that fell from his mouth.
“I don’t know it’s some shit Dustin said. I thought it applied.” He answered.
“I’m sure it did. I guess I’ll have to read it for myself when this is all over.”
“Why do you need to read it? I clearly have the book memorized.”
“Oh yeah, what’s the title?”
“Uh…Steve Harrington Is A Genius and He definitely Didn't Butcher That Quote.
“Wow, what an oddly specific and long title.”
“I know, but I heard it’s a best seller.”
“Name another one.”
“Ok, um…What Clues Is The Clock Wizard Hiding In This House?”
“Ooo, one of my favorites.
“Great, what did it say?”
“It says w-”
“Guys!” Lucas called from the bottom of the stairs.
“What’s up?What happened?” You ask, bounding down the stairs to meet your brother.
“We found something.”
All of you gathered under the grandiose chandelier hanging above the dining room table. You stared in confused amazement at the fact it had been flickering. Its brightness warming the dusty room.
“It’s like the Christmas lights.” Nancy observed.
“Christmas lights?” Robin leaned over to ask you.
“When Will was in the Upside Down, the lights would flicker if he was near them. Joyce set up Christmas lights so that she could communicate with him.” You quickly explain.
“Right…” She nodded, still trying to catch up to the insanity that had been your lives.
“Does that mean Vecna’s in the house, just on the other side?” Lucas asked, hoping his theory wasn’t true. If he was right then Max was right here. It was like she was being served up on a silver platter.
“I think he just left the room.” Robin observed when the flickering light finally went out for good.
“Did he hear us?” Max asked.
“Can he see us? Steve followed.
“Headphones. Headphones.” Lucas urged Max to slide them back on.
“Everyone turn off your flashlights and spread out.” You suggest.
All of you fan out, inching through the darkness, waiting for a light to flicker.
“I think I got him!” You heard Robin call. All of you swarmed her right as her light started to dim. “I had him.” She deflated when her flashlight went dark again.
“Wait, wait. I got him now.” Steve piped up, his flashlight now glowing. “I think…I think he’s moving.” All of you followed behind Steve who was being guided by the light until you were led up to the attic.
The lone attic light was glowing as bright as a star. It was the strongest you had seen so far. Your flashlights flickered back to life. They shined as bright as they could manage as you shined them up at the light above you.
You knew that it could only mean one thing: Vecna was here.
Pairing: Steve Harrington x Steve's mom (and obv also Steve Harrington x fem!reader)
Word count: 3k
Summary: Steve's mom is back, for good. Steve has to come to terms with it.
Warnings: estranged parent, parental guilt, fixing familial relationships, steve having a hard time adjusting and you are there for him, a lot of em dashes—i wrote it MYSELF xoxo
Author's note: my birthday fic y'all, my present from me to you... this might not be my usual writing/pairing, but hello... this is a gem if I have to say so myself. maybe it feels a little weird, reading this, but I thought it would give Steve more emotional depth, a little inside in how adjusted he was living without a parent and also the emotional side of his mother.
please lmk if you like it, if you have requests. divider by: @enchanthings-a
Steve Harrington doesn’t expect anything good to come from the front door opening. Not anymore. The house has always sounded the same—locks clicking, shoes on tile, voices that don’t stay long enough to matter. So when the door opens on a quiet Thursday afternoon and doesn’t immediately close again, when there’s the soft roll of a suitcase and then… nothing, no phone call, no hurried footsteps back out—Steve frowns.
He’s halfway stretched out on the couch, arm thrown over his eyes, and for a second he thinks maybe he imagined it. Then he hears it again. A breath. A shift. Presence.
“Steve?”
He sits up too fast. “Mom?”
She’s standing in the doorway like she doesn’t quite know how to enter her own house. Christina Harrington—Christy, to people who know her well enough, which suddenly feels like a very small group—is still impeccably dressed, still composed in that polished way he grew up around, but something is different. Her hair isn’t perfectly set. Her posture isn’t rigid. There’s a suitcase behind her. Not decorative. Not for a night. A real one.
“You’re here,” he says, because it’s the only thing that makes sense.
“I am,” she answers, softer than he expects.
He waits for the follow-up. The “for a bit,” the “just passing through,” the explanation that turns this back into something familiar.
It doesn’t come.
“I’m staying,” she says instead.
The words land in the room like they don’t belong there.
Steve blinks. “Staying… how long?”
Christy hesitates, just for a second. “I'm moving back, Steve.”
Moving back.
Not visiting.
Not stopping by.
Something in his chest tightens. “Where’s Dad?”
Her expression shifts...controlled, but not untouched. “He’s not here.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I know.” She exhales slowly, like she’s choosing her next words carefully. “We’re divorcing.”
It hits differently than he expects. Not loud. Not explosive. Just heavy.
“…You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
He searches her face for something familiar, detachment, distance, the version of her that always had one foot out the door. It’s not there. Instead, there’s something steadier. Something… grounded.
"He plans to stay in, um—Italy, for the forseeable future."
“When did this happen?” he asks.
“Over the past few months,” she says. “It’s been… in process.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want to burden you with it.”
That stings more than the divorce.
“I’m your son,” he says, sharper than he means to. “I think I qualify.”
“I know,” she says quietly. “And I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Steve huffs a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. That seems to be a theme lately.”
She doesn’t argue.
Instead, she nods, almost looking defeated. “You’re right.”
That throws him off more than if she had defended herself.
Silence stretches. The house feels different already. Smaller, somehow. Like the air shifted.
“So what now?” he asks finally.
“Now…” She glances around, taking in the space like she’s seeing it for the first time. “I stay. I fix what I can. I'll be here.”
“For how long?”
“As long as you’ll let me,” she says.
That’s not an answer he’s ready for.
“…Okay,” he says instead, because it’s the only thing he can manage.
It’s not acceptance.
But it’s not rejection either.
It’s a start.
The next morning confirms it’s real. She’s still there. In the kitchen. Actually cooking. Steve stops in the doorway, watching her like she might disappear if he blinks. She turns, gives him a small, almost tentative smile, like she’s not sure if she’s allowed to take up this space yet.
“Good morning,” she says.
“Morning,” he replies, slower.
“I made breakfast.”
He looks at the plate. Then at her. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” she says.
That phrase—I wanted to—doesn’t fit in his memory of her. It makes something in his chest twist.
He nods anyway. Sits. Eats. It’s good. Of course it is. That’s not the point. The point is that she’s there while he eats. She doesn’t leave halfway through. She doesn’t check her watch. She doesn’t disappear.
It’s unsettling.
He doesn’t know what to do with it.
So he does the only thing that makes sense.
He finds you.
You’re curled up on your bed, halfway through something you’re not really paying attention to, when you hear the knock.
It’s quick. Impatient.
Familiar.
You open the door, and there he is—Steve, standing a little too still, like he’s not sure what to do with himself.
“Hey,” you say, already reading the tension in his shoulders. “What happened?”
He exhales, staring at nothing for a second. “My mom’s back.”
You blink. “As in...back back?”
“Suitcase and everything.”
Your expression softens. “Okay… that sounds good?”
“I don’t know if it is.”
You tilt your head, studying him. “Why?”
“Because it feels not normal,” he says. “She’s cooking. She’s asking questions. She’s staying in the same room. It’s like she suddenly decided to be—” he cuts himself off.
“A mom?” you finish gently.
He huffs. “Yeah.”
“That’s not a bad thing, Steve.”
“No, but it’s not something I’m used to. They have been gone for so long, always stopping by, never staying. It just feels weird.”
You shift closer without thinking, your shoulder brushing his. “You don’t have to decide what it means right now. You can just… let it happen.”
He looks at you. Really looks. Like he’s grounding himself in something familiar.
“She said she’s staying,” he adds.
“Then maybe she is.”
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, his hand finds yours, squeezing gently.
You give it right back, kissing his chin and then laying your head on his shoulder.
That steadies him.
Always.
Over the next few days, the house changes in small ways. There are dishes in the sink. Music playing low in the background. Conversations that don’t end abruptly. Christy asks him about school, about his friends, about his life. At first, his answers are short. Guarded. But she doesn’t push. She listens. That’s new too.
And then there are the other things.
The things that don’t have anything to do with him...but still do.
Steve notices the first time when he comes downstairs and finds her standing by the front door, smoothing down her blouse like she’s about to walk into a room full of strangers. There’s a tray in her hands...store-bought cookies arranged carefully on a plate, like she’s trying to make them look homemade.
“Going somewhere?” he asks.
She startles slightly, then smiles. “Mrs. Callahan next door. I thought I’d… say hello.”
Steve blinks. “You’ve lived here for, like, twenty years.”
“I know,” she says, a little sheepish. “But I don’t think I’ve ever actually introduced myself.”
That lands somewhere strange.
“…Huh,” he mutters.
She lingers for a second longer, like she’s debating whether to go through with it, then straightens her shoulders just slightly.
“I won’t be long,” she says.
He watches her leave.
Watches her knock.
Watches the hesitation in her posture before the door opens and she forces a polite smile.
It’s… uncomfortable.
Not in a bad way.
Just unfamiliar.
The next time, it’s a phone call.
He’s in the living room, half-watching something, when he hears her voice from the kitchen—careful, measured, a little too bright.
“No, I understand,” she’s saying. “It’s been a while.”
A pause.
“Yes, well… I thought I’d reach out.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Steve doesn’t mean to listen.
But he does.
“…Of course,” she says finally, softer now. “Maybe another time.”
When she hangs up, the kitchen goes quiet.
Steve glances toward the doorway.
For a second, he thinks about getting up.
He doesn’t.
But later, when he walks in to grab a drink, she’s standing by the counter, staring at nothing, her expression composed in that practiced way he knows too well.
“You okay?” he asks.
She turns, smiles faintly. “Yes.”
He doesn’t push.
But he notices.
He notices when she starts going out in the afternoons—dressed a little nicer than necessary, coming back with small things she didn’t really need. Groceries they already had. Flowers that end up in a vase in the kitchen. Conversation starters, maybe.
He notices the way she lingers outside sometimes, talking to neighbors he’s only ever waved at in passing. The way she laughs just a little too easily, like she’s trying to fill the space before it can go quiet.
And he notices—
how hard she’s trying.
Not just with him.
With everything.
It shifts something in him.
Because this isn’t the version of his mom he remembers—the one who always had somewhere else to be, someone else to see, something more important waiting.
This version stays.
This version knocks on doors.
Makes phone calls.
Puts herself in places she’s clearly not entirely comfortable in anymore.
Just to not be… alone.
Steve leans against the doorframe one afternoon, watching her from a distance as she stands at the edge of the driveway, talking to a neighbor about something small—weather, maybe, or the garden, something that doesn’t really matter.
But the way she’s standing—
open.
Present.
Trying.
It does.
He hadn’t thought about that part before.
What it must’ve been like for her, coming back to a house that doesn’t quite feel like hers anymore. To a town where people remember her, but don’t really know her. To a life she stepped out of and is now trying to step back into without knowing where she fits.
He looks away after a second.
Gives her that space.
But later, when he walks into the kitchen and sees the fresh flowers sitting in a glass vase—
he pauses.
Then, quietly—
“…They look nice.”
She glances up, surprised.
“Thank you.”
It’s a small thing.
But it matters.
And for the first time, Steve doesn’t just see what’s changed in his life.
He sees what she’s trying to rebuild in hers.
And how hard she’s working to not lose it again.
So, one evening, when he comes home late from work, he finds her sitting at the kitchen table, the light still on. Steve stops in the doorway, just as she looks up.
“Hi.”
Christy looks up from the kitchen table, a little startled, like she hadn’t heard him come in.
Then she smiles...soft, a little tired, but real, familiar. “Hi, baby.”
Steve pauses in the doorway.
There’s something about the way she says it—gentle, unguarded—that feels unfamiliar now, even if it shouldn’t.
“What are you doing, still up?” he asks.
She hesitates, fingers tightening slightly around the mug in front of her. “I was, um—waiting.”
That lands differently than it would have a week ago.
Not just for him.
But like she didn’t have anywhere else to be.
“…You didn’t have to do that,” he says.
“I know,” she answers quietly. “I wanted to.”
Steve lingers in the doorway a moment longer, taking in the small things he wouldn’t have noticed before—the cold tea she hasn’t touched, the second chair pulled out just slightly, like she’d been expecting him to sit there.
Like she hoped he would.
He exhales, then walks in, pulling the chair out the rest of the way and sitting down across from her.
For a second, neither of them says anything.
The house hums softly around them.
“You didn’t have plans?” he asks after a moment.
She lets out a small breath, something almost self-aware in it. “I tried.”
That makes him look up.
“Tried?”
“I stopped by Mrs. Callahan’s,” she says. “And I called a few… old friends.”
“And?”
She gives a small shrug, gaze dropping briefly to the table. “It’s just been a long time.”
There’s no resentment in it.
Just… consequence.
Steve leans back slightly, processing that.
“You don’t really have anyone here anymore,” he says.
“I didn’t make the effort to keep anyone,” she corrects gently.
That lands.
Because it mirrors something he’s already starting to understand about her return—this isn’t just about him. It’s about everything she stepped away from.
A quiet pause stretches between them.
“I don’t want that anymore,” she adds, softer now. “I don’t want to be… outside of things. Not with you. Not with my own life.”
Steve watches her carefully.
There’s something different in her voice now.
Not rehearsed.
Not distant.
Real.
“I missed a lot,” she continues, her fingers lacing together like she needs something to hold onto. “And I keep realizing it in pieces. Little things I should know that I don’t.”
He doesn’t say anything.
Doesn’t interrupt.
“I don’t know what your days look like,” she goes on. “I don’t know who you spend your time with. I didn’t even know about—” she hesitates, glancing up at him, more careful now, “—about your girlfriend.”
There it is.
Steve shifts slightly in his seat.
“…Yeah,” he says, a little guarded without meaning to be.
“I’m sorry,” Christy says quickly, wiping away a tear threatening to fall. “Not because of her—she seems…” she searches for the right word, a faint smile tugging at her mouth, “important. I just—” she exhales, shaking her head slightly. “I should have known. I should have been there to see that part of your life happen.”
That softens something in him.
Just a little.
“She is important to me,” he says, quieter now.
“I’d like to know her,” Christy adds carefully. “If that’s something you’d be okay with. Not to intrude. Just… to understand your life better. To understand you. And obviously, I also want to meet her, because I want to meet the woman who makes my son happy.”
Steve looks at her.
Really looks.
And more and more, it feels like she’s asking because she actually wants to know.
It feels like she means it.
Like she is curious about him, her son,
and his life.
“…You would?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says simply. “She matters to you. That makes her matter to me.”
That—
That hits differently.
There’s no pressure in it.
No expectation.
Just… intention.
“I don’t expect you to suddenly tell me everything,” she continues. “Or to let me in all at once. I just… want the chance to learn. To be part of things. If you’ll let me.”
Steve exhales slowly, leaning back slightly, his thoughts quieter than they were a few minutes ago.
“You’re trying really hard,” he says.
She huffs a small breath, something almost like a laugh slipping out. “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Kind of.”
A pause.
“I don’t want to keep missing things,” she admits. “Not with you.”
That settles somewhere deep.
Because it’s not about fixing the past.
It’s about not repeating it.
“…Okay,” Steve says after a moment.
It’s not big.
But it’s not nothing either.
Her expression softens, something grateful flickering there.
“Okay?” she repeats gently.
“Yeah,” he says. “We can… start with that.”
It’s the closest thing to an invitation he knows how to give.
And she takes it.
Carefully.
“Thank you,” she says.
He shrugs, like it’s nothing.
But it isn’t.
They sit there for another minute, the quiet stretching between them—but not uncomfortably this time.
Just… present.
When Steve finally stands, pushing his chair back, he hesitates for a second.
“Goodnight,” he says.
“Goodnight, baby.”
The word feels different now.
Still unfamiliar.
Still something he’s adjusting to.
But it doesn’t sit wrong anymore.
He pauses, glancing at her—really looking this time, at the quiet, the effort, the loneliness she’s trying so hard to outrun.
Then, softer—
“There will be people in your life again, Mom.”
And with that, he heads upstairs slower than usual, his thoughts quieter than he expected them to be.
He’s still unsure.
Still adjusting.
Still waiting for something to feel off.
But, even with that flicker of uncertainty, the part of him that’s still a kid just wants his mom.
So, a few days later, Steve lets Christy meet you properly. Steve is nervous in a way you’ve never seen before. Pacing on the front porch, running a hand through his hair, probably overthinking every possible outcome.
“We’re going to be fine,” you tell him, reaching for his arm.
“Yeah,” he mutters. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
He glances at you, something softer flickering in his expression. “That this is going to be weird.”
“It’s going to be new,” you correct, while knocking on the front door. “Not weird.”
He exhales, reaching for your hand. “Stay close?”
Your heart softens, your fingers wrapping around his. “Always.”
Christy opens the door. Her gaze moves from Steve to you, and something in her expression shifts—curiosity, warmth, a quiet kind of awe.
“You must be the one I’ve heard about,” she says.
Steve groans. “Mom—”
But she’s smiling at you. Not polite. Not distant. Real.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” she adds.
Dinner is… easy. Surprisingly so. There’s laughter. Conversation that flows. Christy asks you questions—not intrusive, not interrogating, just… interested. She watches the way Steve looks at you, the way he relaxes around you, the way he reaches for your hand under the table without thinking.
Later, when you’re upstairs, Steve exhales, dropping onto his bed. “That went better than expected.”
You sit beside him, smiling. “She likes you.”
He snorts. “God, I’d hope so.”
“I meant she likes the person you are now,” you correct.
That quiets him.
“…Yeah,” he admits.
There’s a pause. Then, softer with a tremble in his voice, “She wasn’t there for a lot of this.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know how to just… let her in.”
“You don’t have to do it all at once,” you say. “Just let her be there.”
He nods slowly.
“She it really trying,” he says.
“And I think you are too.”
He glances at you, something soft settling in his expression. “Yeah.”
Downstairs, Christy sits alone for a moment after you leave, staring at the quiet house that doesn’t feel so empty anymore. She thinks about the years she missed. The dinners she wasn’t there for. The conversations she never had. The boy she left alone too many times.
And now—
now she sees him.
Not as a child.
But as someone whole.
Someone kind.
Someone who loves deeply.
Someone who found you, despite everything.
She exhales slowly, a quiet promise settling in her chest.
She’s not leaving again.
Upstairs, Steve leans against his door after bringing you home, watching the empty hallway for a second before turning back into his room. It still feels strange. This new version of things. This presence. This… possibility.
But when he thinks about you downstairs at the table, laughing with his mom—
weird request but i saw this djo edit that kinda gave me an idea ( https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8byuNQC/ ), ould i request like joe x reader where joe is like early in his music career so like 2020 ish and he’s discouraged (lowkey unrealistic but yk) but reader is encouraging him to continue and then IDK maybe he dedicated a song to her later on in his career (2024/2025) because she’s the reason he even continued to pursue music
maybe like he covers the song in the edit ( you get what you give by new radicals ) and that’s what he dedicated to her
got the music in you
joe keery x reader
val speaks - sorry this took so long i hope u like 💗
also nooot to bore u guys with my problems but today has been shitty n just a bunch of fun stuff hapened so idk how much ill be posting. i do write as like an escape so i prob will be posting something (cus i absoloutley need an escape rn) but it will more likely be not requests or not my series for a few days yknow just some cute lil bits n pieces. love u all
word count: 2.3k
the apartment was small, the kind where the couch almost touched the kitchen counter and the windows rattled a little when buses drove past. but it felt like home.
there were guitar picks on the coffee table, notebooks with half-written lyrics and cables running across the floor that you had both promised to organise weeks ago.
joe was stretched out across the couch with his head in your lap, staring up at the ceiling like he was trying to read something written there.
his first song had come out that morning.
you were running your fingers slowly through his hair in a soft repetitive motion that always made him relax. every now and then you’d lightly scratch his scalp and you could feel him melt a little more into you.
“so,” you said quietly. “how does it feel?”
he exhaled a small laugh. not a happy one exactly, more like the kind that comes when you don’t know what to do with your nerves.
“weird,” he said. “like… really weird.”
you smiled down at him. “weird good or weird bad?”
“both?” he glanced up at you then, finally breaking his stare with the ceiling. “it’s just… out there now. anyone can listen to it.”
“that was kind of the point” you teased.
he groaned softly and dragged a hand over his face. “i know, i know.”
you kept playing with his hair, brushing it back from his forehead. “hey” you said gently.
his eyes shifted back to yours.
“i’m really proud of you.”
joe held your gaze for a moment, and the nervous energy in his face softened.
“yeah?” he asked.
“yeah.” you shrugged a little. “you’ve been working on this forever.”
he smiled faintly at that.
“and now you actually did it,” you continued. “you released a song. that’s huge.”
he looked like he was about to say something, but instead he reached up and gently took your hand out of his hair. for a second you thought maybe you’d accidentally been pulling it or something. but then he turned your hand over and pressed a quick, soft kiss to the back of it.
your laugh came out automatically.
“what was that for?” you asked.
he set your hand back in his hair like it belonged there.
“being a supportive girlfriend” he said.
you rolled your eyes, still smiling, and resumed running your fingers through his hair.
“you’re nervous” you said after a moment.
“yeah” he admitted.
“that’s normal.”
“is it?”
“of course it is.” you tilted your head slightly. “if you weren’t nervous i’d be a little concerned.”
he chuckled at that, the tension in his shoulders loosening.
the room was quiet for a minute except for the faint sound of a car passing outside and the soft movement of your fingers through his hair.
joe looked up at you again, studying your face like he was memorizing it.
“thanks” he said quietly.
“for what?”
“for… all of it. putting up with the music stuff. the stress, me playing the same thirty seconds of a song a hundred times.”
you smirked. “definitely more than a hundred.”
he laughed softly.
you leaned down just a little, brushing a stray piece of hair away from his eyes.
“i’d listen to it a thousand times if it meant you got here” you said.
his smile then was different. softer. the kind he only really had when it was just the two of you.
“good,” he said. “because i’ve got a lot more songs coming.”
you pretended to sigh dramatically.
“guess i better get comfortable then.”
he shifted slightly, settling deeper into your lap like he was proving your point.
“don’t worry,” he murmured. “you already are.”
-
it was almost a year later now. joe was sitting on the floor with his back against the couch, his laptop open on the coffee table in front of him. the glow from the screen lit up the room a little in the otherwise dim apartment.
you were sitting on the couch above him, your legs draped over his shoulders absentmindedly while you scrolled through your phone.
it was quiet for a while before he sighed.
you glanced down at him. “what?”
he leaned forward a little, tapping the trackpad and refreshing the page again. the numbers barely changed.
“i don’t think anyone’s really listening to it” he said.
you tilted your head. “to what?”
he gave you a look. “my songs.”
you watched him stare at the screen again, jaw tightening slightly in that way he did when he was frustrated but trying not to be.
“i mean i’ve got a few out now,” he continued. “but like nothing’s really happening with them.”
you slid your phone onto the couch beside you and leaned forward, “joe.”
“what?”
“so what?”
he turned slightly to look up at you, eyebrows pulling together. “so what?”
“yeah” you said simply.
he laughed a little under his breath. “very motivational.”
you nudged his shoulder lightly with your knee.
“i’m serious,” you said. “you didn’t start making music so you could stare at numbers on a screen.”
he leaned back again, looking up at you.
“you started making music because you love it.”
he was quiet for a second.
you reached down and pushed your fingers gently through his hair.
“you literally forget to eat sometimes when you’re writing” you added.
he smiled a little at that.
“my point is,” you said, lightly tugging at a strand of his hair, “you love it. so who cares if a million people aren’t listening yet?”
he stared at you for a second.
“yet?” he repeated.
you shrugged.
“yeah. yet.”
his expression softened a little.
then suddenly he pushed himself up from the floor and turned toward you, wrapping his arms around you before you fully realised what he was doing.
you let out a surprised laugh as he pulled you into a tight hug.
“what was that for?” you asked.
“you’re very encouraging” he said into your shoulder.
before you could respond he leaned back and started pressing quick kisses all over your face. your cheek. your nose. your temple.
“joe,” you laughed, trying to lean away. “stop-”
“nope.”
another kiss landed on your other cheek.
“thank you" he said.
you were still smiling when he finally pulled back.
“you’re welcome” you said, looking up at him.
he paused for a second, just watching you, then he reached up and brushed his thumb lightly along your cheek.
“i’m gonna write a song about that smile one day” he said.
you squinted at him slightly.
“you better.”
his grin widened.
“yeah,” he said quietly. “i will.”
-
the apartment was different now.
bigger windows, better light, furniture that actually matched instead of whatever the two of you could afford at the time. there weren’t cables tangled across the floor anymore, and joe had long since upgraded from recording rough demos in cramped corners with borrowed equipment and sleepless determination.
but somehow, when it was just the two of you, it still felt exactly the same.
still felt like late nights in sweatpants. still felt like laughing in the kitchen while dinner got cold on the stove because one of you got distracted telling a story. still felt like sitting together in comfortable silence, your legs draped over his lap while he absentmindedly traced shapes into your skin.
fame had changed things around him.
not him.
his music was doing well now, really well. songs that started as scribbles in notebooks become songs people knew. songs people loved. songs people tattooed lyrics from, played in their cars with the windows down, cried to, danced to, held onto.
and every single time something good happened, joe still looked at you first, like none of it made sense until he shared it with you.
there were songs fans had spent years trying to figure out. soft lyrics tucked into verses, little references, certain lines that sounded too specific not to belong to someone real.
and then there was gap tooth smile.
that one had ended every debate.
because everyone knew, everyone knew that song was yours.
joe never exactly denied it either, only smiled shyly whenever it got brought up in interviews, ducking his head in that way he did whenever something touched him more deeply than he wanted to admit out loud.
but if there was one thing people knew about joe keery, it was that when he loved, he loved fully.
and everyone knew he loved you.
a few weeks ago, he’d been offered a spot on a live session series. one where artists came on, covered songs they loved, and talked about why they chose them.
he’d picked you get what you give by new radicals.
you remembered smiling when he told you.
“good choice” you’d said from where you were curled up in bed beside him.
“right?” he’d grinned. “great song.”
“one of your favorites?”
he’d looked at you for a moment then before smiling to himself.
“something like that.”
you hadn’t thought much of it until the interview clip started making its rounds online.
you were alone at home when you saw it.
sitting on the couch with your laptop balanced on your knees, tea cooling untouched beside you.
the performance itself was beautiful, warm and full and effortlessly joe. his voice wrapped around the lyrics like they belonged there, like he’d known that song his whole life.
and people loved it.
the cover blew up almost instantly.
clips everywhere. praise everywhere. comments pouring in about how perfectly he’d done it.
but it was the interview segment afterward that stopped you cold.
the host had smiled and asked the obvious question.
“why this song?”
joe had laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
then his face changed a little, softened in that way it always did when he talked about something real.
about you.
“honestly,” he’d said, “because of my girlfriend.”
the interviewer had smiled immediately.
joe looked down for a second before continuing.
“there’s a line in it, 'you’ve got the music in you', and every time i hear it, it takes me back.”
his voice had gone quieter then, thoughtful.
“years ago, when i was first putting music out, nobody was really listening. i remember feeling pretty discouraged. i was stressed all the time, second guessing everything, wondering if i should even keep going with it.”
your chest had already started tightening by then because you knew exactly what moment he meant.
you remembered that night. remembered him sitting on the floor, frustrated and worn thin, refreshing numbers on a screen that didn’t seem to move.
remembered telling him, so what?
joe smiled softly in the interview, eyes distant with memory.
“and she was just… there,” he said. “completely there. no hesitation. no doubt in me, even when i had doubt in myself.”
he laughed quietly.
“she basically told me to stop caring about numbers and keep making music because i loved it. and she meant it.”
his eyes lifted then, and there was so much love in them it nearly knocked the breath from your lungs.
“truthfully, i wouldn’t be here doing this if it wasn’t for her. not as a musician. she held me up during years where i didn’t always know what i was doing. she supported every song, every bad demo, every weird lyric, every moment i thought maybe i should quit.”
he smiled to himself.
“so… yeah. that song reminds me of her. reminds me that i kept going because somebody i love believed i could.”
by then your vision had blurred.
a tear slipped down your cheek before you even realized you were crying.
then another.
not because it was grand or dramatic.
but because it was joe, saying it where the whole world could hear and meaning every word.
the internet, naturally, lost its mind.
fans had always suspected.
but this was different.
this was confirmation, not of rumors, but of how deeply he loved you.
clips of the interview spread everywhere, people talking about how sweet it was, how he spoke about you like you were his anchor, how rare it was to hear love described so simply and sincerely.
people called you his muse. his person. the reason the music existed at all.
but all you could think while reading it was- that’s just joe.
when he loved someone, he made sure they knew.
it was late when he got home.
you heard the door open, heard him drop his keys into the bowl by the hallway, heard his footsteps coming toward the living room.
he looked tired, hair messy from a long day, jacket half falling off one shoulder.
the second he saw you standing there, he smiled.
“hey, honey-”
you crossed the room and wrapped your arms tightly around him before he could finish.
he laughed softly in surprise, immediately hugging you back.
his hands settled at your waist, warm and familiar.
“well,” he murmured into your hair. “what’s that for?”
you just shook your head against his chest. you pulled back just enough to look up at him, eyes still a little glassy.
“just love you” you said quietly.
joe’s whole expression softened.
that same smile. the one that had existed long before stages and interviews and recognition.
the one that was only ever fully yours.
he leaned down and kissed your forehead gently.
“love you more” he murmured.
you smiled.
“not possible.”
he grinned.
“you underestimate me.”
then he kissed you, like he had a thousand times before fame ever found him, and when he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours, he smiled softly.
“still got the music in me” he whispered.
you laughed quietly, brushing your fingers through his hair.
Summary: The looming threat from your nightmares is taking root in reality, hurting the ones you love. As if that wasn't enough to worry about, personal feeling make finding a solution to your problems more laborious then needed.
A/N: I'm having so much fun writing season 4! I was soooo tempted to combine E3 and E4 because I lowkey hit flow state, but then this would've been like 15k+. There is so much to cover, but also so much to work with! Once again, I hope you enjoy!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: Language, nightmares, mention of insomnia, underage drinking, and murder/death. Jealousy (mostly one-sided), spiders/arachnophobia, mention of having braided hair (refer to photo)
Chapter outfit , chapter/season hair
WC: 6k
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
You found yourself back in your room in the lab. Sterile white walls and the cold tile beneath your feet.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” You sigh climbing out of the bed. You once again note the lack of a blaring alarm and flashing lights. You still poke a cautious head through the door, checking for the looming threat that you knew was there, you just couldn’t see it yet. That’s when the chimes started again. You followed the path you took last time to take you back to the clock.
When you made it your steps slow, now unsure of what would come next. You could now read that the clock read 9:11. Before you could think, the fourth chime rang out, nearly making you jump out of your skin.
“What are you doing out of your room, nine?” A deep voice boomed, making a shiver run down your spine. Before you can even think, your feet began to carry you as fast as you could, scared that whoever that booming voice belonged to you was going to catch you.
You turned down corner after corner, each new hallway feeling like it was going on forever. Your lungs burned, but you didn’t care. You needed to get out of here.
'Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me'
Your ears immediately perked up at the sound of Ella Fiztgerald’s smooth voice singing. She sounded distant, but the farther you ran the louder she got.
You skidded to a stop when you arrived at a door at the end of the long hallway. The music now loud as it poured from the out of place wooden door. It was decorated with a bright red rose in the center, framed with blue and yellow, with smaller, less detailed flowers on each corner. You reached for the doorknob, running through the creaking door without thought. As soon as you stepped out, you were falling into a pit of darkness. Black was all you could see as you fell, the door you stepped through, slamming shut on its own.
You jolt up in bed. Your chest rising and falling rapidly, your body soaked in sweat.
“Fuck.” You sigh, collapsing back into your mattress. You reached for a pillow, screaming your lungs out into it, your body flailing like you were a toddler having a tantrum.
When you could no longer breath, you removed the pillow, sucking in as much oxygen as you could. You look over at the clock on your nightstand, reading the 7:30 am in glowing blue light, that had been dimmed by the sunlight filtering into your window. You let out another sigh, knowing that Steve would be there at eight to pick you up.
“Are you ok, honey?” Your mother knocked from the other side of the door.
“Uh…yeah... I saw a spider. It was huge.” You stammer out an excuse.
“Do you want me to get your father?” She asked.
“No, no. I’m good. I got it! Die spider! Die!” You performed, slamming one of your shoes against the wall for extra measure.
“Look at you honey, fearless.” You could hear the smile in her voice from the other side of the door, knowing that you had a mild case of arachnophobia.
You let out a sigh at the fact that she believed you until your eyes went wide with panic when you saw a spider actually crawling across your wall.
“Oh my god! Wait, get dad!” You rushed to your door, flinging it open, stopping your mother in her tracks before she made it to the stairs.
“At least you tried.” She gave you a smile that felt like a participation trophy, before calling for your father.
“Charles!”
You sped through the finishing touches of your hair when you heard the doorbell rang, alerting you to Steve’s arrival. You pulled your braids back, into a low half up half down.
When you opened the bathroom door, Erica was already standing there, her hands on each side of the door frame, her body blocking you from leaving.
“Yes?” You prompt, looking down at your sister.
“Before you run off with your sailor man again, if you see Lucas please tell him I’ve been covering his ass for two days now. Each day of covering costs ten bucks w-”
“Wait, you only charge him ten?” You ask incredulously, raising your eyebrows at her. She had been cleaning you out, charging you fifteen a day back when you needed her to.
“You have a job.” She shrugged her shoulders. Sure blood was thicker than water, but when it came to money, business was business for her. “Anyway, each day comes with a DPR of-”
“7.9%” You spoke simultaneously. “I know. Anything else, Lady Applejack?”
“Yeah, bring home some Rocky Road. The good kind, not that cheap shit.” She answered. Despite the mall burning down, you and Steve were still on the hook for ‘free ice cream for life.’
When she was done, you hugged your goodbyes, assuring her that you would be back, before rushing to the door when Steve ran the doorbell again.
“Morning, love.” Steve greeted you when stepped out the door. He immediately slung his arm over your shoulder, pressing a kiss to your cheek.
“Hey, handsome.” You reply, taking in his blue polo shirt and the jeans that fit just right he was dressed in. You spotted the three heads of Robin, Dustin, and Max in the backseat as the two of you approached his car.
“Hi, guys!” You greeted climbing in the car. “Do you have the list?” You ask Dustin.
“Yeah, but it’s chicken scratch. Can you read it?” He answered, passing you the slip of paper Eddie wrote his grocery list on. He made all of you very aware of the party that the flies and maggots were having in Rick’s fridge when he was begging you to swing by the store for him. He didn’t know how much more Spaghetti O’s he could stomach.
“I think I can make out beer and Cheetos, maybe.” You read, squinting and widening your eyes, hoping that either would help you make out the words better. You continue to try and decipher the writing as Steve sets off, turning the volume up on the radio. His fingers tapping against the steering wheel to the beat of the song.
“Centerfold? Again?” Robin huffed, complaining for both her and Dustin. The girl throwing her hands up in annoyance. Max had luckily been safe as Kate Bush blasted through her headphones.
“What, it’s a good song.” He argued back, beginning to hum along to the song by The J.Gelis Band.
“You’ll begin to tune it out.” You assure them. The song had become an ear worm for Steve. He had been playing it nonstop. At first it was fun to sing together in the car, then it became slightly annoying, then unbearable, until it became white noise to you.
You spotted the butcher immediately when the five of you entered Bradley’s Big Buy.
“Oh my god!” Your panicked words immediately pull the group's attention.
“What?” Robin asked, everyone’s heads snapped in the direction you nod your head towards.
“Is that?” Steve questioned, his eyes filling with recognition.
“Yeah” You nod, all of you turning away trying to hide your face when he turned, feeling five sets of eyes on him.
“What? What's wrong?” Max asked, confused by your behavior.
“I might’ve made a really weird joke when Steve and I bought the meat to catch Dart.” You explain.
“Are you serious? What did you say to him?” Dustin was quick to ask, judgement laced in his tone.
“I might've told him we were doing rituals in the woods to save Hawkins.” You replied sheepishly.
“Are you insane?!” He shot back with wide eyes.
“I didn't mean for him to take it seriously. But it's not like Steve helped either. He said we were having a massive barbecue in the middle of November. Some Harrington family tradition bullshit.” You were quick to defend yourself.
“Steve.” Dustin sighed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What? I had to think on my feet. It’s not everyday your girlfriend freaks out the local butcher.” He threw his hands.
“Oh my god, you guys go get the beer or something.” He shooed the two of you away as he tried to wrap his head around your childish antics.
Dustin burst through the doors of the old boathouse, doing a little shimmy with the bags in hand.
When you entered the small space, you could see Eddie crouched down, his broken bottle in his hand ready to defend himself. You had to admit that your entrance wasn’t the most comforting for a wanted man.
“Jesus!” He panted, finally lowering his hand.
After picking through the bag, Eddie landed on a box of Honeycombs which he shoveled into his mouth like a man starved, washing it down with a bottle of Yoo-Hoo.
“So…we got some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?” Dustin prompted.
“Bad news first, always.” Eddie quickly replied through a full mouth.
“All right, bad news. Uh, We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro and they’re definitely looking for you. Also, they’re uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.” Dustin explained.
“Yeah, like a hundred percent kind of convinced.” You grimace.
“And the good news?” He sighed.
“Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it’s only a matter of time before others do too. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you.” Robin replied. You could see Eddie’s eyes growing distant. He knew it was a long shot, but he was hoping ‘good news’ would be a little more good.
“Hunt the freak right?” He grimaced.
“Yeah.” You gave him a tightlipped frown.
“So, before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.”
“That’s all, Dustin? That’s all?” Eddie shook his head in exasperation at the boy’s nonchalant tone.
“Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it.” Dustin shrugs.
“Listen, Eddie I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this before. I mean, they have a few times, and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh based, and theirs was more smoke-related, but the bottom line is collectively, I really feel like we got this.” Robin rambled her encouragement.
“Yeah, I mean usually we could’ve gotten the whole ‘clearing your name’ thing done relatively quickly. The old police chief was kind of in on all this and was helping us fight this shit, but he uh…he died so we’re kind of in a brainstorming phase let’s say.” You piped up.
“Ok, you being nervous is making me nervous.” He pointed at you. Out of everyone he was putting the most faith in you after seeing your display the day before.
“I’m not nervous, I'm just…just…” You stutter , making him look at you with big, concerned eyes.
“Oh my god.” He dropped his face into his palm, feeling less reassured than before.
“I promise, there's nothing to worry about.” Dustin tried to shrug off. The only thing the five of you got in response was a far off gaze that made the space silent.
It was quickly broken however when fast approaching sirens could be heard.
“Tarp!Tarp!Tarp!” All of you panicked, making Eddie cover himself as fast as he could. The five of you rushed to the windows. Each of you fighting to get a better view.
A collective sigh of relief was released from the group as you watched the cop cars speeding down the street, blowing past the house.
“You’re good!” You called out.
“Jesus!” He exclaimed, yanking the tarp off.
“Wait guys… if they aren’t coming for Eddie that means…” Max spoke her thoughts out loud.
“Another murder.” You finish.
When Steve pulled up to the scene, the road was blocked by a police barricade. The area was swarming with cop cars and emergency vehicles as well as the county coroner and a news van. There were a few onlookers trying to get a peak at the action, their hearts dropping when they realized the white sheet on the ground was covering a body. The sight was like a car crash they couldn’t look away from.
When the five of you climbed out of the car, you could see Nancy, clearly rattled, speaking to Officer Callahan and Chief Powell.
You could see the relief in Nancy’s face when she spotted all of you. The relief of someone who finally had people in her corner.
When she was finally able to break free from the officers, all of you snuck over to the trailer park. When you arrived, Eddie’s trailer was still condemned with yellow police tape.
The six of you sat down at a communal picnic table to catch each other up and be listening ears for Nancy.
“You’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy is from the Upside Down?” She asked.
“I mean, if the shoes fits.” Steve answered. You quickly catch the way Nancy’s eyes lingered on him for a bit long. You tried not to think about it too hard. You flick your eyes away, only to lock eyes with Robin. She raised acknowledging eyebrows at you before breaking eye contact.
“Yeah, our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse. Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know. All we know is that this is something different. It’s something new.” Dustin presented.
“It doesn’t make sense.” Nancy began to shake her head.
“It’s only a theory.”
“No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense. I mean why them?”
“Maybe they were just in the wrong place. They were both at the game and near the trailer park.” Dustin surmised.
“We’re at the trailer park. “Uh, should we maybe not be here?” Steve acknowledged, beginning to look around for signs of danger. His knee began to bounce, growing antsy. Without thought you place a hand on his upper back, rubbing it in small circles to calm him down.
“I mean, there is something weird about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here.”
“Acting weird as in…?” Robin prompted the girl.
“He was scared, on edge…upset.” Nancy explained.
“Wait, Max said Chrissy was upset too.” You remind the group.
“Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school.” Max informed.
“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman-” You could see Max’s face turn at Robin’s words, her face blooming in concern.
“Vecna.” Dustin corrected as if it was the most important thing at the moment.
“I dunno know about you guys, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone…” Steve’s eyes shifted to you, realizing that you were probably right about your nightmares.
“Y/n…what did you see?” Dustin slowly asked when he followed Steve’s gaze at you. The group followed, giving you their attention.
“I was in the lab, and I started hearing this clock chime. It chimed four times like it was four o’clock on the dot, but when I got there, it read 9:11 and it looked like it was melted into the wall or something. It didn’t make any sense. I mean it definitely means something but I don’t know. Then I heard…” Your throat began to go dry, scared to continue. It was now Steve’s turn to comfort you. His hand found yours on the table, his thumb gently rubbing across your knuckles. “I heard this booming voice ask ‘Why are you out of your room, nine?’ I mean, I hear those words all the time, but not like that. Never like that until a couple days ago. The night Chrissy died. I thought it was nothing you know? I hoped it was nothing, but…”
“Now it means everything.” Dustin continued.
“Yeah.” You nod, feeling Robin’s eyes on you. Of course she knew about the Upside Down and your powers, but it was all surface level. It had been that way for everyone, only telling them what you needed to. There was still so much even Steve didn’t know.
“And then the weirdest thing happened. I started hearing Dream A Little Dream of Me. It was coming from behind this door. When I stepped through I started falling, then I woke up.”
“What about our wizard?” Dustin's voice broke through.
“No, I haven't seen it yet.” You reply, guilt creeping up on you for not knowing more.
“But like Steve said, Fred and Chrissy did.” Dustin surmised.
“I mean if you saw a monster, you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you, but you might go to your shrink. I mean, I saw her coming out of Ms. Kelley’s office.” Max informed all of you.
“Then we need to go talk to her. We need to catch this bastard it can kill anyone else.” Steve asserted.
You were all quick to stand, rushing toward Steve’s car.
“Woah, woah, woah. Nance!” Steve called out when he noticed Nancy splitting from the group towards her car. “Where are you going?”
“Oh there’s just something I wanna check on first.”
“Something you maybe want to share with the rest of us?” Dustin inquired.
“I don’t want to waste your time. It’s a real shot in the dark.”
“Yeah, ok. Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, It’s too dangerous. You need someone to look out for you.” All Steve wanted was to be in on the action. He was so tired of being the babysitter. He was worried he was becoming too boring for you. He was worried you would find someone cooler like Dustin did with Eddie.
He had been so focused on ditching the kids, he hadn’t even noticed the slight grimace on your face, but of course Robin did. Both of you having ‘friend in distress’ tingle for each other.
“Here. I’ll stick with Nance.” He asserted giving you his car keys. “Take the car and check out the shrink.” He instructed.
“Since when could you drive?” Dustin asked, taken aback by the new information.
“Since I was sixteen. I just don’t cause I basically have a chauffeur.” You explained, gesturing towards Steve. “And I don’t know if I should, babe. You banned me from driving Betsy after I dinged her, remember.” You reminded him. In your defense, it had been your first few weeks with a license when it happened. It was after he got a little too drunk at a party and you had to drive him home. And to be fair that pole came out of nowhere.
“Yeah, that was pretty bad.” He winced at the memory. “Then uh, Robin. You drive.”
“I don't think you want me driving your car either.” She declined.
“Why?”
“I don't have a license.”
“Why don’t you have a license?”
“I’m poor.” She shrugged.
“I can drive.” Max volunteered.
“No! Never again. Please anybody, but you! No!” He shut her down immediately.
“No chance.” Steve immediately shook his head when Dustin flashed him an asking smile.
“Oh, come on.” Dustin huffed, throwing his hands up.
“Alright, this is stupid.” Robin jumped in, snatching the keys from your hand before retrieving a walkie from Dustin’s backpack. “Us ladies will stick together.” She dropped the keys back into Steve’s hand, before latching onto your wrist to drag you with her.
“Now, you don’t need to worry. We’ve got all the protection we need.” She smiled at Steve then back at you, now catching on to her little scheme. “Come on.” She tugged at your wrist, dragging you with her towards the car.
“Love you!” You shouted to Steve, leaning back, your head tipped so that you could see him.
“I love you too! Be careful!” He shouted back, his hands finding their place on his hips.
On your way to the library, Nancy filled you in on what Wayne, Eddie’s uncle, had told her.
He told her about Victor Creel. A man who had apparently killed his whole family back in 1959. How the man had been sent to Penhurst after taking a plea deal when the court declared him criminally insane, not fit to stand trial. Considering all the information provided, Nancy surmised that Victor might have escaped and might be the one responsible for murdering Chrissy and Fred and retraumatizing Hawkins all in one fell swoop. She knew it could be a long shot, but something in her couldn’t let the idea go. At this point anything is possible.
“So, he’s a grandpa murderer who can turn invisible and lift people in the air.” Robin concluded, the three of you leaning against the library’s front desk, waiting for the librarian.
“It doesn’t make sense, I know.” Nancy replied, slight annoyance evident in her voice. “That's why I said it was shot in the dark.” She said, dinging the bell on the counter.
“I know. I just thought that by ‘shot in dark’ you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve that you were going to wow us with later.” Nancy dinged the bell again, trying her best not to roll her eyes. Her frustration mounting and patience wearing thin at Robin’s ramble.
“But this is really, truly a shot in the dark. Like we’re snipers with blindfolds on that have been spun around fifty times.” Nancy sighed, dinging the bell faster, clearly showing who Mike learned the behavior from.
“Coming!” The library finally called out. When she met you, books in hand, you could see how hard she was fighting to keep her friendly demeanor, despite her annoyance.
“Hi, sorry, we’re in a bit of a rush. Could we get the key to the basement archives?” Nancy spoke fast.
“Of course. Give me one sec.” A silence hung in the air when the woman left. The tension could be cut with a butter knife at this point. It had been there since the three of you climbed into Nancy’s car.
“Did I come off as mean or condescending?” Robin finally broke through the silence, immediately assuming she was the problem considering she's not the best in social situations, especially with those not familiar with eccentricities.
“No.” Nancy shook her head.
“Right. It’s just that you seem annoyed. I mean, you don’t know me well so I just want you to know that I don’t really have a filter or have a strong grasp of social cues.”
“Ok.” She nodded, hoping that Robin’s ramble would end.
“So if I say something that upsets you, just know that I know that it’s a flaw.”
“You grow to love it.” You jumped in to compliment her.
“Tell that to my mother. She reminds me of my issue daily.” Robin continued.
“Got it.” Nancy nodded, trying to subtly stand on her tippy toes to search for the librarian.
“All right ladies. Here you go. Have fun.” The librarian finally returned, holding out the keys. You blew out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.
“Yep. We’ll try.” Nancy gave her a wry smile, plucking the keys from the woman’s hand.
Nancy was quick to walk away, you and Robin both lingering by the desk. The librarian gives you both a cautious smile, sensing the tension. When you looked at Robin she gave you an ‘I tried’ shrug. You gave the woman a quick wave before walking away, both of you trailing far behind a fast walking Nancy.
“Thank you for this by the way.” You sarcastically whisper, despite the distance between the two of you and Nancy.
“I thought I was helping. You were making a face and i didn't think she'd react this way I mean, is she normally like this?” She whispered back.
“No…I mean not really. I think she misses Jonathon. She was supposed to fly out to California to see him., but I guess something came up.” You whisper your assumption.
“Or she misses Steve.” She raised her eyebrows at you.
“No. No way.” You scoff, trying your best to shake the thought away.
“Then why is she acting weird? Maybe she’s mad that I made us ditch Dingus. She seemed kind of…happy he volunteered.” She suggested.
“I just think she’s on edge. We all are. I mean, there could be a grandpa murderer on the loose.”
“Shut up, I thought of it on the fly.” She teasingly shoved you.
“Anything juicy over there?” You asked Nancy, your attention span waning as she scrolled through article after article on Victor Creel. The two of you sat at a COMCAT machine, reading through old newspapers for every publication that reported on the case. Meanwhile Robin was combing through file cabinets and boxes, reading through file after file for anything that she deemed helpful.
“Nothing new.” Nancy let out a sigh before replying. The girl grateful that the large machine was preventing you from seeing the way her face scrunched up.
“Yeah, same here. Victor seemed like a normal guy. Well aside from the whole dead family and missing eyes thing. The rest is shit we already know.” You rattled off.
“Wait, what are we looking for exactly? Nance…” You began to knock on the machine’s wooden panel to get the girl’s attention. “Nance...”
“I don’t know. Ok?” Nancy finally snapped. “This is starting to seem like a big waste of time.” She stood, beginning to pace as she ranted. “And you are obviously bored. So why don’t you just call Steve. I’m sure he’ll come pick you up and I’m not really in danger here, so…”
“Ok, did I do something to you? I mean we were fine on the phone yesterday, now all of a sudden you’re being kind of icy.” Your shot back, your patience wearing thin, tired of the tension growing between the two of you.
“No, I’m not. I’m just really trying to focus here.” She huffed, clearly bothered.
“Me too, but it’s a little hard when the person leading the charge is acting like I shot her puppy right in front of her. I mean what is it?” You threw your hands up in exasperation.
“It’s nothing.” She tried to brush off.
“Really? Because it doesn’t feel like nothing. I mean I’m trying not to read into things, but it feels like-”
“Hey guys!” Robin shouted, pulling your attention away. The two of you ran down the stairs to meet the girl, a bevy of unresolved feelings still lingering.
“What’s going on?” You ask, walking up to the girl.
“Look!” She presented a small black archival box. A wide smile cracked across her face giddy at her find. “It’s the Weekly Watcher. I mean I’m shocked they even have it.”
“Don’t they write about, like Bigfoot and UFOs?” Nancy questioned with knitted eyebrows.
“First off, UFOs are absolutely real. Bigfoot I’m still on the fence about. But may I remind you that we are looking for information on dark wizards? If someone’s gonna write about that, it’s gonna be these weirdos.
“You are fucking genius, Rob!” You squeal, pull her in pressing a celebratory kiss to her cheek.
The three of you rushed up the stairs. You and Nancy crowded around Robin as she flicked through articles.
“ ‘Elvis Cloned By Aliens’ .” Nancy scoffed, reading off the headline.
“You never know.” Robin shrugs, always one to keep an open mind.
“ ‘Child experimentation? What is Hawkins Lab hiding?’.” Robin read out loud.
That fact that it had been going on for almost twenty years before you even got there made your stomach turn. How many came before you. Was there another 009?
“Hey, are you ok?” Robin asked, feeling you tense behind her.
“Yeah…yeah I’m good.” You nod, though your best friend was clearly not convinced. “Keep going.” You prompted her to move on to the next article. Robin immediately gasped when her eyes landed on the headline.
“ ‘Victor Creel Claims: Ancient Demon Killed Family. The Murder That Shocked A Small Community.” She read it like the man that narrates movie trailers.
“Shit!” Your eyes widened, before narrowing to read the small words. “According to several insiders, Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon. Victor allegedly hired priest to exorcise the demon from his home-”
“Pretty novel for the 50s. The Exorcist wasn’t even out yet.” Robin cut in, then quickly apologized for interrupting, though you didn’t mind. You were used to it at this point.
“Keep going.” Nancy twirled her finger, indicating for you to hurry up.
“Ok…Victor claimed the exorcism failed, but it angered the demon, which then murdered his family, removing his eyes. Victor believed he was spared as a punishment.” You read.
“That’s pretty convenient for Victor.” Nancy acknowledged.
“Yeah, or super inconvenient.” Robin began, the lightbulb in her head shining bright. “I mean think about it. Victor was declared criminally insane by the court. What if this is why? It sounds pretty insane. It just didn’t go public because of the plea bargain. The records got sealed.” She surmised.
“That would mean this demon wasn’t just any old demon. It was Vecna.”
“Yeah.” Robin replied, both of them nodding in agreement.
“Dustin, do you copy?” Robin asked through the walkie as the three of you bounded down the steps.
“Yeah, I copy.” He was quick to respond.
“So, Nancy’s a genius. Vecna’s first victims date all the way back to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bull’s-eye.”
“Ok, that’s totally bonkers, but I can’t really talk right now.” He replied.
“Wait, what are you doing?” She asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
“Breaking and entering the school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files.
“Can you repeat that?”
“Just get your ass over here, stat. We’ll explain everything.”
“I thought they were talking to Ms. Kelley?” Nancy piped up.
“Ugh…we leave them alone for two hours.” You sigh, throwing your hands up before climbing into the car.
“Steve!” You called out for direction when you entered the school. The halls were cascaded in darkness, trying your best move off of muscle memory. “Steve!” You called for him again, when you received no response.
“Alright, let’s split up.” Nancy suggested.
“What!?Have you never seen a horror movie? That is the worst idea ever.” Robin objected.
“Well, what do you suggest?” Nancy shot back.
“Steve! Dustin!” You shouted again, ignoring both of them.
“In here!” You finally got a response from Dustin. “Hurry!” He screamed, the panic evident in his voice. “Follow the light!” He yelled, pointing his flashlight through the doorway.
The three of you broke into a sprint, pushing through burning lungs to make it to him as fast as you could.
The closer you got, you could hear the panicked voices of Steve and Dustin.
“Wake up! Come on, wake up!” Steve was shaking Max’s shoulders when you made it to Ms.Kelley’s office.
“What’s happening?” You panted.
“Max is in a trance or something. She’s not waking up.” Dustin explained his face scrunched in worry.
You rushed to her side as Steve continued to shake her, fear painted across his face. Your heart was hammering, not longer from running, but from the way Max sat as stiff as a board, her eyes rolled back into her head.
“How long has she been like this?” You ask.
“I do- I don’t know. One minute she was fine and then…” Steve answered, his eyes never leaving the girl’s face.
“Shit.” You sighed as Steve went back to shouting her name after giving you all the information he could muster.
“Max! Max! Max!” You could hear his voice go froggy as tears welled in his eyes, not caring if they fell at this point.
A sharp breath broke through all the screaming. A wave of relief washed over the six of you when Max came back to her body.
She was on her feet in an instant, ignoring the one’s asking if she was all right. One of her hands your wrist, the other grabbing a flashlight.
She dragged you out of the office, moving like a girl on a mission, the rest of the group quickly following behind.
“It was here. I swear.” She asserted, her flashlight pointed at the bare wall. “Just like y/n said. It was a big grandfather clock stuck in the wall. It was stuck on 9:11 and it chimed four times.” She explained, her eyes still trained on the wall, waiting for it to warp into her vision.
“Shit.” You huffed, dragging your hands down your face.
“W-what happened to me?” She hesitantly asked.
“It was like you were in a trance or something. Just like Eddie said happened to Chrissy.” Dustin explained.
“That’s not even the bad part.” She turned to face the six terrified ones staring at her.
“What do you mean?” Steve asked.
“Let me show you.”
The five of you sat around Max as she relayed her findings.
“Fred and Chrissy. They both came to Ms. Kelley for help. “They had bad headaches that just wouldn’t go away…then the nightmares and trouble sleeping…” Max’s eyes found yours before she pressed on. “They’d wake up in a cold sweat. Then they’d start seeing things. Like bad things from their pasts and they just kept getting worse and worse until…everything ended. Chrissy’s headaches started a week ago and Fred’s started six days ago…I’ve been having them for five days.” She confessed, her eyes welling as she continued. “I don’t know how long I have. All I know is that for Fred and Chrissy, they died twenty-four hours after their first vision and I just saw that goddamn clock so…looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.” She released a shaky breath.
“No. No, you’re not.” You shook your head, wiping your eyes before any tears could fall. “We are going to figure this shit out and I’m gonna kill this bastard before he can get to you.” You proclaim, refusing to accept defeat so quickly.
“What if we don’t?” She asked. She wanted to believe, She really wanted to, but she knew she had to be realistic. When it comes to her, a promise made is never a promise kept.
Before you could answer, a distant clang drew everyone’s attention.
“Stay here.” Steve was instructed, his eyes fixed on you.
Before he left, he reached for Ms.Kelley’s floor lamp, holding it as a baseball bat as he slinked out the room.
You and Dustin were quick to defy him, closely following behind him.
“What did I tell you?” He whispered.
“You thought I was gonna let you defend yourself with a lamp?” You whisper back as Robin, Max and Nancy crept out of the office to join the rest of you.
“Shh!” Steve brought his fingers to his lips when another clang sounded and footsteps approached. Steve gripped the lamp tight, ready to swing.
A collective scream rang out when a figure ran up to you and the figure ran back, their hands up in surrender.
“It’s me! It’s me!” The familiar voice assured, through ragged breaths.
“Lucas?” You call out in recognition.
“Yeah…it’s me.” He hunched over, his hands on his needs as he tried to catch his breath.
“Jesus! What’s wrong with you?” Steve exclaimed, lowering the lamp.
“I’m sorry.” He was quick to apologize.
“I could’ve taken you out with this lamp!”
“Sorry, guys…sorry.” He panted. “I was biking for eight miles…give me a second…shit…Ok. We’ve got a code red.” Your brother finally got out.
“What?” Steve asked, still trying to get used to the lingo the party uses.
“Dustin, I’ve been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they’ve gone totally off the rails. They’re trying to capture Eddie and they think you know where he is. You’re in terrible danger.” He urgently warned.
“All right, yeah definitely that sucks, but we have bigger problems than Jason now.”
Summary: Shocking and horrific news hits Hawkins the day following your nightmares. You try not to worry, but your world gets shook up when the news hits a little too close to home for you and the party. You just hope you can find a way through before it was too late.
A/N: I don't know what it is, but season 4 has been flowing through me I'm just hoping you're enjoying it as much as me!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: Language, nightmares, mention of insomnia. mention of horrific injuries
Chapter Outfit (middle fit)
WC: 6.5k
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
Your eyes stayed on the clock on Steve’s bedside. 4:06am it read.The red light taunting you as it stared back at you. You’ve been trying your best to fall back asleep, but your brain thought it knew better than your sluggish body. Every time your eyes drooped, you would see that clock and hear that voice.
You tried to lean into the comfort of Steve tracing his fingers gently up and down your upper arm, until it eventually ceased when he fell back asleep. You then tried to use his beating heart as a lullaby as your head laid on his chest. The thrumming trying its best to drown out the chiming clock that had become an ear worm at the point. You knew that a watched pot never boils, but you couldn’t help yourself. It felt like an hour was passing between every minute.
“Got to sleep.” You heard Steve mumble in a gruff voice heavy with sleep as if he could sense your continued unease.
“I’m trying.” You whispered back, trying to bury your face further into his chest.
“Do you wanna watch a movie?” He asked, knowing that you couldn’t resist the idea and it was usually a fail safe for your post nightmare insomnia.
The two of you made your way downstairs. You rifled through his collection of tapes while he made popcorn in the kitchen.
You landed on The Goonies, popping the tape in. You sighed, wrapping yourself in the blanket and flopped on the couch.
“Hot and ready popcorn.” Steve smiled, joining you on the couch. You settled against his chest, feeling more at peace. Your hands fight for dominance in the popcorn bowl as you each grabbed as much as you could, making it future y/n and Steve’s problem to clean up.
You were halfway through the movie when you could feel Steve’s heartbeat slow against your back and his yawns became more frequent.
“You don’t have to stay up with me.” You tell him, knowing that he’s fighting sleep at this point.
“Yes, I do. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t make sure you were ok?”
“A well rested one. Plus it’s not fair that you’re staying up just because of me.”
“Then go to sleep.” He teased, pressing a tired kiss to your cheek.
“I’m working on it.” You grumble through a mouthful of popcorn.
When Steve woke up, the t.v. was humming with static, the VHS tape hanging out. He was about to scramble from his spot, sure that he overslept his alarm, until he felt you pressed against him. Your breath even and your face restful was a sight to behold for him. His eyes traced you up and down a smile breaking across his face at how peaceful you seemed.
“Ok…” He sighed, now trying to figure out how he could get out of his spot without disturbing you. It didn’t help that your head was resting on his arm that had gone numb at this point. “Think, think, think…” He repeated in a whisper when his eyes caught the clock on the wall. It read 8:15 and your shifts started at ten.
He managed to weasel his arm out, his eyes going back to your face every time he moved to ensure that you were still asleep.
He took the only route of escape that he could think of by crawling over the back of the couch, trying his best to match the agility of a cat.
“Shit.” He whispered, almost tripping over his feet. He once again snuck a glance at you, relieved that you were in fact still asleep.
He moved to the kitchen, immediately beginning to brew a pot of coffee. While the coffee machine did its thing, he began to prepare breakfast.
He was in the middle of flipping a pancake when he felt your arms wrap around his bare torso. Your lips pressing gentle kisses to the freckles littering his back. A smile crept across his lips at the attention. He never realized that loving someone and being loved could feel so good. He thought he had it with Nancy, but that kiss in the Byers’ bathroom changed what love meant for him.
“Smells good.” You finally speak, voice still bogged down by sleep.
“Thank you, honey. I made coffee by the way.” He informed you nodding in the machine’s direction.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” You gasp excitedly before kissing his cheek. You couldn’t tell if the heat radiating from his cheek was from the blush forming on his cheek or the stove he was cooking on.
“Yes, but I would love to hear it again.” His grin was now as big as the cheshire cat’s.
“I love you like this much.” You extended your arms to your full wingspan.
“Wow, that’s a lot of love, but I think I got you beat.” He bragged, walking over to you. He extended his arms, his wingspan longer than yours.
“I’m sorry, honey, but I think it’s official. I love you more.” He finished in a mocking sing-song voice.
“That’s so unfair.” You huffed, giving him a playful shove at his teasing.
When you and Steve walked into Family Video, your second cup of coffee in hand. Robin was already restocking shelves in the horror section.
“Oh my god you guys!” She abandoned her task, leaving the cart of vhs tapes where it stood.
“What’s up?” You asked as you slid on the hideous green vest you were required to wear as you walked behind the counter. Before continuing, Robin bounced her eyes around the store, checking for unwanted listening ears. She gave her full attention back to you when she deemed it safe.
“Ok, so Vickie heard us last night…well she heard me when I said Tammy sounded like a muppet. Then, guess what.” She rushed over, leaning on the counter in front of you.
“What?” Steve asked, hopping over the counter to join you.
“She laughed. And it wasn’t like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like a real, genuine laugh.” She explained with excited eyes and a giddy voice.
“Of course. It’s my joke. It’s hilarious.” He bragged as he skimmed the To-do list Keith left for the three of you.
“Whatever, my point is that Vickie laughed and everything was just…it was perfect.”
“But?” You asked, drawing the word out as you began to sort through the comedy movies.
“But, I’m having this problem where it’s like I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say, but then I guess I get nervous and the words keep spilling out and it’s like my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or rather my mouth is moving faster than my brain, I’m digging a hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I’m trying to stop, but I can’t, and I’m doing it right now, aren’t I?” She rambled until her brain finally caught up.
“Mhmm.” You hummed.
“Yeah, you are.” Steve replied, now familiar with how word salad was her favorite food. You had to admit that you felt like a proud parent watching their kid make new friends, as their friendship grew.
It only took about two weeks for her cold exterior to crumble and the full comfort to be herself take place in Robin.
“Oh, I’m hopeless.” Robin sighed, leaning against the massive poster of the latest release hanging on the wall. Both you and Steve joining her little pity party.“No, you’re not, Rob. Have you ever thought that maybe she might like that? It’s part of what makes you, you.” You explain through a yawn.
“I’m sorry, is my doomed love life boring you?”
“Of course not. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” You assured, itching for the coffee you left behind the counter.
“Gross.” Her eyes bounced between you and Steve, who was now yawning himself.
“Oh my god, not like that. I just had a nightmare.”
“Like a nightmare, nightmare?” She asked, now understanding what it could mean.
“I don’t know. I was in the lab. It doesn’t matter right now. We’re supposed to be helping with your so-called doomed love life, right?” You deflected, too scared to think about it. You wanted to believe it was nothing, but that four chimes of that clock still rang in your ears whenever it was too quiet.
“Yeah, yeah, right.” She decided to move on despite seeing the way your face twitched at whatever her question drew out.
“Why can’t we combine or swap brains or something?” She looked at Steve.
“What?” His brows furrowed in confusion.
“Think about it. You have asked out a million girls. If I had some of that Harrington courage and charisma, I would be set for life.” She explained. “Wait, y/n could you do that?” She inquired.
“Sorry, Rob. I can’t pull a Freaky Friday.” You answered, watching her posture deflate. She sighed before straightening back out as she had an epiphany.
“Ooh! I think I found our morning movie.” She chirped. The three of you would take turns choosing a movie everyday. The store was usually dead in the mornings so you would always take advantage of a free movie while you prepared for the afternoon rush.
“You ok?” Steve whispered, looking at you as Robin scurried off to grab her selection.
“Yeah.” You nodded trying to convince both of you. Steve’s hand found yours, bringing it up to his lips. He placed a sweet kiss to the back of it while flashing those brown eyes you loved so much, hoping his comforting actions would ease your mind. “There she is.” He smirked when a smile forced its way on your face.
“Doctor Zhivago.” Robin’s words broke through your bubble as clutched the tape to her chest.
“Ugh, you know I don’t do double VHS.” Steve complained.
“But it’s about doomed love and it would make me feel better. Pleeease.” She begged.
“Fine. Pop it in.” He sighed, finally caving when he realized you weren’t going to argue with her choice.
“Yes!” She cheered. You and Steve broke apart, him pushing Robin’s abandoned cart, while you shelved the last three tapes you were still holding onto. “Also Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like seriously, the most beautiful creature I have seen in my life.” She continued, practically skipping behind the counter. You let out a light chuckle at her words before sighing in relief at the fact you shelved the last tape.
“We’re in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County.” The voice of the local reporter, Beverly Moss caught your attention.
Max was the first place your mind went. It was the trailer park Max and her mother moved to after Billy’s father divorced her. The man packing up and leaving as soon as he buried his son.
“We don’t have a lot of details now, but we can confirm the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning.” You felt like you were just punched in the chest. Your breath became ragged as you fought to suck in enough oxygen. You didn’t want to think the worst, but you couldn’t help it. “Police have not released a name although they are currently in the process of notifying the family.” You rushed to the phone as the woman continued her report.
“Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Fuck!” You pleaded, holding the phone to your ear waiting for an answer.
“Babe?” Steve turned to find you learning against the counter, your head in your hand.
“She’s not answering.” You slammed the phone down.
“Hey. Hey.” His hands found your cheeks, forcing you to look at him. “We don’t know if it’s her ok. It might not be her.”
“What if it is. What if she’s…” He pulled you into him, trying to stop before you spiraled. Your words getting lost as your face pressed into his shoulder.
“We don’t know yet. Let’s just keep watching.” He urged.
The two of you moved back next to Robin, your eyes going back to the screen.
“As you can see behind me, Chief Powell and the Hawkins Police Department are actively investigating the scene. We also don’t know if there was foul play involved, but whatever has occurred here is sure to touch nerves across Hawkins.”
“Ever since that girl, Barb, died a few years ago…” It felt like you were receiving hit after hit of guilt and grief. Your eyes flicked over to the phone, thinking of calling Nancy. You knew the name probably shook her more than you and there was no way she wasn’t watching. You were sure everyone in town was huddled around a t.v. shaking in fear and concern. “In the meantime we recommend you keep your windows and doors locked tight. This is Beverly Moss, signing off.”
“Fuck me!” You let out, going back to the phone. Your fingers were surely close to breaking at the force you were pressing.
“Wheeler residence.” Ted picked up the phone after an excruciating amount of rings.
“Hey, Mr. Wheeler. Is Nancy there?”
“Karen is Nancy here!” You could hear him yell to his wife, despite the fact his hand was definitely covering the receiver.
“She’s at school doing her newspaper thing.” He finally replied. You rolled your eyes at the fact he was diminishing Nancy’s passion as just a ‘thing’.
“Ok, thank you so much Mr, Wheeler. Have a good one.” You immediately went right back to work, your fingers dialing the newspaper’s extension.
“Weekly Streak, this is Fred.” A boy answered the phone.
“Hi, is Nancy there?” You asked, beginning to fidget with the slinky Steve keeps on the counter.
“Yeah, just give me a second.”
“Hello?” Her voice broke through.
“It’s y/n. Did you see the news?”
“Yeah, it was…”
“I know. I just figured I should check on you. I had a mini heart attack when they mentioned Barb, so I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling.”
“I’m ok, I just wasn’t expecting it. I thought I was getting over it, but I guess not. I also didn’t want to freak out in front of everyone. They wouldn’t understand. What about you? Is Max ok?” She asked.
“I-I don’t know I tried to call but she didn’t answer. I’m hoping for the best, but I’m freaking the fuck out.” You confess.
“Yeah, um this might be crazy to ask, but did you want to come to Forest Hills with me? Fred and I were gonna go and see if we could find more information about what’s going on.” She asked.
“I would, but I’m at wo- Holy shit, I need to go!” You slammed the phone down, without thought when the store’s door opened. The bells jangling for your attention. It was Max and Dustin.
“Oh thank god!” You ran from behind the counter, throwing your arms around the girl. “You scared the shit out of me.” You finally felt like you could breathe again. Her ‘sorry’ was lost in the tight squeeze you had on her.
“Hey, uh, I know that you’re pissed at me right now, but I need to know how many phones you have.” Dustin spoke, his eyes filled with worry as you released Max from your hold.
“I don’t know.” You reply, your eyes meeting Steve’s. You could see the relief on Steve’s face and his body relax at the fact that Max was fine.
“You see this? Someone was murdered.” Steve asked the boy, but Dustin ignored him
“How many phones do you have?” He asked again, eyes bouncing between Steve and Robin.”
“Uh, three I think.” Steve replied.
“Wait, no we have four of you count the one in Kieth’s office.” You remembered.
“Four will work.” Max spoke, looking at Dustin who gave her a nod in agreement.
“Alright, let’s get to work.” Dustin said before climbing over the counter the best way his unathletic body could manage, knocking over the stack of VHS tapes in the process.
“No,no,no. My tapes!” Steve threw his hands up in frustration.
“What the hell, dude. What are you doing?” You ask, restacking the tapes.
“We’re setting up our base of operations.” The boy answered, heading straight for the computer.
“Base of operations?” Steve asked, rushing after him. “Uh-uh. Get off.” He tried to shove Dustin away from the machine.
“I need it!” Dustin shot back, refusing to budge.
“For what?” You ask, peaking over his shoulder.
“For Eddie’s friend’s phone numbers.” He answered, scrolling through the customer database.
“Your new best friend you think is cool because he plays your nerdy game?” Steve asked. You could hear the bite in his tone. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was jealous. Dustin wasn’t just one of his best friends, he was like his little brother. The thorn in his side that he would never pluck, but he was getting scared that Dustin was beginning to wiggle himself free from Steve’s stem.
“Yes. And I never said that.” He defended himself.
“Seriously, you guys. Maybe on a Monday you can play around, but it’s Saturday. It’s our busiest day.” Robin chastised, continuing to organize the disturbed area.
“Robin, I empathize, but this cannot wait.” Dustin replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.
“Why is calling Eddie’s friends an emergency? And why is our computer necessary? This is what phone books are for.” You argued.
“We don’t have time for a phone book, because yes this is an emergency!” You sighed at his tone, dragging your hands down your face.
“Want me to strangle him or do you guys want to do it?” Steve asked, looking between you and Robin.
“What if we take turns?” You reply with a smile.
“Ugh, can you fill them in while I do this?” He asked Max, tired of the three of you complaining.
“Fill us in on what?” Robin asked in a huff, finally done organizing.
You could tell by the look on Max’s face that whatever happened it was bad. She was quick to inform the three of you that Chrissy had been the one to meet a horrific end.
“It saw Eddie and Chrissy going into his trailer. I thought it was weird, but I didn’t think anything of it, but then something weird happened. I was watching t.v, then it started bugging out. It kept going static. Then the lights started to flicker. I thought maybe my mom didn’t pay the electric bill or something. That’s when I heard Eddie scream. He sounded terrified. When I went to look out the window, he was scrambling to his van like he was running for his life. I tried to forget about it, but all I could think about was how scared he looked. I guess I’m trying to say that I don’t think Eddie killed Chrissy. What if it’s…” Her worried eyes found yours as she trailed off.
“Exactly! That’s why we need to find Eddie. We have to figure out what happened before the cops get to him first. If this is what we think it is, no one’s gonna believe him. We’re the best chance he’s got.” Dustin looked at the three of you, his eyes pleading for help. No matter how pissed you were at him, you couldn’t refuse. Eddie’s innocence was hanging in the balance and judging by the report on the news, it seemed like the town would crucify whoever was found responsible.
“Ok, where do we start?”
“No, I don’t know a Reefer Rick. Would you happen to know his last name or something? I mean just Rick is not a lot to go off of.” You asked the person on the phone whose number you got from a friend of a friend of Eddie, who you spent almost five minutes trying to convince that you weren’t a cop.
“I’m sorry, dude. That’s all I know.” The man on the line apologized.
“It’s fine. At least I have a solid lead. Thank you though.” You replied before hanging up the phone before letting out a deep sigh.
“Any luck?” Steve asked, sorting through the returns.
“No, but it would be nice if you actually help. Kieth’s stupid to-do list can wait.” You replied, beginning to dial the next number.
“Well one of us has to work if we want to get out of here on time. I mean what if this is just some wild goose chase that gets us nowhere, but behind.” He presented.
“What if my nightmare has something to do with this?” You leaned in, hoping only he could hear.
“What does the lab and a clock have to do with Eddie killing a girl?” He asked.
“One, we don’t know that it doesn’t and two, we don’t know if Eddie actually killed her.” You reminded him.
“Sure, but-”
“Wait, you think he’s guilty don’t you?” Dustin walked up to jump in. “We don’t have time for your one-sided jealousy right now, Steve. We need to find Eddie before it’s too late.” He argued.
“Slow your roll there, Henderson. I’m not jealous of your new friend, alright. I was just thinking that maybe if we talk to the cops-”
“You can not be serious.” You quickly cut him off, crossing your arms.
“Woah…” He began to wave his hands in surrender. “Listen, I believe in innocent until proven guilty and all that constitutional shit. I just mean if this Reefer Rick guy is the best lead at the moment and he’s a drug dealer, then I’m sure he’s been arrested at some point. And maybe we shouldn’t rule out the possibility that he might’ve done this.”
“That’s precisely what we’re trying to do here Steve.” Max argued.
“Well, there’s only four phones and I have a bevy of overwhelmed customers to attend to. I mean Kieth already hates me. I’m like one write up away from getting fired. Do you even realize how expensive New York is?”
“New York?” Dustin’s brows furrowed in confusion, your wide eyed stare met Steve’s, begging him to stop talking, before he let the news completely spill out.
“Don’t worry about it, ok.” You jumped in. “We need to stay focused on figuring out who this Reefer Rick guy is. And what Kieth doesn’t know won’t hurt him, alright. He won’t fire you and if he gets mad, just blame me and Rob. He likes us too much to do anything, anyway.”
“No, he likes looking at you and Robin. There is a huge difference.” He argued.
“I fail to see how that’s important right now. You can leave the overwhelmed plebs of Hawkins to fend for themselves for a little bit to help us.” Dustin’s frustration grew.
“I don’t th-”
“Both of you shut up, I have an idea!” Robin cut in, rushing to the computer. The four of you huddled around the girl as her fingers danced across the keyboard, making the keys clack with each new letter.
“What if we don’t need a last name.” She explained, pulling up a list of Ricks. “Twelve Ricks have an account here, what if we’re able to narrow it down.” She continued, pulling up each Rick’s recent rentals until you hit the jackpot.
“Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dreams, Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke.” She rattled off the list.
“Bingo!” You smiled, a wave of relief washing over the group.
“Yep. 2121 Holland Road.” She read off the address.
“That’s out by Lover’s Lake.” Dustin pointed out.
“Yeah, it’s in the middle of nowhere.” You acknowledge. “It’s a perfect place to hide.”
Reefer Rick’s house seemed abandoned when you arrived. An eerie silence hung in the air when the five of you climbed out of the car.
Dustin didn’t let a second pass between each press of the doorbell. Never giving it time to complete its full chime.
“Ok, well it settled. He’s not here.” Steve piped up as Dustin pressed the door bell faster, still receiving no response. Your boyfriend still not completely sold on the searching for a possible murderer idea.
“Eddie! It’s Dustin!” He screamed, announcing your presence that was actively working against the secret of your operation.
“Great.” Steve sighed, placing his hands on his hips.
“Look, we just want to talk.” Dustin continued on as the five of you began to fan out, searching for any sign of life. “No cops I swear. We just want to help.”
“Eddie!”
“Shh!” You and Robin shushed him. His yelling becoming to loud for comfort.
“Rick!” He decided to switch tactics while you pressed your face against the window, searching for clues. “Reefer Rick!”
“Don’t scream that.” Steve chided the boy.
“I want to make sure he hears me. What if he's just really high?” Dustin argued.
“He’s definitely been here.” You pipe up when you spot a glass of orange juice sitting on the counter, its carton right beside it. “I mean I don’t know the guy, but who leaves a whole carton out next to their full cup. It looks like he might’ve gotten spooked before he could drink it.” You reasoned, the group huddled around you to get a better look.
“Can you get us in the house?” Dustin questioned.
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable breaking into a drug dealer’s house.”
“It’s for a good cause.” He frowned, trying to guilt you until you caved.
“Fine, but if we get caught I will not hesitate to throw you under the bus.” You walked over to the door, about to raise your hand when Max called for the group's attention.
“Hey, guys!” The four of you rushed to her side, your eyes following her line of sight to a small boat house at the back of the property.
“Hello?” Robin called out when she entered the structure, the four of you creeping in behind her. “Is anyone home?” She asked, still receiving no response.
“What a dump.” Steve commented, his eyes darted around the room.
“I think it’s charming.”
“What do you find charming? The rust or the mildew smell?”
“Defiently the smell.” You joked, earning a light chuckle from him. You smiled to yourself as you continued to explore the small space. Your head snaps to the side at the loud ‘thwack!’ that broke the quiet you found yourselves in.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Dustin jumped, only to be ignored as Steve continued to poke and prod at the tarp covered boat. “What are you doing?!” The boy repeated his question.
“He might be in there.” Steve finally responded, his eyes never leaving the boat.
“So take the tarp off!”
“If you’re so brave, you take the tarp off.”
“I can do it.” You offered the bickering boys.
“No!” Steve was quick to shut down the idea. Even after everything you’ve been through and are capable of, he still can’t turn off the protective urge he had for you in his brain. He knew that it slightly annoyed you, but he could easily take it if it meant you were safe.
“Then stop arguing and someone just do it already.” You sighed, tired of hearing the two bicker, something that had been happening since Eddie had become a big part of Dustin’s life.
“Don’t worry. Steve will get him with his oar.” Dustin jeered.
“I know you think you’re being funny, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally I don’t find it very funny in the slighte-” The words died on his tongue when someone popped up from under the pile of tarps.
“What the fuck?!” You jumped back, your heart began to hammer in shock.
“Wait!Wait!Wait!Wait!” Steve screamed when the person grabbed onto his collar, backing him up until he was pinned to the wall. All of you now recognizing it was Eddie.
“Woah,woah,woah! Eddie, Eddie stop!” Dustin pleaded as he held a broken bottle to Steve’s throat. Your hand immediately rose before Steve’s eyes could even look to you for help. “Y/n, wait!” Dustin stepped between you and the boys. “Let me try first.” Dustin pleaded, hoping that the three of you could put your trust in him.
“If he hurts him I swear to god.” You relented with narrowed eyes as you reluctantly lowered your hand.
“He won’t.” He turned his attention to Eddie. “I just need you to lower the bottle, ok. You're safe, It’s just me. It’s Dustin and that’s Steve. He’s not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?”
“Right, yeah.” Steve lightly nodded, trying to assure the man who was holding his life in his hands.
“Steve, why don’t you drop the oar?” Steve immediately followed his instructions. Robin had to grab your shoulders to keep you back when Eddie pressed the sharp edge of the bottle against Steve’s skin, making him wince in pain.
“He’s cool. He’s cool.” Dustin reassured him. His hands raising, hoping to calm the man who was behaving like a caged animal.
“I’m cool, man. I’m cool.” Steve piped up with a strained voice.
“What are you doing here?” Eddie interrogated.
“We’re looking for you.” Dustin answered.
“We’re here to help.” Robin jumped in.
“Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band.” The girl began to mime playing a trumpet. “This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. And this is y/n, Lucas’ sister and I know she looks pissed right now, but I promise she wants to help you.” He spoke calmly. “Eddie, please. We’re on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?”
“Yes.Yes. We swear.” Robin promised.
“On Dustin’s mother.” You continued.
“Yeah, Dustin’s mother…on Dustin’s mother.” Steve let out.
Dustin’s heart hammered harder when silence hung in the air, Eddie’s eyes glaring into Steve’s as if he were searching for any signs of deception. A collective sigh is released by the group when Eddie finally let him go.
“Honey?” You rushed to Steve, forgetting the room. His head dropped to your shoulder, squeezing you tight as he fought to collect his breath. You could feel his humming bird heart pounding against your chest. “Are you ok? Let me look at you.” You reluctantly pulled away, bringing your hands to his cheeks. He nodded, letting you tilt his head back so that you could examine his neck. “He just nicked you a bit. Nothing too bad.” You promised him before he pulled you back in, not ready to let you go yet.
The five of you cautiously stepped forward towards Eddie who was still cagey.
“Eddie. We just want to talk.” Dustin squatted down his level. A frown formed on his face when he looked at his traumatized friend, his eyes glassy and distant.
“We want to know what happened.” Robin slowly approached, trying not to startle him.
“You won’t believe me.” He finally spoke again with a froggy voice, his welling eyes looking around at the five pairs of eyes on him.
“Try us.” You met his horrified and disbelieving eyes.
“I uh, I went to go get some stuff from my room and when I came back she was in this like…she was in a trance or something. I tried everything I could. I was screaming her name and trying to shake her awake, but it wasn’t working. She just stood there. Then she…then she started floating. I tried to pull her down, but I couldn’t. It was like something was holding her up like a puppet on a string or something. She just hung there. Then her bones…she…her bones started to snap and her eyes, man. It was like something inside her head was pulling. I didn’t know…I just didn’t know what to do, so I…I ran away. I left her there.” He felt like he was drowning in a sea of guilt when he realized what he did that night. He couldn’t help but feel like he could’ve done more. Called 911. Something. But instead he did what he always did. He ran.
“You all think I’m crazy, right?” He scoffed, finally finding footing back in reality.
“No. We don’t think you’re crazy.” Dustin softly assured him.
“Don’t bullshit me man! I know how this sounds.” Eddie shot back, dropping a tired hand into his hand.
“We’re not bullshitting you.” You piped up, locking eyes with him, so that he knew you were serious. “I believe you. We believe you.” Eddie just shook his head.
“Eddie, look at me.” Dustin called, pulling his eyes from yours. “What I’m about to tell you might be a little…difficult to take.”
“Ok.” Eddie nodded along.
“You know how people say Hawkins is cursed? Well, they’re not way off. There’s another world. A world hidden beneath Hakwins and sometimes it bleeds into ours.”
“Like ghosts and shit?”
“Worse.” You reply.
“Yeah. These monsters from this other world, we thought they were gone. But they’ve come back before. That’s why we needed to find you. If they’re back again, we need to know. She needs to know.” Dustin pointed at you.
“W-why her?” His eyes flick over at you.
“Well not to pile onto the crazy but, I have abilities that let’s say are very advantageous in a situation like this.” You answer in a way that you hope wouldn’t feel like another bomb being dropped on him.
“What?” His eyebrows knitted together.
“She has superpowers.” Steve piped up beside you, prepared to wholeheartedly brag.
“What?” He repeated.
“Show him.”
“Ok, just try not to freak out.”
“I’ll try my best.” He threw his hands up. You raised your hand, holding it in the direction of the oar Steve threw down. Then pulled the wooden paddle to you with ease until it landed in your palm.
“What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.” Eddie repeated, dragging his hands down his face.
“I know this is a lot of information to take in but-
“You think, Henderson!” He snapped at the boy.
“Look…” You squatted in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The group too focused on Eddie to see Steve roll his eyes and sigh. “You just saw what I could do and they are a huge part of taking down this evil shit whenever it crawls out of the cesspool it calls home. We have been keeping Hawkins safe for years and we are going to try our hardest to find whatever did this to Chrissy and clear your name.”
“That’s why we need to know if you saw anything that night.” Robin chimed in.
“Like what?”
“Dark particles, maybe? It would almost look like swirling dust.” Dustin asked.
“No, man. There was nothing you could see or touch. It was kind of like that freaky shit you just did, just worse, like a million times worse.” Your blood ran cold at his words you could help but think; What if. “It was like she was under a spell or something.” Eddie explained.
“Or worse. A curse.” The lightbulb in Dustin’s brain flipped on. “Vecna’s curse.”
“Who’s Vecna?” Steve asked with furrowed brows.
“An undead creature of great power.” Dustin explained, his face horrified.
“A spellcaster. A dark wizard.” Eddie continued the boy’s thought, his knee now bouncing as he realized what this could mean. He realized that the monsters he’s spent years creating campaigns for and slaying with a set of dice could actually be real.
cw: angst, rrs (realistic relationship struggles), no cheating/miscommunication trope, hurt/comfort (light), personal growth themes, face claim olivia dean (congrats on ur grammy).
summary: one night after your small show, you and joe broke up, on the same night you left. after five years of silence, you just drop an album.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
YEAR 2020-2021
You first saw him under dim yellow lights, the kind that made everything look warmer than it really was.
Joe Keery had a guitar slung low on his shoulder, hair messy like he’d run his hands through it one too many times. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone, that’s what got you. He just… was. Singing as the song mattered more than the crowd.
You stayed until the end of the set then longer.
Backstage smelled like cheap beer and tangled wires. Someone introduced you, you forgot who.
“Hey,” he said, a little breathless, like he’d just run offstage and straight into you. “You’re a musician too, right?”
You nodded. “Trying to be.”
He smiled like that was the most important thing you could’ve said. “Yeah,” he murmured. “me too.”
❈────────•✦•────────❈
It started small.
Shared playlists.
Two earbuds, one each, shoulders brushing as you walked.
Arguments over lyrics were like life-or-death.
“You cannot rhyme ‘heart’ with ‘apart’ again,” you groaned one night.
“It’s a classic,” Joe defended, grinning.
“It’s lazy.”
“It’s emotional.”
“It’s predictable.”
He paused, then leaned closer. “You’re predictable.”
You shoved him but he laughed. and just like that, it became something.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
Late November 2021
Living together felt like stepping into a song you never wanted to end.
Mornings smelled like coffee and unfinished melodies.
Afternoons were guitars resting against the couch, notebooks scattered across the floor.
Evenings were spent chasing sounds—his fingers on strings, your voice filling the spaces he missed.
“Sing that again,” he’d say.
“You just want me to fix your song.”
“Maybe,” he’d admit. “but I also just want to hear you.”
You believed him.
God, you believed him.
But dreams don’t pause for love. His schedule filled first—film shoots, press, late nights on set. You told yourself it was okay. It was okay.
You were proud of him, you really were. Still… the apartment got quieter. Your voice echoed more when you sang, and sometimes, when your phone lit up, it wasn’t him.
The message came on a random Tuesday. You’ve been invited to perform. Industry showcase. Major labels attending.
You stared at it for a long time, like it might disappear. Then you called him immediately.
“Baby,” you said, breathless, pacing the room. “I got invited to a show. Like—a real one. Labels, and everything.”
There was a pause, then, “That’s amazing,” he said, voice warm despite the distance. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Will you come?”
“Of course I will.”
No hesitation in his voice, you smiled and that was enough.
The night of the show, your hands wouldn’t stop shaking. The electric guitar felt heavier than usual, like it knew how much this mattered. Backstage buzzed with noise—people talking, laughing, moving, but all you could hear was your heartbeat.
You peeked through the curtain. Faces blurred together under the lights but not his. You checked your phone, still no messages.
Your name was called.
“Alright,” you whispered to yourself. “It’s fine. It’s fine.”
You stepped onto the stage anyway and when you started playing, the world did fall away. The crowd loved you. You could feel it—the way they leaned in, the way they listened. Your voice didn’t shake anymore. It soared. For a moment, it was everything you’d ever wanted. Except, he wasn’t there to see it.
You got home late. Your ears were still ringing, adrenaline still buzzing under your skin but it all drained the second you saw him sitting on the couch.
Sitting watching the TV, casual and relaxed like tonight didn’t matter.
“Hey,” Joe said, looking up. “Where were you?”
You stopped in the doorway.“…Where was I?”
Something flickered in his expression, confusion then realization.“Oh…no. No, no, no was that tonight?”
Your laugh came out wrong, hollow. “You promised.”
“I—” He stood up quickly, running a hand through his hair. “I forgot, okay? I’ve been slammed all day. I’m exhausted”
“I was on stage,” you cut in, voice trembling now. “I was looking for you.”
“I said I’m sorry.”
“I needed you there.”
“And I needed sleep!” he snapped, then immediately regretted it. “That’s not what I meant—”
Silence fell heavy between you. You looked at him like you were seeing him clearly for the first time.
“We don’t show up for each other anymore,” you said quietly.
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer because he knew, you both did. Late nights passing each other like strangers. Cold coffee mugs left untouched. Songs written alone instead of together. Love didn’t disappear. It just… got buried under everything else.
“I can’t do this,” you whispered.
Joe’s face tightened. “Do what?”
“This.” You gestured between you. “us. like this. Half here, half gone.”
He swallowed. “What are you saying?”
You took a breath.“Let’s break up.”
The words landed softly but they broke everything. Joe stared at you, like he was waiting for you to take it back, you didn’t.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“No, you’re just upset”
“I’m tired,” you said. “of missing you when you’re right here. of feeling like I have to choose between loving you and becoming who I’m supposed to be.”
His voice dropped. “You think I don’t feel that too?”
You blinked, of course, he did and that was the problem.
“I love you,” he said, quieter now.
“I know and I love you to the point it hurts.”
“That doesn’t just go away.”
“It doesn’t,” you agreed. “but maybe… it’s not enough right now.”
The truth sat between you, unbearable.
Joe let out a slow breath. “…maybe you’re right.”
and somehow, that hurt more than if he’d fought you, no yelling, no slammed doors. Just two people… letting go.
“Take care of yourself,” he said.
You nodded, unable to speak. he grabbed his keys and then he left.
The second the door closed, everything collapsed. You slid down against it, hands shaking, chest tight like you couldn’t breathe. A sob tore out of you—raw, ugly, unstoppable. You wrapped your arms around yourself, like you could hold all the broken pieces together. but you couldn’t, not anymore.
That night, you left. No goodbye. No note. Just silence. You didn’t take much. Only your guitar. Because staying, even for one more second, would’ve made you change your mind. And you knew if you did…you’d never leave.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
January 2023
Joe lets the door fall shut behind him, the click echoing louder than it should. The apartment hasn’t changed.
It can’t.
Not when he made sure of it.
He drops his keys on the counter, shrugs off his jacket, and sinks into the couch like his body finally gave up holding itself together. The cushions dip the same way they used to when you’d throw yourself down beside him, complaining about a lyric that wouldn’t land right.
He bought the place not long after you left, didn’t even think twice about it.
People told him to move on. Said it was unhealthy, holding onto something that was already gone. But they didn’t understand—this wasn’t just an apartment.
It was the last place you existed together.
And when the world gets too loud, when the cameras don’t stop flashing, when the music stops feeling like his again—this is where he comes back to breathe.
Because you’re still here.
In the chipped mug you refused to throw away.
In the notebook tucked between couch cushions, filled with half-written lyrics in your handwriting.
In the faint scent of something sweet that should’ve faded years ago but somehow didn’t.
Joe leans forward, elbows on his knees, phone glowing in his hands. The screen blurs for a second before he blinks it back into focus.
His name.
Your name.
Still tied together after all this time.
His thumb hovers.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
JULY 2024
Refresh, again and again and again. Like if he keeps doing it, something new will appear—something that finally tells him where you went.
Joe exhales sharply, a breath he didn’t realize he was holding slipping out of him. Relief comes first. Quick. Immediate. You’re not—he shakes his head, pushing the thought away before it can even fully form but the relief doesn’t last because the ache settles right back in. Missing you? That part never stopped. It just learned how to sit quieter.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
September 2025
Time doesn’t wait for anyone. Not for heartbreak. Not for healing.
Joe’s career keeps climbing whether he’s ready for it or not. People chant his name at shows now—not just for acting, but for music too. The name Djo echoes through packed venues, fans screaming lyrics back at him like they belong to them now.
And maybe they do.
He stands under stage lights, guitar slung over his shoulder, the crowd a blur of movement and noise. This is what he wanted. What he worked for. What you both dreamed about.
And yet some nights, in the middle of a song, his eyes drift to the crowd without thinking.
Searching.
Always searching.
Like some part of him still expects to find you there he never does.
The news still finds you, somehow. Even without social media, even without trying.
A song playing faintly in a café.
A stranger talking about a show they went to.
His face on a magazine cover you didn’t mean to look at—but did.
Joe Keery.
Or… Djo, now.
You hear the name more than his own. You sit with it quietly, fingers wrapped around a warm cup, listening as his voice filters through speakers like it never left. You don’t turn it off. You never do.
A small smile tugs at your lips. “I’m proud of you,” you murmur, barely audible even to yourself nd for a moment, that feels like enough.
You moved far. Far enough that nothing feels familiar anymore. New streets. New rhythms. A life no one recognizes you in.
At first, it felt like running. Now, it feels like… breathing. Years pass softer than you expected. You learn yourself again—not the version of you that existed in us, but just… you. The girl who still loves music, just differently now. Your guitar sits in the corner more often than not, strings untouched for days at a time.
But the piano? The piano becomes your anchor. Slow notes. Lingering chords. Songs that don’t rush you, don’t demand anything from you. You play for hours sometimes, letting the sound fill the quiet spaces inside your chest.
You still write.
God, you always write.
Lyrics spill into notebooks, messy and honest and a little too raw but you never release them, not yet. They feel too close to the surface. Too much like reopening something you barely managed to survive.
So you keep them to yourself. And for once… that’s okay.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
December 2025
A photo, slightly blurred, taken from across the street. The kind of picture someone snaps without thinking twice, not realizing what they’ve just captured.
You’re walking down a quiet street in Rome, sunlight spilling gold across worn cobblestones. The buildings rise around you in soft, faded colors—warm terracotta, pale cream, windows thrown open to the afternoon air. There’s a gentle hum of life in the background. Distant chatter. The clink of cups from a nearby café.
And you—
You’re not looking at the camera.
You’re mid-step, one hand brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. Your pace is unhurried, like you have nowhere you need to be. Like time isn’t chasing you anymore.
Your hair’s longer now, falling softer around your shoulders. Your style—simpler. lighter. There’s no rush in the way you carry yourself, no weight pressing down on your shoulders.
There’s something quieter about you.
Something… settled. Not the kind of happiness that demands to be seen. The kind that doesn’t need to.
The photo gets posted hours later. No big account. No announcement. Just someone sharing a moment they thought was pretty.
Countries away, Joe is staring at the same photo like it might disappear if he blinks. He almost scrolls past it at first. Another post, another tag, another piece of a life he’s learned not to chase.
But something stops him, his thumb hovers. He scrolls back up. At first, he doesn’t recognize you—not fully. Not in the way he used to, where he could pick you out of any crowd without trying. Time has softened the edges, reshaped the details.
But then, there it is. The slight tilt of your head when you’re focused. The way your finger brushing your hair, his hair. it's there, you might be different but he knows, he used to.
His breath catches. “Hey,” he whispers, the word slipping out before he can stop it.
The apartment is quiet enough to swallow it whole. You look… different. Not in a way that feels like loss. Not in a way that feels like distance.
Just changed.
Softer, somehow. Like the sharpness he used to know has settled into something steadier. The kind of presence that doesn’t burn out, doesn’t flicker. The kind that stays. And God, you look happy and beautiful .
It hits him slowly, then all at once. Not the loud kind of happiness. Not the kind you used to chase in late nights and louder songs. This is quieter, Real and earned.
Joe swallows hard, his thumb brushing lightly over the screen, tracing the outline of a person he no longer knows but never really stopped loving.
Almost five years.
Five years, and this is the first time he’s seen you again.
Not in fragments.
Not in memories that blur at the edges.
Not in dreams that leave him reaching for something that isn’t there.
You.
Real and existing somewhere beyond him. For a second just a second, something fragile sparks in his chest.
Hope.
It comes uninvited, unwelcome. Soft and dangerous. The kind that makes you wonder what if.
What if he reached out.
What if you answered.
What if time had been kinder than they thought.
His grip tightens around his phone, he could. It would be so easy. Just one message. One word. Your name. But then he looks at you again, really looks. At the calm in your posture. At the ease in your expression. At the version of you that doesn’t look like she’s missing anything anymore.
And something inside him… shifts. The hope doesn’t disappear. It just… settles, changes shape. Joe exhales slowly, the breath uneven but steady enough.
“Yeah,” he murmurs, more to himself this time.
He lets his hand fall away from the screen. Maybe this is what moving on looks like.
Not forgetting.
Not replacing.
Not even stopping the love.
Just… letting it exist without needing anything back. You’re okay, you’re more than okay, ou’re happy. And for the first time since you left, Joe lets himself believe that that might be enough.
It has to be because loving you was never supposed to cage you in.and if letting you go is the only way you get to become this version of yourself then maybe…maybe loving you still means choosing that, even if it isn’t with him anymore.
April 2026
The world doesn’t warn anyone before it shifts. It’s just a normal Thursday morning. Soft light through half-open curtains. Coffee brewing somewhere. People scrolling through their phones, half-awake, half-present. Nothing extraordinary.
Until, It isn’t, at exactly 9:30 AM, a post appears.
No teaser.
No countdown.
No explanation.
Just a name.
And an album. THE ART OF LOVING (by olivia dean) For a second, the world doesn’t react like it’s still catching up. Then everything breaks loose.
Streams spike within minutes. People expect noise. They expect distortion, electric guitars, something raw and sharp and angry—something that sounds like a girl who left everything behind and never looked back.
But when they press play that’s not what they get. The first track is soft.
Piano-led. Gentle. Intentional. Your voice doesn’t demand attention—it holds it. It feels like sitting across from someone who finally knows what they’re trying to say.
❈────────•✦•────────❈
On the other side of the world while the internet is unraveling, while fans are crying over lyrics and theories and old interviews, Joe is at the gym.
The music is loud. too loud. bass vibrating through the walls, drowning everything else out. He’s mid-set, knuckles tight around the bar, breath uneven, when his phone buzzes against the bench beside him.
He ignores it, he continues to lifts again and again, but his phone buzzes again and again.
“Joe” his bandmate’s name flashes across the screen. Another message.
man, you gotta check this out.
Joe exhales sharply, setting the weights down harder than he means to. Sweat drips down his temple as he reaches for his phone, half-annoyed, half-distracted.
Then he sees it a link. Your name. The album. For a second, he doesn’t react, doesn’t move. It feels like someone just poured ice water straight through his chest—cold, sudden, paralyzing.
“…no,” he mutters under his breath, like saying it out loud might make it less real.
Five years.
Five years of silence.
And now this. His thumb hovers over the screen.Then he taps.
He doesn’t go home. He doesn’t leave the gym. He just sits there, back against the cold wall, earbuds in, the noise around him fading into nothing as the first track begins.
Piano.
Soft.
Careful.
Joe’s brows pull together slightly, something uneasy settling in his chest. This isn’t what he expected. No anger. No sharp edges. No version of you that hated him.
Just you.
Your voice comes in, steady and quiet, and it hits him harder than anything loud ever could. because he knows that voice that exact tone. It’s the one you used when it was just the two of you. Late nights. No pressure. No audience.
Just truth.
Joe swallows. “Yeah…” he murmurs, almost to himself. “That’s—” He doesn’t finish the sentence because he can’t.
The song keeps going and with every line, something in his chest tightens. You’re not blaming him. You’re not even angry. You’re… remembering. Carefully. Gently. Like you’re holding something fragile that you don’t want to break, even now.
Joe’s grip on his phone loosens. His head tilts back against the wall, eyes closing for a second as your voice fills the space around him.
“You still—” he exhales, shaking his head slightly. “you still write like that.”
Like you mean every word. Like you always did. Track after track, he listens. Doesn’t skip. Doesn’t pause. He forces himself through all of it, through every lyric that feels a little too familiar, every melody that sounds like something the two of you might’ve built together once.
And somewhere in the middle of it it hits him hard. You loved him. Not past tense. Not something you erased or rewrote. You carried it. Through everything. Through leaving. Through becoming someone else. Through all those years he spent trying not to think about you too much.
Joe’s breathing shifts, uneven now.“Why didn’t you…” he starts, then stops himself, jaw tightening.
Because he knows why.
Because he was there.
He remembers that night.
The show.
The call he didn’t answer.
The promise he forgot.
His eyes open slowly, staring at nothing.
“…I should’ve been there,” he says quietly.
The words land heavier now. Not defensive, not rushed, just true. The last track is softer that the rest, like a goodbye that doesn’t need to be loud to mean something.
Joe doesn’t move until it end, Until the silence comes back and stays. He blinks. And only then does he realize his vision is blurred.
A tear slips down before he can stop it. Then another, “shit…” he breathes, a broken laugh slipping through as he drags a hand over his face, but it doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t fix anything.
Because it’s all still there.
The love.
The regret.
The years he can’t get back.
“You waited,” he murmurs, voice rough now. “you waited for me to be better.” and he wasn’t. Not when it mattered.
His hands shake slightly as he looks back down at his phone. Your name feels heavier now. Feels real, not just a memory, not just something he buried under songs and stages and everything else..
You’re here, somewhere. Breathing the same air. Living a life he’s not part of.
For a long moment, he just stares.Then before he can stop himself he taps your contact.
It rings.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
His chest tightens with every second, something between hope and dread twisting together in a way that makes it hard to breathe.
“Come on…” he whispers.
He doesn’t even know what he wants. For you to answer? Or not?
Then a click.
Silence.
And your voice. “…hello?”
Joe freezes. Every word he thought he had disappears instantly, like they were never there to begin with.
It’s you.
Not a memory.
Not a song.
You.
“…hey,” he says finally, but it comes out softer than he meant it to. Rougher. “it’s—”
He stops. Of course you know. There’s a small pause on the other end. Not awkward. Not surprised. Just… quiet. Like you’re letting him take his time. Joe swallows hard, grip tightening around his phone.
“I heard it,” he says. “the album.”
Another pause.
“…yeah?” Your voice is calm, after five years passed, And somehow, that hurts more than anything else.
He lets out a shaky breath.
“It’s—it’s really good,” he manages. “you—” his voice catches slightly, forcing him to slow down. “you sound… happy.”
There’s something soft on the other end. Not quite a laugh.
“i am,” you say and it’s simple, honest and final.
Joe’s eyes close briefly. “…good,” he whispers.
Because that’s what he wanted, right? For you to be okay. Even if it wasn’t with him. His chest tightens anyway.
“I’m sorry,” he says suddenly.
It slips out before he can stop it. For everything. For that night. For not being there when you needed. Silence follows longer this time. Not empty. Just… heavy.
“i know,” you say quietly, Not cold, not forgiving, either. Just true.
Joe exhales, something in him breaking and settling at the same time.
“I still—” he starts, then stops.
Because what’s the point? What does saying it change? You already know. You always did.
On the other end, you’re quiet. Waiting. Not pushing. Not pulling. Just… there. The way you always were.
Joe lets out a slow breath, staring at the floor.
“…i wrote songs too,” he admits, almost under his breath. “after you left.”
“yeah?”
“I kept thinking,” he continues, voice quieter now, “if you ever heard them… maybe you’d know.” Know what he couldn’t say back then. Know that he did love you.
Still does.
Another silence, softer this time.
“I heard some,” you say. That makes him still.
“…you did?”
“yeah.”
A beat.
“They were good too.”
Joe lets out a breath that almost sounds like a laugh, but there’s no humor in it. Just… something breaking open.
“yeah,” he murmurs, another pause settles between you. Not uncomfortable.
Just full, of everything that didn’t get said when it should’ve been.
Finally— “…joe,” you say gently.
His name sounds different in your voice now. Not distant. Just… no longer his.
He looks up, even though you can’t see him. “yeah?”
“…we were good,” you say. “we just… weren’t right at the same time.”
The words land softly and still manage to shatter something in him. Joe nods, even though you can’t see it.
“…i know.”
Silence stretches,,,
“take care of yourself,” you add, the same words.different ending.
Joe closes his eyes. “…you too.”
The line clicks and just like that you’re gone again.
Not lost.
Not unreachable.
Just… no longer his to hold onto.
Joe lowers the phone slowly, staring at nothing as the noise of the world starts creeping back in around him. But it doesn’t feel the same. Nothing does. Because now he knows you didn’t stop loving him. You just learned how to live without him. somehow, that hurts more than if you hadn’t.
hii! could you do daddy!joe and reader where baby is really fussy and tired and their out in public?
love your writing btw😚😚
The festival was hot. Even you, yourself, were cranky. You just weren't a two-year-old and could self-regulate your emotions. Grayson was whining and throwing an absolute tantrum over everything. The juice wasn't what he wanted after he specifically asked for it. The sandwich wasn't cut right so he refused to eat. He desperately needed a nap, but he refused it and was fighting away drooping eyes.
Joe's set was torture for you. You stood on the side stage for the first fifteen minutes. Grayson was a bit distracted from his fussiness. His hazel eyes watching Joe and his hands clapping together.
Then suddenly he flung the over the ear headphones he was wearing off. Then he started squirming around in your arms. All because he wanted to be with Joe. At one point, after he had kicked you in the stomach, you seriously contemplated just letting him run out on the stage with Joe.
You had to walk away from the stage and towards the grassy area behind the stages. Holding Grayson tightly and trying to distract him by pointing at things. At the sound of Joe bidding farewell to the crowd, you started slowly making your way back towards their stage.
"Where'd you guys go?" Joe asked as he stepped down the stairs of the side stage. The rest of his band following behind him.
"Your child started throwing a tantrum. " You sighed. The stress of it all piling down on your shoulders.
Joe hummed and held his hands out to Grayson. You gladly let him take him and low and behold, Grayson was suddenly an angel. You wanted to laugh, but you refrained and glanced around. Fixing your hair that was in a ponytail, but had fallen down slightly.
"I've got a short interview in like thirty minutes and then we can leave." Joe muttered softly as he looked over Grayson. Then his eyes met yours. "Okay, mama?"
You nodded and looked at Grayson yourself. His cheek resting on Joe's shoulder as he sat on Joe's hip. It was like a completely different child was here now. His little fingers fiddling with his bottom lip which was something he did when he was unbearably sleepy.
"He's so sleepy." You muttered as you reached out and swiped your hand across his cheek gently.
Thirty minutes passed by and you had all moved together towards the tents of sponsors and people holding interviews. It was just Joe interviewing. You turned to face Joe and held your hands out for Grayson.
"Alright, c'mon.." You hummed softly. "Daddy's gotta go do something."
As you reached for Grayson he started screaming bloody murder like you were trying to kidnap him.
"Hey, hey-" Joe said in a voice that was soft yet stern. "No screaming."
You watched Joe as he paced away a few feet. Still holding Grayson and having some sort of mini conversation with his miniature twin. You folded your arms across your stomach casually as you waited for whatever settlement they were coming to.
"He's fine." Joe said as he came back over to you. "He's gonna be good now." Joe looked at Grayson as he spoke and Grayson nodded his head. "He's gonna sit with me."
You furrowed your brows and looked at Joe. "He's gonna sit with you?" You asked. "Joe, he can't-"
"It'll be fine. He might just fall A-S-L-E-E-P." He spelled the word out knowing Grayson would throw another fit if he even heard the mention of it.
You sighed and threw your hands up in a surrendering nature. Standing to the side of the tent, you watched as the two of them sat on a couch slightly turned to face the woman interviewing. Grayson had his face buried in Joe's neck and Joe was rubbing circles into his back. You could physically watch Grayson's body just fall limp as he fell asleep against Joe.
Summary: Spring break was right around the corner and you couldn't be more excited, besides the fact that the party was at odds, and you had been trying your best to remain a lifeline for Max while you anxieties from the past and for the future were beginning to take root.
A/N: I'm so excited to start season 4, but I'm sad that the end feels near. I had so much fun writing this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it too!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: mention of death, language, nightmares, nosebleed (Not too descriptive), mention of injury
WC: 5.6k
Chapter outfit (I missed these!)
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
You wake to the sound of soft knocking against your window. You roll over, reading the red 2:15 glowing back at you in the darkness. You slowly crawl out of bed when the knocking continues, making your way to your window.
“Baby it’s 2 am.” You grumble with sleepy eyes as you slide your bedroom window up.
“Gag me with a spoon.” You hear a disgusted voice of Max reply back.
“Shit, sorry I thought you were Steve.” You slap your hand over your face in embarrassment.
“Yeah, I can tell.” She replied, crawling through your window. The girl dropped her bag by your feet before making a beeline to your bed.
“Hold up a minute.” You stop her, gently grabbing onto the back of her oversized t-shirt she was using as half of her pajamas. “What did I tell you? No more walking or biking here. You call me or Steve to get you. We already said we have no problem picking you up.” You remind the girl more forcefully than you usually are, especially now that she has a tendency of never parting with her walkman.
“Sorry, I just couldn’t stay there. I didn’t think I just…left.” She explained, her eyes looking anywhere but yours.
“It’s ok, just next time please.”
“Yeah.” She nodded in affirmation. As soon as your fingers release their hold on her shirt
“What’s it this time? Mom or the nightmares?” You ask the girl as she kicked her shoes off, a long silence hanging in the air.
“A little bit of both.” She finally lets out before flopping onto your mattress.
“Mmm.” You hummed in understanding.
“C-can I stay?”
“You don't have to ask. Of course.” You assure her.
“Thanks.” She released a deep breath she didn’t realize that she was holding.
“Any time.” You promise, flopping onto your bed next to her.
“Do you have any Tylenol?” She asked, a pained expression taking over her face.
“Yeah I have a bottle in the nightstand.” You pointed to the table next to her. “I’ll get you some water.” You hopped out of bed to sneak downstairs.
When you returned you found Max poking through your nightstand, searching for the bottle of pills.
“What’s this?” Max asked, an envelope catching her eye.
“It’s my uh-woah! Your nose.” Your eyes grow wide with concern, marching up to the girl now with tissue stuffed up one of her nostrils.
“It’s just a nose bleed. I’ve been getting them recently. I think it’s the weather or something.” She tried to rationalize, but something about it unsettled you. “Anyway, this is…?” She pulled out the envelope to inspect it further, but you were quick to trade her the water for it before she could get a good look.
“It’s, uh…it’s my letter from FIT. It came yesterday morning.” You slowly reply.
“FIT?”
“Yeah, it’s the Fashion Institute of Technology. It’s in New York.” You explain.
“Did you get in?” She asked, finally finding what she was initially searching for.
“I-I don’t know.”
“You didn’t open it?!” She asked incredulously, before swallowing down the pills.
“No, I’ve been too scared.” You confessed, sinking back into your mattress.
“You? Scared?” Her eyebrows shot up.
“Yes. Me scared. The key to my future is in here. I’ve been working on my design portfolio for years. I mean I’ve been dreaming of going there since the third grade.”
“Do you want me to open it?” She offered, picking the envelope back up.
“No. I promised I would open it with Steve. I know that I would totally chicken out if I had to do it alone.” You explain. “Plus he wants to start applying for community colleges around the area if I get in.”
“You would both go?” She asked slowly. You could practically hear her throat going dry as the moisture rushed to her eyes.
“Yeah. We always dreamed of getting out of here when we were kids, but considering everything, it can't stay a dream anymore.” Max nodded along, but you could see her retreat into her shell. “It doesn’t mean we’re never coming back though. I mean my family’s here. You and the boys are here. I can’t just leave all of you behind.” You continued, trying to pull her back out with your reassurance, but it was doing little to help as she remained quiet. Her eyes tracing the pattern on your comforter as she tried to metabolize the fact that she was losing two more people she cares about.
“Can we…can we just go to bed, maybe?” She finally broke her silence, her blue eyes completely avoiding yours.
“Yeah…yeah.” You nod, reaching over to flick off the light on the nightstand.
Your dark room had gone quiet once again, the only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of Kate Bush bleeding out from Max’s headphones as she tried to lose herself in the comforting music.
When you woke up the next morning, Max was gone. The only thing left behind was a sticky note on your nightstand.
Heard Lucas. Didn't want to risk it. - Max
You sat in the backseat of Steve’s car, switching your usual spot with Robin so that she could apply the finishing touches to her makeup.
“Ugh!” She groaned, staring back at her reflection in the passenger seat visor.
“You good?” You ask, leaning forward to poke your head between the front seats. She had been a bundle of nerves from the moment she got in the car.
“No. I’m losing my mind. It is seven in the morning, we have the stupid pep rally, and I look like a corpse.” She ranted, tugging at her and stretching her face back, trying to bring more life into her features.
“You’re worried about a pep rally? You really expect us to believe that?” Steve questioned, his eyes darting between her and the road.
“Yeah? So?” She replied dismissively, digging around for her blush in her makeup bag.
“Rob, we all know what this is about Vickie.” You replied.
“Absolutely not.” She shot down immediately.
“Yeah, it is and you know what else?” Steve began.
“I don’t care.” Robin quickly tried to stop him.
“You gotta stop pretending to be someone else when you’re around her, you just gotta be yourself.” Steve advised her.
“Finally. Some advice I can get behind.” You co-signed his words, making him roll his eyes.
“Well that would be some perfectly fine advice for anyone else, but if I ask out the wrong girl the bam! I’m the town pariah.”
“We’d buy that, except Vickie is definitely not the wrong girl.” You replied.
“Well, we just don’t know that, do we?” She spoke, spraying her mouth with breath freshener for extra measure.
“She returned Fast Times paused at fifty-three minutes, five seconds...” Steve launched into his hypothesis that he believed served as air-tight evidence, making Robin roll her eyes. “ Do you know who pauses Fast Times paused at fifty-three minutes, five seconds?...People who like boobies, Robin.”
“Ew! Gross. Don’t say boobies.” She pleaded with a grimace.
“Boobies.” He repeated anyway. “It’s not a big deal, ok? I like boobies. You like boobies. Vickie likes boobies. Definitely. It’s boobies.” He shrugged.
“Oh my god, stop saying boobies.” She begged.
“Boobies.” Steve chirped just to annoy her.
“Boobies.” You parroted, smiling deviously.
“Booooobies.” The two of you drew the word out in mocking unison.
“Stop! You guys are the worst!” She crossed her arms in annoyance despite the slight chuckle bubbling up.
The school files into the gym for what felt like the millionth assembly. The boy’s basketball team making the conference finals was “the most” exciting thing to come out of Hawkins in over a decade, so the school held an assembly for almost every win and it was incredibly exhausting and repetitive.
You found your seat with your teammates, sitting next to Sam. A small smile forms on your face when you look over to find Robin and Vickie having a light conversation that had yet to turn into a panicked ramble on Robin’s end.
After a performance from the cheer team, you finally stood to your feet when the basketball team broke through the paper banner. Your applause and “woos!” boomed at an embarrassing decibel when Lucas ran through. Jason Carver accepted his warm welcome from Principal Coleman, the boy playing up the crowd as he bounced across the basketball court, microphone in hand.
“Good morning, Hawkins High!” He began earning raucous applause from the student body.
“First off, I’d like to thank each and every one of you. Without your support, we wouldn’t be here. Give yourselves a big hand.” The crowd followed his command, the already thundering applause getting louder. The cheerful smile on your face began to waver when Lucas waved, his eyes assumingly on Max. His face and hand fell when the gesture wasn’t returned.
“And of course, of course, I have to give a special shout out to the best and prettiest fans of all time. The Tiger Cheer Squad. Chrissy, I love you babe.” His words making the crowd fawn and ‘Awww’.
“You know…” His face shifted as he took a step back, like he was chewing in his words. “I think I speak for all of us when I say it’s been a tough year for all of us.” A wave of dread crashed over you at his words. The boy center stage having no idea how much he was underselling the truth. “So much loss. And sometimes I wonder ‘How much loss can one community take?” In dark days like this, we need something to believe in, so last night when we were down by ten points at the half to Christian Academy, I looked at my team and I said “Think of Jack.” Your heart fell through the floor at the mention of his name. You felt an immense wave of guilt when you found out that the mind flayer killed Jack and made it a part of itself. Steve tried to assure you that you couldn’t have known and that there was nothing that you could’ve done, but you couldn’t help but feed the blame. Maybe if you and El killed the mindflayer instead of closing the gate the first time then they would he would still be alive. Hopper would still be alive. “Think of Melissa. Think of Heather. Think of Billy…” Your eyes flicked down the row to find Max with her hung head low, rocking on her heels at the mention of his name. “Think of our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper. Think about every one of our friends who perished in that fire. What did they die for? For us to lose to some…some crap school?” You were so close to pushing through the crowd and tackling him to the ground. It made your skin crawl and your blood boil that he would use deaths that he didn’t even know the scale of as motivation for a game.
You could feel eyes on you from every angle as if you were glowing a fiery red. Robin had been staring at you wide eyes, unsure what to do. When you turned your head in the other direction the boys stared the same, with Dustin giving you a subtle ‘cut it out’ motion. It was only then that you realized the lights had been lightly flickering, the occurrence going unnoticed by the students hanging onto every word that fell out of Jason Carver’s mouth. You released your clenched fist, deeply inhaling and exhaling to stop the light show.
“Are you ok?” Sam, asked beside you.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” You whispered back in assurance. You breathed another sigh, when the eyes holding you hostage finally looked away.
“...Let’s win the game!” Your ears finally caught, tuning back into the raving jock. “ ‘Let’s win the game for them.’ And that’s exactly what we did!” The crowd's applause boomed again.
“We embarrassed those candy-asses in their own house, and now tonight, tonight, we are going to bring home the championship trophy!” Every pom pom shook, every fist pumped, and every voice boomed in the gym except for five.
“Can you talk to Max?” You heard Lucas’ voice from the other side of your locker door.
“About what?” You ask, slamming it shut.
“About coming to my game.” He continued.
“No can do.”
“What?! Why?” He looked at you with wide incredulous eyes.
“Because, it took forever for her to start talking to me again. If I start badgering her she’ll stop. She needs someone and I’m sorry, but Ms. Kelley is not necessarily equipped to handle our special brand of fucked up.” You explained, speaking from experience.
“Come on, y/n. She needs to get out of this house, she needs to do something.” Your brother asked with long pleading eyes.
“Ok…fine, I’ll talk to her, but I’m not pushing my luck. If I get any push back, I’m stopping.” You looked at him pointedly.
“Please ju-”
“I’m serious, Lucas.” Your finger now pointed at him.
“I understand. I understand.” He held his hands up in surrender.
“Good.”
“Thank you.” He threw his arms around you in appreciative excitement.
“I got you, Goober.” You reply, patting his back in hesitant reassurance, mostly sure that you wouldn’t be able to sway the girl.
“What the hell was that?” Robin asked as you inched through the lunch line.
“What was what?” You feigned ignorance, earning a pointed look from the girl. “Ok, let’s just say my emotions ran away from me, but come on how could they not? Jack? Hopper? It’s like they want me to make the school fall into a sinkhole or some shit.” You reply in a low voice.
“A sinkhole? You can do that?” Her eyes grow wide with curiosity.
“Yeah, maybe…I don’t know. I've never tried, but if I put my mind to it, I’m sure I could.” You shrugged, reaching for an apple from the salad bar.
“It is so fun learning new things about your freaky mind shit.”
“It’s supposed to be secret freaky mind shit.” You remind her in a whisper.
“Shit, sorry.” She apologizes, bringing her voice down to a whisper.
The two of you sit down with your team, your teeth sinking into your apple when you heard yelling from the far side of the cafeteria.
“But as long as you're into band or science or parties…” The boy sneers as he gets up to walk on one of the tables, your eyes finding Mike and Dustin staring up at him in wide-eyed wonder as the rest of the cafeteria watches him in either pure shock, confusion, or disgust. “...or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets…”
“You want something, Freak?” Jason stands from his seat to chide the boy for his antics only to receive devilish hissing from Eddie, holding his fingers to his head as if they were devil horns, in response.
“Prick.” Jason mumbled under his breath before taking a seat. Eddie smiles widely at the boy’s outburst before marching down the table. His eyes found yours, sending you a wink before launching back into his rant.
“It’s forced conformity. That’s what’s killing the kids!” He shouts out before hopping off the table and bringing his voice down.
“What the fuck.” You whispered as the cafeteria boomed with life again after breaking from the stunned and annoyed silence Eddie created.
“I’ll be right back.” You excused yourself from the table, catching Max exiting the cafeteria, tray in hand.
“Yo, wait up!” You called out to the girl, breaking into a light jog to catch up with her.
“Hi.”
“How are you holding up today?”
“I was fine I guess, then…”
“Yeah, it got me too.”
“I saw.”
“Yeah, it could’ve been worse though…So…I was wondering if you were coming to the game tonight?”
“Did Lucas ask you to do this?”
“Yeah, but I was thinking about asking anyway. It could be good to get out of the house and you can come with Steve and I for milkshakes after. I’m sure he won’t mind. It’s no pressure. I just wanted you to know that the offer is there.”
“Thanks for the offer, but…I don’t think I can.”
“It’s ok, Max. I promise. See you around?” You assured her knowing that if you started to push she would start to pull away.
“Yeah… yeah.” She began to nod before sliding her headphones back on her ears, turning to walk away.
“Fuck.” You sigh, watching the girl disappear down the hall, wishing you could do more.
“I was thinking of throwing a spring break par-” Sam began. The two of you leaned against your locker chatting away until Mike and Dustin approached.
“Can you fill in for Lucas for Hellfire tonight?” Dustin asked with a pleading smile.
“No. Why do you need me to fill in anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be postponing this shit anyway?”
“How do you know that?”
“Because the game is tonight and I would hope my brother’s best friends would put their game on the back burner for a night to support him.” You gave them both pointed looks.
“He never gets off the bench. Eddie has been working on this for months and it’s hard to talk him out of stuff when he’s actually passionate about something.” Mike jumped in.
“I don’t give a fuck about Eddie or his stupid campaign. I’m not ditching my brother.”
“It’s not stupid.” Dustin tried to shoot back.
“It's stupid if it means ditching one of your best friends that you have literally gone to hell and back with. Do the right thing and ask Eddie to postpone.”
“Can you do it? You saw him in the cafeteria, right? He was totally in one.” Dustin asked in a whining,pleading tone.
“No. You guys are like fifteen. I can’t fight all of your battles for you. You guys need to man up and do it yourselves.”
“But-” Mike tried to start.
“But nothing. Be good friends and talk to Eddie.”
You and Steve were leaning against the counter of Family Video. You were supposed to be sorting and restocking the shelves, but instead you were both staring down at the envelope addressed to you.
“Are you ready?” Steve asked, looking over at you.
“No, but I don’t think I ever will be.” You replied, looking at him with terrified eyes.
“Good thing I’m here.” He cracked a smile before inhaling a deep breath. You did the same, trying to calm your hummingbird heart as his finger tore open the sealed envelope. “Ok…” He breathed out as he unfolded the paper. You dropped your forehead to his shoulder, bracing yourself for rejection. “Dear Y/n Sinclair, It is with great pleasure that I inform you of your acceptance to the Fashion and Design Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology!” Steve read off, excitement laced in his tone. He dropped the letter on the counter, no longer needing to read the rest. He threw his arms around you in an instant, squeezing so tight you thought you were going to pop.
“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!” You repeated, sinking into him. The tears streaming down your cheeks begin to soak his green vest.
“I knew you were gonna get in! I knew it!” He pulled away, pressing a sweet kiss to your cheek.
“Woah, what’s happening here?” You heard Robin’s voice approach. You had both been wrapped up in your excitement, You didn’t even hear the door jingle when she entered the store.
“I got in!” You excitedly inform her, holding up the acceptance letter for her to see.
“You got in?!” Her eyes went wide, rushing over to snatch the paper from you.
“I got in!” You squealed back as her eyes traced over the rest of the letter you have yet to read.
“Move, dingus!” Robin forced her way between the two of you so that she could hug you. Your big dreams of finally getting out of this hellhole didn’t seem so big anymore. Robin was already shortlisted at NYU and you finally reached the goal you had been chasing for years. The three of you were finally getting out of Hawkins.
A few hours later, the school gym was once again buzzing with excited energy as students, parents, and alumni alike funneled in. The time for the championship game had arrived and the town had been on the edge of their seats, praying for a win.
“Does it bother you that we might win a championship right after you graduated?” You tease Steve as he leads you to your seats.
“You are so funny, baby.”
“What? It was a genuine question.”
“No, it wasn’t.” He chuckled, shaking his head.
His hand held yours tighter as the two of you pushed through the standing fans in your row.
The floor was soon cleared, the two practicing teams retreating to their respective benches. Principal Coleman stood at half court, microphone in hand instructing all of you to rise for the national anthem. You rolled your eyes, slapping a disinterested hand over your heart.
“Singing for us tonight, we have a very special guest. All the way from Nashville, our very own Tammy Thompson!” He announced with a proud smile, the crowd erupts in welcoming applause. Your mouth dropped open as your hand reached out to grab Steve’s arm. Your wide eyes found the others, both of you trying to fight the smiles creeping on your faces. Your eyes broke from each other to look at Robin who was already staring at the two of you with the same shocked face.
“O say can you seeee” She began to sing, already off key. The microphone immediately began to whine with feedback in retaliation. “By the dawn’s early light…” You pressed your lips into a tight frown, trying to contain the laugh that was trying to jump out. They began to wobble when Robin slowly turned to look at you and Steve again.
“Told you. Muppet.” He whispered, causing your damn to break. Your hand flew to your mouth to muffle the chuckle that burst through.
“Ok. She does sound like a muppet.” She whispered back, making Steve’s face scrunch up as he fought off his own laughter.
“Wow. She sounds amazing, doesn’t she?” The girl next to you, Brenda you believed, complimented with a genuine smile.
“Mmhmm.” You nodded in response, knowing that if you opened your mouth, you wouldn’t be able to stop the laughs that would tumble out. When the girl focused her attention back on Tammy your eyes met Steve’s. His ‘what the fuck?’ face, made you hide your face in his shoulder so that you didn’t release a hyena caliber cackle.
“And the rocket’s red glaaare, the bombs bursting in aaaair…” She continued to sing as you and Steve continued to fight. The two of you finally being able to breathe again when she finished her drawn out “Braaaaave.” accompanied by the microphone’s feedback.
The game had been a nail biter. Both teams had been playing hard, never letting the other team lead by double digits.
“Defense! Defense! Defense!” All of you in the stands screamed as the Tigers double teamed the Falcon’s point guard. The stands erupted when Jason managed to steal the ball, breaking down court. His eyes found another player cutting towards the basket. It seemed like easy points until number eleven on the Falcon’s barreled into him while he was in the air shooting the ball.
“Boo!” You all jeered recognizing the play as dirty, the boy clearly intending to injure your player.
“That was total bullshit!” You shout as two of the Tigers help the injured player off the floor.
“Holy shit, look!” Steve pointed, grabbing your attention. Your eyes followed his finger to find Lucas stripping off his bench clothes.
“Oh my god! He’s in! He’s in!” You excitedly jumped up and down, an uncontrollable smile spread across your face as Lucas ran to the table to check in.
You resigned to the fact that you would most likely lose your voice, considering the fact that you screamed like a banshee every time Lucas even touched the ball.
“Shoot it! Shoot it!” Steve shouted from beside you, watching him proudly considering he had been the one to help coach him over the summer when he expressed interest in trying out.
The crowd screamed along with the two of you every time he sunk a shot.
The gymnasium was electric at this point. All of you were at the edge of your seats when the Tiger’s coach called a time-out. You were down 69-68 with only ten seconds left.
“LET’S GO TIGERS, LET’S GO!” The crowd chanted when the teams broke from their huddles and the referees blew their whistles to signal the end of the time-out.
This is it. Ten seconds and two points were the only thing standing between the Hawkins Tigers making history and the weight was seemingly all on Jason Carver’s shoulders. “LET’S GO TIGERS, LET’S GO!” Your chants got louder when the ball was inbounded, immediately finding its way into Jason’s hands. The crowd immediately deflated when his shot bounced off the backboard. It seemed like a death note was being tacked on the game when the shot clock was down to five seconds, the ball descending into a group of two teams of teenage boys, hungry for a win.
The air was immediately sucked out of the room Lucas was the one to grab the rebound. The encouraging chants died on your tongues as you all leaned forward, hearts hammering in anticipation. Your hand found Steve’s, your hands squeezing the other’s in a death grip when Lucas dribbled out of the clamoring group or boys to find free space. Life moved in slow motion when Lucas shot the ball. The shot clock had gone off as the ball flew through the air. If he made it, he would give Hawkins its first conference title in twenty-two years. The ball bounced around the rim, flirting with the notion of falling into the net until it figured the crowd of almost one hundred people watching it had waited long enough.
Thunderous screams rang through the gym when the ball finally fell. You threw your arms around Steve, the two of you jumping like coked out kangaroos in your spots. The yellow ‘68’ shining under ‘HOME’ on the scoreboard changed to ‘70’ making the win official. Your feet moved faster than you thought possible when you broke into a sprint, not caring who you had to push through as you ran onto the court, Steve in tow. You became part of the crowd swarming your brother in celebration.
“You did it! You fucking did it!” You yelled over the noise pulling your brother into a tight, proud hug, not caring that he was soaked in sweat.
“I know! I can’t believe it!”
“Believe it, Sinclair! You were great out there!” Steve cheered beside you.
“Thank you, man!” Lucas smiled, feeling immense pride at the fact that he made the two of you proud.
“Sorry to steal him, but we’ve got to take pictures.” The basketball coach came over to break the three of you up. “Oh, hey Steve.” The man waved, earning one back from your boyfriend. The two chatted for a moment before finally separating from you and Steve. Both of you watched on with wide, proud smiles as the team was presented their trophy before being photographed by every major newspaper in the state, happily boasting your small town’s major win.
“Do you think Muriel is gonna miss us?” Steve asks, the two of you walking hand in hand to his car. Following tradition, the two of you were going to swing by the diner for burgers and milkshakes.
“I know this isn’t great to admit, but I would feel kind of bad about myself if she didn’t.” You replied.
“Oh, god. What if she’s been lying about us being her favorite this whole time?”
“That would su…” The words died on your tongue when you heard a heavy door slam, familiar celebratory voices following. “You gotta be fucking kidding me!” The high you had been riding from the game died when you spotted Dustin and Mike, with the other members of Hellfire. You dropped Steve’s hand, storming over to the laughing group.
“What the hell is wrong with you guys?”
“Oh, shit.” Dustin muttered out, his eyes growing wide in panic. He reached a hand over to smack Mike’s arm for his attention.
“Yeah. Oh, shit. I can’t believe you guys actually ditched Lucas instead of just postponing.”
“We tried but Eddie-” Mike started, but you didn’t even give him the chance to finish his excuse.
“No, no,no. Don’t try and blame this on Eddie. You would rather play a board game than support your best fucking friend, who made the game winning shot by the way.”
“He played?” Dustin asked incredulously, both of their eyes widening at the revelation.
“Yeah, and he was great and you little shits missed it. All he wanted was for you guys to be there and you couldn’t even do that.”
“What about us? What about Hellfire? He knew how important this was to Eddie.” Mike piped up.
“Eddie is a grown fucking man. Him still being in high school doesn’t change that fact. He could’ve grown up and stopped his game for one night so that you could support Lucas.” You shot back.
“Hellfire means more than a stupid basketball game.”
“Does it mean more than Lucas?”
“What?”
“You heard me? Does DnD, and Hellfire, and the super senior you’ve only known for seven months mean more to you than your best fucking friend?” Your blood began to boil as silence hung in the air. The boys now staring down at their feet.
“We’re sorry we just-”
“Why the fuck are you apologizing to me? Apologize to Lucas you shitheads!” You chided the boys before walking away, deciding that you wouldn’t let them ruin your day of highs anymore.
You and Steve arrived back at his house. The two of you collapse into bed, your bodies tangling with the others as a sense of peace finally covered you. Your lids felt heavy, your body finally catching up to the tiredness the emotional turbulence the day had caused you.
The rest you were craving was disturbed however when your eyes began to flutter open.Your heart felt like it was about to explode when you realized you weren’t in your boyfriend’s room. The one with hideous tile patterned wallpaper, soft carpet, and smelled like a mix of his rich cologne and a slight tang of his sweat. Instead, you were in another all too familiar white room. The air smelled sterile, the room it inhabited blank white. You were in the lab. You swung your feet over the side of the bed, toes touching the cold tile beneath. Your eyes danced across the room, your brain still trying to catch up when you realized that the blaring alarm that normally sounded along with the cracked door that was the appetizer to the traumatizing full course waiting for you on the other side of the door wasn’t sounding. You inched forward towards the door goosebumps raising on your skin as a warning to stop before it was too late, but you kept going anyway. You squeezed your eyes shut as you pushed through the door, bracing yourself for what may lay on the other side.
You poked your head through, cracking one eye open first. Your eye looked left, right, then left again as if you were crossing the street as it scoped for danger. You opened the other one when the hallway just seemed like a hallway.
“What the hell?” You whispered under your breath, finally crossing the threshold. You walked down the long stretch of hallway, remembering turns that you wished you could forget.
You nearly leapt out of your skin when you heard the sudden loud chime of a grandfather clock. It’s long toll echoing down the hall. Your feet carried you in the direction you thought it had originated from. You took more confident steps when another chime rang out, this time louder, realizing that you were on the right track. The clock chimed for the third time when you turned a corner, your eyes finally able to make out something at the end of the hall. You squinted your eyes to get a better look as you rushed towards it. Your eyebrows knitted in confusion when you arrived at the end to see the noisy grandfather clock seemingly stuck in the wall. When your fingers reach for it, your fingertips grazing the smooth wood, it chimes again for the fourth time, this time accompanied by an incredible voice you don’t recognize, but the words still send a shiver down your spine.
“What are you doing out of your room, nine?” The voice boomed, sending you upright in bed.
Your chest rose and fell fast as you tried to suck in as much oxygen as you could muster.
You felt Steve stir beside you.
“Honey?” He called out with a voice weighed down by sleep. “Are you ok?” He asked, sitting himself up.
“No. I think something’s wrong.” You look over at him. Your words knock the lingering sleep out of him. He pulled you into him, his fingers gently gliding up and down your bicep to soothe you.
“What kind of wrong?” He asked, his tired eyes now swimming in concern.
You relay your nightmare to him, both of you hoping that it meant nothing, but when it was you that was almost never the case.
Summary: After a tumultuous couple days, you groups fully reunite, embroiling you into a fight for life against the mind flayer above and the Russians below, you just worry that you all wont make it out alive.
A/N: Sorry for the insane wait. Life was...lifing and I had a nasty case of writer's block. I rewrote this like five times, but ended with something that I really like! I can't believe season 4 is around the corner and I am so excited to keep this ride going! As always enjoy!!!!!
Childhood Best friends to Lovers
Steve Harrington x Powered!Fem!Sinclair!reader (she/her)
CW: Car accidents, descriptions of injuries, fires, canon level violence, language
WC: 6k
Series Masterlist
Dividers by @reevesoc
lmk if you want to be added to the taglist
Hopper scrambled to El, scooping her up in his arms. She buried her face in his chest as he brought her to the small decorative fountain in the middle of the food court. The group gathered around, racing hearts slowing when the wailing girl finally calmed in his arms.
Mike broke the now eerie silence of the mall to fill in the adults in on the horrors all of you experienced while they trekked through the hot Indiana woods and played cat and mouse at the city fair.
“The mind flayer rebuilt itself in Hawkins to stop El and Y/n. It wants to kill them and pave a way into our world.” The boy explained. You and El had always been at the center of this mess, but this time it was personal. Every flayed person who had been stripped of their personhood and melted down to flesh and bones to become part of a monster that was aiming to kill the two of you. In years previous, the monsters that lurked in the shadows would hunt indiscriminately. Everything was a walking meal to them. They didn’t care who you were if they were hungry, but now everything’s changed. The mind flayer was scared and it knew that it had to eliminate the threats.
“How big is this thing?” Hopper asked, softly stroking El’s hair.
“Thirty feet at least.” Jonathan answered. You immediately reached to lace your fingers with Steve’s. His hand met yours halfway, both of you needing the other to keep yourselves grounded at the bone chilling description.
“Yeah, and it sort of destroyed your cabin.” Your brother confesses, ending with a “sorry.” To soften the blow.
“Great. That’s great.” Hopper huffed, before shifting his focus to you. “Did you see anything about this? Any nightmares that could help us here?” He asked.
“Yeah, but I didn’t know what it meant. I saw the mindflayer and the gate, but it was weird. But not the normal ‘weird’. Everything felt…dead. When I reached out to touch it, it fell into a heap of ash. It made no sense.” You explained, feeling slightly guilty for being of little help.
“Before we get ahead of ourselves, how do we know that thing is even still alive out there?” Joyce asked.
“El beat the shit out of it, but yeah, it’s still alive.” Max replied, her face slightly grimacing as she remembers how the screeching creature fled.
“So then what do we do?” Robin asked, looking around at your unfortunately experienced group.
“We can do what we did last year. If we can close the gate, and cut the brain off from the body, then theoretically…” Will began to surmise.
“I hate to be that guy, but what if we’re wrong. I mean we saw that gate. It’s a baby compared to the one at the lab and that place is crawling with scientists and soldiers. There’s no way something could sneak out of there without anyone noticing. What if the mind flayer was here this whole time. Or at least a part of him was. What if my nightmare was a warning that it never left.” You hypothesize, feeding into the anxious pit forming in your stomach.
“Then we kill it. For real this time.” Lucas piped up in reassuring determination.
“Yoo-hoo!” Murray’s voice echoed through the mall. Your heads snapped in the direction of the man in cut offs, wildly waving his paper filled hands in the air, hollering for attention. The group gathered around him as he slammed his papers on the table.
“This is what Alexei called ‘the hub’.” He explained, tracing his fingers over a handdrawn diagram of the underground base that he received from the man the trio of adults seemed to have kidnapped. “Now the hub takes us to the vault room.”
“Ok, where’s the gate?” Hopper asked, trying to make sense of what was in front of him.
“I don’t know the scale on this, but I think it’s fairly close, maybe fifty feet or so.” Murray grossly undershot.
“More like five hundred!” Erica immediately piped up, earning confused stares from the grown men.“What? You’re just gonna waltz in there like it's Commie Disneyland or something?” Erica continued, glaring up at both of them.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Murray asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“Erica Sinclair. Who are you?” She shot back unimpressed.
“Murray…Bauman.” He stammered.
“Listen, Mr. Bunman. I’m not trying to tell you how to do things but we’ve been down in that shithole for twenty-four hours. And with all due respect, you do what this man tells you and you’re all gonna die.” Her eyes bounced around to the group.
“I’m sorry, who is this four year old speaking to me?” He asked incredulously, looking around for clarification.
“Um, I’m ten you bald bastard!” She shot back. The smile on your face that you were trying to claw back, forced itself through when you heard Steve release a light chuckle beside you.
“What? She’s right.” You defend when Hopper’s eyes snap to you to ‘say something’ you assume.
“Yeah, she’s right. You’re all gonna die, but you don’t have to…” Dustin jumped in convincing the two men to sit down so that he and Erica could give them a more in depth breakdown of the base with the small map like travel agents helping a traveling couple plan their itinerary.
“Oh, man! This is what I’m talking about!” Steve celebrated as if he won the lottery when he saw the cream colored Cadillac parked by the entrance that Hopper handed him the keys to. The five of you, now going by the call sign Scoops Troop, were tasked with guiding Joyce, Murray, and Hopper through the Russian base with Dustin’s Cerebro.
“Toddfather?” Robin read off the license plate.
“Oh, screw Todd. Steve’s her daddy now.” He claimed, not catching the grimace that crossed your face as he held the passenger door open for you.
“Ooohh. I’m telling Betsy.” You tease him with wiggling eyebrows, reminding him of the other love of his life parked at the end of the lot.
“You better not. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He shot back with a sly smirk.
“I’m sorry, did you just talk about yourself in the third person?” Robin cringed, climbing into the backseat.
“Did he just call himself daddy?” Erica followed up with a face scrunched in disgust.
“All right, where are we going?” Steve asked, looking at the boy through the rear-view mirror.
“Weather top.” Dustin answered, clicking his seatbelt into place.
“Weather-what?”
“Just drive.”
“Ok, Jesus.” Steve groaned before peeling out of the parking lot.
“Woooo!” Steve cheered as he sped down the empty street.
The five of you couldn’t help but agree that this was the best that you had felt in what felt like an eternity. The night’s warm air filling your lungs as the wind whipped through your hair. You felt alive again.
“Let’s see what kind of music taste Todd has.” You said as you began to rifle through the strangers' center console. “Oooo. Jackie Wilson!” You singled out as you thumbed through Todd’s cassette tapes.
The opening cords to Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher began to blast through the speakers.
Steve’s hands reached for yours as the song played, the other stayed firmly planted on the wheel as the five of you ripped down the empty stretch of road
“How far is this place?” You turn to ask Dustin.
“We’re close, don't worry.” He assured you.
“Suzie must be pretty special, huh?” Robin piped up. “I mean if you built this thing and lugged it all the way to the middle of nowhere just to talk to her?”
“I mean, nobody’s scientifically perfect, but Suzie’s about as close to being perfect as a human could be.” He answered with a giddy smile.
“She sound made up to me. She sound made up to you?” Erica asked, poking her head between the front seats to look between you and Steve.
Your unsure eyes found the others, leaving an unintentional silence hanging in the air.
“Why are you hesitating, guys?” Dustin accused.
“We- we’re not. We- we.” Steve stammered.
“Of course we think she’s real. You’re an absolute charmer.” You quickly jump in to cover your floundering boyfriend.
“Yeah, yeah. Totally and absolutely real.” Steve continued, finally finding the words.
When you look into the rearview mirror, you catch Erica looking back at you mouthing ‘Liars’ at you.
“Turn left!” Dustin abruptly barks the command.
“There’s not a road here!” Steve shot back as he scanned the surrounding area.
“Turn left now!” Dustin yelled back, unphased by the information.
“Jesus! Hang on!” Steve warned, flinging his arm across your chest as an extra layer of protection as he cut the wheel as hard as he could, plowing through the barricade lining the shoulder of the road. “Where are we going, Henderson!” Steve shouted, now driving aimlessly through an open field.
“Up!” The boy screeched back. Steve slammed his foot down on the gas as he approached the bass of the hill.
“We’re not gonna make it!” Robin shouted from the backseat.
“Yes, we are! Come on, baby. Come on baby!” He sweet talked the car as he pressed his foot down harder on the gas, but you could hear the car’s engine straining as it fought to haul all of you up the steep hill.
“Come on. Come on.” Steve grunted, keeping his foot down on the pedal until the tires dug themselves too deep into the ground, stalling itself.
“I guess the Toddfather has its limitations.” You gave a thinlipped pout, gently rubbing his shoulder in comfort. He shoots a playful glare your way before cutting off the engine.
The five of you make the short trek up to the crest of the hill, Dustin’s Cerebro still standing tall.
“Bald Eagle, do you copy?” You, Steve, and Robin began to pace back and forth, waiting with baited breath for the adult trio to respond. “Bald Eagle, I repeat this is Scoops Troop, do you copy?” Dustin radioed in.
“Yes, I copy.” A collective sigh of relief rippled through the five of you at Murray’s response.
“Call sign?”
“Bald Eagle.” The man replied shortly, clearly frustrated with the name hated. You just weren’t sure which part he hated more. The name itself or the fact that Erica and Dustin were the ones to give it to him.
“Please repeat.”
“Bald Eagle. This is Bald Eagle!” He shot back, making all of you chuckle at his short temper.
“Copy that. It’s good to hear your voice, Bald Eagle. What’s your twenty?”
“We reached the vent. I’ll contact you when I need you. Until then, silence.”
“Roger that, Bald Eagle. This is Scoops Troop, going radio silent, Ten-ten over.” Dustin signed off. A smile broke across your face watching Steve give Dustin a proud pat on the shoulder.
You split from the group to sit in the short grass. Your eyes stared up at the inky sky glimmering with stars.
“How are you holding up, love?” Steve asked, sitting down beside you.
“Oh, the usual. Just grappling with the fact that a giant flesh monster wants to kill me.” You chuckle, looking over at him. “You?”
“Wishing that we were at the city fair like we planned. There’s a funnel cake with my name on it being eaten by someone else right now while we’re here fighting interdimensional bullshit again.” He lamented, picturing the fried dessert in his mind.
“Correction. Half a funnel cake even though you somehow manage to get all of the powdered sugar on your face.”
“You don’t get to blame that on me. You’re the one who can’t keep her lips to herself.” He argued back.
“Ok, maybe I contribute to the problem a little bit…Fine I contribute to it alot.” You corrected yourself after he shot you a playful glare. “But I can’t help it. You get all smiley and your cheeks get warm. You just look so kissable that it makes me sick.” You muse, tracing your eyes over his bruised face.
“So, they weren't just bribes to make me spend an obscene amount of money on ripped carnival games to win you a teddy bear?” He raised a suspicious eyebrow at you.
“No…not all of them, but if I did it again would you have added another giant to my collection?” You wiggled curious eyebrows at him.
“Of course. It would’ve been the perfect night, but Hawkins always has a special way of ruining things.” He spoke, a sigh escaping both of you.
“Do you think this will ever end?” You ask, beginning to play with your fingers.
“Yeah.” He nodded along hopefully.
“What if it doesn't?” Your glassy eyes find his.
“It will. Because you won’t be stuck here. We won’t be stuck here. Our life begins next year after you graduate. I mean FIT will be beating down your door, begging you to apply in a few months. And if those idiots don’t accept you then somewhere that sees how amazing you are will. I don’t care where we end up as long as it’s you and me for as long as you have me.” He softly assured you.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I want you forever.” You teased, knowing that you truly meant it.
“Are you proposing to me right now?” He smirked at you.
“Woah, slow your roll there, love. That’s your job. You get on your knees, not me.”
“You know I have no problem getting on my knees for you.” He dropped his voice down to a sultry tone, leaning into you.
“Hey, I thought we were keeping it pg-13.” You replied placing a hand against his chest.
“I know, but self-control is overrated.” He mumbled, leaning further in.
“Hey, guys!” Robin’s worried voice made the two of you jump apart. You could hear Dustin and Erica’s running feet rustling in the grass behind you as you and Steve scrambled to your feet. The four of you gathered around Robin, your eyes growing wide with worry when they landed on the mall, the building’s lights flashing like a fastly spinning disco ball.
“Oh,shit.” You mutter under your breath before all of your rush back to the Cerebro.
“Griswold Family, do you copy! I repeat this is Scoops Troop. Do you copy?” Dustin shouted into his walkie. “Griswold Family, this is Scoops troop! Please confirm your safety!” Dustin repeated, straining his voice to scream louder, once again receiving nothing. Your palms bloomed with sweat as Dustin screeched the message another time. “Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety!” This time instead of silence, a monstrous roar thundered through the walkie speaker, putting a pit in each of your stomachs.
“Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety! Are you en route to Bald Eagle’s nest?!” You and Steve lock eyes when another snarl tore its way through the radio. You were up in an instant, your feet moving faster than your brain as you both took off down the hill.
“Where are you going?!” Erica yelled, stopping both of you in your tracks, giving Robin a chance to catch up. The girl swiping a walkie before joining you.
“To get them the hell out of there!” Steve frantically explained.
“Stay here and contact the others! Do. Not. Leave!” You commanded, pointing between Dustin and Erica before resuming your sprint down the hill.
Your heart thundered in your chest as Steve careened into the parking lot.
“There!” You pointed out spotting Nancy’s car, still parked at the mall’s entrance.
“Do you guys hear that?” Robin asked, hearing the pops of gun shots mixed with the sound of a revving engine. “Oh my god!” Her voice now rising to a scream as Billy’s Camaro began to speed across the parking lot.
“Hold on to something!” Steve yelled before slamming his foot down on gas, steering directly into the speeding Camaro.
Pained groans punched their way through each of you when the two cars made impact. Your heads buzzed and your ears rang as the car spun out before skidding to a stop.
“Are you guys ok?” Steve asked as the three of you fought to collect yourselves.
“Ask me tomorrow?” Robin piped up from the backseat.
“Babe?” He looked over at you, but you were already on your feet, staring up at the creature crawling across the mall’s roof.
“Oh, shit!” Steve and Robin gasped, their eyes following yours up to the roof. Your terrified eyes couldn’t look away as it roared down at you.
“Come on! Get in!” Nancy’s voice broke all of you from your trance. The three of you scrambled out of the Toddfather with the grace of newborn deers and into Nancy’s car.
“That’s not thirty feet!” You shouted at Jonathon as you settled into the trunk, sitting between Steve’s legs, your back to his chest.
“It got bigger!” He shouted back, looking at you through the rearview mirror.
“It wants to kill me and it’s getting bigger, great!” You chuckled in panicked frustration, dropping your head into your hand. Your heart was hammering in your chest as you felt the ground beneath your feet rumbling. Your head shot up and your blood ran cold when you realized that the mind flayer was chasing down the car. Your hand laced with Steve’s, his thumb immediately began to stroke gentle circles over your knuckles. You did the same for him, feeling his heart beat like a humming bird against his back.
Your attention was finally pulled away from the window when the radio in Robin’s lap crackled to life.
“Dusty-bun, you copy?” You heard the light and unfamiliar voice of a girl break through.
“I copy, Suzie-poo. It sounds much better now, thanks.” Dustin’s voice soon followed after.
“Suzie.” The three of you spoke in unison, looking at each other with astonished eyes.
“Ok, do you know Planck’s constant?” Dustin asked.
“Do you know the Earth orbits the sun?” She playfully shot back.
“Ok, so I know it starts with two sixes, and then a…W-what is it?”
“Ok, let me just be clear on this. I haven’t heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can…save the world?” The girl ranted.
“Suzie-poo, I promise I will make it up to you as soon as possible.” He answered in a pleading tone.
“You can make it up to me now.” She spoke in a leading tone.
“What?” You could hear the panic in Dustin’s voice.
“I want to hear it.” She replied, surely smiley ear to ear.
“Not right now.” He began to plead.
“Yes, now, Dusty-bun.” She argued back with a wearing patience.
“Suzie-poo, this is urgent.” He tried to nudge her along, but she wasn’t having it.
“Yes, yes, you’re saving the world, I heard you the first time, but Ged is also saving Earthsea and he’s about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie signing off!” The girl’s sweet tone devolved into one of frustration.
“Wait, wait, wait! Ok.” Dustin quickly gave into his girlfriend’s demands. “Turn around, Look at what you seeeee. In her face the mirror of your dreeeaams…” Your wide eyes immediately found Steve’s. His mouth slowly began to hang open as the boy sang.
“Is this-” Robin began to ask.
“Yes.” You quickly answer, nodding your head as Dustin continued to sing the first verse of Never Ending Story. “Oh my god.” You whisper, slapping your hand over your mouth when Suzie’s voice began to mix with Dustin’s, the couple harmonizing between lyrics.
Steve shrugged his shoulders when Lucas and WIll turned to look at him as if he knew why any of this was happening. Robin failed at containing her giggling which only made your stunned exterior shatter. The two of you fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at the sickeningly sweet moment.
“Planck’s constant is 6.62607004.” Suzie finally supplied when they’re duet ended. You and Robin held your hands out towards the other, fanning your hand in front of the other’s face to calm each other down.
“You just saved the world.” Dustin replied, the evident awe in his voice made your heart warm.
“Gosh, I miss you Dusty-bun.”
“And I miss you more, Suzie-poo.”
“I miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy.” The couple went around in a circle.
“This is what the two of you sound like by the way.” Robin pointed at you and Steve, catching the grimace still plastered on Steve’s face.
“Sue me for loving my girlfriend.” Steve threw his hands up, not even trying to deny it.
“I will. Don’t think I didn’t hear some of that shit you guys said on the weather top.”
“Oh my god!” Your heart drops as you peer back out of the window.
“‘Oh my god’ is right. I heard and I will be suing both of you for emotional distress. That was s-”
“No, not that. It’s turning around!” You shouted, pointing your finger.
“What?!” Nancy snapped her head around at your words.
“It’s turning around!” You repeated with more zeal than before.
“Oh, shit! Hold on!” Jonathon shouted his instructions from the driver’s seat before cutting a high-speed U-turn, flipping the chase on its head.
When you arrived, the seven of you spilled out of the car like bugs at the switch of the light. You all tried your best not to stare in wide eyed horror as you unloaded the fireworks strapped to the roof of the car. Every stomach twisted in knots as the mall’s lights flickered at a seizure-inducing pace. The mind flayer was here, you all just hoped that you weren’t too late.
The group split off into three teams with you in the center of it all. Your skin prickled as the mind flayer creeped through the massive hole in the roof from a now collapsed skylight. The floor beneath your feet vibrated with every step it took, as its booming snarls and growls echoed through the empty mall.
“Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!” Lucas was the one to kick everything off, lobbing a firecracker straight into its roaring mouth. The explosion made it slightly stagger back as it released a pained wail.
“Hey asshole! Over here!” Steve screamed from beside you, launching another one straight into its face.
You shut your eyes, throwing your hands out in front of you. Your muscles tensed as you tried to focus your energy on the staggering creature.
Its roars began to intensify as you pulled your hands apart. Flesh tore and bones pushed the farther apart you pulled your hands.
“It’s working!" You heard Robin shout from beside you, her eyes looking over at you in awe.
“It’s crazy, right?” Steve proudly shouted back before throwing another firework to help you as you slowly stripped it away piece by piece.
You screamed through gritted teeth as you pulled harder, finally feeling a major split occur. The flesh along its back begins to slowly tear at the seams.
The blood from your nose began to flow, the liquid feeling warm as it rolled down your lips.
You tried your best not to focus on the fact that the bright and violent explosions from the fireworks were slowly dying out. Your muscles tensed and every vein in your neck and arms tensed as you had to push your body harder to compensate.
“We’re out!” You heard Robin’s voice cut through the noise.
The loss of fire power helped the mind flayer battle back, its flesh no longer searing from the colorful peppering embers being thrown its way. The ground shook as it advanced, taking back the territory you had stolen. You lost your focus, your forceful hold slipping as you stumbled back from the ground beneath your feet violently shaking.
“We’re running out of time here, Dustin!” Steve yelled into the walkie he held tightly in the grasp.
You scramble back to your feet, stretching your hand back out at the monster, trying your best to hold it back as the group waited with baited breath for Hopper and Joyce to finally close the gate. It’s almost over. You repeated in your head over and over as you tried to regain control, but the mind flayer was vehemently refusing defeat. A limb slithered its way up, shooting directly at your ankle.
You hit the floor before you can even blink as the foreign flesh wraps itself around you, trying to drag you away. Steve and Robin are on you in an instant, their hands latching onto yours like in a vice grip. The pair look at you with tear-filled eyes as they pull with every muscle they have in their body to bring you back to the ground.
“We’ve got you, baby! We’ve got you!” Steve tried to reassure you as you screamed your head off.
The group quickly swarmed around the three of you at the sound of your ear-percing screams.
Lucas and Nancy helped Robin pull on your right while Jonathon and Will helped Steve on your left.
“Three, two, one, pull!” Jonathan counted out for the group, each of them using all the strength they had in them to pull you in.
The tears streamed down your face when the mind flayer pulled right back, the pressure it had around your ankle becoming unbearable.
“Three, two, one, pull!” Jonathan counted again for the group to repeat their actions.
“It hurts!” Your screams intensified as both sides fought for you with all of their might. The tension it created made you think you were going to be ripped in half.
“I know, Honey. I know but it’s almost over!” Steve promised over the chaos. He wished he could swish away the tear streaking down your face, but it was a risk he simply would not take.
“Three, two, on-” Jonathan’s countdown died on his tongue when the mind flayer let out a pained screech. Its body staggered on unbalanced limbs, making its hold on you an after thought. The extra appendage wrapped around your ankle retreated, dropping you to the floor. The mind flayer’s body continued to bounce from railing to railing, wreaking havoc until it finally crumpled to the ground, its connection to the upside down severing.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Steve helped you stand. You slung an arm around his shoulder while he supported you with an arm around your waist. He helped you limp to the dented railing with the rest of the group. All of you watched as the flames created by the embers of the fireworks erupted.
“Nancy?!” You could hear Mike’s voice echo up from the first floor.
“Mike?!” She called back with wide eyes. The group rushed to the escalators, speeding down the steps while Steve helped you slide down the smooth dividing gap so that you could stay off of your ankle.
Your heart sank to the floor when your group found El, Max, and Mike huddled together on the floor by the body of Billy Hargrove.
“Max?” Lucas spoke softly, kneeling beside his sobbing girlfriend. She leaned into him as soon as he was close enough. He held her close to his chest letting her soak his shoulder in tears as she clung to his shirt.
“Are you kids hurt?!” A voice boomed through the room, followed by dozens of heavy foot falls.
Your heads snapped over to find a squad of paramedics and firefighters approaching.
“Her!” Steve immediately volunteered.
“No, no. El first.” You refused, pointing over to the girl who was still on the ground, restricted by her ankle injury.
“I can take you.” Another paramedic emerged from the crowd with a stretcher.
“Keep it elevated with a cold compress for the next few days and the swelling should go down. Nothing seems to be torn or broken, so recovery shouldn’t take too long.” The paramedic explained after examining and wrapping your ankle.
“Will do, Doc.” You thanked him, pulling the shock blanket around your shoulders tighter.
“Now, onto you my friend.” He turned his attention to your boyfriend.
“Oh, I’m good, ma-” Steve began to protest the care, but you swiftly cut him off.
“No, he’s not.”
“The swelling’s going down.” He tried to argue back.
“He is looking at your eye. End. Of. Discussion.” You immediately shut him down, looking at him with pointed eyes.
“She’s right. There could be nerve damage in your eye. I would also like to rule out a concussion with a shiner that bad.” The paramedic explained, putting on a fresh set of gloves to begin his examination on Steve.
It didn’t take long for the paramedic to surmise that Steve did in fact have a concussion. The adrenaline coursing through Steve’s body had been the only thing acting as a buffer from him feeling the effects. You didn’t even try to hide the “I told you so’ smirk that danced across your lips as the paramedic read rattled off his diagnosis.
“I recommend you stay off of your feet for the next couple of days. No excessive or intense movement and get lots of rest to give your brain a break. I would also recommend both of you to make follow up appointments with your doctors so that you can get more thorough care when this mess calms down.”
“We will.” You assured him.
“Great. Stay safe out here kids. Hopefully it shouldn’t be too hard. You seemed to be in great hands.” He smiled looking between the two lovesick idiots sitting in front of him, whose hands had yet to unclasp from the moment he met the two of you.
Three Months Later
“Um, just to be clear, we weren’t fired, you know. The mall burned down and, like, killed a bunch of people.” Robin tried to guilt Keith as he ‘read’ through your resumes.
“Thanks for sharing. Didn’t know.” He replied in a flat tone, before tossing the papers down on the counter. You groaned internally realizing that you were most likely going to walk away empty-handed. The three of you were taken aback however when he snapped his fingers at Robin.
“Favorite movies, go.”
“Uh…The Apartment, Hidden Fortress, Children of Paradise.” She quickly rattled off.
“You, go.” He snapped his fingers at you.
“Ok…” You fought the urge to roll your eyes at his antics. “Alien, Clue, and Rocky Horror Picture Show.” You listed off.
“You.” He directed his snap at Steve.
“Favorite movies?” Steve asked, trying to give himself a moment to think.
“Did I stutter?” You once again tried your hardest to keep your eyes in place at the Kieth’s tone.
“Uh…Animal House, for sure…” You and Robin lock eyes immediately, your expressions reading We’re so fucked as he continued. “Um-”
“Eyes on me, Harrington” He snapped his fingers for Steve’s attention again before giving him an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.
“Yeah, Yeah, uh…Star Wars.” He finally threw out.
“A New Hope?” Keith inquired in a smug tone.
“A new what-now?” Steve’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.
“Which Star Wars?” Keith’s frustration spilled out.
“The one with the teddy bears, duh.” He replied, mimicking the sound of an Ewok.
“Oh god.” You whisper, dropping your face into your palm while Robin hung her head in second-hand embarrassment.
“No? Uh…Oh, the movie that just came out. The one the DeLorean and with Alex P. Keaton, and he’s trying to bang his mom. And you know…time.” He poorly regurgitated the plot of Back to the Future, despite the fact that you just saw the movie on Saturday for date night. “Yeah, those are my top three… Classics.” You place a hand on Steve’s back, rubbing it in small circles to hopefully calm him down, feeling the clear stress radiating off of him.
“Ok, you two start Monday.” Keith pointed between you and Robin.
“You start never.” His finger shifted to Steve. You could feel Steve deflate against your hand. Your heart stung in your chest when his disappointed eyes shifted from you, down to the counter, making a slight frown form on your face.
“Ok…Will you just give us a minute?” You lean over to Steve.
“Why?”
“Steve.”
“Fine.” He huffed, before narrowing his eyes at Keith who in turn tauntingly sneered at him. Steve’s gaze hardened as he stared the man down before backing away to make himself busy.
“All right, you have to understand, Keith. I know his taste is a bit pedestrian, but the dingus has other qualities.” Robin began.
“He’s a douchebag of the highest order.” He quickly shot back.
“He was a bit of a prick to us in high school, but he’s changed. I know that sounds insane, but it’s true.”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure that I keep him in line.” You assured him.
“Plus, he’s a total chick magnet.” Robin jumped in, the two of you tag-teaming Steve’s defense as if you were his attorneys proving that he’s innocent to a jury of his peers.
“This is relevant to me, how?” He asked, completely unimpressed.
“Um, Earth to Keith. The ladies will come in just to see him. They’ll come in in droves.” Robin explained.
“Yeah, we used to sell so much ice cream that we had to get a second shipment from Michigan. Goddamn Michigan.” You continued.
“And let me tell you Keith, these ladies are hot. They are so very hot, but imagine how heartbroken they’ll be when they realize that he’s taken and very happily so. Who will they run to for comfort, Keith?”
“M-me?” He pointed at himself.
“You.” You affirmed, both of you nodding along in affirmation.
“Goddamit!” Your three heads snap over at the sound of Steve’s voice. “This is-” His words become jumbled around his resume he’s holding with his teeth as he struggles to put the cardboard cutout he knocked over back together. “Fast Times. Fast Times. Ever heard of it? Top three from me Keith.” Steve held up the cut out of Phoebe Cates that he finally managed to put back together. You couldn’t help the love-sick smile that formed on your face when you looked at him, while Robin fell into a fit of giggles behind you.
“Oh, thank god!” You breathe a sigh of relief when Steve sped in the Byers’ drive-way. The party was out on the front lawn, giving tearful goodbyes to the Byers. “Sorry we’re late. We got tied up at our interview.” You explain as the two of you climb out of the car.
“It’s ok. You caught us just in time, sweetheart.” Joyce assured you as she put the last box in the U-haul. It was hard for you to believe that this was it. The party was officially losing two members. After losing Hopper in the “fire”, Dr. Owens offered Joyce the option to relocate to California with the boys and El. She hated splitting up the kids, but she knew that it was time someone made the right choices for the girl. Choices that allowed her to go to school and carry a name. As much as you all hated to see her go, you knew that she deserved to start a new, safe chapter in her life.
You and Steve find the party of crying kids surrounding El and Will.
Tears welled in your eyes as soon as you and El wrapped your arms around each other.
It was bittersweet for both of you. Losing each other meant that you were once again losing someone who truly understood the horror and traumas of the lab. But all of the sweet is worth the pain. You couldn’t be more happy at the fact that El was finally going to get the life she deserved in California. No more upside down and Hawkins Lab bullshit. She could just be.
“It’s time to go.” Joyce regretfully informed you all, making you reluctantly release your hold on her. The group groaned before huddling around El and Will for a group hug for the last time.
Steve wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest.
“She’s gonna be ok.” Steve whispers into your ear, before pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.
“I know.” You nod along in agreement. “She’s gonna do great things away from this hell hole.” A proud smile breaks through your tears as you watch the moving van’s Adventure in Moving slogan disappear down the road.
