Reminder that the very core of conformity gate is Mike Wheeler being a queer closeted man who chose conformity over being his true self, and now he’s seeing his life pass by with the consequences of that decision (except it’s all happening in his head where we, the audience, is trapped with him under Vecna’s curse)
The gate doesn’t WORK unless Mike is a closeted queer man.
Fridays were always good days. The best days. Except the fake ones...
warnings: this is long (4.3k) based around the idea that is CONFORMITY GATE (if we're wrong, we're wrong together) allusions to smut (steve x reader) language, a general sense of un-ease, not proof read.
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Fridays were always good days. The best days. They were the day that marked the work week end, welcoming the weekend. They were days where you woke with a smile on your face- though often you did- and you thanked the little life you'd created for yourself.
Eighteen months. Eighteen months of bliss, where you woke in a plush bed with the sunlight welcoming you because you always forgot to close the curtains. Where you didn't wake from nightmares pushing into your mind. You woke slow, taking your time with the day.
You woke with a warm body pressed into yours-
His warm chest was pressed on top of you, soft lips trailing up your bare shoulder. He was begging you to wake up but as you always did. You tried hard to stay sleepy.
However, Steve Harrington, your loving husband knew your every trick. He kissed up your back, lacing touches of love there before reaching your ear and blowing into the shell.
You squirmed with a laugh.
His hands found your waist, squeezing and turning you. "Well, good morning."
"Mmh- what time is it-" before you could even check the clock Steve's lips sort yours out in the same desperate kiss he took from you every morning. Whether you were still asleep and he was leaving to work, he pressed his lips to yours. Whether he was only getting up to make you your favourite breakfast, he smiled against your lips. Even slow mornings like this, Steve was stealing a kiss.
"Time to love my wife," he mumbled into your lips. His body was hot and heavy against yours just as it had been last night, his touch needy, his groans strong, his love hitting you stronger.
Steve's lips trailed down your neck, finding the sweet spot that had your back arching into him, letting his hands explore your back-
11:00.
"Shit-Steve, we're late-" you pushed him off you, grabbing a shirt from the ground and throwing it on in a rush.
"Huh- wha- oh, shit!" Steve hurried in your steps.
Friday. Always a good day. Even better today as your favourite party of kids were graduating, ending one last adventure.
You and Steve rushed around your bedroom, the light kissing you at times. Your dress was hanging up on the back of your door, Steve's suit hanging over the ensuite door. Brown in colour and framing him in the most perfect places.
As you both rushed around, cleaning teeth, pulling up pants and skirts, Steve never missed a moment to steal a kiss or take a swat at your perfect backside.
At some point he'd turned on the radio, the static filling your room before Rockin Robin returned to your ears-
'Hi there strangers, it's been a while. I mean, I wonder, do you guys even remember me? Okay maybe I'm being too modest, I mean, let's be honest who could forget this soothing voice with a Debra Winger rasp-'
Steve scoffed as he focused on his tie in the mirror. "Debra Winger, come on-"
'-aka, Rockin Robin. Jimmy 'fast hands' was kind enough to let me back into the booth for a guest stint but you're gonna have to cut me some slack cause I am feeling rusty. I mean what do I even talk about, my go-to subjects are as out of date as, well, my friends bowl cut-'
You chuckled to yourself, thinking of the later days you all had together where Robin would tease Will relentlessly about his 'out-of-date' hair.
'- there's no soldiers, no fences, no Big Brother cameras and the only Big Mac I can find is a smash Double Patty from Mickey D's. People are happy and smiling and going to the movies but hey, who doesn't want to see Indy's new adventure-'
There came a clash of sound effects in a hurry that you and Steve cringed at.
'- my partner in crime ditched me but well, as far as excuses go he had a pretty good one.'
You smiled back at Steve who was focused on his tie and getting it right, so much so he missed his little shout out. You wondered over, smiling and slapping away his hands to do it yourself.
Steve watched as you did. "I love you," he mumbled.
"I know you do." You pecked his lips once, scared to mess up the lipstick you'd wiped on in a hurry.
'-but, I think the Hawkins curse has finally lifted.'
Steve clapped his hands as he did on the field, "right, okay, let's move it. We'll listen to Rockin' Robin in the car, let's go, let's go!"
You chuckled your way down to Steve's precious beauty, his BMW he'd had since you were younger. The sunlight was beautiful over Forest Hills, where you'd made your home. But this morning was a rushed one. The sunsets were always beautiful so you'd look upon it later.
Your neighbour was outside, the house across from you. "Hello you two!" he waved.
You waved back quickly as Steve held the passenger door open for you.
"Hey, sorry man, running late, we'll talk to you later!" he rushed out.
Your neighbour was harmless, though creepy enough. But nothing would ruin your beautiful Friday where you'd spend it celebrating your friends.
Steve drove, keeping a hand entwined with yours the entire way. It was all a big feeling, a lot of time had passed and much blood, sweat and tears to get where you were.
You felt it all on the drive down to the field of Hawkins high.
Steve drove in, the two of you waving at those that remembered him from school and parents of children he taught at baseball down at the middle school. And sex-ed, which would never cease to make you laugh.
"Huh, looks like Wheelers and Byers are already here," he said, getting out the car first.
You go to open your own door but Steve very quickly reached over, shutting your door.
"Hey!" he lectured.
You chuckled as you watched Steve throw on his shades, rushing around to your door to open it himself and help you out. "You're an idiot Steve Harrington."
"You love it, Harrington." He pecked your lips before taking your hand and leading you to the stands.
The stands weren't far, already filling up. Peering over the people, some you recognised, many you didn't. You spotted Jonathon Byers setting up his camera as students lined up, readying themselves.
"Coach Harrington!" Derekn, young Derek who'd latched onto the two of you much like Dustin had way back when, threw himself into his coach's arms, squeezing him. He moved onto you next.
"Hello, Derek, how you doing?" you asked politely.
"Fine," he shrugged. "But this tie is choking me and these pants don't let my-"
"Derek! C'mon!" Holly Wheeler groaned, dragging him back to their seats. Her dress was pink and very modern, hair longer with bangs. She was a girl of 1989, while you dressed like you were still stuck in '87.
"Those kids, never change," Steve tutted, showing you over to the stands.
"Hey guys!" Nancy waved.
"Nancy!" you grinned.
She sat among her family, a healthy looking Mrs Wheeler and Mr Wheeler at her side. Her hair was shorter, framed in familiar waves with a cut that matched her mothers and fathers. She wore a blazer and a dim light in her eyes. Though Nancy smiled, it didn't reach its usual brightness.
You'd have to ask her about that later.
Your names were called, Robin!
Steve grinned and helped you up the stand, taking his seat next to Robin and sitting you down next to him. His hand was still entwined with yours and he kissed the back of it, the two of you greeting Robin.
"Here- I saved you one to use to wipe your tears," said Robin with a teasing grin, handing her a programme.
"Oh, ha-ha."
You flicked through it, seeing the pictures of the students, your Valedictorian grinning wide.
The border around it was green.
The graduation cap marked on the back was green.
The students walked out- in orange.
Everyone started cheering and clapping. You joined in with a frown.
"Am I crazy or are they supposed to be green?" you leant over, whispering in his ear.
"Huh? What?" asked Steve. He looked at you, amused. "Oh yeah, you're crazy."
You must have been. Or maybe they'd changed the colour last minute. Maybe orange was a cheaper colour, after all there was a few students graduating there.
But hadn't Hawkins high colours always been green?
Or at least they were when you were at school.
Maybe times had changed.
When the cheers stopped you looked around at the faces around you but everyone sat stiff, prim and proper. They all looked ahead, hands kept neat in their laps.
Geez, you thought. Someone would think it was a funeral.
From the stage, Dustin waved at you and you waved back.
Things were gonna be hard today, you knew it would be. Eighteen months after everything had happened tensions were gonna be high, worry was going to escalate. At least for you.
"Hey," Steve wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you in. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course." You smiled as his lips pressed lovingly to your head.
You listened as the principal made his speech, preaching about the school year and how times had changed. You looked around, Mike Wheeler standing off the side, his mother embracing him. Out of everyone, it must have been difficult- eighteen months ago he'd lost El and everything they had planned.
Mike's gaze met yours, shock and confusion there for a second before it morphed into relief. He held up a hand at you, waving and you smiled as he took his seat.
"-and now it's my greatest pleasure to introduce someone who has truly excelled during their time here. Ladies and Gentlemen, give a warm welcome for your valedictorian, Dustin Henderson!"
The cheers doubled, Steve and yours by far the loudest. Signs went up in the air but they were too far and faint for you to make heads or tails of it.
Lucas, Mike, Will and Max were on their feet with Steve, cheering for him.
Dustin took the stage with confidence as you all listened. "I just wanted a normal childhood but that childhood was stolen from me. It was stolen from us and this past year, if you wanna know the truth, I've been pretty pissed off about it."
There were gasps around the crowd and the principal scowled.
"But then I thought back six years and I realised that even though there was a lot of bad there was so much good too. There's this game I like to play- it's called Dungeons and Dragons-" his friends cheered again, a few extra's also, "and in this game there are two types of chaos classes, chaotic good and chaotic bad. Now, bad chaos brings anarchy, destruction, war. But good chaos can bring innovation, change and this school... frankly it needed to change-"
There was a sudden breeze that chilled you in your outfit. Nobody else seemed to feel it, you felt it for all of them. A shiver ran down your spine, tingles at your neck that you shook off, hiding yourself further into Steve who welcomed you.
The trees. The leaves were brown, falling into bushes and piles.
You looked from the trees, back in front of you, focusing on Dustin and his words, trying to keep out the chill.
"- you change. You grow. I'm a better person now. I'm a better person because of them, because of my friends. So I'm not pissed off anymore. But I am worried... worried because now that the chaos is over, Principal Higgins and every square like him is gonna do their damnedest to put everything back in order. And I don't want order which is why it's hypocritical that I'm wearing this thing. I mean, we look ridiculous, what is this? We look like prisoners!"
Suddenly Dustin was ripping off his orange cape, showing off his new shirt. Grey in the back, scribbled with HELLFIRE LIVES. It must have been done quick, some letters harder in their marker than others.
Dustin was ushered off stage as he shouted words down the mic, the crowd laughing and cheering him on-
"-screw conformity, screw everyone and everything trying to hold you back and tear us apart because this is- this is our ending!"
Everyone erupted on their feet as he took his certificate and gave the finger to the principal.
"Oh that's gonna give Derek some ideas!" you laughed, standing to your feet as confetti blew out and speakers boomed out a song, you briefly covered your ears at the noise- it took you back to loud bullets and even louder screams.
There was a screech from the speakers piercing your ears, freezing you in place.
It reminded you of a scratch of a record, of a song booming in your ears, of a boombox, of a call of your name-
Steve grabbed you, swaying you side to side in happiness and peppering kisses all along your cheeks.
No, it was nothing. Friday were good days.
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All the leaves are brown... and the sky is grey...
You drummed your hand along the wheel of Steve's car, mumbling the lyrics to yourself, 'California dreaming'. You hadn't heard it in such a long time.
The sun had set by the time you pulled up in front of the Wheeler's house. You and Steve had promised to pick up Dustin who was spending the night with you guys after one last DnD round with him, Max, Will, Lucas and Mike.
Karen let you in, in a fun jumpsuit. "Hey, honey, come on in. You want any lasagne?"
"I'm okay, thank you, Karen."
You, Steve, Robin, Nancy and Jonathon had not long been up on the rooftop of the WSQK, sipping on drinks and catching up on old times and times ahead. So much had changed then what you originally thought.
Steve was checking out Jonathon's film, something about cannibals, maybe? Frankly you couldn't remember.
"The kids are just in the basement, they shouldn't be long," she told you.
"No problem."
Karen went back to serving up the food, Ted was on the chair watching static on the Tv.
"Hi, Mr Wheeler!" you called to him.
You got a grunt in response, better than usual.
Even if it had been eighteen months, Karen and Ted had healed up fast. All be it, Ted's injuries were lucky enough to be hid most of the time under his clothing but Karen had took the worst of the attack, her scars had peeked over her outfit at the graduation but now-
Well, they just weren't there.
It must have been the lighting, that, or she had some great moisturising routine.
You headed down to the basement, a sacred place for you and the gang at the best of times, a place to hide at the worst. Their voices carried on up through the door.
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on? That's it?" you heard Max ask. "Comfort and happiness? Could you be more trite?"
You huffed a laugh, that sounded like Max.
"I thought you were some kind of master storyteller or something."
"Well," said Mike. "That's the story, comfort and happiness. After all this time."
Yes, after all this time, did you not all deserve some comfort and happiness? Didn't you deserve to fight no more and live the life you'd always dreamt of? Ever since Will had disappeared hadn't you all been fighting for him, for your lives and the rest of Hawkins? The rest of the world?
The door swung open at once, Max walking out first.
"Oh hey, are you here for dinner?" she asked, Lucas close behind her.
"Hey, no I'm here for Dustin-"
He came out next, smiling at you and squeezing your shoulder. "Hey, stay for food."
"Yeah," said Mike, climbing up next. "Mom's cooking's great!"
Were they high or something?
They all breezed by you easily, like it was all rehearsed or something? This day had started fine, gone stranger and got stranger. And was Mike wearing glasses? With swept back hair just like his father? Those poor kids, end up just how they never wanted to be.
You didn't know what called you into the basement, maybe for old times sake? One last bout of nostalgia before the door closed for once and for all?
Nothing had changed from the dozen of times you'd been down there.
The sofa with the blankets thrown over, the table where the last of the campaign sat, their folders lined perfectly up on the shelf.
Max, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Mike.
It always had that homely feel that made you smile. For kicks, you rolled a the dice- hoping you wouldn't disturb the end of their campaign.
7.
Lucky.
You glanced back up to the folders, just on whim.
Max, Lucas, Will, Dustin, Mike.
That was... odd. Hadn't you read it differently?
Above it sat a box, a game you'd never played and never wanted to from the title. Whatzit.
You shook your head. You needed to lie down, probably that was all. Just get the day done. Though the celebrations were wonderful, your nerves couldn't take much more.
You bounced up the stairs, closing the door behind you and took Karen's last offer up of dinner.
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Friday nights were the best. When Steve was carefree and happy the week was over because he loved working with the kids, helping them reach their potential and strictly only giving out A's- a B if you push him too far. Friday's were when he pressed is love on you freely, deeply and madly.
Just because Dustin was in the other room didn't mean things would be different.
So you lied there in your husbands arms, the moon light reflected on the wall you faced. You hadn't closed the curtains again. But then neither had Steve.
You were in the arms of your love, sleeping soundly when suddenly you woke with the radio.
Should I stay or should I go now? Should I stay or should I go now?
You groaned. "What the hell?"
If I go there will be trouble... If I stay there will be double.
You blindly reached out, hitting it to stop. The damn thing was on the brink for weeks, frankly it was amazing you'd got Robin's broadcast this morning.
The song stopped. Instead, another one began.
C'mon baby... c'mon darling... let me take this moment from you now...
"Urg, Steve?"
"Mmh?"
"Damn radio's on the blink."
He hummed again and turned over in his sleep. Exhausted from the love you'd made hours ago.
Your eyes screwed shut, you dug your head further into the cushion.
When you're lost, you can look and you fill find me-
With exhaustion you carried the radio out, throwing your dressing gown over yourself as you made your way down stairs, flicking on the lights. They flickered once before stabilising on.
Your heart skipped a beat that moment. It was like before... all those times a creature hunted you down.
No, not today.
The radio was silent, finally. Ditching it on the kitchen counter you wandered to the window, looking out to your neighbours house that stood tall and always still-
But an orange glow like a hundred candles lit a room caught your attention.
It wasn't anything new. Your neighbour seemed to only live by candle light.
Darling you've got to let me know... should I stay or should I go?
"Urg-" you were one more switching song away from smashing the radio when you realised it wasn't just the radio. But the TV.
Electricity. The last time this had happened-
No. No, it wasn't. Eighteen months of peace wouldn't be crashing down on today of all days.
Maybe... maybe... maybe it was Robin. After all, who loved to play cryptic messages through radio signals.
At that thought, the familiar Diana Ross song filled the silence-
Upside down... boy you turn... inside out...
You cocked your head. Robin. That was always her favourite code song to get attention. But it also meant danger. Of course, the one time you were all united in Hawkins to put an end to this chapter of your life, of course it would all go crashing down.
If Robin thought this was a funny drunken prank she had clearly never met the wrath that was you when you were tired.
Taking the keys from the side you slipped some shoes on and quietly closed the door behind you. You didn't need to wake Steve. If it was a prank you'd handle it, if it was the end of the world... you'd handle it.
It was a quick drive to the WSQK, leaving your sleeping house and your neighbours very much alive house to the side. You tried to keep the radio off but it turned on by itself, playing like your radio, switching from Clash to Bowie to Kate Bush relentlessly.
"Seriously, Buckley."
The WSQK was alive with lights when you got there, the blue and red lights gleaming as you parked out front. Only then did you realise you were still in your robe.
As precaution, you told yourself as you checked the area for any gate or monster. Just to be on the safe side you said as you opened the boot and picked out Steve's special nail ridden bat.
Inside, you couldn't see anyone though the lights were on.
"Alright Buckley, you got me out of bed, for what?" you called.
There was no answer, not even a whisper of life around.
"Robin, c'mon, it's cold!"
There was a flicker in the lights that had your dinner lurching in your stomach, the bat raised in hand.
"Robin this isn't funny!"
Screech-
You whipped around.
And if I only could, I'd make a deal with god, and I'd get him to swap our places-
That damn song. It haunted you at the best of times. It had played on the record, starting all alone.
Oh god.
The song echoed around you, The Clash's Should I stay or Should I go sounding somewhere else, mixed in with Wham's Wake me up before you go-go.
And the lights flickered mad.
With a gasp of breath you rushed from the WSQK, watching the lights outside flicker like the stars were going out.
C'mon angel,
C'mon- C'mon darlin-
Sparks flew from the radio tower, raining down around you.
That. You needed to turn that off!
Like a Demogorgon was chasing you you ran to where you know the panel was, the dial you needed to switch it off.
The little light the night gave off spilled into the room. You found the switch, grasping it and started to crank it-
Grey.
No.
You'd worked with Robin and Steve long enough to know the arrow was always red, always. Just like the robes were always supposed to be green, like the Hellfire shirt Dustin and Eddie always wore was white not grey.
Oh, god.
Static sounded off to the side, where a lone walkie talkie stood tall.
"... can you hear me.... are ... you... are you there... come in... come in..."
Your fingers shook as they wrapped around the walkie, grasping it, trying to thump it into action, trying to hear the voices. "Yes, hello? Who's there?"
There were yells out for your name from what could have been hundreds of voices.
"Listen to me..." was that Mike?
"It's not real.... you hav.... up! Wake up!" it sounded like a panicked Dustin.
"None of it is real! Wake-"
It caught light in your hand, breaking, fizziling out into nothing.
It all came back to you in a horrid flash of memories. No, it wasn't real.
The bat clattered to the ground along with the walkie talkie, your fingers burning from the sparks.
No, it wasn't real.
You had been on a crawl... or something... Will had found his way into Vecna's mind and you-
Vecna.
"Harrington?"
You yelped, whipping around to find your neighbour standing there. In the same pressed suit he wore, his glasses perched on his nose and his blonde hair swept neatly back under his fedora.
No, not your neighbour.
Mr Whatsit.
Henry.
Vecna.
He smiled. "You're supposed to be sleeping-"
Before you could even gasp Vecna's hand stretched out, wrapping around your throat and claws digging into the side of your neck.
None of it is real!
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Mike, Dustin and Lucas jumped back from the walkie talkie that burned in Dustin's hand. They watched it fizzle out into small flames that Lucas threw his jacket on to put out. That was the third one they'd used up trying to reach you. And they'd already used Mrs Wheelers Tv, not that she'd mind stuck in hospital, without signs of waking.
They'd tried lights, energy, music- anything to reach you. This was the furthest they'd reached.
"Go, tell Steve, quick!" Mike ordered.
Dustin tripped his way out of the small shed where they could control the frequency of the radio tower. He yelled, screamed Steve's name as he ran to him.
Steve didn't turn once, he was too busy shaking you, gently slapping your cheeks to get you to wake. To get your eyes to roll back from white and to greet him.
To wake from this nightmare they were all stuck in.
And you, somewhere swimming in Vecna's mind.
"Steve!"
"C'mon, honey you gotta wake up!" Steve pestered. "This really isn't funny anymore!"
Robin was frozen behind him, hands over her mouth in despair.
"Steve-" Dustin practically barrelled into him, still it didn't rattle you. "We reached her, for a second- we got there."
He glanced back at Dustin for less than a second. "What? What happened? Is she alright?"
"We- we don't know, we-" Dustin panted. "We think Vecna got there before us."
The cry that ripped through Steve could've shattered a thousand hearts but his had broken an hour ago. Two hours- however long you'd been stuck in the trance.
still the funniest part about all of this is that if we’re wrong, the ST writers, production team, and cast all created a set of coincidences SO DIABOLICALLY COMPLEX that we were able to recontextualize the entire show.
as a writer i’ve never in my LIFE had that many plot points, symbols, tropes, or parallels fall into place by random chance.
you don't get it bro. there's this song called we are the champions. adrenaline music. hypes you up kinda music. gets me in a frenzy. he says we're the champions of the world. the world dude
germansingergirl
yousharknotpass
kianamaiart
pixelskylines
theartofmadeline
