99 Luftballons pt. 1 || The Fruity Five
a/n: while watching vol. 2, I just had this idea of how it would be for The Fruity Five (female henderson!reader added) while prepping/going into battle and what all could come of it. one of my favorite (if not my #1) 80s songs def serves as the backdrop to this.
warnings: S4 Vol. 2 SPOILERS, angst, mention of blood/gore/severe injury, possible death in later parts, profanity….ummmm not quite sure what else, homie.
pairings: robin buckley x female henderson!reader (eventual), The Fruity Four x female henderson!reader (platonic), Dustin Henderson x henderson!reader (familial)
Back in ‘83, you never would’ve seen yourself in a situation quite like this. Ever. The thought never would’ve crossed your mind. Right now, however, in the middle of this damn field with the girl you have fallen head over heels for, your endearing baby brother, your Ka-tet of best friends, and a stolen Winnebago, you knew that this was the moment that everything had been leading up to over the last few years.
“You good, Henderson?” Steve quips, glancing up from his seat on the steps. You lean against the RV, propping your foot up as you drop your head down in his direction.
“You alright?” He asks again, pausing the process of crafting Molotov’s. Robin turns her attention your way.
“Yeah,” you nod, sporting a gentle smile towards the two, “I mean, it’s kind of weird.”
“What is?” Robin reaches for your hand, squeezing it reassuringly. You take a deep breath, squeezing her hand in return.
“Just the fact that we’re actually really doing this. Big boss level fighting.” You let out a nervous laugh as you shake your head in disbelief. “Just never would’ve pictured it.” You look out over the field seeing Dustin and Eddie wrestling, smiles plastered on their faces. They look over in your direction and wave animatedly. “I just hope it works out this time, you know?” Steve and Robin nod simultaneously. Robin releases your hand and continues to pour the fuel into the bottles with Steve’s aid. You start to step away from the Winnebago, motioning for Dustin to come here, he jaunts your way.
“What’s up?” He asks, a toothy grin taking up his entire face.
“Steve needs your help with the Molotov’s. I’m gonna go annoy Eddie.” You wrap your arm around his shoulder, flick his hat, and make your way down the small hill earning a gleeful cheer from Eddie. He squints, looking up towards the sky until you stand next to him.
“What’s up, Lady Hendy?” He asks as you sit down on the crate, bringing one knee close to your chest.
“Can I ask you something?”
“The floor’s yours.” He acknowledges before taking a seat down next to you.
“I know that this is a big ask,” you start, biting the skin around your nail nervously, “but if at any point during all of this, if stuff goes sideways, please do me a solid, Munson.”
“Anything,” he states quietly.
“Make sure he gets out.” You lightly nod your head in Dustin’s direction before looking back up at Eddie. “That’s all I ask.” You sniff, wiping your nose with the back of your hand. Eddie nods knowingly, pulling you into a side hug. “And fuckin hell, get yourself out, too, because I swear to God, Munson. I swear to God, if you die, I’m gonna kick your ass.” You nervously chuckle, wiping stray tears as they fall down your cheeks. You pull Eddie into a giant hug, your arms holding onto him for dear life.
“I’ll do the best I can, Hendy.” He whispers while you nod and tussle his hair a little.
“Good, because I’m not losing either of you. Got it?” You laugh and roll your eyes. “No heroics, just the plan, dork.” Eddie laughs, standing up before you grip his hand, pulling him back down. “And if it all goes to shit,” you start quietly, breathing deeply, your eyes screwed shut, “can you tell…can you tell Robin I love her?” You release your grip on Eddie’s hand, your eyes meeting his. He looks over towards Robin and Steve and then back to you with a knowing, gentle gaze.
“You tell her yourself, okay?” He states, playfully shoving your shoulder. “We’ve got this.” You nod, putting your knuckles up, Eddie knocking his closed fist against yours. “For Chrissy.”
“For Chrissy.” You repeat. Steve waves across the field, beckoning everyone over to the front of the Winnebago. “Let’s end this shit.”
Silence lay steadily amongst all inhabiting the Winnebago. Fear and doubt encroaching, as the night the day. Seated between Robin and Eddie, you inhale deeply and hold your breath for a few seconds before exhaling. Robin turns her head slightly and shoots a hopeful smile your way before extending her hand which you grab immediately.
“I know the chances of this going to absolute shit are, like, bonkers high,” Robin starts quietly as you tilt your head attentively, “but for the record and since the world is probably ending, I just wanted you to know that I think that you-” Before she is able to finish her thought, Nancy, who had been standing addressing the group looks your way.
“Y/n, Robin. Phase two?” She asks, crossing her arms. You turn your attention her way as she addressed you.
“Yeah, phase two. Max baits Vecna,” you repeat to the group, “he goes for her which will put him in his trance.”
“Phase three?” Nancy prompts. Dustin adjusts himself, looking towards everyone.
“Me and Eddie draw the bats away.” Eddie nods in tandem.
“Phase four?” Nancy looks towards Robin.
“Flambé.” Robin states nervously.
“Nobody moves on to the next phase until we’ve all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan no matter what.” Nancy states sternly, her eyes pained and glassy. The RV comes to a halt in front of Eddie’s trailer. Everyone stands collectively, filing out of the Winnebago and closer to the unknown.
Tugging on the sheets, Steve makes his way through the gate and sports a cocky smile. Nancy, you, and Robin all roll your eyes.
“What does he want us to do? Applaud?” Robin prompts sarcastically. You snicker and bump her shoulder causing her to smile gently towards you. Robin drops to her knee as you extend your hand to help balance Nancy as she makes her way up the sheet and through the gate. You follow in suit as you grip Robin’s hand before climbing up and collapsing on the opposing mattress. Robin follows behind you and you extend your hand, pulling her up. Not knowing your own strength, Robin’s face ends up mere millimeters from yours. Your breath hitches and your eyes widen as you quickly look down at her lips, hands still laced.
“Sorry,” you whisper lightly as a blush starts to rise up your neck, your eyes locking with hers.
“No need to be,” she advises, a flustered grin pulling at the corners of her lips. You slowly unlace your fingers from hers, backing up a few inches to look around the room nervously. Once Eddie and Dustin come through, everyone grabs their respective weapons and meets up at the front of the trailer. Steve looks around and brings everyone into a huddle.
“Dustin, Eddie,” they look in his direction, “don’t try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just decoys.”
“Don’t worry. You can be the hero, Steve.” Eddie informs. “Look at us. We are not heroes.” Steve starts to walk away before you stop him midstride.
“Give me a second?” You whisper and Steve nods. You pull Dustin to the side.
“Be smart?” He nods as you bring him into a hug. “And if you get scared, you run. You just run away, okay?” You squeeze him closer and he matches your strength causing you to let out a choked laugh. “I love ya, kid.”
“Love you, sis.” You and he exchange a muted version of the trademark Henderson smile before ushering him in Eddie’s direction. As he walks back, you catch Eddie’s eye line.
“Watch out for him,” you mouth in his direction to which he nods with a reassuring smile. As you, Steve, Robin, and Nancy start your trek, Eddie speaks up.
“Make him pay,” Eddie states sternly. The three of you look Eddie’s way.
“You can count on it,” you peak for the group before going your separate ways.
Steadily making your way through the woods, carefully evaluating each step, you stay close at Robin’s side. You two had veered off from Steve and Nancy after Robin was surely convinced you all had gone in a circle. You nudge her shoulder with yours, a smile spreading across your face.
“What?” She asks, rolling her eyes.
“Remember the time in Mr. Hauser’s class sophomore year when you passed out during auditions for Our Town?” You run your fingers through your hair haphazardly as she looks down at you with a shocked look.
“You mean the day we met?” She gazes at you fondly. “Of course,” your hand lightly brushes against hers while you walk with your eyes glued to the path.
“Yeah,” you nod as you bump her shoulder again, “I saw you just, like, totally collapse and I thought to myself ‘holy shit, she’s dead. I just saw someone die’ and once Mr. Hauser said that you were breathing I tossed apart my bag and found a cookie from the cafeteria,”
“And you gave it to me not knowing that they were my kryptonite?” She adds.
“Yeah,” you look up at her then back down at the uneven ground, “oddly enough, that was the day that I kinda realized something about myself that I was too chicken shit to come to terms with at the time.”
“I have definitely been there,” she takes longer, playful strides as she goes a bit ahead of you. You stare at her in adoration and freeze in your tracks. This was it. This had to be the moment. Like she said in the Winnebago, this could all go to shit and the world is probably ending. Just do it, Henderson.
“Yeah, y/n?” She turns towards you and stops a few feet away. “You okay?”
“Have you ever liked someone so much that even in a world full of absolute chaos, they’re all you can think about?” You whisper, feet scuffing the dirt covered forest floor. “I mean, there’s this person I like, like really really like. Fuck, honestly, i think it’s what love is supposed to feel like, but I know for a fact that they have a small crush on someone else,” you take a deep breath, “but this person is the funniest, most brilliant, and the most sarcastic son of a bitch I know,” you start to pace as you look up at the deep foreboding sky, “I mean she’s got this laugh that starts out so quiet and then it just fills a room, and her eyes. God, don’t even get me started on her eyes,” you shake your head as you continue your tangent, “I’d do anything to show her that I love her more than life.”
“You…you said ‘she’?” She asks not above a whisper with a twinge of hope coating her words, you nod slowly in return.
“You’re not the only one who loves Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago, Buckley,” you shrug timidly as she steps closer to you, a hopeful grin spreading.
“Wanna know something totally bonkers? Like to the highest extreme?” She looks up through her lashes and takes a deep breath. “There’s been this girl I’ve been crushing on for a long time, too. And I mean like, years on top of years crushing, but I just don’t know how to tell her because every single time I’m with her I lose all capacity to function like an actual human being,” you wrap your arms around her waist as you play with the hem of her shirt, “like right now actually…”
“Can I try something for just a second? I think it kind of got interrupted earlier, but,” you close your eyes and lean in, kissing her gently as her eyes remain open in shock. You pull away and see her eyes, you start to back up slowly, “if I got the wrong vibe, Rob, I’m so-” to which she pulls you even closer and deepens the embrace. She kisses you with confidence this time as you melt in her arms, knees slowly giving out. She pulls away slowly as she locks her eyes with yours, “what about Vickie? I thought that you had a thing for her,” you prompt.
“She’s cute and all, but she’ll never be you,” shrugging her shoulders, she squeezes your hand, “Honestly, I tried to convince myself that I liked her because I never thought in a billion years that I’d ever have a shot with you. I mean, have you seen yourself?” You emit a bashful chuckle. “Seriously! Even right now, even in all this creepy, gunky, viney mess, you’re literally ethereal,” her doe-eyes crinkle at the corners as she grins gleefully, “you’re legitimately the girl of my dreams and I swear,” Robin tucks a few strands of hair behind your ear, “I swear if this is all a dream, an amazing, twisted, beautiful, albeit extremely terrifying, dream, I want it to last as long as possible,” you quickly pinch the side of her forearm causing her to jump a little, her brow furrowing. “What was that fo-” you cut her off.
“I’m real, Robbie. But you know, just to check to see if you’re real on my end, can I kiss you again?” you ask gently.
“Get in here and find out,” Robin responds, nodding quickly with a shy smirk on her lips as you lean in. Your lips meet as she grips your hips, pulling you flush against her. You feel her smile into the kiss and you pray to whatever higher power there might be (if there even is one), that this was not the last time.
“So, what does this mean?” She questions, holding you tightly, her forehead meeting yours.
“Well, I think we are definitely on the right path, for starters,” you state matter-of-factly.
“I think so, too,” she looks into your eyes through her lashes to which you bashfully look down, shaking your head.
“I mean, that too, for sure,” you spin her slightly and extend your pointer finger in the direction of your final destination: The Creel House, “but I mean we are actually on the right path.”
“Oh,” she emits a tiny nervous laugh before her eyes make contact with the ominous building, “oh! Wait! Whoa! Yes! Okay, that’s perfect!” she laces her fingers and grips your hand tightly, dragging you in the direction of Nancy and Steve who stop in their tracks with mild concern.
“Robin? Hendy? Christ, you know you can’t just wonder off like that,” Steve shakes his head, his hands automatically going to his hips, before Robin’s face lights up, her hand never leaving yours.
“Awesome news!” Robin exclaims, “We’re going the right way. Come on!” She ushers Steve and Nancy to move faster, “let’s go!” Robin drags you towards the Creel House as she kisses your hand gently. Steve and Nancy squint curiously at one another.
“Am i the only one seeing this or..” Steve starts.
“They finally figured it out after what? Three years?” Nancy glances happily at Steve.
“It’s about damn time!” Steve exclaims, pumping his fist in the air victoriously for his best friends. As they get closer, you tilt your head and look between the two with your eyes rolling to the highest degree of sarcasm. If you got the chance, this is definitely a conversation all of you would have to have later. The four take shield under the crumbling rocket ship where a hoard of demobats crept above. Robin laces her fingers with yours even tighter and you take a deep breath and give her a reassuring smile. Not too long after, demobats start to spread their wings and fly away from your hiding space. Eddie and Dustin were is full decoy mode and it was definitely working.
“Let’s go,” Nancy whispers and ushers the rest of us to the front steps. Steve takes the lead, opening the door. He looks down to see the unsteady, wriggling vine-filled floor.
“Shit,” he mutters before he turns and nods to the group. He leads and creates a careful, strategic path for everyone to follow. Nancy follows while Robin and you remain at the front entrance. Robin looks at you, fear-laced tears slowly filling her eyes.
“Y/n, I-I don’t think I can-” she grasps your hand nervously to which you interject.
“I know you can, Robin. Trust me?” She nods in return, “you go first and I’ll be right behind you, okay? Just follow Steve and Nancy’s pattern.” She takes a deep, centering breath and follows in their footsteps as you tread behind praying that she keeps her balance just for this one moment. Once the two of you make it across and reunite with Steve and Nancy, Robin’s face lights up and you bring her into a giant hug. “Told you, Buckley.” Steve and Nancy exchange knowing glances of adoration towards the two.
“Alright, it should just be-” Nancy starts as a thunderous quake erupts through the house. The unsteady floor beneath you begins to shake as you hold onto Robin, Nancy, and Steve. You screw your eyes shut, bracing yourself as you start to tilt forward. Steve and Robin grip onto your shoulder and pull you closer as the shaking finally recedes.
“We’re good. It’s all good.” Steve reassuringly states. The lot of you let out nervous strings of laughter. Like clockwork, a vine snakes around Robin’s leg, pulling her back and plastering her to the wall. Her panic filled eyes scream in a silent plea as the vines start to wrap around her throat.
“Robin!” You scream out in a desperate cry as she tries to reach out for you to no avail.
“Y/n! Steve! Nancy!” Robin chokes out as you dive forward, the vines automatically gripping your torso before gluing you next to Robin. You reach out for her hand, your fingertips grazing slightly. A vine wraps around your throat as you witness Steve and Nancy meeting the same fate. You fight for air as your mind races to the day before, the three of you outside of the Winnebago in the open field.
“I just hope it works out this time, you know?”
a/n: I’ve been contemplating posting this for the last like 2ish months because I end up scrapping the whole idea and starting over, but I think I’m gonna go ahead and post this one and within the next few weeks finish out pt. 2.
I haven’t written a stranger things based fic before, but I love it so much and would love to write more sooooo I guess if you have any requests or prompts, you can send em my way? :)
