"Oh, so we DO love Steve..." | PART IV
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Steve Harrington x Bauman!fem!reader enemies to lovers, heavy angst, hurt/comfort, upside down mayhem, S2-S4, post S4 universe hot-take, end-of-the-world / dystopian setting, ugly fights turned smut (...but with hella plot). 18+
CHAPTER WARNINGS: major character death (?), more plot-driven smut, strong language, anxiety-inducing themes, panic attacks, crying, co-dependency, emotional s*x. MINORS, DNI. 18+
[PART I] | [PART II] [PART III] | [more parts coming soon]
When you do manage to get yourself out of bed and dressed for the day, which consists of an oversized long sleeved shirt that you stole from your uncle (because you liked it) along with some leggings and long white socks, you tell yourself to take a deep breath and accept whatever fate awaits you.
You've made your bed (literally, and figuratively speaking) so now you have to... well, not lie in it...
Anyway.
You walk downstairs to smell Steve at work in the kitchen, cooking up something delicious. Eddie sees you first, on the couch.
He grins and waves. "Mornin’, princess.”
You smile and give him a little wave. "Howdy."
Robin walks in with a first aid kit to give him fresh bandages, visibly sagging with relief when she sees you.
“Oh thank God, you’re up. These kids are already on one...”
You can’t help but snort a laugh at that, taking in her frazzled state, and you ask her what you can do to help but she just says in a desperate voice, “Coffee, please, I love you.” You grin and nod, hearing her and Eddie fussing over his dressing as you make for a hot cup of coffee.
You can hear the kids all around the corner, chirping lively from the kitchen. Even El is in there participating. Hopper’s voice is in the mix somewhere, grunting something about “indoor voices.” Your uncle is arguing over something with Erica, balls deep in a heated debate.
When you round the corner, your eyes first land on Nancy. She’s sitting at the bar with Jonathan. She smiles at you shyly. Jonathan greets you out loud.
“Bauman Squared is up.”
The kids all get in a tizzy of excitement. Erica’s excitement is short-lived, given her intense debate with your uncle. But Dustin is rushing over to you, blabbering about something pertaining to the lifespan of canned goods, and Mike is chiming in from the table saying, “No, Dustin, hold up, okay? So, Bauman, this is actually how it started.”
But your uncle cuts him off, asking them why they call you that when you both share the same last name. Joyce teasingly points out that he’s Murray and you’re Bauman.
Hopper adds to that, “yeah man, get with the program. Your niece is our favorite.” He shoots you a wink, and you give him a finger gun of approval.
Your uncle is rolling his eyes, but shoots you a desperate look — “Coffee. Black. Strong. Gracias.” Erica resumes her debate with him.
You grin as you move to go get your uncle a much needed cup of coffee, finding that Steve has stopped flipping the pancakes to look at you with a soft smile and scooting over a hot mug of coffee to you.
But it’s not for your uncle. It’s for you.
“Two sugar, light cream, right?”
The way that Steve murmurs the question to you makes you weak in the knees. You settle for giving him a tight-lipped grin and nod.
“Yeah, thank you,” you murmur back.
Steve moves to grab another mug, moving to pour another cup of straight black coffee for your uncle. You can’t help but notice the curve of his biceps as he does, secretly admiring his face while the coffee pours from the pot. The way his white t-shirt fits him just right, his gray sweatpants sitting at the jusssst right point of his hips.
You swallow. Fuck.
You get a hold of yourself before he’s handing it over to you. He winks. “It’s strong. I promise.”
You smirk back at him, raising the glass in thanks before walking it over to your uncle.
You don’t notice the way that Steve tries to hide the overwhelming thoughts in his brain, signaling his evolving feelings for you.
And you also don’t notice now Nancy catches it, or how it uncomfortably makes her heart seize...
But you do notice your uncle staring at you with those damn all-knowing-eyes, while Erica incessantly jabbers on about whatever the hell they’re debating. You and Murray exchange the quietest but most intense glares.
And Hopper's got half a donut hanging out of his mouth as he happens to catch the tail end of this. He wants to ask, but decides it’s best to hold off on that.
***
The day goes well. The house is always staying busy, so it keeps you all that way. Hopper is calling for a family meeting in the living room, which gets everyone in a tizzy.
The boys will always, at some point, try to take over. It takes both Joyce and Hopper to set them straight.
Your uncle makes sure to throw in his usual statement: “peanut gallery hours will follow the meeting, thank you.”
This meeting is no exception, and it goes exactly like that.
Will makes great points, as always — and he is allowed to, along with El, given their ties to the supernatural.
Jonathan and Nancy always listen the best. One of them takes notes.
Normally, you sit next to your uncle or Eddie while Steve always takes a seat next to Robin.
But this time, as you sit next to Murray at the end of the couch listening to Hopper try to push through his conference lecture while Dustin interjects like crazy, your heart flutters as Steve moves from the staircase over to sit on the arm of the couch -- next to you.
You sit still, not letting yourself react or look up at him. But you also forget to breathe. Thankfully, he’s too busy telling Dustin to can it so he doesn’t notice.
Robin is slowly shifting back in her seated position in the large loveseat, having been prepared to make room for Steve. She’s too grateful to have it to herself to feel suspicious yet.
Eddie, however, clocks it. What “it” is, necessarily? He doesn’t know. Like honestly, he’s not even in the ballpark. But still, he notices so yay gold star.
Nancy does know what “it” is, though, when she catches it. Or at least she has an inkling. She’s not the note taker today, so she’s able to catch it. She wonders to herself if maybe she is just overthinking it, given her conflicted feelings for Steve while still with Jonathan.
Steve is actively participating in the conversation with the adults, and you chime in as well. Once you’ve gotten a grip on yourself.
Something is being said about needing to go on a supply run, but also how they need to get over to the main field and see what is happening at the lab — which is now squared off with all electric fencing. The kids are LOUD, demanding it be them. Hopper shuts that down real fast.
“So help me Goddddd, listentome.” — Hopper
“Kids, shh, calm down…” — Joyce
“FETUSES, SILENCIO.” — Murray
The kids relent with rolled eyes and groans of displeasure. Hopper rubs his temples, resetting. Then speaking —
“I will be assigning roles. You will hear them, and you will accept them. Deal?”
Everyone nods, agreeing. Even the kids. Great, you think, so they’ve learned to know better than push their luck that far…
Hopper is assigning 4 separate groups to 4 separate tasks.
In one group: Robin, Nancy, Will and Joyce. They will be making the supply run.
In the 2nd group: Dustin, Erica and Murray will be staying here to run the command center. Murray’s the boss. He grins, but also wants to jump off a cliff for the fact he has been assigned the responsibility of managing the two loudest kids in the group. Lucas will also stay with Max, while on lookout at base.
In the 3rd group: Hopper, El, Mike and Argyle as the driver. They’ll be assessing the damage done, pertaining to the gate re-opening. They’re on Vecna patrol.
In the 4th group: Jonathan, Steve, you and Eddie. You’ll all be venturing over the fence to spy on the lab and get a look at what is happening over there, while reporting back to Group 2.
This sends Dustin to a fit of determination, as he insists that he joins your group so that he can help with the walkie-talkie communication since Lucas and Erica can man the fort. (Murray definitely takes offense to that.)
Hopper huffs but doesn’t disagree with the suggestion. “Don’t let this give you any sort of false pretenses, kid. This is the one suggestion you’ve made that is sensible.”
Dustin just grins like a dopey idiot. Then he looks at Steve. “Yay!”
Steve rolls his eyes but honestly, he’s cool with having his buddy.
The plan is to go into effect early tomorrow morning. Meaning, everyone needs to get some good ass sleep and tuck in early.
You’re in your room now, having just showered and put on your pajamas with freshly brushed teeth. You’re putting together your combat outfit for tomorrow when there’s a knock at your door.
You expect it to be your uncle, since earlier he was going over strategies with you for an obscenely long time — which is his very awkward way of indirectly saying, “hey, you’re my niece and I love you and I’m worried about you because that’s what family does.” So you figure he’s drawn up another 10 plans to run by you, and you're happy to humor him on them.
But it’s Steve on the other side, looking shy and like he might’ve had to talk himself into doing this in fear of how you might react.
You give him a surprised but pleasant smile. He stands there, returning it timidly. There is a silence that falls over both of you. Then finally —
“Can I sleep in here tonight?”
You have to literally restrain yourself from jumping at that question with a way-too-eager oh thank god, yes. Instead, you just give him a polite grin.
“Yeah, of course,” you say.
Steve lets himself in, and he looks over to see your outfit set aside for tomorrow. He nods at it as he sits on the edge of the bed.
“Tryna look badass?”
You smirk. “I am a badass. I’m a Bauman.”
You expect Steve to scoff. To roll his eyes. Make some snide remark. But he doesn’t. He just looks at you, with that same look on his face that he had this morning while you two laid in bed together. You can’t break away your gaze for a moment, almost hypnotized.
God, he is so beautiful. Why the fuck is he so beautiful?
Finally, you break the stare down by moving to get your combat boots out from the closet and place them beside the clothes.
And that’s when you feel it. His fingers brushing the edge of your t-shirt, hooking onto it so that you turn around. You do, letting him turn you to face him. He’s looking at you intently, and slowly he pulls you towards him to cage you between his spread legs as he sits on the edge of the bed. It’s half shy, half confident. Gentle but assertive. You stare down into his doe eyes, and you hold your breath when his fingers splay across your hips as they grip onto you. You’re so close to him now, too close yet somehow not close enough. You can’t breathe.
After soaking you in, Steve reaches one arm up to pull your neck down to his face so that he can brush the tip of his nose against yours, just like you did last night. Ever so slowly, be nuzzles. Eskimo kiss.
And then his lips are finding their way to be against yours.
Steve kisses you softly, taking his time and just breathing you in. Then he sighs into your mouth as he stands so that he can lift you up, making you swing your legs to wrap around his waist and hold yourself to him there. He turns you both around, effortlessly walking you over to sit on top of the chest of drawers. Damn, he's strong. Steve places you there, lips still on yours, before he finally pulls back. His hands glide down to the bottom of your shirt. Please, his eyes ask. But this time, he wrenches your shirt off of you with more vigor than last night. It’s urgent, and it’s still urgent when his lips crash back into yours before wrenching himself back again so that you can tug his shirt over his own head. He grunts impatiently, wanting to not be apart from you yet needing to be skin to skin. He paws and grabs at you, needy and greedy, but something about it feels a whole lot more like love than lust.
Steve tastes like summer. Sunscreen, popsicles and June. He smells like pool water and boyfriend. And he looks like a dream.
You wonder how in the world he would have felt if he’d been told during his King Steve era that one day, he’d be having sex with that one student who graduated a year early and didn’t belong to any niche crowd or group or clique. You wonder if he would scoff at that, wave it off. Say, nah, that girl? Never.
But the way that Steve keens into your neck right now, murmuring sinful names for you like angel and baby, makes you wonder if King Steve wouldn’t be able to understand that the new and improved Steve Harrington might just happen to be into things he never was into before. Maybe he’d gotten close with Nancy. Maybe you were a rebound. But he didn’t kiss you like that. Or treat you like that after your first time, for that matter...
And the second time was just as euphoric as the first time, just different. Steve was more in control, clinging to you and unafraid to go for it.
Before you know it, you’re up against the wall with your bare chest against it and your legs spread widely and his mouth on your ear. Tugging at your earlobe with his teeth and his shaky breathing, infused with his pleasured grunting humming inside of your eardrums. You pant and bite back the screams that you so fucking badly want to release. but you don't, not wanting to wake the entire household or get the attention anyone awake. However, you made sure that he knew you were in pure fucking bliss with the way you arched your back into him and dripped all over his girth.
“Been wanting to be here inside you all day,” he rasped, thrusting against you. “Didn’t wanna leave this room.” His words break up as he pounds himself deeper into your guts. “Needed to — to — n-n-need you —”
You throw your head back against him, climaxing at his words for the second time in a row tonight. His arm linked around your waist tightens, gripping you like a lifeline, and he chokes into your ears — which only sends you into an orgasm unlike anything you’ve ever felt in your life. And Steve shares the exact same experience as you do when he ejaculates inside of you.
You both pant and gasp for air, your heart rates racing at lightning speed and trying to level out. You’re both slick with sweat and sex, and as Steve rests his head against your shoulder it sends chills up your arms when his hair flops and tickles your bare skin.
Steve pulls out of you, and you shiver as you feel him leave your body, inch by inch. The loss of him is overwhelming, and your legs shake. But before you can even move to catch yourself, Steve is already turning you to him with a steady grasp on you.
The way that Steve strokes your hair, moving it out of your face as he stares into your eyes again, is priceless. You can’t help it…
“You’re beautiful, Steve Harrington.” You breathe it against his face, still catching your breath. The corners of your lips twitch, almost like you want to laugh or smile. “I can’t stand you.”
Steve looks at you like you’re all that matters in this world. The pads of his thumbs stroke the skin under your eyes, softly, gingerly. He moves to press his lips to the corner of your mouth, breathing against it, “I can’t stand you either.”
Feather-like kisses are pressed to the corner of your mouth and cheek, and you revel in the glory of it, pressing your skull into the wall with your eyes fluttering shut.
Steve falls asleep first that night, with you tucked underneath his chin and with his arms holding you protectively. You let the sound of his steady breathing lull you to sleep.
***
The next morning comes sooner than you’d like.
You feel someone squeeze you tightly to them, pressing their lips to the crown of your hair before they roll out of bed. You watch as Steve’s back muscles flex while he tugs his sweatpants back over his boxers, then throws his shirt back on and heads to your little en-suite bathroom for a few minutes. You force yourself to sit up, knowing that it’s time and you’ll need to get ready.
Hopper would be so mad if he knew about the 5 hours of sleep you got, versus the 8.
You’re pulling out a pair of socks to go with your boots when Steve emerges from the bathroom, and before you can stand up and move to switch places — he’s cupping your cheeks to kiss your forehead in two lingering pecks. You smile under his touch.
You give him the shyest of looks before going to brush your teeth, re-shower and get changed.
Steve quietly murmurs to you the promise of coffee as he leaves. And he is all you think about in the shower.
You get changed into your army pants, combat boots, and fitted t-shirt. You grab yourself a windbreaker and throw your go-bag over your shoulder, ready to face the day.
Dustin is securing the command center with Murray and Erica, while Mike comes over to you carrying snacks.
“Here, I set extra aside so that you have plenty.” Mike always treated you more like a sister than Nancy, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by her. You ruffle his hair and give him a quick squeeze, grateful.
Lucas and Will are asking you questions about the trip, along with Mike, and you assure your kiddos that you’ll all be fine.
Hopper comes over to you with Murray, entrusting you with one of their guns. “You’re the group's team lead today, along with Steve.”
Steve’s got his nail bat, along with a pistol.
Murray is going over the inner workings of the lab’s field layout with you and your group.
“The break switch is in this building,' he's saying. "But thanks to Erica and Dustin, we’ve got a way of hacking into it at exactly this time. You’ll have this much time to mount the electric fence and get to the other side. Seize. Those. Minutes. Haul ass. Get to the other side. No asking why the chicken crossed the road. Capiché?”
The way that Jonathan, Eddie and Steve repeat the word back to him makes you visibly bite back a laugh.
Joyce is giving everyone the nurturing mama bear talk, hugging everyone too many times — especially Jonathan. She has Will in her group, so she’ll be a little more sane in the head thankfully.
Nancy and Jonathan are giving each other an affectionate goodbye that Steve doesn’t even notice. Nancy wonders if he does. Silently, and selfishly, she hopes he does. But he doesn’t.
Robin is rambling about something having to do with a jump-ship plan in case the jump-ship plan doesn’t work, and if they need to establish not only a 2nd abort —
“— but maybe even a 3rd abort? and wait is there really enough backpacks that they’re taking to fit all the supplies and can goods that they — ”
“Oh my god, Robin, please breathe,” Steve cuts her off.
“Wait, what’s the jump ship plan?” Argyle’s question makes everyone whip their head in his direction with incredulous looks on their faces.
Hopper looks ready to slug someone but also like a nervous dad. After he goes back over the plan for everyone, giving the bullet points, he tells you all to eat your breakfasts and be by the front door within 30 minutes or else.
Lucas takes his plate up to sit with Max. El comes over to talk with you about the day, saying that she’ll send a signal if she sees anything dangerous headed your way at the lab. She gives you a tight hug, which tugs at Hopper’s heart. He and Murray share a very rare, quiet moment with an exchange in their eyes. Our girls.
Steve is telling the boys and Erica to follow him upstairs to Max’s room to join Lucas for a motherly pep talk, and they all follow him like chicks following a mother hen.
Eddie is being given strict instructions by Robin to follow orders and not rip his stitches that she’s worked hard at keeping in tact by mounting the wall --
...“and be on the damn lookout only so help me god or else I’ll rip them back open myself,” she threatens him.
Eddie visibly swallows and nods at that, believing her.
Suddenly Nancy is walking up to you, as you stand there still hugging El while looking over Murray’s shoulder at his computer system setup. She looks nervous as you turn to her.
“Hey, umm, keep an eye on them, will you?” she asks shyly, sheepishly. “I worry about them. Especially Dustin.”
You know she meant Steve. “Yeah. Of course.”
Nancy nods awkwardly, grateful you didn’t correct her and a little embarrassed. She points to the gun on your back, giving you a tight-lipped grin. “Glad it’s you handling that bad boy.”
She flashes the same one across her back. You chuckle lightly, agreeing with her. “Yeah, the last thing we need is for Eddie to get his hands on this or else he’ll murder the whole town.”
Nancy giggles.
Eddie snickers at the joke, appreciating your dark humor. He gives you a wry smile. “Thanks princess, but I only prefer bone crushing, eye sucking curses.”
You all eat some whole wheat eggos (even El) and some scrambled eggs. Plenty of water, plus some coffee.
Steve walks in to scoop up his plate during the last 10 minutes, and Hopper takes pity on him — given that he’s been with the kids.
“You get an extra 5,” Hopper tells him.
“Appreciate it, Hop.”
Steve carries his plate over to the table, moving to sit by you and Murray — who does his best to just stare down at his coffee and ignore catching this in his peripheral vision. Sip, slurp.
It’s a quiet breakfast. Tense. Stiff. Everyone is nervous. This stuff never does get easier…
***
The kids all boom back down the stairs, loud as ever.
And everyone is out the door on time, minus the extra 5 minutes that Hopper secretly gave for Steve’s benefit. Thankfully, it goes unremarked but the kids.
You all put their hands in a circle because Dustin insisted a while back that you cannot all part ways without a group huddle. So it’s now become tradition. Everyone fist bumps in unison, and the four groups embark on their separate journeys.
Group 1 does well, making it into town. They have the bottom tier level of risk, which Hopper did intentionally for Joyce and Will's sakes because those are his hearts. He also adores the two girls, Nancy and Robin, of course. They carefully fill up Joyce’s car in doses, trying not to attract attention as everyone has a strict evacuation mandate that goes into place next week along with a food supply limit. They’re ahead of the game, doing everything not to give away what Dr. Owens warned them about.
Group 2 is in full swing, back at Casa Harrington. Erica and Murray bicker like a married couple, but they also high five. Lucas makes sure that Max is safely tucked in, giving her a kiss on the forehead and a promise to be back upstairs in a few hours.
Group 3 is cautious. They have to calculate every single move, given the risks. El uses her senses to tap in, blindfold on and static on the van's radio ringing throughout the car. Mike keeps watch, along with Argyle at the wheel — and Hopper navigates.
Group 4, your group, is en route. You have the longest journey to make on foot, making sure to keep their strength. Jonathan keeps watch of time, and Dustin hangs into the walkie-talkie to keep contact. You scan the area, and so does Steve, as you all walk. Eddie sings to himself to keep from wigging out, and it’s definitely giving mumbled panic.
You are telling everyone the ETA, using the compass. Steve tells the gang to keep the same pace so that they make sure they aren’t there too soon or too late, wanting to time it right with Group 2’s orders.
At some point, you gesture for everyone to pivot directions, and when Steve steps in your direction — he instinctively reaches out to brush the small of your back. It’s so subtle… yet so telling.
Eddie cocks an eyebrow mid-song, ceasing the mumbling altogether for about 2 solid seconds, before resuming as he walks. Even Jonathan raises an eyebrow, silently smirking.
Dustin misses it entirely.
Then Dustin starts communicating back and forth on the walkie-talkie with Erica, and as they start to bicker Steve interjects.
“Hey, dingus, cool it and listen to what she’s saying, please.”
Dustin huffs, whining, “but she’s wronnnng...”
You squint in the sunlight as you look back at him, saying simply, “Listen to your mother.”
Steve doesn’t even flinch. You both just look back at your son expectantly. Dustin signs but obeys.
Oh that definitely makes Eddie and Jonathan share a look.
Back at base, Murray is struggling to access the switch for the electric fence closest to where Group 4 (you guys) is approaching. He and Erica work hard at it, and Lucas helps as he keeps open the line of communication with Dustin via the walkie-talkie.
“This east side gate is a bitch,” Murray is griping over the channel. “Hang tight, just pause when you guys make it there.”
Dustin and Lucas are going back and forth, while Jonathan tries to keep up with what they are all saying.
You can see the fence up ahead, and so does Steve.
Eddie’s singing gets louder.
Nancy speaks over the walkie-talkie channel: “Group 1, reporting. Over.”
Dustin speaks. “Group 4, tuned in. Over.”
The other groups tune in, too. Nancy continues in a hushed voice. “Food supply is running low so we’re going to double up. The mandate will be really strict. Can’t take chances. Over.”
Jonathan tells her to keep them posted with the ETA.
El comes onto the walkie-talkie, asking for you.
You take it, speaking: “Bauman squared, I copy. Over.”
Eleven tells you that she can see you all headed there to the lab, and that no one is nearby. You’re safe.
Hopper adds: “But Eddie, make sure that you stay tuned into this channel and relay it to Dustin just in case. Over.”
Eddie’s song of woe dies on his lips with an anxious exhale. “Roger that, over.”
Steve speaks up, “Alright guys, we’re here.”
Dustin signals Murray, right on cue. You all stare up at the looming electric fence in front of you. It’s tall. At least 30 feet up. You gulp. So does Jonathan. For Steve, it’s easy. For Dustin, well, it’s exciting.
Jonathan adds to the relayed info, addressing Murray, saying, “Yeah, uhhh, it’s pretty high up man?”
Murray’s tone comes through, crisp. “How high is high?”
Jonathan visibly shrinks back as he squints in the sunlight. “Like...25-30 feet?”
Murray curses on the other side, frustrated. “Alright, hold please.”
Steve turns over to face you all, starting with you. “It’s gonna be a helluva climb.”
You nod. “We’ll have to double up the speed, guys. But for safety, let’s just do two at a time.”
Jonathan’s brow furrows. “Why?”
You tell them it’s safest this way. This way, two people can gauge the timing of it just in case. Dustin immediately demands to go in the first group, which Steve shuts down promptly — like all good mothers would with their favorite child. He starts to onboard Jonathan, but you’re already saying you’ll go as you tighten up your bag. Steve looks at you, hesitant.
You look back at him, giving him a nod. “No arguments.”
Steve sighs through his nose. “Yeah, I figured as much.”
He’s so sexy when he isn't actually hating you, and instead just consistently miffed with you…
“Group 4, listen up,” Murray’s voice comes over the walkie-talkie. “I’m signaling the switch now. On my mark, it will take exactly 3 minutes for it to activate. You’ll have 60 seconds to climb it. Up and down. That’s it. Remember what I said: haul ass.”
Dustin responded back with a sigh, “Steve and Bauman Squared insist on going two at a time so…” He dreads the next question, cringing before asking. “Any chance you guys can…do it…twice?”
You turn around, waiting to hear your uncle’s reply and wondering if you’ll need to step in. His befuddled response confirms, yes you will, and you walk over to take the walkie.
“Uncle Murray, it’s not very sturdy. It’s too big a risk, four at a time. If you can’t do it, then just me and Steve will go. What can we do? Over.”
You speak matter-of-factly, which Steve appreciates. He stands with his hands on his hips and tongue between his teeth, all hot and mom-like. Even though for you...he’s giving daddy.
Eddie has been pacing a trough into the grass. Please let me have company, he thinks.
Jonathan’s just quiet, wondering if now is a good time to tell everyone that he’s actually afraid of heights.
Dustin just wants to fucking climb already.
“Workin’ on it. Standby.” Your uncle’s monotone voice makes you all wait.
You stare up at the fence while you do. Then, turning your face over in Steve’s direction, you find that he’s already gazing over at you. That fondness in his eyes is back, and you feel your cheeks flush under the sun. But it’s not the sun making you blush. Steve's hands are still on his tips, and he gives you a tiny wink before turning to look back at Dustin with the walkie-talkie. He tells his kid not to stress about it if they can’t come, which only starts a back-and-forth argument between mother and son. But Erica’s voice cuts through it over the walkie.
“Group 4 nerds, listen up. We found a way to do it. Over.”
Dustin pumps his fist in glee. Jonathan doesn’t. Eddie realizes he’s doomed, back to being there all alone.
Steve takes the walkie, asking, “Same timeframes, Murray? Over?”
Your uncle confirms it, but then Lucas is in the background saying, “Wait, are you sure this will give them 60 seconds?”
Steve raises an eyebrow at that. But you’re looking at the top of the fence. The end of the other side of the line is quiet for a hot minute. No doubt, Murray and the kids are beefing. Re-calculating. Beefing some more. Getting attitudes. Then finally —
“Erica to group 4, confirming. Timeframes are exact. Wait for us to signal the 2nd climb. Standby and brace for 1st climb. Over.”
You and Steve look at each other. Here we go. He fastens his backpack, reaching out a hand to you and telling you to hand over yours. You go to protest, but he’s just insisting without budging and reaching anyway. It isn’t until his hand starts to slide the strap down your shoulder that you huff and relent.
“30 seconds to climb.”
“There’s a ledge up there, wide enough to stand on.” You nod up at it as you tell Steve. “If we run low on time, we hang there until the 2nd climb.”
Steve nods at you, agreeing. He turns and relays that to a very anxious Jonathan and a very antsy Dustin. You gesture over to Dustin, telling him to toss you his back. Steve goes to argue but you hold up a hand.
“Better me than him," you say quickly. It’s a parental thing that he would insist on too, so he lets you win that one.
Dustin obeys after seeing mom agree with…um…dad? Are you dad?
“10 seconds to climb.”
Steve talks fast, in position to pounce. “Eddie, on go, toss that branch to hit the fence. Double check for sparks.” Eddie nods, picking up the large branch nearby. You get in position with Steve.
“5…4…3…2…1…climb!”
Eddie tosses the branch. No electric shock. All systems go.
You and Steve hop as high as you can, climbing up like champs. You both hustle, swiftly making the climb like pro climbers. Steve is faster, planning to reach down and lift you the rest of the way if he gets to the top first. But you’re almost right at the same level with him, almost at the top.
…until your bag catches.
The strap of Dustin’s bag pulls you back down. Air catches in your throat, no scream escaping your mouth as it swings you around, unhooks and makes you fall back some feet. But you latch back onto the wall, back down to midway. Fuck.
Dustin gasps, Jonathan shouts your name. Eddie starts his shit-shit-shit chant.
You look down, realizing that it’s way too far of a drop to just fall back down and start over. You are literally back to the mid-way point.
You make up your mind within a few seconds: keep going.
Steve is hoisting himself up onto the thick ledge as this is happening, and when he turns to see you lower his heart stops.
“Bauman, what happened??"
But you keep climbing, shouting, “Steve, just keep going.”
But Steve is not having that. He’ll fucking wait. Hell, he’ll wait for Dustin too. He’s staying put. He shakes his head, clapping his hands and reaching for you even though you still have another fourth of the wall to mount before you reach him.
“30 more seconds.” Oh thank God, that’s plenty.
”You got this, Bauman, c’mon...” Steve’s ready to hold you again. Anxious. So fucking anxious.
Dustin is cheering too, along with Eddie and Jonathan. You’re fine. Almost there.
You look at Steve at the top, leaning over the side looking down at you. You can see the anxious anticipation in his brown eyed gaze.
“20 more seconds. Group 2, don’t forget to wait for our signal.”
But right as Murray stops talking — the wall buzzes.
Everything happens in slow motion. One second feels like a whole minute for all 5 of you in your group. Your ears perk up at the sound. That wasn’t an insect. That’s mechanic. That’s —
“Was that —” Eddie barely started to ask the question you were all wondering.
“Fuck, Bauman — !!! ” Jonathan’s voice is panicked with realization.
Steve’s brow furrowed, alarm and horror sweeping across his entire face.
You feel a scorch so hot, fire itself couldn’t have burned as badly as the electric shock that shot through your entire body did.
In that single second, you felt your brain short circuit.
You felt your hands get shoved away from the wall, throwing you off with blinding force.
You felt your throat snap, and you felt your heart rumble inside of your chest...
And then you felt it stop.
*****************************
:( im sorry, Steve.
author notes: I am sure that the fence thing might be weird and not accurate, but it helped my vision for how this chapter goes down. so I hope you all will be kind and not find it too "unrealistic." had to watch some stuff like the OG Jurassic Park, and get ideas for it.
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