ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ : abandoned in the upside down, you and the group devise a plan to get inside hawkins lab--but first, you have to get past the demos guarding the entrance. dustin's terrified of losing you, haunted by memories of eddie. one wrong step and one vine leaves you bleeding out in the parking lot. dustin, however, refuses to let you die in his arms. not again.
ᴛᴀɢꜱ / ᴄᴡ : blood , injury , trauma , breakdown , bloody kiss , lots of blood , gun & gunshots , swearing , description of pain
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ : angst , comfort & thriller
ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ : this is placed in S5 E4 when they're in the upside down, but picture ACTUAL demos roaming the area. ( because that’s how it SHOULD’VE been. (i hate season 5). ) hope you enjoy !!
this was a request from someone on AO3 <3 i will post a screenshot of the request(er) at the end of this fic. ↴
-> next chapter <-
After you, Nance, Steve, Jonathan and Dustin drive through a gate to the upside down, Dustin makes sense of the fleshy, circular wall that surrounds Hawkins in the Upside Down. He insists that it has something to do with the center of it–pointing at Hawkins Lab.
It would’ve been easy for the five of you to just drive over there, but–besides Steve’s wrecked car–there was something else restricting you from doing so;
The interdimensional monsters.
You all had to quietly find your way to the Lab without alerting the monsters that still swarmed the Upside Down. Demogorgons and Demodogs roamed the city as if it was their own, and Demobats scouted in the branches of dead trees. The roars of all three of them combined sounded like a symphony from Hell. Every sound, every screech, every bolt of thunder made you shiver–if it wasn’t already from the cold.
After an hour of darting behind trees, silent calls and gestures, Jonathan finally discovers the Lab in the distance. But there was one issue; Demos swarmed the lot and guarded you from entry to the Lab.
The five of you peak your heads out from separate trees, searching the parking lot for any clear path. Jonathan cusses sharply, and Nancy huffs out a deep breath, both unsure what move to take next.
“What the hell are we supposed to do?” Steve hisses.
Nancy shakes her head, “I don’t know,” she pushes her back against the tree, “we could.. go around back– but that might take time that we don’t have.”
“It’s–it’s fine. We can figure something out. We made it all the way here– that proves our chances.” Jonathan whispers.
“Your ‘hunch’ better be right, Henderson, or you’re really putting us in some deep shit for some made-up fantasy theory.” Steve whispers, but it barely comes out as a whisper with his sharp tone.
Dustin huffs, “Well, if you had another bright idea, go ahead and share it with the rest of us. Or, wait, is that out of your ‘range of capabilities’–?”
Nancy snaps, “Guys. Please give it a rest. This is not the time. We need to figure out a way inside.”
You raise your voice up from a whisper, allowing everyone to hear, “Nance is right. We don’t have a lot of time. We need to go–we need answers.”
Steve sighs in frustration, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “So, simply put, we have to throw ourselves out there to make it into the Lab–which are swarmed by those things, by the way–all for a theory that may or may not be true?”
Dustin bites back a snappy response, knowing that it’s not useful to banter with him. Nancy, on the other hand, grimaces at him, equally as annoyed with him as Dustin is–or, well, as everyone is. “Yes,” she says, “you’re right. But that’s better than nothing. We have a lead, a trail–something– that might help us in finding Holly. And I promised my mom I'd find her. So we better not waste it.”
Of course, Steve doesn’t argue or talk back with Nancy. Instead, he averts his eyes back at the Lab, suddenly full of determination. Jonathan notices this with a sigh and an eye roll, and you couldn’t help but follow it up with a lighthearted chuckle.
After a few minutes of brainstorming, the five of you are crouched over in a circle, watching Nancy set up a visual aid of the plan. With a stick, she traces the outline of Hawkins Lab, placing rocks as the parked cars in the parking lot.
“We’re..here,” Nancy says, pointing at some empty place in the dirt, “we should take this path, splitting off in groups.” The end of the stick drags in the dirt, following her hand to the traced outline of the parking lot. “Dustin, Y/N and Steve, take the left side of the parking lot.” Nancy says, dragging the stick to the left side, “then, me and Jonathan will take the right side.” Her stick follows behind her words.
Nancy clears her throat, looking up for just a moment,“Steve, make sure to go first, then Dustin and Y/N can follow your lead.” She looks back to the ground, “take cover behind cars, away from the line of sight of any Demos.” The end of her stick jumps next to each rock, leading up to the outline of the Lab. “Take each car one-by-one, then–if something goes wrong, it’ll be easy for others to distract.”
Your heart tightens at the thought. ‘If something goes wrong’. Nancy’s words echo in your head–a sick reminder that this is your life you’re planning with. That there's a chance this could go wrong. One wrong step, one wrong move, and this could end in a massacre.
“There’s about..” Nancy trails off, glancing over her shoulder at the parking lot, mouthing numbers as she counts, “one Demogorgon–and.. two Demodogs.” She sighs heavily, “it’s–it’s okay. Nothing we haven’t done before.” She pauses for a moment, clearly in a daze. She catches herself, clearing her throat. “Right, uhum–keep your steps light. Never leave yourself exposed. Look out for glass, rocks, vines–anything that can create a disturbance. And, if something happens, don’t hesitate. Just. Run.”
Nancy looks up, scanning over the four of you. “Well–if all goes to plan, then–from there, we should be okay inside.”
Nancy didn’t think of the massacre at Hawkins Lab in 1984. She didn’t think of how the glass couldn't withstand the Demodogs in years prior. And neither did the others.
Jonathan kicks away the evidence of the plan, the dry dirt fogging up in a cloud. Nancy swings her rifle over her shoulder, the strap of it strung across her body. Steve brushes a hand through his hair, flipping his flashlight in his hand and into his pocket. Dustin, on the other hand, just watches you. He watches as you fold up your jean pant legs. He watches as you puff your warm breath into your cupped hands, searching for any feel of warmth. He watches you re-tie your shoe laces, ensuring they’re sturdy and tight.
Every breath you take, every step you make, every grunt and sound that escapes your mouth sends a wave of worry through Dustin. The guilt weighs heavy in his chest, eyes flickering, but never fully away from you. He couldn’t get himself to–because what if–this was the last time he’ll get to see you breathing? Okay? Alive?
Without thinking, Dustin takes a few steps towards you. At first, you don’t notice, as you’re too busy brushing a hand through your hair. But when Dustin’s hand meets your arm, bringing it down from your head, your eyes meet. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, “Dustin?” You whisper, your eyes searching over his broken face.
For a moment, Dustin just stands there. He doesn’t say anything. Only flickering his eyes to your mouth, to the ground–then back at your face. His breaths become uneven and sharp, mouth slightly ajar as he tries to find the words. But he can’t. Instead, his arms reach under your arms, crossing behind your back, hugging you in a blink. His warmth was palpably in the cold of the Upside Down, which settled your uneasy nerves.
At first, you hesitated to hug him back. But instinctively, your arms strung around his neck, your shoulders shrugging up to squeeze him tight. You whisper softly into his ear, “what’s wrong?”
Dustin’s mouth quievers as he shoves his face deeper in your knitted sweater, the sweet off-white color becoming spoiled by his smudging blood. He shakes his head softly, tears swelling up in his eyes. He opens his mouth to speak, but his voice cracks into a sob. The sudden falter in his voice sends you into girlfriend mode–your hands instantly finding the back of his head, your fingers intertwining with his thick, brown curls. You pull him closer to your body, breathing in his natural scent rather than the thick, infected air of the Upside Down.
As he breathes out, his hot breath breaks through the weaves of the fabric to your chest, sending a shiver through your body. This was all too intimate than you expected a breakdown to be. For a moment, you stay silent, which allows him to memorize the rhythm of your heartbeat.
“I–mhph–mh..” Dustin mutters.
You accidentally smile, “what?”
“I can’t–mh, mhis mfoou..” Dustin chokes out a cry, managing to silence it in your sweater.
You whisper back at him, “Dustin, what?”
He removes his face from your sweater, looking up at you with blues matching the color of the Rightside Up sky. His eyes are glossy, a few stray tears dripping from the creases of his face. Dustin swallows hard, sniffling before speaking, “I can’t lose you.”
Your head tips to the side, shaking softly with furrowed eyebrows. “What? Wh–I’m gonna– be okay. I’ll be fine. We’ll all be fi–”
“No. No. You don’t get it. I can’t do it–can’t go through it again. This reminds me too much of that night.” Dustin whines, his hands fisting the cloth of your jacket.
He didn’t have to specify what night for you to realize what he meant. Watching him flinch at the Demobats on the way here was enough. Hearing his ‘I can’t lose you.’ was enough.
“It’s–” you blink long and hard, your mouth dipping to a frown, “it’s okay.”
Dustin’s head shakes fast, deliberately compared to yours. “But what if it’s not? What if something happens–? What if–what if something happens to you?”
You part your lips to say something, but as your eyes dart to each of his eyes, you’re unable to find the right thing to say. “I–” you pause.
Dustin’s lips quiver to a frown, his eyes swelling with tears. “See?” He murmurs. “Y/N, I can’t–can’t lose you. You’re my everything. I’d be so lost without you.” His eyes drop to your parted lips, “please–promise me you’ll be okay. You’ll be okay, right? It’ll all be okay, right?”
Your lips quirked, leaving your eyebrows still frowning. “I will be okay.” You bring a hand up to his face, cupping his cheek, to which he leans in to. “We’ll get through this. Together. And safely.”
Dustin swallows hard again, a smile tugging at his lips. His face flickers with comfort for just a second before it disappears again. You wipe a few stray tears that trickle down his cheek, before leaning in to catch his lips for a kiss. His lips taste of the familiar tang of copper, but you love him too much to pull away. His grip loosens, and instead his hands find your waist. He pushes his face into the kiss, too afraid to pull away. Too afraid that this is the last.
For a minute, you stall the kiss. Turning your head to deepen it, running your fingers through his hair. The heat between your bodies compared to the cold air around you was a pronounced contrast.
You’re the one who has to pull away, as the thought of the others finding the both of you like this would be embarrassing enough for your ego to never recover from. Dustin frowns as he feels your warmth leaving his, looking at you with those beautiful blues you always fall into. His grip tightens lightly around your waist, sending a wave of butterflies through your abdomen, a feeling you hope will never leave.
Steve clears his throat softly, just loud enough for the both of you to hear, “Excuse me..”
You cut your focus away from Dustin, grimacing over at Steve, the giddy feeling from before leaving in an instant. “Yeah–?”
“Are you two done? We need to get going.” His tone was flat and monotone, clearly layering away his truth.
Dustin’s already averting his gaze away from Steve, nonchalantly wiping away his tears with one hand, the other one staying stuck to your waist. Your eyes flicker towards Dustin for a moment before finding Steve’s. “Yeah. Just–give us a second.” You gesture a shoulder to Dustin.
Steve walks away, his shoulders rising and falling with a dramatic sigh. A few trees past, you can see a blur of Nancy and Jonathan, who are pressed up against two trees, mouths moving, but inaudible.
You return your focus back to Dustin, who’s still wiping away his tears with the edge of his knuckle. Without thinking, you bring your hand up to his cheek, turning his face towards yours. You give him a small smile, to which he weakly gives one back. Your hand slides down his jaw, resting at the nape of his neck. You pull him in closer, his head digging in the crook of your neck. The hug is warm and solid–an embrace that he needed so badly–but will never admit he did.
After a few minutes, Dustin manages to collect himself. He peels himself off your body, wishing he could just pick you up and take you back home. Instead, he prepares himself for the mission; tying his shoelaces, tightening his backpack straps, and fluffing his curls.
The five of you silently line up; first Nance, then Jonathan, Dustin, you, and Steve. Staying in this formation, you all crouch in the tall grass down the steep hill, barely taking breaths in between each step. When you finally make it to the edge of the forest, Nancy raises a fist—the signal to stop. Everyone freezes.
From your position, you can see the parking lot stretching out before you, a graveyard of abandoned cars covered in creeping vines and that same awful red glow that seems to stain everything in this place. Your eyes scan the area until they land on it—the Demogorgon, standing near the entrance of the Lab, its flower-like head twitching as if tasting the air. The two Demodogs pace nearby, their movements jerky and predatory.
Nancy points two fingers to the left, then to the right. The split.
Jonathan gives her arm a quick squeeze before they peel off to the right, disappearing behind a rusted sedan. Your group waits a beat—one, two, three—then Steve moves forward in a low crouch, holding his breath. Dustin follows, his breathing quick but controlled. You take one last look at Nancy and Jonathan's silhouettes in the distance, then step forward.
The moment your foot touches the asphalt, the oppressive silence of the Upside Down seems to press down even harder. Every breath, every heartbeat feels too loud. Steve reaches the first car—a blue station wagon with a shattered windshield—and ducks behind it, waving you both forward.
Dustin instinctively grabs onto your hand, pulling you behind the car alongside Steve. All of your breaths come uneven and ragged, three heartbeats pounding out of sync at an uncontrollable rhythm. Your chest heaves with every gulp of air, your back pressed flat against the cold metal door. Beside you, Dustin tips his head back against the car, eyes squeezed shut. Steve leans forward to look at both of you, then gives a swift signal—he's going next. You and Dustin acknowledge him with quick nods.
Steve takes a deep breath, then turns his head over his shoulder, leaning slowly to peer past the edge of the car. He watches, waiting to see where the Demos are positioned. They're turned away. He exhales. Inhales sharply—
Steve pushes off the ground, and in a blink he's already halfway to the next car. He moves in a low crouch, steps quick but silent. He rolls behind the next vehicle—an abandoned Hawkins van strangled with vines like twisted wrapping paper.
The seconds drag. Each one feels like an eternity. Finally, Dustin leans over to catch Steve's gaze. Steve's eyes dart between the Demos and Dustin, his hand raised in a fist. Dustin waits for the signal, barely breathing.
Steve's fist springs open—two fingers pointed up.
Dustin launches himself off the ground, following Steve's exact path. You almost miss it; by the time you glance over, Dustin is already tucking into a roll behind the space Steve left for him.
Minutes crawl by. Your palms are slick with sweat. Finally, you gather the courage to look over at the other two. Steve is leaned around the corner of the van, fist raised again, body tense as a coiled spring.
His hand snaps open—those same two fingers pointed skyward.
You spring up, uneven and wobbly, but you catch yourself. You move carefully, eyes fixed on the Demogorgon's back. It hasn't noticed you yet. You take a step, then another, keeping low—
A vine wraps around your ankle, and you stumble forward with a gasp. Your hands slam against the cold asphalt ground, the sound of your body crashing echoes across the parking lot like a gunshot.
Nancy’s words echo in your head–but for some reason, your body is frozen. Unable to move.
The Demogorgon's head snaps toward you, its face peeling open with that horrific wet sound. The screech that follows makes your blood run cold.
"No, no, no—" you barely get the words out before it's charging.
The creature moves faster than anything that size should be able to, closing the distance in seconds. You try to run, try to move, but the vine is still tangled around your foot and you're stumbling, falling—
"Y/N!" Dustin's scream rips through the air.
The Demogorgon is on you. You throw your arms up instinctively, but its clawed hand slashes down with brutal force, tearing through your collarbone. Hot pain explodes through your chest and shoulder. You feel the warm rush of blood instantly soaking through your sweater as you hit the ground hard.
"NO! NO, NO, NO—Y/N!" Dustin's voice cracks, raw and desperate. His screams are gut-wrenching–painful, almost. "GET AWAY FROM HER! GET AWAY—"
The Demogorgon looms over you, that flower-head opening wider, preparing for another strike. Your vision swims, darkness creeping at the edges. You can't move. Can't breathe. The pain is everything.
"HEY! HEY! OVER HERE, YOU FREAK!" Steve's voice cuts through the chaos. "OVER HERE! COME ON!"
He's running toward you, flashlight beaming as if it’ll help, shouting at the top of his lungs. The Demogorgon's head twitches, distracted.
On the other side of the parking lot, gunshots crack through the air—one, two, in a rapid count. One of the Demodogs approaching from the right lets out a strangled yelp and goes down. Nancy fires again, but misses the second Demodog, her eyes widening as its mouth trembles with a growl.
The Demodog begins to sprint towards her, pouncing down onto the asphalt with each leap off of cars.
"THAT'S RIGHT, COME GET ME!" Steve is still yelling, backing away, trying to draw the Demogorgon off of you.
The creature turns fully toward Steve now, taking one step in his direction. Then another. Its head tilts, as if considering. Dustin trips as he gets up from the ground, his body switching in a sprint to make it to your limp body on the ground. Dustin drops to his knees beside you, his hands hovering over your wound, shaking so badly he can barely hold them steady.
"Oh my god, ohmygod–ohmy–god. Y/N. Y/N–" His voice is thick with tears, his face pale and terrified. “It’s–oh my god–it’s gonna be okay. I’m here. Please–please, stay with me.” His voice continues to break, the burning sensation behind his eyes swelling into tears.
Nancy breaks into a sprint toward the Lab, the Demodog closing in fast behind her. Jonathan's voice tears through the chaos, "Steve! Dustin! We need to go—get Y/N!"
Steve's head whips back and forth—from the Demogorgon looming in front of him to Jonathan across the parking lot. Jonathan is already running for the entrance, gaining on Nancy and the Demodog. A few feet away, Steve spots Dustin kneeling over you, cradling your face in his hands, completely frozen, oblivious to everything around him.
The Demogorgon releases another ear-splitting screech—aimed directly at Steve.
"Shit." His eyes darted back to you and Dustin. "Dustin! You need to get her—go! Go, go, GO!"
The shout snaps Dustin out of his daze. His tear-filled eyes flutter down to your bleeding body, taking in the damage. Without hesitation, without looking back, he slides his arms beneath you and lifts you bridal style. Then he runs—harder and faster than he's ever run in his life—straight for the entrance.
Steve backs away slowly, the Demogorgon still poised to strike, like it's toying with him. He watches Dustin sprint past, only feet away now. The creature's attention breaks immediately, its head swiveling to track its escaping prey—you, being carried away by a curly-haired boy in a tattered trench coat.
You drift in and out in Dustin's arms, vision blurring at the edges. Everything is haze and searing pain. Dustin tries desperately to keep you steady, but every vine he dodges jolts you in his grip, sending fresh waves of agony through your shoulder.
Through half-closed eyes, Dustin catches a glimpse of Jonathan and Nancy disappearing into the lobby, the Demodog snapping at Nancy's heels as they vanish inside. There’s no time to stop. No time to decide. So Dustin continues his sprint towards the Lab.
"Come on, come on, come on," Dustin gasps, his arms burning as he pushes himself harder. The entrance is right there—just a few more feet.
Behind him, Steve breaks into a full sprint. The Demogorgon lunges after him with a guttural roar, but Steve veers sharply to the right, away from the main entrance. He continues to the side entrance, leaving you and the others clueless to his whereabouts.
Dustin bursts through the glass doors into the lobby, Jonathan reaching out to steady him as he stumbles. The space is dark, lit only by flickering flashlights. Broken furniture and overturned equipment litter the floor. Vines pulse along the walls like veins.
Nancy spins around, rifle already raised. The Demodog that had been chasing her skids across the tile floor, snarling. She doesn't hesitate—shooting twice in its chest, and a final blow to the face. The creature jerks with each impact before collapsing, black blood pooling beneath it.
Dustin drops to his knees, lowering you as gently as he can onto the cold tile floor. Your head lolls to the side, and that's when he sees it—really sees it. The gash across your collarbone is deep, angry, the edges of torn flesh dark against your too-pale skin. Blood pulses out with each shallow breath you manage to take, soaking through your once off-white sweater.
For a moment, there's only the sound of heavy breathing.
“Is she..okay–? What–what happened?” Jonathan breathes out.
“Wh–where’s Steve?” Nancy’s sentence trips over Jonathan's, but he doesn’t register it.
“Y/N..stay with me–it’s–it’s gonna be okay. It’ll be okay, I promise. I promised. You–you promised.” Dustin wails, a hand caressing your cheek, leaving a stain of blood–your blood.
You try to breathe, but it feels like drowning. Like there's a weight pressing down on your chest, crushing your lungs. Each inhale is shallow, desperate, never enough. The pain radiates from your shoulder waves, spreading like fire through your veins. It burns. God, it burns. Your vision blurs in and out of focus with every breath you try to take, your body fighting to stay alive.
Jonathan trips down next to you, swinging off his jacket and tearing a sleeve off at the seam. Dustin shakily removes his hand from your collarbone, his gaze not leaving your dull eyes.
“Dustin–raise her head up–I need this under her. I need to stop the bleeding.” Jonathan says, his voice more steady than his hands.
In a breath, Dustin brings a palm under your head, raising it enough for Jonathan to slide the detached sleeve of his jacket under your body, wrapping and tying around your collarbone. Dustin’s eyes are flickering with tears, his head shaking softly as he watches you struggle to breathe. Your breath hitches with every inhale you try to take, blood choking up into your mouth. It was vile. He moves you up into his lap, cradling your body closer to his. You can hear his rapid heartbeat, but yours is too weak for him to catch.
Nancy crouches down close to the three of you, her hand lightly caressing your arm. She shakes her head softly, “I thought–I thought we’d be okay. I’m–I’m so sorry.”
Then, from somewhere outside, the Demogorgon releases a bone-chilling screech—long, loud, and deliberate. A call.
"No," Nancy whispers, her face going pale. "No, no, no—"
The answering screeches come from every direction. Distant at first, then closer. Closer.
"How many?" Jonathan asks, his voice tight.
Nancy grips onto her rifle. "Too many."
Dustin looks down at you in his arms, your face drained of color, his hands covered in your blood. His voice cracks. "You’re gonna be okay. It’s gonna–be okay. It’s–oh my god. It’s getting worse–the bleeding isn’t stopping–what do we do–?"
Jonathan looks back at you, tears starting to drip from his eyes. “No–nono, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. Nance–Nancy, how much time do we have–?”
“Not enough. We need to go. Right now!” Nancy spits out.
The lobby doors on the opposite side of the room suddenly burst open—Steve tumbles through, slamming them shut behind him.
"They're coming," he pants, chest heaving. "A lot of them."
Nancy and Jonathan’s heads snap towards Steve’s direction, watching him stumbling inside. With one hand, he holds onto the side of his arm, blood oozing from between his fingers. He leans his weight on his left leg, trying to make it look natural–but it doesn’t.
Nancy’s eyes flicker toward his bloody hand. “What–? What happened?”
“Nothing,” Steve snaps, “We–we need to go. How is Y/N–?”
The distant roaring transforms into furious steps, soon into the croaks of Demodogs. Through the glass, Steve and Jonathan watch the Demodogs pounce into the glass doors. The cracking sound echoes through the building, attracting Nancy’s attention. She watches a handful more of Demodogs pounce into the glass, determined to let themselves inside.
Steve’s voice shakes as he speaks. “That'll hold them, right?”
Jonathan watches in fear, “God, I hope so.”
Meanwhile, Dustin's shaky hands find yours, limp and unresponsive. He squeezes tight, desperately searching for any sign of pressure back, but there's nothing. You can't. You just lay there wheezing, each breath a struggle. Drowning in air. Suffering. The blood blooming from your collarbone is sickening.
"Y/N—hey, hey, stay with me," Dustin begs, his hands shaking violently in yours.
Your mouth opens, trying to form words, but all that comes out is a wet, rattling gasp.
"Dustin, we have to move!" Nancy shouts from across the room, as something slams against the main entrance doors.
But Dustin doesn't move. He can't. He's frozen, staring down at you with wide, terrified eyes that are streaming tears. His whole body trembles.
"I can't—" his voice breaks completely. "I can't lose you. Not you. Not after—" A sob tears from his throat. "Not after Eddie. I can't—I can't do this again, please, please don't leave me—"
He's falling apart, his grief pouring out in broken, desperate gasps. His hands are covered in your blood, and all he can see is Eddie's vest, Eddie's smile, Eddie lying there in the Upside Down, and now you're—you're—
A Demodog crashes through one of the side windows, glass exploding across the floor. Nancy fires immediately, dropping it before it can fully right itself. Another follows. Then another.
"HENDERSON!" Steve yells, "We're out of time!"
The words cut through Dustin's panic like a blade. He sucks in a sharp breath, his jaw clenching. No. No. He's not losing anyone else. Not today. Not you.
"I've got you," he says, his voice steadier now, even as tears still streak down his face. "I've got you, okay? I'm not letting go."
He slides his arms back under you—one beneath your knees, one supporting your back—and lifts you up in one swift motion. You're lighter than before, or maybe adrenaline is doing the work. Your head falls against his chest, and now he can feel how weak your breathing is, each exhale barely there.
"Let's go! NOW!" Jonathan is already at the hallway entrance, holding the door open, waving them through frantically.
Dustin breaks into a run, cradling you tight against him as Demodogs continue to pour into the lobby behind them. Steve follows close behind, his hand stabilizing Dustin as they go.
Dustin's legs burn. His arms scream in protest. But Dustin doesn't stop. He barrels down the hallway, your blood leaving a trail of drops behind him like breadcrumbs.
He's not losing you. He won't. He can't.
ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ : again thanks to my requester ! this was definitely an experimental fic, as i've never written any thriller before. hence why it took me AGES to write. i'm super behind on requests atm & im trying my best.. but im lowkey super burnt out. gonna try to keep it consistent for you guys tho <3 ↴
i can write a chapter two -> i just want to make sure people actually like it, or else i'll just get back to writing other requests !
