NELIA ST☆R

ON HIATUS. 19. #1 Nancy Lover. Multifandom. Feb 14. Aquarius. GIF creator. Writer.

[s-solarisstar]

hi guys! I first wanted to say how much I am sorry for not updating for this long time without notice, life has hit me like a truck lately and I’m still trying to dig myself out of this hole.

But THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the continued love!!! ❤️ you guys have no idea how much it means to me that you guys are checking in!!

I hope to make a comeback soon, promise!!

— Nelia <3 (on hiatus for college reasons)

[s-solarisstar]

writing the finale tonight!! stay tuned :)

[s-solarisstar]

OMG NELL WELCOME BACK!!!!?!???! I WAS PROLLY THINKING FOR TAPE 4 ROBIN AND READER BECOME LIEK BESTFRIENDS, LIKE SINCE READER WAS POPULAR SHE WAS PROLLY FRIENDS WITH TAMMY AND ROBIN WENT CRAAAZZYYYY

HIII!! i like your thinking diva 😼

[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓 : 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

(originally a request ! ) made with love,

☆.

Synopsis: You were born with a silver, no, gold spoon in your mouth. The typical American girl, a city girl from the D.C. area, until your father received a tip-off on suspicious activity in the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana. Despite the move, you’re still arguably the most popular girl, captain of the volleyball team, excellent grades, dozens of friends, everything. You were also a babysitter of a young Will Byers and his friends until a simple ride back home to the Byers residence ends up going upside down, literally. HEAVILY FOLLOWS MAIN STORY PLOT/SCRIPT!

Pairings: Steve Harrington x popular!reader (main, enemies to lovers) + others ish (Nancy [frenemies], some Jonathan, some Eddie in s4 and Billy in s2)

Warnings: swearing, gore, violence, angst, abusive behaviors, fluff, smut, suggestive content (MDNI 18+!)

Notes: I'M NOT GONNA LIE READER IS SO MESSY LOL. reader is lowkey a spoiled brat like to a tee as well as snarky. Every chapter is one episode of the series. this is kinda like a revamped Pride and Prejudice if you will

READ ON AO3 OR chapters are below!

TAGLIST (join to be tagged for updates !)

⭑.ᐟ TAPE 1

ᯓ★ The Vanishing of Will Byers

ᯓ★ The Weirdo on Maple Street

ᯓ★ Holly Jolly

ᯓ★ The Body

ᯓ★ The Flea and the Acrobat

ᯓ★ The Monster

ᯓ★ The Bathtub

ᯓ★ The Upside Down

⭑.ᐟ TAPE 2

ᯓ★ MADMAX

ᯓ★ Trick or Treat, Freak

ᯓ★ The Pollywog

ᯓ★ Will the Wise

ᯓ★ Dig Dug

ᯓ★ The Spy [smut warning]

ᯓ★ The Lost Sister [skipped]

ᯓ★ The Mind Flayer

ᯓ★ The Gate

⭑.ᐟ TAPE 3

ᯓ★ Suzie, Do You Copy?

ᯓ★ The Mall Rats

ᯓ★ The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

ᯓ★ The Sauna Test

ᯓ★ The Flayed

ᯓ★ E Pluribus Unum

ᯓ★ The Bite

ᯓ★ The Battle of Starcourt

⭑.ᐟ TAPE 4

ᯓ★ The Hellfire Club

ᯓ★ Vecna's Curse

ᯓ★ The Monster and the Superhero

ᯓ★ Dear Billy

ᯓ★ The Nina Project

ᯓ★ The Dive

ᯓ★ The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

ᯓ★ The Piggyback

⭑.ᐟ TAPE 5: SIDE 1

ᯓ★ The Crawl

like this? visits @s-stelarisstar to read BLOOD TIES, another steve fic that is heavily focused in s4 and is much quicker.

[s-solarisstar]

dont tell me kelly dies PLEASE she's like readers rock...

had to pull on the heartstrings juuuust a tad...!

[s-solarisstar]

YES SHE'S BACK BABE WAKE UP A NEW CHAPTER WAS POSTED

YESS im back babes!

[s-stelarisstar]

𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 | 𝐒.𝐇.

.⋆♱𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: Steve Harrington x Creel!reader

.⋆♱𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: after the mass murder of your cousins, aunt, and uncle, your father was the only remaining member of the Creel family until he had you. you grew up in the quiet, eerie house on Morehead Street, keeping to yourself as much as possible. you didn't know many people in school, people gave you weird looks, you kept your grades up, and graduated under the radar as much as you could. one year following your graduation, you're stuck working as an intern, trying to save money to go to college and be a forensic specialist. after reading on the mysterious deaths of your fellow peers, you begin investigating further to find out the deeper secrets that have been hiding within the quiet town of Hawkins this whole time. the more you dive into this freakish reality, the more you find yourself closer with a close knit group of people who have been dealing with this since 1983...

.⋆♱𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: violence, swearing, toxic behaviours, drinking, character deaths, angst, harassment, descriptions of gore, manipulation, suggestive content [18+]

.⋆♱𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩: comment to be tagged/or HERE [OPEN]

**set in s4 and onward. based off this ask!

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 *these give key insight in the past of the reader and her connections to Henry Creel.

𓇼 Entry 1: 1959.

𓇼 Entry 2: 1966.

𓇼 Entry 3: 1979.

𓇼 Entry 4: 1983.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟒

𓇼 The Hellfire Club

𓇼 Vecna's Curse [COMING SOON]

𓇼 The Monster and the Superhero

𓇼 Dear Billy

𓇼 The Nina Project

𓇼 The Dive

𓇼 The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

𓇼 Papa

𓇼 The Piggyback

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟓

𓇼 The Crawl

𓇼 The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler

𓇼 The Turnbow Trap

𓇼 Shock Jock

𓇼 Escape from Camaztoz

𓇼 The Bridge

𓇼 The Rightside Up

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Like this? Also visit @s-solarisstar for my Tit for Tat series, and enemies to lovers messy slowburn!

[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓: 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝟑

from yours truly, ☆.

series masterlist | TIT FOR TAT taglist | read on AO3

COVERS ALL OF SEASON 3 | read season 2 or 1

pairings: steve harrington x reader (messy messy) + hints of Billy

warnings: swearing, gore, canon-typical violence, angst, fluff, hardcore yearning, suggestive content/smut (always skippable), toxic families/households, workplace harassment

summary: summer of 1985. you spend your final summer saving up for college by working two jobs. after one too many flickers of the lights at the new starcourt mall, you invesitgate further and you're forced to face an issue you've been dealing with since the fall of last year.

notes: not as messy as last season but so angsty and fluffy

˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

song 1: Suzie, Do You Copy? ⟢ . . .

song 2: The Mall Rats ⟢ . . .

song 3: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard ⟢ . . .

song 4: The Sauna Test ⟢ . . .

song 5: The Flayed ⟢ . . .

song 6: E Pluribus Unum ⟢ . . .

song 7: The Bite

⟢ . . .

song 8: The Battle of Starcourt

⟢ . . .

. . . 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝟒

[s-solarisstar]

Nelia my loveee hope you’re doing okay! I just want you to know that youre loved so much, i love you personally like a sister not because of your works but because of YOU. I look up to your writings so much and I hope you’re get better soon🩷🩷 take all the time you need mllll, no rush or anything. We care more about your well-being than your stories<//333.

No one’s ever going to live unloved just remember that because somewhere out there someone is or will love you unconditionally. Life happens but just know it’s only a challenge to make you stronger. Dont give up and we love ya😝🩷

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANON! this send alone literally gave me motivation to move forward with writing so thank u so much like omg.

omg omg ur literally so kind i wanna cry 🥹 ily so much more anon

[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓: 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟐: 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝟕

Made with love,

☆. [prev | TAPE 1] [next]

pairings: steve harrington x reader x billy hargrove

summary: you, steve, dustin, lucas, and max follow through with the plan to kill dart. a sudden realization leaves you feeling empty.

masterlist | TIT FOR TAT TAGLIST | read on ao3

notes: i'm back and ready to pull your heart strings with this one. combo of episode 6 (the spy) and episode 8 (the mindflayer)!

"Yeah, I'm at the hospital right now," you say softly into the phone, twirling the coiled wire between your fingers. "Yeah, yeah, they think he had a heart attack..." you frown. "Yeah, I'm really sorry, Coach, it just happened overnight, and my mom works all day, okay, thank you again-- yeah-- I'll try my hardest to be there tonight still, bye." You push the phone into the receiver to end the call, holding your breath until you hear the click.

"You do know you just gave up your shot at states to find a kid's pet monster, right?" Steve asks, grabbing the pales of raw meat you two bought last night.

You smile, shrugging off your obvious guilt of calling off your biggest game ever. "It's just a title, who knows if we were going to win or not."

He squints, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "Are you not their best player?"

You snap your fingers. "Exactly."

"What?"

"I'm their best player; they won't win."

Steve's even more confused. "So, then, wouldn't you want to go to the game?"

You wave your hand, "Psh, just knowing the team relies on me so much is good enough." You grab the pales and drag them back out to Steve's car. You slammed the trunk down, entering the passenger side before Steve floored it to Dustin's home.

"This is Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?" Dustin's radio chirps; the boy can't help but smile as he clicks down his radio with a gloved finger. "Well, well, well, look who it is."

"Sorry, man! My stupid sister turned it off."

"Well, while you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped, and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon."

"Wait, what!?" Lucas asks.

"I'll explain later. Meet me, Steve, and Y/n at the old junkyard." Dustin clicks.

"Wait, Steve? And Y/n? As in Y/n L/n? Our babysitter Y/n? Isn't she supposed to be at a tournament?" Lucas questions. You smile as you hear Lucas, grabbing your Remington rifle. You cock the bolt to ensure it isn't jammed, preventing the fiasco that occurred last year.

"Ready?" You ask, putting a few bullets into the rifle as the three of you begin walking on the old train tracks. You cock the bolt again and finally aim the gun, your arms burn just a bit from the sheer weight as you aim down your sights down the tracks.

"Jesus, Y/n," Steve sighs, watching you focus solely on the gun. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"No such thing as overprepared." You firmly state, lowering the rifle and slinging it over your shoulder.

"Dunno, it seemed pretty ineffective last year. The fire did more damage." Steve recalls last year, the burning of the Demogorgon that nearly killed you.

"True, but the bullets stunned it. Plus, bullets can start fires. What if we don't throw the lighter far enough?" You ask, tilting your. Head back to the gasoline canister in your backpack. "And--"

"Steve, you're good with girls, right?" Dustin cuts you off, and you raise your eyebrows.

"Total womanizer." You sneer.

Steve didn't like that one.

"So, was keeping Dart for a girl bad? I mean, I think he's pretty cool." Dustin seems to trail off, thinking about Dart.

"Why would you keep a slug for a girl?" Steve asks.

"Because it's pretty awesome. Well, even if she thought it was cool...which she didn't..." Dustin seems to mumble that part.

"I don't know, man, sounds like you're trying way too hard," Steve suggests, throwing a few more chunks of meat on the ground, and you want to puke just at the sight. Your hands fidget with the straps of your backpack, looking at the fall scenery around you.

"Yeah, well, not everyone has perfect hair like you." Dustin remarks, and you audibly laugh.

Steve throws some wicked side eye as you continue laughing, "Sorry, sorry." You smile, grabbing one of your notepads and scribbling about your plan to kill Dart to hold back your laughter. You flip to another page and just randomly scribble nearly instinctively.

"It's not about the hair, man, the key with girls is acting like you don't care." Steve shrugs his shoulders as he speaks.

Dustin raises his eyebrows. "Even if you do?"

"Yeah, man, drives 'em crazy."

"Then what?"

"Then you just wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Until you feel it."

"Feel what?"

The boys are quiet for a few moments. You idly watch the dead trees pass by as they throw more raw meat on the train tracks.

"It's like before it's gonna storm, y'know?" Steve begins. "You can't see it, but you can feel it. It's like, like this electricity."

"Oh! So like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds--"

"No, no, no, no," Steve cuts Dustin off. "Like a sexual electricity. That's how you know when to make your move."

You raise an eyebrow as you watch the boys in front of you while Steve speaks. The air around you feels tense as those words come out of his mouth, and you grip the strap of your gun just a bit tighter.

On a fly, Dustin whips his head back to look at you. "Is that true?"

"Hm?"

"Sexual electricity?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, it's a thing." You mindlessly add.

"Do you feel it with Billy?"

You sheepishly smile. "Of course I do. But thing," you refer to the electricity. "Chemistry is not the only thing. You have to have a connection with the girl."

You eye Steve. "Physical attraction will only get you so far."

"Right, connection, how do you know and do that?" Dustin asks.

"Getting to know her, taking her out on dates--"

"You're not actually falling in love with said girl, right?" Steve cuts you off, and you frown.

You could've sworn Dustin was on trial when Steve asked his question. "Uhm, no, no."

"Good, she's only gonna break your heart," Steve adds.

"You're just sad you're single." You remark, slinging an arm around Dustin. "Take it from a girl, Dustin, show her you want to know her as a person."

"Right, because you're an expert at that." Steve mumbles, throwing another chunk at the ground.

"Excuse me?" You cock a brow.

"Last I checked, you're dating a guy you met less than a week ago." Steve sneers with a devilish smile plastered on his face.

"This is why Nancy left you for Jonathan." You sigh.

Steve's been stabbed again by your words and quickly shuts up.

The walk alongside the train tracks is quiet after you bicker. The unresolved tension from the events of last night is all that fills your head, leaving it confused. You're still half hungover from the amount of alcohol you consumed, and it's only a matter of time before last night's regret spills over.

The three of you pull into an abandoned junkyard, and you quickly spot two familiar faces. Luke is waving, and Max is next to him with her arms crossed as the wind breezes past her hair.

"Who's the girl?" Steve asks.

Dustin doesn't reply; he only looks in a mix of awe and frustration. Max catches your eye, and she gives a small smile. You return the favor with a small wave at the girl, and the two of you have seen each other a few times already through Will and Billy.

You shield your eyes from the near-setting sun. "It's her."

Steve turns his head to face you confusingly.

"The girl he was talking about, Steve." You clarify. He turns back to see Dustin, and his face falters. "She's pretty," you smile as the two approach you, Dustin, and Steve.

You pull Lucas into a quick hug and mess with the bandana on his head. Dustin quickly pulls Lucas aside, and they duck behind a car. You turn your attention to Max. "I assume he's briefed you?"

"You believe all of it?" Max asks.

"I experienced it." You drop your backpack and kneel down to unzip it, revealing the gasoline canister. You quickly pull it out, spilling the fluid all across the junkyard near the rest of the raw meat that was piled.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Lucas is atop the abandoned bus, his eyes large as he looks through the binoculars. You, Dustin, Max, and Steve sit inside the bus, each doing your own thing. You find yourself scribbling randomly again in your journal, this time making notes to see if they add up to make another odd-looking map.

So far, nothing.

Steve flicks his lighter on and off. His face lights up an orange hue as he flicks it on before flipping it off. The clanking of the metal is beginning to tick you off.

Your eyes glance at the lighter as it flicks on, lowering your journal just enough to look at Steve. You watch his face, full of thought. You can see he's got something on his mind.

"Do you mind?" You ask, lowering your pen, and Steve's eyes look up from his lighter to you.

You grip your pen tighter as he flips it shut and flicks it back on, taunting you. "Sorry, am I bothering you?" He raises a brow.

You quickly lean forward to snatch the lighter from his hands before he has time to flick it back on.

"Hey! That's a nice--"

"What? A nice lighter? Did your daddy pay for an expensive lighter, too?" You sneer under your breath, shoving the lighter in your jacket's pocket.

The moment is quiet.

Steve looks like he's about to crack.

You almost feel bad.

Almost.

You shift yourself to be under the moonlight to continue your journaling. This time, you're finally able to do something other than random lines. You instinctively begin making dots mixed with some lines mindlessly.

"So Tommy and Billy were right?" Steve asks, just barely loud enough for you to hear. You stop your pen and lower your journal to your thighs, looking at him. "Hm?"

"About Nance running off with Jonathan. You said you didn't know when I asked the other day." Steve adds. "She ran off with Jonathan?"

You open your mouth to speak, but instead you only lick your lips and shut them, unsure how to respond.

That's all Steve needs, he laughs. He's humiliated to hold out for Nancy.

"You can't be that clueless, Steve." You shut your journal to give him your full attention. "Think about it," you lean forward. "You were an asshole to her last year, Jonathan defended her when you didn't, they killed that Demo thing together. They have a sick and twisted trauma bond." You shrug. "I'm just saying, I'd be pretty conflicted myself."

"Then what about all of this year?" Steve asks, and he leans forward.

You don't say anything, just simply look at him, a small smirk tugging the corner of your lips. You dip your head. "It doesn't take an idiot to see what was going on between them."

"And everything with Barb and her pulling away?"

"Maybe she was pulling because of Barb, Steve, I don't know. You need to talk to her. I don't know why you think I have the answers to your girlfriend's issues."

"Because you're one of her closest friends, don't you guys talk about this stuff?" Steve asks, and he shifts uncomfortably.

You tilt your head.

"I was an asshole, I know, but I apologized, I cleaned up my act, I--" Steve stammers, he closes his mouth and simply looks off into the distance in thought on where he could've possibly gone wrong.

You pull your knees to your chest and rest your head in between them, looking up at the bright moon. You catch Max's attention, and she comes to sit next to you.

"So like, you've fought these things before?" She asks hushly.

You hum, nodding.

"And you're sure it wasn't a bear?"

"Very sure." You smile. "You'll see."

As if on queue, you hear a low grumble that makes you shiver out of your skin. You lift your head at the growls and quickly get up to look out the window of the bus. Steve and Dustin follow suit.

"Was that him?" You ask.

"I'm sure," Dustin whispers, his eyes darting across the junkyard for any sign of his pet friend. "Do you see him?"

"No." You and Steve reply in sync.

"...I got eyes at ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" Lucas yells from the top of the bus. Your heads whip slightly to the side where the meat is piled up. You can barely make out a figure in the fog.

"There." Steve points out the dark shadow. You squint and can faintly see Dart.

"What's he doing?" You turn your head to Dustin.

"I dunno."

The three of you continue to stare out the small window.

"He's not taking the bait, why's he not taking the bait?" Steve asks quickly.

"Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin answers.

You turn yourself around and quickly grab your rifle. "I find that hard to believe." You mumble. Steve and Dustin turn around to see you cocking the barrel. "I didn't pay twenty bucks for him to not eat, too."

"Talk about cheap..." Dustin remarks under his breath. "What? What are you doing?" Steve harshly whispers. You shove your hand into your pocket and throw the lighter at him. "No, hold on, let's think about this." He beats you to the opening of the bus, blocking you.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you knew how to shoot." You try to push past. "Steve--"

"No, stay here with them." He quickly grabs his spiked bat.

"Wh--? But--"

"Recon support." Dustin interrupts, and Steve's shoulders fall in relief with Dustin's support. You grip your gun tighter, hating the fact that he's right, you're better off helping from here.

Steve hands you back the lighter before he quietly steps out of the bus. You quickly climb up the ladder to the top of the bus, laying your gun steady on the small blockade Lucas built.

"He's insane," Max says, her eyebrows furrowed as she watches Steve.

"He's awesome," Dustin corrects.

"He's an idiot," you remark, and Lucas lifts his binoculars to watch.

Steve slowly steps out into the middle of the junkyard, readying his bat. You look through the scope of your rifle and closely watch him, your sights on Dart, your index finger ready to pull the trigger at the second.

Lucas's head flips to notice more demodogs to Steve's right. He lowers his binoculars to see for himself and leans over the barricade. "Steve! Watch out! Three O'clock!"

You notice the other demos slowly surrounding him and lower your gun. You're a good shot, but not that good. "Get down there." You order Lucas, and he's already sliding down the ladder into the bus.

Dustin opens the bus doors. "Steve! Abort! Abort mission!"

It's not a suggestion. He needs to get back to the bus unless he wants to be tonight's new dinner special. Steve looks around his surroundings, noticing the demos slowly circling him. He quickly runs back, and you finally pull the trigger at the nearest demo, knocking it back and giving Steve just enough time to get back on the bus.

You slide down the ladder, pulling the metal cover over it, narrowly missing a strike from the demo, only causing a small cut on your arm, and cock the barrel of your gun.

Steve has his food over the door. "It can't get in, it can't get in!" He yells as the demo pounds at the metal. You gather the kids toward the back of the bus as Dustin frantically calls for Will and Mike. You pull the kids behind you just before you notice heavy steps on the bus roof.

Deep claws pry the metal cover off the top. Your heart drops, and you look over at Steve, still holding off the demo at the front. You push the kids back further into the end of the bus as you hold your gun up with one hand, the lighter in the other. "Come on, you slimy piece of shit!" You raise the lighter closer to its face, and it opens its mouth, snarling.

"Come on!" You yell, pointing directly up at the demo, and you can feel the slime falling onto your cheeks. Just before it lunges in, it closes its mouth, and its attention is drawn elsewhere. The demo jumps off the bus and runs off into the distance, leaving all of you heavily panting.

You and Steve quickly lock eyes. He opens the bus door, and you follow close behind, telling the kids to stay back just in case.

"Why didn't," you catch your breath. "Why didn't they just eat us?"

"I don't know," Lucas replies, and you jump out of your skin.

"Steve scared 'em off?"

"Ew, no." You reply, slinging the gun onto your shoulder. You pull your sleeve down to wipe the slime and blood off your cheek.

"They're going somewhere."

It wasn't hard to find out the demos were heading for Hawkins' lab. That was understood.

What made your heart drop was that through the binoculars, you heard a few squeals and howls from the direction of school, where Kelly and Corey were supposed to be.

It also wasn't hard for Steve to notice the worry on your face as you looked in the general direction of the school, as you stood on a cliff that overlooked most of Hawkins.

"Y/n."

You turn your head.

"Go make sure they're fine." Steve ushers you. He throws you his keys, and you catch them, looking at them, your eyebrows knitted closely with a frown; your mind is jumping to the worst.

You look at the keys for a few moments until you feel a hand on your shoulder. "I'll come with." You hear Max to your side. You hold onto your hand and turn your head. "Thank you."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

You and Max were able to get to Steve's car relatively quickly. You turn the key and nearly slam on the gas back onto the road, heading straight to Hawkins High.

Your knuckles are white from how hard you grip the steering wheel, fearing for the worst of your belated friends.

The car skids in front of the school. The lights flicker rapidly, the building is seemingly empty, and only the squeals and screeches of the demos fill the cold air. With each screech, the hum and brightness of the lights grow stronger.

You and Max quickly lock eyes with one another. She purses her lips and gives a firm nod. You nod as well. "Let's go." You leave your rifle in the back seat of your car, only holding onto the lighter Steve gave you and your revolver that sat in the back of your jeans.

You two push through the doors that lead to the gym. The lights flicker, and you can see everyone left in a rush, posters for players on the floor, banners for the volleyball teams torn apart. Your eyes catch Tina, who's hiding behind the bleachers.

You slowly approach Tina, and she shrieks in fear.

"Tina! It's me!" You assure, and Tina breaks down as you kneel in front of her. "What happened?"

"We, we were just playing and--" Tina's voice cracks. "These things came barging in. I-- I don't know what they were looking for, but-- but they were searching for something."

You furrow your brows. "When? When did they come?"

"I...I don't know, they were searching and then they-- they suddenly just left."

"Are you okay?" You ask.

"Ye-- yeah, just...terrified..." she whispers, digging her head in between her legs as she sobs. You pull her into a hug.

"Have you seen Kelly?"

Tina weakly points toward the shower rooms.

You push yourself up as you stare at the open doors.

"Searching?" Max asks as you both eye the doors. "What would they search for here?"

"No clue." You reply, entering the shower rooms. The showers hiss, and the room is hot with steam. You push your sweaty hair back, frantically looking through the alleys of lockers. You get to the second-to-last row and notice a familiar figure. "Corey?"

The figure is hunched over another figure. His head lifts, and you can see his face in the flickering lights. "Y/n!? What are you doing here? Oh my God, thank God you're here." He calls out, and you're already running down the alley, Max close behind.

"Corey wh--" you stop dead in your tracks to take in the sight before you.

Corey is hunched over Kelly. She lies in his legs, her head cradled by one of Corey's arms. Both of them are blood-soaked, Kelly much worse.

"What happened!?" You yell out, immediately dropping to your knees to get a close look at Kelly. Your hand brushes her bloody clothes as you take one of her hands. "Kel..."

"There were these weird...weird monster things," Corey recalls, you realize this is the first time he's seen these things. "They went straight after Kel for a while until they just suddenly...didn't."

You lean forward, and Kelly's breaths are short and shallow. You take advantage of being on her level to notice the deep gashes across her abdomen.

Your eyes trail, and you can't help but now notice the long trail of blood leading to one of the shower drains. She's been sitting like this for a minute.

"Oh my God, Kelly." You take her head and notice blood coming from her nose and ears. "I don't understand," you mumble under your breath. Why would they want Kelly of all people?

"I'll call someone," Max quickly says.

"No-- we don't know if those things are still there--"

"Y/n! She needs help now." Corey sneers between his teeth. You look up at him. His hair sticks to his face, a mix of blood, sweat, and water from the showers causes his hair to be soaked, and his eyelashes seem even longer in the lighting as he speaks to you. You notice a few cuts and bruises on his face; he struggled against the demo at some point.

You're frozen in shock as you look at him. You turn your glance to Kelly, her eyes cloudy and dull as she looks up at you.

Corey waves his hand at Max. "Go! Go call for an ambulance! Hurry!"

Max slides on the wet floor out of the shower rooms to the nearest phone.

You're at a loss for words, your hair begins to become soggy as you only loom over Kelly. She's still alive, barely. "I don't think she's gonna survive until an ambulance comes," you mumble.

"Last I checked, you didn't know first aid." Corey frowns. He grips the wound on Kelly tighter. "I've been holding as much blood as I can until help came."

You add the pressure to her wounds, placing your hands atop Corey's.

You turn your head toward Kelly. "Kel, you're gonna be okay, okay? Help is on the way, I promise."

She weakly holds your wrist that's on her wounds.

"Fuck, shit, Kel, I'm so sorry--" You watch as her blood still seeps past yours and Corey's hands, onto your own clothes. "I should've-- I'm such an asshole--" you dip your head atop her torso and lie on it. "Come on--"

You aren't sure how long you lie on her. The hiss of the showers drowns out your thoughts, and you're left a soggy, bloody mess.

The muffles of the paramedics to get off of Kelly barely register in your ears, Corey and Max having to physically pull you off of her. Corey kneels in front of you, his hands on your knees. "Y/n! Are you coming with me to the hospital!?"

You watch the gurney holding Kelly pass by. You only look at Corey, and he frowns. You can't bring it to yourself to go with them. The guilt that passes you if she were to die on the way there.

You only sit on the bench, face buried in your face. Max sits next to you, hugging you from the side. A part of you knew calling out of the game was a bad idea, but not this bad.

You're confused as to why the demos would have targeted Kelly of all people.

Everything seems to be moving twice as slowly. You watch the blood trail run to the drain before you feel a rag rub across your cheek, wiping away the blood.

thanks to all your support, the taglist has moved to a collection of posts. you can find them here, here, here, and here. all of these posts will be reblogged to notify when a new chapter is out!

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[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 [𝟒]

In light of the massive amount of responses for Tit For Tat (over 200 tags!), I've decided to just make a few posts soley dedicated to my taglist. There is no need to interact.

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[s-solarisstar]

hi my loves! this is a reminder that a new chapter has been posted! read HERE.

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[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 [𝟑]

In light of the massive amount of responses for Tit For Tat, I've decided to just make a few posts soley dedicated to my taglist. There is no need to interact.

When a new chapter is posted, this post and any other taglist parts will be reposted by me and you will be notified when a new chapter has arrived! Thank you for your patience 🩷

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[s-solarisstar]

hi my loves! this is a reminder that a new chapter has been posted! read HERE.

. . . tags below.

@kusuruu @dilfhwa @butt3rshrimp @generalstarlightobject @pierce-the-tailor @aliensfeltmyjoy @softpia @asymmetricstar @luvv4bby @rovckwells @nervousytem @lunaryoongie @athena-112 @littlemisssummer @apollost4r @lilyypy @viviio3o @faith-alons26 @formula1mount @justafandomslutt @br4ttybbygrl @sanaxo-o @fefa-la-printcessa @wtfisastiles @stxlarr @le-lena @elioraflora @cecelliia @mcriblover69 @asperaravenclaw @obsessivelyadoring @avujo56 @whosyourgnomie @fronsaltandsea @sherb3t @faeofthemoonandstars @multifandombliss @bread-pitt1 @eneywey @junnaisheree @grand-piano75 @angellliqua @flayed-billy @serenelyintrepidpirate @kissmxcheek @ilikekpop-c @silentocean8 @fromsaltandsea @tremendousdinosaurkoala @chaestwbryz

[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 [𝟐]

In light of the massive amount of responses for Tit For Tat, I've decided to just make a few posts soley dedicated to my taglist. There is no need to interact.

When a new chapter is posted, this post and any other taglist parts will be reposted by me and you will be notified when a new chapter has arrived! Thank you for your patience 🩷

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[s-solarisstar]

hi my loves! this is a reminder that a new chapter has been posted! read HERE.

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[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 [𝟏]

In light of the massive amount of responses for Tit For Tat, I've decided to just make a few posts soley dedicated to my taglist. There is no need to interact.

When a new chapter is posted, this post and any other taglist parts will be reposted by me and you will be notified when a new chapter has arrived! Thank you for your patience 🩷

If you don't see your name here, be on the lookout for an extra post or two like this. Your name may be there!

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[s-solarisstar]

hi my loves! this is a reminder that a new chapter has been posted! read HERE.

. . . tags below.

@darkworldlover @corrodeddeadlydoll @lalalalalalalaland @juninnyxriddle @mattelbaby @saralb265 @pinkribboncoco @kikilovesdankmemes @levibabymama @yuyita-rosier @cherrylooney @venusbabysblog @xletsrunaway-together @leclrc16s @purplepiratephantom @wherespr1nce @insideoutjulie @starrlovee @candelagil @snealeyyy @nothere-forlong @blurrygir1 @wildvampireknight @shouldakissedyouanyway @heartsforhischier @aadoresh99 @mrsnarnian @adribarbie @ahoytherebean @tillbots @salvatt1 @cityof-4ngels @harrystylesswif3 @lou-0111 @wicca-void @minaxcarter @crazylady20 @ellie-bellie-29 @90smusee @firstlyferrari @underurmoonlight @katgotnapped @gods-menace @ethereallyastral @maxcalore3 @academiq @cherryl4na @gayandbasic @lilsteveharrington @strawberrywith-chocolate2

[s-solarisstar]

𝐓𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐓: 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟐: 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝟕

Made with love,

☆. [prev | TAPE 1] [next]

pairings: steve harrington x reader x billy hargrove

summary: you, steve, dustin, lucas, and max follow through with the plan to kill dart. a sudden realization leaves you feeling empty.

masterlist | TIT FOR TAT TAGLIST | read on ao3

notes: i'm back and ready to pull your heart strings with this one. combo of episode 6 (the spy) and episode 8 (the mindflayer)!

"Yeah, I'm at the hospital right now," you say softly into the phone, twirling the coiled wire between your fingers. "Yeah, yeah, they think he had a heart attack..." you frown. "Yeah, I'm really sorry, Coach, it just happened overnight, and my mom works all day, okay, thank you again-- yeah-- I'll try my hardest to be there tonight still, bye." You push the phone into the receiver to end the call, holding your breath until you hear the click.

"You do know you just gave up your shot at states to find a kid's pet monster, right?" Steve asks, grabbing the pales of raw meat you two bought last night.

You smile, shrugging off your obvious guilt of calling off your biggest game ever. "It's just a title, who knows if we were going to win or not."

He squints, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "Are you not their best player?"

You snap your fingers. "Exactly."

"What?"

"I'm their best player; they won't win."

Steve's even more confused. "So, then, wouldn't you want to go to the game?"

You wave your hand, "Psh, just knowing the team relies on me so much is good enough." You grab the pales and drag them back out to Steve's car. You slammed the trunk down, entering the passenger side before Steve floored it to Dustin's home.

"This is Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?" Dustin's radio chirps; the boy can't help but smile as he clicks down his radio with a gloved finger. "Well, well, well, look who it is."

"Sorry, man! My stupid sister turned it off."

"Well, while you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped, and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon."

"Wait, what!?" Lucas asks.

"I'll explain later. Meet me, Steve, and Y/n at the old junkyard." Dustin clicks.

"Wait, Steve? And Y/n? As in Y/n L/n? Our babysitter Y/n? Isn't she supposed to be at a tournament?" Lucas questions. You smile as you hear Lucas, grabbing your Remington rifle. You cock the bolt to ensure it isn't jammed, preventing the fiasco that occurred last year.

"Ready?" You ask, putting a few bullets into the rifle as the three of you begin walking on the old train tracks. You cock the bolt again and finally aim the gun, your arms burn just a bit from the sheer weight as you aim down your sights down the tracks.

"Jesus, Y/n," Steve sighs, watching you focus solely on the gun. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"No such thing as overprepared." You firmly state, lowering the rifle and slinging it over your shoulder.

"Dunno, it seemed pretty ineffective last year. The fire did more damage." Steve recalls last year, the burning of the Demogorgon that nearly killed you.

"True, but the bullets stunned it. Plus, bullets can start fires. What if we don't throw the lighter far enough?" You ask, tilting your. Head back to the gasoline canister in your backpack. "And--"

"Steve, you're good with girls, right?" Dustin cuts you off, and you raise your eyebrows.

"Total womanizer." You sneer.

Steve didn't like that one.

"So, was keeping Dart for a girl bad? I mean, I think he's pretty cool." Dustin seems to trail off, thinking about Dart.

"Why would you keep a slug for a girl?" Steve asks.

"Because it's pretty awesome. Well, even if she thought it was cool...which she didn't..." Dustin seems to mumble that part.

"I don't know, man, sounds like you're trying way too hard," Steve suggests, throwing a few more chunks of meat on the ground, and you want to puke just at the sight. Your hands fidget with the straps of your backpack, looking at the fall scenery around you.

"Yeah, well, not everyone has perfect hair like you." Dustin remarks, and you audibly laugh.

Steve throws some wicked side eye as you continue laughing, "Sorry, sorry." You smile, grabbing one of your notepads and scribbling about your plan to kill Dart to hold back your laughter. You flip to another page and just randomly scribble nearly instinctively.

"It's not about the hair, man, the key with girls is acting like you don't care." Steve shrugs his shoulders as he speaks.

Dustin raises his eyebrows. "Even if you do?"

"Yeah, man, drives 'em crazy."

"Then what?"

"Then you just wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Until you feel it."

"Feel what?"

The boys are quiet for a few moments. You idly watch the dead trees pass by as they throw more raw meat on the train tracks.

"It's like before it's gonna storm, y'know?" Steve begins. "You can't see it, but you can feel it. It's like, like this electricity."

"Oh! So like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds--"

"No, no, no, no," Steve cuts Dustin off. "Like a sexual electricity. That's how you know when to make your move."

You raise an eyebrow as you watch the boys in front of you while Steve speaks. The air around you feels tense as those words come out of his mouth, and you grip the strap of your gun just a bit tighter.

On a fly, Dustin whips his head back to look at you. "Is that true?"

"Hm?"

"Sexual electricity?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, it's a thing." You mindlessly add.

"Do you feel it with Billy?"

You sheepishly smile. "Of course I do. But thing," you refer to the electricity. "Chemistry is not the only thing. You have to have a connection with the girl."

You eye Steve. "Physical attraction will only get you so far."

"Right, connection, how do you know and do that?" Dustin asks.

"Getting to know her, taking her out on dates--"

"You're not actually falling in love with said girl, right?" Steve cuts you off, and you frown.

You could've sworn Dustin was on trial when Steve asked his question. "Uhm, no, no."

"Good, she's only gonna break your heart," Steve adds.

"You're just sad you're single." You remark, slinging an arm around Dustin. "Take it from a girl, Dustin, show her you want to know her as a person."

"Right, because you're an expert at that." Steve mumbles, throwing another chunk at the ground.

"Excuse me?" You cock a brow.

"Last I checked, you're dating a guy you met less than a week ago." Steve sneers with a devilish smile plastered on his face.

"This is why Nancy left you for Jonathan." You sigh.

Steve's been stabbed again by your words and quickly shuts up.

The walk alongside the train tracks is quiet after you bicker. The unresolved tension from the events of last night is all that fills your head, leaving it confused. You're still half hungover from the amount of alcohol you consumed, and it's only a matter of time before last night's regret spills over.

The three of you pull into an abandoned junkyard, and you quickly spot two familiar faces. Luke is waving, and Max is next to him with her arms crossed as the wind breezes past her hair.

"Who's the girl?" Steve asks.

Dustin doesn't reply; he only looks in a mix of awe and frustration. Max catches your eye, and she gives a small smile. You return the favor with a small wave at the girl, and the two of you have seen each other a few times already through Will and Billy.

You shield your eyes from the near-setting sun. "It's her."

Steve turns his head to face you confusingly.

"The girl he was talking about, Steve." You clarify. He turns back to see Dustin, and his face falters. "She's pretty," you smile as the two approach you, Dustin, and Steve.

You pull Lucas into a quick hug and mess with the bandana on his head. Dustin quickly pulls Lucas aside, and they duck behind a car. You turn your attention to Max. "I assume he's briefed you?"

"You believe all of it?" Max asks.

"I experienced it." You drop your backpack and kneel down to unzip it, revealing the gasoline canister. You quickly pull it out, spilling the fluid all across the junkyard near the rest of the raw meat that was piled.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Lucas is atop the abandoned bus, his eyes large as he looks through the binoculars. You, Dustin, Max, and Steve sit inside the bus, each doing your own thing. You find yourself scribbling randomly again in your journal, this time making notes to see if they add up to make another odd-looking map.

So far, nothing.

Steve flicks his lighter on and off. His face lights up an orange hue as he flicks it on before flipping it off. The clanking of the metal is beginning to tick you off.

Your eyes glance at the lighter as it flicks on, lowering your journal just enough to look at Steve. You watch his face, full of thought. You can see he's got something on his mind.

"Do you mind?" You ask, lowering your pen, and Steve's eyes look up from his lighter to you.

You grip your pen tighter as he flips it shut and flicks it back on, taunting you. "Sorry, am I bothering you?" He raises a brow.

You quickly lean forward to snatch the lighter from his hands before he has time to flick it back on.

"Hey! That's a nice--"

"What? A nice lighter? Did your daddy pay for an expensive lighter, too?" You sneer under your breath, shoving the lighter in your jacket's pocket.

The moment is quiet.

Steve looks like he's about to crack.

You almost feel bad.

Almost.

You shift yourself to be under the moonlight to continue your journaling. This time, you're finally able to do something other than random lines. You instinctively begin making dots mixed with some lines mindlessly.

"So Tommy and Billy were right?" Steve asks, just barely loud enough for you to hear. You stop your pen and lower your journal to your thighs, looking at him. "Hm?"

"About Nance running off with Jonathan. You said you didn't know when I asked the other day." Steve adds. "She ran off with Jonathan?"

You open your mouth to speak, but instead you only lick your lips and shut them, unsure how to respond.

That's all Steve needs, he laughs. He's humiliated to hold out for Nancy.

"You can't be that clueless, Steve." You shut your journal to give him your full attention. "Think about it," you lean forward. "You were an asshole to her last year, Jonathan defended her when you didn't, they killed that Demo thing together. They have a sick and twisted trauma bond." You shrug. "I'm just saying, I'd be pretty conflicted myself."

"Then what about all of this year?" Steve asks, and he leans forward.

You don't say anything, just simply look at him, a small smirk tugging the corner of your lips. You dip your head. "It doesn't take an idiot to see what was going on between them."

"And everything with Barb and her pulling away?"

"Maybe she was pulling because of Barb, Steve, I don't know. You need to talk to her. I don't know why you think I have the answers to your girlfriend's issues."

"Because you're one of her closest friends, don't you guys talk about this stuff?" Steve asks, and he shifts uncomfortably.

You tilt your head.

"I was an asshole, I know, but I apologized, I cleaned up my act, I--" Steve stammers, he closes his mouth and simply looks off into the distance in thought on where he could've possibly gone wrong.

You pull your knees to your chest and rest your head in between them, looking up at the bright moon. You catch Max's attention, and she comes to sit next to you.

"So like, you've fought these things before?" She asks hushly.

You hum, nodding.

"And you're sure it wasn't a bear?"

"Very sure." You smile. "You'll see."

As if on queue, you hear a low grumble that makes you shiver out of your skin. You lift your head at the growls and quickly get up to look out the window of the bus. Steve and Dustin follow suit.

"Was that him?" You ask.

"I'm sure," Dustin whispers, his eyes darting across the junkyard for any sign of his pet friend. "Do you see him?"

"No." You and Steve reply in sync.

"...I got eyes at ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" Lucas yells from the top of the bus. Your heads whip slightly to the side where the meat is piled up. You can barely make out a figure in the fog.

"There." Steve points out the dark shadow. You squint and can faintly see Dart.

"What's he doing?" You turn your head to Dustin.

"I dunno."

The three of you continue to stare out the small window.

"He's not taking the bait, why's he not taking the bait?" Steve asks quickly.

"Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin answers.

You turn yourself around and quickly grab your rifle. "I find that hard to believe." You mumble. Steve and Dustin turn around to see you cocking the barrel. "I didn't pay twenty bucks for him to not eat, too."

"Talk about cheap..." Dustin remarks under his breath. "What? What are you doing?" Steve harshly whispers. You shove your hand into your pocket and throw the lighter at him. "No, hold on, let's think about this." He beats you to the opening of the bus, blocking you.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you knew how to shoot." You try to push past. "Steve--"

"No, stay here with them." He quickly grabs his spiked bat.

"Wh--? But--"

"Recon support." Dustin interrupts, and Steve's shoulders fall in relief with Dustin's support. You grip your gun tighter, hating the fact that he's right, you're better off helping from here.

Steve hands you back the lighter before he quietly steps out of the bus. You quickly climb up the ladder to the top of the bus, laying your gun steady on the small blockade Lucas built.

"He's insane," Max says, her eyebrows furrowed as she watches Steve.

"He's awesome," Dustin corrects.

"He's an idiot," you remark, and Lucas lifts his binoculars to watch.

Steve slowly steps out into the middle of the junkyard, readying his bat. You look through the scope of your rifle and closely watch him, your sights on Dart, your index finger ready to pull the trigger at the second.

Lucas's head flips to notice more demodogs to Steve's right. He lowers his binoculars to see for himself and leans over the barricade. "Steve! Watch out! Three O'clock!"

You notice the other demos slowly surrounding him and lower your gun. You're a good shot, but not that good. "Get down there." You order Lucas, and he's already sliding down the ladder into the bus.

Dustin opens the bus doors. "Steve! Abort! Abort mission!"

It's not a suggestion. He needs to get back to the bus unless he wants to be tonight's new dinner special. Steve looks around his surroundings, noticing the demos slowly circling him. He quickly runs back, and you finally pull the trigger at the nearest demo, knocking it back and giving Steve just enough time to get back on the bus.

You slide down the ladder, pulling the metal cover over it, narrowly missing a strike from the demo, only causing a small cut on your arm, and cock the barrel of your gun.

Steve has his food over the door. "It can't get in, it can't get in!" He yells as the demo pounds at the metal. You gather the kids toward the back of the bus as Dustin frantically calls for Will and Mike. You pull the kids behind you just before you notice heavy steps on the bus roof.

Deep claws pry the metal cover off the top. Your heart drops, and you look over at Steve, still holding off the demo at the front. You push the kids back further into the end of the bus as you hold your gun up with one hand, the lighter in the other. "Come on, you slimy piece of shit!" You raise the lighter closer to its face, and it opens its mouth, snarling.

"Come on!" You yell, pointing directly up at the demo, and you can feel the slime falling onto your cheeks. Just before it lunges in, it closes its mouth, and its attention is drawn elsewhere. The demo jumps off the bus and runs off into the distance, leaving all of you heavily panting.

You and Steve quickly lock eyes. He opens the bus door, and you follow close behind, telling the kids to stay back just in case.

"Why didn't," you catch your breath. "Why didn't they just eat us?"

"I don't know," Lucas replies, and you jump out of your skin.

"Steve scared 'em off?"

"Ew, no." You reply, slinging the gun onto your shoulder. You pull your sleeve down to wipe the slime and blood off your cheek.

"They're going somewhere."

It wasn't hard to find out the demos were heading for Hawkins' lab. That was understood.

What made your heart drop was that through the binoculars, you heard a few squeals and howls from the direction of school, where Kelly and Corey were supposed to be.

It also wasn't hard for Steve to notice the worry on your face as you looked in the general direction of the school, as you stood on a cliff that overlooked most of Hawkins.

"Y/n."

You turn your head.

"Go make sure they're fine." Steve ushers you. He throws you his keys, and you catch them, looking at them, your eyebrows knitted closely with a frown; your mind is jumping to the worst.

You look at the keys for a few moments until you feel a hand on your shoulder. "I'll come with." You hear Max to your side. You hold onto your hand and turn your head. "Thank you."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

You and Max were able to get to Steve's car relatively quickly. You turn the key and nearly slam on the gas back onto the road, heading straight to Hawkins High.

Your knuckles are white from how hard you grip the steering wheel, fearing for the worst of your belated friends.

The car skids in front of the school. The lights flicker rapidly, the building is seemingly empty, and only the squeals and screeches of the demos fill the cold air. With each screech, the hum and brightness of the lights grow stronger.

You and Max quickly lock eyes with one another. She purses her lips and gives a firm nod. You nod as well. "Let's go." You leave your rifle in the back seat of your car, only holding onto the lighter Steve gave you and your revolver that sat in the back of your jeans.

You two push through the doors that lead to the gym. The lights flicker, and you can see everyone left in a rush, posters for players on the floor, banners for the volleyball teams torn apart. Your eyes catch Tina, who's hiding behind the bleachers.

You slowly approach Tina, and she shrieks in fear.

"Tina! It's me!" You assure, and Tina breaks down as you kneel in front of her. "What happened?"

"We, we were just playing and--" Tina's voice cracks. "These things came barging in. I-- I don't know what they were looking for, but-- but they were searching for something."

You furrow your brows. "When? When did they come?"

"I...I don't know, they were searching and then they-- they suddenly just left."

"Are you okay?" You ask.

"Ye-- yeah, just...terrified..." she whispers, digging her head in between her legs as she sobs. You pull her into a hug.

"Have you seen Kelly?"

Tina weakly points toward the shower rooms.

You push yourself up as you stare at the open doors.

"Searching?" Max asks as you both eye the doors. "What would they search for here?"

"No clue." You reply, entering the shower rooms. The showers hiss, and the room is hot with steam. You push your sweaty hair back, frantically looking through the alleys of lockers. You get to the second-to-last row and notice a familiar figure. "Corey?"

The figure is hunched over another figure. His head lifts, and you can see his face in the flickering lights. "Y/n!? What are you doing here? Oh my God, thank God you're here." He calls out, and you're already running down the alley, Max close behind.

"Corey wh--" you stop dead in your tracks to take in the sight before you.

Corey is hunched over Kelly. She lies in his legs, her head cradled by one of Corey's arms. Both of them are blood-soaked, Kelly much worse.

"What happened!?" You yell out, immediately dropping to your knees to get a close look at Kelly. Your hand brushes her bloody clothes as you take one of her hands. "Kel..."

"There were these weird...weird monster things," Corey recalls, you realize this is the first time he's seen these things. "They went straight after Kel for a while until they just suddenly...didn't."

You lean forward, and Kelly's breaths are short and shallow. You take advantage of being on her level to notice the deep gashes across her abdomen.

Your eyes trail, and you can't help but now notice the long trail of blood leading to one of the shower drains. She's been sitting like this for a minute.

"Oh my God, Kelly." You take her head and notice blood coming from her nose and ears. "I don't understand," you mumble under your breath. Why would they want Kelly of all people?

"I'll call someone," Max quickly says.

"No-- we don't know if those things are still there--"

"Y/n! She needs help now." Corey sneers between his teeth. You look up at him. His hair sticks to his face, a mix of blood, sweat, and water from the showers causes his hair to be soaked, and his eyelashes seem even longer in the lighting as he speaks to you. You notice a few cuts and bruises on his face; he struggled against the demo at some point.

You're frozen in shock as you look at him. You turn your glance to Kelly, her eyes cloudy and dull as she looks up at you.

Corey waves his hand at Max. "Go! Go call for an ambulance! Hurry!"

Max slides on the wet floor out of the shower rooms to the nearest phone.

You're at a loss for words, your hair begins to become soggy as you only loom over Kelly. She's still alive, barely. "I don't think she's gonna survive until an ambulance comes," you mumble.

"Last I checked, you didn't know first aid." Corey frowns. He grips the wound on Kelly tighter. "I've been holding as much blood as I can until help came."

You add the pressure to her wounds, placing your hands atop Corey's.

You turn your head toward Kelly. "Kel, you're gonna be okay, okay? Help is on the way, I promise."

She weakly holds your wrist that's on her wounds.

"Fuck, shit, Kel, I'm so sorry--" You watch as her blood still seeps past yours and Corey's hands, onto your own clothes. "I should've-- I'm such an asshole--" you dip your head atop her torso and lie on it. "Come on--"

You aren't sure how long you lie on her. The hiss of the showers drowns out your thoughts, and you're left a soggy, bloody mess.

The muffles of the paramedics to get off of Kelly barely register in your ears, Corey and Max having to physically pull you off of her. Corey kneels in front of you, his hands on your knees. "Y/n! Are you coming with me to the hospital!?"

You watch the gurney holding Kelly pass by. You only look at Corey, and he frowns. You can't bring it to yourself to go with them. The guilt that passes you if she were to die on the way there.

You only sit on the bench, face buried in your face. Max sits next to you, hugging you from the side. A part of you knew calling out of the game was a bad idea, but not this bad.

You're confused as to why the demos would have targeted Kelly of all people.

Everything seems to be moving twice as slowly. You watch the blood trail run to the drain before you feel a rag rub across your cheek, wiping away the blood.

thanks to all your support, the taglist has moved to a collection of posts. you can find them here, here, here, and here. all of these posts will be reblogged to notify when a new chapter is out!

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[s-solarisstar]

i love your steve fic so much 😭😭😭😭😭

Thank you so much!!!

[s-solarisstar]

will steve and reader get together by the end of the season?

Maybe, maybe not! I don’t wanna spoil hehe